RTN Newspaper - Costa Blanca South 9 - 15 February 2018 Issue 955

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Issue 955

9th - 15th February

Corvera airport key to boost in regional tourism TWO MILLION EUROS is being invested in promoting tourism to La Manga among a number of international tour operators, especially with the opening of the Corvera Airport.

Plans are also being formulated to ensure that should the expected boost to the area take place, hotels may be able to stay open during the low season.

Speaking to Spanish media, the Tourism Minister Javier Celdran said that, “the arrival of the AVE High Speed Train combined with the opening of Corvera will transform the way we look at tourism in the region of Murcia. We can look forward to, for example, a tourist from Germany being able to come to our region directly rather than travelling by road.”

It’s been a poor winter for the La Manga area as almost all the hotels have closed since last October; something that is hoped to change over the next year or so. Some have already begun to open this month and have boosted their custom by offering 25,400 beds to the pensioners’ tour organisation IMERSO across La Manga, Aguilas and in the city centre of Murcia.

Murcia needs some of your blood...now THE Blood Donation Centre of the Murcia region has launched an urgent appeal for blood donors. It’s vital that stocks are replenished and the service is particularly looking for people whose blood group is either ONegative or B-Negative.

The regular donations are coordinated via the regional website at murciasalud.es and registered donors are presently receiving text messages requesting them to go to their normal centres for blood donations as soon as possible. The regional Blood Donation Centre is located next to the Hospital Reina Sofia in Murcia and open from 8.30am to 8.30pm Monday to Friday.

There are also other permanent centres open for blood donations at the following locations in the Murcia region: Hospital Santa María del Rosell, Avenida Alfonso XIII, 61,

DIMINISHING: Oand B- blood supplies need urgent topping-up.

INSIDE THIS WEEK ...

‘ALICANTE BLAZE’

P4 ‘SCHOOL CHILDREN’

P6 Cartagena, open for blood extractions Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.30am to 2pm, Wednesday from 3pm to 9pm, and the second Saturday of each month.

Hospital Virgen del Castillo in Yecla. Blood donors welcome on the final Thursday of each month.

Santa Rosa de Lima de Lorca. Donations take place in

the outpatient clinic on the first and third Thursday of each month.

Those wishing to offer their blood must check with the local hospitals if they had been in the UK between 1980 and 1996 as some medical officers fear that they may carry blood contaminated due to contact at the time with Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (Mad Cow) disease.

‘CASTLE LIFTS’

P18

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9th - 15th February

Easier access for Orihuela’s beaches Fanny S Forsdik Wikimedia

by Steve Collins OR IHUEL A Councillor Luisa Bone has announced that access to the municip a l i t y ’s b e a c h e s w i l l b e easier and safer in the future.

At a cost of €27,094, the council has purchased a number of different types of portable walkways that will adorn the beaches as soon as possible. They will be made up of both fixed double-width boards and others that can be rolledup and laid down as and when required.

Councillor B one said that both models are des i g ne d to w i t h s t a n d weather extremes which are an important requirement for their durability. “ T he 2.40 metre wide walkways will be installed in the section of the beach t h at r u n s b e t w e e n t h e promenade and the area

Illegal airport taxi driver detained

VISITORS: Four Orihuela beaches will get new walkways.

u s e d by p e o ple w i t h reduce d mobility, g iving them easier access to the sand,” said Bone.

To help p e ople w i th sight issues, the edges of the new walkways will be painte d blue to m a ke

them easier to stand out.

Four beaches in the municipality will benefit from these ne w access routes, and are those that already have areas designated for the use of handicapped users.

T hey are Cala B osque, Cala Capitam, La Glea and Barranco Rubio.

The remaining beaches under the control of Orihuela will eventually see similar enhancements over time.

LOCAL POLICE have detained a man for attempting to illegally pick up passengers at the AlicanteElche Airport.

He was discovered at the bus stop located at the entrance to departures at the airport terminal and, according to the potential passengers themselves, flagrantly offered his services to a group of complete strangers who had just arrived on holiday. He was trying to charge them €10 per person.

Police carried out some basic checks on the driver and the vehicle’s documentation, all of which were totally in order except for the complete lack of any type of authorisation for transporting people.

His van was immediately impounded and was only returned to him once the currently imposed fine of €2,000 was paid.

This latest intervention is part of a comprehensive and ongoing monitoring of vehicles suspected of making regular and illegal trips back and forth from Alicante-Elche Airport, purely in the hope of ‘getting a fare.’ Such attempts are contrary to a number of transport regulations under the control of the Spanish Traffic Directorate (DGT).

Travellers that use illegal taxi drivers are warned from time-to-time that using vehicles driven by people on regular airport runs do so at their own risk, and are helping the driver to break the law. The drivers and their cars are not insured for such operations should there be any kind of accident or incident en route to or from the airport.

9th - 15th February

Man arrested for fraud made the wrong call Photo credit: Cozyta Shuttterstock

A MAN has been arrested in Elche for attempting to defraud his insurance company.

National Police officers detained the man, aged 23 and of Ecuadorian nationality, after claiming he’d suffered from a violent attack that ended up with his mobile phone being taken in the struggle.

The arrest took place afte r a n i nve s t i g at i o n i n to the or ig inal alle ged incident that took place back in 2016. The report sent to the police in E lche at the time said that the victim was attacked indiscr imin ate l y f ro m b e h i n d a n d kicked in the back several times. The gang then stole his mobile phone.

Police investigators noticed a number of inconsistencies in the stor y which ra i s e d t h e i r s u s p i c i o n s .

They then began a thorough search on the internet fo r t h e ‘s to l e n ’ p h o n e a s well as visiting a number of

FAKE CALL: Arrested man said his mobile phone was stolen in ‘attack’ outlets in person that deal in the buying and selling of such second-hand items.

It proved both a long and difficult search, but their tenacity paid off when the phone was discovered in a

second-hand store. It had b e e n s o l d to t h e m b y a friend of the arrested man.

He h a d d e l i b e rate l y picked this way of getting rid of his mobile phone so there could be no trace back

to him.

O n ce p o l i ce m a d e t h e connection, they immediately arrested the man who confessed to his crimes. He was accused of reporting a fake crime and for fraud.

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Alicante’s not so cold IT might be hard to believe during the recent cold snap, but the province of Alicante experienced the warmest January since records began.

The average temperature throughout the province last month was recorded at 9ºC, which was 1.8ºC higher than the previous January figure. In the city of Alicante, the mean temperature was 13ºC and the highest since 1940, according to data supplied by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

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9th - 15th February

Rajoy announces €588m road and rail projects Photo credit: La Moncloa flickr

by Glenn Scott

A 30-METRE yacht caught fire in Alicante, leaving 10 people needing treatment for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the blaze in San Gabriel Port is not yet known but nine of the injured needed to be treated in hospitals throughout the region following the incident early last Tuesday.

A cat was also rescued from the yacht.

Emergency services stayed at the scene for some time, but after battling the blaze for several hours, it was brought under control.

All of the injured have since been discharged from the hospitals.

Photo Credit: Ayuntamiento de Alicante

MAJOR infrastructure projects that will affect both the Alicante and Murcia provinces were announced by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy during his recent visit to the Alicante-Elche Airport.

Rajoy made the announcements as part of an official ceremony that celebrated 50 years of the airport that opened on May 4, 1967.

A total of €588 million is planned to be spent on the upgrading of the AP-7 motorway in a 72-kilometre stretch between Alicante and Murcia, turning the current two lanes into three between Elche and Alhama. The work will be financed by a private investment.

The second major project will see improved access to the Alicante-Elche Airport from the N-332 at a cost of €30 million. In addition, the

Firefighters tackle Alicante yacht blaze

CELEBRATING: Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy makes the announcement during visit to Alicante-Elche Airport .

prime minister announced that within three months they expect to have the results of the feasibility study of the proposed rail connection that will link the airport to Alicante and Elche.

This project has been given

a budget of €85million.

Prime Minister Rajoy also confirmed the launch of the Monteforte del Cid to Murcia high- speed section of railway that will see the time taken to travel between Alicante and Murcia

reduced to 40 minutes.

One of the guests presented to the prime minister during his visit to Alicante-Elche Airport was the 87-year-old pilot of the first plane that landed there over 50 years ago.

YACHT BLAZE: Fighting the fire.

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9th - 15th February

Schoolchildren take over council for a day

by Glenn Scott Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja

By Darren Parmenter FOR the third year in a r o w, a g r o u p o f s c h o o l children took over the running of the Torrevieja Town Hall for a few hours.

T hey may have only been assuming the roles of councillors, but the 24 t h a t to o k p a r t s h o w e d a maturity beyond their years as they discussed and debated some of the issue close to their hearts.

During the course of the ‘c o u n c i l m e e t i n g ,’ t h a t was chaired by the Mmayo r o f To r r e v i e j a J o s e Manuel Dolon and then his deputy Domingo Soler, t h e c h i l d re n p u t 1 2 p ro posals to the vote.

T he atmosphere in the council chamber was one of excitement and nerves, especially when it came to voting on the various motions put for ward when

Four fires in one Vega Baja day

FUTURE: Youth of the city debate the issues of the day.

they had to choose which way to go... or to abstain.

T h e i s s u e s ra i s e d t h a t generated the most debate have been to increase the number of rubbish containers and to improve the sports facilities of the

municipality. One of the most radical proposals was the possibility of a sheltered housing project for people with disabilities.

On the other hand, the most popular subjects for

debate were improvements to urban and intercity transpor t, the creation of more cycle lanes, a n d to a d a p t m o re p a r t s of the city for those with disability and mobility issues.

IN the space of just 13 hours, four fires broke out in homes in the Vega Baja area.

There were no serious injuries reported but three people were taken to hospital for treatment.

In Catral, a mother and her baby needed to be treated for smoke inhalation following a fire in their home in Calle Albellon that broke out at 2.15 in the afternoon. Both were inside at the time and a relative did their best to put out the fire until the firefighters from Crevillente arrived.

A few hours earlier, Torrevieja’s fire brigade was alerted to a fire on the Ronda de Torrevieja where a 66-year-old woman had to be taken to the local hospital also suffering from the effects of the thick and toxic black smoke. It’s understood her condition is not life-threatening.

Finally, there were two more fires requiring the assistance of the Orihuela fire service. The first needed 16 firefighters from both Orihuela and Almoradi as the blaze that began in the house’s garage burned two vehicles and two high-end motorbikes. Reports suggest that temperatures reached between 400ºC and 500ºC at some points during the fire, such was its intensity.

The second, in a three-storey house in Calle Monserratinas broke out one hour later after a chimney caught alight and began to affect two of the floors. The only person in the building at the time was able to leave the building as soon as the fire started.

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9th - 15th February

Illegal mooring IN an attempt to cut out the increasing number

of

illegal

moorings in San Javier,

No charge for charging while you wait

a ramp has been installed to make it easi-

by Ray Chadwick

er to access the water from the shore.

PEOPLE passing through the municipality of Torrevieja that find t h e i r m o b i l e d e v i ce s s h o r t o n power will shortly be able to recharge them.

The Ciudad del Aire or the El Atalayon beach - will now see the boats able to be stored out of the sea, rather than be

Photo credit: Wikipedia

kept afloat on the Mar Menor without permission.

PLUG AND WAIT: Solar panels power Torrevieja USB centre.

An initiative from the Valencian To u r i s m A g e n c y h a s i n s t a l l e d a recharging point at the Eras de la Sal bus station with six USB points available, all working thanks to solar energy.

The structure has been built and will be fully operational once the solar panels have been fitted.

The location of the bus stop was c h o s e n a s i t ’s o n e o f t h e m a i n transport hubs of the municipality, where most of the seven bus routes serving Torrevieja all converge with a constant flow of people.

The USB ports will allow a variety of devices to be charged, and the area also features a bench inco r p o rate d , t h at w i l l a l l o w t h e users to sit in comfort while waiting for the fully charged icon to appear.

Santa Pola and Tor revieja are t h e o n l y t wo p l a ce s w i t h i n t h e province of Alicante that have such an infrastr ucture, showing their willingness to adapt to changes in the trends and requirements of the modern-day tourist.

9th - 15th February

Additional Alzheimer places funded AN extra 45 places have been created in the Murcia region for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Ministers met with a number of associations that represent families of people coping with the condition.

Back in 2015, there were a total of 119 dedicated places for the care of Alzheimer’s patients; that number has now increased to 164 and has been supported by a financial injection of €1,710,000 that will allow the fight against this condition to continue.

Across the region, a total of 4,135 places are financed for elderly people that are in full-time residency or use day centres.

Oil factories pass their tests ENVIRONMENT inspectors have given the all-clear to four factories used in the packaging of oil in Elche.

They all passed their ‘MOT’ following a campaign of inspections carried out by the Local Police, who checked that the regulations were being complied with. Penalties for failing to meet the stringent standards can vary between €5,000 and €9,000.

Tests are made on all aspects of the equipment including the automatic scales and the quality of the seals used to prevent any tampering.

Crops get safely tucked in WITH overnight temperatures forecast to drop to between -2ºC and -5ºC until Sunday, farmers across the M u rc i a re g i o n a re u s i n g thermal blankets to helpp ro te c t t h e i r v u l n e ra b l e crops.

To avoid as much damage as possible that the frosts m ay c a u s e , l e t t u ce a n d broccoli plantations in particular will receive the extra protection.

TWO groups campaigning to prevent a family from being evicted from their home in Catral have been successful.

Stop Desahucios (Evictions) and RSP Solidaridad Torrevieja combined forces to stop a couple and their three young children - aged 12, seven and three from

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Victory for anti-eviction campaigners being removed from the place they’ve called home for the past four years.

Around 50 people stood

by the family to await the formal presentation of their eviction papers that didn’t arrive after all.

The family got into financial difficulties three years ago when they could no longer pay the mortgage,

and then were unable to meet rental payments as part of a renegotiation agreement.

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9th - 15th February

Crash victims escape with minor injuries FOUR people were left injured after two cars collided on the N332 alongside the salt flats in Santa Pola. The driver of one of the vehicles - travelling on his own - was a man, aged 60, who was trapped in his car following the accident.

Three people in the other car involved, including a child, suf-

fered from mainly cuts and bruises, but were taken to the Elche General Hospital for treatment.

Eight firefighters from Elche were required to help release the driver and clear the scene of the four vehicles involved in the incident.

Pensioners demand return of bus shelters USERS of an old people’s home in Elche have asked for the installation of bus shelters.

They are requesting for the return of the two canopies that disappeared from the stops on either side of the road on the Passeig de l’Estacio during a refurbishment of the area in 2011.

The pensioners are bemoaning that there is nowhere to give them protection from either the fierce summer sun or the other extreme of the biting winds as they wait for their buses.

They are keen to point out that they have no complaint with the bus service... they just want their shelters back.

Grizzly scene A MAN in his 30’s was decapitated by his own ve h i c l e w h e n h e l o s t control of it in the early hours of Sunday morning along the Gran Via de La Manga.

T he Polish natio nal w a s a p p a re n t l y p ro p e l l e d t h ro u g h t h e windscreen of his car, l a n d i n g u p c l o s e to a nearby wall.

At that point, his car came crashing down on h i m a n d re m o ve d h i s head.

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9th - 15th February

by Darren Parmenter FIREFIGHTERS in Chile are taking a piece of Alicante with them when they are called to an incident. Uniforms once worn by

their counterparts throughout the province of Alicante - made up of jackets, trousers, helmets and boots - are being used by Chilean firefighters.

Thanks to an agreement drawn up with ‘Firefighters Without Borders,’ protective suits that have exceeded their period of official use in Alicante have been delivered in near perfect condition to colleagues in other countries where they are very well received. Those that donated in Alicante have recently received thanks from their fellow officers based in the Talca area of Chile, where 38 complete sets of head to toe protective equipment were sent.

It is understood that strict regulations in Europe prevent

such pieces of kit being used beyond a certain time before it needs replacing; but in essence they are still in good condition.

In countries like Chile, where the equipment is of inferior quality, being able to use advanced clothing from Spain even though it’s second hand - is a bonus and enables them to attend incidents that they may not have been fully protected for previously.

The 38 suits getting the new lease of life have been despatched to the first company of volunteer firefighters of Lolol. They are made up of 55 people serving 70,000 residents, with much of their time in the summer months fighting forest fires.

Photo by Catalina Bustos

PROTECTED: Chilean firefighters in action.

Photo by Inma Se Callejon Wikimedia

Chilean firefighters benefit from Alicante donation

FLOWING: The River Segura as it passes through Murcia.

Vega Baja reservoir levels barely change after storms RECENT heavy rainfalls that have swept across the country have not only pleased the farming community in the Vega Baja... the reservoirs have also let out a sigh of relief.

At the beginning of the year, water levels on average across the country were around 37 per cent full. Thanks to the latest deluges, they are now up to 42 per cent, but even so are significantly higher than some of the local reservoirs that would need almost months of monsoons to return to levels of comfort.

The River Jucar that flows through the Valencia Province is now at 25.8 per cent of capacity, and the River Segura -

the most well-known river that links both Alicante and the Murcia region - is now at 15.4 per cent. It was less than 13 per cent at the beginning of 2017 and is a perfect example of the seriousness of the drought experienced over the past 18 months.

It’s well-known that parts of the Alicante Province can often see less annual rainfall than areas of the Sahara Desert and is also regarded as the driest area in the world that has year-round inhabitants. At the other end of the scale, reservoirs, rivers and wells in the Basque Country in the north of Spain are completely full.

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9th - 15th February

Thousands of fake goods destroyed Photo credit: Tio Ruben Wikimedia

SELLING POINT: Torrevieja’s sea front popular for fake goods.

by Lynn Whittaker LOCAL POLICE based in Torrevieja have crushed over 20,000 counterfeit products that they’d seized between 2016 and 2017.

Among the 23,141 individual objects were thousands of watches, pairs of sunglasses, DVDs and CDs. Additionally, some 6,000 items - especially clothes - that were also previously on sale illegally but not fake, have been delivered to the social services department for onward distribution to those in

most need.

This week’s destruction of counterfeit goods takes to a total of 39,282 pieces confiscated during the two-year operation.

Speaking to the Spanish media, Torrevieja’s mayor, Jose Manuel Dolon, said that the municipality takes the matter of counterfeit goods “very seriously” and recognises the importance of the work carried out by the specialist teams tasked with discovering such crimes.

“It is very difficult to repress these activities because there are so many people in the world that

need others to sell these fake goods to make money for them,” said Dolon.

Torrevieja experienced a flood of illegal and counterfeit selling back in 2012 and 2013. On some occasions, when the sellers were challenged by the Guardia Civil or Local Police, scuffles ensued and arrests made.

Most of the counterfeit goods are sold mainly by citizens from sub-Saharan countries, with the majority of them coming from Senegal, and with the selling concentrated along the Paseo de Juan Aparicio.

9th - 15th February

Torrevieja worth its salt this year THE city of salt has had to live up to its reputation during the cold spell that hit the region over the past week.

Over just two days, Torrevieja distributed more than 2,500 tons that filled 110 lorries that delivered the salt to a number of roads and highways organisations across mainly the northern part of Spain.

To enable the deliveries to be carried out as early and efficiently as possible, many of the drivers working in the salt factories spent the night in the car park to load up in the morning.

There were queues of lorries waiting for some hours to get into the factory to take the salt around the country, especially to Segovia and Avila, and their services continued to be required throughout this week as the snow and icy conditions prevailed.

During a normal year, around 100,000 tons of salt are used on Spanish roads but only accounts for between 15 and 20 per cent of the total production. The rest ends up being shipped around the world and some of the major customers are based in northern Europe. The unusual weather conditions of recent weeks have

Sewers and roads get much-needed improvements Photo credit: Wikimedia

by Steve Collins

DEMAND: Torrevieja and La Mata’s produce delivered to all points of Spain. been a bonus for the Torrevieja salt industry.

Torrevieja and La Mata’s famous salt lakes have the capacity to produce

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750,000 tons of salt over a 12-month period. The ‘salt year’ lasts from August to July and during this season is predicted to reach 500,000 tons.

AT a cost to the municipal coffers of €176,000, a programme of works to improve sewerage systems and road surfaces on Campoamor is close to finishing.

Much of the work was needed as, according to Orihuela councillor Juan Ignacio Lopez-Bas, a number of cracks were discovered in pipes found under Avenida Las Adelfas and Calle Anna Maria Matute.

They had been there for more than 40 years and had begun to cause issues to the drainage in the area.

The work undertaken on the sewers has also enabled the council to carry out some equally important road resurfacing on the same roads that had been dug up.

Local residents have regularly criticised the Orihuela Council for what they perceive as them not doing enough for Campoamar. They staged a protest during last summer to coincide with the beginning of the Orihuela stage of the famous La Vuelta cycle race that brought their issues to a larger audience.

One of their wishes is for the area of the Orihuela Costa to be taken away from their inland namesake city and instead placed under the control of nearby Pilar de la Horadada along the coast.

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9th - 15th February

HAVE YOUR SAY

Castle lifts closed for repairs ... again Official statements show that some of the lift closures in 2017 took place during the busy tourist months of July and August ; a situation that is hoped to be avoided in the future, especially a repeat of the incident that saw visitors trapped inside for many hours.

C o u n c i l l o r G l o r i a Va ra s a i d : “I t ’s an impor tant pro g ramme of work that is going to take place and to guarantee the safety of all those working on it, none of the lifts will be operational.”

The Santa Barbara Castle will remain open to the public, with the only access being on foot, by bus or by vehicle.

by Lynn Whittaker

Popular post on Facebook this week reaching 2,000 people with 15 reactions and comments.

“Murcia launches urgent blood donation appeal” Teresa Howard I have had blood transfusions here but unable to donate, you have to have lived in the UK after 1996 to donate!! So as a family of 6 living here for 17 years only one able to donate and she was born here and therefore too young!!

MADNESS!!

Geoff Lloyd The Spanish authorities won't allow most Brits to donate blood, because of the risk of BSC (Mad cow disease). How silly is that?

@RTNNewspaper Most liked posts from this week • Mother ‘too tired’ to report missing son in Torrevieja • Three killed in multicar pileup near Benissa

FOR the 10th time in just over a year, the Santa B arbara Castle will once again have its lifts out of action.

This time, one of the main access routes to the popular tourist attraction will be out of use for 10 days later this month - between Tuesday and February 22 (inclusive) - according to an announcement made by the Alicante culture depar tment on their website and across social media.

On this occasion the closure will be due to the renewal of cab l e s i n o n e o f t h e l i f t s . I t ’s hoped that this will prevent the regular and frustrating closure of the castle due to the amount of time the lift has suffered breakdowns over the past 12 months.

ACCESS: Views from the Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante.

Photo credit: Flickr

THAT’S the claim that’s been shouted from the parched fields of crops as a result of the recent rain and, in some cases, even the cold temperatures.

The amount of water that fell over the past week has eased the worries of the farmers that have suffered drought conditions that have severely affected their crop production. It’s also helped their pockets as they’ve been previously paying for water that has now fallen from the sky for free.

‘Millions of Euros have fallen from the sky’ Overall production costs have thus been reduced overnight.

A combination of the rains at the end of January and the beginning of February has eased the water short-

ages and made a significant contribution to the reservoirs in the Alicante Province.

In addition, the low temperatures actually favour the flowering of fruit and almond trees, so they can survive in full bloom if any frosts arrive in late February or early March.

The drought conditions have taken more than 1,000 hectares of vegetables in the Vega Baja area alone and losses in excess of two million kilos from the Camp d’Elx.

• Suspected terrorist arrested in Elche • Appeal to find missing Antonio Ortega in Malaga

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9th - 15th February PLACE TO REFLECT: Debbie Alger’s garden.

Driver found with anti-radar kit A MAN has been detained after police in Elche discovered his car contained antiradar equipment.

He was stopped as part of a routine police control point and has been fined €6,000 and had six points removed from his driving licence.

The car - with an Austrian registration plate - underwent a number of basic checks, but when the vehicle’s chassis number was found in the engine police noticed a frequency jammer installed.

The vehicle was immediately taken to the municipal car pound where it was later retrieved by its owner.

Photo by RTN

Garden of Reflection blessed

by Darren Parmenter AROUND 100 people turned out to brave the cold weekend weather for the inauguration of the Garden of Reflection on Urbanisation La Marina.

Temperatures may have been low on Sunday morning but the emotions were high as the brainchild of local resident, Debbie Alger, was formally opened and given a blessing by the local priest of San Fulgencio.

Local councillors Paulino Herrero and Samantha Hull said a few poignant words,

which followed Debbie herself, who was visibly full of her own emotions, as she delivered a reading remembering her own father who was her inspiration for the project.

She was certainly not prepared for the presentation of a specially engraved plaque expressing the appreciation of the local town hall for her initiative.

Alicante British Vice-Consul, Sara Munsterhjelm, delivered a short speech that acknowledged Debbie’s hard work in achieving her dream of the Garden of Reflection.

“What has been done here

is a perfect example of community spirit, showing what happens when people support such ideas,” said the vice-consul. “I also bring with me the thanks and appreciation of HM Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, and British Consul Sarah-Jane Morris.”

The Garden of Reflection’s focal point is a wall featuring almost 30 plaques in memory of people with connections to Urbanisation La Marina, which will shortly see an additional 20-plus being added in the coming weeks, remembering other much-missed loved ones.

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9th - 15th February

STOP: Regional health target of just 5 per cent of smokers by 2025.

Residents get squatters zone boarded up ELCHE City Council has ordered the boarding up of 60 homes in the San Anton neighbourhood to stop people squatting in them. The council have received a number of complaints from local residents over a period of time, highlighting the state of the area which has been blighted by the illegal occupants. Doors and windows have been bricked up to make access impossible.

The patients who came in to the cold...

Region starts a war on smoking SMOKING still kills. And in the Murcia region it’s killing more people per year than AIDS, drugs, alcohol and traffic accidents.

The regional government of Murcia has declared war on smoking and has set a target to stop another 280,000 smokers by 2025.

The ambitious aim will see those addicted to cigarettes dropping to just 5 per cent in Murcia, down from the current 28 per cent, and

significantly less than the current national average of 25 per cent. In raw number terms, it means cutting smokers from 340,000 to just 60,000.

The initiative was announced by Regional Health Minister, Manual Villegas, and includes additional measures that will mean more inspections in the vicinity of health centres; a location where it’s recognised that people still

smoke. This is something that is prohibited by current anti-smoking legislation.

According to data supplied by the Murcia Ministr y of Health, around 2,700 people die from the effects of tobacco ever y year.

Smoking is still part of the daily life of a significant number of people, with 26 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men still puffing away. One of the encourag-

ing statistics is the reduction in the number of young people between 14 and 18years-old, that has seen a drop to 16 per cent over the last 12 years.

The figures were released alongside World Cancer Day last Sunday, when Minister Villegas said that there were 7,000 new cases diagnosed each year, with 2,900 deaths.

Lung cancer is increasing among both men and women.

THE medical centre in the municipality of Los Montesinos has been operating for the past month and a half without any heating.

Both staff working in the building, and the daily number of patients are especially suffering during the current cold snap, and they have been demanding repairs to the system since Christmas. Most complaints come from those needing to use the treatment room - that allegedly lacks a plug socket - and are required to get undressed to receive medical attention.

Low-flying panic was only emergency training PEOPLE living in and around Torrevieja and La Mata were both startled and concerned when they saw a low-flying aircraft patrolling the local beaches.

But these latest flights were only part of a series of training manoeuvres in preparation for future emergency calls.

9th - 15th February

by John Redfern

IN the winters of the 1950’s the working classes had only one choice to keep a room in their house warm, it was a coal fire.

Do you remember the coal merchant delivering these heavy bags of fuel? He would sling a bag onto each shoulder and deliver it to your coal house like they were bags of feathers and I could never understand how - as a nine-year-old young lad such a slightly built man could carry so much weight.

Also why did we have a posh front room full of nice furniture that was only used when family or friends came round? That front room was always cold and full of interesting ornaments, and when the best tea set came out the tea was poured into the cups from a very colourful tea pot.

The door to this room was always shut.

My younger Brother and I were never allowed in, but in the late 1960’s everything changed, as the dividing walls were taken out to make one big living space.

Let’s go back to the late 50’s. My late Father was in the Royal Marine Commandoes (a sergeant) in the Second World War. He was a very hard man, 6ft 2in and very strong!

23

A sack of coal

REMINISCING: The good old days.

He got a job at the Standard Engine Factory after the war, but was always looking for ways of making money on the side.

Our house was a stone’s throw from a common which used to have the travelling showmen (fairs, commonly called Mop Fair) four times a year.

Some of the sideshows were the tat-

tooed lady, the fat lady, the man with three legs, the dwarf with three eyes etc.

I will now explain why I called this factual true story A sack of coal. After work my old man used to put a sack of coal on his back and run up and down our long garden for at least 30 minutes each night, so he was as fit as a fiddle!

There was another sideshow at these fairs, it was a large tent with a boxing ring inside. The entrance was highly decorated, with the fighters standing on a platform with a tanner (sixpence) entrance fee. A few of the fighters were skinny chaps stripped down to their shorts who used to shadow-box, but a couple of them were dressed in their full gowns, shoulders down, without smiling.

They were the true fighters and the others were just there to give you a false sense of security. If you signed up for a scrap admission was free and the purse was five bob (shillings).

My Dad took me into the tent, sat me down, took his shirt and vest off and went into the ring. He fought like a warrior, not observing the Queensbury rules, but he wanted that five bob and he never lost!

Afterwards he held my hand and took me to the chip shop where he bought me a tanner’s worth of chips and scratchings, then sent me to the local coal merchants to collect a sack of coal.

The coal merchant was about half a mile away and he used to put the sack in my bike frame. I then tramped through the snow, wheeled it back and my Dad lit a fire.

Warmth at last I thought, but no, I wanted a leak and we had an outside toilet!

24

9th - 15th February

by Barry Duke

AROUND 18 years ago an item of news caught my attention. In a bid to attract gannets to the island of Mana, off the coast of New Zealand, a group of conservationists created a colony of concrete gannets, painted them in appropriate colours and waited for an invasion of real gannets.

The experiment was a failure in all but one aspect. A lone gannet, more easily fooled than its kinfolk, came to Mana, promptly fell in love with one of the decoys and remained with ‘her’ for years Reporting this week on Nigel’s death, the New York Times quoted Linda Kerkmeester, Vice President of the environmental conservation group Friends of Mana as saying: “He nested alongside her. He was seen wooing her by preening her. Nigel was also seen trying to mate with her.”

Chris Bell, 37, a ranger for the New Zealand Conservation Department, found the seabird dead in his nest. It was Bell who named the bird ‘Nigel No Mates’ because he had no friends. He thought the saddest part of this story was that Nigel’s courtship of the stone bird gave him absolutely nothing in return for his

Sad news: ‘Nigel No Mates’ is dead

Photo Credit: Facebook Friends of Mana Island/Colin Miskelly of Te Papa.

TRUE LOVE: A plunging of concrete gannets and Nigel.

persistent devotion.

Now I have to confess that I once fell in love with a bird when I was aged eight, and the only reward I got was a nightmare trip to the A&E department of a local hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It was traumatic in the extreme because the African Grey parrot had sunk his beak into the soft tissue between my right thumb and forefinger, and a surgeon had to separate the creature from my flesh with considerable difficulty. It seemed at the time that he was more

concerned about not injuring the bird than with the hand that had reached into the cage to offer a peanut.

Granddad originally named his new pet Polly, but changed it to Brutus after the incident. He showed no sympathy for the bite, simply saying “let that be a lesson to you Butch,” which was my embarrassing childhood nickname.

Now other kids would have given a vicious creature like Brutus a wide berth after such a run-in, but I was determined to win him over to my side. But nothing I did would convince him that all I craved

was his friendship. It would just glare at me and squawk something foreign.

At this point I should point out that Granddad had bought the bird from a French sailor, and French was all it spoke. One night the family hosted a dinner party, and one of the guests strolled over to Brutus’s cage in the hope of having a civilised conversation with him.

When the bird spoke, the guest backed away from the cage in horror, rounded on my Grandfather and demanded to know who had taught it such ‘filth’.

It turned out that Brutus was not only bad-tempered, it had a vocabulary that would make a fishwife blush, and my mortified Granddad announced that the bird had to go. It was taken off his hands by a friend who clearly had no problem with foul-mouthed pets.

But birds still figured large in my young life. Granddad decided that canaries were a far safer bet, and went on to breed some prize-winning specimens.

Brutus, I learned many years later, died in his 90’s, well after his new owner fell off the perch. If the bird’s last words were ‘merde’ I shouldn’t be in the least surprised.

9th - 15th February

25

money

by Glenn Scott MANY people arriving at their local bank branch got a shock when they arrived... it had closed.

Following the merger between BANKIA and BMN, 25 branches closed their doors throughout the Alicante Province, with the bank’s employees being transferred to other branches.

The Alicante branch of the BMN located on the busy Avenida de Alfonso del Sabia was shut when customers arrived on Monday morning.

Both BANKIA and BMN are well-known names throughout the Vega Baja area, and the 25 branches affected were made up of 17 from the old Caja Murcia (that became BMN) and eight of the immediately recognisable orange BANKIA. According to sources at both banks, customers had already been notified of the changes, but this didn’t stop a degree of confusion on Monday morning when people turned up to use the service.

Equally, those branches that

Photo credit: Flickr Taxrebate.org

Bank closes 25 branches after merger

CLOSED: Customers need to look for another nearby branch remained open reported busier activity than normal.

The Alicante Province is due to suffer more closures than others since it’s the province where both companies overlapped. Overall in Spain, 150 branches have been closed.

The municipalities affected

by the recent closures are five branches in Alicante, four in Elche, and one each in Almoradi, Altea, Aspe, Benidorm, Callosa de Segura, Calpe, El Campello, Crevillente, Denia, Guardamar, Ibi, Orihuela, Sant Joan, Santa Pola, La Vila and Villena.

Pound up against euro ALTHOUGH exchange rates are very volatile, the pound had a good day yesterday (Thursday) moving back to nearly €1.15 and $1.40.

The main reason appears to have been an announcement from the Bank of England that it may have to consider increasing interest rates earlier and higher than expected due to a forecast increase in inflation.

There are still considerable fears surrounding the UK economy in the run up to and past Brexit but although those living in Britain are likely to see more expensive mortgages, those who receive pensions in sterling but transfer the income into euros will be hoping for this rise to continue.

28

9th - 15th February

RTN Life

A courageous woman who has conquered her illness

by Michael Cano JAN SHURE is a former journalist who spent 29 years in various senior editorial roles at the London-based Jewish Chronicle and wrote a best-selling, beauty and fashion book back in the mid-80’s.

She left journalism to concentrate full-time at www.sosensational.co.uk, the fashion website she co-founded with her long-time friend and now business partner, Cyndy Lessing.

SoSensational is what’s known in e-commerce as an aggregator. They bring together fashion from all d i ff e r e n t b r a n d s , a t a l l different price points, all

carefully chosen for the fashionable over-50 woman.

Unlike other aggregators, they also offer style advice which is specifically written for fashionable women of 50-plus.

Jan told RTN newspaper in a recent interview “I am married to Colin L e w i s . We m a r r i e d i n 2003. It was a second marriage for both of us.

We have six adult children and 11 grandchildren between us.

“Colin and I spend a little over half the year in the UK and the rest of the time in Spain.

“In the UK, home is in north London. In Spain, home is Guadalmansa, which is located between

San Pedro and Estepona.”

In 2014, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The surgery for its removal left her severely impaired and initially she lost all motor function and had many other health issues.

Recovery has been very slow and still continues, and one of the most effective treatments for Jan was Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

The couple had heard about this therapy for those with brain damage, but it is only available in a few places not in the UK where it is used only for diving accidents.

But as they undertook their research, incredibly

We work with all the leading UK fashion brands and retailers.

“

they discovered that it was available in Estepona, less than 10kilometres from their Spanish home.

H a p p i l y, b e c a u s e o f the nature of the business, Jan explained that she is able to work as e a s i l y w h e n s h e ’s i n Spain as in London.

“I also enjoy being at our Spanish home because I am able to go s w i m m i n g e v e r y d a y, even in winter, as our apartment has an indoor pool, as well as outdoor ones.

“And I can do more walking as there are never icy pavements!

Swimming and walking are both very important as they are part of my rehabilitation,” she said.

The business came about almost accidentally. Jan was approaching retirement age when, in her words, “Cyndy and I planned to start ‘a little business’ to help women of 50-plus find fabulous clothes.

“It turns out we hit the zeitgeist and created a really successful business and a website which women of 50-plus really love, and flock to, especially now as they are becoming more accustomed to buying fashion online.

The elegant Jan Shure.

“We work with all the leading UK fashion brands and retailers, including M&S, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, LK Bennett and lots more” she proudly told RTN. If all of this wasn’t enough, Jan has just had a n o v e l , I f N o t f o r Yo u published, and there has been talk of a film, although she suspects that’s a long way off.

Jan kindly agreed to take part in a question and answer session and the result will appear in n e x t w e e k ’s e d i t i o n o f RTN. Jan Shure is a fascinating lady who simply refused to give up after her illness, which has left her with some problems with her speech but her mind is clearly recovered and is both sharp and concise.

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7:00am Winter Olympics 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Live James Martin presents another menu of mouthwatering recipes, great chefs and celebrity guests.

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Baby Daddy Melissa and Joey Melissa and Joey How I Met Your Mother 11:30am How I Met Your Mother 12:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 12:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1:00pm The Goldbergs 1:30pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 4:30pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 5:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6:00pm The Goldbergs 6:30pm The Goldbergs

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My All American Escape Room Texas Blood King Arthur Baywatch Chips My All American True-life sports drama about Freddie Steinmark, an underdog American footballer who overcame his small statute to become a University of Texas legend King Arthur Baywatch Chips Escape Room Frank and Lola Harmonium

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The Great Artists HouseBusters Milkshake!

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Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

Rich House, Poor House The Wonderful World of Puppies Cruising with Jane McDonald The World's Most Luxurious Cruise Ship

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11:30am Football on 5 The Championship.

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7:00am King Arthur Rip-roaring reworking of the classic tale about a roguish swordsman who discovers his birthright and takes on his evil uncle.

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SATURDAY 7:00am 11:00am 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:10pm 2:15pm 5:30pm 6:25pm 6:35pm 6:40pm 6:45pm 7:25pm 8:15pm 9:20pm 10:10pm

Breakfast Winter Olympics Football Focus BBC News Weather Winter Olympics Final Score BBC News Regional News Weather And They're Off...For Sport Relief Pointless All Together Now Casualty BBC News The latest national and international news stories, followed by Weather.

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Hollyoaks Hollyoaks Coach Trip How I Met Your Mother Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Melissa and Joey How I Met Your Mother Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa and Joey Melissa and Joey Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory

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12:45pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 1:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:30pm Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits 2:00pm La Liga Icons 3:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 3:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 3:30pm Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits 4:00pm Eredivisie 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 5:45pm La Liga Greatest Games

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TUESDAY 7:00am 10:15am 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

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Doctors The Coroner Escape to the Country Get Away for Winter Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News Regional News All the latest local news.

The One Show EastEnders Holby City Shetland

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

Hollyoaks Hollyoaks Coach Trip How I Met Your Mother Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Melissa and Joey How I Met Your Mother Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa and Joey Melissa and Joey Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brooklyn Nine-Nine

33

9th - 15th February

WEDNESDAY 4:00am 7:00am 10:15am 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

Winter Olympics Breakfast Winter Olympics BBC News Regional News Doctors The Coroner Escape to the Country Get Away for Winter Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News Regional News The One Show

10:15am Animal Park Easter Special 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under 12:45pm Heir Hunters 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm Winter Olympics 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great American Railroad Journeys 8:00pm Winter Olympics 9:00pm Tom Kerridge's Lose Weight for Good 9:30pm Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

4:50am 6:05am

House Doctor Great Scientists Wildlife SOS Milkshake!

The Wright Stuff GPs: Behind Closed Doors 5 News Cowboy Builders Access Home and Away Neighbours NCIS Deadly Attraction 5 News Neighbours Home and Away

5:30am Texas Blood 7:00am Mean Dreams 9:00am Honey 3: Dare to Dance 10:45am Mune: Guardian of the Moon 12:20pm It Had to be You 1:50pm Baywatch 4:00pm Honey 3: Dare to Dance 5:50pm Mune: Guardian of the Moon 7:30pm It Had to be You 9:00pm Baywatch 11:10pm Monster Hunt 1:15am Mean Dreams 3:15am Escape Room

1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm

Shimmer and Shine Floogals Digby Dragon Rusty Rivets Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05am Mofy 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Cowboy Builders 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS: Conspiracy to Murder

7:00am It Had to be You 8:30am Mune: Guardian of the Moon 10:05am Honey 3: Dare to Dance 11:50am Baywatch 2:05pm After the Reality 3:50pm Mune: Guardian of the Moon 5:30pm Honey 3: Dare to Dance 7:20pm After the Reality 9:00pm Baywatch 11:10pm Mean Dreams 1:00am Monster Hunt

12:00pm One2eleven 12:30pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:00pm Revista de la Liga 1:30pm La Liga World 2:00pm La Liga Icons 2:15pm La Liga Icons: Zidane 2:30pm La Liga Icons 3:00pm Eredivisie 4:00pm Football's Greatest 4:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games

ITV Nightscreen The Jeremy Kyle Show 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 3:00pm James Martin's American Adventure 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather

9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 10:30am 11:00am

Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Melissa and Joey Melissa and Joey How I Met Your Mother 11:30am How I Met Your Mother 12:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 12:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1:00pm The Goldbergs 1:30pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy

5:45am 6:10am 6:35am 7:00am 10:15am 12:15pm 1:10pm 1:15pm 2:10pm 2:15pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm

7:00am

9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 10:30am 11:00am

8:50am 9:05am 9:20am 9:35am 9:55am

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

5:00pm 5:30pm

Revista de la Liga La Liga World One2eleven SPFL Greatest Games Revista de la Liga La Liga World La Liga Icons Revista de la Liga La Liga World Football's Greatest Football's Greatest Teams Scottish Cup Greatest Games La Liga Greatest Games

THURSDAY 5:30am 7:00am 10:15am 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm

Winter Olympics Breakfast Winter Olympics BBC News at One BBC London News Doctors The Coroner Escape to the Country Get Away for Winter Antiques Road Trip Pointless

6:00am Weather for the Week Ahead 6:05am BBC News 7:00am Winter Olympics 10:15am Animal Park Easter Special 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under 12:45pm Heir Hunters 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm Winter Olympics 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great American Railroad Journeys

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 James Martin's 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale

Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Melissa and Joey Melissa and Joey How I Met Your Mother 11:30am How I Met Your Mother 12:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 12:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1:00pm The Goldbergs 1:30pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey

this week weather FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU Feb 9 Feb 10 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 13 Feb 14 Feb 15 10º/5ºC 13º/5ºC 15º/7ºC 16º/10ºC 15º/1ºC 16º/11ºC 17º/12ºC Plenty of clouds

Clouds and sun

Clouds and sun

Clouds and sun

Sunshine and patchy cloud

Sunshine and patchy cloud

Clouds and sun

34

9th - 15th February

There’ll be bluebirds over . . .

Photo Credit: Sue Kellerman flickr

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

LIKE a lot of children, I had visions of growing up to be famous, but the image I held in my head that encapsulated this dream, was not of a big house or flashy cars, or being accosted in the street by adoring fans.

No, it was the image of me being invited as the guest celebrity on Desert Island Discs, the long running BBC radio programme.

Strange as it sounds, this would have indicated to me that I had ‘arrived’.

But don’t laugh, I still believe that there is something deliciously self indulgent about choosing your personal favourite pieces of music and having the luxury of sharing them with the world.

As those of you of a certain age will remember, also allowed along with the complete works of Shakespeare

DAME VERA LYNN: A British National Treasure.

and the Bible; the desert island castaway can choose to take just one book, and although selecting eight pieces of music from the thousands that I love would be next to impossible, my book choice would present no problem. The Road to Little Dribbling

by Bill Bryson would be my choice.

Following on from his earlier book: Notes from a Small Island it is a charming and often hilarious insight into the landscape and character of our islands, and because Bryson is American, he delights in detailing

what he sees as the strange customs and quirkiness of the inhabitants of the British Isles.

Through all his observations, his obvious love and enchantment with the British people and their homeland shines through, putting to shame many Brits who, politics aside, show nothing but negativity about their mother country with its physical beauty and fascinating history.

Whenever I fly home from Spain or some far-flung location, the English landscape is instantly recognisable and perhaps it’s the sight of those famous white cliffs, but I swear I can hear Vera Lynn giving it large somewhere in my head.

I never did get the swanky big house and Bentley, but then I still have a lot of growing up to do. But one thing I have promised myself is that one day I will embark on my own journey, visiting the towns, villages, and countryside that hold a special meaning for me, and who knows, perhaps write my own book.

Britain has the most fascinating past in terms of world history and it may be unfashionable to say this, but Britain for me is not Europe. Britain is quite simply . . . Britain. Incomparable and unique.

9th - 15th February

by Michael Walsh

keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com

A VIDEO has emerged of former American Vice President Joe Biden disclosing that the US had to browbeat Europe’s leaders into imposing economic sanctions on Moscow in 2014. Following the referendum that returned Crimea to Russia, America’s economic war badly hit the pockets of 510 million EU citizens.

Biden rants, “We spent so much time on the phone making sure that everyone from Hollande (France) to Renzi (Italy) wouldn’t walk away. They wanted no part of the sanctions on Russia. We had impact on them. It was basically ‘you have got to do it’.”

Biden adds; “And thank God, Merkel was strong enough at the time to do so, reluctantly to stand with us.”

Biden was addressing The Council on Foreign Relations, a United States think tank that focuses on US foreign policy and international affairs. The American economic war not only drove a rift between Russia and EU, but also prompted Moscow to retaliate with restrictions on imports from EU nations heavily dependent on trade with Russia.

According to the Austrian Institute of Economic Research the US inspired standoff has cost EU industry, agriculture and tourism over €30 billion and led to the loss of roughly 500,000 jobs.

Based on a war economy and $20 trillion in debt, a commentator sums up the United States. ‘If the world was a bar, America would be the angry drunk waving around a loaded gun. Yeah, the other people in the bar might be afraid of him, but they sure as hell don’t respect him.”

The US today is drifting from omnipotence to impotence. The big question is what happens to the European Union when America disintegrates. The Gold-

Photo Credit: U.S. Department of the Defense

Decolonisation of Europe

35

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Moscow in 2014.

man Sachs Euro will collapse; there will be no interest in another common currency.

Each nation will revert to its original currency, which may be painless but few believe it will be. Ask the Russians; also former Soviet Bloc nations that endured several economic collapses. Is their past our future?

Every man for himself, the UK will vainly try to recover its betrayed former markets. Remaining EU nations will rush to recover trade alliance with Russia.

The Visegrad Group, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic

with Bulgaria, Austria and Croatia will find Russia responsive. Humiliatingly, America’s flunkies like the Baltic States will go cap in hand to a Russia they spurned and provoked.

Liberated from Washington and Wall Street control, the peoples of Europe may find it necessary to elect a more pragmatic political leadership if they wish to resume trading with the now lucrative Russian marketplace.

One thing for certain, when the mop flops there is much to keep former European Union members occupied but thankfully it won’t be an American occupation.

36

9th - 15th February

Puzzles Code Breaker Kenny Corris I For Readings, Consultations and Castings email: kennycorris@hotmailcom / www.kennycorris.net Mobile: 686 361 594 / Tel: 965 878 424

Play on Words

Answers: Home is where the heart is. Through thick and thin.

Venus enters into Pisces at the start of the week, sharpening your intuition and psychic abilities. This will allow you to see things from a different angle, and when you do you will know instinctively what has to come next. Being a part of something that has veered out of control, you would be justified in just walking away!

Word Wheel The goal of a word wheel puzzle is to create as many words possible with the letters in the word wheel. You can only use each letter once and every word must have the letter in the centre of the wheel.

Can you find the 9 letter word?

Saturn is sextiled by Venus midweek, and this sees a conflict since Saturn advises you wait and see, and Venus works with your true inner emotions right now; urging a quick solution to a matter of the heart. The innermost, sensitive you wants to do the very best you can, whereas, this time around you do not want to be hurt.

Uranus trumps in a sextile with Mercury, bringing opportunity and new beginnings and a clear opening of communication. You have to ensure your very best interests right now, and be unafraid to take a risk because for you it is truly nothing ventured, nothing gained. Take the bull by the horns as there is no going back!

Moon magic brings you something to get your claws into this week. You have managed to keep your temper and allow somebody the benefit of the doubt, but actions this week changes things and you are on the warpath to give them that nasty nip they need. This will show them that you are not to be messed with!

A double whammy this week as the Sun squares on Jupiter and sextiles Uranus. Heralding fortunate blessings and good luck, Jupiter is illuminated in the second house whilst Uranus gives the thumbs up for a new venture which can now, hopefully, take a step closer to reality! Strike out now, whilst the iron is still hot.

Mercury opposes Ceres midweek, and this is a time to break away from routines and to have some fun for a change. You are a creature of habit, but this week should see you taking a change of air and letting your hair down. Mercury has your true interests at heart, and sends out a message to have some good times.

Take what people are saying with a pinch of salt this week, you and only you know the truth behind a recent development, and are acting on impulse. Dwarf planet Kora sextiles a busy Mercury and combines to bring a message to someone who is unable to face up to facts right now, but who needs to be kept in the loop somehow.

When all is said and done those who truly know you would have realised a long time ago that you are not happy with a number of things. This is not a time to lose your temper either so keep yours, even though those around you seem to be losing theirs! This is a time to hold back and see just who your friends really are.

The Mercury square sees your planetary leader, Jupiter, doing what comes naturally. This is a busy time for you as your skills of arranging and managing see you sought after.

Be honest, but kind to someone who is about to fail, and who needs your talented input to rescue them. Mercury will back Jupiter for a deserved reward!

The suggestion of a challenge comes your way and you are straining at the leash to take it on with all that that entails.

The Venus sextile sees you looking within at yourself however, since there is more there within than meets the eye. Be prepared for subtle changes that are sent directly from the Goddess of Love,!

At last you are working with your significant skills, and this week gives the opportunity to show others what you are made of. Multi-talented and full of positive energy, see this time in your life as balancing your talents to make everyone happy. Uranus sextiles Mercury, giving you the publicity that you need!

The entry of Venus brings love to you on all levels, and it is nothing less than you deserve to have! You have consistently given your all, and now comes a time to take something back just for yourself, for a change. Your dreamy and romantic energies are soul based and your destiny is a reward that you especially treasure!

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 6 represents R and 8 represents G, so fill in R every time the figure 6 appears and G every time the figure 8 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Kenny’s Postbag Kenny, I had a tarot reading and the reader told me that someone has put the evil eye on me. I have been very tearful since and it is affecting my sleeping worrying about it.

Marjie K Well, Marjie, I am not surprised! This kind of reading is unprofessional to say the least. Such a reader is not in tune with what any spiritual divination is really all about. They create a fear within you and then offer you the service to remove it. This costs money, of course, and you would be wasting yours if you believe in such nonsense in the first place. Ignore it and accept protection sent by me to you, for free, in love and light!

Kenny Corris

Don't forget to email or message me with your Postbag Questions!. Check out my new website: www.kennycorris.net

For Birthday Celebrants If it’s Your Birthday This Week: Accept that waters around you have grown and that you are more than you think you are. A better balance brings you more opportunity in the Astrological year ahead of you!

The 9 letter word is:

Kakuro Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

9th - 15th February

37

More Puzzles Cryptic

Across 1 Request treatment of colitis (7) 5 Wants to be lenient by the sound of it (5) 8 The heat in a strange relationship (5) 9 Foot part ruined elation (7) 10 Nobleman with award for part of listener (7) 11 Point ties out on locations (5) 12 A fat profit (5) 14 Completed before time, it’s obvious (5) 19 Fiend starts a demonstration (5) 21 Becomes aware of a new section (7) 23 Has dire trouble being more unsavoury (7) 24 Clothing right for a frolic (5) 25 Saltpetre is awfully inert (5) 26 Princes treated nippers (7)

Futoshiki

Down 1 Some catfish are delicious when cut up (6) 2 Drink alcohol a German provides (5) 3 Odd trinkets containing uranium (7) 4 Show some amusement when a sober chap gets in a row (6) 5 Vegetables are running out of water, by the sound of it (5) 6 A novel division of a religious community (7) 7 Betting the Spanish silence is a sensation (6) 13 Runaway sheep and doggy breath (7) 15 Wine vessel I am able to find in religious palace (7) 16 Inventor backed no side (6) 17 Trick intoxicated parent (6) 18 Is, is or not exactly an Egyptian god (6) 20 The sound in a piano is exhilarating (5) 22 Small group of trees policemen reported (5)

Quick

Fill in the squares so that each digit from 1 to 6 occurs exactly once in each row and column. Greater-than and less-than signs indicate the relationship of the two adjacent squares. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing.

Sudoku

English - Spanish

Fill the grid so every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9 The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

Across 1 Lentamente (6) 4 Flower (4) 8 Nobody (5) 9 Skillful (5) 10 To find (9) 14 To walk (5) 15 Sonrisa (5) 16 Parrot (4) 17 Press (newspapers) (6)

Down 1 Arena (tierra) (4) 2 Computer (9) 3 Mentira (embuste) (3) 5 Bibliotecario (9) 6 Rollo (de tela, papel, cuerda fina, cable fina) (4) 7 ¿Qué? (interrogativo) (4) 11 Work (4) 12 Clavo (de carpintero) (4) 13 Eyebrow (4) 15 Southern (side, part) (3)

Across 1 Wants (7) 5 Marine carnivorous fish (5) 8 Large seagoing vessels (5) 9 Worthless matter (7) 10 Long-tailed rodents (4) 11 Messages informing of danger (8) 13 Repetition of sounds by reflection (6) 15 Not in physical motion (6) 18 Got temporarily (8) 19 Alone (4) 22 Tales (7) 23 Rows (5) 24 Apologetic (5) 25 Domestic beasts of burden (7)

Down 1 Earn (7) 2 Garment worn on the upper half of the body (5) 3 Repose (4) 4 Indicator (6) 5 Power (8) 6 Opposed to (7) 7 Retains (5) 12 Speed (8) 14 Refuge or shelter (7) 16 Selects (7) 17 Came to an end (6) 18 Foundation (5) 20 Snow leopard (5) 21 Give a broad smile (4)

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9th - 15th February

health Research proves coffee can clean the liver IN Spain, drinking coffee is a way of life and is as much a part of local culture as tapas or wine.

Now new scientific evidence shows four cups of coffee a day can lower the risk of cirrhosis of the liver by 65 per cent, reducing the kind of liver damage associated with overindulging in food and alcoholic drinks.

Cirrhosis of the liver is commonly caused by the excessive drinking of alcohol and can be a killer.

Dr Oliver Kennedy of Southampton University,

said: “Cirrhosis is potentially fatal and there is no cure as such. Therefore, it is significant that the risk of developing cirrhosis may be reduced by consumption of coffee, a cheap, ubiquitous and welltolerated beverage.”

This new evidence bodes well for a nation of coffee lovers here in Spain where sometimes up to five small glasses or cups of coffee are consumed daily. Even two cups of coffee a day lowers the risk of liver cirrhosis by 44 per cent, experts say.

Evidence from 430,000 participants was examined in a study conducted by Dr Oliver Kennedy at Southampton University, where increased coffee consumption was looked at to see if this influenced liver disease.

Staggeringly, in all but one study the risk of cirrhosis of the liver continued to decline as daily cups of coffee increased, although researchers are unsure why.

The right balance to make the most of siesta time

QUICK SIESTA: Can be refreshing.

WHAT is the perfect siesta time? Occupational therapist and acupuncturist, Henar de Frutos Gamero, said that 30 minutes is the ideal amount of sleep recommended to wake up refreshed, but between 10 and 60 minutes is ok.

“In general terms, for a

quick recharge it is sufficient with 10 or 20 minutes to improve brain capacity and up to 60 minutes to increase creativity.”

The expert said advantages of having a quick siesta are that it improves performance and digestion, helps reduce the risk of

heart attacks, improves overall well-being, lowers blood pressure and stress, and helps maintain cognitive functions.

However, Frutos Gamero also warned that sleeping for too long; over an hour, or too close to night time sleep, can have an adverse effect.

Losing weight could all be in the mind WE have tried the endless faddy diets and latest fitness crazes in a bid to lose weight, but could the key be all in the mind.

Scientists claim that mindfulness, a meditation-like technique that is becoming increasingly popular, can help people to tune into the body’s hunger signals. This will result in only eating when you need to.

Mindfulness has already been credited with a host of health benefits, from easing depression to boosting the immune system.

A leading British obesity expert has said it may be the ‘missing link’ in the search for an effective weight loss technique.

Dutch researchers carried out a series of studies to see if mindfulness stops people from eating excessively. They analysed data on more than 400 people who had undergone regular weigh-ins over two and a half years.

It found people who are ‘naturally mindful’ were better able to recognise when they are hungry, meaning their weight fluctuates less than people who are less aware.

Mindfulness is a psychological process which involves blocking out distractions, focusing on the present moment and listening to your body.

9th - 15th February

39

health HEART disease is one of the leading causes of death in the UK and US, yet it is believed everyone can do more to help prevent it, simply by making a better choice in the foods you eat.

A nutritional expert has said by eating more micro-nutrients, most chronic diseases won’t exist.

So what should you eat?

Omega 3 essential fatty acids Easy for us lucky enough to live in Spain, known for its rich Mediterranean diet and fresh fish.

Eat more oily fish, nuts, seeds and seed oil to help prevent the bad cholesterol.

Magnesium It plays a vital role in the production of a type of energy called ATP, which is needed by muscles, including the heart, to relax. Studies have shown that good levels of magnesium can help prevent strokes and heart attacks. It can be found in nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and pulses.

Coenzyme Q10 Known for helping with energy production alongside Magnesium, Co-Q10 is also a powerful antioxidant and can work well with selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc to help protect our arteries from damage. It is found in meat, eggs and fish.

Helping to protect against heart disease

MEDITERRANEAN DIET: Full of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Vitamin D Research has shown that when you are deficient of vitamin D there can be a 40 per cent higher risk of heart disease. The best source is sunshine, but small doses are also found in fish, some mushrooms and eggs.

Zinc Just like Omega 3 oils, zinc can help prevent inflammation and it has also been shown to have protective properties, particularly for coronary artery disease, and can help improve cardiac function.

Try eating more pumpkin seeds, nuts, seeds and shellfish.

Vitamin C Vitamin C, alongside vitamin E, Zinc and Co-Q10 work together to help protect you from cardiovascular disease and cellular damage.

Vitamin C has also been shown to help lower bad cholesterol, so stock up on fresh fruit, particularly berries, parsley and red onions.

Lycopene Lycopene is a carotenoid, which has been shown to help protect against a range of cancers as well as heart disease. It has many benefits including helping to increase flexibility of arteries and protect them from hardening. It is found in cooked and sundried tomatoes. peppers, papaya and water melon. and red cabbage.

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9th - 15th February

Basic Spanish for everyday needs

by Jane Cronin

WE are still gradually piecing together the ‘recent past’ tense in Spanish, and I finished off the last article with some rather repetitive examples. I am going to start this article with similar, but somewhat less repetitive, examples.

He escrito la carta.

(I have written the letter).

Has estado en Inglaterra.

(You have been to England).

Ha visto la película.

(S/he has seen the film).

Hemos comprado un coche.

(We have bought a car).

Habéis leído el artículo.

(You (plu) have read the article).

Han hecho sus deberes.

(They have done their homework).

These sentences clearly show the changes to the verb ‘haber’ which control the subject of each sentence, that is, whether it is ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’ ‘she’ etc who are controlling the action of the verb.

Don’t forget that the same rules apply as before when we want to make the following simple changes to these sentences. We can make them negative by putting ‘no’ at the

The recent past front (no he escrito la carta. I haven’t written the letter), and we can form a simple closed or ‘yes/no’ question by inserting question marks and changing the tone of our voice when speaking (¿Has estado en Inglaterra?

Have you been to England?). Also, we can extend our ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’ sentences by naming the subject (Mi amiga ha visto la película. My friend has seen the film. Los niños han hecho sus deberes. The children have done their homework).

Mi amiga ya ha visto la película.

Mi amiga ha visto la película ya.

(My friend has already seen the film).

Mi amiga no ha visto la película todavía.

(My friend hasn’t seen the film yet).

Mi amiga todavía no ha visto la película.

(My friend still hasn’t seen the film).

Still, yet and already are tricky concepts to get our head round in English, so you should have fun thinking about these in Spanish!

A variant of ‘todavía’ is ‘aún’, so we could also say: Aún mi amiga aún no ha visto la película.

Next week we are going to move on to looking at another use of this ‘recent past’ tense. I’ll leave you to guess what it is.

See you then.

Whilst we are still talking about the recent past, we should mention a couple of words that are often used in this context. One is ‘todavía’ meaning ‘yet’ or ‘still’ and the other is ‘ya’ meaning ‘already’.

Here are the same sentences inserting these words to illustrate how they are used.

No he escrito la carta todavía.

(I haven’t written a letter yet).

Todavía no he escrito una carta.

(I still haven’t written a letter).

In case you’re wondering, these two sentences mean exactly the same thing.

The only difference is one of emphasis. ¿Has estado en Inglaterra ya? ¿Ya has estado en Inglaterra?

(Have you already been to England?)

Upgrades for local health centres A NUMBER of hospitals and health centres throughout the Murcia region are to get 20 new digital radiology departments.

The purchase and installation of the new and modern equipment has been approved at a cost of just over €6 million.

The new departments will be located in the Virgen de la Arrixaca and Morales

Meseguer hospitals in Murcia, Santa María del Rosell in Cartagena, Rafael Méndez de Lorca, the Northwest District of Caravaca de la Cruz, the Virgen del Castillo de Yecla and Lorenzo Guirao de Cieza.

The plan is for all of the new facilities to be up and running in six months.

Digital radiology will make diagnosis easier

9th - 15th February ARCHITECTS

BATHROOMS BATHROOMS CONVERSIONS COSTA BLANCA, CONTACT 698 320 434.

(260101)

CHARITIES THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton´s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178.

We hold a Sunday Service at 11.30 a.m., a Tuesday Evening of Mediumship at 7 p.m. Open/Development Circles held on Thursdays, where you can develop your skills commencing at 6.30 p.m. are cancelled until further notice. Spiritual healing is available every Sunday and Tuesday after the service. The Divine Service, with Mediumship, on Sunday 11th February will be taken by Jackie Kershaw (UK Medium). The Evening of Mediumship on Tuesday 13th February, will also be taken by Jackie Kershaw. The Divine Service on Sunday, 18th February will be taken

by Corina Talbot. Contact Wendy on 965323028. www.spiritualist centrebenijofar.com New email is phoenixchurch23@ gmail.com or info@spiritu alist centre-benijofar.com Identifi cacion Fiscal G54713789.

DENTAL

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.lasies taevangelicalchurch.org or telephone Pastor Keith on 666 180 108.

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188.

(95461)

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. English-speaking 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 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, jew-

ellery, 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.

(93325)

THE ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION, Torrevieja Branch, meet at 17.00 on the first Wednesday of each month at the Restaurante El Paraiso, Urb. Jardin del Mar 3 (behind Carrefour), Torrevieja.

Contact Paul Edwards, Chairman 618 644 934 or Margaret Forshaw, Secretary 966 921 996. (95455)

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.orihuela costarbl. co.uk (95457)

LAWYERS

LOCKSMITHS

PETS HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282).

Both offices are open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 1.30 pm and the Helpdesk at La Marina is open every Thursday (10 am to 1.30 pm) at the Hope Fellowship Church (opposite the Thursday Market site) at Avda de Justo Antonio Quesada, Urb. La Marina (Tel 615770145). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com an d also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24 hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and nonmembers on 966 723 733 (95456)

CHIMNEY SWEEP PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP. Family business established over 60 years. 660 478 881 (258519).

MECHANIC

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9th - 15th February

REMOVALS & STORAGE

ELECTRICIAN MR. FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs.

No call out charge. 698 320 434. (260205)

FRIENDSHIP Easy going gent 69 years old GSOH seeks lively lady companion 50-70 for socialising, touring, fine dining and beach walks in a LTR. Contact : petmeg@live.co.uk (256475)

INSURANCE

BENEFICIAL 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@benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com for online quote. (259023)

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 951 386 161 or e-mail mark.w@euroweeklynews. com for more details.

METALWORK MOBILE Metal Work. Any welding or plasma cutting work carried out. For a free quote call 639 487 503 (257386).

REMOVALS & STORAGE

MOTORING WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of firect car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 (200726).

UK MOT. All legal and on line.

Arrangements made for collection and delivery £400.

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

PLUMBING MR. FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs.

No call out charge. 698 320 434. (260205)

SITUATIONS VACANT

POOLS POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltech spain.com (256710)

REMOVALS/STORAGE 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 (250809) UK-SPAIN-IRELAND. Removals with the personal touch. Pets carried with care 965 696 750 / 0044 (0) 7447 918 589 e-mail chrisyounge 73979@aol.com (255093)

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 UK5.3C 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

XXX RELAX Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the advertisements in this section offensive.

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@euroweek lynews.com (1578) CASA ANGELA TORREVIEJA. Luxury Private Chalet, parking. Drinks invitation.

Feeling alone? Just want some company? Exotic girls from South America. Call us, come and enjoy! Also Escort Service. Full discretion. Street: Ave nida asociacion Vistimas del Terrorismo. 609 573 468/ 639 832 118 (257534) TORREVIEJA: BRAZILIAN, MULATTO, MATURE & SLIM AND YOUNG FRIEND CLARA – WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME? 24HRS, CALL ME… ONLY OUTCALLS 662 478 414 (256432) SPANISH lady – classic.

Playa Flamenca, private house, 35 years, attractive. All erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie. From €40. Ana 657 603 495 (257962) Exotic Spanish lady, Elegant & sexy. Erotic tantric massage with happy ending. Discretion.

Playa Flamenca close to La Zenia. Private house. Watsapp 611 472 803. (259085)

XXX RELAX MALE Been Naughty? Get to The Headmaster's Study in San Miguel for a Sensual Spanking. Details: headmaster@live.co.uk

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9th - 15th February SITUATIONS VACANT

TV & SATELLITE

Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Wordwheel ab ae an ar as at ba na ta abb abo abs ane ant arb are

ars art ate ban bar bas bat boa bra ear eat era eta nab nae oar

Cryptic

oat oba ora ran ras rat sab sae san sat sea tab tae tan tao tar

Codebreaker tas tea abbe abet abos aeon aero anes ante ants arbs ares arse arts ates babe

bane bans barb bare barn bars base bast bate bats bean bear beat beta boar boas

boat bora bota brae bran bras brat earn ears east eats eras etas etna nabe nabs

naos near neat nota oars oast oats obas osar rant rase rate rato rats roan rota

sabe sane sate sear seat sera seta soar soba sora stab star stoa tabs tans taos

Quick

tare tarn taro tars tear teas toea tora tsar abbes abbot abets abort aeons antes antre

arose arson aster atone babes banes barbe barbs bares barns baron baser bason baste bates baton

beano beans bears beast beats betas boars boart boast boats boras botas braes brans brant brats

earns etnas nabes nabob nares nates nears neats oaten oater orate rants rates ratos resat roans

roast rotas saber sabot sabre saner santo snare sonar sorta stane stare stoae taber tabes tabor

tares tarns taros tears toeas toras trans trona abbots aborts absent absorb antres arseno astern atoner

atones banter barbes barbet barest barons barton baster batons beanos boarts boater borane borate boreas brants

breast earbob nabber nabobs oaters orates ornate osetra rabbet reason rebato senora sterna tabers tabors tronas

atoners banters barbets baronet boaster boaters boranes borates nabbers noreast rabbets rebatos reboant santero senator sorbate

stabber treason baronets baseborn absorbent

Kakuro

Word Ladder YARD LARD LORD LOAD LOAF (LEAD) LEAF or YARD HARD HERD HEAD LEAD LEAF

Sudoku

English-Spanish

Futoshiki

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9th - 15th February

motoring

by Tim Saunders THERE is one vehicle that allows its driver to feel infallible. The fifth generation Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian compact pick-up truck.

A series of frustrating challenges occur during my time with this offroader. It is delivered during our move from a Victorian mid-terrace on a busy main road, to a detached resid e n c e i n a q u i e t c l o s e … t h e s t u ff o f dreams.

B a c k i n r e a l i t y i t ’s c o m p l e t i o n d a y and the fridge needs shifting, so do the mattresses. The big Barbarian is parked outside our front door at some ungodly hour, to allow my wife Caroline and I to hoist the fridge into the back.

It quickly becomes apparent that the Mitsubishi is not as user-friendly as the Nissan Navara, which I had been driving previously.

The latter had various gizmos that could be adjusted, depending on the load carried, for straps or ropes to be tied through, making it a real joy to work with. Not so on the L200. We get there though and successfully move the fridge. One of our new neighbours helps me unload it.

On my return to the old house the weather becomes a bit questionable but this doesn’t matter, because while a truck is usually open at the back,

Test driving the this particular L200 has a nifty heavyduty plastic retracting and lockable t o n n e a u c o v e r, p r o v i d i n g c o m p l e t e protection from the elements. A definite one-up on the Nissan Navara I tested that did not have such a fitting.

However, it’s not the easiest of systems to operate, sometimes jamming, with the actual fitting moving and requiring pushing back into place. The mattresses fit and eventually we are able to get the cover to stay in place and lock. Later in the test it seems much easier to operate, so perhaps

Facts at a glance

Price: From €22,500 Top speed: 109mph 0 - 60mph: 14.6secs Power: 134bhp Economy: 27mpg Watch the video at www.testdrives.biz

THE MITSUBISHI L200 BABARIAN: Ready for work.

9th - 15th February

45

motoring

Mitsubishi L200 Photo Credit: Tim Saunders

t h i s e a r l y e x p e r i e n c e i s u s e r e r r o r, which is possible…

On moving in we discover that the recycle bin has not been collected. I toy with complaining to the council but think better of it, instead deciding to shove the recycle bin in the back of the Barbarian and take it to the tip to do the job myself. You can’t do that in a Ford Fiesta.

A n d t h e n there are the m i n i roundabouts that deserve to be driven over for being so irritating and the rows of cars

that insist on parking down busy main roads. The Barbarian easily deals with these issues.

“It’s a big truck for a big ego,” says a friend. Perhaps such motorists are drawn to the L200 but for me it’s a practical choice in a tough world. It can be relied upon to actually help in difficult circumstances.

I recall how one of my early employers, not long after I graduated nearly 2 0 y e a r s a g o n o w, o w n e d a n L 2 0 0 , which he swore by, not at, for towing his powerboat.

As far as I can see the Mitsubishi has changed very little apart from its looks, becoming even more attractive.

It has forged a reputation as one of the 4x4’s that all others aspire to become.

Not long after uploading my video review to my video channel (which you can find at www.tes tdrives.biz) I was contacted by an American viewer, desperate to get hold of this particular model. Mitsubishi informed me that it is not available for sale in the USA but could be exported there.

As with all vehicles of this type the raised ride height provides a great command of the road ahead; it is noticeably taller than many other SUV’s and 4x4’s. The suspension is hard which really highlights the increasingly poor state of Britain’s roads. A long journey would certainly shake them bones. In fact it makes driving on the road feel similar to off-roading in some places.

With its black leather interior the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable.

Unlike Nissan’s Navara the Mitsubishi’s six-speed manual gearbox is decisive.

Its cruise control is easy to operate.

T h e r e ’s a h e l p f u l r e v e r s i n g c a m e r a making parking this brute easy peasy.

Fuel economy stands at well under 30mpg during typical driving. The double cab allows for five occupants to be transported.

In addition Mitsubishi has added some bling to this particular model.

Aside from the good amount of chrome that can be found on the grille and steps, open the rear doors and a nightclub neon blue light greets passengers; popular with daughters Harriett and Heidi.

“But what does Barbarian mean?” questions Heidi. “Well,” I said, buying myself some time as I start the engine. “It’s a pre-historic man, you k n o w a h u n t e r g a t h e r e r. ” “ L i k e y o u Daddy?” “Yes, like me.”

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9th - 15th February

motoring THE new Qualcomm Safety Car BMW i8 Coupe has celebrated its debut in the Chilean capital Santiago.

MS&AD Andretti Team drivers Antonio Felix da Costa (POR) and Tom Blomqvist (GB) both attended the presentation, along with Team Principals Roger Griffiths, JF Thormann and Bruno Correira.

Also there was Alejandro Agag, CEO of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, who said: “When we first started Formula E, many people said that this series would not have a future. BMW was amongst the first to open its doors and believe in our championship.

Ever since the very first race in 2014, the Qualcomm Safety Car has sat proudly at the front of the grid.”

The Qualcomm Safety Car makes use of a ‘Halo Prototype Technology’ inductive charging system.

The system uses no cable connections and becomes 80 per cent charged in only one hour.

Other new features include a roll bar, rear wing, a rear hatch made of carbon fibre and a roof-mounted signal light system.

The fourth race of the Championship took place last Saturday and the Qualcomm Safety Car was soon out on track following a number of crashes in the opening lap.

Driver Antonio Felix da Costa re-

Credit: Twitter @BMW Group

Picking up the E-PACE

SAFETY FIRST: The Qualcomm i8 Coupe is a model of innovation.

BMW announces its next-generation i8 Coupe covered from a difficult start to fight back strongly in the race, finishing in ninth place with two points.

Teammate Tom Blomqvist also

drove hard and came home in 11th place, just outside the points.

The race victory went to Jean-Eric Vergne and the TECHEETAH Team.

JAGUAR recently introduced its new E-PACE model at a presentation in Marbella hosted by distributor C de Salamanca.

The E-PACE is a compact five-seater SUV with the design and performance of a sports car.

This four-wheel drive model joins Jaguar’s SUV stable which includes the SUV F-PACE, recently awarded the World Car of the Year.

The sporty exterior design is inspired by the F-TYPE and is characterised by the distinctive Jaguar grille and trimmed overhangs.

According to Jaguar: “The E-PACE combines the interior space, connectivity and safety that families expect, with a quality of design and performance that is not usually associated with such a practical vehicle.”

It is a technically advanced and intelligent model with a touch-screen entertainment system that connects customers with their favourite apps.

There are four 12-volt charging points, five USB ports and a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices.

The Configurable Dynamics system allows drivers to make individual adjustments to the accelerator, automatic transmission, steering and suspension.

In addition, the 300 HP turbo engine allows the car to reach 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, with a maximum speed of 243 km/h.

Overall, the Jaguar E-PACE combines all the character of a sports car with the space needed by young families.

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9th - 15th February

sport

TORREVIEJA’S famous half-marathon has been postponed for this year.

The plan was to hold the race at the end of February, but it will not now take place as no contract has been issued to any company to organise the popular event.

This was confirmed by Torrevieja’s councillor for Sport, Victor Ferrandez, after it was noticed that no registration details had been published on the internet with such a short time remaining.

The traditional end of February holding of the half marathon will take place, but at a later date to be confirmed. Councillor Ferrandez said that a contract is currently being prepared to take account of some of the problems connected with companies that have previously been awarded the concession, including those from last year.

He confirmed that the Torrevieja half marathon will be held during 2018 as this is one of the specifications in the contract, and that from 2019 and beyond will return to the traditional end of February date.

Included in the new contract are arrangements for an extra race - over five kilometres which will, said Ferrandez “meet the current demands of the modern world of athletics.”

Davis Cup round up Battling Norrie can’t stop Spain’s victory SPAIN triumphed 3 - 1 over Britain in their Davis Cup tie after Cameron Norrie went down in four sets to world number 21, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, in Marbella.

It was another valiant effort from Norrie, ranked 114 in the world, but he was eventually defeated 7 - 6 (7 - 4) 2 - 6 7 - 6 (7 - 4) 6 - 2 in three hours and 43 minutes.

Had 22-year-old Norrie won, Kyle Edmund would have played in a deciding fifth match.

Britain now faces a play-off in September which they need to win to stay in the 2019 World Group.

A British win in the tie was always a tall order given the absence of the talismanic Andy Murray, recovering from a hip operation.

Australian Open semi-finalist Kyle Edmund was also missing from the opening singles matches because of his own hip problem.

Spain were without world number one Rafael Nadal, but the five players in their squad are ranked in the top 40 and have now won 28 of their past 29 Davis Cup ties on clay.

Norrie’s superb comeback win against Bautista Agut gave Britain hope of a huge upset, but defeat for Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot in the doubles meant that both singles matches on the final day had to be won.

British captain Leon Smith will hope to have Andy Murray and Kyle Edmund firing on all cylinders for September’s play-off, but at least knows he has a strong back-up option in the emerging Norrie.

Charity day competition THE San Javier Golf Society Captain’s charity day competition at La Serena Golf took place last Monday.

As usual they had a fantastic attendance for the annual Captain’s charity day at La Serena Golf. This year ’s charity was HAH (Help at Home), chosen by Captain Paul Hamlin and what a very worthy cause it is.

It was a great day’s golf with some superb performances but the real winners were HAH, with a donation from the day of €400 after the game.

You can visit the HAH (Help at Home) website at www.helpath ome.es.

Winners on the day were: 1st place and winners of the Captain's Charity Trophy: Steph Brooke and Less Whall with 70 points, 2nd: Ian Price and Frank Murphy with 65 points, 3rd: Peter Ashton and Ty Williams also with 65, 4th: Jim Moffatt and Daz Hancock also with 65 and 5th: Richard Lovering and Wayne Williams with 63 points.

It’s worthwhile pointing out that all the above winners (without exception) donated their winnings back into the charity pot!

Nearest the pins were won by David Archer, Richard Lovering, Les

Credit: Twitter @BritishTennis

Start of halfmarathon delayed

SMASH HIT: The performances of the unheralded Norrie are the story of the tie.

CADENA SUNRISE 10 PIN BOWLING LEAGUE 31ST JANUARY 2018 (WEEK 14) RESULTS S***T HAPPENS 0 - 8 STRIKE FORCE ALLEY CATS 6 - 2 PIN PALS ALLEY GATORS 6 - 2 SOL AMIGOS THE BANDITS 0 - 8 GI GI'S HOOKERS THE PHANTOMS 0 - 8 PIN PUSHERS SUNRISE COLEGAS 2 - 6 999s

Presentation to the winning pair.

Whall and Frank Murphy. The gross 2 (for €50) was not won and will roll on to their next game, which is an individual Stableford qualifier competition at the new 18 holes layout of Vistabella Golf, teeing off at 9am on Wednesday February 21.

Full details will be emailed to all members. Payday will be on Saturday February 17 in the bar area of La Serena Club House, between 11am and 12pm.

For further information on the society, to play as a guest, or to join, please phone Barry Beale on +34 649 245 889 or look at their website at www.sanjaviergolfsociety.co.uk and Facebook page at www.face book.com/sanjaviergolfsociety.

HI/GAME HI/GAME+H/CAP HI/SERIES HI/SERIES+H/CAP

Pos TEAM 1 GI GI'S HOOKERS 2 STRIKE FORCE 3 SOL AMIGOS 4 PIN PUSHERS 5 S***T HAPPENS 6 999s 7 PIN PALS 8 SUNRISE COLEGAS 9 ALLEY GATORS 10 ALLEY CATS 11 THE BANDITS 12 THE PHANTOMS

THIS WEEK´S TOP PERFORMERS LADIES GENTS LYNNE AILSBY 255 MAURICE ALLEN LYNNE AILSBY 274 ROGER PHIPPS LYNNE AILSBY 592 MAURICE ALLEN LYNNE AILSBY 642 RON JEWELL

PLD 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42

W 39 37 34 34 31 31 27 26 26 26 25 0

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 17 19 22 22 25 25 29 30 30 30 31 56

TOTAL 29323 29052 28942 28466 29346 28140 28524 29271 28766 28615 28506 21840

GMS 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42

204 217 556 587

AVE. HI-G HI-S PTS 698 822 2359 78 691 772 2228 74 689 829 2319 68 677 831 2234 68 698 851 2418 62 670 778 2076 62 679 815 2241 54 696 785 2259 52 684 766 2164 52 681 775 2146 52 678 827 2245 50 520 520 1560 0