RTN Newspaper - Costa Blanca South 6 - 12 April 2018 Issue 963

FREE! COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Temporary HGV restrictions a success FOR the first time ever in the Murcia Region, restrictions were put on the weight of heavy vehicles on a number of roads for a 12-hour period. This was to enable the traditional post-Easter return to all parts of Spain from the region to go unhindered by the slower moving lorries.

Between 9am and 9pm on Tuesd a y, vehicles weighing more than 7,500 kilos were banned from parts of the A-7 and the A-30, and initial reports suggest that the measures were a success as there had been less traffic jams.

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Issue 963

6th - 12th April

Carry on camping ... but legally

INSIDE THIS WEEK ...

BRITISH BOY DIES AFTER BEACH COLLISION

Photo credit: Darren Parmenter RTN

P2 PARKING: Campers to be fined for illegal overnight stays. (File image)

by Darren Parmenter CARAVANS and motorhomes that have parked up illegally have had their day.

A by-law passed by the coalition governing council in Elche means that those vehicles that park up and camp in public spaces overnight will be fined €90. Unless there are any legal objections from the public, the new rules will come into force later this month.

Elche City Council has been aware of the problem for some time and has received a number of complaints from residents of the village of La Marina and surrounding areas.

It’s been a common sight for many years to see large numbers of caravans and motorhomes arriving in this particular part of the coast, with a number of ‘free’ parking areas close to the popular beach areas of La Marina and the neighbouring El Pinet. On occasions, more than 50 such vehicles have been camped up

overnight on the public roads.

Police presence in the area has been increased in an effort to control the illegal camping, but this by-law now supports the officers in their task so they can issue a specific fine in future.

Local people have also denounced many of the campers for dumping waste and rubbish.

RUBBISH DUMPERS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

P12 CAN YOU HELP HAH TO HELP

P16

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6th - 12th April

By Darren Parmenter A BRITISH boy has died in the Alicante General hospital after being involved in a football accident on an Orihuela Costa beach on Tuesday.

T he nine- year-old crashed into another boy and immediately collapsed

British boy dies on the sand. According to witnesses, it took 40 minutes for the SAMU paramedics to ar r ive at the scene, as apparently the three ambulances serving

the area were involved in non-priority calls.

T he or ig inal incident happened just before 6pm on Tuesday after noon when the boy, who is understood to have lived on the Orihuela Costa, wasn’t responding after collapsing and the 112 emer-

gency services were called.

While waiting for the arrival of the ambulance, a number of people on the beach began basic resuscitation procedures which were continued by the Local Police after 10 minutes.

The first ambulance ar-

rived after 25 minutes following the call but was only one of the ‘ basic life support’ vehicles that carr ied a doctor who had been picked up from the L a Reg ia health centre, and not one of the emergenc y (SAMU) ambulances.

Photo credit: Wikimedia

YOUNG BOY: Was eventually taken to Alicante General hospital.

After spending close to an hour using CPR techniques before finally resuscitating the boy, he was at first taken by ambulance to the Quiron hospital in Tor revie ja , from where he was taken by helicopter to Alicante General hospital in a cr itical condition.

He died on Wednesday afternoon at 5pm after being put into an induced coma.

According to the Spanish media, the three emergenc y SAMU vehicles which cover the area between Guardamar and Pilar de la Horadada (that includes Orihuela Costa) were busy at the time of the original alarm being raised, carr ying our patient transfers.

Orihuela Council issued a statement on Wednesday night “profoundly lamenting the loss of the child, and we send our condolences to his family.”

6th - 12th April

New weather station arrives RESIDENTS and tourists along the Orihuela Costa will, in future, get a better weather forecast.

This will be thanks to a new weather station which has been officially unveiled on the roof of the Orihuela Costa Town Hall by Mayor Emilio Bascuñana.

The new installation will be able to gather more accurate information on the dif- Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela ferent atmospheric and meteorological conditions that occur in the municipality, FORECASTING: Mayor of Orihuela (third left) after with the opening coinciding opening ceremony. with the commemoration of Orihuela’s councillor for termine the frequency of irriWorld Meteorology Day. the Environment, Miguel An- gation of their crops thanks Mayor Bascuñana said: gel Fernandez, and one of a to the data that we can pro“This equipment will be very number of other local digni- vide.” useful for Orihuela, offering taries attending the ceremoThe information collected us a greater ability to antici- ny said that “an ability to pro- will add to the municipality’s pate weather conditions. We vide an accurate weather records of temperature, huwill also be better prepared to forecast is fundamental to midity, rain, wind, and the face severe weather such as the life of the general public UVA sun index, and will be heavy rains or storms which and the growth in economic available for all to read on the also result in dangerous sea activity since, for example, it Orihuela Council website at conditions too.” allows farmers to better de- www.orihuela.es.

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Cemetery robber arrested in Orihuela Photo credit: Guardia Civil

by Ray Chadwick A THIEF who allegedly caused damage to as many as five cemeteries in Crevillente has been arrested by t h e G u a rd i a C i v i l i n O r i huela.

The detained man - a 35year-old Spaniard - is bel i e ve d to b e b e h i n d ro b beries from the cemeteries that included a bronze statue of the Virgin Mar y worth around €4,500.

The robberies of the relig i o u s s t at u e s a n d o t h e r icons all took place during November 2017 and investigations quickly got underw ay to f i n d t h e c u l p r i t s a c ro s s b o t h t h e A l i c a n te and Murcia provinces , to c h e c k i f a ny o f t h e i te m s were being offered for sale in businesses or online.

Not only did the families and friends of the affected g rave s s u f fe r t h e l o s s o f property, they also felt that

RETURNED: The stolen Virgin Mary statue reunited with its family. the final resting places had been desecrated.

The most valuable of the pieces stolen was eventually traced to Santomera in Murcia and subsequently returned to the owners and

to its rightful place, where it had accompanied the remains of relatives in a famil y b u r i a l p l o t fo r a l m o s t 100 years.

O n ce t h at f i g u re h a d been located, the Guardia

Civil found evidence that l e d to t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n and arrest of the main suspect.

T h e s e a rc h fo r t h e re maining missing four figures continues.

Flight aborted after bird strike PASSENGERS and crew aboard an aircraft about to leave for London experienced an aborted take-off after a bird strike at Murcia-San Javier Airport.

None of the more than 120 travellers and crew suffered any injuries; although the aircraft was damaged enough to be kept on the ground for repairs after a number of seagulls were sucked into one of the large engines.

The flight was full with mainly British tourists returning to the UK after their pre-Easter break in Spain. easyJet flight EZY8552 was taxiing around in preparation for take-off when the incident happened at around 5pm. According to airport operators AENA, the pilot aborted the manoeuvre when an engine caught fire after the impact.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “This procedure is completely standard in these situations and our crew is trained for this type of situation.

The safety of our passengers and the crew is our top priority.”

It was also confirmed that “all disembarked in an orderly fashion and returned to the terminal building.” Another aircraft was laid on by easyJet and the passengers eventually continued with their journey on the 9.45pm flight.

All passengers were kept fully informed of what had taken place, and were given food vouchers for use in the airport terminal.

A consequence of the incident meant that an incoming flight from London had to be diverted to Alicante-Elche while the runway was cleared of debris caused by the bird strike.

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6th - 12th April

For hire... and no return

Photo credit: Darren Parmenter

TWO couples have been arrested in Alicante selling cars that were hired in Italy.

The four were detained in both Alicante and Callosa de Segura after allegedly renting a number of luxury cars in Italy, later selling them in the secondhand car market in Spain stating that they were the owners.

A total of six vehicles are believed to be part of the scam which netted more than €110,000 from the sales. The culprits are also alleged to have forged the car’s documents. The four are two Romanian men aged 30 and 34 and two 26 and 27-year-old Spanish women.

Investigators uncovered a similar modus operandi to their crimes. One of the couples travelled to Italy and hired out a medium to high-end vehicle - using fake ID - which would never get taken back.

They would then drive into Spain to be greeted by the other couple who would arrange for all the necessary paperwork to be put into their names... but paying the €300 to €400 fees required to do so. As the cars were Italian, they also had to fake all the vehicle documents before carrying out the formal transfers.

Once all was in order, within two days the cars were put up for sale online, with the plan of selling them knowing that the owner of the rental company in Italy would soon report it hadn’t been returned.

They put the cars for sale for around €3,000 less than the average market price to attract buyers, but still resulted in a profit of around €10,000 per vehicle. The unsuspecting buyers from all corners of Spain paid between €18,000 and €26,000 per car.

We will WiFi on the beaches

by Darren Parmenter HOLIDAYMAKERS from all parts of the world, or even day-trippers from up and down the Costa Blanca, will now be able to enjoy Benidorm’s free Wi-Fi service on the beaches.

The new technology will have the capacity to allow 20,000 devices to be connected at the same time thanks to 30 different coverage points along the promenade. The service will be extended over a period of time.

Whether people are sunbathing, strolling along the front or even having a paddle in the Mediterranean, their mobile phones and tablets can now be connected to the nearest Wi-Fi point just metres from the shore.

A significant part of Benidorm already enjoys free Wi-Fi - such as the Playa Levante - and before April 20 the coverage will be extended to include the Playa Poniente and the ‘old town’.

Mayor Toni Perez, part of the presentation team making the announcement, said that the equipment being used in Benidorm “is the best that can be in-

FULL COVERAGE: Free Wi-Fi wherever you may roam in Benidorm. stalled”, having been tested by Google.

The project to get Wi-Fi on the beaches has taken nine months to put into operation, and the pilot scheme will last for four years at ‘zero cost’ to the City Council.

The network allows users to be logged in all day long via the Visit Benidorm website

but, for reasons of security, management of the network and to control any abuse of the system, it will be automatically disconnected every 30 minutes.

No personal information is needed to log in to the service, which also allows local businesses to promote themselves.

6th - 12th April

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Alicante

TRIBUTE: Spanish London terrorist attack victim remembered.

Skateboard hero honoured

by Darren Parmenter THE name of Ignacio Echeverria was once only known to his family and friends.

But it was his bravery during the terrorist attack in London on June 3 last year that brought his name to millions across the world and became known as ‘the skateboarding hero’. His deeds on that summer night have now been acknowledged in Alicante.

The skate park on the Playa San Juan in Alicante now carries the name of the Spanish national who fought off an attack on a woman with the skateboard he was carrying at the time.

During the formal ceremony which was attended by members of his family, a plaque containing Ignacio Echeverria’s face on a statue of a skateboard was unveiled.

“We wish to thank this gesture from the

city of Alicante,” said one of his brothers, Enrique. “The time passes and the family continue to remember Ignacio, but I like to think that this will remind many more people of him and what he liked to do.”

Councillor Eva Montesinos said: “I am proud to pay tribute to the human quality of courage that Ignacio displayed, particularly in a place where young people practise the sport he loved so much.” She continued: “Ignacio’s actions were the only light in the middle of a very dark and cowardly event.”

Ignacio Echeverria had already been posthumously awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, one of Spain’s highest honours, after he tried to fight off the terrorists with his skateboard to save a stabbed woman during their rampage around London Bridge last year.

He became one of eight victims of the assault.

‘Accident’ dog owners to get notified DOG owners in Alicante will in future be informed if their pet has been found dead in the streets or been a victim in a road accident.

Up until now, any dog discovered in such circumstances would be taken by the authorities and sent to a local incinerator without any checks being made into the dog’s owner.

The plan is to now give the UTE Alicante

(those responsible for cleaning services in the city) a microchip reader to aid in future identifications.

Councillor Fernando Marcos said: “We are going to establish a protocol to follow in cases of animal collection that involves the UTE, and a process that will see the dogs taken to a dedicated area to enable formal identification to take place.”

The initiative comes as a result of a number of complaints from owners who reported their dogs missing and subsequently discovered that they may have been run over.

The new measures will only incur a cost of less than €100 for the council; a small price to pay to at least be able to inform owners what has happened to their dogs.

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6th - 12th April

Investigation into forklift tragedy A SOUTH American national was killed after being crushed by a forklift truck as he went about his daily work in Dolores.

The 38-year-old was working in a fruit and vegetable firm in the municipality when the forklift used to carry around pallets and boxes fell on the man.

According to the Spanish media, the incident happened at H o r t o f r u t i c o l a Tr e s Puentes, a well-known place that sells its produce at a number of auction venues in the area.

A number of the man’s workmates tried to free him at the same time that paramedics called to the scene tried to keep him alive... but their efforts were in vain as he subsequently died from the severity of his injuries.

Diver treated after breathing issues PA R A M E DIC S w e re called to the Cabo de Palos to treat a diver that suffered from a bout of immersion syndrome. T his is a condition that can affect divers when they don’t realise the potential effects of cold water and they begin to have breathing difficulties as a result.

T h e 4 5 - ye a r- o l d m a n w a s co n s c i o u s when ambulances arr i ve d at t h e P l aya Calafria in the Murcia Region, although was suffering respiratory problems due to fluid in his lungs.

A f te r b e i n g s t a bilised he was transferred to hospital for further treatment.

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Guardamar debt reduced MAYOR of Guardamar del Segura, Jose Luis Saez, said that the municipal debt has been reduced by approximately €7.1 million since the PSOE took the reins after the last local elections in 2015.

He said that when he arrived in the town hall some 33 months ago, there was a debt of €12.2 million. “Thanks to the effort and

the work of all in the municipality, our debt to the banks has been significantly reduced.”

The report on the 2017 finances also confirmed that a sum of €4.4 million can now be allocated in the next fiscal year for extra services in the municipality.

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6th - 12th April

Let’s bee having you THOUSANDS of bees that made up a large swarm had to be removed from a property in Los Montesinos.

Firefighters from Torrevie j a were called after a number of neighbours spotte d the insects who had made their home in an area of fencing on the balcony of a house in Calle San Juan de

Los Montesinos.

One of the firemen, wearing a beekeeper ’s suit , climbed up to where the bees had settled. In order to attract them from swarming around the street, a box was used that contained a queen bee.

Once all the insects were trapped inside, they were transferred to a beekeeper to be released back into the environment in a place that wouldn’t disturb local people.

In another incident during the same week, the fire brigade was called out to remove a swarm of bees close to houses in Rafal, around 17 kilometres away.

Because bees are regarded as a protecte d insect for their invaluable work in pollination, they must by law be redistributed in this way rather than be destroyed.

Photo credit: Pexels

by Darren Parmenter

BUZZ OFF: Worried locals called out the fire service to remove swarm. (File image)

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6th - 12th April

Rubbish dumpers in the spotlight Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja

A DEDICATED unit of the Local Police in Torrevieja has been introduced to tackle the growing problem of illegal rubbish dumping.

Announcing this initiative, Mayor Jose Manuel Dolon, said that the unit was needed to address this and a number of other issues within the local community that he described as ‘uncivil activities.’

In addition to monitoring the uncontrolled dumping of garden and other types of waste material, the unit will report on issues with faulty street lighting, traffic lights, dog dirt on pavements, and a lack of maintenance in public parks.

They will also have the power to fine owners who walk their dogs without leads or those whose dogs are not wearing a muzzle when required.

Mayor Dolon assured that the new force has already borne fruit and the local people had already commented on the improvements in the munici-

CLEAN UP: Mayor Dolon announces ‘unmarked’ patrol scheme. pality and ‘the subsequent reduction in uncivil activities.’

The special patrols are made up of three people from their base in Urbanisation La Siesta, and are using a number of mainly old and unmarked vehicles.

The aim is for the special

unit to also meet with residents and other associations to offer advice on aspects of dayto-day security.

They will also be distributing key rings and cards containing contact telephone numbers to allow local people to report any future incidents directly.

6th - 12th April

Ladies Gala Night

WELCOMING: Guests to the Ladies Gala Night.

FREEMASONS gathered at the Hotel Masa Torrevieja which welcomed the Worshipful Master, Worshipful Brother Norman Barrall, his Wardens and Brethren of Logia de las Salinas with their Ladies, Guests and members of Other Lodges to celebrate their Ladies Gala Dinner Night.

The Master of Ceremonies introduced Mrs Mary Chambers co-ordinator of ‘Debra’ who gave a short but moving talk on the Masters’ chosen

charity for the year. The charity ‘Debra’ supports ‘Butterfly Children.’

The Butterfly Children suffer from extreme fragility of the skin, and need lifelong support. The proceeds of the evening’s raffle which raised €750 will be donated to the charity. More information can be found at www.butterflychil drencharity.com.

Music for the evening was provided by Karen Noble, a female vocalist who sang a wide

range of songs from the 50’s through to the present day including a selection from the operas and musicals. At the interval guests were entertained by Brother James Bowyer whilst conducting the raffle.

The evening continued with more dancing and a thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all until the time for carriages came all too soon; guests departed to fond farewells, some gliding to waiting cars whilst other stumbled upstairs to bed.

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6th - 12th April

Keep taking the tolls THE front page story of last week’s RTN SOUTH (Issue 962) referred to the possible removal of tolls on the AP-7 motorway as from the end of December 2019.

Since going to print, further information has come to light that the decision taken by the Valencian community government only related to the stretch of the AP-7 north of Alicante up to Valencia.

The section of the AP-7 that bypasses Tor-

revieja, La Zenia and all-points south will continue to be subject to tolls as part of a concession that is in place for the foreseeable future.

However, part of the decision taken in Valencia will allow HGV and other delivery lorries to use the southern section of the AP-7 without charge when the nearby N-332 and N-340 are subject to road works or other major disruptions.

Parking in the blue zone SANTA POLA is a little closer to having its own ‘blue’ parking area.

This follows a report prepared by the University of Alicante (UA) on how to restructure the parking in the municipality and the feasibility of such a scheme.

The study suggested that the streets that adjoin the central market area would have permanent regulated parking spaces throughout the year, while along the coast would only be active during Holy Week and the summer months until October.

Seagate Wealth Management

MEET THE MAN FROM THE PRU. Seagate Wealth are very proud to announce that Edny Van Den Br oek, Account Manager fr om Prudential International will be the guest speaker at the Finance & T ax Forum being held on Wednesday 11th April.

The event takes place at Hotel La Laguna in Ciudad Quesada and begins at 10.30am.

The Prudential Gr oup has been helping people plan for their futur e for over 166 years. Its size and experience puts it in a strong position to invest customers’ money wisely for the medium to long term.

The Prudential Gr oup has around 24 million customers worldwide and have £562bn of assets under management.

They have 500 investment professionals across the world and is centrally co-ordinated by the Prudential Portfolio Management Group which is r esponsible for all high level investment decisions.

The With-Profits Fund has produced a positive 5 year rolling return since 1946.

For Spanish tax r esidents Prudential of fer the International Prudence Bond, which offers life assurance as well as being fully tax compliant.

For the opportunity to find out more about Prudential and how they can help you, r egister to come along to the event and talk to “the man from the Pru”.

Simply call 9 65 704 338 or email: Marketing@Se agateWealth.es to reserve your place.

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6th - 12th April

Popular post on Facebook reaching 18,581 with 208 reactions “Toll-free Costa Blanca motorway approved”

Can you help HAH to help Photo credit: Help At Home

HAVE YOUR SAY

IN February Help At Home spent more than 180 hours of helping expats in need of a little extra help following accident or illness. This does not include the time spent planning or staging fundraising activities and, once we get the final figures, it looks as if March will be very similar.

The help we give includes a little extra help around the home, either personal or with housekeeping, or with shopping and hospital visits. We do not make any charge for this, and sometimes when we do have to call in the professionals in exceptional circumstances, we might pay the bill.

We also loan out, free of charge, mobility aids to local residents or visitors

Marilyn Shatwell We overlook this motorway, it's ridiculously quiet and needs to be used to its full potential ensuring the towns and villages surrounding it would be relieved of the extra traffic that they now suffer

FUNDRAISING: HAH members at one of their many events.

alike.

To fund this we rely on the generosity of regular and occasional donors and sponsors, and our own fundraising activities.

These include regular sales of second-hand books and DVDs at L a Zona ever y Monday morning, and of

Penney Glass It would have been used more if it wasn't so pricey and the owners would have made more money!

bric-a-brac and secondhand clothing at La Zona on the last Friday morning of each month.

We also stage regular events such as our Fashion Shows at Sucina, Rocking At Roda, Raise A Glass to Mums, and our 525 Dinner Dance as well as occasional

and new events.

Full details can be found on our Facebook page at HAH (Help at Home) Mar Menor, or on our website www.helpathome.es.

If you or someone you know is in need of a little extra help please call our Care Line - 633 673 034.

@RTNNewspaper Most liked posts from this week

• Rescue teams search the seas for missing passenger • Pet owners face fines of up to €30,000 for abandonment in Spain • Police catch online fraudster behind €300,000 scam • New weather station unveiled in Orihuela

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6th - 12th April

Cruise ships help in sea search Photo credit: Purple Slog Flickr

OVERBOARD: Norwegian Spirit, one of the cruise ships searching.

by Darren Parmenter EIGHT rescue boats and two cruise ships are actively searching for a missing pas senger off the coast of Mazarron after they fell in to the sea.

The two ships with almost 3,000 passengers on board were due to arrive in Alicante at 7am this morning Tues day having set off from Malaga, but the arrival has been delayed to enable both

to help with the search.

According to the Alicante Cruise Terminal authori ties, it is understood that the person concerned may have deliberately jumped from the ship, although this hasn’t been confirmed.

The two cruise ships af fected are Norwegian Spirit and the Azura, both regular visitors to Alicante and it has not been revealed which vessel the passenger jumped from.

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Guardamar debt reduced by €5 million MAYOR of Guardamar del Segura, Jose Luis Saez, said that the municipal debt has been reduced by approximately €7.1 million since the PSOE took the reins after the last local elections in 2015.

He said that when he arrived in the town hall some 33 months ago, there was a debt

of €12.2 million. “Thanks to the effort and the work of all in the municipality, our debt to the banks has been significantly reduced.”

The report also confirmed that a sum of €4.4 million can now be allocated for extra services in the municipality.

6th - 12th April

The protest centre of the Costa Blanca ORIHUELA COSTA was the scene for two public protests held over the Easter weekend that in total attracted more than 600 people.

Firstly, a mixture of all nationalities turned out calling for a footbridge - complete with pavement - to be built across the AP7 motorway that links Lomas de Cabo Roig with a number of medical facilities, which includes the chemist, and to the shops along the Cabo Roig strip.

The protest was led by the of Residents of Lomas de Cabo Roig (AVCRL) and the Federation of Associations of Orihuela Costa (FAOC), carrying a number of banners in Spanish, English and German; one of which said “Cars and

pedestrians don’t mix.”

The most poignant of the protesters were those in wheelchairs and mobility scooters posing their own question of “How do you expect me to get to the medical centre or the chemist.”

The protestors were supported by three Orihuela councillors, together with leaders of the CLARO political party, currently not part of the council.

On Easter Sunday morning, only around 50 people turned out to protest at the site of the proposed emergency centre in La Zenia. They were demanding that the project be finished as a matter of urgency after nine years of delays.

Best ‘goods traffic’ for a decade ACCORDING to a survey undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works, the traffic of merchandise on the roads in the Murcia region - and manufactured locally - in 2017, has recorded the best data for the past 10 years.

The 36.7 million tons transported represents a 10 per cent increase over the previous year.

In addition, the total of all goods transported on the region’s highways amounted to 73.7 million tons and an increase of 4.6 per cent. The last time such a figure was exceeded was back in 2010.

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6th - 12th April

Who benefits?

Credit: UN Photo/Cia Pak

by Michael Walsh

keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com UNLIKE Sergei Skripal’s resurrected daughter the poisoned British spy opera is dying.

Scanning readers’ letters in the UK press I note that Russophobes tend towards illiteracy, misplaced loyalty and naivety.

The more sceptical set out their case cogently and persuasively.

You simply cannot intervene on the basis of suspicion, rumour or hearsay. These are the words of Theresa May on her conceding that she was aware of the unfolding child abuse tragedy sweeping Britain months before the authorities belatedly acted.

When challenged as to why she kept quiet about the unfolding disgrace, Theresa May responded haughtily: “The home secretary cannot intervene on the basis of suspicion, rumour or hearsay.”

Unless of course the accused are Russian and again you have good reason to midwife the mother of all false flags to de-

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Speaks at the United Nations. monise a country at a critical period of foreign relations.

Over one month since the Skripal incident there is isn’t enough evidence of Russian responsibility to reach a magistrates court.

The entire drama played out by orchestrated media is made up

of speculation, innuendo and rapidly changing stories.

If a burglar, upon being questioned, was unable to provide proof of innocence, changed his story, made absurd accusations and offered contradictory reasons for his fingerprints being all

over the crime scene he would be arrested.

It is sobering to realise that Britain’s prime minister wouldn’t qualify as a common thief. On her case is detective Kremlin who has few equals when it comes to subversion espionage

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and counter espionage.

Media screamed that the world turned against Putin. There are 195 countries in the world. The US is the only sovereign nation to reduce diplomatic staff. Otherwise, 23 nations plus Canada and Australia are Commonwealth or EU bloc members who tend to vote in solidarity.

A vital key to spotting a false flag is that ‘knowledge’ of who is to blame becomes uncannily available before any evidence is in.

Most are aware of the term ‘cui bono’, which is Latin for ‘who benefits’ (from a crime). The editor of RTN can’t allow sufficient space to identify ways by which the NATO witchfinders benefit from ‘the spy who came in from the cold war’. The ways by which Russia might benefit could be set out on the back of a postage stamp.

The case against Russia has collapsed. Now is the time to bury the story. As with Hussein’s false ‘weapons of mass destruction’ it will be 15 years before the inquest.

Before then, Russia is unlikely to be disgraced. But, the named and shamed will certainly include the handful of nations stupid enough to take the word of a nation notorious for false flags.

Mike Walsh’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the publishers advertisers or sponsors.

22

NATIONAL

6th - 12th April

‘Groundbreaking’ cancer discovery from the Spanish

NATIONAL POLICE continue to look for the person behind a prank with a kite that paralysed Valencia-Manises Airport.

For more than half-an-hour, both take offs and landings, were affected as a kite was spotted flying around in the airspace attached to almost 400 metres of string.

At first, it was believed that the kite discovered at high altitude above the runways had simply drifted into the area as part of someone’s birthday celebrations. However, the section of police based at the Quart de Poblet police station whose area covers the airport now believes it was a deliberate act.

According to the Spanish media, two planes were forced to abandon their taxiing procedure in preparation for take-off, and four more were left in the air circling over Valencia - one due to arrive from Bucharest - until the police finally located the source of the kite. They found it tied up on the airport perimeter fence between the taxi rank and the CV-370 road that leads to the La Cova de Manises industrial estate.

As soon as the alarm was raised, the National Police helicopter already in the sky close by diverted to the airport to find the kite from the air.

The offending object was a kite that can be bought online and in a number of Chi-

Photo credit: Aleph Wikimedia

ONCE again, Spain is at the forefront of some of the most important discoveries in the ongoing fight against cancer.

A group of scientists based at Cataluña’s Hospital Clínic (IDIBAPS) have recently worked out why the most aggressive form of brain tumours found to be malignant are resisting radiotherapy treatment.

The latest groundbreaking research by the oncology experts in Spain investigating all forms of cancers have found a protein which causes some tumours to duplicate into a subtype. These are highly resistant to radiotherapy and are most like to metastasise.

This particular type of cancer of the nervous system - known as glioblastoma - is very rare but is the worst possible type of cancer to be diagnosed with as, according to Dr Nuria de la Iglesia who led the latest research, there is no cure.

This brain tumour can be as individual as a person’s fingerprint and so makes it almost impossible to treat by normal and trusted methods.

To quote directly from the report, “The study represents a starting point for designing diagnostic tools that can predict the response to radiotherapy treatment in glioblastoma, and a therapeutic target to resolve resistance to radiotherapy in this type of tumour - and it is possible that these can be used to treat other types of cancer.”

As with all work involved with cancer research, these discoveries are the beginning of a long road and it could take many years to come up with the specialist treatment needed to target the causes.

Kite prank disrupts air traffic

DANGER: Kite disrupts the Manises Airport in Valencia.

nese supermarkets for just €12, although it was attached to a much longer cord than it would come with from the manufacturers.

The string had in fact become tangled up in

trees and the police had to cut the kite with a wingspan of 123 centimetres - down before the airport could be declared safe again.

24

6th - 12th April

Spare us the health warnings by Barry Duke

I HAD to check the date when I read that purveyors of coffee in California may soon have to carry warnings that their cappuccinos, lattes, expressos and the like may cause cancer.

Was this an April Fool’s Day joke? Nope. Just another depressing example of the Health Gestapo jack-booting its way through the legal system.

California, according to last Friday’s CNN report, lists chemicals it considers possible causes of cancer. One of them is acrylamide, created when coffee beans are roasted. It stays in the coffee in what a court called ‘high amounts’.

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2010 by the non-profit Council for Education and Research on Toxics targeted several companies that make or sell coffee. The suit demanded damages and

labels to warn consumers.

Hours before this story broke I had a lengthy conversation with my husband Marcus about coffee, which we both drink in copious quantities after tumbling out of bed each morning.

For around five years we’ve used separate French presses - one for his caffeine-laden Jurado, and the other for my Jurado decaf because morning hits of caffeine were making me a tad jittery.

The conversation arose because Marcus was recently admitted to hospital with a severe lung infection, and while recovering the coffee he was given was decaffeinated.

The upshot was that we decided we would both forego caffeine. That way, we’d only have to wash up one large cafetiere instead of two baby ones.

Then up popped the CNN report, and an irrational part of my brain suggested that maybe we should just give up coffee altogether and keep our bodies free of this deadly acrylamide stuff.

The thought lasted about two seconds. “Get a grip,” I told myself. People tell me “Your body is a temple” and I’ve always retorted “Wrong. Mine’s much more like a decrepit house of ill repute in Mexico City!” So, the

coffee ritual goes on.

The deeper I got into the CNN report, the angrier I became, for here was yet another example of goodytwo-shoes fanatics who have nothing better to do than fill people with anxiety over utterly inconsequential matters.

Gullible paranoiacs will no doubt rush to bin their coffee supplies and seek healthier alternatives. These scaredy-cats deserve Jillian Mai Thi Epperly’s under-fermented, oversalted cabbage juice.

Who is Epperly? A skinny Ohio

woman who is fattening her bank account by flogging her ‘cure-all’ juice - a brew she claims can solve practically any health problem from cancer to dwarfism. It can reverse vasectomies and regrow amputated limbs. And - get this - it can also cure homosexuality. Surprisingly, she stops short of claiming it can raise the dead.

Her potion is a purgative and she cheerfully says that ‘healing symptoms’ include nausea, headaches, dizziness, and explosive blasts of diarrhoea.

These ‘waterfalls’ supposedly eject ‘bad’ para-

ENJOY: A soothing cup of coffee.

sites, which you can see wriggling around your loo after her ‘poop juice’ takes effect. Nice!

What really riles me is that, while there are thousands of charlatans out there who escape all forms of regulation and can make millions out of useless and, in Epperly’s case, thoroughly dangerous ‘cures’, people earning an honest living selling something as harmless as coffee can be forced to slap health warnings on their products.

For the record, coffee is NOT bad for your health. Last year Time magazine reported that studies show that people who drink coffee regularly are less likely to develop type two diabetes.

And in one large study involving tens of thousands of people, researchers found that those who drank several cups of coffee a day - anywhere from two to four - actuallly had a lower risk of stroke.

Heart experts say the benefits may come from coffee’s effect on the blood vessels; by keeping vessels flexible and healthy, it may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which can cause heart attacks.

Now, to damp down my fury, please point me towards the nearest establishment that sells good coffee, cognac and bloody big cigars!

6th - 12th April

25

money Nordic tourism neckand-neck with UK ACCORDING to a report from the Municipal Tourist Board, visitors from the Nordic countries are now equal in numbers to the British staying in Alicante City.

Figures covering 2017, show that they account for around 20 per cent of the overnight stays in the city’s hotels...170,364 visitors.

It has now been recognised as being one of the most important niche markets for the area which attracts a growing number from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.

It has come as no surprise to tourist bosses that the increases have coincided with the now 21 direct flight connections between those five

Photo credit: Guenter Wieschendahl Wikimedia

GROWTH: Sixty-six per cent increase of Finnish tourists alone to Alicante.

(File image) crease in the number of paspromotions in the Nordic countries and Alicante-Elche sengers from Finland that countries to encourage airport. stands out. tourism to Alicante.

Now people from this reOver the course of one Alicante-Elche airport is gion have reached the same year from 2016 to 2017, the key to bringing Scandilevel as those from the UK Finnish travellers increased navia to this part of the world, traditionally top of the list from 86,885 to 144,483. and above all it’s the inthe plan is to carry out further

Two million euros for Costa Blanca

by Carol Palmer WITHIN weeks of the summer tourist season getting underway, the Valencian community government has announced a major investment in the sector... especially on beaches and their facilities.

A total of €2 million has been set aside for spending this year to improve all areas of the beach infrastructure across the community.

Among a number of schemes and projects, they plan to install 100 sets of changing rooms, 48 children’s playgrounds, 12 swimming areas, with much improved and dedicated access for people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and 10 kilometres of wooden walkways.

In addition, extra water pipes will be constructed to enable beach users to wash their feet as they leave the golden sands.

One of the most striking additions will be the six ‘technology palm trees’. Featuring the wellknown iconic tourist emblem for the community, they will each feature seats and benches with traditional plug and USB mobile device charging points, powered by solar energy.

6th - 12th April

Q

legal Is a Spanish will obligatory when you have assets in Spain?

A

NO. However it is highly recommended that you make a Spanish legal will for several reasons.

It is the best form of planning your inheritance.

It guarantees your assets in Spain will be regulated by your national law.

It allows you to include in your will the heirs that you choose, rather than compulsory heirs.

You can choose if you want to include just your Spanish assets or your worldwide assets.

Let’s inform you seminar: Are you prepared for Brexit?

Stan & Ollies, El Raso Friday 13th April 11.30 At Pellicer & Heredia we can help you with all the legal aspects of building your own home, and if you’re not in Spain we can do all the paperwork on your behalf. For more information on this or any other legal matter please contact us by email info@pellicerheredia.com or by telephone 965 480 737.

27

28

6th - 12th April

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

WE English have the universal answer to whatever crisis we are personally faced with, and that’s to have a nice cup of tea. It’s a sure fire remedy we believe, for whatever ails us.

We are also renowned for our preoccupation with the weather, and conversations with fellow countrymen and women invariably cover the subject of the vagaries of the British climate.

I had to smile therefore, when talking to a pair of fellow expatriates at our regular coffee and tea stop this morning, and the chit chat got around to the winter we have just experienced in Spain.

‘I know I shouldn’t say this’, the lady informed us guiltily, ‘but the garden needs some rain.’

She was right, but it invoked a feeling of nostalgia in me and I reflected back to our home in Suffolk where we enjoyed a large country garden surrounded by fields and paddocks.

Not that I was that much of a gardener myself, with the ‘princess’ taking charge of her beloved flower gar-

Don’t cast a clout

Credit: Igor Astakhov Shutterstock

SPRINGTIME: Almost time to cast that clout.

den and me delegated to the task of keeping the extensive vegetable and fruit areas weed free and productive.

It was something that I regarded as a chore rather than a pleasurable experience.

I enjoyed the finished product, but not the interminable round of digging, hoeing and pruning, and I longed for a smaller easy to maintain patch of land.

I had a willing source of advice

from an ancient neighbour - a real man of the soil - who shared with me his tips on producing the best results and which always involved a good deal of me being elbow deep in piles of festering horse manure.

His age was a mystery, but the Dead Sea was probably not even sick when he was a boy, which meant that his knowledge and wisdom of all things bucolic was limitless.

‘Don’t cast a clout ‘til May is out’, was one of his favourite quotes, meaning wrap up warm until the end of the month of May right?

No incorrect, he gleefully informed us, what it actually means is keep warm until the Mayflower or Hawthorne is in bloom.

He was also one of the judges at our annual village show, who awarded me first prize for the best tasting gooseberries one year, even though none of the requisite six specimens I had exhibited had been cut or bitten into. I queried this.

Tapping the side of his nose knowingly he told me that they could tell just by looking at them.

Now with only a modest paved area housing a plethora of potted plants and flowers, there’s a part of me that hankers after that Suffolk Eden.

RTN Life

The end of an era G I O VA N N A WA L L I S , t h e C h a i r man of Footlights has announced they are being wound up saying: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closing down of Footlights Theatre Group following our AGM earlier this month.

Footlights has been running for 17 years and it will be sad to see it go.

“Like many groups whether they are theatrical or otherwise, their origins stem from a conversation or a casual remark made over a drink. Footlights were no exception and from little acorns grow flourishing oak trees.

“In 2001 a chance meeting of some old friends, who had been with another group on the Costa Blanca, led to a meeting to discuss the possibility of forming a small company to put on musical evenings in the form of a cabaret.

At that meeting some 30 people attended who were keen to get back into ‘Am dram.’

The aim at the outset was to enjoy a lively social life, to put on a major production every year, and to raise money for local charities.

“We asked for subs on the first night to enable us to pay for the meeting room in Calpe. Because we had no funds the group set about fundraising, by having a stall on the local rastro, social events, requesting patrons for support, and running raffles.

“The first show was an old time musical ‘All for your delight!’ This had a theme that could allow nearly all the members a chance to perform on stage. There were also some who only wanted to work back stage and help with s c e n e r y. E v e r y o n e w i t h i n t h e group worked so hard to ensure that the show was a success and that money was raised for charities.

“Since then the group has gone on to produce annual major musical productions with great success up and down the Costa Blanca.

“There will be an open afternoon held at Footlights Centre in Calpe on Thursday April 12 from 4pm for anyone who wishes to take any of the remaining props, costumes, books and bric-a-brac for a small donation to Calpe charities.”

6th - 12th April

29

food & drink This week Celebrity Chef from Ready Steady Cook & Master Chef Steven Saunders, proprietor of The Little Geranium in La Cala shows us how to smoke salmon for a light summer’s brunch or for a special dinner party starter.

House smoked salmon smoking hot!

Steven Saunders FMCGB The Little Geranium La Cala de Mijas & Marbella

www.thelittlegeranium.com THERE are a few theatrical tricks that modern trendy restaurants use these days.

Food smoking at the table is one but we also use dry ice especially for desserts, and smooth purees to accompany a range of dishes to add flavours and colours.

Souvide slow cooking for tender meat that has been marinated and cooked gently in its marinade but keeps it rare, gels for dressing plates to add vibrant colour and intense flavours and savoury granitas and snows …

are just a few. Smoking is a great way of adding theatre and flavour to a dish. A few years ago we started by smoking duck at the table as a tasting dish and now we smoke our own salmon but actually at your table.

The other week a client complained that another client was smoking at the table inside. I looked over and saw the smoke pouring from his table. It did look like cigar smoke and I laughed out loud.

This may all sound complicated but it’s really easy and it will make a piece of salmon a really special and memorable dish.

Another new trend over here is brunch. It has been on trend in the UK for many years and in New York for about 20 years but over here in Spain it is only just starting to get popular.

Mindful of that I am planning on launching a new brunch menu concept at a friend’s

restaurant on the beach in the next few weeks. I will be able to tell you more when I know that we are ready, at the moment we are a few weeks off.

On the menu I have put things like smoked salmon with scrambled eggs but smoked at the table so you really get the fresh smoky vapours, aromas and flavours.

We will also have classic Eggs Benedict and a really great Waldorf salad dish with free-range chicken. Some of these old retro dishes are really back on trend but given a modern twist of course.

Nowadays you can buy smoking guns in all sizes where you ignite the wood like a lighter and then the smoke bellows out of a pipe.

Just as effective and a lot cheaper is to take some twigs from a good tree that have fallen off and dried out. We use the twigs from dried Rioja

vines but you could use oak or cherry or fig etc.

You then ignite the twigs in a naked flame and when it’s burning, you blow it out. That will create enough smoke to fill a small glass cloche so that you hold and can see the smoke inside. When the dish has had about three to five minutes in the smoke you lift the cloche and eat the salmon. The flavours are amazing.

This works with other fish or meat too. I like to smoke scallops which are sitting on black pudding, with truffle sauce around and we sometimes smoke our famous crispy duck under the cloche which gives the duck a nice complexity.

Enjoy playing around with this and if you have any problems or queries you can always email me!

House smoked, salmon, prawn ceviche seaweed For the salmon

egg using free-range eggs if serving brunch) 8 large cooked prawns Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped coriander leaf A pinch of mild fresh chilli chopped into tiny pieces or a little mild chilli sauce

I buy fresh Norwegian salmon and cure it with 60 per cent sugar and 40 per cent salt. The salt and sugar are mixed together and then you pack it on the flesh of the fish and wrap it in cling film then leave it in the fridge for 48 hours.

After this time you wash off the salt/sugar and then you can marinade the salmon flesh down in a deep tray with things like gin with lime and tonic or beetroot juice and lime, or sangria, tequila etc. That gives it a really modern sophisticated twist. Then after marinating it for about eight hours, lift the fish out, pat dry and brush with olive oil. You can then slice it thinly for the final stage, the smoking.

However, a shortcut would be to buy some gravadlax of salmon pre sliced and drizzle with gin and lime and then smoke. A lot easier but not anything as great as the former.

For the seaweed

DRAMATIC SMOKE: Under a cloche.

We buy a natural seaweed and process it ourselves to bring out the sweet tangy flavours, but you can buy it already done from the Japanese section of stores like Carrefour.

Buy approx150grm of sweet algae from a Japanese store (alternatively you can use salad underneath chopped finely)

Ingredients for four

Method

salmon and roll up so that you have four roulades (rolls) of salmon.

• Put a little algae or chopped salad on a plate and top with the roulade of salmon. Finish with a little caviar on top.

• Now place a glass cloche (dome) on top of each salmon and ignite your wood being careful not to burn yourself!

• Lift the cloche slightly and insert the smoking vine under the glass cloche. When the cloche is filled sufficiently with smoke (about one minute) close the cloche tightly to hold the smoke in.

• Present the plate to your guest but leave the glass cloche in place for a few minutes. After three minutes remove the cloche and immediately eat the dish.

Approx. 500grm of salmon cured (or gravadlax) 4/5 dried twigs from good trees or vines A little caviar to garnish For the ceviche (or you can use home-made scrambled

• Lay four thin slices of salmon in a rectangle shape about 6cm wide and 10cm long.

• Chop the cooked prawns into small pieces and put in a bowl and season with the fresh lime juice, chilli, coriander • Put a spoonfull of this mix onto each piece of the

You can email Steven your questions or enquiries to: steven@thelittlegeranium.com.

Steven Saunders FMCGB - The Little Geranium, La Cala de Mijas & Marbella www.thelittlegeranium.com

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11:20am 12:15pm 12:50pm 1:50pm 4:40pm 6:50pm 9:00pm 9:55pm 10:00pm 12:55am 1:50am 2:05am

Great Scientists Wildlife SOS Access Milkshake!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Football on 5 Football on 5 Traffic Cops Oliver!

The Deep End of the Ocean Marley and Me Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

5 News When Live News Goes Horribly Wrong Football on 5: The Checkatrade Trophy Britain's Greatest Bridges Super Casino

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of RTN.

MONDAY 5:00am Commonwealth Games 2018 7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Commonwealth Games 2018 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm 800 Words 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Money for Nothing 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Fake Britain 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Have I Got a Bit More News for You

10:15am Oxford Street Revealed 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Britain's Home Truths 12:45pm Dom on the Spot 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm Commonwealth Games 2018 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Today at the Games 9:00pm Only Connect 9:30pm University Challenge 10:00pm Secret Agent Selection : Ww2 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:10am Weather 12:15am The Secret Helpers 1:15am The Silent Child 1:35am David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 2:05am Hugh's Wild West

10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm Regional News and Weather 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Regional News and Weather 7:25pm Party Election Broadcast 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm The Kyle Files 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Marcella 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm Regional News and Weather

8:00am Rules of Engagement 8:30am Rules of Engagement 9:00am How I Met Your Mother 9:30am How I Met Your Mother 10:00am New Girl 11:00am 2 Broke Girls 12:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm How I Met Your Mother 4:00pm New Girl 5:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6:00pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Extreme Cake Makers 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm Young Sheldon 10:00pm Made in Chelsea

10:15am Oxford Street Revealed 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Britain's Home Truths 12:45pm Dom on the Spot 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm Commonwealth Games 2018 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Today at the Games 9:00pm Great Indian Railway Journeys 10:00pm Hospital 11:00pm Cunk on Britain 11:30pm Newsnight 12:10am Weather 12:15am Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm Regional News and Weather 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Regional News and Weather 7:25pm Party Election Broadcast 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 9:00pm This Time Next Year 10:00pm Last Laugh in Vegas 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm Regional News and Weather

10:00am 10:30am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 3:00pm

Wildlife SOS Milkshake!

The Wright Stuff Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

5 News The Gadget Show Access Home and Away Neighbours NCIS Newlywed and Dead 5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights Springtime on the Farm Paddington Station 24/7 Police UK: Armed and Deadly Criminals Caught on Camera

4:35am 6:30am 7:00am 8:45am 10:25am 11:55am 1:45pm 3:55pm

The Hurricane Heist Special Cars 3 Run the Tide The Emoji Movie The Hurricane Heist Rough Stuff 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain 5:40pm Cars 3 7:30pm The Emoji Movie 9:00pm The Hurricane Heist 10:50pm Rough Stuff A ragtag crew of gold-seeking drifters team up with a group of environmental activists and head into the Outback in search of a l egendary lost haul.

1:00am The Free World 2:45am The Hurricane Heist 4:40am Double Date

10:15am La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 10:30am La Liga Greatest Games 10:45am La Liga Greatest Games 11:00am Football 1:15pm Football 3:20pm La Liga 5:25pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Football Years 6:30pm Football Countdowns 7:00pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 7:15pm La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 7:30pm La Liga Icons 8:00pm Soccer A.M. 8:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 8:40pm La Liga Icons 8:55pm Football 11:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 11:15pm SPFL Greatest Games

7:00am Milkshake!

10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

1:10pm 5 News 1:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 2:10pm Access 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:20pm NCIS 4:20pm Nightmare 911 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Moto GP Highlights 9:00pm Springtime on the Farm 10:00pm Made in Yorkshire 11:00pm Secrets of the Great Yorkshire Castle 12:05am The Great Yorkshire Bridge

7:00am 9:15am 11:00am 1:10pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 5:20pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 10:50pm 12:30am 2:40am 4:35am

12:15pm One2eleven 12:30pm SPFL Greatest Games 12:45pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 1:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:30pm MLS Round Up Show 2:00pm La Liga Icons 3:00pm Eredivisie 4:00pm Football's Greatest 4:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Revista de la Liga 6:30pm Football Countdowns 7:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18

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 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

TUESDAY 10:15am Commonwealth Games 2018 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm 800 Words 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Money for Nothing 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Come Home 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm This Country 12:15am Generation Screwed?

3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm

New Girl New Girl 2 Broke Girls 2 Broke Girls Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother New Girl New Girl Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks Extreme Cake Makers The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory

Rough Stuff The Emoji Movie Maudie The Hurricane Heist Special The Free World The Emoji Movie Maudie The Hurricane Heist Double Date Rough Stuff The Free World Run the Tide Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga) stars as a Texas twentysomething determined to keep his younger brother away from their excon mother. Drama with Constance Zimmer.

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of RTN.

32

6th - 12th April

WEDNESDAY 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:40pm 11:45pm

Escape to the Country Money for Nothing Flog It! Pointless BBC News Regional News The One Show MasterChef DIY SOS the Big Build BBC News Regional News Weather A Question of Sport

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

10:50pm 11:30pm 12:10am 12:15am 1:15am

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Today at the Games The Secret Helpers The Assassination of Gianni Versace American Crime Story Live at the Apollo Newsnight Weather Hospital The Queen

7:00pm

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Today at the Games Living with the Brainy Bunch Civilisations Match of the Day Newsnight Secret Agent Selection: WW2 Reggie Yates: Searching for Grenfell's Lost Lives MasterChef

7:00pm 7:25pm

7:25pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

Regional News and Weather Party Election Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Britain's Brightest Family Coronation Street Benidorm ITV News at Ten and Weather Regional News and Weather UEFA Champions League Highlights

2:00pm 3:00pm

ITV News London Party Election Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale The Cruise: Sailing the Caribbean The Investigator: A British Crime Story ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London UEFA Europa League Highlights

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

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

The Big Bang Theory How I Met Your Mother New Girl Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks Extreme Cake Makers The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory Timeless Naked Attraction The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory First Dates

6:00pm

5 News The latest news coverage.

6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm World Rally 9:00pm Springtime on the Farm 10:00pm Housing Yorkshire: Somewhere Called Home 11:00pm Restless Legs Syndrome: Can't Stop Twitching 12:05am Murder on the Internet

7:00am

Top Ten Show, the 2018 7:15am Maudie 9:15am Rough Stuff 11:25am The Emoji Movie 1:05pm The Free World 3:00pm Special 3:30pm The Hurricane Heist 5:20pm Maudie 7:20pm The Emoji Movie 9:00pm The Hurricane Heist 10:50pm Shin Godzilla 12:55am Rough Stuff 3:05am Double Date 4:40am The Hurricane Heist

3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks Extreme Cake Makers The Big Bang Theory Young Sheldon Brooklyn Nine-Nine Derry Girls The Inbetweeners The Windsors The Big Bang Theory

3:20pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

4:40am The Hurricane Heist 6:30am Ready Player One: Special 7:00am The Free World 8:45am Double Date 10:20am The Emoji Movie 11:50am The Hurricane Heist 1:40pm Wilson 3:20pm Maudie 5:20pm The Emoji Movie 6:50pm Rough Stuff 9:00pm The Hurricane Heist 10:50pm Wilson 12:30am Shin Godzilla 2:35am The Free World 4:25am Double Date

3:00pm Football League Cup Final 4:00pm Football's Greatest 4:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Football Years 6:30pm Football Countdowns 7:00pm MLS Round Up Show 7:30pm Revista de la Liga 8:00pm EFL Midweek Goals: Championship 8:30pm Football

La Liga World Football's Greatest Football's Greatest Teams 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Football Years 6:30pm Football Countdowns 7:00pm Revista de la Liga 7:30pm La Liga World 8:00pm Football's Greatest 8:30pm Football 11:00pm The Debate - Live 12:00am Eredivisie

THURSDAY 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 10:30pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

Money for Nothing Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders MasterChef Not Going Out Still Game BBC News at Ten BBC London News Question Time

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am 1:15am 2:15am

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:30pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:05am

NCIS The Killing Game 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Steve Backshall's Hedgehog Rescue 9:00pm Springtime on the Farm 10:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

11:00pm Undercover: Nailing the Fraudsters 12:05am The Murderer Next Door

this week weather FRI

SAT

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

April 6

April 7

April 8

April 9

April 10

April 11

April 12

19º/10ºC 18º/9ºC 21º/11ºC 21º/12ºC 18º/11ºC 20º/12ºC 18º/11ºC Partly sunny

Brilliant sunshine

Partly sunny

Partly sunny

Partly sunny

Brilliant sunshine

Partly sunny

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6th - 12th April

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: Put two and two together. Middle earth.

Enough is enough, now you have to come down on someone like a ton of bricks. They have had time to rethink and you have been supportive, but right now they appear to be biting the hand that feeds them. The midweek Venus trine with Mars brings home your disappointment and distress, but then you wanted the best solution for all involved.

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?

Take time to relax and calm this week, whilst you can. A highly productive time is coming and it will be all hands on the pumps and full steam ahead. This may be the calm before the storm, but you’re are never happier than when you are involved and busy at what you love to do; and this shows your capabilities more than you think.

The Mercury trine with Ceres brings order and discipline to all you set your mind on right now. You are more than ready to take responsibility and it is time to show others just what you are capable of; whatever it takes. Be sure to have some quick replies for those who are seen to be judging you unfairly for absolutely no reason.

This is the time to see your passions, drive and determination fulfilled. Long term plans for your personal aspirations are activated and should be all the impetus that you need to take things that little step further, or beyond. In broadening your horizons the world is your oyster right now so no hiding away within that protective shell.

Tension simmers on a relationship issue that just isn’t going away by itself! You may very well be outside of your comfort zone, but do activate friendships and interact with loved ones, who really do have your true best interests at heart this time around. The Mercury retrograde until April 15th increases communication, heightening potential!

Stay close to those you love. There is much more going on than meets the eye and this may see you digging and delving, if you have to. Face up to that you have recently avoided and home in on an intimate relationship that appears to be on hold for reasons known only to you. The solar eclipse on the 8th sees you facing up to something.

Love is a strong priority right now, and it will take up most of your attention this week. Any goals accomplished will suit you down to the ground as you have the co-operation of others, and have earned, in addition, their respect too. The dual Venus trine with both Saturn and Mars this week brings you a blessing, albeit in somewhat of a disguise!

Retrograde of one of your planetary leaders, Pluto, sees it transiting from Sagittarius to Scorpio, bringing you challenges that may mean you having a good re think over financial matters. This is not a time to hold back on all you wish to achieve, but financially there have to be limits. Your unstoppable natural energies are charged and ready!

You get so many good ideas, now is a time to share them and take something further, because now you can. With your emotions riding high right now you are energised and determined to move onto accomplish new beginnings and to benefit others. This also needs your love, especially around the 11th, when Venus trines Mars.

You prefer a slower approach to new deals, even if you are an initiator of the Cosmos; but expect some big changes on the domestic front, because you are more than ready to instigate action. The focus is on home and family this week, and it will have a major impact on what it is that comes next for you. Tune into magic, come what may!

There are those who seem not to be supporting you right now. Those who truly love and respect you are willing you on to achieve that which you must rise to. Supported by the Sun, you will reconnect with friends and colleagues and find new ways of building your network of support, whatever it takes, to see you back on top.

Again a strong focus on finances as the Sun transits through your second house. Examine ways that you can use your intuitive powers to expand a showcase of your talents into much more.

There is a need to consolidate things and build on natural resources. Venus sextiles your planetary leader, Neptune midweek, galvanising you into action!

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 11 represents V and 19 represents R, so fill in V every time the figure 11 appears and R every time the figure 19 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, My Father died a few weeks ago. During the interment a colourful bird appeared and it flew onto the coffin and all around us. Comments were made after the service, and such a bird would not normally be flying around in the cold weather. Was it my Dad saying goodbye?

Debbie H-K. Birds symbolise freedom in their flight. I have heard of birds and butterflies hovering around gravesides, especially during burial services; and I have experienced them myself.

Spirit communicates in some very strange ways, and their actions are open to interpretation. I would not rule out that this colourful bird was a message to you that your Dad has made his journey, and is safe and secure, and free of pain in the Spirit World.

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 Power energy works wonder in differing but succinct ways this week. This is an inspiring and fortuitous time to be yourself. Know what you do and be patient and the Cosmos will come up trumps for 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.

6th - 12th April

35

More Puzzles Cryptic

Across 1 Drinks provided for men on board (8) 5 Shows cut after repair, initially (4) 9 Brave group from Mount Ribense (5) 10 Shove canal boat (5) 12 Trees manage to conceal skinhead (5) 13 A pair in a Tokyo kebab shop (4) 15 Possibly making Andrew stray (6) 18 Handwriting learnt by actors (6) 20 Island able to turn (4) 23 Start of a game of tennis, wait (5) 24 Vessel seen in Zambia or Tanzania (5) 27 Cleaned out horrible stink (5) 28 Breeding place discovered in Lone Star State (4) 29 Passionate animal doctor embraces he-men (8)

English - Spanish

Futoshiki

Down 1 Will, from the rear, looks dowdy (4) 2 A farmer starts off in the distance (4) 3 Stage is redesigned for The Doors (5) 4 A mix-up between the IRA and ITV is frivolous (6) 6 Type of punishment for NCO (8) 7 Birds talk wildly to Poles (6) 8 Choose to put detectives in river (6) 11 Saigon is without sin in the past (3) 14 Trek less organised for birds of prey (8) 16 Catch a ring-leader taking a break (6) 17 Singer out to leave work (6) 19 Fish to come first, second or third, say (6) 21 Part of the arbitration process (3) 22 Start looking after the machine (5) 25 Right time for anger (4) 26 Help needed in a punt (4)

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.

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

Across 1 Falda (prenda) (5) 3 Cuellos (5) 6 Huevo (3) 8 Arco iris (7) 9 En alguna parte (9) 12 Our (7) 13 Final (de ceremonia, vida, aventura, guerra) (3) 14 Herramientas (5) 15 Rhythm (5)

Down 1 Semilla (4) 2 Storms (9) 3 Vecino (9) 4 Coward (7) 5 Sierras (herramientas) (4) 7 Rude (discourteous) (7) 10 Nudo (en hilo, cuerda) (4) 11 Hatred (4)

Quick

Across 1 Lets fall to the ground (5) 3 Colouring sticks (7) 6 Dreamlike (7) 8 Small drum (5) 10 Small songbird with a reddish breast (5) 11 Eight-sided polygon (7) 14 Cream-filled pastry (6) 15 Inclined beam supporting a roof (6) 17 Court-ordered support paid by one spouse to another after they are separated (7) 20 Aims (5) 21 Composition for nine performers (5) 22 Very old (7) 23 Longest river in Ireland (7) 24 Get the better of (5) Down 1 Entitled to by merit (7) 2 Severe (5) 3 Large stringed instrument (5) 4 Person in charge of an abbey (5) 5 Eating utensil (5) 7 Uprising (9) 9 Bad dream (9) 12 Edible freshwater fish (4) 13 Metallic element (4) 16 Italian rice dish (7) 17 Sisters of your father or mother (5) 18 Frequently (5) 19 Desire strongly or persistently (5) 20 Nocturnal lizard (5)

Sudoku

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

36

6th - 12th April

Open questions in third person Basic Spanish for everyday needs

by Jane Cronin

KEEPING in mind the pearls of wisdom we learnt in the last article (pause while you scrabble about for last week’s newspaper) we will now complete our look at open and closed questions. We have got as far as seeing that an open question begins with a question word, or group of words forming a question, for example: ‘Dónde’, ‘Cuándo’, ‘Por qué’, ‘De qué color’ and many more.

We then saw that this was followed by a verb. So we have: “¿Cuántos hijos tienes?”

(How many children have you got?)

“Cuántos hijos” is the question and ‘tienes’ is the verb. “¿Qué estás haciendo?” (What are you doing?) Here ‘Qué’ is the question, and ‘estás haciendo’ together form the verb, and these two verb words do not separate. “¿Dónde estás?” (Where are you?) ‘Dónde’ is the question and ‘estás’ is the verb.

These are all questions in the second person or ‘you’ form, even though we haven’t inserted the word ‘you’ into the

sentence. If we were to do so, the questions would be: “¿Cuántos hijos tienes tú?”, “¿Qué estás haciendo tú?”, “¿Dónde estás tú?” As we have said many times before the ‘tú’ is not necessary to make ourselves clear, but we can use it if we want to. The reason I mention it now though, is to indicate the word order of an open question, which is question + verb + subject.

So, we will now apply this principle to questions about a third person, that is, a ‘he’ a ‘she’ or even an ‘it’. To go from “How many children have you got?” to “How many children has Pedro got?”, we follow the same word order, which gives us: “¿Cúantos hijos tiene Pedro?” (question + verb + subject). “¿Qué estás haciendo?” (What are you doing?) “¿Qué está haciendo tu hijo?” (What is your son doing?) “¿Dónde estás?” (Where are you?) “¿Dónde está el ayuntamiento?”

(Where is the town hall?)

We can ask similar questions in the plural: “¿De qué color son las cortinas?”

(What colour are the curtains?)

Notice as well that prepositions go in front of question words to form part of the question. “¿De qué color?” (literally “of what colour?”) is an example of this. Also “¿A qué hora?” (at what time) “¿Durante

cuánto tiempo?” (for how long) “¿Con quién?” (with whom) and many more. We cannot put prepositions at the ends of questions as we do in English.

These probably all look quite straightforward to you, which is good. The trick is to remember that exactly the same word order will hold true even when our sentences get much more advanced and complicated.

So with that said - let’s speak a bit of Spanish shall we? Vamos…

Hoy ha sido un día normal de trabajo para mí, con mis clases en Torrevieja.

Tengo muchos alumnos ya, sobre todo en el segundo grupo

del día. Después de la última clase tengo que recoger todas mis cosas y volver a mi casa en coche. Hoy he pasado al supermercado para comprar naranjas y pan, y también a la tienda de fotocopias. En casa he encontrado a mis dos hijas, una viendo la tele y la otra estudiando para un examen. Esto no es lo más norma en nuestra casa. Muchas veces mis hijas están fuera de casa haciendo deporte o paseando con sus amigos. Pues, la hora es bastante tarde ya y estoy trabajando todavía. Enseguida voy a apagar este maldito ordenador y relajarme un poco antes de dormir. ¡Qué vida tengo! ¡Hasta la semana que viene!

QUESTION TIME: How to ask for information.

6th - 12th April

39

Advertising Feature

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Eat early and let your body rest EATING late at night is a common occurrence for Spaniards who enjoy late night family meals in the cooler summer air, but experts believe it may be damaging to your health.

Researchers from Tu r k e y f o u n d a l a t e night meal keeps the body on ‘high alert’ when it should be winding down and relaxing ready for sleep.

They advise that adults should never eat within two hours of bedtime and ideally nothing after 7pm.

Eating late leaves people with a higher blood pressure, when normally levels drop at bedtime.

This can lead to a higher chance of a heart-related death, the researchers claim.

The Turkish team presented their results at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Rome, Italy.

They tracked 721 people diagnosed with

EVENING MEAL: Ideally should not be taken after 7pm.

high blood pressure, with an average age of 53 and found those who ate within two hours of going to bed were 2.8 times more likely to retain high blood pressure overnight.

Some 9.4 million people in the UK are diagnosed with high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension.

40

6th - 12th April

home & garden

Fan Palms- Fast growing palms for your garden

ADDING different varieties of fresh garden vegetables to summer salads is always a passion for connoisseur chefs.

If you have a space for growing salad vegetables there is a huge range of different types, flavours, shapes and uses for the ever increasing possibilities.

The vast array of choices can make selection a difficult task when it is not possible to sample all the choices, as most are not readily available in stores and even markets have

Photo Credit: Chris Curtis Shutterstock

THE Mediterranean look for a garden is not complete without a palm tree.

They are symbols of the promise of warm balmy nights and bright sunny days.

They take up very little ground space as they grow straight up and are ideal to make pool areas and gardens look more inviting to rest and relax.

Fan Palms are very fast growing but require little maintenance as they hold on to spent leaves so provide few problems in the pool or garden from constant small falling debris.

They may take specialised care once they become very tall to prune the spent leaves but it is usually only an annual or biannual event in a domestic garden. In public spaces they are pruned more often.

There are two commonly grown types of Fan Palm. The Mexican Fan Palm, Washingtonia robusta, and the Californian Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera, that have slightly different characteristics that are worth knowing.

The Mexican Fan Palm is faster and taller growing (30m), with leaves of about one metre that are densely grouped and they will sway more, when fully grown, in strong winds.

The California Fan Palm is slower growing (20m), with larger leaves of about 1.5 metres that are sparsely grouped and more stable in

MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN CLASSIC: A stand of Mexican Fan Palms.

high winds. Despite concerns for the palm’s height when mature, these palms rarely fall over, even in very high winds due to its inherent struc-

Chicory or endive the choice is yours their limitations compared with what is available to grow if you can manage your own salad garden.

A great example is the endive that has evolved from the chicory plant or botanically speaking the

Cichorium genus of plants.

Basically the top leafy zone of the plant is salad endive and the root is the chicory part that is used as a coffee substitute when ground up but not always it’s not that simple.

A species of the wild Chicorium grows naturally in Spain and other areas of Europe and is known as blue succory. You can find it in rural areas when it displays its characteristic blue flower in late spring.

With the interbreeding and selection of plants from other countries it has become difficult to relate what is now available to the original plants.

Well known developments from Chichorium include Radicchio, French endive, sugarloaf / witloof / Brussels chicory, Belgian (red) endive, red chicory, succory, Chioggia, Verona, Treviso, Castelfranco (types), curly endive, escarole, broadleaved/Bavarian endive, Batavia endive, grumolo, chicory/frisée and scarola.

You don’t need a lot of space to grow Chichorium and they are generally very hardy. They make a great hobby vegetable if you have the time to care for them to produce the unique flavours and forms.

ture that gives it much greater strength than other trees.

Both palms are drought tolerant but the Californian one is more so and will tolerate even desert conditions so no watering is necessary once established, but the California one is less tolerant of humid conditions.

The Mexican one will survive better in places with higher rainfall or around the edges of natural ponds where there is a lot of ground water and it tolerates humidity better.

Fertilising is not generally recommended unless your soil is very low in nutrients or if you wish to make the palm grow very fast as they require only a minimum of nutrients to grow well.

To establish you can use soluble fertilisers applied when watering to ensure they are well established during their first summer.

They can both be grown in strong containers on your terrace or even balcony using an ordinary potting mixture but they will need some watering over summer as the soil can dry out quickly in a container.

They should not be watered over winter unless they receive no rainfall and the soil mix becomes too dry. If they become too big they should be replaced as the container may be blown over in strong winds unless it is well fastened.

The invasive Palm Beetle that has devastated the unprotected Canary Island palms does not seem to bother the Washingtonia so much.

It may be worth checking with your local agricultural office on the current procedures for protecting palms in your region if you wish to grow some palms in your garden, in case they have any regulations due to the concern for protecting palm trees.

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6th - 12th April PETS

Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Wordwheel ae af an ar at fa na ta aft ane ant are

Codebreaker arf art ate ear eat era eta fan far fat fra nae

Cryptic

nan oaf oar oat ora ran rat tae tan tao tar tea

aeon aero afro anon ante earn etna fane fano fare faro fart

Quick

fate fear feat feta fora frae frat nano near neat nona nota

raft rant rate rato roan rota tare tarn taro tear toea tora

afoot afore after anent antre atone fanon faroe frate frena oaten oater

orate trefa trona atoner fanner natron nonart nonfat ornate ratoon tanner afternoon

BLUE GLUE GLUT GOUT GOAT COAT

Giant

English-Spanish

Irregular Sudoku

Word Ladder

Cross Figure

Futoshiki

Sudoku Nonagram bent bite bunt debt dent diet dint duet edit gent tend tide tied tine ting tube tune tung unit bidet debit debut tined tinge tubed tuned unite untie budget bunted indebt nugget tinged tubing tugged united untied BUDGETING

Kakuro

Boggled feel feels fees foes foal folio else eels lees lens halo haloes halos aioli aloe aloes alit ahoy oafs olio ousel seen sofa soli shoe shoal shun shiv shone shoo shoot shorn suit suitor snoot loaf loafs lose louse lion lions hoes hoax hose house hues hone hones hoot horn horny unshorn nous noil noir worn voila ivory ions iron irons irony ones onus mouse tiro toil toon tori torn oohs riot rouse roil root noun nouns none nones

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6th - 12th April

motoring

BMW M5 bags performance

Diesel sales down THE number of diesel cars bought in Germany fell by 25 per cent in March in the wake of a court ruling allowing cities to ban them.

The decline in sales follows drops of 17 and 19 per cent in January and February respectively, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association.

Horst Glaser, the Vice President of Technical Development at Audi, told journalists the ban came as figures showed air quality was improving in German cities.

“Air quality is getting better and better, but the discussion

DIESEL DECLINE: The fall in sales follows a court ruling allowing German cities to ban diesel cars.

is getting worse and worse,” he said.

The drop is believed to have resulted after a ruling from a federal court in Leipzig in February. It set a precedent for cities to prevent the cars from driving on their roads.

Carmakers Volkswagen and Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, have introduced incentives to encourage drivers to upgrade diesel cars to newer, cleaner models following the ruling.

These include allowing any German who owns a Euro one to four emissions standard diesel vehicle to trade it in exchange for a new car.

Max Warburton, an analyst at Bernstein Research said the industry would have a huge problem due to the ruling.

“The range of outcomes from the city ban is wide, but in almost all scenarios automakers will be hurt,” he said.

The fall comes as total registrations in Germany fell by 3.4 per cent during March. Diesel car registrations made up 45.8 per cent of the total in the country according to the latest data from 2016.

BMW’S M5 model has been voted World Performance Car 2018, the German car maker said in a statement.

The car earned the plaudit from the World Car of the Year organisation. It marks the seventh time BMW has received an award from the group.

The M5 went up against 10 other cars in the category which judges motors on their performance abilities.

The vehicles had to have had 2,000 units produced in order to qualify for entry into the category.

They also had to be available to buy on at least two continents between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

Selection and voting was undertaken by a panel made up of 82 motoring journalists from 24 countries. The ceremony for the awards was held at the New York International Auto Show on March 28.

The BMW M5 is equipped with the latest version of the company’s 4.4-litre V8 engine which is capable of delivering 600 horsepower.

The V8 is capable of propelling the car from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in 3.4 seconds. The new M5 features an all-wheel drive system known as M xDrive.

M xDrive works in tandem with a new eight-speed M Steptronic transmission equipped with Drivelogic which provides power to the turbocharged engine.

6th - 12th April

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motoring

Subaru Outback TEST DRIVE BY TIM SAUNDERS “IT’S too big, I can’t drive it,” says my wife when she tries to drive the Subaru Outback.

True, it is a large vehicle. But if given the chance it exceeds expectations. Because here we have an estate that boasts a massive boot, large enough (once the retractable cover is removed) for all the stuff that the Saunders family regularly travels with: two pushchairs, travel cot, luggage and lots of food.

But the great thing is that when behind the wheel the driver forgets that it’s an estate car. This is a thoroughly capable vehicle both on and off road because it is equipped with all symmetrical all-wheel drive.

Basically this is as safe as it gets with all the wheels talking to each other and working together to produce a perfect driving experience no matter what the terrain. Instead of a traditional handbrake there’s an electric one operated at a push of a button.

Its seven-speed automatic gearbox can also be driven like a manual thanks to the paddle shifts either side of the

steering wheel.

Driving in automatic mode the dials have a blue glow but select manual mode and the glow changes to red.

The ‘Scooby Doo’ is fitted with an intelligent cruise control which delights in moments like this because it will brake and accelerate itself all the while keeping a set distance behind the car in front.

These systems are always too slow for me when it comes to accelerating but I expect this is all in the name of economy. What I do like is that the driver can override by pushing the accelerator to the floor and then once you’re going fast enough you can take your foot off the gas and the system will take over once again. Cruise control is useful on these dull motorway journeys.

During a heavy persistent downpour I find that when the wipers are at their fastest the right one rubs over the edge of the windscreen making an unnerving sound. I am sure this can be easily remedied.

The car itself handles very well indeed

GOOD HANDLING: For a large vehicle.

Facts at a glance Subaru Outback 2.0D SE Premium Lineartronic AWD Price: €40,000 approx 0-60mph: 9.9secs Top speed: 124mph Power: 150bhp Economy: 40mpg approx

no matter what the conditions. Being slightly wider than most cars there is a good amount of space for rear passengers and three children’s car seats fit in without issue. However, it can be awkward to fit the seatbelts on the two outer seats when Henry’s car seat is fitted.

I am fairly impressed with the satellite navigation in the Subaru. It can definitely be relied upon for those shorter jour-

neys. However, there is room for improvement when using it for guidance over longer journeys.

I am undecided about the power tailgate. During the test it is blisteringly hot and so parked by the roadside I push the button to open it. This saves me from getting out of the car, which at this particular moment is a great help.

Great. But these power tailgates have their downsides; accidentally catch your finger under it and you could lose it; these systems don’t seem to stop for anything. Then there’s the issue that it can be easy to forget that there is a power tailgate and the boot is closed manually which can’t be good for the system.

The Outback is an extremely capable vehicle but the fuel economy could be improved.

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6th - 12th April

motoring

THE green light has been given for the first ‘express charging point’ for the growing number of electric powered or hybrid cars in Spain.

It will be located shortly halfway along the A-3 motorway that links Madrid with Valencia.

It’s become a disadvantage for many current owners of the new breed of vehicles - it also puts off potential buyers when it’s known to take several hours to totally recharge... and there are a limited number on Spanish roads.

One of the main concerns is that the vehicle will simply run out of charge on longer journeys

GROWING: A-3 motorway to get ‘superfast’ recharging point. (File image)

before being able to reach a charging point.

The initiative to set-up one of the points on the major motorway running from the Spanish capital

to the east coast will have enough space for 10 cars to charge up all at once; and will be extra-fast to allow them to resume their journey as quickly as possible.

The new charger will be provided by Tesla Spain SA and will be installed in the service station located in the Cuenca Province town of Atalaya de Cañavate, and will be the only one on the A-3 at kilometre 175.

Castilla-La Mancha’s regional government said that it has given its formal consent for the charging point to be set up, but at this stage couldn’t give a definitive start date.

Credit: Facebook, Morgan Motor Company

Plug-in and go at express speed

BLUE BEAUTY: This classy range will appeal to motoring romantics.

Morgan Aero GT is blast from past THE new Morgan Aero GT has rolled off the production line and looks to have come straight out of the 1960’s.

It is the first of an exclusive line of custom-made €165,000 sports cars from Morgan and is capable of speeds of 170mph.

Only eight of these vintage looking vehicles have been produced, and one of them will feature on the showroom floor in Scotland’s only official Morgan dealer, Revolutions.

The production of this final GT model will also mark the end of their Aero 8 series, which has proved popular with motorheads since its inception in 2001.

Fitted with the same engine as its predecessor, the GT is capable of 367bhp, allowing it to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds.

Released to celebrate 50 years since the first of the handcrafted cars rolled out of the factory, the latest model shares the same long front end, compact cabin and steep wheel arches.

It clearly draws much inspiration from the classic Morgan Plus 8 of the 1960’s, while the interior is also hand-finished.

This bespoke beauty has a starting price of €165,000 but there are a variety of stylish customisations which the discerning buyer can opt for to complete the look.