RTN Newspaper - Costa Blanca North 11 – 17 May 2018 Issue 968

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COSTA BLANCA NORTH

11th - 17th May

One year on...

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Javea remembers those who died Credit: Ayuntamiento de Javea

IN SILENCE: A dignified tribute to those who died.

ROYAL FINCA

Issue 968

INSIDE THIS WEEK ...

TIME TO HABLAR MORE SPANISH

• Denia • Els Poblets • Vergel • Orba Valley • Ráfol • Pego Pedreguer • La Sella Benidoleig •

Monte Pego Beniarbeig

@ / ! º "! # $ %&# ''' &%

P3 WORLD WAR TWO VICTIMS HONOURED

By Darren Parmenter THERE were no words needed... just a great deal of silence punctuated by moments of raw emotion.

That was the scene as hundreds of cyclists were joined by local people from Javea and the

• turn to page 9

P5 GRANT A WISH TO ONE DESERVING YOUNG MAN

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Behind the scenes with venom Photo credit: Lucalicante Wikimedia

by Darren Parmenter MANY thousands of visitors from across the world visit the various theme parks in Benidorm, taking a wealth of happy memories back with them of either the white-knuckle attractions or the charming animals of all species.

What many never see, or indeed probably aren’t aware of, is the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in the field of medicine; and in particular the studies into snake venom that could potentially be used to save human lives.

Such work is being carried out in Terra Natura who are collaborating in the discovery of more antidotes, and as such extract venom from species such as the black mamba or the cobra which are then sent to experts all around the world.

Needless to say, the work is carried out by a team of herpetologists - reptile experts - who periodically take part in this very risky procedure that sees fingers and fangs coming into close proximity on occasions.

It was back in 2016 when Terra Natura took the decision to create a bank of antidotes to snake bites, and in so doing became the only outlet in the Valencian Community with stock of such serums.

KILLERS: A black mamba’s poison could be a lifesaver.

Second time lucky TWO robberies were carried out in the space of less than an hour on banks in Alicante and Campello... possibly by the same man.

The first took place when a man unsuccessfully tried to rob the Banca March branch located on Avenida de la Estacion.

He marched into the bank without any face covering brandishing a gun but when he discovered he wasn’t going to get away with anything, he fled the scene.

Members of the National Police and the Guardia Civil were deployed to the scene to carry out a series of interviews with witnesses to get a picture of the failed robber.

However, an hour later a second robbery was reported at a BBVA bank in Campello.

Mayor gives his Montgorock blessing

by Mark Rogers AS the Montgorock Festival gets underway tonight (Friday) and continues into tomorrow, Javea’s mayor Jose Chulvi joined the promoters of the event to assess the tourist and social impact it’s having.

With almost 100 per cent of the tickets sold, the mayor has assured that the festival - headlined by Tequila and Grand Canyon - has already become a ‘must-see’ for fans of rock music and a perfect opportunity of encouraging more to the area out of the traditional tourist season.

It’s with that in mind that the municipality is happy to provide the space to hold the festival, and to offer both technical advice and security from the Local Police and the Civil Protection to make the event a success for all concerned.

Mayor Chulvi also stressed that in addition to extra tourism, Montgorock is a festival that puts the people of Javea first, with free and discounted

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Javea

ROCKING: Mayor Jose Chulvi (centre) with the Montgorock promoters. tickets. In addition, it seeks to promote the National Programme for the Prevention of Drug Addiction and its fundraising efforts to support - for this year - the boys and girls who attend the Arenal School for autistic children.

Just like last year, the Montgorock Javea Festival will also feature a free concert on the beach tomorrow (Saturday) morning at the Montgo Di Bongo.

BASE jumpers LOCAL POLICE in Benidorm have arrested four British nationals for carrying out illegal parachute jumps. It was early on Saturday morning when they were taken by surprise by officers as they were at the point of jumping from the high Torre Levante apartment block.

It is understood that those arrested could be fined up to €300,000 for their exploits. It has been reported that the four may have jumped previously without official permission to carry out the dangerous activity.

11th - 17th May Photo credit: Darius Braciulis YouTube

INTEGRATION: Brit bar owners encouraged to learn Spanish.

Time to hablar more Spanish

by Darren Parmenter FOLLOWING a Facebook post last week from Spanish actor Ricardo Gomez that he’d allegedly been thrown out of a bar in Benidorm ‘just for being Spanish’, a group of British business people will be promoting the use of the Spanish language in their pubs and shops.

The actor was on holiday in the tourist hotspot and even made a joke of the situation saying that it could be the basis

of a comedy script!

Some days later, a woman also said on social media that she’d suffered a similar fate in a well-known British pub located in the ‘English area’. Both owners of the pubs concerned denied the alleged incidents of discrimination.

However, the ‘incidents’ have reopened the debate as to whether some areas of Benidorm are exclusive to the British, something that all concerned have rubbished, although they are the first to agree that ignorance of the

Spanish language can sometimes generate misunderstandings.

According to a report in the Spanish media, the President of the Association of British Businessmen (BBBA) Karen Cowles, showed surprise at this type of behaviour saying that for many years she had never known any incidents of discrimination.

In order to stop this happening in the future and to encourage further integration, the BBBA has announced that it will offer free Spanish classes.

Elderly woman recovers from fall FIREFIGHTERS from the Marina Baixa regional fire station were called to rescue an elderly woman in Benidorm who had taken a fall inside her home and couldn’t m o v e . I t ’s u n d e r s t o o d that the 86-year-old lives alone and has no other family in the city.

The alarm was raised by members of the local social services after going to visit the woman and finding that they couldn’t open the front door as they usually do on a daily basis.

After ringing and knocking and getting no r e p l y, t h e e m e r g e n c y services were called to gain access. When they did, they found the woman on the floor with the key in the lock which prevented her daily help from getting in.

It’s understood that after treatment at the

scene, the woman is now fully recovered.

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Safety first for Benidorm theme park

by Darren Parmenter FIREFIGHTERS based in the Marina Baixa were called to Benidorm’s popular Terra Mitica theme park... but just for reconnaissance.

Terra Mitica is due to start its summer season on Friday May 18, and the Fire Service paid a visit to look at how they would deal with an emergency on

the variety of attractions.

Each of the rides would have its unique challenges for a future rescue operation as well as being located in different parts of the park.

They were studied in detail by three members of the local brigade and had a fire engine with a turntable ladder on hand to assess the heights of the highest attractions.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Javea

Photo credit: Jeremy Thompson Flickr

RESCUE: Fire brigade assess various emergency scenarios.

Cleaning day along the Javea coast

by David Bennett F OR t h e s e co n d ye a r i n a ro w, Javea Council organised a ‘Coast Clean-up Day’, and this time had the support of 265 people. It wasn ’ t j u s t t h e l o c a l s w h o g ave u p their time to keep their area spick and span, as they were joined by many others from Sagunto, Paterna, Valencia, Puzol, Denia, Teulada, Alzira, Oliva, Gandia and Alcoy.

As with the year before, the entire coastline was split into zones and assigned to each group under the coordination of members of s t a f f f ro m t h e to u r i s m d e p a r t ment.

A number of clubs, businesses and organisations also took part in the day such as the Cabo la Nao, Puerto de Javea, Paradive, Diving Jave a , a n d L a R a n a . T h e y w e re s u p p o r te d b y a l o c a l re s i d e n t s g roup who call themselves ‘ the plastic patrol’ and get together on a weekly basis to tidy up the coast.

A major logistics operation was

TEAMWORK: The volunteers and supporters who helped clear the area of 78 bags of rubbish.

supported by the Civil Protection, Local Police, Red Cross, the local Fishing Guild, the Oceanographic Foundation and the Department of Environment.

After the first count up, a total of 78 large rubbish sacks were full to the brim with plastic, cartons, and smaller pieces of metal. This didn’t include a number of larger

objects such as tyres and the everpresent shopping trolley.

Mayor Jose Chulvi thanked all t h o s e t h at to o k p a r t , w h o a l s o commented that overall they believed that even though there is still a problem of waste, the area was much cleaner than when a simil ar exercise to ok pl ace l ast year.

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Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Alfaz del Pi

Buses stop outside new station DENIA may have officially opened its new bus station but some of the buses still can’t fully use the terminal.

Despite a series of tests taking place only a few months ago that seemed to adequately accommodate the longer buses, the drivers still have to carry out a series of delicate manoeuvres.

And so the decision was taken that for the next few days, the mainly extended buses operated by ALSA will have to stop outside the new, but tempo-

rary, facilities.

People using the new bus station were quite surprised as they found themselves loading and unloading their baggage outside instead.

It is simply a temporary measure which saves the hassle and potential time being lost.

Eventually, the bus station will be incorporated into a major transport hub in Denia that will link in with the TRAM service and the future planned railway from Gandia.

Airlift for cycle victim A 52-YEAR-OLD man has suffered multiple injuries after falling from his bicycle in the Serra de Bernia in Benissa.

He needed to be transferred to the Alicante General hospital by helicopter after being stabilised by paramedics where he was treated for a head trauma, fractures to his left wrist and elbow and a suspected injury to the spinal cord.

According to reports, the accident happened during Saturday morning, 11 kilometres from the summit of the wellknown mountain range in the Marina Alta area.

TRIBUTE: Members of the Los Holandeses Club gather to remember.

Second World War victims honoured THE Club Los Holandeses de Alfaz del Pi has paid tribute to their countrymen and women who were victims of the Second World War. The very emotional event was attended by representatives of the Netherlands Embassy, Consulate, and the Dutch Ministry of Defence.

Accompanying them were the mayor of Alfaz del Pi, Vicente Arques, and Councillor Martine Mertens.

Many Dutch veterans took part in the ceremony to remember their fallen comrades, with one of the most poignant moments coming when three girls and a boy read out their own poems written in

memory of the victims of the Second World War .

The Los Holandeses Club is one of the longest running organisations in the municipality. Established in 1975, it currently boasts more than 250 members made up mainly of Dutch nationals but supplemented by both Belgians and Spaniards.

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11th - 17th May

Horse centre robbers reined in Photo credit: Guardia Civil

by Darren Parmenter G UA R DI A C I V I L o f f i ce r s based in Alicante have arrested two men in Altea for their part in a robbery at an equestrian centre. It is also alleged that they poisoned a guard dog.

The pair - both Spaniards and aged 20 and 38 - have been detained after a thorough investigation of the case which saw an amount of equipment stolen from the Altea Equestrian Centre valued at €12,000.

This included saddles, horse blankets, leather bridles and riding boots.

W h e n t h e ro b b e r y w a s first reported, the Guardia Civil believed immediately that whoever car r ied out the crime had detailed knowledge of the centre, particularly knowing that o n ce t h e m a i n d o o r w a s fo rce d o p e n t h e y w o u l d need to deal with a large Als at i a n d o g - w e i g h i n g a l most 80 kilos - in order to reach the storeroom.

Therefore, they came prep a re d w i t h a k n o c k- o u t d r u g t h at w a s s o s t ro n g t h at t h e d o g w a s k e p t i n the care of a vet for several d ays to enable its full reco ve r y f ro m b e i n g p o i soned.

At the time, the case was splashed across social med i a a n d m a ny o f fe re d to scour the second-hand mar-

PLAINCLOTHES: More than €12,000 of equipment recovered. k e t s to s e e i f t h e y co u l d money back that he’d paid find some of the stolen obfor it ‘at the market’. jects... which bore fruit.

But he was one step beT h e fo l l o w i n g d ay, a hind the Guardia Civil, who young man sent the owner had a plainclothes officer in a picture of a saddle that t h e b a r w h e re t h e s u b s e he’d bought for €30, and it q u e n t t ra n s a c t i o n to o k was one of the items stolen. place and decided to follow Ho w e ve r, t h e m a n w a s the man... which gave them one of the robbers who prethe information necessary tended to have found the to b e a b l e to s o l ve t h e s a d d l e a n d w a n te d t h e crimes.

Modern sports facilities

SAN JUAN’S Sports Centre will see a programme of renovation works carried out at a cost of €500,000.

The council project will be helped thanks to a grant from the Alicante Provincial Government that will cover 65 per cent of the costs; the remainder will come from the local taxpayers coffers.

Four years after the original plans were submitted, the building - much of which is around 40 years old - will see reforms of the multipurpose rooms and gymna-

siums located near to the entrance.

This will enable the centre to offer a wider range of sporting activities to the local people, and follows an increase in demand for disciplines such as judo and karate.

In addition, pavements, asphalting and lighting for the existing car park will be improved, as well as building a complete new parking area, and a cover will be installed over the stands at the football stadium.

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11th - 17th May

U3A Vall del Pop: New Constitution AN interested gathering of members attended the Extraordinary General Meeting on Thursday May 3 to hear the U3A Vall del Pop New Constitution SubCommittee present the updated Constitution.

They have spent several months updating the constitution to reflect the present operations approach and to bring it up to date with current legislation.

The New Constitution, comprised 74 amendments from the previous version, and this was the first opportunity for the members to be appraised of the thoughts behind the changes and the new legislation which must now be referenced Once the New Constitution has been approved by the members, it will be translated into Spanish before being presented for legal approval in Alicante.

For further information on U3A Vall del Pop check visit the website http://u3avalldelpop.com.

Loose dog causes crash FIREFIGHTERS from both Denia and Benissa were called to release a woman trapped in her car following a crash on the road between Lliber and Gata de Gorgos.

The 60-year-old British lady apparently lost control of her car, hit a pine tree and fell down an embankment after she swerved to avoid a dog which was running loose on the road.

The woman, who remained conscious throughout, was taken to Denia hospital believed to be suffering from severe pains in her back and neck.

Photo credit: Guardia Civil

ARMED: Arrested man surrounded himself with weapons.

Guardia Civil negotiators aid arrest

by David Bennett FOLLOWING hours of negotiations undertaken by a specialist team from the Guardia Civil, a man was arrested in the village of Sella for a number of alleged crimes.

The man, a 26-year-old Spaniard who had barricaded himself in with a gun, is accused of ill treatment of members of his family, assault, illegal possession of

firearms and for disobeying authority.

The father of the now detained man had originally filed a complaint against his son for a series of assaults on him, accompanied by a number of death threats.

It’s understood from Spanish media that this wasn’t the first time the man has adopted such violent behaviour, although this is the most serious to date.

Following this latest episode, the Guardia Civil based in Finestrat started an immediate search for the assailant.

He was traced to a family farm where the officers tried to approach him to talk.

At this point he took out a shotgun, threatened to kill them and fired several shots from only a few metres away which fortunately didn’t reach the intended targets.

They called for reinforcements which included the specialist negotiators team, and they were faced with a situation where the man threatened to commit suicide if anyone approached him.

11th - 17th May

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• from Front page

No words needed surrounding areas on the first anniversary of the accident that saw three people lose their lives after being hit by a drunk and drugged driver on the N332 in Oliva.

The tributes to Eduardo Monfort and José Albi, both 28 years old, and Luis Alberto Contreras, 53 years old, were led by the Llebeig Athletics Club.

The three who survived and continue to carry serious injuries from that day - Scott Gordon, Andrés Contreras, and Jaume Escortell - also attended the event to pay their respects and to remember their late friends and sporting partners.

Many other cycle clubs from across the Marina Alta and beyond joined in the ceremony that began with a private and solemn act. They also took time out to remember another fellow cyclist who was killed by another drugged driver on the same stretch of road a few weeks later.

The large peloton of bicycles left the cemetery in a procession to the Plaza de la Iglesia where they were welcomed by more than 200 people with a large round of applause. Mayor of Javea Jose Chulvi was among the crowd and joined in an emotional minute’s silence.

Briton Scott Gordon, who still needs crutches to move around, told the Spanish media that he hopes the last operation he had on his badly injured left leg will be the last.

Council appeal for help AS another summer gets underway, the municipality of Teulada-Moraira mounts their latest campaign to try to control the numbers of tiger mosquitoes, while at the same time recommending a number of measures to counter the inconveniences caused by this insect.

The council is asking for property owners to keep their swimming pools clean and to regularly empty water containers and buckets.

Such actions can avoid the infestation as water is an essential element in the development of mosquito larvae.

In addition, residents are asked to report areas where they notice large amounts of mosquitoes.

Dangerous beach invader BATHERS and beachgoers were s t a r t l e d w h e n t h e i r re l at i ve peace and quiet was disturbed by a noisy and rickety lorr y pulling a trailer along the shore-

line of the Playa Deveses de Denia.

Proudly flying a large Spanish f lag , its five occupants drove along an area of the beach that

is prohibited to use apart from any non-emergency vehicles.

Swimmers were outraged as t h e t r u c k p a s s e d c l o s e b y to them as they came out of the

water and also put a number of c h i l d re n i n d a n g e r a s t h e y weaved out of the way.

If the perpetrators are caught, they face a fine of up to €1,500.

11th - 17th May Credit: @ bomberosalic

ALICANTE FIRE SERVICE: Explain their case.

‘Missing children’ help in drone request FIREFIGHTERS based in Alicante have formally asked to be able to use drone technology to help them in their increasingly diverse tasks... and not just in fighting fires.

The request for two drones follows an exercise which took part to the north of the city at the weekend in the presence of the councillor responsible for security, Jose Ramon Gonzalez.

A total of 21 members of the Alicante Fire Service, helped by three volunteers, carried out a search for two children who had been ‘missing’ for more than an hour from a summer camp in the middle of the country.

Following a search of several farms, ravines,

water-wells and forested areas in the vicinity, specially trained sniffer dogs found one of those who had disappeared.

They then called for some aerial help from a drone which was used to inspect the more inaccessible areas, and eventually found the other missing child.

Councillor Gonzalez undertook to study the request for drones in the future, which would need cooperation from the police who already use them in certain aspects of their work and to prevent interferences on their frequencies.

The six-propeller drones can fly up to 50 metres high and at a top speed of 45kph.

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11th - 17th May Photo credit: Pixabay

RELAXING: More than 6,400 sun beds await the Benidorm sun worshippers.

Blue is the beach colour

by Darren Parmenter AS the summer season is almost upon the people of the Costa Blanca, the region begins to prepare for the influx of tourists and with it the logistics of making sure they have an enjoyable time on the area’s beaches.

The Marina Baixa region is no exce ption as it has more than 20 kilometres of beaches to ensure are fully equipped.

Five municipalities Benidorm, Villajoyosa, Al-

faz del Pi, Altea and Finestrat - will have a to tal o f 8,200 of the famous blue sunbeds, meaning that 400 will occupy each kilometre of sand, and for those who can’t face simply getting red under the blazing summer sun, there are a fur ther 3,000 umbrellas available.

Unsurprisingly, it’s Benidor m where the g reatest concentration of supplies is heading with a planned total of 6,400 beds and 1,850 shades along its five kilometres of coastline.

This is in addition to water platforms with slides, cable skiing , jet skis, surf and paddle boards, among other attractions that make up the beach entertainment for all the family.

A total of 36 personnel will be on hand to ensure the safety of bathers at all times, based in the observation chairs and patrolling along the shore.

First aid staff and members of the Local Police will also be more visible during the summer.

11th - 17th May

by John Smith

HAVE YOUR SAY

Popular post on Facebook reaching 7,449 with 53 reactions: Time to hablar more Spanish.

Actor claims he was thrown out of a Benidorm bar for being Spanish.

DESPI T E the bad news coming from around the world, those of us living in Spain appear to be in a happier situation as the summer is coming and generally there should be enough water to go around.

It’s not all gloom and doom as it looks as if North Korea and America will be able to come to some form of mutually acceptable relationship even though the decision by Donald Trump to alienate Iran by pulling out of the 2015 deal isn’t the best of news.

W hat is fairly obvious with international ‘diplomacy ’ and even the inexorable move towards Brexit is that there is little that an

Open your heart individual can achieve so we all basically have to carry on with our lives, accepting that the bigger picture will be just that and we have to watch and wait.

W hilst we may not be able to change things across the world, we all have the opportunity to do our bit to help those who are less fortunate than our-

Lorraine Spence: Do think it’s bad that basic Spanish isn’t taught to bar owners and staff. You do see some struggle... especially when been there years...

About time!

selves.

The expatriate community in Spain, many of them British, have over the years done a huge amount to support charities especially when children, the elderly or animals are concerned and this is something that has become increasingly more impor tant in the times of austerity since 2007.

Although people have become cynical over the years about statistics, it was recently reported that aver-

Brian Hall: Rowdy place no wonder there’s been so many complaints about the noise. Large groups and all drunk. It’s defo not for me but each person to their own I suppose.

JUST recently CHUMS (friends of charity) went shopping with the ladies from Benidorm Social Ser vices and bought just over €500 wor th of food for the less fortunate people of Benidorm.

CHUMS is a small registered charity who raise funds for local food b a n k s w h i l e e n j o y i n g co f fe e m o r n ings, lunches, quizzes etc.

Wherever you live, can you become a chum to someone in need?

@RTNNewspaper Most liked posts from this week • Benidorm blogger talks positivity on Cool FM radio • Costa Blanca no bullfight decision overturned in court • €60 million tax scammers caught after three years • Two injured in Costa del Sol gunfight • ‘Envious’ cop jailed for rat poison murder attempt

rtnnewspaper.com Send us your comments on Facebook, Twitter and on our website. Or if you prefer you can email our editor directly: admin@rtnnewspaper.com

mous band of expatriates who want to help those who are in a worse situation than themselves and sometimes it isn’t just money but a friendly greeting or an invitation for a lonely elderly person to join a family for a meal which can make all of the difference.

Loneliness is a terrible thing and as we age, so inevitably partners die and if the person remaining doesn’t speak Spanish then they can become isolated and often unable to afford to return to their previous home country.

Happily there are charities and help groups all over Spain who want to help those who need it and if we all decided to give up a little of our time to discover what we can do to help, not only would we feel better in ourselves but we could also help others to carry on.

A perfect example of how to be a CHUM

Dawn Winter: We visited last July and there were plenty of Spanish in there drinking !!

In Total 20,400 people reached 8,285 reactions

age wages in Malaga Province have actually dropped in the past 10 years even though the cost of living continues to increase.

Food banks are becoming more and more common and there is little doubt that resources for the health service here in Spain have been cut, so that whilst it may be the transplant capital of the world, some hospitals can’t even afford a pair of scissors!

There are still an enor-

News & Views from the North & South Costa Blanca & Costa de Sol

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CHUMS: Jack, Rita, Rachel, Marilyn and Peter with the food.

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11th - 17th May

Benidorm blogger talks positivity on Cool FM radio

by Jay Emeny A POPULAR Benidorm blogger who’s focused on promoting the good in Costa Blanca was interviewed on Cool FM radio last week.

Speaking on Tom Kidd’s ‘The Interactive Lunch’, Lauren Bate said she noticed ‘that there wasn’t a lot of positivity going around’ in Benidorm both online and on social media, so she decided to highlight places to go and things to do in Benidorm and the surrounding areas.

“I like to keep things as upbeat as I

LAUREN BATE: Popular blogger.

can,” she said during the show.

Speaking to the RTN, Lauren said “A lot of people cast a shadow over Benidorm, giving it a bad name.

“But there’s so much great stuff going on in Benidorm,” and that there’s “so much more than ‘the strip’.”

Lauren started her blog ‘Diary of a Spanglish Girl’ in January after becoming an administrator on the popular Facebook group Benidorm & Costa Blanca Information Forum, redoubled her efforts, and now as well as writing local business reviews even writes weekly Spanish lessons every Tuesday at 8pm.

“Going forward, I’d love for ‘Diary of a Spanglish Girl’ to continue to build its followers,” she said, and would also love to work with more companies “in Benidorm, Spain and further afield,” she added.

Wait, rest and Wi-Fi

Council gets EU fund

ALICANTE tram owners, the FGV, are in the process of building a new waiting zone for passengers that will not only feature a rest area and Wi-Fi, but also areas to recharge mobile phones and electric points for tablets or laptops.

The new ‘Client Space’ at the Luceros station in the centre of Alicante will also allow users to access timetables, ticket details and any other information relating to the TRAM service.

It will feature a lost property department and allow travellers to make suggestions about improvements to the service all through the virtual office.

BENIDORM City Council has received €10 million in aid from the European Union; specifically from the EDUSI fund for urban development.

The city was left out of the original aid allocation but has now been included.

Mayor Toni Perez said that the injection of cash will enable the council to continue working with the residents and businesses on further enhancements for the benefit of all.

The neighbouring town of Alfaz del Pi has received €5 million from the same EDUSI fund.

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U3A Marina Baixa donations DURING the last few weeks, Maureen Barrett, the Treasurer of the U3A Marina Baixa, has presented €250 worth of goods, including nappies, pasta, juice, sugar, f lour and milk, to the Alfaz del Pi Food Bank.

The total contributions to local charities in the first quarter of 2018 amounted to more than €1,000.

Charity raff les have raised €296 and ‘Pennies ’ collection totalled €93. In addition, one of their members, Sean O’Reilly donated €300 ra i s e d f ro m h i s s p o n s o re d c yc l e r i d e a n d T h e O l d e E n g l i s h Te a Shoppe stand at the L a Nucia International Day raised €399.

As well as the donation to the Alfaz del P i Food B ank , there were fur ther g ifts to the Gandi a Hospice, plus the La Nucia Food Bank.

U3A Marina Baixa holds its general meetings on the fourth Monday of each month in the auditorium at the Casa de C ultura , A lfaz del Pi. The next meeting is on

PRESENTING: The goods to the food bank.

Monday May 28. The doors open at 10am and the desks close at 10.50am for a prompt 11am start.

If you would like to join, please visit www.u3amarinabaixa.com or

t h e Fa c e b o o k p a g e , t o f i n d o u t more information and if you don’t have internet access, please contact t h e s e c re t a r y, Jo a n F l i n t o n 965 861 226 or 663 637 167.

Dance cancer away ZUMBA against Cancer at El Ancla in Albir between 10.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday May 19.

As the latest royal couple get married and the FA Cup Final takes place in the UK, all of those who want to see cancer eradicated are invited to attend in order to raise funds for AECC. Age is immaterial as it is for fun only and not a competition.

17

11th - 17th May

The force was with them MANY people in Benidorm ‘felt the fourth’ (sic) as the traditional Star Wars Day (May 4) was celebrated at the Gran Hotel Bali.

For two hours, the iconic hotel paid their own tribute to the George Lucas film franchise by holding a Jedi school, children’s workshops, face painting and make-up, featuring more than 15 actors and volunteers dressed up as the famous characters.

The initiative came from the entertainment team at the Gran Hotel Bali, and as well as showing one of the films from the series - Attack of the Clones - attracted many visitors, both y o u n g a n d o l d , d r e s s e d u p i n S t a r Wa r s c o s tumes.

The hotel plans to hold this event every year on the same date.

19

The magic of circus

Is it a bird, or a...

RESIDENTS of Denia looked to the skies with surprise, with many looking for cover, as they saw a paraglider about to land close by in the centre of town and a few hundred metres inland from the sea.

The ‘pilot’ landed safely on the Cami dels Lladres and reports in the Spanish press suggest that he’d

simply blown off course before taking the decision to come to earth where he did.

Local Police were called to the scene and identified the man as a 28-year-old from Bocairent who has valid insurance and a licence, and is a member of a club in Santa Pola.

BENIDORM CIRCUS: All of the visitors had a great time.

THE office for Equality and Youth in La Nucia arranged a family outing for 70 people recently to Benidorm.

The group which consisted of children, parents and grandparents were invited to see the new Benidorm Circus presentation entitled ‘Chapeau’ which is performed without the introduction of animals but depends upon human skills.

All of the visitors enjoyed the performance and after t h e s h o w e n j o ye d t h e a d d e d b o n u s o f m e e t i n g t h e artists and magicians who took part.

20

11th - 17th May Photo credit: Wikimedia

BARRIERS: More stations on TRAM network to get ticket barriers.

TRAM to toughen fraud controls

by Darren Parmenter DESPITE a number of crackdowns in the past few months, there will be even more patrols on the Alicante TRAM network to reduce the number of people travelling without a ticket.

The times and locations where most of the defrauding takes place will see the monitoring intensified by the antifraud controls.

These will also take place in the stations that are mainly

found out in the open, the less crowded ones, and during the early and late hours.

The stations located in the centre of Alicante are especially difficult to enter without a valid ticket as they are controlled by electronic scanning barriers.

Since April 1, the fine for travelling without a ticket on the TRAM has been increased from â‚Ź50 to â‚Ź100 but it appears not to have deterred a significant number who have continued to beat the system.

As well as fines, other antifraud measures are being developed such as the installation of more ticket validation machines which will stop people accessing the stations.

According to data from operators FGV, the Alicante TRAM closed the 2017 financial year with an estimated fraud level of 3.8 per cent of passengers for all of its lines.

During the same 12-month period, a total of 1,708 fines were imposed on TRAM travellers.

22

SPOTLIGHT ON CALPE

11th - 17th May

vv

Charity donates water tank

Photo credit: Maxpixel

THE Charity Shop of Calpe has donated a 600-litre water tank to the Civil Protection Department which will allow it to be able to act faster in response to any small fires that break out in the municipality, and the surrounding countryside.

The cost of this piece of vital equipment was €4,000 and came from donations which the association collects at the Charity Shop by selling second-hand clothes, table linen, household items, books and all kinds of curios and bric-a-brac.

Established in 2002, the Charity Shop is mainly staffed by foreign residents, under the guidance of President John Bridge.

Council to tighten up its camping laws C A LPE is the latest in a growing number of municipalities that is seeking to control caravans and motorhomes which park up and camp in the area.

At a council meeting due to be held today (Friday) the aim is to modify the by-law to regulate where and between what hours such vehicles can use the public roads, a problem for many local residents which has been a ma jor concer n for some time.

While accepting this form of ‘mobile ’ tour ism is increasing across Europe, the proposal will allow the parking of motorhomes or similar vehicles on public roads or adjacent spaces - between 9am and 9pm in the summer, and from 9am to 8pm throughout the rest of the year. This means that they will now only be able to stay over nig ht in the offici al sites and nowhere else.

According to a report in the Spanish medi a , motorhomes and caravans are classed as actually ‘camping’ on the public roads when any part of the vehicle has contact with the g round apart from the wheels,such as stabilisers.

T his also applies when space is occupied around the

CONCERN: Calpe looks to bring in new official parking hours for caravans and motorhomes. vehicle such as temporar y awnings, tables and chairs.

Any infringement could result in a fine or even having the vehicle removed.

The ultimate ambition is to promote this type of tourism in the area, but in the right and proper places.

Bonsai tree exhibition FROM this Monday to Saturday May 19 the Calpe Casa de Cultura will be the home of an exhibition of bonsai trees by the Bonsai Marina Alta Club.

The display hopes to raise awareness of this age-old technique for the cultivation and care of these world-famous miniature tree species.

Visitors will be able to see between 40 and 50 examples of bonsai trees, featuring olive, pomegranate and pine among others.

The Bonsai Marina Alta Club are a group of friends who have a common hobby, and founded the association in 1995 as a way of sharing experiences and deepening their knowledge of the subject.

11th - 17th May

Q

legal WHAT is an Enduring Power of Attorney, what are the advantages of signing this and how is this drafted?

A

the assets of the incapable person, without resorting to incapacitation judicial proceedings.

The biggest advantage of this is for managing

Drafting and revising it by an attorney / legal advisor / notary clearly specifying what powers are allowed, together with a registered and authorized signature before the notary.

AN Enduring Power of Attorney is a notarial document appointing another person, to act on their behalf, if they were to lack the ability to express their own wishes.

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

Videos at www.pellicerheredia.com

11th - 17th May

money

by Darren Parmenter

Fraudsters caught after three years

Tourism bubble remains intact Photo credit: PxHere

THE Spanish tourism bubble continues to expand both year-on-year and month-on-month according to the latest figures released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). And there is no sign of it bursting just yet...

For the first quarter of 2018, more than 13.7 million visitors came to Spain from overseas and boosted local and national economies with a total of €14.7 billion.

Compared to the similar period for last year, the numbers of tourists are 6 per cent higher and almost a million more. Even their spending was up by 7.7 per cent on 2017, although the fact that Holy Week fell entirely in March this year has been regarded as having a positive effect on the figures. T he March figures made it the 70th consecutive month to see a rise in tourism spending.

The Canary Islands are still the most favoured destination for foreign visitors, with the region welcoming 28.3 per cent (3.4 million people) of the total tourists between January and the end of March 2018.

Coming second, and despite the political issues in Barcelona during that per iod, Cataluña saw 3.1 million

25

EXPANDING: Tourism spend in Spain shows almost six years of monthly growth. tourists and 22.5 per cent of the total cent during the first quar ter of the for Spain. year.

Whilst Spain has traditionally been It would come as no surprise to see seen as attracting visitors purely for British tourists making up the highest the sun and the sand, visits for profespercentage of Spanish visitors (at 20.8 sional and business reasons have per cent) and also accounting for 17.9 shown a significant increase of 16.1 per per cent of the total spending ability.

OFFICERS from both Spanish National Police and the Tax Office have managed to close down the activities of a gang allegedly involved in tax avoidance and money laundering.

A total of 58 people have been arrested in Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Germany and are believed to be responsible for a scam amounting to €60 million.

The group were caught following ‘Operation Dreams’, set up in 2015 following a report from the Committee for the Prevention of Money Laundering which highlighted €250 million of fake invoices that had been raised during a period of three years.

They had been issued by non-existent businesses based across the world in Spain, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Bulgaria, Portugal, Belgium, Cyprus and the USA, and the majority of

those arrested are Spanish, many already known to the authorities because of their police records.

The investigation resulted in searches carried out at 62 separate addresses in Spain which included some in Alicante, Elche and Murcia.

According to the Spanish media, the organisation - with its headquarters in Madrid and Elche - was allegedly being managed by two men (a father and son of Indian origin but holding Spanish nationality) for more than nine years.

The Spanish tax authorities first showed some interest in their activities back in 2014, so the pair left the country to continue their operation from the USA. The scams revolved around selling electronic devices that undercut major companies as well as importing luxury cars.

26

11th - 17th May

Advertising Feature

Buying, selling and repairing all things electronic THERE is a shop in Benidorm which offers a terrific range of different services mainly in the electronics field.

TeleShop and TeleBeni.com offers a great range of internet connections and television connections for holiday visits and long term.

What’s more, they are expert at repairing mobile phones, computers, tablets and laptops as well as stocking up to 3,000 products which they jokingly say are mainly Dutch, cost a little more than the Chinese equivalent but are safe, tested and likely to work for more than a week!

If you want to upgrade your existing electronic items then they are also happy to considering purchasing your old machine and supplying a new one.

In addition to all this, they can also offer SIM cards with Spanish numbers and €10 of credit, SIM lock-free dual phones for just €30 and call credit for existing services.

The service offered includes a mobile Wi-Fi router which is ideal for visitors as it offers a relatively quick download and

A DEDICATED TEAM: Is ready to help whatever your needs.

IPTV boxes but don’t insist on an annual is portable, with the advantage that some routers may be rented which subscription as these can often be unmakes internet usage very easy. economic in the long run.

For the longer term, it is possible to Whatever your needs, you can simply call in to the shop TeleShop Benidorm, install a fixed router as well as satellite dishes for Canal Digital and they supply (orange shop) Av del Mediterráneo, 66,

03503 Benidorm which is open seven days a week from 10am to 2pm - although come the summer opening hours will extend to 10pm - or call 958 898 749 (however when inundated with customers, they sometimes cannot answer the phone) or by visiting their website www.telebeni.com.

This is a family business which offers a personal service and to the owners, the customer is king which is why they are happy to discuss your needs in Dutch, English and German, although they proudly boast that they speak a little Spanish (more tomorrow than today or yesterday).

In addition to their electronics business, which includes installation within the Benidorm and Rincon de Loix area and some storage facilities, they are also able to offer transportation to and from Alicante airport by air-conditioned private vehicles or in a minibus or coach.

For details of everything on offer from this very versatile and friendly company, visit the website or call into the shop.

28

11th - 17th May

Who really rules over us

by Michael Walsh

Credit: Kremlin.ru

keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com VOTERS are bewildered by politicians who ignore their promises as soon as they are elected.

Winston Churchill explained why: “the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

This may be cynicism but we all know there’s many a true word said in jest. Vladimir Putin wasn’t in joking mood when interviewed by France’s oldest daily newspaper, Le Figaro. Probed on his frustration with trying to nail American policy jelly to the wall the Russian president was to the point.

US presidents serve as little more than puppets of an unseen ruling oligarchy. The overview applies equally to Prime Minister Theresa May. May constantly commits herself to policies that serve not the interests of the British people but the interests of what the Russian leader describes as the unseen ruling oligarchy.

Putin condemned the deep state bureaucracy that controls US for-

PRESIDENTS: Putin and Trump. eign policy. “A certain person may be elected by the public on the basis of his merit and ideals, but rarely is this person able to formulate policy.”

He then noted that the bureaucracy in the US, known as the Deep

State, is very powerful and as such does not allow any meaningful change in policy direction.

‘Presidents come and go, but the politics remain the same. In effect, individuals, who may have their own genuine ideas about reforming

US policy, are elected to the White House only to satisfy the illusion of a free and fair democratic process taking place, truly a façade of reality.’

Putin noted that ‘men in dark suits’, who remain unknown to the

voting public, continue to pursue the interests of the ruling elite with each incoming administration.

“You know, I’ve communicated with one US president, and a second, and a third, presidents come and go but the politics remain the same,” the Russian president said.

“Do you know why that is? So a person is elected, he comes with ideas. Then people with briefcases come visit him, well-dressed, in dark suits.”

The Russian leader explained that when these ‘men in black’ show up they essentially instruct the president on what he’s going to do, which is why you often see such abruptly differing policy enacted from that which the candidate ran upon to get elected.

Putin went on to identify U-turns on Middle East policy, the economy, NATO, Syria, international trade and improving the nation’s archaic transport infrastructure.

An American commentator says “It’s truly disheartening to have to turn to Russia to get a more accurate picture of what is transpiring in the United States. The US corporate media operates as propagandists for the Deep State agenda, acting as information gatekeepers.”

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

Grant a Wish to one deserving young man THOMA S BARNES, a sixyear-old boy, was born with a significant hearing difficulty and as he has grown, his hearing aids which are vital for him to enjoy a happy life have become too small.

In Javea where the family live, the local hospital is unable or unwilling to spend the money to let this little boy live his life without a blank silence so the only option appears to spend €8,000 - which the family can’t afford - on bone conduction aids.

Aware of the need to help this vulnerable little boy, Jody Bell, founder of Grant a Wish has once again risen to help the cause and with the kind assistance of Franco, owner of Oceana Club, will be hosting a dinner in aid of Tommy at the restaurant in Benissa on Thursday May 31.

Franco, who is himself an accomplished chef, will return to the kitchen to cook the succulent menu he has devised and Jody is putting herself up for sponsorship to

A SMILING THOMAS BARNES: Needs to be able to hear. be your waitress for the night.

There will be a minimum charge of €20 per head however, any thing you put in the envelope in excess of €20 will go to the Grant a Wish charity to assist Tommy to get his much-needed hearing aid surgery.

To help raise additional funds there will be a blind auction and C hampagne table raff le, so please reser ve your places for the fun, and help contribute to-

wards raising the funds for Tommy’s much-needed hearing apparatus costing €8,000.

Contact Oceana Club, Avenida La Marina n°333 les Basetes, Benissa 03720 by calling 634 313 924 or visit http://www.wegrantawish.com.

If you can’t make the e ve n t b u t w a n t to h e l p Tommy his appeal can be viewed at https://www.you caring.com/thomasbarnes1101827#.WpbJ8d8xuoM.fa cebook.

FRIDAY 12:00pm A1: Britain's Longest Road 12:45pm The Housing Enforcers 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Escape to the Country 4:00pm Garden Rescue 4:45pm Flipping Profit 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm The Button 10:00pm Have I Got News for You 10:30pm Home from Home 11:00pm BBC News at Ten

Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Judge Rinder Tenable Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Love Your Garden Coronation Street Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London Through the Keyhole

8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:05am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00pm Undercover Boss USA 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Coast v Country 2:05pm Posh Pawnbrokers 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm A Place in the Sun 5:00pm The £100k Drop 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Buy it Now 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Unreported World 9:00pm Our Wildest Dreams 10:00pm Gogglebox 11:00pm Friday Night Dinner 11:30pm High and Dry

9:40am Digby Dragon 9:55am Nella the Princess Knight 10:05am Mofy 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm The Yorkshire Vet Casebook 4:15pm Tormenting Abigail 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm Britain's Great Cathedrals, with Tony Robinson 10:00pm Portillo's Hidden History of Britain

7:00am 7:20am

9:30am Beyond Bionic 10:00am Robot Wars 11:00am Astronauts: Do You Have What it Takes?

12:00pm Homes Under the Hammer 1:00pm The World According to Kids 2:00pm Money for Nothing 2:10pm Escape to the Country 2:55pm Finding Neverland 4:30pm Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge 5:30pm Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge 6:30pm Love in the Countryside 7:30pm The Forest 8:00pm World's Most Extraordinary Homes 9:00pm Coast Lives 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm The Private Life of the Royal Academy

8:25am The Tom and Jerry Show 8:30am Teen Titans Go! 8:45am Adventure Time 9:00am Thunderbirds are Go 9:25am ITV News 9:30am Zoe Ball on Saturday 10:25am Saturday Morning with James Martin 12:20pm Countrywise 12:50pm ITV Lunchtime News 1:00pm Little Big Shots 2:00pm Midsomer Murders 4:00pm Ninja Warrior UK 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV Evening News 7:15pm Regional News and Weather 7:30pm Ninja Warrior UK 8:30pm Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule 9:00pm Britain's Got Talent 10:15pm The Keith and Paddy Picture Show

9:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am Frasier 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Big Bang Theory 12:25pm The Big Bang Theory 12:55pm The Simpsons 1:25pm The Simpsons 1:55pm The Simpsons 2:25pm Come Dine with Me 3:30pm A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 4:00pm A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 5:00pm Location, Location, Location 6:00pm Formula 1 7:30pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm When Harry Met Meghan: A Royal Romance 9:00pm Britain's Most Historic Towns

7:00am Milkshake!

11:05am Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:30am The Gadget Show 12:25pm Police Interceptors 1:25pm Police Interceptors 2:20pm Police Interceptors 3:20pm The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 4:20pm The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 5:15pm Nightmare Tenants 6:15pm Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords 7:10pm Rich House, Poor House 8:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

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

9:55pm 5 News 10:00pm Live Boxing: Fury v Sexton

4:25am Zoology 6:15am Top Ten Show, the 2018 6:30am Avengers: Infinity War Part. 1: Special 7:00am Everything, Everything 8:40am Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 10:20am Dunkirk 12:15pm Anon: Special 12:45pm Anon 2:30pm Annabelle: Creation 4:30pm Top Ten Show, the 2018 4:50pm Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 6:40pm Anon: Special 7:10pm Dunkirk 9:00pm Anon 10:45pm Annabelle: Creation 12:40am My Cousin Rachel 2:30am Anon 4:30am Girl Flu

6:00am Football's Greatest 6:30am Football's Greatest Teams 7:00am EFL Play-Off SemiFinal 9:30am EFL Greatest Games 9:45am EFL Greatest Games 10:00am Info not available 10:30am SPFL Matters 11:00am Soccer A.M. 12:30pm SPFL Matters 1:00pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 3:45pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 6:00pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 8:15pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 11:00pm Info not available 11:30pm Info not available 12:00am Info not available 12:30am Info not available 1:00am La Liga Icons 1:15am La Liga Icons

7:50am Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein 8:20am Gardeners' World 9:20am Countryfile 10:15am The Beechgrove Garden 10:45am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:15pm Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge 1:00pm Athletics 2:00pm Triathlon World Series 4:00pm Rugby League Challenge Cup 6:30pm Flog It! 7:00pm Tomorrowland 9:00pm Neanderthals - Meet Your Ancestors 10:00pm Burma with Simon Reeve 11:00pm Atlanta

9:25am 9:30am 10:25am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:15pm

8:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:55am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:25am Eat the Week with Iceland 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:30pm Bake Off: The Professionals 2:30pm The Simpsons 3:00pm The Simpsons 3:30pm Cheaper by the Dozen 5:25pm Extreme Cake Makers 6:30pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm Formula 1 9:00pm Bake Off: The Professionals 10:00pm Eddie the Eagle 12:05am 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 1:05am Good People

11:30am Dogs Make You Laugh Out Loud 12:00pm Budgies Make You Laugh Out Loud 12:55pm Penguins Make You Laugh Out Loud 1:55pm Puppies Make You Laugh Out Loud 2:55pm Naughty Dogs Make You Laugh Out Loud 3:50pm Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls 5:40pm Garfield 7:10pm Kittens Make You Laugh Out Loud 8:00pm Kitten's Got Talent 9:00pm Psycho Pussies: When Cats Attack 9:55pm 5 News 10:00pm Kylie at 50: Especially for You 11:35pm Muriel's Wedding 1:40am Fail Army

4:30am Girl Flu 6:15am Top Ten Show, the 2018 6:30am Rampage: Special 7:00am Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 8:50am Everything, Everything 10:40am Dunkirk 12:40pm Anon 2:40pm Anon: Special 3:10pm Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 5:00pm Annabelle: Creation 7:00pm Dunkirk 9:00pm Anon 11:00pm Rise of the Footsoldier 12:45am Annabelle: Creation 2:45am The Stolen 4:40am Anon

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

7:30am A1: Britain's Longest Road 8:15am Flipping Profit 9:00am Antiques Roadshow 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Perfection 2:45pm Home Away From Home 3:30pm Going Back Giving Back 4:15pm Digging for Britain 5:15pm Tudor Monastery Farm 6:15pm Money for Nothing 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Back to the Land with Kate Humble 9:00pm Gardeners' World 10:00pm The Bridge 11:00pm Episodes 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Louis Theroux

7:00am 9:30am 10:25am 11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

9:00am 10:50am 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:50pm 4:50pm 6:40pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:50pm 12:45am 2:40am 4:25am

Lou Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Anon Everything, Everything Anon: Special Anon Dunkirk The Stolen Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Anon: Special Anon Dunkirk My Cousin Rachel Girl Flu Zoology

3:35pm

La Liga Greatest Games 3:45pm La Liga Greatest Games 4:00pm To be Announced 4:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:15pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 5:45pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm La Liga Preview 7:00pm SPFL Matters 7:30pm SPFL Greatest Games 7:45pm SPFL Greatest Games 8:00pm To be Announced 8:30pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 11:00pm The Debate - Live

SATURDAY 2:30am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30pm Hairy Bikers Asian Adventure 1:00pm Football Focus 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather 2:15pm Rugby League's Legendary Watersplash Final 3:00pm Rugby League Challenge Cup 5:30pm Doodlebugs 5:45pm Big Hero 6 7:20pm Ready or Not 7:50pm BBC News 8:00pm Regional News 8:05pm Weather 8:10pm Pointless 9:00pm Eurovision Song Contest 2018 12:35am BBC News 12:50am Weather

SUNDAY 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather for the Week Ahead 2:15pm Britain's Fat Fight with Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall 3:15pm Lifeline 3:25pm Points of View 3:40pm Songs of Praise 4:20pm Britain's Best Home Cook 5:20pm Final Score 6:30pm BBC News 6:45pm Regional News 6:55pm Weather 7:00pm The a-Z of the Rhs Chelsea Flower Show 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm British Academy Television Awards 2018

2:15pm 2:30pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm

ITV News Zoe Ball on Sunday Love Your Garden Peston on Sunday Britain's Got Talent Britain's Got More Talent ITV Lunchtime News Ninja Warrior UK Paul O'grady: For the Love of Dogs Change Your Tune Tipping Point The Chase: Celebrity Special Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule ITV Evening News Regional News and Weather Little Big Shots Midsomer Murders ITV News

1:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm 9:00pm 10:45pm 12:05am 12:10am 2:15am 2:30am

EFL Greatest Games SPFL Greatest Games SPFL Greatest Games SPFL Greatest Games SPFL Greatest Games SPFL Greatest Games Info not available Info not available Info not available Info not available Sunday Supplement Soccer Special PreMatch Football Live La Liga 2017/18 Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final Live La Liga 2017/18 Football MLS Greatest Games Football One2eleven SPFL Greatest Games

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.

11th - 17th May

RTN Life

Lion King Jr success LIONS, hyenas, giraffes and all manner of exotic African wildlife took to the stage at Careline Theatre Academy’s production of The Lion King Jr last Saturday.

A standing ovation rewarded the cast (the youngest was just four) of this amazing production which also included zebras, antelope, monkeys, flamingos, elephants, leopards and wildebeest.

All credit must go to Stevie Keen who designed and created the fabulous animal masks and bodies (and who also played the flamboyant hornbill Zazu to perfection).

Credit also to Janet Walker for the rest of the costumes, assisted by an army of parents, friends and family doing hair, make-up, painting, gluing and tweaking things.

Based on the Disney classic, and directed by Candida Wright and Suzanna Mace, this is a moral tale of good defeating evil.

The musical direction from Roger Dean was spot on, with

THE ENTHUSIASTIC CAST: Take a curtain call. ably about 12. songs such as The Circle of Their next (all adult) producLife, Can You Feel the Love Tonight and Hakuna Matata tion is Are You Being Served? from Wednesday to next Satdelighting the audience. urday.

The story was told with such vigour and enthusiasm it Contact the box office at was easy to forget the avercarelineboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling 605 181 726. age age of the cast was prob-

31

MONDAY 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm A1: Britain's Longest Road 12:45pm The Housing Enforcers 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm The Doctor Blake Mysteries 4:15pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Royal Recipes 5:30pm Hardball 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 Peter Kay's Car Share 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm Regional News

7:30am A1: Britain's Longest Road 8:15am Flipping Profit 9:00am Gardeners' World 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 12:30pm The Week in Parliament 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Perfection 2:45pm Going Back, Giving Back 3:30pm Digging for Britain 4:30pm Tudor Monastery Farm 5:30pm Street Auction 6:15pm Antiques Road Trip 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 8:00pm Back to the Land with Kate Humble 9:00pm Inside the Factory 10:00pm Heart Transplant: A Chance to Live 11:30pm Newsnight

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's Crime Stories 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Regional News and Weather 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Give it a Year 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Innocent 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm Regional News and Weather

9:00am

11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm

9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:35am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00pm Undercover Boss USA 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Coast v Country 2:05pm Posh Pawnbrokers 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 5:00pm The £100k Drop 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Buy it Now 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm Holidays Unpacked 9:30pm Tricks of the Restaurant Trade 10:00pm Catching a Killer

7:00am Milkshake!

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

1:10pm 5 News 1:15pm The Gadget Show 2:10pm Access 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm The Yorkshire Vet Casebook 4:20pm Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm World's Fastest Train 9:00pm Police Interceptors 10:00pm Paddington Station 24/7 11:00pm Cocaine: Addicted Britain 12:05am Criminals Caught on Camera

9:30am 10:00am 10:35am 11:05am

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 3:15pm The Yorkshire Vet Casebook 4:15pm Cradle Swapping 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Britain by Bike with Larry and George Lamb 9:00pm The Yorkshire Vet 10:00pm Intercity 125: The Train That Saved Britain's Railways

4:40am 6:30am 7:00am 8:40am

10:20am 10:50am 12:50pm 2:45pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 10:45pm 12:40am 2:25am

Anon Avengers: Infinity War Part. 1: Special Everything, Everything Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Youngster Greg hatches a plot to reroute a family road trip towards a videogame convention.

Anon: Special Basmati Blues Anon Top Ten Show, the 2018 Annabelle: Creation The Stolen Basmati Blues Anon Annabelle: Creation Rise of the Footsoldier Anon

9:00am Football's Greatest 9:30am Football's Greatest Teams 10:00am To be Announced 10:30am La Liga Greatest Games 10:45am La Liga Greatest Games 11:00am La Liga 2017/18 1:05pm La Liga 2017/18 3:10pm La Liga 2017/18 5:15pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 5:45pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm La Liga Icons 6:15pm La Liga: The Story of Las Palmas 7:30pm Info not available 8:00pm Soccer A.M. 8:30pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 11:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18

The Stolen Basmati Blues All About the Money Anon Annabelle: Creation Young orphan Linda (Ouija: Origin of Evil's Lulu Wilson) finds herself drawn to a creepy porcelain doll that seems to have evil in its cold, dead eyes... Horror prequel.

Anon: Special Basmati Blues All About the Money Anon Annabelle: Creation Rise of the Footsoldier Girl Flu Anon: Special Anon

2:00pm La Liga Icons 2:30pm Revista de la Liga 3:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 3:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 3:30pm MLS Round Up Show 4:00pm Info not available 4:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Info not available 6:30pm Revista de la Liga 7:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 7:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 7:30pm MLS Round Up Show 8:00pm To be Announced 8:30pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final

TUESDAY 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm A1: Britain's Longest Road 12:45pm The Housing Enforcers 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm The Doctor Blake Mysteries 4:15pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Royal Recipes 5:30pm Hardball 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 The Split 11:00pm BBC News

Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Perfection 2:45pm Going Back, Giving Back 3:30pm Digging for Britain 4:30pm Tudor Monastery Farm 5:30pm Street Auction 6:15pm Antiques Road Trip 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 8:00pm Back to the Land with Kate Humble 9:00pm Pangolins - The World's Most Wanted Animal 10:00pm Nigeria's Stolen Daughters

3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News Regional News and Weather Judge Rinder's Crime Stories Dickinson's Real Deal Tipping Point The Chase Regional News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Devon and Cornwall Cops This Time Next Year Innocent ITV News at Ten and Weather Regional News and Weather Regional Programmes

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

Frasier Frasier Frasier Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA Undercover Boss USA Channel 4 News Coast v Country Posh Pawnbrokers Countdown A Place in the Sun The £100k Drop Four in a Bed Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds The Windsors Royal Wedding Special Meet the Markles First Dates

7:00am 8:50am 10:50am 12:40pm 2:35pm

4:40pm 5:10pm 7:10pm 9:00pm 10:45pm 12:40am 2:25am 4:05am 4:35am

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.

11th - 17th May

33

WHEN I tell folk that I live on the 31st floor of a tower block on the outskirts of Benidorm, they generally react with horror. “Oooh, I could never live that high”, they exclaim, adding “what happens when the lifts break down?”

So far this has never happened in the almost eight years that we have lived in a spacious two-bedroomed apartment in Sol de Poniente II, but when we chose our apartment it didn’t enter our mind that living in the clouds would expose us at times to really scary weather conditions.

High winds are the worst. Last week I wrote of how our utility room door was blown open with such force that a six-litre bottle of water was propelled into the back of my knees and sent me crashing to the floor, but this was nothing compared to the terror we felt when the wind blew one of two two-metre high glass patio doors off its tracks late one night.

We were watching TV when there was a loud crash and a gale tore through our living room, sending the pooches, pot plants, papers and pictures flying. Fortunately, we were able to lower the outside shutter which broke the wind’s force. But we weren’t able to get the door back on its sliders until the next day.

Another heart-stopping moment occurred when I stepped out onto the patio to clean the doors. To do so I had to slide them shut. Job

Credit: Barry Duke/Benigrafica/Zarateman Wikimedia

Living the high life

by Barry Duke

TOWER BLOCK: Sitting on top of the world. done, I tried to get back indoors - and couldn’t. A wind had sprung up, and was blowing with such force against the doors they wouldn’t open and I had to remain on the patio for 45 minutes until the gale subsided.

I should point out at this stage that there is a serious design fault with the patio doors in this tower block. They have automatic locks.

When a friend of mine, who once lived in the building, heard I was moving into Sol de Poniente II, he advised me to disable the locks immediately. “If you close the doors while you’re on the patio there is absolutely

no way that you can get back in because there are no handles on the outside.

“And you can’t climb over onto a neighbour’s patio because the building, being fanshaped, has no adjacent balconies.”

There’s another problem with high-rise buildings and wind, one that was noted as far back as 1902 when the Flatiron Building was completed on a site in Manhattan where 23rd Street, Fifth Avenue and Broadway converge.

Gusts would ricochet off the building and blow women’s long skirts above their ankles.

Multitudes of young men would position them-

selves on 23rd Street at the base of the building in the hope of glimpsing a comely bit of stocking, and ‘plods’ had to yell at them to move on.

In 1905 a risque movie entitled The Flatiron Building on a Windy Day that ‘gives one a general idea of what women experience on a windy day around this noted corner’ was released.

Another troublesome building was the 32storey Bridgewater Place in Leeds, completed in 2007. This channelled fierce air currents straight down to the ground, creating galeforce winds of up to 80 mph at street level and it caused a great deal more grief than lifting women’s skirts.

In 2011, particularly strong winds led to the tragic incident of a lorry being blown over, crushing a pedestrian to death. The problem was solved by an architect firm.

The Guardian, in 2014, reported that, ‘in a proposal that has all the elegance of strapping leg splints on a Dalek, they have resolved to erect a cumbersome series of frames around the base of the building, from which screens and canopies will be hung in an attempt to mitigate the wind.’

Will periodic bouts of wild weather - few and far between - drive us from our concrete nest? Not a chance. Our monthly rental is ridiculously low, our Spanish neighbours are as quiet as mice and extraordinarily friendly and the views are incredible. So, unless we’re given our marching orders by the landlord, we’re here to stay.

Advertising Feature

Kafee Klee the place to be SOME people say that life is a drag but at Kafee Klee in the heart of the old town that is what it is all about.

Established in September 1994 by Monique and Paula Klee this little b a r i s o n e o f B e n i d o r m ’s l o n g e s t standing drag cabaret bars and really is a hidden jewel in Benidorm’s crown.

The bar has gone from strength to strength over the years. For the past two years it has been owned by Allister Thomson aka Miss Tina Gloss who has made the bar the number one place for cabaret in Benidorm as rated on TripAdvisor. Read their reviews and then pay a visit, to see it is to believe it.

Kafee Klee is open seven nights a week with a different show every night featuring a mixture of live singers and drag artists who have all been in the entertainment industry for many years including Sheila Blige, Colin Campbell, Lexi Legs and Miss James McDonald. It is all hoste d b y M i s s Ti n a G l o s s a n d y o u r hostess on a Monday is Barbie Kruger.

You are assured of a warm wel-

come from the Klee showbar team from the moment you arrive and are well taken care of by Ben, Darryl and Sam who ensure your drinks don’t run dry.

It is free entry every night of the week open from 8pm and on a firstcome, first-seated basis so make sure you arrive early to avoid disappointment. The show starts around 10pm with your hostess playing song requests before the show.

Pink Weekend (Saturday May 26) will be a special evening as it is the owner’s birthday and there will be a joint party with Stevie Spit making a guest appearance.

He is well-known internationally and has performed many times at the Benidorm Palace. He is also the official support artist for Roy Chubby Brown. There will be a free buffet and free shots.

Make sure that a visit to Kafee Klee is on your bucket list of bars to visit during your holiday.

You definitely won’t be disappointed.

GET READY: For a special appearance from Stevie Spit.

34

11th - 17th May

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

Pointless BBC News Regional News The One Show Watchdog Live Panorama BBC News Regional News Weather A Question of Sport 12:15am F.A. Cup 12:45am Ambulance 1:45am Weather for the Week Ahead 1:50am BBC News

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:10am 12:15am 12:40am 1:05am

Antiques Road Trip Eggheads Great Continental Railway Journeys Back to the Land with Kate Humble World's Most Extraordinary Homes Love in the Countryside Detectorists Newsnight Weather Atlanta Atlanta Versailles

4:00pm

Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Britain's Busiest Airport - Heathrow 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Innocent 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm Local News and Weather

Antiques Road Trip Eggheads Great Continental Railway Journeys Back to the Land with Kate Humble Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Million Pound Menu The League of Gentlemen Newsnight Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure The Bridge Versailles

6:00pm 7:00pm

1:00pm 1:05pm 2:05pm 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm

Channel 4 News Coast v Country Posh Pawnbrokers Countdown A Place in the Sun The £100k Drop Four in a Bed Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Political Slot The Secret Life of the Zoo 10:00pm 24 Hours in a and e 11:00pm What Makes a Woman?

2:15pm 2:45pm 3:15pm

Home and Away Neighbours The Yorkshire Vet Casebook 4:15pm Manic Mom 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Police Interceptors 9:00pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 10:00pm Rich House, Poor House 11:00pm When Kids TV Goes Horribly Wrong 2:00am Super Casino

4:35am 6:30am

3:15pm

6:00am 6:30am 7:00am 8:50am 10:50am 12:45pm 1:15pm 3:10pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 10:45pm 12:30am 2:25am

Anon Avengers: Infinity War Special Basmati Blues All About the Money The Stolen Anon Annabelle: Creation Basmati Blues All About the Money Anon Annabelle: Creation Miss Hokusai Rise of the Footsoldier 3

Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 5:45pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Info not available 6:30pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 6:45pm SPFL Greatest Games 7:00pm Revista de la Liga 7:30pm La Liga World 8:00pm Info not available 8:30pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 11:00pm Revista de la Liga

Anon: Special Rampage: Special The Stolen Basmati Blues Anon Anon: Special Walking Out All About the Money Annabelle: Creation Basmati Blues Anon Walking Out Annabelle: Creation Rise of the Footsoldier 3

5:00pm Scottish Cup Greatest Games 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm Info not available 6:30pm La Liga Files 7:15pm La Liga Icons 7:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 8:00pm Info not available 8:30pm Live EFL Play-Off Semi-Final 11:00pm La Liga Show 11:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 12:00am Info not available

7:00am 9:00am 10:45am 12:35pm 2:25pm 4:20pm 6:15pm 8:00pm 10:00pm 12:00am 1:40am

5:15pm

THURSDAY 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:45am 1:30am

Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Britain's Best Home Cook Ambulance BBC News at Ten BBC London News Question Time This Week Weather for the Week Ahead

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 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 12:45am

The Chase Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale Paul O'grady: For the Love of Dogs Innocent ITV News at Ten and Weather Local News and Weather Great Art Give it a Year

2:05pm 3:10pm 4:00pm

Posh Pawnbrokers Countdown A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 5:00pm The £100k Drop 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Buy it Now 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm Cruises from Hell 10:00pm Humans 11:00pm First Dates 12:05am 24 Hours in a and e 1:10am Catching a Killer

The Yorkshire Vet Casebook 4:15pm Fatal Close-Up 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 9:00pm Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords 10:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

11:00pm Me... And My Mental Illness 2

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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.

36

11th - 17th May

-ER verb endings in the present simple Basic Spanish for everyday needs

by Jane Cronin

WE are still at the early stages of our mission to learn about the present simple tense and how it is formed. Remember that verbs in the present simple are divided into three categories standard, root-changing and irregular.

We are looking at standard verbs and last week we saw what happened to them when they belong to the group with an ‘-ar’ ending on the infinitive. So now we need to look at standard verbs that end in ‘-er’.

an example: COMER meaning of course ‘to eat’. Our ending is ‘-er’ so our root is ‘com’ and this is the part that expresses the idea of eating. The changes we make to the ending are what give us the information about who does the eating and when they do it.

wherever there was an ‘a’ before there is now an ‘e’. This gives us: Como Comes Come

Comemos Coméis Comen

This means that the three letters ‘com’ are repeated for the six versions of the verb when we conjugate in the present simple, that is when we change the forms to express first, second and third persons singular and plural.

I am not going to keep repeating the translations of each of these forms because they are difficult to fit onto the page and take away from the clarity of the Spanish. However, if you are unsure you can refer to the previous article about ‘-ar’ verbs to see what each change means.

The endings of ‘-er’ verbs are similar to those of the ‘-ar’ verbs except that

When we are saying these out loud it is important to get the emphasis in the

There are many standard ‘-er’ verbs, all of which behave in exactly the same way.

For example: aprender (to learn), beber (to drink), correr (to run), leer (to read) to name but a few. Leer usually raises a few eyebrows because English speakers find it odd to accept that if the ending of the verb is ‘-er’ then the root must be ‘le’, with both letter e’s pronounced independently. This gives us: Leo Lees Lee

Our single most important principle remains exactly the same, which is that we must first look at our infinitive verb and split it into its two component parts - the ending and the root. The ending only ever has two letters, in this case ‘-er’, so whatever is left is the root, be it one letter or 10.

Let’s take a very well-known verb as

right place. On the first, second and third persons singular and third person plural the beat goes on the root - ‘com’, whereas on the first and second persons plural the beat falls on the ending.

You should try to get this right straight away as it is an important principle and can affect understanding when we are speaking.

STANDARD VERBS: In the present tense.

Leemos Leéis Leen

There are other standard ‘-er’ verbs which make a minor change in the first person singular - some examples are: caer (to fall), coger (to pick up), hacer (to make, to do), ver (to see, to match).

We will talk about these next week before moving on to ‘-ir’ verbs. Hopefully that’s given you some food for thought for a while. See you next week!

11th - 17th May

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

WITH the royal wedding coming up, my mind went back to the last royal bash in 2011 when William and Kate tied the knot.

Having heard that ‘The Girls’ were converging on our house on the big day to watch it on TV, I had decided to make myself scarce and potter around elsewhere.

Weddings are not my thing; I’ve been married twice you see. My first wife was so immature; she would do things like walking in on me when I was taking a bath and sinking my duck. She eventually ran off with a Scotsman, who I later exacted revenge on by letting him keep her.

Second time around it has been a very different matter and a much happier story.

Anyway it’s what the country needed at the time and in my opinion Harry and Meghan’s forthcoming nuptials will also be a breath of fresh air in a country that is beset with Brexit chatter and incompetent poiliticians.

The decision not to invite those same politicians and other dignitaries, just be-

Credit: @HRHHenryWindsor Twitter

by Colin Bird

37

A right royal bash

THE HAPPY COUPLE: Counting down to the wedding.

cause they happen to have big sounding titles and diplomatic status, is to be applauded.

I remember distinctly Mrs Cameron’s strange choice of headwear in 2011, something that might have looked good whilst shopping at Primark, but in Westminster Abbey was as out of place as Donald Trump on Mastermind.

You could detect the slight smirk of satisfaction on the face of Miriam Clegg who sported a very nice red titfer thank you very much.

But then again you know what they say about women who wear red hats.

Then there were Prince Andy’s girls who looked as if they had come straight from a dress rehearsal of The Lion King. They were not so much hats as creations from a Salvador Dali wet dream.

And the pouting and thoroughly brassed off looking Victoria Beckham, who seemed perplexed because she could not grasp the reality of not being the centre of attention.

For the guests again this time it will probably be back to Buck House for sausage rolls and vol-au-vents followed by a party and some serious drinking

for Harry and his mates. And some silly upper class japes I shouldn’t wonder.

It must be a bit restrictive for youngsters letting their hair down in such surroundings, knowing that Her Majesty is upstairs in her hairnet and winceyette nightie.

Perhaps she and Phil will take themselves off to a Premier Inn for the night.

So long life and happiness to the couple.

Whether you happen to be a royalist or not, the British monarchy is about the only thing left that the rest of the world is envious of.

The swinging 60’s Credit: www.bertweedon.com

by John Redfern

I HAD finally found an instrument that suited me, a bass guitar. Cor blimey, I was chuffed to bits, I found a way of practising on the bass guitar which was unique to me.

Put the end of the guitar neck touching a hollow door in my house and it boosted the sound without me plugging into a combo amp and allowed me to practise without annoying my wife and neighbours, Yippee I was on my way to becoming a bass player and started to think about my future in the world of entertainment!

Mods and Rockers had arrived in the mid-1960’s and music was changing fast.

The British young people were getting fed up with being fed fake news

by Harold Wilson.

The press at the time used to give these two conflicting groups of young men a bad name and sparked a moral

panic within the establishment.

They were called violent, unruly, troublemakers by the hierarchy.

The men in double breasted suits, hand-made brogue shoes, kipper ties and haircuts which were called the

POP TRIO: John Redfern, bass, John Clarke, guitar and singer, Alan Harding, drums.

basin cut, were so out of touch with the working class young people.

They patronised us and became a figure of contempt.

That was a signal to the British youth, an old geezer smoking a pipe

telling us what to do. It was a big mistake Mr Wilson. The young men in the mid-60’s were getting tired of being told what to do!

We had gone through 10 years of schooling which had included the dreaded cane and teachers who enjoyed dishing out this punishment.

Mods and Rockers had had enough so you needed to make a choice, a mod or a rocker, brother against brother. You had to choose a side, was it a scooter or was it a motorbike? Was it a leather jacket or was it a parka?

My bass guitar was starting to become an addiction so I formed a pop trio, drums, guitar and me on the bass and started to play working men’s clubs which I enjoyed for many years.

We only played covers of existing bands of the day but I was finally getting a wage.

It was tough because in the mid-60’s other groups were starting up so competition was getting tight but we had gained a large following in the Midlands and the bookings kept coming in.

We were now on the road and making an impressive wage and I was getting quite snappy on the bass and wanted more!

38

11th - 17th May Across

Word Ladder Can you by changing 1 letter at a time, get from the first word to the last word in the given number of moves?

1 2 3 4

Cryptic

Down 1 Make up building pick list (8) 2 Wash thoroughly inside disc rubber (5) 4 Fruit is the result of an afterthought plea (6) 5 Written about in blog, I'm another Spanish friend (5) 6 French chemist tears up design (7) 7 Good lookers get the favourable votes it's said (4) 8 Teach where the pupils are? (6) 13 Take care of confused brief at the end (8) 15 Unsuspecting, a French female hides a conflict (7) 17 Isle that includes central Kent, oddly enough (6) 18 Was confused in her cable (6) 20 The newspaper items are poorly written (5) 22 Bird with the French name (5) 23 Insect that used to be quiet (4)

RACE Weekly Stars

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

Aries. Mercury squares up to an ebullient Mars and though you are awaiting a response that is just and favourable, this may not be as forthcoming as you anticipate. Mercury ensures that workable channels of communication are tuned and ready, whereas the energy of Mars is focused on getting a good result for you, any which way!

Libra. Balance is truly an illusion, though you instinctively make it into an art. Conflicts this week fly out of the window as you discover that quarrels are truly an anathema to you now that you have other fish to fry. Change for changes sake brings a drama into a crisis so have an escape route planned; as Uranus trysts in your sibling planet Taurus.

Taurus. The entry of Mercury greatly simplifies what has to come next in a situation that is close to veering completely out of control. Whoever changed the goalposts actually did you a favour in disguise, since actions now truly will speak louder than words ever could, and resolve will see to it that history cannot be allowed to repeat itself.

Scorpio. Squaring up to Uranus, Mars greatly intensifies what is really going on right now. Uranus is inventive and geared towards enterprise and satisfaction whilst you may have already smelt the vibration of the pastures green that are beckoning you onwards and upwards. You can run, but you surely cannot hide, even if you want to!

Gemini. The midweek conjunction between Mercury and Uranus sees some positive focus on long term plans bringing fruition to back up the gambit. You will feel enterprising but not vulnerable and should be aiming high, whilst you still have some plausible options to take into consideration. Strike while that iron is appropriately hot.

Sagitarius. Somebody needs your love and attention right now, but they are afraid to ask for what they think should be instinctive; and they greatly fear your rejection. You have been very distant, moody and standoffish lately, but that’s because you crave the attention that they are currently unable to give to you. Above all, end this charade!

Cancer. Moon magic cannot replace logic in the current journey of discovery. You are far more than you think that you are, and should be having a great time, right now, discovering that inner you. Forget the temptation to plan some nasty nips and look closer to your heart whereby your Sanctuary calls for the attention it deserves.

Capricorn. You’ll get what you want right now if you just persevere and see your way through. Trials and tribulations have seen to it that you are at sixes and sevens, but your feet are on the ground and whatever has hurt you has made you stronger. Venus sextiles Kora and dramatic results allow you to have your share of the cake and eat it too.

Leo. The Sun trines with Pluto, so expect some illumination into the true heart of the matter right now, whilst future plans teeter on the brink of rescheduling, re-planning and cancellation. Pluto is stalling for time and making you feel that maybe there is something that you should be doing, but that you almost certainly are not actually doing.

Aquarius. Mars enters by stealth and vigour, and though it takes no prisoners does ensure that Direct in Aquarius is the right place to be. Considering what is on offer to you right now you would be hedging your bet if you saw that any other direction would cater for your every need; whilst allowing you the freedom to follow your natural instincts.

Virgo. The Mercury ingress allows you to see things from a very different angle this week. So much has already changed, of late, but there is more to what you are about to do than meets the eye. Take time to sort things and come up with the intuitive energy that you need to take things to a new height.

But remember pride comes before a fall.

Pisces. See to it that your needs are met, and leave no stone unturned this week in achieving that which you know that you must.

Whilst others are playing at being Devil’s Advocate see the error of their ways as this puts you where you belong, in pole position.

Venus brushes up to Pluto to make the difference that a new start merits.

Sponsored by

Code Breaker

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 23 represents G and 24 represents D, so fill in G every time the figure 23 appears and D every time the figure 24 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.

Play on Words

Answers: Me and my shadow. To be honest with you.

Puzzles Page

HUNT

1 Luxuriant drinker (4) 3 Plant organised my appeal (3,5) 9 The root vegetable's a standard crop (7) 10 Publication for children (5) 11 Forbidden love in abandoned boat (5) 12 Wears down queen with poems (6) 14 Could start card game, it’s cheap (6) 16 Withhold food from pop star vegetarian's diet (6) 19 Repeated words from Brahman tradition (6) 21 Al meets Jack at the table (5) 24 Fear some Territorial Army recruits (5) 25 For a change, respect the royal staff (7) 26 Dotty, Sue, Pearl, Joy (8) 27 Soundly study the plant (4)

11th - 17th May

39

Across 1 Hobby (7) 5 Flashy, ostentatious jewellery (5) 8 Devoutly religious (5) 9 Traveller's luggage (7) 10 Lean back (7) 11 Appears (5) 12 Feel pain (6) 14 Deep gorge or ravine (6) 18 Small carnivorous mammal of the weasel family (5) 20 Break into many pieces (7) 22 Building (7) 23 Be in accord (5) 24 Garment worn around the head, neck or shoulders for warmth or decoration (5) 25 Meet the requirements or expectations of (7)

Quick

Down 1 Ancient writing material (7) 2 Unemotional person (5) 3 Heighten or intensify (7) 4 Symbol device or badge (6) 5 Fraudulent (5) 6 Mental pictures (7) 7 Expect to be true (5) 13 State in southeastern US between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico (7) 15 Refusing to be persuaded or to change one's mind (7) 16 Room in a house for children (7) 17 Evaluate (6) 18 Garden buildings (5) 19 Stealer (5) 21 Revolves (5)

Across

1/4 Borrar (3,3) 3 Tail (of dog, bull, ox) (4) 5 This (4) 6 Blando (madera, droga, agua) (4) 8 Laugh (4) 11 Cama (3) 12 Classroom (4) 15 Una vez (4) 16 Loyal (4) 17 Wave (4) 18 Sí (3)

Down

1 To gnaw (4) 2 Abejas (4) 3 Pink (6) 4 See 1 Across 7 Caída (4) 9 Plancha (utensilio) (4) 10 Grandmother (6) 13 Feo (4) 14 Brazos (4) 15 Gold (metal, commodity, currency) (3)

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

Kenny, I have always thought that my Grandmother was my Spiritual Guide, but I have been told recently that that isn’t possible. Who is my Guide?

Wenke G. That’s right Wenke, your Guide has lived at least one life here on Earth, but they are never a member of your family, without exception.

Since a Guide is especially connected to you only you can share with their information. Guides often are hesitant to give actual names until they know you better. If you have problems in connecting with your Guide, let me know!

Kenny Corris Don't forget to email or message me with your Postbag Questions!.

Check out my new website: www.kennycorris.net

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.

Kenny’s Postbag

For Birthday Celebrants Stand up and be counted because your positive power shines a light in the darkness. The Cosmos is fuelled by light energy and it’s clear to see that you deserve a break. Put two and two together!

Sudoku

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?

The 9 letter word is:

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

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11th - 17th May

health This month at Clinica Britannia Dental Clinic we are promoting our facial rejuvenation and aesthetics treatments.

Don’t we all want to turn back the hands of time and have the radiant, young, glowing skin we used to?

CROW’S FEET, laughter lines, character marks, no matter what you call them, wrinkles can make you look older than you are.

Clinica Britannia offer a quick, nonsurgical solution by using anti- wrinkle injections which can help erase lines and creases, creating a more youthful appearance.

Anti-wrinkle injections are a safe, effective, and affordable way to rejuvenate the face and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

They can smooth out frown lines between the eyebrows, laughter lines around the eyes, wrinkles around the jaw, as well as creases in the forehead.

The eyebrows and chin can be lifted and the jawline can be softened with the help of this proven treatment.

Dermal fillers are a non-invasive

treatment used to restore youth and volume to the face. As we age, our skin begins to lose its elasticity and natural hydration. This, combined with t h e e ff e c t s o f g r a v i t y, c a n l e a d t o lines, wrinkles and sagging of the skin.

Fillers are an excellent treatment to restore volume and plumpness to lips, chin, cheeks, the jawline, the area under the eyes, and even the nose. In some cases, fillers can be used to improve the appearance of scars.

D e r m a l f i l l e r s a r e f a s t a n d e a s y.

They are administered via tiny injections and the results are visible instantly. Filler injections are quick and simple, and provide instant results with a minimal amount of discomfort and downtime.

Call to book your free consultation.

Email us on britannia.calpe@gmail.com, call 965 837 553 or visit Avenida Ejercitos Españoles 16 BIS, 1st Floor, (Not ground floor) Piso 1D, E-03710 Calpe (Alicante).

Is a fix room the answer to drug problem?

THE UK has approved in principle the idea of a special facility to allow drug addicts to inject in a safe and controlled environment.

Discussions and debates are still underway but Glasgow could be the city to house the UK’s first such supervised injection facility, which is often named the ‘fix room.’

In Glasgow it’s believed there are about 500 drug users. The centre would give some users access to medical grade heroin on the NHS and a supervised place in a bid to reduce drug-related deaths and spread of infection.

However the plans have caused controversy and opponents of the idea say drug taking in any form should never be condoned and more should be done in prevention work and getting people off drugs.

Similar places already operate in cities across Europe.

Raising the level of men’s testosterone TESTOSTERONE has something of a bad reputation. Blamed for violence and war the very word has connotations with our prehistoric cavemen days, and nobody except the occasional jihadi is calling for a return to the Stone Age. But low testosterone levels are hugely detrimental to men’s health.

Men need optimum testosterone levels to properly function (as do women).

The levels of the hormone in the blood begin to decline when a man reaches his 30’s and environmental pollution has also caused a concerning drop.

So what can be done to increase testosterone? Firstly, if you’re overweight, lose weight, cut out all sugars and refined carbohydrates. Fat is your friend. Not deep-fried pizza but healthy fats including nuts, coconut oil, salmon, olives and avocados.

Begin exercising differently. No more long ambling runs for countless miles,

VITAL HORMONE: Low levels of testosterone are detrimental to men’s health. or hour-long stints on the bike. Fast explosive exercise that pushes you to your limit in 30 seconds alongside weight training.

Vitamin D deficiency really shouldn’t be a problem in Spain but try to get outside at least once a day, or take supplements if you’re working the night shift or are allergic to garlic

and crucifixes.

Finally try to reduce your stress levels. Psychological tinkering is much harder than making physical changes but has a greater pay off. Chronic stress releases cortisol which blocks the good effects of testosterone. Try yoga, meditation, or deep breathing to calm down and relax.

Remove your dynamic wrinkles with only one treatment!

WHEN we are young, our skin springs back to its initial position after facial expression. But over time, as we age, our skin loses its volume and our collagen and elastin stores naturally deplete. As a result we notice fine lines, wrinkles and sagging of our skin.

Many facial wrinkles occur when we use our muscles to form facial expressions.

The wrinkles formed during these expressions are called dynamic wrinkles. For example, when we smile our eye wrinkles become prominent, and when we frown the vertical lines between our eyebrows become noticeable.

Also now as we spend more time outside in the sun, the lines get more visible as we frown the eyes in the sunlight.

B o t o x o ff e r s w a y s o f r e d u c i n g d e e p f a c i a l w r i n k l e s w i t h o u t t h e n e e d f o r s u r g e r y. T h i s anti-ageing treatment is simple, effective and low-risk, resulting in growing popularit y i n t h e c o s m e t i c s i n d u s t r y. W h e n p r o p e r ly used, botox treatment has minimal risk.

It is injected into specific muscles responsible for causing wrinkles, and only tiny amounts are used.

A s p e r S p a n i s h l a w, o n l y a n e x p e r i e n c e d doctor can perform Botox injections.

The procedure will usually take less than h a l f a n h o u r, i n c l u d i n g c o n s u l t a t i o n a n d i n jection. No anaesthetic is required and apart from the risk of a little bruise, you c a n r e t u r n t o w o r k i m m e d i a t e l y.

At Derma Clinic Spain we are experienced with the Botox treatment, and you are welcome for a free consultation to discuss your aesthetic treatments.

Derma Clinic Spain are located at Camino del Pincho 2, 03580, L’Alfaz del Pi, Alicante.

For more information call 674 255 579 or email info@dermaclinicspain.com. Alternatively see our Facebook page facebook.com/DermaClinicSpain.

11th - 17th May

41

home & garden Capers - A Mediterranean wonder plant FEW plants have the wondrous qualities of the Caper plant (Capparis spinosa). To ornamental gardeners it is sometimes called the Flinders Rose.

The caper’s white petalled flowers with contrasting sprays of long violet stamens and just a single stigma are sweetly and delicately scented, which gives them a unique appeal. Butterflies love caper flowers so they are a good plant to attract them to your garden.

But they are not usually grown just for the beauty of their flowers. They are mainly grown to provide the traditional Mediterranean delicacies of caper buds, caper leaves and caper berries.

These are not the only advantage for the Mediterranean gardener who wants to enjoy their time in the garden without too much fuss. Capers are one of the best-adapted plants to grow in the Mediterranean climate.

Once established they are about as hardy as a plant can be. They only grow to a maxi-

mum one-metre high and spread to two metres.

They will survive the long hot summers without needing supplementary watering at all.

ditional soil improvement is to help them thrive rather than survive. They can sometimes be seen growing in rock crevices and stone

BEAUTIFUL: Caper.

They need minimal pruning as they usually die back in winter so they just might need clipping back to the stump in winter.

The caper’s deep root system makes it almost indestructible so you might only need to be sure that they can stay where you plant them.

Capers will also survive in the poorest of soils so any ad-

walls to demonstrate their strength as a plant.

They will grow in full sun to partial shade. Traditionally in some almond growing regions they are planted between the well-spaced out almond trees where the sheep are used to keep down the grass and weeds.

Sheep don’t usually bother

the capers much as capers have spines to deter the sheep. If you grow them in a domestic garden you can find spineless varieties that make harvesting and caring for the plants much less painful.

The caper buds are the best known part of the plant.

They are commonly served along with olives and pickles in Spain. They are also an ingredient in tartar sauce.

Contrary to most fruits or berries, the smaller the bud the greater it is valued, so harvesting the newly formed buds when less than the size of a pea gives the best quality.

Early morning before sunlight is on the plant is the best time to harvest.

The caper berry is the matured seed after flowering, so the flower buds that are too big to harvest can be left so you enjoy the flower and can later reap the berry. The berry is more commonly used in Greek dishes (Mezze) as are the leaves.

Caper plants are a great way to appreciate the wonders of Mediterranean gardening.

Lovely Lantana a colourful shrub IF you are looking for an attractive, colourful shrub or trailing groundcover with a long flowering season which is hardy, requires minimal soil improvement, is low moisture tolerant and attracts butterflies then you should be considering Lantana.

There are two forms, Lantana camera, the shrub and Lantana montevidensis, the trailing species. Lantana is also known as Wild Sage, Yellow Sage, and shrub Verbena as it is a member of the Verbena family of plants.

The strikingly bright-coloured flowers that form in groups come in many different shades including orange, red, yellow, white, pink and lavender.

Lantana tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions, including drought, different soil types, heat, humidity and salt, making it a very suitable addition to a Mediterranean garden.

Its downside is that it produces abundant seeds and may escape the domestic garden and colonise open areas where it can become invasive. It is best to prune off as many berries as possible before they mature to reduce the distribution of seed.

It grows well in a container with a well-drained potting mix placed in a position with plenty of sunlight.

The container should not get too hot though as this will damage the root system.

In the garden the shrub looks good alone or in groups and the trailing species makes a great groundcover and overhanging plant on terraced retaining walls or slopes with their white and mauve flowers.

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11th - 17th May

pets

SAFETY ZONE: Get to know your puppy’s schedule.

Housebreaking tips for new puppies PUPPIES are adorable but they require a lot of attention so here are some tips to help with housebreaking

your puppy.

Feed your puppy with a superior brand of dry puppy food. Don’t give him table

scraps and, if possible, don’t change brands. Don’t feed with tinned food as it loosens stools making housebreaking more difficult.

An hour after eating, most puppies will defecate so you can control the time based on your feeding schedule.

In order to housebreak your puppy, you have to supervise him closely at all times, especially when outside his crate or newspaper covered area.

When he starts sniffing the floor, circling or running

around, he is giving signs he needs to eliminate so bring him immediately to your designated area.

If your puppy defecates in the wrong place, stop him by saying NO in a loud assertive tone. Apply deodoriser so he will not go there again. Potty place must be free of distractions: your pup must not consider play a part of potty.

When your puppy is left alone in your home it’s recommended he’s placed in a crate or confined area.

Confinement is good to keep your puppy safe and

prevent house-training accidents but it should not be used as a form of punishment.

In a puppy’s daily life, there is a thing called temporary ‘safety zone.’ It’s the time owners can trust the puppy to hold his urine after he has defecated or was taken for a walk.

To know your puppy’s ‘safety zone’, you should record for several days your puppy’s urinating and defecating schedules then deduct 15-30 minutes from the period of minimum interval between elimination.

Don’t let the puppy drink a lot of water during that time to make the ‘safety zone’ work. ‘Grey zone’ and ‘danger zone’ are those outside this ‘safety zone’.

Don’t return from a walk until your puppy defecates.

Before your puppy has the chance to soil on his crate or your floor, make sure to take him outside first thing in the morning.

Puppies treasure company like humans do. It is vital that your puppy gets interact with lots of friendly people. Family or friends can visit your home if your puppy is not immunised yet.

However, if your puppy already has the necessary vaccines, it is a must to let him interact with the outside world.

Every good deed must come with a reward especially for puppies. If your puppy feels that you are satisfied with his good behaviour, then he will feel happy too.

11th - 17th May AIRPORT PARKING

INSURANCE

METAL WORKS MOBILE WELDING SERVICE Gates, rejas, railings etc. Made to measure or repaired. Free quotes. No job too small. Calpe. Made to measure or repaired onsite. Call Dave 965 834 869 or 616 173 699 (257061)

MOTORING

COMPUTERS & IT COMPUTER Repairs.

Home Visits – Laptops / PC ´s Qualified Technician 648065224 No Call Out Charge. No Fix No Fee. andy@wizardcomputers.biz (259452)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (whatsapp) info@beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote.

(259397)

PEST CONTROL

SITUATIONS VACANT

BUGBUSTERS BENIDORM: Fully Legal Costa Blanca Pest Control Company. EST 1994. For all pest problems, commercial and domestic. Call Lois Clark 619 054 939/96 686 5204. bugbuster slois@hotmail.com.

ROESB 05552 CV (276061)

SITUATIONS VACANT TEACHERS/Host Families needed July Planet English Javea 695 216 889 plan etenglishjavea@gmail.com (259448)

TV & SATELLITE SKYLINE SATELLITE EXPERTS IN REPAIRS, SERVICE CALLS OR ADVICE ON uk AND International tv installations 965 838 225 info@skylinesat.com SPECIALIST IN COMMUNITY AND APARTMENT INSTALLATIONS, and Solutions, no dish, no problem.

Satellite and TV accessories available 965 838 225 info@skylinesat.com (256382)

COLUMNIST

HOME & GARDEN

REMOVALS & STORAGE PLUMBING

POOLS

43

44

11th - 17th May

SPANISH COURSES

MISCELLANEOUS

SITUATIONS VACANT

Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Wordwheel aa ad ae an at na ta ada ana

Cryptic

Codebreaker and ane ant ate att dan eat eta nae

nan tad tae tan tat tea anna anta ante

Quick

dane data date dean etna naan nada nana neat

tate teat aetat anent antae anted adnate andean attend

attent natant tanned tatted tenant andante dantean tannate attendant

RACE MACE MALE MALT MELT BELT

Giant

English-Spanish

Irregular Sudoku

Word Ladder

Cross Figure

Futoshiki

Sudoku Nonagram

Kakuro

Boggled

alit dale deal deli dial evil idle lade laid late lava lave lead leva lied lite live tael tail tala tale teal tile vail vale veal veil vela veld vial vile addle ailed alate alive avail dealt delta devil ideal idled laded lated laved lived tidal tilde tiled valet valid veldt vital alated detail dialed dilate laddie tailed alidade availed dilated validate VALIDATED

rete retire retinol retie eerie mitre mite miter mire mirier mime mimer pimp piny pier prim primp prime prier prey tree tern term tire tiny time timer tier trim trip trier trey tref eremite fowl pony info rite rime rimy rive rein remit nitre niter mere merit merino empire emit emir vein veiny vert vermin fermi cert cere

11th - 17th May

45

motoring KAROLINA PLISKOVA is not yet in possession of a driver’s licence - but she does have a dream car.

By winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the 26-year-old Czech received, alongside the prize money and world ranking points, a 718 Boxster GTS as the main prize.

In the high-class and thrilling final at the long-standing Stuttgart tournament on Sunday, she defeated the impressive Coco Vandeweghe 7-6 (2), 6-4 in front of a capacity 4,500 crowd in the once again sold-out Porsche Arena.

The evenly-matched first set was sewn up by the world No 6 on a tiebreak. After going a break and then 52 down in the second, it seemed as if the match was virtually over but Coco Vandeweghe dug deep in an effort to ward off defeat.

She fought her way back to 5-4 but then Karolina Pliskova, whose threeset quarter final match against the French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko lasted until past midnight, had no desire to put in any more overtime and wrapped up the match and her 10th career WTA title with her first match point after one hour 56 minutes.

According to the new champion, the thought of winning the new car was an added spur to her determination.

Game, set and Porsche KAROLINA PLISKOVA: With her two trophies.

Credit: Porsche Germany

46

11th - 17th May

motoring

MINI hatches plan for royal wedding MINI is to celebrate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with a one-off MINI Hatch, designed specifically for the special occasion and to be donated to one of the couple’s chosen charities.

After the big day on May 19, this commemorative MINI will be handed over to the Children’s HIV Association (CHIVA) for public auction.

“As an iconic British brand with almost 60 years of history in the UK, we are pleased to mark the royal wedding with this special charitable gift,” explained Oliver Heilmer, head of MINI design.

“Its specially designed roof graphic combines with 3D-printed personalised interior and exterior details, as well as special embroidery making this a MINI like no other.”

The unique car is finished in crystal white with silver-blue accent strips, with a black band that wraps around the car.

Recognisable MINI design features are still present and correct, like the hexagonal radiator grille, the door handles and the headlight rims. The roof’s painted finish uses multiple colours and is applied meticulously by hand to bring together elements of Prince Harry

and Meghan Markle’s national flags: the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes.

Special MINI indicators have been 3Dprinted and embellished with the initials M and H with a heart and rings.

The first names of the bride and groom, plus the wedding date and good wishes to the newlyweds have been added to the large trim strip near the front passenger seat.

ROYAL RIDE: MINI has celebrated the special relationship in style with its blend of UK-US branding.

Credit: BMW Group

Audi R8 RWS: Cheaper, lighter, more fun THE first thing you notice about the new rear-wheel-drive Audi R8 RWS is that you don’t notice it’s the new rear-wheel drive Audi R8 RWS. Externally there is not a badge or spoiler that’s significantly different to the Quattro all-wheel drive R8, while inside it’s only a small plaque above the glovebox that gives the game away.

That plaque reads ‘1 of 999’ regardless of whether you are the first of the 999 R8s to emerge from Audi’s Bollinger Hofe production facility, or the last.

The thinking is presumably so that Audi can just order a batch of identical badges rather than ones that are bespoke to each car.

More cash has been saved by not having to equip the R8 with its usual front driveshafts, multi-plate clutch and propshaft, thereby creating the first of its Rear Wheel Series, a name that suggests there will surely be others.

What’s unusual is that in an age of seemingly endless premiumpriced special or limited edition su-

percars, you can walk into an Audi showroom and pick up a limited edition R8 RWS Coupe for ‘only’ €127,000.

M o r e o v e r, t h e RW S i s a r o u n d 50kg lighter than a Quattro R8, and uses the same 5.2 litre V10 engine.

While it may lack the ultimate torque of its turbocharged rivals, with a redline set at a giddy 8,700 rpm and a peak power output of 533 bph at 7,800 rpm, it still has plenty of bark and bite.

Bespoke features include a hybrid aluminium and carbon fibre reinforced polymer spaceframe, and hand-built, dry-sumped V10.

The R8 has a 0-62mph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph, with stop-start technology to kill the engine when the car is stationary.

Ultimately, just like other R8s, the RWS is addictively brilliant to drive and hearing that engine scream through its seemingly never-ending rev range while revelling in the balance of its mid-engine layout, is one of the great motoring experiences.

11th - 17th May

47

sport IT was an early start as 44 members and guests arrived for their 8.44 first tee time.

The first two four balls were a match between eight Swedish players and the main Stableford competition began at the normal time of 9am.

Many comments could be heard expressing their opinion on what good condition the course was in, later some of these may have regretted this when their scores were revealed. In fact only one member managed to play to par; several others found themselves in the buffer zone and therefore a podium place.

This course has five par 3’s which means that there are five opportunities to make a two, Joe Dean was the only

TMGS visit Campoamor

STABLEFORD COMPETITION: The happy winners on the day.

PERFECT WEATHER: Friendly rivalry as all remembered Jim.

Benitachell Bowls Club

ON Wednesday May 3, with perfect weather for bowling, the BBC greeted the Torrevieja Branch of the Royal British Legion.

This visit was a wish of Jim Dobbins a former BBC member, and a very much missed, friend and member of the Torrevieja Branch of the Legion.

A year ago on that date, Jim sadly passed away before the visit came to fruition. But his friends had made a promise to him and made sure that it was going to be kept.

Richard Gardiner captained the BBC and Brenda Brown was captain of the day for the visitors. The afternoon started with a soup and roll lunch and then out on the green for competitive bowling.

Prior to the game all the BBC players were presented with a Poppy badge.

BBC managed to win on all rinks bar one, it did not matter as everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

All agreed that the meal was excellent, being followed by the speeches and

the presentation of a pennant for the Club.

Dianne Budd worked very hard selling raffle tickets for the Legion Poppy Appeal, eventually making €118 for this very good cause.

At the end of all the proceedings, Dianne and Brenda presented a trophy to the Club in memory of Jim. Both Dianne and Allan Budd remarked that it would be so nice to make it a reciprocal competition, one and all agreed, so they will have to make it happen.

player to make a two, the first coming at the par 3 6th and again at the long par 3 10th.

Full results: NTP’s hole 4 Mike O’Regan (missed a three footer for a two) hole 6 nada, hole 10 Joe Dean, hole 15 Shelia Dean, hole 17 Raymond Eiken. Our only guest won the guest’s prize, G Noble, Bronze cat; 3rd Mrs Pearl Sabine 31, 2nd Pat O’Dowd 33, 1st Lennart Holmberg 36.

S ilv er c at : 3r d A M ar t in 33, 2nd Alan Rickers 34, 1st Ole Rong 35. Gold cat: 3rd Kenny (Isaac Hunter) 32, 2nd Captain John Eyre 33, 1st Paul Bradley 35.

May 28 and 29 sees a twoday golf trip to Las Pinaillas, which is a great course at a great price! More info at www.tmgs.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/tmgsgolf.

JITC fun tournament

MIXED FUN: Men’s winner John Goodsell with Ladies’ winner Lesley Brookes.

JAVEA INTERNATIONAL TENNIS CLUB recently held a mixed fun tennis tournament at their home venue, La Sella tennis club near Pedregueur.

After a random draw 24 players battled it out throughout the morning. Each player counted the games they had won to find a Men’s and

Ladies’ winner.

Three hours later they were joined by other friends of the club for a meal at Giramondo’s, the restaurant at La Sella. Organised by members Andrea and Simon Poot, the event was a great success and the club hope to hold another similar tournament in September.