RTN Newspaper - Costa Blanca North 23 February - 1 March 2018 Issue 957

FREE!

For daily news online www.rtnnewspaper.com

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

23rd Feb - 1st March

No hiding place for on-the-run Brit NATIONAL POLICE based in Benidorm have arrested a man on the run from the UK. The so-far unnamed man - aged 59 - is wanted in Britain for a number of alleged crimes of sexual exploitation involving children and faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

His arrest took place within just 24 hours of a European Arrest Warrant being issued.

After initial investigations, it was quickly established that the fugitive could be living in Benidorm where he was tracked down and detained.

The man was convicted in 2010 accused of possessing and distributing images of a sexual nature that contained children.

Following his arrest, he is now awaiting for the formal extradition procedures to be put into place for his return to the UK.

Issue 957

War on fakes declared

INSIDE THIS WEEK ...

TRAM PASSENGERS FORCED ONTO THE ROAD... AGAIN

P6 SERIOUS: Benidorm traders association want more inspections.

By Darren Parmenter IT’S time to stop the proliferation of shops selling counterfeit goods!

That’s the demand from the independent traders association in Benidorm (AICO), and they have asked officials at the Valencian government to combat this illegal practice that is on the increase.

They want to see more inspectors doing the rounds of the shops and for tougher penalties to be imposed on the offenders.

Speaking to Spanish media, spokesperson for AICO, Raul Parra, said that with so many different outlets allegedly selling more and more counterfeit products, the problem is now “chronic ” in Benidorm.

He went to say that apart from the criminal aspect to what these traders are doing, “what is more serious is the increased harm it’s causing to our members that are selling the exact same products which are genuine and therefore be-

ing sold at a higher price.” The association is also concerned that it’s seriously affecting the image of Benidorm, and giving it a reputation for only selling cheap, fake goods.

The traders’ group consider that not enough is being done by the National Police, the Guardia Civil in Calpe or the Local Police against the sale of counterfeit goods, although appreciate that their hands may be tied on the actions that can be taken under current laws.

DOGS AS THERAPY BENEFIT TEENS

P11 DENIA TAPAS ROUTE CONTINUES INTO NEXT MONTH

P40

2

23rd Feb - 1st March

Alicante man arrested in online drugs crackdown Photo credit: National Police

by Darren Parmenter TWENTY-FIVE people have been arrested across Spain by the National Police - one of them in Alicante - as part of a network selling illegal medicines on the internet.

Many of the products were purchased using the Bitcoin crypto currency, and it’s believed this is the first time this method has been detected as the form of payment.

With the headquarters of the unit based in Cadiz, more than 500,000 separate items related mainly with erectile dysfunction and slimming treatments were sent to around 6,000 customers all over the country.

The products were marketed via two web pages that lacked any quality and safety controls and so were potentially dangerous to those that consumed them... especially those suffering with heart conditions.

ILLEGAL MEDICINES: Just some of the seized drugs.

The 62 different kinds of drugs marketed through two closed web pages lacked any sanitary control, so that they were potentially dangerous for people with heart conditions.

‘Operation Tower’ has successfully seized the illegal drugs that were allegedly

made in laboratories in Asia and later imported by a courier service from India to a distribution centre in Puerto de Santa Maria in Cadiz.

The investigation began with an arrest in Madrid six months ago and led to the subsequent detention of the man in the San Gabriel area

of Alicante. He had purchased €3,000 worth of the ‘Viagratype’ pills at 50 cents each, and his defence was that he’d bought them to sell among his friends.

The sale of these medicines in Spain is strictly regulated under prescription and specialised medical control.

When city councils get together...

SEVEN municipalities throughout the Alicante Province are to benefit from a boost to help the unemployed.

The pact has been signed by Xixona, San Vicente, El Campello, Sant Joan, Aigues, La Torre and Tibi and will allow access to financial assistance from central government to promote entrepreneurship, training and competitiveness. A total package of €213,750 has been made available to subsidise the initiatives and is aimed at populations with at least 100,000 inhabitants to develop ideas that promote employment. On their own, the areas listed wouldn’t qualify for such a scheme, but with at least five municipalities joining forces the problem is solved and is actively encouraged.

The agreement between the municipalities was signed last November and was also intended to include Muchamiel, Agost and Busot.

However, even though they were at the meetings they didn’t commit to signing the agreement.

Among the initiatives is to encourage new start-ups in the business parks located in the municipalities that have signed up to the pact, as well as the recovery and promotion of traditional industry and crafts.

Other plans include one-to-one tutoring and training, the setting up of skills workshops and guidance on setting up and running a business from scratch.

23rd Feb - 1st March

3

Bless you for reopening BENISSA Council has signed an agreement to convert the abandoned Franciscan convent. It will double-up as both a private hotel and a place that the municipality can also have access to entertain guests and to hold conferences.

The three-way agreement will ensure that one of the most iconic buildings in Benissa will be saved and maintained, and a commitment has been made to ensure this is the case.

Once they knew the Convento Padres Franciscanos has been abandoned, the council began to look at a number of different alternatives to allow for its reactivation and to offer some added value to the old town. Turning a part of it into accommodation was one of the first options studied.

The agreement between the council, the owners of the convent and an unnamed entrepreneur in the hospitality sector, will also allow the building to put up people who take part in future events organised by the municipality. All that remains is for the agreement to be approved at a forthcoming plenary council meeting.

Another part of the accord will be to allow members of the public to use the square and the adjoining street that gives access to the convent, currently the property of the Franciscan order, and enable more people to get a closer view of the historic building.

HOTEL: Iconic Benissa building becomes a convent convert.

Witnesses see saw road rage attack OFFICERS from the Guardia Civil have arrested a man for allegedly using a saw in a road-rage incident in Campello.

According to both reports from the police and witness statements, there was a collision between two vehicles and as both drivers left them the arrested man pulled a saw from his van and assaulted the other driver... severing the tendon of one of his fingers. At that point, he fled the scene.

The alarm was raised and police were quickly able to trace the man in his van some hours later and pull him over, where he continued with his aggressive stance.

Not only was he arrested for the attack on the man, added to this were driving without a licence, refusing to undergo alcohol and drug tests, threatening to kill the arresting o ff i c e r s a n d f i n a l l y, f o r having a supply of

weapons in his vehicle.

The same 27-year-old Spaniard - with a string of previous offences - was arrested two days earlier

for having allegedly violated a restraining order which had been imposed for threatening a neighbour with an iron bar.

Benissa Council also looks forward to being able to feature the restored Convento Padres Franciscanos as part of the annual fiestas held in the municipality.

4

23rd Feb - 1st March

Photo credit: Uroboros Wikimedia

by Carol Palmer RESIDENTS and businesses located in the old town of Villajoyosa looking to replace or rebuild their roofs will be denied permission in future... due to the habits of the local bird population.

The restrictions aren’t permanent, however, and will only be enforced during the nesting season of swallows and swifts in particular that arrive in Villajoyosa between April and July and the start of the warmer weather.

This is also one of the busy periods for work being carried out on some of the roofs in the vicinity and, until now, has ended up destroying nests and the eggs on occasions.

To prevent this from happening in the future, a local association that cares for the old part of the town has submitted a proposal to the council requesting that they

Photo credit: Google Maps

The birds on the old town roof

NESTING: A typical swallows home (File image). suspend building licences for the replacement of roofs during the nesting period.

The intention is two-fold.

On the one hand, it offers greater protection to the

birds and on the other avoids builders facing high fines for their accidental destruction of the wildlife which can range from between €5,001 to €200,000.

Swallows are well-known for building nests in the eaves and swifts under roof tiles, and are both regularly seen in Villajoyosa, returning every year.

BUSY: New light bollards to replace the familiar green at busy junction (File image).

Busy junction to see the light

by Darren Parmenter ONE of the busiest crossings in Benidorm has been given more than a green light to give more visibility.

The intersection between Avenida Beniarda, Jaime I, Alfonso Puchades and Calle Tomas Ortuño has seen 15 new shaped bollards replacing the existing 80 green ones with the reflecting strips.

They all have a distinctive shape, designed like a skyscraper with permanent electric lights fitted, and will be used as an experiment to gauge the response of both drivers and pedestrians.

The purpose of the new ‘light bollards’ is to improve the road safety at one of the busiest intersections used by thousands of vehicles and pedestrians.

Benidorm Councillor Jose Ramon Gonzalez de Zarate said the new bollards have already gained the approval of the Local Police after a few days of tests.

23rd Feb - 1st March

5

6

23rd Feb - 1st March

Photo Credit by: PxHere

Last orders will be later in future

Photo Credit by: FGV Wikimedia

Another TRAM section closes for repair works.

REDUCTION: More hours but fewer costs for outside terracing.

by Mark Rogers THE municipality of San Vicente del Raspeig is certainly going to be popular with local residents, tourists and bar owners following their latest set of announcements.

There are 383 bars and restaurants in San Vincente, and after several years of debate and discussion, new regulations are expected to be passed at a council meeting held on Wednesday.

They will include the extension of closing hours which will be increased by half an hour on Fridays, Saturdays, and the nights before any bank holidays (known in Spain as ‘visperas’).

During the summer months - from June 15 to September 30 - they will be permitted to remain open on those days until 2am; and on the week-

ends during Christmas and Easter until 2.30am.

Opening hours may be increasing, but the rates paid by establishments that have terraces on nearby public pavements and roads are being reduced from 14 to 22 per cent. This measure will cost the municipality around €33,000.

Until now, bar and restaurant owners had to apply month by month for the concessions.

This has been extended to one year, although payment must be made quarterly rather than monthly.

Another new feature that forms part of the new regulations is the requirement for all terraces placed on the road to put on a platform that allows them to be higher. In addition, the space on the pavements giving pedestrians access has increased from 1.50 to 1.80m.

TRAM passengers forced onto the road... again AS part of the major reforms of the TRAM line between Alicante and Denia, the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) will need to close a further section of the route.

Passengers have already needed to use a substitute bus service between Calpe and Denia since work began back in September 2016... now they will have to use four wheels instead of rail between Creueta Station (in

the centre of Villajoyosa) and Benidorm.

The disruption is due to urgent repair works on the bridge that crosses the CV-759 which links Villajoyosa with Finestrat, and will affect the Line 1 service between Alicante and Benidorm.

The line between the affected stations will be closed between Monday February 26 and Wednesday March 14 inclusive. In addition, the CV-759 will

also be closed where the work is carried out.

The replacement bus service will still operate to the same timetable as the TRAM service - every 30 minutes - but the overall journey will take 45 minutes and longer than the TRAM by a few minutes.

Onward travellers from Benidorm to stations on the Line 9 towards Altea and Denia will not miss their connections... and vice-versa.

8

23rd Feb - 1st March Photo credit: Lmbuga Wikimedia

by Darren Parmenter ACCORDING to data released by the Spanish Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Entities (UNESPA), there are around one million bicycles in Spain not covered by any form of insurance.

Even though it’s not mandatory for bicycles to have insurance, there have been calls for some time that although the cycles potentially do less damage to the carriageways, all riders should be liable to some form of cover.

However, in recent times there have been an increasing number of cyclists that have taken out third-party insurance policies just in case they’re involved in an accident.

In addition, there are also individuals who belong to cycle clubs who are also covered that tend to travel on many major roads and a number of the more dangerous mountainous climbs across the country.

The extra mileage and the long journeys can increase the risk of an accident.

These figures come on the back of other recently released information supplied by the Alicante Traffic Department showing that there were al-

INCREASE: Spain loves cyclists, a tribute in Galicia.

One million cyclists... all without insurance most as many accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles than their motorised counterparts.

During 2017 there were 127 bicycle accidents in different

cities within the Alicante Province resulting in 117 minor injuries and 18 needing treatment in hospital.

On the intercity roads, there were 147 casualties which in-

cluded four deaths.

Since 2009, the number of accidents involving cyclists has gone from 42 to the latest figure, and representing an increase of 250 per cent.

Extra social housing projects announced CENTRAL government has assigned a new batch of protected homes throughout the Valencian Community, with the Alicante Province getting the lion’s share.

The homes have been targeted toward groups of people that have the greatest difficulties to access somewhere to live or have suffered high levels of personal problems.

Of the total of 52 houses, 33 correspond to Alicante, with 20 in the city of Alicante itself, 10 in Pilar de la Horadada, two in Benidorm, and one in La Nucia. Ten of the homes planned for the Valencia Province will be in Gandia.

Helena Beunza, the Director General of EIGE (Entidad de Infraestructuras de la Generalitat and responsible for government-owned property in Alicante, stressed that they are “working hard to implement a housing policy that acts on the specific causes that hinder access to a home. This is why such innovative measures have been put in place to help the different groups affected.”

Priority will be given to victims of gender violence, those affected by eviction resulting from non-payment of rent, the severely disabled, families with large numbers of children, and those where their monthly rental payments account for more than 25 per cent of their total income.

Beunza added that “market trends prevent much of the population from having access to affordable housing, hence the need for public agencies to put into practice a number of policies to defend that fundamental right.”

10

23rd Feb - 1st March

by Dave Bennett

Popular post on Facebook reaching 6,620 people with 173 reactions.

‘Costa Blanca beach bars to open for Easter this year.’

Noises on for Denia and Javea Photo credit: Nomad Wikimedia

HAVE YOUR SAY

NOISE pollution has reached higher than the recommended levels, but not in the areas that are most associated with it on the Costa Blanca... such as loud music or building.

It’s been estimated that around 1,000 people are living close to roads in and around Denia and Javea and are exposed to the noise from traffic... which can potentially cause damage to their health.

The two roads highlighted are the CV-725 and CV-734, and included in a repor t from the Valencian government that looked at roads with more than three million vehicles using them annually.

The noise levels regularly

DECIBELS: Many local residents experience 75 decibels of traffic noise.

Tony Lawrence Tell whoever the councillor is to get back beach bars at Punta Prima. It’s like a ghost town down there…

Motorbike crash outside Red Cross

Paula Davies I don’t think the Punta Prima ones come under Cartagena. La Zenia and Cabo Roig might, but they were open 2017 and still are. We really want Punta Prima open!

AN 18-year-old man has been injured after being involved in a crash in Javea.

The victim was driving a 49cc motorcycle at the time of the accident on Avenida d’Alacant close to the Red Cross HQ. After being stabilised at the scene by paramedics, he was taken to Denia Hospital where it was found he had a fractured femur.

@RTNNewspaper Most liked posts from this week • Brit fugitive arrested in Benidorm over child abuse claims

• Animal charity in southern Spain launches desperate appeal • Costa Blanca beach bars to open for Easter this year • Two businesses in Javea are latest victims in string of robberies

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

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

All adverts must be prepaid whether they are placed at our offices, by email or fax, or via our sales team. The advertisers full name, address and ID number must be supplied (not for publication).

RTN does not accept any responsibility for claims made by advertisers, either in advertisements or advertorials, nor can it be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or the nonappearance of advertisements or advertorials. This publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors as a result of poor quality artwork or logos supplied by advertisers and no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement or advertorial. Every effort will be made to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of articles and advertisements in this publication, however the publisher does not accept responsibility for claims or opinions in the same. The publisher does not accept responsibility for opinions expressed by readers in the ‘Mailbox’ section of this newspaper. Reproduction of any part of this newspaper without the consent of the publishers is prohibited.E:&O.E. All rights reserved/Todos los derechos reservados Edita : RTN Publishing and Media SL

• General Enquires:

951 386 161

• Deadlines Adverts: copy changes, classifieds and editorial Copy: Tuesday 5pm for following Friday’s edition.

Deposito Legal : South A-853-1999 North: A-134-2004 Costa del Sol MA-630-2017

Customer service If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service you can call us or write to: EURO WEEKLY NEWS MEDIA SA Avda Ramon y Cajal 54. Edf River Playa, local 2. 29640 Fuengirola - Málaga

951 386 161

www.rtnnewspaper.com

• Costa Blanca clamps down on ‘boat parks’

In Total 21,555 people reached 8,077 reactions

go above 55 decibels and are caused not only by the intensity of the traffic but, along some stretches of the road, a lack of sound barriers or fences.

The CV-725 - which links Denia from the AP-7 motorway at Ondara - has a 7.35 kilometre stretch with a maximum speed of 80kph and is understood to affect around 750 people.

They suffer anything between 55 decibels and 75 decibels with an average of between 25,000 and 30,000 vehicles using the road daily.

A s for the CV-734 that links the N-332 with Javea, an estimated 13,265 use the road each day and those experiencing the highest noise levels are in houses directly exposed to traffic apart from the odd group of trees and bushes.

• Enquiries sales@rtnnewspaper.com accounts@rtnnewspaper.com

• Editorial newsdesk.rtn@rtnnewspaper.com

• International Enquiries marketing@rtnnewspaper.com

• Distribution distribution@rtnnewspaper.com

• Complaints complaints@rtnnewspaper.com

23rd Feb - 1st March

11

Dogs as therapy benefit teens

by Mark Rogers FOR the second year in a row, L’Alfas del Pi have held project ‘Eduka-dogs,’ a scheme that uses dogs as therapy to help young people, many of whom have learning difficulties.

The City Council has collaborated with the IES L’Arabi School and the Humanymal Association, with a programme aimed at secondary school level students with not only learning issues but those with personal, social or family problems.

For many people, all these can combine to affect their academic performance.

This year the scheme will launch on March 1, and will be

held on Thursdays until May, according to Councillor Vicenta Baldo. The young people involved in the initiative are trained in dog handling which then enables them to work in old-people’s centres or people with disabilities.

The training is carried out by a specialised team with the help of dogs of varying breeds and sizes.

During the last school year, a total of 10 children aged between 12 and 14 took part in the project and, according to the councillor for Education Isabel Muñoz, “such was the high level of satisfaction and enjoyment from all those that contributed, they all showed a desire to continue with the programme.”

The initiative produced the positive changes in the children that were hoped for, from an improvement in school perforPhoto credit: Ayuntamiento de Alfas del Pi

FUN: Both animals and their handlers benefit from the scheme.

mance to a greater motivation in the classroom. There was also a marked change in attitudes both at home and in the school, with a noticeable increase in concentration and better family relationships reported.

All the animals taking part in the programme have been rescued, rehabilitated and certified as being official therapy and assistance dogs.

12

23rd Feb - 1st March

Support for expats pro-Brexit Photo credit: Partido Popular flickr

THE phrase ‘no taxation without representation’ was first used in 1750 during a sermon delivered by Pastor Jonathan Mayhew as he discussed the denial of Englishmen’s rights in the USA. Is it right that people should, by law, be forced to pay their taxes but the law also prevents them from being able to play their part in the democratic process to say who should spend them?

This is a possible consequence here in Spain following the UK’s decision to leave the EU at the end of March 2019. The right for a UK citizen to vote in Spain (and in other EU countries) was conferred on them as a result of being members of the EU, and a strict interpretation of that right has been taken by the negotiators on the EU side. If you are not a member of a club, then you can’t vote at

ARGUE: Esteban Gonzalez Pons wants to see UK citizens retain local vote. their AGM would be an analogy.

Voting rights, and the right to stand to be an elected member of the local council here in Spain of which there are many, were originally included in the first round of Brexit negotiations that came to an end at the beginning of December. When the formal document was released, voting rights had mysteriously been left off with the official British government line stating: “The EU Commission said

it did not have the right to agree voting rights on behalf of EU Member States. It is our view that voting in local elections helps EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU contribute to and feel a part of the local communities in which they live. That is why we will explore bilateral arrangements on voting rights with Member States that do not already provide for this in their national law.”

Questions relating to this

subject were raised at all the recent ‘outreach’ meetings in the presence of the Alicante British Consul, Sarah-Jane Morris, and so proving that whilst future residency rules, healthcare and annual pension uprating are uppermost in people’s minds, the ability to cast their vote at a local level is an important one too.

The subject has received support from a Partido Popular (PP) representative in the European Parliament, Esteban Gonzalez Pons, who when addressing a recent conference in Malaga said that whilst the future rights of UK citizens are being discussed, it seems their political rights have been forgotten. “ We are going to ask in Brussels that the British can continue to vote in our local elections,” said Pons. “There are municipalities along our coast where more than half of the population is British.”

He said that in the first instance, the PP will argue that the possibility of voting in the next local elections - due for May 2019 and two months after the UK leaves the EU - is included in the final Brexit agreement. If it is not, representations will be made to encourage the Spanish government to raise such an option with their British counterpart.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Life-saving Local Police FOLLOWING on from other authorities that have adopted similar schemes, the Local Police based in Villajoyosa will now be carrying defibrillators in their cars.

The health and safety department of the municipality have introduced this measure to avoid potential loss of life

Military hero honoured by street name SUBJECT to confirmation at a plenar y council meeting next week, a former resident of San Vincente del Raspeig will be honoured by the renaming of a street in the municipality in his honour.

Francisco Santana will be the new name of the area now known as Plaza de Portabella and recognises his time as a member of the Spanish military spent in a Nazi concentration camp where he eventually died.

City centre tourist coaches restrictions BENIDORM City Council has announced that tourist coaches will no longer be allowed to stop in Calle Almendros and for those that are permitted at the official stop, there will be a time limit of 10 minutes.

The measure is all part of an urban transport plan that aims to speed up coaches in the city centre and also to relieve the area of traffic congestion often caused when these tourist coaches park up for long periods of time. In future, coaches will only be able to drop off and collect tourists with luggage at this stop and not for general excursions.

due to patients needing to wait for the arrival of emergency ambulances.

Two defibrillators have been purchased and training courses in their use have been carried out for the officers that will be expected to use the equipment on anyone that has suffered from cardiac issues.

13

Physically fit 89-year-old survives fire AN elderly man aged 89 has been injured in a fire at his home in Javea.

According to reports from the provincial fire brigade, the blaze badly affected the man’s dining room and he had to be treated for the effects of smoke inhala-

tion after being taken to hospital.

S o u rc e s a t t h e h o s p i t a l s a i d t h a t h i s condition was not serious and was probably due to the fact that he was in excellent physical shape in spite of his advancing years.

14

23rd Feb - 1st March

Pedestrianisation plans up for study VILLAJOYOSA Council has announced its plans to completely pedestrianise certain areas of the centre... and not only for the summer months.

The proposal will make Carrer Colon and Calle de Canalejas walking streets only along the stretch running from Barranquet to Canalejas, and will necessitate the moving of the current blue parking zone.

A formal study will be undertaken once the Local Police have given their approval to the measure proposed by the local political party Compromis at the recently held February plenary meeting. It was approved with the support of the coalition government team formed by the PSOE, Gent per La Vila and EUPV. The point of the motion is aimed at enabling more

Photo credit: Google

by Dave Bennett

WALK, DON’T DRIVE: Villajoyosa’s centre plans unveiled. pedestrian areas totally free agreement with Pavapark, of cars to encourage both lo- the company that regulates cal people and visitors to the parking, although take advantage of the vast sources suggest that they will wealth of both cultural and simply relocate the blue gastronomic activities in Vil- zones in nearby streets.

Not everyone is content lajoyosa.

The one stumbling block with the proposals however. to the proposals is what to do Spokesman for the Partido with the blue zone parking Popular (PP) said that the areas that are already in the motion should be left “on the table” until a full technical restreets planned for overhaul.

Therefore, the full imple- port has been presented mentation of pedestrianisa- along with the approval of lotion will also be subject to an cal businesses and residents.

23rd Feb - 1st March

15

Advertising Feature OEM PARTS OEM parts are Original Equipment Manufactured parts as made by your car’s manufacturer. They are brand new, usually more expensive and sometimes take longer to order. But they are a no brainer. Body shops love them because they fit perfectly and install easy.

LÍNEA DIRECTA ONLY USES OEM PARTS Línea Directa is the only insurance company that guarantees the use of OEM parts in their repairer network. Thanks to an exclusive purchasing and distribution agreement with the major manufacturers, when you repair your vehicle through its exclusive network of body shops and repairers, they guarantee the use of OEM parts. After vehicle repairs are complete, they send a list of the OEM parts used for you to keep in your log book. It’s one less thing to worry about.

OEM parts exclusively used in national repair network

LINEA DIRECTA: Guarantees the use of OEM parts in their repairer network.

DO ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES USE OEM PARTS? At the time of publishing this article, no other insurance company in Spain guarantees the exclusive use of OEM parts in their repairer network. Some insurance companies rely on after market parts and used parts

to keep the repair costs to a minimum, only paying for OEM parts if no other parts are available. After-market parts are parts made by a company other than your vehicle’s manufacturer. They are new and the spec should be very close to the original specs. However, some minor

fitting adjustments may be required by the body shop. Used parts come from the scrap yard.

Cars involved in accidents, engine trouble or age, mean that scrapped cars will have some working parts, which can be resold. The used parts are usually OEM parts.

NATIONAL NETWORK OF BODY SHOP REPAIRERS Using the Línea Directa network to repair your car means more than just OEM parts. The whole repair service is handled from start to finish. Your vehicle is collected at the agreed time and place. The repairs are carried out swiftly, efficiently and according to original manufacturer specs. You can request a replacement vehicle for the duration of the repair. They will keep you updated on progress and after completion; your vehicle will be delivered at the agreed time and place.

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest.

If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 902 123 309 More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

16

23rd Feb - 1st March

by Barry Duke

ALMOST six years ago two small rescue dogs nervously entered our 31st floor apartment. Acquired from the delightful Linda Jean, who established a charity called For the Love of Cats and Dogs after she settled in Spain in 2009, the pair were discovered in a caravan, along with the corpse of their owner who had apparently died a few days before.

The traumatised animals were a whisker away from being euthanised, and Linda was desperate to find a home for them. The impulsive side of my nature overcame my concerns that our apartment might not be the right environment for the pair, but when my partner Marcus (now my husband) and I met Bijou and Fifi we decided to at least give them temporary shelter.

If things did not work out, we reasoned, we would have time to find them more suitable accommodation. Happily, as it turned out, they settled in well, and now are a firmly established part of our family.

At the time of the adoption in September 2012 we knew that Fifi was a Miniature Pinscher, but Bijou was a totally unknown entity both to us and Linda. There was clearly a peppering of terrier in him but the rest of his make-up was a complete mystery.

We assumed he was a mongrel; simply a lovely, affectionate mutt. Then something hap-

Dear Bijou, I’m so sorry I called you a mutt

BIJOU: The Patterdale terrier. pened that took us completely by surprise last week. Marcus and I fell into conversation in Benidorm’s Company Bar with a Yorkshire husband and wife who had come to Spain with a view to retire here in a couple years.

We discussed everything from property prices to the availability of Fray Bentos tinned pies. Somehow we got onto the subject of pets. I whipped out my phone to show them pictures of our dogs. “Fifi,” I said, “is a pedi-

FIFI: Cuddling with Kath Mason who plans to celebrate her 94th birthday in Benidorm in April. gree Min-Pin but Bijou is just a mutt.”

“Oh no. You're dead wrong there. He’s definitely not a mongrel,” insisted the husband.

“What you have is a rare breed called a Patterdale terrier.” Instantly we began using our smartphones to Google the breed, and within minutes found a host of pictures of Bijou

lookalikes on Patterdale websites. These sites informed us that they were first bred in Britain’s Lake District in the 60’s.

In artificial light, Bijou is pitch black except for his white beard and muzzle, but sunlight brings out several interesting details in his colouring. I perched him on the table and said “you, Mr Bijou Patterdale, will pose for a picture,” so he did, albeit a little apprehensively.

Now I should point out that Linda is somewhat of a celebrity, who features from time to time in a popular Channel 5 series called Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun. Emma Lewis, writing in her Copy Making blog on February 16, said that Linda had ‘won the hearts of millions of viewers’ by telling the story of her life’s mission to rescue abandoned and abused dogs from all over the Spanish Costa.

She is far from being the only expat who cares deeply for animals in Spain. Another charity I’d like to bring to readers’ attention is the Easy Horse Care Centre - the only officially registered horse rescue centre foundation in Spain - started by Sue and Rod Weeding in 2008. From humble beginnings, it now cares for more than 90 horses, ponies and donkeys.

The centre says on its website: “Our mission is to rescue and rehabilitate abused, neglected and abandoned horses, ponies and donkeys, while campaigning for the better treatment of animals across Spain. We are a no-kill foundation and provide each rescued animal with a safe and loving sanctuary - either here at our centre or via rehoming - for the rest of their lives.”

We’d adopt a pony in a blink of an eye, but our high rise living sadly makes that an impossibility.

If you would like to donate to either charity, look them up on Facebook.

Advertising Feature

Casa Lis for those who knit FOR those who enjoy working with their hands, producing different items of clothing as well as stuffed toys and other items from yarn then Casa Lis in Albir is the place to visit.

They have a huge selection of everything that anyone could ever need for knitting and they specialise in supplying the DROPS range of wool and cotton yarn ideal for use in even the most complicated of patterns.

Speaking of patterns, their website www.casalis.es has a direct link to the DROPS site which offers more than 100,000 patterns so it’s guaranteed that you will never run out of great ideas for your next project.

It’s not just yarn and patterns but the very helpful website has a great selection of needles of all types, a very varied selection of buttons, some of which would look great on a child’s cardigan and some helpful accessories such as gauges and markers.

CASA LIS: Can supply all of your knitting needs.

You can easily enrol to become a customer and purchase direct from the site which will allow you to communicate in English, Spanish and

Norwegian with payment to be made with credit cards or even PayPal. There is also a very useful Casa Lis Facebook page which

shows many of the yarns available.

Naturally, one way to see everything is to visit the shop which is open from 10am to

2pm at Joaquin Turina 4, Local 2, Albir, but if you need to check availability or ask advice, telephone 966 864 522 or email lis@casalis.es.

18

SPOTLIGHT ON MORAIRA

23rd Feb - 1st March

Young opportunities scheme begins Offering a more professional service TEULADA Town Hall has announced that they have increased their professional staff numbers to offer local people a better and more efficient service.

Two more members - a nursery nurse and an administrative assistant - joined the social services team last week, taking the total in this particular department to eight.

They include three social workers, two nursery nurses, two admin assistants and one psychologist.

Councillor Nieves Rodriguez said that from now on the municipality will be able to offer a much improved service, and as such problems in the areas of equal rights, family issues, child protection and mental illness will be dealt with much quicker than before.

Rodriguez also pointed out that this increase of staff was deemed necessary to deal with the increased demands of the municipality, and said that the council will continue to assess the situation and continue to hire more staff whenever possible.

UNDER the heading of JOOP ‘Joves Oportunitats’ (Opportunities for young people), 15 young people aged between 16 and 21 will be taking part in the project that aims to prevent failure at school. The programme is offering counselling to those that have dropped out of the local education system and are currently out of work.

This is the second time that JOOP has been organised and developed by the Teulada City Council and is financed by the European Social Fund.

The 15 people who registered for the latest course were welcomed by Councillor Daniel Ibanco, and will attend classes over a period of four months.

They will be accompanied by professionals who will work with them both in groups and individually to offer counselling and guid-

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Teulada

TOWN HALL: Increasing their staff numbers.

FUTURES: Daniel Ibanco (far right) with some of the ‘JOOP’ youths.

ance as to their way forward.

Councillor Ibanco encouraged the participants to make the most of and enjoy

this opportunity to improve both their personality and professional outlook. He personally looks forward to

seeing some positive results from the project that has been successful in other municipalities.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Denia

EDUCATIONAL: Local experts will be the tour guides.

Programme of agricultural heritage tours unveiled DE NI A has announced a pro g ramme of agricultural heritage visits in the Marina Alta region, under the guidance of local food producers.

Taking place until January 2019, a total of 10 different visits have been scheduled and have been arranged with the cooperation of 23 local food-producing companies.

‘Discover the landscape’ begins on Sunday with a tour through the almond trees of Alcalali. This coincides with the Alcalalí en f lor (Alcalali in bloom) festival where the annual f lowering of the almond blossom is celebrated in the municipality.

Those on this trip will be given a guided tour by exper ts in their field who know from firsthand experience the process of both cultivation and harvesting of the almonds.

The aim of the trips is to promote the agr icultural sector in the areas and enhance people’s knowledge and understandi n g o f t h e va l u a b l e d ay - to - d ay wo r k o f those that work the land.

A l l o f t h e p l a n n e d v i s i t s i n t h e p ro gramme are completely free of charge and will last for approximately three hours.

They are also classed as ‘low difficulty’ for those that may have mobility issues.

Places are limited, and those interested in taking part in any of the guided tours must register before the Thursday preceding each event, sending an e-mail to deniaviva@ayto -denia.es.

Both the departure and return point for the trips from Denia is the Municipal Cultural Centre.

The bus will leave at 9.30am and the retur n tr ip always leaves at 5.30pm from outside the town hall in the municipality visited. For the months of July and August, those times are 10am and 6pm respectively.

The initiative has been set up thanks to collaboration between the municipalities of Alcalali, Teulada, Vall de Gallinera, Pego, Poble Nou de B enitachell, B enissa , Vall d’Ebo, Vall d’Alcala, and Jesús Pobre

The dates and locations of the trips are: Sunday February 25 - ALCALALI - Almond fields and the beautiful blossom Saturday April 7 - TEULADA, LLIBER AND JALON VALLEY - Lavender fields and the local vineyards Sunday May 6 - VALL DE GALLINERA - Cherry, olive and carob trees.

Saturday June 16 - PEGO - Rice fields and various fruit trees Saturday July 14 - POBLE NOU DE BENITACHELL AND JAVEA - Olive trees and vineyards Saturday August 25 - BENISSA - Vineyards Sunday September 16 - XALO, VALL D’EBO AND VALL D’ALCALA - Pear trees and local vineyards Sunday October 21 - VALENCIA - Tigernut fields Saturday November 10 - DENIA - Orange orchards Saturday January 26, 2019 - JESUS POBRE - Wheat fields and local vineyards

19

20

SPOTLIGHT ON CALPE

23rd Feb - 1st March

Roman site under the spotlight Photo credit: Calpe.es

by Mark Rogers THE Roman bath site of Banys de la Reina in Calpe is once again at the centre of a local dispute, especially with the possibility of the preserved area being part of a future construction site.

A special commission of the Banys de le Reina met recently with all the political groups in the City Council to discuss the destiny of the land that is of significant archaeological interest.

It is understood that one of the many options on the table, and one that is seen as the most popular, is to allow construction on the land by turning the ground floor of any building into a museum in a similar way to that which has been achieved in cities such as Rome or Sevilla.

Whatever decision is taken, it’s not going to please everyone when it’s taken into account that the historic remains are contained in a

wide area. Over time, some of the most relevant sets of mosaics undertaken found in Roman Hispania were discovered, and it’s believed by

many archaeologists that remains of a Roman villa are yet to be unveiled in the same area.

The Calpe City Council is in the process of opening up the debate on the possible construction on the site or otherwise which has hap-

RELEVANT: The Banys de la Reina may be part of a reconstruction project.

pened within just a few weeks after modifying certain building regulations.

It also has to be taken into account that the Supreme Court recently recognised the right of the landowners to build on the site of the Banys de la Reina.

vv

Road investment gets the go-ahead CALPE will benefit from an injection of €600,000 from the Alicante provincial government towards road developments in the municipality.

Cesar Sanchez, not only the mayor of Calpe, but also the President of the Diputacion of Alicante and his team have also been able to approve €2.5 million that was originally part of the 2017 budget to be spent on the N-332 and the construction of two new roundabouts.

It is the largest direct aid that has been granted since César Sánchez came to the position and one of the highest granted by the Alicante Provincial government in recent years.

‘Highest possible vigilance’

CALPE Council has taken up the concerns of many of the local people to insist that care is taken by the Valencian government to ensure that development decisions concerned with Casas Neptuno will not ruin the historical site.

Permission has already been granted for work to be carried out on the next stage of the land excavation, one that will determine the existence or otherwise of valuable archaeological remains.

Mayor Cesar Sanchez said: “We urge the Heritage Department to take the highest level of vigilance and responsibility in relation to everything carried out in relation to the Neptuno.” He has also announced that a dedicated archaeologist will be hired to supervise all the work, and confirmed that - from the point of view of the Calpe Council - in no way will they grant building licences for the site without the authorisation of the responsible department.

Michelin star chef gets local recognition CALPE’S mayor Cesar Sanchez has welcomed Chef Rafa Soler from Audrey’s Restaurant to the town hall.

The 35-year-old gastronomic master was a pupil of Martín Berasategui, and continued to master his craft

in top of the range restaurants such as the Drolma in Barcelona, or Joël Robuchon’s L’Atelier, in Paris.

Soler, who only a few months ago received his first Michelin star, was presented with a plaque by

Mayor Sanchez. The chef was praised for his work in the promotion of local cuisine and putting Calpe on the map as a centre of firstclass dining that attracts both locals and visitors alike.

22

23rd Feb - 1st March

RTN Life

A book to stop the kids going square eyed COSTA BLANCA resident Fiona Jennison has just had a book published which may prove to be extremely useful for expatriates in Spain who often host little visitors on their holidays. Gadgets Away 100 Great Games is a compilation of games, both classic and new, to entertain children between the ages of four and 12.

The author, an ex-TV producer, writer and language teacher, has long been fascinated by the best games for both children and adults to play.

As a long-term resident of Ibiza and in the last three years the Costa Blanca, in recent years she has watched with dismay the number of children, who even when on their holidays in sunny Spain, appear to be rigidly glued to their tablets, phones and laptops.

“I am not opposed to technolo-

by Michael Cano What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear was losing my health, and losing my ability to function. But I’ve faced those so now it’s just spiders and snakes…

What is your favourite food?

Australian-recipe Bircher muesli, asparagus, mango, chicken-soup.

Who would you invite for a meal, dead, alive or fictional?

I would invite Estee Lauder, Coco Chanel and Diana Vreeland. I am inspired by such women. To be successful, they had to fight on two fronts: they had to battle to achieve success in the world of work, while simultaneously fighting prejudice in a world which largely felt that a woman’s place was not in the boardroom.

What is your secret pleasure?

Soaking in a scented, foamy bath, with a chilled glass of something bubbly (Cava when in Spain) and a couple of squares of my favourite chocolate.

Which is your favourite

gy” said Jennison. “I just think it is sad that children don’t use their imaginations and families don’t play together as much as they used to before the invasion of the iPads and so on.

As an English teacher to hundreds of Spanish children during the last five years, and as a single mum, I realised that I had become something of an expert in testing out games and decided to write a book about the ones that we really enjoyed playing.”

The book has sporty games, playground classics, activities for indoors including magic tricks, games for outdoors, the pool and the beach. There are also memory games, brain teasers, jokes and riddles and games adapted from TV programmes for when travelling.

Jennison’s intention was from the start to write the book in a wit-

ty way to try and inspire the adults to try the games. “Other books of games I had picked up were written in a patronising way, and with way too many games in them. I used a strict fun filter in compiling my book, if a game didn’t have us rolling around laughing then it didn’t make the cut!”

The book has a very easy to use lay out with seven sections, very clear instructions and the games are as cheap as chips to play. “You hardly need to buy anything to use the whole book.

There is only one ‘craft’ idea in there” according to her. “Because let’s face it we all hate cleaning up paint and glue!”

Gadgets Away 100 Great Games published by Summersdale is available on Amazon and also from Cortados Cafe on Calle Joan Fuster in Javea.

A BOOK OF GAMES: Fiona Jennison and one of the books readers.

An interview with Jan Shure the questions and answers IN last week’s edition of the newspaper we published an interview with former journalist, novelist and internet success Jan Shure and this week we reveal a little more about her with a range of questions and answers. band?

Hmm, I prefer soloists, notably Bruce Springsteen, (the late) Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon. If it has to be a band, I like First Aid Kit, Lonestar and Crowded House.

Where do you find the energy to keep going?

I dig deep every day. I eat healthily, I exercise and I’ve taken vitamins daily since about 1985. And I find an afternoon power-nap helps… oh yes, and caffeine!

Which public figure do you dislike the most?

I refuse to be influenced by media manipulation to dislike (or like) any public figure. So unless I know someone personally, I refuse to either like or dislike.

What song would you

like played at your funeral?

Leonard Cohen’s Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye.

If you could go back in time when would it be to?

I’d quite like to go back to the 1960’s. I was far too young to appreciate the 60’s when last there!

What’s top of your bucket list?

My bucket list has changed somewhat since my surgery.

Once it might have been walking the Great Wall of China, now it’s walking unaided on the San Pedro promenade!

What do you like about yourself most?

I’ve discovered I have determination and courage deep in my DNA. They are

qualities I like but didn’t know I possessed. And I have good hair!

Would you like to plug your book?

If Not For You by Jan Shure is available on Amazon as a paperback at £9.99, and on Kindle, at £3.99.

What do you like about Spain?

Apart from the gorgeous weather for most of the year, we like the short flight to Malaga or Gibraltar, compared with the very long flights to some of the world’s other sun spots.

We like the fact that the spectacular and historic cities of Cordoba, Grenada and Sevilla are just a few hours’ drive from our home. We are also just a short hop from

Ronda and the Pueblos Blancos.

Our kids and grandkids love coming to stay during their summer holidays. The grandkids have made friends with Spanish and Russian children (as well as kids from the UK) whom they look forward to seeing each summer.

Because we come out to Spain for long periods, my husband and I don’t often eat out in restaurants, so I cook at home a lot using all the wonderful fresh ingredients ingredients available here.

We are mostly vegetarian though we eat some fish, which is also fresh and abundant here. I love to shop for those glossy local aubergines, shiny green courgettes and all the deli-

INTERNET SUCCESS: The delightful Jan Shure. cious salad veg.

We enjoy eating out, especially at Pellicci’s. It is not only the smartest new restaurant along the coast, but happens to be a oneminute walk from home!

23rd Feb - 1st March Basic Spanish for everyday needs

by Jane Cronin

WELL, we are getting near the end, for the time being anyway, of that great topic ‘the recent and undefined past tense.’ The definition doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue, but I hope that those who have been reading these articles do actually know what I mean - which is an achievement in itself.

Of course our first aim should always be to learn Spanish that is of practical use so I thought we could tackle an everyday kind of question using our new tense and think about possible answers.

Obviously I don’t know who you mix with or what kind of conversations you have, so I’ve gone for a typical conversation gambit which we might all say or be faced with at some time. ¿Has estado en Inglaterra?

(Have you been to England?) ¿Has estado alguna vez en Gales?

(Have you ever been to Wales?) ¿Has visitado Madrid?

(Have you visited Madrid?) ¿Has visto la Alhambra?

(Have you seen the Alhambra palace?)

These are the kinds of things we ask people when we are getting to know

23

Have you ever been?

Do you know? them as we try to establish common ground.

Of course there is another variation to these questions which you will commonly use and hear. In English it is ‘Do you know …?’

Which in Spanish is ‘¿Conoces …?’ I might say to a Spanish person: ‘¿Has estado en Inglaterra?’ or ‘¿Conoces Inglaterra?’ - these two questions really amount to the same thing.

Here we are using the verb ‘conocer’ which we have translated as ‘know,’ but means this in the sense of ‘to be familiar with.’

This is different from the verb ‘saber’ which means to know facts. We can be familiar with places, people and also tunes, films or books, all of which would require the verb ‘conocer’ whereas to know statistics, directions or any other kind of information requires the verb ‘saber’ as in that long-standing favourite ‘no se’ (I don’t know).

Going back to the question above about Madrid, here are some possible responses. This example is more realistic for us as I know most of you have been to England many times. ¿Has estado en Madrid? ¿Conoces Madrid?

Si, he estado en Madrid.

(Yes, I’ve been to Madrid)

Si, conozco Madrid.

(Yes, I know Madrid) He estado ahi muchas veces.

(I’ve been there many times) He estado ahi una vez.

(I’ve been there once).

He estado ahi varias veces.

(I’ve been there several times) Me encanta.

(I love it) (This is the diplomatic response when talking to people from Madrid).

Hace mucho calor (It’s very hot) Hace mucho frio (It’s very cold) (Both statements are true, depending on the time of year).

He estado en la autovia pero no he visitado la ciudad.

(I’ve been on the motorway, but I haven’t visited the city).

He estado en el aeropuerto pero no conozco la ciudad.

(I’ve been in the airport, but I don’t know the city).

No, no he estado en Madrid.

(No I haven’t been to Madrid) No he estado nunca en Madrid.

(I have never been to Madrid) No conozco Madrid.

(I don’t know Madrid) (and now for that essential phrase aimed at improving diplomatic and neighbourly relations) ¡Pero me encantaria visitar Madrid algun dia!

(But I would love to visit Madrid some day!).

24

23rd Feb - 1st March

The making of a legend by Michael Walsh

keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com PRESIDENTS and premiers concede that media, rather than the ballot box, decide who rules parliaments. Media can break and they can make legends. One of mainstream’s most enduring creations was that of Nelson Mandela.

Indeed, media beatification of one of the world’s most toxic terrorists calls into question the integrity of western journalism.

It begs the question, if correspondents venerate such a proven mass murderer, what hope is there for humanity whatever colour its skin?

In mid-February South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma resigned.

Replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma was the latest in a string of South African presidents hopelessly mired in graft. We can be certain that western journalists will

continue to launder that benighted country’s recent history.

The sainthood conferred on Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013) was a lurid example of such chicanery.

Media’s cult of personality woven around Nelson Mandela equalled their beatification of Joe Stalin, their favourite and most blooddrenched Soviet dictator.

Nelson Mandela was convicted in a properly constituted court of law. The South African terrorist was under no duress and had the best defence counsel Moscow money could buy.

The leader of the African National Congress (ANC) pleaded guilty to 156 counts of public violence, including mobilising terrorist bombing campaigns, which planted bombs in public places.

Victims of the ANC’s terrorist outrages included people of all ethnicities; the Communist slogan being ‘the end justifies the means’.

That Mandela wasn’t deservedly hanged was the biggest mistake ever made by South African judiciary. His prison ‘embalming’ gave the Moscow-backed ANC time to whitewash his history a n d r e i n -

vent Mandela as a freedom fighttional debt douer. bled under Mandela.

His canonisation by the west’s Nelson Manliberal left brought about the dela was from the ridiculous reincarnation of Manmagical myth dela as a respectable and benevolent freedom fighter. we’re supposed to believe in. The That which occurred after Mandela assuming the presidency world has repackaged and rebranded him but posterity is leaves an indelible stain on the never politically correct.

Anti-Apartheid Movement, the church and media.

Nelson Mandela remains as he always was; a self-serving Once a terrorist always a terrorist; Mandela released thousands murderous terrorist. of criminals, murderers and rapists from jail every year to celebrate TRIBUTES: his birthday, his dictate unleashed To the late even more violence, chaos and Nelson death on the people of South Mandela in Africa.

London.

Over 100,000 people were murdered under Mandela’s presidency, an average of 25,000 people each year. This is well up from 170 each year under the system called separate racial development (apartheid 1948 - 1989).

During the first four years of h i s p r e s i d e n c y, t h e S o u t h African currency lost 80 per cent of its value and 2.8 million working days were lost due to strikes. The na- Photo Credit: John Pannell flickr

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

Listen to The Ace Band

Napkins to display anti-violence message IN a continued fight against the increase in gender violence in Spain in general, the municipality of Pedreguer are taking their own stand.

On March 8, all the bars in the area will be asked to distribute specially designed napkins featuring an image by Maria Segui that came second in a contest in 2016.

On the same date, two exhibitions will be opened including work done by girls and women in a number of winter workshops that have been held in Pedregeur.

THE ACE BAND: Hail from Calpe.

THERE are numerous bands playing around but The Ace Band who hail from Calpe are certainly a great five-piece who have been together for some time.

When friends play together, they gain an understanding of each other’s moods and ideas and although they play a huge range of music from the 70’s and 80’s with a number of more recent hits, they don’t just copy the originals.

Their set list is very wide and their influences include the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Stereophonics, ZZ Top, The Commitments, Zutons, Eric Clapton, Oasis and plenty more, so every performance is guaranteed to include songs that everybody knows and loves.

Whilst many of their regular gigs are in the Costa Blanca, the band which consists of Felipe Cortijo (bass), Paco Mulet (guitar), Kiko Corona (keyboards), Paco Moncholi (drums and guitar) and Dave Marriott (singer) have also been invited to travel within Europe and their last European venture took them to Belgium.

This band is guaranteed to liven up anywhere that they play and regularly attract large audiences to club and bar venues as well as appearing at outdoor performances including last year’s Calpe Fair.

To learn more about this exceptional band and to see some of their videos visit www.facebook.com/ pg/The-Ace-Band.

New app at the heart of the matter UP until now, the detection and subsequent monitoring of certain heart conditions have only been possible using very expensive and complex devices.

However, Dr Carlos Mulet, who currently works in Gata de Gorgos, has developed a mobile app that has taken three years of work. Other equipment has been able to monitor heart rates for some time, but Dr Mulet’s is capable of detecting atrial fibrillation... a condition that, if not controlled, can result in both heart conditions and cause blood clots to form.

It’s estimated that more than one million people in Spain have the condition.

26

23rd Feb - 1st March

legal

by Gonzalo Blanco www.blancolawfirm.com available in all Costa Blanca and inland with offices in Denia and Xativa THE certificate of occupancy licence or licence of second occupation is a document included in Law 3/2004, of June 30, of the Generalitat, entitled Ordenaciรณn y Fomento de la Calidad de la Edificaciรณn (LOFCE).

What is it?

The certificate of habitability or occupation licence certifies that an existing home complies with the technical regulations on habitability, and is necessary to formalise rental and sale contracts, and to register for water, electricity and gas services or to restore said services in the case of their being withdrawn previously for whatever reason.

The document is useful since it means we can be sure that the property complies with all legal requirements regarding urban planning in accordance with current regulations.

This is why we always recommend obtaining the certificate.

Is it necessary to have an Occupation Licence to buy a property?

However, that said, not having a licence is actually quite common. The important thing is to know if the property may or may not obtain it. There are cases where it was simply not requested and is not a major problem beyond the cost of obtaining it now.

To properly assess the risk, it is important to find out before the signature if there is an impediment to being granted the licence, for example, if the developer has not finished the roads, or they are smaller or greater than the established norm, or they have not finished the public lighting of the zone, etc.

When is it mandatory?

The Habitability Certificate is mandatory in the following cases, since 2007: To connect water, light and gas supplies.

To register a new build is obligatory For the purchase/sale of second-hand houses it is not obligatory, but highly recommended if you want to ensure your house is fully legal.

What data is included in it?

Address of the property and the province where it is located.

Usable square metres.

Interior composition of the house (rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living room).

The recommended number of occupations established by corresponding municipality.

Concession and expiration date.

In a Certificate of Habitability, the name of the owner of the dwelling never appears How long is it valid?

The duration or validity that is assigned to certificate from the concession is between five to 10 years, depending on the municipality in which it was requested.

Once the Habitability Certificate has expired, the same procedures that were carried originally will be followed, whilst including any modifications that the composition of the dwelling may have experienced over the years.

Keep in mind that in many homes the extensions or modifications made during these years may not comply with current planning and cannot be legalised, which could become a problem when selling the property What paperwork do I have to complete?

There are two types of procedures: Certificate of first occupation (when it is a new build).

Certificate of second occupation or existing building (when the house is not newly built or when the order has expired).

When renting a house, the owner has to provide the number of the Habitability Certificate. In the case of not having it, they have the duty to obtain it, since that number should appear in the rental contract.

The seller has to deliver the original Habitability Certificate.

It is important to obtain the certificate or you will not be able to connect electricity, water and gas services from suppliers.

Gonzalo Blanco Legal Lawyers registered at Icaalmeria nยบ 2717 Gonzalo Blanco Marques de Campo 58 Denia. Alicante Reina 21,1 Xativa. Valencia http://lawyerblanco.blogspot.com.es/ Tel: 678 873 844

23rd Feb - 1st March

27

legal

Q A Q A

Will I still be able to get a pension from the UK after Brexit?

I have lived in Spain for more than 10 years and my friend said that I will have it frozen?

No not at all. The system for calculating pensions will remain the same.

AND will I still have the right to use the Spanish health service?

Yes, provided you are registered in Spain and have requested healthcare cover because of limited income, if you are not working.

by IGNACIO PELLICER MOLLÁ & PEDRO HEREDIA ORTIZ

LAWYERS

Q A

AND will I lose the right to stay in Spain?

No not at all. British citizens remain entitled to the right to enter and move freely throughout the territory of the European Union, either because they are considered ‘similar’ to EU citizens or because they pass the general arrangements for foreigners in Spain.

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

23rd Feb - 1st March

29

money

COULD it get any worse? Every time a politician opens his mouth to speak, it is a different story.

All I know is that it is becoming a bit of a dangerous farce. There are so many issues and differences to be discussed and many agreements to be made. One example is Northern Ireland, I cannot see an easy resolution happening here and when did the Irish ever resolve anything quickly, especially when it comes to border control and customs.

There have been many warnings of the effects of coming out of the EU, but especially the customs union and trade agreements. These warnings do not seem to be taken on board and there is a mountain to cross regarding the negotiations. I think if I lived in the UK I would be making an exodus to live elsewhere in Europe whilst I had the chance to do it relatively easily, making Spain one of the first choices.

I understand there are a number of people panicking about being able to stay in Spain. I have no fears whatsoever, as both Rajoy, the Prime Minster, his Foreign Minister and the Consulate have assured us that we are very welcome to stay (of course we are - the economy would drop enormously without us).

The advice given by the Consulate is to request your Residencia as soon as possible and they are advising that to do this you must have proof of healthcare and if you are not entitled to state healthcare, you need private health insurance, with a certificate which must be presented and approved by the police.

My company can provide you with this certificate when you purchase and complete payment of a health insurance policy. All my offices

Could it get any worse?

by Jennifer Cunningham

can assist you with this process, with the applications then forwarded to my head office and the application for your health certificate processed.

I am a little disturbed by many applying for this certificate and after a year, cancelling the policy. Unless you are accepted into the state health system, you will, of course, not have any cover at all in Spain. At this moment it is not illegal to be without health insurance whilst living in Spain but it is very foolish. Accidents and illness happen far too frequently to be without cover.

The costs can be high, depending on the illness and if you are unable to pay the invoice you will find yourself with embargoes on your home or bank account.

The other situation you could find yourself in, is needing to reapply for health insurance and you find yourself in another age bracket, or have

a pre-existing condition, which will both increase the premiums and the pre-existing condition could affect your coverage. Another issue with the state health care is the huge waiting lists and the pressure on the resources. So take care.

Currently I am relaunching expat services and have introduced a new service which is named after my sound advice programme on Bay Radio Jennifer’s Sound Advice Surgeries, starting in my Javea and Els Poblets offices and extending to the southern offices shortly.

I have selected very trusted professionals, who are all fully regulated, to work alongside me, offering their experience of living and working in Spain and what is required to do so. This includes solicitors, financial advisors, currency exchange and a structural surveyor.

Two pieces of advice I can give you now is to go to a solicitor when you are thinking of purchasing a property and make sure your solicitor is independent, especially when buying off plan or a new build. This advice will be invaluable, before you even start looking for a property.

When you need any insurance, always go to a specialist, not your bank or solicitor, as in all probability the result will be a Spanish policy, not a policy tailored for the expats, which my company specialises in. This particularly applies to life insurance.

The premiums could be far higher than nec-

essary and you may not be sure of exactly what is covered. When purchasing mortgage protection, a medical may be necessary and if you are not offered this and have a condition, your estate may have problems when trying to claim.

It is that time of year again where we are thinking of going on holiday, camping, travelling, hotels or cruises. My company has an excellent policy which you can pay in sterling, which has many benefits, especially the optional extras when you go on a cruise.

The cover includes if you are confined to your cabin due to illness, miss pre-booked excursions or for missing ports or connections during your trip. Of course, all the normal cover of lost luggage, illness, repatriation and being able to speak to someone in your own language, is always beneficial.

For those who live near the Els Poblets office, where the renewal department is based, I require a part time sales consultant to sell general insurance. Sales experience is necessary and other languages would be an advantage.

Please send your CV to accounts@jennifercun ningham.net.

For more information, please contact one of my offices or email info@jennifercun ningham.net and to book an appointment for the Sound Advice Surgery, email: in fo@expatservicesspain.net.

FRIDAY 5:00am 7:00am 10:15am 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 11:35pm 12:25am

Winter Olympics Breakfast Winter Olympics BBC News at One BBC London News Doctors The Coroner Escape to the Country Get Away for Winter Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Six Nations Rugby Union BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Graham Norton Show The Young Offenders

7:00am Winter Olympics 10:15am Animal Park Summer Special 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Bargain Hunt 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Winter Olympics 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Winter Olympics 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Wild Cameramen at Work 10:00pm An Island Parish 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am While We're Young 1:35am Panorama 2:05am Animals with Cameras 3:05am Horizon 4:05am Royal Recipes 4:50am Weather for the Week Ahead

9:35am Rusty Rivets 9:55am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05am Mofy 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Cowboy Builders 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm A Sister's Nightmare 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Wine Show 9:00pm Celebrity Five Go Barging 10:00pm Cruising with Jane McDonald 11:00pm Will and Grace 11:30pm Joan Rivers: By Her Friends

4:20am The Midwife 6:30am The Great Wall: Special 7:00am Dive Olly Dive and the Octopus Rescue 8:35am Killing Hasselhoff 10:10am Freehold 11:45am Dive Olly Dive and the Octopus Rescue 1:20pm Birth of the Dragon 3:10pm Fast and Furious 8 The crew must ride to the rescue when Dominic Toretto is blackmailed by a hitech terrorist.

5:40pm Roxxy 7:30pm Killing Hasselhoff 9:00pm Birth of the Dragon 10:50pm Fast and Furious 8 1:10am Freehold 2:40am Jarhead 3: The Siege 4:20am The Midwife

10:30am Caraboa Cup Highlights 11:00am La Liga Show 11:30am EFL Matters 12:00pm EFL Midweek Goals: Championship 12:30pm EFL Greatest Games 12:45pm EFL Greatest Games 1:00pm League Cup Final 2015 2:00pm Caraboa Cup Highlights 2:30pm Caraboa Cup Highlights 3:00pm League Cup Final 2016 4:00pm Caraboa Cup Highlights 4:30pm Caraboa Cup Highlights 5:00pm League Cup Final 2017 6:00pm La Liga Preview 7:00pm SPFL Matters 7:30pm EFL Matters 8:00pm Football

7:50am Couples Come Dine with Me 8:50am Couples Come Dine with Me 9:55am Don't Tell the Bride Ireland 11:00am The Goldbergs 11:35am The Goldbergs 12:05pm The Goldbergs 12:35pm The Goldbergs 1:05pm The Goldbergs 1:35pm The Big Bang Theory 2:05pm The Big Bang Theory 2:35pm The Big Bang Theory 3:10pm The Big Bang Theory 3:40pm The Big Bang Theory 4:10pm The Big Bang Theory 4:40pm The Big Bang Theory 5:10pm The Big Bang Theory 5:40pm The Big Bang Theory 6:10pm The Big Bang Theory 6:40pm The Big Bang Theory 7:10pm The Big Bang Theory 7:40pm The Big Bang Theory 8:15pm Men in Black II

6:10am 6:35am 7:00am 11:05am

Divine Designs Wildlife SOS Milkshake!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Make You Laugh Out Loud Police Interceptors Police Interceptors Police Interceptors Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

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

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

Rich House, Poor House The Wonderful World of Puppies Cruising with Jane McDonald Britannia: Secrets of the Royal Yacht 5 News

4:20am 6:30am 7:00am 8:55am

The Midwife Special Roxxy Dive Olly Dive and the Octopus Rescue Fast and Furious 8 The crew must ride to the rescue when Dominic Toretto is blackmailed by a hitech terrorist.

The Mummy The Mummy: Special Birth of the Dragon Dive Olly Dive and the Octopus Rescue Monster Family: Special Fast and Furious 8 The Mummy Birth of the Dragon Killing Hasselhoff Freehold

6:00am League Cup Final 2017 7:00am League Cup Final 2015 8:00am League Cup Final 2016 9:00am League Cup Final 2017 10:00am EFL Greatest Games 10:15am EFL Greatest Games 10:30am SPFL Matters 11:00am Soccer A.M. 12:30pm SPFL Matters 1:00pm Football 3:30pm Gillette Soccer Saturday 4:15pm Gillette Soccer Saturday 6:15pm Football 8:40pm Football 10:45pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 11:00pm EFL Goals: Championship 11:30pm League Cup Final 2017

7:00am Hollyoaks Omnibus 9:20am Coach Trip 12:05pm Rude(Ish) Tube Shorts 12:20pm The Goldbergs 1:20pm Stuart Little 3:00pm The Goldbergs 4:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:00pm The Big Bang Theory 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm The Big Bang Theory 6:30pm The Big Bang Theory 7:00pm Young Sheldon 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Men in Black 3 10:00pm Celebs Go Dating 11:00pm Naked Attraction 12:10am The Big Bang Theory 12:40am The Big Bang Theory 1:05am Gogglebox 2:10am Celebs Go Dating

5:45am 6:10am 6:35am 7:00am

House Doctor Divine Designs Wildlife SOS Milkshake!

Programming aimed at children aged two to seven years old.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Football on 5 The Championship.

Football on 5 Goal Rush.

The Bridge at Remagen A Bridge Too Far Where Eagles Dare Football on 5 The Carabao Cup Final.

5 News Trainwreck Sex Tape

7:00am Dive Olly Dive and the Octopus Rescue 8:30am Fast and Furious 8 10:50am Birth of the Dragon 12:40pm Christine 2:45pm The Mummy After he inadvertently awakens an ancient Egyptian sorceress, renegade US soldier Nick Morton must race to save the world from her army of the undead.

Fantasy action.

4:40pm The Mummy: Special 5:00pm Fast and Furious 8 7:20pm Birth of the Dragon 9:00pm The Mummy 11:00pm Christine 1:05am Freehold

7:00am League Cup Final 2017 8:00am Caraboa Cup Highlights 10:00am EFL Goals: Championship 10:30am EFL Goals: League 11:00am The Sunday 12:30pm EFL Goals: Championship 1:00pm EFL Goals: League One and League Two 1:30pm La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 1:45pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 2:00pm Football 4:30pm Live Carabao Cup Final 8:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 8:40pm Football 10:45pm Carabao Cup Final Highlights

6:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm James Martin's American Adventure 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Love Your Garden 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Lethal Weapon 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather

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

4:50am 7:00am 10:25am 10:30am

ITV Nightscreen CITV ITV News Saturday Morning with James Martin Dancing on Ice ITV News and Weather Six Nations Live Ireland v Wales.

ITV News and Weather Local News and Weather The Chase Take Me Out Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway The Voice UK Through the Keyhole ITV News and Weather Lethal Weapon 4 Jackpot247

CITV ITV News Love Your Garden Peston on Sunday The Martin Lewis Money Show The Voice UK ITV News and Weather Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway What Would Your Kid Do? Tipping Point ITV News and Weather Local News and Weather The Chase Dancing on Ice Endeavour ITV News and Weather

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

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

SATURDAY 5:00am 7:00am 11:00am 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:10pm 2:15pm 5:00pm 8:00pm

8:10pm 8:13pm 8:15pm 9:20pm 10:10pm 11:10pm 11:25pm 11:30pm 12:55am 4:30am

Winter Olympics Breakfast Winter Olympics Football Focus BBC News Weather Winter Olympics Six Nations Rugby Union BBC News The latest national and international news stories, followed by Weather.

Regional News Weather All Together Now Casualty Troy: Fall of a City BBC News Weather Match of the Day Winter Olympics Winter Olympics

4:55am BBC News 7:00am Winter Olympics 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30pm The Hairy Bikers' Comfort Food 1:00pm Winter Olympics 2:15pm Escape to the Country 3:00pm Italy's Invisible Cities 4:00pm Nigel Slater's Middle East: Iran 5:00pm Trust Me, I'm a Doctor 5:30pm Final Score 6:30pm Tom Kerridge's Lose Weight for Good 7:00pm Hugh's Wild West 8:00pm Winter Olympics Today at the Games.

9:00pm David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm Judi Dench : All the World's Her Stage

12:25pm 2:20pm 2:30pm 5:30pm 5:50pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:30pm 10:50pm 11:45pm 12:05am 2:30am

11:35am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:55pm

10:25am

12:50pm 2:45pm 3:05pm 4:45pm 6:10pm 6:40pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 12:50am 2:25am

SUNDAY 7:00am Breakfast 8:30am Match of the Day 10:00am The Andrew Marr Show 11:00am The Big Questions 12:00pm Sunday Politics 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather for the Week Ahead 2:15pm Wanted Down Under 3:00pm Money for Nothing 3:45pm Get Away for Winter 4:30pm Songs of Praise 5:05pm Earth's Natural Wonders 6:05pm Earth's Natural Wonders 7:05pm BBC News 7:20pm Regional News

7:00am Winter Olympics 12:00pm Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony.

3:00pm Athletics 6:30pm Flog It! 7:00pm Back in Time for Tea 8:00pm Winter Olympics Today at the Games.

9:00pm Top Gear 10:00pm Life and Death Row Documentary series about the historic number of executions scheduled in Arkansas, USA. 11:15pm The Mash Report 11:45pm Top Gear Extra Gear 12:10am Cleverman Dark Clouds. Series 2, episode 3.

1:00am Women's Six Nations Highlights 1:30am Question Time

7:00am 10:25am 10:30am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:45pm 2:00pm 3:30pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 5:50pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm

10:30am 11:00am 11:50am 12:20pm 2:50pm 6:05pm 9:00pm 9:55pm 10:00pm 12:30am

23rd Feb - 1st March

RTN Life

Grant a Wish Boutique’s First Anniversary THE Grant a Wish boutique has turned over more than €14,000 during the past 12 months thanks to donations of staples like clothes and toys as well as luxury goods and new books, cards and jewellery.

This money goes to supporting a men’s shelter, an orphanage and a riding for the disabled project as well as individuals in need locally.

They wouldn’t be able to do this without the generosity of all who come and spend money with them.

They have now launched a new venture this month - the sale of original artworks by local artists one of whom is Billie Cook who donated all her work to Rod and Mallou from Galeria Marque in Javea Old Town.

They have given GAW some of her work to sell and the proceeds will be divided between the artist herself and GAW. Happily, one of her paintings was sold on the an-

FIRST ANNIVERSARY: Some delicious cakes were available.

niversary of the boutique.

Louise and Maxine, pictured with Niamh, a member of the Dream

Team, baked some delicious cakes to celebrate the charity’s first anniversary on Valentine’s Day.

31

MONDAY 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45pm Caught Red Handed 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Shakespeare and Hathaway 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Get Away for Winter 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Inside Out 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Classic Mary Berry 10:00pm MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News

7:30am Get Away for Winter 8:15am Escape to the Country 9:00am Info not available.

10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 12:30pm The Week in Parliament 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Women's Six Nations Highlights 2:30pm Perfection 3:15pm Yes Chef 4:00pm A Place to Call Home 4:55pm More Creatures Great and Small 5:25pm Simon Reeve Caribbean 6:25pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Top Gear 9:00pm Only Connect 9:30pm University Challenge

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 3:00pm James Martin's American Adventure 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm The Martin Lewis Money Show 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Marcella 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:50pm John Worboys: The Taxi Cab Rapist

7:00am Hollyoaks 8:00am Coach Trip 8:30am How I Met Your Mother 9:00am Baby Daddy 10:00am Melissa and Joey 11:00am How I Met Your Mother 12:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6:00pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Coach Trip 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm Young Sheldon 10:00pm Celebs Go Dating 11:00pm Celebrity First Dates Ep1 12:05am The Big Bang Theory 12:35am The Big Bang Theory

7:00am Milkshake!

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

1:10pm 5 News The latest news coverage.

1:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 2:10pm Access 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm Killer Obsession 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights 9:00pm Extreme Winter Road Rescue 10:00pm The Flying Scotsman 11:00pm The X Files 12:00am Elysium 2:00am Super Casino

7:00am Killing Hasselhoff 8:25am Monster Family: Special 8:55am Birth of the Dragon 10:45am Christine 12:55pm The Mummy After he inadvertently awakens an ancient Egyptian sorceress, renegade US soldier Nick Morton must race to save the world from her army of the undead.

2:55pm The Mummy: Special 3:15pm Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 5:00pm Birth of the Dragon 6:50pm Christine 9:00pm The Mummy 11:00pm Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 12:50am Roxxy

9:00am Football's Greatest 9:30am Football's Greatest Teams 10:00am La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 10:15am La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 10:30am La Liga Greatest Games 11:00am Football 5:15pm La Liga Icons: Falcao 5:30pm La Liga Greatest Games 6:00pm La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 6:15pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 6:30pm Football Countdowns 7:00pm 20 Years of El Clasico 7:45pm La Liga Icons 8:00pm Soccer A.M. 8:30pm La Liga Icons 8:45pm La Liga Greatest Games 8:55pm Football

4:35am 7:00am 7:30am 8:15am

4:55am ITV Nightscreen 6:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 3:00pm James Martin's American Adventure 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm 100 Year Old Driving School 9:00pm What Would Your Kid Do?

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

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 NCIS 4:15pm Killer Collector 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild 9:00pm Secrets of the National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh 10:00pm Elizabeth: Our Queen-the Crown Under Attack

5:35am Dive Olly Dive and the Octopus Rescue 7:00am Birth of the Dragon 8:40am Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 10:35am Monster Family: Special 11:05am The Mummy 1:10pm Christine 3:15pm Hard Target 5:15pm Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 7:10pm Birth of the Dragon 9:00pm The Mummy 11:00pm Hard Target 12:50am Christine 3:00am Freehold 4:35am Killing Hasselhoff

12:45pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 1:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:30pm Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits 2:00pm La Liga Icons 3:00pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 3:15pm SPFL Greatest Games 3:30pm Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits 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

TUESDAY 7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Murder, Mystery and My Family 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45pm Caught Red Handed 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Shakespeare and Hathaway 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Get Away for Winter 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News

9:00am 10:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:45pm 3:16pm 4:00pm 4:55pm 5:25pm 6:25pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

This is BBC Two Caught Red Handed Get Away for Winter Wanted Down Under Revisited Info not available Victoria Derbyshire BBC Newsroom Live The Daily Politics The Super League Show Plan it, Build it Yes Chef A Place to Call Home More Creatures Great and Small Simon Reeve Caribbean Flog It! Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Sea Cities

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

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

34

23rd Feb - 1st March

WEDNESDAY 1:35am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Murder, Mystery and My Family 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45pm Caught Red Handed 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Shakespeare and Hathaway 4:00pm Escape to the Country

9:00am Great British Railway Journeys 9:30am Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 12:30pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Perfection 2:45pm Plan it, Build it 3:16pm Yes Chef 4:00pm A Place to Call Home 4:50pm More Creatures Great and Small 5:20pm Simon Reeve Caribbean 6:20pm Flog It!

4:50am ITV Nightscreen 6:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 3:00pm James Martin's American Adventure 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather

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

7:00am

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

11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm

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

5:45am 6:10am 6:35am 7:00am 10:15am 12:15pm

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

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

1:10pm 1:15pm 2:10pm 2:15pm 2:45pm 3:20pm 4:20pm 6:00pm 6:30pm

House Doctor Divine Designs Wildlife SOS Milkshake!

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

5 News GPs: Behind Closed Doors Access Home and Away Neighbours NCIS Left for Dead 5 News Neighbours

4:35am Killing Hasselhoff 6:10am Top Ten Show, the 2018 6:30am Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Special 7:00am Christine 9:05am Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 11:00am Hard Target 12:50pm The Mummy 2:50pm Christine 4:50pm Birth of the Dragon 6:40pm Monster Family: Special 7:10pm Hard Target

9:00am MLS Preview Show 9:30am Football's Greatest Teams 10:00am Scottish Cup Greatest Games 10:15am Scottish Cup Greatest Games 10:30am La Liga Greatest Games 10:45am La Liga Greatest Games 11:00am Football 1:05pm Revista de la Liga 1:30pm La Liga World 2:00pm La Liga Icons 2:15pm La Liga Icons: Zidane 2:30pm La Liga Icons

7:00am Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 8:55am Hard Target 10:45am The Unseen 12:45pm The Mummy 2:50pm Birth of the Dragon 4:40pm Monster Family: Special 5:10pm Hard Target 7:10pm Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant 9:00pm The Mummy 11:00pm The Unseen 12:50am Birth of the Dragon

10:30am La Liga Greatest Games 11:00am Eredivisie 12:00pm One2eleven 12:30pm SPFL Greatest Games 12:45pm SPFL Greatest Games 1:00pm Football's Greatest 1:30pm Football's Greatest Teams 2:00pm La Liga Icons 3:00pm Eredivisie 4:00pm Football's Greatest 4:30pm Football's Greatest Teams

THURSDAY 7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Murder, Mystery and My Family 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45pm Caught Red Handed 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Shakespeare and Hathaway 4:00pm Escape to the Country

7:00am 7:30am 8:15am

Caught Red Handed Get Away for Winter Wanted Down Under Revisited 9:00am Earth's Natural Wonders 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Perfection 2:45pm Plan it, Build it 3:15pm Yes Chef 4:00pm A Place to Call Home 4:50pm More Creatures Great and Small

Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm James Martin's American Adventure 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News

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

Shimmer and Shine Floogals Digby Dragon Rusty Rivets Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05am Mofy 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

talk to us

RTN welcomes Readers’ views for publication in its Letters to the Editor section. All letters by email or post should carry the writer’́s address, and contact number, though only the name and town will be published.

Email letters to admin@rtnnewspaper.com with your full name and address

this week weather FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU Feb 23 Feb 24 Feb 25 Feb 26 Feb 27 Feb 28 March 1 15º/2ºC 17º/6ºC 19º/10ºC 20º/11ºC 16º/11ºC 14º/6ºC 18º/7ºC Abundant sunshine

Sunny

Partly sunny

Cooler and Cooler and a little rain a little rain

Plenty of clouds

Cloudy and a little rain

36

23rd Feb - 1st March

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

Play on Words

Answers: Cheap at half the price. Diamond in the rough.

Word Wheel

All’s fair in love and war as Venus squares on Mars in a midweek tryst. Agree to disagree, but do what you can to stop the current nonsense you seem to be implicated in! In hindsight you would never have got involved in the first place; but now you really need to be able to walk away with your head held high, while you can.

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?

An inspiring Venus takes on Jupiter in trine this week, bringing a rewarding time in which problems are sent packing and a fresh start beckons. Your dearest friends and family are your real treasure right now, and their invaluable support has seen you safely through. Enjoy finding the right way for you all to celebrate together.

Check out all financial issues before a drama becomes a crisis this week. Mercury conjuncts Neptune and it is time to have a re think over expenditure, as economies are sought and the belt needs to be tightened. Money comes and money goes, but somehow now you have to work around making some funds stick around you.

Be firm, be assertive, but be you, as it is career changes that are on the cards right now. The Sun aspects on illuminating the way to your future independence and accomplishment as a result. There is clarity in content and mystery in cahoots to bring you nothing but the best; the good result that you deserve.

Sextiling wily Saturn, the Sun starts the week in tandem with Ceres, planet of order and rhythm. Saturn bids erring on the side of caution, however, simply because someone is calling the shots and you may not have all the right answers to their questions. Ceres brings you a chance to tread water now, and to stall until the time is right.

Mercury squares up to Mars at the end of a week in which you have made significant progress, and not before time.

Mercury seems to have miraculously steered things nicely in your direction; and Mars brings you the powerful backing that you need to support your venture, just now. What comes next will be the icing on the cake!

Venus sextiles Pluto and emotions from a strong relationship allow you to look deeply within your consciousness right now. A deepening intensity comes from the combined aspects of both love and passion with a partner who seems to have got their act together; and who now finally knows what it takes to tango!

No time for a sting in your tail this week, as your skills are badly needed to bring peace and tranquillity to a situation which is starting to veer out of control. You are highly intuitive and psychic, and though you are being sorely tested right now, you also provide the energy of healing for others who need it.

The current Venus trine sees Jupiter bringing comfort where there is pain, and result where there is conflict. Your stubbornness has seen to it that there will be no lasting effects or repercussions, and yet the past weeks can’t have been very easy for you. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel shining for you.

Your creativity and artistry come to the fore this week as the Sun sextiles Saturn and logic prevails. This is the very best of times for you to show others what you can do; with an added advice that above all, you are not to be messed with.

Whilst you set limits to others you are free yourself to take on whatever comes next!

Taking everything into consideration you have done a good job and now is a good a time as any to start to reap the benefits. This week sees you being offered something that sounds like it is too good to be true, but this is heralding a time when you are guided towards finding some awe inspiring, life changing alternatives!

Neptune conjuncts with Mercury and this fortunate timing should be used to your advantage. Rather than to just wait for something to come your way get out there and do whatever it is that you do best. Creative energies are at the front of showcasing your many talents, but whatever you do, leave no stone unturned.

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 18 represents K and 26 represents T, so fill in K every time the figure 18 appears and T every time the figure 26 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Kenny’s Postbag Kenny, my family do not support my spiritual beliefs. They either laugh at me, or they make out that I am silly or weird. What can I do to change their minds?

Karen V. Do nothing Karen! Your beliefs are not going to change, and neither should they. Your family have absolutely no right to treat you this way.

The very least they could do would be to respect your spiritual connection and be happy for you. If they cannot do this, and be gracious, then they aren’t worth the waste of your time, or mine. At least you believe in something, and it’s something very special too!

Kenny Corris

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

For Birthday Celebrants In this Astrological year ahead of you, be sure to look for that loophole that can really take you to where you have to go. Any opportunities that come your way are what they are, but it’s what you make out of them that really matters!

The 9 letter word is:

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

23rd Feb - 1st March

More Puzzles Cryptic

Across 1 Praise being late out, about 10 (5) 4 Agreeable weather forecast but fear it’s wrong (3,4) 8 Refuse to leave book in service station (7) 9 River in industrial heartland (5) 10 Residential areas, surely part of rally (8) 11 Not quite prepare to deliver (4) 13 Resourceful club opens bar (6) 14 Lashes out in scuffle (6) 17 Small and frequently gentle (4) 19 In the interim, meet main engineer (8) 22 Die surrounded by gold? Goodbye (5) 23 Allowed to be clever in the end (7) 24 Give the right back, some felt it needed it (7) 25 Discourage in foreign trade territory (5)

English - Spanish

Futoshiki

Down 1 Man seen in enchanted garden (5) 2 Area of ground needs new form of care over time (7) 3 Meet star model American truck driver (8) 4 The odds against listeners having weapons (6) 5 Grind? Put right finally with lubrication (4) 6 Join the French, become confused! (5) 7 Remainder live outside Uruguay (7) 12 Obtains help that had been denied (8) 13 Fall of scoundrel in lawsuit (7) 15 Pan ability by alien (7) 16 Points to Rene being calm (6) 18 Fashionable to be covered in fat? That's hard to see (5) 20 Spanish and German articles for a church official (5) 21 Yearn for some blustery weather (4)

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

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

Across 1 Huertos (8) 7 Key (typewriter/piano) (5) 8 Tiza (para escribir, de billar) (5) 9 Purses (for money) (9) 11 Cap (hat) (5) 12 Novia (en boda) (5) 14 Acera (8)

Down 1 See 13 2 Puppy (8) 3 Housewife (3,2,4) 4 December (9) 5 Chiste (4) 6 Manzanilla (8) 10 Water (4) 13/1 Comer fuera (3,3)

Quick

Across 1 Alternatives (7) 5 Produce or yield flowers (5) 8 Not tight (5) 9 At ease (7) 10 Weds (7) 11 Change place or direction (5) 12 Strikes repeatedly (5) 14 Tender and brittle (5) 19 Below (5) 21 Rotate (7) 23 Violent windstorm (7) 24 Person who strives to equal or excel another (5) 25 Country in northeast Africa (5) 26 Being of delicate or thin build (7) Down 1 Upright cylinder, used as support or adornment (6) 2 Aroma (5) 3 Person authorised to dispense medicinal drugs (7) 4 Emphasise (6) 5 Foundation, or that on which a thing rests (5) 6 Beginnings (7) 7 Having great strength (6) 13 Aged (7) 15 Change to the contrary (7) 16 Tenuous, slight (6) 17 Mistakes (6) 18 Basement (6) 20 Show a response to something (5) 22 Held dear (5)

37

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?

STAR 1 2 3 4

FOOL

Sudoku

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

23rd Feb - 1st March

39

health Children born later are taller and have more education IF you want to have successful children have them later in life, as a study has revealed that children born to older mothers are healthier, taller and obtain more education.

Women have often been told not to leave motherhood too late as it can increase the chance of Down Syndrome in the baby, and hypertension and diabetes, and whilst not disputing this, the London School of Economics’ research claims there are also some benefits.

Their study used data from 1.5 million Swedish people born between 1960 - 1991 to examine the relationship between maternal age at the time of birth, height, physical fitness, grades in high school and educational achievements.

Turning off the internet at night BEING connected to the internet 24 hours a day has its pros, but when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, it can cause major disruptions.

Specialist in Neurophysiology and Sleep Disorders in Alicante, Javier Brualla, said using social media and things like WhatsApp delays the onset of sleep and also makes sleep of a lower quality, being less deep and restful.

The use of electronic devices before bedtime causes what is called ‘insomnia conciliation,’ a delay in the onset of sleep due to two factors: firstly, the generation of continuous stimuli to ‘interact’ with these tools, at a time when it should be disconnected and preparing for a gradual transition to sleep action.

Secondly the blue light emitted by the screens is also reported to reduce the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that is a sleep facilitator.

New fibre bond technology for teeth THIS week in Clinic Britannia we have been very busy with one of our new procedures. We have had a number of patients with mobile teeth due to gum disease.

Gum disease is the most common disease in the world after dental decay. In susceptible individuals the bodies immune system reacts to toxins produced by certain bacteria.

This results in the bone around the teeth reducing and over time can cause loosening of the teeth.

Due to our new fibre bond technology we have managed to splint the teeth together to hold them in place for many years to come as long as regular dental hygiene visits are maintained. Benefits of this is you keep your own teeth and avoid a denture, it’s done in one visit

TOOTH REPLACEMENT: With no damage to adjacent teeth. and it’s low cost.

If you have any mobile teeth or are worried about gum disease, call us for a free consultation to see if this low cost treatment is suitable for you.

E mail them 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).

What is a chemical peel?

MANY people have ageing spots or pigmentation in the skin, which normally appear after the age of 35. A lot of products are promised to heal this skin condition, but it rarely gives changing results.

The medical chemical peels are the solution for your problems of ageing spots, but also for wrinkles, dehydration, lack of luminosity, and acne problems.

Chemical peeling is a simple technique used to improve the appearance of the skin through the accelerated renewal of the most superficial layers of the skin and the repair of the deep layers.

What results do you get from peeling?

- decreases the depth of wrinkles and firms the skin - removes stains and homogenises skin tone - controls the excess of fat and the inflammation of acne prone skin and acne - reduces scars, acne marks and stretch marks - revitalises and moisturises the skin - lightens dark circles They have several types of peeling, depending on the depth of the problem.

- Superficial - treats fine wrinkles, oily skin and dilated pores, non-uniform colour, dehydration, lack of luminosity, dark circles - Middle - treats wrinkles, spots, scars and stretch marks - Deep - treats flaccidity, severe spots, deep scars The best time to do peelings is in the winter, as sun exposure can be very damaging to the skin. At Derma Clinic Spain they always take their patients commands seriously, and they will treat you with the peeling that is most suitable for your skin. If you have any questions, please call, or make a free first consultation.

Derma Clinic Spain are located at Camino del Pincho 2,1, 03580, L’Alfaz del Pi, Alicante For more information call 674 255 579 or email info@dermaclinicspain.com. Alternatively see their Facebook page facebook.com/DermaClinicSpain

40

23rd Feb - 1st March

food & drink

Denia tapas route continues into next month THE 12th Denia Ruta de Tapas (Tapas Route) is now underway and carries on until and including Sunday March 11.

For this year, the Ruta de Tapas de Denia organised by GuiaME Comunicacio, Turismo Denia and the Association of Hotel and Tourism Businessmen of the Marina Alta (AEHTMA) - will be limited to 40 participating venues.

All the bars and restaurants taking part must serve exactly the same tapas, all at the same portion size, which appear in the official photograph promoting the venue. The price is also the same for every place throughout the duration of the tapas route - set at €3 - and includes a glass of wine, beer or vermouth.

Both the members of the public that participate in the gastronomic feast that is the Tapas Route and the venues that take part will be rewarded; this year with even better prizes thanks to the involvement of some new collaborators.

The venue voted in first place will receive a trip for two people to Ibiza sponsored by the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs of Denia. Likewise, the AEHTMA prize awarded by a professional jury rather than the

GASTRONOMY: Prizes on offer for the best tapa and for the most loyal customers. visitors - will consist of a commemorative plaque and one-night’s stay at La Font d’Alcalà Hotel in Alcalà de la Jovada.

Those enjoying the tapas available will also be eligible to go into a draw by completing a ‘passport’ with a minimum of 15 accumulated points. Prizes on offer include a tapas dinner for two people in the restaurants that finish first and second on the route, and a dinner and a night in a hotel. Participants that obtained 40 points or more also enter a separate draw for a €500 gift card from the Portal de la Marina shopping centre.

42

23rd Feb - 1st March

Sweet Basil The King of Herbs

IF you have a Mediterranean garden of any size or even just space for a few pot plants, then you should seriously consider growing a Basil plant (Ocimum basilicum).

It is one of the most popular herbal plants in the Mediterranean for a number of reasons. There is a large number of Basil type species and varieties with a range of uses, forms and flavours from all around the world.

Its use dates back thousands of years with its earliest reference in Indian literature where the Indian Sacred Basil is recognised as holy plant. The stem is used to make the prayer beads for the reciting of mantras on a mala, in a similar way to the rosary. It is widely grown in temples and Indian home gardens for its various benefits. It is not widely used in Indian cuisine but is popular in Thai cooking.

The most popular species in the Mediterranean however is the Sweet Basil. Spanish, Italian and Greek cooking would not be the

Photo Credit: Junksignal flickr

home & garden Sweet Basil in a pot

same without Sweet Basil.

Having a plant allows you to add fresh leaves to garnish and flavour a wide range of recipes to give them a Mediterranean flavour.

The leaves can be dried to bring out more flavours before adding to recipes or used as a herbal tea between meals.

Basil is also used to make essential oils with many benefits and for flavouring vinegar.

The Spanish have a tradition of placing the small leaved Basil (Albahaca) on window sills to keep away flys and mosquitoes. The leaves can also be used to make a natural insect repellant just by using leaves prepared with water and alcohol.

Placing leaves in the bath will make it more refreshing and may relieve mental fatigue. A few leaves can also be placed in a glass of wine and left to steep for a while to add more flavour to the wine.

Basil has been used in herbal and ayervedic medicine for a wide range of benefits.

Just having a plant in the garden, on the balcony or window sill adds aroma to the environment that is refreshing and wholesome.

In the garden they can used as border plants that will make a stroll through the garden more worthwhile.

It is easy to grow but is generally an annual, unless in tropical like conditions with year round warmth. It grows quickly from spring to autumn in the Mediterranean. It can be grown from seed in a well drained rich soil, in a position with plenty of sunlight

to partial shade.

Plants are readily available in plant nurseries or even some supermarkets. A range of interestingly different varieties are available from seed suppliers.

Basil will need the soil to be kept moist but not waterlogged to keep it at its best.

The name Basil is derived from Greek origin meaning Royal or Kingly plant. It is sometimes known as Saint-Joseph’s-wort. Wort meaning a plant that has been recognised as food or medicinally beneficial.

There is little doubt that it is the King of Herbs.

23rd Feb - 1st March

pets

Your dog and your new baby GRADUALLY introduce changes in your dog’s routine as soon as you know a baby is on the way. If a dog does not connect the changes with the baby’s arrival, it has less reason to be jealous.

Here are a few changes to introduce: 1. Your dog should not be the centre of attention at all times, and should not sit on your lap, (if at all) only when invited by you.

2. Get your dog used to being away from you, sometimes in another room, or an indoor kennel, never in the nursery.

3. Take a refresher course at a training school, and think about practice walks with the pram, it can be trickier than it sounds!

4. Check with your vet about canine hygiene and worming.

When your baby is born your dog may be left for hours while you are in hospital, or upset by the excitement if you are at home.

Arrange for someone the dog knows to look after and walk them.

It is an old wives’ tale that letting your dog drink breast milk or play with dirty nappies will help your dog and baby to become friends, but sending home a blanket that the baby has slept on may help your dog to get used to the baby’s scent.

When you come home let someone else hold your ba-

CHANGES: If introduced early, your dog has less reason to be jealous.

by while you greet your dog, introduce them later when he is calm.

Do not try to keep your dog and baby completely apart, you won’t be able to keep it up! Teach them both to interact calmly and gently, no licking by the dog or grabbing by the child.

Never ever leave dogs alone with babies or young children. Shut your dog out of the room or pop the baby in a secure playpen. This applies every time you use the bathroom, answer the door or phone, or have a meal.

It is not a matter of ‘trust’.

Toddlers can accidentally injure or alarm dogs (eg by falling on them) and startled dogs may react impulsively, lashing out or biting.

Your dog may have to wait in the queue for love but they still need you.

Always having the baby nearby when giving him attention encourages your dog to accept having the baby around.

The most tolerant dog needs peace and quiet sometimes, a place it can escape to without being followed (eg the bed). Allow the child to go there at other times to prevent it becoming an exclusive area

which he feels entitled to defend.

When your baby starts to crawl and walk teach your dog to step back out of their way in doorways and on stairs.

43

44

23rd Feb - 1st March

AIRPORT PARKING

ELECTRICIAN

INSURANCE

www.dragonreforms.com Tel 966 807 098. Free quotes given. (256718)

TV & SATELLITE

METAL WORKS MOBILE WELDING SERVICE Gates, rejas, railings etx. 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)

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

Satellite and TV accessories available 965 838 225 info@skylinesat.com (254325)

BUILDING SERVICES www.dragonreforms.com Tel 966 807 098. Free quotes given. (256718)

BUILDERS

CARPENTRY www.dragonreforms.com Tel 966 807 098. Free quotes given. (256718)

DAMP www.dragonreforms.com Tel 966 807 098. Free quotes given. (246715)

COLUMNIST

PLUMBERS

www.dragonreforms.com Tel 966 807 098. Free quotes given. (256718)

INSURANCE BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English.

BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (whatsapp) info@benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialin suranceinspain.com for online quote. (259023)

PLUMBING

SPANISH COURSES

POOLS

45

23rd Feb - 1st March TV & SATELLITE

SITUATIONS VACANT

REMOVALS & STORAGE

SITUATIONS VACANT

XXX RELAX

Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Puzzle answers Wordwheel ad ai an ar na ado aid ain air and ani

Cryptic

arc cad can car dan oar oca oda ora rad rai

Codebreaker ran ria acid airn arco arid cadi caid cain card carn

ciao coca coda cran darn dona inca iran naoi narc nard

Quick

orad orca raid rain rand rani road roan acorn acrid adorn

andro aroid caird cairn canid circa cnida cocoa coria danio daric

dinar draco drain nadir narco naric nicad noria racon radio radon

ranid accord anodic candor cardio cardon cocain corona dacron dorian inroad

ordain racoon rancid acronic cardoon raccoon cancroid coracoid draconic accordion

Kakuro

Word Ladder GOLD GOAD ROAD READ REAL SEAL or GOLD BOLD BOLL BELL SELL SEAL or GOLD HOLD HELD HELL SELL SEAL

Sudoku

English-Spanish

Futoshiki

46

23rd Feb - 1st March

motoring CITROEN has dropped hints about what to expect from their next large car.

The manufacturer has said it will depart from traditional saloon car designs and instead take inspiration from its SUV range.

Movement on plans for large cars follows a hiatus in the company’s focus on them, with production of the C5 halting in 2017.

“We will replace the C5,” Citroen’s boss Linda Jackson said. “We want a large car but that’s not our priority right now. SUVs are.

It will be a breath of fresh

New Citroen saloon ‘a breath of fresh air’ air.”

It is believed they will take cues from the C4 cactus, which was equipped with hydraulic bump stop suspension to make its ride comfier.

Jackson said the company’s CXperience concept model was an attempt to show that large cars could break with design tradition.

Xavier Peugeot, Citroen’s product director,

FRESH DESIGN: The company first exhibited its CXperience concept car in October 2016.

told British media the classic saloon car design was nearly dead in Europe.

“We need to reinvent it and make it as modern and attractive as our SUV range. If your saloon is classical or traditional, I’m afraid you’re in trouble,” he said.

Drivers in the clear about speed limits SPANISH police have publicly revealed the precise speed at which drivers will be caught on camera.

It has been a cause for public concern for some time but now traffic police have gone on social media to set the record straight.

The Guardia Civil has confirmed on Twitter that if the speed limit is 50 km/h, 80 km/h or 100 km/h the camera will trigger at 57 km/h, 87 km/h and 107 km/h.

But from 101 km/h upwards the leeway is 7 per cent of the driver’s speed, so if the speed limit is 110 km/h the devices will be triggered at 117.7 km/h.

The Guardia Civil has also used the opportunity to remind drivers that ‘the road is not a racetrack.’

23rd Feb - 1st March

47

sport

FORTY-ONE players including five guests, Jim Hayward, Peter Jackson, Doug Emson, Roy Jones and Iain Chapman turned up the Stableford competition, a cold start as usual but the weather warmed up into a beautiful day.

The results for Division 2 were as follows: 1st place John Evans with 33 points playing off 20.2 2nd place Peter Cornes with 28 points playing off 27.8 3rd place Peter Chapman with 27 points playing off 24.0 4th place Dave Phillips, their esteemed Captain with 31 points playing off 31.0 The results for Division 1 were: 1st place and overall winner Michael Connolly with 39 points playing off 17.3

It’s never too young to compete.

A hard fought BMX National Competition All of the happy prize winners.

2nd place Penny Barden with 34 points playing off 16.6 3rd place Terry Moore with 33 points playing off 10.6 4th place Shaun O’Gorman with 32 points playing off 4.8 Nearest the pin on hole 5 was Peter Rapley with 0.35cm and on hole 16

Donna Green with 4m 20cm.

Bill Pike had the only two with a great long putt, some say lucky, on hole 15.

The Balls in the Water competition was won by Malcolm Wise, guessing 111, who also donated a birthday prize bottle won

by Peter Cornes.

CADENA SUNRISE 10 PIN BOWLING LEAGUE FEBRUARY 14, 2018 (WEEK 16)

Up and coming events THERE are two up and coming tournaments that are ideal for all players on the Wednesday.

The first tournament is on April 15 at Amigos Bowling Centre, Arboleas. It is a fun based tournament between the

Photo Credit: Ayuntamiento de La Nucia

Pego Golf Society

Torrevieja Bowling Centre and the Amigos Bowling Centre and is for all Torrevieja Centre bowlers, regardless of ability. The second tournament is on June 3 at the Ozone Centre, Torrevieja.It is the second

John Lowton Memorial Tournament and is open to all Cadena Sunrise Wednesday League registered bowlers.

Further details are displayed on the Cadena Sunrise Wednesday League notice board.

Next week they have a Magic Three Competition, if you would like to play as a guest, subject to handicap contact Penny Barden pegohandicap sec@gmail.com.

“Golf is a game in which you shout ‘fore,’ shoot six and write down five,” (Paul Harvey).

LAST weekend saw 320 riders taking part in the National BMX Championships in El Campello with nine riders from La Nucia taking part.

This was quite a test as not only were there riders from all over Spain, but there were also a number of international riders invited to take part, some of whom had previously participated in Olympic competition.

The ages of the competitors from La Nucia ranged from five to 12 and none disgraced themselves, with a number finishing in the top 10 of their respective age groups, although the most successful was Miguel Ángel Pérez who came second in the Cruiser 40 to 44 year group.