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Issue 957

23rd Feb - 1st March

Photo Credit: Alex Tihonovs Shutterstock

INSIDE THIS WEEK ... NOT ONCE, TWICE BUT THREE YEARS IN PRISON

P4 MOTORHOMES: Are a permanent problem all along the coast.

Torrevieja home to ‘illegal’ caravans already this year by Darren Parmenter LOCAL political group Sueña Torrevieja has complained about the number of caravans and motorhomes that have already invaded the area. In recent weeks, the presence of these vehicles has intensified and a significant majority are illegally parked up and thus contravening local regulations: many of them occupy a space just a few metres from the shoreline.

To make their point more forcefully, Sueña Torrevieja has submitted a very detailed report which includes satellite images to prove that these areas have been in almost permanent use by some of the motorhome owners. They are concerned that there appears to be no effective control or monitoring of the situation. Speaking to the Spanish media, Sueña Torrevieja said that legislation only allows parking for no more than 48 hours and

also prohibits placing tables and chairs outside the vehicles that can only be construed as camping. The areas most affected are la

Cala La Higuera, Punta El Salaret, Playa de Los Locos, Molino del Agua, Avenida de Soria, and close to the La Mata cemetery.

LOCAL MAYOR REDUCED TO TEARS BY WORK OF ART

P12 LOCAL MASONS DONATE PATIENT BED LIFT

P18

23rd Feb - 1st March

Extra ferry link would be boost to business Photo credit: John Hughes Wikimedia

by Glenn Scott A FERRY link between the port of Cartagena and the B alear ic Islands has become a possibility. Everything depends on the results of a meeting of t h e l o c a l d e ve l o p m e n t commission following a p ro p o s a l b e i n g m a d e to increase the current destinations of the busy maritime area. T he Par tido Popular ’s (PP) deputy spokesman in Murcia’s regional governm e n t , Te o d o ro G a rc i a , speaking to the Spanish media, said that such a link “ would open an important distribution c h a n n e l fo r b u s i n e s s i n the region.” He went on to say that “ i f t h i s i n i t i at i ve i s a p proved, Cartagena will be co n n e c te d b y a re g u l a r service to Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca which can on-

LINKS: Approval sought for extra Cartagena destinations (File image). ly promote tour ism and the transporting of cargo and goods between the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands.” Cartagena is in the top 10 of ports in Spain, coming in fourth in terms of trade and eighth for the numbers of international

cruise passengers. S u c h i s t h e s u cce s s o f the port that it’s been the recipient of a number of awards both from tourism and business organisations. G a rc i a a l s o s a i d t h at should this regular line to the Balearic Islands be set

up, there is no doubt that it “would provide a boost for a number of businesses not only in Murcia but from Andalucia too.” He also sees even more opportunities for both dom e s t i c a n d fo re i g n tourists visiting Cartagena in the future.

Security cameras catch make-up thieves by Darren Parmenter TWO people have been arrested in Elche for stealing cosmetics and a selection of famous underwear brands. They were discovered by staff looking at the large store’s security camera after a number of thefts were noticed over a period of several days. The couple were caught in the act of stealing a small amount of goods worth only €160, but when the police were alerted by security guards that there was a car parked in the nearby shopping centre, a significant amount of extra material was found... totalling €1,600. In addition to the de-

signer brands, police found several magnets and a device which allowed the security tags to be removed instore to enable them to be passed unnoticed through security. The thieves were obviously well-organised and professional due to their having the proper tool to do an important job, and it’s suspected that due to the amount of goods found they were planning to sell them on later. Local prosecutors are attempting to clarify if the garments found in the vehicle came from more than one clothing store neither have been named - and stolen using the same modus operandi. Other store’s CCTV is being viewed.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Sunday walkies along the Orihuela Costa Photo credit: Mircea Iancu Pexels

AS part of their continued efforts to raise awareness of pet ownership and the many responsibilities that com e w i t h i t , O r i h u e l a Town Hall has organised a do g walk ing d ay for this Sunday. Coll aboration be tween the town hall and ASOKA the association that manages the Orihuela Municipal Animal Protection Centre has been able to organise the ‘ take yo ur do g for a walk’ on the Orihuela Costa. Anyone wishing to join in for both a refreshing walk and a chance to meet other like-minded dog owners are invited to be in the Villamartin Plaza for 10am. The planned ro ute is around three kilometres and is suit-

TAKING THE LEAD: Both dogs and owners benefit from a brisk walk (File image). able for all the family. Members of ASOKA will also be there on hand to explain how members of the public can help them in their day-to-day work, ei-

ther as a volunteer, offering a fo ster home or even adopting an animal, explained Councillor Noelia Grao. Visitors are also encour-

a ged to help the cause by donating some pet food or other dog related products, while at the same time buying some beautiful homemade goods from the ASOK A stand. A s an added bonus, free dispensers for ‘doggy bags’ will also be given away. Orihuela Councillor Sofia Alvarez said that the local international residents are very enthusiastic about this initiative. “Animals are not toys and have to be lookedafter,” she reminded. Anyone wanting to register in advance for the walk this Sunday should contact the Orihuela Costa Tourism O ff ice by calling 966 760 000 (ex tension 32) or on the d ay of the walk itself from 9am.

New hospital beds PATIENTS using the Vega Baja Hospital will notice their stay will be more comfortable in the future after an investment in new and renovated beds. Around €165,000 has been budgeted on the Orihuela-based hospital that serves half of the region, for the purchase of 51 beds through a lease agreement with an option to buy. One of the 51 beds will be put in the intensive care unit, and being of a specialised nature will cost €25,000.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Photo credit: HombreDHojalata Wikimedia

by Darren Parmenter WHEN a Spanish man entered a cafe in Elche last summer and stole 80 lotter y tickets, perhaps the last thing he was expecting was a holiday for three and a half years as a prize. Unfortunately for him, he’ll only be sending postcards from his prison cell as a result of the sentence imposed. It was early one August morning in 2017 that the convicted man walked into

NOT LUCKY: 80 Lottery tickets grabbed from cash register.

Fireman’s lift for hospital patient FIREFIGHTERS in Torrevieja have received one of their more unusual calls for help. L ast Saturday morning , they were called to lift a woman out of her bedroom window so she could attend hospital for treatment. The woman, believed to be in her 50’s,

couldn’t be safely carried down the stairs of her property in Aguas Nuevas by ambulance staff as the staircase was too narrow. The solution was to call the fire brigade to get the woman down to earth using one of their ladders before continuing with her journey to hospital.

the shop and stole the 80 tickets - eig ht National Lottery and 72 ONCE Lotter y - along with €400 in cash from the cash register. I t didn’t take long for the National Police to find the culprit as he was soon identified and traced t h a n k s to t h e s e c u r i t y cameras installed. It turns out he was wellknown to the police with convictions for robber y with violence. In addition, as well as his face being caught on screen, his arms contained a number of tattoos that added to his guilt. The prosecutor initially requested seven years imprisonment, but ahead of the trial an agreement was reached when the accused admitted his guilt. His problems with drug addiction were also taken into account.

Photo credit: Murcia.com

Not ONCE, twice but three years in prison

RENEWAL: Jose Llado (far right) visiting the first new signpost.

It’s time for the signs MURCIA’S regional government has begun a campaign of both renewing and replacing a number of the road signs in selected areas of the autonomous community. Specifically, five roads measuring a total of 65 kilometres will see a difference in the municipalities of Murcia, Torre Pacheco, Santomera, Abanilla, and Fortuna, with the signs that have been damaged as a result of accidents, vandalism and general wear and tear getting priority. The announcement was made by the Director General of Roads, Jose Antonio Fernandez Llado, during his visit to works that have already begun on the RM-F21 road - connecting Los Martinez del Puerto with Roldan - in Torre Pacheco. The remaining roads that will see work carried out are the RM-F19, which connects the towns of La Tercia with the Mar Menor motorway (RM19); the RM-414, which connects Santomera with Abanilla; the RM-423, between Fortuna and the A-7 motorway; and the RM-C19, which links the RM-C1 with the A-7 motorway in Murcia.

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

Residents get their hospital bus stop

‘Weather controllers’ discovered MEMBERS of the Guardia Civil located in the Murcia region were called to a house in Las Ramblas, Alhama de Murcia after the discovery of a store of anti-hail rockets. Also known as a ‘graniferous cannon,’ it is a device used in agriculture to prevent the formation of hail storms that end up damaging crops. The anti-hail cannon, by means of explosions of acetylene gas and air, emit shock waves that move at the speed of sound. The stash was found by the owner of the house while doing some cleaning on a storeroom attached to his home, and found boxes containing the rockets, which were quickly deactivated by officers by means of a controlled explosion.

Third time unlucky for slot machine bandits Photo credit: National Police

AS part of a major revamp of transport infrastructure across the Valencian Community, a new bus route will shortly be launched between Gran Alacant (Santa Pola) and Elche. One of the stops demanded by residents for many years on this new route will be at the Elche General Hospital. The plans have just been made public and are contained on a new passenger transport map for the Vinalopo region. Taking into account that many of the current bus concessions have or are about to expire after almost two decades, the new routes have been adapted to reflect the current demographics.

by Glenn Scott NATIONAL POLICE have arrested two men in Alicante that just couldn’t get enough of the same bar. In less than six weeks, they robbed it three times... but for them it was third time unlucky. The two men - aged 33 and 45 - carried out the first of their robberies during the night of the Three Kings in early January. Just as one of the employees at the bar was about to lock up for the night, the couple burst in wearing balaclavas forcing him into the storeroom where he was locked in. They then stole a combination of money from the cash register, slot machines and a high-end mobile phone totalling an estimated €2,000. They also stole the keys that enabled them to control the outside security shutter. As a result of this first attack, the owner installed security cameras. However, two weeks later, the same individuals - this time with their faces only partly hidden - were able to get in using the

COVERED: Subsequent searches discovered the ‘tools of the trade.’ previously stolen remote control device and again cleaned out the till and gambling machines. The thieves’ luck ran out during their third attempt on the establishment as they

were observed ‘live’ on the CCTV cameras by the owner who immediately dialled 091 and alerted the police, where they were able to catch the men in the act of once again forcing the slot machines.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Free advice for young people begins Iconic sand dunes to lose their power AROUND one kilometre of power lines that cross the famous sand dunes in Guardamar del Segura are going to be removed. The decision follows a number of meetings between the City Council and power company Iberdrola. The company will dismantle and take down the 20-kilowattt medium-voltage overhead line, as well as the pylons that carry it over the Parque Alfonso XIII pine forest. This is according to a statement made to the local Spanish media by Guardamar’s councillor Jose Hernandez. Not only will the area become more attractive to look at, the risk of fires in the dunes and the pine forest is significantly reduced. The safety of the birds that frequent the area will also be improved by the measure. Councillor Hernandez explained that the plans announced are similar to a programme of works carried out last year by Iberdrola in which a new underground medium-voltage line was installed at a cost of €168,550.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja

POWER: New electric lines will be placed under the sand.

by Steve Collins TORREVIEJA councillor Victor Ferrandez has announced a special initiative aimed at the younger population in the municipality. As from now until August, a free legal advice service is available cour tesy of the Youth Department. Unveiling the scheme to Spanish media, Ferrandez said: “This new adviser is exclusively for young people aged between 16 and 35 and will attend to questions about legal matters that affect people in this age bracket, and although we expect to attend to all kinds of questions it is predicted that these will include questions about work and housing , among others.” Councillor Ferrendez also explained that this service will be at no cost to the individual or to the Torrevieja City Council as it’s being

HELP: Victor Ferrandez unveils advice scheme.

paid for thanks to a subsidy from the Valencian government. The advice will be carried out face-to-face by appoint-

ment only and will take place on a Tuesday and a Thursday at the Torrevieja Youth Centre (Centro de Información y Animación Ju-

venil - CIAJ Torrevieja) at Paseo de Juan Aparicio, 5. Anyone wishing to make an appointment should call 965 714 072.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Local mayor reduced to tears by work of art Photo credit: David Stokes (via RBL Press Release)

EMOTIONS were running high and the tears were f lowing as a ver y special presentation was made to the mayor of Pilar de la Horadada. At the last meeting of the Royal British Legion (RBL) held in Mil Palmeras, Mayor Ignacio Ramos was the guest of honour, accompanied by Councillor Pilar Maria Semper and was presented with an oil painting of the local Catholic Church, La Capilla de las Mil Palmeras, by the President of the Orihuela Costa and District Branch, Pastor Keith Brown. A decision to make a suitable presentation to the town was made in appreciation of the outstanding support provided to the Branch in all of the 10 years since it was first formed. In that time the one con-

EMOTION: (From l to r) Pilar Maria Semper, Ignacio Ramos, Suzanne Stokes and Pastor Keith Brown.

stant factor has been the use for its Remembrance Services of La Capilla de las Mil Palmeras so it was thought that an oil painting of the church might be

an appropriate gift. T he project was discussed at a chance meeting with well-known local artist and RBL supporter Suzanne Stokes, and with

the assistance of her photographer husband, David, a number of suitable images of the church were captured and the venture was underway.

Suzanne admitted at just how nervous she had been on accepting the commission. “Being an artist who specialises on the human form I was extremely worried that I might not be able to do the building justice. “It is a beautiful church and there were lots of elaborate shadows and reflected light that I had to consider, but on seeing the reaction of the mayor and the branch members to the painting I am absolutely delighted at how it turned out.” In his speech of thanks, Ignacio Ramos was clearly delighted by the gesture but as he spoke of the work of the RBL and their role in his local community, he became quite emotional and said how moved he was by the presentation and by the kind words from the assembled members.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Let the force be with them

TO commemorate the International Childhood Cancer Day, teachers at a school in Cartagena dressed up as characters from Star Wars all for a good cause. More than 400 pupils from the Mare Nostrum School combined forces to raise money for the Spanish National Cancer Research Cen-

If music be the best medicine... QUIRONSALUD Hospital in Torrevieja has signed a collaboration agreement with the music cultural association ‘ArsAetheria’ (The Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra) with the aim of establishing a sponsorship deal. As a result, the Quironsalud will appear in all the information leaflets and on the posters of the concerts it sponsors. ArsAretheria are based at the International Auditorium in Torrevieja and is made up not only of the prestigious symphony orchestra that contains 60 musicians, but the youth orchestra and the adult music school.

Elche gets life savers SIX defibrillators have been added to the equipment carried by the National Police in Elche, and more than 200 officers have now been trained in their use. One of the machines will also be kept in the National Police Station. The initiative came from Octavio Soler, the father of Aaron Soler who, exactly one year ago suffered a cardiac arrest when he was playing football in the Elche Sports Centre. The family’s experience - which Aaron survived thanks to first aid administered until paramedics arrived - prompted them to start a campaign to ensure no sports centre or any emergency service would be without the life saving devices.

tre (CNIO) by having their photographs taken with their favourite teachers dressed in their equally favourite big screen heroes. The students paid €3 for each photograph taken by photographer Pedro Sago - who donated his time for the cause - and a total of €1,600 was raised.

History gets the 21st century treatment ORIHUELA’S mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, has been presented with a major volume of work on the history of the municipality. Property of the Caja Rural Central, the Historic Compendium by Joseph Montesinos Perez Martinez de Orumbella, will be digitalised so this important heritage can be made available to any

researcher, student and member of the public. As Mayor Bascuñana explained, “it is a 20-volume manuscript each containing 800 pages and a chronicle of all the populations that made up the Diocese of Orihuela. It not only includes history, but customs, religious orders, churches and biographies of the local characters.”

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.”

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 bei n g m e m b e r s o f t h e E U, a n d 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 vo te at their AGM would b e 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 r ig ht to ag ree voting rights on behalf of EU Member States. It is our view

ARGUE: Esteban Gonzalez Pons wants to see UK citizens retain local vote. that voting in local elections helps EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU con-

tribute to and feel a par t 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 Mor r is, and so proving that whilst future residency rules, healthcare and annual pension uprating are upperm o s t i n p e o p l e ’s m i n d s , t h e 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 Parli ament , Esteban Gonz alez 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 Br ussels that the British can continue to vo te i n o u r l o c a l e l e c t i o n s ,” said Pons. “There are municipalities along our coast where more than half of the population is British.” He s a i d t h a t i n t h e f i r s t i n stance, 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 f i n a l B re x i t a g re e m e n t . I f i t i s not, representations will be made to encourage the Spanish government to raise such an option with their British counterpart.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Popular post on Facebook reaching 6,620 people with 173 reactions. ‘Costa Blanca beach bars to open for Easter this year.’ Tony Lawrence Tell whoever the councillor is to get back beach bars at Punta Prima. It’s like a ghost town down there… 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!

CRUZ AZUL’s fundraising event ‘Rock My Soul - Take Two’ proved a huge hit, raising €1,038 on the night for the charity. Las Claras Cultural Centre in Los Alcazares provided the venue for the spectacular event, organised by the popular J J Soulman, who managed to get a number of his friends in the local music business to take part. It was a complete sell-out, and the guests were treated to some great performances not only by J J himself, but by the compere and DJ Paul Allen, Red Strokes, and the duo intriguingly called Eastern West. Lyn Barnes, the Cruz Azul President, said: “Words cannot describe how grateful we are to ever yone who came and helped raise such an amazing amount at our second Rock My Soul fundraiser. We are overwhelmed by people’s generosity.” She continued, “ We’re grateful to local businesses who donated raffle prizes and

Photo credit: Cruz Azul Murcia

HAVE YOUR SAY

Cruz Azul’s latest fundraiser exceeds expectations

SUCCESS: Rocking the night away. to our fabulous volunteers for helping with the organisation - what a team! Thanks must also go to The Post Room in Los Alcazares who helped make this event a success by selling so many tickets for us and, of course, to all the people who bought them and came to support us.” T he Cr uz A zul charity helps raise money to pay for vet bills for owners on low incomes as well as working

@RTNNewspaper Most liked posts from this week • Brit fugitive arrested in Benidorm over child abuse claims • Costa Blanca clamps down on ‘boat parks’ • 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

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in local communities to control the feral cat colonies in a humane way known as ‘Trap, neuter and return.’ T he charity lost one of their valuable members, Sue Thomason, last year and she is never far away in people’s thoughts and would be very proud of the fact that her legacy has been continued in such a way. Cruz Azul’s Donation Centre is situated on the Aveni-

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da de la Unión in San Javier, next door to Yorkshire Linen and is open Monday to Saturday from 10am until 2pm. They sell clothes, accessories, jewellery, household goods, furniture, bric-a-brac and lots more, so why not pay them a visit? Even better, donate your unwanted clothes, furniture and items to show your support. Call 693 017 616 for more information.

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23rd Feb - 1st March

Studio32 donates large amount to charities ALL at Studio32 were delighted that their recent production of White Christmas raised €3,750 for local charities. Chairman Philip Wilson presented €2,000 to the President of the San Fulgencio Alzheimer’s Society Benjamin Villena Rodriguez who thanked Studio32 for their continued support of the charity, which provides help in the community to families and individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s. In addition to supporting the Alzheimer’s Society, they have donated monies to the music school for instruments, the local school to assist with the purchase of books, and to Caritas who provide help to the homeless in the area. Philip explained the group’s history: “Studio32 was set up five years ago to bring high quality full-scale musical theatre to the Costa Blanca, and through doing so enable us to support local charities. “Everyone in the company worked extremely hard to make this show a great sell out success and I’m very proud of them all. We’ve now raised

Presentation of the cheque for €2,000. over €25,000 for local charities, and we will continue to support AFA San Fulgencio and local good causes in the coming year.” Their company’s summer show will be the Broadway hit Chicago, which will be performed from Wednesday May 30 to Saturday June 2 at the

Cardenal Belluga Theatre in San Fulgencio. Tickets are now on sale, so book early to avoid disappointment as this popular show is sure to sell out quickly. Call Philip on 744 484 933 or email tickets@studiothirtytwo.org. Full details are on their website, www.studiothirtytwo.org.

23rd Feb - 1st March

Local Masons donate patient bed lift

GRATEFUL: Presentation of the bed lift.

ON Monday, February 19, Caledonia Lodge No 68 from Quesada, was pleased to present a patient bed lift to Torrevieja Hospital. It was purchased some time ago for their own use but having been stored for a while, and only having been used once, it was decided to donate it to the hospital where far better use could be made of it. It is always a pleasure for the Masons to be able to assist their local hospital,

which is always grateful for any help. They believe that it is very important that we all support local hospitals and their staff for their great work and dedication. It was therefore a great pleasure to be able to help out in this way Should you have an interest in the work of Freemasonry, or be interested in joining, please contact them on prensa@glpvalencia.com.

â‚Ź1,000 for the Samaritans THE Freemasons Caledonian Lodge No 68 collected â‚Ź1,000 from a variety of events including Ladies Gala Evening, Bowls Night, and an Easter Bonnet Parade over a period of time. This then allowed them to make their second donation to the Samaritans in Spain which meant that the charity could purchase an all in one HP PC to put in the Operations Support office and four smart phones for the listening team. Making the presentation.

23rd Feb - 1st March

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

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.

23rd Feb - 1st March

On the black... almost 7,000 workers detected THE black economy is still alive and well, and the Alicante Province is no exception. During 2017, the volume of employment considered being ‘under the radar’ grew significantly to the extent that almost twice the number of people was discovered... and these were the results of official inspections, mostly in the catering and agricultural sectors. The real number is estimated to be even higher. As a result, a total of 6,682 people were discovered to be unregistered in the system that included a number of foreign workers without authorisation to work in Spain. That figure accounts for more than half of illegal employee numbers detect-

ed during the past year throughout the Valencian Community, and so makes the Alicante Province the top of the ‘black economy’ pops. The increase in the total number of illegal workers up from 3,907 in 2016 - is even more concerning to the authorities as the number of inspections made was lower over the same period. The two largest Spanish trade unions, UGT and CCOO, blame a number of factors for the growth, but mainly it’s a result of the economic crisis that is still affecting the economy. Traditionally, it was the manufacturing industry where much of the illegal workforce was discovered, with the popular shoe industry in the Vinalopo being where most were found.

Going out is back on the menu again Photo credit: Helena Lopez Pexels

by Glenn Scott

by Darren Parmenter WHETHER it’s the Costa Blanca, Costa Calida or the Costa del Sol, the areas are full of bars and restaurants which rely on tourist and resident trade alike for 12 months of the year. A walk along some of the main streets of the once bustling holiday areas over the past decade would have witnessed many of the favo ur ite drinking and eating establishments struggling for customers since the big recession hit Spain. A number of businesses closed their doors, never to reopen. But, in a boost to the catering trade, figures released by market research firm the NPD Group show that trade in this sector increased for the first time since the countr y entered the downslide in 2008. Visits to cafes and other eating establishments rose by 1 per cent - to 98 million - while at the same time spending also increased by 1.3 per cent to over €36 billion. T h i s e q u ate s to e a c h c u s to m e r spending an ex tra €4.88 each time

BOOST: Customers return to their favourite places. they go out to eat or drink. It’s the fast food outlets leading the growth - with 86 per cent of the total and with those particular places being popular with the younger population, it’s also a sign that youth and under 25’s employment prospects have improved. T he traditional tapas bars have also seen an increase in their customers too.

Overall in 2017, bar and restaurant sales inc reased by 2.5 per cent in Spain, but Vicente Montesinos of the NPD Group warns that people in the sector shouldn’t get too complacent. “ Yes, custom is recovering and sales have returned to levels not seen since 2011, but the market has not yet recovered to the size it was before the financial crisis,” he said.

23rd Feb - 1st March

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 Jenniferâ€™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.

23rd Feb - 1st March

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

RTN Life

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. 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

I eat healthily, I exercise and I’ve taken vitamins since about 1985.

“

glass of something bubbly (Cava when in Spain) and a couple of squares of my favourite chocolate. Which is your favourite 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 powernap 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 other UK regions) 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.

INTERNET SUCCESS: The delightful Jan Shure.

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 delicious salad veg. We do enjoy eating out occasionally, especially at Pellicci’s. It is not only the smartest new restaurant along the coast, but happens to be a one-minute walk from our apartment!

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

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

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

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

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

6:40pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 12:50am 2:25am

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

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

10:25am

12:50pm 2:45pm 3:05pm 4:45pm 6:10pm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

23rd Feb - 1st March

Waxing lyrical about candles

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

Photo Credit: Africa Studio Shutterstock

IT is a massive understatement to say that my wife is a lover of candles. She has them everywhere. No room is without its wax sculptures and they come in all shapes and sizes with a range of exotic fragrances that would grace a sultan’s harem. Not that I’ve been to a sultan’s harem you understand, and I prefer not to sacrifice certain external organs in order to be able to experience one first hand, but it’s how I imagine it. The assortment of perfumes is seemingly endless, from vanilla to musk and from frangipani to cedar wood. Jasmine; sandalwood; lotus blossom; coffee (Americano and con leche flavours); patchouli, yaks breath - they are all there and many more besides. It may be an exaggeration to say that we have more candles than the Vatican, but I suspect that it would be a close run thing. Thank goodness we have high ceilings or there would be a real danger of structural heat damage.

CANDLE CITY: Let there be light and fragrance.

The house is Candle City and my wife is truly La Princesa vela. Naturally therefore, she is something of an expert on the subject and is very, very particular, which is why

on Sunday I was riding shotgun as the Princess took a large candle in a glass jar back to its place of origin in a well-known establishment in the Zenia Boulevard because, she main-

tained, it was not working properly. What’s not to work? I had seen her light it up, it burns, it pongs of something farmyard, so job done surely. But no, although it burns, it does so downwards only and leaves the majority of wax untouched. Ipso facto: it ain’t working properly. The assistant was very nice, but needed to consult with her immediate superior, who, after much discussion, said that she would have to ring her manager. Having gone through the whole process again over the phone amid many ‘si’s’ and ‘vale’s’, she announced that her manager would have to ring his manager and they would call us on Monday morning with what was to be done. Where were these managers? Torrevieja, Madrid, the International Space Station? And in the meantime, the queue behind us had lengthened to Heathrow proportions. But credit where credit is due, we received the call as promised, to say that they would be happy to exchange the item. Now I am hesitating to tell my wife that I think my ears need syringing. She would probably ask me to bring home the wax or worse still, bung a wick in my ear and use me as mood lighting.

Royal Naval Association open to all MEMBERS of the Torrevieja branch of the Royal Naval Association met for their first lunch of the year. The venue was La Piazza ll at Punta Marina commercial centre, Punta Prima. As usual a good time was had by all, eating and socialising together in the sunshine.

They have many more social events to look forward to in 2018 as well as their meetings at 5pm on the first Wednesday of every month in bar/restaurante El Paraiso near Carrefour in Torrevieja. You don’t need to have served in the Royal Navy to join them but you will re-

ceive a warm welcome from this friendly crew. To join or for more information please call Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996.

Happy members enjoying their lunch.

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-

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

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.

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!).

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 itâ€™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)

Sudoku

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

23rd Feb - 1st March

health

EMDR could help rid people of PTSD

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITISATION AND REPROCESSING (EMDR) therapy is a treatment designed to help those who have suffered psychological trauma. The idea behind EMDR is to stimulate one side of the brain, followed quickly by the other,

to help the thinking brain on the left communicate with the feeling brain on the right, in a bid to help you effectively ‘move on’ from the traumatic experience and recover from the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It is a psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro, and is a fairly new type of psychotherapy but is growing in popularity, with more than 20,000 practitioners now reported to be trained in the techniques. It does not rely on talk therapy or medica-

tions but uses a patient’s own rapid, rhythmic eye movements, with the therapist gradually able to shift your unpleasant thoughts and memories to happier ones as they use finger movements, hand or toe tapping or musical tones.

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.

23rd Feb - 1st March

home & garden

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 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 be-

Photo Credit: Junksignal flickr

Sweet Basil The King of Herbs

HOLY PLANT: Sweet Basil.

tween 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.

The Fruit Salad Plant IF you are looking for an exotic plant to fill a very shady area of your garden with the benefit of a delicious fruit that is hard to find even in a fruit market, then the Fruit Salad Plant is the answer. Often grown as an indoor plant due to its ability to

grow well in low light. It is also known as Swiss Cheese plant and Monstereo, in relation to its botanical name ‘Monstera deliciosa’ or in Spanish ‘Costilla de Adan’ meaning Rib of Adam and is available in most plant nurseries. It also grows very easily from larger cuttings with aerial roots, making the plant very successful to divide and share and will grow in corners of the garden where many plants would struggle to grow due to the heavy shading. The fruit, called a Ceriman, requires exact timing to enjoy which is why it is not generally available in markets. There is an art to the preparation to enjoy the delicious tropical flavour that is a mix of banana, pineapple

RIB OF ADAM: The fruit salad plant.

and something else. If you don’t have the patience, the fruit, when not fully ripe, has an excess of calcium oxalate that prickles the mouth and is most unpleasant. It can be neutralised by adding citric juices such as lemon or orange if you want to be sure that it is not going to prickle your tongue. It may take practice to ensure the segments are truly ready so have a glass of juice handy.

23rd Feb - 1st March tact Wendy on 965323028. www.spiritualist centre-beni jofar.com New email is phoenixchurch23@ gmail.com or info@spiritual ist centre-benijofar.com Identifi cacion Fiscal G54713789.

ARCHITECTS

BATHROOMS BATHROOMS CONVERSIONS COSTA BLANCA, CONTACT 698 320 434. (260101)

CHARITIES THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton´s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178. We hold a Sunday Service at 11.30 a.m., a Tuesday Evening of Mediumship at 7 p.m. Open/Development Circles held on Thursdays, where you can develop your skills commencing at 6.30 p.m. are cancelled until further notice. Spiritual healing is available every Sunday and Tuesday after the service. The Divine Service, with Mediumship, on Sunday 11th February will be taken by Jackie Kershaw (UK Medium). The Evening of Mediumship on Tuesday 13th February, will also be taken by Jackie Kershaw. The Divine Service on Sunday, 18th February will be taken by Corina Talbot. Con-

LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking Church. We hold services each Sunday and everyone is welcome. Our 11.00 am Services are held every 2nd and 4th Sunday in the month (and 11.00 am on the 5th Sunday, if this applies.) On the 1st and 3rd Sunday’s our Services are at 9.30 am. Our choir sings at our 11.00 am Services and there is also a Sunday School, called Stepping Stones, on these Sundays. We welcome residents, visitors and children. For more information see our website www.lasiestae vangelicalchurch.org or telephone Pastor Keith on 666 180 108.

Costa Blanca North: *648 169 045* or Costa Blanca South: *625 912 078* or Costa Calida *679 385 105*. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org

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

ELECTRICIAN MR. FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434. (260205)

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Is alcohol costing you more than money? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. English-speaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact

INSURANCE

LOCKSMITHS

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

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@beneficialinsur anceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurance inspain.com for online quote.

MOTORING

INTERNET GET YOUR business noticed online!Make sure that expats in Spain can find your product, service, restaurant, bar or shop. Contact Spain’s newest and brightest online directory TODAY. Call 951 386 161 or e-mail mark.w@euroweeklynews. com for more details.

LOCKSMITHS

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

23rd Feb - 1st March

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

UK MOT. All legal and on line. Arrangements made for collection and delivery £400. Email carsinspain@hot mail.com Tel. 0044 7553367285 (246860)

PLUMBING MR. FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434. (260205)

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

REMOVALS/STORAGE

MAN AND VAN UK Spain. 2 vans travelling twice a month, Murcia – North / South UK. Storage in Spain Tel 610 846 260 or 0044 751 918 6355 email van.man@hotmail.co.uk UK-SPAIN-IRELAND. Removals with the personal touch. Pets carried with care 965 696 750 / 0044 (0) 7447 918 589 e-mail chrisy ounge73979@aol.com

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

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SITUATIONS VACANT

REMOVALS & STORAGE

FIELD SALES positions available. Must have own transport, English and Spanish preferred, but not essential, must have local knowledge of the area and be smart and presentable. Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruitment@euroweek lynews.com (1578)

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REMOVALS & STORAGE

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23rd Feb - 1st March SITUATIONS VACANT

SITUATIONS VACANT

TV & SATELLITE

23rd Feb - 1st March

motoring

BMW unveils limited edition M4 convertible

Picture credit BMW

30 YEARS: BMW will produce 300 limited edition M4 convertibles for the anniversary this year.

IT is now 30 years since the first M3 convertibles rolled off BMW’s production line in 1988. The car was originally designed for motor fans and put racetrack technology into a car for everyday driving. The company has announced it will mark the anniversary with a 300car limited run of a new model called the M4 Convertible Edition 30 Years. The open top four-seater is capable of producing 450 horsepower and comes with an M sport exhaust and adaptive suspension. Its 20-inch wheels are light alloys with a star-spoke design and come in Orbit Grey matt, a colour exclusive to the model. Inside the car has a Marino full leather trim and colour schemes to match the body paintwork. The two outside colours offered are Macao Blue metallic and Mandarin II. Both are nods to the colours of the original M3. The lettering ‘30 Jahre Edition’ is printed onto the headrests and doorsills along with ‘1/300,’ a reference to the amount of cars made. The limited edition model is the latest in several generations of the M3 going back to the 1980’s. The winners of the world, European and German touring car championship drove an M3 in 1987 before the car was available on the market.

23rd Feb - 1st March

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

New Citroen saloon ‘a breath of fresh air’

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 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, 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

motoring THE EU’s Competition Commission has announced fines of more than €540 million for car parts suppliers over alleged collusion. The Commission stated it has fined groups of maritime car carriers €395 million, spark plug suppliers €76 million and brakes system suppliers €75 million for taking part in price fixing. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s Competition Commissioner, said her watchdog were not through with breaking up the cartels. “The three separate decisions taken today show that we will not tolerate anticompetitive behaviour affecting European consumers and industries,” she said. Chilean maritime carrier CSAV, Japanese carriers K Line, MOL and NYK and the Norwegian and Swedish carrier WWL-EUKOR were all part of a cartel that ran for six years. MOL avoided a €203 million fine by blowing the whistle on the price rigging group. The German company Bosch and the Japanese

Updates announced for ZOE electric car

FINED: Margrethe Vestager’s Competition Commission sanctioned the companies for taking part in cartels.

Car cartels handed fines by EU

firms Denso and NGK were also found to have been part of a cartel supplying spark plugs to European car makers. TRW, Bosch and Conti-

nental also ran two cartels which fixed the prices of brake systems. Denso and TRW have escaped the fines for informing on price fixing.

FRENCH car maker Renault has revealed a raft of improvements to its line of zero emissions cars and the ZOE model in particular. The new version of the car, which is set to be available to order from the spring, will now come equipped with a new R1110 electric motor which produces 80 kilowatts of power. That’s 12kW more than the current model. The new motor is the same weight as the outgoing R90 despite producing more power. The new model will be capable of reaching 107 break-horsepower. The ZOE’s new engine will also be more responsive at high-speed and it has cut around two seconds off its 80-120 kilometre per hour acceleration time. Elisabeth Delval, from the Renault Zoe team, said the new model was more responsive and versatile, particularly for out of town journeys.

“In addition to being able to enjoy the pleasure of driving a ZOE, drivers will also benefit from the longest range available for a mass-market electric car,” she said. The new model is also compatible with Android Auto and other third party apps such as Skype and Messenger. It will be available in a new dark colour called Aconite. The ZOE was recently named ‘Best Electric Car up to £20,000 (around €22,600)’ at the WhatCar Car of the Year Awards 2018. Prices are yet to be confirmed.

MORE POWER: The motor of the new ZOE will deliver 12kW more power than the current model.

23rd Feb - 1st March

sport

San Javier Golf Society THE society enjoyed an Individual Stableford Qualifier competition at Vistabella, last Wednesday. This was their first visit to the new 18-hole layout at Vistabella and the almost unanimous verdict was positive. The new seven holes still have quite hard fairways and the tee boxes are very sandy, but things will improve in the coming months. Vistabella in general has very difficult but true-rolling greens, which contributed to a very low scoring day for most people (except Jenny O’Neill... well played Jenny!). The winners on the day were: Division 1: First was Paul Newman with

31, Second - Ian Price on 31, Third Paul Matthews with 30. In Division 2: First was Kev Parker with 33 points, Second - Danny Scott on 29, Third - Mick Hardy on 28. In Division 3: First was Jenny O'Neill with 40 points, Second - John Hillier on 34 and Third - Jeff Belt with 32. Nearest the pins were won by Jim Moffatt, Mark Pollitt, Danny Scott and Barry Beale. The gross two (for €50) was won by Dave Furze and the monkey was awarded to Steph Brooke. Their next competition is an individual Stableford qualifier for Captain’s Day at La Serena, teeing off at 12:32pm on Monday March 5.

This is the final qualifier for the prestigious society flagship competition and this year it is an extremely close situation in both the men’s and ladies’ sections. Full details will be emailed to all members. Payday will be on Saturday March 3 in the bar area of La Serena Club House, between 11am and noon. For further information on our society, to play as a guest, or to join, please phone Barry Beale on +34 649 245 889 or visit their website at www.sanjaviergolfsociety.co.uk and Facebook page at www.facebook. com/sanjaviergolfsociety.

DIVISION 1 WINNER: Paul Newman, with monkey winner Steph Brooke.

SAMM AGM 2018

THANK YOU: Presentation of the watch.

FIRST HOME GAME: Observing a one minute silence before the match.

Costa Cobras Rugby Team LAST Sunday saw the first home game of the newly formed SF Costa Cobras Club De Rugby in front of a good and noisy home crowd at the San Fulgencio football ground. SF Costa Cobras welcomed Bettas Torrevieja another local team and before the start a minute’s silence was held for Glynn Horsfall a well-known local coach whom had sadly passed away and a bouquet of flowers was presented to his widow and two sons. A thrilling and exciting first match saw the cobra with a decisive 35 - 0

win. A very dynamic performance by the home side in attack and an unbroken stout defence proved the difference to this first thrilling encounter and rugby was by far the winner with fans new and old enjoying the spectacle. The junior section put on the half time demonstration display. The Club President Roger Nickolds presented local councillor Vicente G Murcia Perez with a club shirt for his help and efforts in securing the stadium Cañar Vall as the club’s home ground with a view to a more estab-

lished set up in the future. The club now registered with the Valencia Federation De Rugby has secured more games to enable them to progress as a team and to enter a competitive league. They are always looking for players of any age or ability, so dust off your old boots and join them on Monday and Wednesday nights from 8pm to 9.30pm at San Fulgencio football club. This is a family club with a traditional and family approach to rugby.

THE AGM of the Sailing Association Mar Menor was held at Las Claras Social Centre on St Valentine’s Day and marked the 11th year of the organisation’s existence. The year 2017 was recorded as a fairly stable year with membership close to the 2016 figure plus good income levels from the 100 Club, social activities and racing which resulted in a comfortable surplus at the year end. There were year-end reports presented by the Commodore, Treasurer, Secretary and the other officers to add detail to the bare figures. The Treasurer Peter Ewers confirmed that he was stepping down after seven years in the position and his replacement Martin Beenham was unanimously elected as were the other Committee members who were re-standing unopposed. As a thank you for all his hard work, Commodore Paul Shard presented Peter with a fabulous Aviator Chronograph watch, €50 to spend as he wished and, to Peter’s great relief because he had forgotten it was Valentine’s Day, a large bouquet for his long suffering wife Lyn, all purchased with the generous donations made by club members. After the meeting the members enjoyed an excellent menu del dia at the Las Claras restaurant. If you are interested in sailing you can reach SAMM through their web site www.sailingmarmenor.com.