Week 153

Edition 153

www.thecourier.es

Friday, January 24, 2014

Our latest edition is always online at www.thecourier.es

KILLER FLU IS HERE

NO EPIDEMIC SAYS POLITICIAN

By ALEX TRELINSKI A 17 year old Costa Blanca boy may have died of flu in the same week that a local politi­ cian said that the number of cases were not up on the same time last year. Valencian Minister of Health, Manuel Llombart said that there’s no flu epidemic in the Valencia region, and that the number of people with influenza in the region was similar to last year, clocking it at around 130 cases per 100 thousand peo­ ple. Meanwhile in the Murcia region, 3 people have so far died from flu.

On the Costa Blanca, health author­ ities are investigating whether a Javea teenager died of type A influenza. The 17 year old was admitted to Denia Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, and died around midnight. Influenza is being looked at an option, but authori­ ties were keen to stress that other causes were being investigated including respiratory infection.

Nevertheless, demand for vaccina­ tions has shot up over the last few days since news of the death became public, with sessions being extended in the area. Health authorities across Valencia and Murcia are reminding people that vaccines will protect against conventional flu and influenza

A, with the “at risk” groups being peo­ ple aged over 60, pregnant women, and those who are chronically ill. The vaccine takes around 10 days to “kick in”.

Manual Llombart admitted that there was a rise in serious cases this winter compared to last year across the Valencia region, but stressed that there needed to be 300 cases per 100 thousand people for the outbreaks to be classified as an epidemic, com­

pared to the current 130 cases.

Llombart added that 95% of the severe cases had come about by peo­ ple not taking up vaccinations which had been offered in the autumn.

The deaths in Murcia over the last week included a 50 year old man who was suffering from a serious illness, in addition to a 40 year old man and an 18 month old baby. Murcia authorities confirmed that they have plenty of vaccine in stock despite a large rise in demand this week.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

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E­MAIL office@thecourier.es WEB www.thecourier.es HEAD OFFICE Calle Luis Canovas Martinez 1. Urb Aguas Nuevas, Torrevieja 03183, ALICANTE PHONE: 96 692 1003 Email: office@thecourier.es OPENING HOURS Mon ­ Fri 1030 to 1730 EDITOR Alex Trelinski CONSULTANT EDITOR Donna Gee ADVERTISING SALES 966 921 003 office@thecourier.es TELESALES 966 921 003 679 096 309 Sally Los Alcazares, San Javier 618 391 491 Myra Quesada, Rojales, Torrevieja, San Miguel Tel. 618 583 765 Jean La Zenia, Playa Flamenca, Cabo Roig Tel. 618 898 034 Patrick International Rep 5 Languages Tel 685 901 265 Donna Tel 616 332 178 Writers Donna Gee Sally Bengtsson Jeanette Erath Alex Trelinski Dave Silver Tony Mayes John McGregor

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Picture of the Week

96 692 1003 679 096 309

Emma Tytherleigh and Juan Cortes with their black stallions Ivan & Ivar. Photo by DAVID HEALY

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

Make a pig of yourself

Del Bos hits Torry

BODY RIDDLE

A Spanish squatter shot himself in the testicles after a confrontation with neighbours who wanted him out or their apartment complex in El Ejido near Almeria. The 34­year­old trying to illegally occupy a flat when the neigh­ bours met him for a showdown. He panicked and pulled out a gun, firing several shots to warn them off, but when he put the pistol back in his pocket, it went off with a bullet going into his pubic region. Ironically the same people that he threatened, whisked him off to the local hospital, where he lost a considerable amount of blood after the bullet entered his body and then punctured his testicles. Although the

La Mata, Torrevieja is the place to be for pork lovers this Sunday (January 26th), with a delayed celebration of International Pig Day as part of the feast of San Antonio Abad.

Heavy rain caused the postponement of last weekend’s event which will see some squatter is still recovering from his injuries, 600 kilos of pork for he now faces charges for the illegal posses­ visitors to tuck into sion of a firearm once he’s released from along with liberal lash­ ings of beer and wine. hospital.

One of Spain’s biggest sporting heroes, the record­breaking coach of the national soccer team, Vicente del Bosque, was in Torrevieja on Tuesday to pay tribute to one of his greatest footballing friends. Del Bosque came to the city to acknowledge the work of Joaquín García "Nito", who comes from Torrevieja, and who uncovered many great players over 40 years as a scout for Real Madrid. With Torrevieja Mayor Eduardo Dolon looking over, Del Bosque gave a plaque to “his great friend” Nito, as well as unveiling a plaque commemorating his visit, in addition to getting a salt boat as a sou­ venir of his visit to the city.

Emergency services recovered a body on Monday from at the sea at San Pedro del Muelle Alfonso beach in Cartagena, but the state of it has left experts baffled. The black man’s corpse had decomposed so much that the initial autopsy could not work out his age or initially his skin colour, though there were no external signs of violence. The main line of speculation from authorities was that he was an illegal immigrant.

WANTED – MORE HEADLINE NEWS! DO YOU have a story that might grab the headlines?

What’s all the gossip about round your way? A spate of robberies, perhaps – or maybe you’ve spotted a celebrity in the neighbourhood. Whether your news involves fire, police, ambulance, accidents – or hap­

pier events like family weddings (particularly Golden and Diamond ones!), Just phone the Courier office on 966 921 003 or email office@thecourier.es We’re waiting for your call…and next week’s Front Page story.

Friday Sunny High 19 Low 12° Chance of rain 0% Monday Sunny High 20 Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

Tuesday Sunny High 16° Low 7° Chance of rain 0%

Saturday Sunny High 21° Low 10° Chance of rain 0% Wednesday Sunny High 17° Low 6° Chance of rain 0%

Sunday Sunny High 20° Low 11° Chance of rain 0% Thursday Sunny High 16° Low 2° Chance of rain 0%

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Friday, January 24, 2014

MOTHER AND BABY HORROR A 10 month old baby was stabbed to death in Torrevieja Hospital late on Wednesday night, with his 40 year old suicidal Swiss mother arrested in connection with the killing. Katharina Kati­Stäheli was being hunted across Europe on a warrant from the Zurich police after illegally snatching her son on Christmas Eve. The baby was suf­ fering from hydrocephalus (water on the brain), and was under the supervision of the health authori­ ties in Zurich.

The Guardia Civil found the mother and her baby in the vicinity of the Carrefour store in Torrevieja, after a tip off to the National Police from somebody who saw the story on a website which was offering a 2,500 Euros for any information on sight­ ings. The Guardia took them to

Torrevieja Hospital, with the priority being urgent treatment for the baby.

The story took a tragic turn at around 11.30pm on Wednesday evening, as the mother allegedly stabbed the baby to death after pro­ ducing a knife from her bag, having been given permission to bathe him. She then tried to commit sui­ cide by slashing her throat with the knife, but was stopped and rushed into an operating theatre for emer­ gency treatment.

The Valencian Health Department said that they could not comment as the local Torrevieja court had imposed a gagging order on legal proceedings. As The Courier went to press, the mother was in still in hospital, in police custody under the execution of an international search warrant.

LA ZENIA CHANGES Improvements to Avenida del Mar in La Zenia have fin­ ished with just some benches still be put in. The work which started last month included pavement widening and the installation of new street lighting. Palm trees have been moved, as well as new crossings on Calle Ciprés by the new library.

MERCADONA Recovery signs?

LEADS THE WAY

COSTA RECORD

The Costa Blanca got a record number of foreign visitors last year, with official figures revealing a 15% rise on 2012, with more than 4.2 million tourists. Statistics show that nearly 44% of holidaymakers came from the UK, with an average daily spend per head of 74 Euros. The news came at the start of this week’s big travel fair in Madrid, FITUR. Over 9 thousand companies from around the world have been involved in the gathering, with the Costa Blanca region represented by a big 180 square metre stand at the tourist conference.

The Mercadona supermarket chain has come top of an IPSOS survey as being the most popular store amongst Spanish shoppers. Mercadona scored a high 82% positive rating, followed by El Corte Ingles on 71% and Carrefour third with 53%. It was almost an identical picture for what people thought of the quality of products and customer serv­ ice offered by Mercadona and the other two companies.

House building on the Costa Blanca is beginning to rise to the levels last seen when the recession began to take hold in 2009. Figures from the Architects and Surveyors College in Alicante show that 2,037 new builds started in 2013, compared to 2,400 in 2009. The record high in the building boom was 52 thousand units in 2005. The Vega Baja region is accounting for 70% of construction proj­ ects in Alicante Province, with Orihuela and Torrevieja lead­ ing the number of new builds.

Lo Pagan u-turn Money maker RUTH IS BACK

People power has led to San Pedro del Pinatar council scrap­ ping its plans to intro­ duce car parking charges around Lo Pagan in a new blue zone this summer.

Furious shop owners and residents led a counter­attack with San Pedro mayor, Visitación Martinez announcing on Tuesday that the idea has now been binned.

Speaking at a news conference she said that “she could not go against the wishes of the people”.

Bull on the prowl

A loose bull caused panic in Gilet last Monday after it was released onto the streets of the Valencia province town as part of the San Anton festival. The bull managed to break free from the enclosure along the main street where he was running after it smashed down one of the barriers. The animal broke the metal fence with just one head­butt, causing concern, especially since a marquee full of children was just 20 metres away from where it was on the prowl.

Only five spectators suf­ fered minor injuries from the animal but four parked cars were dented by the bull, though the organisers' public liability insurance policy will cover the cost of repairs.

Around 100 spectators helped to herd the bull into

its enclosure by forming a human chain and then run­ ning after him en masse until those in charge were able to get a lasso round him and tied him to a tree until he could be carted away in a lorry. The last time a similar incident occurred in the Comunidad Valenciana was five years ago in Borriol in Castellón province.

A man who made counterfeit Euro notes has been arrested by the National Police. The 48 year old manufactured the 20 and 50 Euro fakes at his Elche home, and would then spend them further afield at shops around the Murcia region. Cops found close to 200 fake notes along with two printers, a guil­ lotine, holographic patches, a microscope, and computer equipment amongst other materials. The notes were said to look very realistic.

UK X­Factor fans will be cheering on Murcia’s Ruth Lorenzo next month as she bids to represent Spain in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The 31 year old singer came fifth in the 2008 X Factor, and made quite an impact on Simon Cowell, with a fair bit of sultry and suggestive banter between them, with the pop Svengali mesmerised by her Spanish accent. Her first UK album, The Raspberry Pattern, was released last summer, and now she wants to be Spain’s representative in Copenhagen on May 10th.

She’ll be up against 4 other acts in the Spanish finals,

singing an upbeat pop song called Dancing in the Rain, which has worked on in both London and Madrid.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

SAUSAGE LED TO CARREFOUR “ATTACK”

The recent attack on a French family in Torrevieja’s Carrefour store appears to be all over a 3 Euro sausage.

In a fresh war of words, the Naud’s claim that their children were searched and pushed around shaken by two private security guards.

Meanwhile the men, who have been suspended by their company, claim that the couple tried to steal a 3 Euro sausage.

Jeanine Alice Naud and her husband Jean­Louis Naud deny having attempted to shoplift the sausage last December 30th, and say they had just finished their shopping when the alarm went off and Mrs.Naud was searched. Guards did not find anything, but they were then all taken into a room where they claim to have suffered 'humiliating treat­ ment' and 'beatings' by the two men in front of their children. Their eldest 13 year old son videoed the entire incident on his mobile phone while their youngest, aged 5, stood watching and crying.

Their Spanish solicitor, María del Carmen Pérez Cascales, said that Mr. Naud was handcuffed and Mrs. Naud was hit and spat on whilst they were held in a private room for over an hour. During this time they 'were unable to move', 'received no explanations', and as they did not understand Spanish 'had

no idea what was going on', says Pérez Cascales.

CCTV footage pro­ vided by the security guards shows one of the adults picking up the contentious sausage, but then later putting it back on the shelf, and a subse­ quent shot shows them paying for their groceries at the till, which came to 11 Euros.

Security camera clips show Mrs. Naud bit­ ing one of the guards, which she admits, but this was because at the time, as confirmed by her son’s footage, the guard in question was holding her roughly round the neck with both hands and she was struggling to breathe.

“Jeanine Alice Naud bit the guard in legiti­ mate self­defence,” says the solicitor, who says the guards made up the story about their having tried to steal a sausage to 'justify the unjustifiable'.

Mr. Naud said it was 'necessary' for 'the truth to be known', since he considers the attack to be 'an incidence of racism'. “The French embassy said Carrefour – which is a French company – would contact us, but they have not done so,” he added.

“Carrefour is liable because it is they who contracted the security company, and the security company is liable for its employees.”

Blinded by the light

A six year old boy was seri­ ously injured in a crash on the Santa Pola to Elche road on Monday morning. The car and a truck collided at around 8.45am with police working on the theory that the car driver didn’t see the truck because of the sun’s reflection when he joined the main road via a fil­ ter route from a petrol station. The boy was in the back of the car and was taken to Elche

La Zenia business owners have won a reprieve over plans to shut off exits from the N332 roundabout, involving the Maestro Torralba and Alhambra roads. In addition, Orihuela Council is calling for the AP7 road to be made toll­free for motorists travelling to Zenia Boulevard, which they say would relieve traffic levels elsewhere. It’s one of the ideas put forward as an alternative to the planned closure of 2 exits from the round­ about on the N332 that has angered traders who feared a major loss of business. The project has been put on hold following hun­ dreds of objections received by the authori­ ties in Alicante, with the Orihuela adminis­ tration agreeing to co­operate with Alicante’s Ministry de Fomento in looking at ways of improving road safety around La Zenia.

Following extensive lobbying and a meet­ ing with business owners last week, Coastal councillor Martina Scheurer and planning

councillor, Antonio Zapata (both pictured) relayed their objections to the roundabout changes to the Ministry in Alicante, and countered with fresh proposals, including eliminating the toll on AP7. Zapata said that scrapping charges on the AP7 would be the quickest and best answer to the increased traffic around La Zenia, following the open­ ing 16 months ago of Zenia Boulevard. He said that traffic on the N332 now averaged 33 thousand vehicles a day, and there were still major problems despite it being a dual carriageway, whilst the AP7 was badly underutilised. The issue over the AP7 though is a complicated one as the decision needs to be taken by the national minister, Ana Pastor, with nearly all of Spain’s toll companies technically bankrupt. Other safe­ ty improvements that are set to be dis­ cussed will be the reduction of parking spaces by up to 20 spots on the Maestro Torralba and Alhambra roads.

LOCK HIM UP

General Hospital, whilst the drivers of both vehicles were only slightly injured.

IT’S A FAIR COPPER

4 people have been arrested for allegedly stealing copper in the region.

The Guardia Civil swooped after cop­ per cable was swiped from a Dolores company, with the gang also believed to be involved in 11 other copper thefts, including stealing 300 metres of phone cable which was going to be used in the San Fulgencio and Guardamar areas.

Learners pay big in Murcia If you want to learn to drive a car and to pass your test with­ out burning a hole in your pocket, then a survey suggests giving Murcia City a wide berth.

Facua­Consumers in Action say that Murcia is the 2nd most expensive place in Spain for learner drivers after Logroño.

A driving lesson course in Murcia comes in at an average of 923 Euros, with Logroño costing an even heftier 1,113 Euros. Jaen La Coruña came in as the cheapest at just 535 Euros. Facua found a rise of 2% in the cost of lessons nationally last year compared to 2012.

Toll-free move in La Zenia climb down

Convicted corrupt ex­Torrevieja Mayor, Pedro Angel Hernandez Mateo should not be granted any sort of pardon, according to the Valencian Supreme Court. That’s their opinion which they’ve relayed to the Madrid’s Ministry of Justice that’s hearing a clemency appeal over his 3 year jail sentence. Hernandez Mateo was given the custodial period after being found guilty in last autumn in fixing a rubbish collection contract 10 years ago. The Justice Ministry has the power to revoke or amend the punish­ ment.

MIRACLE BABY

A two year old child is lucky to be alive, and is now back at home after falling from a fourth­floor Murcia City apartment last week.

The youngster called Daniel toppled out of the window of the family home in a split second when his parents'

MORE MONEY The Vega Baja region is set to get a boost of over 6 million Euros over the next year for various improvement projects. The cash comes from the Alicante provincial government and includes grants for improving street lighting and using more ener­ gy efficient bulbs in places like Rojales and Pilar de la Horadada. There’s also provincial aid for building projects around the area.

backs were turned, but miraculously suffered just a few superficial cuts and a bruise to his stomach. His fall was broken by an awning over the window of the second­floor flat, and the toddler was rushed to the Virgen de la Arrixaca

Hospital for treatment, and then discharged after obser­ vation.

GOING DUTCH

Low cost carrier, Ryanair is to launch a new route this summer linking San Javier airport in Murcia with Eindhoven in Holland.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Drug smuggler jailed A Costa Blanca­based drug smuggler has pleaded guilty to importing drugs in a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. 47 year old Troy Stanton lived in an Alicante Province villa and was one of two people in charge of the dope ring, and will be sentenced at the end of the month. Based in Warwickshire and the Costa Blanca, the 9 strong gang imported tonnes of illegal drugs into the UK from Spain and the continent. 7 members were sentenced to between 3 and 8 years each for conspiracy to import and supply drugs. Det Ch Insp Ally Wright, head of Warwickshire's serious and organised crime unit said the enterprise was a multimillion­pound business which funded a luxury lifestyle with high­value cars and expen­ sive properties in England and Spain.

PM BACKS CRISTINA

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy boldly defended the embattled youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos during a rare television interview on Monday, saying he was "convinced" she would be found inno­ cent by the courts. "I am convinced things will turn out all right for" Princess Cristina, said Rajoy in a 40­minute interview with Antena 3. “Everyone is equal before the law and everyone including the princess is inno­ cent until proven guilty”, Rajoy added before stating, "I am convinced of her innocence".

The comments were Rajoy's first in public over to the corruption scandal which has engulfed Spain's royal family. His bold defence of the princess was the most "sur­ prising" feature of his interview, though he

offered little new insight on topics from abor­ tion and Catalan independence to jobs growth. On abortion, Rajoy said his aim was to obtain "the maximum support possible" for a draft law which in its current form would see abortion banned except in cases of rape or where there is a threat to the mother's health. Meanwhile, Rajoy reiterated his mes­ sage that "there will be no independence in Catalonia" while he is in power, adding that proposed vote on the region's right to decide on the matter of self­rule would not go ahead. In terms of jobs growth, Spain's top politician once again said he expected to see growth during his current term in office, although he refused to be pinned down on numbers.

A 10 year old pit­bull owes its life to Murcian lawyer Raquel Lopez, after being behind bars for 88 days waiting to be put down. Princesa had snapped at a 6 year old child who fell on top of her, after the young­ ster ran past and fell, stepping on the sur­ prised dog. The animal instinctively turned round and nipped the girl, causing superficial damage to the top layer of skin. As her breed is classified as “dangerous”, she was taken to the municipal pound to be given a lethal injection. Her owner then got hold of Raquel Lopez of De Animals, the only legal animal defence specialists in the Murcia region.

Since there was no infection for the girl after the bite, with the animal reacting naturally,

the lawyer tried to strike a deal with Murcia Town Hall authorities to find an alternative to killing the dog. Princesa’s owner completely took the blame for the accident and was more than willing to compensate the six year old child and her family. The work by the lawyer spread around various social net­ works on the internet, and led to Princesa’s eventual release. It’s just one of the cases that Raquel Lopez has taken on since open­ ing De Animals, with one of the toughest being defending the rights of a mare and a pony who were beaten by their owner on a daily basis. She managed to get the animals re­homed in a sanctuary, and their owner is awaiting trial for animal mistreatment.

ANIMAL RUMPOLE TO THE RESCUE

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Friday, January 24, 2014

editor@thecourier.es COURIER POSTBAG: YOUR VIEWS ON OUR NEWS

Singh’s mission of passion I WRITE in response to the most vitriolic letters regarding Peter Singh, in particular the one from Tony Wilson.

I know Peter through his work and I can most certainly vouch for his dedication and love for ani­ mals.

Under no circumstances was Peter even consid­ ering taking a dog from the Cereco home to sell. On the contrary, he is passionate in his mission to res­ cue unwanted animals and re­home them.

He works with animals and has an excellent record both here in Spain and in the UK. I would suggest to your letter writers that they meet the man before they criticise him. He is a love­ ly person.

LYNNE KIRKWOOD

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I AM Peter Singh's wife and i've been reading the letters that have been sent to The Courier.

My husband is an extremely passionate person who wears his heart on his sleeve. If he sees an

injustice or what he believes to be an injustice, he will bring it to the public's attention! He is not doing this out of spite or for any other reason. He does not rescue dogs and then sell them on.

He is a kind person and devotes his time to help­ ing and saving not just dogs but also cats.

Is he not allowed to have an opinion? Is he not allowed to write an article on an experience he had?

I believe there is no such thing as bad publicity and I also believe that people that who were not aware of the Cereco Dog pound, are certainly aware of it now!

Maybe it's not such a "damning" article after all.

JEAN MAGILL I’D like to thank The Courier for the responsi­ ble handling of an article which truly touched the nerves of a great many people.

Thank you to the Editor for allowing a change in emphasis. Credit to the newspaper and Mr. Singh.

ANNETTE STONE..

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HEY ENGLISH EDITORS, SPAIN DOES IT RIGHT! OVER the Christmas and New Year period the politi­ cal situation in Orihuela has been in turmoil and has received headline coverage in the Spanish press and even on the television that has lasted over three weeks.

I have followed the infighting and the disgraceful behaviour of the Popular Party in unceremoniously dumping C.L.A.R.O's Bob Houliston (pictured) without even the courtesy of a phone call, informing him that the agreement that they had with him for over two years was being discarded in favour of a new political alliance.

The Spanish press have given blow by blow reporting of the polit­ ical upheaval and clearly have understood the significance of these events, especially for the inhabitants of Orihuela Costa.

In stark contrast the British press, which is widely read by the large expat community that live on

DON’T FORGET YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION Letters and emails will only be considered for publication on this page if an address and contact number are provided in case we need to call you.

Orihuela Costa have largely ignored these important political events or where they have been reported they have been so biased and incomplete to make a mockery of true reporting.

One can only question why it is felt that political reporting is so inef­ fectively covered.

Does the English language press in Spain feel that reporting true news that affects a huge pop­ ulation of nearly 35,000 people liv­ ing on Orihuela Costa is immateri­ al or insignificant?

Do they feel that people who make their homes in Spain are so detached from political interest and political reality that it is not worth­ while reporting events that are so clearly significant?

Is it a belief of editors that the British speaking population shouldn't be concerned with poli­ tics in their adopted country?

Do editors not realise that poli­ tics is news? Politics is of interest to people and helps individuals to form opinions and to voice their

PETER CAN BE A REAL FORCE FOR GOOD AT CERECO THANK you for publishing the letters in response to Peter Singh’s article in Issue 151 of The Courier.

I sincerely hope that those letters, along with this week’s article by Peter, help to alleviate some of the charges that were made against Cereco.

I am also emailing Mr Singh to thank him and if he feels he can help the dogs of Cereco, would he please contact me so we can work within the system that is in place.

SUE MASKILL

Why do Ryanair show no Murcia?

DOES anyone know why Ryanair have cancelled the route from Liverpool to Murcia and sent refunds to passengers who had booked flights?

There is nothing on their website and it leaves passengers from there is every likelihood that more Liverpool to either travel from people would register to vote and Manchester or else to Alicante and would actually use their vote on get other transport from Alicante to Murcia.

ANN KEARNEY Local Election Polling Day. All I can say is thank goodness I WE contacted Ryanair for an do not depend on the English­ explanation ­ and got the fol­ speaking newspapers to find out what is really happening in the lowing response from spokesper­ son Sandra Rubio. “The route area where I live.

However, for the majority of Liverpool­Murcia has been can­ international residents the local celled and Ryanair does not com­ English speaking press is their ment further explanations beyond only form of gaining local informa­ commercial reasons.’’ tion.

MRS K. DODDS, Orihuela Costa We would not normally have published this letter since the writer submitted no contact information ­ and despite the subsequent lack of response to a written request from us for provide these details.

However, the writer makes what many people would regard as valid points so we publish with a request that readers draw their own conclusions as to the source of the letter.

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opinions.

The behaviour of the English speaking press in not giving full and adequate coverage to political events that happen along all the Costas may be a significant reason why so few expats vote in Spanish Local Elections.

If people were kept better informed of decisions taken by local politicians that affect every aspect of the environment where they live and the services offered

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Charity collector or conman?

A MAN has visited my shop on a number of occasions, trying to sell "Lottery Tickets" in aid of a children's charity.

When I have told him I am not interested, he then tries to sell me a calendar for 1 Euro.

Then, when I tell him again that I am not interested, he just asks for a donation.

The reason for my reluctance to part with any money is because there are many bogus operations of this sort in Spain, and one is keen not to be "caught out".

On previous occasions, he has just left my shop, but on the most recent visit he became quite aggressive. I stood my ground and he eventually left.

Has anyone else met this man? He is scruffily dressed with long hair in a ponytail.

And, more importantly, does anyone know if he is actually working for a genuine charity or not?

NAOMI CRAIG, La Zenia

THE COURIER MANAGEMENT DOES NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE

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Friday, January 24, 2014

I’VE got news for the cyn­ ics who reckon benefit­ seeking immigrants are fleecing Britain.

I get the impression British firms do a fair bit of fleecing them­ selves at the expense of job­seek­ ing European Community work­ ers.

I’m talking about EC passport holders like Juan, a Spanish friend whose vain efforts to find work in his homeland culminated in a life­changing D­Day last September.

Life for Juan (not his real name) was a cocktail of Depression and Desperation. He is 26, intelligent, articulate and speaks four lan­ guages, yet he had virtually no chance of developing a meaning­ ful career in crisis­hit Spain.

To generate some income, he tried working for peanuts in bars near his Murcia home. But, as anyone who has tried the Spanish waiting game as a summer cash generator will tell you, pay tends to be way below the legal mini­ mum ­ and the management is not averse to pocketing your tips.

The only option, Juan decided, was to try his luck in the UK, since his English is near perfect and he had accommodation lined up in Manchester.

When he got to England, his priority was to register as a Job Seeker. Yes, a JOB Seeker, not a BENEFITS scrounger as some people would have you believe.

How often do you hear innuendos ithat immigrants only move to the UK to milk the system? No men­

A JUAN WAY TICKET TO RIP-OFF BRITAIN

Chancellor George Osborne want the UK’s minimum wage raised to £7 an hour tion of the home­grown layabouts who spend their entire working lives sponging off the state.

Juan was quickly offered a number of interviews. The jobs ranged from working in a bakery to a responsible position with a big currency exchange firm at Manchester Airport.

Juan decided he wanted the air­ port position, sailed through the interview…and was offered the job.

It was exactly the sort of opening he wanted – a position that should be rewarded with a wage of around £20,000 a year.

Particularly as it involves work­ ing from 6am to 6am.

Poor Juan also had to fly back to Spain to obtain written proof that he has no criminal record. He finally began work in mid­October ­ and received his first pay cheque around TEN WEEKS later. His pay for a 40­hour week ­ just £6.31 an hour, the minimum wage set by the goverrnment The same wage paid

to a waitress in a cafe or a roadsweeper – and £2 an hour less than my daughter pays her home help.

At £12,000 a year, the pittance being paid to Juan smacks of exploitation by his employers.

Chancellor George Osborne’s mutterings about increasing the minimum wage to £7 an hour would help, but it is only because Juan is single that he can afford to take on such poorly paid work.

The £800 or so he’ll receive each month after tax should cover his rent, utility bills and transport to and from work. He might even be able to send a few pounds to his parents in Murcia. But that’s not the point.

I’m beginning to understand why so many Brits choose to live off state benefits rather than find themselves ‘proper’ jobs.

Staying in bed should be a more attractive proposition for Juan than the £40 a day he earns after tax.

But with fellow immigrants queu­ ing up for jobs like his, it’s unlikely Britain will ever reward him with a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

SCUM MOTHERS DO HAVE ‘EM THE scourge of Britain’s ‘scum society’ is one of the reasons I moved to Spain.

And the teenage terrors who spread fear and destruction throughout entire neighbourhoods in major cities are only part of the problem.

It’s a fair bet that most of the hooded hoodlums (whose working day

revolves around mugging and shoplifting) are the offspring of undesirables.

Mum will be an alco­ holic or drug addict and Dad ­ if Mum knows who he is ­ will be behind bars.

I remember vividly my introduction to the ‘cul­ ture’ of these people. And the sight of a doped­up mother screaming obscenities at a baby in a

pram was not one I wish to see again. It also gave me a stark introduction to lowlife Britain.

I reckon around five per cent of the population fall into the ‘Never done a day’s work – why should I?’ category.

Their logic is that It’s a lot easier to rob others of their hard­earned property and top up the proceeds

with the state’s weekly allowance for the 12 urchins the Artful Work Dodger has sired.

I don’t go with the theo­ ry that the drop­out fringe can be coaxed back into civilisation by some sort of education programme.

The people I am talking about live by the law of the jungle. They even look like animals ­ and heaven help

anyone who dares to remonstrate with them.

I fear the worst because successive generations of yobs are being brought up with the same total rejection of civilised behaviour.

And it’s hard to see the day ever arriving when the yobs come flocking to the BBC TV to take part in Strictly Scum Dancing...

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Friday, January 24, 2014

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014

THE FLYING HORSE

My New Year's resolution was to recapture my former fitness by walking everywhere.

'Are you having a laugh?' commented Mrs S the other evening. 'Face it, husband, your fitness did a bunk many moons ago and all hope of recovery has surely disappeared by now. You've as much chance of restoring your previously passable cardiovascular system as of finding both Amelia Earhart and Shergar in the middle of Piccadilly Circus.'

'What a terrible thing to say,' I said. 'I can no longer stay in the same room, nay the same house, as a person who would stoop so low as to introduce Amelia Earhart and Shergar into this conversation.'

Making sure I slammed the front door loud enough for the vibration to send Mrs S's favourite vase plunging off the edge of the hall table and onto the floor, I set off down the street at a smart trot and arrived eventually (very eventually) at the pub.

Half numb with exhaustion and half in pain from my aching ankles and throbbing thighs, I lurched over to the bar, steam surging through the lace holes in my trainers, and asked Dave the barman: 'I know Piccadilly Circus but who the hell are Amelia Earhart and Shergar?'

Dave the barman blanched. 'My goodness! She was a famous American aviator who mysteriously disappeared while flying over the Pacific in 1937. Don't tell me you've just seen her?'

I scratched my head in bewilderment. 'Why would this Shergar woman be wandering around outside this pub after all that time?'

'I was talking about Amelia Earhart!' barked Dave the bar足 man. 'Shergar is a horse! And as it so happens he vanished, too!'

I scratched my bonce again. 'Ms Earhart took her horse

with her on a plane trip? How did she get the steed to sit still? And how did she convince the creature to wear flight goggles?'

Dave the barman started to mutter to himself and then noticed that I was shivering and sweating from my physical and mental exertions.

'Blimey, you're certainly out of condition,' observed mein host. 'How about I pull you a pint and, if my guardian angel is watching over me, you might even stick your hand in your pocket and pay for it.'

'Never mind the beer, Dave,' I said, my shoulders shaking with exhaustion, 'Though I wouldn't mind a glass of water.'

'Coming up,' said Dave the barman, turning to the same pump he had intended to get the ale out of. 'Can I get you anything else, like smelling salts or a priest?'

As my breathing relaxed and the spasms eased in my calves, I took stock of my situation. I could either stay at the pub until chucking足out time in the hope that my tortured body would have fully recovered for my return walk home or I could leave now and grab a taxi.

But the latter course was a no足no because in my haste to leave the house I had brought out no money and I suspected Mrs S would not pay the cab fare at the other end in order to teach me a lesson. What lesson? I hadn't a clue but every action she took these days was motivated by her desire to 'teach me a lesson.'

Then I realised there was a third option. I left the pub and approached Fag Ash Bill who was standing a few yards away, drawing on a cigarette. The habit足 ual smoker visited the hostelry every day but couldn't enter the premises because it was illegal to smoke in there. Still, because Bill didn't drink, he was safe to drive and therefore always brought his car into town.

'Can I cadge a lift home, Bill?' I asked, explaining my plight. 'Sorry, Dave,' Bill said. 'I couldn't bring the car today because the ash tray is full. But if you like, we could gently stroll home together.'

We set off slowly down the road but I soon found myself lagging so far behind Fag Ash Bill that all I could see up ahead in the gloom was the glowing end of his cigarette. So much for my new exercise regime.

I caught up with my walking companion only when he stopped to stamp out his dimp on the pavement and then immediately light up another fag.

'So you didn't bring any money out with you, eh, Dave?' commiserated Fag Ash Bill. 'Well, perhaps that'll teach you a lesson.'

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR DOG I will be the first to admit that when it comes to pain thresholds or being ill, women are far better at dealing with this than are men.

Why, I’m not too sure, but all I know is that when I am sick, you would think I need an air ambulance, the hospital and an operation! The reason why I raise this point is because we have the ability to tell each other how we are feeling.

Dogs don’t. I remember once coming back from a walk in London and all of my dogs settled down as usual once back into the house. I looked at Lola, my female German Shepherd, as she gazed back at me with that amazing, happy and devoted look. She looked her usual contented self and I then noticed a trail of blood that has fol­ lowed her to where she was now laying.

When I looked at her leg, there was a cut so deep that you could see her bone. But yet, she just lay there as tranquil as could be. If that would have been a human, I don’t think they would have been sitting down so calmly. Dogs have this amazing ability to just get on with things, no mat­ ter what. I met a German Shepherd a few weeks ago in Spain, who had had one of his rear legs amputated the day before. I looked at him, as he walked on his three remaining legs with not a care in the world. This is yet another lesson that dogs are here to teach us. Because they simply get on with things, it is always important to groom and check your dog once a week to make sure they have nothing that is causing them concern. And if you do notice a change in behaviour, always check that they are medically well. Many people call a trainer or a behav­ iourist when they see that their dog’s behaviour has changed for the worse, but your first port of call should always be a

LOLA MY LITTLE SOLDIER vet, because in so many cases it will be that your dog is sim­ ply not well or in some form of pain.

It is also a very good idea to take your dog to the vet for a regular check up every few months. Not just when they are ill.

One of the things I find difficult to tolerate is a toothache.

Watching me with one is like watching someone close to death. But imagine if you are a dog and are in that much pain, but you cannot just look at the human in your house and explain how much discomfort you are in.

So keeping an eye on your dog is vital. The grooming,

which I recommend to all of my clients, is one of the best was for you to bond very closely with your dog. Before brushing your dog, always run your hands through their coat first, so that you can check if they have any lumps or cuts etc. which the combing will aggravate. When buying brushes to groom my dogs with, I always look for brushes where the bristles are rounded at the ends, so that they will not hurt my dogs.

Some of the equipment I see out there used for grooming dogs resemble something that you would use to butcher a carcass, so I always ask myself the question, “Would I use this brush on my own hair?” Finally, in my next life, If I do come back as a dog, I feel sorry for the people who are going to own me, as I suspect I will be a fairly unusual dog, in the fact that I will be rolling around looking for attention and feeling sorry for myself at the slightest sneeze!

I am available for consultations throughout the Costa Blanca region, if you are having prob­ lems with your furry best friend. To book a con­ sultation you can email me at peter@thedogy­ ouneed.com and I will contact you straight away, or you can call me on 966 847 827. We have set up an animal charity, where we help the most severely abused and injured animals in Spain. If you would be kind enough to donate anything to this special cause you can do by PayPal, where the account details are peter@the­ dogyouneed.com or to our Nat West charity account, where the sort code is 60­16­03 and the account number is 73754900. IBAN: GB83 NWBK 6016 0373 7549 00. BIC: NWBK GB 2L. Even one Euro will help, so please, please, try and support us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

PETS’ CORNER: CAN YOU TAKE IN A HOMELESS DOG OR CAT? MARCIANO, a Boxer cross­ breed, came into the kennels at 6 weeks old, he is a happy and playful 6 month old pup who is fully vaccinated and micro chipped. For more infocall 966 710 047, email info@satanimalrescue.com

Marciano Jack loves affection and he himself is very affectionate.

He is good with children and other dogs and becau­ se of his size needs only a small space to live. D.O.B APPROX JULY 2012 Please call 600 84 54 20 for more info www.k9club.es

Jack Ruby has been wandering around for a long time it has taken her carers about a year to gain her trust/ She is a beautiful Andalucian poden­ co, and she is about 5 years old and is now ready to go into a loving home. For more info please call the P.E.P.A. helpline on 650 304 746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcha­ rity@gmail.com

Duke is a beautiful, lively boxer, around 2 or 3 years old and good with other dogs, especially the bigger ones. He has been treated for leish and just needs a tablet a day. Call: 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

duke

Perla is looking for a very special person with patience and love to make her feel safe. Someone who knows and cares about dogs. She had her tail broken in the past and has lived with the pain until recently. She has now had her tail removed, but needs a calm environ­ ment where she will feel safe and cared for. Contact 616655789 for more details

Perla

Dora, is a small, female, mixed breed dog, around three years of age. She was taken into a rescue centre, but due to her fearful nature, she struggled there. I foste­ red her and she is less fear­ ful now, but in my opinion, she has been physically mis­ treated in the past. Please contact peter@thedogyoune­ ed.com

Zeus the Doberman and Zing the Bullmastiff Cross are looking for new homes.

They are both boys, both 3 years old and both castra­ ted. They would love fami­ lies and other pets or just a single owner to give them the love they need. They have been together since puppies but manage fine when separate. Please call 966775104 ajmhdelmun­ do@hotmail.com

Born on 11th October 2012, Molly is one of nine puppies found in a cardboard box when they were a few weeks old. They are medium sized dogs and the six remaining puppies are all living in the APAH kennels, hoping for a loving home. If you would like to meet the little family, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

Dora

Zeus and Zing

Molly

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Friday, January 24, 2014

STRANGE BUT TRUE GHOST ship crewed by CANNIBAL rats

A GHOST ship crewed only by CANNIBAL rats is feared to be heading for Britain.

The hulk of cruise ship Lyubov Orlova has been adrift in the North Atlantic for the past year after being cut loose off the coast of Canada.

But now coastguards are reportedly worried the recent storms may have driven her thousands of miles towards our own coastline.

The 300ft vessel, built 40 years ago in the Soviet Union, has nothing aboard but packs of disease­ridden rodents who are forced to prey on one another to sur­ vive.

Her current position is

unknown despite several high­level searches.

Last year satellites picked up an unidentified blip off Scotland large enough to be the ship — but search planes found nothing.

As well as the authorities, salvage hunters — after the 4,250­ton vessel's £600,000 value as scrap — are scour­ ing the seas for any trace of her.

They believe the liner is still afloat because its life­ raft transmitters have not been activated.

If the ship makes landfall it is likely to be on the west coast of Ireland, Scotland or the far southern tip of England.

One searcher, Belgian Pim de Rhoodes, told The

Sun: "She is floating around out there somewhere.

"There will be a lot of rats and they eat each other.

"If I get aboard I'll have to lace everywhere with poi­ son."

Named after a Russian actress, the Lyubov Orlova carried up to 110 passen­ gers to destinations across the globe, including the polar regions.

However, in 2010 she was impounded in Newfoundland, Canada in a row over debts and deserted by her unpaid crew.

After two years tied up in port, the decision was taken to tow her to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean where she would be scrapped.

But in heavy seas, the tow­line to a tug broke, prompting the Canadian government to send out another ship to drag her far out to sea and release her.

"There have been huge storms in recent months but it takes a lot to sink a vessel as big as that," said Irish coastguard chief Chris Reynolds.

"We must stay vigilant."

HIDE YOUR STASH Spanish police have been forced into an embar­ rassing apology after tweeting advice on how to best smuggle drugs onto a plane.

The Policia Nacional's offical account was asked by a magazine about get­ ting four cannabis joints onto a flight into a foreign country.

JotDown magazine tweeted the tongue­in­ cheek question asking whether the drugs were better off being carried in hand luggage or in a checked­in suitcase.

Incredibly, the police replied: "It's better if you have them rolled up and where the dogs can't detect them (in a cigarette packet?)"

The only warning offered was: "You do risk a report for public consumption."

The tweet sparked out­ rage from anti­drugs cam­ paigners, who suggested police were officially

encouraging cannabis smokers to try and smug­ gle drugs abroad.

The post was later delet­ ed and replaced with a more lecturing message.

"To avoid confusion, the possession or consump­ tion of drugs in public places carries an adminis­ trative penalty," it stated.

The National Police

later apologised for the tweet, saying it was an "error" that had been "rec­ tified immediately" because the message was "confused."

Carlos Fernandez, who runs the official police account, later tweeted via his own personal handle that there had been an "awkward failing."

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Friday, January 24, 2014

BENEFIT STREET OF SHAME

I came across something for the first time on the TV a few nights ago, and I decided to watch it with an open mind, as I wasn’t really sure what I was going to make of it.

I was brought up on a council estate, which was and probably still is one of the worst in the UK for car crime, although to me it was just home and I didn´t know any different! It was only as I grew up and got a good job and managed to make a good life for myself that I became aware of the poverty that I grew up in. As I was watching Benefits Street, I thought about my sister, who raised three children in council houses, and although she and her husband are smokers, neither thought it appropriate to give up once the kids were around. The house I remember them living in when my nieces and nephew were small looked similar to those on Benefits Street. If you’ve not come across this gem of a programme, then it is about a road where the majority of householders are unemployed and on benefits.

I mentioned my sister and our childhood, and to be fair my mother always worked as did my sister. I don´t remember a time when either were dependant on state benefits which made me notice differences as to what happened to us as opposed to those people on Benefits Street. My sister always looked after her children, apart from having a fag, and she always taught them right from wrong and was there for them.

They ended up as well balanced adults, which is why Benefits Street ended up as a real shocker to me. I know how it is to grow up with no easy future; how it is to be made to worry about money; how you couldn’t watch TV so as to save on the electricity bill; and how it is to have to pull your weight at home and spend evenings alone in your bedroom because it´s just quieter that way. Of course I knew that things were

going to change and that I was destined for something else, but viewing the show made me despair for the youngsters who are surely raised to believe that there is no future for them other than the road their parents have taken. Hearing the way that the parents speak to their children in this show and watch­ ing one of the mums allow her 5 year old son to ride up and down on his bike talking to the local drunks is scary! She admitted that her young boy knows what a spliff is! How can that be right? I want my son to remain innocent for as long as possible, and I wouldn´t let him out on his own here in com­ paratively safe Spain, let alone in some road littered with drug addicts and drunks. Our job as a parent is to protect, and maybe the mums in this show think that allowing their children to grow in this atmosphere is good training for their future.

Well, I suppose it is if their future if it’s in drug dealing or being unemployed!

Where are the role models for these kids? Why are the mums deciding that it´s the men that should be out work­ ing? Why can none of these women quit benefits and lead by example? It scares me and I am sure that I did not work in London for 12 years with my eyes closed, but I am also certain that I did not see anything like this programme in all my home visits and emergency calls. When I was a copper I thought I´d seen it all, but I was clearly wrong. How proud are these people to see themselves on TV and what is it achieving? A “fly on the wall” series like this can surely only go to serve the great British public who think they are better than these, as I cannot believe that all the households not on this street are sat watching with anything other than open mouths. So, where will these children be in 10 or 20 years?

And what of the parents who allow the cameras into their homes? Do they deserve this publicity and do they honestly think they are maybe somehow celebrities now they have appeared on Channel Four? I for one will not watch Benefits Street again, since I’ve no interest in the people on it. I would rather see people in council houses who are actually raising their families with respect and working for a living instead of deciding the country owes them one. Life is a gift, not to be taken for granted, and I will raise my boy to the best of my abilities. Yes as a single mum, but also with the knowledge that he can be anything he wants to be as long as he is happy and works hard.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

CUDDLY GEORGE’S POWER PLAY

Who’d have thought that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne was capable of getting all nice and cud­ dly?

But he’s got every reason to show a rare human face with yet more figures showing that the UK economy is recovering, including getting a grip on inflation. There was even an opinion poll that said the majority of Brits thought that the recovery was happening and that they were posi­ tive for the future, which only boosts To r y

poll hopes for next year’s election. But back to cuddly George, and the news that he feels there’s enough money in the tank to make sure that there would be an inflation­busting rise in the National Minimum Wage. A clever move this in the pre­election war, and it has left Labour somewhat taken aback, because they could hard­ ly oppose it, as it was one of their big new policies when they were in

charge. Is George changing his image slowly and surely to widen his appeal, ready to strike when his mate and boss, David Cameron calls it quits?

On the Labour side, Ed Miliband has promised to cut the big banks down to size if he wins power, and that two new High Street banks would be created to improve competition, and also to get a better deal for customers. We all hate the banks, and it doesn’t matter whether we are in the UK or Spain, and part of that is the feeling that they absolutely got away with murder during the financial crisis, which they helped to fuel. Now that recovery is upon us, they seem to be extremely reluc­ tant to help fund new busi­

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nesses and we had the stink a few weeks ago over RBS defrauding firms by deliber­ ately wanting them to go bust. Strange that one as RBS is state­owned, and also that Business Secretary Vince Cable promised to “sort the banks out”, but nearly four years later noth­ ing has happened. Miliband’s words may strike a chord with many people, but don’t you get the distinct feeling that nothing whatsoever is going to change with these discredited financial institu­ tions whoever wins in 2015?

Nigel Farage has anoth­ er nutter in the UKIP ranks to deal with, just after the dust has settled over the ludicrous antics and words of Godfrey “Bongo Bongo” Bloom back in the autumn.

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Step forward Oxfordshire councillor, David Silvester, who knows exactly what has caused the dreadful storms that have hit the south of England over recent weeks.

He’s not a meteorologist but a bigot, who I’m sure com­

forted suffering householders with the revelation that the recent floods were caused by the government’s decision to legalise gay marriage! He accused David Cameron of acting “arrogantly against the Gospel”, adding that “nobody can mess with Almighty God with impunity and get away with it”. Farage immediately suspended Silvester, saying that he defied orders over talking about the row to the media. A big filtering process is going on ahead of the European elections, with 5 UKIP Euro MP’s not standing again, having been weeded out, with Farage adding he is against “real extremism and nastiness”. I’ll be surprised on that standard whether he’ll have any candidates left.

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Tony

Friday, January 24, 2014

Mayes

HE ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT

DEFROCKED PERVS NEED GOD’S JUSTICE The story that nearly 400 Roman Catholic priests were defrocked by the former Pope in 2011 and 2012 over claims of child sex abuse has disgusted me. It demon­ strates just how depraved some in the church have been and some no doubt still are: ­ people who are in a position of trust and are fast losing public respect.

The church is having to come kicking and screaming into the public domain over the issue, after covering up the scale of abuse ­ carried out by priests, nuns and reli­ gious perverts ­ for generations. It's not good enough for these wretched people just to be defrocked by the church and dealt with by an internal court. Every single one of them should face a trial by jury in a criminal court. If it's good enough for police to be swarming over celebrities bringing charges against the likes of William Roache and Dave Lee Travis, then it's good enough for disgusting per­ verts in the church to be treated in exactly the same way.

But let's look at the wider picture for a moment: ­ some­ thing that dents so many people's faith. These acts were happening in houses of God. How is it that God didn't see fit to make a sign of his displeasure over what these priests and others were doing in his name? And how is it that more than a million of his chosen people can be gassed to death by Nazis without one single attempt to prevent it?

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Every year we can guarantee that we'll hear of terri­ ble winter weather stories; moans about sky­high prices; someone kicking off about some damage to the environment or other; and politicians trying to whip up a storm over bankers' bonuses. Politicians will bang on about the bonuses, promising to curb them, knowing full well they haven't a cat in hell's chance of doing so. Why? Because if they try to cut UK bank bonuses, all the top fliers will do is cross the road and be instantly employed in the subsidiary of an American, Middle East or Far East bank whose politicians are not so fixated about trying to make bankers out to the total villains. The new Bank of England governor Mark Carney, has now weighed into the annual furore by pointing out that if politicians try to thwart bonuses, all that would happen is that top bankers' basic salaries would go up as banks tried to retain their star staff.

The fact is, like it or not, much of Britain's wealth comes from financial services; that's why European countries would love to get their grubby mitts on some of the action.

Instead of trying to rubbish top flight bankers, politicians should have the courage to support them ­ and produce statistics to show how much worse off Britain would be without them.

Something that has long irritated me is the way the BBC ­ under the guise of being politically independ­ ent ­ often seems to go out of its way to promote the Labour cause. It also cleverly allows celebrities a platform to air left wing views. A classic example of this was when Paul O'Grady was being interviewed on The One Show over his orphaned animals series. One minute he was talking about animals, the next he was banging on about the cost of living, poverty, and the need for the govern­ ment to drastically raise the minimum wage. It was more like a party political broadcast for the Labour Party. And what it had to do with the care for animals I don't know.

Just for the record, Paul, if the government did do as you suggested, employers would inevitably have to trim the number of staff to maintain an economical wage bill. The result ­ rising unemployment and more people actually worse off. Chancellor Osborne wants to raise the mini­ mum wage to £7 an hour which he thinks is sustainable and won't be paid for in lost jobs. But Paul, stick to stroking animals, and BBC, if you want to draw out politi­ cal views from celebrities, make sure it's balanced and not orchestrated views of the left. Sadly too many BBC staff are to the left in politics and they let their politics influence presentation ­ and impartiality goes out of the window.

It happened again on Friday over coverage of Milliband's nauseous orchestrated press conference,

more like some kind of presidential address, to launch his attack on banks. He wants to force banks to sell branches so that two more can be established to create more com­ petition in banking. About four minutes of air time was taken up on his rantings, and just a few seconds of a response from Cameron. And absolutely no word at all at the most important thing that happened ­ that a billion pounds was wiped off banks' share prices as a result of Milliband's crap. Carry on Labour, do what you do best ­ damage the economy and make people far worse off than they otherwise would be and drive more people onto ben­ efits, just what Labour thrives on.

Should parents take children out of school to go on a foreign holiday? This has been a dilemma for parents for generations now. But a new law allows councils to fine parents who fail to ensure their children attend class. And parents of three, Stewart and Natasha Sutherland, learned last week just how costly their holiday in Rhodes was when they were fined £630, with £300 costs and a £63 victim surcharge. They could have paid the school fine earlier, paying just £360 within 21 days, but they failed to do so. The problem for the Sutherlands and, no doubt, thousands of other parents, was that the particular week was the only one they could get time off together.

He works for the Ministry of Defence Guard Service and a recruitment and overtime ban meant it has been impossi­ ble to get leave time that suits. Head teachers were, in the past, able to grant up to 10 days leave a year to parents, but this has now been stopped. No one denies that atten­ dance in school is important and vital leading up to exam time, but there has to be a degree of give and take. Taking holidays in school holiday times is a very costly experi­ ence. The only other way of not damaging the wallet is not to have children, and with officialdom making life increas­ ingly difficult for parents, including not being able to lightly smack them if they are naughty, I'm sure we will see more people opting to be childless in future.

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Just as I thought that Britain couldn't get any sillier, comes this tale. Nine­month­old Maddy Andrew was dressed in woolly tights, leggings, an all­in­one vest and a fleecy top when she was with her mother on Scarborough seafront. The temperature was 6.7 degrees, but this didn't stop some nosey, busy­body calling police anonymously to report the mother for exposing a child to the cold.

Two police officers raced to the scene to question Paula Andrew about the child's welfare ­ within 10 minutes of the family's arrival on the parade. I have no problem with the

police up to that point, because it's their duty to check on any child's welfare. But one of the police officers demand­ ed to know her name, and she refused to give it. The response from the officer was "So you don’t want to co­ operate?’ She said: ‘I told them that it was a mother’s right to play with her daughter and it wasn’t a co­operation thing”. Mrs Andrew expanded: "I added that they’d be tak­ ing her to the social workers next if I gave them my details. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, so I walked off."

Here's a perfect example of police overstepping the mark ­ put some people in a uniform or give them a title and before you know it they're little Hitlers. What should have happened is that the cops should have gone to the woman, checked the child was not cold and then made light of the incident. If I had been that officer I would have said, with a smile on my face: "Guess what? Someone's just reported you for being out in the cold with your child.

I can clearly see everything's OK, sorry to trouble you."

That wouldn't have put the mother's back up and she probably would have been equally amused.

Why do some coppers have to be so heavy handed?

Are they not taught basic common sense, or are they frightened they will be reprimanded back at the station for not getting a name and address of everyone they talk to?

One ex­officer said: "This is by far the barmiest cold case I have ever come across. Do the police now need a thermometer to take children’s temperatures along with their truncheons? The mother is clearly not committing a crime by taking her child for a walk along the promenade.

In most areas it is easier to order a takeaway pizza and get it delivered than get a response to an emergency 999 call, so it is astonishing that, when there is a swift response, it is to a totally innocent lady playing with her baby." Hear, hear! Police, get real.

This Scarborough incident pales to insignificance when you compare it to the appalling apparent fid­ dling of crime figures by the police. The UK Statistics Authority say there is evidence of widespread fiddling by police forces ­ so much so they have withdrawn their "stamp of approval".

For many years politicians have used the police statis­ tics to claim that crime is falling in the UK. It now appears the very opposite is the case. If this is proved, it will create a new appalling low for police in the UK ­ deemed to be not fit for purpose after so many cases of police lying for their own ends. The watchdog now accuses the police of massaging the crime figures to suggest crime is falling, with a number of ways that this has happened. An offence of robbery may be transformed into ‘other theft’ and a bur­ glary may become criminal damage to downplay its signif­ icance. Some offences are recorded as ‘no crime’ because there is no direct evidence, such as where a mobile phone owner is unable to prove it was stolen, so it might be deemed lost. In testimony to Whitehall's public administration committee, PC James Patrick, who analy­ ses crime figures for the Met, said even rapes, child sex abuse, robberies and burglary were disappearing in a ‘puff of smoke’.

Forces were accused of downgrading crimes to less serious offences and even erasing them altogether by labelling them as accidents or errors. MPs were told of a string of controversial techniques used by officers to cut recorded crime. It all adds up to a horrific tale of half­ truths and lies, and further undermines public confidence in the British police. And if we cannot trust the cops to be impartial and always be on the side of law and order and safeguard the public, who on earth can we trust?

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And finally, it's reported that a 21­year­old Polish woman wants her name to be in the Guinness Book of World Records by setting a new record for the number of men she has sex with. Ania Lisewska plans to tour Europe to have sex with 100,000 men for 20 minutes each. She claims she loves fun, sex and men. It's going to take her 33,000 hours of action to achieve her record.

I make no further comment!

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH Spanish 106

late.

There are 4 oceans in the world, I eat pizza every day, I can´t speak Spanish very well, I don't work on Tuesdays, he is bored, what time is it?, He never eats,Where is the library?, What do you study?,I have to eat the vegetables ­ Jorge calls María, The White House is the president's house, I sleep well every night, I don´t understand , If you want to go to the shop I will come with you, Classes begin in September, you are taller than I, Pablo bought a ring for her, Why don't you come with me?, I want to see it, John needs to wash it,He doesn't buy me anything, I want to tell it to you. like tea but I prefer coffee, Mary is writing a letter, I don't know your tele­ phone number, The bank opens at half past eight, He gave me ten dollars for the book, Juan wash­ es his face, John needs to wash his hair

This week we are going to continue with some revision. It is always a good idea to practise your Spanish or you will not improve, with learning a language as in anything you only get out of it what you put in and as such you need to be putting in as much effort as possible and remembering the rewards that await you once you are speaking flu­ idly and confidently.

Firstly here are the answers to last weeks trans­ lations: In January it is very cold – En enero hace mucho frío, today it is raining – hoy está llovien­ do, we are lucky to be here – tenemos suerte de estar aquí, she is in a hurry to go to school – ella tiene prisa para ir al colegio, it is too windy to go out – hace demasiado viento para salir, it is snowing in England – está nevando en Inglaterra, it is nice weather to go to the beach – hace buen tiempo para ir a la playa, I am very afraid of spiders – tengo mucho miedo a las arañas; are you hungry? – ¿tienes hambre? I´m not very sleepy at the moment – no tengo mucho sueño ahora.

This week I am going to give you a general revi­ sion week from very basic to more advanced, so there is something for everyone here. It will give you a good idea of where you are confident and where you need a bit more practise. The Spanish economy is still struggling and those of us who need to work will find our options more open if we can speak the language, and those of you who are retired or not working will still find the language useful, you never know when an emergency may occur and you need to speak to someone and the knowledge that you can communicate

I hope by now you are back into learning after the Christmas break and we will carry on next week with some new Spanish and a bit of revision thrown in.

There are always ways to improve your Spanish and I will be giving you helpful tips on how to remember the words and phrases and giv­ ing you all the tools you need to speak fluently, the rest is up to you.

Have a great week.

effectively goes a long way to making your life here easier.

Firstly translate the following into Spanish, there is a mix of tenses and grammar so take care and think before you trans­

If you are looking for private Spanish classes; I also run English as a foreign language classes and English for English reading and writing class­ es, please get in touch with me, I am based in my school in Almoradí and I look forward to hearing from you. The phone number is: 625437217.

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALOE VERA Aloe Vera gel is often thought as having one specific function: cooling and helping to heal sunburns. In fact, Aloe is an amazing plant with a wide ability to aid in the healing process, to protect, moisturize, and even extend life. It was used in ancient times for medicinal purposes, and its relevancy has not diminished today. Aloe's usefulness con­ tinues to grow as scientists study its proper­ ties and possible applications.

Aloe Vera is a cellular regenerator and has anti­bacterial and anti­fungal effects.

These properties alone contribute to Aloe's place as one of nature's healthiest products.

WorldwideHealth.com's Health Library lists magnesium lactate, an itch inhibitor, in the minerals contained in the plant. Therefore, in bringing relief to insect bites, acne, sun­ burns, rashes, and other topical conditions, Aloe makes sense.

But what about the less frequent uses of Aloe? Should Aloe be considered as an addition to diet and lifestyle? Aloe can pur­

portedly do so much more than soothe irri­ tated skin. Taken internally, it can be used as a laxative and to destroy certain bacteria or parasites in the intestines. Unsubstantiated claims include that it can help heal ulcers and settle a queasy stomach. There are a dozen uses for Aloe that have been integrat­ ed into modern alternative medicine, and scientists have been able to study some of these claims.

Dr. Timothy E. Moore's research on Aloe and dental health at the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) describes gel from the plant as having the ability to heal, control the accumulation of fluids, and reduce pain.

He has also found that in denture patients, aloe can reduce inflammation and discom­ fort caused by fungi and bacteria. Other uses include post periodontal surgery and on cracks and lesions found inside and out­ side the mouth.

In a study performed by the Department of Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, lab rats were given a 10% greater life span by ingesting Aloe.

The animals showed low­ ered occurrences of various diseases including arterial thrombosis and leukemia.

In addition, no adverse side effects were found in the rats on a diet that included Aloe.

While anyone consider­

ing alternative medicine to treat conditions should consult their physician first, Aloe may be a viable remedy for various ailments.

Through observation and further tests, sci­ entists have proven that the healing effects of Aloe extend beyond merely soothing sun­ burn. Future studies should bring credibil­ ity to other claims of Aloe's diverse medical benefits.

Respiratory Infections and Coughs DR MACHI MANNU’S ADVICE CLINIC Email your questions and comments to contact@medb.es

Coughing is the body´s way of removing irritants and foreign bodies from the respiratory passages.

Coughs are common symp­ toms of respiratory disor­ ders such as asthma, bron­ chitis, emphysema and res­ piratory infections. Coughs are also caused by many prescription drugs, espe­ cially those used to lower blood pressure and choles­ terol. Respiratory infections are more frequently caused by viruses such as the influenza or flu virus than by bacteria, which usually invade the body after virus­ es have taken hold. Judging from the diagnostic scans performed at our clinic MedB, the commonest microbes detected from people complaining of res­ piratory problems are the virus ­ adenovirus, and bac­ teria – streptococcus and

staphylococcus.

These microbes are normally found in all organs of the respiratory system – phar­ ynx, larynx, and trachea, and lung tissue, but can also be present in surround­ ing organs where they may also cause serious prob­ lems.

Interestingly, microbes such as strepto­ coccus are found all around us, in the air we breathe, the food we eat, even on the surface of the skin: how­ ever such microbes are unable to attack a healthy body, and only cause prob­ lems when the immune sys­ tem because weakened.

For this reason they are known as opportunistic microbes. As long as our immune system is function­ ing well, these microbes stand no chance of invading the body. But in today´s world, our immune system

is perpetually under stress from contaminated foods, electromagnetic pollution and the everyday stress of living, and these take enor­ mous toll on our immune system.

The diagnostic scan analysis from MedB also show that most people with chronic cough have higher than normal levels of heavy metals ­ mercury, lead, cadmium – present in their respiratory organs.

The best protection against respiratory infections and flu is a well­balanced immune system, and this can be achieved with the help of the natural agent: Colostrum. Detoxing the body to eliminate toxins is also very helpful.

FOR A FULL BODY DIAGNOSTIC SCAN CALL DR MACHI MANNU: 965071745

Getting fit just got easier!

The “Fantastic” VIBRA GYMS vibrating pivotal plate training known as W.B.V. (Whole Body Vibration) is now available to you. Designed to be used by both men and women of all ages and fitness levels, with lit­ tle if any impact on joints, it actually helps reduce back and joint pain and is used world­ wide for rehabilitation in clinics and health centres. This unique machine is the perfect solution for those who are fighting the flab or trying to improve their health and fitness lev­ els but do not want to spend hours in a Gym 4 or 5 times a week. Designed to be used wearing your everyday clothes, it gives the equivalent of a 45min to 1 hour Gym workout in just 10­15minutes. This amazing exercise machines works from the body’s inner core and by tilting you from side to side creates thousands of muscle movements as the

body tries to balance and stabilize itself, thus causing the burning of unwanted fat, helping your body’s balance and co­ordination, and improving overall fitness levels and weight loss regardless of your age. It also improves circulation, reduces cellulite and varicose veins, and helps increase bone density and tones muscles, thus improving your overall suppleness and flexibility. It also helps increase the body’s feel good factor and boost your energy levels. A now if you want to go that extra mile we have two bikes a commercial stepper and tummy massager to burn them flabby bits around the mid­section at no extra cost.

It’s Simple, it’s Fast, it’s Quiet and its Fun! For more information visit our website www.flabelosspain.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Q

LAMININE IS JUST THE TICKET

I do not take any supplements, but would like to start tak­ ing something. The problem I find is that there are so many different types available, and they are all supposed to be beneficial. In your opinion if I had to take just one, which should it be?

You are absolutely right when you say there are so many differ­ ent kinds of supplement available, all claiming to be beneficial to health. In a way this is true. Our body needs a variety of nutrients to function optimally, and in days gone by, we would have been able to source most of these nutrients from our diet. Sadly the soils in which crops are grown have been depleted of nutrients, making the fruits and vegetables that come from such soils also low in nutrients.

For this reason, supplements have become very essential. I have been asked this question a number of times, and have had difficul­ ties giving an answer in the past, but that was before I came across the supplement known as laminine. For a while now, I have been using and prescribing laminine for a number of health problems, and I am very impressed with the amazing results I have noticed in my health, as well as the health of my patients. What makes Laminine different from other supplements? Well Laminine contains proteins that encourage stem cells found in the body to turn into new tissue in order to replace injured ones. Stem cells are undifferentiat­ ed cells that are yet to transform into tissues such as heart, bones and liver. In other words stem cells have the capacity to become new organs. This is why stem cell therapy is seen as the future of medical therapies. Laminine is the closest thing to stem cell therapy.

What gives Laminine its unique properties is an ingredient known as Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF). Laminine is produced from 9 day old fertilized chicken eggs and then freeze­dried to preserve its del­ icate contents. Since the 1930s, it has been known that chicken egg contains many vital compounds that promote healing, and that these compounds are of the highest concentration on the 9th day in a fertilized egg. These healing compounds include essential amino acids, polypeptides, neuropeptides, vitamins, minerals and fibrob­ last Growth Factor (FGF). Fibroblasts are a type of stem cells found mainly in the bones, joints, nerves, heart and other organs. These fibroblasts are stimulated by Laminine to transform into brand new tissue. Amino acids are regarded as the building blocks of life, and

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Friday, January 24, 2014

are required to form DNA, as well as muscle and nerve tissue.

Current Research is now pointing to neuropeptides as being responsible for the transmission of signals from one nerve to anoth­ er. The benefits of Laminine are numerous, however what stands out is its ability to help repair and regenerate damaged tissue. Our bodies are in a continuous state of breakdown and repair, with more breakdowns than repairs occurring as we age. Laminine promotes repair, and helps the body heal a lot faster. Due to the neuropep­ tides it contains, laminine also has a positive effect on the nervous system, and speeds up the healing of nerve and brain injuries.

Laminine promotes deep and restful sleep. And by promoting healthy sleep, laminine further encourages the body to heal because healing takes place during sleep. Laminine also promotes relaxation. This is because laminine contains all 22 essential amino acids, the building blocks of thousands of chemicals needed for the body to perform optimally. One of such chemicals is serotonin – the feel good hormone needed for relaxation. People taking laminine report that the feel better in themselves, their mood improves and they also feel much relaxed. Laminine also helps women suffering from hot flushes by supporting the hormonal system. Since it con­ tains all essential amino acids, the body is able to produce the exact amount of hormones it requires. Another impressive effect of lami­ nine is how it relieves bone and joint disorders such as osteoarthri­ tis, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle pain etc. With such benefits, lami­ nine is certainly the supplement you need if you had to take just one kind. Laminine is not available in the pharmacy, but you can order it from MedB Health Shop. It is sold for 36 Euros for a container of 30 capsules, or 100 Euros for 3 containers. The recommended dose is 3 capsules daily for the first month, and 1 capsule daily sub­ sequently. However those with more chronic disorders should take 3 caps daily for a longer time period – 3 to 4 months. To order Call 965071745 Introducing Cutting­edge Russian Healing Technology – Cosmodic­Scenar Modern medicine only recognises the physical properties of the human body and barely acknowledges that the human body also has electromagnetic properties. For this reason, modern medicine is only able to treat illnesses with drugs because drugs only work on

the physical plane of life. However since the 1940s, scientific research has established that every cell, tissue and organ in the body is capable of producing measurable electromagnetic energies such as infrared, ultraviolent light and X­rays. Scientists in Russian have been studying this aspect of the human body since then, and have become leaders in the field of energy medicine. The best known Russian Scientist in this field is Dr Kasarev, a medical doctor, electronic engineer and prolific inventor. As a young man in the 1970s, Dr Kasarev developed the TENS machine. However in his own words, he quickly realised that it was a very limited and not so effective device because it had no way of reading information from the body, and this curtailed its usefulness. Nevertheless, this did not stop other people from patenting and selling his invention – The TENS machine. Since then the enigmatic Dr Kasarev has contin­ ued to improve on his work, and has recently released THE COS­ MODIC­SCENAR (Ex735Ag). If any technology can be described as coming from the future, it has to be COSMODIC­SCENAR. The clinical studies carried done in Russia with this device is impressive.

Even in the late 1980s, when clinical trials were performed with the forerunner of the Cosmodic­Scenar, the result showed a cure rate of 88% for most diseases when used alone.

In a nut shell, Cosmodic­Scenar wakes­up the body to the problem it faces. A well­ known fact is that the body has the capacity to heal itself of any ill­ ness, as long as it can recognise the problem. Cosmodic uses low frequency electrical pulses delivered to the skin, to constantly stim­ ulate the body to produce massive amounts of neuropeptides and regulatory proteins. These substances are capable of turning on the genetic switch that controls healing. And for this reason the Cosmodic­Scenar is capable of healing the body. However its most impressive effect is in Pain Relief. It has a near immediate effect on all kinds of acute pain, especially pain originating from the nerves and joints. For this reason it has been adopted by the Russian Space Agency. MedB has recently acquired the Cosmodic­Scenar and will start using it in the coming weeks. To find out more, please call 965071745 FOR A FULL BODY DIAGNOSTIC SCAN CALL DR MACHI MANNU: 965071745

Since it first opened its doors almost two years ago, Chloë Salon has gone from strength to strength to become the success it is today. It began when Chloë, a talented and experienced hair stylist with a flair for business launched Chloë Salon 1 in Torrevieja in May 2012. After a prosperous first year with clients travelling long dis­ tances to visit the salon the need for a sec­ ond salon became apparent and prompted the opening of Chloë Salon 2 in La Torre de la Horadada in August 2013. This was fol­ lowed shortly after by a third salon situated on the other side of Torrevieja. Chloë Salon 3 which recently moved to larger premises on the 16th of January 2014 and now Chloë Salon 4 will be opening its doors in Rojales on February the 1st . See the Chloë Salon advert for addresses and contact numbers.

Behind Chloë stands a strong team of styl­ ists, therapists and technicians. All qualified and experienced in their own fields, this team have helped Chloë to build the salons to the high calibre they are well known for.

Chloe Salons are 100% legal, qualified and insured to carry out all of our services and treatments and cut no corners in giving you

amazing quality at affordable prices.

Chloë Salon, staff keep up to date with new trends and courses with quality training on a regular basis.

Chloë Salon are pleased to announce, Chloë Salon Mobile offering clients that are unable to make it to the salon the opportunity to receive service in their own homes. Just call CS1 for availability of appointments for hair, beauty and nails.

Chloë Salon Academy is also developing a range of tuition for hair, beauty and nails at affordable prices in any of our 4 salons and can offer starter kits if required. For more information about any of our services please call CS1 or email chloesalon@aol.com .

Chloë believes that hair and beauty treat­ ments should be affordable to everyone and this is certainly reflected in their prices. As well as the inexpensive cost, Chloë Salon are also renowned for their friendly atmos­ phere and welcoming staff making each client’s visit an enjoyable one with every new client receiving a FREE cut or manicure on their first visit. It makes sense to visit Chloë Salon for all your hair and beauty needs, we guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Friday, January 24, 2014

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Friday, January 24, 2014

MURCIA – A CITY FULL OF SURPRISES

Murcia Spain with its about 300 000 inhabitants lies about 75 km south of Alicante about 30 km west of Torrevieja. The city of Murcia can be reached via the national road E15 from Alicante. You can also arrive in this interesting city by bus or train.

Embedded in between the mountains of the Sierra de Orihuela and the Cresta de Gallo lies the city which, due to its large and sophisticated watering system, is famous for the mouth­watering fruit and vegetables it produces.

From a tourist point of view Murcia offers a huge amount of interesting places to visit as the history of the city goes back to the years 800, when it was originally founded.

Certainly amongst the famous visiting points for any traveller is the Cathedral de Santa Maria. Finished in the 15th cen­ tury the cathedral is the most impressive monument of Murcia.

dral, where many more details are explained.

Right outside the Cathedral you will find the city hall and the Palacia Episcopal, the residency of the Bishop of Murcia.

The variety of museums, from the archeological to the museum for water systems, the science museum, to the museo de bellas Artes which shows art from Ballester and Gaya amongst others, means there is something of interest for every visitor.

famous artists such as Vazquez and Rembrandt, to give you an idea of the intensity of his work.

The cathedral, which is located at the plaza del Cardinal Belluga, just next to the river, has got different entrance doors, all of which have on their own a treasure. The main entrance, called Puerta Del Perdon, the north door, Portada De Las Cadenas and the Portada De Los Apostoles lead you into the impressive Capilla Mayor (Chappel) decorated with lots of gold. When you take a tour around the cathedral of Murcia, make sure you visit the museum inside the cathe­

The city is divided by the Segura River and is known for its beautiful Baroque Cathedral, Almudi Palace and the cas­ tle of Monteagudo ( where the Arab influence can be well appreciated ), a fortress from the 11th c., the Market de Veronicas, the Malecon Garden, the University of Murcia, the Casino (A Murcian institution in Calle Trapería ­ its ball­ room is decorated in the style of Luis 15th), and the Museum Ramon Gay, which was inaugurated in 1990 when the artist was 82 years old, and also includes other works of art from other artists. Ramon Gaya was influenced by

Murcia is the perfect city for strolling around (and a terrible one to drive in, with very complicated one­way systems and crowded car­parks). Everything worth seeing is within walk­ ing distance. The most famous commercial streets are Trapería, Platería and la Avda. Alfonso X el Sabio. The Paseo del Malecón near the River Segura is also a pleasant walk out of the city and then back again.

Churches and Convents worth visiting include: Santa Ana church, San Andrés church, San Miguel church. San Nicolás church; San Juan de Dios church and museum, Las Agustinas monastery is just 5km away. Nuestra Sra. de la Fuensanta sanctuary has great views of the city.

Shopping: The most typical things to buy to eat in Murcia are meat pies (including deer pie) from Bonache (in the pret­ ty plaze de las Flores ­ Flowers square). Shops in the Trapería and Platería are also worth a look. The Verónicas market is good for famous Murcian market­garden products, fish and seafood.

On the outskirts of the city you will find two very large shopping centres, IKEA and the Real Murcia football stadi­ um.

CABO DE GATA NATURAL PARK

If you fancy getting away from it all and spending a few days in one of the most unspoilt areas of Spain, then the Cabo de Gata­Níjar Natural Park, near the city of Almería is the ideal place to go. It is the largest terrestrial­maritime reserve in the European Western Mediterranean Sea, cov­ ering 460 km² including the town of Carboneras, the moun­ tain range of Sierra de Cabo de Gata, and 120 km² of the sea as a part of a Marine reserve. The park offers lovely walks over rambling hills, curious coves tucked away where you’d least expect to find them, long, empty windswept beaches, and white­washed villages which still are home to traditional fishermen and the odd hippy and artist too.

Being situated in Andalucia, the climate is warm most of the year, and the fact that it is one of the driest areas of Europe, means that rainfall is scarce most of the time. The average temperature is 18 °C and it has the lowest rainfall in the Iberian Peninsula and the whole Europe, its average precipitation being a mere 120 to 180 mm (4.72 to 7.09 in) annually. The area originally formed from volcanic erup­ tions, which have led to some interesting scenery The park was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere

Reserve, and in 2001 it was included among the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance. Between the village of San Miguel and the Cabo de Gata point are salt flats (Las Salinas de Cabo de Gata) separated from the sea by a 400 m sand bar. Thousands of Greater Flamingos can be seen on the salt flats near the headland at certain times of the year.

Due to the harsh conditions for agriculture and its isolated location, habitation has been historically sparse, which has kept the area relatively virgin, something rather unlikely in the Spanish costa. Three and a half thousand people were recorded as living within the boundaries in 1997.

The park is home to a multitude of wildlife, and is a favourite for birdwatchers. It is the ideal place for those who enjoy walking, as much of the coastline is only accessible on foot, via some well­marked footpaths and walks, especially between Cabo de Gata headland and San José and Las Negras and Agua Amarga.

There are a number of small hotels to stay at, mainly situ­ ated in the town of San Jose.

Cortijo El Sotillo is a rural hotel housed in an 18th­century farmhouse, just outside San José, with a swimming pool.

Horse riding is available.

Hotel Atalaya has rooms with terraces located close to the beach in San José.

Hotel El Tío Kiko is in Agua Amarga and boasts Jacuzzis and superb sea views in the rooms, a swimming pool and gym.

Camping Cabo de Gata is 1km from the beach in San Miguel de Cabo de Gata. Open all year round, it has plenty of shade, mobile homes for rent and a swimming pool.

Camping Tau in San José is shady site 300m from the beach, with rooms to rent, a restaurant and bikes for hire.

Open Easter to the end of October.

Camping Los Escullos is a shady, attractive site with a pool, close to the beach south of La Isleta.

Camping Náutico La Caleta is in a beachside location 1km south of Las Negras village, with a pool and a diving club.

The park's visitors' centre is Los Amoladeras, between Retamar and San Miguel de Cabo de Gata on the AL822 at Km 7, 950 160 435. It has an exhibition on the park's vol­ canic geology, flora, saltpans and the sea. It can also pro­ vide information on walks, accommodation and activities in the park. From June to September, the centre is open daily, 10am­2pm and 6pm­8pm. From October to May, it's open Tuesday­Sunday 10am­2pm and 4pm­6pm (6pm­8pm April­ May).

For further information see www. degata.com/eng/

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Friday, January 24, 2014

Veteran vince celebrates One of the veteran members of The Rascals musical showgroup got the sur­ prise of his life on his 80th birthday.

Vincent Mansi was a professional enter­ tainer back in the UK, and was one of the Black and White Minstrels as well appearing in the West End production of Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol. As a birthday treat at Sacko’s Bar, El Limonar, Torrevieja, Vince was surprised by his son Andrew popping in from Britain to join in the fun, as well as being given a special memento of his years with The Rascals. Vince said:­“It’s been great fun over my 10 years with The Rascals, and they’ve given me the chance to sing lots of solos including Old Man River, Besame Mucho and the show­ stopping If I was a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof! ” To learn more about The Rascals, find their website at www.therascals.org or phone Errol on 965 319 834

Nearly 173 thousand Euros were raised in last year’s Poppy Appeal in the Costa Blanca region. The Royal British Legion’s District North’s annual conference in Alicante was told about the bumper figure by their Poppy Co­ordinator, Robin Hargrave, who praised the great generosity of people in tough eco­ nomic times.

The British Consul in Alicante, Paul Rodwell spoke about the RBL’s close ties

with local charities, and paid tribute to their hard work. He also thanked the retiring chairman, Chris Wyatt for his contribution, with Nigel Hails now taking over the role for the next 3 years.

The Legion has 18 Branches and their website gives contact details for each Branch and also District members: ­ www.britishlegion.org.uk/counties/spain­ north

The Smile Charity Group enjoyed a resounding success with their lat­ est offering of an original mini Pantomime, which was put on at The Hotel Marina, in Benidorm as well as The Marjal Camp Site, The Club – Quesada, and El Alto La Dolores Restaurant. It was a sell­ out each time, and the audiences loved with comments like “excellent entertainment”; “it was so much fun” animals in the care of APAH, and an excel­ and “when are you doing the next one?” lent way of honouring Buena’s memory.

This small group perform primari­ ly to raise money for various chari­ ties, and thanks to the 'mini tour', they raised over 700 Euros for Elche Children's Home, 530 Euros for the Benijófar Crisis Appeal, and another 500 Euros for Altea Children's Home. Future plans include another original production, scripted again by the very talented John Wallace. New members are always welcome and for more details, E­mail:­ smilecharity­ group@gmail.com.

The group also organise monthly fund­ raising nights of 'live entertainment', at the Restaurante El Alto La Dolores, with Maria O’ Hara providing the entertainment on Thursday February 13th. Tickets are avail­ able from Restaurante El Alto la Dolores, The Post Room Benijófar, and The Card Place, Benimar. The ticket hotline number is 692 866 536.

Honouring Buena

Volunteers for the APAH Animal Rescue Charity are still reeling with shock over the death of one of their most popular and ener­ getic workers last November. Buena Adamson gave her time to the APAH shop in San Miguel, but her sudden passing left her husband Jim, and her sister Pat stunned.

Buena's family travelled over from the UK for the funeral in San Pedro del Pinatar, with the congregation bolstered by many of APAH's volunteers. A retiring collection was taken, with the money going to APAH, but it did not stop there. Donations have continued to come in from many of the neighbours and friends which Jim and Buena made during the time she lived in San Miguel. The final amount raised was 475 Euros, with a pledge that every single cent would be spent on the

POPPY BOOST

Mini smile makes it big

Hey big performers!

The performers of the Studio 32 company are not resting on their laurels, and after the success of their first show, Aladdin, they’re gearing up for their summer production of the musical Sweet Charity. Set in a New York dance hall, Sweet Charity is the bittersweet and humorous tale of Charity Hope Valentine, a hostess who falls in love too easily. The show is filled with energetic songs and dances, including the classics Big Spender and Rhythm of Life. Auditions and rehearsals will start next month, and if you fancy treading the boards and having some fun, then Studio 32 have an Open Day this Wednesday January 29th at Casa Ventura, San Luis, Torrevieja starting at 3.30pm.

For more details, visit their website: www.studiothirtytwo.org, or phone 966 318 019

Helping hand

Desert island drama

Robinson Crusoe and the crew of the Mary Rose are on course to meet the man eating cannibals when they are shipwrecked and washed ashore on an inhospitable tropical island. But what happens next? You can find out by join­ ing in with the fun of the Campoverde Theatre Group's Pantomime, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe which is on at San Miguel’s Casa de Cultura at the start of February.

The traditional panto is being performed for 3 days between Friday February 7th and Sunday February 9th, and tickets are avail­

Help at Home Costa Blanca has plenty to shout about despite a recent acri­ monious row within the char­ ity, with news that it raised 40 thousand Euros in 2013.

Some 22 thousand of that sum came from donations and fund­raising events, with the rest coming from the charity centre and shop in Playa Flamenca. And the charity has become busier in the past few weeks than ever before, with more peo­ ple seeking help from the charity.

Newly­elected president, Eileen Mayes, said: "We had feared the charity would be badly affected by the recent traumas, but this has not materialised, and we are gratified that the public are continuing to support us and seek our help when things go wrong. Indeed, we would like to hear from more people prepared to become volunteer carers and give a bit of their time to help us cope with demands on us."

Anybody with nursing experience; drivers to take

people to hospital or doc­ tors; and volunteers to go shopping or give company to others would be especially welcome by the charity. If you want to know more, then you can call into the shop at 117 Flamenca Beach Centro Commercial, Playa Flamenca (behind Super Cor), Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 2pm.

people aged over 50 who get together to have some fun and conversation, and there’s no membership fee

either! Their next meeting on Saturday February 8th at the Nandos Restaurant (just past the Lomos Medical Centre) in Torrevieja at 1.00pm. For more details, you can phone Ruth on 966 789 063.

SOCIAL FUN

able from Colin on 966 774 127, Bargain Books in San Miguel or Adele in Pinar de Campoverde on 966 762 114.

If you’re on your own and want to make some friends, then the 50+ SOLOS may be the group for you. It’s for

26

Friday, January 24, 2014

27

Friday, January 24, 2014

5 WAYS WITH POTATOES Give your potatoes a makeover with these tasty recipes. There’s more to the humble spud than meets the eye.

POTATO PIE Ingredients

375g packet shortcrust pastry 500g (1lb) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 small onion, peeled and sliced 100g (3½oz) Gruyere cheese, grated 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper Beaten egg, for glaze

Method

Method

1. Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C and place baking sheet in the oven to heat up.

2. Divide the pastry in half and roll one portion out to line the base of the pie plate, leaving the excess hanging over the edge of the plate. Brush water around the rim of the pastry.

3. Layer up the potato, onion, cheese and thyme, seasoning each layer well.

4. Roll out the remaining pastry and lay it over the top. Press down well around the edges. Trim away any excess pastry from the rim of the plate. Crimp around the edge or press a fork into it to make a pattern. Score lines into the pastry, tak­ ing care not to cut it. Brush egg glaze over pastry, then make 2 holes in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.

5. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet, and bake in the cen­ tre of the oven for about 1­1¼ hours, or until the pastry is golden and the filling feels just soft when a skewer is pressed through one of the holes in the top. Remove the pie from the oven and serve hot, or leave it to cool slightly and serve it warm, or serve cold with salad.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Place the cold mashed potato in a bowl and stir in the chives.

Season, then shape into two round cakes.

2. Heat a non­stick frying pan, add the butter, and cook the potato cakes for a few mins on each side until golden.

3. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10­ 15 mins or until piping hot. Meanwhile, grill the bacon on both sides until crisp.

4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, crack in the eggs and poach to taste.

To serve, place a hot potato cake on each plate, followed by a couple of bacon rashers and top with a poached egg.

ROASTED ONION AND POTATO SLICES Ingredients 1kg bag baking potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1cm thick rounds 2 red onions, sliced in rounds 3tbsp oil 1/2tsp paprika

Method 1. Heat oven to Mark 6/200°C. Pat dry the pota­ toes and mix with 2tbsp oil and the paprika, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a large non­stick roasting tin and spread out in a single layer.

2. Bake for 20 mins, turning occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Mix the onions with the remaining oil and scatter onto the pota­ toes. Cook for a further 15­ 20 mins, until golden and crispy.

EGG AND BACON POTATO CAKES Ingredients 300g (10½ oz) leftover mashed potato 2tbsp chopped chives Knob of butter 4 rindless rashers back bacon 2 medium eggs

HASSLEBACK POTATOES Ingredients 8 medium potatoes 3tbsp melted butter 1tbsp fine white bread­ crumbs 2tbsp Parmesan, grated

Method

1. Slice potatoes width­ ways along their length, but don't cut all the way through. Brush with butter, season and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for 45 mins.

2. Mix the crumbs and cheese, and season with black pep­ per. Brush potatoes with more butter, sprinkle with crumb mix and bake for 15 mins.

CLASSIC CHEESY POTATO BAKE Ingredients 1 onion, sliced 800g potatoes 2 x 80g packs sliced salami, chopped 100g (4oz) Gruyère cheese, grated, plus extra for sprinkling 150g (5oz) soft cheese (eg Brie) 142ml carton single cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F, gas mark 7). Peel and thickly slice the potatoes and parboil in salted water for 5 mins until tender.

2. Meanwhile, gently fry the onion in a little oil and add the salami to warm through. Layer the pota­ toes with the onion, sala­ mi and cheeses in an ovenproof dish, seasoning each layer.

3. Pour over the cream, scatter over the extra Gruyère and bake in the oven for 15­20 mins until golden. Serve with a green salad or green beans.

28

Friday, January 24, 2014

SPANISH NEWS

MIRACLE GAY CURE One of the Pope’s newest created cardi­ nals, Spain’s Fernando Sebastián claims to have an answer for people who are gay and lesbian. In a newspaper interview, the 85 year old said that “homosexuality” was a physical defect like high blood pressure and that many gays could be cured with “proper treatment”.

In a newspaper interview with Diario Sur, Fernando Sebastián said that “Homosexuality is a defective manner of expressing sexuality, because this [sex] has a structure and a purpose, which is procre­ ation. A homosexual who can't achieve this [procreation] is failing," added the man who will take up office in the Vatican as Spain's newest cardinal next month.

The 85­year­old then went on to compare his own hypertension with the defect of homosexuality. "Our bodies have many defects. I have high blood pressure," explained Sebastián. "It's a defect that I have to try and correct in whatever way I can...To say that homosexuality is a defect is not an insult: it helps because in many cases of homosexuality it is possible to recover and become normal with the right treatment."

The comments from the new cardinal come after Pope Francis publicly expressed compassion for homosexuals last July. "If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be

marginalized," the pope said.

The new cardinal's comments were con­ demned by Spanish gay rights group Colegas. In a statement on their website they called for Sebastián to retract his words, saying they caused "only suffering and pain among many believers".

"Homosexuality is not a curable illness but homophobia is," they added.

Rat poison may well have killed a family who died from suspected food poisoning, after toxicologists found they ingested aluminium phosphate. It is not known whether the chemical got into the family's system through being inhaled, eaten or drunk, but less than a gram of the substance is enough to kill a human within hours.

Enrique Caño, 61 and Concepción Bautista, 50, and their 14­year­old daughter died last December 14 at their home in Alcalá de Guadaíra after displaying symp­ toms consistent with food poisoning, fol­ lowed quickly by loss of pulse and respira­ tion which medics were unable to reverse.

Their other daughter, aged 13, was treated in hospital and survived.

When questioned, she completely ruled out any incidence of criminal activity or of suicide, but said she had eaten different food the night before. The surviving daughter had eaten a ham sandwich for dinner, whereas her parents and sister had marinated rock salmon with breadcrumb­coated meat rolls,

known as flamenquines. Family members have refuted claims that the deceased couple and their chil­ dren ate out­of­date food or raided bins to be able to eat due to finan­ cial problems, as was first thought.

But toxicologists working for the court of Alcalá de Guadaíra are basing their hypotheses on food in poor conditions or accidental inges­ tion of toxins, having ruled out murder or sui­ cide.

Aluminium phosphate destroys body tis­ sue in less than two hours and in concentra­ tions of just one per cent, is fatal, say scien­ tists. Professor José Luis García Fierro of the Catalysis and Petrol­Chemical Institute says when aluminium phosphate comes into contact with oxygen, it is 'tremendously dan­ gerous' for living beings. It is used in pill for­ mat to kill rats and mice and, combined with the natural humidity in the atmosphere, forms a chemical compound known as PH3 or Phosphine – very similar to Ammonia – which contains Phosphorus, smells unpleas­ ant and is highly poisonous.

Rat poison in death riddle

“Botch Job” Cecilia is a hit The 82 year old impromptu art restorer whose unfinished work on the Ecce Homo went viral on the internet is getting ready for her own show of paintings in Zaragoza. Cecilia Giménez has already had an exhibition in her home village of Borja where she lives – the location of the cathedral where she literally changed the face of the 19th­century Christ fresco – selling several of her paintings.

She’s already got many let­ ters from Germany and Japan as well pres­ ents from international tourists who have travelled Borja to see the Ecce Homo's incomplete restoration. Cecilia still maintains that her 'botched' restoration of the Ecce Homo was not finished.

“I had been spending many years repair­ ing the fresco, which was badly faded and damaged, but the saltpetre in the stone wall of the cathedral made it very difficult,” Cecilia explains.

“I decided the best solution was to 'stain' the plaster and let the paint run and soak in, leave it to dry and then return to it and add in the detail. But by the time I'd got back from my holiday, having left it drying out, the news had already broken.”

The relatives of the original artist had threatened to sue her for criminal damage, and the photo of the half­finished restoration made world headlines, causing Cecilia to take to her bed with a panic attack. But sup­ port for her was overwhelming and petitions were launched within less than 24 hours call­ ing for the picture to be left as it was, whilst international tourists in Spain were already planning a detour to visit the picture first­ hand.

As a result, Cecilia agreed to leave the painting as it was, and the relatives of the artist dropped their legal action. And Borja’s bars and restaurants have seen business soar with tourists being charged a modest entry fee of 1 Euro to see the “botched” restoration in the cathedral.

Animal rights groups want Spain to stop using dogs in hunting which they claim leads to the abuse of around 50 thousand greyhounds every year when they become too slow to hunt with.

Greyhounds, known as "galgos", are used in Spain for hunting, but when the end of the November–February hunting season comes around, their owners often decide they have no further need for them. Campaigners say many are just abandoned and often starve to death or die after being hit by cars.

In some cases, hunters dispose of their greyhounds by hanging them from trees or throwing them down wells, or they torture poorly performing dogs by breaking their legs or burning them.

"For them they are not pets. They are tools just like a wrench is to a plumber

and they have no affection for the grey­ hounds," Beatriz Marlasca, the presi­ dent of BaasGalgo, an association ded­ icated to the rescue of abandoned greyhounds commented.

"We either stop this from above or else it will never end. We must eliminate the root of the problem starting by banning hunting with dogs," she added.

Marlasca's group alone finds homes for around 200 abandoned greyhounds a year in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.

"A ban on hunting with dogs, as already exists in other European nations, would be a measure that would avoid much suffering to all these ani­ mals," said Silvia Barquero, the vice president of Pacma, a small animal rights party.

Hunters in the doghouse

29

Friday, January 24, 2014

SPANISH NEWS

CASHING IN ON CRISTINA Homeowners and traders on Calle Parellades, Palma in Mallorca are looking for a cash windfall on Saturday February 8th when the King and Queen's youngest daughter, Cristina, testifies in court after having been charged in relation to the Nóos money­laundering case.

For the first time in Spain's mod­ ern history, a member of the Royal family will be cross­exam­ ined in her capacity as an accused party in a criminal trial.

Meanwhile, locals close to the courthouse with balconies and windows that give a view of the building have a financial bonan­ za coming their way. Journalists will be contacting them to rent a view for the day in the hope of snapping a lucrative shot of the Infanta as she makes her way into the court building, and the

going rate is said to be in region of 2,000 Euros for the day.

It is not yet known whether Cristina will be allowed to be driven to and from the doors to avoid the media circus, but if she was to the 40­metre 'walk of shame' into the courthouse, the photos and videos are expected to work their way around the world in a matter of minutes.

Business owners and residents have been renting out their 'views' and parking spaces for the day whenever her husband Iñaki Urdangarín appeared in court, and they include a local book shop owner who says she let reporters leave their cars on her ramp.

She did this for free, but if she is approached when the Duchess appears before the judge, she will ask for an advert

for her shop in the photogra­ phers' newspaper in exchange rather than setting a price in cash. The best view is apparent­ ly at number 15 on Calle Parellades but the owner says she will not let the media in unless they pay her. In the past, they have asked to be able to use her balcony or a room with a window view, but claimed they did not have any money to pay her, so she refused.

“It's an inconvenience – they use your electricity, move your furniture around if it's in their way and spend hours there.

One of my neighbours says they arrived the evening before a court case once and were still there at 4.00 am the following morning,” says the owner of number 15. “So it's only fair they pay you for it.”

Baby snatch stopped GAS KILLER STRIKES

A woman who stole a newly born baby from a maternity ward after pretending to be a hospital worker, was foiled in her plan when she tried to get out of the building. The 36 year old accused was dressed in a white overall when she entered the neo­natal unit at the Hospital Donostia, in San Sebastián in the Basque Country last Sunday afternoon.

She told the parents that she was going to do some tests on the baby, who had been born just hours earlier.

But the woman did not succeed in escap­ ing, with security staff stopping her at the door and holding her in a private room until the Ertzaintza, the Basque Country's equiva­

lent of the Guardia Civil, arrived at the scene. The security team had been tipped off by other hospital workers who thought her behaviour was suspicious. She was a Spanish woman who was born and bred in the San Sebastián area.

This latest attempt to steal a baby mirrors a near­identical case at the same hospital in September 2012, when a mentally ill woman snatched a new­born baby girl from the ward whilst the infant's parents were asleep in the early hours of the morning. Both the kidnap­ per and the baby were found an hour later after the accused had caught a taxi to the Herrera neighbourhood of San Sebastián.

A young couple has died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a gas heater, sparking warnings from health authorities about not leav­ ing stoves on when retir­ ing to bed.

María Jesús Lloret, 25 and Óscar López, 21 were staying overnight in a farmhouse just outside Sueca in Valencia Province last Friday and had left the heater on while they were asleep.

They were found by María Jesús's father, who said the stove was still on the next morning.

The country house, or casita, a farm building in the L'Heretat area used as a weekend and summer retreat, belonged to the young woman's parents.

Neither of the victims' families knew they had planned to spend the night in the farmhouse.

A tragically common

occurrence at this time of year, carbon monoxide poisoning through gas inhalation, normally aris­ ing through defective heaters, results in a slow but painless death.

This usually starts with feeling drowsy and some­ times headachey, and the victim then falls asleep and does not wake up.

Experts say that gas installations must be serv­ iced every five years and any smells of gas, which can resemble the scent of pickled onions, should be immediately reported.

Carbon monoxide detec­ tors can be purchased cheaply for homes and a light flashes red when there is a gas leak.

30

Friday, January 24, 2014

UK HEADLINES

TWITTER ‘NOT Woman told to find DOING ENOUGH’ work is in a COMA Former footballer Stan Collymore has accused Twitter of ‘not doing enough’ to combat abusive tweets after he was targeted by internet trolls.

The 42­year­old was sent a series of offensive messages, some of which included racial abuse and death threats, on the micro­ blogging site and police are now investigat­ ing.

He was targeted after suggesting Liverpool striker Luis Suarez had dived dur­ ing last Saturday’s match against Aston Villa.

‘In the last 24 hours I’ve been threatened with murder several times, demeaned on my race, and many of these accounts are still active. Why?’ he told his 503,000 followers.

‘I accuse Twitter directly of not doing enough to combat racist/homophobic /sexist hate messages, all of which are illegal in the UK.’ He added later: ‘Several Police forces have been fantastic. Twitter haven’t.

Dismayed.’

Collymore, whose former clubs in the 1990s included Liverpool and Aston Villa, retweeted some of the abusive message to highlight the issue.

West Midlands Police confirmed on its

Twitter page that Staffordshire Police were investigating ‘alleged abusive tweets to Stan Collymore’.

A Twitter spokeswoman said the company was unable to comment on individual users.

Last year, Twitter came under pressure to strengthen its ‘report abuse’ functions after journalist Caroline Criado­Perez was sub­ jected to death and rape threats.

A rapist who tied up and attacked a pensioner before leaving her bound and trapped in her home has had his minimum jail term slashed.

Wendell Baker, 56, raped his elderly victim in her bed­ room in east London, having tied her hands behind her back with flex and beaten her.

He then ransacked her house and left her trapped in a cupboard after breaking in while she was sleeping in January 1997.

His terrified victim, 66­year­old Hazel Blackwell, was found by her neighbour George Walpole the next evening having feared she would die where she had been left by her tormentor.

The attack left her too afraid to continue living alone or go out by herself and she died in 2002 with "a very sad and broken heart", her family said.

Baker had once been cleared of the brutal attack, but was jailed under the amended "double jeopardy" law which allows people charged with serious crimes to face retrial in certain cir­ cumstances. Last year's life sentence followed the "one in a billion DNA match" being found.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal today ruled that a life sentence had been justified, but reduced his minimum term to eight years and six months ­ the peri­ od he must serve behind bars before becoming eligible to apply for parole.

Mr Justice Simon, sitting with the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas and Mr Justice Irwin, stressed: "He will, of course, only be released when it is safe to do so."

Judge Rook said: "It must be the case for the fact that it was a Thursday and Mr

SENTENCE CUT

A mentally ill woman forced on to the Coalition’s Work Programme is in a coma – but is still being sent letters by benefits assessors.

Bipolar patient Sheila Holt, 47, was sec­ tioned in December after being taken off Income Support. Days later she had a heart attack and fell into the coma.

This weekend, Miss Holt, of Rochdale, Gtr Manchester, was sent a letter by Atos to ask why she was not working.

Local Labour MP Simon Danczuk said: "I am in favour of welfare reform but trying to bulldoze through changes in a reck­ less and insensitive way is not the right way to go about it.

“This Government is causing a huge amount of damage and I have no doubt that Sheila’s story is being repeated in

towns and cities up and down the coun­ try.

“She has a complex disability caused by severe trauma in her childhood and you cannot aggressively push vulnerable people, like Sheila, back into work because it can have, as we’ve seen, very serious health consequences.”

Her dad Kenneth said: “It’s just not right what they have done. It sent my daugh­ ter hypermanic.

“She said to me, ‘they are going to knock my money off me dad’. I said they wouldn’t do that. She wasn’t looking for a job ­ she couldn’t ­ until they forced her to.

“She hadn’t had a job for 26 years.

Anyone who knew her would tell you she couldn’t do a job.”

Walpole passed by, she was likely to have died as a result.

"It seems to me it's difficult to find a case of more serious rape during the course of a burglary, short of where the victim is either killed or caused very serious harm."

Baker was arrested in October 1998 on suspicion of rape and provided a DNA sam­ ple which matched the DNA profile of swabs taken from Ms Backwell.

He had previously provided a DNA sam­ ple in January 1998 which also matched samples taken from Ms Backwell.

But he walked free from court after a judge decided the case could not proceed following legal argument at the start of the original trial in 1999.

A change in the law in 2005 allowed a per­ son cleared of a serious offence to face retri­ al in certain circumstances, but when the

case was reviewed in 2007, it was found that much of the evidence had been lost or destroyed.

The case was reopened in 2009 and Baker, from Walthamstow, north east London, but of no fixed address, was arrest­ ed in 2011.

He gave further DNA samples matching those found on swabs taken from Ms Backwell with a probability "in the order of one in a billion", the court heard.

Jamaican­born Baker denied raping Ms Backwell, telling the court he had been framed by police, who he claimed had hounded him for years.

The Crown Court heard he had been in and out of prison since the 1970s for a range of offences including burglary, theft and actual bodily harm.

Friday, January 24, 2014

UK HEADLINES

31

Mikaeel's mother is charged with MURDER The mother of Mikaeel Kular was charged with his murder Monday.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, appeared at court in Edinburgh four days after calling police to report her son missing.

She was also accused of ‘attempting to defeat the ends of justice’ in connection with the death of three­year­old Mikaeel, whose body was found in woodland just yards behind his aunt Pandeep Kular’s bungalow in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Miss Kular, who has four other children, entered no plea to the charges and has been remanded in custody until a further hearing next Tuesday, January 28.

Mikaeel was reported missing by his mother at 7.15am last Thursday.

She told police she had put him to bed at 9pm the night before and discovered he had gone when she went to wake him up in the morning.

Mikaeel, who had not been seen at nurs­ ery since before Christmas, had apparently disappeared overnight along with his coat, Velcro shoes and multi­coloured gloves.

Hundreds of police officers and neighbours searched for the child for two days before his body was found on Friday night.

Miss Kular used to live in her sister’s bungalow before moving her children 25 miles away to Edinburgh a few months ago.

During a brief court appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court Monday, Miss Kular entered no plea or declaration to the charges and was remanded in custody and committed for further examination.

The two­minute hearing before Sheriff Frank Crowe was

closed to the press and public, as is common for first appearances in Scotland.

Miss Kular’s court appearance next week will also be pri­ vate, before details of the charges will be revealed at a later date in open court.

Monday, pictures emerged of Miss Kular posing with the son she is accused of killing. She had posted them on online dating website Badoo, which she last accessed just over a week ago.

Writing about her children, she told potential suitors: ‘I’m a single mother of five beautiful monsters, so if you’re not keen on kids I suggest you “move on” ‘I’m working hard to get what I want in this life and make

something positive from it, for me and my kids’ future.’

She added that while her main interests were ‘being a mum’ and ‘family’, she also likes vodka, tequila, red wine, champagne, nightlife and ‘staying up late’.

‘I’m on here for a laugh more than any­ thing,’ she wrote.

‘If I meet someone then all good and well but I won’t be losing any sleep over it.

‘I generally speak my mind, I’m down to earth and up for a laugh (can be quite sar­ castic) and pretty happy to do most things as long as it’s with good company.’

On her profile she said she lived in Edinburgh and was looking for men aged 25 to 40. She described herself as 5ft 6ins, 139lbs with an ‘average’ body and able to speak English, Punjabi, Hindu and some Urdu.

Discussing her attraction to masculine men, she added: ‘I do have to say I like none of this new age, airy fairy men and wearing more make­up than me c**p.’

Miss Kular’s estranged husband Omotoso Adekoya, a Nigerian taxi driver, is the father of her three oldest children, while the father of Mikaeel and his twin sister Ashika is a Pakistani man who has had no contact with them.

Miss Kular’s mother Harjinder, 59, a retired doctor, said: ‘This has been such a difficult time and my head is all over the place. I’m very sad.’

Fife Council had been involved with the family for years – but when Miss Kular moved to Edinburgh, colleagues in the city were not informed, sources said.

The council is now expected to face an inquiry into how it handled the case.

Hayley Cropper’s death ‘has done our cause proud’

Coronation Street’s assisted suicide storyline has ‘done our cause proud’, a right­to­die campaigner has said.

Jane Nicklinson praised the ITV soap for starting a conversation after millions tuned in to watch Hayley Cropper take an overdose after giving up her struggle with incurable cancer.

The storyline had attracted criticism from some quarters.

Mrs Nicklinson is continuing the legal fight started by her husband Tony, who suffered from locked­in syndrome before his death in 2012.

She told those involved with Coronation Street: ‘You have done our cause proud.

Nobody should have to suffer.’

Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played

transsexual Hayley, said it had been ‘a real privilege’ to play the character and she had ‘always really understood Hayley’s decision’.

The storyline is being played out as former lord chancellor Lord Falconer of Thoroton launches a bid to legislate on the controver­ sial issue with his Assisted Dying Bill, which would enable terminally­ill patients to request assisted dying, subject to a range of safe­ guards.

The Samaritans charity, which advised pro­ ducers on the storyline, has warned Hayley’s death could risk copycat suicides.

Care Not Killing, a campaign group opposed to euthanasia and assisted suicide, also said the soap was ‘in great danger of normalising an occurrence that is actually very rare indeed’.

32

Friday, January 24, 2014

Horoscopes Aries March 21 ­ April 19 Something may be troubling a family mem­ ber, Aries, and this person doesn't seem inclined to talk about it. Your intuition seems to be temporarily blocked, so you can't fig­ ure it out for yourself. Don't try; it's probably buried too deeply within the other person.

Make it clear that you're there if needed and then allow this person to go his or her own way. Don't let this situation cause you to doubt their need and respect for you.

Taurus April 20 ­ May 20 Today you might feel as if you're living in a fog, Taurus. Some interesting but puz­ zling news may come your way today. It might be information of such a bizarre nature that you find it difficult to accept, yet your source could be more than reli­ able. Conversations with others might seem vague and uncertain, as those around you aren't really feeling all that communicative. You might have to rely on intuition to discern how they're feeling.

Gemini May 21 ­ June 20 Unexpected premonitions and gut feelings might prove too strong for comfort, Gemini, especially if they sense upcoming events that aren't all that pleasant. These feelings are sent to you not to worry you or cause upset but to give clues as to how to deal with the possibilities. You may also have to deal with your own self­doubt. Dig in, do what you can, and assure a positive outcome. Remember, it's possible to spin straw into gold!

Cancer June 21 ­ July 22 A goal that you've been working toward for a long time and in which you've placed a lot of hope and confidence, may sud­ denly seem in doubt today, Cancer. This doesn't mean it's dead in the water by any means. It only means that for now you just need to work a little harder and rebuild your faith in it. Tomorrow your doubts could well be a thing of the past.

Work hard and hang in there.

By Pandora Leo July 23 ­ August 22 A partner or colleague might be going through some changes right now, caus­ ing you to wonder if you have a future with this person. It might appear that you're moving ahead while this person is lagging behind. This could be just a tem­ porary condition, Leo, so take care not to jump to any conclusions at this time.

Offer your assistance and do what you can, then let the person work things out.

Virgo August 23 ­ September 22 At this time you might be in the space where you tend to doubt concepts and attitudes that you've accepted all your life. You generally tend to be a service­ oriented person, Virgo, and today you might want to help out someone close to you. Yet this person may have deeply buried issues that only he or she can deal with, and therefore might give the appearance of being unappreciative.

Libra September 23 ­ October 22 Dreams and visions might give rise to the desire to be especially artistic and creative today, Libra. Ideas for new artistic projects could be popping in and out of your head all day, and you might go into a panic doubting that you'll ever have the time to make any of your ideas a reality. At this time, you can only write down whatever pops into your head in order of your own preference. Then work with each in turn.

Scorpio October 23 ­ November 21 Successes over the past several weeks, along with an increase in money, might give rise to the desire to improve your living situa­ tion, Scorpio. You might have doubts, howev­ er, as to how best to go about doing it. Should you move or should you simply remodel?

Should you move close by or to a different area? It's best to simply list the pros and cons of each option and then consider them all carefully. You don't have to decide right now.

Sagittarius November 22 ­ December 21 Stress from whatever work pressures you've been experiencing might cause you to feel a bit under the weather. Yet you're probably unwilling to take some time off because you're too concerned about fin­ ishing what you're doing in a timely man­ ner, Sagittarius. It's important to remember that you won't finish it at all if you exhaust yourself. Move slowly and steadily, take time out to relax a little, and all will go more smoothly than you think.

Capricorn December 22 ­ January 19 Blocks and obstacles that you may have reached with regard to your projects might cause you to wonder if you have what it takes to get them done at all, Capricorn.

This is OK, but don't get caught up in doubting your abilities. Step back, be objective, and work out the most practical and efficient ways to get past the obsta­ cles and attain the results you want. Don't let your insecurities get the best of you.

Aquarius January 20 ­ February 18 Although almost everything in your life seems to be going well, Aquarius, today you just might find yourself in a bit of a panic.

You might have a temporary fit of fear that your luck won't last. However, this is most likely due to your deepest insecurities flar­ ing up. Don't read too much into it, and don't pay any attention to the doubts expressed by others. Believe in yourself, continue to work hard, and keep moving ahead.

Pisces February 19 ­ March 20 Today you might find yourself at a loss as to how to proceed with a particular task or proj­ ect in which you're involved, Pisces. There might be a number of options open to you, all workable, and this could prove confusing.

If all options are efficient and practical, don't agonize over your decision. Flip a coin if you have to! Success is strongly indicated if you don't stress yourself out in the process.

33

Friday, January 24, 2014

RICHARD CAVENDER

Bluemoon Solutions www.bluemoonsolutions.es

BlueMoon Solutions is the computer and IT services com­ pany on the Costa Blanca, they provide quality computer services at realistic prices and specialise in working with home users and small businesses.

Richard moved to Spain seven years ago hav­ ing left his management background behind in the UK and decided to use his IT skills to help home users and small businesses with their PC problems. Now a relaxed 'computer man' he is out and about in the Spanish sun every day, making house and shop calls and using his vast experience and qualifications to (usually) sort out the problem there and then. Computers are his hobby as well as his work so don’t be surprised to get an answer to your email in the early hours!

ADVICE: Vic was having problems viewing his banks ADVICE: Chris wanted to know whether website on his new laptop she had to remove AVG 2013 before Hi Richard, a happy new installing the new version. year to you all, I went back

Q

to the UK for Christmas tried to log on to my Spanish Bank I am using a laptop with win­ dows 7 and internet explorer 10. I know I used the right password and user name but it would not let me in, when I got back to Spain I went to my Bank they have a computer for cus­ tomers use they told me to try to log on which it did all OK, I went home tried on my laptop no luck it was say­ ing no account and wrong password I tried on my wife's laptop XP internet explorer 7 went straight in all OK tried it on Google nexus tablet all OK but every time I try on my laptop I get the same message no account and wrong password or user name you have 3 attempts. I done a scan with Microsoft Security Essentials and malware bytes all OK done a ccleaner but still the same ­ your advice would be appreciated I am not great with com­ puters. Regards Vic

A

Hi Vic, season’s greetings to you too.

I have seen this problem before when using Internet Explorer 10 – and IE11 for that matter – the banks have not added the relevant coding to accommodate these newer web browsers. One thing that you can try and has worked several times for me in the past is to add your banks website to the “compatibility view” of Internet Explorer.

This is pretty simple to do, just launch IE, click on the cog (top right) and click “compatibility view settings”, then in the new window enter your banks website address and click add then close.

This will force IE to work in “compatibility mode” when visiting your banks website – give it a go and see how you get on.

Q A

Hi Richard. Do I have to cancel AVG 2013 before I can update AVG 2014. Your advice would be much appreci­ ated. Chris

Hi Chris, AVG 2014 came out some time ago (October 2013) so if you are still running 2013 you really need to consider upgrading sooner rather than later.

You can download the new version from here… http://free.avg.com/eu­en/free­antivirus­download …when you install the new version it will automatically remove the old version from your computer as part of the installation routine.

Hope that helps.

ADVICE: Josephine wanted help with a .pdf viewer

Q

Hi Richard, need a bit of help with P D F Viewer. I bought my computer from you and need you to advise me whether I am able to install the above or is it already within. I am worried to try to do anything in case it crashes. I have a couple of bookings that I need to obtain to print out from EasyJet etc. I am away very shortly, so can you please let me know as soon as possible as what I need to do!

Many thanks, Josephine

A

Hi Josephine, when we supply computers we always install Adobe Acrobat Reader – the thing you need to read .pdf files, so if it’s one of our computers it should already be installed, if it’s not then you can get a free copy of it from the following address… http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Don’t forget you can follow me on twitter @bluemoonspain Alternately why don’t you sign up for my newsletter. You can do this by going to:­ www.bluemoonsolutions.es and fill in the form that is on any page except the front page.

ADVICE: Michael wanted to know how to translate a document, he had scanned, into Spanish

Q A

Hi Richard, I have a letter which I wanted to translate and so I scanned it to file hop­ ing to be able to copy into google translator, however the file is jpeg from the scan­ ner and I can`t copy it. Is there a way it can be done? Regards, Michael

xHi Michael, this isn’t the first time I have been asked this question, back in 2011 I had a similar question from David, you can see the answer here… www.bluemoonsolutions.es/faq/david­was­trying­to­translate­some­documents­that­ he­had­scanned­into­his­computer …however things have now moved on and I have, with a bit of research, found the following website… www.free­ocr.com …they offer a free OCR (optical character recognition) service to many languages (including Spanish), why not give it a go and let me know how you get on?

office@bluemoonsolutions.es www.bluemoonsolutions.es Mobile: 655 044 970

Office: 902 906 200

34

Friday, January 24, 2014

SHELL SAYS PETROL CARS TO DIE OUT BY 2070 The end of the petrol­engined car is nigh, or so says Shell, in its latest New Lens Scenarios report. But don’t worry, there’s no need to panic just yet. The oil giant is pre­ dicting the end won’t come until 2070.

You may think that Shell would be an unlikely source for such a prediction, but in truth, nobody really knows when the last petrol­powered car will be sold.

Shell argues that the world in the future will be defined by how people and govern­ ments meet the challenges posed by institu­ tions, inequality, and insecurity in relation to

the paradoxes of prosperity, leadership and connectivity.

It sets out two different ‘panoramas’, each with distinctive social, economic and political features that can be discerned over the next couple decades.

Firstly, Mountains, where the govern­ ments work to create stability, but at the same time constraining the economic poten­ tial of some sectors of society. Tight/shale gas and Coal Bed Methane (CBM) enjoy great success, forming a new ‘gas back­ bone’, whilst there’s a slowdown in growth

for liquid fuels.

A moderation in greenhouse gas emis­ sions would lead to a cleaner energy sys­ tem, but the global average temperature rise would still overshoot the current 2 degrees Celsius goal.

In the second ‘panorama’, Oceans, the trajectory is driven by a growing global pop­ ulation with increasing economic empower­ ment. Liquid fuels and coal continue to play a leading role in the energy mix, until solar overtakes in the latter part of the century.

Natural gas grows, but greenhouse gas emissions peak and remain high for a pro­ longed period of time, before being reduced by a combination of biomass, CCS and solar.

Two very different scenarios and both very much based on multiple variables and exter­ nal factors. But there’s no disguising the fact that one day, the oil will dry up.

And with the global population set to hit 9 billion by the year 2050, a future of trans­

portation based on solar, hydrogen and electricity is very much on the cards.

Which means smiling as you fill up with unleaded will be a thing of the past. Still, we do have a few years to get things sorted.

According to the report: “By 2070, the passenger road market could be nearly oil­free and towards and the end of the century an extensive hydrogen infrastructure rollout displaces oil demand for long haul and heavy loads.

“By this time, electricity and hydrogen may dominate, and affordable, plug­in hybrid hydrogen vehicles may offer the ulti­ mate in flexibility and efficiency.”

And in the report’s foreword, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell plc, Peter Voser: “By 2030 we expect demand for critical resources like water, energy and food to have risen by 40%­50%. To meet those needs without significant environmental detriment, business as usual will not be an option – we require business unusual.”

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon saw the first pints pulled Tuesday at the Hope And Champion pub in the Extra Motorway Service Area at junction 2 of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

The £1.1m pub is be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week, and will serve local and regional ales, hot drinks and non­alcoholic bever­ ages.

Hope And Champion manager Steve Baldwin defended the pub opening, saying: "The Extra Motorway Service Area, now including The Hope and Champion, primarily serves the motorway users, but its facilities are also available to the surrounding community from the local road network."

However, road safety campaigners blast­ ed the pub, saying that it was "at odds" with public opinion.

The RAC said a survey of 2,000 people showed that only 12% supported putting pubs into motorway service stations.

Around two­thirds said they did not agree with the move, with older drivers more likely to oppose the sale of alcohol at motorway service areas.

Only 8% of over­55s were in favour, with 71% against, while almost one in five of those aged between 18 and 34 were in sup­ port.

Around one in four of everyone ques­ tioned were undecided on the issue.

The RAC's head of external affairs Pete Williams said: "The public appear to be very much against the introduction of motorway pubs.

"We appreciate the vast majority of motorists drive responsibly and that alcohol is already available in shops at motorway services, but for many this decision seems to be at odds with common sense.

"In our view this is a risky and frankly

unnecessary move.

"The question we are struggling to answer is ­ of all the places to open a pub, why choose a motorway service station?

"The temptation to drink and drive can only be increased by easier access to alco­ hol.

"We therefore urge JD Wetherspoon to do all they can to convey the anti­drink­driving message as strongly as possible at this par­ ticular pub."

Ellie Pearson of safety campaign group Brake, added: "The opening of a pub on a motorway is deeply concerning, and pres­ ents a potentially deadly temptation to driv­ ers.

"Drink driving remains one of the biggest killers on our road, causing devastation to families and communities every day.

"It is vitally important that messages about the dangers of drink driving are as strong and clear as possible, so drivers know it's not okay to have even a single drink ahead of getting behind the wheel.

"Our advice to drivers is not to have even a drop of alcohol if you are driving."

Wetherspoons said when the plans were announced last year: "We believe the major­ ity of people that use the pub to drink will be people that aren't driving ­ coach parties or people travelling with others.

"We won't be asking them whether they are driving. It's up to them."

Motorway pub opens

Friday, January 24, 2014

35

36

Friday, January 24, 2014

CODE CRACKER Code Cracker is a crossword puzzle with no clues; instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number. In this week’s puzzle, 10 represents B and 19 represents Z, when these letters have been entered throughout the puzzle, you should have enough information to start guessing words and discovering other letters.

QUICKIE

Across

Down

1 Meagre (6) 4 Beliefs (6) 9 Pull (7) 10 Criminal (5) 11 Swear (5) 12 Fuss (7) 13 December 31 (3,5,3) 18 Relating to water (7) 20 Venomous snake (5) 22 Disorder (5) 23 Lift (7) 24 Scandinavian country (6) 25 With little weight or force (6)

1 Look for (6) 2 Later on (5) 3 Disaster (7) 5 Dreadful (5) 6 Large city in Israel (3,4) 7 Diverse (6) 8 Accurate timepieces (11) 14 Teach (7) 15 Hide (7) 16 Comic dramatic works (6) 17 Recently (6) 19 Flavour (5) 21 Brag (5)

Last weeks Solution

Across: 1 Smart, 4 Fable, 8 Groceries, 9 All, 10 Apex, 11 Nothing, 12 Nod, 13 Idea, 15 Even, 16 Dud, 18 Tractor, 19 Bare, 22 Due, 23 Companion, 24 Tulip, 25 Dregs.

Down: 1 Signal, 2 Adore, 3 Trek, 4 Friend, 5 Besotted, 6 Evasive, 7 Flog, 12 Nautical, 14 Dialect, 16 Drum up, 17 Tennis, 18 Tidy, 20 Alike, 21 Bald.

Scribble Pad

DOUBLE CROSS-WORD Solve the Double Cross­Word puzzle using either the standard or cryptic clues, the answers are exactly the same.

CRYTPIC CLUES Across 1 Volcano in South Vietnam (4) 4 Anointed muddled oldie (5) 9 Grieved for Irish moun­ tain range on Donegal Head (7) 10 Familiarise in ancient city quarter (5) 11 The scope of the morn­ ing portion (5) 12 Monster taking part in angry phone conversation (7) 13 Repeat about mix­up (6) 15 Soldier workers are big fellows (6) 19 Copy section about low wall (7) 21 Some, unable to help, return to the guesthouse (5) 23 Fodder for one trapped in a labyrinth (5) 24 Love to tell exaggerated lies (7)

25 Having had enough of broken dates (5) 26 A pleasant French resort (4) Down 2 Skim part of the hand (5) 3 See money paid out (7) 4 Ogled a building in later years (3­3) 5 Outsiders changed Italy (5) 6 Hun paid out for French prince (7) 7 I am two and get spoilt (6) 8 Meagre list (4) 14 His rare frolicking badg­ ers (7) 16 Savage made him a nun in person (7) 17 Resold different alloy (6) 18 Kept out of Dorset (6) 19 Very quiet around old Mediaeval pageantry (4) 20 Little Patrick takes the French into the fold (5) 22 Boost from tense icon (5)

STANDARD CLUES 25 Completely full (5) Across 26 Pleasant (4) 1 Largest volcano in Down Europe (4) 2 Digit (5) 4 Added lubrication to (5) 3 Church stipends (7) 9 Grieved (7) 4 Latter years (3­3) 10 Accustom (5) 5 Non­ordained (5) 11 Scope (5) 6 French king’s eldest son 12 Winged monster with the (7) head of an eagle and the 7 Diminish (6) body of a lion (7) 8 Incline (4) 13 Go back over (6) 14 Annoys continually (7) 15 Monsters (6) 16 Bestial (7) 19 Low wall along the edge 17 Fusible alloy (6) of a roof (7) 18 Kept for later use (6) 21 Inn (5) 19 Ceremony (4) 23 Cereal grass (5) 20 Fabric fold (5) 24 Lovers’ relationship (7) 22 Pick­me­up (5) Last weeks Solution Across: 7 Danger, 8 Enamel, 9 Tees, 10 Clerical, 11 Cabinet, 13 Begin, 15 Brass, 17 Hayseed, 20 Dried out, 21 Seam, 23 Dallas, 24 Averse.

Down: 1 Kale, 2 Agassi, 3 Tracked, 4 Yemen, 5 Marine, 6 Negative, 12 Agrarian, 14 East Ham, 16 Spells, 18 Sashes, 19 Boise, 22 Also.

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words At Be Ma Me 3 letter words Act Age Ale Art Ave Bet Coo End Err Has Imp Lee Lei

Low Nit Nun Pam Pan Pat Pig Pot Ran Sax Sly Tee The Ton Try Use Yod 4 letter words Ache Agar

Anew Atop Bale Base Boss Buoy Cons Core Gene Hats Lace Lens Long Mass Mast Mews Pass Path Pent Pins Pose

Reps Sale Sexy Slap Snub Span Star Stew Suss Vast Wane 5 letter words Aerie Alien Dwell Ivory Matte Metre Panda Pause

Scene Spell Three Tiara 6 letter words Balsam Canvas Linnet Newish Pathos Sewing 7 letter words Acetate Collate 8 letter words Pheasant Shredder

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

Improve your Spanish ­ clues in Spanish, answers in English or vice versa.

Across 1 Prueba (4) 3 Cepillo (para ropa, dientes, pelo) (5) 8 Atrasos (7) 10 Cerebro (5) 11 Abbot (4) 12 Cycling (8) 14 Four hundred (13) 16 To take a shower (8) 18 Glass (for drinking) (4) 21 Norte (5) 22 Champú (7) 23 Barba (5) 24 Country (nation) (4)

Down 1 Terrace (patio, veran­ dah) (7) 2 Mares (4) 4 Rebels (8) 5 Costuras (puntadas) (5) 6 Pope (4) 7 Cebollas (6) 9 Maletas (para equipa­ je) (9) 13 Predicador (8) 14 Chain (6) 15 Traps (snares) (7) 17 Meat (5) 19 Smell (odour) (4) 20 Box (4)

37

Friday, January 24, 2014 Across 1 According to Greek mythology, what was the name of the nymph who was transformed into a lau­ rel tree to escape the amorous Apollo? (6) 4 What name is some­ times given to a regional dialect of a language, espe­ cially French, which is usu­ ally considered substan­ dard? (6) 8 What general name is given to knives, forks and spoons used for eating or serving food? (7) 9 What is the name of the largest planet in the solar system, a gas giant that is one of the brightest objects in the night sky? (7) 11 Which city, the centre of a copper­mining and fur­ trapping region, is the capi­ tal of Canada’s Yukon Territory? (10) 12 What first name con­ nects American actor Baldwin, English actor Guinness and Greek­British car designer Issigonis? (4) 13 Which odd looking character, performed by Dave Goelz, is the resident

daredevil performance artiste on The Muppet Show? (5) 14 Often depicted with a trident in his hand, what was the name of Roman god of the sea, water, earth­ quakes and horses Roman equivalent Neptune? (8) 16 Used to describe a fabric or surface, which adjective means ‘smooth and obvious joins’? (8) 18 What surname con­ nects the American singer, actress and civil rights activist, Lena and the star of the BBC radio comedy pro­ gramme Beyond Our Ken? (5) 20 Salt Lake City is the capital of which US state, settled in 1847 by Mormons led by Brigham Young? (4) 21 What nickname was given to the Second World War V­1 flying bombs? (10) 23 Which verb means to transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central government to local or regional administra­ tion? (7) 24 What name for a thick liquid medicine, especially

SUDOKU (Easy)

Quiz Word

cough mixture, comes from the Latin for ‘to lick’? (7) 25 Known for her dancing partnership with Fred Astaire, what was the stage

surname of the American actress and dancer who was born Virginia Katherine McMath in Missouri in 1911? (6)

26 Which large thick­ tongued grey­green arbore­ al lizard of tropical America, has a row of spines along its back? (6) Down 1 What name for a mass of flour or meal moistened and kneaded, but not baked, is also a slang term for money? (5) 2 Derived from the French for ‘small ball’, what name is usually given to the main field or group of cyclists in a race? (7) 3 What name is usually applied to the end of the Earth's axis in the Arctic?

(5,4) 5 In medicine what adjective is used to describe a disease (or its symptoms) that is severe but of short duration? (5) 6 What is the name of the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes repre­ senting objects? (7) 7 What title is generally given to a person employed at a dock to load and unload ships? (9) 10 Formerly used both in

land and naval warfare, what name is given to ammunition consisting of a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag? (9) 13 By what other name is the constellation of Ursa Major also known? (5,4) 15 Prior to the introduc­ tion of the euro in 2002, what was the basic mone­ tary unit of Austria, equal to 100 groschen? (9) 17 Which Chinese game is played, usually by four people, with 136 or 144 rec­ tangular pieces called ‘tiles’? (7) 19 What girl’s name com­ pletes the title of a classic American children's novel

by Kate Douglas Wiggin, first published in 1903: ­­­­­­ ­ of Sunnybrook Farm? (7) 21 Which ferry port in Kent is mainland Britain's nearest point to the Continent, being only 35 km (22 miles) from Calais? (5) 22 Which market town in the Netherlands, just north­ east of Rotterdam, gives its name to a flat round cheese with a yellow rind? (5)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH

LO S AC C E S O R I O S P E R S O N A L E S ­ P E R S O N A L AC C E S O R I E S Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch.

(Answers below)

sports QUIZ

ANSEWRS: 1. Mark Webster 2. 3,000 Metres 3. Manchester United 4.

Red 5. St Moritz 6. San Marino , Italy 7. Mark Weir 8. Zara Phillips 9. Harrow 10. Australian Cricket 11. Lord's 12.

Cathy Freeman 13. Basketball

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Word Solution Across: 1 Tabloid, 5 Knesset, 9 Axial, 10 Shangri­La, 11 Highwayman, 12 Stag, 13 Noble gases, 16 Taps, 18 Maul, 19 Metropolis, 21 Espy, 22 Inebriated, 26 Kathmandu, 27 Terra, 28 Thrones, 29 Sarawak.

Down: 1 Teach­In, 2 Bling, 3 Only When, 4 Dusty, 5 Koala bear, 6 Edge, 7 Saint Paul, 8 Tear gas, 14 Blue Peter, 15 Apennines, 17 Splinter, 18 Meerkat, 20 Sad Sack, 23 Blues, 24 Throw, 25 Oman.

el reloj

el bastón

la bolsa

el cinturón

la cadena

el collar

la cartera

el monedero

la pulsera

el paraguas

las mancuernas

el pañuelo

los pendientes

el prendedor Empareja estas palabras ­ Match the Spanish and English words You will find the answers at the bottom of the quiz.

1.el anillo, 2.el bastón,

14.las mancuernas,

i.the ring, j.the cufflinks,

3.el cinturón, 4.el collar,

15.los pendientes.

k.the belt, l.the belt, m.the bag,

5.el monedero, 6.el paraguas,

n.the scarf, o.the watch,

7.el pañuelo, 8.el prendedor,

a.the chain, b.the umbrella,

9.el reloj, 10.la bolsa,

c.the earrings, d.the brooch,

11.la cadena, 12.la cartera,

e.the wallet, f.the walking stick,

13.la pulsera,

g.the bracelet, h.the purse,

Soduko

Span ­ Eng

Quizword

p.the necklace.

Answers: 1i, 2f, 3k, 4p, 5h, 6b, 7n, 8d, 9o, 10m, 11a, 12e, 13g, 14j, 15c.

1. Who Won The 2008 Lakeside World Darts Championships?

2. Over What Distance Is A Steeple Chase Run? 3. NICE TEAM THUNDERS Is An Anagram Of Which Football Club?

4. In heraldry, gules are what colour?

5. Where Were The Winter Olympics Held In 1928 & 1948?

6. At Which Grand Prix Circuit Did Aryton Senna Lose His Life?

7. Who won the (2003) US Masters Golf Tournament?

8. Who Became The BBC Sports Personality Of The Year In 2006?

9. In which public school did the game of squash origi­ nate?

10. In Which Sport Might You Play For The Sheffield Shield?

11. At which sporting venue are the Grace Gates?

12. Who Lit The Olympic Torch At The 2000 Sydney Olympics?

13. At which sport did Magic Johnson excel?

el anillo

Fill It In

38

Friday, January 24, 2014

TRELI ON THE TELLY

COMEDY TASTE BUDS VARY

Boys, Vicious, and the revival of Birds of a Feather, whilst most reviewers hate all three of them.

Right now, let’s look at the There’s nothing so divi­ return of Reeves and sive in TV as opinions Mortimer with a new show over comedy shows, since on BBC2 called House of what tickles your fancy is Fools. I wasn’t the best per­ often so personal and sub­ son to really judge it as I jective. never got Vic and Bob’s Take for example recent sense of humour which surveys done over the last always seemed to be puerile decade, which always have for me, and this seventies­ Only Fools and Horses as style half­hour is full of sec­ the best ever UK TV come­ ond­rate music hall jokes dy. I loved the adventures of that the Cheeky Chappie, the Trotters, but too many Max Miller would have duff episodes and keeping rejected. It’s simply awful, the show going longer than it something that producers should have, means that I suspected by using the tell­ could name a clutch of tale sign of a dubbed audi­ shows that were consistently ence laughter track that funny and better. My list, not seemed to have been in any particular order, of pinched from the Hanna­ funnier programmes would Barbera cartoons of the six­ include Porridge, Dad’s ties and seventies. It’s utter Army, Fawlty Towers, pants, but seasoned critics Steptoe & Son, Hancock, have called it a “welcome Yes Minister, Black Adder, return to Vic and Bob to sur­ and Father Ted, all ahead of real slapstick” and a “glori­ Only Fools. Of the current ous snow globe of subver­ crop, I love Mrs. Brown’s sive lunacy”. For me, The

with ALEX TRELINSKI

Young Ones back in the early eighties were truly sub­ versive and slapstick, but crucially were hilarious, which Vic and Bob are not (or not for me anyway!).

On the other hand, I warmly commend a new American cop comedy show called Brooklyn Nine­Nine, which walked away with a Golden Globe for best sit­ com a fortnight ago, and which has just started on Channel 4 and E4. It’s my type of humour, and is a funny half­hour that is very much inspired by the short­ running 80’s comedy Police Squad, which then spun into the Naked Gun movies. It also hits the same sort of territory penned by Charlie Brooker for his Sky 1 cop spoof, A Touch of Cloth. One of the stars of the sketch­ show, Saturday Night Live,

Andy Samberg, plays a wise­cracking detective who gets results, but likes to play the fool. That doesn’t go down well with his new precinct captain, played in top poker­face fashion by Andre Braugher (who we last saw starring in the sub­ marine drama, Last Resort).

It’s funny and silly and moves along quickly, so that if you don’t like a gag, then there’s another one around the corner. Two friends of mine watched it on my rec­ ommendation, and said that I should apologise for telling them to watch it, but then a British critic said it had him “howling” with laughter.

That’s comedy for you, and long may people continue to disagree as to what is good and what isn’t.

What a cracking night last Sunday was for drama fans.

On BBC1, the heart­warm­ ing Call the Midwife returned, and then as part of a great double­bill, we got top entertainment with the debut of The Musketeers (series two already in pro­ duction). ITV gave us a very much on­form return for Mr.Selfridge, and Sky 1 wheeled out a double­bill of two popular adventure yarns, Hawaii Five­O and NCIS: ­ Los Angeles. No cause for complaint as far as I’m concerned, just don’t phone me on a Sunday night!

It was no laughing matter on Monday night, with yours truly never weeping so much in front of a TV screen since Petra the Blue Peter dog snuffed it over 4 decades ago. I’m talking about the death of Hayley Cropper on Coronation Street in one of

the most moving pieces of drama I have ever seen. I’m sure I’ll eventually come up with a TV fictional moment that got the blubber factor to hit such heights but this was really powerful stuff that was beautifully executed without sensationalism. It’s also a testament to the quality of Coronation Street and the fact that we loved the Croppers, that Corrie is the best UK Soap by miles. Can you imagine shedding a tear over anything in Eastenders or Emmerdale?

And of course, well done to Julie Hesmondhalgh for her non­surprising win in Wednesday’s NTA awards, which pretty much showed that the voting viewers across the board have a lot more sense than the stuffed shirts at BAFTA and the tof­ fee­nosed critics.

The Courier Friday TV 00:35 01:20 01:25 07:00 10:15 11:00 12:00 12:45 Under 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:40 15:10 16:00 16:45 17:30 18:15 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:25 23:35

This Week Skiing Weatherview BBC News Breakfast Wanted Down Under Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs Are Coming Helicopter Heroes Down Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Father Brown Perfection Escape to the Country Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders Room 101 Silent Witness BBC News Regional News and Weather The Graham Norton Show

00:20 Russia on Four Wheels 01:20 International Bowls 02:20 Panorama 02:50 Iceland Foods: Life in the Freezer Cabinet

03:50 This Is BBC Two 04:55 Andrew Marr's History of the World 01:30 Jackpot247 06:15 Schools ­ Once Upon a Time 04:00 Tonight 04:25 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 08:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 07:00 Daybreak 08:45 Helicopter Heroes Down 09:30 Lorraine Under 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 09:15 Paul Hollywood's Pies & Puds 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 10:00 Sacred Wonders of Britain 14:30 ITV News and Weather 11:00 Question Time 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 12:00 BBC News 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 12:30 BBC World News 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 13:00 Daily Politics 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 14:00 Live International Bowls 17:00 Britain's Best Bakery 18:15 Flog It! 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 ITV News and Weather 19:30 Great British Railway 20:00 Emmerdale Journeys 20:30 Coronation Street 20:00 The Great Interior Design 21:00 The Martin Lewis Money Challenge Show 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Coronation Street 21:30 An Island Parish 22:00 Piers Morgan's Life Stories 23:00 ITV News at Ten and 22:00 Italy Unpacked Weather 23:00 QI 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:30 Newsnight 23:40 The Americans

ROOM 101 New series. Frank Skinner welcomes Pointless co­ host Richard Osman, broadcaster Joan Bakewell and comedian Roisin Conaty to discuss their pet hates, in the hope of having them banished to Room 101. Their gripes include Bambi, chewing gum and cobblers.

00:05 24 Hours in A&E 01:05 One Born Every Minute 02:00 Random Acts 02:05 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 03:00 The Fat Fighters 03:55 Fat Family Tree 04:50 Food Unwrapped 05:20 Dispatches 05:50 Health Freaks 06:15 SuperScrimpers 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Secret Millionaire Australia 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:10 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 23:00 Big Fat Gypsy Weddings

January 24

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 04:05 True CSI 04:55 House Doctor 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:55 Milkshake! Monkey 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Winter Road Rescue 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:20 The Mentalist 16:15 Murder 101: College Can Be Murder 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Ultimate Police Interceptors 21:00 World's 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:30 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

39

The Courier Saturday TV

January 25

00:25 EastEnders

00:00 Weather

02:15 Weatherview

00:05 The Culture Show

02:20 BBC News

01:05 International Bowls

07:00 Breakfast

02:05 Question Time

11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live

03:05 The Culture Show

12:30 The Good Cook

03:35 This Is BBC Two 07:00 This Is BBC Two

13:00 Football Focus

07:45 The Spanish Main

13:45 Sportsday

09:25 Live Tennis

14:00 BBC News; Regional News

12:30 Great British Railway Journeys 13:00 The A to Z of TV Cooking

and Weather

13:45 The Big Bread Experiment

14:15 Inspire: The Olympic

14:45 Escape to the Country

Journey

15:30 Live International Bowls

14:45 Live Athletics

17:30 Coast

17:30 Final Score

18:00 Wild Arabia

18:20 Dynamo: Magician

19:00 Wild Arabia 20:00 Flog It!

Impossible

21:00 Dad's Army

19:00 Reflex

21:30 Morecambe & Wise in Pieces

19:45 BBC News; Regional News

22:30 QI XL 23:15 West Is West

and Weather

00:30 01:25 04:00 05:30 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:15 08:30 10:25 10:30 11:25 12:25 12:29 12:30 13:15 16:00 16:40 17:10 19:20 19:20 19:30 19:45 21:15 22:30 23:30 23:44 23:45

Benidorm Jackpot247 Best in Show ITV Nightscreen Pat & Stan Dino Dan Canimals Om Nom Stories Sooty Scrambled!

ITV News Dinner Date Murder, She Wrote ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Catchphrase Live FA Cup Football All Star Family Fortunes You've Been Framed!

Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang ITV Meridian Weather ITV News Meridian ITV News and Weather Splash!

Take Me Out The Jonathan Ross Show ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather FA Cup Football Highlights

00:05 Brooklyn Nine­Nine 00:35 Saw III 02:30 Random Acts 02:35 Thirst 04:50 Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 05:10 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:05 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 06:15 Deal or No Deal 07:10 The American Football Show 08:05 Trans World Sport 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 How I Met Your Mother 12:55 The Simpsons 13:25 The Taste 14:30 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Come Dine with Me 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Speed with Guy Martin 21:00 Bigfoot Files 22:00 Hostages 23:00 Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

THE VOICE UK

20:00 The Voice UK 21:15 The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins 22:10 Casualty 23:00 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:30 National Lottery Update 23:30 BBC News; Weather

Emma Willis and Marvin Humes join the hopefuls backstage for the third round of blind auditions. As usual, the coaches decide whether they want the acts based purely on their singing voices, spinning in their chairs to show their interest. But if more than one of the celebrity mentors has turned, the power shifts to the singer, who chooses which team they want to join.

23:50 Air Force One

00:30 Celebrity Big Brother 01:00 SuperCasino 04:05 True CSI 04:55 Highland Emergency 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Divine Designs 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bubble Guppies 07:40 The Mr Men Show 07:50 Chloe's Closet 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Make Way for Noddy 08:35 City of Friends 08:50 Little Princess 09:00 Milkshake! Monkey 09:05 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:20 Angelina Ballerina 09:40 Rupert Bear 09:55 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Power Rangers: Megaforce 11:35 Access 11:50 World's Worst Holiday Horrors 12:50 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Legally Blonde 16:00 Diagnosis Murder 17:00 Columbo: a Deadly State of Mind 18:35 Columbo: A Matter of Honor 19:50 NCIS 20:40 NCIS 21:30 NCIS 22:20 5 News Weekend 22:30 Celebrity Big Brother 23:30 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Psych

The Courier Sunday TV

January 26

23:25 Meet the Fockers 01:45 The Two Mr Kissels 03:10 Weatherview 03:15 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 Wanted Down Under 14:00 BBC News 14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 14:15 Moving On 15:00 Bargain Hunt 15:45 Helicopter Heroes 16:15 Escape to the Country 17:00 Songs of Praise 17:35 Hidden Kingdoms 18:35 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 19:00 Fake or Fortune?

20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Call the Midwife 22:00 The Musketeers 23:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather

00:55 International Bowls 01:55 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Hue and Cry 08:20 Countryfile 09:15 Live Tennis 13:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 14:30 The Big Bread Experiment 15:30 Live International Bowls 18:15 Ski Sunday 19:00 Wild Arabia 20:00 Flog It! 21:00 This World 22:00 Dragons' Den 23:00 Blood Diamond

01:00 01:50 04:00 04:45 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:15 08:30 10:25 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:14 12:15 13:45 16:00 18:50 18:50 19:00 19:15 20:45 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:14 23:15 23:45

The Cube Jackpot247 Ladette to Lady: Australia ITV Nightscreen Pat & Stan Dino Dan Canimals Om Nom Stories Sooty Scrambled!

ITV News The Crocodile Hunter Diaries Inside the National Trust ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Splash!

From Russia with Love Live FA Cup Football ITV Meridian Weather ITV News Meridian ITV News and Weather Dancing on Ice All Star Family Fortunes Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off Mr Selfridge ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Birds of a Feather FA Cup Football Highlights

THE MUSKETEERS Notorious criminal Vadim engineers a full­scale riot from his prison cell, but there is more to his plot than a little trouble­making ­ which could prove fatal for the king himself. Can the Musketeers uncover his plan before he overthrows the monar­ chy? Meanwhile, d'Artagnan tries to prove he has what it take to join the regiment

00:45 30 Days of Night 02:50 Southland 03:35 Hollyoaks 05:50 Deal or No Deal 06:45 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Snowdonia Marathon 09:00 Will & Grace 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 The Big Bang Theory 14:25 How I Met Your Mother 15:20 The Simpsons 15:50 The Simpsons 16:20 Deal or No Deal 17:25 Channel 4 News 17:55 Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 19:00 Mirror Mirror 21:00 The Jump 22:00 Unstoppable 23:50 GI Joe: the Rise of Cobra

00:45 Ultimate Police Interceptors 01:15 SuperCasino 04:10 World's 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Make It Big 05:50 The Funky Valley Show 06:00 Angels of Jarm 06:10 Hana's Helpline 06:20 Angels of Jarm 06:30 The Funky Valley Show 06:40 Hana's Helpline 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bubble Guppies 07:40 The Mr Men Show 07:50 Chloe's Closet 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Make Way for Noddy 08:35 City of Friends 08:50 Little Princess 09:00 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:40 Rupert Bear 09:55 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:10 Milkshake! Show Songs 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Power Rangers: Super Samurai 11:35 Access 11:45 The Town the Travellers Took Over 12:40 Celebrity Big Brother 13:40 World's 14:40 World's 15:40 Bewitched 17:40 Fairy Tale: a True Story 19:35 Outbreak 21:50 5 News Weekend 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Harry Brown

40

The Courier Monday TV

January 27

01:15 01:20 07:00 10:15 11:00 12:00 12:45 Under 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:45 17:30 Mouth 18:15 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:25 23:35

01:10 02:10 03:10 07:00 07:05 08:05

Weatherview BBC News Breakfast Wanted Down Under Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs Are Coming Helicopter Heroes Down Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Father Brown Perfection Escape to the Country Put Your Money Where Your Is Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show Inside Out EastEnders Panorama Britain's Great War BBC News Regional News and Weather Have I Got Old News for You

Countryfile Holby City This Is BBC Two This Is BBC Two Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs Are Coming

08:50 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:20 Paul Hollywood's Pies & Puds 10:05 Britain and the Sea 11:05 Britain's Empty Homes 11:35 Click 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Britain's First Photo Album 14:30 Cash in the Attic 15:15 The Great British Bake Off 16:15 Coast 17:15 The Secret Life of Elephants 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Food & Drink 22:00 The Many Faces of 23:00 The Sarah Millican Television Programme 23:30 Weather

00:45 Anglo­Welsh Cup Rugby Union 01:45 The Store 03:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 05:10 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Meridian 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Britain's Best Bakery 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 The Bletchley Circle 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 Piers Morgan's Life Stories

02:05 Mesh 02:10 Night Walking 02:15 Day Watch 04:25 Southland 05:10 Enough 05:15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:10 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Secret Millionaire Australia 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:10 A Place in the Sun 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Jump 22:00 Benefits Street 23:00 Meet the Polygamists 23:55 My Daughter the Teenage Nudist

BRITAIN’S GREAT WAR New series. Jeremy Paxman presents this four­part documentary charting how the First World War affected the lives of the British people and created what is known as modern Britain. The first film focuses on the early stages of the conflict, the announcement of which led to stunned disbelief, fol­ lowed by a mass recruitment drive as volunteers signed up to fight.

00:55 Autopsy: The Last Hours Of 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 My Secret Past 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:20 Make It Big 05:50 The Funky Valley Show 06:00 Angels of Jarm 06:10 Hana's Helpline 06:20 Angels of Jarm 06:30 The Funky Valley Show 06:40 Hana's Helpline 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:55 Milkshake! Monkey 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Carolina Moon 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Go Hard or Go Home 21:00 Police Interceptors 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Helix

The Courier Tuesday TV

January 28

00:20 00:50 01:35 01:40 07:00 10:15 11:00 12:00 12:45 Under 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:45 17:30 Mouth 18:15 19:00 19:30 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:25 23:35

BBC News: The Editors The Graham Norton Show Weatherview BBC News Breakfast Wanted Down Under Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs Are Coming Helicopter Heroes Down Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Father Brown Perfection Escape to the Country Put Your Money Where Your Is Pointless BBC News Weather BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City Death in Paradise BBC News Regional News and Weather The Zoo Next Door

00:20 Russia on Four Wheels 01:20 Film 2014 01:50 Trust Me I'm a Doctor 02:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Exploring the Past: Post War Britain 06:00 Schools ­ Children of World War Two

06:30 History Hunt 06:55 Wonders of Nature: Mandarin Duck ­ First Flight 07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:20 Paul Hollywood's Pies & Puds 10:05 Great Continental Railway Journeys 11:05 Britain's Empty Homes 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Britain's First Photo Album 14:30 Cash in the Attic 15:15 The Great British Bake Off 16:15 Coast 17:15 The Secret Life of Elephants 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 Children's Emergency Rescue 22:00 Inside the Animal Mind 23:00 House of Fools 23:30 Weather

00:35 The Unforgettable 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Britain's Best Bakery 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

22:00 Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:35 Sports Life Stories

INSIDE THE ANIMAL MIND Combining remarkable demonstrations of abilities with revealing photography, Chris Packham trav­ els the world to uncover the secrets of animals' intelligence, emotions and self­awareness. The first episode explores the remarkable ways crea­ tures use their senses, examining how dogs' pow­ erful ability to detect smell creates a bizarre alter­ native reality for them.

01:00 Random Acts 01:05 The 2014 56th Annual Grammy Awards 02:35 Random Acts 02:40 Hostages 03:25 World Without End 04:25 Random Acts 04:30 Finding Mum and Dad 05:25 The Three Day Nanny 06:20 Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Secret Millionaire USA 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:10 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Jump 22:00 The Taste 23:00 Benefits Street

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Botched Up Bodies 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Autopsy: The Last Hours Of 04:55 House Doctor 05:45 Divine Designs 06:10 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:55 Milkshake! Monkey 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Deadly Honeymoon 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 The Dog Rescuers 20:30 5 News Update 20:30 Highland Emergency 21:00 Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Botched Up Bodies

41

The Courier Wednesday TV

January 29

00:35 02:10 02:15 07:00 10:15 11:00 12:00 12:45 Under 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:45 17:30 Mouth 18:15 19:00 19:30 19:30 19:55 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:25 23:35

Little Voice Weatherview BBC News Breakfast Wanted Down Under Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs Are Coming Helicopter Heroes Down Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Father Brown Perfection Escape to the Country Put Your Money Where Your Is Pointless BBC News BBC London News Weather Party Political Broadcast The One Show Waterloo Road Outnumbered Mrs Brown's Boys BBC News Regional News and Weather Match of the Day

00:20 This World 01:20 The Midwives 02:20 This Is BBC Two 05:00 The Last Days of Anne Boleyn 05:20 Locomotion: Dan Snow's

History of Railways 06:00 The Burrowers 06:30 Science of the Harvest 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:15 Paul Hollywood's Pies & Puds 10:00 Antiques Roadshow 11:00 Rip Off Food 11:30 See Hear 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Britain's First Photo Album 14:30 Cash in the Attic 15:15 The Great British Bake Off 16:15 Coast 17:10 The Secret Life of Elephants 18:10 Flog It! 18:55 Party Political Broadcast 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 The Restaurant Man 22:00 Horizon 23:00 Mock the Week ­ Again 23:30 Newsnight

00:35 01:05 04:00 04:45 06:05 07:00 09:30 10:25 11:30 13:30 14:30 14:55 14:55 15:00 16:00 16:59 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 23:00 23:30 23:35

The Crocodile Hunter Diaries Jackpot247 Loose Women ITV Nightscreen The Jeremy Kyle Show Daybreak Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather ITV News Meridian Dickinson's Real Deal The Alan Titchmarsh Show ITV Meridian Weather Britain's Best Bakery The Chase ITV News Meridian Party Political Broadcast ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street Midsomer Murders ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News Meridian The Jonathan Ross Show

OUTNUMBERED

00:00 The Undateables 01:00 Random Acts 01:05 Poker 02:05 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:30 Trans World Sport 03:30 Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind 03:35 Snowdonia Marathon 04:30 Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind 04:35 Secret Removers 05:35 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Secret Millionaire USA 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:10 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Jump 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 BodyShock

New series. Return of the domestic comedy. Sue is worried about Karen, who is having trouble fit­ ting in with her new classmates, but the con­ cerned mum's attempts to settle the matter via e­ mail backfire in spectacular fashion. Jake has a confession to make and Ben (who is now taller than his father) is auditioning for a school musi­ cal about Spartacus ­ despite the fact that, as his family tries to remind him, he cannot actually sing.

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Hens Behaving Badly 02:00 SuperCasino 04:05 Hens Behaving Badly 04:55 House Doctor 05:45 Divine Designs 06:10 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:55 Milkshake! Monkey 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Fatal Trust 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Extraordinary People 21:00 Ultimate Emergency Bikers 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:30 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

The Courier Thursday TV

January 30

01:05 01:35 01:40 07:00 10:15 11:00 12:00 12:45 Under 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:45 17:30 Mouth 18:15 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:25 23:35

Film 2014 Weatherview BBC News Breakfast Wanted Down Under Homes Under the Hammer The Sheriffs Are Coming Helicopter Heroes Down Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Father Brown Perfection Escape to the Country Put Your Money Where Your Is Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Hidden Kingdoms Silent Witness BBC News Regional News and Weather Question Time

00:20 Inside the Animal Mind 01:20 See Hear 01:50 James May's Toy Stories 02:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Schools ­ Beneath the Lab Coat: 1 06:00 Schools ­ Spark 07:00 This Is BBC Two

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:20 Paul Hollywood's Pies & Puds 10:05 Tudor Monastery Farm 11:05 Rip Off Food 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Britain's First Photo Album 14:30 Cash in the Attic 15:15 The Great British Bake Off 16:15 Coast 17:15 Lost Land of the Tiger 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 Restoration Home One Year On 22:00 Dan Snow's History of the Winter Olympics 23:00 Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe 23:30 Newsnight

00:40 Corfu: A Tale of Two Islands 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective 05:40 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Meridian 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Britain's Best Bakery 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Birds of a Feather 22:00 Benidorm 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:35 The Lying Game: Crimes That Fooled Britain

KIDS WHO KILL Documentary examining the personalities of chil­ dren who have been convicted of murder and analysing what motivated them to kill. Daniel Bartlam was 14 when he attacked his mother Jacqueline with a claw hammer and set her body on fire, while Santre Sanchez Gayle was just 15 when he was paid £200 to kill Gulistan Subasi in 2010.

00:00 Strictly Baby Disco 01:00 Random Acts 01:05 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:35 What Happens in Sunny Beach 02:30 Mesh 02:35 Ask the Dust 04:30 Southland 05:15 This Is J03 05:20 A Guide to Taking a Photo 05:25 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:20 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 06:25 SuperScrimpers 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Secret Millionaire USA 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:10 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Jump 22:00 The Undateables 23:00 Bodyshockers: My Tattoo Hell

01:00 Poker 02:00 SuperCasino 04:05 Botched Up Bodies 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Divine Designs 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:55 Milkshake! Monkey 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Highland Emergency 12:45 Celebrity Big Brother 14:10 5 News Lunchtime 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:10 A Trick of the Mind 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Winter Road Rescue 21:00 World's 22:00 The Truth About Your Dog's Food 23:00 Kids Who Kill

42

Friday, January 24, 2014

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We cater for companies and self­employed people; we can deal with everything for you. Call us on 966 923 963 for first consultation free of charge.

CHURCH SERVICES International Christian Assembly, Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja.

Evangelical non­denomina­ tional church. Sunday serv­ ices 11am.

Children's church 11am. House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier. Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am. Craft club, Tuesdays, 2pm.

Pastor, Rafael Restrepo. All nation­ alities welcome. Call 966 799 273 or 660 127 276.

Pilar Christian Community Church Calle Canalejas 3.

Pilar de la Horadada.

Sunday Service at 11am, and Thursday at 5pm for Prayer and Praise and Worship Home groups meet during the week. All wel­ come from any church back­ ground or none. For further information contact PilarChristian.CommunityC hurch@gmail.com 968575417 or 966848806.

Reg No:2009­SG/A

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) meet at 10.00 each Sunday at their Torrevieja meetinghouse in the Torreaguas building on the corner of Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 104, close to the windmill in Torrevieja, 667 533 597.

CARS FOR SALE Car insurance quotes – new extra discount on fully com­ prehensive policies at the price of third party!

Excellent prices for expats, all policies and call centre staff in English. We will call you back with a quote. 966 923 963

INSURANCE CASER SEGUROS ­ for all your insurance needs, home, car, health, funeral.

Policies available in English and German.

Call Professional Business Support on 966 923 963 for a quick quote from our friendly staff.

CATERING

PAINTING CLASSES International painting class­ es in Almoradi wednesdays 11 to 13.

Contact: ankigov@gmail.com, 635107245

PROPERTY FOR RENT Viva Villa and Vacation Services, For Short or Long Term Rentals visit: www.vil­ laandvacation.com or Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 2 or 3 bed / 2 bath apart­ ments in San Miguel. Lift, communal rooftop pool & solarium, video entry sys­ tem. Available for short or long term rent from 350 pcm. Tel 966723437 or 616 493 487. (148) Santiago De La Ribera 2 bedroom modern town house with communal pool close to shops and beach.

375 euros plus water and electric bills. +34 968 335 605. +34 644 126 700.(153) Ref: 61, A lovely two bed­ roomed ground floor apart­

BARBER

ment, located in the centre of the small Spanish town of Los Montesinos, With a pleasant communal swim­ ming pool adjacent & all amenities in walking dis­ tance. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 104, 2 Bedroom apart­ ment in Torrevieja, (near gypsy lane), small balcony, near all amenities and Friday market. €350pcm Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 112, Spacious 3 bed­ room detached villa with its private pool is located on the El Raso urbanisation near Guardamar. Convenient for all amenities, shops, super­ market, restaurants and bars. Short term rental avail­ able. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref 702: Beautiful 2 bed­ room apartment, located near los Locos beach, beau­ tifully furnished. Short term rentals from 175€ per week.

Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 63, Two bedroom 1st floor apartment situated in Monino Blanco. The proper­ ty overlooks a superb com­ munal pool area, in within walking distance of bars, restaurants and shops.

Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref 114 This upstairs apart­

CARPENTER

ALARMS

ment is situated just out of the town centre on a lovely urbanisation with a good communal pool. It has two bedrooms with an open plan kitchen, diner and lounge and kitchen. €350 per month plus bills. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

LONG TERM RENTALS WANTED! Properties, all types, in the Torrevieja area wanted for long term rentals.

Call us on 96 692 3963

PROPERTY FOR SALE 31.000€ ono.

Studio.

Terrace bedroom. 2nd floor.

San Luis. South Facing. On Bus route. Walk to commer­ cial centres, water park, medical, church, furnished, low community. Call 672 057 272 (156) Ground Floor Duplex, on the Monte y Mar estate of Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Fully furnished, Private Parking, Communal pool Ref. GA0094 NOw only 83.000e Tel. 680333242 Rare opportunity to pur­

CAR HIRE

chase on Mediterrania III, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Private Parking, F/Furnished, Large communal pools & Tennis courts S/W facing, Dramatically reduced for quick sale to 126.000 euros.

Ref No. K58 Call 627 711 155 for immediate viewing Ref: 510, €70,000.

Bungalow located in San Luis. It is close to the super­ markets, bars and restau­ rants and is on the local bus route. An Opel Corsa car is included in this sale. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Lovely Corner property in Novamar V, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Being sold fully furnished including appliances, Has secure underground parking and faces large oasis com­ munal pool. Walking dis­ tance to beach. 139.000 Euros, Call 627 711 155 and quote Ref No. K10 Don Pueblo, Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Large Kitchen with Galleria, Secure underground park­ ing, Gas Central Heating, Glazed in Porch, Solarium with stunning views.

Viewings absolutely essen­ tial. Very large property at reduced price of 190.000 euros. Ref No. K38 Call 627 711 155 Viva Villa and Vacation Services are pleased to offer property sales for the Torrevieja and Oriheula areas of the Costa Blanca,

CLEANERS

43

Friday, January 24, 2014 Spain. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 or Visit : www.villaandvacation.com Immaculate ground floor Duplex, 2 beds, 2 bath, Private Parking, Situated in Novamar, Gran Alacant.

Price includes very tasteful furniture and white goods.

Walking distance to all local amenities and beach. Now only 129,750 euros. Ref No K24. 627 711 155 Opportunity to purchase at the off plan price of 195.000 euros. Large 4 Bed, 3 Bath Brand new property. Secure underground parking for 2 cars and communal pool.

Situated opposite Gran Alacant and over looks pro­ jected golf course. Ref No. K52. 627 711 155 Ref: 78, €120,000. Three bedroom Quad in Jardin Del Mar VII. There is off­road parking and small storage shed in the enclosed garden

area, communal pool near­ by. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 2 Bed, 1 Bath Ground floor duplex. Central heating, Grills, Fully furnished, Glazed in Galleria, 2 com­ munal pools, private parking and walking distance to the Gran Alacant commercial centre. Situated in the popu­ lar urbanisation of Puerto Marino. Now only 96,500 euros for quick sale Ref No. K46. 627 711 155 Recently reduced 4 Bed, 3 Bath Villa, in Gran Alacant.

Quiet Location, Exceptional Views. Converted Under build, 2 Lounges, 2 Kitchens, Private Garage and being sold Fully Furnished, now only 239.950 Ref: L81 Tel. 680333242 Gran Alacant Detached villa, located in a very sought after location.Situated on a

CAR BREAKERS

560m2 S/W facing plot and constructed in 2005.

Comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 full baths), Lounge­Diner, fully equipped Kitchen, Porch and Solarium with Alicante & Sea Views. ref.L81. €258,000 neg.

Tel. 680333242 Ref: KP3100, €183,000.

Three bedroom, two bath­ room detached villa, located in San Luis, on a 450sqm plot, with communal pool.

Garage to side of house.

Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Corner Plot Property in the lower end of Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Under build, Roof top Solarium Being sold Fully Furnished including White goods. Walking distance to all local amenities. 139.950e Ref. GA0087 Tel. 680333242 Gran Alacant Town House

with a difference.

2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Glazed in Porch, Quiet Location, Extra storage areas, and South Facing Private Pool as well as 2 communal pools. Fully Furnished, All mod cons.

Greenland Views and all local amenities close by.

Ref. No L79. 179.000 euros 680 333 242 Gran Alacant immaculate villa, 3 bedroomed, 3 bath­ roomed property maintained to a very high standard inside and out and the interi­ or furnishings are top quali­ ty, offering a feeling of luxury and good taste. The plot size is 400m2 and has been beautifully tiles, and grav­ eled and has established palms and plants. Oil fired central heating throughout, log effect fire place, ceiling fans in all rooms, towel heater rails, glazed in show­ er units, instant hot water,

DRAINAGE

water purifier, free English TV, phone & internet lines, fitted double hanging wardrobes, safe, glazed in front porch, vanity units and much more. The pool is an 8 X 4 m2 salt water pool, meaning maintenance is much easier plus outside toilet and shower. Sea views to front with Greenland views to the rear. ref K51. €245,000 Tel 680333242 Ref: 516, €39,999. Studio apartment in San Luis, close to amenities. Open plan fully equipped kitchen. Good sized lounge, bedroom and out onto balcony which has been glazed to create another room. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 520, €85,000. Two bed­ room apartment in Dream Hills, with a fully equipped kitchen, large lounge, glazed­in terrace and a large solarium. This property comes with a large commu­ nal swimming pool. Call:

965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Lovely clean detached Villa just as you enter Gran Alacant. Very central loca­ tion, 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Glazed in Porch, Garden Shed, Private Parking, Attractive Gardens, Private pool Ref: K59 240.000e Tel. 627711155 Ref: 104 Lovely 2 Bedroom Apartment, close to Shops, walking distance to Friday Market and Town Centre and the beach. The property is close to the Habaneres Shopping Centre and Aquapark. Recently refur­ bished apartment in a good central location.

Conveniently situated for all the facilities of this modern vibrant town, and only a few blocks away from Torreviejas excellent sea front with its abundant cafes, restaurants and shops. Price €43950 Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

PETS

44

Friday, January 24, 2014

Gran Alacant, Situated in the "Alto" part of Gran Alacant, this 3 bedroomed, 4th floor apartment, offers luxury accommodation, with absolutely stunning sea views, as well as views of Alicante bay and the famous Santa Barbara Castle.The apartment is 89 square meters with open plan kitchen / living room and includes all electrical appli­ ances & furniture also there is a utility room, open ter­ race, and private parking.

The urbanisation also offers many communal pools, ten­ nis courts, restaurants and bars. Ref. K20 €109,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant villa located in a very quiet area , situated at the end of a cul­de­sac means there is no through traffic.3 bed, 3 bath, 330m2 plot, established large gar­ dens, working fireplace, solar panel for hot water,pri­ vate parking, south facing great views, fully furnished, fantastic opportunity. ref.

L85. €215,000 Tel 680333242 Beach front Line property, over looks Carabassi Beach, Gran Alacant. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Secure Underground Parking, Fully furnished, Roof Top Solarium. 3 Large Communal Pools, Fantastic communal Gardens, Tennis Courts and much more.

125.000 Euros Ref No. K23.

Tel. 627 711 155 Ref: 709, €60,000 A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach.

There is a terrace outside with views to the sea. Short or long term rental available.

Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Large 4 Bedroom, 4 Bathroom, 2 Kitchens, 2 Lounges, 600m2+ plot Large Retractable Glazed in Pool for all year swimming, Private Parking for 4 cars, Very low­maintenance, Fully Furnished. 330.000e but

Negotiable. Very different to the other properties in Gran Alacant and is disabled friendly Ref: L80 Tel. 680333242 Limited Edition Fortaleze in Gran Alacant Exceptionally Large Plot. 4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Large Private Pool with Decorative Garden, Private Parking, Electric Gates, Glazed in Porch, Solarium, Under build. Quiet sought after area. Very tastefully fur­ nished and all included 370.000e Ref. K52 Tel. 627711155 Gran Alacant, Situated front line to the famous blue flag beaches of Carabassi, the real beauty of this property is its proximity to the beach, but also on offer is a fantas­ tic communal pool situated in beautifully kept gardens with little Spanish walk ways.Comprising of 2 bed­ rooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge diner, American style kitchen including all appliances, roof top solarium with stunning views, front porch area with front garden and a secure underground garage. fully furnished Ref. K23 €125,000 rare opportunity Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant limited edition villa, not very often available on the market. Only a few of this type were ever con­ structed­ Very large 5 bed­ rooms, 4 bathroom(2 en­ suit) property, situated on a large corner plot with a 10 x 5 private pool and private parking. Lounge­diner with working fireplace, fully equipped kitchen with utility room. Large landing area, leading onto solarium, with extra storage external room.

Front porch area leading into large well established gardens with irrigation sys­ tem and fruit trees. Being sold fully furnished. Within walking distance to Gran Alacant commercial centre and 5 minute drive to Carabassi beaches. ref.

K11. €270,000 Tel

POOLS

SURVEYOR

PLUMBERS

POOL TABLES

680333242 Mid Terraced Townhouse on Avda Polognia, Gran Alacant Furnished to a very high standard and includes White Goods. 3 Bed, 2 Bath, Lounge Diner, Fully convert­ ed Under build offering a second lounge and large storage area. Roof top Solarium, Glazed in galleria with extended worktops.

Front Garden with BBQ, Communal Pool with Gardens. 132.000e Ref. K16 Tel. 627711155 Semi­Detached Villa with Open Greenland Views to the Rear and Alicante Views to the Front, means this property in Gran Alacant would appeal to anybody looking for a quiet location.

Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Lounge diner, with working Fire place, Porch, Solarium, Established Gardens and Private Pool, Private Parking on a large plot.

265.000e Ref. L95 Tel. 680333242 Gran Alacant, detached villa in desirable road close to all amenities, comprising of 3 double bedrooms, 3 baths, lounge diner with working fire place, brand new kitchen with all appliances and black granite work tops, private pool, plot of 550m2, established irrigated gar­ dens and fruit trees, private parking, solarium, also there

is a converted under build giving more bedrooms ,bathroom & kitchen, this house has many extras and is being sold fully furnished.

Ref.k47. €280,000 neg Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant large detached villa with 3 double bed­ rooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge­diner, fully equipped kitchen, large porch, roof top solarium, 400 m2 Plot, with established low mainte­ nance very private gardens with irrigation system, elec­ tronic gates, private parking, outside wc, sink & shower, terraces, air con ( h & c ), mosquito nets, grills, alarmed, large spa pool with separate Jacuzzi section.

Within easy walking dis­ tance to Gran Alacant com­ mercial centre and close to local bus and tram route.

Ref K33. €260,000 neg Tel 680333242 Offers Invited on a mid Terraced Town house in Gran Alacant. Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Lounge Diner, Galleria, Solarium, Under build.

Communal Pool and Gardens, and with Exceptional Views of Alicante. Being Sold Fully Furnished including White Goods. Ref. K42 Tel. 627711155 (reasonable offers only) 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, Unfurnished Mid Terraced

REMOVALS

Townhouse in GA. Recently decorated throughout means this property is a very clean black canvass.

Has Air­Con & Security Grills and the use of a Communal Pool. Price recently reduced to 110.000e Ref.K12 Tel. 627711155 Reduced for a quick sale to 95.000 e 2 Bedroom, 1 bath­ room, Top Floor Duplex in Gran Alacant. Very Modern Property with Many extras.

Glazed in Porch, Roof Top Solarium, Wooden Flooring.

Immaculate condition and ready to move in. Ref. K15 Tel. 627711155.

Gran Alacant, Situated on the very first urbanisation as you enter Gran Alacant, this 2nd floor duplex offers taste and quality. Comprising of 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge­diner, independent kitchen, full roof­top solari­ um with superb views and recently glazed in porch offering extra living area as well as extra privacy as the glass is mirrored. Ref.K44 €108,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant south­facing, very private villa, with wood­ land and Alicante views.

Situated at the end of a small cul­de­sac which means this villa enjoys a very peaceful location.3 Bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 3 Bathrooms, lounge­diner with working fireplace, fully fitted kitchen with including white goods, large front porch, solarium,workshop and stor­ age in under build, central heating, air con H/C, ceiling fans, grills, UK T.V, off road

WANTED

parking and plenty of out­ side parking also. Due to its orientation of this property enjoys full sun, all day, something very important in the winter months. Ref.K24. €237,000 Tel 680333242

QUIZZES Experienced quiz­ master/question setter with personality available to host quiz nights in local bars.

Tel:­ 664 838 581

SITUATIONS VACANT RADIO COSTA INTERNA­ TIONAL needs motivated sellers. Spanish, English and German language is a bonus but not essential.

Training and good earnings guaranteed. For more info call 644 126 600 or email info@radicocostainterna­ tional.com Medaesthetics require a Beautician. Must have NVQ Level 3 and working self employed email cv to sabinebrooks@hotmail.com

SOLICITORS Need English speaking solicitors in Torrevieja? Let us help to solve your prob­ lems with debt recovery, divorce, property, fraud, criminal defence. Call us on 966 923 963, give us brief details and get in touch with your specialist solicitor today

WIG SPECIALIST SALON MARGARETHAS, 23 years in Torrevieja Hair/Wig specialist for Medical illness and Hair Loss problems. We offer dif­ ferent Hair Replacements, top fillers, Hair prostheses, Toupees and Wigs, Natural and Artificial hair and much more. Also fashion/festival accessories TV/TS are wel­ come to our service. Please call our salon reception for an appointment with Margaretha on Tel no 966 921 846 Torrevieja (90)

VAN HIRE

Friday, January 24, 2014

Greenside Gossip

45

IVIE DAVIES takes a weekly look at the golf scene - golfdavies@gmail.com

HENRIK BEST BET FOR FIRST MAJOR

Last week I wrote about two European underachievers, but last year Justin Rose went from bust to rich with his U.S. Open win to establish himself as a golf champion almost overnight. That’s the impact of winning a first major champi­ onship, regardless of the stature and status of the golfer that achieves it. Claiming one of golf’s signature events can wash away years of frustration and failure or validate careers that seemed far from great just hours before.

Veterans like Lee Westwood and Luke Donald are running out of time, as I mentioned last week, and this time round I have a trio of underachievers to focus on. Here’s what I think they need to make that crucial career breakthrough in 2014, and what it will take for them to realise their major ambitions.

last year, but he clearly struggled to live up to them. Outside of his Open Championship charge, he missed the cut at Augusta and finished in a tie for 61st at the PGA Championship. Time is still on his side, but he’s got to redis­ cover his brash confidence in golf’s toughest tests if he is to finally capitalize on his great potential.

OUTLOOK: Poulter’s game rebounded during the autumn, highlighted by his second­place at the WGC­HSBC Champions event in early November. Yet it’s the pressure to win a major that he’ll have to contend with in 2014, and based on his showing this past season, it’s hard to predict a markedly better outcome for the outspoken golfer in 2014. If I’m wrong, it's a guarantee we'll hear all about it on Twitter.

IAN POULTER

SERGIO GARCIA

With all due respect, few current golfers have spoken more and accomplished less than ‘Poults’ has over the past sev­ eral years. No stranger to making brash, humorous and sometimes controversial comments via Twitter, he is, how­ ever, unfamiliar with the emotions of winning a major despite a wealth of talent and a sterling Ryder Cup record. He watched last year as three golfers won their first majors, including fellow countryman Justin Rose. He mounted only a single late charge toward a tie for third in the Open at Muirfield, an effort that was largely lost in the wake of Phil Mickelson’s stunning victory.

Albeit popular for his distinctive wardrobe, unique sense of humour and willingness to speak his mind, the 37­year­old has only two PGA Tour victories and doesn't appear to be trending upward as other international players are. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what prevented him from challenging in more majors and ultimately breaking through in one last year, but one has to think there is an issue with confidence.

The world’s 13th­ranked golfer has performed brilliantly in the Ryder Cup, including a dominant showing in Europe’s 2012 victory, proving his game can hold up under pressure and against the world’s best golfers. In 2012, he posted three top 10’s in majors, and so expectations were high for

One would think Sergio would be higher on this list consid­ ering how long he’s been on tour and just how far he’s fallen short of promise and potential. The problem is that just about everyone has written him off as a viable threat to win a major and expectations are at an all­time low. Early in his career, he had his fair share of close calls in majors, including bat­ tles with Tiger at the 1999 PGA Championship and the 2002 U.S. Open, which led to many people assuming that multiple major wins were a foregone conclusion for the then young talent. The reality, however, has been vastly different. Garcia has only challenged in golf’s biggest events a handful of times since his strong start, and those attempts have ended poorly.

The eight­time PGA Tour winner actually got out of the gates well in 2013, posting a tie for eighth at the Masters and three other top 10’s prior to the U.S. Open. He faded in the second half, however, failing to contend in another major while being engulfed by his well­documented feud with Woods. He has always had more than enough talent to be among the top 10 golfers in the world. The problem, however, has typically been between the Spaniard’s ears, where he falls short of the confidence needed to win a major championship. Sergio admitted as much two years ago following a dismal third­ round performance at Augusta National. After shooting a three­over 75 to turn a one­shot deficit into an eight­stroke hole, the world’s 19th­ranked golfer openly conceded he lacked the belief and the game to win a major, providing a real glimpse into just how far the once­promising golfer has

KNOW YOUR RULES QUESTION Ronald putts out on the putting green after his opponent Arthur conceded his next stroke during match play. What the penalty for Ronald?

A. Ronald does not incur a penalty. A concession may not be withdrawn. Arthur’s concession stands and is irrelevant whether Ronald makes the putt or misses.

B. Ronald incurs a one shot penalty for putting out of turn.

C. Ronald incurs a two shot penalty for putting out of turn.

ANSWER A. Rule 2­4a also DECISION 2­4/6 Ronald does not incur a penalty. A concession may not be withdrawn.

slipped.

OUTLOOK: A win in Thailand, provides a promise to a strong campaign. That said, unless a drastic change in his mental makeup is quietly underway, it’s hard to imagine Sergio winning a major in 2014. He remains too fragile under the most pressure­packed moments, and the field of golfers he’s competing against is just too strong.

HENRIK STENSON

Whether it was on the PGA Tour or its European counterpart, no golfer finished the 2013 season in better form or by win­ ning as much cash as Henrik Stenson. The talented Swede became the first golfer to capture both the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same year, and in the process, he soared to No. 3 in the world rankings. That success notwith­ standing, the one thing he failed to do in 2013 was win a first major despite putting himself squarely into contention twice in the second half of the season.

Top­three finishes at both the Open and PGA Championship last summer demonstrated his major pedigree, but now he has to close the deal in one of golf’s signature events to truly put himself into the upper echelon of golf’s elite. Streaks such as the one he is enjoying, which includes a triumph in the PGA Tour season­ending Tour Championship, don’t come along very often. Given that, the time is right for him to capitalise on his strong form and claim the one accomplish­ ment that is missing on his career resume.

Stenson has consistently hit the ball long and straight throughout his career. What’s held him back, is a putter that can go sideways fast and at the wrong time. Due in large part to laser­like iron play down the stretch, he held his own on the greens during his sterling second half of 2013, but he’s yet to prove he can sink truly meaningful putts late on a Sunday with a major on the line. Given the level of his game and his soaring confidence, the opportunity will undoubtedly present itself in 2014, and if a major victory is forthcoming, the putter will be the difference between glory and disap­ pointment.

OUTLOOK: While his significant accomplishments in 2013 might have surprised many, it’s more likely that he was actu­ ally fulfilling his great potential en route to winning the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai. If that is indeed the case, we can expect him to be in contention often this year. Provided he continues his renaissance on the greens, there’s no doubt the 37­year­old is among the most likely golfer to success­ fully disappear from the list of top players without a major win in the very near future.

TITTER ON THE TEE Golf Pro says to his Caddy ­ I'm changing the schedule for touring, only this year I'm going to do it a bit different.

3 years ago I toured in Spain my wife got pregnant. 2 years ago I toured Portugal my wife got pregnant. Last year I went to Italy she got pregnant."

His Caddy asks ­ So what are you going to do this year?"

The Pro replies, ­ I'm taking her with me!"

46

Friday, January 24, 2014

PRICELESS WIN MADRID’S GOAL FOR ILICITANOS RUSH CONTINUES ELCHE 2 RAYO VALLECANO 0

Elche got a crucial victory on Saturday night against fellow­relegation strugglers Rayo Vallecano, to give them some extra breathing space between themselves and the La Liga drop zone.

The outcome of the game was never in doubt once the visitors went a goal and a player down after 19 min­ utes, Raul Baena shown a red card for bringing down Coro in the area and Edu Albacar scor­ ing from the spot.

Rayo could only seek to limit the damage for the remainder of the match and did a rea­ sonable job of it until Javi Marquez dou­ bled the lead on 79 min­ utes.

Elche began on the front foot, putting pressure on their opponents early on.

Rayo goalkeeper Ruben Martinez was called into action in the fifth minute, keeping out an effort from Carles Gil, and 10 minutes later had to get down low again to thwart Cristian Herrera. Rayo had been

second best up to that point, but showed signs they were capable of getting a positive result, until referee Pedro Jesus Pero Montero made a decision that severely ham­ pered their chances.

Herrera attacked down the left side of the box and cut the ball back towards Coro, who fell when chal­ lenged by Raul Baena.

Perez Montero pointed to the spot and sent off Baena,

to the fury of the Rayo play­ ers, with left­back Nacho picking up a yellow card for protesting the decision.

Former Rayo left­back Albacar then struck a fine penalty into the top corner.

Ruben then had to make two saves from Aaron Niguez, who was playing against his brother Saul, to keep the

deficit at one by the break.

The second half saw Elche up the pressure on the visitors, who were fortu­ nate to escape without suf­ fering a heavier defeat.

Ruben made three saves from Aaron, Coro and Damian respectively in the space of a couple of min­ utes, while Marquez blazed over with an open goal gap­ ing and substitute Manuel de Moral also missed the target.

The hosts got the sec­ ond goal t h e y deserved with 11 min­ u t e s remaining, t a k i n g advantage of some over­ambi­ tious play

by Rayo in their own half. Saul was caught in possession on the edge of the area by Richmond Boakye and the ball fell to Marquez, who stuck it beyond Ruben and into the bottom corner. Elche will face a far stiffer test this coming Monday night when they’re away to sixth place Real Sociedad.

BARCA FRUSTRATED LEVANTE 1 BARCELONA 1

Barcelona dropped points for only the fourth time this season in Sunday's La Liga clash as they were held to a 1­1 draw by Levante at the Cuidad de Valencia. Levante went ahead in the 10th minute through Loukas Vyntra's(pictured celebrating with David Navarro) headed goal but Barca were quick­ ly back on level terms thanks to Gerard Pique's close­range header nine minutes later. Levante defend­ ed in numbers after that and frus­ trated their visitors, who now find themselves entrenched in a three­ way battle for the title with the two Madrid clubs. Barcelona entertain Malaga this Sunday evening.

REAL BETIS 0 REAL MADRID 5

Gareth Bale scored his first goal in six weeks as Real Madrid powered their way past Real Betis, recording a resounding 5­0 win to put themselves just one­point off the joint leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid who could only both draw last weekend. The Welshman (pictured scoring) sent a left­foot­ ed free­kick into the net midway through the first half after Cristiano Ronaldo had opened the scoring with a thunderous strike from over 30 yards out.

Karim Benzema then widened the score­ line even further before the break, taking advantage of a fine move from Luka Modric, and in the second half Angel Di Maria scored his second goal in as many games before substitute Alvaro Morata piled further misery on the La Liga whipping boys Betis. Real Madrid have a chance to go top as they play first amongst the big teams this weekend as they’re at home tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) to Granada.

Welcome win for Torry FC TORREVIEJA 3 LLOSA 1

Two first half goals from Obele helped to give Torrevieja the initiative and a victory that take them to just 3 points off the play­off zone, as the team lie in 8th place in the table. Obele volleyed into the net after just 2 minutes and the striker made it two in the 25th minute having been set up by a pin­ point pass from Pastor. The mid­table visi­ tors had little to offer with just one chance that troubled Carlos, in for Carrion, when Llosa forward Palaci forced a fine save in the 35th minute.

Torrevieja’s nerves started to jangle in the 2nd half when Llosa pulled a goal back ten minutes into the 2nd period of play through a Nemesio header, but their revival was checked minutes later when they had Miguel sent­off harshly for what seemed to be a rou­ tine challenge on Obele. Torrevieja couldn’t bury the game but deservedly secured the points in the 89th minute when Manu Amores struck, picking up the pieces when an Obele strike hit the woodwork. Torry’s next match is this Sunday morning away to struggling Torre Levante, with a 10.30am kick­off.

VAZ: - JUST FOR A CHANGE! CD MONTESINOS 3-0 BENIJOFAR

Brazilian striker Vazquinho continued his prolific goal scoring form bagging a brace in a comfortable win over Benijofar last Sunday afternoon. Vaz, who has net­ ted 10 goals in his last three home games, opened the scoring on 10 min­ utes when heading home from a Dario cross. On 25 minutes, Vaz headed Montesinos into a 2­0 lead and Rodrigo completed the rout when heading home a cross from Ruben. The main controversy came over the red­carding of a Benijofar player who was constantly complaining about personal verbal abuse from a Montesinos player. The referee heard nothing and lost patience and sent him off, with the Montesinos side denying emphatically that anything untoward had

happened.

The second half was something of an anti­climax, turning into a rather dour affair with the highlight being Benijofar failing to convert a penalty with the ball hitting the crossbar, whilst the home side squandered a number of chances to make the final score even more emphatic than it was.

Despite the cold and rainy conditions the 'Full Monty' vociferous supporters rallied the team to victory which was applauded by the appreciative players and staff.

"Vazquinho continued his great form with another two goals," said Derek Brearley, who presented 'Vaz' with a bottle on behalf of the ex­pat sponsors of the game.

Friday, January 24, 2014

47

TROUBLE AT T’ MILL!

Expectations Are High At Old Trafford – But Performances Are Low… The storm clouds are gathering over the Theatre of Dreams as Sunderland put Manchester United out of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday after a bizarre second–leg semi­final saw the Black Cats eventually win on penalties to give their 9,000 loyal fans a huge cheer in this testing season.

Sunderland’s reward will be a tremen­ dously testing final at the new Wembley against United’s nasty neighbours Man City: ­ Good luck to Gus Poyet and his main men – they’ll certainly need it!

But this defeat is another massive blow for everyone at Old Trafford. United are still Champions from that last great Alex Ferguson season, but little seems to be going right currently for successor David Moyes. Defeat last month in the FA Cup by Swansea, again at home, raised a few eye­ brows and this com­ ing on the back of four home defeats this season,

unheard of at fortress Old Trafford where the fans have languished in happy suc­ cess over the Fergie years. On the field, United look shadows of their old selves as they sit a modest seventh in the Premiership table, a position which would leave them way out of contention for qualifying for the Champions League next season, a must­have for a club steeped in European folklore. There is one consolation in that United are still in this year’s competition, but their chances cannot be highly rated due to current per­ formances and the immensely high stan­ dard of the competition.

Just where are United going wrong?

The first problem is the continued, worry­ ing and puzzling absences of both Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, world class players who would walk into any side. Both are injured, fair enough, but there are Real rumours that Madrid want Rooney at The Bernabau, and the Madrid maestros usually get their man, Gareth Bale/Christian Ronaldo style in the end.

After the fabulous last season where his goals virtually ensured United won the title by a canter, van Persie is said to be unhappy with United’s direction under Moyes. This is especially galling for United as the Scot is credited with turning Rooney’s desire to leave around soon after his arrival at Old Trafford, the gift­ ed England striker often seen to be at odds with Ferguson.

What has happened to £ 2 7 m Marouane Fellaini, q u i c k l y bought by U n i t e d

from neighbours Everton after Moyes’ arrival from Goodison? Most people expected Leighton Baines to follow: sig­ nificantly he hasn’t, ironically enough as Roberto Martinez’s new Everton have outshone United in the challenge for hon­ ours so far this pulsating season. The Toffees are playing the sort of exciting football United have always been associ­ ated with, but showing little evidence of since Moyes’ hugely­celebrated arrival at Old Trafford.

Moyes is a man under immense pres­ sure, at a club where there is nowhere to hide. At Goodison he did a good job with much inferior resources, but the tough Scotsman is a quietly­determined man known for getting the best out of seem­ ingly average players. But his long term record shows few real achievements in terms of silverware, an essential part of the DNA which makes up Manchester United. The club is respected world­wide, and expected to achieve year on year – except the current team certainly don’t look like a real United side this year.

Yes, true, there are successes like Adnan Januzaj, but there are a greater number of too­average non­United class performers, like Ashley Young, Nani,Tom Cleverley, Antonio Valencia, and Javier Hernadez who are just not doing it con­ sistently enough for United. Why hasn’t

Will champ Nicola be the new Becker?

SILVER SANTA POLA A rain­soaked 25th running of the Santa Pola international Half Marathon didn’t damp the enthusiasm for the race last Sunday, with over 9 thousand runners registered to take part, and 8 thousand completing the course.

African runners dominated the men’s race, with Kenya’s Abraham Cheroben being the winner, with the ladies contest won by the dominant Ethopian. Ashefe Bekele.

The Ex­pat British Running Wild team (pictured), with Gerard McGranaghan lead­

ing them home in a time of 1.23.22 which placed him in the top 400. Howard Bednall was next home in 1.58.02, followed closely

by Helen Giles in 2.04.22 and Julia Skinner in 2.08.27. Karen Pemberton came home in an extremely good 2.22.35, much to the joy of those members who had endured the awful conditions to travel up and support all the runners. Unfortunately, Jim Gavin had to retire having bravely tried to complete the distance despite running with an injury.

Wilfred Zaha been given his chance to shine? He cost enough from Crystal Palace, but was refused permission to go back there on loan, which would have made more sense than not even making the United bench.

United have signed the unwanted Juan Mata from Chelsea – but is he the answer to United’s problems? Mata has been voted player of the year for the last two seasons at Stamford Bridge, he is world class on his day and badly needs first team top class football if he is to rightly go to Brazil with current world champions Spain. But don’t they need a fierce ball­winner at Old Trafford, like another Paul Scholes or Roy Keane?

Despite an amazing recovery, sadly it doesn’t look as if it’s Darren Fletcher, and whereas Mata’s style of play can be harnessed well by Moyes and a team built to exploit his silky skills, it would seem similar class is needed around him in the team to get United back to their expected place in English football – and Europe, where few can fear them today on current performance.

After Wednesday night’s fiasco, just where United go from here is the fasci­ nating football question ­ but the expec­ tations at Old Trafford are so high every­ one there demands success – can David Moyes supply it? We will see.

Nicola (blond hair) is on the road to tennis stardom with the help of Juan Carlos Ferrero and his Academy

DONNA GEE reports TORREVIEJA superkid Nicola Kuhn moved closer to his dream of professional stardom by winning the opening Tennis Europe Junior tour title of 2014 last week.

Nicola, Spain's No.1 at under­14 level, stormed his way through the tournament in Bolton, England, beating America’s Andrew Fenty ­ son of the Mayor of Washington ­ 6­ 3, 6­1 in the final.

Seeded No.2, the Torry Terror eased to victory over eighth­seeded Fenty, who had beaten top seed Yshai Oliel of Israel in the quarter finals but had no answer to classy Kuhn.

It was a victory which shot Nico up the European rankings from his previous No.11 spot. He and his playing partner also reached the doubles final in Bolton and as he eased his way through the early rounds of this week's second Tennis Europe tourna­ ment in France, the revitalised Kuhn kid looks set for his best year yet.

The son of Rita and Alfred Kuhn, Nico has hit new heights over the last 12 months – lit­ erally. He's grown 16 centimetres and is now training at the Equelite Academy run by for­ mer World No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.

His father Alfred told me: “For sure it's Nico's dream to become a professional play­ er. The Academy has been working with him to help him cope with his body changes so until the Bolton tournament he hadn't played since October.''

Nico has also taken up the option to com­ pete for Germany rather than Spain. His par­ ents are of German and Russian descent and Alfred explained: “The Spanish Federation told us that they can´t nominate Nico for Spain because he has no Spanish passport. So we get no help in anyway!

“Now Germany is paying for Nico's travel expenses and that makes it a little bit easi­ er.''

It also sounds an early warning to Wimbledon to prepare for the new Boris Becker...

Friday, January 24, 2014

48

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Jack, Nick and Andy show what they’re made of…

Jack Wilshere’s latest gesture ­ A is for Arsenal (I think) ­ plus Nicholas Anelka’s Quenelle, whatever that is, show things are getting out of hand ­ and as for the recent return of sicknote Andy Carroll sporting his mirthi­ cal ‘mun’ – you know, that stupid man/bun of too­long hair rolled up and pinned to his neck, well, worra wassock. Of course OTT sign language to the crowds and fashionable frolics are nothing new, although the old­fashioned ‘V’ sign has now eroded to one finger, eh Jack, and hair has always been used to make a statement (remember Kevin Keegan). Whatever, sigh.

Seriously, this coming week is a game of two halves: first at the weekend its oop­for­the­coop where the fourth round’s brought some tasty top teams for tor­ turing by lowly divisioners ­ like Kidderminster squinting at the now­shinier Light of the Stadium at Wembley­bound Sunderland; Stevenage stirringly home to Everton; Sarf – sorry Southend entertaining Hull; and Luis­led Liverpool lolling about at the sea­ side bearding Bournemouth. Oh, and tee­hee, this Friday evening nothing­to­lose Coventry enter the Emirates, where Prem day­off leaders Arsenal have form as Cup casualties (Gooners shudder at the mention of Bradford, Blackburn, Wrexham, etc…).

On Saturday also enjoying a Prem break are second­ placed Man City, salivating as Watford arrive at the

John McGregor reports

Coliseum aka The Etihad, with the Blues defence now keeping good Hartfelt Kompany again:­ the Hornets will be buzzing at the thought that amazing Aguerro’s back. In the only all­Prem clash, Cuplikers Chelsea take on unpredictable Stoke.

The second half starts on Tuesday when it’s back to league business: ­ in the Prem, the midweek match­ es materialise with some belters. All the top tier teams have their own agendas, most who worry wearily about survival, barely bothering ‘bout Cups today whether FA or Capital One, more’s the pity.

Just past the season’s halfway mark and the top table looks to be splitting into three parts. In a three horse race for the title, Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea have only three points between ‘em. Who said the Gunners’d choke, they’re still top, surging south to stuttering Southampton. The Saints aren’t marching in at the mo, they’re curiously copying Cardiff currently in a Cortese­caused crisis of their own, definitely how­not­to­do­it. Having started the season brilliantly as top six gate­crashers, at St Marys, Southampton sport a new Swiss supremo ­ senora Katharina, who inherited the club from deceased Dad, but doesn’t seem to want it:­the lady’s not for turning towards football. Funny, I thought all ladettes were these days ­ it’s dead fash­ ionable, honest, love.

The chasing pack of five are spread over six points from Liverpool to Newcastle, via Spurs, Everton and Man United. After Wednesday night’s fiasco against Sunderland when the Red Devils crashed out of the Capital One Cup, Troubled of Old Trafford take on

now­bottom Crazy Ole Cardiff, now so strong they’re propping up the DDD. Hey youse, it’s another Merseyside derby, at Anfield though, but now only one point currently separates the Scousers, Spurs squeezed between ‘em. Remember that great 3 – 3 game at Goodison in November? Bring it on lads ­ Luis, Lukako ‘n all!

For a nosey neutral, the lower half of the Prem looks fantastic. From Villa in tenth with 24 points there are only six points – two wins between enemies – down to bottom­placed Cardiff on 18 together with West Ham and Sunderland. None of those eleven teams can feel safe to go out with sixteen games to go, and there’s some sizzling six­pointers this week: Swansea v Fulham, Crystal Palace v Hull, not to mention Sunderland v Stoke on Wednesday. Oh, and in another bruising all­ Brummie battle, Aston Villa entertain nasty­neighbours West Brom. Hmm: new­ bie Hawthorns Jefe Pepe Mel, having been involun­ tarily ejected from his La Liga frying pan, has been thrust into the Baggies blue and white hot seat. What with sponsors threatening withdrawal, four points off the DDD, Liverpool, Palace and Chelsea coming up – and Anelka annexed for five? Pressure, hombre.

Transfer talk: if Juan Mata goes to Manchester United and does well, then that’ll put pressure on Mourinho to out­perform everyone, with who he’s bought, and raise another Lukako­type question mark as to his man­management abilities these days – he didn’t do it at Madrid, and boy has he got com­ petition here. Will that trigger Wayne Rooney to Real Madrid? Interesting: very interesting.