Week 154

Edition 154

www.thecourier.es

Friday, January 31, 2014

MOULDY MYSTERY Couple “out of pocket” as man disappears

By TONY MAYES LA FLORIDA couple, Jim and Jean Emerson are 350 Euros lighter after calling in an “expert” to fix their mould problem in their Orihuela Costa home, only to find it got worse, with the man being unable to be traced, having appar­ ently conducted his business out of a local bar.

The Emersons spotted the fungus on a north­facing bedroom wall, and were told by a local representa­ tive of a company calling themselves Eco Build that the cure was to inject foam into the cavity. The problem was not solved and if any­ thing the mould got worse, but when they tried to con­ tact the builder, they found that he had “disappeared”.

To make matters worse, they found that they were dealing with a man who was

sharing a phone line with a bar, which was ironically just 200 yards from their house!

Jim and Jean have lived in their property for more than 10 years and have always had a damp problem in the master bedroom, and particularly on the wall which faces north.

It was fine in the summer, but in winter, when the weather was cold, water would condense on the wall and generate mould. When they learned that it could be a danger to health, they

decided to do something about it, and spoke to friends in an urbanisation in another part of the Orihuela Costa. They were recom­ mended to a company called Eco Build, whose advert appeared in a local magazine.

"A rep called and said he could solve the problem by injecting a foam product in the wall, and they said it would carry a 10­year guar­ antee, “said Jim Emerson."

I agreed to have the work done and watched as they drilled holes in the outside wall and injected foam into the brickwork."

That was last February, but by June the mould was back. Mr. Emerson man­ aged to contact the compa­ ny rep, and workmen visited and chemically washed the wall, but by November it was back, and if anything it was worse than before. At that time the “cat and mouse” game started, with Jim Emerson continually contacting the “office” and being given assurances that a rep would visit, but nothing happened. At the

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Friday, January 31, 2014

Are you a snapper? Do you have a great photo? Send it to design@thecourier.es and if we think it is good enough we will publish it as our Picture of the Week TELEPHONE

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

Hope this photo qualifies as a "snapper".

Taken in Costa Rica on the 29th of December. Bye the way, first aid wasn´t necessary. Photo by BRIAN LAYDEN

MOULDY MYSTERY Pigging out

From Page 1 start of this month, he was told that a “senior rep” would visit, but again nothing happened, despite waiting in all day.

Jim was told that the company's main office was in Elche, but an internet search, verified by The Courier revealed nothing.

He then phoned Eco Build UK, but they told him that they were not associated with any company using the name in Spain.

Investigations by The Courier discovered an established house builder on the Costa del Sol under the name of Eco Build (Spain) which was not connected with anybody else in the country.

Mr.Emerson’s inquiries came to a dra­ matic end when he discovered where he was phoning. "On one occasion when I phoned, a girl answered giving the name of a bar just round the corner from us in Via Park III. I was astounded. I was then told the person I was phoning used the phone in

the bar and that was his Spanish office. I couldn't believe it. They said they had no idea where the man, called Gary Sullivan was. It was clear I had been ripped off.

The final insult was to hear that there were at least six other people who were complaining just like us," said Jim. “I have contacted the Courier because I want people to be very careful who they get to undertake work like this. You don't expect, being British, to be ripped off by a British person, but it has happened, so be warned." Jim is now being advised by oth­ ers how he can best deal with the damp problem in their bedroom. "It's a nightmare because I am continually having to paint the wall and I am worried about the spores from the damp mould affecting our health," he added.

The Courier would of course be more than happy to hear from any representa­ tives of Eco Build on the Orihuela Costa to put over their side of the story.

Over 2 and a half thousand people got a taste of high qual­ ity pork last Sunday as the La Mata area of Torrevieja cele­ brated International Pig Day. The event had been postponed due to heavy rain the previous weekend, but there were no such problems this time round people tucked into the meat in La Mata’s Plaza Encarnación Pujol, washed down by beer and wine from Hondon de las Nieves.

All hail

A hailstorm caught people off­guard across a large part of the Vega Baja in the middle of last Wednesday afternoon.

Torrevieja, Orihuela, and Pilar de la Horadada were amongst the areas to be hit, with the forecast pre­ dicting only limited rain­ fall and no hail.

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 16 Low 9° Chance of rain 0% Monday Partly cloudy High 16 Low 9° Chance of rain 0%

Tuesday Sunny High 16° Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

Saturday Sunny High 19° Low 7° Chance of rain 0% Wednesday Sunny High 18° Low 9° Chance of rain 0%

Sunday Sunny High 16° Low 7° Chance of rain 0% Thursday Sunny High 17° Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

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Friday, January 31, 2014

SLIP SLIDING AWAY FREDY’S THANKS Murcia City pedestrians are still finding it hard to keep their footing on the glass floor of a bridge designed by controversial architect Santiago Calatrava, and that’s in spite of 60 thousand Euro carpet put down by the Murcia Town Hall.

Built in the mid­nineties, the Vistabella bridge has seen a regular stream of falling walkers, suffering cuts due to its glass floor, which is slippery and breaks easily. Even since city authorities put down the carpet, to add to the annual 20 thousand Euro mainte­ nance costs, Murcia's resi­ dents have continued to fall over whenever they cross

the bridge. Frustration has spilled over into a number petitions being started for the glass floor to be com­ pletely replaced.

It isn’t the first time Spain’s most sought­after architect has been criti­ cized for the design and cost of some of his struc­

A special fund­raiser in memory of the Campoamor mother and daughter who were killed over a fortnight ago on the N332 in Torrevieja has raised nearly 5 thousand Euros. Kind­hearted busi­ ness owners at La Fuente Commercial centre support­ ed an event that was organ­ ised by family friend Eva Nemeti, with 4778 Euros going to Fredy Escobar, who tures. Some of his other lost his wife Eva and 2 year projects include three old daughter Laura in the bridges in Holland which tragedy on January 15th. rusted after a year and a Hundreds of people attended Parliament building in the event, with more fund­ Oviedo for which he was raisers being planned to sup­ forced to pay over 3 million port Fredy, who expressed Euros in compensation his thanks for the help that he after the eaves of the struc­ has received. For more ture collapsed . details and to donate money, contact Vida La Vida on 966 848 718.

Romanian round up SPAIN’S MEGA RISES

Romanian gang that spe­ cialised in robbery with vio­ lence and intimidation across a wide area of Spain including the Costa Blanca and Murcia regions have been arrested by the Guardia Civil. Three men and two women aged between 21 and 36 have been charged with commit­ ting at least 50 offences, with the suspects facing a Torrevieja court, after they were arrested in the Mil Viviendas area of Alicante City. As officers entered their house, the suspects threw a bagful of jewellery out of one of the windows, which was said to contain 40 gold items, linked to robberies in

Oriheula, Torrevieja, and Sevilla. Also seized were 3 cars, mobile phones, and electronic equipment, as

SAFETY FIRST FOR TRAINS

well as fake documents say­ ing that they were members of an association for dis­ abled people.

Long­suffering Spanish domestic elec­ tricity users have seen the biggest price hikes in the European Union over the last 5 years with the exception of Lithuania.

Between 2008 and the end of 2012, power costs leapt by 46% in Spain, with Lithuania standing at 47%. The European Commission figures put this down to rising distribution costs, increas­ es in IVA, and 'eco­taxes' relating to renewable energy. Spain also has the highest transmission and distribution costs for electricity in the whole of Europe, at 7 Euros per kilowatt per hour (kWh). Industrial tariffs for Spanish elec­ tricity saw a much lower increase, at 12 per cent between 2008 and 2012.

Domestic gas went up in Spain by 39.5 per cent in that time, due to two succes­ sive IVA hikes in as many years and mains network costs.

Santa Pola deaths

The Guardia Civil are investigating the death of a man and woman in Santa Pola, with their bodies being dis­ covered in their Avenida Portus apartment on Thursday morning. The two are reported to be Spanish with the 58 year old man said to have died by hanging, whilst there were no apparent signs of violence in regard to the 59 year old woman.

Spanish trains will have upgraded safety features after last summer’s crash which killed 79 people outside Santiago de Compostela. All trains will carry GPS systems which will warn drivers of speed limits coming up on each stretch of the track and issue another warning if they are breaking them.

Luggage safety devices, which will keep suitcases strapped down so that they do not fly around and hit people in the event of a crash, are being tested on eight trains. Meanwhile train tickets will have to carry the full name and details of each passenger, so that they can be traced in the event of an accident.

It will also become law that no driver may use his or her mobile telephone whilst at the wheel, except to report a breakdown or in the event of an emergency. CCTV cameras will record inside the driver's cockpit at all times, on the understanding that the footage will only be viewed in the event of an accident. This is to prevent drivers from being charged with homicide when they are innocent but unable to prove it, or to hold negligent drivers accountable.

MARKET PRECAUTIONS

50 law enforcement officers are policing this weekend’s Orihuela Medieval Market which started today(Friday) and runs until Sunday. Based on recent years, around 200 thou­ sand visitors are expected in the city, with fire and ambulance services also on stand­by, with an emergency plan in place if a major incident should happen.

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Friday, January 31, 2014

KILLER NAMED AND SENTENCED SAFER WALK

The identity of the Englishman who killed his Algorfa ten­ ant in 2009 has been revealed as former rugby player Phil Jones from Hereford. The Courier reported a fortnight ago about his homicide conviction, and he was sentenced this week in an Elche court to 15 years behind bars for the stab­ bing of 33 year old Domingo Torresgrosa, plus an additional 2 years for breaking and entering. Judge Francesca Martinez Sanchez, who sentenced Jones, said: 'As far as motive goes, it has been proven that the accused flew to Spain from Britain solely to solve the problem of the unpaid rent. Several faxes exchanged by the accused and his rental agency clearly reflect that they recommended he begin eviction proceedings, and that he decided against it to save paying lawyers.

The deceased's father, Carlos Torresgrosa said: 'He had a heart of gold and he was killed like a dog. I knew it was

SANTIAGO SCRAMBLE A young couple needed hospital treatment after their dinghy overturned on Tuesday off the coast of Santiago de la Ribera. The dinghy went over a quarter of a mile offshore, with the two occupants managing to swim to the beach, before going to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia.

Emergency services were scrambled after a passer­by spot­ ted the overturned boat.

OWNERS TRAPPED

OVER half a million Spaniards have mortgages that have a greater value than the property they used the loan to pur­ chase. This means that if they lose their home, they would still be indebted to the bank. Homeowners in Catalonia and Madrid are the most affected by the phenomenon, with hous­ ing valuations falling 47.2% and 43.4% respectively, followed by the Valencia region including the Costa Blanca where 11.6% of the total number of properties which are now worth less than the mortgage are located, which is a total of 67,181 homes.

Domingo the minute I saw his body despite the state it was in.’

Jones was extradited to Spain to face charges back in 2010, and was well­known in Herefordshire farming circles and played as a forward for Hereford Rugby Club. He served a year long UK jail term for handling stolen equip­ ment and owning ammunition and firearms without a certifi­ cate.

He killed Domingo Torresgrosa in Algorfa during an argu­ ment over the non­payment of rent for a year, and then took and dumped his bound and beaten body on the Sierra Escalona near Pilar de la Horadada. Besides the prosecu­ tion getting the full custodial sentence that they wanted for Jones, he will also have to pay over 400 thousand Euros in compensation to Torresgrosa’s family, with over half of that going to his son.

Cops silenced DOG GONE EXPENSIVE

Spanish traffic cops have been warned not to use their mobile phones behind the wheel, because it 'sets a bad example' to the public.

Civilians caught using a mobile – texting, talking or even checking it – when their engine is running, even if they are parked safely, are fined 200 Euros and lose three points from their driv­ ing licences. And now, Spain's traffic officers will

have to do the same, though they’ll be let off if they have to do use a mobile on 'one­ off, exceptional occasions' or 'in the event of an emer­ gency'.

SPANISH KIDS SUFFERING

MORE BLOOD PLEASE

Just over 72 thousand people used the bus shuttle service between Torrevieja and Alicante­Elche airport last year, a rise of 39% over 2012. The busiest period for the 8 times a day service is during the peak tourist seasons of July and August, but the overall figures are still below the 100 thousand a year passengers that were projected for when the service started in May 2011.

Poniente change

A one and a half million Euros tender has been advertised to improve the area around Torrevieja’s Poniente Dam, which will include a walkway and benches. It’s part of a major proj­ ect which will create an uninterrupted promenade taking in Poniente, Acequión, and Los Náufragos beaches.

A Murcia region dog owner has been fined close to 3,475 Euros for letting his large pet cause a road accident after escaping from its home. The incident happened in Molina de Segura where a car hit the almost 1 metre high, and 50 kilos plus animal, which was killed. Despite the tragedy for the owner, he had fork out the 4 figure sum in compensation, which was almost 1 thousand Euros less than the driver had wanted to repair the damage to the car, since the Murcia Provincial Court judge wasn’t sure that his radiator needing replacing. The law says that dog owners have to make sure that their animals are on a lead at all times in public areas, and home escapes are not viewed as an excuse by the courts if there is an accident.

BIKE DEATH

A 39 year old motor­ cycle rider was killed after a head­on colli­ sion with a car on the N332 close to Pilar de la Horadada. The acci­ dent happened at 9.30 on Monday morning, and the Spaniard died before the ambulance arrived, though the female car driver was uninjured.

MORAL DUTY

The Costa Blanca needs more blood donors with the dona­ tion rate across Alicante Province being one of the lowest of any regions across Spain. Some 250 units are need to be donated every day to keep hospitals properly stocked across the area, with Alicante City especially low on donors, mean­ ing some supplies having to be brought in from other parts of the region.

SHUTTLE TAKES OFF

A 27 thousand Euro investment in a new pavement and better lighting on the road linking Heredades and Formentera has come to fruition. Local neighbour­ hood groups had long lobbied Rojales council for the walkway which now means that pedestrians can safely walk between Formentera and Heredades.

More than a third of Spanish youngsters are living in pover­ ty or are close to it according to the Save the Children charity, and they’ve blamed the government’s austerity measures for making things worse. The number of under­18s "at risk of poverty or marginalization" — an official EU measure of eco­ nomic hardship — soared to more than 2.8 million in 2012, the charity said. That was equivalent to 33.8 percent of Spain's children.

"Austerity policies are considerably worsening the situa­ tion," Save the Children said in its report. They are "reducing the already limited capacity of the welfare system to respond adequately to the needs of youngsters and their families who are in economic trouble", it added. "The state has an obliga­ tion to act as guarantor of the rights that these children are entitled to, as a result of international human rights treaties."

GROWTH UP

Spain’s economic recovery is set to continue this year with the predic­ tion of 1% growth from the Economy Minister, Luis de Guindos. Spain, with the Eurozone’s fourth­biggest economy, has been struggling since 2008 when the collapse of a proper­ ty bubble nearly brought down the banking system as the debt crisis bit. De Guindos claimed on Tuesday that Spain's economy was improv­ ing because of "difficult decisions" taken by the PP government.

A Spanish bank equity scam has been raised in the UK Parliament, after a Labour MP’s call to Rothschild bank to fulfil their ‘moral responsibility’ to customers now liv­ ing in fear of extreme poverty.

Huw Irranca­Davies, MP for Ogmore in Wales, accused the international banking group of luring British pen­ sioners living in Spain into investing in equity schemes,

with many now penniless.

Following the debate, Treasury minister Sajid Javid vowed to ask Rothschild’s about the fate of more than 100 victims of their Equity Release scheme.

BIG IDEAS OVER The Valencian Government’s Land Department has said no to Almoradi council’s idea to use 4 million square metres of land for future house build­ ing. The council wanted permission to build some 11 thousand hous­ es on 3 urbanisations which would see the population of the area leap from 20 thousand to over 50 thousand.

The Land Department didn’t see any justifica­ tion for the request, based on the current population growth pro­ jections.

Only last week, the Valencian Supreme Court threw out, for environmental reasons, an urban plan from San Miguel de Salinas which envis­ aged building 40 thou­ sand new homes in their area.

Friday, January 31, 2014

ADIOS SPAIN

The numbers of foreigners quitting Spain has gone up thirteen fold, caused by prob­ lems for people finding jobs, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). By the end of 2011, a total of 15,229 non­ Spaniards had returned to their countries of origin or moved to other nations altogether due to being unable to find a job – but by the end of 2012, this number had grown to 190,020. Figures for 2013 will not be known until this time next year.

Of those who left Spain in 2012, just under half – 84,246 – were from the European Union and accounted for 3.45 per cent of EU citizens in Spain. The foreign population fell in 2012 in all regions except in Aragón, which has gained a further 542 non­Spanish residents, and the greatest decline was seen in Madrid, where 54,933 immigrants left, followed by Catalunya with

a reduction of 28,307. Non­Spanish resi­ dents make up the largest slice of the popu­ lation in the Balearic Islands, where they represent 20.19 per cent, or more than one in five inhabitants, followed by the Valencia region where they account for 16.89 per cent and Murcia, where 15.69 per cent of the population is not Spanish.

By the beginning of 2013, non­Spaniards living in the country accounted for just over five­and­a­half million – 5,546,238, to be exact – or 11.77% of the population of Spain.

Romanians make up the largest group of foreign nationals in Spain, followed by Moroccans, Britons, Ecuadorians and Colombians, in that order. The biggest increases have been seen among the Chinese, Pakistanis, Moroccans and Ukrainians.

HEALTHIER ACCESS

Work started on Monday to put in a new footbridge over the N332 at the Regia Urbanisation next to Cabo Roig on the Orihuela Costa.

The work has been budgeted at around 250 thousand Euros, with Coastal Councillor Martina Scheurer saying that about of the most important aspects of the work is that the bridge would allow many older people to use it to visit La Regia health centre. Most of the work will be carried at off­peak times to minimise disruption on the N332.

FRUIT OF LIFE

Cartagena­based boffins have man­ aged to grow top quality pomegranates with a shelf life of almost 100 days. The new variety also required 40% less water during cultivation, according to the scien­ tists at Murcia’s Institute of Plant Biotechnology at Cartagena’s Polytechnic University. The fruits are ideal for the pro­ cessing industry, to be sold peeled, washed, packed and ready for consump­ tion, with the product said to be rich in healthy bioactive compounds. Murcia is one area of Spain that is badly affected by water shortages and that’s led to a lot of research to see how water use can be slashed in farming.

LOW COST RULES

Low cost airline passengers went up by 4.6% last year, making a total of just under 35 million budget travellers in 2013 according to Spain’s Institute of Tourism Studies (IET). Budget airlines accounted for 54.2% of flight traffic, com­

pared to the 45.8% of passengers flying with traditional carriers like BA and Iberia. The UK was the biggest user of budget airlines in 2013, with 33.2% of the flights to and from Spain being on a low cost carrier.

FILL IT UP

A Torrevieja sinkhole that swallowed up a couple of trees as well as iron railings and concrete is to be filled up. 33 thousand Euros is to be spent to cap the hole at the Parque del Molino del Aqua which appeared next to the pavement last summer.

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Friday, January 31, 2014

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

New Nadal will make Torry sorry I WAS fascinated to read Donna Gee’s article about teenage ten­ nis star Nicola Kuhn in last week’s Courier. It staggers me that the city he lives in does not recognise the amazing talent of this lad ­ even though he is No.1 in Spain at under­14 level.

I have just been watching a Youtube clip of 13­year­old Nadal playing Richard Gasquet in the final of the Petits As tournament in Tarbes, France.

Last weekend Kuhn, the No.2 seed, was narrowly beaten in the final of the same tournament ­ his first defeat in 2014 after a run of ten straight victories.

Nadal lost to Gasquet in their

Nicola Kuhn celebrates victory in the Valencia Open final

Tarbes final...so the omens for Nico look good.

Yet instead of being feted by Spain as he heads towards star­ dom, he has opted to play for Germany, his father’s homeland, because they are happy to pay his travelling expenses.

I don’t know the full story, but apparently Spain has opted out because Nico does not have a Spanish passport. Fair enough ­ but equally I understand he has been brought up and lives in Travertine and was happy to play under the Spanish banner.

When Kuhn clinches his first Wimbledon title, his homeland will realise the folly of not having sup­

SPARE US THE RULE OF THE EXPAT WANNABES AFTER living in Spain for 20 years, it is very easy to explain why many expat British take no interest in the local politics (Iast week's Letters Page).

It's possibly because of the amount of fellow expats who have gone into local politics and then tried to take over. When I first lived here, there were no British councillors where I lived (and probably nowhere in Spain) and all of the Brits that I knew had no interest in getting involved.

They were happy living in SPAIN ­ nobody forced us here ­ and allowing their local councils to be run by the SPANISH. Having a Brit (or any other foreigner) on the council never came in to any­ body's mind or calculations.

There are now a handful of councils in the Valencian area that have expat British passport hold­ ers in positions of power and it does seem to me that these con­ tinue to be the councils that are always in the headlines for some petty reason or other.

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 is one and San Fulgencio (La Marina) is the other.

Perhaps people are fed up with reading the goings­on in Orihuela Costa (whether they live there or not) and the almost daily mind­ changing of "Bob"!

It's boring, it's time­wasting and yes, it totally puts people off when they realise that more is probably discussed at these council meet­ ings about internal politics than actually getting something done for the local residents and the vot­

ers.

It may also go some way to explain why some Spanish don't like some of the British.....they don't want them interfering in the running of THEIR country.

From an English speaking media point of view, perhaps if you did ignore these people and not give them front page news they would go away as they wouldn't have their Andy Warhol "15 min­ utes of fame".

European law may well allow,

for example, non­Spanish pass­ port holders from Europe to serve on Spanish councils but they'll never be able to understand the Spanish culture and psyche.

It would be interesting to know how many councils in the UK have non­British passport holders from Europe as councillors? I'm sure we'd have heard of one on the news if that was the case.

Is there, for example, an Italian passport holder on Southend Council or a French passport hold­ er on Nottingham Council?

Those who do support the Brits serving on Spanish councils are probably the very ones that came to Spain because of the foreigners taking over the UK. Leave Spain to be run by the Spanish: it's a view I will always hold until this country that I'm very pleased to be a guest in is called EUROPE. I, for one, have not chosen to come to live in Spain to have my daily life controlled by expat British wannabe politicians!

GREG MOORE, La Marina

Bob’s a Brit in any language IT is rumoured that comedi­ an Ken Dodd’s wife, who now lives in Orihuela Costa, wrote a letter to The Courier today.

She apparently speaks flu­ ent Spanish and reads all the Spanish papers.

Ken’s lovely wife makes the same language slip as the right honourable Mr R Houliston (Letters Page, last

week) and probably millions of others when she said “the British speaking population” instead of “the English speaking population.”

The Editor’s note at the end of the letter pointed out that the comedian’s better half did not provide ID or respond when the newspa­ per wrote to her Maybe she was off on a

diplomatic mission to India.

Having said all that, I agree that Mr Houliston does not appear in the English speaking newspa­ pers half enough.

Well said Mrs K Dodd, we need more British Bob. RAY (who does not speak British but does speak English) KEARNEY

ported him when he most needed them.

For Travertine it is not too late to show they value the Kuhn Kid’s undoubted talent. He could well become their best investment for years ­ even if he is now a German.

TENNIS LOVER (name and address supplied), Guardamar Donna Gee adds: Thanks, you’ve saved me writing a report on the Petits As tournamen, which rocketed Nico to No.3 in the Tennis Europe rankings. He has also leapt 250 places to 65 in the 16­and under rankings in the last six months. The Courier will keep you updated on his progress.

q

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

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Friday, January 31, 2014

DIETING is usually heavy going, no matter which way you look at it.

But what do you do when the heavy won't go? Or, to put it more accurately, when you are motivat­ ed more by chocolate than the need to lose weight?

In my case, you talk to an expert like Sarah Hawes ­ and then put your money on Cambridge to win the Bloat Race.

I’m referring to the Cambridge Weight Plan and the Cambridge 800 Plan ­ the Spanish subsidiary set up by Ms Hawes, I’m hoping Sarah’s products will point me the weigh I want to go after making a hash of my attempt to remove the massive excesses of late 2013.

They say the road to hell is paved with best intentions ­ and two weeks into my 2014 War on Wobble, I found myself stumbling down Devil's Drive.

After losing two and a half stone in the first six months of last year, I thought it would be easy to shed the 10­kilo bloat that cancelled out all but a few pounds of that loss by Christmas.

What I overlooked was that I was motivated a year ago by the accompanying challenge of rais­ ing money for my sick grand­ daughter Daisy’s charity, Tis time I decided to use the same basic plan of cutting out the carbs and duly the house of pota­ toes, rice, pasta and bread. I put a ban on anything fried, vetoed all sweets, cakes and biscuits ­ and began Donna’s Diet, Part Two.

IS CAMBRIDGE ROUTE BEST WEIGH AHEAD?

Sarah Hawes ­ rapid success My only concession was to allow myself two squares of chocolate a day.

Last year, I stuck rigidly to the regime. This time, I peered into the fridge half way through Week Two, lstared longingly at the large milk chocolate bar I had bought that day, and promptly scoffed the

lot. I'd lured myself into the gloom of the Choccy Horror Show ­ and I needed an expert to help me escape.

I considered joining Weight Watchers; Slimming World, the Atkins Diet, just about every weight­loss programme around. All had their pros; all had their cons. I couldn't try them all (at least not at the same time), so I asked my daughter Hayley, who always seems to be dieting.

“I've found the Cambridge Plan very good for what I need,'’’ she said, “but it would not suit every­ one. I'm on the 800 calories a day programme, which is very hard to stick to.’’

Ultra­enthusiast Sarah Hawes introduced Cambridge 800 to Spain in 2011. A former medical representative, she has rapidly built a Spanish empire that already encompasses the coastal regions, Balearics, Canary Islands and Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao.

And she says proudly: “Our Consultant numbers are growing daily and our customer numbers are flying. The product is a quality

Before and after: The two faces of Ivie Davies science­based product and is a complete programme, developed by doctors for the general public. We still have a medical department that helps with chal­ lenging medical conditions and have an ongoing clinical research programme.’’

This article is not an advert for

Trolley torment of a cereal killer I SHOULD have known it was going to be one of those days when my alarm failed to go off. OK, it did go off but I silenced it with fumbling fingers and went back to sleep.

By the time I’d struggled out of bed, show­ ered, dressed and put my brain into gear, I was late for my appointment with the doctor.

Not that it mattered. My cholesterol test had to be cancelled bcause the intended patient had not fasted. Yes, dozy Donna had shunted three mouthfuls of Fruit and Fibre down her thoat just before dashing out of the door and headed for La Siesta clinic.

My excuse is that nobody had told me not

to eat before my appointment.

The consolation was that I was free to do my food shopping earlier than planned. I’d left my ready cash in a jacket pocket at home ­ but I had my debit card and a Mercadona branch was down the road at San Luis What I did not realise was that, for the first time in memory, I could not muster enough cash to trigger a shopping trolley.

Even the trusty bottom of my handbag failed to unveil even half a euro in five­cent coins and English shrapnel.

I was left with two options. I could utterly humiliate myself and ask a stranger to lend

me a euro ­ or I could abandon Operation MercaDonna altogether.

Like it or grump it, I headed for home ­ and within a minute found myself snarled up in a traffic jam at San Luis roundabout.

By the time I escaped the dodgems, I needed some sunshine so I headed for my friends Jane and Graham’s new American theme restaurant in Los Montesinos. I ordered myself a taste of Florida (Florida salad, that is) before becoming the first cus­ tomer to pay by credit card at Bobbie Joe’s Diner. I’ll tip you next time, Jane. Honestly I will.

the Cambridge Plan ­ the idea is to chronicle the success or failure of my 2014 Battle of the Bulge.

However, my colleague Ivie Davies (above), the Courier’s golf correspondent, can’t praise Sarah and Co. enough..

He lost more than three stone in seven months and says: “I was able to have ‘normal’ food in an evening and as long as I drank 2.5 litres of water, everything was fine coupled with the supplements.’’

On Monday, buoyed by the Cambridge emphasis on catering for the needs of clients with health problems, I went to see my local consultant Debi Winston, complet­ ed a detailed application form and weighed in at 88.4 kilos ­ or a frac­ tion under 13st 13lb.

The Cambridge medical team in England quickly cleared me to start the1,200 calorie Plan and I should get my first fill of products from Debi today (Friday).

Come on Cambridge! This Bloat Race is going to be OARSOME!

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Friday, January 31, 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

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Friday, January 31, 2014

MY LITTLE TREASURES

I was dreaming that a fierce dragon was snarling inches away from my face. But as I became fully­conscious I realised that it was only Mrs S bending over me.

But my relief was short­lived. Mrs S wore an expression of pure fury. She looked as angry as the aforementioned fire­ eating dragon trying to blow out its birthday candles.

She whipped off my half of the duvet and grabbed me by the pyjama lapels. 'While you have been having your unde­ served lie­in, our three visiting grandchil­ dren, who we are BOTH supposed to be minding, have been running around like wild tigers all over the house.'

Lie­ins and tigers? What was she going on about?

'And your point is?' I queried, stalling for time as I blinked away the tattered remnants of my sleepy state.

'Pirates!' she exclaimed. 'Your grand­ kids are pretending to be buccaneers wreak­ ing havoc on the high seas.

They have removed my clean, crisp bedsheets which were refreshing nicely in the airing cupboard, and have twisted and knotted them into ropes which they have attached to the bathroom taps, out through the back window and down into the garden.'

'My goodness!' I gulped. 'You're not allowing our little ones to swing from great heights, are you? I'm sure that must con­ travene the health and safety code.'

'Of course not!' snapped Mrs S, still breathing fire. 'But the children have raided my kitchen and are lobbing whole cab­ bages and coconuts over next­door's fence, pretending the missiles are cannon balls. And their continuous cries of "Avast ye!" and "Belay there!" are driving the whole neigh­ bourhood nuts.'

'How strange,' I observed as I hastily changed into my day wear. 'I wonder what's influenced the kids to play primitive pirate games. Only the other day they were sitting quietly while engrossed in Peppa Pig, Dora the Explorer and Thomas the Tank Engine.'

Mrs S snorted as she handed me my Crocs. 'Well, that situation has changed.

Today, they are ALL pirates. Somebody has obviously told them something to drive them that crazy. And whoever that person might be, he is an immature and irresponsible influence.'

I wondered why Mrs S thought the offend­ ing person had to be a 'he.' Why not a 'she'? But that's sex­ ism for you. Anyway, in a serious and sober tone I pledged: 'Whoever that person is, I shall give

them a piece of my mind for turning our normally well­ behaved grandchildren into a trio of troublesome terrors.'

Mrs S and I went outside, calmed down the kids with promises of sweeties and cinema outings and were just about to collect the bedsheets when our neighbour walked over to return our cabbages and coconuts.

'Sorry about all the mayhem,' I apologised. 'And I hope your head gets better soon,' I added, indicating the red mark on his forehead. 'I appreciate that being on the wrong end of a thrown coconut can be pretty painful.'

'Actually, It was one of the cabbages that hit me,' said the neighbour. 'But it does hurt nonetheless.'

'I guess one has to be philosophical,' I said philosophical­ ly. 'At least the offending missile wasn't something really heavy like a proper cannon ball.'

Mrs S disappeared into the house and re­emerged carry­ ing our first­aid kit. 'I just cannot believe you are taking this situation so well,' she observed to the neighbour, dabbing witch hazel on his brow with a wash cloth.

The neighbour smiled and shrugged. 'It's most likely because I am so impressed with your husband's skills in making child­minding so entertaining for his charges. Only the other day I heard him telling your grandchildren that they were descended from the legendary pirate Long John Silver.

The little ones seemed really taken with that.'

I blanched as Mrs S matched my whiter shade of pale with a new show of anger. 'Sorry for all the distress, luv,' I mum­ bled. 'I didn't realise that the kids would react so wildly to my pirate yarn. But I promise you, my darling, that I will make it up to you and your filthy, crumpled bedsheets in some way, shape or form.'

Mrs S sighed. 'Promises, promises. Well, I'm afraid that THAT ship sailed a long time ago. You, Captain Silver, are grounded!'

Friday, January 31, 2014

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Friday, January 31, 2014

DOGS KNOW HOW TO CHILL OUT

It is important, in order to have a happy and peace­ ful relationship with either another human or anoth­ er species, to be on the same frequency. This is where many problems start between human and dog, because in some cases, the two species are on completely two different frequencies.

The dog peacefully living in the moment, standing alongside a human who is totally consumed with con­ stant thinking. Which state of mind do you think is the healthier? Which state of mind do you think is the hap­ piest? Which state of mind do you think is most at peace? The answer to these three questions is the dog and not the human.

But why does a dog know the answer to peace and happiness, but the human not?

The answer to this question is that a human has an ego and a dog does not.

A human is taught from birth, to want, desire, achieve and in reality this causes the human to have a negative state of mind, because if they don’t achieve they will think themselves a failure and if they do, they will fight for the rest of their lives to keep hold of their achievements.

Either way it spells misery, because of that dreaded word ­ ego.

Our species are called human beings, not human doings, so maybe we should take a leaf out of a dog's book and learn to just be, rather than this constant mental disease many of us have of having to keep doing things and having to con­ stantly achieve to satisfy our ego.

I work with dogs every day of my life and am usually around at least twelve at any given time. I constantly study them. Why? Well they are my passion, but also because I am intrigued at just how happy, peaceful and content they are with the simple pleasures in life.

A dog will just sit there and totally relax. They do not have

that horrible continuous trail of thought that many of us are burdened with. Can you imagine simply sitting down and relaxing and thinking of nothing, but only the beauty of your surroundings?

My dogs have trained me very well to be on their frequen­ cy. It is a wonderful place to be. Some days I fail miserably and go back to that horrible human frequency of constant thought or worry, but I am lucky that my teachers do not let me stagnate in that condition for too long.

A dog's frequency is truly amazing. But why is it that humans have not locked onto the tranquil benefits of what dogs have to really teach us? Why do humans think they have more to teach them? Again the culprit is ego. Until human beings wake up and start to let their dogs teach them,

I predict more turmoil, depression, unhappiness, inse­ curity and fighting.

When will the turning point begin? When will TV, radio and media lock onto this new discovery, rather than churning out the constant ego feeding material they give us on a daily basis? I don’t know the answer to these questions. I do hope it will be in my lifetime, simply because people will then start to give dogs the amazing respect and admiration they truly deserve.

Each time you look at your dog and they are in a resting mode that is the equivalent of meditation for us.

They are not sitting there thinking about their future or past lives, they are there, right there, rooted in that one moment of peace, happiness, tranquility and most importantly acceptance.

My abiding wish is that one day the human race will come to realize the beautiful teachers we have had amongst us for thousands of years ­ our dogs.

I am available for consultations throughout the Costa Blanca region, if you are having problems with your furry best friend. To book a consultation you can email me at peter@thedogyouneed.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? LADY is a 15 month old Spaniel/Retriever type crossbreed who was left tied to a gate when she was 8 months old; she was also in a very poor condition. Lady is now 17 months old and looks stunning; she is also fully vaccinated, micro chip­ ped and spayed. For more info you can call the kennels on 966 710 047, send an email to info@satanimalres­ cue.com

Born in June 2010, someone had cut poor Apollo's vocal chords before abandoning him. He is a lovely dog and despite his experience, he is very friendly with people and other dogs, but sadly he has been living in the APAH ken­ nels for some time now.

Please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563

Apollo Lady BABALÁ is a 1 year old male crossbreed who came into the kennels in Oct 2013 and was in good condition when found. He is a very sweet, friendly and happy dog who could be a very loyal, loving companion and quite easy to train; he is now fully vaccina­ ted, micro chipped and cas­ trated. For more info call 966 710 047, email info@satanimalrescue.com, visit our website www.satani­ malrescue.com or follow us on facebook.

Babala

Five year old Janey was fos­ tered as a tiny kitten, but since returning to the APAH Cattery she has never been offered a loving home. This small cat is lovely and affec­ tionate and needs her first loving home. Can you give this little girl a home? To meet Janey, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

Janey

Ziggy about 2 years old was found wandering in the campo. He is a gentle loving dog that gets on well with other dogs and is very well behaved. We have no where for this boy to go he has no shelter he is in a garden which is not secure he needs to be adopted or we need foster urgently. Call 650304746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail. com

Ziggy

This beautiful pup was found in a bin with her siblings when just 2 weeks old, She was born around 25th November and is now ready for a home.

Call: 645 469 253 Mum and baby Guinea pigs are in need of new homes, the mother is around 6 months old and the babies around 4 weeks old, they can be adopted together or separate. Call: 645 469 253

Trixie is about 10 months she was found wandering on the road. Trixie is not very big and is very sweet. She gets on with other dogs and is very eager to please. She loves people and is very easy going, she has nowhere to stay and urgently needs a home. Pplease ring the PEPA helpline on 650 304 746 or Email: p.e.p.a.animal­ charity@gmail.com

Trixie

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Friday, January 31, 2014

STRANGE BUT TRUE Nothing but bad news

The bad news for Diane Freelove is that she just can’t bear to be near a paper.

Diane cannot touch or look at newspapers, she hates their smell and has to look away when she sees one on TV. The mum of three has suf­ fered for 25 years from the unusual condition which is called chloephobia.

Diane, 49, said: “When I visit a shop I walk as far away as I can from the news­stand. I can’t go any­ where near someone who has got one, and if they approach me, I freak out. At one time I could touch a

newspaper as long as I knew I could wash my hands thoroughly afterwards. But now I can’t even look at them.

“I don’t like the feel of them – if I touch a newspa­ per it feels like my skin is crawling. And I can’t stand the smell, which I think is quite strong and distinctive.

“If I see a newspaper flash up on TV, I have to physical­ ly turn away.”

Diane, a care home kitchen assistant from Rochester, Kent, suspects the root of her fear may lie in her childhood.

She said: “When I was a child, my mother hit my

father over the head with a newspaper. She did it in a playful, friendly way, but it worried me.”

“I became afraid of news­ papers over the past 25 years.”

Diane, who has a son, Matthew, 29, and daughters Lauren, 24, and Rebecca, 19, said: “They all like to read newspapers. Lauren has them delivered but throws them away before I visit her.”

Diane said she regularly bought newspapers for her late husband, Ian, who died in 2011. But she used gloves and a bag to pick them up.

She said: “As my husband read the newspaper, I would leave the room and go to an open window in the kitchen.

Fresh air made my anxiety more bearable.”

She added: “I have ordi­ nary fears as well – spiders and heights.”

Other unusual conditions include papyrophobia, the fear of paper, and bibliopho­ bia, the fear of books. And it’s bad news for those who suffer from euphobia – the fear of hearing good news.

Feathered Friend

A motorist stopped for speeding on the M62 in West Yorkshire was a learner driver accompa­ nied only by her pet par­ rot, police have revealed.

The female 4x4 driver was pulled over by offi­ cers near junction 22 of the M62 at about 08:45 GMT on Sunday.

Provisional drivers are only allowed to drive if accompanied by a quali­ fied motorist and are banned from motorways.

"Since parrots are not allowed to supervise learner drivers, her vehi­ cle has been seized," police tweeted.

The driver will also be dealt with later for motoring offences

including speeding, West Yorkshire Police's Road Policing Unit said.

Ch Insp Mark Bownass said: "The rules of the road exist for a very good reason and it is

important to remember that if this lady had been in a crash or incident, she would not have been covered by insurance as she was not licensed for the journey."

Dancing On Ice

This polar bear would have impressed the Dancing On Ice judges with his slick moves – and he didn't even need the skates.

The cute critter balanced on one leg and waved a paw in the air, before being joined for a twirl by another young bear.

The images were captured by wildlife photographer Steven Kazlowski, 44, on Bernard Spit, a barrier island along the eastern Alaskan arctic coast.

He said: "Polar bears always amaze me. When they actually do things of their own accord to make for a better picture, it’s all the more amazing.

"A big part of a young

polar bear's life is to play ­ they appear to enjoy it as much as people do."

While the bear appears to be disco dancing, it is actually standing on his hind legs to get a better look at its surroundings, using its front paws to counter its weight and get into a comfortable stance.

The bears, estimated by Steven to be between 400­

600lbs each, strutted their stuff on Bernard Spit, an island owned by the Inupiaq people of the Barter Island area, who use it for fishing, hunting and camping.

The barrier islands are long stretches of islands that separate parts of the Arctic ocean from the coastline off the North Slope of Alaska.

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Friday, January 31, 2014

DANGEROUS DABBLING WITH UKIP

What on earth is happen­ ing in the UK at the moment? Every day when I check my Facebook page and read the latest news online, there seems to be a continuing mistrust of British politicians.

I don´t normally talk about politics, as it seems a great way to lose friends, but I have also never been shy to express an opinion if asked and to be honest the current situa­ tion in the UK is worrying me. Politicians have never been the most popular peo­ ple around, but the level of vitriol towards these appoint­ ed leaders seems to have reached a fever pitch and it seems

to me to be because of that one thing that everyone back there seems to be talking about. It is one word that instantly gets a point of view whether asked for or not, and that word is immigration.

W h a t worries me of course is the amount of people I see on the news pages or

on my Facebook who have said they are going to vote for UKIP. Their leader, Nigel Farage, can say whatever he likes about whatever subject and he still seems able to not lose the vote of those people whose opinions I read. Over the last few weeks Farage has said that women are a worse option than men when it comes to the workforce, why? Because, shock horror, we have children. What I want to know is why is it the woman´s responsibility in the first place to stay at home with the kids and why should she be punished if she does?

Surely a woman who is good enough can come back and build up her portfolio after taking however long off she wants. Farage him­ self said there was no prob­ lem in men bringing

up babies but he wouldn´t have considered it himself, so there is a problem with it in his eyes. This man is not stupid. He knows exactly where to stop with a topic and he has built his party on an immigration platform but now realises that he needs something else, I´ve heard him talk about changing the law on hunting, on gun con­ trol, and on women in the workforce, but I have yet to hear his views on the health service, policing, homeless­ ness and a plethora of other subjects that are more important than stopping people entering the country.

It makes me smile when all his candidates make stupid comments, such as homo­ sexuality causing the recent English floods! Well, those comments don´t actually make me laugh of course but Farage´s response

does. His answer for all his stupid, idiotic members is that they were once Conservative members or even MP’s or Euro MP’s who defected to UKIP, which makes me ask the question why they were not re­selected to stand again when they were Tories?

Well, maybe Mr Farage, because like them or hate them, at least the Tory party managed to keep a rein on its most unpopular repre­ sentatives and their com­ ments, unlike Farage who seems to thrive on them.

I, for one, am extremely grateful for immigration, as should all of us who are now living in Spain. Without the EU we would not be living here and it is Spain that is now making it difficult for foreigners to come and make a life here, by qualify­ ing for a residencia, for

example. On the other foot, there’s been no change in UK policy in coming or going, thank goodness! But what happens if by some extraor­ dinary quirk if UKIP actually got into power at Westminster? I know there’s no chance of that, but it does make you wonder what would happen if the UK was taken out of the EU, and what would happen to us in Spain? I don´t have the answers but in a recent poll UKIP were second to Labour in voting intentions for this year’s European elections, so I do hope that when peo­ ple come to vote, they actu­ ally read the manifestos and vote not only with their hearts but with their heads. I fear for a country who dab­ bles with an untested leader and a new party, but thank goodness I won´t be there to have to deal with it.

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Friday, January 31, 2014

WOULD YOU TRUST ED BALLS?

Ed Balls has come out Osborne, despite Lib Dem fighting after some pretty opposition, pushed through a non­descript performanc­ 5p tax cut by taking down es, which gives you the impression that both he and his boss, Ed Miliband, don’t like the fact that the UK economy is recover­ ing.

It’s opposition for the sake of opposition and they have been looking silly of late as the recovery gathers apace, but Balls played a decent political hand last Saturday by saying that Labour would reverse the government’s income tax cut for the highest earners.

Chancellor George

income tax to a new top rate of 45p for income earners over £150 thousand a year. It was a PR disaster for the Tories, and Labour knew it, at a time when the majority of people were finding their bills going up, as incomes stood still or even fell with benefit cuts. It’s easy politi­ cal fodder for Labour, though in pure economic terms, a few million extra quid in the UK cash coffers is neither here nor there.

That’s why I could never understand why Osborne wanted the change in the first place, and it was obvious that his move would come back to haunt him and his

party.

The Labour plan though has its critics, notably from their ex­Trade Minister, Lord Digby Jones, who says that it makes for “lousy economics” and the Labour approach appears to be, “if it creates wealth, let’s kick it”. But histo­ ry is always interesting, and Labour came up with the new top rate of 50p back in 2010, after it had actually been at 40p for the previous 22 years, including all the years that Tony Blair was Prime Minister. There’s an econom­ ic argument to be made that with the UK recovering from the recession, this piece of political symbolism is send­ ing out the wrong message and goes against creating more jobs and smacks of old style socialism. I still think the

voters will like this populist move, but it’s all a bit of a diversion from people exam­ ining whether Labour is fit to run the economy.

My overwhelming problem is that Balls helped to fuel Britain’s troubles in the first place acting as a lap­dog for Gordon Brown, and can you really trust him to right the wrongs that he created in the first place? An opinion poll taken before the Balls 50p announcement showed the green shoots popping up amongst the voters who felt that there was a recovery and a crucial strong majority believing that Labour would not do a good job of manag­ ing the economy. That’s the Tory trump card, and with Osborne likely to offer a “bribe” in this spring’s budget

which will get into people’s pay packets early next year, they still hold the cards that could still get them an elec­ tion win. Interestingly as well in the same poll, Labour are only 7 points ahead, whilst UKIP are on 13%, leaving the Lib Dems on just 9%.

Assuming the majority of UKIP supporters are disillu­ sioned Tories, I suspect that most will come back into the Cameron fold come 2015, and vote the traditional way to stop Labour getting back into power. That election race next year is going to be a close and exciting one, but I believe at this stage that nobody will get an overall majority, which could lead to a repeat of the fun and games that we had back in 2010, the morning after the election.

16

Tony

Friday, January 31, 2014

Mayes

HE ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT

PLAYA FLAMENCA FAILS SCREEN TEST

A Courier reader has asked me this week to make a special comment about something that has increas­ ingly annoyed her ­ and that is the proliferation of advertising in the streets.

It's one of the first things that Brits notice when visiting Spain for the first time. Back in the UK, strict planning controls keep street advertising to the absolute minimum ­ irritatingly so when you are trying to find a supermarket, restaurant or pharmacy in an unknown area. But here in Spain, advertising hoardings are right in your face ­ and there are so many of them we don't even bother to look at them anymore, so their value to advertisers has gone through the floor. But the latest trend of having TV screen advertising in prime locations I find crazy. The worst I've seen is at the roundabout at the bottom of the market road in Playa Flamenca. The roundabout is not set in the cen­ tre of the junction, so in itself is a problem for motorists.

Then there are the pedestrian crossings, humps in the road and, of course, the crazy motorists who take delight in pretending they are entering the famous roundabout in Paris and drive straight onto it hoping they can get to the other side without hitting anything. But add the latest haz­ ard and you have a nightmare. Who wants to be concen­ trating on the multiple traffic hazards and, at the same time, blinded by a bright TV screen in with images that suddenly change? Take it from me that it's very distracting at night when the screen suddenly changes to brilliant white. I've so often criticised British planners for being over the top, but just a little of British planning law could go a long way in making Spain safer, and more visually attractive too.

q

Remember a couple of years or so ago, when the pound was worth about the same as the euro?

Now it's trading at around 1.21 and that makes a world of difference to us Brits if we're getting money from the UK from pensions, etc. Why is it so much better? The International Monetary Fund has sharply increased its growth forecast for the UK economy, expecting it now to grow by 2.4% this year, faster than any other European economy. The euro area is expected to remain in the slow lane, achieving around 1% growth. Thank goodness the UK didn't join! Thanks to economic growth, Britain's unemployment has fallen big time, now standing at 7.1%.

Compare that with Spain at around 27%. That's why the pound is doing so well, and we ex­pats are enjoying the benefits.

OK, we're not getting much income on any investments.

However, if interest rates did go up, the pound would go up even further, exports would then tail off, businesses would start laying off workers, people wouldn't be able to pay mortgages, there would be repossessions, lay­offs, the welfare bill would rocket, and the pound would then fall through the floor and we would all be worse off. That's why the Bank of England will move heaven and earth to stop any interest rate rise in the foreseeable future, because it would be catastrophic.

q

Two political stories coming from Britain cannot pos­ sibly go without comment from me. The first is that buffoon Balls promising that if Labour is elected next year

he would re­introduce the 50p tax rate on the rich. He says that such a move would be hugely popular with the majority ­ it would be by everyone who doesn't earn the 150,000 pound tax threshold. It's just the politics of envy which Labour thrives on. What Balls forgets is that if you tax the rich too much they will simply take themselves and their money elsewhere where taxes are lower. Just like the French who have deserted their homeland because of the sky­high taxes imposed by the left wing philanderer Hollande. The other story concerned opinion polls over the Scottish referendum. It seems that a majority of Scots would like to remain part of the UK, while a majority of people in England and Wales wouldn't mind saying good­ bye. I can't see the canny Scots wanting to leave the UK, as they know which side their bread is buttered ­ shame though because we would lose all those Scottish MPs in Westminster, the majority of whom are Labour. That's why in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. A woman was seri­ Labour is fighting so hard to try to keep Scotland inside ously gored in the leg when her car was tipped on its side the UK, because without those left wing MPs, they would­ by the animal. It was filmed by others in another car n't have a cat in hell's chance of being elected. Being ever behind ­ but what did they do? They didn't go to help, but cynical, could it be why Cameron agreed to allow 16 year instead they sent their footage to social media sites and, olds in Scotland to vote, because most of them would vote of course, it was screened around the world. It's like a for independence, thus helping the Tory cause in viral disease, with people seemingly preferring to take England? Finally on this, try to tune into the BBC pictures of incidents they see rather than first going to Parliament channel this Wednesday lunchtime to check help. It used to be rubber­necking at scenes of road acci­ out PM’s Question Time in the Commons. Watch the nod­ dents, but now it has taken on a much more sinister ding donkey (or should I say ass) doing his bit whenever aspect, thanks to all the modern devices ­ used for the Miliband is on his feet. It's classic! And, after seeing it, ask good if in the right hands, but increasingly used for evil in the hands of perverts, voyeurs and bullies. if anyone in their right mind would want to vote for him?

Now here's an interesting scientific study which, if It seems that hardly a week goes by that we read in people take seriously, could help in the battle to lose the British press about children not being brought up properly; parents failing woefully in their duties; and a new weight, and save money as well. Sounds like a good generation of problem kids on the streets. That's why I idea...then read on. Apparently scientists now think that applaud Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw for having centrally heated homes contributes to ballooning telling MPs that the government should look at ways of waistlines! Why? The higher the temperature goes up in rewarding good citizens who are prepared to knock on homes, shops and offices, providing more comfort, then neighbours' doors and demand why their children are not people burn fewer calories to keep warm. So, if you keep in school. His idea is that communities should look after the temperature at the recommended 19 degrees C (66F) each other far more than they do, reverting back to the you maintain the right balance. But be careful, if you do way villages and communities used to be. Today too many turn the heating down, or, in summer, blast more cold air people prefer to look the other way and not get involved out with air­cons, you might eat more without realising it when they see something wrong. Sir Michael said society and end up putting weight on. For us in Spain, as the mer­ must worry about "those children who don't die and don't cury goes up this spring and summer, the advice is to hit the headlines but actually are going through miserable drink more (water, not alcohol) and eat less. I've noticed lives because they are not being properly supported." that as it warms up, my waistline expands, so there could High profile deaths of youngsters in recent years have put be something in the theory.

And finally, here's a bit of advice that I will pass on to children's services under the most incredible pressure, all us men ­ keep your sperm to yourself! and the need to get it right is never more necessary. And A man in the US donated sperm to a lesbian couple neighbours could really make a difference if they inter­ vened. Ordinary people seeing something is wrong after responding to their on­line ad. You know what's com­ should knock on a neighbour's door ­ because it could ing next don't you, fellas? Yes, a judge has ruled that he drastically help a child's wellbeing, and even save a life. is the father of the child born to the women and he must And if people have to be rewarded for doing their duty now pay child support. Apparently, because a licensed then so be it. Sir Michael said: "As an ex­head teacher, I physician was not involved in the artificial insemination saw the result of children being brought up badly by their process, he has to pay up. Poor fella! parents, so society has got to worry about what's hap­ pening in families and fam­ ilies in particular parts of the country, and children's Valencia region health minister, Manuel Llombart, services have got a part to claims that the worst of the winter outbreak across the play in helping and sup­ Valencia region could be over, though he had no exact porting those families, but figures to pass on during a briefing earlier this week. families have got a huge He said that the number of flu cases is down and that part to play and communi­ the critical stage of the winter could be over. Llombart ties have got a huge part added that the number of infections "is down" and to play in supporting chil­ therefore "could pass" the "critical stage" of the dis­ dren."

Sadly it's a ease, but has indicated that no fresh figures will be pipedream in some failed available until this weekend. Llombart could not shed communities where people further light on last week’s death of a 17 year old in a seem solely concerned Denia Hospital due to suspected flu, saying that since about themselves. We saw he was a minor, the final lab reports could not be made an example of that selfish­ public. As of Wednesday, 17 people were in isolation ness over the accident with the H1N1 virus across Alicante Province, with when a car was overturned hospitals being used in Alcoy and Alicante, whilst there by a rampaging elephant are 20 people hospitalised in the Murcia region.

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FLU FEAR RECEDING

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Friday, January 31, 2014

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH Spanish 107 ¡Hola! I hope you´re having a good week and are ready for the weekend, I certainly am. I continually check my Spanish and am talking to Spanish people in order to not only practise but also to improve my grammar and vocabulary. Of course it helps when you learn a language if you can remember the names of certain words, such as what is a verb? An adjec­ tive? An adverb? A pronoun or a noun? We need to know these things in order to know how to use them, luckily these are quite easy to learn, what I found harder was the names of the different tenses, for example what´s the difference between the present simple and the present progres­ sive? As you learn this language the names of the tenses are less important than knowing how to conjugate them and when to use them, however the more you can learn the easier your learn­ ing will be.

Before we start t h i s week´s les­ son I will give you the answers to last weeks translations: There are 4 oceans in the world – hay cuatro océanos en el

Los juguetes son mios!

mundo, I eat pizza every day – como pizza cada día (todos los días), I can´t speak Spanish very well – no puedo hablar español muy bien, I don't work on Tuesdays – no trabajo los martes, he is bored – él está aburrido, what time is it?­ ¿qué hora es?,He never eats – él nunca come, Where is the library? ­ ¿Dónde está la biblioteca?, What do you study? ­ ¿Qué estudias?, I have to eat the vegeta­ bles ­ Tengo que comer las verduras, Jorge calls María ­ Jorge llama a María, The White House is the president's house ­ La Casa Blanca es la casa del presidente, I sleep well every night – duermo bien cada noche, I don´t under­ stand – no entiendo/no comprendo, If you want to go to the shop I will come with you – si quieres ir a la tienda, iré con­ tigo, Classes begin in September ­ las clases empiezan en septiembre, you are taller than I ­ Tú eres más alto que yo, Pablo bought a ring for her ­ Pablo compró un anillo para ella, Why don't you come with me? ­ ¿Por qué no vienes conmigo?, I want to see it ­ Lo quiero ver, John needs to wash it ­ Juan necesita lavarlo, He doesn't buy me anything ­ Él no me compra nada, I want to tell it to you,Te lo quiero decir/Quiero decírtelo, I like tea but I prefer coffee – me gusta el té pero prefiero el café, Mary is writing a letter ­ María está escribiendo una carta, I don't know your tele­ phone number ­ Yo no sé tu número de teléfono, The bank opens at half past eight ­ El banco abre a las ocho y media, He gave me ten dollars for the book ­ Él me dio diez dólares por el libro, Juan washes his face ­ Juan se lava la cara, John needs to wash his hair ­ Juan se necesita lavar el pelo / Juan necesita lavarse el pelo.

This week we are going to revise something that has been covered in previous lessons but that I feel is important as it is used slightly differently in Spanish than in English, that is possessive pronouns.

We don´t need an in depth knowledge of grammatical terms in order to learn Spanish however it can help to learn as you go along and it will help improve your use of Spanish.

So, what is a possessive pronoun, we know a pronoun is

the word that takes the place of a noun, but a possessive pronoun in English are the words: mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, ours. Of course in Spanish there are four ways to say ´your´ and so we have to learn when to use the correct pos­ sessive pronoun. They are pronouns because they take the place of nouns and possessive because they show who the ´thing´ belongs to.

The possessive pronouns are normally used in Spanish with the definite article, also they have to agree in number and gender with the adjective, these are the differences between using them in English and Spanish, the possessive pronouns are: mine – el mío, la mía, los míos, las mías yours (familiar) – el tuyo, la tuya, los tuyos, las tuyas yours (formal), his / hers – el suyo, la suya, los suyos, las suyas ours – el nuestro, la nuestra, los nuestros, las nuestras yours (familiar) – el vuestro, la vuestra, los vuestros, las vuestras yours (formal) / theirs – el suyo, la suya, los suyos, las suyas Let´s see them in some sentences, I will use a sentence with a possessive adjective first (my, your, etc) in order to make sense of the further sentence with the possessive pro­ noun: My book is big – mi libro es grande Yours is small – el tuyo es pequeño Your car is green – tu coche es verde El mío es azul – mine is blue Remember this is translated using the informal ´you´ this would of course change should we want to use the formal ´you´, for example: mi libro es grande – el suyo es pequeño.

Next week we will continue with possessive pronouns and some ambiguities, but for now practice saying the above and use it whenever you can. ¡Que tengas una buena semana!

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Friday, January 31, 2014

TOOTH WHITENING A 2 Z

There are so many quotes surrounding smiles. Some of the more common ones include "if you smile at someone, they might smile back" and "everyone smiles in the same language" — but if your smile is stained and yellow, you may not want to put on your happy face.

In our high pressure society, where appearance and looking good is every­ thing, cosmetic dentistry and tooth whitening is an emerging market. A sparkling smile makes a huge difference to your appearance, but can also influ­ ence your quality of life. If your teeth are stained and yellow, you may not feel com­ fortable smiling and limit yourself from liv­ ing life.

The phenomenon of tooth whitening has become big business. Not just for celebs in Hollywood, but for everyone who cares about their appearance. Very few people have naturally brilliant white teeth, and even if they have, it is common for teeth to lose their 'whiteness' as we get older. Food and drink, specifically red wine, coffee and tea, as well as cigarette smoking, all contribute to discoloured teeth.

Teeth can also lose their brightness due to under the surface staining, which may be caused by cracks in the teeth as well as cer­ tain antibiotics.

There are various ways you can go about whitening your teeth. It can be done profes­ sionally by your dentist or via one of the home whitening systems or kits. The option you ultimately choose depends on your budget and the degree of staining on your

stains.

Toothpastes with "whitening" proper­ ties rely on abrasion in order to remove the stains, and may be effective for minor discoloured surface stains. If your teeth are very yellow, this treatment many not be effective for you.

Over-the-Counter Bleaching Kits

If you can't afford to go to a profession­ al dentist, consider an over the counter bleaching treatment. Although this sys­ tem has been shown to get results, cases of whitened gums and irritation have occurred, making it risky business.

If you do decide to go with this type of whitening system, consult with your den­ tist on his or her recommendations before you make a purchase.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

teeth.

Professional Tooth Whitening

While this process is very expensive, the costs may seem minimal when your smile is putting a hamper on your quality of life. The professional system takes about one hour and is generally done at your dentist's office.

The nice thing about this system is that you are putting your smile in the hands of a qualified professional, who knows teeth. The process at your dentist begins with a minor polish to remove any plaque that may be sit­

Luxury Aqua Detox

Aqua Detox is the revolu­ tionary way to self­detoxify and re­balance the body’s energy fields and cells.

Modern day living, stress and diet introduce toxins into your body that cause an electrical imbalance within your cells. It is the natural function of your cells to absorb nutrients and excrete waste products and any imbalance can prevent the cells from performing this function efficiently.

How does the Aqua Detox work?

The user of the system places the feet in a bath of lukewarm water that has a small amount of salt added, in the form of a solution, which aids the conductivity of the water. Treatments using the Aqua Detox are given through the feet, as this is both convenient and efficient (each foot has over

2000 pores through which toxins can be excreted).

When the system is switched on, the array immersed in water creates a series of positive and nega­ tive ions called electrons.

The body will absorb the electrons and a natural rebalancing of the cells in the body will take place.

While you are relaxing, the

water will immediately start to change colour as millions of ions enter your body and begin to neutralize tissue acid wastes.

The colour change and sediment you see in the water is produced by the ionization interaction of the current flow; the reaction from the array, and the tox­ ins in the water and body.

Negative and positive ions attract toxins and are released from the body via osmosis. This has a very effective way of cleansing the body from heavy metals and other toxins.

What happens during a treatment?

You will place your feet into the Aqua Detox unit and the process begins. You will not feel any pain or discom­ fort during this treatment, just a possible heaviness as the detox takes place, a drink of water is given to the client to counteract this however.

After the system has drawn out the toxins from your body and the water has changed to a brown/black colour, your feet will be dried and the luxury starts! Call for more information: 722 219 450

ting on the gum line and is followed by the application of a peroxide based gel. This gel is then activated using a special light.

It is important to note that tooth whitening may not be successful after the first applica­ tion, and may only start to show effect after a few applications. Consulting with your dentist will help you identify if this process is right for you.

Whitening Toothpastes and Gels

Many toothpaste companies, including Mentadent P and Colgate have formulated special toothpastes that help to whiten teeth.

Some toothpaste companies may only spe­ cialise in whitening toothpastes. These toothpastes may be effective for you, but the outcome depends on the type of staining on your teeth as well as the degree of the

Taking care of your teeth is vital if you want a bright smile. And there are numer­ ous things you can do in your daily life that will aid in the prevention of further discolour­ ing your teeth.

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day using a whitening toothpaste. The best times to brush are after you've had breakfast in the morning and just before you go to bed.

• Avoid drinking too much tea, coffee and red wine whenever possible. These drinks only add to the discolouration of your teeth.

• Quit smoking. It's not only hazardous to your health and those around you, but to your teeth as well.

• Don't forget to floss. Flossing helps to remove plaque build­up between the teeth and can also help to prevent under the sur­ face stains. Flossing also helps to prevent decay between the teeth — a common place for it to form.

BRAIN POWER IMPROVES WITH AGE – NEW RESEARCH DR MACHI MANNU’S ADVICE CLINIC Email your questions and comments to contact@medb.es

Recently, Linguist experts from Germany pub­ lished a research paper which concluded that brain function does not decline as we age. According to them, the brain appears to run slower in older people because it has to process more information. As we grow older, we know more people´s names, have been to more places, and are aware of more facts and all these lead to more information being stored in the brain. And the more information that is stored in the brain, the more pro­ cessing it has to do. One of the researchers explained it this way: “Imagine someone who knows two people’s birth­ days and can recall them almost perfectly. Would you really want to say that person has a better

memory than a person who knows the birthdays of 2000 people, but can ‘only’ match the right per­ son to the right birthday nine times out of ten?”

This research will not come as a surprise to many, certainly not to eld­ erly people who must be aware of this increase in brain power with the pas­ sage of time. Even today, in many parts of Africa and South America, elderly people are revered and highly valued as the keep­ ers of knowledge. From time immemorial these ancient communities with no writing skills have relied on their elderly as ´living libraries´ ­ to store informa­ tion on language, culture, history, medicine and much more. On the contrary in ´modern societies´ the trend is a disregard of the

elderly, and a sickening obsession with youth: per­ haps explaining why such societies are dysfunctional.

Nevertheless, the researchers must have been referring to the brain power of healthy elderly people, a rare find in today´s modern world, were the elderly are inject­ ed with toxic mercury con­ taining flu vaccines in the name of boosting their immune system. Such con­ taminated brains cannot be relied upon to recollect information. To maintain the type of brain that retains and remembers information, we must become aware of the harm­ ful effects of the toxins that are all around us.

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

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Friday, January 31, 2014

Pills don't cure high blood pressure Q

3 months ago, I visited my doctor in the UK for a yearly blood test, and when the nurse took my blood pressure it was high at 175/95. The doctor got about the same reading, and decided to prescribe Lasix, an awful water tablet. The drug has helped bring my blood pressure down to around 135/85. I cannot under­ stand why my blood pressure was high in the first place because I live a fairly healthy lifestyle and have no fam­ ily history. I´ll appreciate what you have to say and also, please tell me if there are natural blood pressure medi­ cines available.

The shame of modern medicine is that it now considers high blood pressure a disease that requires medication, rather than see it for what it is – a symptom of a disease.

Unfortunately, most doctors will prescribe drugs at the first sign of high blood pressure, without investigating its real cause. Our bodies have an incredible ability to self­heal or at least preserve itself when challenged with disease. Drugs don´t heal the body, but buys it time until healing kicks in. A high blood pressure is the way the body tries to remedy an already existing problem. Sadly this early warning signal is suppressed by doctors rather than investigated. This is akin to a car engineer attempting to fix the flashing warning light of a car, rather than to seek out the cause of the problem.

Cardiovascular diseases – those that affect the heart and blood vessels – are the main cause of high blood pressure; however there are other causes as well. The kidney, adrenal glands, nerves, as well as hormonal secretions, have a direct effect on blood pressure. The kidneys regulate blood pressure through an enzyme they secrete which has a con­ stricting effect on blood vessels. Some of the drugs used to manage high blood pressure operate by blocking the kid­ neys from producing this enzyme. The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine or hormonal system, and secrete steroids and chemicals that also regulate blood pressure.

A

Most people suffering from high blood pressure have an underlying disease of the artery called atherosclerosis. This disease causes a build of plaque inside arteries causing them to become furry and narrow, thereby causing the arter­ ies to become inflexible. An inflexible artery is unable to absorb extra pressure, and may even be prone to rupture.

Atherosclerosis can affect any arteries in the body, but the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart and the cere­ bral arteries that provide for the brain are mostly affected.

Toxins or contaminants have been linked to many chronic diseases, and not surprisingly, they have been strongly implicated in heart diseases and high blood pressure. These toxins include heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, alumini­ um as well as toxins from foods contaminated with herbi­ cides and pesticides. Toxins cause inflammation in the body, and inflammation is the underlying cause of diseases.

From diagnostic scan analysis, we know that people with a history of high blood pressure tend to have higher than nor­ mal levels of toxins in their heart tissue, arteries, in fact in any organ. Modern medicine prefers to ignore the effects of toxins on human health, possibly because the tools of their trade are primarily toxic. The bottom line is that someone with high blood pressure should be thoroughly investigated, before medication is considered. There are natural agents that can lower blood pressure. Hawthorne extract from hawthorne berries is well known for controlling blood pres­ sure. Omega­3 fatty acids are also very effective especially when atherosclerosis is the cause of high blood pressure. A proper detox of the body with the right agents can also cor­ rect high blood pressure.

What Can MitoQ do for you?

Q A

MitoQ is finally available to the public, after 10 years of intense research and clinical studies. The active ingre­ dient of MitoQ is a natural substance called CoQ10 or Co­

enzyme Q10. Most people are aware of CoQ10 and many take it as a daily supplement however MitoQ is unique because it delivers CoQ10 a thousand times (1000X) more effectively than any other formula. For the uninitiated, CoQ10 is the most vital ingredient required by every cell in the body in order to produce energy. Quite simply, CoQ10 equates to cellular energy. When CoQ10 was first isolated in 1957, it provoked huge excitement in the scientific commu­ nity, but it took another 20 years before it became available as a supplement. Even then those early supplements were poorly absorbed into the body. MitoQ has been very effective in relieving serious health concerns over the years; however its poor absorption into the body has hindered its truly amaz­ ing healing powers – that is until now. MitoQ is the brainchild of Dr Rob Smith and Dr Murphy, both Cambridge researchers who understood the immense benefits of CoQ10 to human health, and spent 10 years searching for the best way to introduce it, not just into the body, but directly into the mitochondria of the cells. CoQ10 is found in every single cell in the body – it is also called ubiquinone from the word ubiquitous­ however it is predominantly found in the active organs of the body such as the heart, liver and brain.

Many clinical studies have been able to demonstrate the healing potential of CoQ10 against many chronic diseases, especially diseases of the heart, brain and liver. Research has also shown the healing effects of MitoQ against many chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Even better, MitoQ is based on a natural ingredient, and has no side effects. MedB clinic has teamed up with the manufac­ turers of MitoQ in New Zealand to make it available to you at a discount price of 43 Euros for a bottle of 60 capsules.

Call 965071745 to place your order or to visit us for collec­ tion.

Friday, January 31, 2014

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Friday, January 31, 2014

ELCHE –THE CITY OF PALMS WITH A BEJEWELLED DAME

By SALLY BENGTSSON

Elche is the third major city of the Valencian autonomous region in terms of population, territory and resources. It has an array of interesting places to visit, many of which few tourists get to see.

The city is known as the City of Palms due to the fact that it is located within the largest Palm forest in Europe. The Palmeral of Elche is surpassed in size only by some in Arab countries, and includes the Parque Municipal and many other orchards (huertos), covering over 3.5 km². It contains more than 11,000 palm trees, most of which are date palms, with a few trees up to 300 years old. At its peak, in the 18th century, it may have covered an area twice as large, with up to 200,000 trees. The dates are harvested in December.

It is thought that palms were originally planted in this loca­ tion as early as the 5th century BC by Carthaginians who settled in south­east Spain. The plantation survived under the Romans and was expanded under the rule of the Moors, including the irrigation system extended in the times of Abd ar­Rahman I and which remains in use today. The formal landscape of the Palmeral that still exists today was created when the city was under Moorish control in the 10th century.

You can best explore Elche on foot. Why not climb the narrow steps up to the roof of the Basilica, from where you get a wonderful view over the city and its palms. You can visit the various museums including the award winning Archaeological and History Museum or get to know more about the palms at the Huerto del Cura. Stroll through the Municipal Park and go into the Visitors Centre for an audio visual introduction to the city or take the small Tourist Train.

Elche has some great shopping. The Salvador Artesano shoe factory outlet is the largest of all the Salvador Artesano shops and is a must for all shoe lovers as it is about the size of a football pitch! Nearby is the El Corte Ingles, and The L’Aljub is a large indoor mall with Eroski, Bershka, C&A, Zara, H&M, Primark and many more shops, plus a Comic Park to keep the Children entertained, and free parking!

Elche had two major emplacements throughout its history.

The first one was in the archaeological site of l’Alcudia, situ­ ated 2 kilometres (1.24 mi) south of the present city centre, from the Neolithic period until the Visigoth period and it offered the strategic advantage of easy defence thanks to the Vinalopó River. Up until 280 B.C was the splendid period of the Iberian civilization in which sculptures such as the Dama de Elche (Lady of Elche) were created. This sculpture is the main example of this period and it is kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid and it represents the bust of a richly bejewelled woman.

The Christian conquest by James I of Aragon in 1265 forced the Moors to move to the Raval de Sant Joan and the Jews to the present Church of El Salvador. In the early 17th Century, Elche lost one third of its population due to the expulsion of the Moors. In the 19th Century appeared the important activity of making espadrilles and it led to the pres­ ent footwear industry that boosted the growing of the city.

Traditions

The religious festivities mark the city calendar with unavoidable dates such as “Palm Sunday” that has been declared of International Tourist Interest. In this celebra­ tion thousands of Elche’s citizens parade along the streets bearing their blanched palm leaves in a beau­ tiful prelude to Holy Week.

The festivities reach their zenith in August with the

celebrations in honour of the patron saint the Virgin of the Assumption. Celebrations begin with a procession of Moors and Christians. The streets are filled with lights, colours, splendour, fireworks and music for days. The Nit de l’Albà (the Night of Daybreak) is one of the most remarkable moments of the festivities: the Elche sky lights up with hun­ dreds of fireworks honouring the Patron Saint and making magical the night of August 13th. The main event of the fies­ tas is the Misteri d’Elx (Mistery Play of Elx), a lyrical medieval drama depicting the Dormition and Assumption in Heaven of the Virgin Mary. Many citizens of Elche participate in this ceremony processing through the streets of the old Vila Murada, or walled city, bearing lit candles. There is also a pagan side of the fiesta since many of the citizens remain awake until dawn having fun.

As well as its rich cultural heritage, Elche also offers a wide range of local dishes using the great variety produced in the area. Its fertile region and proximity to the coast has historically influenced the local cuisine. The most widely known dish of Elche is “Arroz con costra” (literally, rice with a burnt base) but there also other delicious dishes such as “Arroz con Conejo y Caracoles” (rice with rabbit and snails) and “Puchero con Pelotas” (a type of stew with meatballs wrapped in cabbage leaves). Another exquisite dish is the “Mujol del Hondo” (mullet from El Hondo with garlic mayon­ naise and local seafood).

For dessert the locally grown fruits are delicious (dates, figs, pomegranates, etc.) as well as the “Tortada de Elche” (a tasty local sweetmeat) and the “Pan de Higo” (a cake of compressed figs with slivers of almond). Traditional drinks include the distilled flowers of Arabian lavender, distilled aniseed (the popular “Nugolet”) and date liquor.

Places of Interest

• Tourist Office: more information about the museums, cathedral and buildings, as well as the walking routes, a summary of which is after the Ideas of things to do in Elche section. Remember that most museums are closed on a Monday and for siesta which is generally 14.00­16.00 in the winter and 14.00­17.00 in the summer.

• Tourist Train: something different and an introduction to Elche’s Municipal park. It departs everyday from the Municipal park near the dove cote. The journey last about 30 mins and costs 2.50€.

The Tourist Office for information about the museums and other places of interest: • Archaeological Museum MAHE: located in the Palacio de Altamir it has permanent displays of Iberian and Roman pieces.

• Fiesta Museum: a two roomed museum all about the Mystery Play.

• Arab Bath Museum: displays the remains of an Arabic bathing house.

• Museum of Contemporary Art: has a large collection of vanguard art, especially by Spanish artists.

• Pucol Agricultural Museum: an insight into rural life including agricultural artifacts, rural housing, clothing, hunt­ ing, education, commerce and industry.

• La Alcudia Museum: archaeological site where the bust of the ‘Dama de Elche’ was discovered.

• Palaeontological Museum: displays in chronological order the history of the earth including fossils and archaeo­ logical finds.

• Palm Grove Museum: reveals the origins, history, development and culture of the Elx Palm Groves.

• Huerto del Cura Museum: is an artistic garden, cover­ ing 13,000m2 with displays of Mediterranean and tropical plants including the famous Imperial Palm.

• Visitors Centre: houses a detailed audiovisual presen­ tation on the city: its history, traditions, culture, fiestas and economy.

• Basilica de Santa Maria: the cathedral of the city, you can walk up the stairs to the bell tower for great views over the city.

• Municipal Park: covering an area of approximately 20,000m2 these plantations were bequeathed to the city in 1661, a beautiful green space for all to enjoy.

• Palm Grove: declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 by UNESCO it is the largest in Europe, boasting more than 200,000 palm trees, best explored via the walking route.

• Espai d’Art a’Elche: a permanent open air sculpture exhibition next to the municipal park.

• Torre de la Calahorra Building: The square Moorish Tower from the late 12th century defended the city’s most important gate to the road to Alicante.

• Palacio de Altamira Building: the residence of the lords of the city between the 15th and 19th centuries, now contains the Archaeological Museum.

• Town Hall Building: The Torre del Consell tower is the oldest municipal building in the southern part of the Comunidad Valenciana region • Torre de Calendura Building: It houses a fascinating clock with two figures. Since 1759 the figure that tells the hours has been known as Miquel Calendura while the smaller figure that tells the quarter hours has been known as Vicentet Calendureta.

• Gran Teatro Building: the elegant theatre constructed in Italian style in the 1920s.

• Walking Routes: There are two self guid­ ed walks; the Historic Palm Grove Route and the Monumental Route (leaflets in various lan­ guages from Tourist Office). Both routes are great introductions to this wonderful city.

Friday, January 31, 2014

25

LA FUENTE A MUST TO VISIT NEXT TO CAMPOAMOR GOLF Magellan are best in any language Magellan Properties has been established for many years and become one of the most successful and reliable estate agents in the area.

The International Office welcomes clients of all nationali­ ties, who are based both in Spain and abroad, and the mul­ tilingual team is able to converse in Russian, German and Scandinavian languages as well as in English and Spanish.

The company is pleased to market your property, and oper­ ates a “no sale, no fee” policy, so you simply cannot lose by placing your trust in them. They have a particular interest in properties within the nearby Las Ramblas Golf Resort.

For further information please contact them on 965 322 834; email them at sales@magallan­sl.com; or consult the website www.magellan.es.

OUT OF THIS WORLD FOR GOLF Galaxy Golf and their professional team would like to welcome you to their new store at La Fuente. Galaxy stocks all the major and popular brands of golf fashions including Calvin Klein, Green Lamb, Callaway, Cutter & Buck and Dwyer. Golf shoes feature manufacturers like Footjoy, Ecco, Callaway and Adidas. And stand by for a fantastic new range of spring and summer stock that’s coming soon!

Galaxy has everything to make you get that better round including hardware from Ping, Callaway, Cobra & TaylorMade in stock, plus there’s a GC2 launch monitor which works out the perfect customised club for you!

Don’t forget the discounted Green Fees desk for the best prices and details about the local courses, and golf club hire is also available. The Galaxy team look forward to seeing you soon.

AGENTS THAT YOU CAN TRUST Costa Blanca Sales are a professional Real Estate Agency who has had the pleasure of trading in Orihuela Costa Region for over 12 years. We are privileged to have an abundance of multi –lingual staff whose languages include English, Spanish, Dutch, French and German. Based in Villa Costa between commercial centre La Fuente and Mercadona, we are currently very keen to source properties to enhance our ever growing portfolio. We work very closely with many estate agencies in the local area, and in Europe and have an extensive interna­ tional advertising campaign up and running. We pride our­ selves in our professional approach to selling property and building relationships with our clients.

We offer, as part of our Elite Service­Free Valuation­ a Professional Photographer­ an Appointment to suit your needs­ Regular updates and the promise of a dedicated team to pro­ mote your products. Please visit our website www.costablan­ casales.com or pop in for a chat and a café con leche!

Exquisite Outfits and Home Entertainment, All Under One Roof!

Tiger Feet Fashion Boutique Tigerfeet have a Fantastic massive Sale now on up to 75% off on Ladies and menswear a must to see Owners Julia and Alan ensure that the boutique is always stocked with the hottest trends in clothing, handbags, jew­ ellery and footwear there is also a large range of greeting cards and gift vouchers for Special Occasions Opening Hours Mon ­ Sat 11am ­ 4pm Closed Sunday Cloud Nine Cloud Nine Satellite Systems (situated inside Tiger Feet) offers all your TV needs, no monthly payments or rebroad­ casting, package options available Alan will be pleased to discuss your requirements and give a demonstration of the system in operation within their office For more information contact Alan on 965 320 900 ­ 600 856 937

La Zenia Fish & Chips now at Viva La Vida The popular La Zenia Fish & Chips team of Gerry and Sandra have a new home at Viva la Vida from this Saturday (February 1st). Jim, Paul, & Eddie from Viva are delighted to have them on board, and they’ll be serving up breakfast, lunches, sandwiches, snacks, and of course those famous La Zenia Fish & Chips from 10.00am till late between Monday and Saturday.

You can pick up a takeaway throughout the day and evening, and don’t forget the daily specials during Happy Hour which stretches to 3 hours between 4pm and 7pm, the longest on La Fuente! Don’t miss out on Viva’s famous Sunday lunch at just 5 Euros per head, and that’s followed up with the fabulous Paul Christie hosting the karaoke between 6 and 9pm.

26

Friday, January 31, 2014

CHINESE NEW YEAR Celebrate the Chinese New Year with some Oriental Cusine.

LIME, GINGER & CRAB SPRING ROLLS Ingredients 200g (7oz) crab meat, drained 1­2tsp ground ginger 1­2tsp coriander leaf Zest of 1 lime 1 packet spring roll wraps or pastry 1 egg yolk or water Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Blend the crab meat, ground ginger, coriander leaf and lime zest.

2. Open out a spring roll wrap and brush with egg yolk or water.

3. Spread 1tbs crab mixture over the wrap, fold in the two sides and roll up, seal­ ing the edges with egg yolk or water.

4. Repeat with the remaining crab mixture and spring roll wraps.

Refrigerate for at least one hr.

5. Deep fry the spring rolls in oil for 3­4 mins, until golden brown and

crispy all over.

6. Delicious served with sweet chilli sauce.

SESAME SEED PRAWN TOASTS Ingredients 350g cooked, peeled prawns 4 spring onions, trimmed 1 level tsp freshly grated ginger 1 med egg white 1 level tbsp cornflour Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 slices med­sliced white bread 2­3 level tbsp sesame seeds Vegetable oil, for frying Chilli dipping sauce, to serve

Method

1. In the bowl of a food processor, purée the prawns, spring onion, gin­ ger, egg white and corn­ flour until the mixture forms a thick paste. Season.

2. Cut the crusts off the bread, then spread the prawn purée over the slices.

Sprinkle over sesame seeds and press

them down well. Cut each slice of bread diagonally into 4 tri­ angles.

3. Heat a 1cm depth of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the prawn­topped bread, sesame­side down first, for 2­3 mins on each side, until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain briefly on kitchen paper before serving hot with the chilli dipping sauce. Garnish with a curled spring onion, if you like.

ORIENTAL CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP Ingredients 1.5litres (2½ pints) chicken stock 5cm (2in) piece fresh root ginger, unpeeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled and bruised 1 red chilli, halved and deseeded 2 large, or 4 small, pak choi 100g (3½oz) medium egg noodles 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced 125g (4oz) cooked chick­ en, finely shredded Good dash of soy sauce 2 star anise Handful of shredded basil leaves or chopped coriander leaves

27

Friday, January 31, 2014

Method 1. For the chicken stock: Put the chicken bones and any pieces of skin, leftover roast onion and garlic in a large pan with an unpeeled onion, cut into wedges, a large carrot and leek tops, chopped, a good sprinkling of salt, about eight peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, a few thyme sprigs and a handful of parsley. Add enough cold water to cover well.

2. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a couple of hours, half covered. Strain into a large jug.

3. Discard all the bones and veg.

4. For the soup: Simmer the stock in a large pan and add in the star anise, ginger, garlic and half of the chilli, for 10 mins, without boiling.

5. Meanwhile, trim the ends off the pak choi and separate the leaves. Cut the white part into fine strips and shred the leaves.

6. Remove the flavourings from the stock with a slotted spoon and discard them. Add the noodles to the boiling stock, stir them in and simmer for 3 mins. Add the spring onion and white parts of the pak choi, bring to the boil, then add the chicken and soy sauce.

Sprinkle the pak choi leaves on top and steam them for 1 min.

7. Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter with fine slivers of chilli and basil or coriander. (Not suitable for freezing).

SWEET AND SOUR PORK Ingredients 2tsp vegetable oil 350g (12oz) piece of pork fillet, cut into chunks 1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges, leaves pulled apart 1 red or green pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks Thumb­sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced 1 cinnamon stick or 1tsp ground cinnamon 227g can pineapple rings in natural syrup (140g drained weight ­ reserve the syrup), each ring cut into 8 pieces 230g can plum tomatoes 1tbsp tomato ketchup 1tbsp vinegar, or more, to taste ½ chicken stock cube

1tsp flour or cornflour About 2tbsp soy sauce, to taste To serve: 200g (7oz) dried egg noodles 2 small heads pak choi, leaves separated and large ones chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the pork for about 5 mins until browned on both sides. Take it out of the pan and set aside.

2. Add the onion, pepper, ginger and cinnamon to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add the pineapple, 3tbsp of the pineap­ ple's syrup, and the tomatoes, ketchup, vinegar, stock cube and 150ml (¼ pint) water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10 mins to let the sauce thicken.

4. Put the pork back in the pan and simmer for another 5 mins. Mix the flour, or cornflour, with the rest of the syrup to make a paste, add to the pan and stir until thickened. Add the soy sauce, and more vinegar if needed, to taste.

5. Cook the noodles according to pack instructions, adding the pak choi to wilt. Serve with the sweet and sour pork. (Not suitable for freezing).

BEEF IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE Ingredients 350g stir­fry beef 160g sachet black bean stir­fry sauce 1tbsp soy sauce 1 level tbsp cornflour 2tbsps groundnut oil 1 green pepper, deseed­ ed and sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced 2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips Coriander, for garnish

Method

1. Mix the beef with the black bean and soy sauces and the cornflour. Leave it to marinate for 15­30 minutes.

2. Cook the beef in the oil for 1­2 minutes, then add the pep­ per, chilli and ginger and cook for a further 2­3 minutes, until the vegetables have just softened. Serve immediately, gar­ nished with coriander.

EGG FRIED RICE Ingredients 2tbsps vegetable oil 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped 350g cooked rice 4 spring onions, sliced 100g mange tout or sugar­ snap peas, finely shredded 1tbsp sesame oil 2 large eggs, beaten

Method

1. Heat the oil in large wok.

Add the bacon and cook until it starts to crisp. Add the rice and heat it through thoroughly, then add the spring onion and mange tout or sugar­snap peas.

Cook for 1­2 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil.

2. Use a spatula to move the rice to the edges of the pan and pour the egg in the cen­ tre and gently fold it into the rice as it cooks, so there are some curds of egg in with the rice mixture. Serve the egg fried rice immediately.

PEANUT CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD Ingredients 250g/9oz (125g/4oz dried weight) white shi wheat flour

noodles, cooked Toasted sesame oil 1tbsp light soy sauce 2 skinless chicken breast fillets (about 500g/1lb 2oz) 1 large handful of unsalted cashew nuts to garnish For the peanut sauce 1tbsp groundnut oil 2 small shallots, finely chopped 3tbsp crunchy peanut butter 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 6tbsp vegetable stock 3tbsp water To serve 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1/2 cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and finely sliced 1 small handful of beansprouts 1 small handful of freshly chopped coriander 1 small spring onion, sliced lengthways

Method

1. Toss the noodles in the sesame oil and soy sauce, cover and chill until needed.

2. Boil the chicken until cooked (about 10 mins, depending on the thickness of the breast). Drain and shred by hand.

3. Dry­fry the cashew nuts for the garnish in a hot pan for a few minutes until browned. Crush in a pestle and mortar or place in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin.

4. To make the peanut sauce, heat a wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. Add the shallots and fry for less than 1 min until translucent, then add the peanut butter and red chilli and stir­fry together for less than 1 min. Add the stock and water and mix well. As the sauce starts to bubble, turn the heat off and transfer to a bowl. If you like a thick sauce, keep as it is ­ for a thinner sauce, add a few table­ spoons of water and stir well.

5. Layer the noodles with all the serving ingredients on each plate and then top with the shredded chicken pieces. Finally, drizzle over the warm sauce, sprinkle on the crushed cashew nuts and serve immediately.

CRACKLING CHINESE ROAST PORK Ingredients 1.5 kg boneless pork belly, with rind For the marinade: 2tbsp course sea salt 1tbsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns 2tsps five spice powder 1tsp freshly ground black pepper 2tsps sugar

Method

1. Pierce the rind side of pork with a sharp fork or knife until the skin is covered with fine holes.

Insert a meat hook into the meat to secure it.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and using a large ladle, pour the hot water over the rind side of the pork several times. Set the pork belly aside.

3. Heat a wok until it is hot, then add the salt, peppercorns, five spice and sugar and stir­fry the mixture for 3 mins until it is hot and well mixed. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

4. When it is warm enough to handle, rub this mixture on the flesh side of the pork.

5. Hang the meat to dry for 8 hrs or overnight in a cool place or in front of a fan.

6. Pre­heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place the pork on a rack, rind side up over tray of water. Roast for 15 mins. Then reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and continue to roast for 2 hrs and turn up to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8 for 15 mins.

7. Remove and allow the pork to cool. Then carve it into bite­ size pieces, arrange on a platter, and serve.

28

Friday, January 31, 2014

SPANISH NEWS

“GOOD THIEF” SURRENDERS A burglar who shopped a paedophile soccer coach after stealing some of his video tapes, has handed him­ self into police. The 20 year old man became known as the "good thief" in Spain after news of his anonymous tip­ off about the videos and their owner spread around the globe. The burglar gave himself up to authorities in Jáen, and he’s got a past history of burglary and violence.

On the advice of his lawyer, he turned himself in last week, and will now face charges of breaking and entering and ironically appeared before a magistrate in the very same court as the paedophile arrested after his tip­off. In December, police found the tapes incriminating the child abuser under a car in Jaén, with a note from the thief containing the suspect's address.

"I have had the back luck to have these tapes fall into my hands and feel obliged to give them so you can do your work and put this ... in jail for life," the burglar's note read.

The suspect was identified from the content of the videotapes and arrested after a search of his home and the indoor football club where he worked. Four victims were identified includ­ ing a 16­year­old boy who had been abused since he was 10. The suspect had reported a burglary at his home 9 days earlier, listing sev­ eral appliances as stolen but making no mention of his missing video camera and tapes, police said.

OLD MAN BRINGS Madrid cuts tax shock NEW RACE The Spanish government has backed down and slashed the tax on sales of works of art. The country’s cultural sector has been lobbying hard about the impact of an across the board IVA rise to 21% which it says has affected cinemas, live enter­ tainment, museums and art gal­ leries. The government decided to cut the sales tax for art works by more than half to 10% with Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria saying that it was a measure “to sup­ port creators of works including paintings, sculptures, art galleries, art dealers, antique dealers and the world of arts in general." .

"It is a first step. We believe we should take a series of measures, including on taxes, to promote and defend culture in Spain," the minister added. The sales tax on

The 7 thousand year old bones of man found near a cave in Leon 8 years ago have helped Barcelona experts uncover a now extinct breed of early Europeans that were dark­skinned and blue­eyed.

The conclusions are part of an ongoing effort to uncover the DNA of ancient humans on the European continent.

The scientists, from Barcelona's Institute of Evolutionary Biology, have analysed the man’s tooth and worked out that he was part of a breed closely related to modern­day Scandinavians but with the dark­skinned genes of an African. The dramatic findings bring a

new timeline to the table, as experts had previously assumed that the blue­eyed gene was brought over by foreign invaders some 5 thousand years ago.

Evidence now suggests that blue eyes were already common among the conti­ nent's early hunter­gatherers, along with darker skin.

The biologists are yet to conclude the precise skin tone he had but have been able to determine he had lactose­intoler­ ant genes, a sign which proves he was more likely to have been a hunter­gather than to have had contact with domesti­ cated livestock.

art works in France is 10%; Germany has 7% and Belgium 6%. Desperate to rein in a ballooning public deficit, the government raised IVA to 21% from 18% in 2012, and it increased by 13%, the 8% IVA figure for cul­ tural products including cinema and theatre tickets.

MAYORS CAPPED

Mayors will no longer be able to earn more than a maximum wage of 100 thousand Euros a year after a new law has been passed by the Madrid government. Mayors of towns or cities with a population of half a million people or more will see their wages capped at 100,000 Euros a year, whilst those with fewer than half a million but more than 300,000 will not be allowed to earn more than 90,000 per annum.

With a population of over 150,000 and up to 300,000 people inclusive, they cannot be paid more than an annual 80,000 Euros. For towns with over 75,000 residents up to 150,000, maximum wages are set at 75,000

Euros a year and drop to 65,000 Euros for mayors of towns with more than 50,000 and up to and including 75,000 residents. Typical coastal resort towns will fall into the lower population brackets, from 5,001 inhabitants to 10,000 where their mayors cannot earn more than 45,000 Euros per annum; from 10,001 to 20,000 people, where the mayor's maximum salary will be set at 50,000 Euros a year, or from 20,001 to 50,000 inhabitants which means an upper limit on wages of 55,000 Euros annually. In villages of 1,000 or more up to a maximum of 5,000 residents, the mayor cannot be paid more than 40,000 Euros a year.

Friday, January 31, 2014

29

SPANISH NEWS

ROLL UP FOR THE CRISTINA SHOW The media circus is set to roll for the Infanta Cristina’s court appearance in Mallorca a week tomorrow (Saturday February 8th) with the news that despite the fact that she will be able to enter the courthouse via a back door, the media will still be able to get images of her coming and going. It was originally thought that the daughter of the King and Queen on Spain would have the privilege of walking in through a cordoned area, but although reporters will not be allowed into the court building on the Vía Alemania in Palma de Mallorca, an area will be set up for them in the car park out­ side, near the entrance door.

This is the same access criteria agreed for when the Duchess' husband, Iñaki Urdangarín testified on various occasions in 2012 and 2013. But as yet it is not known whether she will walk from the car park or be driven right up to the door. Judges throughout the capital of the island are

in talks with National Police chiefs to work out security arrangements for the day of the trial, which will have to be watertight and very high given that she is a key member of the Royal family.

The Duke of Palma's various hearings had police and pri­ vate security guards on site and press passes were given to 60 members of the media. Already, the ground­breaking hearing – the first time a Royal has been summoned as an accused party – has caused a sensation in Palma.

Homeowners and businesses plan to rent their balconies and window views for up to 2,000 euros to media photogra­ phers and film crew, and restaurants, cafés and shops will be open all day. One restaurant is preparing a special mid­ day menu for reporters, since each time Urdangarín attend­ ed court, the premises was packed with members of the press and TV companies seeking lunch after the trial.

The National Police have arrested a 48­year­old woman who attempted to smuggle a kilo of cocaine under her chest and inside her genitals through Madrid's Barajas airport.

The woman was part of a three­person smuggling gang looking to bring a total of 7 kilos of the drug into Spain. Arriving in Barajas on a flight from Sao Paolo in Brazil, the trio hid their stash in their luggage and inside their clothing. But one of the arrested gang took extreme measures not to get caught, shrouding two bags of cocaine under her breasts, one in her pubic zone and another inside her genitals.

There was no indication as to whether or not sniffer

people attempting to smug­ gle drugs into Spain from South America over the weekend.

SNIFFED OUT? FATTER AND FATTER

dogs were used to uncover her clandestine stash.

Barajas border control police also intercepted two other

KNOW YOUR IBAN

Spanish bank account details given to anyone for any reason will need the IBAN and SWIFT code attached to them from this February, even where trans­ fers and other transactions are not international. The Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) requires that all account numbers automatically bear the IBAN, which is unique to the bank and branch in question and to the individual cus­ tomer. This will automatically entail the

Kids are getting fatter in Spain and the problem is getting worse as waistlines are bulging further. 21.3% of Spanish youngsters aged between 6 and 11 are suffering from obesity, whilst the figure for 12 to 17 year olds stands at 14.3%.

That's the bottom line of Spain's first study into the problem of belly fat con­ ducted by Barcelona's IMIM institute.

SWIFT code being required, which is for These young people are at higher risk of the bank as a company and does not cardiovascular disease and premature vary by client. mortality as adults although they are not

actually overweight, said the authors of the study. Researchers looked at data from 1,521 young people across Spain to get their results, measuring their waist­ to­height ratio as a neutral indicator.

"Our results indicate the need to incorpo­ rate waist circumference into routine clin­ ical practice, in addition to traditional measurements of weight and height," the scientists concluded. Only in this way can real health risks be determined, they added.

30

Friday, January 31, 2014

JETTING OFF TO BARCELONA One of the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre’s residents is to travel to Barcelona for some ground­breaking surgery.

Jett the foal contracted a virus after being born, but miracu­ lously survived it, though he suffered deformities in his joints which has led to a variety of problems that the Centre in Rojales have tried to deal with.

Last May, centre co­founders, Sue and Rod Weeding were contacted by a concerned member of a walking club who had come across a malnourished young horse with severe deformation of both hind legs. Arrangements were made through a third party to persuade the owner of the horse to hand it over to the Centre.

“Thankfully he agreed to do so,” said Sue Weeding. “We had no idea how bad Jett’s condition was until we arrived with the horsebox to collect him. Back at the stables Dorothea our vet conducted extensive x­rays to determine the extent of Jett’s deformities. Unfortunately they caused him to develop septic arthritis in his joints, which through neglect, and combined with malnourishment in his short two years of life has led to these horrific deformities which we have been trying to work with.

It was agreed with Gasper our surgeon in Barcelona, our vet Dorothea and ourselves that the best way forward for

Jett was to wait another two years for him to finish growing and in the meantime to support the deformed joint using specially made remedial shoes. This worked very well for several months and his leg was much straighter. However Jett has grown quicker and bigger than we expected and his deformed joint cannot handle this and could collapse.”

Rod Weeding will be taking Jett on the long journey in a green horse box to Barcelona, similar to the trek that Faith did 3 years ago, and the Centre are hoping that it will get the same kind of result. The surgeon, Gasper, will perform the ground breaking arthrodesis surgery, which will involve breaking and rebuilding Jett’s damaged joint, reshaping the bone and plating both sides. Jett will also get to meet Faith for the first time as she is still enjoying 5 star accommodation and care at the Equihealth clinic.

To help raise money for Jett’s treatment, the Centre has six charity shops in the area at Quesada, Rojales, La Siesta (Torrevieja), Los Montesinos and for some top furniture bar­ gains visit their Guardamar and La Zenia outlets. To donate furniture and other items including white goods, bric a brac and complete house clearances and items for recycling call the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre hotline on 636 062 000.

UGLY MEN WANTED

The Rojales Pantomime Group are not resting on their laurels after the success of their Snow White show, which raised 2 thou­ sand Euros for local charities. They’re already working on next year’s production of Cinderella, and they are looking for new members, especially men, who could take on the role of the Ugly Sisters.

The group will get together next Friday (February 7th) at Quesada’s Casa De Cultura at 6pm, where you can pop along

and meet the members. The Rojales team are after a few hours of your time each week and will give a warm welcome to anyone, be they singers, dancers, actors, make­up artists, and backstage crew. They also want to hear from anybody who would be interest­ ed in running the advertising and publicity for the group.

For more details, contact Christine or Mike 678 212 034 or E­Mail:­ shimserv@gmail.com

The centre in Rojales is open every Sunday afternoon between 1 and 4, where you can enjoy a tour of the horses and hear their stories and sample the excellent hot food, drinks and snacks in the café garden. For directions to the centre and charity shop locations go to www.easyhorse­ care.net.

IN THE PINK

Local cancer fund­raising group, Maria and the Pink Ladies, will be swinging back into action this Tuesday to commemorate World Cancer Day at Zenia Boulevard.

Maria and her team will once again be col­ lecting money for the AECC cancer charity, and have put together a team of top enter­ tainers from across the area to do their stuff on the Boulevard stage between 12.30pm and 6.00pm.

The day will begin with a one minute silence to remember everybody who has lost their fight against cancer, and there’ll also be a chance to book an early screen­

ing mammogram or cervical test for the ladies and a prostate test for the guys.

Maria and the Pink Ladies will be there to take your details and though the tests are free, a small donation will be gratefully received to help to finance the early screen­ ing programme.

The entertainers who will be donating their time free of charge for the benefit of the AECC will be:­ Nick Gold, Dan Davy, Flamenco for all with Raquel Peña, Texas Ted, Nikki G, Ricky Valance, Johnny Lea, Ashley Tweddle, Richie Alexander, Paul Michael and the Ruth Kingsbury Dancers.

POPPY BOOST GIVE IT A GO Help the needy next Xmas

Ladies with voices are wanted by the Torrevieja­based Velvetones Harmony Chorus. If you’ve always wanted to sing, but lacked the confidence to give it a try, then why not pop along to one of their relaxed and informal sessions which Torrevieja’s Iceland store is proud to have helped the city’s start on Wednesday February 19th at 12.30pm. Judy Philips Royal British Legion branch in raising nearly 3,200 Euros in and Ena Fraser are the choir’s musical directors and they’ll last autumn’s Poppy Appeal. It was a bumper year for the be leading the special coaching sessions which will also Branch where Iceland customers helped to break all records have some qualified UK coaches joining in to give you some by contributing 500 Euros more than in 2012, taking the total tips on singing even better. The course is free to all the ladies raised in the Branch area to just over 19 thousand Euros. taking part and will be held at the EL PARAISO Restaurante, Local RBL branch chairman, Gill Burden, is pictured present­ Jardin Del Mar 3, Torrevieja (behind Carrefour and ing a certificate showing the amount raised to Iceland man­ McDonalds). For more details of the schedule, then contact Fraser on 965 707 598 or E­mail:­ ager Russell Clements and Assistant Manager Sam Ena cfraser48@yahoo.co.uk Harriman.

If you’re good with your hands and a practical person, then you could be the person that a new group is looking for.

Wendy wants to put together a 3N group (Needles and Nails and Natter!) to make or renovate things to be stored in readi­ ness to be given to local Town Halls as gifts to be passed on for the needy for Christmas 2014. Items which are not suit­ able as gifts could be sold at Craft Fairs and the money used to buy goods for the more difficult groups such as the men and older teenage boys and girls.

3N is after people who could make items that could be given as a present. 3N is after toy­makers; people who could upholster simple stools or take lovely photos to make a 2015 calendar; knitters of gloves, scarves and kiddies clothes; card makers; or just anybody who has some really good money making ideas.

The first meeting of 3N group will be at the Sunrise Restaurant at Almeda del Mar, Playa Flamenca, which is just off the N332 near Burger King and above SuperCor, this Thursday February 6th at 11am. For more details call Wendy on 678 059 759 or by E­Mail wendybeth018@hotmail.com.

Friday, January 31, 2014

UK HEADLINES

31

GENEROUS GERRARD DONATES £96,000

LIVERPOOL and England captain Steven Gerrard has donated £96,000 to a support group for those who lost rel­ atives in the Hillsborough disaster.

The star’s cousin, ten­year­old Jon­Paul Gilhooley, was the youngest victim of the tragedy, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool supporters.

The 33­year­old has previously spoken of the profound effect his cousin’s death had on him.

On 20th anniversary of the 1989 disaster he said: "Seeing the reactions of his mum, dad and family helped me drive on to become the player I have developed into today."

Gerrard, who is thought to earn around £140,000 per week, agreed for the generous personal donation to be made public as a reminder that families are still campaign­ ing for justice.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield, the Premier League star said: "I just think I'm in a position to do it."

"I think it's a nice gesture and also with the connection I've got to Hillsborough, with my own family, it's something I've wanted to do for a while.

"I think the timing's right and having spoken to the club I've decided to do it now.

"It had been in the media a lot so I didn't think it was needed where I had to step in and keep it on everyone's lips and in everyone's minds.

"But now it's gone a little bit quiet over the last couple of weeks, I think the timing's really good to get it back out there ­ sending another message out about how much we

really want this justice."

As Gerrard's team prepare to face sworn enemies Everton, the footballer paid tribute to his arch­rivals and their fans for the support they have continued to provide to their neighbours over Hillsborough.

He said: "I think their show of support has been there since the tragedy happened.

"But alongside the gesture I am making, I and every other Liverpool fan can only thank the Evertonians for their sup­ port.

"I'm not saying that to try and get in any Everton fans' good books because I understand my own personal rivalry with them. But it's there for everyone to see ­ the support

they've given us which is very touching."

Hillsborough Family Support Group chair Margaret Aspinall said Gerrard's donation will make a huge differ­ ence.

"It's a wonderful gesture by Steven and we cannot thank him enough," she said.

"It's a lot of money he has donated and it will help all the families a great deal with our work.

"It's another sign of how good the people of Merseyside are ­ all they have done for us and continue to do.

"The club itself has been a great help to the Hillsborough Family Support Group and we've had a lot of support from the players as well.

"This money will help with the running costs of our office and the travel expenses of the meetings and talks we attend up and down the country."

The incident took place when failures in crowd control led to a huge crush on the steel­fenced terraces of Sheffield Wednesday's stadium, which was hosting the 1989 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Although fans climbed barriers and fences in a desperate attempt to escape, 96 were crushed to death and 766 were injured.

Despite an official inquiry, many families were unhappy with the findings.

It was later concluded by the Hillsborough Independent Panel that no Liverpool fans were responsible for the fatali­ ties and that the authorities had attempted to cover up what happened.

was warned she will go to jail if she shoplifts again.

Probation officer Darren Vernon told the hearing: "She has travelled around Staffordshire and Cheshire on public transport and com­ mitted offences.

"She knows what she is doing is wrong, she says she is bored and needs to fill her time.

"The main reason for her doing this is boredom. She lives alone. She has seven children but the only one she has contact with lives above her.

her to high streets in Stoke, Leek, Macclesfield, Stafford and Whitchurch and had convictions for shop theft in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and on January 14 this year.

In the latest bout of thefts, she pleaded guilty to stealing confec­ tionery worth £2 from Iceland, theft of baby clothes worth £69 from BHS, steal­ ing baby clothes worth £24.98 from B & M, and theft of a breast pump from Boots, all on January 6.

Bored of being old

A great­grandmother suf­ fering from arthritis embarked on a four year shoplifting spree because she was ''bored'' of being old.

June Humphreys, 76, used her bus pass to travel to town centres before hid­ ing consumer commodities in her shopping trolley then sneaking out of stores with­ out paying.

The OAP from Crewe, Cheshire was being treated for breast cancer and osteoarthritis but would strike at high streets across

two counties.

Store detectives would catch her red handed, how­ ever she went back out shoplifting again.

The mother­of­seven later claimed she only carried out the thefts to relieve her boredom as she was fed up of living on her own.

A probation officer said the old lady had as many shoplifting convictions as a teenage heroin addict.

Details of the offending OAP emerged at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court where Humphreys

"She has acquired the record of a heroin addict in his late teens."

Earlier the court heard Humphreys' offending took

The pensioner also admit­ ted stealing alcohol, coffee and confectionery worth £30.42 from an Aldi store and stealing two pairs of boots worth £94.50 from a shoe shop in Hanley, Staffs , a week before Christmas.

She was sentenced to one­month in prison sus­ pended for 12 months, ordered to pay £45 costs and an £80 victim sur­ charge. Magistrates revoked a community order which had previously been imposed on her for theft.

Her lawyer Andrew Bennett said: "My client does not want to go to prison. She wants to stop doing this. She wants to stop stealing from shops."

32

Friday, January 31, 2014

Horoscopes Aries March 21 ­ April 19 You probably won't want to spend much time at home today, Aries. Most likely you'll want to be out and about, perhaps at a large gathering, perhaps just strolling down a city street watching the people go by. Insights and revelations come to you that you'll prob­ ably be able to make more sense of than you usually do, because mind and feelings are joined in a very effective partnership.

Write your ideas down! Enjoy your day.

Taurus April 20 ­ May 20 Your imagination is flying high today, Taurus. Intellect and intuition join together in a vivid and explosive union where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts. Don't waste this energy. Get busy and work on whatever creative proj­ ects you're involved with, or start one if there aren't any. This energy may not come around again for a while and you'll want to make the most of it. Have fun!

Gemini May 21 ­ June 20 Thoughts of travel could be on your mind today, Gemini, and you might tinker with the idea of actually taking time off and going somewhere that you've always wanted to visit. A friend or love partner might want to accompany you. The only problem might be figuring out what place you want to see the most. This could involve a rather difficult decision. Don't let it become obsessive. Follow your heart.

Cancer June 21 ­ July 22 Some unusual dreams may come to you tonight, Cancer, and you might awaken with the idea that they're very important.

The images should be very clear, howev­ er, and you probably won't have much trouble working out what they mean.

Intellect joins with intuition today in a rush of insightfulness. Make the most of this advantage now, and later decide how best to act on your revelations.

By Pandora Leo July 23 ­ August 22 Relationships of all kinds should be thriving at this time, Leo. Mind and emotions join together in a beneficial partnership, enabling you to increase your understanding of those close to you. Romantic involvements strengthen in particular, as an understanding of your partner's values, attitudes, and moti­ vations becomes clearer to you. Make your new insights known to everyone around you, preferably in a subtle rather than verbal way.

Virgo August 23 ­ September 22 Work of all kinds gets done a lot faster, Virgo, as friends or family members join in assisting you in getting it out of the way. You've made this possible because your intellect has joined with your emo­ tions in strengthening your communica­ tion with others. The old saying, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" is very true, and you'll learn all about it today!

Libra September 23 ­ October 22 Love blossoms today as communication with your beloved is enhanced by an increased understanding on both your parts, Libra. You feel more at ease in each other's presence, and you project a united front in the company of others. At some point, both of you will probably go out with a group of friends. Expect some exciting and fascinating discussions with the others.

Scorpio October 23 ­ November 21 A number of visitors might come to your house today, Scorpio, perhaps to discuss matters of interest to all of you. Some intense disagreements could arise, but you'll be able to keep it all together. An intellect enhanced by intuition enables you to understand and explain complex ideas, and you'll also be able to derail misunderstandings before they even happen. Providing tasty treats could also help smooth ruffled feathers.

Sagittarius November 22 ­ December 21 If you're into computers and the Internet, Sagittarius, you can expect to spend a lot of time today staring at a screen. You may be doing some writing or web design or animation, but whatever it is, you'll proba­ bly find it noticeably better than what you usually produce. Intellect joins with intu­ ition to produce inspiration and insight.

Make the most of it now and you might develop some new and lasting skills!

Capricorn December 22 ­ January 19 Using computers either to increase your income or manage your money may have seemed like Greek to you, Capricorn, but today you'll probably catch on very quickly.

Your natural practicality joins with an enhanced intellect and heightened intu­ ition to give you an advantage you don't usually have. If you concentrate on learn­ ing it all today, it'll probably continue to be useful for you for a long time. Go to it!

Aquarius January 20 ­ February 18 Intellect and feelings are totally joined today, Aquarius, especially when dealing with friends. Your basic understanding of others is also enhanced by a keener sense of intuition. You might become interested in a cause of some kind, perhaps metaphys­ ical, social, ecological, or humanitarian in nature. There could well be more than one that you find appealing right now.

Pisces February 19 ­ March 20 A focused and enhanced practical turn of mind, strengthened by intuition, may be of great help to you today when considering career matters, Pisces. A change is in the wind and you might want to give considerable thought to different options that may be open­ ing up to you. Don't think you have to rush into making a decision, however. It might be a good idea to let different possibilities sim­ mer in your subconscious for a day or so.

33

Friday, January 31, 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: Dave was having problems copying large files to ADVICE: Val wanted to know whether she should install his USB memory stick anti-virus software on her Kindle Fire

Hi, I’m having problems moving a file that is on my PC to a USB flash drive. The file is a video.

The file is 6.48 GB the USB drive is 64 GB. I keep getting a message that says the file is too large for the destination file system. Would appreciate it if you could help me out please as the video is of my daughter on Xmas day opening her presents, was putting it onto a USB so that we wouldn’t lose it.

Regards Dave

Hi Richard. My kindle is working fine, and I have my books etc. downloaded, I also have a game which I think may have caused a virus ­ as I have a pop up which says there is a virus on the kindle.

What sort of security can I download? There does appear to be an AVG for a Kindle. Val

A

mobile.

Having done a bit of research it’s not clear whether you need antivirus as it’s a Kindle and is slightly ‘different’, however I would always err on the side of caution, you can read more about the subject here… http://tinyurl.com/pajggge

Q

Hi Dave, it sounds like you have the USB stick formatted using the FAT32 file type, this type has the limitation that you are seeing.

Thankfully it’s pretty easy to sort out, first you need to make sure that the stick doesn’t have any information on it that you want to keep ­ as you will be formatting it and this will destroy any data that you have on it.

So, you need to do the following...

1. Ensure you have backed up any data on the stick first 2. Plug in the memory stick 3. Click start > computer (or my computer if you are using Windows XP) 4. Right hand click the drive relating to the stick 5. Click Format and a new Window will appear 6. Ensure that the File System drop down has NTFS selected 7. Click on Quick Format and click the start button This will format your stick in a way that will allow you to copy across the large files that you want to protect.

Hope this helps.

ADVICE: Mike wanted to know whether it was possible to get free wireless Internet.

Q A

Hi Val, the Kindle is essentially an Andriod device so I would say you should install either AVG or Avast

TIP: Allan has a great tip for those using computerised translation systems.

Good morning, Richard.

I note your advice to "Michael" regarding translating into Spanish.

Some time ago I used a translator program when I wished to send a letter in Spanish.

Just to check on the result I asked for a translation back into English.

The new version began "Dear Pigface!" I did not send the letter.

Would­be users might be well advised to do a check before com­ mitting themselves.

Regards, Allen

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.

Q

Hi, I would like to know if it is possible to get wireless inter­ net without having to pay for it via an internet provider.

Many thanks, Mike

A

Hi Mike, like most things in life and unlike the best things in life, yes you have to pay for Internet.

Alternatives include using it from somewhere like a café, bar or friendly neighbour who is willing to let you use their paid for Internet for free.

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

Office: 902 906 200

34

Friday, January 31, 2014

LABOUR PLANS TO BAN SMOKING IN CARS CARRYING CHILDREN SAY HELLO TO THE FELINO CB7

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham is due to put an amendment of the Children's and Families Bill forward in the House of Lords on Wednesday that could ban drivers from smoking in cars with chil­ dren inside.

Burnham told The Sunday Times: "Adults are free to make their own choices but that often does not apply to children and that's why society has an obligation to protect them from preventable harm.

"There is legislation banning the use of mobile phones when driving and requiring the wearing of seatbelts."

Scientific research has shown that smoking in a confined space, such as a car, increases toxic fume inhalation by passengers by up to 11 times compared to customers in a smoke­filled pub.

The move by Labour is in stark contrast to governments ­ both past and present ­ that have generally shied away from ban­ ning smoking in 'private places'.

According to The Daily Mail, a YouGov poll in 2011 found that 78% of adults agreed that smoking should be banned in cars carrying children under 18, while 44% said smoking should be banned in all cars.

If Labour succeeds with the amend­ ment, it would make it an offence for motorists to smoke in a car that is trans­ porting children under 18­years­old and offenders could face fines and points on the licence.

Civil liberty groups that still resent Labour for banning smoking in public places, such as pubs and restaurants, will likely fiercely oppose the ban.

Some might say that a squashed Corgi model of a TVR has inspired the cre­ ative mind behind the Canadian Felino CB7 supercar. Others would say that it is a brave new take on beauty.

Whatever your thoughts, the appear­ ance of the CB7 is bound to divide opinion among car enthusiasts around the world.

What can't be argued with though, is that this machine is set to be ruddy fast. Although the top speed is yet to be announced ­ as the performance test­ ing will not commence until this sum­ mer ­ the engine specs talk for them­ selves.

The CB7 is fitted with a 525bhp, 6.2­litre V8 that drives power to the rear wheels, while the bodywork is fashioned mainly from carbon fibre. The total weight will be around 1100kg, so expect 200mph

top speeds and eye­watering accelera­ tion times.

The man behind the CB7 is Canadian racing driver and general automotive enthusiast Antoine Bessette, so it should come as no surprise that the driving experience was very top of his list of priorities when sculpting his dream vehicle.

Ugly or not, the CB7 has already gath­ ered support from other motor sport personalities such as Canadian racing drivers Jacques Duval and Claude Bourbonnais. Mr Bourbonnais said: "I think that his concept will attract the attention of many race car fans and design enthusiasts as well."

The car is still in its pre­production stage but when it does come on sale, it is planned to have an entry price of under $100,000 (around £60,200).

Pope Francis to sell his Harley Davidson Pope Francis's Harley Davidson is to be put up for auction on February 6 in order to raise money for charity.

The Milwaukee­based motorcycle compa­ ny presented Pope Francis with the hog at the 110th anniversary of the brand in Rome last year.

The Harley will be sold in aid of the Caritas of Rome charity, which works as part of the Church to care for those in need, and to offer sup­ port for the poor.

The money raised will go towards the ren­ ovation of the charity's Don Luigi di Liegro hostel and soup kitchen.

Msgr. Enrico Feroci, the director of the Caritas of Rome said: "It's a precious gift which has made us happy once again, made us feel the closeness of our Bishop to the poor of the Church of Rome.

"We are extremely grateful to Pope

Francis for this."

Pope Francis added his signature to the 1,585cc Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide, engraving the fuel tank at a special ceremo­ ny at the Vatican in November.

Bonhams will host the auction titled Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais in Paris where the Holy Harley is expected to fetch a hand­ some sum for charity.

Ben Walker, head of motor­ cycles at Bonhams said: "We are incredi­ bly honoured to be selling this item on behalf of Caritas Roma. We hope to be able to do both Pope Francis and Harley Davidson proud by raising a significant amount of money for a very worthy cause."

The pontiff's leather Harley Davidson jack­ et will be going up for auction immediately after the motorcycle.

Friday, January 31, 2014

35

36

Friday, January 31, 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, 4 represents W and 22 represents D, 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 Picture­house (6) 4 Emergency (6) 9 Organise (7) 10 Piece of cutlery (5) 11 Demonstrate (4) 12 Comprehend (7) 15 Fix (6) 16 Kindly (6) 19 Grasped (7) 21 Just (4) 24 Once more (5) 25 Catastrophe (7) 26 Flavours (6) 27 Stopped (6)

1 Categorise (8) 2 Highly­strung (7) 3 Large number of (4) 5 Determined (8) 6 Footwear (5) 7 Transmit (4) 8 At no time (5) 13 Answer (8) 14 Double­crossed (8) 17 Merchants (7) 18 Amounts owing (5) 20 Studies (5) 22 Quick (4) 23 Naked (4)

Last weeks Solution

Across: 1 Scanty, 4 Faiths, 9 Attract, 10 Felon, 11 Curse, 12 Palaver, 13 New Year's Eve, 18 Aquatic, 20 Cobra, 22 Chaos, 23 Elevate, 24 Sweden, 25 Gently.

Down: 1 Search, 2 After, 3 Tragedy, 5 Awful, 6 Tel Aviv, 7 Sundry, 8 Stopwatches, 14 Educate, 15 Secrete, 16 Farces, 17 Lately, 19 Taste, 21 Boast.

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 Seaweed found in Trafalgar Square (4) 3 Judgement alters tea times (8) 9 Cuddle broken gnu’s leg (7) 10 Gazes at equals (5) 11 Drunk Yugoslav guy missing shots (5) 12 Strata for hens (6) 14 One in seven surpris­ ingly is covetous (6) 16 Promise place on the border (6) 19 Imagine no one solving a puzzle (6) 21 Females started walk out, meanwhile everybody needed (5) 24 Sneak around a reptile (5) 25 I relate about workshop (7) 26 In strange store, Eva dines excessively (8) 27 Leading man has that woman’s love (4)

Down 1 Helped to show donkey is with Edward (8) 2 Luger ends up as soup!

(5) 4 Augments a source of water on board (6) 5 Simply missing the point, I suggest (5) 6 Swore a few made a mis­ take (7) 7 Instead it’s in part of Chelsea (4) 8 Take no notice of ogre in trouble (6) 13 Da Vinci fixed rod alone (8) 15 Get Ivan to change time of origin (7) 17 Barman? (6) 18 Expert vehicle sat around (6) 20 Birds begin getting extra essentials surprising­ ly easily (5) 22 Principal state of the union? (5) 23 Capital seen in El Greco’s lovely painting (4)

STANDARD CLUES Down Across 1 Helped (8) 1 Seaweed (4) 2 Thin porridge (5) 3 Calculate approximately 4 Distends (6) (8) 5 Express indirectly (5) 9 Cuddle together (7) 6 Declared (7) 10 Noblemen (5) 7 Alternative option (4) 11 Fusillade (5) 8 Disregard (6) 12 Strata (6) 13 Painter da Vinci’s first 14 Begrudges (6) name (8) 16 Solemn promise (6) 15 Season’s yield of wine 19 Mystery (6) (7) 21 Females (5) 17 Attorney (6) 24 Serpent (5) 18 Learned person (6) 25 Artist’s workshop (7) 20 Large water birds (5) 26 Gorges (8) 27 Person of distinguished 22 New England state (5) 23 Capital of Norway (4) braver (4) Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Etna, 4 Oiled, 9 Mourned, 10 Inure, 11 Ambit, 12 Gryphon, 13 Rehash, 15 Giants, 19 Parapet, 21 Hotel, 23 Maize, 24 Romance, 25 Sated, 26 Nice.

Down: 2 Thumb, 3 Annates, 4 Old­age, 5 Laity, 6 Dauphin, 7 Impair, 8 Lean, 14 Harries, 16 Inhuman, 17 Solder, 18 Stored, 19 Pomp, 20 Pleat, 22 Tonic.

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

3 letter words Ass Ate Bee Dab Gas Lie Mud Net Ode Paw Rat Set Sim Sit Son Tec

4 letter words Acid Aide Alee Aloe Alum Anti Apes Asps Bass Bent Brag Cosy Elan Ewer Gelt Gene Gone

Ides Less Ludo Menu Mini Nice Ones Oral Otic Page Rads Seal Site Slat Soda Stye Suss Tame Tine

Toga Upon 5 letter words Adore Arena Banes Blurb Caper Comet Demob Eagle Inane Litre Manes Melee Peats Pipes Rupee

Sales Salty Sleet Soles Sorel Tasty Times 6 letter words Eraser Nestle Snoods Sortie 8 letter words Baritone Emanates Rerecord Sidereal

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

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

Across Across 1 To jump (6) 4 Almohada (6) 7 Stools (seats) (9) 10 Planchas (utensilios) (5) 11 Pulpos (9) 13 Poster (6) 14 Antes de (6) 16 Tradición (9) 18 Chest (5) 20 Hombros (9) 22 Escalera (de edificio) (6) 23 Dueños (propietarios) (6)

Down 1 Place (5) 2 Langostas (de mar) (8) 3 Airports (11) 4 Foot (3) 5 Luxury (4) 6 Silbido (con los labios) (7) 8 Colmillo (de elefante, morsa, jabalí) (4) 9 Cuñada (6­2­3) 12 Small cushion (8) 13 Alfombras (grandes) (7) 15 Hand (part of body) (4) 17 Narices (5) 19 Cot (for baby) (4) 21 Su (de él) (3)

37

Friday, January 31, 2014 Across 1 What name is often applied to a small pouch on a belt, for money and other valuables, worn round the waist or hips? (6) 4 Which hand­held tool with two crossed pivoting blades is used for cutting paper and material? (8) 10 Conventionally taken as beginning in the early 1st millennium, what name is given to the prehistoric peri­ od that followed the Bronze Age? (4,3) 11 See 3 Down 12 Which hardy cabbage has coarse curly leaves that do not form a head? (4) 13 Which adjective that means unable to read or write, is derived from the Latin for ‘unlearned, igno­ rant’? (10) 15 According to the lyrics of their 1978 hit single Dreadlock Holiday, what sort of music did 10cc not like? (6) 16 NH3 is the chemical formula for which pungent gas compounded of nitro­ gen and hydrogen? (7) 20 Which low upholstered seat without a back or arms that typically serves also as

a box, has a seat hinged to form a lid? (7) 21 The council area in the west of Scotland whose administrative centre is Lochgilphead is known as ­­ ­­­­ and Bute? (6) 24 What sort or creature was Cheeta, the character who appeared in numerous Hollywood Tarzan movies of the 1930s–1960s, as well as the 1966–1968 television series? (10) 26 What name is normally given to the outer coloured part of the peel of citrus fruit, used as flavouring? (4) 28 The leaves of which Australasian flowering shrub are sometimes used for tea? Some species also yield an oil that is valued for its antiseptic properties.

(3,4) 29 What word is often used to mean a temporary way of dealing with a prob­ lem or satisfying a need? (7) 30 What word is often used to describe partiality to long­standing friends, espe­ cially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifica­ tions? (8) 31 Which word can be

SUDOKU (Medium)

Quiz Word

used to mean both short tight­fitting underpants and a slang term for barristers?

(6)

Down 1 What name is given to a pair of small leather screens attached to a horse's bridle to prevent it

seeing sideways and behind and being startled? (8) 2 What word completes the title of a 1983 UK top five hit single by Mike Oldfield and Maggie Reilly, ­ ­­­­­­­­ Shadow? (9) 3/11 What was the name of the fictional adventurer born in 1867 and revived from hibernation in 1966, played on television by Gerald Harper? (4,7) 5 What word meaning personal charm or magnet­ ism, comes from the Ancient Greek for ‘grace'? (8) 6 With what piece of sports equipment would you principally associate Tony Hawk? (10) 7 What is the surname of the 44th president of the USA? (5) 8 English, Irish and Gordon are all varieties of which breed of large long­ haired dog? (6) 9 With which musical instrument would you princi­ pally associate Julian Lloyd Webber and Jacqueline du Pré? (5) 14 Ramsay MacDonald, George Lansbury and Hugh Gaitskell have all been lead­ ers of which British political

organisation? (5,5) 17 Funny How Love Can Be and Tossing and Turning were both UK hit singles in 1965 for which vocal pop trio? (3,6) 18 Which word completes the title of the theme song for both the movie and tele­ vision series M*A*S*H, Suicide is ­­­­­­­­? (8) 19 Which semi­aquatic egg­laying mammal that fre­ quents lakes and streams in eastern Australia, has a sensitive pliable bill shaped like that of a duck, webbed feet with venomous spurs and dense fur? (8) 22 Which acid is com­ monly found in vinegar? (6) 23 What name is given to the Celtic language of Wales? (5) 25 Which US state, whose capital is Boise, is nicknamed the Gem State?

(5) 27 What was the surname of the Danish physicist whose theory of the struc­ ture of the atom incorporat­ ed quantum theory for the first time and is the basis for present­day quantum­ mechanical models? (4)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH

ADVERBIOS ­ ADVERBS Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch.

(Answers below)

accidentalmente

lentamente

bien

mal

cuidadosamente

mejor

difícilmente

peor

felizmente

rápidamente

fácilmente

sencillamente

incorrectamente

silenciosamente

juntos

suavemente

general QUIZ

ANSEWRS: 1. James Wattana 2. Mick Jagger 3. Curling 4. Halibut 5.

Port 6. The Anniversary Waltz (Part 1) 7. Zero 8. 40 9.

Illegally Replacing A Horse 10. Is There Something I Should Know 11. 14 12. David Beckham

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Word Solution Across: 1 Daphne, 4 Patois, 8 Cutlery, 9 Jupiter, 11 Whitehorse, 12 Alec, 13 Gonzo, 14 Poseidon, 16 Seamless, 18 Horne, 20 Utah, 21 Doodlebugs, 23 Devolve, 24 Linctus, 25 Rogers, 26 Iguana.

Down: 1 Dough, 2 Peloton, 3 North Pole, 5 Acute, 6 Origami, 7 Stevedore, 10 Grapeshot, 13 Great Bear, 15 Schilling, 17 Mahjong, 19 Rebecca, 21 Dover, 22 Gouda.

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

1.accidentalmente, 2.bien,

13.rápidamente,

h.accidentally, i.silently, j.softly,

3.cuidadosamente,

14.sencillamente,

k.simply, l.carefully, m.together,

4.difícilmente, 5.felizmente,

15.silenciosamente,

n.with difficulty, o.incorrectly,

6.fácilmente, 7.incorrectamente,

16.suavemente.

p.easily.

8.juntos, 9.lentamente, 10.mal,

a.better, b.worse, c.well, d.badly,

11.mejor, 12.peor,

e.happily, f.slowly, g.quickly,

Soduko

Span ­ Eng

Quizword

Answers: 1h, 2c, 3l, 4n, 5e, 6p, 7o, 8m, 9f, 10d, 11a, 12b, 13g, 14k, 15i, 16j.

1. Who Was The First Asian Snooker Player To Be Ranked In The World's Top 10?

2. Whose Dalliance With Brazilian Model Luciana Morad Led Him To The Divorce Court In July 1999?

3. Which winter game is known as the roaring game?

4. What is the largest flat fish species?

5. What did George Washington soak his wooden teeth in to improve the taste?

6. Which Was The Only Status Quo Record To Go Top 10 In The 90's?

7. What Is The Only Digit That Doesn't Exist In Roman Numerals?

8. What Is The Maximum Number Of Horses Allowed To Run In The Grand National?

9. In Horse Racing What Is A "Ringer"?

10. What Song Features The Lyric 'Please Please Tell Me Now'?

11. In the English National Lottery how many red thun­ derballs are there (as at 2006)?

12. A Statue Of Which Footballer Is Located At The Pariwas Temple In Bangkok?

Fill It In

38

Friday, January 31, 2014

TRELI ON THE TELLY

BADDIE IS ONE FOR ALL

BBC, as they used to say on Points of View, but sadly Capaldi will not be back for series two as his Tardis You can’t beat a great bad­ duties take pri­ die on the box, and Peter ority!

Capaldi delivers richly as Loads of Cardinal Richelieu in the n e w supremely entertaining A m erican The Musketeers on BBC1. have Capaldi who is currently shows been hitting UK recording his first episodes over as Dr.Who, plays the screens Cardinal in a calm and recent weeks, sneering way, as opposed to but with some of the other almost v a r ­ comic interpretations that I’ve seen in other movie and TV adaptations. It’s a clas­ sic show­stealer in an hour that has so much to com­ mend it, mixing in action and humour, with the added bonus of the Czech countryside having a French flavour about it.

It’s also more faithful to the Dumas novel com­ pared to the other ver­ sions, and it’s a wonder­ ful way of rounding off a weekend. Well done

with ALEX TRELINSKI

q

ied success in the key US ratings market which ulti­ mately decide whether they will be back for a second run. The Tomorrow People, on E4, is an update of the clas­ sic Thames TV kids sci­fi show from the seventies.

The only similarity is the posh English spo­ ken computer, Tim, though origi­ nal star,

Nicholas Young, who played the leader John, will be mak­ ing an appearance as a very different and obviously older character! It’s not bad at all, and forget the old backlot stuff from the Thames stu­ dios at Teddington. The effects are good and there’s a decent storyline, but it’s “on the bubble” in the States, which means that renewal for a second series is up in the air.

Channel Five have bought a Monday night bore of a show called Helix from the Syfy channel, which has turned out to be the per­ fect cure for insomnia. This dud is all about a very nasty killer virus that has got loose amongst the workers at an Antarctic science basis, and after three episodes I really couldn’t care. At least anoth­ er Channel Five import last

q

autumn, Under the Dome, brought some unintentional laughs. Helix has a clichéd script and lack of thrills which left me numb, and also left me asking ques­ tions about the direction of the channel which has decided to stop showing The Walking Dead and Once Upon a Time, in favour of this show (which is most unlikely to go to a second series) as well as treating other US programmes like Person of Interest shabbily.

q

Hostages is a 15 part mini­series on Channel Four about a conspiracy to kill the US President on an operating table. The sur­ geon’s family are first held hostage, and then tagged whilst FBI agents keep bully­ ing mummy surgeon (played by an anxious looking Toni

Collette) to kill the leader of the Western World at her hospital. With a few glasses of plonk, your brain can become addled enough to forget the bonkers holes in the plot, and it helps pass an hour by without doing any harm. At least the produc­ ers, including Jerry “CSI and Pirates of The Caribbean” Bruckheimer, knew from the outset that you couldn’t stretch a full season out of this exercise in incredulity.

q

And finally news of the return of 24 which will be screened by Sky One in May. A lot of the action will be set in London, with shoot­ ing taking place right now and one of the guest stars will be Stephen Fry playing the Prime Minister. Great stuff!

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 14:45 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

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 Put Your Money Where Your Is Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders Room 101 Silent Witness BBC News National Lottery Update The Graham Norton Show

00:20 Horizon 01:20 Panorama 01:50 Pilgrimage with Simon Reeve 02:50 Sacred Wonders of Britain 03:50 This Is BBC Two

05:00 Schools 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 Cold War, Hot Jets 11:00 Question Time 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 Mastermind 21:30 An Island Parish 22:00 Natural World 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:35 Strictly Kosher 01:30 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight 04:25 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 The Martin Lewis Money Show 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Piers Morgan's Life Stories 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 The Americans

BEN FOGEL The return of the programme in which Ben Fogle meets people who have moved to inhospitable parts of the world after leaving the rat race behind.

He begins by travelling to the swamplands of southern Georgia in America to spend time with 64­year­old Colbert, a former financier who now lives in his hand­built wooden cabin. Ben learns some of the vital skills needed to survive in this dangerous backwater, including skinning roadkill, spearing frogs and drinking swamp water.

00:00 24 Hours in A&E 01:05 One Born Every Minute 02:00 Random Acts 02:05 The Fat Fighters 03:00 Random Acts 03:05 Health Freaks 03:35 Children on the Frontline 04:30 Secret Removers 05:30 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 05:35 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 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 Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 22:00 The Jump 23:00 The Last Leg 23:50 Brooklyn Nine­Nine

January 31

00:00 CSI: NY 01:00 SuperCasino 04:05 World's 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 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 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 Ultimate Police Interceptors 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Mentalist 16:15 Angels Fall 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Building the London Underground 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 23:00 The Siege

39

The Courier Saturday TV

February 1

02:00 Question Time 03:00 Michael Palin in Wyeth's World

00:25 Football Focus

04:00 This Is BBC Two

01:00 EastEnders

07:00 This Is BBC Two

02:55 Weatherview

07:35 Enchanted April

03:00 BBC News

08:40 The Maggie

07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live

10:10 Life on Earth 11:05 Life on Earth

12:30 Food & Drink

12:00 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain

13:00 Football Focus

12:30 Great British Railway Journeys

13:45 Sportsday 14:00 BBC News; Regional News

13:00 The A to Z of TV Cooking 13:45 The Good Cook

and Weather

14:15 The Big Bread Experiment

14:15 Bargain Hunt 15:00 Live Six Nations Rugby

15:15 Anchors Aweigh 17:30 Final Score

Union 17:30 Live Six Nations Rugby

18:15 Coast 19:00 Natural World

Union 19:55 BBC News; Regional News

20:00 Flog It! 21:00 Dad's Army

and Weather

21:30 QI XL

20:10 The Voice UK 21:30 The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins 22:20 Casualty 23:10 BBC News; Weather 23:30 Match of the Day

00:00 Weather 00:05 Live Davis Cup Tennis

22:15 Made in Dagenham

00:35 01:30 04:00 05:25 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:15 08:30 10:25 10:30 11:30 12:30 12:44 12:45 13:40 15:50 17:50 19:25 19:35 19:50 21:20 22:35 23:35 23:49 23:50

Benidorm Jackpot247 Captivity 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 The Crocodile Hunter Diaries Charade Midsomer Murders Johnny English ITV Meridian Weather ITV News and Weather Splash!

Take Me Out The Jonathan Ross Show ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Bloody Sunday

00:20 Saw IV 01:55 Random Acts 02:00 Random Acts 02:05 Neil Young: Heart of Gold 03:45 According to Jim 04:10 Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 04:55 A Ninja Is for Life, Not Just for Christmas 05:00 The Three Day Nanny 05:55 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 06:15 Deal or No Deal 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 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 13:00 The Simpsons 13:35 Undercover Boss USA 14:30 Channel 4 Racing 16:55 Come Dine with Me 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Speed with Guy Martin 21:00 Bigfoot Files 22:00 Hostages 23:00 Priest

MADE IN DAGENHAM Comedy drama based on a true story, starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins and Miranda Richardson. In 1968, workers at the Ford auto plant in Dagenham ­ one of the biggest employers in the UK ­ go on strike, demanding equal rights for female staff. The unassuming Rita O'Grady finds herself at the cen­ tre of a movement that is destined to change the lives of women for years to come.

01:15 SuperCasino 04:05 Among the Apes 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 07:35 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 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 08:40 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:05 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Bewitched 13:00 Blue Streak 14:45 Diagnosis Murder 15:45 Columbo: Make Me a Perfect Murder 17:45 Columbo: a Friend in Deed 19:40 5 News Weekend 19:45 NCIS 20:35 NCIS 21:30 NCIS 23:10 The Contract

The Courier Sunday TV

February 2

00:55 The Football League Show

00:00 Live Davis Cup Tennis

02:15 Weatherview

02:00 Comfort and Joy

02:20 BBC News

03:40 This Is BBC Two

07:00 Breakfast

07:05 The Whip Hand

08:30 Match of the Day

08:25 I'm All Right Jack

10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics

10:10 Countryfile 11:05 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:35 The A to Z of TV Cooking 13:20 The Good Cook

13:15 MOTD2 Extra

13:50 The Good Cook

14:00 BBC News

14:20 Funny Girl

14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead

16:45 Escape to the Country

14:15 Bargain Hunt

17:45 Inspire: The Olympic Journey

14:45 The Indian Doctor 15:30 Live Six Nations Rugby

18:15 Ski Sunday 19:00 Dan Snow's History of the Winter Olympics

Union

20:00 Flog It!

18:00 Songs of Praise

21:00 Top Gear

18:35 BBC News; Regional News

22:00 Dragons' Den

and Weather

23:00 The Route Masters: Running

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 23:25 A Tribute to Roger Lloyd Pack 23:35 Only Fools and Horses

London's Roads

01:55 04:00 04:45 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:15 08:30 10:25 11:20 12:20 12:24 12:25 13:25 14:25 15:10 16:40 18:50 19:00 19:15 20:45 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:14 23:15 23:45

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

Dickinson's Real Deal Murder, She Wrote ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Inside the National Trust The Crocodile Hunter Diaries Catchphrase Splash!

Goldfinger ITV Meridian Weather 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 Piers Morgan's Life Stories

TOP GEAR New series. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May immerse themselves in nostalgia and try to prove that hot hatches from their younger days are better than today's equivalents.

Jeremy grabs the keys to a Volkswagen Golf GTI, Richard takes the wheel of a Vauxhall Nova SRi and James May opts for the Ford Fiesta XR2i, and the trio set off on a road trip that includes a hill climb and a visit to a supermarket.

00:45 28 Weeks Later 02:30 Street Kings 04:15 Hollyoaks 06:15 Deal or No Deal 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:25 Frasier 09:25 The Taste 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 The Big Bang Theory 14:25 How I Met Your Mother 15:25 The Simpsons 15:55 The Simpsons 16:30 Eragon 18:30 Deal or No Deal 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 21:00 Scandimania 22:00 The Jump 23:30 American Football Live

01:10 SuperCasino 04:05 Botched Up Bodies 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Make It Big 05:50 The Funky Valley Show 06:00 Angels of Jarm 06:05 Hana's Helpline 06:20 Angels of Jarm 06:25 The Funky Valley Show 06:40 Hana's Helpline 06:50 Hana's Helpline 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bubble Guppies 07:35 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 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 08:40 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:05 Olly the Little White Van 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 10:05 Milkshake! Monkey 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Power Rangers: Super Samurai 11:35 Power Rangers: Megaforce 12:00 Access 12:10 Building the London Underground 13:10 Ice Road Truckers 14:10 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 15:10 Police Interceptors 16:10 Dr Dolittle 2 17:50 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 19:55 5 News 20:00 Arachnophobia 22:00 Drag Me to Hell 23:55 The Matrix

40

The Courier Monday TV

February 3

00:10 Who Do You Think You Are? USA 00:50 Breaking and Entering 02:45 Weatherview 02:50 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 WPC 56 16:00 Perfection 16:45 Escape to the Country 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Britain's Great War 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Match of the Day 2

00:00 02:00 03:00 03:55

Live Davis Cup Tennis Countryfile Holby City This Is BBC Two

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:20 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:05 Ben & James Versus the Arabian Desert 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 Lost Land of the Tiger 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great Continental Railway Journeys 20:00 Top Gear 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Food & Drink 22:00 Horizon 23:00 QI 23:30 Weather

00:45 Anglo­Welsh Cup Rugby Union 01:40 The Store 03:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 05:05 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 DCI Banks 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:35 Mickey Blue Eyes

04:00 According to Jim 04:45 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 05:40 River Cottage Bites 05:50 Deal or No Deal 06:45 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:15 The Treacle People 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Come Dine with Me Down Under 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 Dispatches 21:30 Food Unwrapped 22:00 The Jump 23:30 Three Wives, One Husband ­ Married to the Mormons

DCI BANKS New series. The crime drama starring Stephen Tompkinson returns with the first of a two­part story.

A man and woman claiming to be social workers visit a mother and tell her they need to take her son away. However, when they fail to bring him back, it transpires that the pair are not known by the author­ ities. Banks is drawn into a full­scale search for the missing boy, but new evidence and inconsistent wit­ ness statements cause the detective to question the truth of what he has been told.

02:35 SuperCasino 04:05 Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun 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 06:25 The Funky Valley Show 06:40 Hana's Helpline 06:50 Hana's Helpline 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 07:55 Milkshake! Bop Box 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 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Mystery of Natalie Wood 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 The Big Benefits Row 23:00 Helix

The Courier Tuesday TV

February 4

00:40 The Graham Norton Show 01:25 Weatherview 01:30 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 WPC 56 16:00 Perfection 16:45 Escape to the Country 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:35 The Richard Dimbleby Lecture

00:20 This World 01:20 Film 2014 01:50 Trust Me I'm a Doctor 02:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Schools: Tips for Young Composers 05:35 Performances from the BBC Philharmonic ­ Adams and Saint­ Saens

05:55 Fazer's Urban Takeover 06:25 Compose Yourself 06:55 Schools ­ Wonders of Nature: Elephant ­ Importance of Water 07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Saints and Scroungers 09:20 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:05 Great British Garden Revival 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 Lost Land of the Jaguar 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great Continental 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

01:30 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 20:30 River Monsters 21:00 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

22:00 Births, Deaths and Marriages 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 Sports Life Stories

SHE’S 78 , HE’S 39: AGE GAP LOVE Six people whose partners are much younger than they are reveal why being of different generations is no barrier to romance. Marilyn's relationship with husband William began when she was 45 and he was 16 and was tested from the start by abuse from friends and neighbours, while Edna (78) and Simon (39) bonded over their mutual love of organ music. Mike (74) is coping with an eight­week­old baby alongside wife Lindsey, who is 41 years his junior.

00:30 Random Acts 00:35 There's Something about Mary 02:40 Hostages 03:30 World Without End 04:20 Mesh 04:25 Southland 05:10 Mesh 05:15 The Three Day Nanny 06:10 River Cottage Bites 06:20 Deal or No Deal 07:15 The Treacle People 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Come Dine with Me Down Under 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 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Taste 23:00 Secrets of the Pickpockets

00:00 Starship Troopers 3: Marauder 02:00 SuperCasino 04:05 Kids Who Kill 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Divine Designs 06:15 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 07:55 Milkshake! Bop Box 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 Mio Mao 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Ultimate Emergency Bikers 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Mystery of Natalie Wood 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 The Big Benefits Row 20:00 The Dog Rescuers 20:30 Highland Emergency 21:00 Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun 22:00 She's 78, He's 39: Age Gap Love 23:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

41

The Courier Wednesday TV

February 5

00:20 Away from Her 02:05 Weatherview 02:10 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 WPC 56 16:00 Perfection 16:45 Escape to the Country 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 19:55 Party Political Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 Outnumbered 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:35 A Question of Sport

00:20 01:20 02:10 05:00

Dragons' Den The Naked Rambler This Is BBC Two Music Technology

06:00 Schools Monarch Butterfly ­ Spectacle 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:45 Saints and Scroungers 09:15 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:00 Nature's Weirdest Events 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 Lost Land of the Jaguar 18:10 Flog It! 18:55 Party Political Broadcast 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great Continental Railway Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 The Restaurant Man 22:00 Royal Cousins at War 23:00 Inside No 9 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 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 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 Meridian Weather The Jonathan Ross Show

00:00 01:00 01:05 02:05 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:25 06:20 07:15 07:25 08:10 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:05 13:35 Under 16:10 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The Undateables Random Acts Poker KOTV Boxing Weekly Trans World Sport Terror in the Skies Secret Removers Location, Location, Location Deal or No Deal The Treacle People Countdown Will & Grace Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Undercover Boss Canada Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses Channel 4 News Jamie's 15 Minute Meals Come Dine with Me Down Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me Coach Trip The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Restoration Man 24 Hours in A&E Hunted

NCIS

New series. The aftermath of Harper Dearing's bomb attack on the NCIS headquarters domi­ nates proceedings. As rescue crews sift through the debris searching for survivors, Abby, Gibbs, McGee and Vance are accounted for, but Ziva and Tony are trapped in a lift. Dearing makes contact after his ex­wife is taken into custody, enabling his car to be traced to an abandoned lot ­ and the agents arrive just in time to see the vehicle blow up.

00:00 Body of Proof 00:55 Body of Proof 01:55 SuperCasino 04:05 The Truth About Your Dog's Food 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Divine Designs 06:15 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 07:55 Milkshake! Bop Box 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 Mio Mao 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 World's 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Chinese Food in Minutes 16:20 Prairie Fever 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 World's 21:00 Ultimate Emergency Bikers 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Sherlock: The First CSI

The Courier Thursday TV

February 6

00:05 Film 2014 00:35 The Matador 02:10 Weatherview 02:15 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 WPC 56 16:00 Perfection 16:45 Escape to the Country 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Pound Shop Wars 21:30 Inspector George Gently 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:20 01:20 01:50 02:45 05:00

Inside the Animal Mind See Hear Imagine This Is BBC Two Schools

07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Saints and Scroungers 09:20 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:05 Italy Unpacked 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 Jaguar 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great Continental Railway Journeys 20:00 Horizon 21:00 Restoration Home One Year On 22:00 Royal Cousins at War 23:00 Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe 23:30 Newsnight

00:40 The Cube 01:30 Jackpot247 04:00 Columbo: Murder, a Self­ Portrait 05:35 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 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 Exposure

INSPECTOR GEORGE GENTLY New series. It's 1969 and six months since the shootings in Durham Cathedral, and while Gently is almost back to full fitness, Bacchus has lost his confidence and tenders his resignation. Gently is determined to help his sergeant, so he gets him involved in one last case, the death in custody of a man arrested during a street protest ­ an inves­ tigation that leaves both detectives questioning what it means to be a police officer at a time when attitudes to the force are changing.

00:00 Don't Look Down 01:00 Random Acts 01:05 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:35 Control 03:35 Cloak and Dagger 05:20 Location, Location, Location 06:15 River Cottage Bites 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Come Dine with Me Down Under 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 Supersize vs Superskinny 22:00 Big Ballet 23:00 Bodyshockers

00:00 The Big Benefits Row 01:00 Poker 02:00 SuperCasino 04:05 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 05:00 House Doctor 05:50 Divine Designs 06:15 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 07:55 Milkshake! Bop Box 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 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Milkshake! Monkey 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Building the London Underground 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 McBride: The Doctor is Out, Really Out 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 Help! I'm Snowtrapped 22:00 The Hotel Inspector 23:00 Brain Hospital: Saving Lives

42

Friday, January 31, 2014

AUCTIONS

Policies available in English and German.

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

PERSONAL

ACCOUNTANTS Pro Business Support – for all your accountancy needs in English; bookkeeping, taxes, wage slips and more.

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.

The rainbow (spiritual awareness centre) Costa Blanca. Behind Sacos bar el liminar just of the cv 905 Rojales to torrevieja road.

We have a divine service on Sundays at 11am and on wed we hold an evening of clairvoyance at 7.30pm.

Also on Wednesdays there is an open circle at 5.45pm for those wishing to develop there mediumistic skills.

Healing is available by trained and certificated heal­ ers after each meeting. A warm welcome to friends old and new. The mediums for febuary are 2nd Jacqueline Holland hunt, 5th Morag bul­ lock 9th & 12th Sammy Fitzsimons, 16th & 19th David Darnbourgh 23rd Paul Hamnett 26th Debbie Blevins. For further informa­

CATERING

tion call Trish on 966 844 795 therainbowcentre­ costablanca@gmail.com

FOR SALE A bulk buy of fragrance flame candles,3 in a box each candle burns for an hour ideal for garden or ter­ race, great seller for mar­ kets or boots even shops, enquires to Glen on 606926437.(154) For sale Mens flip flops ,24 in a carton, great seller with summer coming,24 in a car­ ton, bulk buy available for enquires ring Glen 606926437 (154)

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.

BARBER

NEW mature sexy English Blonde offers massage and more. Orihuela Costa Tel: 633 853 794 (154) NEW: Elegant and Seductive Mature (40) Busty (40DD) in Torrevieja. Engl.

Sp. Tel: 642 651 686 11am to 7pm looking for col­ league. (154)

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) Ref: 61, A lovely two bed­ roomed ground floor apart­ 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 ment is situated just out of the town centre on a lovely urbanisation with a good

CARPENTER

CAR HIRE

PROPERTY FOR RENT

ALARMS

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 Bar for traspaso Well established, 9 year old, beach front terrace on the Mar Menor, with a good mix of both British and Spanish clientele. Hard working bar.

For more information con­ tact 637 362 863 (157)

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 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

CLEANERS

43

Friday, January 31, 2014 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, 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

CAR BREAKERS

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 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

DRAINAGE

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, 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

PETS

44

Friday, January 31, 2014

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 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,

POOLS

SURVEYOR

PLUMBERS

POOL TABLES

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 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

REMOVALS

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 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

WANTED

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 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 31, 2014

Greenside Gossip

45

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

YOU BE THE JUDGE!

Picture Ian Poulter in his den watching his beloved Arsenal on TV taking on Manchester United in the Premier League, and he spots a Man U player offside.

Poults might rant and rave about the assistant referee, but he can't phone into the TV studios to have the play reviewed.

Yet, if say Poults commits an infraction the following week­ end at the US Masters, he becomes fair game for the infa­ mous "armchair rules officials" ­­ those fans glued to their screens with rule book and mobile phone in hand who fre­ quently alert tournament committee officials to potential vio­ lations. Many players and fans question why spectators in golf, unlike any other sport, can directly impact the competi­ tion.

Here we go again! Sometimes it does seem that there are different interpretations of the Rules of Golf, by the experts even more so when we have the judgment by TV or no ref­ erence is made to previous video evidence. On the Friday morning of the recent Abu Dhabi Championship and just before the start of the second round, Sergio Garcia found himself in the middle of a rules conversation. He met with the European Tour chief referee John Paramor when it appeared that he may have breached Rule 16­1a on the pre­ vious day, where TV cameras caught Garcia tapping the line in front of his ball, with his putter on the 18th green. If you enter the link into your web browser you will see the incident just a few seconds into the video.

alleged rules violations) without having any proof is wrong. If you can really tell that it's wrong that somebody's cheated then that's fine but when you have no proof at all it's not.

Being related to that word is the most disgusting thing that can happen to someone to me that has never, ever cheated.

It was disappointing but it was good to clear it up with John Paramor."

Just a few months ago, England's Simon Dyson was at the center of a rules controversy after he was allegedly caught tapping down spike marks in front of his golf ball. The offence went unnoticed until TV viewers alerted chief referee John Paramor, but did they go to the 8th green at the Shanghai Masters to check it out? No. He was ordered into a disciplinary meeting.

EUROPEAN TOUR MUST RESIST PLAYER POWER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14zJgTZdZYo – Simon Dyson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwWmhd4iVRE ­ Sergio Garcia

Now if you watch the video, he tapped on the line but with a ball and it was judged to be a spike mark Simon Dyson received a two­month ban for the infraction, as well as a £30,000 fine. Dyson made his return a fortnight ago in Abu Dhabi, where he missed the cut. Do look at both videos and draw your own conclusion.

In the meeting with John Paramor, Garcia was cleared of any wrongdoing, with the Spaniard explaining that he was repairing a ball mark, which is perfectly legal. This was quite fortunate as Sergio was on the mark to make the cut and a penalty would have meant he would have been out of the competition. The incident upset Garcia and he said, “It does feel quite bad to be related to the word cheating when you have no proof and I've never ever cheated in my whole life.

I have given myself plenty of penalty strokes when nobody saw it and I did. It hurt a little bit. I think people calling (in

both cases it was just a short tap both were pressing some­ thing down. But at the end of the day, calls to TV stations should be ignored. I have concluded that a lot of these calls never actually happen, and it always makes me want to ask what the phone number is and who answers the phone. It could be the rules officials using the explanation of a TV viewer calling in as cover for the player (or the official spot­ ting the infraction) accusing another golfer of breaking the rules. If I am wrong about this please send me the phone numbers!

So what is rule 16­1a?

The line of putt must not be touched except: • the player may remove loose impediments, provided he does not press anything down; • the player may place the club in front of the ball when addressing it, provided he does not press anything down; • in measuring ­ Rule 18­6; • in lifting or replacing the ball ­ Rule 16­1b; • in pressing down a ball­marker; • in repairing old hole plugs or ball marks on the putting green ­ Rule 16­1c; and • in removing movable obstructions ­ Rule 24­1.

So from reading this it appears that it is perfectly legal to tap down a ball mark, but no one checked to see if that’s what Simon Dyson did. Check it out for yourself and see if apart from one using and ball and the other a Putter, was it a ball mark or spike mark? There does not see any difference in

KNOW YOUR RULES Local Rule Providing Relief from Tree Roots (Decisions 33­ 8­8) QUESTION May a Committee make a Local Rule providing relief with­ out penalty if a player’s stroke is interfered with by exposed tree roots?

ANSWER. A Local Rule is authorised only if an abnormal condition exists. Generally, the existence of exposed tree roots is not abnormal. However, if the exposed tree roots are encroach­ ing on to the fairway, a Committee would be authorised to make a Local Rule providing relief under Rule 25­1 for inter­ ference from exposed tree roots when a ball lies on a close­ ly­mown area. The Committee may restrict relief to interfer­ ence for the lie of ball and the area of intended swing.

The European Tour will face a test of both its strength and its self­confidence when it comes to shaping its qualification cri­ teria for 2014’s Final series. After some high profile stars missing out on the final event in Dubai last November, the Tour can do one of two things. It can choose to suck it up and say “these are the rules and we are going to stick by them” or it can bow to player pressure and make it a free for all. I sincerely hope the Tour holds fast, and stick two fingers up to the handful of players who aren’t able to commit to three events in a month where they play for a bucket load of cash and are treated as Colin Montgomerie so aptly put it “like royalty”.

Veiled threats to quit the Tour by the likes of Charl Schwartzel (who failed to qualify for the DP World Championship after not entering enough events in the Race to Dubai’s Final Series) should be ignored, as he sees it as his duty to play in dozens of events in South Africa, and is unlikely to want to give those up. Other rumblings about staying away should be likewise be given short shrift. With the new PGA schedule wrapping up in mid­September, there is little else for the game’s top players to do at that time of the year, apart from staying at home and counting their money, so there is no excuse for not getting stuck in. They simply need to sort out their schedules so that they are not burned out when the season reaches its climax – as Ian Poulter so spectacularly demonstrated last season.

With 48 tournaments in 26 countries on the new European Tour schedule, clearly something has to give. Some quite big events will be missing headline acts this year, but when you put so much bread on the table, the butter is always going to be spread very thin.

TITTER ON THE TEE Two old Yorkshire golfers were walking down the Par 5 fairway on a hot summer's day, when they saw a girl sun­ bathing nude in a front line villa. The only thing hiding her modesty was a roofing tile from a local building site, placed strategically between her legs.

Well I'll be blowed, Alf, said. “Times have changed. I can remember when they used to be thatched”.

46

Friday, January 31, 2014

Barca’s sunday stroll

ALLEZ ANTOINE

BARCELONA 3 MALAGA 0

REAL SOCIEDAD 4 ELCHE 0

Barcelona stayed on top of La Liga with a comfortable win over the Costa del Sol club on Sunday. Gerard Pique opened the scoring just before the break and then Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez notched twice in quick succession around the hour mark to complete the

scoring. It would have been an even big­ ger margin of victory for the reigning champions but they twice saw efforts come back off the post while Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero made a string of saves. Barcelona are at home to Valencia tomorrow afternoon (Saturday).

The win’s the thing REAL MADRID 2 GRANADA 0

Antoine Griezmann’s hat­trick helped Real Sociedad to a comfortable Monday night win over Elche, which leaves the Ilicitanos just 2 points above the Primera Division relegation zone. It was a night­ mare start for Elche, as the Frenchman netted twice in the opening 12 minutes.

Sociedad took the lead after just four minutes when Vela played in Griezmann, who latched on to the long­range ball before excellently lifting over onrushing Antonio Tono. The Elche goalkeeper was similarly powerless to prevent Griezmann giving the hosts a two­goal lead eight min­ utes later. The 22­year­old Griezmann headed high into the top corner following a superb right­wing cross from Xabi Prieto.

To their credit, Elche refused to surren­ der and saw plenty of the ball in the first half but failed to create any meaningful chances. That would come back to haunt them five minutes into the second half as Vela killed off any realistic hopes of a comeback with a wonderful solo goal. The Mexican wove his way to the edge of the area before unleashing a superb volley into the top corner.

Griezmann sealed his hat­trick in the 74th minute, netting from close range after Tono and failed to properly clear Imanol Agirretxe's cross. The result puts extra pressure on Elche’s Sunday lunchtime home encounter with Almeria, who are a point in front of them in the table.

TORRY FRUSTRATED C F TORRE LEVANTE 1 FC TORREVIEJA 0

Second­half goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema (pictured) saw off Granada in an unspectacular perform­ ance by Real, which keeps them just one 1 point off the top of La Liga. Newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo opened the scoring for the hosts after 57 minutes and then played a part in

Benzema's goal, which wrapped up the points 19 minutes later. This was not a vintage afternoon for Real, and they were frustrated for large parts of the game by a tough Granada side who gave them little space to counter­attack until late in the second half. Real are away to Bilbao on Sunday night.

A club above the rest

The five­star La Manga Club has been named as the best golf resort in Spain for the third successive year. The luxury venue once again the overwhelming choice of the readers of leading UK magazine Today's Golfer to win the top con­ sumer travel award, receiving nearly 50 per cent of all votes cast.

La Manga Club amassed an impressive 48 per cent of the vote to comfortably beat off competition from its nearest rivals and confirm its reputation as Spain's flagship resort, and Europe's premier sports and leisure destination.

Gary Silcock, La Manga Club's director of golf, said: "To be recog­ nised as Spain's top golf resort for the third year running is an amaz­ ing achievement and a great hon­ our.”

A goal after just 5 minutes from Carmona set up a disappointing Sunday morning encounter for Torrevieja, who dominated large parts of the match but just could not get past a determined Levante defence and their keeper Tejera. The home side were also down to 10 men mid­way through the first half when midfielder Erik got his march­ ing orders, which the visitors were unable to

capitalise on. Torry had a string of second half chances through Obele, Meseguer, and Carrasco, whilst the depleted Levante side were happy to defend, but proved to be dangerous on the odd breakaway. Torry lie 10th in the table, 4 points off the play­off zone, and entertain Muro at the Vicente Garcia stadium this Sunday with a 5pm kick off.

GOALESS YAWN ALMORADI “B” 0 CD MONTESINOS 0

It may have been a windy Saturday night in Almoradi, but this match was far from being bright and breezy, with a classic scoreless bore draw the only reward for those who decided to ignore the TV delights of Splash and The Voice. The main talking point was a bizarre refereeing performance where the official ignored some tough tackling from the home side. Monte’s only first half chance came in the 25th minute, when Rodrigo shot over the bar from a corner.

Monte’s free­scoring

Vazquinho was branded as public enemy number one by Almoradi, and was especially targeted for some poor unpun­ ished rough tackles. Eventually the referee sent off an Almoradi defender for an appalling chal­ lenge with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Monte though missed out on all 3 points with just 4 minutes remaining, as Vaz smashed the bar with a glo­ rious chance from a Ruben cor­ ner. Monte are on the road again this Sunday, with a 4.00pm kick off at Bigastro.

47

Friday, January 31, 2014

HALOES SLIPPING AT ST MARYS SAINTS MORTALITY IS BEGINNING TO SHOW

Staunch Southampton supporters must be feeling very confused and not a little angry currently with life at St Mary’s. In November I wrote a positive article about the club ‘La La Land at St Mary’s’, when the team was riding high in third place in the Premiership.

Two young stars, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez were just following Ricky Lambert into the England team, boding well for Brazil and the World Cup. Southampton were play­ ing some superb football, raising a lot of experi­ enced eyebrows as they elegantly elbowed out some of the Prem’s really big boys, the Saints res­ olutely marching in towards at the top of one of the world’s great football leagues.

With respect, Southampton have never been big box office

draws over the years. Sure, they have known top division status in the past with famous old boys like Micky Channon and Matt Le Tissier, idols who both gave the fans so many great memories over the years. But only three short years ago Saints were lan­ guishing in receivership in 22nd position of the present ‘League One', really the old Third Division as was ­ two whole huge chasmic divisions below the Premiership.

Whatever happened to propel this troubled club almost to the top of the Premiership in such an unbelievably short time?

Well, in July 2009 Southampton were bought by a German­born Swiss billionaire called Marcus Liebherr who took the club out of administration, and immediately appointed a dynamic Swiss businessman named Nicola Cortese as chairman.

Sadly, soon after Liebherr died and own­ ership was transferred to his daughter Katharina. The credit for the amazing change in fortune at St Mary’s is totally credited to Cortese who changed many things in the way the club was run ­ and not always popular­ ly. Saints soon had a good, ambitious young manager, Nigel Adkins in place who some­ how led them into the Premiership via consecu­ tive pro­ motions in just

28 short months. But exactly a year ago Adkins was unbelievably sacked by Cortese, to the vocal and written disgust of many, including me, and a new unheard­of­ outside­Spain­and­Argentina manager Mauricio Pochettino was appointed.

Contrary to expectations and despite lan­ guage problems, Cortese’s hombre quickly changed the pattern of Southampton’s play and style, and built up team spirit and per­ formance as Saints’ improvements contin­ ued.

Cortese made many changes: Southampton is on the south coast, involv­ ing long, tiring journeys to away games.

After a players poll, where home comforts were listened to, actions were taken accord­ ingly, and instead of staying away one night, as tradition dictated, hotels were booked for two. When the rooms were declared ready the club’s new backroom staff then went in, to fastidiously clean the room again to rid any chances of infection, and placing such items as the ‘right’ bed linen plus every item necessary to ensure comfort for the players to generate a homely atmosphere for full

relaxation purposes.

On the field where bonuses had been awarded to the defence for keeping a clean sheet, this was extended to the whole team, to exhort everyone to tackle back and quick­ ly regain possession by together pressing the opposition all over the field, a factor quickly picked up by the media pundits. An ‘English’ youth policy was introduced using UK scouting with the result that a whole new pipeline of talented youngsters soon came along the club’s conveyor belt, like full backs Luke Shaw and James Ward­Prowse and midfielder Nathaniel Clyne.

Sadly during 2013, boardroom problems have escalated between Herren Liebherr and Cortese, said to be because the lady is not interested in football and wants to asset­ strip the company. In football terms that means selling off the best players, which in Southampton’s case means the big boys will be queuing up to buy their talented young English players (for a change), and thus ruin the new bold future for the football club.

Matters all came to a head over the New Year with the sad resignation and departure of Cortese. It was widely expected Pochettino would follow his master, but to the Argentine’s credit, he has pledged his future to Southampton ­ well, at least until the end of the season. Understandably those off­field problems are now having their effect on it: the Saints have slowly slipped down the table into their own clear position in ninth place, five points below Newcastle but a healthy five above Aston Villa. So, post­Cortese: will The Saints still go march­ ing in? Who knows?

TORRY YOUNGSTERS LEADERS MARCH ON MAKE A SPLASH ALBACETE 36 ITV ORIHUELA 15

Club Natacion Torrevieja’s younger swim­ mers were in the spotlight last weekend in their Alicante Regional League competition in La Nucia. A string of personal bests were the order of the day in the Benjamin and Alevin age groups, with Amy Connolly knocking off a big 6 seconds off her personal best time in the Benjamin 100m Freestyle, whilst Paula Garcia earned a regional quali­

fying time in the Alevin 100m Freestyle cate­ gory. The lads were not to be outdone with Ellian Del Rio Castillo getting a PB and regional qualifying time in his 100m Freestyle race, which also featured a big 11 second personal improvement for Jacob Ruiz. Finally, Ellian notched up a massive PB in the 200m Butterly event, with 42 sec­ ond coming off his previous best time!

The seemingly unstoppable Albacete cemented their lead at the top of the Primera Territorial with a comfortable victo­ ry over Orihuela, who conceded a raft of early points through a non­existent defence. Things tightened up in the 2nd half, but the damage had been well and

truly done, and frustratingly too many penalties were conceded for not retreating 10 metres quickly enough. Elsewhere, in the same division Torrevieja Tigers lost 39­ 16 at home to Murcia, whilst in the women’s league, the San Javier Squalos rolled over Lorca, 83­nil.

Friday, January 31, 2014

48

MANUEL’S STORM TROOPERS GO TOP! TIM’S TOTTENHAM TANKED 5 – 1 AT WHITE HOT LANE

Majestic, marauding, merciless Manchester City ­ just when Spurs felt it was safe to out again after their 6 – 0 hiding earlier at The Etihad (aiding AVB the bul­ let), Tim Sherwood’s improving Tottenham were under the lash of five of the best, where an Aguero ambush sparked the avalanche from five different directions again (NB no Negredo, night off ­ King Kompany’s Super City didn’t need him). It didn’t help Spurs when Danny Rose was sent off but boy, this City side are special. Sixty­ eight golden goals in only 23 Prem matches tells their own story, eight wins in a row now. City’s only worry was that 50 Prem­goals­now Aguero limped off after half an hour. I just wish he’d get rid of that hor­ rible Hitler haircut.

City have now taken over as Top Guns: Arsenal went south but could only draw 2 – 2 in a thriller at Southampton, with two­footed tackler Flamini was rightly sent off. The Gunners old ‘one nil down, two one up’ trick nearly came off at St Mary’s, but truth­ fully the Gunners looked like they’ve been finally found out, outgunned for most of the match by a storming Saints side (see over for Southampton review) where out­injured Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are missing in their midfield mainland – and it shows. Is that it now for Arsenal title­wise? It could be with merciless Man City looking unstoppable.

John McGregor reports

Goalless Chelsea choker at the Bridge where West Ham somehow stopped the Brazilian Blues Boys scoring and kept ‘em third. 31 goal attempts and seven super saves from Adrian keep Chelsea three points behind Super City. Evil Eto was up to his tricks again, but the ref disallowed his audacious anti­sporting attempt. Jose mightily miffed, but Samammers now third bottom on 19 with flounder­ ing Fulham, one point above calamitous Cardiff.

Everton’s Romelu Lukaku was carried off at Anfield and immediately Liverpool went wild, firstly via Steven Gerrard, by the finish the Reds putting four past their nearest rivals geographically and league­ wise to challenge for a fourth place at the European top table; bad day at the office for the Toffees. The usual Scouse SAS got three between them, but 15 goal Sturridge badly missed a penalty for his hat trick and was angrily substituted ­ although super­ man Suarez kept it up with his twenty­sixth goal of this sensational season – how many will he finish with?

Odd Old Trafford equation: 8 + 10 = 2 – 0. New Man U number eight Juan Mata helped to supply returning­ from­injury­at­last number ten Reliant Robin van Persie with the first goal after only five minutes to ease United’s problems, Ashley Young adding the super second to seal sad Ole Cardiff’s fate. Groin­ grafted Wayne Rooney came on as sub and looked good ­ Red relief returning? Back­in­blue Cardiff had the right colour – it’s looking bad for the Swalians where nothing’s going right. Mmm, Malky.

At Selhurst Park another Puncheon pulveriser pun­

ished 10 man Hull for Crystal Palace to win 1 – 0.

Face facts: since Tony Pulis took over the Eagles have soared to 1.38 points per match v 0.58 pre­ Messiah. Soiled sheets were sustained in their first 10 matches of the season, conceding 21 goals: Palace now claim 13 subsequent clean sheets and have let in just 10 goals ­ Professional Pulis progress? Perturbed Potters please note.

Marvellous Midland match at Villa Park where West Brom went two up but couldn’t hold the Villains and eventually lost a derby delight 4 ­3, super stunners from Baggies’ Brunt and Villa’s Delph. Man of the moment Adam Johnson did it again for surfacing Sunderland who snatched the six pointer from slid­ ing Stoke 1 – 0 to climb out of the DDD for the first time – go, Gus! Ten teams share six points in the bottom half: squeaky­bum time well aired.

Following the marvellous midweek matches, wel­ come weekender wonders are wending their way: like the Tyneside derby early doors at St James Park ­ less of the Newkie Brown before, you lads. Also early and six­pointing West Ham and Swansea battle it out to escape/avoid the DDD. Similarly six­peeing it are Cardiff & Norwich. Flailing, failing Fulham face Southampton, Everton Villa, Hull Spurs, and Stoke entertain Mataman’s Man U. Sunday sees West Brom take on Liverpool, Arsenal playing Crystal Palace.

THE BIG MATCH is really on in every way on Monday night, as Chelsea go to the Coliseum at The Etihad to face the new leaders ­ mighty Man City. If Chelsea lose the bitter battle of the Blues it’ll open up a five point gap between ‘em ­ game on!