Week 156

Edition 156

www.thecourier.es

Friday, February 14, 2014

BEEB OFF! Misery for Brits losing BBC services on small dishes

By ALEX TRELINSKI MOST small dish satellite TV viewers on the Southern Costa Blanca and Costa Calida have been unable to tune into the popular UK TV chan­ nels, notably those from the BBC, on their small 1 metre dishes in the last week or so, after a major satellite switch.

The Astra 2E satellite came into service a fortnight ago with a new tighter UK beam, which is difficult or impossible to pick up over most of the Iberian Peninsula. There are no problems with the large 1.9 metre or community installa­ tions in this region, whilst there are mixed reports on what can be picked up on a mid­sized 1.4 metre dish, which seems to be down to

where you live along with the possible quality of the original installation.

Reception appears to be easier the further north you go, especially starting on the coast from Santa Pola and Gran Alacant, whilst recep­ tion is proving to be much harder south of Pilar and in the Murcia region.

In the strong northern reception areas, most of the BBC, ITV, and Channel Four services are available even on a 1.1 metre dish, though

some retuning has been needed to pick up other stronger regional services.

Some of the ITV channels are on better received fre­ quencies and many 1.1 metre dishes across the southern Costa Blanca have managed to pull them in without trouble after a retune.

The main free to air British channels started moving last week, with the BBC begin­ ning the transfer, followed by the ITV and Channel Four group of services last Tuesday. The changes were made in a bid to restrict viewing of the subscription­ free channels to the United Kingdom due to copyright and contractual issues, and have been planned for a number of years. Reception reports indicate that this region has been extremely fortunate compared to most other parts of Spain and Portugal, where huge dishes of up to 4 metres have not been able to pick up servic­ es from the new satellite.

The Costa del Sol, Catalunya, and Northern Spain, along with most of Portugal have been left with­

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Friday, February 14, 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

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Alcala del Juca Photo by STANLEY JANYK

BEEB OFF!

From page 1

out the ability to watch the key channels from the UK’s main public broadcasters.

Sky’s subscription services have not been affected by the change, and many pay channels are in fact stronger as they have been moved to the Astra 2E European beam. But being a Sky subscriber will make no difference to picking up the UK public channels, except in a few circum­ stances, like access to Channel Five HD, plus HD versions of ITV2, 3, and 4, in addi­ tion to E4 and More4.

Over 2 years ago, the key UK channels became relatively easy to pick up on a small dish in Spain after years of difficulty, when they were transferred on a tempo­ rary basis to the Astra 1N satellite. Small satellite dishes from 1 metre upwards started to appear all over the region, but in some cases, customers were not warned that this was going to be a short­term arrangement, and that new “tighter” UK beams were going to be launched in the future, which at best might make recep­ tion harder on the smaller dishes, but at worst might mean a permanent loss of the main British channels, which has proved to be the case across most of Spain.

“We would recommend a minimum dish size of 1.4metres for viewers between La Marina heading down the coast to Pilar de la Horadada”, says Graham Glick of Almoradi­based Television Technology.

“We’ve been able to re­tune most 1.4 metre installations to offer BBC and ITV reception, albeit from different regions,

but there are changes in reception during the day on the BBC channels, and also depending on where you live. As a rough guide, smaller dishes work better north of La Marina, whilst south of Pilar, even 1.4 metre systems are struggling to get the BBC or ITV channels. There’s been a lot variation in signals even over a couple of kilometres, so we are still trying to work out the exact picture”.

“We stopped installing dishes below 1.4 metres some 18 months ago unless a cus­ tomer expressly wanted one”, added Glick, “but we warned them of the recep­ tion risks with the satellite changes.

Unbelievably we’ve seen some companies putting up 1 metre dishes in recent weeks, who were either ignorant of the changes or just didn’t want to tell their customers”.

“Forgetting the temporary strong Astra 1N satellite, reception across the board of the main UK channels on the Costa Blanca is actually better than it used to be over 2 years ago via the weaker Astra 2D satel­ lite, and with the new satellites in position for the next 12 to 15 years, we do recom­ mend people looking into the larger 1.9 metre dishes which offer everything, which they could share with their neigh­ bours to keep costs down. They can invest in a system in the safety of knowing that there will be no more nasty changes for many years”.

Graham has an advice page on Facebook and will answer your questions via Television Technology Costa Blanca and Calida.

What a drag

21 year old Violette Carson (not related to the old Ena Sharples actress from Corrie) was the winner of Torrevieja’s National Drag Queen competition. The event staged last Saturday at the Teatro Municipal saw Violette from Elche take home 1 thousand Euros for her/his endeavours, with the top queens now scheduled to take part in the Carnival pro­ cessions on Sunday February 23rd and Saturday March 1st.

NEW FLIGHTS

Independent airline, FLYBE, has announced a whole series of new routes between Birmingham and Europe, including a five days a week service to Alicante­Elche airport. The Alicante route starts on Thursday April 10th, in time for the Easter holiday season.

SMELLY STASH

A 48 year old man was arrested in Alicante bus sta­ tion last week with over 100 grams of marijuana hidden in the front of his underpants.

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 21 Low 12° Chance of rain 0% Monday Cloudy High 16 Low 7° Chance of rain 0%

Tuesday Sunny High 18° Low 7° Chance of rain 0%

Saturday Sunny High 22° Low 13° Chance of rain 0% Wednesday Sunny High 13° Low 4° Chance of rain 0%

Sunday Showers High 17° Low 8° Chance of rain 55% Thursday Sunny High 16° Low 4° Chance of rain 0%

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Friday, February 14, 2014

NIPPY TURTLE Pilferers nabbed

A huge turtle weighing 16.5 kilos, and measuring 43 cm in length, has been found in an irrigation canal in San Jose de la Vega, Murcia. The unfortunate crea­ ture was lucky enough to be found and transported to the El Valle Sanctuary for Wild Animals, where it is undergoing some TLC. The species is originally from the USA and the breed is known to be an aggressive biter, so if anyone had bumped into him (or her) they may have received a nasty nip. The news has prompted Murcia authorities to remind people that exotic creatures should not be abandoned as releas­ ing them into the wild could endanger animals that it comes across, as well as damaging itself. Many exotic

creatures do manage to adapt to the habitats of Murcia, where the winters are milder than most of the rest of Spain. Parrots, tur­ tles and snakes are some of the most common species found abandoned in the wild.

The tortoise in question has a crack in its shell which is affecting its spine, and was suffering from hypothermia, anemia and an infection. It is hoped it can be cured and then perhaps find a new home in a safari park or somewhere it will be cared for properly.

ALMORADI TRAGEDY

Two men have been arrested over 33 burglaries from hol­ iday homes in San Pedro del Pinatar and Pilar de la Horadada. The Guardia Civil launched Operation Waterfall back in November after a large leap in robberies in holiday properties around Pilar and San Pedro. Their investigation lead to the individuals, aged in their 20’s, being arrested in Torre Pacheco, and appearing before a San Javier court.

Cheaper trains

Rail­booking specialist Loco2.com is launching a partner­ ship with the Spanish state­owned rail operator, Renfe, mak­ ing it much simpler to book Spanish train tickets online. The new service will go live on Tuesday February 18th. From that date, it will be possible to book any Spanish train ticket at Loco2.com including advance deals known as “Turista Promo” fares, offering discounts of up to 70%. All tickets will be available to print at home. The company claims to be the only website allowing people to book all UK, Eurostar, French and German rail in one place, as well as popular routes in other countries.

STOLEN BOOTY

5 thousand pairs of stolen shoes were seized by Elche’s local police in the early hours of Sunday morning when 3 men were arrested unloading them close to the Castilla Restaurant on the Castilla Road. 2 men manage to flee when the police arrived as the footwear was being transferred between a number of vans in the restaurant car park.

Football crazy

A Spaniard took abusing a soccer referee to a new level during a match in Almeria, with the disgrun­ tled fan picking up a dog and throwing it at the match official. The extraordinary bout of abuse happened in a contest between the Andalusian teams, Comarca del Mármol and La Cañada. The ‘animal projectile’ was launched from the stands when the referee was debat­ ing one of his decisions with the away team.

Witnesses said that the dog flew around seven metres before being left in a state of shock upon hitting the ground.

A former Comarca player who was sitting close to the ‘dog thrower’ began punching him as the crowd looked around in disbelief. The aggressor has been charged with animal abuse and will also have to pay a fine for inciting violence during a sporting event.

COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE What a waste

A 73 year old British man died of smoke inhalation in his Almoradi flat late on Monday afternoon. The incident hap­ pened in the living room of his apartment on Calle Daya Neuva, with firefighters being called in just before 5.00pm.

They smashed down the front door, and wearing oxygen masks, they discovered thick smoke, and the man lying on a couch. The source appeared to be a burnt­out cloth that was discovered next to a heater.

GANG LIFTED

A major shoplifting gang has been smashed with 12 people arrested across the region, accused of committing 26 rob­ beries in the Vega Baja and Murcia province areas. The arrests were made in a variety of places including Catral, Cox, Elche and Orihuela. Six houses were searched with a quarter of a million Euros being recovered in addition to stolen goods, balaclavas, weapons and mobile phones.

The force of Stephanie hit the area last Monday, with gusts up to 90 kilometres an hour, but besides damage to aerials, masts, windows, and trees, along with power cuts, there was little major damage in the region. The storm gusts though kept emergency services busy throughout the day with many incidents including some structural damage to St.Augustine’s church in Orihuela, whilst a low wall collapsed onto a car in Alicante.

Pilar de la Horadada’s La Paloma structure is being demolished, with the flagship building lying empty for the last 8 years. The project start­ ed in 2001, but work was stopped in 2006 after the council decided they got not afford another 4 million Euros to finish off the work, alongside legal wran­ gles with contracts.

COME FLY WITH US

11 million passengers used Spanish airports last month, with a rise of 2.5% travellers compared to January last year.

Alicante­Elche airport saw a 7.4% hike, whilst Murcia­San Javier saw a 16.2% rise, though that was down to increased Independent airline, FLYBE, has announced a whole services compared to the same month in 2013. Meanwhile, series of new routes between Birmingham and Europe, San Javier has announced a new cut­price car parking deal including a five days a week service to Alicante­Elche outside the terminal building with a new long term rate. It will airport. The Alicante route starts on Thursday April 10th, cost drivers just 42 Euros for a stay between 9 and 20 days, plus an additional Euro per day from day 21. in time for the Easter holiday season.

BRUM DEAL

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Friday, February 14, 2014

ON THE RUN GOOD LUCK RUTH Two British men accused of murder are believed to be hiding out in Spain. The National Police are asking people to be on the lookout for 33 year old Kevin Parle (pictured on the left), who is wanted in Britain for the mur­ der of a young mother who was shot dead when three men burst into her home in Liverpool back in 2005. Cops believe that he may be hiding out in the Alicante area. They’re also looking for Christopher More, 36, who is wanted in connection for

beating a man to death during an attempted robbery at a remote farmhouse in Cheshire in 2003.

GOLD RUN ENDED

80 people have been arrested in the Valencia region and accused of money laundering from illegal sales of gold and other precious metals.

More than 200 National Police Officers were involved in the swoop that netted over 100 arrests across 12 provinces.

Various tax evasion com­ panies were uncovered after a 2 year police investigation, with offices being raided in Alicante, Murcia, Javea, and Valencia, as more than a million

Euros were seized, along with two boats, luxury cars, fake documents, and 150 kilos of gold.

BAIL DENIED

An Alicante woman has been accused of killing her 5 year old step­daughter in the city last week, and denied bail. As reported in the last weeks Courier, an autopsy reported that the girl did not die of natural causes, whilst the woman has claimed that the child slipped in the shower.

Certainly not Halfords

A five member luxury car part gang has been smashed by the National Police in Elche. The alleged group members stole and then scrapped high end custom vehicles, selling off the parts at a premium. The men

rented space on the Carrús industrial estate in Elche to run their operation, with police taking away saws, power riveters, inhibitors and all kinds of tools that are used for quick car dismantling.

Murcia singer and UK X Factor star, Ruth Lorenzo, has a big night with destiny this Wednesday when she bids to become Spain’s rep­ resentative in May’s Eurovision Song Contest.

She’ll be battling it out with four other contenders to rep­ resent the country in a spe­ cial contest in Barcelona, singing “Dancing in the Rain”. The programme will be broadcast live by Spanish state broadcaster, TVE, on La1.

FLU TAKES 30

The latest flu figures from the Valencia region, which includes the Costa Blanca, show that 30 people have died from influen­ za during the current 2013/14 flu season, with 335 others being hospitalised. That compares with 18 deaths a year ago and 115 in hospital. The rate of admissions and num­ ber of cases is falling, but the raw data has contradicted claims from Valencian Health Minister, Manuel Llombart last week that there had been a “marked decrease” in peo­ ple affected by the virus compared to last year.

Wrong lane to trouble

Two Bulgarian credit card cloners have been arrested by the National Police after copying over 200 cards and using them across Alicante Province and Murcia. The two men in their early twenties were stopped on Monday when they were caught driving in a bus lane in Murcia City, with cops finding a stack of material for making fake cards along with real ones that had been stolen. In one of their homes, 3 laptop computers were found along with a large array of materials including small cameras, memory cards and mobile phones.

ALMORADI GOES ECO

A mobile recycling unit called an Ecoparque, has taken to the streets of Almoradi to help people get rid of their rubbish in a more environmentally friendly way. You can throw away everything from glass, printer ink cartridges, bat­ teries, small electrical appliances, mobile phones and aerosols through to out of date medicines and light bulbs. The Ecoparque will be in Heredades on Tuesdays; El Saladar on Wednesdays; Puente Don Pedro on Thursdays; Plaza Ciudad de Servicios on Fridays; and El

Bañet on Saturdays. On Mondays it will alternate between El Raiguero and Urb Lomas de la Juliana.

BRACING AND SAFER BUSY GUARDAMAR

Walking along Torrevieja’s coast route, known as the Torrejón road is going to be safer with improvement work close to finishing. The works costing close to 300 thousand Euros will see continuous paving from the end of Los Locos beach through to the petrol station next to the Villa­Sol urbanisation.

BUYER’S MARKET

Happy 18th Birthday Rebecca and 21st Gonzalo. Love from Kim, Mark, Thomas and all your friends.

House prices in Spain continue to tumble, with January’s figures confirming a year on year fall of 8.3%. Last month’s prices actually rose by 0.1% compared with December, but there was no joy on the Costa Blanca, as the month to month price drop was 3.8% for Alicante Province, which was the largest in the whole of Spain.

Guardamar’s tourist office got over 55 thousand visits last year, which was 10 thousand more than in 2012. 10 thou­ sand enquiries came from British tourists. Almost half of the visitors were in July and August.

Friday, February 14, 2014

New look renewals Renewing your passport has gone viral for British peo­ ple living in Spain, with all applications having to be done “on line” as part of a worldwide changeover.

British authorities claim that the move means that the chances of making mis­ takes will be greatly reduced, which will lead to a faster service. Some crit­ ics have argued that this is purely a cost­cutting meas­ ure, as all applications will be sent directly to the Passport Office in the UK, as opposed to a British Consulate or Embassy.

The new process means that an applicant needs to have access to a computer as well as a printer, because a personalised pack will be produced which has to be print­ ed off. That pack is then signed, and sent off with photos and other documents to the Passport Office. Once the application has been sent, instructions will be sent how to

track the progress of the passport application via the website.

Officials say that a new passport will take at least four weeks from the time the completed application pack is received by the Passport Office in the UK, or six weeks if replacing a lost or stolen passport.

“Don’t leave it until the last minute to apply for your passport,” advises Will Middleton, Consular Regional Director for Spain. “You can apply up to nine months in advance and any unex­ pired time will be added to your new passport.”

The passport application website is www.gov.uk/overseas­passports.

Applicants who cannot access the online system or who experience any difficulties should contact the Passport Advice Line on +44 300 222 0000.

A controversial bill in Spain to end women's right to abortion on demand is set to be passed after an opposition challenge was defeated in parliament on Tuesday. The challenge from the Socialists was defeated by 183 votes to 151 in parliament, where the conservative Popular Party has a solid majority. The ruling party allowed a secret ballot and six MPs abstained.

Some of its own MPs oppose the bill, which critics say will force Spanish women to travel abroad for abortion. Opinion polls sug­ gest up to 80% of Spaniards, including prac­ tising Catholics, believe the draft law is unnecessary. Spanish women will once again be divided into two groups: those that can travel to a neighbouring country and

undergo a safe abortion and those that can­ not” The Church itself backs the bill, which is championed by Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz­Gallardon (pictured), who said lawmak­ ers had to balance the rights of women with those of unborn children.

Abortion on demand was introduced in Spain under a law passed by the Socialists in 2010. The same law provides for the right to abort up to 22 weeks, if the mother's health is at risk or the foetus shows signs of severe deformities. The new bill would reverse the changes of 2010, only allowing abortion in cases of rape or where women can prove that having a child would pose a severe risk to their physical or mental health.

This year’s Spanish fancy dress parades and fiestas have been banned from having any revellers wear­ ing Guardia Civil costumes.

The Ministry of the Interior has stopped anybody else from wearing the uniform or comic variations of it, unless they are a past or present member of the Guardia. No reason for the move has been given or what the punishments will be if their decree is broken.

Variations on the force's green costume and distinctive tricornio hat are a common sight at parades and events across Spain.

The majority are home­made but most cos­ tume rental companies also offer a version in

their catalogue. Wearers often accessorise with false moustaches and dark glasses, adopting the swagger and macho stance sometimes attributed to members of Spain's military­status police force. Pastiches of the uniform are often worn by satirists on TV comedy shows and versions are even seen at trade fairs and school fetes.

Abortion bill passed

MINISTRY OF NON-FUN

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Friday, February 14, 2014

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

How cheeky can you get!

YOUR article on the front page last week made me very angry.

What on earth was an 82­year­old man with health problems doing by coming to Spain before his treatment was complet­ ed, just because he had a flight booked!

Surely your health comes first.

“They are all Spanish and wanted us to speak Spanish" ­ what a cheek! This attitude is making things bad for all of us who have lived here happily and are more than satisfied with the health serv­ ice provided. Complaints about having to wait two hours, what about the wait in the UK for beds, sometimes people with very serious conditions not being admit­ ted for many hours?

Why couldn't his wife have got a cab

if her friend had to leave? Why didn't they pay for an interpreter if they could­ n't speak Spanish? The lack of commu­ nication about discharge and equipment may have been prevented.

Why didn't the husband 'phone to say he was being discharged ­ he had man­ aged to 'phone to say he was being admitted?

Also, I find it hard to believe that this lady was physically “grabbed’’ by two nurses. Many people have come to Spain and been given excellent treat­ ment for conditions that have been “written off’’ in the U.K. I am sorry Spanish people have to read articles such as this.

VAL DANIELS

TOO YOUNG AT 41 FOR CANCER SCREEN HELP I NOTICED another pat on the back in the local newspapers (great free pub­ licity) for Maria and The Pink Ladies/AECC. But I wonder does the general public know what this fundraising DOES NOT do for them?

My family didn’t and many other people I have spoken to over the last month or so do not, either.

My family, and especially my husband over the past five years, have done a lot of fundraising for Maria and the Pink Ladies/AECC believing, like everyone else, what a good cause. It contributed to the fight against the horrible disease of Cancer, which seems to touch everyone’s friends or family at some time, somewhere along the line.

Everyone, especially fundraisers, hoped that one day we won’t need the help of the AECC/Pink Ladies but that if help was needed it would be available.

How wrong could I have been, in that when I needed their help this was not available since I had not reached their eligible screening age for smear test­ ing of 45 years.

I am, unfortunately, only a mere 41.

I am on the Spanish Health System but due to government health cuts I am still waiting for a smear test, nine months down the line. In the UK, like here, they

THE Courier asked Maria Wilson for her observations on the letter above. This is her response...

I WOULD like to say Maria and The Pink Ladies are a 100% vol­ unteer organisation.

Formed in June 2010, we do this work from the goodness of our hearts, giving all our time raising funds and booking early detection screening appoint­ ments for the public.

There is no other motive than to help others.

To date we have arranged for nearly 700 early screening tests on behalf of both men and women living in this part of the

are every three years. I have a young family and I was overdue for a smear test by five years.

Bearing in mind, as any woman knows, smear and breast testing are not pleasant situations and can sometimes seem quite invasive. Therefore most women do not enter into this testing lightly.

However, these tests are essential screening as anyone who has experienced cancer knows only too well. The disease takes no prisoners with no age/creed restriction ­ anyone can get this awful disease.

Young men and older men can also be subject to prostate cancer and it seems the testing for this with the Pink Ladies/AECC also has an age

restriction of only men above the age of 45 being eligible.

So, due to getting nowhere with the local doc­ tors, I felt I needed some extra help and therefore decided to contact Maria and the Pink Ladies via email.

I completed the form on the website, then wait­ ed for a reply by telephone or email. Nothing came so I filled out the form again.

I then received a telephone call telling me I was not old enough! Reminder again ­ this disease can kill anyone of any age.

I was gob­smacked and so were my family and friends. How can an age restriction be put on a life ­ especially when the person is asking for this unpleasant test?

I left a message for Maria to contact me, so did my fundraising husband. We have had absolutely no response.

I have, since then, been to a private doc­ tor and paid for the smear test ­ the hefty sum of 85 euros. This same amount that was paid for the test could have been in Maria and the Pink Ladies’ fund, so they missed out there…

On a final note I would like to stress to people under 45, if fundraising, please beware.

CONCERNED MUM OF TWO, Crevillente

PINK LADIES: THE FACTS Costa Blanca, and we are most definitely not looking for a pat on the back but knowing that we are helping to save lives is our reward.

Secondly, we donate our time free of charge to the cause of raising funds with Maria and the Pink Ladies on behalf of the AECC. These funds are used to subsidise the early detection programme and research for this evil disease. That is only part of what we do for you.

We make appointments on behalf of the public with the AECC for men and women based on the guidelines issued to us by the AECC. These guide­ lines include age limits.

The age limits we work within are between 45 and 69 for a mammogram and prostate test, and no age limit on smear tests.

On occasions where there is history of cancer we have made a request on behalf of the patient to the AECC and an early

screening test has been carried out. Although we appreciate you have waited nine months for an appointment through your med­ ical centre, this is a matter you need to take up with them.

‘Concerned Mum of Two’ has not given her details but I autho­ rise the Editor of this newspaper to pass to her my phone number should she wish to talk to me personally, as I have with many other members of the public.

I try to do all I can to help peo­ ple to fight and deal with this terrible disease, just as I am dealing with it for the third time myself.

Only fuels and curses I WOULD just like to com­ ment on Tony Mayes’ article on the proposed “tempera­ ture test’ regarding proposed payments, Fuel Winter announced by Iain Duncan Smith. (pictured).

Mr Mayes, the undisputed Costas Tory/Condem flag­ waving vanguard, has at last shown his true feelings.

Waxing lyrical, nay, drooling over every legislation tthe

Condem government bring in, regardless of the misery it causes thousands of less for­ tunate people.

Then in true Condem tradi­ tion, something that directly affects his cash and he's screaming the place down about his rights. Methinks a slight case of hypocrisy.

Name and address supplied

EHIC hiccup

I’VE just read Donna Gee’s article about the health serv­ ice in the UK and Spain.

(Issue 155).

Can she find out why expat pensioners cannot use an EHIC card when visiting fam­ ily in the UK).

(SHEILA MARTIN (via Courier website)

q

Very simple. They should apply for an EHIC card in Spain, which they could use in the UK and anywhere else in the EU. That's assuming they are in possession of a Spanish SIP card and are residents here with a resi­ dencia and padron.

7

Friday, February 14, 2014

I HIT rock bottom last weekend, literally.

But at least I’m still here – and that's more than I expected at my looist point (yes, looist, read on for explanation).

I actually began to bottom out late on Friday, when my brain sig­ nalled an immediate drop­off and I headed for the WC. Moments later the stable door was open but the horse wouldn't budge. I was constipated with a vengeance.

I spent virtually the entire night creased up on the loo, convinced I had a permanent blockage and fearing I was going to bloat up and explode like a pricked balloon.

I considered calling 112 but the thought of paramedics catching me with my pants down was too embarrassing for words. So I just sat there, cursing the Cambridge 800 diet I had started the previous week, and wondering who would find the 1,000 bits of bloated body I left behind (pun intended, as ever).

Now that it’s all over, I can now laugh at the Weekend of Weak Ends. Or Tight Ends, to be more accurate.

Either way, panic sent in when my bowel and bladder suddenly went on strike. I was so busy try­ ing to force a return to work that it was breakfast time before I had the sense to call my Cambridge 800 consultant Debi Winston.

“Don't worry. You've clearly not been drinking enough water,'' she scolded.

“Just drink and drink and within

TWO SWALLOWS MAKE A BUMMER

Lack of water left me sitting pretty on my throne

Debi Winston...she put me right an hour or two the problem will be solved.''

Unlike her patient, Debi, a qual­ ified senior nurse, knew what she was talking about. And well before midday I was indeed back to my Grumpy Old Grandest.

My flirtation with the Cambridge 800 diet was always going to be a

major challenge. I knew from the off that I would struggle to drink the required 2.5 litres of liquid every day. Or even for one day.

“Just do the best you can,'' Debi had urged when I expressed my doubts. The vital message did not get over to me – that if I DIDN'T pour those 2.5 litres into the well,

there would be consequences. And they would not be pleasant.

In the event, what I thought was a decent amount of water over the first few days of my diet probably totalled little more than one litre.

So I really have to blame myself for the sweat I got into on Friday night. Had anyone seen the bizarre

pan­orama, they might well have mistaken it for a Poo Bare imper­ sonation!

Having told that, I am told that nominations for the 2014 Strain of Britain award are still open.

Not since my argument with a large kidney stone back in the 1990s had I suffered so much dis­ comfort as I did on Friday night.

Common sense should have told me the lack of water meant my system had been unable to break down the high­energy Cambridge products – and con­ sequently everything had seized up.

I know the diet works but it clearly cannot be toyed with. My instinct at the weekend was that the regime was not for me But now that I have (hopefully) found my way, I owe it to Debi and Co to keep it going.

No weight chart this week because I lost just .1 of a kilo.

That leaves me at 86.8 kilos (13st 9lb), and I’ve no idea how much of that is water.

q

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR STRIFE DO you like a gamble?

Well, so do I. But I am seriously wor­ ried about the flood of bet­ ting, games and casino publicity being whirled around at Joe Public on the Internet.

There are millions of people out there who could potentially lose every penny they own to the guy who always wins.

OK, there is something exciting about winning a large amount of money, Las Vegas style, on a Roulette or Blackjack table ­ or even a one­ armed bandit.

There’s also no harm in an occasional flutter for a few quid, as per the tradi­ tional bookies’ shops back home.

But now that the

Internet has made it possi­ ble to reproduce the casi­ no experience in your own home, every vulnerable person with a credit or debit card has become a potential goldmine for the bookies.

I have a friend whose compulsive personality has cost her dearly over the years. So much so that she now has a device

attached to her computer which prevents her from accessing any website that involves gambling.

I also have a couple of betting accounts myself which I rarely used until recently and opened pri­ marily to do the Irish Lottery (which is much far better value than the UK’s).

But of course, being a journalist, I had to have a

little play on the Blackjack and Roulette tables.

It was great fun but it wasn’t me who ended up in profit. I’m a loser, like most punters. For all that, the temptation is always there and maybe, just maybe I’ll win next time.

It really is a Catch 22 (Black, Middle Dozen, Third Line) situation. I’ll just put a fiver on it...

8

Friday, February 14, 2014

Friday, February 14, 2014

9

10

Friday, February 14, 2014

IT’S ALL DOUBLE DUTCH One year ago today, Mrs S shouted at me. Nothing unusual there. But this was a fully­justified shouting­ at.

'So where's my card?' she asked politely. (Mrs S always prefaces her harangues with a gracious inquiry.)

'Your card?' I responded.

'Aha, you're trying to catch me out here. Your birthday is in November. This is February. It's one of your wind­ups, n'est­ce pas?' And then the storm broke.

'You unfeeling, unromantic piece of useless blubber!'

Mrs S shrieked. 'The one day of the year when every woman in the land, nay the world, receives a token of love from her beloved part­ ner or secret admirer.'

'That's it!' I cried, clutching at straws. ''As your secret admirer, I couldn't send you a Valentine card because then my love for you would be a secret no longer.'

Mrs S glared at me. 'The only thing secret about you is where you keep your heart.

And please stop playing

around with those straws. into a show of assertiveness.

They're for our grandkids' 'Damn that van Dam cou­ Ribena.' ple!' I yelled. 'Those soppy, Realising I was losing the smug, starry­eyed sweet­ battle, I scuttled into the kitchen to hide. But there was no escape. Mrs S fol­ lowed me and found me cowering white­faced with anticipatory fear behind the white furniture.

'Why can't we be more like that lovely Dutch couple who have just moved into our street?'

Mrs S said.

'They're always hold­ ing hands and gazing into each other's eyes.'

In a desperate attempt to retreat further, I acci­ dentally banged my head on the fridge and decided to channel the resultant pain

hearts from Spijkenisse are starting to stress me out.'

'That's easy for you to say,' snarled Mrs S. 'You are a cold individual who has not an ounce of romance in you.'

I shook my aching head. 'Wrong on both counts. It was not easy for me to say because there were a lot of alliterative 'S' sounds in the sentence I just uttered about the soppy sweethearts.

And secondly, I am not by nature a cold individual. It just so hap­ pens I am standing too close to the fridge.'

But Mrs S would not relent. 'Might I point out that the lovely Dutch cou­ ple are not the damned van Dams from Spijkenisse. They are the virtuous van der Veldes from Veenendaal.

They met as youngsters, fell in love and made each other a pledge. Once grown up, they married and now the van der Veldes have

two delightful mini­vans . . . er, I mean children.'

Because of the bang on the head, I caught only part of Mrs S's oration. 'What do you mean they made each other a sledge? What's the point of that when Holland is flat?'

But by now I'd had enough.

'Truce!' I called out, waving a white handkerchief in the air and emerging fully from behind the fridge. 'Let us have no more arguing. After all, Valentine's Day is a time for love and as soon as the petrol station opens I shall nip out and get you some flowers.'

Mrs S sighed. 'I suppose I might as well forgive you.

You'll never change and it's far too late for me to dump you and find somebody else.'

I gave Mrs S a big hug and whispered softly into her ear: 'I know I sometimes make cheap jokes about our rela­ tionship but I fervently believe that in the years to come we shall join that list of legendary couples whose names can never be spoken

separately.

'I speak of the likes of Antony & Cleopatra, Napoleon & Josephine, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie. Now, added to that distinguished and illustrious company will be the two­and­only David Silver & Mrs S.' Mrs S purred with content­ ment, obviously taken with my declaration of devotion.

Then I ruined the mood with my next bit of ear whispering.

'Just one final observation about your Dutch role mod­ els. If they're always holding hands while gazing into each other's eyes, aren't they at risk of one day dragging themselves under a bus?'

Anyway, fast forward to today. It's Valentine's Day again and Mrs S has awoken to find on the bed a person­ alised card, a single red rose and a box of chocolates.

'Wow!' exclaimed Mrs S. 'You are a romantic after all.'

'My pleasure, dearest,' I cooed. 'But I have to end this phone call now. It's my round and the lads are getting thirsty.'

Friday, February 14, 2014

11

12

Friday, February 14, 2014

DON’T PRESSURISE YOUR NEW FRIEND Lima is a dog who I rescued from Granada here in Spain. She had her two front legs broken as a puppy, so when I col­ lected her, you can imagine that she was petrified of humans. So how do you turn a dog around who is full of fear of life and has lost her confidence and is at rock bottom?

You may be surprised at the answer, but the answer is to leave them be.

What I mean by this is, don’t put them under any pressure. Like looking at them, or talking to them. That will only make them more fearful and regress. When I collected Lima and drove her back to Pinoso, she was petrified. So at that point I had to simply leave her be. If I had given her affection at that point I would have been nurturing her fear. It is important to remember that dogs who have been fearful for most of their lives, due to some form of abuse, or lack of being socialised, do not need to be put under pressure. This will just make them more fearful.

If Lima could talk, I know what she would say. Her words would be something along the lines of the following: “When I first met you it was the first time a human has not asked something of me. Normally people ask me to come up to them so they can

stroke me, which scares me, because I am not sure of their intentions. How do I know they will not hit or attack me, like the last person did? But you just stayed around me and did not ask anything of me. You let me be in your company and approach you when I was ready. That made me trust you and trust is everything for me. When people look at me and ask things of me it scares me, but if people just leave me alone and let me approach them when I am ready, that makes me happy, but not many people do that, so that’s why I’m so nervous”.

Many people think a fearful dog needs to be approached and that you need to stroke, talk and look at the dog. Fact is you don’t.

Yes, if it was a fearful child, then we would approach and cuddle and reassure, but people must remember that dogs have a dif­ ferent network to humans and just by leav­ ing them be and not putting them under any pressure, you will see that the results are unquestionable.

Right now, as I write this, Lima is snug­ gled up next to me and she is happy and at peace as any dog could be right now. I will never forget the fear in her face when I met her for the first time. That desperate look she had, as if to say, “What is happening

LIMA'S FIRST NIGHT WITH US now and where am I going”?

Any form of work or studies is all about results and by putting a nervous or fearful dog under no pressure, I have seen time and time again, that they blossom with this technique.

So next time you meet a dog who is unsure, just give them some space, and stop trying so hard and you will find that you have just possibly met the best friend you will ever have in your entire life.

I am available for consultations through­ out the Costa Blanca region, if you are hav­ ing problems with your furry best friend. To book a consultation you can email me at peter@thedogyouneed.com and I will con­

tact 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 spe­ cial cause you can do by PayPal, where the account details are peter@thedogy­ ouneed.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? LOUIS is a 10 month old black Labrador type cross­ breed. We know nothing about his background as he was abandoned outside the kennel gates by a man who said he had found him. He is a lovely, playful and sweet natured youngster, unfortu­ nately his picture doesn’t show what a stunning looking dog he is, who would be a very Louis loyal companion. He is now fully vaccinated, micro chip­ ped and castrated and ready to start a new and happy life.For more info please call 966 710 047.

RITA the Rotti was pulled out of a canal at the end of November last year with a rope tied around her neck.

She was not in bad condi­ tion, just a little confused.

She is a stunning, very affec­ tionate girl who is about 2 years old and is fully vacci­ nated, micro chipped and sterilized. For more info ple­ ase call 966 710 047.

Duchess is a young, about 9 months old, Husky cross possibly with a German Shepherd. As you can see she has one pale blue eye and one brown as is typically found in Huskies. Duchess is a very placid , affectionate young lady , very laid back with other dogs and loves peo­ p l e .

Please contact K9 or PHONE 600 84 54 Duchess 20 for more info www.k9club.es Barney is a gorgeous rich dark chocolate colour young Podenco that was found in the campo along with his siblings, he is adorable very quick to learn and his foster carer says he is very good, their mum is a small Podenco. Barney is still a bit nervous and needs a good home for more information about Barney or one of his siblings, please ring the PEPA helpline on 650 304 746 or Email: p.e.p.a.animal­ charity@gmail.com

Barney

Porsha is a young pup has been rescued along with other puppies from the campo, despite the fact that she has not been with peo­ ple she is already a real sweetheart and her foster mum say she is a lovely girl.

To find out more about Porsha or one of the other puppies all different, please ring the PEPA helpline on 650 304 746 or Email: p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail .com

Porsha Amanda is a 5 year old German Shepherd, we res­ cued her and had her Leishmaniasis treated and she is now ready for a home, all she needs now is a tablet a day. She is good with other dogs and very affectionate. Call. 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

Amanda

Lucie is a very friendly black and white young lady born in early spring 2013. She has been spayed and will make a very loving pet. To meet Lucie please call Joe (The Cat Man) on 966719272.

POPPINS is 3 year old little girl weighing only about 5.5kgs. She is charming loves everyone but most of all would like a home of her own! Interested?

PLEASE CALL LINDA ON 965725794

Lucie Harry is one of a litter of nine puppies who were abando­ ned in a cardboard box.

Along with six of his brothers and sisters, he needs a Poppins loving home to grow up in.

To visit the APAH kennels and meet Harry's family, ple­ ase contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

Harry Kipper is a lovely laid­back boy who has been in the Kipper APAH Cattery since he was rescued as a tiny kitten.

Can you offer Kipper or any of the other 80+ cats a loving home? Please con­ tact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

Savannah is a beautiful 14.2hh pony and is around 5 years old. She is wormed, has her microchip and pass­ port. She has been ridden a few times and she seemed perfect in every way. Call: 633 307 248. www.petsins­ pain.com

Savannah

Friday, February 14, 2014

Pie-way robbery A top Euro politician was left steaming after thieves stole a PIE from her car while she was in London ­ but they left behind her official papers.

V i v i a n e Reding, vice­ president of the E u r o p e a n Commission, had travelled to the capital tonight for a public debate on Europe.

But when she emerged from the meeting in central London she discovered peckish thieves had broken into her official car and stolen her luggage ­ including a cottage pie she had bought from a London farmers' market.

Mrs Reding, 62, said of the pie: “I got it to show people how good British cooking is. I just hope that at least they eat it and don’t throw it away.”

The thieves also stole suit­ cases containing clothes and jew­ ellery ­ but left behind a bag containing Mrs Reding’s official papers.

Mrs Reding, who comes from Luxembourg, said: “It is the first time I have had my bag stolen and I travel all around the world.

“They left my papers fortunately. It is a real pain in the neck. It will be really difficult to replace the clothes, jewellery and make­ up.

“My earrings have been on pictures worldwide. They might not be valuable but they are original and recognisable.”

Mrs Reding had visited London to debate the EU with Europe Minister David Lidington at the Royal Institution in Mayfair.

Four Iranian women footballers banned from playing because they are MEN Four footballers from Iran's national women's team have been banned from playing ­ because they are in fact blokes.

The quartet are among everal top 'female' players in the Islamic Republic found to be men awaiting sex­change oper­ ations.

Yet despite the country’s ban on homo­ sexuality and sex before marriage, the stars have been told they will be allowed back after surgery.

All female footballers are now being gen­ der­tested before they can sign for a club.

Random checks are also being carried

out at training grounds.

As a result, seven players have had their contracts cancelled.

Some of the banned players have sexual disorders where their genitals have not developed properly, or are a mixture of male and female organs.

Ahmad Hashemian, head of the Iranian football federation’s medical committee, said: "If these people can solve their prob­ lems through surgery and be in a position to receive the necessary medical qualifica­ tions, they will then be able to participate in women's football."

13

The Courier, courtesy of Lynn Cavendish, has got hold of a proof copy of a brand new edition of the Spanish version of the Highway Code. Here are some exclusive extracts:-

ROUNDABOUTS: ­ If you entering a roundabout or are turning left or right do NOT indicate. If you are not turning left or right, INDICATE either way to confuse the driver behind. Drive at a constant swift speed until you enter a roundabout or arrive at traffic lights and then jam on the brakes hard. Swing immediately into the wrong lane and cut up as many drivers as you can.

PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS: ­ You are obliged to stop at zebra crossings which are situated every 50 metres on every road and at every roundabout junction where you can’t see them until it’s too late to stop. This is good for cardiovascular exercise and makes your heart work harder. Priority is given to anyone and anything who is allowed to crawl, walk, run, jump, and acrobat across them without any notice. This includes ani­ mals such as dogs, cats, spiders, frogs, mosquitos and zebras.

INSTANT PARKING: ­ If you need to find a parking place on the side of the road, pull into it without warning, as this will tell the driver behind that you are very good at get­ ting into a parking space quickly.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE: ­ Drive a foot away from the car in front. That way you will remember the number plate when you hit him up the backside.

DISTRACTIONS: ­ Use your phone, put on your makeup (male or female), do the crossword or Sudoku whilst driving. This will enable you to weave all over the road keep­ ing other drivers alert.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: ­ Be wary of the Guardia civil or Policia Local for they are God. Use a mouthwash or eat mints or you will be arrested for breathing on them. Make sure all your paperwork is in order and keep plenty of cash in your wallet. It is also advis­ able to keep a change of clothes in your vehicle and some sandwiches in case they invite you on a sleepover.

LOOKING COOL: ­ Drive with one arm dangling out of the window, as drivers will think you are Spanish and you can get away with murder. Keep spray tan in the glove compartment to even up the colour on the other arm.

HYPER SHOPPING AND ELSEWHERE: ­ Only shop at Carrefour on Friday nights.

Do not park between the white lines and use at least two spaces. If you have to park between cars, park really close and make sure you bang the door hard on the car parked next to you so you have plenty of room to get out. Put all your shopping on the bonnet of the car next to you. This makes it easier to sort out.

Trolleys can be a problem, and to avoid losing your trolley jam it up against the boot of a car near you.

MEN AT WORK: ­ Beware of men with bats with pointy arrows on. Some of them haven’t been to Bat College and as they are all colour blind so they don’t know the differ­ ence between red and green if they are in a duo either side of the road­ works, beware of oncoming traffic in the middle of the road as they do not co­ordinate. Just take a chance and go of your own accord.

IN CASE OF BREAKDOWN: ­ Always carry a fluorescent jacket. If you break down or have an accident on the motorway stand in the middle of the carriageway twenty yards behind your car. Wave your jacket around rapidly to warn other drivers that you are in the road and you might get knocked down. If you don’t have a jacket, take off your t shirt and wave that, be careful to turn it inside out to avoid other drivers seeing the logo ‘I’ve been to Benidorm’, or you might be run over on purpose.

MISCELLANIOUS: ­ Be aware of the weight restrictions for your vehicle. If you need to transport heavy items, strap them to the roof with bits of frayed rope and ensure your vehicle leans heavily to one side. This will help when you go round bends and make the trip more enjoyable. Check your tyres, if they are bulging out that is ok as there will be a wider tread on the road and make it safer.

Do not clutter up your vehicle with rubbish.

Throw it out of the window. This keeps coun­ cil workers happy as they love their work and are always smiling.

AND FINALLY: ­ As a rule, ignore all the road signs, as everyone else does.

14

Last week I wrote about my friend and my efforts to remove two boilers and replace one, as it quickly turned into a farce with a flying mobile phone.

Luckily the phone still worked, even after falling three floors and skimming a car, I was clipping the little trouper back together as my friend arrived and I returned to the flat, which was the scene of the boiler saga!

When she tried to lift the boiler on her own, she realised that she hadn’t emptied it and so there was no way that anyone could lift the thing off! So, she took off the tap part that stops the water from coming out and we waited, and eventually the immovable object became very much mov­ able! But the boiler was too small for the brackets that she had, and in order to make life easier for her, we still decided to get her old boiler off, and realising our mistake from the old one, we tried to empty it. I turned and twisted and pushed and pulled but I could not unscrew the tap, so I put some oil on it and we decid­ ed that a cup of tea was in order.

Friday, February 14, 2014

BATTLING WITH THE BOILER

We sat and had a chat about her upcoming wed­ ding and a laugh about the day’s happenings until even­ tually I managed to unscrew the part and the water was soon out. Then it was time for us to remove the beast. I say beast because it was bigger than the other one, not only higher but also

wider and I wasn´t feeling at all confident that two women would be able to lift it, let alone actually get it off! I was also wearing boots with a heel and decided these were not quite suitable for the job so I borrowed a pair of her son’s trainers! Shoes changed, we perched on two wobbly chairs lifting and

pulling and turning this metal cylinder to get it off.

Now I´m quite handy with certain things, as I’ve had to get things done myself a lot as I live alone. But, I also know a few people, and usually when I have a problem or need something lifted I find a male friend to help me, however this time

support!

I told my friends if she wanted a bath for her or the children, she was welcome to come over to my place and she said she would do so later, as she was still without hot water, and I know, from experience, how difficult it can be to survive with one child and no hot water, let alone four, and one of those a toddler! So, my son and I went home to have something to eat, and it was five o´clock by this time, and I went straight for a shower and to get my wet, dirty clothes off, and then settled down to relax. A few hours later, my friend told me that her family had sent money for her to buy a new boiler and she went off to get one. By the time she got back home, she was exhausted and didn´t come for the shower, but at least there was no man to be she had a boiler and hot found, apart from my water was soon flowing friend’s 12 year old son. back in the house. All in all, There was no stopping him it was an interesting day though and out he came with lots of laughs because, and the three of us man­ after all, no­one got hurt and aged to remove the boiler, as long as we have our amidst cries of ‘girl power’ health everything else is just which were aimed more at life, still, I shan´t be in any her son than me. I´m sure I hurry to remove any more was really only there for boilers any time soon!

Friday, February 14, 2014

15

FLOODS OF ANGER

I’ve written before about the honesty of Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, and it’s my pleasure to do so again.

He popped on Sunday morning TV to say sorry about the handling of the UK floods and that a lot more preventative work should have been done in Somerset. Good on him, and a damn sight better that the sheer arro­ gance of Lord Chris Smith who chairs the Environment Agency and strangely cancelled all his Sunday media interviews! He refused to apologise for any shortcomings of his organisation on a visit to the flood­hit West Country, which only raised local anger still further. The crazy thing is that Chris Smith was a good MP and cabinet minister in the Blair government that always came over as genuine and sin­ cere, so his total lack of understanding the situation was astonishing. He really should have known better, and after the political row over Michael Gove remov­ ing the Labour­supporting chairman of OFSTED, I’ve not heard too many of Lord Smith’s past colleagues shouting to support him in this fiasco. He for certain should be told to pack

his bags very quickly and to disappear into obscurity.

David Cameron has pledged help for those affected by the flooding, but as always this has a political ring about it. In the West Country for example, there’s a whole deck of marginal seats that the Tories need to defend at the next elec­ tion, or take from their coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats. A year on, voters in that area would not have forgotten this sham­ bles, and Cameron knows that he needs to do something. By the way, short of bleating and moaning, I don’t think Labour would have done any better.

Surely this is a very good example, where all the political parties should work together on short and long­term strategies to deal with these increasing problems? And a word from UKIP boss, Nigel Farage, who has struck a populist note by making the comment that rather than plough­ ing millions of pounds to India in over­ seas aid (a country that is building space rockets and nuclear weapons), the good folk of flooded Britain should get it instead. You can’t really dis­ agree with him on this, can you?

Even if you’re not an MP anymore, you can’t lose your q arrogance. Take the convicted expense fraudster and former Europe minister, Denis MacShane as an example.

He was given a six­month jail sentence for submitting 19 fake receipts worth nearly 13 thousand pounds. After his release, just after six weeks behind bars, the ex­Rotherham MP who used the money to pay for jaunts to Europe, left jail and compared his treatment to that of the accused Coronation Street star, William Roache. Mr. MacShane, there was one massive difference. Bill Roache was not guilty and you were! Sometimes, just keeping a dignified silence is better than being accused of a celebrity­style stitch up.

16

Friday, February 14, 2014

Tony

Mayes

HE ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT

DUMP THESE USELESS LORDS!

I’m sure everyone who has seen the dreadful floods and storm damage which has brought parts of the UK to its knees will have every sympathy with what those people have been and are still going through. It’s dreadful to see your home engulfed by water, but for it to continue for weeks on end must be absolutely heart­breaking.

I was delighted that (perhaps belatedly) Prince Charles and David Cameron got their wellies on and met the locals on the Somerset Levels to learn first­hand what the people there were enduring. But how pathetic it was to see that buffoon, Labour peer Lord Smith, the chairman of the Environment Agency, going there virtually kicking and screaming, playing a cat and mouse game with the locals, who, I'm sure would have loved to lynch him. The local MP, Ian Liddell­Grainger, labelled him a coward and a git and threatened to "stick his head down the loo and flush". The clown should have visited the area weeks before. This whole sorry episode has high­ lighted what is wrong with Britain on so many levels.

Firstly, why on earth is it that the old pals act is still alive and so well in 21st century Britain? Why have we got to levitate certain privileged people, call them Lords and then put these old timers into positions of power and authority when they are so obviously past it and incapable of dealing with any emer­ gency? Why do we allow these establishment clingers on to have chairmanships of all sorts of weird and wonderful quan­ gos and organisations, paying them vast sums from the public purse in the process? Do we really need an Environment Minister and Environment Department chairman, both being paid a fortune? And now let's look at the situation on another level. In Victorian times, Britain led the way in developing the railways, copied around the world. We had good roads, an excellent sewerage system for its time, and we had a network of canals ­ in other words our infrastructure was second to none. But what has happened since thanks to the blithering idiot politicians? We ran down our railways, failed to mod­ ernise our roads, let our canals decay and die, and didn't replace and modernise 100­year­old sewers. In other words, we put money before common sense. It's the same sorry tale at the Somerset Levels, where money should have been spent on dredging the water courses and rivers, but wasn't done properly, again to save cash.

Last week we heard that so much money now needs to be spent on the most minor roads that some will have to be totally neglected. The UK major road network is deplorable and a joke all over Europe. Britain's railway network is a dis­ grace and money should be spent on improvements over the entire country. Yet what do politicians come up with ­ some grand scheme for a fast rail network between London and the north. Do they really think that's the only place people want to go? There are other places in the UK than London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, and is a train which shaves a few minutes off the journey more important than get­ ting the entire network right and fit for purpose? I get sick and tired of hearing about budget cuts and economies, when the government still wants to pour a fortune into overseas aid.

We're giving money to India, which has a space programme and to Pakistan which has the nuclear bomb. As for Africa, fortunes have been pumped in over generations, yet thou­ sands of children still die. Money would have been far better spent on education and preventing so many pregnancies. And

q

we give money to Muslim countries, where there are plenty of people who would like to take Britain over and turn it into an Islamic state. Not a penny is what I say ­ let them sort them­ selves out! We keep hearing from Cameron and co about the need to cut public spending and balance the nation's books.

All very laudable, but here's how to achieve a bit of it without hurting "ordinary working people". Getting rid of the House of Lords would save a small fortune. So would a good hard look at many of the top jobs in government and government departments. Are they really necessary, or are they just perks for the elite?

q

Now let's look at another big British problem ­ the trade union movement. How dare members of the RMT and TSSA unions decide to go on strike and inflict misery on hun­ dreds of thousands of Londoners wanting to use the Tube? It really is about time that strikes were made illegal. If there is a dispute that cannot be resolved by negotiation it should go to a properly constituted industrial court and the decision binding on both sides. The Tube strikes are about closing ticket offices but it goes much further than that because the Underground could be automated far more so that very few staff need be employed. To me it all smacks of the dispute with the miners under Thatcher and newspaper printers trying to preserve their jobs in the face of new technology. But it goes back far further ­ back to the days of the Luddites in 1811 trying to stop machines being introduced in factories and taking away jobs. There's no place for 19th century trade unionism in 21st century Britain. Ban strikes and picketing, and those still hell­bent on striking should understand that by doing so would mean they quit their job and would have to re­ apply without any guarantee they would be reinstated. Most union disputes are about pay, holidays and working condi­ tions, and can properly be resolved without resort to strikes, which are so damaging. The remainder are about unions try­ ing to prevent progress because of the fear of the loss of jobs.

But that's a fact of life ­ just look at the number of jobs lost because of computer technology. It's no good any trade unionist trying to pretend that any job is a job for life, and think they can use industrial muscle to preserve it. It didn't work for the Luddites, and it won't work on the Underground either.

Finally, workers and the unions should get it in their thick skulls that they do not decide what happens on the Tube ­ the management does.

I was delighted to hear the verdict in the trial of Coronation Street actor William Roache, who has joined Michael Le Vell and Jim Davidson in being acquitted of sex crimes alleged to have been committed decades ago. Five women claimed Mr Roache sexually assaulted them when

q

they were aged 16 or under between 1965 and 1971. I just cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to face allega­ tions like these and have to try to defend yourself in court as these three men have had to endure. What these women did to them is as bad, and arguably worse than any rape. In court, one woman making rape claims changed her mind about how old she was at the time. Another woman initially told police she was warned about Mr Roache by actor Johnny Briggs, who played Mike Baldwin, but when it was discovered he was not in the show at the time she said the warning had come from a different actor. A fifth indecent assault charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence after the woman, who accused him of abusing her in his car, told the court she had "no actual memory" of the episode. It sickens me that the police and Crown Prosecution Service can drag a person into court on such flimsy, unsubstantiated and shaky evidence. They turned an innocent man into a victim, and if it was me I would now sue the women who made the allegations for every penny they have. Equally police and Crown Prosecution Service should be called to account and made to pay substantial dam­ ages when their actions result in such misery. Yes, they have to investigate allegations, but it's their duty to reach sensible conclusions. These women who made the allegations came out of the woodwork over the Jimmy Savile revelations. What on earth goes through the minds of such women? Is it their wish for a few minutes of fame, or power over a man, or hatred of men, just plain fantasy or are they not the full shilling? Or was there something even more sinister over Mr Roache? He's a strong believer in Spiritualism and there are people who think that those who claim they are talking to the dead are "dabbling with the Devil" and they are following God's purpose in opposing them. What they have done is to make it that much harder for any real victim of rape to be believed. That's the worst tragedy in all this and it really is about time that society grew up and put an end to muck raking of two generations past. Finally on this subject, here's a chal­ lenge to ITV, makers of Coronation Street. You have taken on some very controversial subjects recently, notably, the suicide of Hayley, terminally ill with cancer. How about highlighting the dreadful trauma for a man confronted by a woman accusing him of a sex crime allegedly committed 45 years previously and his uphill struggle to prove his innocence?

Have you ever been terrified by an amphibian? Well, it happened in Crawley, in West Sussex, when a man came downstairs and came face to face with...a frog. He decided to call in the pest control staff at the local council, insisting he was being "harassed" by the beast. What a wimp!

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And finally ­ I think I have cracked the problem of a snor­ ing partner. I am always being pushed around the bed at night by my other half complaining of my snoring. She can't accept that she's been keeping me awake half the night by her noise. Sound familiar? Well, she wore some earplugs last night, and guess what? She never snored once! Brilliant or what?

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SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH Spanish 109 ¡Hola! I hope you´ve had a good week, I can´t begin to tell you all how great you are doing with your Spanish, the simple act of reading this column is a great start and I hope you are all putting in the time and effort and are managing to com­ municate in some way in Spanish. The response to my classes has been more than I could have hoped, which shows that there are some very serious people out there who understand that learning Spanish is not only about integrating into this fantastic country but also about saving money, after all I would have had to have spent a fortune on translators for all the different places I have been in the past few years had I not learnt the language to a good level. So remember it´s about learning to accept the country you are living in and saving a few euros in the process.

Here are the answers for last week´s questions, how did you get on?

1. mine (el cuaderno) el mío 2. yours ­ informal (las clases) las tuyas 3. yours ­ formal (el teléfono) el suyo 4. his (el hijo) el suyo 5. hers (los hijos) los suyos 6. ours (la hija) la nuestra 7. yours ­ informal (el coche) el tuyo 8. theirs (los libros) los suyos 9. mine (la corbata) la mía B. Select the correct possessive pronouns.

10. ¿Dónde trabaja su esposo?

Where does your husband work?

El mío trabaja en el aeropuerto.

Mine works at the airport.

11. ¿Dónde está su tienda?

Where is her store?

La suya está en el centro.

Hers is downtown.

12. ¿Cómo están los padres de Ernesto?

How are Ernest's parents?

Los suyos están bien.

His are fine.

13. ¿Cuántos años tiene la hermana de Raquel?

How old is Raquel's sister?

La suya tiene cinco años.

Hers is five years old.

14. ¿Dónde están nuestros vecinos?

Acaban de saltar en la agua Where are our neighbors?

Los nuestros están en sus casas.

Ours are in their houses.

15. ¿Cuándo abren los niños sus regalos?

When do the kids open their gifts?

Ellos abren los suyos mañana.

They open theirs tomorrow.

16. ¿Necesitan ustedes nuestros libros?

Do you­all need our books?

Sí, necesitamos los suyos.

Yes, we need yours (formal).

C. Select the correct possessive pronouns.

17. her book (el libro) el suyo 18. Marta's pen (la pluma) la suya 19. her pen (la pluma) la suya

20. their pens (las plumas) las suyas This week we are going to revise something that we touched on in a previous lesson and I am going to remind you of a useful verb and when it´s used.

The verb in question is acabar, which in English actually means to finish or end but when we put it with the preposi­ tion de + infinitive it means to have just done something in the very recent past. Don´t forget that we have to conjugate acabar to who is doing the action.

So: acabar + de + infinitive is the rule Here is how it works in Spanish: Acabo de llegar a casa – I have just arrived home, nosotros acabamos de leer el libro – we just read the book, acaban de nadar en el mar – they have just swum in the sea.

This is a very useful and common verb used in this way, another is the verb volver (conjugated) with an infinitive. In this case the preposition ´a´ is always used, the rule there­ fore in this case is: volver + a + infinitive When used in this way it means to do something again, Examples: Vuelvo a leer el libro – I read the book again Don´t forget volver is a stem­changing o­ue verb, vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven Keep learning Spanish and never give up, it´s not a quick sprint to learn the language but a marathon that is well worth the time and effort that you put in.

Please get in touch if you are interested in learning Spanish with me, my classes are kept small so I can give each student the level of teaching they need, call me if you would like to join my classes in Almoradí on 625437217.

También enseño inglés para adultos y niños. Llámame si estás interesado en mejorar tu nivel de inglés, estoy situado en Almoradí tlf 625437217.

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Friday, February 14, 2014

HAIRSTYLE TIPS: IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE? Never underestimate the power of your hairstyle to add to your professional image or to undermine it. Having a profes­ sional image is more than having nice clothes. It is creating a look that is harmonious which means paying attention to all aspects of image – makeup, skincare, clothing, posture, body type, accessories, etiquette and hair. If either of the aspects of image is discarded the whole look is ruined.

Hairstyle and hair upkeep play a major role in creating a pro­ fessional image and keeping your look up­to­date is a must.

To keep your hair looking great avoid these mistakes: 1. Wearing a lot of hairstyle products to keep your hair “in place” will leave your hair looking stiff and unattractive. Hair should be soft, natural and able to move.

2. Do you still have the same hairstyle you had in high school? Take out an old picture and have a look. If you answered ‘yes’ there is no doubt that it is time for a change.

Also, if you are over the age of thirteen don’t put barrettes or bows in your hair.

3. If you have curly hair and use straightening products

and tools daily to get the look you want you are probably working too hard. Take pride in your curls and use products that enhance your hair’s naturalness and use straightening products sparingly.

4. If you make a slight change in your hairstyle and the compliments start pouring in it could be that your friends are giving you subtle hints and it is time for a change.

5. If it seems that your hair never looks the way you want and you end up wearing a ponytail most of the time it is time for a cut and style.

6. The number one hair buster is roots that show – espe­ cially if they are grown out an inch or more. Before you colour your hair decide if it is something that you will contin­ ue to do. If not, don’t do it.

7. When you colour your hair take your skin tone into con­ sideration. For instance, if you have extremely white skin, don’t colour your hair black. As you age, your skin colour changes. Keep this in mind when choosing hair colour and ask your hairstylist for recommendations.

THE SMALL YEAST INFECTION THAT CAN CAUSE HUGE PROBLEMS Bloating, wind, dry itchy skin, white coated tongue, thrush, tired all the time. Do any of these things ring true to you? If so you may be

suffering from the yeast infection known as Candida.

Whilst affecting more women than men it can affect anyone, including babies and children.

Often people have many of these symptoms and more but never quite get to the bottom of what the prob­ lem really is. Little recog­ nised by the medical profes­ sion it can cause misery to thousands and result in numerous serious problems such as leaky gut and

worse.

Candida is made worse by sugars, yeast in food, mushrooms, vinegar and sometimes antibiotics. The answer is to boost the healthy bacteria in the gut helping to overcome the candida and to starve the body of the sugars and yeasts on which it feeds.

Repopulating the gut with healthy probiotic bacteria is helpful and these can be obtained from the Natural Health Shop just by La

Zenia Pharmacy.

We can also test for Candida and the results are instant and the test non invasive. If you think you may be suffering from Candida call us today and we can arrange for you to be tested and then we can help you with diet to help you to eradicate this unhealthy little fungus.

Contact us today: on 965 191 514 / 722 219 450 or email info@slimfit­ europe.com

WHY ARE BOWEL DISORDERS COMMON? DR MACHI MANNU’S ADVICE CLINIC Email your questions and comments to contact@medb.es

Bowel disorders have become very common in recent times. Since the beginning of the year, over half the consultations for a diagnostic scan at our clinic MedB have been due to bowel problems. And the usual symptoms com­ plained of include: heart burn, stomach pain, consti­ pation, diarrhoea, nausea and fatigue. They results from the scan vary from case to case, nevertheless there are some commonly shared findings. In most cases there is acute inflam­ mation of the entire diges­ tive tract as well as organs such as the liver and gall bladder. In chronic cases, the inflammation also spreads to the pelvic and genital organs. In addition, there can be erosion of the

delicate linings of the stom­ ach and small intestine, which impairs the absorp­ tion of nutrients. The diges­ tive organs especially the liver plays the important role of detoxifying or removing toxins from the body. These toxins come from the sub­ stances we consume – food, drinks and drugs, how­ ever after a life time of excreting these toxins from the body, the liver together with the other organs of the digestive system – stomach , intestines, gall bladder – become depleted of the essential nutrients needed for the detox process to con­ tinue, and become storage vessels for toxins. The tox­ ins such as mercury, lead, aluminium, pesticides and insecticides have all been linked to inflammation.

Furthermore, some of the toxins like mercury promote the growth of deadly microbes such as E. coli, staphylococcus and strepto­ coccus. The growth of such deadly bugs spells havoc for the digestive system because they displace resi­ dent beneficial microbes such as lactobacillus. Truth be told, most digestive dis­ orders originate from a poor or incompatible diet. And most people are generally unhappy to learn that wheat and wheat based foods may be the cause of their diges­ tive problems, and that cut­ ting it off from their diet may be the answer to their prob­ lems.

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

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Be pro-active in fighting Dementia My husband, aged 67, has been diagnosed with Q dementia. Are there any supplements that you would recommend to help with his condition?

Firstly, I have to commend you for taking active steps, to A help your husband´s condition. As important as it is to learn about helpful supplements, it may even be more important to understand the likely causes of your husband´s problem. A vital point to consider is that dementia is not a diagnosed disease, but a symptom of a disease. Several medical disorders can give rise to dementia; however it is important to rule out an often neglected cause – Prescription Drugs. Many drugs affect the nervous system and cause drowsiness, which is a commonly listed side effect of med­ ications; however a few of these can also give rise to more serious neurological problems like dementia. Statins for example are prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, however what is hardly mentioned to consumers is that it frequently causes dementia and memory loss. This is because choles­ terol is required to maintain a healthy brain and nervous sys­ tem. Numerous studies have shown that low cholesterol impairs brain function and predisposes a person to demen­ tia, memory loss, personality changes and depression.

Dementia can also be caused by atherosclerosis of the cere­ bral arteries – blood supply to the brain. Atherosclerosis is a condition that results in the furring and narrowing of arteries, making them inflexible and prone to injury. When cerebral arteries become inflamed, it can result in multiple Transient Ischaemic Attacks (mini strokes) which may be go unnoticed for many years before showing up as dementia. And then there are environmental causes of dementia such as con­ tamination with heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminium, which accumulates in the brain and destroys its memory forming capacity. Toxins are removed from the body by the use of chelating agents, which binds to them before flushing them out. The only chelating agent that is taken orally and backed by clinical studies is Pectasol.

Several nutritional deficiencies are also known to cause or

worsen dementia. Vitamin B12 deficiencies commonly occur in older people and results in the impaired functions of the nerves and brain. Thiamine or Vitamin B1 mimics the critical brain chemical Acetylcholine, which plays a key role in mem­ ory. Many studies have reported the complete reversal of dementia or memory loss by supplementation with B­com­ plex vitamins. Zinc is also a key factor in maintaining mem­ ory by repairing damaged DNA. When DNA or genetic mate­ rial is damaged, it leads to the production of abnormal pro­ teins that may disrupt memory. One common food causing great excitement as a treatment for dementia is coconut oil.

Current research now points to insulin resistance – which prevents glucose or sugar from entering brain cells – as the primary cause of dementia. Glucose is needed by brain cells to produce energy, and without energy they start to die­ off.

Coconut oil provides the brain with an alternative source of fuel, one that overcomes the insulin resistance to provide the brain with energy. The information on coconut oil is still relatively new, and at the moment there are several on­going clinical studies to determine its efficacy. The recommended dose of coconut oil is 2 table spoons daily. Coconut oil is one of the best cooking oils because it is stable to heat – it doesn´t break down when heated unlike vegetable oil or olive oil. Vitamin supplements are necessary for managing dementia; however it is best to take a good multivitamin, rather than single vitamins. This is because most vitamins are best absorbed in the presence of other vitamins and minerals. Besides it works out it lot cheaper. Nevertheless, bear in mind that most vitamins available from health food stores are poorly formulated. Apart from supplements, it is equally important to continue to keep the brain active by reading, and playing cross word puzzles and board games.

Physical exercises also improve brain function by providing it with more oxygen.

TO FIND OUT MORE, PLEASE VISIT: www.medb.es. High quality supplements are also available at MedB. Call 965071745

QWHAT CAN MITOQ DO FOR YOU? MitoQ capsule is a newly released form of Co­enzyme A Q10 (CoQ10) that is 1000 times better absorbed than any other CoQ10 formula. The body needs thousands of nutrients in other to function optimally, however a few of these are absolutely necessary for health, and Co­enzyme Q 10 is one of them. CoQ10 is required by all the cells in the body to produce energy, especially the active cells such as the heart, brain and kidneys. In fact a third of all Co­Q10 in the body is found in the heart. Many studies have highlighted the incredible benefits of Co­Q10 to many aspects of health, especially heart health. Co­Q10 supplements are well known and are taken by millions of people, particularly people on cholesterol lowering statin drugs which block the production of Co­Q10. And although CoQ10 supplements have been taken since the 1980s, a well­known fact is that they are very poorly absorbed into the body. That is until now. MitoQ is not just 1000 times better absorbed, but is also able to penetrate the Mitochondria – an energy generator deep inside the cells.

We have been using MitoQ at our clinic for just over a month, and the results are very impressive. MitoQ researchers claim that MitoQ ´´supports heart, liver and brain health, and assists in energy, libido and healthy ageing´´, and our results so far tallies with the claim. Many of our clients and patients have reported a dramatic improvement in mental and physi­ cal energy, and I can attest to that personally. The feedback from people with drug resistant high blood pressure is also encouraging. A few have not noticed a dramatic improvement in blood pressure readings, and perhaps may need to take it for a little while longer to see impressive results. An important point to make is that MitoQ is not an anti­hypertensive drug; however it improves blood pressure by improving the per­ formance of the heart. The update on MitoQ will continue in this column. To buy MitoQ at a discount price of 43 Euros (60 capsules), please call 965071745. Delivery is free. Visit: www.mitoq.com for more information.

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NO MORE RUN IN THE SUN Imagine sitting in the hot Spanish sun with your face beau­ tifully made­up but free from the fear of melting streaks of colour running down your cheeks. Or just think of jumping in a pool without a moment’s worry that your waterproof eyelin­ er will turn out not to be. Better still, envisage waking up look­ ing just as good as when you went to bed.

This freedom to look good ALWAYS is just what advanced semi­permanent make­up specialist June Hutchinson gives her clients. June, has worked in the beauty industry for many years, and trained in the art of semi­permanent make­up with world acknowledged experts Finishing Touches.

With semi­permanent make­up, June can define eye­ brows, draw in eyeliner and put subtle definition back into lips. June also offers medical tattooing and non­laser tattoo removal.

THE COUNTRY HOUSE WITH MORE Make the place of your dreams a reality by purchasing a country home from EVA VERONIKA. She’s got country prop­ erties along the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida and has been in business here since 1996. So, whether you are looking for a luxury villa; a derelict finca; a building plot; or a cosy country retreat, then together with EVA VERONIKA you will find your dream property!

Her 35 years’ experience living in Spain along with her deep knowledge of Spanish country homes, together with her professionalism at a fair price, coupled with priceless cus­ tomer care, means that she is the property adviser to go to!

EVA VERONIKA will guide you through every stage of buy­ ing that dream house, and will help you with everything be it getting an NIE number or buying furniture. Give EVA VERONIKA a call at her office on 966 180 004 or her mobile 669 621 173. Her E­mail is info@spain­fincas.info, and you can find the website at: www.spain­fincas.info

Home alone neglect PROTECTED TOWER A 3 year old child was left at home while her parents went out to a party in Alcoy last weekend. The couple have been charged with child neglect, with the little girl found in the early hours of Sunday morning wander­ ing around in the street in her pyjamas and with bare feet. A passer­by saw her and called the police when she said she was looking for her parents.

The mother, a 32­year­old Ecuadorian woman, and her Colombian husband, 42,

spent Sunday and Monday in a cell at the police station awaiting a preliminary hearing, with their daughter in the custody of the social services. It is not known whether the girl lives with her mother or her father, since her father has an injunction preventing him from approaching the mother for reasons which have not been made public. He’s also been charged with breaking this injunction, since he was out partying on Saturday night with the mother of his daughter.

Light up Quesada call

Poor street lighting around Quesada and Rojales has been slammed by the opposition left wing Democratic Party leader Desiderio Aráez. The Rojales councillor says that the main roundabout on the CV 905 with the main entrance to Quesada has been without light­ ing for months, apparently due to a theft of electrical wires. The UPYD councillor added that complaints have been received over Calle Isla de Alborán, and criticised the coun­ cil for fully lighting up streets with virtually no houses, whilst other populated areas are in the dark.

A recently discovered Los Montesinos structure has been given protected status by the Valencian Ministry of Culture. The local council pressed for the Tower of the Ermita de La Marquesa de Los Montesinos, dating from the eighteenth century, to be given the recognition after restoration work was carried out last year.

The tower, which acts as the steeple of the chapel, was discovered during that restoration work and

was used as a lookout point for centuries. The Bishop for Alicante and

Orihuela will officially re­ open the building later this year.

Old spanner in the works?

Archaeological excavations on the site of Elche’s extended Central Market site have uncovered a tunnel and bomb shelter dating back to the Spanish Civil War in the late thirties. It’s not known how long the find will delay the redevel­ opment plans, with Elche’s Mayor say­ ing that the recent discovery will be pre­ served as a major tourist attraction.

Friday, February 14, 2014

AN ESTATE AGENT FOR LIFE Having lived in Spain for more than 25 years and run a successful estate agent, Peysu, since 1993, Susanne Seiler is an expert not just in the property market but also in helping people make the smooth transition to a new life in Spain.

She believes that selling a house doesn’t stop the minute the customer signs on the dotted line, and for her providing a good after sales service is just as important as helping cus­ tomers find their perfect property.

Susanne offers her customers a complete legal package, including property registering and transfer of utility bills. But it doesn’t stop there. Many people who have bought a house through Susanne stay with her for years as she helps them prepare wills, make tax declarations and get the best house insurance. She has just had 20 years celebration which she celebrated with her clients and collaborators. Of course, you don’t have to have bought your house through Susanne to get these great services.

SARAH PROMISES TOP QUALITY Sarah Turley is the owner of Sarah's Curtain & Bedding Store, which is conveniently located in Los Dolses Comercial Centre, Urb Villamartin, next to the card shop near the canal.

This busy shop has seen many changes over the last year and continues to provide first class home textiles at great prices.

Providing a friendly and reliable service is of paramount impor­ tance and Sarah who personally ensures all textiles sold in the shop are of the best quality and most importantly are the most up to date trends and styles directly from the manufacturers.

New Spring/Summer 2014 ranges are now available in store with stunning duvet sets, stylish curtains, chic cushion covers and super soft quality towels at great prices!

This friendly shop also offers an in house sewing service which provides professional alterations and repairs not only to home textiles but clothing as well. You can also find toldos/awnings, stair treads for indoors and outdoors, rollers, vertical and mosquito blinds and a brilliant UK shopping service.

GA PROPERTY – THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW BEST We are a family run business with years of experience in the sales and rental of properties in and around Gran Alacant. We have lived and worked here for many years and take great pride in that fact. If you need to know anything about this area we feel nobody knows the area better than we do.

Whether you are thinking of purchasing a new or second hand property, we are here to help you through the some­ times daunting experience. Our main objective is to ensure that you receive a very professional service before and after your purchase.

You will legally be taken care of and our after sales service is second to none.

Like most others, our service does NOT stop on comple­ tion. We are able to help you with almost anything you need.

If we cannot help you, we know somebody who can. Call us on 966 699 136 or 627 711 155

TOP SLUMBER WITH SWEET DREAMS For the perfect night’s sleep, get the mattress that suits you at Sweet Dreams! You spend a third of your life in the land of nod, so making the right choice is crucial, and Sue is there to give you the right kind of advice. She’s been with Sweet Dreams for 8 years, and has all the answers to those all important questions.

If you are renting your property and need some new mattresses, then come in and talk to Sue as she has mat­ tress starting from 100 Euros for a 135 x 190 size and 80 Euros for a 90 x 190 mattress, with all the prices including delivery Sweet Dreams is your friendly bed and mattress shop, which sells all types of beds including electric, lift up stor­ age. Also available are Memory Foam mattresses and Toppers, in addition to pillows and duvets

SWITCH ON TO THE ELECTRICAL SHOP It’s a busy time for Debbie who will be shortly celebrating the 4th birthday of The Electrical Shop in Blue Lagoon, and not resting on her laurels, she’ll be opening up a second outlet in Quesada on Monday March 3rd. Debbie’s been in Spain for a decade and after she was made redundant from Real Domestic Appliance, she decided to go into business for herself. The Electrical Shop became an instant success thanks to Debbie’s knowledge of what her customer’s wanted as well as her hard­working team being fully up to date on all the latest electrical products as well as giving a friendly personal service. It’s no surprise then that The Electrical Shop has won praise, plaudits, and even awards for its special brand of customer service!

They stock all kinds of electrical appliances, small or large, with an extensive range for all your needs, plus TV Satellite Systems and Air Conditioning at competitive prices. There’s also a rather handy Easy Photo instant photo printing machine too, that’s a big hit with customers. The Electrical Shop getting bigger and brighter at Blue Lagoon and shortly Quesada!

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Friday, February 14, 2014

VALENTINE’S RECIPES

Want to show someone you care this Valentine's Day? Why not craft them some super romantic heart-shaped food?

DOTTY SHORTBREAD HEART Ingredients

150g plain flour 100g butter 50g caster sugar 150g royal icing sugar red food colouring You will need a heart shaped cutter about 7­8 cm across at the widest part

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160fan/gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with your hands until it makes crumbs. Add the sugar and start squeez­ ing the mixture together until

it all binds to a dough.

2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut into 9 heart shapes. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 mins until just golden brown.

3. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 mins then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

4. Mix the royal icng sugar with water as directed on the packet. Place half in a small bowl and colour with red food colouring. Place the icings in small piping bags and snip the end. Pipe dots randomly all over the biscuits and leave to set for 1­2 hours then store in a cake tin.

EGGS FLORENTINE Ingredients Knob of butter 250g fresh spinach leaves A little grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs

2 slices brioche bread 6 tbsp ready made cheese or Hollandaise sauce, warmed

Method

1. Melt the butter in a medium pan, add all the spinach, nutmeg and seasoning. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 2­3 minutes or until wilted. Drain in a sieve and keep warm.

2. Place 2 non­stick heart shaped egg rings in a frying pan, add just enough water to come up to the top of the rings.

Season with salt and bring the water to a gentle simmer.

Carefully crack the eggs and tip into the centre of the heart rings.

3. Cook the eggs over a gentle heat for 3­4 minutes or until poached to your liking. Toast the bread and cut the slices in

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Friday, February 14, 2014 half, top with the warm spinach. Use a slotted spoon to lift the eggs from the water and place them on top of the spinach.

4. Finally spoon over the sauce and serve.

TOMATO TARTS VALENTINO Ingredients 400g pack ready rolled puff pastry 225g/8oz mozzarella, sliced 4 slices salami 1 egg beaten fresh oregano, ripped watercress for decoration For the sauce 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tsp sugar salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. First make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and garlic over gentle heat until softened but not brown. Pour over chopped tomatoes and sugar. Bring to bub­ bling and reduce slightly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool.

2. Place pastry on a work top and unroll flat. Cut out four heart shapes about 10cm/4in across. Discard extra pastry.

Spread over the cooled tomato sauce, leaving a rim of 1cm/1/2 in. Top with mozzarella and finish with a slice of sala­ mi. Brush egg wash over the exposed edge of the pastry.

3. Bake in a pre­heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for around 10 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, airy and golden. Serve warm scattered with ripped oregano leaves. Decorate with watercress.

HEART SHAPED CHOCOLATE FONDANT PUDDINGS Ingredients 100g chocolate 100g butter (plus a knob for the mould) 3 eggs 50g flour 100g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in to a glass mixing bowl and place on top of a sauepan filled with a little water, gently bring the water to boil and then simmer to melt.

3. Mix the sugar, flour and the eggs in a separate bowl. Then add the melted chocolate and mix well.

4. Grease the ramekins with butter and then dust with a little flour and pour the mix in.

Cook for between 10 and 15 minutes. The fondants should be cooked on the top and very creamy on the inside.

5. Remove from the moulds right away, and serve with a scoop of ice cream.

PISTACHIO AND RASPBERRY MERINGUE LOVE HEARTS Ingredients 1 egg white 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar plus 1 tablespoon 15 g (1/2 oz) pistachio nuts, very finely chopped 100 ml (31/2 fl oz) double cream 1 teaspoon grated lime rind 2 tablespoons sparkling white wine, optional 100 g (4 oz) raspberries 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly 1 teaspoon lime juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 110C, 225F, gas mark half. Draw 4, 8 cm (31/2 inch) heart shapes on to a piece of non­stick baking paper then use to line a baking sheet.

2. Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until stiff but still moist looking peaks and you feel confident enough to turn the bowl upside down without the egg whites sliding out.

3. Gradually whisk in the 50 g (2 oz) sugar, a teaspoonful at a time until it has all been added then whisk for 2 more min­ utes until very thick and glossy.

4. Fold in the pistachio nuts then spoon the mixture into a pip­ ing fitted with a 1 cm (1/2 inch) plain piping tube. Pipe a bor­ der around each heart shape then fill in the centres of two of them. Use any remaining mixture to make a spare heart in case of break­ ages.

5. Bake for about 1 hour or until the meringues are firm and can be peeled off the paper easily, then leave to cool still on the paper.

6. When ready to serve,

whisk the cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and the lime rind until just beginning to hold its shape then gradually whisk in the wine, if using, until thick once more.

7. Transfer the filled in meringue hearts to a serving plate, top with the cream then arrange the raspberries on top, adding the heart shaped frames at an angle. Warm the redcurrant jelly with the lime juice in a small bowl in the microwave for 10­20 seconds then stir until smooth. Drizzle over the rasp­ berries just before serving.

LOVEHEART MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREADS Ingredients 125g (4½oz) butter, softened 55g (2oz) caster sugar ½tsp vanilla extract 140g (5oz) plain flour Half a 397g can ready­made caramel 55g (2oz) dark chocolate 55g (2oz) white chocolate like Nestlé Milkybar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C, (150°C for fan ovens), Gas mark 4.

2. Cream butter and sugar with the vanilla until pale and fluffy.

Add the flour and mix well. Chill the dough for 10 minutes.

3. Roll out on a floured surface to 3mm thickness and cut out biscuits using a 3cm heart shaped cookie cutter (it should make 36 hearts, if you keep rolling and cutting).

4. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 8­ 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

5. To serve, spread some of the caramel onto half the biscuits and sandwich back together with the remaining biscuits. Melt the chocolate in separate bowls. Drizzle the chocolate over the biscuits and leave to set. Enjoy with tea or coffee or pop one in your valentines’ lunchbox for a special treat!

28

Friday, February 14, 2014

SPANISH NEWS

HOSPITAL SANDWICH GOES VIRAL THE daughter of a cancer patient being treat­ ed in a Murcia hospital was so disgusted at the food served to her mother that she pho­ tographed it and posted it on Facebook – and it has since gone viral on the internet. M.G.E.'s mother was taken into the State­run Morales de Meseguer hospital at the start of the month and, according to a telephone conversation involving the daughter, the patient was served 'paella that was simply inedible' and a tuna sandwich in extremely unappetising conditions.

Although the catering firm which cooks the food for patients in the Morales de Meseguer hospital says if anyone does not like what they are served they can 'ask for it to be changed', when M.G.E.'s mother requested a substitute dessert for a coconut yoghurt because for health reasons she was unable to eat it, she was told that patients 'get what they are given'.

According to the family, a young girl in the same room only ever ate food brought in by her family and friends from outside, refusing to touch the hospital food. Now, the hospital has been 'named and shamed' with a photo of the tuna sandwich – where there is very little tuna and mostly white sliced bread – on Twitter as well as Facebook by the patient's son, Mateo J. Patients' dietary needs are assessed 'weekly', according

to the hospital, and if there is any 'incident', they speak to the catering firm to resolve it. However, patients in oncology have 'personalised diets' assigned to them in accordance with individual instructions given by nutritionists and, given their condition, are 'not able to eat just anything', nor in 'large

quantities', says the centre.

The hospital asked the catering firm for explanations, and were told that all patients were able to choose what they wanted from a menu and the lady in question did not exercise this option – although her family say she was not given a choice and when she asked for something different, was told they 'do not do that'.

Mediterránea Cátering has 'admitted' that the food served to the cancer patient was 'not in the best conditions', but stresses this is an isolated incident.

M.G.E., at her mother's request, did not make an official complaint since she is 'very weak' and 'did not want the hassle' or possible resentment and comeback on the part of staff, according to the fam­ ily.

Sources from one of Spain's main unions, the Labourers' Commission (CCOO) said the company Mediterránea Cátering had received complaints 'from other hospitals in Murcia'. As well as 10 complaints at the Morales Meseguer, seven complaints have been received in the Santa Lucía, five at the Virgen de la Arrixaca and three at the Mar Menor hospital.

Big pro-abortion demo SPAIN’S BIO BOOST

Thousands of pro­abor­ tion demonstrators marched in Madrid last Saturday to protest against the Spanish government's plan to restrict access to abortion.

They yelled "Freedom of abortion!" and waved signs such as "MPs and rosaries, out of my ovaries", targeting the Catholic Church as the sup­ posed driver of the reform.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government said in December that they would scrap a 2010 law that allows women to freely opt for an abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The new law would allow abor­ tion only in cases of rape or a threat to the physical or psychological health of the moth­ er.

Protesters say the law would roll back the decades in Spain, returning to previous restrictions under which they say women seeking abortions had to go abroad for the procedure. The flag­waving demonstrators, mostly women of all ages and also including

minority political groups, marched past the justice ministry in Madrid. They then massed on a central square, shouting for the resigna­ tion of the man leading the reform, Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz­Gallardon.

The bill has reportedly caused division within the ruling Popular Party and has not yet been sent to parliament, where the con­ servative Popular Party holds a strong majority. The delay has drawn cries of impa­ tience from anti­abortion campaigners and the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy.

Spain leads the way in having the most nature reserves in Europe and is just beaten by the United States in being the world leader, according to UNESCO which has just added another three Spanish places to its list. The world heritage charity says Spain is the 'most active' in its biodiversity pro­ grammes, with 45 protected nature reserves – the USA has 47, and México comes third with 40. In total, UNESCO's natural heritage sites come to 621 and are spread around 117 countries.

Three new biospheres in Spain have

recently been added to the UNESCO list:­La Granja and El Espinar in Castilla y León; As Mariñas Coruñesas and Terras do Mandeo, in the north­western region of Galicia, and the Ebro delta in Catalunya (pictured).

Spain's biosphere reserves cover 8.6 per cent of its territory and 7.2 per cent of the world's total, now that the three new ones have been added. Biosphere reserves gain their title where human activity in the area is compatible with environmental conservation, or where the presence of humans does not adversely affect nature.

29

Friday, February 14, 2014

SPANISH NEWS

SHOCKING RISE CRISTINA’S DAY

Consumer groups have attacked the Spanish govern­ ment’s new electricity billing structure as it 'penalises' those who use the least power and does not provide any incentive to save on energy consump­ tion. A year ago, the 'fixed' part of a house­ hold bill accounted for 35 per cent and the variable part, relating to consumption, was 65 per cent, but this was changed last July with a gradual move towards the standing charge taking up a higher percentage of what is paid by residential homes. Now that this gradual migration has finished, from this week onwards, the fixed charge will be 60 per cent of the bill and the variable consump­ tion­related part 40 per cent.

The government's argument is that the previous method 'penalised' large families with children and meant holiday home own­ ers had cheaper bills They say each and every household connection to the mains electricity supply supposes a cost, irrespec­ tive of how much energy was used, but in the past households who saved on energy and used as little as possible did not contribute enough to this cost whilst those who used massive amounts of power paid more towards it.

Now, those who make a concerted effort to save electricity, although they will not pay as much as those who leave every appliance running or on stand­by 24 hours a day, will pay more than they did before and house­ holders who use large amounts of power will pay less.

Consumer associa­ tion CECU says the new structure benefits electricity boards and will hit those on lower incomes the hardest.

Families who struggle to make ends meet and are very sparing with their electricity use to cut their housekeeping costs will no longer be able to do this, says the OCU, as it will make lit­ tle difference whether they are careful with their consumption or not. Experts in the energy sector say the changes will penalise 'the majority' of households and purely responds to the government's need to 'guar­ antee' an income from electricity use.

This is because electricity consumption has fallen drastically as poorer families try not to use so much, and the public in general makes a concerted environmental effort, such as using energy­saving lightbulbs, which means the government is earning less from supplying electricity and needs to guar­ antee a minimum level of income, say con­ sumer groups.

Demand fell between 2008 and 2013 by 5.7 per cent, meaning a significant drop in income for the government through electrici­ ty bills. Also, from April, the previous system of three­monthly 'auctions' of the electricity supply – where energy companies bid for the contract to provide power and the best offer with the lowest price would be chosen – will be scrapped.

Auctions have, in the past, had an impact on electricity bills and led to these rising drastically or dropping mid­year as the cost of energy fell or went up.

FRUITY GLASSES

Spanish boffins have created a new plastic made from fruit waste that can be used to manufacture biodegrad­ able spectacles. The bioplastic materi­ al is made by fermenting citrus sub products and will also be usable by other industries, such as the packag­ ing and automotive sectors. The study forms part of the OPTOBIO project, which looks at re­using waste within the food and agricultural industries, which includes ways of creating new products to be used by opticians.

IN COURT

Spain's Princess Cristina appeared in a Mallorca court last Sunday to answer ques­ tions over a corruption scandal involving her husband's busi­ ness dealings. It was the first time in history that a member of Spain's royal family has appeared in court as the subject of a criminal investigation. Her husband Inaki Urdangarin is alleged to have defrauded regional governments of mil­ lions of Euros of public money.

The princess and her husband deny any wrongdoing, and have not been charged.

Spain's royal household admits the case has damaged the reputation and credibility of Spain's royals, and, partly because of this scandal, the popularity of King Juan Carlos has fallen in recent years. Hundreds of protesters chanting republican and anti­ corruption slogans demonstrated near the court.

Princess Cristina, 48, stepped from her car and walked into court without comment­ ing to the waiting television crews. King Juan Carlos's youngest daughter then faced a judge to answer questions relating to alleged fraud and money­laundering. The

proceedings were closed to journalists, but Manuel Delgado, one of the lawyers involved in the case, said the princess appeared calm and well­prepared.

Meanwhile, authorities have launched an investigation to find out who posted a hid­ den­camera video of Cristina testifying in the closed­door hearing. The online edi­ tions of Spain's leading daily newspapers El Pais and El Mundo featured the low­quality video of Princess Cristina from behind as she answered questions. The video, lasting over 5 minutes was posted on a video­shar­ ing website by a user identified only as "infanta" (princess). The leaked video is the only content posted under that user name.

A record number of Spanish companies and sole traders went into receivership or were declared bankrupt last year – a total of 9,660, which is the highest ever seen since bankruptcy became legally­recognised in this country 10 years ago. This represents a rise of 6.5 per cent on the figure for 2012, and never before have this many insolven­ cies been declared in the space of a year in Spain, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

In the first three years after the Insolvency Law was passed in 2004, up to and including 2007 there were between 968 and 1,147 firms going bankrupt or into receivership each year, but this shot up to 3,298 with the start of the financial crisis. This again nearly doubled in 2009 when the recession and mass unemployment began to truly bite in Spain, reaching 6,197 that year, dropping slightly to 5,962 in 2010 but then soaring

again in 2011 to 6,863.

However, the last two calendar years have seen a sharp increase, with insolvencies shooting up by over 50 per cent. For those registered in 2013, the majority – 8,934 out of 9,660 – were companies, showing a year­ on­year rise of 10.4 per cent, and 726 sole traders, private individuals or families who had either been self­employed and forced to cease their activities or sought to be declared insolvent in the face of mounting personal debts they were unable to deal with.

Catalunya saw the most companies and individuals going bankrupt – 1,969 – fol­ lowed by Madrid with 1,403 and Valencia with 1,244, and the fewest were in La Rioja with 94, followed by Cantabria with 105 and Navarra with 143. Over half of the country's debtors – 52.5 per cent – are found in Madrid, Valencia and Catalunya.

BUSTED BOOSTED

30

Friday, February 14, 2014

ONE MAN AND Milking the money HIS SPONSOR It’s soon going to be special walkies time for you and your dog, plus some gorgeous views to enjoy around the beautiful Pedrera reservoir. It’s all part of the annual Lake Charity Challenge Walk which will be fund­raising this year for the Elche Children’s Home. The event is going to be on Sunday March 2nd, starting at 11.00am at the Casa La Pedrera Activity Centre, which is just off the main San Miguel/Orihuela road.

There’s the choice of a 6km or a 12km guided route that meanders around the

Pedrera reservoir, through rosemary and thyme strewn tracks amidst orange and almond groves which starts and finishes at the Grand Design House! You can get sponsored or simply turn up on the day and pay 5 Euros to take part. There’s also going to be a burger on a BBQ for everybody to enjoy. For more details call Jenni on 660 816 620 or visit www.thingstodoinspain and ask for a spon­ sorship form. It’s the 6th year of the event and if you don’t have a dog, then don’t worry as you can still do the walk on your own!

YOU’VE ALL DONE VERY WELL

A remote desert island is going to switch to the busy bustle of the infamous Grace Brothers department store for the next pro­ duction from the Campoverde Theatre Group. After their popular panto, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe wowed audiences at San Miguel’s Casa de Cultura, the Campoverde team are going to be put­ ting on a musical version of the naughty but nice TV classic, Are You Being Served!

I’m Free, named after the colourful catch­ phrase of Mr.Humphries, will feature all the characters of the popular TV romp, along with a mixture of 1960’s pop classics aimed

those most in need in local towns and vil­ lages. In recent weeks, the Lions have also given 500 Euros worth of food to Vecinos San Miguel Archangel; Alimentos Solidarios Torrevieja; and Reach Out, Torrevieja. In addition, the Lions bought a chest freezer for Reach Out which has greatly helped the homeless charity in their Torrevieja drop in centre.

For more information on the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club go to www.torreviejacostal­ ions.org

Maria and the Pink Ladies recently helped to commemorate World Cancer Day at La Zenia Boulevard with over 2 thousand Euros being raised on the day, as well as an unex­ pected bonus. The day started with the shoppers along with Maria and her group forming a human bow in the main plaza in front of the stage and then holding a minutes silence to honour all those who have lost the fight to cancer. This was followed by a full day of top entertainment provided by local

performers who have their time free of charge.

During the day, Maria Wilson was approached by a gentleman who presented her with a cheque to the value of 2 thousand Euros for the AECC in memory of Margaret Ruttledge who recently lost her battle with Leukaemia. The money had been raised from a raffle, auction and golf match between Paddy´s Point and Gogharty´s at La Zenia.

Help at Home (HAH) Mar Menor have a monthly get­together called the Chatters Social group that meet in Los Narejos at the Bacchus Restaurant for a cup of coffee, plus a quiz or a talk, or just a bit of good company. The next meeting is on Wednesday February 19th, when the HAH clinical lead Lynda, will be talking on how to recognise if anybody is suffering from a stroke, including what action to take and

how to deal with after effects. The meeting starts at 11.15 am, and then on Wednesday March 19th, the group will be learning all about diabetes.

If would like further information about Chatters or HAH Mar Menor, E­mail hel­ pathomespain@gmail.com or phone Mary on 968 17 1542. If you are interesting in volunteering for a few hours in capacity, then phone Lesley on 968 134 978.

MARIA’S LADIES IN THE PINK

at both young and old audiences. So if you fancy yourself as a Mollie Sugden dealing with Mrs. Slocombe’s pussy or those menswear jokers Mr.Humphries and Mr.Lucas, then the Campoverde Theatre Group would love to hear from you. That’s in addition to singers to join the chorus or just anybody who is keen to work back­ stage.

Open readings will be taking place on Monday February 24th and Wednesday February 26th at the Blue Lagoon Community Centre starting at 2.00pm. For more details, phone Tony on 966 182 415.

CHARITIES LIT UP

Torrevieja’s Alzheimer’s Association and Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur are each better off to the tune of 400 Euros each after a generous donation from Torrevieja’s NOSMOKING club.

Alzheimer’s Association Treasurer, Judy Ferris, and Age Concern vice­ President, Pamela Horrabin were special guests of the club’s AGM last week at La Paraiso Restaurant, Torrevieja.

Pamela Horrabin thanked the members for such gen­ erous support and said that this money would help Age Concern to con­ tinue their community involvement at their La Siesta Day Centre. Judy Ferris thanked everyone for a very welcome donation, which was especially needed as grants to

The homeless and needy in the Rojales area have been given a 500 Euro boost thanks to the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club.

President, Janette Bennett, made the pres­ entation to Rojales Mayor, Antonio Perez Garcia at a recent Lions meeting. The club had heard that milk was an urgent priority and so that’s what the Rojales gift was spent on, with the Mercadona supermarket there delivering 828 litres of milk directly to the town hall.

It’s the fourth donation by the Lions to

CHATTER AWAY

keep the work of the group going have been severely cut recently.

The photo shows NOSMOKING club’s President Dorothy Gates, centre, with Judy on her right and to her left stands Pamela, each holding cheques.

Friday, February 14, 2014

UK HEADLINES

31

DOG THAT KILLED SLEEPING BABY WAS 'BANNED BREED'

Neighbours of tragic baby Ava­Jayne Corless tonight described the dog said to have killed her as a “menace” ­ and claimed it is called 'Killer'.

And they were horrified to learn the pitbull type animal, a banned breed, had apparently attacked as she slept alone in a bedroom.

The neighbour who claimed the dog was called 'Killer' said it savaged a ¬neighbour’s cat to death two years ago.

Ava­Jayne’s mum Chloe King, 20, and her 26­year­old boyfriend Lee Wright, the dog’s owner were quizzed on sus­ picion of manslaughter on Tuesday night.

Police have bailed them both ­ pending further inquiries.

As floral tributes piled up outside the home where Ava­ Jayne died, neighbour Brian Harrison, 80, said of Killer: “That dog is a menace. I’m surprised such a tiny baby has been allowed around it.

"It’s not a friendly dog and the poor girl wouldn’t have stood a chance against it. Not a hope. It’s an absolute tragedy that should never have happened.”

Mr Harrison said of Monday’s incident: “When police arrived it was barking wildly and they couldn’t get inside, they had to wait quite a long time before entering.”

Defenceless Ava­Jayne, who would have been one on March 9, died in hospital after the attack at Wright’s home in Blackburn.

She was apparently mauled in her sleep as her mum, who lives nearby, sat downstairs with her boyfriend.

Paramedics called to the home found a scene of “horror” when they arrived. They tried desperately to revive her but failed. Doctors were also unable to save her.

Blackburn’s Labour MP Jack Straw said: “This is the most awful killing, of an innocent 11­month­old baby by an out­of­ control, and self­evidently dangerous dog.

“What will it take to convince people not to keep dogs like this, and to get across to all dog owners, of every breed of dog, that no dog should ever be left unsupervised with a baby?

“However domesticated a dog may be, its hunting instinct can take over.”

Ava­Jayne’s dad, Dean Corless paid tribute to his daugh­ ter.

The 24­year­old said: “She was the most beautiful and adorable little girl, she was just the best. She was my whole world. Her mum and I aren’t together anymore, but I saw Ava­Jayne all the time.

“I will miss her every single day, I just don’t know what to do now. It is so tragic. I have my family around me, but we are all devastated.”

He met his ex on Facebook and they were together for

four years before splitting last summer.

His mum Bernadette, 51, added: “I just can’t believe it, it’s such a shock. She was so young, it is so unfair for a baby to be taken away. She was just beautiful, like a china doll. She was a lively baby and was always happy.”

Chloe’s mother Claire King, 39, said: “We are devastated.”

Neighbour Brenda Walmersley added: “The baby was absolutely beautiful, with dark curly hair.”

Another said: “She was a lovely little girl, always smiling, always happy. This has sickened me to my stomach.”

The RSPCA confirmed that the dog Killer had previously savaged a cat.

A spokesman said: “We were contacted about a cat that had been attacked and died in a garden at this address in March 2012. At the time there was no suggestion the inci­ dent was anything other than an accident. No action was taken.”

Chief Superintendent Chris Bithell of Lancashire police said Killer was a pit bull type breed banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. He added: “This is an absolutely horrific incident. Officers who attended performed CPR on the baby with paramedics before she was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital. Sadly she passed away a short time later.

"The dog involved was destroyed at the scene. We are making inquiries to see whether there have been previous issues with this particular dog.”

Neighbour Faisal Shahzad said there was more than one dog kept at the home. He added: “I had complained to the police about the dogs before because they had been coming into our garden.

“I have three kids who play in the garden, and one dog was bothering them. I had to chase it out.”

'Floods will get worse before they get better' warns PM Thousands of households are underwater due to torrential rain and coastal surges over the past few weeks.

But the misery is far from over, with more homes set to come under threat this week, as further wet weather is forecast.

The Environment Agency has said it is "increasingly likely" there will also be prob­ lems along the River Severn and River Wye. Rising water levels in the River Thames ­ which has already led to flooding in 800 properties this week ­ are also set to cause more disruption.

Answering questions on the Government's response to the crisis, Mr Cameron said: "There is absolutely no sign of this threat abating, and with further rain

and strong winds forecast throughout the week, things may get worse before they get better."

The PM promised more cash for flood­hit Brits, as well as the increased use of mili­ tary servicemen to help those affected.

The Government is set to offer grants to homeowners and businesses to help improve flood defences, as well as funding for farmers whose livelihoods have been devastated by the disaster.

Insurance companies have also been urged to deal with claims quickly, while flood­hit businesses will be given longer to pay their tax bills.

Houses which aren't insured will be able to access "hardship funds".

"Money is no object in this relief effort.

Whatever money is needed for it will be spent," Mr Cameron added.

The PM has cancelled a planned trip to the Middle East next week, in order to deal with the flooding chaos.

But, Mr Cameron was only able to offer limited support to under­fire Environment Agency chief Lord Smith.

Flooded Brits ­ especially those suffering on the Somerset Levels ­ have blasted the Agency for not carrying out the dredging of rivers, which they blame for the current problems.

Commenting on calls for Lord Smith to step down, Mr Cameron replied: "Now is not the time for resignations and all the rest of it, now is the time for people to knuckle down, get on with the job."

Mr Cameron also defended the Government's funding of flood defences.

Lord Smith has claimed he previously warned against the Coalition's "massive" cuts to the Environment Agency budget.

But Mr Cameron claimed his Government had "increased the money going in to flood defences" since coming to power in 2010.

The PM praised the 'Blitz spirit' of volun­ teers who have turned out to help flooded neighbours.

He said: "One of the most inspiring things I have seen over the past two days has been the incredible spirit of volunteers in our communities.

"Amidst all of this, as is so often the case, in the toughest of times we are seeing the best of Britain."

32

Friday, February 14, 2014

Horoscopes Aries March 21 ­ April 19 New opportunities, perhaps involving modern technology in some way, might present themselves to you in such a way as to transform your working life, Aries.

You could find yourself making a lot of phone calls in this regard, which could keep you busy for much of the day. Your level of excitement is likely to be very high, which makes it important that you remember to take breaks, catch your breath, and definitely get a little exercise.

Taurus April 20 ­ May 20 Changes in your working environment could result in a rise in your income, Taurus.

You've been working very hard in order to advance yourself in this regard, and you’re likely to continue to do so indefinitely. Your natural communication skills continue to serve you well, and your physical energy is likely to be stronger than it has been for a long time. The only downside is having very little time to yourself! Hang in there!

Gemini May 21 ­ June 20 Today you're likely to complete a creative project of some kind that you’ve been work­ ing on for some time, Gemini. You might want to consult with friends or colleagues, get their feedback on what you're doing, and listen to their advice. They may point out both strong and weak points of which you were previously unaware, and this should definite­ ly prove valuable to you. The results you achieve could surprise even you. Go for it!

Cancer June 21 ­ July 22 Some revealing conversations with friends or relatives could bring up old traumatic memo­ ries from the past that you may have been repressing. This could shed light on a lot of obstacles you've been encountering lately, Cancer, and thus enable you to release these emotions and do away with the obstacles.

Once that happens, the sky's the limit! Your personal power and self­confidence should be stronger than ever. Go for the gold!

By Pandora Leo July 23 ­ August 22 Today you can expect some noticeable changes in your neighborhood, Leo. Some new neighbors who might become your friends could be moving in. This could alter your life ever so subtly, turning it in a more positive direction. You could click immediate­ ly with these new people, realizing that they share a lot of your interests. Don't overana­ lyze this situation, but don't write it off as coin­ cidence either. Just make the most of it!

Virgo August 23 ­ September 22 Efforts to advance your career that have led to past successes might actually put you in the public eye today. You could find yourself the center of attention, Virgo, perhaps shar­ ing your methods with others or leading a discussion group. An opportunity to write or lecture about your experiences could also be in the offing. Expect compliments from a lot of people, which could boost not only your ego but also your enthusiasm.

Libra September 23 ­ October 22 An opportunity to travel could come your way today, Libra, perhaps in the company of friends or colleagues. This might involve education in some way. What you learn on this trip is likely to alter your life somehow, as it could open new doors for you. New friends and valuable contacts could also come on the scene. Don't hesitate; go for it! Another opportunity like this might not come around for a while.

Scorpio October 23 ­ November 21 A number of new people could come your way, Scorpio, perhaps through projects of some kind with which you're involved. Some of them may appear to be trustworthy and some may not. Today, however, your instincts are highly attuned and you'll be bet­ ter than usual at sizing up people you don't really know. Make the most of this ability, and don't let logic get in its way. Follow your heart!

Sagittarius November 22 ­ December 21 The opportunity to attend one or more huge social gatherings, such as balls or banquets, might come your way today, Sagittarius. You might want to attend in the company of a small group of friends. This could be business related or involve a group with which you're affiliated.

Nonetheless, it shows the promise of developing into an enlightening experi­ ence in one way or another.

Capricorn December 22 ­ January 19 Expect a strong boost to your ego and self­ confidence today, Capricorn. Your physical and mental energies are very high, and you're apt to feel that you're capable of mov­ ing mountains. Take advantage of this new motivation while you can, since today you could make definite progress on any goal toward which you may be striving. The sup­ port and encouragement of friends and col­ leagues should prove invaluable.

Aquarius January 20 ­ February 18 Today you should feel more energetic, enthu­ siastic, and motivated than you have in a long time, Aquarius. You feel very optimistic about your future, thanks to recent successes and support from those closest to you. As a result, your intellectual and creative faculties are more than inspired enough to move forward.

The only downside is that there could be so many ideas coming to you that you might not be able to choose among them.

Pisces February 19 ­ March 20 An increased level of physical and mental energy could have you feeling especially determined and highly motivated to move ahead with whatever means the most to you at this time, Pisces. Matters involving home and family might need some atten­ tion right now, though in a very positive way. You'll notice that your inner power is much higher than usual today, as if you could move mountains. Go for it!

33

Friday, February 14, 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: Bob wanted to know more about using a VPN to ADVICE: Michael wanted to know which option to choose watch UK TV programmes. to make a recovery copy of his new Windows 8 laptop

. Hi Richard A question you might like to look at for me and use as a question for your Courier page.

A friend informs me that for some time he has used one of the “Hide my IP address” service accounts which are available from a Google search. Having paid the annual fee of $25 (he used an American site) his computer by use of independent servers now appears to be located in the UK whereas he lives here in Spain. Since installation he can now access both BBC iPlayer and ITVplayer which are blocked to overseas users. The companies offering this service also claim that it offers better protection as hackers cannot get to the actual IP address of the comput­ er. Is there any downside to having this type of programme installed? Thanks Bob

Q

A

Good morning Richard, I wonder if you could help me, I have just bought a new HP laptop here in the UK, and need to make a backup copy of my windows 8 as they do not supply a cd copy with the machine from new anymore.

I have followed the instructions on screen and ended up in` HP recovery manager` ,and then `create recovery media’, how­ ever it is asking for a memory stick of 22Gb,which means that it is copying a lot of stuff.

If I then go to windows `create recovery` and follow the on screen instructions then this only needs over 1 Gb of memory stick.

What I am unsure of is which is the best one to copy? It says that only one copy can be made, but again I am unsure if this means only one copy of HP `create media recovery` or a copy from windows, or can I make one copy of both.

I need a copy of windows to use in case I have to replace the hard drive, or the present one gets corrupted, as I do not want to have to purchase another copy.

I know you deal with HP and thought you will know the answer to my problem, Thanks in advance, Michael

Q

Hi Bob, as with all things in life there are advantages and disadvantages. The type of service that you mention creates a VPN (Virtual Private Network) between you and the provider. Think of it as a solid pipe between you and the company involved that allows all of your Internet traffic to be transmitted securely from one place to another. Companies use VPN’s to enable secure flow of data from one office to another over the Internet – the “pipe” is encrypted so the data is virtually impossible to view.

One of the advantages of using a VPN is that it makes your computer look like it’s in a dif­ ferent location – this is why people use it to fool (in our case) UK TV companies into thinking Hi Michael, you are much better off doing the larger HP recovery option as that will that your computer is located within the allowed area for transmission and therefore the not only make a copy of the operating system, but it will also back up all of the essen­ upshot is that you get to receive the programming. tial software that came with your computer (hardware drivers, bundled software and One of the disadvantages is that it dramatically reduces the speed of your Internet connec­ HP update software). tion – because everything is “bounced” through the UK end of the VPN tunnel.

I know it means buying a large USB stick but it’s a one off purchase and well worth spending So what most people do is that they purchase a VPN (we recommend a company called my­ the extra few sheckles. private­network.co.uk) and then only use it when you want to watch catch up TV. It’s pretty easy to turn them on or off, just a double click so this isn’t a complicated thing to do.

Hope that explains things adequately?

Don’t forget you can follow me

A

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

ADVICE: Jan was having problems with “odd” emails going to her friends from her email account

Q

Hi, just thought I would ask for guidance as to what to do as some Odd emails are going out from me to some friends and I am receiving some too, not bad ones most­ ly advertising and to click on tagged messages, which I do not do. I don't really want to change my email address, but is there anything that can be done please.

Jan

A

Hi Jan, it sounds very much like your email account has become compromised. You should change your email password as soon as possible and you should try to make sure that it’s a ‘strong’ password. That doesn’t mean that it has rude words in it by the way ;­) Strong passwords include upper case and lower case characters in addition to a number, they also don’t spell out a word, so for example dFeyi2DQ9 is better than MyNewPassw0rd Do get in touch if you are struggling to change your password and we can arrange for an engineer to call to help you with it and check over your computer.

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

Office: 902 906 200

34

Friday, February 14, 2014

EUROPEAN CAR SALES SHOW SIGNS OF RESURGENCE New car sales in both France and Spain have risen for the fifth month in a row to January 2014, showing signs the European car market is on the up.

The news is positive for Europe’s automo­ tive sector, which has been in decline for six years.

Alongside the relative success in France and Spain – two of the biggest hit regions for

new car sales following the global economic downturn – Italy also recorded positive results for new vehicle registrations.

For the second consecutive month new car sales in Italy were up. This is good news for the country, as it was one of the worst hit areas in a post­recession automotive mar­ ketplace, consistently among the top three poorest performers – alongside France and

Spain.

The fifth­largest market for new cars in Europe, the Spanish automotive sector post­ ed a 7.6% increase in January this year compared to the same period in 2013 – this equates to 53,436 sold, according to Spain’s national industry body Anfac.

Although this is a good sign, it was helped by government subsidies in an effort to get the industry back on track.

The Italian market recorded a small but important 3.2% increase in sales this January – that works out at 117,802 new vehicles registered last month.

France – Europe’s third­largest economy for new vehicle purchases – just managed to improve on the nation’s 2013 results.

According to the country’s industry associ­

ation CCFA, the market rose by 0.5% (to 125,477 vehicles sold in January 2014) compared to the total recorded a year earli­ er.

Despite dismal performance across the continent, the UK has remained a bastion of growth when it comes to flogging new motors.

In August last year, industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revised the forecast for new car registrations in 2013 UPWARDS. The year eventually finished extremely successfully, with 2.26 million cars regis­ tered in the UK during 2013.

This marked the strongest performance since 2007, only 6% shy of the 2.4 million vehicles sold that year, pre­recession.

Smoking in family cars to be banned Smoking in cars in the presence of children is to be outlawed in England by the end of the year, Downing Street has signalled, after MPs voted overwhelmingly to make it a criminal offence.

A No 10 source said Parliament had made its view clear and minis­ ters are now looking at the practi­ calities of implementing the ban, with a view to getting it place before 2015.

The Commons voted by 376 to 107 last night ­ a majority of 269 ­ to give the Health Secretary the power to impose a ban in England. It also allows the Welsh government to introduce it in Wales.

It passed despite the opposition of a num­ ber of senior ministers ­ including Home Secretary Theresa May and Justice Secretary Chris Grayling ­ who were given a free vote.

The vote was warmly welcomed by med­ ical campaigners, who have long pressed for the measure to protect children from the effects of second­hand smoke in the con­ fined space of a car.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "The introduc­ tion of a law that would help prevent hun­ dreds of thousands of children from being exposed to second­hand smoke in the car is now within reach.

"With both Houses of Parliament having made their support for the ban clear, the onus is now on the Government to act accordingly and make this crucial child pro­ tection measure law at the earliest opportu­ nity."

Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said he was "disappointed but not surprised" by the decision and accused the Government of being "spineless".

He said: "Legislation will have very little impact because so few adults still smoke in cars carrying children. Those that do will carry on because it will be very difficult to enforce.

"Government has banned smoking in pub­ lic places. Now they're going to ban it in a

private place. The home will be next."

Prime Minister David Cameron missed the vote while visiting flood­stricken areas in the South West.

Mr Cameron's official spokesman declined to say which way the Prime Minister would have voted if he had been able to attend Parliament.

But he told a regular Westminster media briefing: "While he understands the con­ cerns that some have expressed, his view is that the time for this kind of approach has come."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was in favour of the move, together with Chancellor George Osborne, Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Education Secretary Michael Gove, International Development Secretary Justine Greening, Scotland Secretary Alistair Carmichael and Energy Secretary Ed Davey.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith and Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers were among those who opposed the ban.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg missed the vote but has spoken out against attempts to "sub­contract responsible parenting to the state".

Also missing were Foreign Secretary William Hague, Business Secretary Vince Cable, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who is recovering from eye surgery, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, Culture Secretary Maria Miller and Wales Secretary David Jones.

Friday, February 14, 2014

35

36

Friday, February 14, 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, 19 represents T and 22 represents G, 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 Naked (4) 3 Shrill (5) 8 Real (7) 9 Deal with (5) 10 Defraud (5) 11 Proper (7) 12 Sounds (6) 14 Most recent (6) 17 Substitute (7) 19 Category (5) 21 Proportion (5) 22 Saying (7) 24 No longer fresh (5) 25 Sunrise (4)

1/23 Bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament (3,3) 2 Scope (5) 3 Stink (6) 4 Later on (5) 5 Come before (7) 6 Small (6) 7 Regulations (8) 10 Opposite (8) 13 Stimulus (7) 15 Fix firmly and stably (6) 16 Place of worship (6) 18 Odour (5) 20 Stadium (5) 23 See 1

Last weeks Solution

Across: 1 Bespectacled, 8 Gallon, 9 Cannon, 10 Tiramisu, 11 Also, 12 Terse, 14 Cease, 18 Thus, 20 Examiner, 22 Caress, 23 Shifty, 24 Satisfactory.

Down: 2 Examine, 3 Polka, 4 Candid, 5 Accrue, 6 Lineage, 7 Dross, 13 Suspect, 15 Shelter, 16 Versus, 17 Nausea, 19 Heads, 21 Idiot.

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 8 Spanish Victor, as I’ve found, is hard to pin down (7) 9 Ecoterrorist admits blun­ der (5) 10 Sponsor injured pet dragon (9) 11 You and I have nothing to start with, but are still in debt (3) 12 Drive back in Meg Rudolph’s vehicle (4) 13 Ana sews differently in Wales (7) 16 You won’t get far with this old dance (3­4) 19 The French with Norway produce fine linen (4) 22 Play part of a rabid cat (3) 23 Raise cast members in access way (9) 24 Top people of the Spanish, Italian, and English (5) 25 Blame outcome of Navy rescue (7)

Down 1 Prevaricate over hotel boundary (5) 2 Warned about stray (6) 3 Mangle it badly, Bond (8) 4 Deters rebel lepers (6) 5 The Barents Sea is where you will find the charter (4) 6 Accepts Burns (6) 7 Mean ref is no longer a slave (7) 14 Rug in all forms is appealing (8) 15 Deaf cop displaying no humour (2­5) 17 Involve some women tailors (6) 18 Fish to come first, sec­ ond or third, say (6) 20 Finish off the warming process (4,2) 21 Semite with the Spanish gem (5) 23 Upset pet’s gait (4)

Down STANDARD CLUES 1 Green fence (5) Across 8 Equivocating (7) 2 Roam (6) 9 Mistake (5) 3 Connective tissue (8) 4 Drives back (6) 10 Baptismal sponsor (9) 5 Let out (4) 11 Be indebted for (3) 6 Small streams (6) 12 Persuade (4) 7 Person who is not a slave 13 Welsh port (7) 16 Early ballroom dance (3­ (7) 14 Beguiling (8) 4) 15 Humourless and disap­ 19 Field of cultivated and proving (2­5) mowed grass (4) 17 Involve (6) 22 Behave (3) 18 European flatfish (6) 23 Steps up (9) 20 Finish a task completely 24 Superior group of people (4,2) (5) 21 Precious stone (5) 25 Rebuke formally (7) 23 Pace (4) Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Thrill, 4 Corset, 9 Macrame, 10 Trial, 11 Read, 12 De facto, 15 Ordain, 16 Celtic, 19 Forages, 21 Left, 24 Norma, 25 Creator, 26 Budget, 27 Toupee.

Down: 1 Tomorrow, 2 Richard, 3 Lead, 5 Outdated, 6 Swift, 7 Tall, 8 Newer, 13 Vicarage, 14 Scot­free, 17 Treetop, 18 Wench, 20 Oared, 22 Snub, 23 Hero.

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words As Be So Ta 3 letter words Ado Ale Alp Are Ash Ate Bag Bee Bet Cab Cha Cog Con

Coo Eel Eld Eve Gas Get God Lea Lip Lot Mac Mat One Ore Own Pry Tee 4 letter words Aloe Anti

Area Band Bass Bold Boss Cage Deed Deep Disc Dreg Ever Fees Iron Lead Leak Lens Lone Lore Moan Moas Naan

Odds Pont Rely Robe Sear Sent Sere Sunk Teen Ulna Urns 5 letter words Ashes Balls Beget Bowel Chads Dealt Ebony Fitch

Indie Loose Macro Stope 6 letter words Accord Daring Leader Manned Nuncio Single 7 letter words Lanyard Leaflet 8 letter words Enthrone Fostered

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

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

Across 1 Bedsheet (6) 4 Trenes (6) 7 Nightmare (9) 9 Rugido (4) 10 Soul (of person) (4) 11 Carriles (en car­ reteras) (5) 13 Espacios (6) 14 Treasure (6) 15 Broccoli (6) 17 Penknife (6) 19 Sacks (bags) (5) 20 Raíz (de planta) (4) 22 Coffee (4) 23 A veces (9) 24 Camisas (6) 25 Escaso (6)

Down 1 Tiburones (6) 2 Yesterday (4) 3 Spiders (6) 4 Wáter (lugar) (6) 5 Classroom (4) 6 Saturday (6) 7 Passengers (9) 8 Pillows (9) 11 Far away (5) 12 Mushrooms (flat­ topped) (5) 15 Donkeys (6) 16 Solapas (de chaque­ tas) (6) 17 Boyfriends (6) 18 Oil (6) 21 Gira (4) 22 Eyebrow (4)

37

Friday, February 14, 2014 Across 9 Nationality of singers Dame Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones (5) 10 Gradually increasing in volume (9) 11 Hot wind, often dusty or rainy, blowing from North Africa across the Mediterranean to southern Europe (7) 12 Thin, flat cake of bat­ ter, fried on both sides in a pan and typically rolled up with a sweet or savoury fill­ ing (7) 13 Surname of UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 (5) 15 British rock guitar trio who had a UK Top 10 hit in 1968, with Race with the Devil (3) 16 Title of Suzi Quatro’s first UK number one hit sin­ gle: ­­­ the ­­­ (3) 17 Any supernatural being worshipped as con­ trolling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force (3)

19 Large metal container in which coal or charcoal is burned that warms people who must stay outside for long times (7) 20/23 Solidified carbon dioxide (3,3) 24 See 13 Down 25 A cut of meat (beef, veal, mutton or lamb) from the lower part of the leg (5) 27 Former kingdom in north­central Europe includ­ ing present­day northern Germany and northern Poland (7) 29 Close friends who accompany their buddies in their activities (7) 32 Greek dramatist whose notable works include Medea, Hippolytus, Electra, Trojan Women and Bacchae (9) 33 Large trunk artery that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to branch arteries (5) Down 1 Nocturnal birds of prey with hawk­like beaks and

SUDOKU (Very easy)

Quiz Word

claws and large heads with front­facing eyes (4) 2 First name of singers Estefan and Gaynor (6) 3 American disco and

R&B band whose UK hit singles include: Le Freak and Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) (4)

4 English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978, consisting of Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant, Les Pattinson and Pete de Freitas are known as ­­­­ and the Bunnymen (4) 5 Winding lake in Hyde Park, London, constructed in 1730 (10) 6 In computing, a graphic symbol (usually a simple picture) that denotes a pro­ gramme or a command or a data file or a concept in a graphical user interface (4) 7 Lacking a crew (8) 8 Spanish dance in sim­ ple triple time (6) 13/24 Also known as the hallux (3,3) 14 Basic unit of money in Russia and Tajikistan (5) 15 Large bear­like mam­ mal with characteristic black­and­white markings, native to certain mountain forests in China that feeds almost entirely on bamboo (5,5) 16 Soft, white substance formed when milk coagu­

lates, that is used as the basis for cheese (5) 18 Cocktail containing rum and lime juice named after a rum­producing dis­ trict in Cuba (8) 21 Large domesticated wild ox with shaggy hair, humped shoulders and large horns, that is used in Tibet as a pack animal and for its milk, meat, and hide.

(3) 22 Burrowing rodent with fur­lined pouches on the outside of the cheeks, found in North and Central America. (6) 26 Place where bees are kept (6) 28 Drinks something by taking small mouthfuls (4) 29 Division between signs of the zodiac (4) 30 Home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was built in 1845.

(4) 31 Unwanted email, usu­ ally of a commercial nature sent out in bulk (4)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH

Caracteristicas negativas Negative traits Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch.

(Answers below)

aburrido

impaciente

celoso

malhumorado

cruel

mandón

deshonesto

mezquino

distraído

molesto

exigente

olvidadizo

fanfarrón

prepotente

fisgón

torpe

grosero

vanidoso

history QUIZ

ANSEWRS: 1. Butcher 2. Tank 3. Ivory 4. Catherine Parr 5.

The Edsel 6. Climb Matterhorn 7. Alaska 8. Trinity site, New Mexico 9. For Valor 10. Charles Lindbergh 11.

Cabbage 12. Hieroglyphics 13. The French Revolution 14.

Corks in bottles

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Word Solution Across: 1 Boxing, 5 Lapidary, 9 Casanova, 10 Recipe, 11 Conquistador, 13 Barb, 14 Optician, 17 Magellan, 18 Ides, 20 Lake Victoria, 23 Hiatus, 24 Orthodox, 25 Molasses, 26 Canton.

Down: 2 Oman, 3 Irascible, 4 Groyne, 5 League of Nations, 6 Parasite, 7 Dacca, 8 Reprobates, 12 Paramaribo, 15 Chinatown, 16 Ellipsis, 19 Arctic, 21 Extra, 22 Poco.

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

1.aburrido, 2.celoso, 3.cruel,

15.olvidadizo, 16.prepotente,

i.bad­tempered, j.arrogant,

4.deshonesto, 5.distraído,

17.torpe, 18.vanidoso.

k.impatient, l.jealous, m.vain, n.bossy, o.nosy, p.cruel, q.rude,

6.exigente, 7.fanfarrón, 8.fisgón, 9.grosero, 10.impaciente,

a.demanding, b.irritating,

11.malhumorado, 12.mandón,

c.dishonest, d.clumsy, e.mean,

13.mezquino, 14.molesto,

f.boring, g.forgetful, h.show­off,

Soduko

Span ­ Eng

Quizword

r.absent­minded Answers: 1f, 2l, 3p, 4c, 5r, 6ª, 7h, 8º, 9q, 10k, 11i, 12n, 13e, 14b, 15g, 16j, 17d, 18m.

1. Dick Turpin the highwayman served and apprenticed in what trade??

2. What weapon was invented by Ernest Swinton, in 1916?

3. What item's price soared from $63 to $260 per kilo when it became illegal, in 1976 4. Who Was Henry VIII's Last Wife?

5. What automotive flop was named for the only child of Henry Ford?

6. What was Edward Whymper the first man to do?

7. In America, what became the 49th state to enter the union in 1959?

8. Where did the first atomic bomb explode?

9. Which two words are inscribed on a Victoria Cross?

10. Which flying pioneer was nicknamed the 'Lone Eagle'?

11. Ancient Egyptians worshiped what food item?

12. What Was Deciphered As A Result Of The Discovery Of The Rosetta Stone?

13. Which Revolution Began In 1789?

14. Dom Perignon invented champagne and what else?

Fill It In

38

Friday, February 14, 2014

TRELI ON THE TELLY

WATCH SOME ARRESTING FARE with ALEX TRELINSKI Like London double­deck­ ers, we’ve had three brand new British TV cop shows appearing all in a row this week, and they’re all good.

In fact Line of Duty on BBC 2 on a Wednesday night is brilliant.

It’s a second run for a drama that popped up two year’s ago which featured a team trying to trap a popular but crooked copper, played

by Lennie James. This time a totally unglamorous Keeley Hawes as a Detective Inspector, is under the spot­ light by the anti­corruption team, who are also joined by Call the Midwife’s Jessica Raine (I’m still upset after Sunday’s episode) who is a million miles away from umbilical cords and scream­ ing mothers. I loved the show two years ago, and this was a great opener full of surpris­

es that passed the acid test of not clock watching, with an hour disappearing in just seconds.

q

As the closing credits rolled, you could then turn over to Channel Five for Suspects. The Big Brother channel is to UK drama as to what wrestler Mick McManus was to ballet, and its last drama venture was the utter­ ly pathetic updating of Minder a few years ago, which at least nobody has had the stupidity to repeat.

Suspects is in a different class, and it’s a ‘straight by the numbers’ cop show with

improvised dialogue and a documentary feel to the way it was shot. Fay Ripley plays the boss and it’s good to have a simple but effective cop drama that could fill the gap of the much missed The Bill. What a shame then that Five have put it on at 10.00pm, filling the premium 9.00pm slot with documen­ taries and reality fodder every weeknight. It’s as if they have no faith in Suspects, which I think is a misguided judgement.

Channel Four reeled in Danny Boyle to direct their new police effort, Babylon. James Nesbitt plays the Met Commissioner that brings in an American spin­doctor to improve the force’s image. I enjoyed the first outing which had strong echoes of shows like The Thick of It. Rude and funny, which suits me fine, and great to have a trio of differ­ ent UK dramas that are wor­ thy of anybody’s considera­ tion.

q

q

No great surprise at all that Simon Cowell is back as a judge on the UK

sive six million viewers every Sunday at the expense of Mr.Selfridge over on ITV, but the department store drama has still held its own with over five million checking in each week. I hope that’s enough for ITV bosses to bring it back next year, as this season has been far more entertaining and con­ sistent than the first series.

The pace is quicker, and The BBC were slow off there’s a really nasty bogey­ the mark with the official man in the form of Lord announcement that their hit Loxley, played by Aidan Mc show The Musketeers would Ardle who treats his wife, come back for a second sea­ played by the wonderful son, since everybody in the Katherine Kelly, as sheer industry knew that weeks garbage. You can just smell ago. It’s pulled in an impres­ her revenge coming. version of The X Factor. That decision was made for him by the US X Factor being pulled, and now we have the regular bout of Cheryl Cole speculation. The story goes that a contract has been drawn up for her to return and she has six weeks to put pen to paper or else Mr.Cowell will look else­ where. The nation holds its breath!

q

The Courier Friday TV

February 14

02:05 Panorama 02:35 Inspire: The Olympic Journey 00:35 This Week

03:05 Pilgrimage with Simon

01:20 Skiing Weatherview

Reeve

01:25 BBC News

04:05 This Is BBC Two

07:00 Breakfast

05:00 Schools ­ Why the Industrial

10:15 Wanted Down Under

Revolution Happened Here

Revisited

05:20 Schools ­ L8R Youngers 2

11:00 Homes Under the Hammer

06:00 Schools ­ Cracking the Code

12:00 Bargain Hunt

07:00 This Is BBC Two

13:00 Live Winter Olympics

07:45 Live Winter Olympics

14:00 BBC News; Weather

13:00 Daily Politics

14:30 Regional News and Weather

14:00 Live Winter Olympics

14:45 Doctors

16:40 Live Winter Olympics

15:15 WPC 56

20:10 Winter Olympics: Today at

16:00 Perfection

the Games

16:45 Escape to the Country

21:00 Mastermind

17:30 Put Your Money Where Your

21:30 An Island Parish

Mouth Is

22:00 Mock the Week Looks

18:15 Pointless

Back at

19:00 BBC News

22:30 QI

19:30 Weather

23:00 Alan Davies Apres­Ski

20:00 The One Show

23:30 Newsnight

20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Room 101 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

00:20 Inside the Animal Mind 01:20 The Review Show

00:35 The Great Train Robbery 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 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 Coronation Street 21:00 Student Nurses: Bedpans and Bandages 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

MOCK THE WEEK LOOKS BACK AT A selection from the show's archives on the theme of health, including another chance to hear about Dara O Briain's curious exercise regimen, Frankie Boyle describing `Mock the Week slash fiction' and the show's producer plaintively pleading with Dara through his earpiece.

00:05 Getting Rich in the Recession 01:05 24 Hours in A&E 02:00 Random Acts 02:05 First Dates 03:00 Payday 03:55 Dispatches 04:25 Food Unwrapped 04:50 Location, Location, Location 05:50 Supernanny US 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 News13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 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 Peter Kay: Live & Back on Nights!

23:00 The Last Leg 23:50 Brooklyn Nine­Nine

00:00 CSI: NY 01:00 SuperCasino 04:05 World's 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Divine Designs 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Police Interceptors 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Taking a Chance on Love 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 World's Toughest Prison 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 23:00 World's

39

The Courier Saturday TV

February 15

00:25 Pound Shop Wars

00:00 Weather

00:55 EastEnders

00:05 Before Sunrise

02:50 Weatherview

01:40 Question Time

02:55 BBC News

02:40 Inspire: The Olympic Journey

07:00 Breakfast

03:10 The Culture Show

11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 04:10 This Is BBC Two 12:30 Food & Drink 06:00 Live Winter Olympics 13:00 Football Focus 13:30 Live Winter Olympics

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

17:30 Live Winter Olympics

and Weather

20:00 Winter Olympics: Today at the

14:15 Live Athletics

Games

17:30 Final Score

21:00 Top Gear

18:15 Reflex

22:00 True Grit

19:00 BBC News; Regional News

23:45 QI XL

and Weather

21:30 The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins 22:20 Casualty 23:10 Mrs Brown's Boys

Benidorm Jackpot247 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 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 Jeremy Kyle Show USA The Crocodile Hunter Diaries The Unforgettable You Only Live Twice ITV Meridian Weather ITV News and Weather Live FA Cup Football Splash!

Take Me Out The Jonathan Ross Show

00:20 The Naked Gun: from the Files of Police Squad!

01:55 The Simpsons 02:15 Random Acts 02:20 According to Jim 02:45 Happy Endings 03:05 Franklin & Bash 03:50 Boss 04:45 Stonehouse Reunion 04:50 Location, Location, Location 05:50 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 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 12:55 The Simpsons 13:30 Undercover Boss USA 14:25 Channel 4 Racing 17:10 Come Dine with Me 19:45 Channel 4 News 20:05 The Restoration Man 21:00 Walking Through History 22:00 Hostages 23:00 Inglourious Basterds

TAKE ME OUT

19:20 Pointless Celebrities 20:10 The Voice UK

00:35 01:25 04:00 04:40 05:25 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:15 08:30 10:25 10:30 11:30 12:30 12:39 12:40 13:35 14:05 15:05 17:20 17:30 17:45 20:20 21:50 23:05

The love lift delivers a London rugby player, a phys­ iotherapist from Liverpool, a gymnastics coach from Bath and a Glasgow drainage engineer, all of whom are hoping to land a date with one of 30 sin­ gle women on the Isle of Fernandos. However, to have any chance of succeeding, they must ensure the female participants keep their lights on as a sign of approval.

23:40 BBC News; Weather

00:00 Criminals: Caught on Camera 01:00 SuperCasino 04:05 Ultimate Emergency Bikers 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Great Scientists 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bubble Guppies 07:40 The Mr Men Show 07:50 Chloe's Closet 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Make Way for Noddy 08:40 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 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 Access 11:05 The Dog Rescuers 11:35 Daddy Day Camp 13:20 Land of the Lost 15:05 Planet of the Apes 17:20 Diagnosis Murder 18:20 Columbo: Requiem for a Falling Star 19:45 5 News Weekend 19:50 NCIS 20:35 NCIS 21:30 NCIS 23:10 Secrets in the Walls

The Courier Sunday TV

February 16

21:00 Call the Midwife 00:00 Live at the Apollo

22:00 The British Academy Film

00:45 The Football League Show

Awards

02:00 Weatherview 02:05 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 14:00 BBC News 14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 14:15 Bargain Hunt 15:00 The Indian Doctor 15:45 Escape to the Country 16:30 Hidden Kingdoms 17:30 Lifeline 17:40 Songs of Praise 18:15 Pointless Celebrities 19:05 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 19:30 Blandings 20:00 Countryfile

00:30 The Notorious Bettie Page 02:00 Love 03:15 This Is BBC Two 06:00 Live Winter Olympics 13:30 Live Winter Olympics 17:00 Live Winter Olympics 20:00 Winter Olympics: Today at the Games 21:00 Top Gear 22:00 Dragons' Den 23:00 Alan Davies Apres­Ski 23:30 Line of Duty

00:05 00:19 00:20 01:30 04:00 04:45 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:15 08:30 10:25 10:30 11:30 12:25 12:34 12:35 13:30 14:00 16:50 18:20 18:50 19:00 19:15 20:45 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:14 23:15 23:45

ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather FA Cup Football Highlights Jackpot247 In Plain Sight ITV Nightscreen Pat & Stan Dino Dan Canimals Om Nom Stories Sooty Scrambled!

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

You've Been Framed!

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 FA Cup Highlights

THE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS Stephen Fry hosts the annual celebration of cine­ ma, live from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. This has been a year that has seen movie­goers get stranded in space with Sandra Bullock in Gravity, become engrossed by the excitement of Formula 1 in Rush and tinkle the ivories with Michael Douglas in Behind the Candelabra ­ among many other big­screen treats.

01:55 You're 03:45 05:50 06:45 07:10 08:00 08:30 08:55 09:25 10:30 13:30 13:55 14:25 14:50 15:20 15:50 16:20 World 18:00 19:00 19:30 21:00 22:00

Before the Devil Knows Dead Hollyoaks Location, Location, Location Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard The Hoobs Freesports on 4 Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier The Taste Sunday Brunch The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Simpsons The Simpsons SPYkids 4: All the Time in the Deal or No Deal Channel 4 News Gulliver's Travels Scandimania Red

00:55 Access 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 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 06:30 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 07:40 The Mr Men Show 07:50 Chloe's Closet 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Make Way for Noddy 08:35 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 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Power Rangers Super Samurai 11:35 Power Rangers Megaforce 12:00 Access 12:05 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 13:00 Ice Road Truckers 13:55 Ultimate Emergency Bikers 14:55 The Hotel Inspector 15:55 What a Girl Wants 18:00 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 19:55 5 News 20:00 The River Wild 22:00 10,000 BC

40

The Courier Monday TV

February 17

22:00 Britain's Great War 00:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 00:25 Doubt 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 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your

23:00 BBC News 00:45 Premiership Rugby Union 01:45 The Store 23:35 Have I Got Old News for You 03:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 05:10 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 00:30 For Your Consideration 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 01:55 Countryfile 13:30 Loose Women 02:50 Holby City 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Meridian 03:50 The Truth About Immigration 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 04:50 This Is BBC Two 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 06:00 Live Winter Olympics 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 14:00 Live Winter Olympics 19:00 ITV News Meridian 17:00 Live Winter Olympics 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Winter Olympics: Today at the 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street Games 21:00 A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Coronation Street 21:30 Food & Drink 22:00 DCI Banks 23:00 ITV News at Ten and 22:00 Horizon Weather 23:00 The Culture Show 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 The Agenda 23:30 Newsnight 23:25 Regional News and Weather

BENEFITS BRITAIN: THE DEBTAE

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

00:15 Under Siege 2 02:05 Boss 03:00 The Secret Millionaire 03:55 Secret Removers 04:55 Location, Location, Location 05:50 Supernanny US 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 12:00 The Big Bang Theory 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Deal or No Deal 17:30 Come Dine with Me 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Superstar Dogs: Countdown to Crufts 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 Benefits Street 22:00 Benefits Britain: The Debate 23:00 8 Out of 10 Cats 23:50 Troy

Benefits Street has sparked a national conversa­ tion about Britain's welfare system, generating questions in Parliament, national headlines and social media reaction. This discussion, chaired by Richard Bacon, focuses on the socio­economic issues brought to the fore by the documentary series, hearing from a range of panellists, including some of those involved in the programme.

00:10 The Matrix Reloaded 02:40 SuperCasino 04:10 200 Nips & Tucks and I Want More!

05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Make It Big 05:50 The Funky Valley Show 06:00 Angels of Jarm 06:10 Hana's Helpline 06:20 Angels of Jarm 06:30 The Funky Valley Show 06:40 Hana's Helpline 06:50 Hana's Helpline 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Police Interceptors 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 McBride: It's Murder, Madam 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 The Big British Immigration Row 23:00 Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Hoarding

The Courier Tuesday TV

February 18

23:35 Traffic Cops 00:20 Who Do You Think You Are? USA 01:00 The Graham Norton Show 01:45 Weatherview 01:50 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 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless

00:20 Dragons' Den 01:20 Film 2014 01:50 Russia on Four Wheels 02:50 Animal Odd Couples 03:50 This Is BBC Two 04:55 Legal Eagles 05:50 Ancient Egypt: Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings 06:30 Schools: Your Paintings 07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:45 Live Winter Olympics 14:00 Live Winter Olympics 17:00 Live Winter Olympics 20:00 Winter Olympics: Today at the Games 21:00 The Great British Sewing Bee 22:00 This World 23:00 House of Fools 23:30 Weather

00:10 The Mighty Mississippi with Trevor McDonald 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 Champions League Weekly 04:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 05:10 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Live UEFA Champions League 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 UEFA Champions League: Extra Time

SEXTING TEACHER

19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather

Documentary telling the stories of three teacher­ pupil relationships in the age of social media and smartphones, starting with a dramatic reconstruc­ tion of the most recent case to hit the headlines ­ maths teacher Jeremy Forrest, who ran away to France with a 15­year­old girl. All three cases in the programme led to the conviction of the adult and had a tumultuous effect on the lives of those involved.

00:50 One Born Every Minute 01:45 Random Acts 01:50 Scandal 02:35 Hostages 03:20 World Without End 04:55 Supernanny US 05:35 Location, Location, Location 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Frasier 12:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:30 The Big Bang Theory 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Deal or No Deal 17:30 Come Dine with Me 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Superstar Dogs: Countdown to Crufts 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Taste 23:00 Sexting Teacher

00:00 Criminals: Caught on Camera 01:00 Helix 01:55 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Great Scientists 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Police Interceptors 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Trauma Doctors 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Still Life: a Three Pines Mystery 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 The Big British Immigration Row 20:00 The Dog Rescuers 20:30 Police 5 21:00 Benidorm ER 22:00 Holiday Love Rats Exposed 23:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

41

The Courier Wednesday TV

February 19

00:35 The Mexican 02:30 Weatherview 02:35 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 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 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 Pound Shop Wars 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 Outnumbered 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 A Question of Sport

00:35 01:30 01:20 The Super League Show 04:00 02:00 Britain's Great War 04:45 03:00 Operation Grand Canyon with 06:05 07:00 Dan Snow 09:30 04:00 This Is BBC Two 10:25 04:55 Schools ­ The Modern 11:30 Monarchy 13:30 05:55 Schools ­ D­Day: The Last 14:30 Heroes 14:55 15:00 06:30 Schools ­ Roman Voices 16:00 07:00 This Is BBC Two 16:59 07:45 Live Winter Olympics 17:00 14:00 Live Winter Olympics 18:00 17:00 Live Winter Olympics 19:00 20:30 Winter Olympics: Today at the 19:30 20:00 Games 20:30 21:00 The Restaurant Man 21:00 22:00 Line of Duty 23:15 23:00 Inside No 9 23:45 23:30 Newsnight 23:50 00:20 Horizon

Sports Life Stories Jackpot247 Loose Women ITV Nightscreen The Jeremy Kyle Show Daybreak Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Dickinson's Real Deal The Alan Titchmarsh Show ITV Meridian Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News Meridian ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street Brit Awards 2014 ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News Meridian The Jonathan Ross Show

00:00 8 Out of 10 Cats 00:45 Paul Chowdhry: What's Happening White People?

01:40 Random Acts 01:45 Poker 02:45 KOTV Boxing Weekly 03:15 Trans World Sport 04:10 Beach Volleyball 05:05 Freesports on 4 05:35 Terror in the Skies 06:30 Secret Removers 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 12:00 The Big Bang Theory 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Deal or No Deal 17:30 Come Dine with Me 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Superstar Dogs: Countdown to Crufts 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Restoration Man 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 First Dates

BRIT AWARDS 2014 James Corden hosts the star­studded music cer­ emony live from London's O2, featuring perform­ ances by Arctic Monkeys, Bastille, Rudimental, Bruno Mars, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Lorde, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams. Bastille and Disclosure lead the way with four nominations each, while David Bowie is in the running for British Male Solo Artist and the coveted Album of the Year, 30 years after winning his first Brit.

00:00 Body of Proof 00:55 CSI: Miami 01:55 SuperCasino 04:05 Brain Hospital: Saving Lives 05:00 House Doctor 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Great Scientists 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Police Interceptors 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 The Hotel Inspector 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Elizabeth Smart Story 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Trauma Doctors 21:00 Ultimate Emergency Bikers 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Suspects

The Courier Thursday TV

February 20

00:05 Film 2014 00:35 Blandings 01:05 Weatherview 01:10 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 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 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 21:30 Inspector George Gently 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:55 Corfu: A Tale of Two Islands 01:20 Jackpot247 01:20 Dolphins ­ Spy in the Pod 04:00 Columbo: Double Exposure 02:20 Children's Emergency Rescue 05:15 ITV Nightscreen 03:20 This Is BBC Two 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 05:00 Tales from the Old Bailey 07:00 Daybreak 06:00 Schools ­ In My Shoes Plus: 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show China 06:40 Schools ­ In My Shoes Plus: 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women Germany 14:30 ITV News and Weather 07:00 Nature's Weirdest Events 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 08:00 Italy Unpacked 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 09:00 See Hear 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 09:30 Live Winter Olympics 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 14:00 Live Winter Olympics 18:00 The Chase 17:30 Live Winter Olympics 20:00 Winter Olympics: Today at the 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:15 ITV News and Weather Games 19:45 Emmerdale 21:00 The Hairy Bikers' Asian 20:45 Live UEFA Europa League Adventure Football 22:00 Bible Hunters 23:10 ITV News and Weather 23:40 ITV Meridian Weather 23:00 QI 23:45 The Invention of Lying 23:30 Newsnight

00:20 Top Gear

BODYSHOCKERS Katie Piper concludes her exploration of body modification, meeting 30­year­old Nicola, who underwent surgery three years ago to more than double the size of her breasts ­ and now wishes to reverse the procedure. She also hears from Antoinette, whose use of weaves and extensions has left her with bald patches, and Emma, who wants to remove the tattoo of former EastEnders star Lucy Benjamin from her leg.

00:00 Bodyshockers 01:00 Random Acts 01:05 Big Momma's House 02:45 The Straight Story 04:35 Supernanny US 05:15 Location, Location, Location 06:10 Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 06:30 Deal or No Deal 07:25 Countdown 08:10 Will & Grace 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 12:05 The Big Bang Theory 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Deal or No Deal 17:30 Come Dine with Me 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Superstar Dogs: Countdown to Crufts 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 British Immigration Row 02:00 SuperCasino 04:05 World's Toughest Prison 05:00 House Doctor 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Great Scientists 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olly the Little White Van 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Police Interceptors 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Seduced by Lies 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 A Right Royal Scandal 21:00 Henry VIII & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History 22:00 The Hotel Inspector 23:00 Brain Hospital: Saving Lives

42

Friday, February 14, 2014

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

AUCTIONS

INSURANCE

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.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 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)

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

CATERING

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

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

Policies available in English and German.

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

PERSONAL

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: 63, Two bedroom 1st floor apartment situated in Molino Blanco. The property overlooks a superb commu­ nal pool area, in within walk­ ing distance of bars, restau­

CARPENTER

CAR HIRE

FOR SALE Karaoke Amplifier with mikes and Wharfdale speak­ ers 120€. Mini Awia Hi­Fi 30€. Oil filled radiator 20€.

Halogen Heater 10€.

Complete kitchen with cook­ er, microwave & sink 250€ 619 800 752 (156) 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.(158) 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 (158)

CARS FOR SALE Car insurance quotes – new extra discount on fully com­

BARBER

PROPERTY FOR RENT

ALARMS

rants and shops. Short or long term rental available.

Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

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

Call us on 96 692 3963

PROPERTY FOR SALE 31.000€ ono.

Studio.

Terrace bedroom. 2nd floor.

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

CLEANERS

43

Friday, February 14, 2014 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 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 Ref: 78, €110,000. Three bedroom Quad in Jardin Del Mar VII. There is off­road parking and small storage shed in the enclosed garden area, communal pool near­

CAR BREAKERS

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 Corner Plot Property in the lower end of Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Under build, Roof top Solarium Being sold Fully Furnished including White goods. Walking distance to all local amenities. 139.950e Ref. GA0087 Tel. 680333242 Gran Alacant Town House with a difference.

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

Greenland Views and all local amenities close by.

Ref. No L79. 179.000 euros

DRAINAGE

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, €23,950. 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 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 Ref: 520, €72,000. 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

PETS

44

Friday, February 14, 2014

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

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

POOLS

SURVEYOR

PLUMBERS

POOL TABLES

equipped kitchen with utility room. Large landing area, leading onto solarium, with extra storage external room.

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

K11. €270,000 Tel 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

REMOVALS

Gran Alacant. Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Lounge Diner, Galleria, Solarium, Under build.

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

WANTED

small cul­de­sac which means this villa enjoys a very peaceful location.3 Bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 3 Bathrooms, lounge­diner with working fireplace, fully fitted kitchen with including white goods, large front porch, solarium,workshop and stor­ age in under build, central heating, air con H/C, ceiling fans, grills, UK T.V, off road 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 Mechanic / tyre fitter fully experienced wanted for Torrevieja garage. Some Spanish required Tel 602 625 181

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, February 14, 2014

Greenside Gossip

45

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

ALL THIS BALL TALK IS BARMY

What’s so daft about talking to a golf ball? Mind you, I did have to turn down the TV during parts of the U.S. Women’s Open last year, because Cristie Kerr was giv­ ing me nervous agitation.

She screamed at her ball to ‘sit’ with so much anger in her voice that 300 people in the gallery sat down. If you have a short fuse, it’s better for the victims of your fury to be inani­ mate objects, but I still find golfers’ shouting hard to take.

It’s the universal language of golf, our own version of lip service, how often have you heard Pro’s saying “Be the right club”. Talking to your golf ball can be honest, sad, angry, pleading, hopeful, funny, occasionally blasphemous, absolutely normal, and sometimes even loving (well it is St.Valentine ’s Day). We say things to our golf balls we wouldn’t say to anybody else, except perhaps our dentist, things like “Stop now” or “Be gentle please” or “Don’t hurt me”. The fact that it’s an inanimate object it doesn’t matter, we still go ballistic at it if it does not behave.

Non ‘religious’ golfers say golf balls cannot hear and that’s quite true’ as golf balls cannot hear a word we are saying unless that is Titleist have developed technology it has not told us about! That does not stop the conversation. And it’s everyone as even the top Tour players can make a single shot sound like a round table discussion on Question Time.

We talk to the ball in two or three ways, one is we think we know what the ball is going to do so, “Be good to me darling” confirming it was a good shot. Then there is the time we shout “hit the slope and roll to the pin” You really don’t know what’s going to happen. Then there is the time when you start begging, as the ball is heading for a watery grave and you beg, “Please, Please stay dry”. Begging! That’s exactly what it is, just like your pet dog at dinner time, minus of cause the whimper, most of the time anyway.

There’s an art of talking to your golf ball, and maybe it’s even a skill like hitting a lob wedge like Phil Mickleson. Some peo­ ple just have a knack for it. If there is any skill to it, it’s the wittiest. You can always hear the, get down, get up, bite, sit, go. Occasionally you hear on the course or TV something really clever like those who talk to the ball before it even leaves the club face and others that give the ball directions just as it leaves the club.

Sometimes it so good that you do not need the Wayne Reilly’s’ and Howard Clarke’s on course commentary. There is an obvious knack to it but then again the ball never listens.

Yet there are the times when we are amazed that the ball is listening­isn’t it? Sergio Garcia can talk to his ball in Spanish and English depending what mood he is in.

I have heard some players shout at their caddies when they are screaming instructions at the ball, now that is stretching it a bit far! That’s got to be bad when a caddie screams at

the ball, “Be the right club” and buries itself into the face of a bunker. That’s when the player scolds his caddie saying “Don’t you ever talk to my ball again”. It’s also bad form and etiquette to talk to another player’s ball, but talk as much as you want to you own. Everybody mutters under their breath things like “Jeez where’s that one going?” or “Stay on the course for goodness sake” or “Get over that flamin’ water” or “Don’t go out of bounds hit the wall”. It never seems to do any good but we all do it. Don’t we?

Let’s face it that’s the reason you get the guy cavorting around the course at tournaments with a parabolic micro­ phone on a telescopic pole following the final group eaves­ dropping. They say that they are listening in to the player and caddie discussing club selection, but the truth is we want to hear what the player says to the golf ball or himself.

KNOW YOUR RULES QUESTION: If you’re putting from off the green and there is a sprinkler head in your line, do you get relief from the sprinkler?

A. No relief B. Yes, but with one penalty shot, one club length no near­ er the hole.

C. Yes, one club length no nearer the hole and no penalty.

ANSWER. A. No. The rule in question is Rule 24­2. Immovable Obstruction.

If your ball was on top of the sprinkler head, you could move it. If it was resting up against the sprinkler head, you could move it. If the sprinkler head affected your swing or prevented you from taking your normal stance you could move your ball under this rule. In order to take relief because of interference with the line of your putt, your ball must be on the green. Your options are to go ahead and putt across the sprinkler head, or chip the ball over the obstruction and onto the green.

It’s not always the ball that feels the sharpness of your tongue as other items of equipment feel the lashing of it. But, when my driver misbehaved recently, I didn’t scream at it; I put it on the ‘bench’. I didn’t make it sit on the stairs, the way I did with my kids, but I moved it to the back of my bag and pulled the head cover down tight.

“I know you don’t like holes with out­of­bounds on the right,” I said in the calmest voice I could manage, “but you and I both need to think about what just happened.” The scream­ ing approach doesn’t work with golf equipment any better than it does with children. You can’t straighten a slice with violence and fear. When my ball is hooking into a hazard, I don’t shout, “Get right!” I just stand quietly on the tee with a shattered look on my face, to show that I’m disappointed. If I find my ball in the water, I lift it out silently and dry it off.

There is nothing I could say that would change the fact that I am now hitting three from the drop zone, so why speak?

Throwing a tantrum would make things worse. Rather than screaming at my equipment when it lets me down, I try to praise it when it does something right. Most golfers will curse a shank yet stand complacently silent when their seven­iron strikes a ball straight at the pin. Even when a shot goes wrong, I try to find something encouraging to say like: ­ “Wasn’t that a little draw I noticed just before you bounced into the front line villa?” or “I don’t believe you’ve ever driven it farther into the pond.”

For some golfers, talking is not enough. You have got to add body motions with it, talking to it without body actions just doesn’t work, and you have to have everything involved as some even look as though they are doing yoga. There’s the Vijay Singh lean and Fred Funk lean and chat, there are the players who believe you have to verbally caress the ball, just like you would talk to a woman. You have to know when to be firm and domineering and to know when to sweet talk it a bit. Other times it needs a good stern talking to and then a little love.

It doesn’t work ­ but it makes you feel better. Enough said!

TITTER ON THE TEE Some things your wife won’t say: I love it when you play golf on Sundays; I wish you’d play on Saturday too.

I make enough money for both of us. Retire and get your handicap down.

I’d rather drink beer and watch golf with you, than go shopping.

Forget that stupid St. Valentine’s Day thing. Just buy yourself a new set of clubs.

ROBBO’S GOLF – FOR ALL YOUR GOLFING NEEDS

Café Golf may have closed, but golfers will be pleased to know that all the golfing services provided by Neil and Nike are still available, just around the corner, in their fantastic, new golf workshop and coaching centre. The tour profes­ sionals have an array of services available to them, and Robbo’s Golf provides these professional services to the every­day golfer. In these new, spacious, light surroundings Neil can re­grip, re­shaft, change the length or loft and lie of all clubs to suit the player. There is a driving net where not only can Neil coach golfers with their game, he can assess

their clubs and measure their swing speed and distance the ball carries.

Repairs on electric golf trolleys can also be carried out, and they supply batteries and chargers. They also sell new elec­ tric trolleys with a choice of lithium or lead acid battery, and have a selection of second hand electric trolleys. Also avail­ able on sale are golfing accessories and second hand clubs.

All the new clubs they sell are made by Neil. They also offer battery care for people who have electric trolleys and go away for more than 6 weeks at a time, charging the battery on a regular basis to ensure it is charged and ready to use when you return. If you need to borrow some equipment, at

Robbo’s Golf you can hire sets of clubs and electric trolleys.

On top of all this they offer discount green fees and golfing holidays around Spain and Portugal.

If you would like to benefit from generous discounts on these services, coaching membership is available at three levels, depending on how much coaching you would like throughout the year. February´s offer is: Book 1 lesson and get the 2nd lesson half price.

And if you are not a golfer, Robbo’s Golf offers book swaps and jigsaw swaps, mobile phone top­ups, Euro­direct phone cards, TV choice and a laundry/dry cleaning drop off and pick up point. Robbo´s Golf is a relaxing place where you can browse around and try any clubs that you like the look of, and on hand is Neil to advise you what is suited to your swing.

They are situated in San Javier, in the new Mercadona Plaza Hispania. For further information see their ad on the Golf page of The Courier, check out their Facebook page for monthly offers (Robbo’s Golf) or phone 666766600.

46

Friday, February 14, 2014

WE DON’T MISS TIGHT AT THE TOP YOU CRISTIANO! SEVILLA 1 BARCELONA 4

REAL MADRID 4 VILLAREAL 2

Barcelona made it a three­way tie on 57 Alexis Sanchez's botched header, Lionel points at the top of the Primera Division on Messi's brace and Cesc Fabregas' late goal Sunday night as they won 4­1 at Sevilla. washing out Alberto Moreno's opener.

Having seen Real Madrid go top on Despite the comfort of the scoreline, Barca Saturday, the Catalan side joined their bitter had to survive their post being hit when a rivals and also Atletico Madrid thanks to a goal down and also had to rely on Victor Valdes to make a number of impressive Karim Benzema scored twice and Madrid were turned down and had to field come­from­behind victory on a torrid night.

With heavy rain making passing football saves. Barcelona entertain Real Vallecano Gareth Bale marked his return from injury a side to face Villarreal without their talis­ with a goal and an assist as Real Madrid man. Not to worry, they had Benzema, and near­impossible, Barcelona found a way with tomorrow evening (Saturday). beat Villarreal 4­2 to press their Primera Bale, and Jese. The front three all scored Division title claims. In the end, Cristiano as Madrid kept the pressure on as they, Ronaldo's absence hardly mattered. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona fight it out Having spent considerable energy on in an exciting battle for the La Liga title.

VALLADOLID 2 ELCHE 2 attempting to repeal the three­match ban Real are away to Getafe this Sunday after­ handed to the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, noon.

Elche saw a two goal advantage disappear at relegation strugglers Valladolid on Sunday, but at least the point saw them climb to 12th place in the table, four points clear of the drop zone.

A rain­soaked pitch made for a scrappy game played more in the air than CD UTIEL 1 FC TORREVIEJA 4 on the ground, with Elche’s superior fitness and work It eventually turned out to be an easy Sunday rate playing to their advan­ romp for FC Torrevieja, despite the league’s bot­ tage. Neither side had cre­ tom side taking the lead and dominating the early ated a clear goal scoring goalkeeper Tono then had Diego Marino then made a play. The result puts Torry in 10th position just two opportunity until Coro(pic­ to save an effort from vital save to keep points off the play­off zone, with a whole clutch of tured on the left celebrat­ Antonio Rukavina, and Valladolid in the game, club’s in contention for the end of season show­ ing with Sapunaru) broke Alvaro Botia blocked a shot sticking out a leg to deny down. the deadlock after 34 min­ from Jeffren. However, Del Moral. Osorio then Utiel got the early advantage in the 10th minute, utes, the forward scoring their revival looked to have headed in the equaliser but the relegation favourites then opted to sit back from close range after been futile when Del Moral from a corner, leaping and soak up the Torrevieja pressure, helped by Cristian Herrera had con­ rifled home inside the six higher than the Elche some rough stuff which saw a number of their play­ trolled a cross from right­ yard box following a cor­ defenders closest to him to ers yellow­carded. Torry got their just reward on back Cristian Sapunaru. ner. get on the end of Jeffren's the stroke of half­time with Dani Mesegeur levelling Manucho had the ball in Valladolid had 24 min­ cross. things up from a free kick. the net for Valladolid early utes to find two goals and Elche are at home this The equaliser meant that Utiel had to go out the in the second half but got the first after five min­ evening (Friday) to offensive in the 2nd half, which meant that although his effort was utes, Osorio shooting high Osasuna who are two Torrevieja had more space to operate in. The goals ruled offside, it was a sign into the net after Manucho places below them in the started to come with an Obele header, followed by that the hosts were grow­ had controlled a high ball table, and who are also on an Alberto penalty, and then capped by a brilliant ing in confidence. Elche with his chest. Goalkeeper 25 points. individual effort from Pastor(pictured), courtesy of an exciting solo run that sliced through the Utiel defenders.

A good gate is guaranteed this Sunday after­ noon at the Vicente Garcia stadium as Orihuela visit for a 5.00pm kick off.

ILICITANOS PEGGED BACK

TORRY BACK IN TOUCH

MONTE WIN AGAINST GAME ORIHUELA CD MONTESINOS 2 PLAYAS DE ORIHUELA “A” 0

Montesinos got out of the start­ ing gate quicker than their oppo­ nents, with a Rodrigo strike on the 12th minute putting the home side ahead. He drove the ball past two defenders, giving the Orihuela keeper no chance, but he kept the visitors in the hunt with two excellent saves. There was nothing he do though when Vaz was fouled in the penalty area, and converted the spot kick himself to make it 2­nil on the half

hour. A spirited Orihuela side refused to lie down as Monte keeper Christian was kept busy with a stream of excellent second half saves, as the home team tried to soak up the pressure, with the occasional telling break­ away from Vaz. A last minute save from Christian made the Montesinos fans put their hearts in their mouths, but they hung on gamely, and are away this week­ end to Callosa Deportiva “B”.

ORIHUELA LOSE TOUGH TASK ITV ORIHUELA B 20 UCAM B 50

Orihuela played bravely against a UCAM side that had many first team players amongst their ranks, whilst the Orihuela squad consisted of just 15 men, which meant the final quarter of the match saw the home side only able to field 14 players. The A team entertain Lorca in a league match tomor­ row afternoon (Saturday), kicking off at 5.30pm.

Friday, February 14, 2014

47

LIVERPOOOL ARE BACK, WACK!

The late, great Bill Shankly nailed a sign over Liverpool’s tunnel entrance out onto the field, declaring ‘THIS IS ANFIELD’ to intimidate visiting teams: and in the old days it would work as the aggressive roar that greeted the teams coming out would do its job: you never got much at Liverpool. Of course, diehard supporters will claim the Reds never went away, but for nosey neutrals they’ve been away from the big time, challenging for the top of the English league for a good while now.

If you missed the 5 – 1 demolition of league leaders Arsenal at Anfield last Saturday, you may not have been aware that the Merseysiders were 4 – 0 up in 20 minutes, all while Suarez also hit the post and another chance went just wide. Set pieces, open play, goals from strikers, mid­ fielders and even defenders were raining in on the supposedly competent Gunners defence ­ you know, the one that’s taking on Bayern Munich in Europe next week, and curiously enough, Luis Suarez didn’t even score in the whole match. That big ugly cen­ tre­back Skrtel (you’d cross the road to avoid him on a dark night) scored the first two, one from a first­minute free kick and the second from a corner. Effervescent young midfielder Raheem Sterling also scored two, and that not­long­back­from injury Daniel Sturridge (a striker!) scored his 15th of the season.

Flash in the pan? Caught Arsenal on (another) bad day? No! Liverpool looked unstoppable, certainly not no one­man (Suarez) band. That little Brazilian Philippe Cortese looks superb these days, his

KINGS FLUSHED WITH WIN

The Kings Netball Team from King College Roldan took part in their very first netball tournament and came away with plenty to shout for. The Murcia region side travelled to Valencia and managed to beat the home side 6­5, with the tournament being won by

Rosales, who were undefeated in their 8 games. The Kings train on Wednesday evenings from 6.30­8pm, at Kings College, Roldan, Murcia. If you are interested in the sport and want to get involved, you can E­ mail:­ lisa­turnbull@live.co.uk

vision in supplying the furiously­fast front men is wonderful, seeing opportunities before anyone as per Sturridge’s goal. Aided

by Jordan Henderson and the Reds’ ever­ green captain fantastic Stevie Gerrard, and a whole host of more thrusting young stars like Joe Allen and Simon Mignolet in goal – oh, yes, Liverpool are back alright. The Reds continued progress on a wet and windy Wednesday night in London showing their spirit coming back from a goal down to beat poor old Fulham 3 – 2 to announce their arrival in fourth place only four points behind leaders Chelsea. It’s not a three­ horse race any more.

How has this return to challenge the top teams come about? Well, I think it’s all down to one man: manager Brendan Rodgers. It takes some ability to manage a huge club like Liverpool today that is steeped in world­ wide tradition and expectation. It takes a man of experience and vision, one not only with a sound knowledge of the complicated world of modern football, but also requiring a degree of the vitally­important business of man­management. The living example of that type of ability has just finally retired from the mighty citadel just down the East Lancs Road, where Manchester United are badly missing Sir Alex Ferguson’s iron guiding hand on the tiller ­ and just where Liverpool’s traditional bitter rivals go from here under David Moyes is anyone’s guess.

Brendan Rodgers did not come from the football­passionate streets of Glasgow, like Ferguson, Matt Busby and Bill Shankly, but from Northern Ireland, Martin O’Neill coun­ try. Like Brian Clough, Rodgers’ playing career finishing early from injury aged only 20, and he went into coaching via Reading.

After studying continental football, in 2004 the young Irishman was invited to coach the youth team at Chelsea by one Jose Mourinho, who was then leading Chelsea to the pinnacle of English football while chal­ lenging the mighty Manchester United under

Ferguson. Rodgers then moved to become Chelsea assistant manager in 2006.

2008 saw Rodgers managing Watford, and then his former club Reading. Here a disappointing six months ended unsuccess­ fully, the sort of tough, learning period during which much can be personally gained from mistakes, as Rodgers moved on to Swansea in 2010. Here the up­and­coming then­Championship Welsh club were ambi­ tious since being in the old Fourth Division only ten years previously.

Here Rodgers began to really flourish and become noticed as he took Swansea into the Premiership, to the barely­concealed disgust and envy of nasty neighbours Cardiff who had been trying very hard to achieve that for years. Finishing eleventh in their first season, and with Welsh thanks and endorsements ringing in his ears in June 2012 Rodgers accepted the very presti­ gious­but­dangerous white­hot seat offered to him by Liverpool. The club was in disarray after sacking the great Kenny Dalglish, then coping with a mess after a short unhappy spell with the current England manager Roy Hodgson. What a challenge the Irishman faced.

As well as putting together a new team, Rodgers greatest problem was to manage a fiery, brilliant Uruguayan who regularly tried to take the law into his South American hands in fiercely­sportingly­correct British football ­ always coming off worst with FA bans. Luis Suarez talking of quitting Britain for good, as he had previously walked away in Holland… but somehow the man has learnt, toed the line and produced some of the greatest goals and football the country – and the world – has seen at Liverpool for a long while to put the Reds right back up there to challenge for the top of the Premiership and Europe. Oh yes, Liverpool are back to the top echelons of British foot­ ball where they belong ­ and it’s all down to one man: Brendan Rodgers.

Friday, February 14, 2014

48

WET, WINDY AND WONDERFUL Make that a Four Horse Race for the Prem Title With Liverpool – Could Be Five with Spurs

First Arsenal, then Man City, and at the moment Chelsea lead the Premier League, but each team have wobbled of late. Nobody looks convincing as champions at this stage with 13 games to go – and listen, youse, it’s not a three horse race any more as on wet and windy Wednesday, Liverpool over­ came both the inclement weather and plucky, luckless Fulham to arrive only four points behind Chelsea, and look to be in a posi­ tion to have a say in the final top positions. Stevie Gerrard for next Pope.

The Hazard warning lights were on for JT­less Chelsea at The Hawthorns on Tuesday. In a bad­tempered ‘afters’ 1 ­1 draw, the battling Baggies got their own back from that cruel November result at the Bridge when the Blues got out of jail to draw with a dodgy late penalty. Hey, remember the Thoughts of Chairman Mau? Today read Mumblings of Manager Mou as this time the Blues jefe claimed his team ‘lacked personal­ ity’. Que? Against improving West Ham two weeks ago, Mourinho accused the Hammers of playing ‘19th cen­ tury football’ as his superstars couldn’t score.

Straight­talking West Ham manager Sam Allardyce’s chuckling summary was that the browned­off Portuguese was ‘talking shite’. Quite, Sam, spot on mate. Chelsea are not the finished article yet, and their big­mouthed manager knows it. In their new Mel­ting pot the Baggies have now drawn 1 – 1 against

John McGregor reports

Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea: ­ staying up progress or what?

Windy Wednesday made for a stalemated goalless draw at the Emirates between old enemies Arsenal and Man United, that neither returned the Gunners to the top, nor convinced anyone that United are not at a real­ ly big crossroads, where six major competitors are all doing it better. Looks like essential European entry next season will not be offered at Old Trafford: unheard of, and a dangerous situation for certain players and their new management team. Those Gunners, viciously mown down 5 – 1 at Anfield last week have problems, Ozil’s form is puzzling and long­suffering Gooners know that sinking from the top feeling only too well.

Boos all round at The Emirates: 60,000 there, though.

At the Etihad, Man City’s Wednesday match with Sunderland was washed away with the weather, and after losing at home to Chelsea and drawing goallessly with near no­hopers Norwich, the Blues will welcome a break to have a think. Tim’s triumphant Tottenham did it again, this time adding another Adebayor brace to destroy Neurotic Newcastle 4 – 0 at St James Park and spoil Alan Pardew’s 150th match as the Magpies maes­ tro. Spurs are now fifth, only three points behind Liverpool. Lillywhite lovers must be pinching them­ selves after AVB’s turbulent reign.

Down the DDD, it’s finally looking frightening for Fulham, and­it has to be said Ole Bellamy­banned Cardiff (Sorry Rd/Bluebirds, but I think Malky Mackay would have done better in keeping Cardiff afloat) in Super Savers week, if 104 Prem saves goalkeeper David Marshall hadn’t pulled off another miracle last­

minute save from Weimann against Aston Villa, then it really looked as though wrist­slashing is imminent in the Welsh capital ­ especially after being made Monkeys of in the Swelsh derby by bitter opponents Swansea. Similarly the Swans somehow seem to have shown how to sensibly survive the sacking of Michael Laudrup, drawing 1 – 1 at Stoke after being a Peter Crouch goal down.

Silly sour question: if belligerent Bellamy was rightly retrospectively removed for three games in trial­by­ television, how come Yaya Toure didn’t get the same for kicking his marker after the ball? Double stan­ dards? (Mind you, his brother, that OG Toure’s a star, he should be on You’ve Been Framed!)

While we’re on fair/unfair dismissals, Carrolless West Ham coped well with the big man’s absence, and aided by yet more supersaves from keeper Adrian, their two late strikes helped Hammers haul ‘emselves into unbe­ lievably respectable mid­table ­ but the result nailed nervy Norwich nearer the Dreaded Drop Department along with Cardiff and Fulham, 35,000 cold, wet souls warmed Upton Park up to roar their lads on. Now the Happy Hammers are flying off for a welcome sun­seek­ ing break to dry out and recharge for the rest of the season: sound scheme, Sam. S’oop for t’Coop again at t’weekend, this time with big belters – try Man City v Chelsea (ooh!), and Sunderland v Southampton Sat’day, Sunday sees Arsenal play Liverpool (again, lookout Gunners…), and Everton host Swansea. Non­Coopers get a break ­ maybe wise­ ly escaping the wet, windy winter a la West Ham? Still, sunny here though, eh? Tee–hee!.