ISSUE NO. 1433
20 - 26 DECEMBER 2012
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READERS AND ADVERTISERS A MERRY XMAS
H me ~
ESPANA
HOME SWEET HOME: La Nucia is popular with both young families and the over 65s.
La Nucia X-Factor sees the population double! LA NUCIA’S population has more than doubled since 2001. In just 11 years, it has increased from 9,365 to the present 19,620, with just over 40 per cent of residents foreign, and the British and Dutch the leading expat populations. A low crime rate and increased and improved services are credited with providing the town with a winning XFactor among families, with La Nucia’s cosmopolitan residents generally
falling into two age groups: couples aged 30-35 and over 65s. The local health service, its schools, and care for the elderly are also added attractions, and La Nucia’s cultural and sports facilties are valued by all ages. La Nucia is now the Valencian Community’s fastest-growing town and 10th overall in Spanish rankings compiled by the national statistics office. Officially the population rose from 9,365 in 2001 to 18,593 in 2011
although the latest figures now put La Nucia’s population at 19,620. With just under 60 per cent of residents Spanish, 63 different nationalities in total are registered in La Nucia, with the majority of foreign residents EU citizens. These include 2,289 from Britain, 1,287 from the Netherlands, with Germans, Norwegians and Belgians also making up large local communities.
Villas and Apartments required for our
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NEWS EXTRA
Home stretch CUBA has repatriated an Alicante man of 48, held prisoner there since 2008. He was imprisoned for drug smuggling and will serve the remainder of his sentence in Spain.
Litter-bugs FESTIVE PRIZES: Luxury hampers and some of Santa’s ‘little helpers’.
Full house for Barmy Bingo
MONROE’S CARVERY in Pedreguer was the venue for an evening of festive fun. And there was a full house for John’s Barmy Bingo night with the money raised going to the Red Cross Appeal for Families in Need at Christmas. The event raised the magnificent sum of €1,263. The money will be spent on food essentials and toys for children.
Bingo winners won hampers of luxury items, donated by the local community. The event was organised after Sandy Tsalikidis, and Jose Luis Domenach, President of the Red Cross, was there to receive the money raised. The star of the night was John Harding, a Gata DJ and events organiser, with his helpers borrowed from Santa.
CALA SARDINERA in Javea is covered in refuse washed up by recent storms. The rubbish was thrown overboard by visiting boat-owners who moored there last summer, locals say.
Growing ambition ONDARA’S newly-formed CooperActius hopes to cultivate abandoned farmland. The group is contacting owners for permission to use the land and is also consulting retired growers for advice.
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Police called to school brawl POLICE were called to a brawl among 50 pupils at Alcoy secondary school. No arrests were made and no-one was injured, police said.
No love lost! BENIDORM Town Hall must pay €607,000 to organisers of the 2009 Davis Cup matches at Terra Mitica after a judge ruled that last-minute court changes were their responsibility.
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Sweet surprise for some A TURRON manufacturer has enclosed a Christmas lottery number inside 30 packets of the seasonal confectionery. The company, Almendra y Miel SA, is based in Jijona and produces the leading 1880 brand. Thirty vouchers - exchangeable for a €20 stake in the number 01880 - were included at random in 300-gramme tablets of the 1880 label’s Jijona and Alicante versions. The company has been buying
this same number for more than 30 years now, explained the company’s public relations manager, Sagrario Sirvent. “Sharing the number with our customers seemed a nice thing to do, especially in a year of crisis like this,” she told the regional Spanish Press. The 01880 number has never won an important prize in all the years the company has been buying it, Sirvent admitted. “That’s what made
it such a good idea,” she said, adding: “Perhaps this means it is on the point of coming up.” The vouchers each bear a code number which can be exchanged www.turron1880/ online at loteria1880 before 12 noon on December 20. That’s today and probably too late for Euro Weekly News readers. But someone somewhere could have a sweet surprise when the Christmas draw takes place on Saturday.
Not child’s play
TEN people have been charged with selling home-grown marijuana in San Vicente del Raspeig and Alicante city. Police impounded equipment including powerful lights, fans and humidity-measuring instruments.
Getting better FLU cases in the Valencian Community fell 34 per cent last week compared to the previous week.
It may look simple from the air, but Barcelona is not instantly easy for foreigners to find their way around!
Sky-high view of Barcelona a city made up of squares!
F
EW expatriates visiting Barcelona are likely to have noticed how simple the city’s grid street system is. All the neat squares of roads criss-crossing seem more like a maze when walking and driving the city’s highways and byways. While the Spanish say it is an easy city to drive and get around - a fact this aerial picture clearly appears to indicate - foreign motorists driving in the city frequently find themselves regretting that they did not leave their car at home and take the train or bus instead. Barcelona, a city with so much appeal, oozes attractions, from the famous La Sagrada Familia (arrowed and inset) to Las
Quote of the week
‘
High climber JUANITO OIARZABAL, has climbed Montgo’s 753 metres accompanied by 70 enthusiasts. He later met 10year-old Dani Masanet who has also made the climb despite a degenerative disorder.
Wrong way
ONLY two companies responded to the tender to run Calpe’s Silene d’Ifac kindergarten. Neither fulfilled the conditions and the town hall may have to close the school.
Home grown
Nwatch ews
THERE are too many trains not staff, claimed FGV railway workers threatened with redundancies, blaming the company for wasting money by scrapping trains capable of another 20 years’ service.
CRIME in Alicante has fallen 5 per cent this year following improved detection and prevention measures, police said. Even so the province has Spain’s highest crime rate after Madrid and Valencia.
TURKISH AIRLINES is to add Alicante and Sevilla to its existing Spanish routes, with the airline already flying to Valencia, Malaga, Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid.
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Off the rails
Crime down
Turkish delight
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‘I know the Spanish Government will not be gentle with me. I have been preparing myself for this for a long time.’
Gao Ping, Chinese art dealer and businessman in Spain, in a conversation with his accountant recorded by the police. He was arrested on suspicion of leading a money-laundering gang.
Ramblas, from the world-famous local football team to the Joan Miro gallery, not to mention wonderful shops, world-class hotels, famous restaurants, an attractive port and marina area, plus numerous parks. This aerial photograph was one of 28 recently circulated on the internet under the title ‘It’s a beautiful world’, showing a variety of global shots, from Japan to Ecuador, from Iceland to the US, on a wide range of topics, from lightning strikes to the craziest illusion, and from wildlife to the world’s busiest train. Undoubtedly this shot of the nation’s second most important city after the capital Madrid deserves its place under the simple title of ‘Epic aerial of Barcelona’.
Number of the week
will be closed by 700 branches Santander Bank all over the world.
The Spanish bank announced this as a measure for saving costs, following the merger of Banesto and Banif bank into the Santander Group.
A CAR travelling in the wrong direction on the A-7 in Elche failed to stop after colliding with another vehicle, the driver escaping injury.
Position safe WORLD famous Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava will remain an honorary ‘ambassador’ the Spanish Brands Forum has announced. Calatrava is currently embroiled in the Palma Arena corruption case.
New pledge GANDIA Council has pledged to take over running its Day and Rehabilitation Centre. Payments from the regional government are overdue and employees are owed €110,000.
and finally... ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ made €6.2 million in its opening weekend at more than 1,000 Spanish cinemas. It is the third best debut this year, behind ‘The Impossible’ and the latest ‘Twilight’ film.
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Spanish airman trains Syrians LUIS MUNAR, a former member of Spain’s air force, is instructing Syrian rebel fighters. “I am not a mercenary,” insists Munar. “I couldn’t watch children dying and not react,” he told El Mundo newspaper. He admitted, though, that Syria is ‘a profession opportunity’ that improves his CV and is also a source of income for his family. This was his second stint in Syria, he
explained. On the first occasion he visited Idlib and Aleppo, paying for the journey out of his own pocket. This time his expenses are being paid by a network of expatriate Syrians. He only trains Syrians, Munar declared. “I’m proud to say that all the fighters I’ve trained are still alive,” he added, acknowledging that he had taken part in military action against government forces.
Centre role change ALFAZ DEL PI’S planned day-care centre is to become a social centre. The building, which officially opened last Sunday, will now provide a meeting place for the town’s 120 associations. It will also house the town hall’s Welfare Department, bringing an
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BRITISH
PRESS
Stories making headlines from the United Kingdom
Air delivery A 7LB baby boy has been born in a helicopter, 1,000ft above the Shetland Island, Lunna Holm. It is the first case of a baby being delivered on the coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter.
Fewer gases LONDON generated 28 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions than predicted during the 2012 Olympic Games, achieved by cutting energy use at venues, said the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.
Laffy Duck
Alfaz del Pi: Social role for new centre. immediate annual saving of the €30,000 outlay on rent currently paid for its current location. The centre, which cost €711,901 to construct, was financed with Plan E funds made available by the last Zapatero government. It was intended to attend 40 elderly people and provide meals for 60.
Given Alfaz’s population, capacity for 20 would have been sufficient, mayor Vicente Arques admitted recently. It would also have been necessary to engage health professionals, including geriatric nurses, as well as occupation therapist, physiotherapists and social workers, he pointed out.
Pay up, court tells Vodafone AN Elche court has ordered Vodafone to pay €3,000 compensation to a ‘blacklisted’ Elche woman. The company must also repay €96.06 they erroneously charged her. Despite a 2010 court ruling in the Elche woman’s favour, Vodafone continued to demand payment both by post and phone. As a result of being put on the company’s credit blacklist, her rating was lowered and her credit card limit reduced from €3,000 to €600. Both the client and her lawyer, Manuel Navarro, announced their satisfaction with the court ruling. But as Navarro pointed out, if the case had been heard once the new legal charges were introduced, his client would have had to pay €430 to pursue the case.
A 50FT rubber duck sailed along the River Thames in London in a stunt to encourage Brits to have a laugh. It was to publicise Jackpot joy.com’s new £250,000 (€308,000) Facebook FUNdation grants pot.
Say cheese A WOMAN in Sussex inadvertently took her own picture when trying to unlock a stolen phone. The photo was automatically emailed to the owner with the mapped location of the thief via the anti-theft app.
Blind rage A DRUNKEN man, registered blind, ran over his girlfriend after he got behind the wheel after drinking five bottles of wine. She escaped with minor grazes following the incident in Lincoln.
Sounds fishy A LONDON fishmonger, known as the £1 Fish Man, has released a song in the hopes of securing the coveted Christmas number one slot. Muhammad Shahid Nazir’s song was posted on YouTube.
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Respite from eviction BANKIA is making 300 repossessed properties available to the Generalitat. The nationalised bank will receive monthly rents of between €75 and €125 from families who lost homes after mortgage default.
Much busier THE population of the Valencian Community increased by 20.4 per cent between 2001 and 2011. A total of 5,009,931 people now live in the area’s three provinces.
More hours THE hours of all Finestrat town hall employees have been increased. The town hall will also open to the public each Wednesday afternoon, except in July and August.
Festive meals A TOTAL of 1,400,000 workers in the Valencia region will be attending a work lunch or dinner this Christmas. Employers are expected to spend an average of €28.5 per head.
Crisis-busting drugs bust EIGHT people, including two minors, were arrested in Alicante city for selling cut-price drugs. Their ‘special economy pack’ included a choice of hashish or marijuana plus a cigarette and cigarette papers. Police had detected an increasing number of people going to the city’s Virgen del Carmen district, prompted by rumours of cut-price
hashish and marijuana for sale. Investigations led them to the eight detainees and a raid on several homes revealed 10 kilos of marijuana, 150 individual doses of marijuana and 70 grammes of hashish. Police also confiscated €1,000 in cash, anabolic steroids, an airgun, a taser stun-gun, computer equipment and drugs’ equipment.
Searching for the past ALICANTE city residents are being asked to help pinpoint entrances to Civil War air-raid shelters. “We know roughly where the shelters are located, but we have no idea of how to get into them,” said councillor Adrian Santos. Ground-penetrating radar will be used to find clues, but Alicante citizens themselves could be equally helpful, Santos believes. Containers will be installed in the city’s four municipal markets so that residents can
‘post’ memories or information relating to the 1936-1939 Civil War. Others will be installed at the City Hall and the Diputacion buildings. Once they are accessible the council hopes to convert the network of shelters into museums, art galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. This should also encourage tourists to visit not only the city’s old quarter, but the area around Calle Dr Gadea and Calle Federico Soto where the air-raid
REMINDER: Civil War vestige on the coast.
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Export of wines up REGIONAL president Alberto Fabra praised the Alicante wine industry while visiting Jalon. As the local Virgen Pobre wine cooperative celebrates its 50th anniversary, Fabra announced regional wine exports grew last year by 7.2 per cent. Co-operatives boost growth and employment, he said. Wine exports earned €4,500 last year and accounted for 22.4 per cent of Valencian exports, Fabra said.
shelters are sited. Nevertheless, guidelines would have to be followed, said Diputacion councillor Maria del Carmen de España. “The shelters must not lose their essence or memory. We don’t want them to become a circus.”
Two concerts JULIO IGLESIAS and Alejandro Sanz will perform at Alicante city’s IFA exhibition centre summer 2013. Tickets will cost up to €140 for Iglesias and up to €75 for Sanz.
Popular shoes ALICANTE’S shoe industry exported more shoes this year, although turnover barely rose. Exports to the EU faltered but increased to Asia, the US and Russia.
Nativity scene: volunteers assemble Campello’s traditional ‘Belen.’
Campello tells the Xmas story CAMPELLO’S traditional Nativity scene can now be visited in the Municipal Library vestibule. Assembled by the Associació Betlem Municipal, it is more than 30 metres long with scenery and has 200 figures. It can be visited from 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm on weekdays and from 11am to 1pm on Sundays.
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An Elda connection A prominent Elda businessman was accused of defrauding the electricity board of €3,000. Despite his Elda-based businesses, the suspect lives in Petrer, where police say his home was illegally connected to the electricity supply. The scam was discovered
after hundreds of houses in his neighbourhood recently found themselves without light during a recent downpour. Searching for the cause of the outage, electricity board technicians traced the fault to the illegal connection, which caused damage needing €2,000 of repairs.
Giselle comes to La Nucia THE Moscow Ballet kept its annual Christmas date with La Nucia last Sunday. This year’s production was Giselle and the company was appearing at the Mediterrania Auditorium for the sixth consecutive year. Created in 1989 by its director Timar Fayziev, the company has made 60 world tours and specialises in the big-production classics. The company was also chosen by Rudolf Nureyev for his European farewell.
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Balloon farewell for Louise THE evening-sky was suddenly dotted with 38 pink balloons. Each one marked a year in the short life of Louise Clarke, the Costa Blanca journalist, broadcaster and town hall worker who was buried at San Pedro del Pinatar after losing an intensive-five-week battle against sudden illness. The balloons were released at 38-year-old Louise’s funeral which was attended by hundreds anxious to say a final farewell to a local expatriate who will be missed, but not forgotten. Canon Terence Sampson conducted the service - held as
a celebration of Louise’s life - and he shared stories about her career and family life. Wife of Lee and mother of their youngsters Charlie and Lilly, Louise died at Torrevieja Hospital. A prominent figure in media on the Costa Blanca, she joined Round Town News in 2007 as a reporter, covering stories from property scandals and community issues to local charity events, of which she was an avid supporter. She later went on to do local radio and television work and spent a year at Orihuela Costa Town Hall helping the expat community. The funeral celebration of Louise’s life continued the following night at the Christmas Glitterball event. Lee Clarke revealed that his wife had said she wanted people to celebrate her life, and THE Marina Baja has lost 11,228 jobs since 2007, with a total of at the event family members wore bright 18,591 unemployed. colours and thanked everyone for their The area accounted for half of Alicante province’s newlysupport. Suzy G, Nick Gold and Snowblind unemployed last month, as the onset of the low season eliminated entertained, and a raffle raised hundreds of jobs. euros for the Clarke family. However the Hotels closing for the winter and a late start to the Imserso final funding will not be announced until the subsided holidays for Spanish pensioners did not help and nor did amount raised from auction of items the fall in demand for service industries. donated - which is ongoing - is finalised. As a result, 1,142 people found themselves out of a job in November. The majority – 637 – were from Benidorm, followed by Bids can be made until the end of today Villajoyosa (191), La Nucia (98), Altea (80) and Alfaz del Pi (72). (Thursday) via the Facebook page Just 3,578 work contracts were signed last month, 1,371 fewer www.facebook.com/ than in October. Only 295 were open-ended, increasing the events/117347298429404/ number of temporary contracts to 97.2 per cent.
Fewer jobs around
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AWARD WINNING: Vicki with her daughter Gigi, who is often the subject of her blogs.
Spanish blog polls in second place ONE of Euro Weekly News’ columnists is an award winning writer. British writer Vicki McLeod has won an award for her blog familymattersmallorca.com. Expatsblog.com honours expatriate bloggers from all over the world every year, and Vicki was placed second out of all the entries for Spain. There were 54 entries in the Spanish division. Her blog, which she has been compiling over the past four years, received a total of 218 votes, trailing only eight points behind the winner. Vicki, who has a seven-year-old
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Eviction avoided at eleventh hour A BENISSA pensioner was saved at the last minute from eviction. The pensioner, who lives with his two unemployed sons, supports the family on €475 a month. Their 87-square metre home valued at between €150,000 and €200,000 was sold at auction for €15,000 after they fell behind with mortgage payments. It was acquired by a Benidorm estate agency which obtained an eviction order from the Denia court. News of the planned eviction reached the PAH anti-eviction support group in Altea, which organised a protest in Benissa and another outside the Benidorm estate agency. The eviction was halted by court order and was the first time that a Marina Alta protest succeeded in avoiding an eviction. Denia council has now asked the town’s senior judge to halt all mortgage-default evictions in the area.
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daughter Gigi with husband Oliver, blogs about living in Mallorca and what issues expatriates, particularly those of the younger generation with a family, face. Spending many hours each week blogging, her silver rosette is placed proudly on her website. Anna Nicholas, who writes about her commute between Mallorca and London and who also writes for The Telegraph, pipped Vicki to the top spot.
Vicki’s column can be found every week in the Mallorca edition of Euro Weekly News as well as our website www.euroweeklynews.com.
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Electrifying prospect for jobs ALICANTE CITY is competing with Lorca (Murcia) for 420 new jobs. Abat Europa imports electric motorcycles and bicycles from China and plans to open an assembly plant in Spain. There would be direct employment for 120 staff and a further 300 indirect jobs. The company has already created 30 jobs at its Alicante City distribution centre over the last 18 months, said company president Lorenzo Castejon and CEO Vicente Navarro. Last year the company sold 1,200 electric
bicycles and 800 motorcycles and it is now looking at three or four potential sites for an assembly plant. Castejon and Navarro but have not yet revealed their location, however. France and Belgium were originally considered for the factory, but Spain has emerged as the favourite, they explained Andalucia and Extremadura are also possibilities but Alicante and Lorca are the principal options. “We are Alicantinos and would like to stay here,” Castejon revealed recently.
Local weather for next 7 days COSTA BLANCA TODAY AND TOMORROW DENIA DENIA
JAVEA
JAVEA CALPE ALTEA
CALPE ALTEA BENIDORM BENIDORM
TORREVIEJA TORREVIEJA
S Sun,
Sh Showers,
Alicante TODAY: CLEAR Fri - 21 13 C Sat - 21 12 Cl Sun - 20 11 Cl
Madrid
MAX 18C, MIN 13C Mon - 19 12 Cl Tues - 17 12 S Wed - 16 12 Cl
TODAY: CLEAR, Fri - 18 11 Cl Sat - 19 11 S Sun - 19 11 Cl
MAX 12C, MIN 7C Mon - 12 -3 Cl Tues - 11 -2 Cl Wed - 10 2 Cl
Malaga MAX 19C, MIN 11C Mon - 16 9 Cl Tues - 15 8 S Wed - 15 8 Cl
Mallorca MAX 16C, MIN 11C Mon - 17 10 Cl Tues - 15 9 Cl Wed - 14 8 Cl
TODAY: SHOWERS, MAX 15C, MIN 10C Fri - 18 10 C Mon - 18 10 Cl Sat - 17 11 Cl Tues - 17 8 Cl Sun -18 11 Sh Wed - 16 8 S
MAX 21C, MIN 12C Mon - 20 9 Cl Tues - 18 8 Cl Wed - 17 8 S
TODAY: CLEAR, Fri - 20 11 C Sat - 19 9 Cl Sun - 19 9 Cl
Murcia
Benidorm TODAY: CLEAR, Fri - 22 12 Cl Sat - 22 11 Cl Sun - 21 11 Cl
Th Thunder
TODAY: CLOUD Fri - 14 7 C Sat - 12 6 C Sun - 13 -3 Sh
Barcelona TODAY: SHOWERS Fri - 17 8 C Sat - 16 8 C Sun - 17 8 Cl
C Cloud,
MAX 20C, MIN 13C Mon - 19 9 Cl Tues - 17 8 Cl Wed - 17 8 S
Almeria TODAY: SHOWERS Fri - 18 13 Cl Sat - 19 13 S Sun - 18 12 Cl
Fog, Sn Snow,
Stories making headlines in Denmark, Norway and Sweden
Jail sentence NORWAY - Mullah Krekar, founder of Ansar al-Islam Islamist group, was acquitted of terrorism by an Oslo court, but sent to jail for two years after threatening witnesses.
Dogs seized SWEDEN - Customs officials seized 22 dogs in nine separate cases of alleged puppy smuggling during 2012.
Fire attacks DENMARK - Five men aged between 21 and 24 were found guilty of arson attacks against a police school in Copenhagen, which destroyed 13 police cars. They await sentence.
Drunk guard SWEDEN - A 25-yearold Royal Family guard was so hungover - the authorities reported - he was found unfit for duty at the Royal Palace.
Murder clue
Sun power
ORIHUELA
Cl Clear,
SCANDINAVIAN PRESS
NORWAY - Blood stains from a murdered 16-year-old girl in Oslo were allegedly found by the police inside the camper van of a man aged 37 from Ålesund.
ALICANTE ALICANTE
ORIHUELA
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MAX 19C, MIN 10C Mon - 19 7 Cl Tues - 17 6 Cl Wed - 16 6 S
DENMARK - Four solar heating plants in Jutland measuring up to 80,000 square metres each, will start producing solar energy in 2014.
Her hobby SWEDEN – “Penguins are feminists. The males incubate,” Swedish EU Commissioner and penguin collector Cecilia Malmström told Expressen newspaper.
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Earthquake Council reins in expenditure study gets a Goats to tend firebreaks tall order BENISSA TOWN HALL is to reduce spending without reaching
ALICANTE UNIVERSITY researchers hope to predict the response of bell-towers and factory chimneys to earthquakes. The project, financed by the national government, will be co-ordinated by specialist Salvador Ivorra of Alicante University. The earthquake of May 2011, which claimed nine lives and destroyed much of Lorca (Murcia), highlighted the vulnerability of tall and often historic constructions, Ivorra said. Sensors will be placed in two industrial chimneys in Crevillente and Elche as well as church bell-towers in Southern Alicante and Murcia. The study will attempt to predict earthquake damage by measuring the structures’ reaction to vibrations and pressure from the wind and traffic, the scientist explained. Once analysed, the process will be repeated using resistant, flexible materials including fibreglass. The results will then be compared to assess their effectiveness in the event of an earthquake.
GOATS are all set for a Montgo comeback. The regional Department of the Environment has been clearing undergrowth and scrub from the path leading to the top of the mountain. Pines that densely populate the La Plana area and crowd the path have been pruned, and spontaneous regrowth following the last forest fires has been thinned. Once these tasks are completed, goats will be brought in to keep down the weeds on vital firebreaks. The herd will be installed in the Plana Justa where goats were always grazed in the past. They will be
agreement with the unions. Talks between the unions and
the council have not prospered, admitted Mayor Juan Bautista Rosello. Their proposals were ‘unrealistic’, he added. The council will save €600,000 to guarantee financial stability, Rosello said. This can be achieved by reducing the number of close advisers and docking councillors’ pay. The hours of nonestablished town hall employees will be reduced, with a corresponding salary cut and performance-linked bonuses will disappear. Despite lack of agreement between the council and the unions, Rosello has agreed to review and regulate pay in posts where employees MONTGO: Goats will replace strimmers. were receiving below the going rate. tended by a goatherd maintained in the Apart from this from Javea. area, for which a concession the remainDespite the eat-it- €192,451 budget ing cuts will go through, yourself weedkillers, allocation has been he announced. fire-watches will still be set aside.
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Judges down tools JUDGES, public prosecutors and court officials recently downed tools for an hour. The stoppage was followed throughout Spain and the Costa Blanca was no exception. Thirty judges and fiscales stood outside the provincial high court in Alicante city as a manifesto was read out. The Alicante judges and colleagues were protesting against an increased workload and the introduction of fees for initiating some civil lawsuits or appeals. The charges will discourage unnecessary lawsuits, Justice minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon
claimed, but ordinary citizens will no longer have free access to justice, the judges argued. In Benidorm another judge, Carlos Antonio Vegas went further. He was inclined to ignore the new charges entirely, he announced. Ruiz-Gallardon’s reforms breach European Union legislation, Vegas claimed, and should not apply to appeals. “Paradoxically I am not against the fees, but I do oppose the version that has been chose,” the judge told Informaciones newspaper. “Some appeals cost the state more than they are worth,” Vegas said.
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RUSSIAN
PRESS
Stories making headlines from Russia
MTV Russia A NEW channel called Pyatnitsa (‘Friday’) will replace the music channel on June 1, 2013 due to low ratings, said ProfMedia president Nikolai Kartozia.
New mobile THE latest smartphone which has been developed by Yota Devices will be presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2013.
Arms head KONSTANTIN Busygin has been appointed new head of arms manufacturer Izhmash after an internal dispute within the company.
Jet tested THE new T-50 fighter jet successfully completed a 40-minute test flight in Komsomolsk-onAmur.
Rubbish collections: Charged for, but not paid.
Rubbish accounting
ALTEA ratepayers are paying twice over for rubbish collections. Despite charging residents, the former council left a €6,300,000 debt with two companies contracted to collect and process the town’s rubbish. “They didn’t pay a single euro of what they owed,” announced Pedro Barber, who heads the council’s Economy department. During its four years in charge, the PSOE council received €3,600,000 from residents for rubbish collection.
Jobs come before illuminations ANOTHER town prefers to dim its Christmas lights and use the budget to provide jobs. This time it is the small town of Daimus, near Gandia, although the local council took the same step last year, too. It reckons to save around €4,000 by foregoing the Christmas illuminations. “There are Daimus families where one or more member is unemployed and the council is prepared to help them,” said mayor Francisco Javier Planes. The town hall has invested €400,000 this year in providing work for the town’s 209 unemployed.
Still jailed ALLEGED mass-riot plotter Leonid Razvozzhayev will remain arrested until April 2013, as ruled on Wednesday by Moscow’s Basmanny District Court.
Pussy Riot ARTIST Nikas Safronov has filed a lawsuit against the controversial band for the unauthorised use of his image in their ‘Pussy Riot Scorches Putin’s Glamour’ video.
Easy call PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin called for legislative adjustments that would simplify the citizenship acquisition process.
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Airport dip fails to materialise RYANAIR flew 10,000 more passengers to Alicante last month, despite its ongoing squabble with AENA. Over the past year, Spain’s airports authority and the low cost airline failed to see eye-to-eye over the use of telescopic air bridges. In retaliation, Ryanair eliminated offseason flights to 11 destinations last month. Despite the cutback the company’s passengers using El Altet increased to 119,975. This was 1.5 per cent more than in November 2011 and comfortably below the expected 4 per cent dip resulting from cancelled flights between November and April 2013. The increase arose from eliminating destinations like Paris and Bologna but retaining connections to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Sweden and Norway.
More water and less construction for Denia DENIA’S new urban development plan (PGOU) has met the approval of the local construction industry. “The sector will have a future with this plan,” predicted Paco Catala, vice-president of the town’s association of builders and allied trades. The latest PGOU sets aside megadevelopments, he said, and instead has opted for individual one-family homes. “This is good for smaller builders because it will provide us with more work,” he added. The new plan was previewed by urban development councillor, Pepa Font, who explained that the council had examined four options. For preference it would choose the most restrictive, limiting expansion to the west of the town as far as the disused Portland
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NEWS EXTRA
New-build optimism SALES of new properties rose to 981 in Alicante last month, 8 per cent up on October. Madrid sold 1,219 while Barcelona trailed with 600.
Bargain cafe
Expansion: Denia set to spread westwards.
Cement factory. This option fixes a population ceiling of 79,000 instead of the 167,000 proposed in the Interim
General Plan, Font said. Despite the council’s earlier opposition to a planned desalinisation plant, this has now been included in the new PGOU. It is expected to produce an annual 6.8 million cubic metres of water for the town, and will guarantee the supply until 2030.
THE Generalitat intends to reduce its budget for the Parliament’s dining rooms and cafeteria from €207,000 to €120,000 annually. A regional MP’s set menu costs €5.5.
Whose call? BENITACHELL’S Cala del Moraig is closed to traffic until next March. The town hall and the Coastal authority are discussing who should pay for storm damage.
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JUST two days to go, and all eyes are on Saturday’s ‘El Gordo’ (The Fat One) lottery with more than €2.5 billion to be won. Times remain hard in cash-strapped Spain, but some people are about to get mighty rich. PREPARE to see people glued to television screens and tuned into radio stations - in the home, cafés, bars anywhere reception is clear on Saturday. For Spain often comes almost to a standstill as the El Gordo lottery draw results are announced. As schoolchildren draw numbers starting at 8.30am at the Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) in Madrid, the nation will watch and listen. There will be 27,547,200 prizes, from the ‘vuelta’ where people get their money back for having a certain number to the big prize, El Gordo. Each ticket (individual number) costs €200, and each ‘decimo’ (10th) of a ticket, €20, and these are the most popular. Since July, punters ranging from wealthy businessmen to work syndicates, from housewives keen for a change of luck, to ardent gamblers, have been investing in El Gordo tickets.
FLASHBACK: The smiles spell out an El Gordo victory, though the odds of breaking even are less than 6 per cent.
Just two days from fortunes for some!
With ticket prices high, given the state of most people’s finances, especially in the present economic downturn, syndicates are common with families, friends - even villages - buying tickets, splitting the cost and sharing the winnings. This year the total prize money will be €2.52 billion out of a total
revenue of €3.6 billion Some keen followers of the El Gordo draw try to buy tickets from various parts of Spain, with one Andalucia family ensuring each year that they buy individual tickets through a network of friends in various areas including Galicia, Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Sevilla and San Sebastian. Each year the lottery organisation pays back 70 per cent in prize money resulting in El Gordo offering the best lottery odds of a win worldwide… even though lottery games are high risk! And individuals plus syndicates are not the only winners with El Gordo, with millions collected from sales also going to charities. As well as at the official lottery sale outlets, tickets are sold in the street as well as online - according to some reports leading to sales in 140 countries - with prices charged often slightly higher than €20 once commissions have been added. A study of the gambling habits of Spaniards revealed last year that people spent an average of €71 on lottery tickets, €3 more than in 2010. According to the same study, while women prefer even numbers, men prefer odd. El Gordo was introduced in 1812 by the Cortes de Cadiz, the country’s legislative body, to increase state income. Almost 50 years earlier, lotteries were initially introduced to Spain by King Carlos III to raise finances in general,
A case of numbers *The favourite last number this year for people buying tickets online is 6, followed by 1, 5, 4 and 7, in that order. *The favoured three last numbers are 701, 666, 835 and 996. *The end number which has historically been a winner most often is 5. *Only two numbers have ever been drawn twice as El Gordo, 15640 and 20297. including for the nation’s Napoleonic War. El Gordo prize money has touched people from all walks of life. In 1930, as the world sank deeper into the Great Depression, part of the year’s main 30 million-peseta prize went to a garage owner and his mechanics, who had each chipped in 22 cents to gain today’s equivalent of about €1,200 each. In 2008, a bar in Soria, north of Madrid, sold all 1,950 of the third prize tickets, spreading €97 million among customers, family and friends. With the familiar saying ‘you've gotta be in it to win it’, more than 30 million people are estimated to be lined up for this year’s draw.
A big fat nothing for most EL GORDO will come to a big fat nothing for the majority of
people who buy tickets, with mathematicians putting the
probability of breaking even at less than 6 per cent.
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Woman kills compatriot over €1,500 debt and cuts up body A WOMAN, 39, has been arrested for allegedly killing another whose body was found in rubbish bins in Madrid. The dead woman’s legs and hip were found in a rubbish container in one area of the city, while the rest of her body was found on a
VIDEO footage captured the moment when National Police kept potatoes and oranges they had seized from a street seller in Cadiz. The Government SubDelegation in Cadiz and Puerto Real Town Hall have opened an investigation into the incident. The footage was broadcast on the internet, and shows town hall staff taking sacks of oranges and potatoes to a refuse truck. Several people, including National Police officers, take some of them and leave. Puerto Real Town Hall has said that the act was ‘shameful’, and
rubbish dump in another. Both women worked as cleaners in the same house. The alleged killer, who confessed to the
crime and has now been remanded in prison. She is of Georgian nationality, the same as the victim, and claims to have
carried out the crime so she wouldn’t have to pay back a debt of €1,500. She told police that during an argument she had hit the victim with a frying pan and then continued to beat her until she was dead. Not knowing what to do, she hid the body under her bed for two days until the homeowners went on holiday. When they left, she cut up the body, put the pieces in bags and dumped them.
Cyclist dies SEIZED: Oranges being sold on street.
Officers accused of taking seized goods explained that the produce was seized from people who were selling it illegally, and was stored according to current regulations.
The produce was left in their care, after an expert confirmed that it did not meet hygiene and safety conditions. The town hall gave
the order for it to be destroyed, but people filled bags with the potatoes and oranges and put them in cars parked nearby.
SPANISH cyclist Iñaki Lejarreta, 29, died after being hit by a car on the N634 in Iurreta, Vizcaya. The cyclist had been Spanish mountain bike champion in 2007. Regional police are investigating the accident, which occurred when he was heading towards Bilbao. He was found lying in the road and was first assisted by paramedics who performed CPR but were unable to resuscitate him.
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Obscene gesture at 166kph A MOTORCYCLIST was arrested after making an obscene gesture at a speed camera on the A-6 near Madrid. Guardia Civil report that the man and two others were zigzagging across the motorway at great speed. The bike had no registration plates and all three motorbikes fled when officers ordered them to stop. A chase ensued and the three motorcyclists were stopped. However, one escaped again, but an image of him making an obscene gesture was caught by a speed camera on the M-30 when he was travelling at 166kph in an area where the speed limit was 90kph. The other two were released, but the 22-year-old was arrested and charged with dangerous driving and endangering others.
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Man threatens to kill wife A MAN, 38, was arrested in El Portil, Huelva, for allegedly dousing his partner in fuel and threatening to kill her. The Guardia Civil report that the
Cuban man was arguing with his wife and her screams woke the neighbours. When they arrived, she told them that he had also put a
machete to her throat. She did not need to be taken to hospital, and after a rapid trial, the man was sent to prison for attempted manslaughter.
‘Breast is best’ for doll manufacturer
Surplus food solution
ONIL-BASED toymaker Muñecas Berjuan has had to step up US supplies of its Bebe Gloton. That is the Spanish name (it means Greedy Baby) because in the US and the UK it is marketed as The Breastfeeding Doll. It is sold with a halter top to be worn by the doll’s ‘mother.’ It has two appliquéd flowers at breast level and once clamped to one of these, the doll makes suckling sounds prompted by a hidden sensor. Bebe Gloton can also burp and cry, but does not require contact with the breast. The doll initially aroused controversy in both countries. “I just want kids to be kids,” said Bill O'Reilly on his Fox News show on learning of the Breast Milk Baby. “This kind of stuff... We don't need this,” he complained. Bebe Gloton’s reception was equally cool in the UK with complaints that the
“WASTE not, want not” has acquired a new meaning during the crisis. The Hotel Regente in Benidorm wants to take the saying to heart by collaborating with a local charity. Huge quantities of food prepared for hotel buffets is uneaten and the Regente has decided to donate the excess to eight needy families. Each day at lunch and dinner time, the manager has offered to put aside hot food to be delivered by the Solidaridad Marina Baixa charity to local families. Many Benidorm hotels cooperate with NGOs but the Regente is the first to donate restaurant food. “We just want to help to ease the hard times that so many people are going through,” said Pablo Villamediana, manager of the hotel.
HUNGRY: Bebe Gloton needs feeding.
doll type-cast little girls at a too-early
age. But despite early rejection the doll, which comes in eight different models, is beginning to sell well as Christmas approaches. The change in attitude is chiefly down to probreastfeeding groups in the US.
New decision on best age for minors THE Ministry of Justice is studying the best age for minors to get married or work. The Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, has announced that his department will work with the Ministry of Health, Social Affairs and Equality, to decide when minors (under 18) should legally be able to work, have sex, leave home, get
married or testify before a judge. He said that the existing laws which were meant to protect minors are now ‘obsolete’, and pointed out that such matters are a part of daily life. The aim is to safeguard the interests of minors. He also recalled that minors who are victims of abuse will benefit from free legal aid.
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€93,000 for botched eye operation A WOMAN from Tarragona will be paid €93,000 in compensation for the severe outcome of an operation for shortsightedness. The woman was 33 when she underwent the operation at a private clinic in Barcelona in 2005. However, following the operation, her vision was impaired and she is in constant pain. Now she has to wear sunglasses most of the time, needs a specially adapted computer and cannot drive at night. She is also having counselling. The Provincial Court in Tarragona has, after six years, granted compensation, although the clinic claims the protocol they followed before and after the operation was correct. The woman has said she plans to spend the compensation money, which she referred to as “crumbs”, on long term treatment.
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Nuns accused of child torment PARENTS in a town of Galicia have taken their children out of catechism classes because they claim two nuns are ‘tormenting’ them. Thirty-two families have complained about the methods used by the nuns of the Corazon de Cristo Sacerdote Repairing Apostolic Brotherhood to prepare their children to receive their
First Communion. They claim the nuns’ views are extreme and they are distorting the message of Christianity. The first thing the nuns reportedly did when they arrived in the area was to separate boys from girls. This put parents on their guard and they decided to take a look at the book being used for the classes. It contains scenes from the bible,
stories of exemplary contemporary martyrs and the lives of some Saints. The parents also report that nine-year-old girls were being told about martyrdom and how pain can be a form of redemption. The Brotherhood has failed to comment, and the local mayor is keeping out of the matter.
1,000 accounts linked to illegal network
MONEY LAUNDERING: ‘Emperador’operation is under investigation.
POLICE have located as many as 1,000 bank accounts linked to the ‘Emperador’ operation in which Chinese businessman Gao Ping was arrested. So far, they have investigated more than 3,000 accounts with 100 banks and frozen €11 million. The public prosecutor’s report has so far named 130 properties and 120 vehicles owned by the money laundering network. The detainees who are believed to have been part of the network are also accused of extortion, illegal immigration and prostitution.
Gao Ping was remanded in prison following his arrest in the ‘Emperador’ operation, but later released due to a legal error. He left Villena prison in Alicante in a Mercedes. Another 11 people, also arrested for their involvement in the network, were released. They have to appear in court every day and have had their passports confiscated. The incarcerations were declared illegal because they were kept in custody for more than 72 hours before the judge informed the detainees they were to be remanded in prison.
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Father faces 40 years for the murder of his two children THE private accusation in the case against Jose Breton is asking for 40 years in prison for the murder of his two children.
Ruth and Jose were reported missing by their father on October 8, 2011,
in Cordoba. However, his story of how they disappeared made
Spanish families to spend less on Xmas TWENTY-FIVE per cent of Spanish families will only be able to spend €300 on Christmas this year. According to a survey carried out by ESADE, following five years of financial crisis, the Spanish spend 38 per cent less at Christmas. There are now two types of households, the survey shows. Fifty-five per cent of them will be able to celebrate Christmas in a similar way to previous years although they will attempt to buy ‘useful’ presents. There will be fewer ‘impulse’ purchases, but they plan to spend between €600 and €700. Back in 2007, the average expenditure was around €1,000. The cutbacks have mainly been on gifts, extra food and leisure activities. There are another 25 per cent of families who will be unable to celebrate Christmas properly, and will spend an average of €300, mainly on food and gifts.
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS: The average expenditure this year will drop.
police suspect he was involved and children’s remains were later found on a bonfire he had made on a property belonging to his parents. He was arrested on October 18, 2011 and sent to prison. Although the fire was made so hot it destroyed any DNA evidence, a trial will be held against Breton because other evidence points to him having killed his two children. He denies this. Once the trial is over, the children’s mother will ask for the remains which were found on the bonfire so she can bury them. A first report regarding the remains found on the fire said that they were not human, but a later report, in September this year, claimed the opposite.
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ALMERIA
AXARQUIA
Rent-free for three years
Noisy bangers
ALMERIA Town Hall is offering 11 business spaces rent-free for three years in the Vega de Aca area. Interested entrepreneurs must submit their projects by January 10.
One direction
ONE of the stalls selling fireworks at the entrance of Parque de Andalucia in Velez-Malaga has been from supplying bangers as local residents claim they are too noisy.
News from our editions
RAMON GALERA TISCAR has now been successfully directing the six theatrical groups in Alcontar, Hijate, Seron, Tijola, Lucar and Purchena for five years.
The end is nigh EMERGENCY work costing €900,000 to dry riverbeds damaged in the September floods in the eastern part of Almeria Province, and paid for by the Andalucian Government, is nearly finished.
It’s play time TRADITIONAL and hand-made toys were displayed at the Cueva de San Jose in Terque.
YouTune plan COOKING of typical Andarax gastronomy is to be filmed in Benahadux, Rioja, Huércal de Almería, Pechina, Capi Cuevas de los Medinas, Capi La Fuentecica and Viator to post on YouTube.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
Natural birth bid ALICANTE General Hospital has introduced changes to make giving birth as natural as possible, including aromatherapy and music therapy, special chairs for mothers-to-be and more contact with newborn babies.
Tram transport REGIONAL railway company FGV recorded a total of 388,292 users during November on the Metropolitan Tram network in Alicante.
Balcony fall A MAN was injured after falling from a balcony in Arenales del Sol. He was trying to jump from a neighbour’s balcony to his own after leaving his keys inside.
Supermarket for port WORTH A VISIT: Nerja Caves to be promoted to cruise-ship passengers.
Caves to get a boost CRUISE-SHIP passengers are being targeted in a bid to attract more visitors to Nerja’s caves. The Caves of Nerja Foundation Managing Director Angel Ruiz has been meeting representatives of the City Council, tourist agencies and cruise-ship operators. Nerja Caves’ managers are aiming to reach
Cocaine trial TEN people will appear in court today (Thursday) at the Provincial Court in Elche, charged with dealing cocaine. More than 20 kilos of the drug were allegedly seized valued at €1.3 million.
Young project SCHOOLCHILDREN in Alicante have presented business projects to the Federation of Young Entrepreneurs of the Province of Alicante as part of a school assignment to encourage entrepreneurial spirit.
Foreign enclave SEVENTY-TWO per cent of Rojales residents are foreign, according to the population census prepared by the National Statistics Institute.
COSTA DEL SOL
Oil protest set A PROTEST is planned at noon on Saturday in the boulevard near La Cala de Mijas Town Hall organised by the Citizens Againt Oil Exploration on the Costa del Sol. The protest will include presentation of a manifesto against plans by the Spanish Government and oil companies
the 500,000 annual visits recorded less than a decade ago. At the moment the Nerja museum barely attracts 1,000 per year. “We are sure there will be more visitors next year,” Angel Ruiz said, adding: “Neither cruise holiday operators nor passengers are aware of the caves at present, but we are working on it.”
read by people who claim their economic, social and ecological future will be ruined if exploration goes ahead. More information: Juan Jesus Alarcon, tel 650 952 081
Complaint raised MEMBERS of the Electores Equo party and the group for the Defence of Health and the Alhaurin de la Torre Mountain have gone to the EU Parliament to complain that local quarries which were ordered to close continue extracting sand.
Eight lottery wins MALAGA has been the province where the ‘El Gordo’ lottery prize was drawn on eight different occasions. The luckiest city is Madrid, with 73 times, whereas Almeria City has only been lucky once.
Homes not legal ALMOST 200 homes in El Ponton area of Antequera will not be legalised by the Junta de Andalucia decree which was approved this year. They are on non-urban land and cannot access the sewage or electricity networks.
Animal enquiry A MALAGA Prosecutor has asked the Malaga Veterinary College to carry out an investigation into the deaths of animals which were allegedly put down at the Parque Animal Shelter in Torremolinos.
MALLORCA
Robber arrested A FORTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Palma man has been arrested after robbing a pharmacy and two slot machine arcades. He was said to have been armed with a knife and stole a total of €2,200.
Rotger resigns BALEARIC Parliament President Pere Rotger officially stepped down from his position after the judge in the Over Marketing corruption case maintained his impeachment at the trial.
Gift of life SEVENTY-SIX kidneys, 34 livers, five hearts, five lungs, four pancreases and one intestine have been donated by 41 people in the Balearics so far this year.
THE Muelle Uno leisure port in Malaga is planning a 2,000square-metre supermarket. The developer of the port has ordered consultancy reports on the plan.
Old rally takes off THE second Villa de Alfarnate 324-kilometre rally, a stage in the Andalucian Rally Championship, was held in Alfarnate. Only cars more than 25 years old were allowed to take part.
Unheard stories LOCAL stories of Nerja are included in a new book by researcher Pablo Rojo, Historia Insolita de Nerja (The Unheard Stories of Nerja), to be presented tomorrow (Friday) at the History Museum from 7.30pm.
Pointing the finger MANAGERS at the University Hospital in Malaga have been accused by the CSI-F trades union of using bed shortages in some units as an excuse to redistribute staff and cut expenses.
20 - 26 December 2012 www.euroweeklynews.com
Stat of week Women earn 20 per cent less on average in Spain compared to male counterparts with the same educational background, work hours, position and length of service.
Finance,
business
&
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A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 8 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION
Casinos on a loser... Punters prefer to gamble online at home BINGO HALLS, casinos and slot machines are losing clients who now favour online gambling. Last year the amount of money played at bingo halls, slot machines and casinos fell 20.3 per cent, 15.1 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively. And since laws were passed to regulate online gambling
Iberia Express flying upwards! SHORT-HAUL carrier Iberia Express has been used by more than two million passengers since it was launched in March. The offshoot company of Iberia is now one of the five most used airlines at the Madrid-Barajas Airport. General Manager Luis Gallego said that 94 per cent of the company’s flights have arrived on time and that customers are highly satisfied. The company has recently introduced two new planes, bringing the total to 14 Airbus A320s that fly to 24 destinations.
Gallego also said: “The company is meeting all the objectives planned for the outset both economically and regarding efficiency, quality and innovation.” Iberia Express recently launched a smartphone app from which clients can carry out most of the necessary procedures regarding their flights. The airline is a member of oneworld, an alliance of 11 airlines including British Airways, which offers clients 2,500 planes, 8,750 daily flights and 800 destinations in 150 countries.
in May last year, the sector has taken €1.76 billion. Though no official data regarding online gambling is available before 2011, the Spanish Association of Digital Gaming claims that business increased 20 per cent last year, and this is confirmed by the State Lottery Department.
LOSING OUT: Casinos are no longer as popular.
Now H&M woos recycling
Motor Insurance
FASHION retailer H&M, which has stores throughout Spain, is to promote the recycling of used clothes amongst clients. With this project, it aims to improve its image with environmentalists. “Every year, tonnes of clothes are thrown away in the rubbish and contaminate municipal dumps. Ninety-five per cent of it could be reused or recycled,” the company said.
Loewe hits high with factory SPANISH luxury brand Loewe, favoured by the Royal Family, has opened a new factory in Getafe, Madrid. With double the size of factory floor space in Madrid the company now plans to also double production. The aim is to create employment in Madrid. Seventy-five per cent of produce made in Spain by Loewe is exported, and Montague told Spanish national El Mundo that they want the Spanish nation to be proud of the brand. Loewe already has four factories in Spain, but will not reduce
production or staff at any of them due to the new opening. They have 167 shops as well as franchises in more than 30 countries, mainly in Europe and Asia. Since 1996, the company has been part of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy company of France. NEW FACE: Spanish actress Penelope Cruz is now promoting Loewe.
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Department of Correction and Clarification: Annuities WHAT is the tax rate on an annuity in Spain? In Euro Weekly News (Issue 1430), we were asked for a definition of annuities in Spanish tax law. The questioner was in dispute with the Spanish Tax Agency regarding whether his income was an annuity or a pension. The difference is important because pensions are usually taxed more than annuities. Unfortunately, a small editorial slip changed the meaning of the final example in our answer. The original text stated that only 24 per cent of the income from an annuity would be taxed. The version finally printed said that all You and the annuity income would be taxed at 24 per cent. There Law in Spain By David Searl is a big difference. Let’s try to make it clear. The basic definition of annuity is a financial product which you purchase with money you already have in exchange for the guarantee of a lifetime income at a fixed rate. In Spanish this is called Renta Vitalicia. This is not the same as income received from a pension plan. The Spanish Tax Agency taxes income from a pension at the normal income tax rates. This is because most contributions to a pension plan have been free of tax previously, so they are taxed now. This would be a tax rate of 24.75 per cent for an income up to €17,000, or 30 per cent up to €33,000 before any deductions are taken. Income from an annuity is taxed less because the money to buy it has already been taxed. If you start receiving payments between 60 and 65, you are taxed on only 24 per cent of your income instead of the whole amount. This percentage varies with age. So we see that if your pension income is €32,000, you face a Spanish tax bite of about 30 per cent before deductions, or a little under €10,000. If your annuity income is the same €32,000, you are taxed on only about one-fourth of it, or €8,000. This means that, after deductions, you will probably pay no tax at all. David will respond to queries but reserves the right to select letters which will be of interest to the greatest number of readers. You can also consult David through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola. ask@lawtaxspain.com or call 952 667 090.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
A bleak Christmas for HMV MUSIC retailers HMV have admitted they will probably break banking covenants after bleak preChristmas sales’ figures. Directors issued a profit warning that may cast doubt on the group’s future
£££
BRADFORD City Football Club has had its future safeguarded by beating Arsenal to reach the semi final of the Capital One Cup. Club director Dave Baldwin says the club’s projected annual deficit has
B
ritish usiness riefs
been more than halved by income from the one match.
£££
IN a campaign against late payers the UK taxman has warned 300,000 people may have goods
seized. Letters have been sent to people who have not filed their selfassessment forms for 2010-2011.
£££
MIKE ASHLEY, Newcastle United owner and majority shareholder in Sports Direct, is going to have to work even harder to get paid. He does not get a salary, relying instead on bonuses. Now the company has said it is minded to increase his earnings’ targets from €357m to €382m before he is paid.
Britain’s green shoots ignored as industry order books fill up AS it’s Christmas I thought I’d give bashing the eurozone a break. After all, the problem is the euro, and until the EU heavy hitters can bring themselves to admit that, there’s not much chance of an improvement. That being the case, I thought it was time to talk about how Britain’s doing outside the eurozone. If you listen to the eurofanatics they’ll still say we’d be ruined if we left the EU, but their figures just do not add up. They go on about ‘strong Germany’, ignoring the looming stagnation of that economy. “Of course trade is slow,” they protest, “how could it be otherwise when the entire planet is in the grip of recession?” But this recession began in 2008, and although since then Germany has done well working to fulfil prerecession commitments the absence of new orders is giving the ‘European Powerhouse’ cause for concern. It is moving inexorably into stagnation, which bodes ill for Ms Merkel. But surely, it’s the same for everyone? Britain’s growth rate is
Jim Collins Costa Blanca
not what you’d call healthy, and according to official figures, manufacturing has gone down over the last semester. All true if you take the government’s chosen criteria, farm products, clothes and other perishables upon which people are cutting back. But look again at engineering products, especially those in the highly technical fields. Strange how British good news is so often ignored by the media and government. There was an item on BBC One Southern the other day mentioning just casually passing over - factories in that area of Britain were struggling to fill orders flowing in from all over the world. And it’s not only the
ENGINEERING EXPERTISE: But UK manufacturing innovation barely receives a mention in the Press. south; Birmingham’s about their requirements manufacturers of high for small naval support quality engineering pro- vessels, work that will ducts are feeling the keep their skilled, pinch, not because they specialist workforce don’t have the work, but together. because they are having As ever with our news difficulty in finding media, any encouraging enough skilled workers items about Britain’s to allow them to expand innovatory manufacturing as quickly as they would capability merits hardly a wish. line or two. Not for them the Tucked away on an modern disease of sitting inner page of the Daily on their hands, waiting Telegraph last week was and praying for the next a short item by the government contract science correspondent which, in these times of concerning the design austerity might never and development - by a British engineering commaterialise. The shipbuilders of pany - of a system which Portsmouth, for will “allow jets to fly to instance, as their share Australia in four hours or of the construction of even go into orbit and the new Ark Royal nears back to Earth in one stage. The its completion, are clean sending sales repre- gateway is now open to sentatives abroad to talk move beyond the jet to foreign governments age.”
20 - 26 December 2012
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com Are you making plans to move to Spain? Or perhaps you are at the final stages of your move, or have recently arrived in Spain. There are many important financial considerations to plan for, and the sooner the better. Here is a checklist of the important ones. It is a brief summary, and you should explore them further with guidance from a tax planning and wealth management company like Blevins Franks, which is highly experienced at helping British expatriates plan for their new life in Spain. 1. Tax residency and obligations You need to establish if and when you become resident in Spain for tax purposes. There is a list of criteria that make you tax resident. If you meet any of them you are liable for tax here on your worldwide income, gains, wealth and estate. You need to register for tax and submit annual tax returns. At the same time you need to understand the UK tax residence rules as it can be harder than you think to lose UK tax residency. Where necessary, the UK/Spain double tax treaty will determine where you pay tax. 2. Tax planning Income and savings taxes have risen in Spain, but do not let this put you off. You can often structure your savings and investments to be tax
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Planning Your Financially Secure Retirement in Spain by Bill Blevins, Financia l Correspondent, Blevins Franks
efficient. Seek advice on what arrangements are effective and compliant in Spain. Do not presume that what was tax efficient in the UK is tax efficient in Spain. 3. Currency Many expatriates keep their savings and investments in Sterling. This however puts your income at the mercy of exchange rate fluctuations, which can have a significant impact on your income. A good rule of thumb is to match your assets to your liabilities, so if you are spending Euros, your assets are in Euros. However you may have other considerations. Perhaps you will return to the UK one day, or want to leave an inheritance to UK resident children, or do not have confidence in the Euro.
4. Pensions Retired people rely on their pension funds to provide most, if not all, of their monthly income. Depending on the type of pension funds you have, there may be ways to improve them and make them work better for a UK expatriate living in Spain. 5. Inflation and your long-term security Inflation will reduce the spending power of your savings over your retirement years, so it is important to take steps to protect your wealth in real terms, so that you can enjoy the lifestyle you are used to right through retirement. With life expectancy increasing, this may be longer than you expect. Allow for extra expenses along the way, such as healthcare issues, home renovations, new hobbies or more time travelling. Do not underestimate the risk of inflation. I have met many people who thought they had enough
money to live on, but who 20 years later found they could no longer maintain their standard of living. 6. Investment strategy The first rule of any investment strategy is that it should be specifically designed around your circumstances and short and long-term objectives. Your circumstances drastically change with retirement and a move to a new country, so your strategy needs to be professionally reviewed to establish how it should be adjusted to suit your new life and goals. 7. Estate planning This is a major issue when you move to a new country, as it may have different laws regarding succession and tax. The Spanish succession laws may not affect British expatriates, but the tax laws will. Spanish succession tax works quite differently from UK inheritance tax, and is particularly complicated since the rates and allowances vary by region, and the regional rules may not apply to you.
Most British expatriates remain UK domiciled and so continue to be liable for UK inheritance tax, so you need to take that into account as well.You also need to understand how probate works in Spain, and anywhere else you have assets, and find out if there are steps you can take to avoid probate for your heirs. While you can do a lot of research online these days, taking advice from a professional tax planning and wealth management firm is invaluable. It is the only way you can be sure that you have not overlooked anything, and that you are have established what all your options are and how suitable they are for you. A firm like Blevins Franks has local Partner/s here in the Costa Blanca as well as its head office in the UK. It focuses on UK and Spanish tax and how together they impact on UK expatriates here, and will use its experience to guide you on your financial future in Spain. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual should take personalised advice To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com.
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LONDON - FTSE 100 C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 3.80 1.10 9.00 0.79 -406.06 -19.11 -3.00 -0.29 12.00 0.66 0.00 0.00 -4.00 -0.54 5.00 0.33 -7.00 -0.24 -3.05 -0.82 -1.50 -0.15 -0.50 -0.15 -0.85 -0.33 -10.50 -1.01 12.00 0.57 -2.65 -0.62 -49.92 -1.54 -4.00 -0.71
NET VOLUME 1,649.11 129.63 3,642.41 532.98 1,194.30 607.35 1,782.64 258.14 874.05 2,865.79 349.19 803.44 13,148.96 4,222.33 2,191.28 8,270.80 1,230.05 727.07
CU RR EN CI ES
C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 17
PRICE(P) C O M PA N Y Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 348.30 Admiral Group PLC 1144.00 Aggreko PLC 1717.50 AMEC PLC 1016.50 Anglo American PLC 1838.50 Antofagasta PLC 1354.00 ARM Holdings PLC 739.00 Associated Brith Fds PLC 1523.50 AstraZeneca PLC 2917.50 Aviva PLC 366.90 Babcock Intnal Group... 978.25 BAE Systems PLC 338.60 Barclays PLC 254.75 BG Group PLC 1031.00 BHP Billiton PLC 2106.25 BP PLC 423.88 British Am Tobacco PLC 3195.50 British Land Co PLC 557.25
0.81171
Units per €
United States $......................................................1.31548 Japan Yen ¥ ...........................................................110.125 Switzerland Francs................................................1.20826 Denmark Kroner ....................................................7.46113 Norway Kroner.......................................................7.36968
C O M PA N Y
PRICE(P)
British Sky Broadtng Gr BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Capital Shopp Cntrs Gr Carnival PLC Centrica PLC Compass Group PLC CRH PLC
763.00 235.80 1048.50 1259.00 752.50 353.80 2458.00 333.55 733.75 1161.50
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -1.00 -1.90 -16.00 -5.00 -10.00 -0.50 -3.00 -2.10 -4.25 -12.00
DOW JONES
NASDAQ
C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 17
C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 17
C O M PA N Y
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME
MMM 3M Co 93.03 AA Alcoa Inc 8.75 AXP American Express Co 57.27 T AT&T Inc 34.23 BAC Bank of America Corp 11.00 BA Boeing Co 74.65 CAT Caterpillar Inc 89.64 CVX Chevron Corp 108.68 CSCO Cisco Systems Inc 20.11 DD E. I. du Pont de Nemours and C... 44.63 XOM Exxon Mobil Corp 88.87 GE General Electric Co 21.93 HPQ Hewlett-Packard Co 14.21 HD Home Depot Inc 63.31 INTC Intel Corp 20.57 IBM International Business Machine... 193.62 JNJ Johnson & Johnson 70.94 JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co 43.48 MCD McDonald's Corp 89.91 MRK Merck & Co Inc 43.63 MSFT Microsoft Corp 27.10
+0.75 +0.01 +0.62 +0.22 +0.42 +0.63 +0.64 +0.86 +0.25 +0.54 +0.79 +0.31 -0.54 +1.25 +0.0433 +1.86 +0.25 +0.67 +1.03 +0.09 +0.285
+0.81% +0.11% +1.09% +0.65% +3.97% +0.85% +0.72% +0.80% +1.26% +1.22% +0.90% +1.43% -3.66% +2.01% +0.21% +0.97% +0.35% +1.57% +1.16% +0.21% +1.06%
2.8M 16.4M 5.8M 24.8M 170.7M 5.5M 6.1M 6.1M 46.9M 5.7M 15.7M 48.5M 30.9M 8.2M 35.0M 3.8M 14.3M 23.9M 6.0M 13.3M 42.1M
1.23196
C O M PA N Y
Most Advanced Zions Bancorporation Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. Velti plc MTR Gaming Group, Inc. VIVUS, Inc. Compuware Corporation ATA Inc. Concurrent Computer Corporation Stereotaxis, Inc.
-0.13 -0.80 -1.50 -0.40 -1.31 -0.14 -0.12 -0.63 -0.58 -1.02
PRICE
NET VOLUME 948.33 6,388.83 432.19 302.32 233.97 377.42 167.35 2,492.34 1,265.69 448.12
CHANGE NET / %
$ 2.60 0.80 / +44.44% $ 16.10 3.78 / +30.68% $ 4.55 0.71 / +18.49% $ 3.35 0.44 / +15.12% $ 13.075 1.595 / +13.89% $ 10.76 1.23 / +12.91% $ 4.50 0.4601 / +11.39% $ 6.17 0.63 / +11.37% $ 2.67 0.27 / +11.25%
Most Declined Clearwire Corporation $ 2.91 TranS1 Inc. $ 2.50 China Lodging Group, Limited $ 15.26 B Communications Ltd. $ 4.2601 Interphase Corporation $ 2.56 The9 Limited $ 3.25 Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 6.91 National American University Holdings, Inc. $ 3.74 TESARO, Inc. $ 15.99
0.46 / -13.65% 0.24 / -8.76% 1.43 / -8.57% 0.3779 / -8.15% 0.19 / -6.91% 0.24 / -6.88% 0.50 / -6.75% 0.25 / -6.27% 1 / -5.89%
C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Croda International PLC 2342.50 -19.00 Diageo PLC 1828.50 -6.50 Eurasian Nat Resources ... 270.05 0.00 EVRAZ PLC 258.90 -3.00 Experian PLC 1008.50 -7.00 Fresnillo PLC 1936.00 -14.00 G4S PLC 249.50 -3.00 GKN PLC 226.45 -1.30 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1355.25 -8.70 Glencore Intnal PLC 350.90 -1.20 Hammerson PLC 483.25 -3.70 Hargreaves Lansdown 698.50 -5.78 HSBC Holdings PLC 637.70 -3.80 IMI PLC 1065.50 -3.00 Imperial Tobacco Gr PLC 2427.00 -4.00 InterContinental Hotels 1641.50 -4.00 International Consldtd 178.60 4.89 Intertek Group PLC 3074.50 -5.00 ITV PLC 101.15 -0.52 Johnson Matthey PLC 2411.00 -11.00 Kazakhmys PLC 774.25 16.12 Kingfisher PLC 275.10 -1.20 Land Securities Grp PLC 806.50 -7.50 Legal & General Grp PLC 143.80 -1.50 Lloyds Banking Grp PLC 46.68 -0.04 Marks & Spencer Grp PLC 391.60 -2.20 Meggitt PLC 388.40 -0.50 Melrose Industries PLC 226.75 -0.70 National Grid PLC 700.75 -7.50 Next PLC 3721.50 -17.00 Old Mutual PLC 173.60 -1.30 Pearson PLC 1180.50 -4.00 Pennon Group PLC 623.75 -1.00 Petrofac Ltd 1671.50 -8.00 Polymetal Intntnal PLC 1182.50 8.00 Prudential PLC 880.25 -1.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 6195.00 -40.00 Reckitt Benckiser Gr PLC 3901.50 -10.00 Reed Elsevier PLC 627.25 -3.50 Resolution Ltd 248.50 -0.70 REXAM PLC 441.45 -2.38 Rio Tinto PLC 3423.25 32.00 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 863.25 -6.50 Royal Bank of Scotd Gr 298.85 -3.40 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2190.25 -8.00 RSA Insurance Group PLC 124.15 -0.50 SABMiller PLC 2779.25 -25.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 289.60 0.30 Sainsbury (J) PLC 347.90 -0.20 Schroders PLC 1645.50 -2.00 Serco Group PLC 535.25 -6.00 Severn Trent PLC 1556.00 -11.00 Shire PLC 1921.00 -12.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 667.75 -1.00 Smiths Group PLC 1147.50 3.00 SSE PLC 1440.50 -4.00 Standard Chartered PLC 1486.25 -11.00 Standard Life PLC 332.10 -0.50 Tate & Lyle PLC 751.75 -3.25 Tesco PLC 341.50 -0.40 Tullow Oil PLC 1200.00 1.00 Unilever PLC 2414.50 -14.00 United Utilities Grp PLC 701.75 -1.00 Vedanta Resources PLC 1112.00 6.00 Vodafone Group PLC 157.62 -3.30 Weir Group PLC 1787.00 -20.00 Whitbread PLC 2410.50 -20.00 Wm Morrison Supmrkts 265.15 0.50 Wolseley PLC 2797.00 -35.00 Wood Group (John) PLC 710.50 -23.50 WPP PLC 870.00 -4.00 Xstrata PLC 1050.00 -0.38
% C H G. -0.80 -0.35 0.00 -1.15 -0.69 -0.72 -1.19 -0.57 -0.64 -0.34 -0.76 -0.82 -0.59 -0.28 -0.16 -0.24 2.82 -0.16 -0.51 -0.45 2.13 -0.43 -0.92 -1.03 -0.09 -0.56 -0.13 -0.31 -1.06 -0.45 -0.74 -0.34 -0.16 -0.48 0.68 -0.11 -0.64 -0.26 -0.56 -0.28 -0.54 0.94 -0.75 -1.12 -0.36 -0.40 -0.91 0.10 -0.06 -0.12 -1.11 -0.70 -0.62 -0.15 0.26 -0.28 -0.73 -0.15 -0.43 -0.12 0.08 -0.58 -0.14 0.54 -2.05 -1.11 -0.82 0.19 -1.24 -3.20 -0.46 -0.04
VOLUME 41.75 1,555.48 1,564.83 1,162.44 626.86 113.13 574.43 1,514.91 2,825.44 3,883.62 251.41 204.01 10,114.66 158.89 762.93 204.92 5,262.26 89.51 4,105.78 135.25 619.22 2,527.36 343.73 3,990.42 38,119.72 1,776.38 212.32 596.96 3,985.68 123.73 882.38 658.04 851.34 392.29 319.47 1,580.90 91.76 237.84 1,222.54 509.26 464.85 2,240.76 2,446.89 3,701.03 1,182.62 3,857.52 643.66 710.54 1,422.13 107.91 780.47 202.43 334.32 473.48 246.06 654.36 647.52 1,935.08 389.44 4,871.99 1,573.42 800.63 1,083.12 255.89 90,190.68 289.34 156.90 1,498.72 488.64 750.17 1,058.39 1,677.68
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Unwelcome record as bail set at €50m BUSINESSMAN Gerardo Diaz Ferran equalled an unwelcome record when he was granted bail of €30 million. But that record lasted just a few hours when it was topped by the €50 million bail set for business partner Angel de Cabo. He allegedly bought companies’ assets for less than their true worth from Diaz Ferran, former president of the Spanish Confederation of Business Associations. They are both languishing in jail awaiting trial after the bail payments were not met.
Diaz Ferran is accused of leading the Grupo Marsans travel group into debt by selling its assets and keeping the money, then letting it go bankrupt when it no longer had any value. He is now in Soto del Real Prison in Madrid. The judge also set bail at €30 million for Ivan Losada, who was allegedly De Cabo’s right-hand man and took part in the events which led to the bankruptcy of companies including Marsans, Vías Canales y Puertos, TECONSA and Nueva Rumasa.
Marsans was sold in June 2010 through a pact by which De Cabo allegedly helped to hide assets and cash in tax havens, meaning more than 10,000 creditors, owed €1 billion, went unpaid. Previous record bail was also €30 million, demanded from businessman Javier de la Rosa in 1999 for the Torras Case. He was jailed for misappropriation of €382 million when he was the Spanish administrator of the Kuwait Investments Office group.
Spanish take on the world SPANISH fashion group Inditex has taken €1.65 billion between February and October this year. This is 27 per cent more than for the same period in 2011, and is mainly thanks to improved sales in the Asian market. In the first nine months of the tax year, the company created almost 6,600 jobs and now employs more than 116,100 people. Between
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Sales rocket SALES of M-75 perfume, named after the rockets Palestinian militants fired at Israel, have soared. The citrus scented fragrance has become a best seller in Gaza.
Cancer hope
February and October, it has opened 360 shops in 54 countries, bringing the total to 6,000 with more openings in the later months, including one shop in Oxford Street, London. A spokesperson pointed out that the Autumn-Winter period is always improved by spending at Christmas and in the winter sales. Zara launched an online shop in
GERMAN firm Bayer hopes for annual sales of €1bn from a new prostate cancer treatment. It has applied for approval from US and EU regulators.
FASHION STAKES: Spanish retailers expanding. China in September and plans to do the same in Canada which it hopes will continue to improve sales. Meanwhile, Massimo Dutti has opened in the US and Canada; Zara has increased its presence in Munich and opened in Cape Town,
Tokyo and Moscow; Bershka is now in Frankfurt, and Uterque is in Hong Kong, Beijing and Mexico. Stradivarius has also opened in Mexico, Pull and Bear has arrived in Vienna, and Oysho has its first shop in Macao.
More time THAI company bosses have called for more time for a million migrants before they are deported. Thailand is heavily dependent on workers from neighbouring Myanmar who face deportation.
THREE WAYS TO MAKE MORE OF YOUR MONEY. Fixed Rate 11 Month Deposit
Fixed Rate 200 Day Deposit
Premier Current Account
3.50%
3.25%
3.00%
T.A.E.*
available in Euros until 31st December 2012
T.A.E.**
available in Euros until 31st December 2012
T.A.E.***
during the first three months ***
You choose… whether… you’re looking for a current account with a world of benefits, or a fixed term deposit to see your savings grow. For other options about our Pounds Sterling and Dollars(1) fixed term deposits, please visit your local branch in:
Valencia, Denia, Calpe, Guardamar, Torrevieja, La Zenia, Los Alcázares or Mazarrón.
902 024 365 or +34 91 484 81 81 lloydsbankinternational.es (1) There is a potential risk arising from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates between the acquisition date and the subsequent sale or maturity date of the deposit or investment. * T.A.E. (Tasa Anual Equivalente) corresponds to Annual Interest Rate. Effective Interest Rate: 3.494%. From €6,000 to €200,000. Interest paid at maturity. Available until the 31st December 2012. For funds coming from other financial entities, credited to the account from 1st October 2012 onwards and that represent a balance increase from the aforementioned date. ** T.A.E. (Tasa Anual Equivalente) corresponds to Annual Interest Rate. Effective Interest Rate: 3.226%. From €6,000 to €200,000. Interest paid at maturity. Available until the 31st December 2012. For funds coming from other financial entities, credited to the account from 1st October 2012 onwards and that represent a balance increase from the aforementioned date. *** T.A.E. (Tasa Anual Equivalente) corresponds to Annual Interest Rate. Effective Interest Rate 2.9596% for the first three months, on balances up to a maximum of €500,000, with all amounts above said limit accruing no interest. From the fourth month remuneration will be based on tired rates depending on the balance you hold. As of today these rates are from 0% to 1.50% T.A.E. (1.4898% Effective Interest Rate). The applicable rates for each tier are available on www.lloydsbankinternational.es. Interest paid monthly. Lloyds Bank International, S.A.U., with registered offices at Serrano 90, 5ª planta, 28006, Madrid, Spain, Trade Registry of Madrid, T. 6799, Book 0, Folio. 108, Sec. 8, Page M-110714, 1st Entry, N.I.F. (Tax Identification Number) A-80481765.
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Monopoly game shows world how unfair life is for the poor A RECENT series of BBC documentaries on poverty has really been shedding light on the unfairness of the world economy and the privileges those with money continue to enjoy. Capitalism today, more than ever, really is a case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. And it’s all down to the lottery of where you are born. In general, those born into wealthy families have ample opportunity and resources and sail through life confronting little or no obstacles along the way, while those born into poor and struggling families are given few leg-ups in life and continue to live in poverty, just like their parents and grandparents.
Fewer jobs, but more applicants EACH job offer on Spanish internet site Infojobs was applied for by an average of 12 people in November. This is 13.5 per cent more than the same time last year, while the total number of offers for November was 66,700, 24 per cent fewer than the same month in 2011. Most of the contracts offered, 22.8 per cent were open-ended. Commercial and sales positions were the biggest sector, with 28 per cent of the total. Despite this, the number of offers in commerce and sales, fell by 24.6 per cent from last year. Nearly 32 per cent of the positions needed experience of at least one year, although just over 29 per cent required no prior experience.
Loose change A look at finance for females Jane Plunkett jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews. com
Using a Monopoly board, researchers have shown just how unjust finance can be. The researchers challenged two players to a game. One ‘rich’ player was given a heap of money to start the game and he was allowed to collect $200 (€150) every time he passed Go. The other ‘poor’ player was given very little money to start and could only collect $20
RICH OR POOR: The throw of the dice.
(€15) every time he passed Go. Needless to say the ‘rich’ player whipped around the board, buying up property and collecting money. What was also interesting, was the sense of entitlement the rich player showed. But the poor player struggled to buy or to save money and
ultimately lost the game. Every day around the world people are out on the streets protesting against cuts and austerity measures, but unless the root of the problem is addressed - which is the relationship between money and politics -
nothing will change. Rich people continue to reap benefits, because politicians continue to accommodate rules and regulations in their favour. So much so, that when a lobby group for the superrich in the US put forward a proposal to dramatically cut public spending, the Catholic Church felt it had to intervene. It asked politicians making decisions to be humane and think about the poor. The super-rich, a lot of whom are CEOs of banks or industry, have little concern for the well-being of ordinary citizens, but each ‘ordinary’ person had to bail them out when the economy crashed. Isn’t it time to change the rules and spread the wealth?
Recipe for sandwich success ANDALUCIAN restaurant chain 100 Montaditos continues to expand throughout the world and is now present in South America. The chain, which offers what it describes on its website as ‘unique tapa-sized bread rolls produced with an exclusive bread formula and filled with the best high quality ingredients’, is already present in the USA, France and Portugal. It has opened restaurants more recently in Mexico and Colombia, and plans to continue its expansion throughout South America, starting with another restaurant in Mexico and one in Chile. Their mini-rolls were launched in 2000 in Huelva, and they have since opened 220 restaurants in Spain, based on the type of taverns typically seen in Spain in the mid-20th century. Their formula is that clients write on a type of order form what they want to eat, and put their name on it. When the food is ready, the client is called by name to pick it up at the bar. A company spokesperson
GLOBAL DEMAND Mini bread rolls (montaditos). reported that they receive some 30 requests per day from people wanting to see the company open in different parts of the world. They say the secret to their success is their prices, including the star ‘euromania’ promotion, which sees everything at €1 on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout Europe. In the US, it’s been renamed ‘dollarmania’ and
‘pesomania’ in Mexico. Despite the variety they offer, the favourite montadito for clients in Spain is the simple and traditional Serrano ham with olive oil. This is also the best-seller beyond Spanish borders. In the US alone, 300,000 montaditos are served every month.
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USINESS IZ
Prices down PETROL and diesel prices have fallen to levels last seen in July. In August, they reached historical highs of €1.522 and €1.444 per litre respectively.
Debt up THE debt of public administrations in Spain has risen to €817 billion, which is 77.4% of the national GDP and the highest in history, according to the Bank of Spain.
Oil rises JAEN’S Young Farmers Association has warned that olive oil prices will rise because the most recent harvests have produced fewer olives.
Mobile phone giants lose clients IN October, 486,183 mobile phone lines were cancelled, making it the ninth consecutive month for falling figures in Spain. The Telecommunications Market Committee advised that most of the losses were suffered by Movistar, Vodafone and Orange. Movistar lost 284,290 lines, Vodafone 278,070 and Orange 14,870. Virtual mobile operators and phone company Yoigo, however, gained 78,550 and 12,490 lines respectively. Meanwhile, Orange España has announced that it has purchased 100 per cent of Simyo shares, the virtual mobile operator of Dutch company KPN in Spain, which currently has almost 380,000 clients.
20 - 26 December 2012
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ROUND - UP OF REGULAR AND OCCASIONAL TOPICS
E XPAT EXTRA
LETTERS LEAPY HEALTH & BEAUTY
FOOD TIME OUT HOMES & GARDENS
PETS TV
On slippery slope to the L word
CRISPIN is just perfect. The surprise date he took me on - with the need for a bikini - turned out as I hoped. Three days of pure bliss, just him and me, romantically intertwined in our very own chalet in Sierra Nevada.
As I see it... Ana Jefferson-Smith takes an irreverent look at life as a singleton expat in Spain Why did I need to take along my Chanel two-piece when surrounded by thick
snow? Well our lodge had its own hot tub! And a sauna, treatment rooms
plus an outdoor pool, heated of course. It was more like a five-star retreat. Exactly what I love. We spent our mini vacation in each others arms, literally for much of the time as I struggled to stay upright on the slopes.
MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
COMMENT Temporary partners SPAIN’S politicians willingly bury differences if both are threatened by the same adverse situation. PP and PSOE representatives have held secret meetings regarding new Local Administration Laws. These will cut the number of councillors and erode their power and pay in some towns, a move they want to prevent. Politics bring strange bedfellows, even though this new rapprochement is closer to a one night stand than a marriage of convenience.
Taxing situation HACIENDA is looking into the multinationals operating in Spain. “It is not normal that a company with a turnover of thousands of millions hardly pays tax,” said a high ranking official. Of course it is not normal, but normality, or its absence, has nothing to do with wide-scale tax avoidance by those most able to pay it. Hacienda should ask Britain’s tax authorities about that and ask Starbucks, too.
An Xmas sermon...by Tweet! MOTORISTS in Australia have been warned about using Apple Maps on the latest operating system following rescues of people stranded in the wilderness after being directed into a national park rather than the inland town of Mildura. *** TWO students have been arrested after giving brownies laced with cannabis to classmates and a professor. Thomas Cunningham and Mary Essa served up the cakes as part of a ‘bring food
JUST FANCY THAT... day’ to the University of Colorado, USA. *** SENIOR bishops are to tweet their Christmas Day sermons in a Tweet campaign. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Archbishop Designate will be joined by congregations and clergy from across the Church of England. *** AN Indian couple should
have luck on their side throughout their marriage. Brandon Pereira and Emilia D’Silva celebrated their engagement on 10/10/10, had a registered legal marriage on 11/11/11 and their wedding on 12/12/12. *** ONLY one football fan turned up to cheer on Udinese FC when they headed to Genoa Cricket and Football club in Italy
for their Series A match against Sampdoria FC. . *** A NEW prehistoric lizard species has been named after US President Obama. The Obamadon Gracilis was first discovered in eastern Montana, USA, in 1974. *** SHOPPERS at an Ikea store in Canada were left stunned when a monkey wearing a sheepskin coat was spotted wandering around the car park. The primate had escaped from its owner’s car.
I’m not the keenest of skiers, but I didn’t care. I was with him! Normally I don’t respond well to the cold. More often than not I am a beach babe, not a snow seeker. But this was different. I have been on holidays with boyfriends before, but not like this. It was special, because Crispin is something special. Such a gentleman. And he didn’t let me pay for a thing! Ski-ing, champagne, strawberries, chocolate, caviar… need I say more. Not a moment of silence between us, giggling like teenagers as we frolicked in the snow, unaware of anyone else. A haven, it felt like only us there. All I want to do is spend more and more time together, I simply can’t bear to be apart. I miss him already and he left my side only moments ago. The greatest gift this Christmas would be to spend it with him. If only. Or maybe? We have only known each other for two weeks, although it feels like much longer. So would it be so bad to ask him? I am on the slippery slope to being head over heels in love, and if he feels how I do, it will be exactly what he wants. So I’m going to do it. With the L word ringing in my ears as the Christmas countdown continues, I’m going to ask him to spend it with me. Just the two of us again, for another wonderful three days. It could be the best present ever!
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BBC1
BBC2
5:40am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC’s Breakfast team. 10:15am Heir Hunters 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm You've Been Scammed 12:30pm Cash in the Attic Series looking at whether unwanted items could be worth a small fortune. 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 2:30pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Escape to the Country
4.00pm - midnight 4:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 4:05pm Show Me What You’re Made of 4:35pm The Slammer 5:00pm Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic 5:30pm Rocket’s Island 6:00pm Newsround Topical news magazine for children. 6:15pm Pointless Celebrities test the depths of their general knowledge in this special edition of the quiz. 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 8:00pm The One Show Matt Baker and Alex Jones present the stories that matter from across the country. 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Young Apprentice 10:00pm Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Lapland 12:50am This Week A political review of the week presented by Andrew Neil, with Michael Portillo and guests. 1:35am Skiing Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 1:40am Britain’s Secret Terror Squad 2:40am Countryfile Countryfile visits the Norfolk coast for a seasonal spectacle. 3:40am Antiques Roadshow 4:40am MasterChef: The Professionals 5:40am BBC News
BBC3 8:00pm Doctor Who 9:00pm Don’t Tell the Bride 10:00pm Russell Howard’s Good News 10:30pm Impractical Jokers 11:00pm World’s Craziest Fools 11:30pm EastEnders 12:00am Family Guy Animated comedy series about family life. 12:25am Family Guy Animated comedy series about family life. 12:45am American Dad! Animated series about Stan Smith, who works for the CIA. 1:10am American Dad! 1:30am Impractical Jokers 2:00am The Revolution Will be Televised 2:30am The Revolution Will be Televised 3:00am Him and Her 3:30am Russell Howard’s Good News 4:00am Don’t Tell the Bride
ITV
Channel 4
Channel 5
8:05am Cloudbabies 8:15am Everything’s Rosie 8:25am Bob the Builder: Project Build It 8:35am Chuggington 8:45am Octonauts 9:00am Tilly and Friends 9:10am Woolly and Tig 9:15am Mike the Knight 9:30am Timmy Time 9:40am Tweenies 10:00am Numtums 10:05am Abadas 10:15am Alphablocks 10:20am The Rhyme Rocket 10:35am The Lingo Show 10:45am Something Special - A Christmas Special 11:05am Show Me Show Me 11:35am Mr Bloom’s Nursery 11:55am I Can Cook on the Go 12:10pm Mister Maker Comes to Town 12:30pm BBC World News 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Royal Upstairs Downstairs 2:30pm To Buy or Not to Buy 3:15pm The Weakest Link
3:20am Scarface 6:05am ITV Nightscreen Textbased information service. 6:30am ITV Morning News The latest national and international news. 7:00am Daybreak 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning Presented by Phillip Schofield and Ruth Langsford. 12:25pm ITV News The latest headlines from around the world. Followed by a local weather forecast. 12:30pm This Morning Presented by Phillip Schofield and Ruth Langsford. 1:30pm Let’s Do Christmas with Gino and Mel Comedian Rhod Gilbert adds a little mayhem to the festive kitchen today. 2:30pm ITV News and Weather Natasha Kaplinsky with the latest headlines from around the world. 3:00pm Storage Hoarders
5:45am Countdown 6:30am Make Do and Mend Simon’s cooking skills are challenged by a kitchen machine that belongs in a museum. 6:55am Quick Bakes with Eric Lanlard 7:00am Sali Mali Sali Mali invites all of her friends in from the frightening storm. 7:05am Sali Mali 7:10am The Hoobs 7:35am The Hoobs 8:00am Freshly Squeezed 8:30am According to Jim 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm Jamie’s Christmas with Bells On 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Kirstie's Handmade Treasure 1:15pm Swiss Family Robinson 3:40pm Countdown
4:00pm Real Rescues 4:45pm Wanted Down Under Revisited 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Masterchef: The Professionals Michel’s Classics 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm Springwatch 10:00pm Last Chance Harvey 11:30pm Newsnight
4:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 5:00pm Britain’s Best Bakery 6:00pm The Chase Quiz show hosted by Bradley Walsh. 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather Geraint Vincent and Natasha Kaplinsky with the latest headlines from around the world. 8:00pm Emmerdale Cameron takes his place on the witness stand. 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale Under the pressure of the trial, Cameron makes a confession. 9:30pm Coronation Street Fiz helps Tyrone gather evidence. Is Nick the victim of a hoax? 10:00pm Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Celebrity contestants attempt to win that magical million in this Christmas Special. 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham with the latest headlines from around the world. 11:35pm Waterworld
4:15pm All I Want for Christmas 4:30pm 1001 Things You Should Sentimental drama. Know 6:00pm 5 News Sandi Toksvig hosts at 5 Channel 4’s National brand new and general 11:00pm Lord of War with CH5 international knowledge news. quiz show. 6:30pm 5:00pm Deal Emergency or No Deal Bikers 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:30pm 5 News The latest to host in this new competition is singer National and international news. and proud Liverpudlian Marcus Collins. 8:00pm Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways 6:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm World’s Strongest Man 2012 7:00pm The Simpsons 10:00pm Cowboy Builders 7:30pm Hollyoaks Dom Littlewood and Melinda Messenger track Nancy fears the worst when she receives a call down the UK’s most terrible tradesmen. from the hospital. 11:00pm Lord of War 8:00pm Channel 4 News Satirical action thriller set in the world of black Includes sport and weather. market arms dealing, following a gunrunner 8:55pm 4thought.tv from humble beginnings in Little Odessa to a 9:00pm George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces millionaire lifestyle supplying weapons to global 10:00pm Jamie and Jimmy’s Food Fight Club trouble spots. While dealing with an African Jimmy and Jamie want to see if British puds can dictator, he is pursued by a relentless Interpol beat Italian desserts. agent and begins to have doubts about the 11:00pm Adam Hills Stands Up Live morality of his profession.
Emma Thompson.
Dustin Hoffman.
BBC2 10:00pm - Last Chance Harvey
2:00am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am Tonight 4:25am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service. 5:35am The Jeremy Kyle Show
7:45am Peppa Pig 7:50am Olive the Ostrich 7:55am Little Princess 8:10am Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 8:20am The Mr. Men Show 8:35am Thomas and Friends 8:50am Noddy in Toyland 9:05am Fifi and the Flowertots 9:20am Peppa Pig 9:30am Peppa Pig 9:35am Roary the Racing Car 9:50am Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00am Tickety Toc 10:15am Angelina Ballerina 10:35am Mist: Sheepdog Tales 10:55am Mexican Food Made Simple 11:25am Emergency Bikers 12:25pm Superior Interiors with Kelly Hoppen 1:20pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:25pm Build a New Life in the Country 2:30pm Mrs. Miracle
Nicolas Cage
12:40am Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Classic comedy from 80s teen comedy genre king John Hughes. 2:30am David Blaine: Magic Man 3:20am Unreported World 3:45am Dispatches 4:15am Time Team 5:15am The Herd 5:20am Deal or No Deal
1:25am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette, blackjack and autowheel. 4:55am House Doctor 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am The Great Artists
12:20am The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff 1:20am An Island Parish 1:50am BBC News 5:00am Spark 5:55am Ask Lara
BBC4 8:00pm Tails You Win: The Science of Chance 9:00pm Top of the Pops: 1977 9:30pm Top of the Pops: 1977 10:00pm Michael Grade’s History of the Pantomime Dame Michael Grade explores the rich history of the very British pantomime dame. 11:00pm The Dark Ages: An Age of Light 12:00am Chas and Dave: Last Orders 1:00am Tails You Win: The Science of Chance 2:00am The Unthanks: A Very English Winter 3:00am Top of the Pops: 1977 3:30am Top of the Pops: 1977 4:00am Michael Grade’s History of the Pantomime Dame Michael Grade explores the rich history of the very British pantomime dame.
Satellite channels SKY1 5:10am Stargate SG-1 6:05am Stargate SG-1 7:00am Airline USA 7:30am Airline USA 8:00am Spy 8:30am Spy 9:00am Dog the Bounty Hunter 9:30am Dog the Bounty Hunter 10:00am Hawaii Five-0 11:00am Hawaii Five-0 12:00pm Lie to Me 1:00pm Lie to Me 2:00pm Life of PI Special 2:10pm Stargate Continuum 4:00pm Stargate SG-1 5:00pm Stargate SG-1 6:00pm Futurama 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Middle 8:30pm Modern Family 9:00pm Our Diamond Queen 10:00pm Little Crackers 10:30pm Little Crackers 11:00pm An Idiot Abroad 12:00am Spy 12:30am A League of
Their Own 1:30am Brit Cops - Zero Tolerance 2:30am Brit Cops - Zero Tolerance 3:30am Road Wars 4:20am Road Wars 4:45am Crash Test Dummies 5:10am Stargate SG1
SKY MOVIES COMEDY 5:40am Dunston Checks In 7:10am The Brady Bunch Movie 8:45am Taxi 10:25am Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 12:15pm Little Fockers 1:55pm The Change-Up 3:55pm Swingers 5:35pm Taxi 7:20pm Little Fockers 9:00pm The Change-Up 10:55pm Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 12:45am Swinging with the Finkels 2:15am Swingers 3:55am Best Defense 5:30am Clue
SKY MOVIES DRAMA
5:40pm Batman Returns 7:50pm Real Steel 10:00pm Independence Day
5:10am Listen to Your Heart 7:00am Prom 8:45am Country Strong 10:45am I Don't Know How She Does it 12:20pm The Help 2:50pm Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
12:30am I, Robot 2:30am Your Highness 4:20am Anaconda 2: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
5:05pm That Thing You Do! 7:00pm Just Go with it 9:00pm I Don’t Know How She Does it 10:35pm The Help 1:05am Shallow Hal 3:05am Intersection 4:50am Prom
SKY MOVIES ACTION 5:00am Skyline 6:40am Spy Kids 8:20am The Hobbit 8:50am Real Steel 11:00am Independence Day 1:30pm I, Robot 3:30pm Batman
TCM 6:00am West of the Divide 6:55am The High Chaparral 7:50am The High Chaparral 8:50am Rocky Mountain 10:25am River of No Return 12:10pm Young Billy Young 1:50pm The High Chaparral 2:55pm The High Chaparral 4:00pm How the West Was Won 6:55pm The Return of Frank James 8:40pm Kansas Pacific 10:00pm Passenger 57 11:35pm Dark City 1:30am Great Expectations 3:20am Dark City 5:00am The High Chaparral
32
FRIDAY
EWN
TV
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC2
4.00pm - midnight 4:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 4:05pm Show Me What You’re Made of 4:30pm The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas Animation retelling the story of the nativity from the point of view of a young cow. 5:00pm Blue Peter 5:30pm CBeebies Panto 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Nigel Slater’s 12 Tastes of Christmas 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Outnumbered 10:00pm Have I Got News for You Christmas Special 10:30pm Live at the Apollo 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:20am The National Lottery Friday Night Draws The National Lottery Friday night draws presented by OJ Borg. 12:30am John Bishop’s Britain John Bishop hosts a festive edition of the comedy and entertainment show. 1:15am EastEnders Omnibus 3:10am Weatherview 3:15am Natural World 4:15am MasterChef: The Professionals 5.15am BBC News
8:00pm Great Movie Mistakes 2012 10:00pm Gavin and Stacey Special festive edition of the hit sitcom. 11:00pm Russell Howard’s Good News 11:30pm EastEnders 12:00am Kill Bill: Vol. 1 1:45am Impractical Jokers 2:15am Pramface 2:45am Pramface 3:15am Russell Howard’s Good News 3:45am Don’t Tell the Bride
4:00pm Real Rescues 4:45pm Wanted Down Under Revisited 5:30pm Flog It! Antiques series. 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm Mastermind John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. 9:30pm An Island Parish Series following the community on the tiny crown dependency of Sark in the Channel Islands. 10:00pm Westminster Abbey A behind-the-scenes look at one of Britain's greatest landmarks. 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight In-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines with Gavin Esler.
12:05am Grumpy Guide To...1:05am Holiday in Handcuffs Romantic comedy. 2:30am BBC News
BBC4 8:00pm Concerto at the BBC Proms 8:30pm Placido Domingo’s Gala Concert 10:00pm It’s Slade 10:50pm Slade at the BBC 11:50pm Slade in Flame Tom Conti, Dave Hill, Noddy Holder, Tommy Vance, Paul Eric Bosko, Kenneth Colley. 1:20am It’s Slade 2:10am Slade at the BBC 3:10am Placido Domingo’s Gala Concert
BBC3
BBC3
7:50am Charlie and Lola 8:05am Cloudbabies 8:15am Everything’s Rosie 8:25am Bob the Builder: Project Build It 8:35am Chuggington 8:45am Octonauts 9:00am Tilly and Friends 9:10am Woolly and Tig 9:15am Mike the Knight 9:30am Timmy Time 9:40am Tweenies 10:00am Numtums 10:05am Abadas 10:15am Alphablocks 10:20am The Rhyme Rocket 10:35am The Lingo Show 10:45am Something Special - Out and About 11:05am Show Me Show Me 11:35am Mr Bloom’s Nursery 11:55am I Can Cook on the Go 12:10pm Mister Maker Comes to Town 12:30pm BBC World News 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Royal Upstairs Downstairs 2:30pm To Buy or Not to Buy 3:15pm The Weakest Link
12:00am - Kill Bill:Vol. 1
Uma Thurman
Channel 4
5:35am The Jeremy Kyle Show 6:30am ITV Morning News The latest national and international news. 7:00am Daybreak 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning Presented by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. 12:25pm ITV News The latest headlines from around the world. Followed by a local weather forecast. 12:30pm This Morning Presented by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. 1:30pm Let’s Do Christmas with Gino and Mel Paul Nicholas joins Gino and Mel today in the festive kitchen. 2:30pm ITV News and Weather Nina Hossain with the latest headlines from around the world. 3:00pm Storage Hoarders
Channel 5
7:10am The Hoobs 8:00am Freshly Squeezed 8:30am According to Jim 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am 10:00am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm Jamie’s Christmas with Bells On 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 1:25pm Cutthroat Island 3:40pm Countdown
10:00pm - The Mentalist Simon Baker
4:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal David and the team are in Ilford for a Text Santa edition of the show. 5:00pm Britain’s Best Bakery Today is the Grand Final as the three remaining contestants take part in the ultimate challenge. 6:00pm The Chase Quiz show hosted by Bradley Walsh. 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather Geraint Vincent and Nina Hossain with the latest headlines from around the world. 7:55pm Text Santa 8:00pm Emmerdale Cameron takes drastic action to keep his secret. 8:30pm Coronation Street Is Tyrone and Fiz’s affair about to be exposed? Kirk and Beth experience a Christmas miracle. 9:00pm Text Santa
12:00am ITV News and Weather Mark Austin with the latest headlines from around the world. 12:15am Celebrity Juice 1:00am Text Santa 2:15am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am Quadrophenia
4:30pm 1001 Things You Should Know Sandi Toksvig hosts Channel 4's brand new general knowledge quiz show. 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. 8:30pm Unreported World 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm King of Christmas Lights 10:00pm The Hoarder Next Door The hit documentary series returns to Channel 4 with a festive special. 11:00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man 12:05am Father Ted 1:15am Father Ted Father Ted finds himself in sumptuous surroundings. 1:50am Father Ted 2:15am Full English 2:45am The Ricky Gervais Show 3:10am The Ricky Gervais Show 3:40am My Name is Earl 4:00am Glory Daze 4:45am A Ninja is for Life, Not Just for Christmas 4:50am 90210 5:30am Deal or No Deal
7:00am Thomas and Friends 7:10am Igam Ogam 7:20am Fireman Sam 7:30am Jelly Jamm 7:45am Peppa Pig 7:50am Olive the Ostrich 7:55am Little Princess 8:10am Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 8:20am The Mr Men Show 8:35am Thomas and Friends 8:50am Noddy in Toyland 9:05am Fifi and the Flowertots 9:20am Peppa Pig 9:35am Roary the Racing Car 9:50am Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00am Tickety Toc 10:15am Angelina Ballerina 10:35am Mist: Sheepdog Tales 10:55am Mexican Food Made Simple 11:25am Emergency Bikers 12:25pm Superior Interiors with Kelly Hoppen 1:20pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:25pm Build a New Life in the Country 2:25pm Meet the Santas
4:10pm Mistletoe Over Manhattan Seasonal fantasy yarn. 6:00pm 5 News at 5 National and international news. 6:30pm Emergency Bikers Action-packed documentary series following the work of emergency bike crews. 7:30pm 5 News National and international news. 8:00pm Cowboy Builders Dom Littlewood and Melinda Messenger track down the UK’s most terrible tradesmen. 9:00pm North Pole Ice Airport 10:00pm The Mentalist American crime drama. 11:00pm Castle US mystery series.
12:00am Law and Order: Criminal Intent 12:55am Inside Hollywood Get your daily fix of the latest film and TV news from the USA. Presented by Mark Morris. 1:00am Super Casino 4:50am Motorsport Mundial The latest motor racing action from around the world. 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am The Great Artists
Satellite channels SKY1
5:10am Stargate SG-1
6:05am Stargate SG-1 7:00am Airline USA 7:30am Airline USA 8:00am Spy 8:30am Spy 9:00am Dog the Bounty Hunter 9:30am Dog the Bounty Hunter 10:00am Futurama 10:30am Futurama 11:00am Best of Oops TV 12:00pm Lie to Me 1:00pm Lie to Me 2:00pm Stargate: The Ark of Truth
SKY MOVIES COMEDY
4:00pm Stargate SG-1 6:00pm Futurama 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Little Crackers 9:30pm Spy 10:00pm An Idiot Abroad 11:00pm A League of Their Own 12:00am Road Wars 1:00am Brit Cops - Zero Tolerance 2:00am Brit Cops - Zero Tolerance 2:55am Road Wars 3:50am Road Wars 4:45am Crash Test Dummies
5:30am Clue 7:10am Henry’s Crime 9:00am Snow Dogs 10:40am Chalet Girl 12:20pm The 40 Year Old Virgin 2:20pm Tower Heist 4:05pm American Pie 5:45pm Hall Pass 7:35pm 30 Minutes or Less 9:00pm Tower Heist 10:45pm The 40 Year Old Virgin 12:45am American Pie 2:25am Hall Pass 4:15am 30 Minutes or Less
SKY MOVIES DRAMA 4:50am Prom 6:40am The Descendants Special 7:00am The Magic of Belle Isle 9:00am Rabbit Hole 10:40am Moneyball 1:00pm Romeo and Juliet 3:05pm Movie
Special 3:25pm Deck the Halls
Point Last Seen 7:50am The Hobbit 8:20am Master and Commander: 10:40am Ironclad 12:45pm Twister 2:45pm First Blood
5:05pm Albatross 6:45pm The Terminal 9:00pm Romeo and Juliet
4:25pm Rambo: First Blood Part II 6:10pm The Tourist 8:00pm Daylight 10:00pm First Blood 11:40pm Rambo: First Blood Part II
11:00pm Moneyball 1:20am The Stepford Wives 3:00am Burlesque 5:10am Stepping Out
SKY MOVIES ACTION 4:20am Anaconda 2: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid 6:05am
Angelina Jolie
SMA
5:40am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC’s Breakfast team. 10:15am Heir Hunters 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer Series featuring properties sold via auction. 12:00pm You’ve Been Scammed 12:30pm Cash in the Attic 1:15pm Bargain Hunt A football fanatic mum and son face off a dad and daughter in Bargain Hunt from Newark. 2:00pm BBC News at One The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 2:30pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Escape to the Country
ITV
CH5
BBC1
6:10pm The Tourist
1:20am Rambo III 3:05am 22 Bullets 5:05am Small Soldiers
TCM 6:00am Kansas Pacific 7:15am The High Chaparral 8:15am The High Chaparral 9:15am The Return of Frank James 11:00am How the West Was Won
34
SATURDAY
EWN
TV
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC2
5:15am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC's Breakfast team. 11:00am Saturday Kitchen 12:30pm Nigel Slater’s Christmas Suppers 1:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news from the BBC. 1:10pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 1:15pm Football Focus 2:00pm Equestrian: Olympia 2012
4.00pm - midnight 5:30pm Final Score 6:20pm BBC News The latest national and international news from the BBC. 6:30pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 6:40pm Pointless 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing 8:55pm Merlin 9:40pm The National Lottery Saturday Night Draws 9:50pm Strictly Come Dancing 11:05pm BBC News The latest national and international news from the BBC. 11:25pm Match of the Day
CH5
ITV
BBC4
8:00pm Olympics 2012 10:00pm Live at the Apollo 10:30pm Live at the Apollo 11:00pm Kill Bill: Vol. 2 1:10am Family Guy 1:35am Family Guy 1:55am American Dad! 2:20am American Dad! 2:40am Impractical Jokers 3:10am Him and Her 3:40am The Revolution Will be Televised 4:10am The Revolution Will be Televised
6:00am ITV Nightscreen 6:30am ITV Morning News 7:00am Special Agent Oso 7:25am The Hive 7:35am The Hive 7:45am The Hive 7:50am Canimals 8:00am Canimals 8:05am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:20am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:30am Almost Naked Animals 8:40am Almost Naked Animals 8:50am Horrid Henry 9:05am Horrid Henry 9:15am Horrid Henry 9:30am Fort Boyard 10:25am ITV News 10:30am The Jeremy Kyle Show US 11:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show US 12:20pm Murder, She Wrote 1:20pm ITV News and Weather 1:35pm Holiday Home Sweet Home 2:35pm Holiday Home Sweet Home 3:35pm Steppin’ Out with Katherine Jenkins
5:30am Deal or No Deal 6:25am Countdown 7:10am The Hoobs 8:00am The Enduroman Arch to Arc Triathlon 8:30am Everybody Loves Raymond Marie treats the family to a holiday in Rome, but Ray’s not happy. 8:55am The Morning Line Turf tips and news from the Channel 4 Racing team. 9:55am Frasier Frasier and Charlotte get stranded in the middle of nowhere when Frasier's car breaks down. 10:25am Frasier 10:55am A Christmas Carol 12:50pm The Big Bang Theory Leonard finds himself forced to choose between Priya and Penny. 1:20pm The Simpsons 1:50pm The Simpsons 2:20pm Channel 4 Racing
4:00pm Nigellissima Nigella Lawson loves Christmas and for her a party is the perfect way to celebrate. 5:00pm The Game Plan 6:45pm The Toys That Made Christmas 8:15pm Porridge Seasonal special of the Clement/Frenais sitcom a masterclass in comedy writing. 9:00pm TOTP2 Mark Radcliffe digs deep into the archives to deliver some familiar and unfamiliar festive 10:30pm Never Mind the Buzzcocks 11:00pm The Mystery of Edwin Drood
4:50pm London Tonight Regional news update for the capital and the South East, plus local weather. 5:05pm ITV News and Weather Andrea Byrne with the latest headlines from around the world. 5:20pm Back to the Future Part III Concluding part of the comic time-travel trilogy. 7:30pm The Nation’s Favourite Christmas Song 9:00pm Paddy’s 2012 Show and Telly 10:00pm The Jonathan Ross Show 11:30pm ITV News and Weather Andrea Byrne with the latest headlines from around the world. 11:45pm Terminator 2: Judgment Day Sci-fi sequel unfolding a life-and-death battle to avert a nuclear holocaust.
4:30pm River Cottage 5:35pm Come Dine with Me 6:05pm Come Dine with Me 6:35pm Come Dine with Me 7:05pm Come Dine with Me 7:35pm Come Dine with Me 8:05pm Channel 4 News 8:25pm 4thought.tv 8:30pm George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces 9:30pm Stephen Fry: Gadget Man 10:00pm Four Christmases 11:40pm Die Hard 2
8:00pm The Prince and the Showgirl 10:00pm Arena 11:00pm Tom Jones - What Good Am I? 12:00am Tom Jones at the BBC 1:00am Top of the Pops: 1977 1:30am Top of the Pops: 1977 2:00am Johnny Cash at Christmas 2:50am The Beach Boys: Live at Knebworth 4:00am Arena
2:15am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am In Plain Sight 4:45am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.
5:30pm Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan Drama. Magic and romance abound in a family-run department store in the lead up to Christmas. 7:20pm I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Festive family fun based on the traditional song of the same name. 9:00pm A Christmas Carol Adaptation of Dickens's classic tale of hope, compassion and the uplifting power of the spirit. 11:00pm 5 News Weekend 11:05pm Tommy Cooper's Christmas Classic comedy from 1973.
10:00pm Four Christmases
Vincent Vaughn & Reese Witherspoon
2:00am Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale 3:20am This is Me An Abingdon teenager discusses her identity crisis. 3:25am Hollyoaks Omnibus 5:30am 90210
2:10am The Plank 1:10am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette, blackjack and autowheel. 4:55am Michaela’s Wild Challenge Michaela Strachan and colleagues undertake a range of wildlife-related dares in exotic locations. 5:20am The Great Artists 5:50am Rough Guide to Eco Escapes
Satellite channels SKY1 5:10am Stargate SG-1 7:00am Lion Man 7:30am Modern Family 8:00am UK Border Force 10:00am World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars 11:00am Soccer A.M. 1:00pm Futurama 5:00pm Diversity 6:00pm The Simpsons 7:00pm A Very JLS Christmas 8:30pm Got to Dance 9:30pm School of Rock 11:40pm Hawaii Five-0 1:40am Caribbean Cops 2:40am Inside Gatwick 3:40am Caribbean Cops 4:40am Road Wars 5:10am Don’t Forget the Lyrics
Tom Jones
7:05am Fifi and the Flowertots 7:15am Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 7:20am The Mr Men Show 7:35am Olive the Ostrich 7:40am Abby’s Flying Fairy School 7:50am Roobarb and Custard Too 8:00am Bananas in Pyjamas 8:10am Animal Antics 8:20am Make Way for Noddy 8:30am City of Friends 8:45am Little Princess 8:55am The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 9:15am Angelina Ballerina 9:30am Rupert Bear 9:50am Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:00am Toby’s Travelling Circus 10:15am Roary the Racing Car 10:30am Jelly Jamm 10:50am Chinese Food in Minutes 10:55am Dallas 11:50am Once Upon a Time 1:50pm Crazy for Christmas 3:40pm Dear Santa
5:30pm -
BBC4
11:00pm What Good Am I?
Channel 5
7:00am Charlie and Lola 7:20am Little Charley Bear 7:30am 64 Zoo Lane 7:40am Mr Bloom’s Nursery 8:05am What’s New Scooby-Doo? 8:30am Dennis and Gnasher 8:40am Four O’Clock Club 9:10am M.I. High 9:40am Deadly 60 10:05am Copycats 10:35am 12 Again 11:05am The Ministry of Curious Stuff 11:30am Diddy Movies 11:45am Sorry, I’ve Got No Head 12:15pm Horrible Histories 12:45pm MOTD Kickabout 1:20pm Spy Kids 3: Game Over Thrilling adventure. 2:35pm Beverly Hills Chihuahua
12:55am The Football Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan League Show 2:10am Weatherview Detailed weather 12:00am The Mystery of Edwin Drood A twoforecast. 2:15am Rolling Stones: Crossfire part period drama adapted from the novel by Hurricane 3:15am Rolling Stones: Crossfire Charles Dickens. 1:00am The Story of A Hurricane 4:10am Nigellissima Nigella Fairytale of New York 2:00am QI 2:30am Never Lawson loves Christmas and for her a party is Mind the Buzzcocks 3:00am Arch of Triumph the perfect way to celebrate. 5:10am BBC News
BBC3
Channel 4
CH4
BBC1
SKY MOVIES COMEDY
Girls 2 Borrowed
5:40am Snow Dogs 7:20am A Night at the Roxbury 8:55am The Top Ten Show 2012 9:10am American Pie 2 11:00am Ice Age 12:35pm The Cat in the Hat 2:10pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 3:55pm Friends with Benefits
4:30pm The Help 7:00pm Life as We Know it 9:00pm Something Borrowed 11:00pm Mean Girls
2:30pm
Something
12:45am Life as We Know it 2:45am The Butcher’s Wife 4:40am The Hobbit 5:10am The 5th Quarter
5:50pm Ice Age 7:15pm Bad Teacher 9:00pm National Lampoon’s 10:40pm Friends with Benefits
SKY MOVIES ACTION
12:30am American Pie 2 2:20am Bad Teacher 4:00am A Night at the Roxbury 5:25am The Cat in the Hat
5:05am Small Soldiers 7:00am Fortress 8:40am Spy Kids 10:15am Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 12:00pm Batman Forever 2:05pm Haywire 3:45pm Killer Elite
SKY MOVIES DRAMA 5:10am Stepping Out 7:05am Lucky Christmas 8:40am Anonymous 11:00am Mean Girls 12:45pm Mean
5:45pm Kingdom of Heaven 8:15pm Rush Hour 10:00pm Haywire 11:40pm Killer Elite
1:40am Battle: Los Angeles 3:40am The One 5:15am Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
TCM 6:00am The High Chaparral 6:55am The High Chaparral 7:55am The Scarlet Claw 9:15am Sherlock Holmes in Washington 10:35am Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon 11:50am Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear 1:05pm The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 2:40pm Dressed to Kill 4:00pm Sherlock Holmes: Pursuit to Algiers 5:10pm Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror 6:25pm The Pearl of Death 7:40pm Terror by Night 8:45pm Sherlock Holmes Faces Death 10:00pm U.S. Marshals 12:25am Stir of Echoes
20 - 26 December 2012
yoursay@ euroweeklynews.com
www.euroweeklynews.com
Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@ euroweekly news.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10, P-62, Polígono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29630 Benalmadena, Málaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887
Not so healthy view of Spain’s medical care I WOULD like to warn your readers about the slowness of Spanish health departments. My wife first suffered knee problems in 2006. Torremolinos hospital sent her to see a rheumatologist who referred her to a knee surgeon, and then a pain management clinic. This went on for two years before we went to a private clinic. They gave her a report which we took to the CARE health centre in Fuengirola. They wanted more x-rays before she was referred back to pain doctors. In February 2009 we signed papers for a new knee operation. Then in November we were told she was seeing the wrong doctor and she was sent back to rheumatology, and eventually to pain management again. Now, six years after first seeing a doctor, they have finally accepted she needs a new knee, but it is too late. Her knee muscles are too weak to support the operation. We have made an official complaint, but that does not help my wife who now needs a wheelchair if out for any length of time. Name supplied, Riviera del Sol , (Malaga)
At it again OH DEAR! Just when you thought the Spanish banking services had seen sense and were back on the straight and narrow road to financial stability, the SabadellCAM is at it again! We read (Issue 1431) that SabadellCAM's real estate subsidiary, Solvia, is about to begin a multimillion-euro building programme. “There is a growing demand” says Sabadell’s CEO, Miquel Montes. Oh yes? Take your blinkers off Miquel, and gaze upon the thousands of brand new and re-sale properties across Spain that remain unsold. Oh! dear, I can see it all happening again. Will the last one to leave, switch the light off. Robert Barnes, Pilar de la Horadada (Alicante)
Airport right YOUR Article about El Altet (Alicante) airport numbers for November (Costa Blanca North Issue 1431) did our
L etters OPINION & COMMENT
Snapped! by Maria Hopkins, Calahonda.
P pub hotog r l em icati aphs pho ail w on sh for p o ton ews ith a f uld b ossibl e es @e ull e c uro wee aptio nt by klyn n to ews : .com
Our neighbour’s cat for some reason loves to sit - winter or summer - in the window of our home. Some days he just sits, watching the world go by, other times he shows how relaxed and safe he feels by falling asleep... on the window ledge, with his feet pointing skywards. Happiness is....
WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:
www.euroweeklynews.com
wonderful airport no favours. We are in a recession and in November you expect numbers to be up? Aena should be praised for taking a stand against the bullying tactics of Ryanair, the least favourite airline! It is not funny for elderly folk to stand at the top of the steep airplane stairs in torrential rain and a gale force wind and struggle down with a suitcase, being pushed from behind. Unable to make a long dash across slippery tarmac, many of us regularly get very wet! For a few euros more those nice people at Easyjet will look after you properly. N Cummins (by email)
Clear pictured REGARDING Registering an imported car in Spain (Issue 1431), while I applaud the efforts of reporter Raul Candela to give facts, it is important that the information provided is
correct. Much of what he states is factual and accurate but not all, and I challenge that a non-resident may keep his foreign (non-Spanish) car for up to six months in Spain before he is required to re-register it or remove it from the country on a six months rolling basis. Residents have 30 days if the car was purchased abroad specifically to bring it to Spain and two months if they owned the car before moving to Spain. After re-registering over 1,200 vehicles, I have only once had to apply for green plates. It is customary to change to Spanish plates directly from the foreign ones causing less hassle and cost. In my experience, the process takes five to 10 days, not three weeks, and sourcing continental headlights is normally same day or within 48 hours, not the 10 days mentioned There is no requirement in law to register on the Padron in order to register a car, as a factura or escritura is typically accepted. As a response to the question posed by a reader asking if she may save money by delaying signing on the Padron, the answer given is disturbing and inaccurate. It was stated that a Padron should be obtained immediately. The facts are as follows: If a person wishes to gain exemption from the registration/import tax there are critical timescales. The car must have been owned for six months and one
EWN
35
Costa Blanca North day before applying for the Padron or Residency Certificate. While I also would encourage everyone to sign on the Padron, it may not be immediately imperative Graham Shelton info@spanish-number-plates.com Editor’s note: Guardia Civil Press sources confirmed that EU non-residents can drive an EU plated vehicle for up to three months. After that if the vehicle is to remain in Spain they need to apply for a Residence Certificate and a Spanish plate, for which they have three additional months to start the applications. If during this period proceedings have not been started, they can have their car seized. The recommendation in the article that residents apply for green plates was made by the DGT traffic authority, and the statement that sourcing continental headlights can take 10 days was attributed to the Gestoria Administrativa, Los Boliches. As with many procedures in Spain, bureaucracy can vary, and some officials make different demands through various interpretations of requirements.
Crazy world WHAT a crazy world we live in where a telephone prank can go so tragically wrong. An un-briefed nurse passes a hoax call through to the ward sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, then commits suicide when it becomes apparent it is a prank. The Australian radio station that perpetrated the hoax has not apologised, and why should it? The suicide was caused by British failures to employ the right people to filter messages. The management of the hospital and the security team needs to be taken to task over this event for not briefing the staff properly. Brian Deller, Malaga
Dog advice I AM horrified at the account written by Suzanne Manners (Issue 1431) and her lack of common-sense. For someone to be bitten by a dog and take no action is beyond belief. The minimum treatment is to have a tetanus injection. Angus McKenzie (by email)
The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
36
SUNDAY
EWN
TV
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC1
BBC2
5:10am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC's Breakfast team. 8:30am Match of the Day 10:00am David Suchet: In the Footsteps of St Paul 11:00am Fern Britton Meets... Dionne Warwick is a music legend. 12:00pm Only Fools and Horses The first of a three-part Christmas special from 1996. 1:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news from the BBC. 1:10pm ‘Allo, ‘Allo! Comedy about a hapless cafe owner in occupied France. 1:55pm Nigel Slater’s 12 Tastes of Christmas 2:30pm The Borrowers Family adventure based on Mary Norton's classic children's books. 3:55pm Cool Runnings
4.00pm - midnight
Channel 4
12:25am The Graham Norton Show 1:15am Grumpy Old Men 2:55am Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 3:00am Film 2012 3:30am Holby City 4:30am Nigel Slater’s 12 Tastes of Christmas Nigel Slater shares the flavours that for him make Christmas a truly delicious season. 5:00am Nigel Slater’s 12 Tastes of Christmas 5:30am BBC News
BBC3
SMC
8:00pm Great Movie Mistakes 2012 8:50pm Merlin Fantasy drama series. 9:35pm Kung Fu Panda Computer-animated comedy. 11:00pm Him and Her 11:30pm Gavin and Stacey Special festive edition of the hit sitcom. 12:30am Family Guy Subversive animated comedy about the trials and tribulations of American family life. 12:55am Family Guy Subversive animated comedy about the trials and tribulations of American family life. 1:15am Him and Her 1:45am Some Girls 2:15am Some Girls 2:45am Some Girls 3:15am Don’t Tell the Bride 4:15am Great Movie Mistakes 2012
4:45am ITV Nightscreen 7:00am Engie Benjy 7:10am Special Agent Oso 7:35am Signed Stories 7:40am Signed Stories 7:45am Monk 7:50am Canimals 8:00am Canimals 8:05am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:15am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:30am Almost Naked Animals 8:40am Almost Naked Animals 8:50am Almost Naked Animals 9:00am Big Time Rush 9:30am Fort Boyard 10:25am Dinner Date 11:20am Columbo 1:20pm ITV News and Weather 1:30pm Carry on Cowboy 3:15pm All Star Family Fortunes
5:30am 90210 6:15am 90210 6:55am The Treacle People Christmas Special: Sticky Christmas 7:15am The Hoobs 7:40am The Hoobs 8:05am Prep and Landing 8:25am Prep and Landing 8:50am The Bear 9:20am The Art of the Snowman and the Snowdog 9:25am Frasier 9:55am Frasier 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:05pm The Big Bang Theory 1:30pm The Big Bang Theory 2:00pm The Simpsons 2:30pm The Simpsons 3:00pm Deal or No Deal
7:25am Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures 7:30am The Mr Men Show 7:45am Olive the Ostrich 7:50am Abby’s Flying Fairy School 8:00am Roobarb and Custard Too 8:10am Bananas in Pyjamas 8:20am Animal Antics 8:25am Make Way for Noddy 8:40am City of Friends 9:00am Little Princess 9:10am Angelina Ballerina 9:25am Hana’s Helpline 9:40am Rupert Bear 10:00am Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:10am Toby’s Travelling Circus 10:25am Roary the Racing Car 10:40am Jelly Jamm 11:00am Chinese Food in Minutes 11:20am Dallas 12:15pm Once Upon a Time 1:10pm Once Upon a Time 2:10pm The Christmas Consultant 3:55pm It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas
4:25pm Flog It! 5:25pm First Knight 7:30pm The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show 8:35pm Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings 9:30pm Dragons’ Den Christmas is big business. 10:30pm James May’s Toy Stories 11:30pm The Sarah Millican Television Programme
4:00pm The McFly Show 5:05pm Twins Comedy. 7:05pm You’ve Been Framed! Harry Hill is back with the best of viewers' funny camcorder and mobile phone clips. 7:35pm London Tonight Regional news update for the capital and the South East, plus local weather. 7:45pm ITV News and Weather James Mates with the latest headlines from around the world. 8:00pm Ade’s Christmas Crackers 9:00pm The Cube 10:00pm Joanna Lumley: The Search for Noah's Ark 11:30pm ITV News and Weather James Mates with the latest headlines from around the world. 11:45pm Take Me Out
4:00pm 100 Greatest Toys with Jonathan Ross 7:05pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. 7:15pm 4thought.tv 7:20pm The Art of the Snowman and the Snowdog Channel 4’s new Christmas film The Snowman and The Snowdog is entirely drawn by hand. 7:25pm The Snowman Channel 4's most celebrated animation is this classic story from Raymond Briggs. 7:55pm Night at the Museum 10:00pm Homeland The second season of the compelling US thriller comes to a tense conclusion. 11:30pm Peep Show
5:40pm Christmas with the Kranks Yuletide family comedy. 7:40pm The Family Man Whimsical romantic comedy. 9:55pm 5 News Weekend National and international news. 10:00pm Bad Santa 12:00am Superbad
12:00am Victoria Wood: Seen on TV Victoria Wood looks back at her hugely successful television career. 1:30am QI In a special Christmas edition, Stephen Fry looks at ice. 2:00am French Film Romantic comedy. 3:25am They Knew what They Wanted
BBC4 8:00pm Cleopatra 11:55pm Omnibus 12:50am The Genius of David Bowie 1:50am David Bowie and the Story of Ziggy Stardust 2:50am It’s Slade 3:40am Slade at the BBC
5:40pm A Thousand Words
Channel 5
7:00am Show Me Show Me 7:20am Rastamouse 7:30am Gigglebiz 7:45am Mike the Knight 8:05am Shaun the Sheep 8:10am Little Howard’s Big Christmas Question 8:35am Four O’Clock Club 9:05am M.I. High 9:35am Bear Behaving Badly 10:00am Copycats 10:30am 12 Again 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30pm The Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass 1:30pm The Preacher’s Wife Romantic fantasy about a cleric who begins to doubt himself and is visited by an angel. 3:30pm Coast A look back at part of an episode of coast. The team is in the north west of England. 3:40pm Escape to the Country
CH5
5:30pm Songs of Praise 6:05pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team. 6:20pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 6:30pm Countryfile 7:30pm Mr Stink 8:30pm Antiques Roadshow Fiona Bruce looks back on another vintage year for the Antiques Roadshow. 9:30pm Loving Miss Hatto 11:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news, with reports from BBC correspondents worldwide. 11:20pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 11:25pm Match of the Day 2
ITV
12:45am Rugby Highlights 1:45am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 3:45am River Monsters 4:35am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.
Tim Allen & Jamie Lee Curtis
5:40pm Christmas with the Kranks
12:00am In Bruges 2:00am American Football Live 5:45am Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind 5:50am Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind Christina McMahon’s mother wanted her to be a ballerina.
2:15am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette, blackjack and autowheel. 4:55am House Doctor 5:25am House Doctor 5:50am Rough Guide to Weekend Breaks Travel series presented by Julia Bradbury and Toby Amies.
Satellite channels SKY1
5:00am Don’t Forget the Lyrics
6:00am Best of Oops TV 7:00am The Hour of Power 8:00am Modern Family 10:00am The Glee Project 11:00am World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars 12:00pm WWE Experience 1:00pm Futurama
SKY MOVIES COMEDY
5:00pm Got to Dance 6:00pm Diversity 7:00pm All Star Christmas Presents 8:30pm A Very JLS Christmas 10:00pm Arrow 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 1:00am A League of Their Own Christmas Special 2:00am Caribbean Cops 3:00am Big Trouble in Thailand 4:00am Big Trouble in Thailand
Kind of Wonderful 12:05pm Deck the Halls 1:50pm I Don’t Know How She Does it 3:25pm Just Go with it
5:25am The Cat in the Hat 7:00am Black Sheep 8:40am Evolution 10:35am A Thousand Words 12:15pm Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story 1:55pm Crazy, Stupid, Love 3:55pm The Big Year 5:40pm A Thousand Words 7:20pm Dodgeball: A Underdog Story 9:00pm Crazy, Stupid, Love 11:00pm Project X
True
12:35am Eurotrip 2:10am Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back 3:55am Evolution 5:40am The Big Year
SKY MOVIES DRAMA 5:10am The 5th Quarter 7:00am Stay Cool 8:40am Prom 10:25am Some
5:25pm City of Angels 7:25pm I Don't Know How She Does it 9:00pm Just Go with it 11:00pm Burlesque 1:05am Purple Rain 3:05am 33 Postcards 4:50am Listen to Your Heart
SKY MOVIES ACTION 5:15am Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 7:00am Over the Top 8:40am Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 10:40am Real Steel 12:50pm SpiderMan 2:55pm Immortals 4:50pm Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 6:50pm Real Steel
9:00pm Spider-Man 11:05pm Immortals 1:00am Broken Arrow 2:55am Species 4:45am Species II
TCM 6:00am TCM Shorts 6:20am Dressed to Kill 7:35am Sherlock Holmes: Pursuit to Algiers 8:50am Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror 10:05am The Pearl of Death 11:20am Terror by Night 12:25pm Sherlock Holmes Faces Death 1:45pm Scrooge 4:00pm Escape from Fort Bravo 5:50pm The Left-Handed Gun 7:50pm Guns for San Sebastian 10:00pm Hell on Wheels 10:55pm Hell on Wheels 11:50pm Posse 1:55am Valley of the Dolls 4:10am Posse
OPINION & COMMENT
20 - 26 December 2012
EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
37
Costa Blanca North
A
LTHOUGH I have no intention of appearing cold or unfeeling, in the light of the furore surrounding the recent hospital ‘prank call’ affair, I couldn’t help but wonder as to the mental condition of the tragic suicide victim. Without doubt this poor lady was naive in the extreme. To accept, that in the dead of night, she was talking to the Queen of England and Prince Phillip and then passing them through without seeking some verification, or indeed immediately hanging up, almost defies the imagination. It raises serious questions as to her intelligence level. She was after all a nurse, with people’s wellbeing and
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT even lives in her hands. Her subsequent suicide leads one to believe her mental state must have already been extremely fragile. If everyone who felt foolish, or was made to look silly, took their own lives, the whole population would be severely depleted on a daily basis. It certainly seems a bit extreme to me. I don’t know. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing? As far as the DJs are concerned, had this phone call not had such a tragic outcome, they would
probably have been considered a couple of really successful wags and moved into the number one slots in their profession, which is not actually much of an achievement. Radio Disc jockeys are in fact, considered by many pros to be just about the pits of the music profession. Although they don’t broadcast it, recording artistes and song writers often deem DJs untalented, arrogant parasites, who seek success by exploiting the talents of others. The only reason they are tolerated is because they have access to a media that can reach a wide public and sell records. Indeed, when I myself entered the radio show
profession, I took some extremely derogatory stick from some of my successful showbiz colleagues. Sixties Icon Jess Conrad OBE was one. (Mind you I’ll get my own back when he appears at my FCC Christmas party on the 22nd. Bookings on 689 485 956). To overcome this stigma, DJs try to create more interest in their actual show. Some are very good at this. People like Chris Evans and indeed our own much loved Vince Tracey, strive to use their music merely as a vehicle for other offerings. This is of course what these two young Australians were endeavouring to do. To put them through the
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com
DJs not to blame in death of naive nurse
MASTER DJ: Chris Evans. sheer hell they appear to be experiencing seems to me a totally unfair and malicious exercise. The young lady involved seems, at the time of writing, to be in a particularly fragile state herself. I suggest they are now left alone, while their
superiors take some time out to reconsider their policies and come up with some directive that keeps up their entertainment output, but ensures a situation like this never rears its ugly head again. Keep the faith. Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com.
38
MONDAY
EWN
TV
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC1
BBC2
5:30am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC’s Breakfast team. 10:00am David Suchet: In the Footsteps of St Paul 11:00am The Two Ronnies Christmas Show 12:00pm Only Fools and Horses 1:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 1:15pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 1:25pm The Santa Clause 3:00pm The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
4.00pm - midnight
Channel 4
12:30am BBC News The latest national and international news, with reports from BBC correspondents worldwide. 12:45am Midnight Mass From Leeds Cathedral . 2:05am Serendipity Romantic comedy. 3:30am Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 3:35am BBC News
BBC3
BBC3
8:00pm Top Gear 9:30pm Ratatouille Children's animation. 11:10pm Merry Madagascar Seasonal short featuring the characters of the hit animated movie series Madagascar. 11:30pm EastEnders 12:00am Russell Howard’s Good News 12:30am Family Guy 12:55am Family Guy 1:15am Family Guy 1:40am Family Guy Animated comedy series about family life. 2:00am Family Guy Animated comedy series about family life. 2:25am Family Guy Animated comedy series about family life. 2:45am Him and Her Comedy series 3:15am Russell Howard’s Good News 3:45am Don’t Tell the Bride
12:30am Family Guy
Channel 5
7:00am Postman Pat Children’s animation. 7:15am Bob the Builder: Project Build It Cartoon adventures of builder Bob and his friends. 7:30am The Adventures of Abney and Teal 7:40am Timmy’s Christmas Surprise Animation about a lamb at nursery school. 8:05am Shaun the Sheep Children’s animation. Shaun discovers that the farmer will be spending Christmas Day alone. 8:15am Eliot Kid 8:30am The League of Super Evil 8:40am Four O’Clock Club 9:10am M.I. High 9:40am Dani’s House 10:10am The Nightmare Before Christmas 11:20am Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 12:55pm The Great British Bake Off Masterclass 1:55pm Wartime Farm 2:55pm Springwatch 3:55pm Equestrian: Olympia 2012
4:35am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service. 7:00am Babar and the Adventures of Badou 7:10am Babar and the Adventures of Badou 7:25am The Hive 7:30am The Hive 7:40am The Hive When Rubee and Debee fall out, Buzzbee and Barnabee come up with a cunning plan to re-unite them! 7:50am Canimals Pow finds a tasty treat but rather than share it he makes an enemy of the angry wasp. 8:00am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:15am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:30am Horrid Henry 8:45am Horrid Henry 9:00am Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase 10:25am Dennis 12:05pm Dinner Date 1:10pm ITV News and Weather 1:30pm The Chase 2:30pm Doc Martin
6:00am Freesports on 4 6:25am Unreported World 6:55am Sali Mali 7:00am The Treacle People 7:10am Rugrats the Movie 8:25am Famous Fred 8:55am Ivor the Invisible 9:20am The Art of the Snowman and the Snowdog 9:30am A Christmas Carol 11:05am The Big Bang Theory 11:35am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Muppet Christmas Carol 1:40pm The Simpsons 2:15pm The Simpsons 2:45pm Deal or No Deal’s Big Christmas Dinner 3:50pm Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
7:10am Igam Ogam 7:20am Fireman Sam 7:30am Jelly Jamm 7:45am Peppa Pig 7:50am Olive the Ostrich 7:55am Little Princess 8:10am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 8:20am The Mr. Men Show 8:35am Thomas and Friends 8:45am Noddy in Toyland Charming animation. 9:00am Fifi and the Flowertots 9:10am Milkshake! Show Songs 9:15am Peppa Pig 9:30am Roary the Racing Car 9:40am Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00am Tickety Toc 10:10am Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures 10:20am Mist: Sheepdog Tales 10:40am The Family Recipe 10:50am Dallas 11:40am Once pon a Time 1:35pm Mistletoe Over Manhattan 3:25pm Trading Christmas
4:55pm Nativity! A teacher is put in charge of his primary school’s musical version of the Nativity. 6:35pm Dad’s Army Classic comedy about the Home Guard unit of Walmington-on-Sea. 7:15pm Carols from King’s 8:30pm Morecambe and Wise 9:30pm Open All Hours Sitcom about a miserly shopkeeper. 10:00pm Porridge Christmas special of the classic sitcom from 1975. 10:40pm The Many Faces of... 11:40pm The Two Ronnies
4:30pm Rod Stewart’s Christmas 5:45pm How the Grinch Stole Christmas 7:40pm ITV News and Weather Mark Austin with the latest headlines from around the world. 8:00pm Emmerdale Cameron’s hand is forced when his prisoner fights to escape. 8:30pm Coronation Street Will Peter’s heartfelt words have the desired effect on Leanne? 9:30pm The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever! 11:00pm ITV News and Weather Mark Austin with the latest headlines from around the world. 11:15pm Christmas Carols on ITV
6:05pm The Simpsons 6:40pm Hollyoaks 7:10pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. 7:25pm 4thought.tv 7:30pm Heston’s Fantastical Christmas 8:30pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special TV spin-off from the makers of the Ice Age film series. 9:00pm The Snowman and the Snowdog A brand new, charming animated sequel to Raymond Briggs's classic The Snowman. 9:30pm Stephen Fry: Gadget Man 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats 11:00pm Peep Show 11:30pm Friday Night Dinner It's Christmas Day.
5:10pm Scrooge Memorable cinematic adaptation of Dickens's classic story. 7:00pm Rolf’s Animal Christmas Documentary series presented by Rolf Harris. 8:00pm World’s Biggest Pets For some pet owners big is truly beautiful. 9:00pm A Right Royal Year 10:00pm Eddie Stobart’s Christmas Cracker 11:00pm The Thomas Crown Affair Crime caper movie about a New York playboy who executes a skilful theft.
ITV
5:15pm Merry Madagascar 5:35pm The Gruffalo’s Child 6:05pm The Lady and The Tramp 7:20pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 7:35pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 7:45pm A Christmas Carol Animation. The bitter and greedy Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. 9:15pm Merlin Fantasy drama series. 10:00pm EastEnders 10:35pm Outnumbered 11:15pm Mrs. Brown’s Boys 11:45pm The Vicar of Dibley
ITV
12:10am Being Ronnie Corbett 1:10am QI Quiz show. 1:40am An Island Parish Series following the community on the tiny crown dependency of Sark in the Channel Islands. 2:10am The Tuttles of Tahiti
BBC4 9:00pm Norman Wisdom: His Story 10:00pm Nigel Slater: Life is Sweets 11:00pm Ultimate Number 1s at the BBC 12:05am Top of the Pops 12:55am Arena 1:55am Barry Manilow at the BBC 2:55am Ultimate Number 1s at the BBC 3:55am Tom Jones at the BBC
12:15am The Jonathan Ross Show 1:45am The Unforgettable... 2:40am Pushing Daisies Quirky US drama about a man who can bring the dead back to life. 3:25am ITV Nightscreen Textbased information service.
9: 30pm The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever
12:05am The Inbetweeners 12:40am The Inbetweeners 1:15am The Inbetweeners Simon and his new girlfriend Tara are on a double date with Will and her friend Kerry. 1:45am The Inbetweeners 2:15am The Inbetweeners Will's mum is away for a weekend with old schoolfriend Fergus. 2:45am The Inbetweeners 3:15am Rude Tube Another chance to see this Rude Tube special from 2010. 5:05am Made in Chelsea
1:15am NCIS 2:15am Super Casino 4:55am House Doctor 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am The Great Artists
Satellite channels SKY1 6:00am Best of Oops TV 7:00am Got to Dance 8:00am Futurama 10:00am Robbie Williams: Take the Crown 11:30am Futurama 5:30pm Michael Buble Home for the Holidays 6:30pm Little Crackers 7:00pm Little Crackers 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm Futurama 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Simpsons 9:30pm The Simpsons 10:00pm Trollied 11:00pm A League of Their Own 12:00am An Idiot Abroad 1:00am Fringe 2:00am Brit Cops - Zero Tolerance 3:00am Road Wars 3:55am Road Wars 4:45am Street
Crime 5:10am Don’t Forget the Lyrics
SKY MOVIES COMEDY 5:40am The Big Year 7:20am National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 9:05am Team America: World Police 10:50am Ice Age 12:15pm Bridesmaids 2:20pm Horrible Bosses 4:05pm Without a Paddle 5:45pm Ice Age 7:15pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 9:00pm Bridesmaids 11:05pm Horrible Bosses 12:50am Team America: World Police 2:35am White Men Can’t Jump 4:45am The Fighting Temptations
SKY MOVIES DRAMA
Tomorrow Never Dies 2:10pm The World is Not Enough
4:50am Listen to Your Heart 6:40am Movie Special 7:00am Lucky Christmas 8:30am Honey 2 10:30am Love and Other Drugs 12:30pm Forrest Gump 3:00pm The Adjustment Bureau
4:25pm GoldenEye 6:40pm Tomorrow Never Dies 8:45pm The World is Not Enough 11:00pm Safe House 1:00am The Recruit 3:00am The Eagle 5:00am Priest
4:50pm My Week with Marilyn 6:35pm Forrest Gump 9:00pm Love and Other Drugs 11:00pm The Adjustment Bureau 12:50am Going the Distance 2:40am Conviction 4:30am Lady Jane
SKY MOVIES ACTION 4:45am Species II 6:30am Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Special 7:00am Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Special 7:30am Movie Special 7:50am Safe House 9:50am GoldenEye 12:05pm
TCM 6:00am Sweet November 8:05am Scrooge 10:00am Escape from Fort Bravo 11:35am The Left-Handed Gun 1:15pm Guns for San Sebastian 3:05pm Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. 5:00pm Scrooge 6:55pm Tarzan and the Lost Safari 8:15pm Dial M for Murder 10:00pm Payback 11:40pm Say Anything... 1:20am Taps3:20am November 5:15am Off Set
Sweet
20 - 26 December 2012
EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
39
Costa Blanca North
Those embarrassing things forgetful guests leave behind EVER checked out of a hotel, travelled home, and then realised you left something behind in the room? An international sampling of 500 hotels has uncovered the oddest things left behind this year. While nearly 25 per cent reported finding more and more forgotten iPads, laptops and smartphones, 10 per cent of European hotels claimed an increase in abandoned xrated items. Like adult toys and performance-enhancing drugs. Phew! Among the oddest items recovered, though, was a bag full of live snails in Budapest, a traditional Japanese Yakuza sword in Istanbul and a live snake in Washington. Still in Washington, $10,000 (€7,670) in cash was discovered concealed in different parts of one hotel
Breaking Views NORA JOHNSON Nora, who has lived on the Costa del Sol for a number of years, is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in Nora’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ nora-johnson
room while in New York, $20,000 (€15,340) in a suite. How on earth could anyone be that forgetful? Easy is the answer! One motorist at a four-star hotel in Milan had crossed the frontier and left Italy far behind before figuring out he’d forgotten his pooch. Likewise the couple in New York who checked out following their wedding, only to discover they’d forgotten something, too. The bride’s dress.
The strangest things get left behind in hotel rooms! And what about the cop who left behind in his Las Vegas hotel his badge and gun? And the hotel in Milan where housekeeping staff found a gun; another in New York where they found bullets and yet another in Barcelona where police ID badges were found. Surely enough combined props here for a TV cop series!
Things don’t seem to have changed much over the years with respect to guests’ forgetfulness, though perhaps with respect to items recovered. A similar questionnaire in 2003 disclosed that Travelodge recovered 80 artificial limbs. And in 2009, an urn containing the ashes of a guest’s mother-in-law, a six-foot high model helicopter … and a life-size, cardboard cut-out of comedian Lenny Henry. Never collected.
But really, you have to ask yourself what’s the point of such surveys, except to advertise the company conducting the survey and the hotels taking part? It’s no secret people are forgetful and, especially while traveling, are always going to leave something behind. It’s like saying because Marks & Sparks’s sales are down 10 per cent it means people have gone off food. Or like a committee of turkeys funding a study that advised, after much deliberation, one shouldn’t vote for Christmas. Er, Happy Christmas! Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Soul Stealer’ & ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback / eBook (€0.89; £0.77) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.
40
TUESDAY
EWN
TV
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC2
4.00pm - midnight 4:00pm The Queen Her Majesty the Queen’s Christmas message to the nation and the Commonwealth. 4:10pm Shrek Forever After Animated family adventure. 5:35pm Room on the Broom 6:00pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 6:15pm Doctor Who Sci-fi drama. It is Christmas Eve, 1892, and the falling snow is the stuff of fairytales. 7:15pm Strictly Come Dancing 8:30pm Call the Midwife 9:45pm EastEnders 10:45pm The Royle Family 11:45pm BBC News The latest national and international news, with reports from BBC correspondents worldwide.
7:00am Baby Jake 7:15am Let’s Celebrate 7:30am The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas 8:00am The Slammer 8:30am 12 Again 9:00am Horrible Histories A seasonal special of the historical sketch show based on the successful books by Terry Deary. 9:30am The Story of Tracy Beaker Drama series about a young girl and her life in a children's home. 9:45am Attenborough and the Giant Egg David Attenborough returns to the island of Madagascar on a very personal quest. 10:45am Natural World 11:45am Carols from King’s 1:00pm On the Town 2:35pm Singin’ in the Rain Classic Hollywood musical set during the difficult transition from silent movies to talkies.
Channel 4
3:25am ITV Nightscreen 7:00am Babar and the Adventures of Badou 7:10am Babar and the Adventures of Badou 7:25am The Hive 7:30am The Hive 7:40am The Hive 7:50am Canimals 8:00am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:15am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:30am Almost Naked Animals 8:45am Almost Naked Animals 8:55am Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders 10:25am Aladdin 12:10pm The Nation’s Favourite Christmas Song 1:40pm Text Santa 2:15pm ITV News and Weather 2:25pm Toy Story
4:15pm Cenerentola 6:15pm The Queen 6:25pm Arena Arena goes in search of the ‘real’ Sister Wendy Beckett, who burst on to screens in the 1990s, telling the story of Christian art and painting, but revealing little of her own extraordinary story. Wendy herself, 82, talks frankly, humorously and profoundly about her life and spirituality for the first time. Her story, inseparable from that of the Gospel, is told alongside her selection of paintings Queen Elizabeth II by the greatest old masters, revealing the emotional insights they have given her. 4:00pm - The Queen 7:25pm Top Gear 8:30pm Dad’s Army A special Christmas episode of 4:00pm HM the Queen the classic sitcom from 1976. 4:10pm Tangled 9:00pm Blackadder’s Christmas Carol 6:00pm You’ve Been Framed! Seasonal comedy special. Christmas Eve, 1850. 6:30pm Emmerdale 9:45pm The Choir: A Year with the Military 7:00pm Paul O’Grady: For The Love of Dogs Wives 8:00pm Emmerdale 10:45pm QI XL 8:30pm Coronation Street 11:30pm The Sarah Millican Television 9:30pm ITV News and Weather Programme 9:45pm Downton Abbey 11:45pm Couples Retreat
Channel 5
6:00am 90210 6:40am The Hoobs 7:05am Little Wolf 7:30am Lost and Found 7:55am Father Christmas 8:25am The Art of the Snowman and the Snowdog 8:30am The Simpsons 8:50am The Simpsons 9:20am Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who 11:00am Gordon’s Christmas Cookalong Live 2:55pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 3:25pm Scrooged
5:45am The Great Artists 6:10am Michaela’s Wild Challenge 6:35am Michaela’s Wild Challenge 7:00am Thomas and Friends 7:10am Igam Ogam 7:20am Fireman Sam 7:30am Jelly Jamm 7:45am Peppa Pig 7:50am Olive the Ostrich 7:55am Little Princess 8:05am Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 8:20am The Mr. Men Show 8:35am Thomas and Friends 8:50am Noddy in Toyland 9:05am Fifi and the Flowertots 9:15am Peppa Pig 9:25am Peppa Pig 9:35am Roary the Racing Car 9:55am Inside Hollywood 10:00am Gone with the Wind 2:15pm Ben-Hur
5:20pm The Alternative Christmas Message 5:25pm Deal or No Deal’s Big Christmas Dinner 6:30pm Channel 4 News 6:35pm 4thought.tv 6:40pm The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 10:00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man 11:00pm Rude Tube
6:25pm The Santa Incident 8:05pm Eddie Stobart's Christmas Cracker 9:00pm Eddie Stobart: Trucks, Trailers and Tinsel 10:00pm Eddie Stobart: Christmas Delivery 11:00pm Greatest Christmas TV Moments
CH5
3:35am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC’s Breakfast team. 10:00am The Gruffalo 10:25am Peter Rabbit’s Christmas Tale: The Tale of the Christmas Deliveries Animation inspired by Beatrix Potter's classic. 10:50am First Flight Short animation. 11:00am Christmas Day Eucharist 12:00pm Only Fools and Horses The final part of the threepart 1996 Christmas special of John Sullivan's popular sitcom. 1:05pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 1:15pm Shrek the Halls Festive animated comedy. 1:40pm Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 3:00pm Top of the Pops Christmas Special
ITV
BBC1
BBC1
6:25pm The Santa Incident
Greg Germann
12:00am The Vicar of Dibley 12:40am On Christmas Night The story of Christmas from Luke's gospel, read by Team GB Paralympic medal winner Rachel Morris. 12:45am Have I Got a Bit More News for You Christmas Special 1:30am Cold Mountain Romantic drama, based on the novel by Charles Frazier. 3:55am Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 4:00am BBC News
BBC3 8:00pm First Flight 8:10pm Shrek the Halls 8:30pm Kung Fu Panda Computer-animated comedy. 9:55pm The Incredibles Children's animation. 11:45pm EastEnders 12:45am Family Guy 1:25am American Dad! Animated adventures of a hapless CIA agent and his family. 1:50am American Dad! 2:10am American Dad! 2:35am American Dad! 2:55am Pramface 3:25am Pramface 3:55am Impractical Jokers 4:25am Impractical Jokers
BBC4 8:00pm A Musical Nativity with John Rutter 9:00pm Swan Lake 11:15pm Top of the Pops 12:05am ... Sings Bee Gees 12:35am One Touch of Venus 1:55am James Bond 50th Anniversary Gala Concert 3:25am ... Sings Bee Gees 3:55am Rome: A History of the Eternal City
With Chevy Chase
SMC
12:00am The Christmas No.1 Story 1:00am TOTP2 Mark Radcliffe digs deep into the archives to deliver some familiar and unfamiliar festive treats. 2:30am The Hunchback of Notre Dame
5:40pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
1:55am Christmas Carols on ITV 2:55am Pushing Daisies 3:45am ITV Nightscreen
12:05am C4’s 30 Greatest Comedy Shows 2:05am Airplane! 3:35am David Blaine 4:20am KOTV Boxing Weekly KOTV regular Henry Lundy returns at lightweight against Raymundo Beltron for the NABF title. 4:45am Extreme Sailing Series 5:15am Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind Blue has been bodybuilding since he was 19. He has won Mr Ireland 11 times. 5:20am Ultimate Frisbee 5:25am International Volleyball
2:00am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette, blackjack and autowheel. 4:55am House Doctor Home improvement series. 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am The Great Artists
Satellite channels SKY1 6:00am Airline 7:00am Brainiac: Christmas Cracker 8:00am Little Crackers 9:00am All Star Christmas Presents 10:30am Little Crackers 11:00am Skellig 1:00pm Futurama 2:00pm The Simpsons 4:00pm The Queen 4:10pm The Simpsons 4:40pm The Hobbit 5:00pm The Simpsons 5:30pm Robbie Williams: Take the Crown 7:00pm All Star Christmas Presents 8:30pm A Very JLS Christmas 10:00pm An Idiot Abroad 11:00pm An Idiot Abroad
1:00am Brit Cops - Zero Tolerance 2:55am Road Wars 4:45am Street Crime 5:10am Emergency with Angela Griffin
SKY MOVIES COMEDY 4:45am The Fighting Temptations 7:00am American Pie 8:45am Snow Dogs 10:40am National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 12:30pm Jack and Jill 2:15pm Johnny English Reborn 4:10pm The Cat in the Hat 5:40pm National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 7:20pm A Thousand Words 9:00pm Johnny English Reborn 10:45pm Friends with Benefits 12:35am American Pie 2:15am American Pie 2 4:00am Shanghai Knights 5:55am The Cat in the Hat
SKY MOVIES DRAMA 4:30am Lady Jane 7:00am An Affair to Remember 9:00am Sweet Home Alabama 11:00am Footloose 1:00pm Water for Elephants 3:05pm Shakespeare in Love 5:10pm Sweet Home Alabama 7:05pm Footloose 9:00pm Water for Elephants 11:00pm Shakespeare in Love 1:15am Shallow Hal 3:15am Just Married 5:00am An Affair to Remember
SKY MOVIES ACTION 5:00am Priest 6:30am The Hobbit 7:00am Spy Kids 8:40am Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 10:30am Die Another Day 12:45pm Casino Royale 3:15pm Quantum of Solace
5:15pm Die Another Day 7:30pm Casino Royale 10:00pm Quantum of Solace 11:50pm First Blood 1:30am Rambo: First Blood Part II 3:10am Rambo III 5:00am Movie Special 5:20am Spy Kids
TCM 6:00am Dial M for Murder 7:45am The Woman in Green 8:55am Around the World in 80 Days 11:45am A Christmas Story 1:20pm Scrooge 3:15pm Calamity Jane 4:55pm The Wizard of Oz 6:35pm Ben-Hur 10:00pm The Fugitive 12:10am When Harry Met Sally 1:45am Garden State 3:25am The Fugitive 5:35am Michael Caine Off Set
42
WEDNESDAY
EWN
TV
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC1
BBC2
4:00am BBC News 7:00am Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC’s Breakfast team. 10:00am CBeebies Panto 10:45am Room on the Broom 11:10am Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper The penguins of the Central Park Zoo have an adventure in the city on Christmas Eve. 11:25am Cars Animated adventure from Pixar. 1:15pm BBC News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 1:30pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 1:40pm Mr Stink 2:40pm Happy Feet Animated adventure. Mumble is a young emperor penguin, but he is not like the others.
ITV
7:00am Justin’s House 7:30am Octonauts Christmas special of the animated deep sea adventure series. 8:00am Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature 8:30am Four O'Clock Club Comedy about two brothers at the same school - one as a pupil, the other as a new teacher. 9:00am M.I. High 9:30am Hero Squad 10:00am The Bear Family and Me 11:00am Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild 12:00pm John Wilson on Broadway Uncut 2:10pm Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood 3:40pm An American in Paris
Channel 4
3:45am ITV Nightscreen 7:00am Babar and the Adventures of Badou 7:10am Babar and the Adventures of Badou 7:25am The Hive 7:30am The Hive 7:40am The Hive 7:50am Canimals 8:00am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:15am Fleabag Monkeyface 8:30am Almost Naked Animals 8:45am Almost Naked Animals 9:00am Horrid Henry 9:15am Horrid Henry 9:30am Fort Boyard 10:25am The Railway Children 12:30pm Dinner Date 1:30pm ITV News and Weather 1:45pm Land of the Lost 3:25pm The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever!
Channel 5
5:25am International Volleyball 6:20am Sali Mali 6:25am Firehouse Dog 8:10am Wilde Stories 8:35am The Art of the Snowman and the Snowdog 8:40am According to Jim 9:10am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:40am The Morning Line Turf tips and news from the Channel 4 Racing team. 10:40am Valiant 12:10pm The Simpsons 12:45pm The Simpsons 1:15pm Deal or No Deal’s Big Christmas Dinner 2:15pm Channel 4 Racing
7:10am Igam Ogam 7:20am Fireman Sam 7:30am Jelly Jamm 7:45am Peppa Pig 7:50am Olive the Ostrich 7:55am Little Princess 8:10am Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 8:20am The Mr. Men Show 8:35am Thomas and Friends 8:45am Noddy in Toyland 9:00am Fifi and the Flowertots 9:10am Peppa Pig 9:25am Roary the Racing Car 9:40am Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00am Tickety Toc 10:10am Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures 10:25am Mist: Sheepdog Tales 10:40am The Family Recipe 10:50am Dallas 11:40am Cowboy Builders 12:40pm Once Upon a Time 1:40pm The Greatest Story Ever Told Spectacular Biblical epic with an all-star cast, chronicling the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
4.00pm - midnight 4:20pm Enchanted 6:00pm How to Train Your Dragon Animated children's adventure based on the best-selling books. 7:30pm BBC News at Six The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 7:40pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 7:50pm Alice in Wonderland Tim Burton fantasy featuring Lewis Carroll's creations. 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pm Miranda Sitcom starring and written by Miranda Hart. 10:30pm Mrs. Brown’s Boys 11:00pm BBC News at Ten The latest national and international news, with reports from BBC correspondents worldwide. 11:20pm The National Lottery Wednesday Night Draws The National Lottery Wednesday night draws presented by Jenni Falconer. 11:25pm Match of the Day
1:00am Blades of Glory 2:25am Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 2:30am BBC News
BBC3 8:00pm Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper The penguins of the Central Park Zoo have an adventure in the city on Christmas Eve. 8:10pm Merlin 9:00pm Doctor Who 10:00pm A Christmas Carol Animation. The bitter and greedy Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. 11:30pm Him and Her 12:00am EastEnders 12:30am Family Guy 1:10am American Dad! 1:35am American Dad! 1:55am American Dad! 2:20am American Dad! 2:40am American Dad! 3:00am Some Girls 3:30am Some Girls 4:00am Some Girls 4:30am Impractical Jokers
CH5
1:40pm The Greatest Story Ever Told Spectacular Biblical epic with an all-star cast, chronicling the life of Jesus of Nazareth. There are a number of cameo appearances from famous Hollywood actors, most notably from John Wayne as the Roman centurion. Originally released in a four-hour version, the film largely exceeded its budget when shooting moved from Arizona to Hollywood, where a huge replica of Jerusalem was built.
Max von Sydow
5:30pm Final Score 6:30pm Miss Potter 8:00pm Morecambe and Wise 9:00pm Blackpool: Big Night Out Exploring Blackpool’s history as the beating heart of British entertainment. 10:00pm The Girl 11:30pm Rebecca
4:55pm This is Lionel Richie 6:00pm ITV News and Weather 6:15pm Toy Story 2 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm That Dog Can Dance! 10:00pm Doors Open
1:35am Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock Documentary in which Paul Merton explores Alfred Hitchcock's British films. 2:35am Mr. & Mrs. Smith
12:00am ITV News and Weather Steve Scott with the latest headlines from around the world. 12:15am Atonement Romantic drama based on the novel by Ian McEwan. 2:25am Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 3:20am Every Which Way But Loose 5:15am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.
BBC4 8:00pm The Two-Thousand-Year-Old Computer 9:00pm Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: The Modern Alchemist 10:00pm Moominland Tales: The Life of Tove Jansson 11:00pm Legends Roy Orbison was the best singer in the world. That’s what Elvis Presley said, and he should know. 12:00am Neil Diamond: Hot August Night 1:00am Arena Arena presents the first part of the greatest Beatles story never told. 2:00am Arena Arena presents the second part of the greatest Beatles story never told. 2:55am Moominland Tales: The Life of Tove Jansson 3:55am Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: The Modern Alchemist
4:40pm Turner and Hooch 6:40pm The Simpsons 7:10pm Hollyoaks 7:40pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. 7:50pm 4thought.tv 7:55pm The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 11:30pm The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5:30pm Will You Merry Me 7:15pm Rolf’s Animal Christmas Documentary series presented by Rolf Harris. 8:15pm TV’s 50 Greatest Magic Tricks 11:00pm Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2012
2:20am Airplane II: The Sequel Director Ken Finkleman's comedy sequel, spoofing the disaster movie genre. 3:45am The Good Wife 4:25am St. Elsewhere 5:15am 90210 5:55am 90210 Adrianna takes Dixon to the hospital when he collapses during an argument in the recording studio.
1:50am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette, blackjack and autowheel. 4:55am House Doctor A special compilation edition of the home improvement series. 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am The Great Artists
Satellite channels SKY1 6:00am Brainiac: Christmas Cracker 7:00am Skellig 9:00am Stargate: The Ark of Truth 11:00am The Middle 12:55pm School of Rock 3:05pm The Middle 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Spy 10:00pm Spy 10:30pm Little Crackers 1:00am Little
Crackers 3:20am Road Wars 4:45am Street Crime 5:10am So You Think You're Safe Xmas Special
SKY MOVIES COMEDY 5:55am The Cat in the Hat 7:20am Due Date 9:05am Little Fockers 10:45am Tower Heist 12:30pm The Hangover Part II 2:15pm Road Trip 3:50pm The Big Year 5:35pm Little Fockers 7:15pm Tower Heist 9:00pm The Hangover Part II 11:00pm Project X 12:30am Road Trip 2:05am Due Date
SMA
10:00pm Batman Begins Christian Bale
3:45am The Pool Boys 5:15am Clue
SKY MOVIES DRAMA 5:00am An Affair to Remember 7:00am Burlesque 9:10am Albatross 10:45am Something Borrowed 12:45pm Romeo and Juliet 2:50pm The Descendants Special 3:10pm What's Your Number? 5:00pm Just Go with it 7:00pm Something Borrowed 9:00pm Romeo and Juliet 11:00pm What’s Your Number?
8:50am Batman 11:00am Batman Returns 1:10pm Batman and Robin 3:20pm Batman Begins 5:40pm Batman 7:50pm Batman Returns 10:00pm Batman Begins 12:25am Batman Forever 2:30am Batman and Robin 4:40am Batman
TCM 5:35am Michael Caine Off Set 6:10am Ben-Hur 9:35am Houseboat 11:25am Casablanca 1:05pm Our Man Flint 2:50pm In Like Flint
1:00am Just Go with it 3:00am Albatross 4:40am The Hobbit 5:10am Prom
4:40pm The Longest Day 7:35pm The Dirty Dozen 10:00pm The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 11:55pm Hell on Wheels
SKY MOVIES ACTION
12:40am Hell on Wheels 1:25am The Revengers 3:15am The Dirty Dozen
5:20am Spy Kids 7:00am Batman
20 - 26 December 2012
EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
45
Costa Blanca North
Soul stars roll out hits to remember at concerts 1
2
1. Owners of Sala Group Claire and Ian Strutton, and Zoe and Bobby Strutton. 2. EWN publishers Steven and Michel Euesden (second from left) with from left Nicki Burgess, Sian and Steve Tiley, and Michel’s parents Irene and George Mole. 3. Alexander O’Neal performed all of his hits. 4. Chris and Jenny Howard and Helen and Martin Campbell.
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ITH more than 75 years in the entertainment business between them, two soul acts gave performances to remember during a tour of Spain. British group The Real Thing and American singer Alexander O’Neal brought an eclectic mix of rhythm and blues to the Costas when they performed a trio of exclusive concerts - some a sell-out - on the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca. And an added bonus for the audience was compere Dan ‘The Man’ Davies with a variety of old classics. The Real Thing opened their performance with hits from their 40-year span in the music industry, including their chart-topping You To Me Are Everything, with some in the audience taking to the dance floor as the group also entertained with a 1970s’ and 1980s’ medley. And the soothing tones of Alexander O’Neal also encouraged onlookers to get up and dance and at one point during his Costa del Sol show, the R&B singer invited the concert-goers to join him on stage, grooving to his top hits including Criticize, Fake, and If You Were Here Tonight. At a VIP after-show party lucky 3 guests mingled with both acts who happily posed for photographs. “Our show in Denia was great,” said vocalist and guitarist Eddie Amoo following The Real Thing’s second performance on the Costa Blanca. “We had been coming to Spain for years before we made it big, doing the club scene in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.” He added: “Three of our hits have become classics and we have always had a strong live show, so have retained our audience over the years who return again and again. We are the backdrops of many people’s lives and that is quite touching.” The concerts were held at the Don Carlos Hotel in Elviria on the Costa del Sol and at The Denia Marriott Hotel on La Sella Golf Resort in Alicante, and at La Casa del Reloj in San Pedro del Pinatar on the Costa Blanca. Show sponsors were the EWN, Spectrum Radio, Iceland food stores and telecoms company Telitec. 9
5
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5. Katie and Ron Griffin, with Assistant Manager of the Don Carlos Hotel Antonio Gonzalez (centre). 6. Hazel and Justin Durrant.
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7. Matt Johnson and Charley Jones. 8. Alexander O’Neal with Michel and her father George. 9.Ashlea Bell, and Gail and Geoff Cuttell
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46 EWN www.euroweeklynews.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
20 - 26 December 2012
Visit www.ewnlifestyle.com for more reading
Costa Blanca North
SIMPLE TEST: Would cut out the need for an amniocentesis.
New blood test for pregnant women A COMPANY in Elche has developed a simple test which can avoid carrying out an amniocentesis in pregnant women. Amniocentesis involves inserting a long needle into the uterus to detect certain conditions in the baby such as Downs Syndrome, but it presents a risk to the health of the mother and baby.
Now, Bioarray, located in the Science Park of the University Miguel Hernández, Elche, with offices in Crevillent, has created an alternative which just requires a simple blood sample. Andrés Antón from Bioarray says, “This test allows noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Instead of amniotic fluid, we do it from a blood sample, so there is no risk of foetal loss.”
20 - 26 December 2012
HEALTH & BEAUTY
www.euroweeklynews.com
Visit www.ewnlifestyle.com for more reading
EWN
47
Costa Blanca North
MOISTURISER: Keeping skin hydrated helps keep wrinkles at bay.
More harm than good? SALES of moisturiser is higher than any other skincare product, but some experts claim it can do more harm than good, as prolonged use can make
Diabetes sufferers have higher risk DIABETES sufferers are almost 50 per cent more likely to have a heart attack. The National Diabetes Audit has also revealed sufferers are at greater risk of heart failure and other potentially fatal conditions including angina and strokes. The report shows the extent to which people with the disease are dying earlier and developing more health problems, with figures showing between 2010 and 2011, 17,900 diabetics suffered a stroke, 9,800 needed a kidney transplant or dialysis and 1,700 required ‘amputation.’ The risk is much higher among people with rarer Type 1 diabetes, which accounts for 10 per cent of all cases of the disorder.
skin weaker. Plastic surgeon Chris Inglefield says that moisturisers can be so effective that skin forgets how to soften itself. It reacts to the environment and keeps itself supple using ‘natural moisturising factors’ (NMFs) but moisturisers mask the skin so the NMFs presume everything is fine and become idle. So the catch 22 is that when you stop moisturising, your skin feels dry as it takes a few weeks to recover itself naturally. However, an eight-year study funded by skincare brand Olay and published in the British Journal of Dermatology showed that keeping skin hydrated helps keep wrinkles at bay. Preema Vig, a Harley Street cosmetic doctor, says, “In an ideal world the skin should not need moisturising. But because of what the environment throws at our skin, not to mention lifestyle factors, our skin needs help.”
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DECEMBER: Make-up overload.
‘Tis the season for women to wear more make up WOMEN wear around three times as much make-up over the Christmas period. A recent poll suggests women use an average of 12 products on their faces before going on a night out,
compared to just four items on a normal day. The survey by department store Debenhams, of 1,450 shoppers found foundation, blusher, lip gloss and mascara are
every day essentials. On a regular night out this doubles to eight, but in December increases to 12 with extra glamour coming from false eyelashes, glitter, highlighter and bronzer.
20 - 26 December 2012
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Sweet remedy CHOCOLATE could be a remedy for the common cough. Researchers have found a compound in cocoa that is shown to reduce symptoms of coughing. They are carrying out a trial of 300 people with a persistent cough and are giving them the naturally occurring chemical theobromine, which is derived from the raw ingredient of chocolate, twice a day for 14 days. Early indicators show that 60 per cent of patients experience some measure of relief. So instead of reaching for the bottle of medicine, reach for the chocolate, just make sure it is unsweetened dark chocolate which contains more theobromine.
Chocolate keeps coughs at bay.
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Time Out NEW ON DVD
A band of brothers
Ted Comedy Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humour to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish... and has refused to leave his side ever since. 1h55 Director: Seth MacFarlane Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale
struggles,
BOOKS books@euroweeklynews.com
Javea author Harry Duffin has written his third novel, The Tribe: Birth of the Mall Rats. Based on the cult-teen TV series he co-created in 1998 which ran for five years in the UK on Channel 5, this is the first story in a series of novelisations of The Tribe. The world began without the human race. Now, after a
mysterious pandemic decimates the entire adult population, it looks as if it will end exactly the same way. Unless the young survivors – who band together in warring Tribes – overcome the power
10-star quiz dangers and unexpected challenges in a lawless dystopian society to unite and build a new world from the ashes of the old. Creating a new world in their own image – whatever that image might be.
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
The initial letters of the answers to these seasonal posers spell out the name of your favourite newspaper. 1. Also known as Twelfth Night, what is the name of the Christian festival held on January 6 in celebration of the manifestation of the divine nature of Christ to the gentiles as represented by the Magi? 2. Sviata Vecherya or Holy Supper is the central tradition of the Christmas Eve celebrations in the homes of people from which former republic of the USSR? 3. What was the first name of the author of the famous children’s cartoon stories The Snowman and Father Christmas? 4. Traditionally, what is always the first carol sung in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College in Cambridge? 5. Which famous ‘good’ king ruled Bohemia from 1378-1419? 6. Which ‘delivery man’ reached number one at Christmas 1971? 7. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, what was Scrooge’s first name? 8 & 12. Which zany DJ, who was born in Liverpool on Christmas Day in 1944, was originally named Maurice Cole? 9. What was the title of Mud’s 1974 Christmas number one hit single? 10. What name was given to the religious festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples and some neighbouring peoples, before later being absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas? 11. Best known for her 1906 novel The Railway Children, what was the
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Eager Mars meets affluent Jupiter and enriches your financial forecast. It might show a foretaste of money to come, or on-stream benefits. If you intend to make alterations to your personal and home interests, you'll cope with both offbeat and upbeat activities.
PISCES (February 20 - March 20)
Y our S tars
antics, you won't be totally the same Piscean who walked in.
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Education, media, creative and social connections are given star merit. The solar eclipse in your
One thing is certain, when you come through this week's restless planetary
49
Elena de Borbon born December 20, 1963. She is the elder daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. She owns the titles of Her Royal Highness Infanta and Duchess of Lugo. She is fourth in the line of succession to the throne.
own sign bursts with vitality and success, more so for an array of bold moves, replacements and makeovers covering your personal affairs.
getting tongue-tied or dogmatic on Tuesday and Friday. Promising potentials appear, especially if you spruce up your competitive streak.
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)
Stand by for a week of whoosh and whirl. More importantly, try to avoid
Throughout this fortunate week, whatever else you decide, refuse to discard your hopes and wishes. As a Gemini, you like to have two strings to your bow of life, which gives you an alternative option, especially if the going gets tough.
SU DOKU
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) A vivid star pattern portends a frantic personal and social diary. Ensure that any tight planning is carefully handled, especially if you hope to fit in everything you would like to say. Don't allow Monday or Wednesday's tensions to spoil opportunities for settling something important.
HOW TO PLAY Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.
LEO (July 24 - August 23)
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Pave the way for any ambitious schemes you may have, rather than actually starting them. With your ruler the Sun eclipsing your kindred fire sign, determined Aries, you are now more likely to get the support and affection you need from the powers that be or someone who thinks the world of you. Loosen up on Tuesday and Thursday.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Even if the opposite to what you want happens, it could prove useful. One clue to this week's planetary crossword puzzle is ʻWhat word could also mean success?ʼ Check it out, and make it work for you.
The solar eclipse in your opposite sign of Aries intensifies your willpower. Before you say 'go', find out where you stand. It might pay you to leave things be for a little longer to see if things begin to change.
UK NATIONAL UK LOTTERY THUNDERBALL
LOTTERY
What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman? Frostbite
13. What can be either ‘sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roast apples drunk during celebrations for 12th Night and Christmas Eve’ or ‘lively and noisy festivities involving the drinking of plentiful amounts of alcohol’? 14. What was the title of Cliff Richard’s 1990 Christmas number one hit single?
TARGET: Average: 12 Good: 15
Very good: 21 Excellent: 26
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
cert, cite, kite, rete, rite, tick, tier, tike, tire, tree, trek, citer, erect, recti, retie, terce, trice, trick, trier, trike, recite, retire, ticker, tierce, cricket, reciter, tricker, CRICKETER
How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case T) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
Word ladder
Saturday December 15
19
6
Saturday December 15
15
IRISH LOTTO
EURO MILLIONS
Saturday December 15
Friday December 14
13
3
10 11
22
22
23
29
28
22
15
23 31
39
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
18
9
LA PRIMITIVA
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
Saturday December 15
Sunday December 16
4
8
9
34
36
28
37
44
50
20
29
40 26
30
BONUS BALL
9
43 LUCKY STARS
3
11
31 REINTEGRO
14
3
REINTEGRO
9
COAL
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) The planets mobilise your streak of Scorpio daring, but don't stretch your limits. Your most effective weapon against personal and work-related pitfalls is your ability to be objective. Your desire to make specific situations and conversations work needs to be combined with your faith that they will work. Even if a different approach is required, try it and see.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) The main gist of the solar eclipse in fiery Aries and the link between plucky Mars and your ruler friendly Jupiter will stir surprises. Whether you create the right atmosphere all round depends on how you interpret other people's views. Stick to crisp, simple but sensitively tuned
FIRE
Move from the start word (COAL) to the end word (FIRE) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
COAL FOAL FOAM FORM FORE FIRE
What do you call a snowman on roller blades? A snowmobile
12. (See question 8)
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)
Just joking Who looks after Father Christmas when he is ill? The national Elf service
Pudding, in which a Christmas pudding is undercooked and tastes of soap?
Nonagram
Hard-working, enterprising and selfsacrificing are just some of the words that describe your zodiac sign. It will be these qualities that count. Friday will boost your powers of persuasion, but you won't have too much to complain about if you follow this lucky trend into next week's encouraging tide.
IF ITʼS YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: Your sphere of friendships, relationships and career issues are delightfully aspected. Circle June and August for making contact with those who may be able to point you in the right direction. Between June and November, your social scene will be full of surprises.
surname of the author who wrote a Christmas story entitled The Conscience
1. EPIPHANY, 2. UKRAINE, 3. RAYMOND Briggs, 4. ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY, 5. WENCESLAS, 6. ERNIE (The Fastest Milkman in the West), 7. EBENEZER, 8. KENNY, 9. LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS, 10. YULE or YULETIDE, 11. (Edith) NESBIT, 12. EVERETT, 13. WASSAIL or WASSALING, 14. SAVIOUR’S DAY
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)
20 - 26 December 2012
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Crosswords CRYPTIC
ENGLISH - SPANISH
Across 1 Figures provided by confused static sits (10) 8 Peer that is right in the first place (7) 9 Turkish leader at home once more (5) 10 Writes in pensionerʼs diary (4) 11 County borders (4) 12 Address thatʼs somewhat undesirable (3) 14 One hundred and fifty always bright (6) 15 Recommended some made better (6) 18 Discharge in middle of March (3) 20 Cooked meat for eleven (4) 21 Obscure English coin found in the US (4) 23 King Johnʼs last to find out (5) 24 Outdo alien to produce a musical instrument (7) 25 Famous rebel acted poorly (10) Down 1 Eccentric from the Gold Coast range of mountains (7) 2 Like a first class return to the Orient (4) 3 Serial broadcast in Middle East country (6)
The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Parades (8) 5 Júbilo (3) 7 Shepherd (6) 8 Red (4) 9 Cama (3) 10 Christmas (7) 11 Duende (3) 12 Ángeles (6)
Co d e B r e a ke r 4 Serf rant about move (8) 5 A lesson in style (5) 6 Replace best churn, all right? (11) 7 Incorrectly tenderising items (11) 13 A prison term for a group of words (8)
16 Sprinkled very softly in dried (7) 17 Beat the one at the crease? (6) 19 Hoist the bird (5) 22 Spoil some strawberry yoghurt (4)
Down 2 Educator (7) 3 Eskimo hut (5) 4 Add sugar to (7) 5 Happening (5) 6 Sparkle (7) 7 Musical drama (5) 13 Relations (7) 14 News (7) 15 Correspondence (7) 17 Love intensely (5) 18 Murky (5) 19 Beau (5)
CRYPTIC - Across: 1 Trample, 5 Bogus, 8 Dubai, 9 America, 10 Mud, 11 Eerie, 12 Idle, 13 Vesta, 15 Tonga, 17 Shell, 19 Loafs, 21 Sewn, 22 Apple, 25 Gnu, 26 Leakage, 27 Lingo, 28 Dress, 29 Sustain. Down: 1 Tidiest, 2 Amber, 3 Primeval, 4 Evades, 5 Beer, 6 Griddle, 7 Stale, 14 Assaults, 16 Newgate, 18 Lie down, 20 Angers, 21 Salad, 23 Panda, 24 Mars. QUICK - Across: Abolish, 7 Fatal, 8 Set-back, 9 Stress, 11 Usurp, 13 Rate, 14 Trample, 15 Bore, 16 Camel, 17 Leaves, 21 Cabinet, 22 Basic, 23 Naughty. Down: 2 Breastbone, 3 Liberate, 4 Sock, 5 Fact, 6 Bare, 9 Swipe, 10 Settlement, 12 Wages, 13 Relaxing, 18 Afar, 19 Evil, 20 Data. ENGLISH - SPANISH Across: 1 Attic, 4 Short, 7 Ice, 8 Chupete, 9 Atreverse, 13 Empresa, 15 All, 16 Tears, 17 Suelo. Down: 1 Apio, 2 Theft, 3 Cockerels, 4 Saucepans, 5 One, 6 Tren, 10 Spade, 11 Belt, 12 Algo, 14 Pea.
1.Unscramble the name of a popular Christmas song written by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950 (three words): Y-FRONTS WANT HOMES 2. Unscramble the name of a famous Christmas pantomime (one word): CLEAN, IDLER!
Play on Words MANAWAYGER
PEAS SOIL
Answers: Away In A Manger , Peace on Earth
Funagram
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 11 represents H and 18 represents Z, so fill in H every time the figure 11 appears and Z every time the figure 18 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
QUICK Across 1 Steps (6) 5 Punch (6) 8 Passageway (4) 9 Makeup (8) 10 Variable resistor (8) 11 Flat board (4) 12 Damaged (6) 14 Excitement (6) 16 Animal abode (4) 18 Faithfulness (8) 20 Sledge (8) 21 Scene (4) 22 Hebdomadal (6) 23 Anxiety cause (6)
Down 1 December (9) 2 Hiedra (3) 3 Condimentos (9) 4 Bola de nieve (8) 6 Gold (3) 7 Inn (6) 8 Rojo (3)
Quote ‘If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.’
‘
Barack Obama (1961 - ) 44th and current President of the United States.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Hexagram The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 sixletter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (SKIERS) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
ACTORS
CHURCH
SEASON
ADORNS
CRECHE
SHERRY
ALARMS
DONKEY
SKIERS (10)
AMUSES
MISERS
SPICES
BANTER
ORIENT
UNCORK
BARMEN
PRINCE
CHAIRS
REWARD
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Thrill, 2 Helped, 3 Strike, 4 Tasted, 5 Pitted, 6 Barely, 7 Bested, 8 Reacts, 9 Mashed, 10 Become, 11 Treats, 12 Cheers, 13 Roared, 14 Cruise, 15 Reform, 16 Kettle, 17 Orders, 18 Killed, 19 Flower
FUNAGRAM SOLUTION 1. FROSTY THE SNOWMAN 2. CINDERELLA
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Emergency calls that help save lives M
ORE than four million calls are made to the a population of more than 30,000 have their own National Police 091 emergency number every dedicated service. And there is always at least one year. operator who speaks English on duty. Now the Spanish force has launched a In the campaign, called ‘091: Police’s campaign to promote the number, and sure answer’, people calling the number, what it is for. are advised to: Last year specialist officers, who have - Try to keep calm and talk slowly in extra training in psychology so they can order to give the information properly. manage sensitive situations, answered an - Give an accurate address. A weekly focus aimed emergency call every seven seconds. - If there are people injured say how at keeping expatriate readers many and how badly. Police claim that it takes an average six informed on various aspects of - Say what has happened clearly. minutes for National Police officers to Life in Spain - Report if any criminal is still there, and arrive at the scene of an incident once the if they are armed. call is made. By Raul Candela - Try to give a description of the criminal They add that all provincial capitals with and any car number plates involved.
Life in Spain
TAKING CARE: Police authorities at the 091 headquarters in Madrid.
Healthcare worries as cards are cancelled
Q AND A
FLICKR,
USP HOSPITALES
MORE than 14,000 people have lost their Regional Health Cover in just one town after failing to register with the Social Security system. And this has led one council official to call for people to apply for a residency certificate first and the municipal register (padron) second. “In my opinion, if you don’t really live here you should not sign on to the padron,” Brian Knight from the Torrevieja Foreign Residents Department said. “I know many people GOOD CARE: Professional staff at San Jaime Hospital in have the padron but not the Torrevieja. Half of their patients are foreigners. Certificate of Residence. That is just not real. We do not Municipal register statistics, Torrevieja want to mislead the State 2011 2012 Government. “Where does that end up? In Total population: 102,136 106,836 14,000 people having their Foreigners: 53,570 57,070 health cards cancelled,” Brian added. British: 12,994 13,240 For him, whether it is in Russian: 3,323 4,450 Torrevieja, Alicante, or any German: 3,950 4,100 other place in Spain, the residency certificate comes first, then the padron. His comments fly in the face registered as resident, they spend a few days a year on of other municipal council want as many to join the list holiday in their second homes. views. As their share of the as possible. And they do not have to have government grants goes up That means all property an official Spanish residency with the number of people owners, even if they only certificate. As we will not be in Spain until January 7, we will be unable to register on the padron before December 31. Is it acceptable to send the town
In the past, people on the padron could be issued with a public health care card whether a resident or not. But now authorities are tightening up regulations, with access to health services being targeted. But Torrevieja council can say the campaign to get people to sign on to the padron has been a success. The council has been allocated 30 per cent more money – nearly €3.6 million in total - by the Spanish Government for 2013. This is partially thanks to the increasing number of foreign residents signed on the register. The money will guarantee more social benefits including 47 per cent more for individual grants and 131 per cent more for taxi discounts. According to the latest official figures, Torrevieja currently has a population of 106,836 registered residents, out of which 53.4 per cent are foreigners. “But we estimate, by the number of water meters, there are actually 150,000 habitual residents at least,” town hall Press sources said. “In August’s tourism peaks, there could be up to 500,000 people in town.”
hall our details to meet the deadline? To register residents must go to the town hall in person. But there is no deadline. The December 31 date alluded to is to
The National Police also provides the 902 102 112 phone number for Foreign Tourists to report burglaries. Available in English from 9am to 2pm, all week long, the service is also available in French, German and Italian. People can use this number to report a burglary or car theft or break-in when documents and belongings are lost or stolen. Once the telephone report is made, claimants have 48 hours to check and sign their statement at the police station of their choice. In the case of robbery, where threat or force has been used, victims should call 091 at the time, then go directly to a police station to make a report.
%
List of Emergency numbers
112 – General emergencies (Police, fire, ambulance)
091 – National Police 092 – Local Police 062 – Guardia Civil 902 102 112 Complaints for Tourists Service
Foreign
061 – Ambulance 080 / 085 – Firemen
ensure bigger grants for 2013. Even if that date is missed, individuals will benefit from town hall services as soon as they register.
Send your questions to: raul@euroweeklynews.com
20 - 26 December 2012
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Who is the cleverest of them all? I
T is difficult to define what cleverness is; impossible when you add the concept of morality or integrity. We all know saints and geniuses who had failed in life, then were tossed into a pauper’s grave at death. On the other hand the most magnificent obelisks in Mike Walsh cemeteries cast their shadows on the most corrupt. vwww.michaelwalsh.es I have had the International Journalism Europe Broadcaster Commentator International Radio pleasure of mixing Awarded ‘Writer of the Year’ Mobile 0034 662 067 490 with the intellectually To comment on any of the issues raised in gifted and befriended Mike’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ those written off as mike-walsh failures. My mum comforted me by telling me that my failing the 11 plus was down to my inability to understand the language in the very Welsh town of Corwen. She was being kind. I failed because I wouldn’t pay attention; I had no goals. We lived a rustic existence. Our cottage high up a mountain had no a paradise. running water, gas or electricity. But it Each school morning I would run did have wide open spaces and forests; down to the valley near to where the
GIFTED: Some of the most intelligent people cannot manage the ordinary things in life. town nestles. Once out of sight I would whistle my Welsh collie. Giving two fingers to academia me and my dog would then go off for the day. A favourite haunt was the cattle market in Llangollen; a lift for a wayward schoolboy and his dog could be assumed. In later life I met those who did pay attention. Meredith earned more diplomas than I had fingers or toes. Alas, he was so hapless he couldn’t manage the most ordinary things like lighting a fire. Another ‘bright’ swatter, when I suggested he fry a burger, placed it directly on the stove’s hot plate. After I put the fire out I showed him what a grill and
frying pan was for. Going through the University of Life and for once paying attention, I gained an impressive position. I had caught up with or overtaken the academics. I never took a brass cent out of the system or took a day off work. Having a responsible job there was no way I could accept my neighbour’s invitations to go fishing. Eddie would shake his head sadly: he had never worked a day in his life. He thought those who did so were idiots. Another ‘informal economy’ acquaintance once told me he had spent a staggering amount on a retreat in Scotland. “Is it an investment or an indulgence,” I asked. He looked at me blankly and then broke the silence: “What the f*** do you mean; I don’t understand those clever words.” Yet he always had wads of banknotes in his pockets at a time I was barely getting by despite my impressive job. Like many other achievers I was the hamster on a wheel. As the time approaches, when there is little sand in the top half of life’s egg-timer, I do wonder just who the clever bugger is; me or them.
20 - 26 December 2012
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The best part of growing up
T
HE trouble with growing up is that there is never one particular moment when one can say “That’s it I’m a grown up.” Throughout history the age at which one can be classed as an adult has shifted and ebbed like the tide. Tudor women married and gave birth as young as 12 and the Plantagenet kings were ruling in their early teens. It was the Victorians who first revealed a sentimental attachment to their children and developed a notion of childhood as sweet and innocent. Children were dressed in fluffy dresses and little sailor suits, unlike the miniature adult wear favoured by their predecessors. Children who were lucky enough to have been born to the aristocracy or the burgeoning class of wealthy industrialists, were spoiled and coddled (more so due to the high rate of infant mortality). The Victorians did not
Suzanne Manners Suzanne has a degree in Fine Art from Goldsmiths and an MA in Writing from Lancaster University. She is currently teaching in Alicante and writing a book for teenagers (which doesn’t have a vampire as its central character). To comment on any of the issues raised in Suzanne Manners’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/suzanne-manners.
Children of the wealthy were coddled in the Victorian era. extend this coddling to the children of the working classes, who were not only sent to work in mills and mines but were treated as adults by the justice system. Hence the awful tales of eight year old boys being deported to Australia for stealing bread, or child prostitutes rotting in Newgate Jail. In the East End of London, little match girls died of diseases such as Phossy Jaw, which rotted bone and teeth and made eating impossible. Social reformer Annie Besant gathered these girls together
to encourage what was one of the first large scale workers strikes since the peasant revolt. A year later, bolstered by
the success of the Bryant and May workers’ demands for a safer working environment, the 1889 general strike began. Many of those
workers, who risked life and limb so that we now have more rights in the work place than ever before, were in fact just children. So to the question of growing up, do I feel grown up? No. I have no car; no mortgage, no pension and no husband. I have a son, but we sort of muck along together doing the best we can. I do have a job and I pay my rent and cook and clean, but I still don’t feel like a grown up. Time passes so quickly that it’s hard to adapt to each new role assigned to us as we age. I can see myself, Mrs Brady Old Lady-like shouting at passing cars and I have been known to act like Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. But try as I might I cannot see myself putting on a pinny, ruffling my son’s hair and waving him off to school, while I organise a dinner party for six; unless it’s one that includes Tequila slammers and male lap dancers.
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The lows of high technology
O
NCE upon a time, Teletubbies dolls were the most coveted toy for Christmas, people who knew about computers were strange ‘geeks’ and we did not feel as if a limb had been chopped off if we had to make do without our mobile phone for a day. Today, an iPad is the most requested ‘toy’, geeks are Gods and most people will take a phone call even while on the toilet. In a sense, we have already become a world of cyborgs, unable to function without high technology and gadgets. My computer literacy involves flicking the on/off button to solve any issues and I have only just given up my loyal, yet ‘dumb’ mobile phone for one that does
Expat Strife Swedish-born Ulrica is a freelance journalist living in Mallorca with her family. Her debut novel $Expat Wives is available on Amazon and iBooks. To comment on any of the issues raised in Ulrica’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ ulrica-marshall
iPAD: The most requested ‘toy’ of today.
only on sporadic speaking terms, the state of the ULRICA MARSHALL art music system sparks ulrica @euroweeklynews.com into life when it feels like it, which is not often. Oh, almost everything, only falling and the robotic floor cleaner died after the first round of my living short on the washing up. The thing is, I am still a tad room. Maybe it was the wrong sceptical about this technology kind of dirt or too much of it? In my books, computers are lark. Maybe it’s because there weren’t many computers in my only as reliable as the people who school, I watched Terminator too programme and operate them. many times, or that, at times, With an erroneous press of a key blind faith in computers has that new computer-driven car may merrily launch itself off a cliff resulted in total disaster. My PC and WIFI printer are with you inside.
And wasn’t it these inexplicable computer programmes that allowed the city’s rogue traders to hide their shenanigans so long as to (nearly) break the bank? “The computer says no,” as Walliams so eloquently put it in Little Britain. Like a modern-day version of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, no one dares to disagree with a computer for fear of looking stupid, even when common sense suggests otherwise. As one friend recently pointed out; ‘common sense these days is so rare it
should be classified as a super power’. Super geeks have also voiced fears about the prospects of high technology. Leading computer scientist Bill Joy has warned of a near future where intelligent robots will replace humanity, a concern echoed by physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking. Even today, it is not without risk. While you may think yourself environmentally green, if you use a computer you contribute to a considerable impact on global warming through servers and data storage for the 1 billion-plus computers on our planet. While I might not be quite ready to pop an Abacus and a messenger pigeon in my handbag instead of my new mobile phone, I shall resist demands for iPads and Nintendos in favour of more traditional toys. Tinky Winky and Dipsy have served their purpose in our household, but I reckon some traditional board games and the odd Monster High doll might do the trick. Let’s see if Santa agrees, assuming he can actually make his way through the clouds so densely stored with computer data. Wishing you all a very merry and low tech Christmas!
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Advertising Feature
Haweli Albir, wonderful Indian dining with all your favourites
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AWELI Indian Restaurant is now a landmark in Albir, serving genuine Indian cuisine in sumptuous surroundings. At Haweli, all dishes are freshly prepared on the day, and this family restaurant offers a rare combination of fantastic quality and great value. The owners are the Singh family from New Dehli, and as well as running restaurants back in India, have owned and run restaurants here in Spain for the past eight years. The food is superb! From Monday to Friday you can enjoy the €7.90 lunch menu. It’s scrumptious, and does not skimp on size and quality despite its great price. There’s Onion Bhaji and Chicken Tikka starters, Chicken Korma and Lamb Rogan Josh, pilau rice, naan and dessert, but there’s plenty more to choose
FAMILY RESTAURANT: All dishes are freshly prepared on a daily basis. from. And true quality house wines at great prices. And now there’s a menu of the day at €15.90; a starter, two main courses rice or naan, dessert and a drink.
Don’t forget! Sundays, lunch and dinner, there is the Big Indian Buffet at only €12.90. The spices are fragrant and aromatic. In all the dishes you can recognise all of the flavours: finely
chopped ginger, crushed garlic, luscious tomatoes and fresh leaf coriander in abundance. The list is endless. I guarantee you will find all your favourites. There are Bhunas
with their mix of dried spices fried up with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and coriander, creamy Kormas, Jalfrezis and Dopiazas, and Special Chef’s dishes. Try the fantastic Chicken with curry sauce infused with fresh mango, or maybe Chicken Pasanda with almonds and coconut. Delicious! Haweli is really easy to find. It’s on the Lidl roundabout as you come into Albir off the N332. Haweli has a lovely terrace for alfresco dining, and is open 12.30-4.30 and 6.30-12 midnight. Reservations can be made on 966 866 864 or 652 316 644, and you can check it out online at www.hawelialbir.com. 25th December, Christmas Day Buffet 14.90€. 31st December, New Year’s Eve Buffet 21.90€ (incl glass of Cava and grapes).
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Coffee chain to pay millions in UK tax deal AFTER it was revealed that US-owned coffee chain Starbucks was avoiding paying tax in the United Kingdom, the company has caved
in to public pressure and agreed to pay millions in corpor-ation tax. The group has struck a deal and will pay £20 million (€15 million) over the next two years, whether or not it reports a profit. Starbucks has not paid corporation tax for 14 of the past 15 years of trading in the UK, despite owning more than 700 stores. The move will bring valuable money into
PAYING UP: Starbucks make a tax deal. Treasury coffers and increases pressure on other multi-nationals including Google and Amazon to make contributions. Campaigners, however, are unhappy and plan to hold protests at various Starbucks’ outlets.
FOOD
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BRUSSELS SPROUTS may be off the Christmas dinner menu this year following a price rise of the unpopular vegetable of 69 per cent. It is not the only thing to rise in price as a new report reveals the cost of Christmas dinner has soared by more than double the increase in wages over the past five years. It’s not all bad news, though, the price of Champagne is down nearly 10 per cent.
SOMETHING else to add to your Christmas feast; the festive tree. Many parts of the pines, spruces and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of vitamin C, and pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition. The firs can also be used to infuse drinks. Just leave a sprig of needles in a bottle of gin or vodka overnight.
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Brussels sprouts are off the menu
Eat the tree
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Prediction in the pudding AN age-old tradition is to hide trinkets in your Christmas pudding for someone to find. This is meant to predict your year’s fortune.
A coin means wealth, a ring means marriage and a button means you will stay single. The idea came from a Middle Ages’ tradition where a bean was
hidden inside a cake which was served on Twelfth Night and whoever found the bean would then be king for the remainder of the night in question.
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Crisps that aren’t chips PRINGLES aren’t actually potato chips. Despite this, they were originally called ‘Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips’. However, due to the fact that they only contain about 42 per cent potato-based content, with most of the rest from wheat
starch and various types of flour, including from corn and rice, the US Food and Drug Administration made them change the name because their product didn’t technically meet the definition of a potato chip. Furthermore, they were only allowed to use
the word ‘chip’ in very restrictive ways. This resulted in them changing the name to include ‘potato crisps’, rather than ‘chips’. Funnily enough, changing it to ‘crisps’ ultimately got the company into the same kind of trouble in the United Kingdom.
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& Gardens
Sponsored by
OMES
For more information about the sponsor go to www.lineadirecta.com
Don’t forget the gardeners Gardening at Christmas Corner W ITH only a few days to go, here are some practical present ideas for the gardening member/s of the family or friends, especially those who have nurtured colourful gardens and terraces, and fresh eco vegetables for Christmas. A special Christmas request for Clodagh and Dick. A few weeks ago we found that our website name / domain had somehow been hijacked which is very frustrating as we had built up a readership over some six years and it was a convenient place to find out about the content of our books etc. We have had to change our website name from www.gardeninginspain.com to www.gardenspain.com and so have to rebuild the
visibility and use of the site from scratch over the next couple of years. A great Xmas present to us from EWN readers would be a simple internet search using the new name gardenspain.com. Many thanks for your help. Wearing out old shoes or walking boots is not really the best thing for your feet, ankles and knees, so how about a pair of comfortable shoes or boots with reinforced toes. Thinking about knees, how about a new pair of knee pads for all those kneeling jobs. Gardening gloves are welcome, especially waterproof ones at this time of year. A new pair of sharp easy to use pruners maybe, ready for the winter cutback in the New
Year. Fiskars brand are a good buy. In some households gardening is not a shared activity so a promise to help out next year, especially in getting a vegetable plot going, may go down well. How about a miniature gardening kit for young children to get them involved – perhaps give them a few square metres of soil or a collection of containers for their own garden. Sorry for including them but our six gardening books are good Christmas presents especially as they are designed to be used throughout the year and not just a few hours read in front of the Boxing Day log fire. For those living in apartments www.santanabooks.com have seasonal special
By Clodagh and Dick Handscombe
Spain’s best known gardening authors who have lived and gardened in Spain for 25 years. www.gardeninginspain.com
offers of only €5 for ‘Apartment Gardening Mediterranean Style’. If the intended recipient is new to gardening on Spanish soils how about a set of three sizes of mattocks that are easier to use than a British fork and spade. Every 10 years a new wheelbarrow might be an idea. But do buy one with a wide bouncy solid or blow up tyre. Winter days are often sunny but they can be windy and cold, so a snug gardeners green sweater
Gifts for gardeners. or padded waistcoat could be appreciated. It’s not too late to plant deciduous fruit trees and bushes so add to the existing collection of fruits for healthy living. To ensure a chemical free garden next year, perhaps buy bottles of neem oil insecticide and propolis fungicide. Cutting hedges gets no easier as one grows older so perhaps arrange for someone to come and cut the hedges and prune tall trees in January. A small grape press could help the family press next year’s grape harvest rather than using the bath and feet! If the garage is getting cluttered with garden tools and products how about a garden shed. If you enjoy or would like to try growing sprouting seeds buy
yourself an automatic sprouting machine. Several times during the year we have mentioned drying fruit, herbs and seeds on our tray drier. They are very handy. We use ours several times a week. Currently for drying slices of tangerines for dipping in chocolate to eat after dinner or when needing a boost on winter walks. Raisins and sultanas were dried for the Christmas cake! Gardening socks wear out every few years. Perhaps this is the year for a couple of new pairs. To attract wild birds how about bird boxes, feeders and a bird bath. We notice that the Wiggly Wigglers catalogue includes a bird box with a built in internal video camera to connect at the end of a 30 metre lead to the television. A good bottle of Spanish brandy to warm up after a long cold winter day in the garden always goes down well. Happy last minute Christmas shopping!
(c) Clodagh and Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com December 2012
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Writer opens up on secrets
Vital Statistics
What writing plans do you have for next year? To tap into the experiences and talents of the Costas’ wonderful characters.
and my EWN Writer of the Year award.
What highlights have you experienced? Praise by Eastern European media; polishing up a city mayor’s speech; the friendship and support of Marbella University,
Who would you most like to dine with? Alive: Vladimir Putin. Passed on: my dad.
How many books have you written and ghosted? 20.
Who would you Nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize?
The Costa communities; the world could learn from their multinational spirit. Do you identify with characters in your books? I become emotionally involved and have had to walk away to compose myself. How would you describe yourself? A consummate romantic, idealist and
a rebel; the oldest angry young man on earth. Where were you born? English birth, Irish nationality, Spanish residence, Latvian preference. What are your hobbies? Poetry and music, though if it isn’t classical it isn’t music. How long have you lived in Spain? Since 1999.
60-SECOND FOCUS
Mike Walsh is a ghost-writer and an author, as well as writing regular weekly columns for the Euro Weekly News.
• Name: Mike Walsh • Status: Single • Age: Born1940s • Originally from: Merseyside, in the UK Lives: Torrevieja, Costa Blanca • Favourite things about Spain: The vibrant, talented and friendly Costa communities • Worst : Government ineptness; moral and fiscal corruption • Favourite person: Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair founder • What do you always
Ghost-writer Mike Walsh
have in your fridge?
• Perfect holiday
Potatoes; I am Irish
destination? Latvia
• Favourite food? Fish
Caring for your tree ACCORDING to the National Christmas Tree Association, between 30 and 35 million Christmas trees are sold every year. The most popular varieties include Balsam and Douglas firs, Scotch and White pines, and Blue and White spruces. All have excellent needle retention, good fragrance and sturdy branches to accommodate ornaments. Christmas trees take seven to 10 years from planting, managing insects and diseases, shearing and weathering all kinds of environmental problems, to produce a saleable tree, with 98 per cent grown on farms. To get the most out of
your tree, follow these simple instructions. Check your tree stand. Measure its opening and choose a tree that will fit without trimming. Whittling the trunk will decrease its ability to absorb water. Measure the tree stand’s water capacity. It should hold about two pints of water per oneinch trunk diameter. Pick the freshest tree. Grasp the tip of a branch and run your other hand back toward the centre of the tree. The needles should be flexible and soft. Trees should be displayed in a shaded area, and don’t be afraid to ask when they were cut.
Cut a level, 1/4- to 1/2inch slice from the bottom of the trunk. Do not cut the tree trunk at an angle. This will not increase water uptake and it will reduce the tree’s stability when you put it in the stand. If your tree stand has a centre stability point, drill a hole in the centre of the trunk. If not, there is no need to drill holes in the trunk. Put the tree in water within 12 hours of making the cut. If you are storing the tree, put the trunk in a bucket of clean water and keep it in a shaded area. Keep the tree well watered. In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as two pints of water per day.
CHRISTMAS TREES: Ensure your tree is well watered.
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Oil spill that was toxic to a man’s heart, not just the environment With the passing of the 10th anniversary of the Prestige tanker disaster, Jack Gaioni examines the life of the one ‘fatality’ of the massive oil spill..
I
T was on November 13, 2002 that The Prestige oil tanker broke apart releasing 77,000 tonnes of heavy fuel-oil onto Spain’s Galician coast. The Prestige was a Greek operated, Japanese made, British insured, American certified, Bahamian registered yet Liberian owned singlehulled oil tanker. It had left Riga, Latvia, earlier in the month headed for Gibraltar. Encountering gale force winds and six metre waves not uncommon to this part of the Atlantic, the Prestige’s captain radioed Spanish authorities (later French and Portuguese) requesting safe harbour. Consider This All allegedly denied help. US citizen Jack is spending the first years of his retirement in Almeria. His articles have Ultimately, the tanker broke been published in Spain and the US. apart and sunk in the open Atlantic. The spill polluted thousands of kilometres of 1938, left Germany in the early Galician coastline. 1960’s. Like many of his The affected area is a very generation (this author important ecological region included!) he questioned the supporting some of the planet’s industrial and consumer driven most unique marine life. It is world which surrounded him. also home to Galicia’s He found his way to Camelle, substantial Spain, a small fishing industry. isolated fishing The long term village on Can a effects on Spain’s north oceanic life and west coast. His person the health of life took on a really die the clean-up new dimension. crews is He was of a unknown. The transformed broken heart? Greek captain from a neatly was initially dressed church taken into attendee to a custody accused of not co- loin clothed, bearded recluse. operating with rescue crews He lived in a four metre by six and with various environmental metre hut without running crimes. water or electricity. The 24-member crew was air“I came here to create my lifted to safety and official own world… I don’t think I like documents list no human other people”, he said. Manfred fatalities. lived on home grown Yet, if you ask locals from this vegetables and that which he part of the Galician coast, they procured from the sea. He mention one very significant spent most of his time creating fatality. This article directs your his own artistic environment. attention to that one death. He made fascinating Consider the story of Manfred sculptures from the stones, Gnadinger… shells, whale vertebrae, Manfred Gnadinger, born driftwood and all that washed
Jack Gaioni
The Prestige oil tanker disaster in 2002.
ashore. He also read extensively about philosophy and environmental concerns. He was eccentric to be sure, but locals tolerated his lifestyle, accepted him into the community and encouraged his art. Even though Manfred was introverted, he opened a small museum and often asked his patrons to submit possible artistic designs. He encouraged people to think about seaside environments. In November, 2002 the aforementioned Prestige oil spill occurred and Camelle took a direct hit. Manfred’s vegetable garden, his sculptures, his hut and his entire museum was covered with a thick layer of crude oil. So emotionally distraught was Manfred that he locked himself in his hut with a sign imploring people to stay away. Villagers were concerned and after a number of days they checked in on him only to find him dead in his bunk. To this day, most locals will
Manfred Gnadinger, German hermit and sculptor.
tell you that his death was due to the complete despair and torment of the Prestige disaster. Manfred they say, no doubt died of a broken heart. Locals organised and paid for his funeral. His casket was paraded through the street with hundreds attending the service. To the local populace, Manfred Gnadinger has become a symbol of ecological concern. This past month not only marks the 10th anniversary of
the spill, it marks the beginning of the court case. Who is liable for the €2.7 billion clean-up costs? Did the Spanish government take prompt enough action? Will single-hulled tankers be deemed structurally deficient? Will there be more rigorous inspections in the future? Who really owned The Prestige and was it using its many flags of convenience to by-pass regulations? Certainly these and many other questions will surface during the on-going trial. It is unlikely that any mention of Manfred Gnadinger will be part of these legal proceedings. His story is anecdotal and based on personal accounts. Yet we might ask ourselves some significant questions drawn from Manfred’s experience. Is it not incredibly ironic that a man who strove to reject the disturbing features of modern society eye-witnessed his life’s work destroyed by the very fuel on which that society depends? Could it be just as toxic to one’s soul to surrender to the reality that the physical world can never satisfy the ideals of the mind? Can a person really die of a broken heart, emotional pain or the loss of hope? Could we be incrementally poisoning ourselves with the very life-blood we use to drive the engines of our collective economies? Will Manfred’s experience represent any significant call to action? Might there be greater allegorical questions here for the rest of us? Please consider…
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On a slippery slope Property prices now suffering in ski resorts NOT only has the recession had an impact on the price of Spain’s coastal property, it now seems that homes on the country’s slopes have suffered just as much according to property portal idealista.com. It has been revealed that homes in ski resorts have dropped in price by 50 per cent since the crash. For example, the average cost of property in Baqueira Beret in the Catalan Pyrenees, has fallen from €8,000/m2 before the bust to €4,000/m2 now, and homes in Formigal in Aragonese Pyrenees has fallen from €6,000/m2 to €3,000/m2. And it’s not just in Spain, across the world, property prices in prime
ski resorts have fallen by nearly 10 per cent since the peak of the market in 2008. However, this is far
below many other types of property, and property experts are keen to point out that relatively speaking, ski
homes retain their value and prove to be worthy of investment over and above other types of property.
IN THE MOUNTAINS: Property on the Spanish slopes.
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Eating habits SAVE your goldfish from indigestion trouble by feeding it a small amount of food several times a day instead of feeding it a huge portion in one sitting. Goldfish have no stomach to hold and digest ingested food. Instead, the food continuously travels from the mouth and out the other end while being digested. So putting a large amount of feed in your goldfish aquarium will waste the feed and spoil the aquarium water because goldfish can only take what their intestines can contain.
Man’s best friend DOGS will remain loyal to their masters for life. When a dog sees that someone loves, cares for, and protects them, they become entirely loyal to that person. Also, by nature dogs are considered pack animals, meaning that when in the wild, they roll in groups or families of dogs to find food and stay safe. So a pet dog might consider the humans he lives with as part of his pack or family. They stay completely loyal to their pack and will defend if someone or something threatens their family members.
Costa Blanca North
Take care with your cats’ playtime toys "I WAS over at a friend's house recently and was shocked to see him open a jug of milk and toss the little plastic tab onto the floor for his cats to chase (which they did rather enthusiastically, I should add). “I noticed that there were a lot of these little tabs around on the floor. I know this to be dangerous as the cats might eat them but he said he didn’t have any problem. Is it alright to put down those little toys?" UNFORTUNATELY, the correct answer is yes and no. When selecting appropriate toys for a cat, think of what would be safe for a human infant or toddler. Unfortunately, there are no regulations or cautionary
Caution with cats and their toys.
statements on toys for pets so it’s up to you as pet owner to decide if the toy is alright. The same backwardpointing barbs on a cat’s tongue that allow it to
groom also make it difficult for them to remove items from their mouth. String, yarn, floss, ribbon, twine, rubber bands, bells, can all be swallowed and may cause severe injury. Check toys for glued-on decorations or trim that could come off and be swallowed. The eyes on some playthings can be
especially hazardous. For example, one very popular toy, those small mice made of real fur, have eyes that are tacks and should be removed before being given to your cat. Be aware while some toys may be perfectly safe for some cats others, specifically those that may have a penchant for chewing, may get into trouble with them. Know your cat and if in doubt, supervise playtime with the new toy. Play with feathered toys should always be supervised as an exuberant cat will chew the feathers and the shafts can become lodged in the cat’s throat. Generally, if you use common sense and provide safe, acceptable toys for your cat, the result will be a happier, healthier pet. For your local radio frequency log onto www.talkradioeurope.com.
Brian
Hide and seek Can you spot Brian the rabbit in amongst all his toys? Pumba the warthog is his favourite.
Dani Jones, Benahavis HOP TO IT: Always playing games. Submit fun pet pictures to petoftheweek@euroweeklynews.com, in as high a resolution as possible. Please include name of the pet, your full name, where you live and if relevant a couple of lines to explain the circumstances of the photo. Due to space restrictions not all submissions will be used.
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American Midwest always the best for family Christmas cheer W
HEN you come from a big family, Christmas is special. It is bigger, better, with more presents, more lights, cards, and more good cheer. The Midwest of America was about the best place ever for such an event. We always had snow. It was cold and everybody mingled in unusually good and warm spirits. Of course, there were difficulties. There were overwhelming challenges like obtaining just that right gift for a loved one. If the family was big, you never had enough money to bestow upon each member what they deserved. Top of the list was always Mother. Others received scarves, gloves, or white hankies. But this dilemma was soon solved by my wise Mother, who decided that we should draw names within our family and buy just one special gift. My Dad immediately seconded the gesture as, by then, he had been the recipient of about 252,000 hankies over the years and never contracted a cold or even the sniffles. He obviously craved something the slightest bit different or unusual. The name lottery was drawn on July 4, a perfect day to accentuate the excitement with fireworks and sparklers all around. This date gave you time enough to buy the perfect gift and enough time to earn the money. Then you could waste any free moments torturing your recipient with cryptic letters and riddles about their coming momentous present. On one particular Christmas Eve, I was more than ready for my
Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 and became one of the pioneer developers. He reads extensively and travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.
exceptional gift. Not only did I feel I had deserved it (for no apparent reason) but by luck my name was drawn by my college-aged brother. He was a football star and went to university on a sports scholarship. Anything he gave would be extraordinary, if not wildly unique. Wow, I was going to receive one of the greatest gifts ever bestowed on any person since Bathsheba brought Solomon all that gold! My anticipation was brought to a fever pitch when my brother arrived home for Thanksgiving and had already purchased the gift, wrapped it, and laid it in the corner of the room where our tree would be decorated in a few weeks. Just the shape of the object and wrapping made my head dizzy. If you didn’t know any better, one would have guessed it was a pingpong paddle by the shape. And pressing hard through the thin wrapping confirmed just that configuration. It just
IOWA: Always snow at Christmas.
couldn’t be! A table tennis paddle? No one in our family had ever played that game. Nor did we have space for a table. It just couldn’t be. Late some nights, I would sneak down and fondle the gift. I closed my eyes like a blind person and tried to envision what I was handling. Not a clue. I looked in every magazine and even books in the library. What could possibly have that shape and NOT be a ping-pong paddle? The mystery afflicted my soul, and I became obsessed with the mysterious package. At long last, that magic night finally rolled around when I could tear off the flimsy silver wrappings and release my anxiety and confusion. The youngest sister was the ‘elf’ and handed out the gifts which were opened in front of everyone else. Before too long, my fate was settled. I was given the odd-shaped present. I controlled myself, slowly untying the ribbon and biting off the reams of cellophane tape.
Finally, the object came into view. It was dark black and the perfect shape of a table tennis bat. My heart slumped. I feared to continue but was urged on. As I pulled down the wrapping, I felt mysterious knobs on the side. In the centre were two wires that could be manipulated. The room was silent. No one had ever beheld such wonderment. My own eyes had watered up but I wasn’t crying. On the handle, was stamped in bright yellow US ARMY. In smaller print it said, Enemy Identifier Kit. Below, were listed enemy types of World War II aircraft... Messerschmitt 109, Mitzubishi A6M Zero, The Kawasaki Ki64, The
Nakajima Ki 84 and a Focke-Wulf FW190. The idea was to judge
It was always cold but everybody mingled in warm spirits the altitude of the overhead enemy flying contraption. Once knowing that, you calibrated the wires from wing-tip to wing-tip which then lit up the handle to allow you instant recognition of the type of plane that was going to blow you to smithereens! Clever, huh?
If the truth were known, we didn’t get many Messerschmitts in Iowa. Nor can I honestly say I’d seen a Zero. But not to be outdone by conventional wisdom, I studied that contraption long into the night and the next day, too. Finally, I realised the significant importance of it. I went over to see my best friend Jimmy Gashel. Jimmy’s brother worked at the airport and did training flights. He always did a waggle when he flew over our houses. On one clear January day, he fit into my paddle cross wires and was duly noted. You cannot imagine the consternation I created when I announced to Jimmy that his brother was most certainly a German spy!
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www.euroweeklynews.com Advertising Feature
The only Way2go
helping your money go further W
ay2go was founded because there was a gap in the market between ‘cash in hand’ man with a van and large expensive removal companies. It quickly became apparent in these trying financial times that a more cost effective and flexible service could be offered to help people move from one country to another with the minimum amount of stress. Way2go now have four depots in Javea, Malaga airport, Swanley and Burton-onTrent adding more value and convenience to our service and if these don’t suit, then we offer a delivery and collection service. We also offer one day’s free hire on all bookings, no charges for credit or debit card transactions and additional drivers are free of charge. We can also offer discounted rates when using Brittany Ferries between Spain and the UK where you can transport your pets for as little as €50 (£40). It is worth remembering when travelling self-drive, you don’t have to pay for
FOR HIRE: Good value and service. expensive flights as with conventional removals. So, if you don’t fancy using a removal company to handle and deliver your personal belongings and want a more cost effective option, Way2go is perfect for you. Pack and load your own prized possessions, take full control of your schedules whilst taking in the beautiful scenery of Spain, France and of course, the UK.
Rest assured that all Way2Go vehicles have commercial insurance with Lloyds of London which is essential for self-drive hire companies. Beware of alternative insurance being offered where the wrong insurance is as good as having no insurance! If self-drive hire isn’t your cup of tea, relax and let us take the responsibility for you. We will include all the overheads along with a full UK invoice offering you peace of mind and accountability for the service we are providing. Please remember that Way2Go never trans-ships your consignment onto third party sub-contractors’ articulated lorries which has become common practice within the industry. The same helpful and professional driver loading your consignment will be the same making the delivery at your destination. We feel that this old fashioned, tried and tested method is hard to find these days unless you pay large organisations huge sums of money. We
are confident when quoting ‘apples for apples’ that Way2Go can’t be beaten on value or service. After only five years we are proud to announce the expansion of Way2Go Hire with two new depots and eight brand new vehicles. This now means half our fleet are left hand drive, where over the next year we will be working hard to open more depots and only operating left hand drive vehicles. For all the above reasons, along with a great hardworking team, we find ourselves providing our customers with a most cost effective quality service for all your requirements which is reflected in our testimonials. Way2Go Hire would like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients, past and present. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
To find out more on our services please visit www.way2gohire.com. Or give us a ring on UK 02080 904 292 or Spain 965 794 682.
Advertising feature
Meet Chris - the person behind másmóv!l The mobile phone operator for smart expats WHEN Norwegian born Christian Nyborg, co-founder of MÁSMÓV!L, set up his Spanish mobile phone operating company back in 2006, he set out to compete with Spain’s three big mobile phone providers: Movistar, Vodafone and Orange. MÁSMÓV!L has since become ‘the best value for money mobile phone operator for both calls and Internet in Spain’ with customer service in Spanish, English, German and the ‘Scandinavian language’. Tell us a bit more about yourself Chris: I have had a senior position with Swedish mobile phone and network manufacturer Ericsson for many years and quickly learned that mobile telephony in Spain was extremely expensive compared to other European countries and that customer service was average and often not very satisfactory at all.
I used my experience and extended knowledge of the Spanish market, together with a vision to improve customer service and offer clients the best possible mobile phone and Internet rates, to make my dream become a reality and develop what is now known as MÁSMÓV!L, a mobile phone operator with more than 115,000 satisfied customers in Spain. How was MÁSMÓV!L first established? My business partner Meinrad (Meini) Spenger and I came up with a business plan for this concept back in 2005. Less than a year later the EU ordered the three main Spanish mobile operators to rent out their mobile network to other operators in order to create competition within the market and we managed to come to an agreement with one of the major mobile phone operators – Orange.
Co-founder of MÁSMÓV!L, Christian Nyborg Today MÁSMÓV!L has distributors all over the country and employs over 100 people. Meini has become the CEO, whilst I am responsible for the International Business Division, focusing on Northern Europeans residing in Spain.
How did you get people to switch to MÁSMÓV!L? Customer growth increases each month and we currently have more than 115,000 satisfied customers. A recent survey showed that 91.5 per cent of our clients would
recommend MÁSMÓV!L to friends and family. Plus there is no risk in trying MÁSMÓV!L, since there are no long-term contracts and no penalties and you may leave whenever you want. Do I need a Spanish bank account to get started? There is no need for a Spanish bank account. You can pay by Credit Card; Pay as you go; Direct Debit and even by Automatic Top-up which, of course, is ideal if you want to manage your kid’s spending limits and control exactly how much you’re paying too! How can I change to MÁSMÓV!L in the simplest possible way? Go to our website www.masmovil.es, visit one of our distributors or phone the free number: 1473 and remember, we speak English, Spanish, German and the ‘Scandinavian language’!
20 - 26 December 2012
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F
OR Roy and Lynda Ollerenshaw, Christmas 2012 has been all about budgeting. “Instead of using the expensive postal systems in Spain to send presents to the UK, we have ordered our gifts online to be sent directly,” said the owners of Rolo’s Cafe in Los Dolses on the Costa Blanca. But Costa Blanca residents Mr and Mrs Burks from Villamartin have not pulled in the purse strings at all this year and will be enjoying their regular Christmas back in the UK. “Christmas here isn’t the same, so we travel back to spend it with our families. We will get all the presents when we get to the UK, but I think it will just be vouchers this year, it is easier,” they said. Steve and Susan Barker holidaying on the Costa del Sol vowed they would start their Christmas shopping upon arriving home in Ireland four days before Christmas. “We always leave it to the last minute, but don’t budget, we’ll spend as
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STREET TALK
It’s Christmas! From cutting costs to squid Expats are spending less this year than in recent Christmases. Though some plan to fly home for celebrations and
will buy gifts upon arrival, those remaining in Spain will ensure celebrations are truly British!
CHRISTMAS: And how much will you spend on your lunch this year? much as we need, but won’t go overboard.”
Frequent visitors to Altea on the Costa Blanca, Penny
Armstrong and her husband Tony from Buckinghamshire
in England are spending less on presents, decorations and flowers this year. “And we’ll only buy as much food as can get eaten over the holidays,” Penny said. “Too much gets bought and then wasted at Christmas.” Taking the traditional route and dining at his Costa del Sol home, George Stradenson in Benalmadena was unwilling to divulge how much money he spends on his Christmas Day meal. “My wife and I always spend too much on Christmas Day lunch. Well, can you imagine running out of food? We’d never live it down in our family.” But Rosa Perez Ciudad is planning something very different with a Christmas Eve feast of stuffed squid, crayfish and fried artichokes. “The following day, my family will enjoy the area’s equally traditional Christmas lunch: cocido with pelota,” (meatball stew) said Rosa, who lives in La Olla on the Costa Blanca.
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THURSDAY
•AECC BOUTIQUE in San Isidro: 966 723 401. •AL-ANON FAMILY GROUP Benidorm – don’t suffer alone through another person drinking – 634 758 539. •DENIA RUGBY CLUB: 8pm on beach outside Oasis Hotel. •HELP INTERNATIONAL Benidorm meetings. www.helpbenidorm.com. •PIETER SWINNEN Painting Club in Calpe: 965 835 212.
Costa Blanca North
Costa Blanca North’s best guide to local non-profit clubs, charities and societies Email whatson@euroweeklynews.com Fax 952 440 887 Post Euro Weekly News, Calle Moscatel 10, P-62, Poligono Industrial Arroyo de la Miel, 29631 Benalmadena, Malaga.
•ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY Sunday Services-Holy Communion. Eight locations. www.costablancaanglicanchaplaincy.org. •BENITACHELL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, Benitachell: 966 494 036 or 966 470 303. •CALPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH Perlamar, Sundays 11am. 965 835 502 or www.calpechristianfellowship.org. •CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY CHURCH. Sundays 10.30am at the Europa Building, Avda del Pino. •ERMITA CHURCH, Javea – Warden Colin D Welch – 965 771 792. •HOLY EUCHARIST at Nuestra Senora de la Merced Church, Calpe. Sundays 10.30am. 678 787 509
Church services or bill.ingram@angliac3.demon.co.uk. •JAVEA EVANGELICAL CHURCH. Pastor Clive Read 669 386 702. •JAVEA INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST CHURCH, Pastor John Hansford, Sundays 10.30am at Calle Favara 8, Javea Pueblo (near Plaza de la Constitucion Espanola, where the Thursday open market is held) 965 794 624. www.javeabaptist .com. •MOSIAC COMMUNITY CHURCH Sunday 12pm Multicultural Service; Wednesday 8pm Intercessory Prayer; Last Thursday of month
•RBL Benidorm and district branch covers from Polop to Villajoyosa at different locations for social meetings, day trips, excursions or meals. 695 605 129
SATURDAY
TUESDAY
•XABIA RUGBY CLUB: Juniors meet at 7pm Seniors at 8pm. 688 640 092.
•COMPUTER CLUB in Alfaz del Pi. 965 889 187. •EL VERGER MARKET at The Polygon 9am - 1.30pm.
•AUCTIONS FOR AECC (donations welcome): 965 319 929 / 688 238 879.
•ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION meets for lunch on the second Thursday of the month at various restaurants between Altea and Oliva and the Jalon Valley. 966 474 532. •THE Valleys International Bridge and Social Club meet 2pm at El Cid at Benidoleig. 966 408 296. •CREATIVE TEXTILES GROUP – crosstitch, embroidery, crochet, quilting, knitting – in Javea, 10am - 1pm. 966 472 049 or artcentrejavea@yahoo.com. •BORJA PALACE Traditional lessons and carol service at 6.30pm. 962 853 199.
FRIDAY •AUCTIONS FOR AECC. Items for donation wanted. 965 319 929 / 688 238 879. •UFO and World Mysteries Discussion Group in Javea meet first Friday of the month at The Social Club and Bar in Javea Old Town at 10am. 966 459 976. •ROTARY INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP Costa Blanca North weekly lunch meeting at Los Leones restaurant 1.15pm. Call 965 795 421 the Wednesday before. www.rotarycostablanca.wiki.dot .com. •TENNIS GROUP meets Tuesday and Friday mornings at Toscamar, Javea. 966 473 301. •JAVEA BRIDGE CLUB Duplicate Pairs. 965 795 458. •JALON VALLEY HELP Christmas carols in Jalon Square, 7.30pm.
•GUARDIAN ANGELS Dropin/Coffee and Chat at Help Centre, La Jara 10.30am12.30pm. 616 977 639. •AUCTION 1.30pm at the Jacaranda Restaurant Bar Moraira with auctioneer Mr Bob Gingell. First and third Saturday of each month. Phone to book your items 965 743 292.
Useful numbers C O N S U L AT E S British 96 521 6022 Emergency consular assistance 902 109 356
ALICANTE Airport 96 691 9000 Guardia Civil 96 592 1100 Municipal Police 96 510 7200 Red Cross 96 525 2525
A L FA Z D E L P I Municipal Police 96 588 7100
SUNDAY •AECC BOUTIQUE in San Isidro: 966 723 401. •CHRISTMAS CAROLS from 3pm with Pastor Alan Robertson from the English Church. Hotel Marina, Benidorm. 699 006 505.
MONDAY •COSTA BLANCA SAMARITANS: www.costablancasamaritans.com.
ALTEA Guardia Civil 96 584 0525 Municipal Police 96 584 5511
BENIDORM Guardia Civil 96 585 0330 Municipal Police 96 680 7766 Red Cross 96 680 8934 Bus Station 96 683 0014
BENISSA Guardia Civil 96 573 0722 Municipal Police 96 573 0733
CALPE Guardia Civil 96 583 0080 Municipal Police 96 583 0812 Red Cross 96 583 1616
DENIA
•DENIA INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE CLUB Duplicate Pairs start 4pm. 965 785 387.
Guardia Civil 96 578 0036 Municipal Police 96 578 0190 Red Cross 96 578 1358
•JALON VALLEY MUMS & TOTS CLUB at town hall 10.15am-12noon. 676 441 758.
EL CAMPELLO
•JAVEA STAMPS & POSTCARD CLUB meets second and fourth Monday of month at L’Ancora Tennis Club at 10am. 965 795 499 / 608 765 245. •ROYAL AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION in Pedreguer meets the second Monday of month. 966 430 215 or www.rafa-ncb.org. •U3A Marina Baixa meets fourth Monday of month at 10.30am at Alfaz del Pi Casa de Cultura.
Guardia Civil 96 563 0418 Municipal Police 96 563 7099
JAVEA Guardia Civil 062 Municipal Police 092 Red Cross 96 579 1961
MORAIRA Red Cross 96 574 0950 British Embassy: www.uk.inspain.fco.gov.uk Age Concern Spain: www.acespana.org Airport Information: www.aena.es Local News: www.euroweeklynews.com •JAVEA BRIDGE CLUB ‘No Fear’ pairs. 965 795 458.
•BERNIA BABIES international group meets 10.30am12noon at Sierra Bernia School, Alfaz del Pi: 966 875 149. •BSAC Marina Alta SCUBA Diving Club. 966 470 163 or www.bsacmarinaalta.co.uk. •CANCER CARE CENTRE Javea park. 965 796 846. •DENIA RUGBY CLUB SENIORS 8pm on beach outside the Oasis Hotel •MALE VOICE CHOIR (no experience required) Teulada. 965 744 577. •MONTGO RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION JAVEA meets for coffee morning on first Tuesday of the month. www.montgoresidents.com.
1.30pm community lunch. 678 066 222. •NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Oliva on C/Constitution 6, near the town hall, Sundays 11.30am. 607 470 221. •PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. Sunday Service 11am; Thursday 5pm Bible study and prayer; home groups during week. 966 769 300 or 650 509 606. •SPIRITUALIST CHURCH Alfaz del Pi: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6.30pm. 966 878 469. •THE KINGS CHURCH Benissa English Sunday service, 11am: www.thekingschurch.net. •VALLEY FELLOWSHIP, Jalon Barbara Chadwick. 966 481 108.
OTHERS
WEDNESDAY
•CALPE ROTARY FELLOWSHIP La Fustera. www.calpe-rotary.org.uk
•41 CLUB, Javea meets the first Wednesday of the month. www.costablanca41club.org •ALICANTE BUSINESS CLUB meets the third Wednesday of month in San Juan. 650 489 625 or www.alicantebusinessclub.org. •BENIDORM INTERNATIONAL SINGLES CLUB: 690 300 166. •DENIA INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE CLUB Duplicate Pairs start 4pm. 965 785 387. •GARDENING CIRCLE: first Wednesday of month in Moraira. 966 498 681. •PERKY PENSIONERS Jalon, 2.30pm-4.30pm. 652 584 272. •RBL JAVEA: Second and fourth Tuesday of month. 965 790 123.
•ROTARY INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP Denia meets first and third Tuesday of month at 1.30pm. Call 965 748 909 by the Sunday prior to meeting.
•SPIRITUAL FRIENDS (Moraira) meet at Los Leones Restaurant, Sol Park at 2.30pm. www.spiritualfriends.com.
•XABIA RUGBY CLUB (juniors and seniors): 688 640 092. •JAVEA BRIDGE CLUB competitive Duplicate. 965 795 458. •JAVEA ASSOCIATION OF MODEL MAKERS meet second Tuesday of month. gaw@wworkshop.net. •ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICES Benidorm 9.45am La Almudena Church, Calpe 10.30am La Merced Church, Campello 12pm Los Salesianos, Gandia 12pm Borja Centre, Javea Christmas Eve 11.30pm Christmas Day 9.45am Ermita del Popul, La Fustera 12pm Ermita de San
Pastor
Josep. www.costablancaanglicanchaplaincy.org.
•RAF Costa Blanca. Third Tuesday of month. 965 724 256 or nwhancox@hotmail.com.
•WORDS OF LIGHT: 662 688 865.
–
•QUIZ NIGHT and buffet last Wednesday of month at Restaurant Paraiso in Parcent to raise funds for Emaus children’s home in Altea. davidreeley@hotmail.com. •FREE informal group that shares the understanding the three principles for innate well being every first and third Wednesday 7pm-8.30pm in Alfaz del Pi. 616 762 131 or sheela@sheelamasand.com.
•LA NUCIA SPARTANS American Football team welcomes new players for their sub 16, over 16s and female teams. www.lanuciaspartans.com. •MASK FOR MABS children’s menu at El Paraiso Restaurant in Parcent. €1 donated to charity. •MORAIRA CHARITY SHOP on Avenida del Portet Road, opens Monday-Saturday 10am1pm and Tuesday and Thursday 4pm-7pm. 666 625 856. •STAMP CLUB Javea: 965 795 499. •WALKING GROUP Castalla. 965 630 009 / 607 434 732. •COSTA BLANCA MOUNTAIN WALKERS – Saturdays and Wednesdays – different difficulty walks. www.cbmwalkers.org •GANDIA AREA ACTIVITIES: Thursday social club dinners and golf, Friday and Monday petanca. 962 852 828. Saturday walking group. 962 808 601. •NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: www.nhwinspain.com or 620 417 777. •U3A VALL DEL POP. www.u3avalldelpop.com. •ARENAL School of Bridge and Social Club play duplicates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2.15pm at the Arenal Clubhouse in Javea. Tuesdays are for beginners. 965 770 509.
•SKITTLES fun matches at Restaurant/Bar GranSol Calpe at 7.30pm. 600 837 054. www.kingpins-vpweb.co.uk.
COMING UP
•ASOFIBEN Gala dinner in Benidorm Town Hall from 6pm. Entertainment from a magician and a ballet. More information: 691 812 565.
•PARTY AT THE PANTO The Wizard of Oz at the Careline Theatre, Alcalali, January 9. All funds to Jalon Valley Help. 659 624 643.
20 - 26 December 2012
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BOATS | CARS | JOBS | SERVICES | PETS | BIKES | FURNITURE | PROPERTY | MOTORING | FOR SALE Air Conditioning
Boats
I BUY RECORDS 50’s to the 90’s. Best prices for good records. Tel: 622 750 117 / 962 851 809 (99746)
Aircon/Heating PROTECT YOUR AIR CON UNITS with a whole house surge protector. Tel 608 669 165 (202319) GENERAL plumbing, water filter systems, water softener, air conditioning, gas/electric water boilers. Call your local plumber Alfaz del Pi/Altea/La Nucia - Todo Agua - 965 889 923 / 628 313 212 (101020)
Airport Transfers AIRPORT TRANSFERS Airport Taxis/Minibuses/Coaches www.CostaBlancaTransfers.com (94916)
Antiques
Building Services www.100percentplumbing. com Call for a free quotation 965 835 939 (87006) MINI DIGGER, Dumper, Bobcat with operator for hire. Pedregeur based. Keith 639 620 448 (203132)
Charities
Damp
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SOCIETY for the protection of Animals in Need (S.P.A.I.N). We buy, sell and exchange anything at CHARITY WAREHOUSE in Gata de Gorgos. House clearances, furniture, collectables, bankrupt stock etc. Collect / deliver 965 756 215 / 665 653 998 (95962)
“RISING DAMP” can cure Rising Damp, Leaking Flat Roof or Terrace. WE can make your Underbuild Dry. Villa Re-painting Due! We can protect your villa and stop PENETRATING DAMP with a Protective coating. You can also pay in Sterling. Phone/email us for a free survey now. Tel 965 050 065 Mobile 634 322 672 www.dry zoneespana.com (202251)
BBC, ITV and all Freesat channels on a small dish, no monthly fees. Full range of HD receivers, Sky and non Sky. Rental Systems available. Sky cards, no UK address, no problem. Dish re-alignment, fault finding and repairs. Call 962 800 807 - 667 427 271 (204499)
Chimney Sweep
POOL TABLES, Snooker Tables, Table Tennis Tables, Darts Tel: 666 933 726 www.spainpool.com (203168)
CHIMNEY Sweep. Clean, efficient service. 660 844 623 (97474)
AT MICHAEL’S English free standing gas cooker with high level grill. See photos: www.michaels-javea .com (101009)
Classes
AT MICHAEL’S Electric fires with log effect. Remote control. 600 photos on: www.michaels-javea .com (101009) AT MICHAEL’S High quality pre-owned furniture and New beds. Deliveries free. www.michaels-javea.com (101009) MICHAEL’S 28 YEARS IN JAVEA - ENSURES YOUR S A T I S F A C T I O N ! www.michaels-javea.com Tel 96-579 1328 (101009)
QUALIFIED experienced teacher offers Russian-English classes in Benidorm. Please call Olga 672 885 167 (203198)
Cleaning A1 SPECIALIST CLEANING. Carpets, upholstery, 15 years experience 965 058 177 / 697 511 071 marc@barnaclebills .co.uk www.britishbusinesspa gesinspain.es (100314)
Computers
Business for Sale CALPE Card Shop. Fully Stocked. Freehold. Regular Clients. Call for details 649 665 620 (99656) LEASEHOLD Bar/Restaurant Mar Menor. Fully fitted, ready to trade immediately. Good all year expat trade. Owner retiring. Priced reasonably for quick sale. Phone 680 334 422 for info. (202372)
Buy & Sell
Caravans
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ELECTRICIAN WITH 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE on the Costa Blanca. Electrical upgrades, downgrades, meter boxes moved to boundaries. Rewiring with all paperwork issued. Installation of ICP switch and box for Iberdrola requirements. Tel: Mark 608 669 165 or 965 831 082 (202311) ALL electricial repairs undertaken. 626 828 674 (202321)
Firewood FIREWOOD Best quality and best prices, 1 year stored. Carlos 607 470 223 (99540) COSTA BLANCA Firewood. See our main ad in Homes and Gardens (99707)
FIND LOVE IN THE SUN www.iwant2meetyou.com. Browse for free Spain’s No. 1 online dating site. Bringing expats together. (204448)
Gold Wanted ALEXANDERS Antique Jewellers pay top London prices. Est 2003, Open Mon-Sat 10am-2pm. Javea port seafront. 965 792 595 (202294) RETIRED jeweller will buy unwanted/broken gold jewellery, coins and silver items. Cash paid. 627 019 403 (99504) GOLD WANTED. English jeweller will buy broken, unwanted jewellery and coins. 664 890 990 (99704)
Handyman PURELY MAINTENANCE For all your maintenance needs - big or small, contact Carl on 965 878 866 or 669 218 928 email purelymaintenance@hot mail.com (101108)
Health & Beauty PALCOMPUTER in Albir, PC, Notebook and Mac. NEW: iPhone repair. www.palcom puter.es, info@palcomputer.es 966 865 078 / 673 913 339 (97438) COMPUTER SERVICES: Internet, ADSL. Repairs, maintenance, new or second hand. All your computer needs call David 629 672 538 or 965 584 071 (99695)
For daily news visit
Electricians
Friendship
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CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307 (202333)
Home Care HOMECARE COSTA BLANCA. From 1hr cleaning to 24hr nursing care. 619 216 270 / 965 878 028. jainemossaic @gmail.com www.homecare costablanca.com (99548)
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Mobile Homes
AUDI A6, all road, 4x4, luxury motoring, Spanish reg, LHD, auto, diesel, 7,500€, bargain www.hispavan.com Leo 687 845 730 (200597)
MINIATURE Yorkshire Terrier Puppies, from a friendly home, for sale. 699 790 080 (202325)
DISTRESSED sale, only 19,995€ 02. Hymor Tramp Motorhome, LHD, Spanish 687 845 730 (200597)
Pet Insurance
GOING HOME ? Want to swap my UK Reg, RHD, 07 plated, VW Crafter Sprinter (LWB, high top, diesel, tax, MOT) for Spanish car. 646 600 898 (94920) WE BUY, Sell, Remove all types of Mobile Homes. We pay CASH and cover all of Spain. More details call Suzi Caley 616 250 727 / 951 063 059 or email suzicaley@ gmail.com (100120)
Mobile Phone Repairs SOS INSURANCE. Best prices available. Call us first for all your insurance needs. Including funeral plans. Tel: 966 787 123 / 622 275 561 (202254)
ALL types of mobile phone repairs. Contact 609 838 890 (202369)
Motoring
Internet
www.100percentplumbing. com Call for a free quotation 965 835 939 (87006)
MOTORHOMES for sale & wanted. www.hispavan.com Leo 687 845 730 (200597)
PLUMBING & ELECTRICS, Kitchens & Bathrooms. Tel: 634 401 805 www.plumbingelectrics.com (97341)
Painter/Decorator W. D GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. Estimates FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 197 170. (202296) SIKKENS Elastomeric silicone coatings. This waterproofs /protects walls. Wooden Door Spraying. www.villapainting .es 678 179 346 (97340)
Locksmith
For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com
TH.POOLS.sc. Maintenance, servicing and repairs. New pumps and filters, sand changes and regrouts. Pool equipment and one-off lessons available. Moraira Benidorm. CALL TRISTAN 627 008 158 (95844)
CHEAP, all insects and rodents. 648 057 091 (202321)
Pets
Professional Services
M141 - Second floor, 2 bed, 2 bath apartment in the sought after Port Xabia complex, Javea, walking distance to beach and all amenities 600 € per month plus bills. 965 745 969 (89468) 3 BED, 3 bath spacious semidetached house with garage, situated in the popular area of La Zenia, walking distance to shops, beaches and the new La Zenia Boulevard. Furnished. Long term. €550 monthly + electric & water. Perfect family home. Tel: 966 733 079 / 619 098 543 (97868)
Property for Sale SELL your property with Schaich Estate Agents. See our main ad on front page. (99636) CALPE, La Calalga, 75 metres to the beach and local amenities. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, swimming pool, only €265,000. Tel: 629 991 543 (99211) OLIVA, 500 metres from beach, 2000m2 plot with 98m2 prefab house, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, good quality kitchen, large living/dining area, pool and mobile home included in the price €75,000. 658 368 653 (201910) NEW Ecological Villas under construction of 140m2 with sea views in Costa Benissa, show home available to view, prices from €349,000 fully inclusive of all taxes! Tel 695 831 044 (204952) ALFAS - Family house 4 beds, 2 baths. Central heating, open fire, fully furnished. Double garage. 300mtrs supermarket, pharmacy and bus stops. €280,000. Details www.vil lasanrafael.eu. To view 966 814 520 (202300)
MEMOBILE, the cheapest internet is born, 550mb. 5€ incl IVA. 902 947 625 (202282)
IT’S Christmas at Cathy’s Cards. Individual and packs of cards. Decorations, diaries, calendars etc. 649 665 620 (99655)
Pool Services
www.instantpools.eu YES YOU CAN HAVE A POOL - We manufacture & install Wooden Above-Ground Pools. Pools from 8ft - 32ft. Remember, with above ground pools there is “No Planning Permission Required”. Phone or email for a FREE BROCHURE NOW. Email: info@instantpools.eu - Tel: 965 050 064 - Mobile: 634 322 672 (202251)
Pest Control
Miscellaneous
Plumbing
Motor Homes
www.decorlux.es painting, decorating, renovation. Est. Costa Blanca 1995. Estimates free. Tel 649 181 526 (97279)
LOCKSMITH/ELECTRICIAN/CARPENTER for emergency safe opening Altea area. Call Michael Rice 686 513 510 or Calpe area Sean Gannon 667 507 630 (202338)
PROTECTAPET. Spain’s leading pet insurance. 965 756 371. www.info@protectapet.eu (95962)
M100 - BENITACHELL, top floor apartment of a 2 storey block, 2 bedrooms, quiet location, stunning panoramic views. 420€ pcm - 965 745 969 (89468)
WANTED Cars, vans, caravans, 4 X 4’s British Spanish 600 781 873 ibuyany car@hotmail.com (200261) MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 153, you could save a s m u c h a s 3 0 % a n d yo u can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Dir e c t a o n 9 0 2 1 2 3 1 5 3 fo r motor insurance with a hum a n vo i c e i n E n g l i s h f r o m M o n d ay t o F r i d ay 9 a m t o 6pm and save money now! (95302)
PET-COURIERS.COM – If you love your pet try us first – we are the best. Door to door service throughout Europe. Specialised vehicles – bespoke service. Full legal service including documentation if required. For further information call or email us: Tel: (0034) 651 033 670 or (0034) 637 066 227. Email: info@pet-couriers.com or www.pet-couriers.com (95495) NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (99699) PAWS PET TRANSPORT SPAIN UK SPAIN every month. We treat all pets as if they belonged to us. Maybe the best rates in Spain. Please call JOE on 966 074 576 or 650 341 087 for a chat or email pawspettransport@hotmail.co m. Quote ewn1 (202324)
T V, E N T E RTA I N M E N T EQUIPMENT, satellite, amplifiers, mixers, keyboards, etc. BLUESKY REPAIRS 966 875 283/626 430 671 (99672) WASHING MACHINE and all domestic repairs, Calpe / Campello BLUESKY REPAIRS 966 875 283/626 430 671 (99672)
Property for Rent APARTAMENTOS PLAYA ALB I R S L . Q u a l i ty r e n t a l a c commodation with reception, 2 beds, 2 bath. Washing machine, air con, sea views and swimming pool. Available for short or long term let. apartments@playaalbirsl.e.t elefonica.net / Tel/fax 966 866 206 (202289)
Property Maintenance MADE IN SPAIN - Property & garden maintenance - Property management. 652 090 017 / 965 878 028 www.madein spain.co madein_s@yahoo. co.uk (99546)
Prop. Management COMPLETE HOME SERVICES Villa changeovers, laundry, pool cleaning, gardening, and general maintenance, everything you need. North Costa Blanca. denisebridger12 @gmail.com Denise 667 298 576 (99556)
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CLASSIFIEDS
20 - 26 December 2012
EWN
Costa Blanca North
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Property Wanted
Scrap Vehicles
PROPERTY wanted: Cash Buyer looking for Villa in Denia area, Quick Completion possible. Send details and price to houseinnorthcostablanca@gm ail.com (203094)
SCRAP VEHICLES wanted for cash. Call 646 726 377 (202301)
NOT happy with the rentals this summer? We are looking for quality villas in Denia and Javea area. You can keep renting the villa yourself and we do not have any problem working with another agency. www.cbcasas.com 666 327 729 (Walter) (101019)
Sewing MADE TO MEASURE loose covers. Choose from a wide range of materials in your own home. Javea area 686 453 827 (201876)
Situations Vacant
WE started our business in the last recession, 13 year later we are still expanding , if you have enthusiasm , drive and ambition we can show you how to earn 2000€ a month in your spare time. Email application only CV to info@quoteme.es (202282) FREE accommodation in Spain this winter in return for handyman work. For further details email: oasisparks@ya hoo.co.uk or 696 090 776 (99532)
MARK PADDON BSc H o n s . Building surveying. MCIOB, CAAT. From 245€ + IVA. Insured and legally regi s t e r e d i n S p a i n . Te l : 6 5 3 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasurveyors. com (101061)
Tax Affairs
Skip Hire
Solar Power ENGLISH Speaking? Opportunities part / full time Tel: 660 641 913 patroyspain@ gmail.com (204208) TELEMARKETERS required in Busot near Alicante. Basic wage plus residual commissions please email CV to info@sleepwellmarketing.com (202282)
SOLAR BEST DEAL IN SPAIN www.gosolarinspain .com (204791)
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Situations Vacant
XXX Relaxation
Telecoms
FURNITURE VAN FOR HIRE with driver. Careful local moves, Costa Blanca & UK. Hourly rate or fixed price. Call 676 644 014 (202312)
Roller Shutters CORDS, slats, winding mechanisms, motors. Calpe + 40 kms. Tony Bowers 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com (99623)
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sales@euroweeklynews.com Removal/Storage
WANTED Diesel Car, LHD, Spanish reg, 2000 or later, email details and photos. 678 490 155 lacalasol@hotmail .com (200597)
ALBIR; BENIDORM, Young beautiful lady, speaks English, offers massage & escort services. 626 096 866 (99691) GORGEOUS ENGLISH BLONDE 45 years gives discreet massage, 1 hour or over night stay. 15 mins Alicante airport.Tel Karen: 662 049 021 (99628)
BIGGEST & BEST
6 editions .............................
TV/Satellite
Wanted
BEAUTIFUL, Sexy, High Class German Lady, 27, Discreet Luxury Apartment Benidorm 697 648 395 (101021)
Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the advertisements in this section offensive.
FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE C A L L S ? T H E N C O N TA C T TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO U K 5 . 3 C P E R M I N U T E . N O M O N T H LY F E E S, N O C O N T R A C T . W W W. T E L I T E C . C O M T E L : 902 889 070 (0)
SSSYSTEMS for all your British TV 606 139 591 / 628 029 088 / 965 878 028 Stuart _sssys tems@yahoo.co.uk / seabrightsatellites.com (99545)
SPAIN2UK2SPAIN man and van. Trips between UK/Spain twice a month. Excellent rates. enquiries@spain2uk2spain.co m. Also local removals and deliveries. Christine 965 571 837 / 638 261 341 (202275)
Wig Specialists
BEAUTIFUL Wigs for Ladies experiencing hair loss. Home visits 639 054 557 (99722)
EUROPEAN removals and transport with scheduled UK routes. UK Company, fully legal, taking loads from 5kg to 24,000kg. Lowest prices and the best service. 952 816 582 or www.focus-transport.com (96826) MAN & VAN Costa Blanca North Removals / delivery, house & garden clearance. Competitive rates. UK fixed prices. Call Graham 965 730 382 / 644 114 876 (101069)
JAVEA, Moraira, Christina, Eastern European lady massage and more. Older gentlemen welcome, also weekends. Tel: 667 817 407 or 661 034 261 (99619)
WIGS-R-US EL CISNE MARKET BENIDORM. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9.30 till 2pm. 690 378 844 (202261)
JAVEA SKIP HIRE 626 670 038, Moraira, Benissa, Calpe, Denia from S & W TOOL HIRE & FERRETERIA MORAIRA (99645)
Removal/Storage
GENERIC Viagra, Cialis, Jellies. Trial packs. Same or next day delivery. www.costablues.com 680 878 735 Colin (202295)
Structural Surveys
CONTENEDORES MATA - SKIP HIRE 3-5-10M3. Tel 965 790 172 / 679 440 046 (99501)
NOT happy with the rentals this summer? We are looking for quality villas in Denia and Javea area. You can keep renting the villa yourself and we do not have any problem working with another agency. www.cbcasas.com 666 327 729 (Walter) (101019)
BENIDORM & SURROUNDING AREAS, 2 men removals, house clearances. Also regular trips to UK. 655 239 797 (99737)
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GENTLEMEN. A happy love life with the amazing blue pill. Guaranteed. Amazing (from 2€). Delivery North Costa Blanca. Call Keith 687 357 529 (99657) SEX CINEMA ‘El Sofa’. (Straight, Gay and Bi rooms), Calle de la Parra 5, Benidorm www.SexCinemaBenidorm. com (97998)
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MOTORING
20 - 26 December 2012
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Costa Blanca North
For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80
sponsored by Advertising Feature
Scrap your car legally and safely – Call Arturo at Artman S.L.! Don’t risk losing house and home! THINKING of scrapping your car? Think very carefully, here in Spain it might not be as straightforward as you might imagine. Arturo has helped over 1,000 owners to LEGALLY scrap their cars here on the Costa Blanca over the last four years. Read on and perhaps learn a lesson, and save yourself thousands, and sleep soundly. In Spain if your car is not properly scrapped it is still your responsibility. Nightmare scenarios are common where an owner is paid by a person promising to scrap the car,
ARTURO: Call him for peace of mind. only to see it still driving around the streets months later, or involved in crashes or even criminal activities, where YOU, still the legal owner, are the person the Guardia comes looking for to explain why it wasn’t you that ran the person over etc. A hard thing to do without the correct papers. EWN highlighted some time ago how a man lost his
house when a car he’d thought had been transferred out of his name was involved in a crash. You need it done properly by a reliable proven person – basically don’t take chances – call Arturo. He will agree a price with you, pay cash, and come and collect the car from your home or premises for free. Try getting a
grua (tow truck) to take your car away. It will cost you hundreds! Arturo operates from Gandia to Torrevieja, and he is 100 per cent legal and trustworthy. His business is based on his reputation. He will scrap your car and provide you with an official certificate from the Spanish department of Transport (the Trafico) called a ‘bajo definitive’ proving your car has been legally scrapped. He pays by car’s weight, depending on the model. And whether it is complete, e.g. with battery, wheels etc, and he will be able to tell you the price he can pay. For a proper price, and peace of mind, call Arturo. He’ll collect from you, pay cash and do all the paperwork. Available 7 days a week on 646 726 377.
AGILE: The new Audi comes standard with highgloss, 20inch, forged wheels.
An every day sports car THE new Audi RS 6 Avant, the brand says, is a high-performance sports car for everyday use. The sprint from 0 to 100 Kph takes 3.9 seconds, and top speed is 305 Kph. Audi reported the RS 6 Avant is lighter and more efficient than the previous model, and performance has been improved. Available to order early in 2013, the base price is €95,000. The RS-specific engine management and unthrottled intake system also contribute to the eight-cylinder engine’s spontaneous response. The 4.0 TFSI
develops 412 kW, but is content with an average fuel consumption of 9.8 litres per 100 km. A remarkable efficiency technology in the new model is the cylinder on demand (COD) system. At low to intermediate loads and engine speeds, it shuts down the intake and exhaust valves of cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8. The new RS 6 Avant is the first RS model from Audi to come standard with specifically tuned air suspension. The setup of the RS 6 adaptive air suspension lowers the body by 20 millimetres.
SPORT
20 - 26 December 2012
EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com By Tony Matthews CHRISTMAS is coming and games are thick and fast. As usual over the festive season there are some cracking football matches to look forward to over the weekend. These include Chelsea v Aston Villa, Manchester City v Reading, Swansea v Manchester United, West Ham v Everton and Wigan v Arsenal in the Premiership. In the Championship Crystal Palace v Huddersfield, Leeds v Middlesbrough, Leicester v Cardiff and Millwall v Barnsley, plus Swindon v Tranmere and Torquay v Exeter in the Devon derby in Leagues One and Two. Then, on Boxing Day, there’s a London showdown between Arsenal and West Ham, Manchester United take on Newcastle and Manchester City go to Sunderland. The top two in the Championship, Cardiff and Crystal Palace meet at The City Stadium, Brighton entertain Millwall and Hull play Leicester. ROUND-UP • Congratulations to Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Jessica Ennis came second and Andy Murray third. Paralympian swimmer Josef Craig is the Young Sports Star of the Year; the Team of the Year Award went jointly to GB’s Summer and Paralympic teams; Coach
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Costa Blanca North
Did you know?
OVERSEAS WINNER: Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Action stations for the festive season sport
of the Year was GB’s cycling-master Dave Brailsford; Usain Bolt took the overseas prize and Sebastian Coe received a Lifetime Achievement Award. And it was great to see Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, present the trophy to Bradders • Last Sunday in Japan, Corinthians (Brazil) beat limp Chelsea 1-0 to lift the World Club Cup while in the UK over the weekend, Manchester United defeated Sunderland to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the PL • England’s oldest former international, Phil
Taylor, who also managed Liverpool (1956-59), has died aged 95. Jimmy Stephen, ex-Bradford and Portsmouth, has also passed away, aged 90 • England drew the last Test in Nagpur to clinch their first series win in India since 1984-85. • Tom Watson will be the oldest captain ever to lead the USA in the 2014 Ryder Cup • Light welterweight boxer Amir Khan is back after stopping Carlos Molina in Los Angeles • GB swimmer Hannah Miley won gold and bronze at the short
FA Cup facts and figures
From Back Page and 257 days old when he helped Newcastle beat Aston Villa 2-0 in 1924 • Ashley Cole holds the record for most winner’s medals - seven three with Arsenal, four with Chelsea • The longest-ever Cup-tie took place in 1971; the clash between Alvechurch and Oxford City covered six games and 660 minutes. • The only team to win the FA
Cup and gain promotion in the same season was WBA in 1930-31 • Didier Drogba (Chelsea) is the only player to have scored in four FA Cup finals • The last club from the second tier of English football to win the FA Cup was West Ham in 1980. ASHLEY COLE: Holds the record for holding the most winner’s medals.
course world champions in Istanbul. She beat the Olympic champion Ye Shiwen in the 400m medley final. GB won six
medals overall • And that man Lionel Messi is still at it, he’s now scored 90 goals in 2012, 77 with his left foot.
EARLIER this month, jockey Luke Morris had 12 rides in seven hours, four at Lingfield and eight at Kempton Park. The Arctic winter which gripped Britain 50 years ago lasted for three months, affecting sport everywhere. More than 600 football matches in the UK were postponed, 261 in Cup competitions. In fact, the FalkirkInverness CT game was called off 29 times, the Birmingham-Bury clash suffered 14 postponements and unlucky Halifax did not play at all between December 14, 1962 and March 2, 1963.
SPORT
88 EWN
20 - 26 December 2012 Costa Blanca North
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Christmas treat at Ifach IFACH Golf Club held its annual Christmas Dinner Dance at the Micheta restaurant. Organised by Captain Jurgen Bangemann and Tony Brumham, House Chair, one of the highlights was a raffle for which Nina Buglass had sold tickets over the past few weeks. Prizes included six months’ green fees at the Moraira club and a round of golf for two at El Bosque with an overnight stay in a hotel donated by Campbell Lamont. Two luxury hampers were put together by Rita Linder, and Walli Meyer painted a picture of a golfer. Vouchers for a meal for two were also donated by Pedramala Restaurant, CaPepe and Sataris. In the club’s Michael Hardman Trophy, winners were Steve King and Nabil Achcar with 35 points, second Howard Parry and Pat Shortt (33), with Peter Boxall and Alan Neish (32) third.
Third round draw for FA Cup pulls out enticing ties
THE draw for the third round of this season’s FA Cup has produced some very interesting ties. There are only four all-Premiership clashes: West Ham against Manchester United, Swansea, who won at the Emirates recently, versus Arsenal, QPR take on WBA at Loftus Road, while the holders Chelsea, who have won four of the last six finals, visit the 1976 winners Southampton. Elsewhere there will be a repeat of the 1987 final between Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry • 2011 winners Manchester City welcome Gianfranco Zola’s Watford to the Etihad Stadium • Liverpool, who last lifted the trophy in 2006, take on nonLeague opposition in Mansfield Town • Everton, who haven’t won the silver pot since 1995, will play Cheltenham Town • Newcastle United must travel 350 miles south to play Brighton • Sunderland go to Bolton • Wigan Athletic face AFC Bournemouth
SPORTS SCENE By Tony Matthews A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.
• It’s Fulham v Blackpool at Craven Cottage • Aston Villa, who last won the trophy 55 years ago, have drawn Ipswich Town, winners in 1978 • Reading have a banana-skin tie at Crawley Town • Stoke City go to Crystal Palace • And there’s an intriguing clash between Peterborough United and Norwich City at London Road. The rest of the draw reads: Accrington Stanley/Oxford United v Sheffeld United, Aldershot Town v Rotherham/Notts County, Barnsley (winners 100 years ago) v Burnley, Barrow/ Macclesfield Town v Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers v
Bristol City, Southend United v Bradford City/Brentford, Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield, Derby County v Tranmere Rovers, Hull City v Leyton Orient, Leeds United v Birmingham City, Leicester City v Burton Albion, Luton Town v Wolves, Middlesbrough v Harrogate Town/ Hastings, Millwall v PNE, Nottingham Forest v Oldham and Sheffield Wednesday v MK Dons. The 32 ties will be played over the weekend of January 6/7.
Gianfranco Zola’s team Watford to play at the Etihad.
• The first final took place 140 years ago, in 1872, when The Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1-0 with a goal by Morton Betts • In the 100th final, played at Wembley in 1981, Tottenham and Manchester City drew 11 before Spurs went on to win the replay 3-2 with a fabulous Ricky Villa goal • So far, of the 131 finals played, there have been 14 replays, the last in 1993 when Arsenal beat Sheffield Wednesday • The first penalty shoot-out to decide the FA CUP FACTS winners came in 2005 • Manchester United when Arsenal edged out have appeared in most Manchester United 5-4 finals (18), in most after a 0-0 draw semi-finals (27) and • Fourteen different have won the trophy venues have staged the most times (11) Cup final, five in • Arsenal have London, including played in 26 the old and new semi-finals, Wembley The first appeared in • 2,000 final 17 finals spectators and have witnessed took place lifted the the first140 Cup on 10 ever final… occasions years ago. ‘officially’ • Tottenham 123,000 Hotspur (8 wins), attended the first Aston Villa (7), Chelsea one at Wembley in 1923 (7), Liverpool (7), when Bolton defeat Blackburn Rovers (6), West Ham 2-0… and Newcastle (6), Everton 89,012 saw Chelsea (5), Manchester City (5), beat Liverpool in last The Wanderers (5) and year’s encounter WBA (5) are the next • The only time the best ten in terms of Cup has gone out of success England was when • Of the current 20 Cardiff beat Arsenal 1-0 Premiership clubs, only in the 1927 final four - Norwich City, • Leicester City have Reading, Swansea City appeared in four finals and Wigan Athletic - and lost them all have still to reach the • Bury hold the record final for the biggest FA Cup
final win, 6-0 v Derby County in 1903 • The Scottish club, Queen’s Park, lost in the 1884 and 1885 finals to Blackburn Rovers • The 1975 all-London final between Fulham and West Ham featured 23 Englishmen and Jimmy Conroy of Ireland • Birmingham City did not take part in the 1921-22 FA Cup after the club secretary failed to submit the official entry form • Nottingham Forest has played FA Cup ties in four different countries: England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales • Villa Park has staged the most FA Cup semifinals, 53 • Bert Turner scored for both teams in the 1947 final: Charlton (his own club) and Derby County • The first final televised in colour was Everton v WBA in 1968. And in this game Dennis Clarke (WBA) became the first substitute to be used in a final • Notts County has competed in every FA Cup competition since 1877, a record never to be beaten • Steve Bloomer, exDerby County and Middlesbrough, holds the record for most goals scored in FA Cup football, total 41; Ian Rush netted 39 • Billy Hampson, the oldest player ever to appear in an FA Cup final, was 41 years Turn to Page 87