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SSUENN 1555 //10 23 29 APRIL 2015 2015 IISSUE OO . .1588 - 16-December

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

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A violation of human rights in Carboneras

Last-minute surprise

SAGA of Spain’s ugliest hotel goes to Strasbourg

Sportswomen toasted

Long weekend fills hotels A SURPRISE boost for Almeria as hotel occupancy levels for this past holiday weekend hit 95 per

cent. Hoteliers received numerous last-minute bookings for the long weekend. See Page 4

Smiles and bouquets of flowers all round VERA Town Hall held an event to congratulate the local gymnastics team and other sportswomen on the awards they have achieved throughout the year. See Page 6

Almeria leads into 2016 Live New Year’s Eve transmission SPANISH TV channel, RTVA, will be broadcasting its New Year’s Eve transmission from the Cathedral Square in Almeria this year, assuring Andalucia will see in the year from Almeria. See Page 8

Fashion raises €2,500 Ladies went home happy their bargains Almeria-based environmentalist group Salvemos Mojacar will bring the notorious case of the Algarrobico Hotel to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. Deemed illegal in 2006 by the Spanish government due to its proximity to the sea, the now infamous construction featured in The Telegraph this year as one of the world’s ugliest hotels. The group, supported by Greenpeace, is acting against an

Andalucian High Court edict that the licence itself is legal, though building work cannot be restarted. Located in Carboneras, work began on the hotel in 2003 but attracted the wrath of residents and ecological groups for building within the protected Cabo de Gata national park. The ‘white eyesore’ also breaches the Coastal Act which bans building within 100 metres of the shore. A dark, decade long saga of controversy, con-

tradictory court orders and litigation has been an embarrassment for the town, which has been relegated to bystander status as lawyers wrangle over fees and technicalities. Salvemos Mojacar hope that by bringing the case to the ECHR they can help precipitate the hotel’s destruction, pointing to a Greenpeace report that 98 per cent of the hotel was recyclable and could generate 400 jobs, a fitting figure that match-

es the number of empty rooms dominating the landscape. The developer, Azata del Sol, has been the constant target of environmental protests which have seen Greenpeace activists daub ‘Hotel Illegal’ across the building in a show of defiance. It is unclear what the legal appeal will achieve but residents will hope that the ongoing soap opera will finally see closure, even if it takes outside interference.

THE Animal Protection Society Albox (APSA) raised more than €2,500 to help look after their 200 plus dogs

by holding a spectacular Catwalk Fashion show at Maloans Bar, Albox. The event See Page 27 was a sell-out.

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LOCAL NEWS

Produce protest A GROUP of farmers threw away some 4,000 kilos of cucumbers and yellow peppers at a protest against the low prices they are being given for their produce.

The event was held at La Redonda Industrial Estate in El Ejido, and the farmers’ association reports that the main culprits are businesses within the province.

Robbery attempt THE Guardia Civil are investigating the alleged involvement of five people in an attempted robbery at a farm in Lucainena de las Torres. One of them was caught by the property owner and fled the scene in a vehicle which he abandoned nearby. Two other vehicles used by the other suspects were also found abandoned.

Reminder WE would just like to remind our advertisers of our upcoming 2015 festive deadlines: Kindly ensure you send us the necessary material for the December 17 (1589), 23 (1590) and 30 (1591) editions by no later than Friday December 11 and for the January 7 edition (1592) no later than Monday December 21.

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Campaign for oral hygiene awareness ENCOURAGING children to brush their teeth A CAMPAIGN has been carried out in Huercal-Overa to encourage children to brush their teeth. The Odontological Innovation Centre SOL and the local town hall have collaborated as part of the local health pla n to promote ora l hygie ne a nd health. Activities have been held at local schools to raise awareness about the importance of brushing teeth to avoid oral diseases. The Councillor for Education, Belen M a rtine z , took pa rt in one of the events at the Nieva school to see how interested children are in the matter. She said it was very important to continue working in this manner to make children see that going to the dentist is nothing for them to be afraid of. This is part of the ‘11 months, 11 c a s e s ’ progra mme la unc he d by the town hall, which is dealing with pro-

RAISING AWARENESS: Activities held in local schools. posals made to the town hall and other loc a l s oc ia l inst i t ut i ons m ont h by month.

The SOL centre has created a clown to welcome children and lessen their fear.

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Long weekend fills hotels in Almeria CITY occupancy rates were between 90 and 95 per cent

News Desk 32

Russian Press 33

European Press 34

Finance 35 - 40

Stocks 36

Leapy Lee 41

Our View 47

Colin Bird 47

Letters 48

Daily TV 50

Time Out 53 - 56

Health & Beauty 58 - 60

Social Scene 61 - 64

Albox 65 - 73

Homes & Gardens 74 - 75

Pets 76 - 77

Property 78 - 79

Classifieds 81 - 83

Motoring 84 - 85

Sport 86 - 88

POPULAR DESTINATION: Weather was good and there were plenty of activities on offer. HOTEL occupancy levels for this past holiday weekend were at between 90 and 95 per cent in Almeria city. According to the Almeria Catering Business Association hoteliers were optimistic having received numerous bookings for the long weekend.

Some of the reservations were made at the last minute, but the city and inland towns were a popular destination as the weather was good, and there were plenty of activities available for all age groups and tastes. The Almeria Short Film Festival helped

with bookings, and activities had been planned to coincide with the event which involved many local businesses, including a tapas route, which also encouraged people to take to the streets, and in other towns, fairs to promote local products had been organised.

Almeria labelled ‘warm’ for organised crime THE Interior Ministry reported that there were between 21 and 30 criminal organisations operating in the province in 2014. The report revealed that or-

ganised crime rates remain the same as in 2013 and names Almeria as a ‘warm’ zone along with Sevilla, Murcia and Castellon, and far from areas such as Madrid or Barcelona,

where there are more than 100 organised crime gangs. In areas such as Malaga, Cadiz, Alicante and Valencia there are between 50 and 100. The Interior Ministry de-

fines organised crime as more than two people who commit serious crimes over a period of time, which have some kind of internal control and use violence or money laundering.

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Soldiers arrested for smuggling drugs THREE soldiers were arrested by Guardia Civil for their alleged involvement in transporting 200 kilos of hashish to the Alvarez de Sotomayor military base in Almeria. On October 16 at the training camp in

Almeria, a driver reported that bags which he had not loaded into his vehicle had appeared upon arrival at the base. Soldiers from Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, including the three de-

tainees, were taking part in exercises in Almeria that week. The drugs were found amongst their luggage. The General Headquarters in Ceuta said that the army has a zero tolerance policy

New western filmed in Almeria

President looking for socialist votes

A WESTERN called ‘The Price of Death’ has been filmed recently in Tabernas, Gador, Abrucena and Abla. The film is directed by Danny Garcia who is also producer along with Cesar Mendez. The action coordinator is a local, Juan Manuel Torres. The director has said that there is nowhere better in Europe than Almeria to film, which is why it was chosen years ago by Leone, and why he and his crew have been filming here for years. He added the script was written with many Almeria locations in mind. He commented on how lucky they had been with the weather during the 18 days they were in the area, four of them at the OasysMini-Hollywood in Tabernas. The stars of the film are Ken Luckey, Crispian Belfrage and Aaron Stielstra who were already in ‘6 Bullets to Hell.’ Luckey has appeared in TV series such as True Blood, Mad Men and The Mentalist. Belfrage has been in several Westerns such as Doc West, West of Thunder and The Donner Party. Stielstra is also one of the writers for the The Price of Death. Almeria actress Elena Cruz, is also in the film, as well as stunt actors Juan Manuel Torres Gomez and Antonio ‘Little Bear’ Ramirez. It should be completed by next summer and released in international film festivals.

SHE was at a meeting attended by around 1,400 people

SUSANA DIAZ: Attended a political meeting for the Socialist Party. THE President of the Junta de Andalucia, Susana Diaz, attended a political meeting for the Socialist Party (PSOE) in Cuevas del Almanzora. Diaz, also the Secretary General for the party in Andalucia, asked whoever “believes in equal opportunities” to vote for the PSOE candidate for Prime Minister, Pe-

dro Sanchez, in the upcoming general elections. She was accompanied by the number one Socialist candidate for Parliament from Almeria, Sonia Ferrer; the Secretary General for PSOE in Almeria, Jose Luis Sanchez, and the socialist mayor of the town, Antonio Fernandez, at a meeting attended by around 1,400 people.

when it comes to drugs and carries out actions so that this type of event doesn’t occur. They also work closely with the Guardia Civil and other State Security Forces.

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Free parking PULPI Town Hall opened a free parking area in the centre of town to make it easier for people shopping and visiting administrative buildings. Parking within the blue area in Avenida de Andalucia will be free for an hour, then the space must be left free for someone else. It will help residents in the area to park in non-commercial times.

Local sportswomen are congratulated GYMNASTICS team won awards throughout the year VERA Town Hall held an event to congratulate the local gymnastics team on the awards they have achieved during the year. The council also congratulated local rider Maria del Mar Hernandez who has become Andalucian champion with her horse Rosmarinus. The mayor, local councillors and the winners’ families and friends attended the event.

WELL DONE: The mayor and local councillors attended the event.

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Angela Molina has a star in Walk of Fame MADRID-born actress Angela Molina, 60, has a star in Almeria’s Walk of Fame. She is the first woman with a star which awards her for her participation in three films which brought her to Almeria. In 1989, she starred in musical ‘Las Cosas del Querer,’ for which she was nominated for a Goya; in 1991 she was in Alain Tanner’s ‘The Man who Lost his Shadow,’ and in 2001, she was in Karl Francis’s ‘One of the Hollywood Ten.’ She was accompanied at the event by the President of Almeria Provincial Government, Gabriel Amat, and Almeria Mayor, Ramon FernandezPacheco.

Molina has been nominated for a Goya on five occasions and has won the San Sebastian Silver Shell. She has worked in Spain, Italy and France and one of Spain’s best paid actresses. She is currently working on a film in South America and says she is as much in love with her job as she has always been. She said that Almeria is an “extraordinary” place with “great potential” and that she was happy to have her name for posterity in one of Europe’s most important film locations. She thanked the people of Almeria for their gratitude and said that great talents will come from the film festival, which she said she was proud to be a part of.

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NEWS EXTRA

Man injured A MAN, 36, sustained injuries to his arm and back when he fell from a height of eight metres at a farm supply warehouse in Berja. Guardia Civil and emergency services attended.

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The importance of the constitution EVENTS were held in Spain to commemorate the anniversary

Public tender THE Urban Development Department has put the demolition works of a ruined building which is in the area where the seafront promenade is due to be expanded out for public tender. It is in the Andarax Delta area.

Wildlife plan THE Environmental Department will continue to carry out programmes to track wildlife and control forest plagues in the Sierra Maria-Los Velez Natural Park in the coming year it was announced at a recent meeting.

HUERCAL-OVERA: Students visited the town hall and listened carefully to the mayor. EVENTS were held throughout the province, as in the rest of Spain, to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the Spanish Constitution. In Huercal-Overa, fourth year primary school students visited the town hall and listening carefully to

what the mayor, Domingo Fernandez, told them. A video explained the importance of the Constitution through projects which the students had made at school and they read articles from the constitution on its

37th anniversary. Meanwhile, at the Government Sub-Delegation in Almeria, an event was also held during which awards were given to people and institutions in the province for the work they do for the local society.

NEWS

Andalucia will see in the year from Almeria THE Cathedral Square in Almeria is set to be the location where the Andalucian Public TV company RTVA holds its New Year’s Eve transmission. The TV company is negotiating with Almeria City Hall and the official announcement to confirm the decision is due to be made this week. The event will include a public party in the historical centre for local residents. A few hours earlier, as part of the special New Year’s Eve programmes, the company’s TV channel Canal Sur will connect with the Mini-Hollywood part in Almeria during programme Andalucia Directo. Canal Sur is one of the most popular regional stations on New Year’s Eve and featuring Almeria could do a lot of good to promote the area as a tourist destination. Most tourists visiting Almeria are from the rest of Andalucia and Spain. The start of 2015 was a bit of a disaster for Canal Sur, as just as the chimes started and thousands began to eat their lucky grapes, the channel cut to advertising features and the most important moment was missed.

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THE Director General of the Centre for Energetic, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), Cayetano Lopez, said that the final solution for the Palomares problem is for the US to remove the plutonium. Last month, Spain and the US finalised a deal regarding the clean-up of soil almost 50 years after a US air force B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons crashed in the area in 1966. The radioactive spillage resulting from the crash came from four nuclear bombs on the aircraft. The soil is expected to be taken out of Spain and shipped to a prepared site in Nevada in which nuclear bomb tests were held in the 1950s. The nations announced the agreement during US

Secretary of State John Kerry’s official visit to Spain. The Palomares crash was the most serious incident of the time and resulted in the deaths of seven of the 11 crew members. The hydrogen bombs on board were more powerful than those which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the 1990s new tests showed high levels of a type of plutonium and an estimated 50,000 cubic metres of earth were found to be still contaminated. The Spanish Government moved to appropriate the land in 2003 to ensure it wouldn’t be used. Lopez said the most important contribution of CIEMAT was to realise that they could not decontaminate the area alone.

Photo Credit: lhourahane, flickr

US the solution to Palomares situation

HO, HO, HO: Red-suited Santas take to the streets.

Papa Noel Runner CHRISTMAS fun race in Campohermoso By Sam Croft CAMPOHERMOSO is looking to be the Almeria town with the greatest number of Santas in one place at one time. The council hopes to achieve this goal with a little help from the Papa Noel Runner, a race which has

been organised with the aim of bringing some Christmas fun to the town. The idea behind the race is that all of the runners will dress up as Santa Claus, although people can also dress up as other characters, like little elves. The race will take place on December 19.

EWN

Paraglider injured A PARAGLIDER was airlifted to Torrecardenas Hospital after an accident in Tahal. He fell down an embankment in an area known as Collado Garcia, which was difficult to access. Guardia Civil, firemen and paramedics accessed the area after walking 1.5 kilometres and then took him to a more accessible area. A helicopter collected him and took him to the hospital with a possible broken hip.

Jail term revoked THE Provincial Court has revoked a 21-month prison sentence for the mayor of Fines, Rodrigo Sanchez, for a crime against territorial planning. The court considered that the evidence on which he was sentenced does not provide information on the type of building which was constructed or what it was used for.

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School fined THE Supreme Court has confirmed the fine against La Salle Hermanos de las Escuelas Cristianas Institute in Almeria from the Junta de Andalucia for charging money to parents of the students.

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Making recycling easier NEW containers for bottles, tin cans, cartons etc have been added in new areas By Eleanor Hawkins HUERCAL-OVERA has taken another step on its path to making recycling easier for local residents by renewing and adding to the yellow containers on the streets.

These containers, for recycling bottles, tin cans, cartons, etc have been added in new areas including La Seat district, the hospital area, Noria del Pino and Montecastillo. People in the town are getting

more and more into recycling, local Mayor Domingo Fernandez explained, and Almanzora Levante’s Solid Urban Waste Collection Consortium is providing the new containers to facilitate this.

Social money THE Town Council of Cuevas del Almanzora has signed a collaboration agreement with fruit and vegetable company Primaflor. The company with one of its main factories in the town, has given the council €20,000 to spend on sports activities.

El Ejido race THE registration period for the San Silvestre Race in El Ejido will extend to December 26, the day before the race. The route has been altered slightly this year with some different streets.

RECYCLING: Local residents are increasingly aware of the need to separate and recycle their waste.

NEWS

Trial for ‘killer’ A MAN, 31, accused of murdering his former partner in August 2014 will face a trial by jury. He allegedly stabbed her 37 times after having hidden in the entrance to her building to wait for her to get home from local festivities in Berja. He will also be tried for violating the restraining order she had against him and for threatening behaviour. This case was analysed in parliament and investigated by the Ombudsman as it brought to light the fact that systems to protect the victims of gender violence are not sufficiently effective. The tracking system used by the Interior Ministry, known as Viogen, had revealed no evidence of risk to the victim, aged 43. The crime was committed just hours after he had been under house arrest for violating the restraining order. He allegedly stabbed her repeatedly in the chest and stomach and she died from massive blood loss.

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Work begins on inspiring building WORK on the chapel and the bell tower at the Cortijo del Fraile in Nijar is under way. The owners of the building, ‘Agricola Mar Menor’ based in Murcia, which was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and was the location of the events which inspired Federico Garcia Lorca’s ‘Blood Weddings’, have announced work is starting this week. Rehabitec will carry out the work which is estimated at €140,000 and aims to put a stop to the deterioration it is suffering. It has been declared by the town hall to be in a state of ruin and in August the council urgently approved a permit for the works.

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Town set for a smarter image AIMS to become the first #Smartpueblo Photo Jose Guerrero

PRESENTATION: Council officials reveal the new campaign. CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA has presented its new corporate image. The mayor, Antonio Fernandez, and Councillor for Culture and Tourism, Indalecio Modesto, presented the new campaign with the Junta de Andalucia’s Delegate for Culture, Tourism and Sport. The mayor said that one of the council’s main aims is to renew the image of the town while

keeping local traditions and history alive. The aim is for the town to become the first #Smartpueblo, with a more efficient management system, efficient infrastructures and avant-garde technology. The new logo and slogan were also presented. The new design is the surrounds of the town with the caves, the Mediterranean Sea and the Almanzora River.

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NEWS EXTRA

Playmobil Exhibition THE Click Play Exhibiton is taking place this week in El Ejido. The exhibition uses Playmobil - similar to Lego - to entertain visitors while educating them about different historical time periods and famous people.

Fishing down THIS year was the worst in a decade for fishing hauls in Almeria. As a result, 2.48m kilos of fish were sold from January to November, as opposed to 3.4m kilos in the same period last year.

Not enough PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) Representatives in Almeria do not feel that PP (Partido Popular) councillors are doing enough to help the enviroment.

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Two action characters for the price of one HE plays a medieval Spanish assassin and a 21st century hero By John Smith IRISH movie star Michael Fassbender appears as two all-action characters in a new film based on a very popular video game Assassin’s Creed, being shot at the moment in Almeria. Showing that he is an actor capable of many characters, and fresh from winning the best actor award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for his portrayal of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, he is now playing a medieval Spanish assassin and a 21st century hero who has to access his ancestor’s memories and learn his skills in order to combat the Templars in the modern day. Having played the anti-hero Magneto from the X Men comic series, this appears to be a natural progression for the actor and some of the film versions of popular video games, such as Prince of Persia and Resident Evil, have seen huge success at the box office.

MICHAEL FASSBENDER: An actor capable of many characters.

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Michelin receives award

Photo Credit Denis Makarenko Shutterstock

MICHELIN has received the fifth Social Responsibility in Business Award. The award, which is given out by the Entrepreneur’s Confederation of Andalucia in collaboration with the Equality and Social Politics Council, aims to recognise businesses that are characterised by their unique contributions to society. The Centro de Experiencias Michelin de Almeria (CEMA) was created in 1973 to cater to public transportation and mining, but it has grown into one of the most important centres of its type in the world. In the first months of its creation it had a staff of 59 and one five km track. Now it is one of the most important tyre-testing centres in the world, with a workforce of more than 200.

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Building ‘ruining’ monument THE Friends of the Alcazaba Association has complained about the appearance of the building, which is being carried out around the Alcazaba by municipal company Almeria Urban. A meeting was held between the association, residents’ groups, and representatives of the Junta de Andalucia and the city hall met to analyse the future of the Alcazaba, the Arab fortress in the city. The association complains that the city hall is ruining the appearance of the surrounding area, even more so now with what they call the ‘concrete monster’ which is being built below the monument, the Meson Gitano area. They asked why it is being built and said that it is an attack on the historical-cultural heritage of the city and its environment. Its estimated cost runs up to €7 million and residents say it is nothing like what was promised. It is due to be completed this month.

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Young socialists raise awareness PROMOTED the importance of preventing HIV

PREVENTION: Encouragement was part of the Day Against AIDS. THE Young Socialists of Almeria visited Almeria University to raise awareness amongst students regarding the importance of preventing HIV contagion and

to explain ways it can be prevented. As part of the Day Against AIDS, they handed out pam phl et s t o encour age youths to buy and use condoms.

Man sentenced after debt argument A MAN has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for shooting a revolver twice at a wall during a fight. The events took place at

an oil factory in Almeria province in December 2009 when he argued with two men over a debt. He threatened to kill

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

them and pointed the weapon, for which he did not have a licence, at the head of one man. He then shot at a wall at close range.

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Ana Botin is appointed an honorary DBE APPOINTMENT reflects services to the British financial sector ANA BOTIN, Executive Chairman of Banco Santander, has been appointed an honorary Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE), for services to the British financial services sector. The appointment reflects Ms Botin’s services to the UK during her time as CEO of Santander UK from December 2010 until September 2014, when she was appoint-

ed Executive Chairman of the Santander Group. The largest bank in the Eurozone by market capitalisation, it is based in Spain and has a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. As CEO she led the transformation of Santander UK following the merger of Abbey National, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford &

Bingley building societies, and oversaw the steady growth of the business to its current position where it has around 860 branches across the UK, serves 14 million customers and employs 20,000 people. The British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, said: “I am delighted that Ana Botin has received this honour, reflecting her exceptional contributions to the UK economy and society. The United Kingdom welcomes foreign investors, large and small, that wish to expand overseas for the opportunities it offers to those companies and the benefits it brings to our country. “In particular, Ms Botin positioned Santander as a major provider of lending for small and medium-sized UK businesses, complementing the UK government’s wider efforts to boost overseas trade under the newly launched ‘Exporting is GREAT’ campaign.” The award also recognises Ana Botin’s voluntary contribution. In 2010 she joined the Board of Trustees of the Mayor’s Fund for London, a foundation that focuses on pro-

jects to improve employment opportunities for disadvantaged children. In 2013 she was appointed as one of five external members to the Financial Services, Trade and Investment Board, which was established by the Chancellor George Osborne to promote the UK’s financial services industry. In January 2014 she was appointed as a UK Business Ambassador by the Prime Minister David Cameron, and in July 2015 she was appointed to the Prime Minister ’s Business Advisory Council. Ms Botin has also been a strong supporter of the link between education and entrepreneurialism. Thousands of students and entrepreneurs across the UK have benefited from the scholarships, travel grants, projects and awards since the bank signed the first of its 80 collaborations with UK universities in 2007, as part of its long term commitment to higher education. As part of the Breakthrough programme, Santander University has offered opportunities for undergraduate students to undertake internship work placements with SMEs since 2011.

OWNER: Crime against workers’ rights.

Farm hired illegal workers THE Guardia Civil arrested a resident of Huercal-Overa, 42, who allegedly had eight people working on his property with no contract or social security. The investigation began late last month when the man was reported for having at least 15 people working illegally on his property. Guardia Civil and work inspectors visited one of the properties belonging to the company which he owned, where they found 14 people working and one supervising. The owner was charged with a crime against workers’ rights.

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Woman evicted from the family home A WOMAN, 63, has reportedly been evicted from her home by her own relatives.

According to a report in local Spanish daily, Ideal, the woman from Balerma says that the house belonged to her parents, and she lived there for 30 years but 12 years ago it was acquired by her daughter-in-law. Eight years of court cases later, she has had to leave and will be staying with a neighbour for a few days. Her other son and her two-year-old grandson had also been living in the house and have had to leave. Another son said that the house was used as a guarantee

for a loan and taken by the bank. It was then bought back by his brother and sold to his sister-in-law in 2003. The woman says she cannot understand her son’s actions and that since she retired in February she gets €640 per month pension and can’t afford rent, electricity, water and food. She is therefore asking for someone to rent her a home at an affordable price. She has worked all her life and had five children, but says now she is “tired of fighting.”

HELP WANTED: Teddy would like to have a home for Christmas.

Teddy needs a home THIS lovely dog was rescued from the risk of being run over in fast moving traffic, on the Santa Maria/Huercal-Overa road. He was terrified at the time but has proved to be very friendly, loves people and other dogs, is good with cats, house trained and well behaved in the car. He has been spayed and is free from disease. His only problem is that his rescuers could only give him a temporary home because they are leaving the country next week. Can anybody help to find him a home for Christmas, he is said to be no trouble at all. Please ring 617 065 565.

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Children learn about town CHILDREN from the Virgen de la Paz Primary School in Puebla de Vicar have attended guided tours of the municipal buildings.

They were accompanied by their teachers to carry out an activity about the town and learned more about how the different administrative departments work.

They visited the census office, where they learned how many people live in the town, where the residents come from and details such as the birth and death rates.

NEWS

The World at a Crossroads BOOK attempts to analyse issues BRITISH writer, Peter Fieldman, who spends most of the year in Madrid and is a regular visitor to Calpe, has been visiting the Costa Blanca to promote his new book. Since the outset of the financial crisis he has been a strong critic of the financial and corporate sectors, which have not only caused misery to millions of people but profited from it. Political leaders have stood by while ordinary people saw their jobs and homes disappear putting at risk family cohesion. In May 2011 he was in Madrid when the group known as Los Indignados took control of the Puerta del Sol. The same year he read Stephane Hesselâ€™s book Indignez-Vous, translated as Indignaos or Time for Outrage. The 32 page long book conveyed a powerful message and was the catalyst for Peter to begin researching and writ-

ing his own views about what he considered to be wrong in the world. His book attempts to analyse the issues facing Europe and the World using Morality as the main theme. He deals with corruption - endemic in Spain, the financial crisis, tax, immigration and social issues. The vast disparity in wealth between the elite 1 per cent and the 99 per cent has reached unsustainable proportions. Fieldman calls for an end to the greed, exploitation, corruption and violence dividing people and a redistribution of the world's resources to create a fairer, more prosperous and peaceful planet. Published by Austin Macauley Publishers in London, The World at a Crossroads is available from Amazon and major bookstores.

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Parents allow son to miss class FINED after boy missed three terms at school A COUPLE has been sentenced to pay fines for allowing their son to miss three terms of school between 2010 and 2013. They have been sentenced for family abandonment for failing to make sure the boy, 12 at the time, got a proper education. Each of them has been sentenced to pay €360

as well as the legal costs. They said that they did not intend to appeal the sentence and admitted that they had not made sure the boy went to school, despite being told repeatedly that he was missing classes. He fell behind with his schooling after missing many days.

Four people sentenced for stealing a TV FOUR people aged between 20 and 24 have been sentenced to two years each in prison for breaking into a house in the Retamar area and stealing a television. The events took place last month, when they smashed a window and entered the house, then stole a TV worth almost €300. They were caught by police inside the house searching through drawers, and claimed at the hearing that their intention was to become squatters on the property. They will have to pay €291 to the property owner for damages.

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Albox fashion show raises €2,500 to help APSA Photo Credit Aveda Corporation

THE Animal Protection Society Albox (APSA) raised over €2,500 to help look after their 200 plus dogs by holding a spectacular Catwalk Fashion show at Maloans Bar in Avenue Lepanto Albox on November 23. The event was a complete sell out thanks to the hard work of everyone involved including Sue and her volunteers, Frank who was the MC, all of the models and fantastic singer Brian Dee who entertained everyone who attended. Apart from the main event, the fashion show, there was an auction, raffle and stalls which kept everyone busy and many ladies went home happy with their fashion bargains. Andy and the staff at Maloans had gone that extra mile to ensure that everyone had a great time and the introduction of spotlights and a smoke machine made the evening appear so professional. There was support from other local businesses including La Cena, Total Entertainment, Rambla cafe, and Amigos bowling with some of the owners even agreeing to act as models. Di, the chair of APSA, was delighted with the amount raised and confirmed it will greatly help the charity as volunteers continue to self-build the new kennels, run neutering and fostering programmes, feeding 200+ dogs and keeping them warm! APSA is a not for profit charity founded in 2002 by a group of expats who were concerned about the plight of animals in the Albox area. At pre-

FASHION SHOW: The event was a complete sell out.

sent, they are the only registered animal charity in the Almanzora Valley area. Recently, due to many expats returning to the UK, they are running on a skeleton staff so are always happy to welcome new volunteers. You can also support the charity by shopping or donating at the shop in Avenida Lep-

anto where you can find fashion-show quality clothes in the boutique section. If you can help in any way, like dog-walking, you can chat to the volunteers at Los Llanos market each Saturday or visit their web site www.apsa.org.es to see some of the dogs and cats that are available for adoption.

Exciting Christmas programme

MANY of the ladies who attended the event went home happy with their fashion bargains By John Smith

EWN

THE Town Council of Huercal-Overa has organised a wide range of Christmas activities. The events were planned by the Business, Youth, and Culture Councils under the town’s new Christmas slogan: Leisure, Youth, and Tradition. The star attraction this year is the skating rink set up in Plaza de la Constitucion. The rink will be available to use until January 7, and people will also be able to take skating lessons. Other events include Empanada Day on December 12, where people can savour the traditional Spanish pastries (Empanadas), and the Hello Christmas Party on December 23, where young people can ring in Christmas with games, activities, and chocolate. There will also be costume parties, dance performances, concerts, ballets, and of course, Santa Claus.

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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Daesh or ISIS? THERE have been a number of different names used to describe the terrorists who have invaded parts of Iraq and Syria, many of which are unprintable but in order to assist our readers

to identify the group in question, we have stuck to the word ISIS. In the opening statement in the House of Commons by David Cameron on December

2, he said: “I feel it is time to join our key ally France, the Arab League, and other members of the international community in using as frequently as possible the terminology Daesh rather than Isil. Because frankly this evil death cult is neither a true representation of Islam nor is it a state.” He added later in the speech: “These women-raping, Muslim-murdering, mediaeval monsters are hijacking the peaceful religion of Islam for their warped ends.” The name Daesh is used by both President Obama and President Hollande of France, although they pronounce it differently and we at Euro Weekly News now feel that the time is right for us to change as well to use the word that everyone will come to recognise over the coming months.

Ironically, the word is an Arabic acronym derived from the phrase ‘al Dawlah al-Islameyah fi Iraq wal-Sham’ or literally, ‘Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham’ (which refers to Syria or the Levant State). It actually means ISIS or Isil but because it is a short word, some parties in the Arab world have taken it to be intended as an insult as it is a shortened form. If by using the word Daesh we insult any of its adherents, then we have no problem with that at all.

David Cameron will use same terminology as Obama and Hollande.

NEWS

Photo Credit 360B Shutterstock

NEWS

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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18 months for minor blackmail MAN initially pretended to be a woman A MAN has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by an Almeria court for blackmailing a young boy in order to have sex with him. He initially contacted the underage boy in July 2012, pretending to be a woman. They swapped naked photos, and then he revealed that he

was a man. He began to make sexual propositions to the boy, which the victim refused. He then threatened to publish the photos he had of the boy on a contacts website. He has been sentenced for corruption of minors and threatening behaviour, and has a restraining order which bans him

from coming within 500 metres of the boy or communicating with him for five years. He has also been fined €2,160. Both parties accepted the sentence and do not intend to appeal. The prison sentence has been suspended as long as the accused does not commit another crime in three years.

Sentenced for attacking several police officers A MAN has been sentenced to eight months in prison for attacking several police officers at Fines sports pavilion in July 2010. He got into an argument with two men, head-butting one and hitting the other in the chest. An off-duty Local Police officer attended the scene and the accused began to insult him

and head-butt him causing him several injuries. Two Guardia Civil officers then arrived, who attempted to calm him down, but he resisted, causing injuries to one of them. He was sentenced to pay four fines of €5 per day for 30 days and compensation amounting to €810. He will not enter prison, but instead pay another 16 months of fines.

EWN

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015/ Costa de Almería

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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS

COSTA DEL SOL

Fugitive caught

Planting trees in Calvia Photo Credit anweber shutterstock

PURPOSE is to reforest those areas which were affected by fires

TREE PLANTING: Students and tourists from the Calvia area will take part.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

STUDENTS and tourists from the Calvia area will take part in reforestation events organised by Calvia Town Hall’s Environmental Department. The purpose is to reforest those areas in Calvia which were affected by fires as well as maintain other areas already planted in recent years. “The purpose is to maintain the attractive landscape in the area and get back the environmental value that we lost in the fires” said a spokesperson from the organisation. The first event will be held today (Thursday 10) and pupils from Son Caliu school will be responsible for the tree planting.

MALLORCA

AXARQUÍA

Bollywood filming

Mace attack

Tram plans

Books for children

CARTAGENA is being used as a location for the shooting of a Bollywood film. Film crews are using various locations around Cartagena such as the town hall, the Municipal Archives and the Military Museum, as well as points in La Manga, to serve as the backdrop for filming of the Bollywood movie ‘Nannaku Premotho.’

THE Mercat de l’Olivar was the scene of road rage last weekend when a man who couldn’t get out of the car park caused damage to another vehicle by hitting it with a medieval mace. Bystanders tried to restrain the man but he escaped. Local Police were called.

THIS week, the Public Works Agency of the Junta de Andalucia regional government told Velez-Malaga Mayor Antonio Moreno Ferrer the names of the two experts who have been appointed as part of the committee to bring back the town’s tram service.

TO mark the International Day of Disability, the Denia Marina Salud Hospital has distributed a collection of specially written books from Atresmedia to the Pediatrics ward to entertain hospitalised children, encourage reading and educate them about integration of people with disabilities.

Death plunge

New speaker

THE fire service of Mallorca reported the death of a man, 52, who suffered an accidental fall in Punta d’es Caló, in Arta earlier this week when he plunged from a height of some eight metres. The man was walking with his wife and daughter when the accident occurred.

PP-A representative and president of the Malaga Provincial Council Elias Bendodo will no longer give the opening speech at Torrox’s las Migas Fair on December 13 following objections from other political factions.

Car thieves FIVE suspected members of an organised group dedicated to the theft of luxury vehicles have been arrested. The gang are believed to be operating from Madrid, but were caught in Alicante Province after attempting to steal a BMW from El Campello.

Close proximity RESIDENTS in Elche have complained about the city’s ‘Christmas Village’ with the proximity of the Christmas booths to some buildings and apartments as they are worried about the risk of theft to their homes with the booths placed close to the balconies of the first floors.

Christmas treats JIJONA manufacturers will sell 60 million tablets of Turron this Christmas, 89 per cent of their annual Spanish production.

Hunting goes wrong MALLORCA fire services managed to rescue a dog who had fallen inside a cave on a property in the Escorca area last weekend. The owner had taken his dog hunting and the animal had fallen more than 10 metres inside a hidden cave. The rescue service from the Soller division had to abseil to the animal who was unhurt.

Pesky bugs BETWEEN January and October this year, 85,000 manhole covers and 26,000 rain collectors were opened and treated against rats, cockroaches or mosquitos.

NEWS

Hate crimes RINCON DE LA VICTORIA has become the third municipality in Spain, after Torremolinos and Marbella, to offer free legal counsel to the victims of hate crimes, thanks to an agreement signed yesterday by the Mayor, Encarnacion Anaya, and the Dean of Malaga College of Lawyers, Javier Lara Pelaez.

New drink AXARQUIA company La Huerta de Carolina is ready to launch a new prickly pear drink, which was presented to the public in Velez-Malaga by PP Representative and Sustainability Councillor Francisco Delgado Bonilla.

For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

Shoreline fishing THE tradition of shoreline fishing in the Marina Alta, hunting for Octopus, Sea Urchins and shellfish in particular for your own consumption may become something of the past soon due to overfishing and illegal poaching.

Tapas for toys UNDER the premise that no child is left without a toy this Christmas the Solidarity Tapas initiative in Sant Joan d’Alacant has been launched. The campaign involves donating a disused toy in good condition during the Christmas fair, in return they will be given a tapas prepared by the prestigious Cooking School.

Unemployment up UNEMPLOYMENT in Benidorm has risen 11 per cent, registering 665 more unemployed than the previous month of October, amounting to a total of 6,613 people out of work, concentrated mainly in the services sector.

NATIONAL POLICE officers in Malaga have arrested a 37-year-old Moroccan man under an international arrest and extradition order from the authorities in Morocco for alleged domestic violence and cruelty one year ago.

Villas approved MARBELLA’S Town Planning department has announced that two building licences for a total of €1.1 million were approved last week. The licences are for two villas with pools, one on Santa Clara urbanisation and the other in Cerrado de Elviria.

Scenes to visit TWO nativity scenes have been opened for public visits in Ronda. A municipal scene has been set up at Santo Domingo convent, while the local brotherhood’s association has announced their own is on display at Iglesia de Padre Jesus church.

Work announced RONDA Council has announced plans to improve drainage systems on part of Avenida de Malaga, one of its main streets. The area affected will be between Los Angeles and Miguel de Cervantes school and €162,000 will be spent including pavement repairs.

Gas leak TWO people, a 45-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, had to be taken to hospital for treatment after a gas leak at the home in Puerto de la Torre, Malaga City, in the early hours of Friday morning (December 4), emergency services reported.

EWN top for all the news from Spain.

NEWS

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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RUSSIAN P RESS

Proposal for new sanctions RUSSIA may scrap investment projects in Turkey

PRESIDENT PUTIN: New proposals. IN response to Turkey’s downing of a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian border, President Putin proposes to impose sanctions to freeze or possibly scrap investment projects in Turkey. Russia had plans to build a nuclear power plant worth $20 million (€18,368,000).

Anti-terror THE Moscow department of Trade and Services has asked public enterprise owners to hire additional security and pay attention to employees who spend a large amount of time abroad, following threats from international terrorist groups, such as Daesh.

Daesh fight CHAIRMAN of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko confirmed Russia will continue free weapon delivery to Afghanistan’s military, and will closely observe the

Tiger befriends goat TIMUR the goat has befriended Amur, a Siberian tiger, in Primorsky Safari Park. He chased Amur around the enclosure and invaded his sleeping shelter. Amur, banished to the roof, appears to have accepted Timur and the two are firm friends.

current situation in Afghanistan. Russia has been supplying weaponry since 2010.

Death penalty rejected RUSSIA’S Presidential Human Rights Council have

FIRM FRIEND: Amur the tiger and Timur the goat. unanimously rejected requests to re-establish the death penalty as punishment for terrorist crimes. They said it would be both inhumane and ineffective, and will issue an official statement later in the week.

Hilton Hotel developments THE Hilton Worldwide Hotel chain has announced plans to construct a new upscale hotel in Moscow. The company will reportedly invest $102 million (€93,676,800) and the hotel will include 220 rooms and 52 suites. The project is set for completion in 2018.

EWN

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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GERMAN

EUROPEAN PRESS PRESS

Teacher dies SWEDEN: A teacher who was stabbed in the Trollhättan school attack in October has died from his injuries. The 42-year-old was previously said to be getting better. Two others were killed in the school attack, the first in Sweden since the 1960’s.

Breastfeeding cats SWEDEN: Two Swedish women have been banned from owning animals after authorities found they treated their cats like babies with one of them even ‘breastfeeding’ the cat. The animals were taken into care.

PRESS

Pig flesh travels on lorry

Yes vote

ATTEMPT to keep migrants from stowing aboard A TRUCKER bound for Britain has put raw pork on the outside of his lorry in an attempt to keep desperate Muslim migrants from stowing in the back. Pig flesh is forbidden in Islam.

Cosmic girl A BOEING 747 will be modified to allow it to be the launch craft for future space missions of Virgin Galactic’s LauncherOne. The plane is nicknamed ‘Cosmic Girl.’

Future underground TRANSPORT for London has revealed images of their tube station of the future complete with shiny blue walls, giant information screens and

BRITISH PRESS

mood lighting. London Underground is trying to provide its customers with welcoming stations that make the commute easier.

Not covered

Travels filmed

Norwegian tech NORWAY: Fifty of the 500 fastest-growing technology companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are based in Norway, that’s according to global consulting firm Deloitte.

Rainforest plans NORWAY: Rainforest protection initiatives were announced in Norway on the first day of the COP21 climate talks in Paris, France, including extending its financial support to Brazil’s Amazon Fund through to 2020.

Growth forecast Credit TBEC Review on Wikimedia Commons.

SWEDEN: Electric buses are putting Gothenburg on the map for tackling climate change. The buses have been praised for their silent operation and come with free wifi and charging points for passengers.

NORWAY: A Norwegian couple’s backpacking adventures have gone viral. Johan Kaos and Ida Kvammen Mork filmed their travels around the Far East and after uploading it to YouTube two weeks ago, has been viewed over 400,000 times.

THERE has been 222 recorded attacks against refugee homes in Germany this year with just four cases resulting in someone being arrested. So far in 2015, 104 peopl e have been wounded in fire and ot her at t acks agai nst refugee housing.

AROUND 45 per cent of 4,000 people surveyed in the UK said that skiers, surfers and others partaking in extreme sports should be denied free treatment on the NHS if they become injured while in action. EXTREME SPORTS: No free treatment.

Electric revolution

MPs have backed the government’s plans to send German forces to Syria with 445 MPs voting in favour of the military depl oym ent agai nst t er r or group Daesh. The vote authorises the deployment of up to 1,200 troops.

House attacks

flickr by Mike Baird

SCANDINAVIAN

NEWS

THE German central bank has upgr aded i t s growth forecast for 2017 and sai d i t was posi t i ve about the outlook for expansi on i n Eur ope’s biggest economy.

Prisoner strike PRISONERS forced to work in a German prison have started to refuse food as a way of protesting against low wages and missing welfare payments.

Tougher screening

E-CIGARETTES: Will soon face restrictions on advertising.

The same rules as normal WILL not be for sale to people under the age of 18 E-CIGARETTES will soon fall under the same rules as normal cigarettes and will not be for sale to people under the age of 18. They will face the same restrictions on advertising in the Netherlands.

Dear drugs CANCER fighting drugs are up to 58 per cent more expensive in the Netherlands than in other European Union countries, according to a study

DUTCH PRESS which looked at the price of nine anticancer drugs in 15 different EU countries.

Cafe closure AN Amsterdam cafe has been or-

dered to close indefinitely by the town’s mayor following two shooting incidents linked to the establishment this year.

Military action THE Dutch government is to make a decision on whether or not the Netherlands will take part in any action against Daesh in the coming weeks.

GERMANY is to toughen its screening process for anyone seeki ng r ef ugee status as the country expects close to one million newcomers this year. Personal interviews will be reintroduced for all applicants.

Mein Kampf FOR the first time since World War II, Adolf Hitler ’s ‘Mein Kampf ’ meaning ‘my struggle’ will be printed in Germany in Januar y as an annot at ed edition.

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

10 - 16 December 2015

STAT OF WEEK

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Big trouble looms for Big Mac owners REGULATORS ready to announce investigation into tax deal FOLLOWING agreements made at the G20 meeting in Turkey in November, where governments agreed to review the use of ‘tax havens’ by huge corporations in order to avoid tax, it is now ru-

is the amount of revenues that McDonald’s have paid into a Luxembourg subsidiary staffed by 13 people, according to unions

HISTORIC: Plaque on the wall of Almack House.

Zara founder looks to buy in London By John Smith AMANCIO Ortega, owner of Zara, is reported to have offered €320 million to purchase Almack House near St James in London. Many reports have erroneously called this a historic building which housed a well-known club in the 18th century, but that building was actually blown up dur-

moured that European Commission competition regulators are getting ready to announce an investigation into a tax deal between fast food chain McDonald’s a n d L u x e m b o u rg , a c c o r d i n g t o Reuters. I n M a y, C o m m i s s i o n e r M a r -

Banks need to be able to go wrong and have the resources to deal with that.’ Sir Jon Cunliffe, deputy governor of the Bank of England on the future of banks

Photo Credit The Liberal Party flickr

Quote of the Week

€4 billion

ing the Second World War and was rebuilt completely. The current building was recently offered for rent at an approximate cost of £750,000 (€1 million) per annum including business rates. This appears to be part of Ortega’s strategy to purchase commercial property in London.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Christmas tree IT is estimated that the global market for Christmas trees is worth $4 billion (€3.75 billion), with Europe alone consuming 60 million trees every year. As the economies of various countries improve, so purchasers are looking to obtain more elaborate and expensive decorations.

Regional deficits THE Spanish Fiscal Authority has announced that the autonomous council’s regional deficit will be more than double the original forecast by the end of 2015 at more than double the amount forecasted. It has therefore advised the Treasury to apply preventative measures in Extremadura, Cataluña, Murcia and Valencia to ensure this deficit does not carry over to the end of 2016.

PP promises income tax cut IN a speech to supporters, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy indicated that if re-elected in the upcoming elections, his party would cut income tax and create two million jobs over the next four years. This follows good news concerning the drop in

$50,000 (€47,000) a day is the daily fine that the Bank of China is due to pay from December 8 until it complies with a US court request to give details of customers accused of selling fake goods.

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

By John Smith

EWN

unemployment but although his People’s Party (PP) is expected to win the largest number of seats on December 20, polls indicate the votes will be fairly evenly split and he may not even be able to form a coalition government.

grethe Vestager started looking into trade union allegations that the restaurant chain avoided paying more than €1billion in corporation taxes between 2009 and 2013. McDonald’s have denied that any impropriety has taken part on their behalf.

IBEX 35

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Pension reserves THE Employment Ministry is to take €7.75 billion from Spanish pension reserves to allow for the extra Christmas payment, according to Tomas Burgos, Secretary of State for Social Security. The reserve is therefore said to be reduced to €31.77 billion which is nearly 50 per cent lower than when the current government came to power.

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LONDON - FTSE 100

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PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group 488.65 7.35 Aberdeen Asset Management 307.90 3.90 Admiral Group 1,646.00 28.00 Anglo American 375.10 -0.95 Antofagasta 488.40 -3.30 ARM Holdings 1,117.50 1.50 Ashtead Group 1,071.50 19.50 Associated British Foods 3,581.50 96.50 AstraZeneca 4,520.25 78.25 Aviva 511.75 4.25 Babcock International Group 1,045.00 3.00 BAE Systems 513.25 4.75 Barclays 229.60 -0.05 Barratt Developments 613.75 0.25 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,598.00 -4.00 BG Group 1,006.75 -18.25 BHP Billiton 781.70 -6.00 BP 351.98 -7.72 British American Tobacco 3,842.50 61.50 British Land Co 820.75 6.75 BT Group 485.83 6.48 Bunzl 1,930.50 23.50 Burberry Group 1,215.50 13.50 Capita Group (The) 1,254.50 14.50 Carnival 3,520.00 71.00 Centrica 209.95 -1.45 Coca-Cola HBC 1,562.00 15.00 Compass Group 1,175.00 14.00 CRH 1,967.00 12.00 Diageo 1,914.75 23.75 Direct Line Insurance Group 411.35 1.85 Dixons Carphone 481.85 2.25 easyJet 1,707.00 32.00 Experian 1,223.50 16.50 Fresnillo 700.50 -1.50 G4S 232.55 -0.25 GKN 298.50 2.20 GlaxoSmithKline 1,336.25 17.25 Glencore 87.66 0.37 Hammerson 617.75 15.75 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,484.00 4.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,195.00 38.00 HSBC Holdings 523.80 0.50 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,580.50 29.50 Inmarsat 1,131.00 22.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 2,609.00 41.00 International Consolidated Air 588.75 4.75 Intertek Group 2,877.00 24.00 Intu Properties 316.15 5.15 ITV 273.75 5.85

% CHG. NET VOL 1.53 4,680.46 1.28 4,028.68 1.73 4,515.97 -0.25 5,271.60 -0.67 4,847.46 0.13 15,708.84 1.85 5,295.18 2.77 27,589.85 1.76 56,130.96 0.84 20,532.17 0.29 5,253.73 0.93 16,088.94 -0.02 38,511.71 0.04 6,107.10 -0.11 4,922.39 -1.78 35,005.69 -0.76 16,636.79 -2.15 65,770.57 1.63 70,484.81 0.83 8,308.35 1.35 39,966.27 1.23 6,389.92 1.12 5,346.90 1.17 8,234.78 2.06 7,455.13 -0.69 10,516.16 0.97 5,637.16 1.21 19,277.66 0.61 16,056.42 1.26 47,549.04 0.45 6,142.50 0.47 5,522.41 1.91 6,653.24 1.37 11,930.31 -0.21 5,172.99 -0.11 3,612.11 0.74 4,883.19 1.31 64,185.28 0.42 12,732.29 2.62 4,721.55 0.27 7,019.92 1.76 4,289.84 0.10 102,112.65 0.83 33,986.30 1.98 4,985.78 1.60 6,063.49 0.81 11,909.71 0.84 4,603.65 1.66 4,114.90 2.18 10,784.07

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Johnson Matthey 2,727.00 21.00 Kingfisher 347.70 -5.70 Land Securities Group 1,228.50 22.50 Legal & General Group 270.25 2.95 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 73.01 -0.01 London Stock Exchange Grp 2,661.50 46.50 Marks & Spencer Group 501.75 4.45 Meggitt 378.50 1.50 Merlin Entertainments 435.00 6.30 Mondi 1,500.50 10.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 146.65 -0.95 National Grid 911.40 10.30 Next 7,897.50 -42.50 Old Mutual 201.70 2.50 Pearson 778.75 -3.25 Persimmon 1,973.50 29.50 Prudential 1,530.50 25.00 Randgold Resources 4,269.50 -19.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,344.50 138.50 Reed Elsevier 1,202.50 19.50 Rio Tinto 2,081.50 0.50 Rolls-Royce Group 614.25 19.75 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 303.15 -0.65 Royal Dutch Shell 1,548.00 -37.50 Royal Dutch Shell 1,556.50 -43.00 Royal Mail 467.30 1.30 RSA Insurance Group 444.35 7.65 SABMiller 4,039.50 4.50 Sage Group (The) 621.75 10.25 Sainsbury (J) 244.35 -0.65 Schroders 2,936.00 52.00 Severn Trent 2,187.00 -3.00 Shire 4,545.50 41.50 Sky 1,115.50 1.50 Smith & Nephew 1,123.50 10.50 Smiths Group 1,004.00 -1.00 Sports Direct International 696.00 -1.50 SSE 1,452.50 10.50 St James's Place 1,006.00 16.50 Standard Chartered 521.90 -2.90 Standard Life 404.00 5.40 Taylor Wimpey 199.55 0.65 Tesco 161.80 -0.80 Travis Perkins 2,029.50 5.50 TUI AG 1,158.00 21.00 Unilever 2,851.50 58.50 United Utilities Group 950.25 0.25 Vodafone Group 218.68 3.13 Whitbread 4,584.00 11.00 Wolseley 3,936.50 55.50 WPP Group 1,524.50 21.50

% CHG. 0.78 -1.61 1.87 1.10 -0.01 1.78 0.89 0.40 1.47 0.70 -0.64 1.14 -0.54 1.26 -0.42 1.52 1.66 -0.45 2.23 1.65 0.02 3.32 -0.21 -2.37 -2.69 0.28 1.75 0.11 1.68 -0.27 1.80 -0.14 0.92 0.13 0.94 -0.10 -0.22 0.73 1.67 -0.55 1.35 0.33 -0.49 0.27 1.85 2.09 0.03 1.45 0.24 1.43 1.43

NET VOL 5,545.07 8,238.78 9,533.95 15,884.55 52,109.96 9,081.39 8,196.81 2,969.28 4,345.93 7,234.75 3,446.59 33,712.09 12,138.16 9,812.90 6,414.65 5,959.18 38,706.19 3,994.34 44,326.77 13,293.81 29,274.00 10,930.44 19,552.74 61,748.64 39,034.37 4,660.00 4,440.18 65,220.97 6,588.29 4,706.26 6,518.49 5,209.12 26,648.00 19,149.85 9,954.58 3,967.51 4,174.29 14,320.01 5,171.12 13,361.18 7,849.18 6,471.14 13,229.95 5,036.36 6,669.68 35,847.02 6,477.94 57,148.13 8,310.93 10,092.81 19,617.67

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COMPANY MMM 3M AXP American Express AAPL Apple BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 158.22 +3.84 +2.49% 2.2M 71.10 +0.68 +0.97% 5.0M 119.03 +3.83 +3.32% 57.8M 148.50 +2.94 +2.02% 3.9M 69.98 +0.34 +0.49% 5.3M 89.71 +0.86 +0.97% 13.2M 27.48 +0.53 +1.97% 28.1M 43.29 +0.83 +1.95% 16.5M 114.24 +2.35 +2.10% 8.8M 67.75 +1.52 +2.30% 6.3M 78.86 +0.45 +0.57% 20.2M 30.49 +0.46 +1.53% 58.2M 189.99 +4.79 +2.59% 3.5M 134.53 +3.60 +2.75% 5.4M 140.43 +1.51 +1.09% 4.6M 34.94 +0.90 +2.63% 24.9M 102.95 +2.16 +2.14% 7.8M 67.89 +2.09 +3.18% 17.8M 116.20 +2.81 +2.48% 7.8M 53.64 +1.05 +2.00% 13.7M 55.91 +1.71 +3.15% 44.0M 132.01 +3.21 +2.49% 3.7M 32.80 +0.41 +1.27% 31.6M 77.83 +2.09 +2.76% 12.0M 114.06 +2.77 +2.49% 2.2M 95.73 +1.03 +1.09% 9.2M 117.74 +2.74 +2.38% 3.6M 45.71 +1.15 +2.58% 14.2M 80.40 +2.11 +2.70% 9.9M 59.66 +0.62 +1.05% 10.4M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Relypsa, Inc. Pixelworks, Inc. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. Presbia PLC Affimed N.V. 3X Long Silver ETN Velocityshares Daily Inverse VIX ST ETN Velocityshares CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. Proshares UltraPro Nasdaq Biotechnology AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Sinovac Biotech, Ltd.

$ 29.14 $ 2.92 $ 184.08 $ 6.47 $ 7.31 $ 11.66 $ 30.34 $ 23.66 $ 55.03 $ 29.17 $ 6.18

6.82 ▲ 30.56% 0.37 ▲ 14.51% 20.89 ▲ 12.80% 0.67 ▲ 11.55% 0.67 ▲ 10.09% 1.03 ▲ 9.69% 2.67 ▲ 9.65% 1.99 ▲ 9.18% 4.47 ▲ 8.84% 2.27 ▲ 8.44% 0.48 ▲ 8.42%

$ 8.05 $ 8.66 $ 4.46 $ 5.5384 $ 3.03 $ 12.25 $ 6.858 $ 11.82 $ 12.15 $ 45.67 $ 6.53

1.7424 ▼ 17.79% 1.87 ▼ 17.76% 0.92 ▼ 17.10% 1.1316 ▼ 16.97% 0.5201 ▼ 14.65% 2 ▼ 14.04% 1.002 ▼ 12.75% 1.65 ▼ 12.25% 1.55 ▼ 11.31% 5.45 ▼ 10.66% 0.77 ▼ 10.55%

Most Declined FuelCell Energy, Inc. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. Vanguard Natural Resources LLC Daily 2X VIX ST ETN Velocityshares Hercules Offshore, Inc. Vanguard Natural Resources LLC Breitburn Energy Partners LP Vanguard Natural Resources LLC Vanguard Natural Resources LLC GLOBAL BLOOD THERAPEUTICS, INC. ReWalk Robotics Ltd

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Printing banknotes not making profit

PAPER BANKNOTES: Production will be cut due to falling demand.

NOVEMBER: Unemployment figures show a drop of 27,071.

Spanish unemployment figures drop in November By Marcus Hopkins UNEMPLOYMENT in Spain has fallen in November, reversing a three-month trend. With the general election just three weeks away, the timing couldn’t be better for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his People’s Party. Figures from Spain’s Labour Ministry show a drop of 27,071 in November, reducing the number of unemployed to 4.15 million. Although unemployment has been reduced by 362,818 people in the last year, Spain’s 21.1 per cent unemployment rate is still the second highest in the EU. Quarterly unemployment surveys, preferred as being more accurate by economists, suggest the unemployment rate for the third quarter to be 5 million. In March 2013, the number of jobless reached 6 million. Rajoy is hoping that Spain’s gradual economic recovery over the last couple of years will sway chances of election victory when the country goes to the polls on December 20.

tile takeover from France and has issued a number of profit warnings. It has also announced that some work from the company’s printing plant in Gateshead is to be transferred to Malta, but the Tyneside operation will become one of three global ‘centres of excellence’ for printing currency, so there will be no job losses there. Although 300 jobs will be lost in Malta, where banknote printing will end. The other two centres will be in Kenya and Sri Lanka, which are major purchasers of bank notes from the company. Following the announcement, the value of the companies increased by around 4 per cent.

Facebook founder to gift his shares to charity By John Smith IN an open letter which was posted on his Facebook page on December 2 to his new daughter Max, whose birth has just been announced, Mark Zuckerberg explained that he and his wife Priscilla Chan intended to give away 99 per cent of their shares in the company he founded. The shares currently valued at around $45 billion (€42.5 billion) will be given to the charity Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to make the world a better place for Max to grow up in, according to the letter. The shares will not be donated in one tranche but will be passed over during their lifetime. In his letter Mr Zuckerberg said the aim of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is ‘to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation’. “Its initial areas of focus will be personalised learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.” In a statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook said that Mr Zuckerberg ‘plans to sell or gift no more than $1bn of Facebook stock each year for the next three years and that he intends to retain his majority voting position...for the foreseeable future.’ He said more details about the donation will be released once he and Ms

Photo Credit President of Mexico

Photo credit Hdepot, Wikimedia

THE world’s biggest banknote printer, De La Rue, will cut production as demand for paper banknotes falls. The company, which prints some 150 national currencies as well as UK passports, said it would reduce its production lines to four from eight and cut its print capacity from eight billion to six billion banknotes annually, even though it produces British notes through its Debden facility and has recently won a 10-year contract to print polymer £5 and £10 notes for the Bank of England. De La Rue has struggled in the face of greater competition as well as having to fight off a hos-

Photo Credit Suranga SL Shutterstock

By John Smith

INITIATIVE: Zuckerberg plans to give away 99 per cent of shares. Chan return from paternity and maternity leave, but this does appear to be a move away from previous charitable work

through Facebook, which cynics have suggested were as much for business reasons as for altruism.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de AlmerĂa

EWN

By John Smith BANKS and credit card companies, who have in the past offered attractive schemes to encourage their customers to use their cards regularly, may soon start to rethink their policies as the Payment Systems Regulator set out how the new cap on fees plastic card companies can charge retailers will be policed. The cap was introduced on Wednesday December 9, and while it may not see an increase in charges for consumers yet, many plastic card companies are considering or have already cut back on cashback or reward schemes. Tesco greatly reduced its reward scheme for Clubcard credit card users from December 1 whilst even earlier, RBS dropped its Your Points scheme in July, upsetting up to a million customers, and Capital One reduced cashback on its card in June. The regulator insists that the new

Photo Credit Andresr Shutterstock

New reduced card fees for retailers may hurt club cards

CUTBACKS: Many plastic card companies are considering cutting back on cashback or reward schemes.

fee regulation should appeal to new credit card providers as it could encourage them to enter the market, although this seems to be a strange argument if the revenue to be generated is to drop significantly. Up until now, retailers have been charged a fee by card issuers when a debit or credit card is used as payment and the fee could be as high as 2.5 per cent for some transactions. Now the fee will be capped at 0.3 per cent for credit card transactions and 0.2 per cent for debit card transactions. According to the European Commission, charges were costing retailers across the euro zone up to â‚Ź9 billion a year, although it has been observed that most retailers were prepared to either pay the fee or increase their prices accordingly. One thing can be fairly certain and that is if the card suppliers start to lose money, they will look to the card holder to help replace the loss.

OPINION & COMMENT

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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EWN

Only way is to fight for our ideals GIVE our fighting men and women all the support they need to finish the job LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT MAKE you laugh don’t they? Or perhaps crying would be a more appropriate reaction. I’m talking about the politicians who this week voted against bombing Daesh targets in Syria; or more specifically, the main excuse they used to justify themselves. ‘Ah’ they simpered; ‘If we do this we would give them an excuse to bring more acts of terror onto our streets.’ Just how many ‘acts of terror’ do they need before they get some bottle and realise we are in a war? We’ve had a soldier almost beheaded in the street, buses and trains blown up, an unprecedented rise in the number of Islamic terror plots uncovered, and this week a knife attack on innocent victims by an Islamist lunatic in a tube station. What will it take to wake these pacifist pillocks up in the real world? A dirty

POLITICIANS VOTED: Against bombing Daesh targets in Syria. bomb in the middle of Trafalgar Square? Don’t believe that’s beyond the realms of possibility either! If we continue to turn the other cheek, we’ll have ‘em both sliced off.

Please don’t get my attitude wrong. I too believe that peace and love among all human beings is the final harmony that will bring us all together as one. But vast numbers of others don’t! Millions would

like to see all the non-believers of their violent and suppressive religious views, wiped off the face of the Earth. The only way for us to live in a peaceful democracy is to put all our ideals on hold and fight for it. The words of an elite ‘Gunny’ sergeant, who was guarding the American Embassy when I lived in Jeddah comes to mind. I had many long discussions with this remarkable man, who believed fervently in peace and the love of our fellow men. He also firmly believed that some of us are put on this world to fight and preserve it. And that, he said, was the job of him and his fellow servicemen. Give our fighting men and women all the support and weaponry they need to finish the job. Hopefully at least our children will then be able to enjoy a future filled with the peace and love we all so passionately desire. Keep the Faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

Mindfulness technique Beyond My Ken, Wikimedia

NEXT time your child is stressed out, try a mindfulness exercise with them as it can help reduce their agitation By Marcus Hopkins

MINDFULNESS is a technique derived from Buddhist meditation around 2,500 years ago. It is a very simple technique for reducing anxiety, worry and stress. It is also known to help build self-esteem. Recent studies suggest that mindfulness meditation practice has a substantial positive effect on improving how a person feels. Mindfulness has been used in settings as diverse as schools, hospitals and military training centres. A study at the University of Massachusetts in the USA found that 90 per cent of those involved experienced a significant reduction in anxiety. Other research has shown that mindfulness has helped to reduce anxieties associated with cancer, eating disorders and business related stress. Mindfulness can be very easy to do. It helps to reduce anxiety by taking your thoughts away from your problems and onto something you can really focus on in a very simple way. You are simply making yourself aware of the moment. It helps you to reconnect your body with your mind. It helps you to really connect with the present moment. As an example, instead of gulping down your next coffee as usual, take time out to use

MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUE: It helps to reduce anxiety. the coffee as a mindfulness exercise. Try to focus solely on the drink in front of you, preferably with nobody around. Pick up the cup. Feel its weight. Smell the aroma. Be aware of how hot or how warm the cup is.

Take a good look at the colour of the coffee. What type of brown is it? How many bubbles are floating on the surface? Then take a sip, just a small sip, and keep that sip on your tongue for a while. Savour the taste. Is it bit-

ter? Is it sweet? How hot is it? How does it affect your taste buds? When you swallow, become aware of the feel as the coffee slips down your throat, down into your stomach. Done correctly, you can make this exercise with the coffee last for quite a long while, even an entire lunch break if you don’t mind it going cold. Just a few minutes of this type of focus often helps reduce stress though. Mindfulness can be such a simple way of reducing anxiety that it has been used by military personnel in some countries. You can create mindfulness in virtually any situation. Pick up a pebble on a beach as another example. How heavy is it? How does it feel in your hand? Is it smooth or rough? Look closely at all of its colours. Just focus on the pebble, nothing else, just you and the pebble. The effect of this focus is to calm the mind. Next time your child is stressed out, try a mindfulness exercise with them. It works with people of all ages, and has been used to help children reduce agitation. Mindfulness comes in many forms, some religious, some like the two exercises above are simply therapeutic. It’s also a technique recommended by the NHS in the UK. Give mindfulness meditation a try if you feel stressed out this Christmas.

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

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Christmas past and presents, has all the excitement gone?

EWN

OUR VIEW David Muscroft Shutterstock

OPINION & COMMENT

BY MARTIN BALZERAK SHUTTERSTOCK

SANTA’S days are surely numbered as Operation Yule Tree closes in Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-thewall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

IT’S that time of year again when the fat man with the flowin g wh i t e b e a r d a n d rosy cheeks is greasing up the blades of his sleigh and putting his production staff on maximum overtime in readiness for another hectic Christmas Eve delivery. But wi t h t h e a d v e nt o f Xboxes, iPads and Smart Phones , a l l t h e r o m an ce and ex c i t e m e n t wi t h th e traditio n a l o p e n i n g o f prezzie s like M &S sweaters, smelly bath stuff and Black Magic under the tree on Christmas morning has almost disappeared. Who actually puts out a pillow case any more? And

PRESENTS: With the advent of new technologies, traditional gifts have disappeared. in these times of political correctness, it’s only a matter of time before someone s ta rts a s k in g q u es tio n s about a bloke who shacks up with a regiment of male dwarves for 12 months a year.

Santa’s days are surely numbe re d a s O pe ra tion Yule Tree closes in. Presents are an increasing problem. The lessening choice of what to buy each other becomes commensurate with the advancement

of years, and at the risk of us ing a w e ll w orn a phorism, just what do you buy someone who has everything? The proble m is c ompounded when I am also told, ‘don’t buy me choco-

l at e, I need t o l ose som e weight.’ This limits things considerably, but I’m sorry, Princess, you gave away your real intentions when you t ol d m e t o hi de m y own stash of chocolate so t hat you woul d not be tempted, then proceeded to tell me exactly where that hiding place should be. One thing that is noticeable in Spain is the laidback atmosphere in the supermarkets at this time of year. Visit a Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s or any of the other big stores in the UK right now, and it will be a madhouse of spending. Even on Christmas Eve, when occasionally I have needed to drop in to Dialprix for some last minute cooking sherry, it has never been anything other than business as usual.

I think I know what to do HOPEFULLY no-one will bring up the history of straight bananas or curved cucumbers By John Smith THAT just about sums up the situation with regards to David Cameron’s wish to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s membership of the European Union. Having initially said that he did not want to reveal full details of his negotiating hand before serious discussions get under way, the EU indicated that it was a bit pointless to have a negotiation without knowing what was wanted so he wrote to them with a wish list. Economic governance which should recognise that there are more currencies in the EU than just the Euro and by extension the pound should not be disadvantaged. Competitiveness which would ensure that EU regulations are reduced made less onerous on business and red tape is cut. Immigration would be reviewed and far less generous benefits would be paid to those from the EU states who settle in the UK until they have been there for a number of years. Sovereignty should remain in the

David Cameron and Martin Schulz President of European Parliament.

RAF Tornado

Britain now takes action AFTER a huge amount of rhetoric and very conflicting opinions, a decision has been reached by Parliament to allow the RAF to take action against terrorist targets in Syria and within an hour of the Commons vote, tornado aircraft were in the air and attacking a Daesh controlled oil field in that country. The recent shooting down of a Russian aircraft by Turkey has added to the tension and confusion, with both sides claiming the moral high ground, whilst Russia has accused Turkey of being the major customer for Daesh controlled oil. The general situation with air strikes has divided public opinion with many in favour of taking the war directly to Daesh, whilst many others object to the concept of any form of warfare in which there is always the possibility of mistake and loss of innocent lives. Many politicians in Spain who may favour direct action against Daesh are keeping a low profile until after the election, whilst those on the broad left are clear in their worry about becoming involved and have indicated that they would look to call a referendum to gauge public opinion. France clearly wants to punish those who were responsible for the attacks on Paris but the main question is whether air strikes will be enough or whether the next step will require NATO and possibly Russian troops to enter the fray and if so will the split over the future of Syrian president al-Asad be yet another major problem?

hands of national parliaments which should be able to block EU legislation. Good general points admittedly, but not many people go into an important negotiation without anticipating disagreement and most sensible people and even politicians would expect to ask for far more than they expect and then settle for what they want. As they are pretty vague demands, it does seem that the negotiations could be quite complicated, so much so that the Prime Minister has, not surprisingly, said that he now doesn’t expect a response during December. There is a commitment to hold a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union no later than 2017 and he has indicated that if he gets the bulk of his requests approved then he will recommend to the electorate that Britain Now we should remain within the Union. want to There is about 18 months to go for hear your views. him to negotiate with the other 27 member states and hopefully, YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE no-one will bring up the history - YOUR OPINION of straight bananas or curved cuwww.euroweeklynews.com cumbers.

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

LETTERS

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OPINION & COMMENT

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com

Keep on telling it as it is and perhaps the penny will drop DEAR Leapy Lee, In response to both your latest articles, I’m in full agreement. Yes, you would think everyone has got-it by now but if you dare talk as you do, there are still many who will scream Islamophobic, racist and the like. We didn’t wake up to reality after 9/11 or the subsequent attacks in London, Madrid plus so many more - in fact hardly a day goes by, when there isn’t a report of a Muslim atrocity somewhere in the world. Deal with the problem at source is a popular political comment and I agree - just close down the Mosques and deport the preachers of hatred, because contrary to the established view, terrorism has everything to do with Islam. Keep on telling it as it is Leapy and perhaps eventually, the penny will drop. Terry O via Website

Not so caring RE: Local hospitals in top 20 for patient care I cannot speak for all hospitals but knowing the top hospital in Torrevieja I wonder how is the patient care in the last 20. I had my wrist broken, but not dislocated. So I got a so-called ‘cast.’ This cast consisted of several layers of plaster on the upper part of my wrist and arm. The rest consisted of bandage. As every orthopaedic nurse knows this is no cast and cannot fix broken bones. I tried to mention this to no avail. I got the next appointment with a specialist after five days. Inevitably in these five days a dislocation developed. I told the specialist, but he made a cast over the dislocation anyway. He sent me away for three weeks. After one week my wrist suddenly hurt like hell. I went to the hospital. They did X-rays and, what a surprise, the wrist was dislocated. They gave me an appointment for the operation, all proceedings went quick and well. I had a drip and was transferred to my room. My room was excellent, no qualms here. The nurses were nice

Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com

Highway Code Just read this week’s copy of Euro Weekly News (issue 1587). In particular Gemma Quinn’s article on page 25, titled The Rules of the Road. How ironic, I had gone into various book shops in Torrevieja to see if there was a Spanish highway code but written in English! To which it seems there is not despite an apparent large call one available. So, do you know, is this booklet a Spanish version of a highway code? If it is, or as near as damn it, I would recommend the local British in this area to purchase, download and read it! And make money for the children’s cause. I welcome your thoughts. John Bryant.

and friendly. I waited with the drip. Thursday evening came and went, Friday evening came and went. Saturday morning i told the nurses in the department, I would wait until midday. If no operation I would the take the drip out and leave the hospital. And so it went. I left the hospital with a displaced joint. There are some lessons to be learned. They cannot make a proper cast in the emergency department, there is no proper organisation in scheduling the operations… You cannot leave a patient for so long on a drip if you do not know when the patient is due, you can make the venous access some minutes before the operation. In Spain I have never seen a nurse

or doctor wash her/his hands. The same is true for the health centres. On the other hand the specialists are usually first class. Arnold Dietz

Would France show solidarity? I HAVEN’T always agreed with Leapy or his view on other subjects, but I most definitely agree with his comment on ‘solidarity from France.’ No I do not think they would be so quick to assist us if the

how long it took the ambulance to arrive. I had the same thing happen to me. My friend was out here on holiday and we had been out for the evening. She went into the bedroom to change her shoes and had a heart attack. We called the ambulance straight away and one of the neighbours gave her mouth to mouth and CPR but couldn’t keep it up for the 45 minutes it took for the ambulance to get to the flat. By the time the ambulance eventually got to her she was dead. Then the ambulance men tried to revive her, but after she was dead that long it was all done in vain. All my neighbours were really worried because it could have been any one of us. You don’t expect to wait 45 minutes when it is an emergency. It just isn’t good enough. Irene Shepherd

The better person

boot was on the other foot. Think about the comments with the Calais situation when France had an influx of immigrants, “if the illegal immigrants want to go to the UK, who are we to stop them. If that’s where they want to go why should we stop them?” !!! LD, Los Alcazares

It’s not good enough DEAR Sir, I read in the paper the other day about the man who died at the sports centre on Orihuela Costa and

WELL I feel England as always has been the better person... Again a syndrome we seem destined to promote... But it is genuine and these atrocities I feel are not over. Yes Belgium has finally awoken from something akin to complacency, yes England should do the same. Whether this will happen remains to be seen!!!!!! I do feel closed gates and bolting horses springs to mind!!! Well in all this disaster I do feel for Muslims who are against this extremist behaviour, murder in my book... But they need to be seen condemning this extremism... And I feel they are not... Yours sincerely Carolyn

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:

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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.

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

9:00pm 10:00pm 12:15am 1:20am

2:30pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 6:20pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

The Martin Lewis Money Show Coronation Street Las Vegas with Trevor Mcdonald ITV News at Ten and Weather The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One Jackpot247

6:00pm

Emmerdale Countrywise Series celebrating rural Britain. Midsomer Murders ITV News at Ten and Weather The Jonathan Ross Show Freeze Out

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

1000 Heartbeats Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street You Saw Them Here First ITV News at Ten and Weather Being Kevin Pietersen

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 1:00am

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:05am

The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Political Slot The Secret Life of 6 Year Olds 18 Kids and Counting First Dates Gogglebox 24 Hours in A and E Liberty of London Posh Pawnbrokers Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News TFI Friday Gogglebox Alan Carr: Chatty Man First Dates Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Channel 4 News The World's Weirdest Weather Grand Designs Red 2 TFI Friday Adam Hills: Happyism Live The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons The Simpsons Marley and Me Aladdin Channel 4 News Britain's Wildest Weather 2015 Homeland Gogglebox Mama

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:55pm 7:35pm 7:40pm 8:05pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:25pm 12:25am

1:00pm 1:35pm 3:20pm 5:05pm 7:00pm 8:35pm 10:55pm 11:00pm 1:25am

Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Dispatches Supershoppers Do Christmas Our Guy in Latvia Fargo 24 Hours in A and E

6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie's Handmade Christmas The World's Most Expensive Christmas That's So Last Century Tattoo Fixers Pokerstars.Com Shark Cage

8:00pm

Posh Pawnbrokers Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Supervet 24 Hours in A and E Peep Show Toast of London 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

11:00pm 1:50am

9:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 11:55pm 12:50am

4:45pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:55am

Neighbours 5 News Tonight Kids' Hospital at Christmas Alex Polizzi's Italian Islands Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild UK Lonely at Christmas Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Neighbours 5 News Tonight World's Ultimate Strongest Team 2015 Ice Road Truckers The Definitive History of Star Wars How Star Wars Changed the World Greatest Sci-Fi Movies 5 News Weekend Fail Army Police Interceptors Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Football League Tonight The Definitive History of Star Wars How Star Wars Changed the World Fail Army The Christmas Shepherd Meet the Santas Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan A Country Christmas Story Scrooge 5 News Weekend The Blind Side True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 5 News at 5 Neighbours 5 News Tonight Police Interceptors Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole The Best of Bad TV: The 70s Super Casino

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 12:30am 1:00am 1:30am 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:30am 12:45am 4:45pm 5:15pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 12:30am 3:30am

11:30am 1:30pm 4:30pm 7:30pm 8:25pm

10:30pm 11:00pm 12:30am 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 12:00am 12:30am 1:00am 2:00am

Britain's Craziest Christmas Lights The Dog Rescuers at Christmas with Alan Davies Meet the Psychopaths CSI: Cyber CSI: Cyber Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

6:30pm 7:00pm

A Star for Christmas 5 News at 5 Neighbours 5 News Tonight My Crazy Christmas Obsession GPs: Behind Closed Doors Can't Pay? Benefits Special Suspects Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

5:30pm 6:00pm

7:30pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 11:15pm 12:15am 12:45am

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 11:15pm 12:15am

Barclays Premier League World Premier League 100 Club Premier League Boxing Mosconi Cup Pool Boxing Barclays Premier League World Fantasy Football Club Highlights La Liga Show 2015 The Fantasy Football Club Boxing Football Boxing The Fantasy Football Club Football Gold Barclays Premier League Review Boxing Boxing Boxing Ford Saturday Night Football SNF: Game of the Day SNF: Match Choice SNF: Match Choice Sky Sports Boxing Gold Goals on Sunday Ford Super Sunday Ford Super Sunday Football League Goals Football Villareal meet Real Madrid in La Liga. Football's Greatest II Ford Football Special Cricket Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits Football League Goals Ford Monday Night Football Premier League SPFL Round Up Football League Goals NFL: Giants @ Miami SPFL Round Up Fantasy Football Club Highlights Barclays Premier League Review Football Football Gold Barclays Premier League Review La Liga World 2015 Football Gold Premier League Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits Premier League 100 Club Premier League Football Gold Football One2eleven Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits One2eleven

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almería

I’m a grumpy old git, get me out of here! Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man ‘I’M A CELEBRITY, Get Me Out of Here,’ Celebrity Big Brother - I watch both. Plus others like Celebrity Master Chef, because Mrs S loves them, (not sure why she watches this as there is only so much you can do with a takeaway menu), along with The Only Way is Essex. But it has got me thinking about what constitutes being a celebrity these days. There are people taking part that are only famous for being on TV in other reality TV shows. Now, in the case of some of them, that means them just getting drunk and making absolute idiots of themselves. Others come from being ex- soap stars, some are imported from American reality TV shows that I’ve never seen or heard of. I saw one from a show called ‘16 and Pregnant’… this foul mouthed woman was a celebrity for being 16 and pregnant, so technically it could be said she was an overnight success.

It’s what I call train crash TV. You know you shouldn’t be watching it but somehow you can’t look away. It must be hard to find any older UK celebrities because quite a few of them are in prison and most others either can’t cook or have nothing in the attic, don’t like coach trips and don’t want to have to wash their bits on national TV. When I was younger a celebrity was someone famous, someone everyone knew. Sure there are still plenty of real celebs but they would never be seen in any of the above mentioned ‘shows.’ I mean I’m not sure how many Baldwin brothers there are but I don’t recall the real famous one doing it, only all the others! Celebrities have to be talented. They have to have given something to achieve that status. Not just to have dropped their drawers on national TV and finished the night by vomiting into their handbag. I do have a couple of exceptions to the annoyance of reality TV and that’s the now defunct Dancing on Ice and Strictly Come Dancing. At least the participants of these two shows are learning a new skill and seem to be chosen a little more carefully. Ok enough of this, “I’M A GRUMPY OLD GIT, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!”

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OPINION & COMMENT

LEGALLY SPEAKING

10,000 drug test kits for Local Police AS part of a new series, we answer some common driving questions, kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers. Flickr thanks to Andrew Sutherland

NEW KITS: Local Police will be able to better monitor the roads. THE Direccion General de Trafico, (DGT) has invested in the provision of 10,000 drug testing kits which it will give to Local Police around Spain, in order for them to better monitor local roads for drivers under the influence of drugs. The kits will be shared with 100 municipalities across 15 provinces where 450 officers have also been trained in their use. The overall goal is to reduce the consumption of drugs and narcotics at the wheel, and thus improve road safety on urban roads. Under the agreement with local authorities, the police will be required to

carry out at least 20,000 drugs tests in 2016. The latest statistics for urban and local roads, collated from data in 2014, show that 61 per cent of all incidents causing injuries and 26 per cent of all deaths on the roads occurred in the areas policed by the local authorities. In addition, 4,740 people were hospitalised. These figures show that incidents with victims in urban areas still account for a significant percentage of road incidents in Spain, and so the DGT is widening its overall enforcement campaign to take in these roads and thus reduce the number of incidents.

For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.

What income must I declare? I am a pensioner resident in Spain. I receive a Spanish pension of around €9,000 a year. I also receive two pensions from the UK, which total €8,000 euros a year. I have no other income. I fail to see how you could make this deduction from my article of November 26. If you are tax resident in Spain, you are subject to Spanish income tax on your worldwide income, including, of course, your Spanish income.

From your article of November 26, would I be correct to assume that my liability for tax in Spain would be for the UK pensions only? If so, what percentage would that be? D.S. (Costa Blanca)

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

Your Spanish pension is less than €22,000, but no tax has been deducted from it, so it is subject to

income tax. From here, and after deductions, it looks like around €2,000 in tax. I urge you to see a Spanish tax consultant and make a proper declaration. The consultant may be able to find more deductions for you, as well.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

TIME OUT

10 - 16 December 2015/ Costa de Almería

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Famous quote

This week

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

‘

Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” John Keating/Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society.

in history 1431, Hundred Years´War: Henry VI is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris. 1508, The League of Cambrai is formed by Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, Maximillian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand II of Aragon as an alliance against Venice. 1520, Martin Luther burns his copy of the papal bull written in response to his teachings, in front of Wittenberg’s Elster Gate. 1541, Thomas Culpeper and Francis Deregam are executed for having affairs with Catherine Howard, Queen of England and wife of Henry VIII. 1542, Princess Mary Stuart becomes Mary, Queen of Scots. 1653, Parliamentarian general Oliver Cromwell becomes ´lord protector´ of England, Scotland, and Wales. 1830, Emily Dickinson, American poet, was born December 10. 1869, Governor John Campbell signs bill granting women in Wyoming, USA, the right to vote and hold public office. 1901, The first Nobel Prizes awarded 1909, Selma Lagerlöf becomes the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. 1936, Edward VIII signs his abdication to be free to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. 1941, Adolf Hitler declares war on the United States. They retaliate by declaring war on Italy and Germany. 1948. The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1964, Kenya becomes a republic. 1968, Japan´s biggest, still unsolved, heist carried out in Tokyo. 1982, Spain opens up borders with the British territory of Gibraltar after 13 years. 1991, The Russian Federation gains independence from the USSR.

Women’s wit

‘

If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?” Tina Fey

World of English

‘

Our language is funny – a ‘fat chance’ and a ‘slim chance’ are the same thing.” J Gustav White

Almeria

‘ I’M PERFECTLY SAFE, MOTHER - I’VE GOT THIS BIG GERMAN SHEPHERD!’

Kakuro

for next 7 days

weather

Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

TODAY VELEZ RUBIO

TOMORROW ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA

VELEZ RUBIO GARRUCHA ALBOX MOJACAR HUERCAL OVERA ALMERIA

RETAMAR GARRUCHA ROQUETAS

MOJACAR

RETAMAR

ALMERIA

ROQUETAS

ADRA

Alicante TODAY: Fri Sat Sun -

Benidorm

SHOWERS MAX 17C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

18 11 C 17 9 C 18 8 S

Mon - 18 9 S Tues - 19 10 C Wed - 19 10 S

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

19 11 C 18 10 C 18 10 S

MAX 19C, MIN 12C Mon - 19 10 S Tues - 20 11 S Wed - 21 11 C

Fri Sat Sun -

16 8 S 17 8 S 16 8 C S Sun,

17 7 C 17 7 S 18 8 S

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 10 C Tues - 17 11 C Wed - 18 9 C

Madrid

CLOUDY MAX 16C, MIN 9C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 16 9 C Tues - 16 9 C Wed - 16 9 C Cl Clear,

TODAY:

Fog,

19 9 S 18 9 C 18 9 C

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 18C, MIN 8C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

18 7 S 18 6 C 18 8 S

CLOUDY MAX 14C, MIN 6C

15 4 C 15 3 S 14 4 S C Cloudy,

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 14 4 C Tues - 14 5 C Wed - 15 4 C

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 9 C Tues - 18 8 C Wed - 19 8 C

Sh Showers,

SHOWERS MAX 18C, MIN 12C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

18 10 C 18 9 C 19 7 C Sn Snow,

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday December 5

EURO MILLIONS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 11 C Tues - 18 10 S Wed - 20 12 C

Murcia

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mallorca

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

CLOUDY MAX 19C, MIN 9C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 11 S Tues - 18 12 S Wed - 19 12 S

CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 7C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

18 11 C 17 11 C 17 11 S

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Malaga

SHOWERS MAX 18C, MIN 12C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

MAX MIN

Mon - 20 8 S Tues - 21 9 C Wed - 22 9 S Th Thunder

LOTTERY

ADRA

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

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Friday December 4

6 15

Saturday December 5

Sunday December 6

17 17

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

LUCKY STARS

REINTEGRO

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015/ Costa de Almería

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Director: Jake Schreier Stars: Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff

Just Joking

Unscramble the name of a popular type of fairground attraction (two words): TOUCHY CONS

• Why did Adele cross the road? - To say hello from the other side. • The definition of psychological is a man and a woman. - One is psycho and the other is logical. • Why did the tofu cross the road? - To prove it wasn’t chicken.

Unscramble the name of a famous American golfer: MILK HELPS ICON

Hexagram

The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter 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 (FRIEND) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, by John Green (The Fault in Our Stars), this unforgettable film follows Quentin and his neighbour Margo, with whom he has been in love since childhood. When Margo invites him to a prank-filled evening, Quentin jumps at the chance, but the next day Margo disappears leaving cryptic clues for him to follow.

Santi Cazorla, December 13, Footballer. Spanish footballer who joined Arsenal in 2012 and has been a fixture in the team ever since having spent four seasons with Villarreal and one season with Malaga as well as playing regularly for the Spanish national team.

Kenneth Branagh, December 10, Actor and Director, 55 Born in Northern Ireland, he adopted a British accent in school to stop bullying which paid off as he was made a knight for his contribution to cinema and theatre. John Kerry, December 11, Politician, 72 Democrat nominee for President who stood against George W Bush and is now Secretary of State in the Barack Obama regime. Daniel O'Donnell, December 12, Singer, 54 Irish singer whose easy listening record sales have exceeded ten million. He recently appeared in the latest Strictly Come Dancing series on BBC TV. Miranda Hart, December 14, Actress, 43 Although she had appeared in a number of TV programmes previously, she shot to fame for playing her quirky self in the show Miranda. Since then she has undertaken a tour as a standup comedienne and has appeared with Melissa McCarthy in the film Spy. Perri Kiely, December 15, Dancer, 20 Curly haired, glasses wearing youngster who won the audiences hearts when his street dance troupe, Diversity, won the Britain's Got Talent talent competition in 2009. Quentin Blake, December 16, Cartoonist, 83 Artist who illustrated the children's books of Roald Dahl as well as other authors including Dr Seuss. He became the first British Children's Laureate serving from 1999 until 2001 and his designs have appeared on British stamps.

ADORES AROUND CRINGE DERAIL FEEBLE FRENZY FRIEND (10) GORGON HERALD LAMBDA

MORTAL PRISON REASON REDIAL SCREEN THIRST VERSUS VIOLIN WALRUS

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Goblet 2 Coyote 3 Faulty 4 Hither 5 Gloomy 6 Aerate 7 Rhombi 8 Devour 9 Assert 10 Bovine 11 Redden 12 Auntie 13 Bodied 14 Shanty 15 Random 16 Rabbet 17 Suture 18 Bamboo 19 Member

YOUR STARS CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The need to plan ahead is frustrating when you know exactly what ought to be going on. Patience is something that you need to cultivate, or you risk upsetting someone close. Spending time with a colleague makes you realise how good things could be, but a lot of effort is involved. Pushing ahead does not guarantee results. AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) It is difficult to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past. Your approach to certain situations has not changed and therein lies the problem. Someone who blames you for a mistake shows ignorance but that does not make it less upsetting. PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Who is trying to push you into a corner? Maybe it is being done so subtly that you have not even noticed. Who wants a decision from you? Appear to take pressure lightly and not give in to an irritation. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A rather slow start to the week leads you to feel bored but be assured that the weekend will be far from dull. A recent conversation or correspondence with an old friend leads to unexpected contact.

SAGITTARIUS

(November 23 - December 21)

Travel arrangements may have to be changed at the last minute. Do not fret, however, because success is more likely later in the month. During a dream, or when reading a book, an idea comes to you. Can this really make a difference to your future? You may need to act quickly to start a new project but progress will require patience. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Everything on the home front is emphasised and there will be a flurry of activity. Get others involved in any changes. Work in the garden or painting is much more enjoyable and half the work if you enlist the help of someone you get on well with. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) When discussing a holiday with others, be aware that agreement is not always easily met. Although you are not inclined to compromise, it is necessary to go with the majority decision. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) After the 2nd it is much easier to see the path ahead. This is particularly true of a financial situation, so there's no sense in fussing until you understand what needs to be done. LEO (July 24 - August 23) Your attention is needed on more than one front, and some decisions are at

TIME

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

8-Star Quiz NOTED PEOPLE Answers are all names of famous people who have appeared on Bank of England banknotes 1. Born in Norwich in 1780, which English Quaker prison reformer was a leading figure in the early 19th-century campaign for penal reform? 2. Following the 1666 Fire of London, which English architect was responsible for the design of the new St Paul’s Cathedral (1675–1711) and many of the city’s churches? 3. Miss Havisham, Sam Weller, Sarah Gamp and Uriah Heep were all famous fictional characters created by which 19th century English writer? 4. What was the name of the English engineer, who, with his son Robert, built the famous Rocket (1829), the prototype for all future steam locomotives? 5. What was the name of the English nurse and medical reformer who, in 1854 during the Crimean War, improved sanitation and medical procedures at the army hospital at Scutari, achieving a dramatic reduction in the mortality rate? 6. What was the name of the naturalist on HMS Beagle for her voyage around the southern hemisphere (1831–6), during which he collected the material that became the basis for his ideas on natural selection? 7. Which British soldier/statesman served as commander of the British forces in the Peninsular War (1808–14) and in 1815 defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo? 8. Which English composer is best known for the Enigma Variations (1899), the oratorio The Dream of Gerontius (1900) and for patriotic pieces such as the five Pomp and Circumstance marches (1901–30)? Not a lot of people know that… a new 10 shilling note was planned that featured Sir Walter Raleigh, but, given the estimated lifespan of the note, it was decided to replace it with the 50p coin. 1. ELIZBETH FRY (£5 from 2002 to present), 2. SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN (£50 1981-1996), 3. CHARLES DICKENS (£10 1992-2003), 4. GEORGE STEPHENSON (£5 1990-2003), 5. FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE (£10 19751994), 6. CHARLES DARWIN (£10 2000-present), 7. DUKE OF WELLINGTON (£5 1971-1991), 8. SIR EDWARD ELGAR (£20 1999-2010).

Paper Towns

Funagram

FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: COCONUT SHY, PHIL MICKELSON.

NEW ON DVD

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odds with your personal thoughts and attitudes. Being reminded that 'business is business' does nothing to relieve your conscience. You may have to upset someone by telling the truth, which may affect your longer-term finances. VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Are you willing to take a risk on someone who has let you down before? Looking into their recent past is likely to tip the balance. What you find shows clearly if there has been a change of heart on their part or if they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) A disagreement with a friend upsets you but is short-lived. To avoid such a situation in the future, look at how you should have dealt with it. There is always something to know that guides us to a better position. It will make you smile someone has taken you for a fool as you have the last laugh. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) A great feeling of joy comes over you more than once in the week ahead. Your inner child has been set free, and this is likely to be because of recent restrictions, which are now lifted. Do not feel guilty about this because it is a choice that will serve you well in the future. Right now, things may seem like a bit of an effort for small reward.

Nonagram 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 B) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET: Average: 10 Good: 13 Very good: 19 Excellent: 23

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION aced aged chad cued dace dang dean duce dune dung egad gaud hand head hued nude ached cadge caged caned dance dunce nudge augend canned duenna gunned hanged unaged unhand changed dunnage handgun nuanced UNCHANGED

SOUND OF THE WEEK Another Country By Rod Stewart Record Label: Capitol Records THE twenty-ninth studio album by British singersongwriter was released in October 2015. The lyrics consider life in the armed forces, being separated from loved ones as well as Stewart´s own past. He offers a strong and engaging vocal performance.

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

Crossword

Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Cryptic

Across: 1 Shaken, 4 Estate, 9 Cadre, 10 Swanage, 11 Butchery, 12 Gift, 14 Tokens, 16 Valets, 19 Acre, 20 Barracks, 23 Outcome, 24 Stale, 25 Tenner, 26 Reject.

Across 1 Church, if not then, a football team (7) 5 Look happy as a result of chewing limes (5) 8 Fake endless call (5) 9 Vendors, we hear are profiting from the sale of salt containers (7) 10 Drunk missed tea cup (9) 12 Governed artist’s quarter (3) 13 Mean attempt to follow friend (6) 14 Possibly faster than a machine gun attack (6) 17 Stick to this measurement (3) 18 Stop protecting Capone, it’s very common (9) 20 A number walk wearily around, it’s hard work (7) 21 Country lover was in some trouble (5) 23 Climb up a series of notes (5) 24 Streets are arranged for dogs (7)

Down: 1 Sackbut, 2 Audit, 3 Elephant, 5 Stay, 6 Avarice, 7 Elect, 8 Usurp, 13 Lacrosse, 15 Keratin, 17 Suspect, 18 Cameo, 19 About, 21 Cease, 22 Code.

QUICK Across:

Down 1 Dealt with policeman and journalist (5) 2 End of June leave for oneself (3) 3 We stare around at jumper (7) 4 Fools, second rate (6) 5 Only about five find the answer (5) 6 Irene gets a bit giddy when drunk (9) 7 It’s free to enter five points for flavouring (7)

Code Breaker

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OUT

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11 Sensational play made moral blunder (9) 13 Swashbucklers traipse around (7) 15 On the way in, start building (7) 16 States on about handouts (6) 18 Start pulling string for venue (5) 19 Crackpot, going back, is getting capital in Africa (5) 22 Indeed, it’s in middle of prayers (3)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 7 represents F and 19 represents P, so fill in F every time the figure 7 appears and P every time the figure 19 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.

Across 1 Plans (7) 5 Stories (5) 8 Inspect (7) 9 Celestial bodies (5) 10 Sharply inclined (5) 11 Aversion (7) 12 Tried out (6) 14 Frayed (6) 17 Lay out (7) 19 Armoured vehicles (5) 22 Taunt (5) 23 Disperse (7) 24 Takes a break (5) 25 Gratify (7) Down 1 Put on clothes (5)

2 Reserve (5) 3 Brief look (7) 4 Stable (6) 5 Jobs (5)

1 Suppress, 7 Stays, 8 Aeroplane, 9 Tea, 10 Song, 11 Access, 13 Sorted, 14 Passes, 17 Scared, 18 Have, 20 Pit, 22 Repeating, 23 Shoes, 24 Restless.

6 Departing (7) 7 Hang freely (7)

Down:

12 Farm vehicle (7)

1 Seals, 2 Partner, 3 Ripe, 4 Scarce, 5 Lasts, 6 Escapes, 7 Several, 12 Repairs, 13 Suppose, 15 Seaside, 16 Temple, 17 Stood, 19 Edges, 21 Bait.

13 Cries of distress (7) 15 Allure (7) 16 Untidy states (6) 18 Requires (5) 20 Jottings (5) 21 Apologetic (5)

ENGLISHSPANISH Across:

English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

1 Casar, 3 Cabra, 5 Mil, 7 Alambre, 9 Rana, 10 Belt, 13 Rescate, 14 Son, 15 Sacro, 16 Twins. Down: 1 Camareros, 2 Real, 3 Cual, 4 Aceitunas, 6 Lunes, 8 Beers, 11 Caro, 12 Rent.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Tiburones (zoológico) (6) 4 Weapon (4) 8 Enemigo (5) 9 Enjuagar (5) 10 Abeja (3) 11 Deal (agreement) (5) 12 Sacos (5) 15 As (naipes) (3) 16 To bring (news, luck etc) (5) 18 Enfermera (5) 19 Celery (4) 20 Mirror (6)

Down 1 Sábana (de cama) (5) 2 Sand (5) 3 Teclado (8) 5 Rum (3) 6 Hacha (herramienta) (3) 7 Regalos (obsequios) (8) 13 Meat (5) 14 Floor (of room) (5) 16 Aunt (3) 17 There (near you) (3)

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015/ Costa de Almería

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Festive films

With Christmas approaching, and the evenings getting colder, there is no better time to cuddle up with a hot chocolate and a great feel-good Christmas film. We are counting down some of the most popular films to watch during the festive period. 1. Miracle on 34th Street (1994). An astoundingly heartening film starring the late Sir Richard Attenborough in which a young girl discovers dreams really do come true when you believe. After a sceptical little girl meets a department store Santa, she finds her defences melting and becomes familiar with the power of faith.

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6. The Santa Clause (1994). In this festive comedy, Tim Allen stars as an ordinary man who must step into Santa’s shoes after an accident. The film features comical scenarios, following an impromptu trip to the North Pole he begins to morph

Sudoku

HEALLAP

Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

HEART-WARMING: A story of faith. into Santa before his, and his ex-wife’s, eyes.

misogyny, this film will certainly raise a smile.

7. The Holiday (2006). Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) impulsively swap houses, and countries, in this feelgood rom-com. Their respective tales are charming, amusing, and eventually culminate in two heartwarming romances.

9. A Christmas Story (1983). A hilarious tale depicting young Ralphie’s quest of ensuring his presents include a much-coveted BB air-rifle. This entertaining narration will conjure an air of nostalgia and is sure to keep the adults smirking.

8. White Christmas (1954). This humourous musical romantic comedy follows two World War II soldiers who team up to become a successful song-and-dance act. With a series of romantic mix-ups, Bing Crosby’s baritone, and a hint of harmless

10. The Polar Express (2004). In this animated, hallucinogenic, adventure, Tom Hanks stars as the train conductor who whisks a group of kids off to the North Pole. The story follows a young boy embarking on a journey of self-discovery and recognising the wonder of life.

TARGET: Average: 26 Good: 34 Very good: 49 Excellent: 60

SCORING: 4 letters: 1 point • 5 letters: 2 points 6 letters: 3 points • 7 letters: 4 points 8 or more letters: 11 points

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION tort torte torn tore tote gore goat goer greet green fort forte fore frog fret free tenet trot tree twin twine twiner twill entree vote voter ogre often rote rent renew reel newt went wine wile will auto tern tent tell teen teeny lent letup lint line liner lien leer leap info inert inlet payee yell neuter gene glint glee glen

Word Ladder WORE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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.

Pedometer ++ For the iPhone 5s and later generations, this app takes advantage of the step counting capabilities in your phone. Without draining battery, keep track of your daily and weekly step counts and improve your health. This application updates automatically throughout the day. You can also set the current step count as the application’s badge on your home page.

FOOT FOOT

3. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). George (James Stewart) is the boy-nextdoor whose dreams are constantly postponed in this poignant favourite. An enthralling mélange of personal and social impulses, and the questionable charms of home, that is both compelling and touching.

5. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001). The accident-prone protagonist Bridget (Renee Zellweger), who has a penchant for smoking and binge drinking, falls for both a dashing lothario and a modern-day Mr Darcy in this adaptation of Helen Fielding’s witty novel.

App of the Week

Play on Words

2. Love Actually (2003). Number two on the list is this festive film in which love certainly is all around. A far cry from a cheesy romance, nine intertwined stories explore an assortment of both new and long-standing relationships with undertones of heartbreak and sorrow woven within. An examination of the intricacies of the one emotion that connects us all: love.

4. Scrooged (1988). After visits from three ghosts Frank (Bill Murray) realises he must change, and learns the true meaning of Christmas. A modern adaptation of the classic Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol offering humour that doesn’t overshadow the message.

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

Answers: One foot in front of the other, All in a heap

THE highly acclaimed author of American Rust returns with The Son, an epic multi-generation saga of power, blood, and land, following the rise of one Texas family in the American West. Following the colonel’s life and legacy, the tale echoes through time and crosses cultures to describe the Comanche raids of the 1800s through to the oil booms in the 20th century. The Son was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

TIME OUT

THIN BACK

Move from the start word (WORE) to the end word (THIN) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.

WORE WORN CORN COIN CHIN THIN

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HEALTH BEAUTY

Christmas stress: Will you choose to be a survivor or a victim? HOPEFULLY the festive period will be a happy time, but for some it can lead to worries and despair CHRISTMAS time. A time of festivities, love, joy and stress stress stress! Hopefully Christmas will create lots of happiness for you and your family. For many though, this is a time of financial hardship, loneliness and worry. It’s also a time of stress, and at times lots of it. What are the best ways of surviving yuletide stress? What are the best ways of ensuring you don’t become a victim? Planning ahead is a great idea. If you’re worried about paying for presents, suggest to family and friends a maximum price for each present. It’s important to make giving fun, but it’s impossible to create fun if you’re spending cash you don’t have.

Photo credit: Janko Hoener, Wikimedia.

By Marcus Hopkins

PLAN AHEAD: Have a stress-free Christmas. If you have plenty of cash, think of the others in your circle of friends who may be struggling. Your sugges-

tion may be of real help to them. Think Finance, a loan provider, suggested 45 per cent of people in the

USA would prefer to skip Christmas due to financial worries. Recent research suggests that given the choice, children would choose to have more of their parents’ time over any expensive present. The gift of time is the supreme form of giving, yet how many of us forget this? Consider having a Kris Kringle with family and friends, where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person or suggest making an agreement to buy presents just for the children. Unless you’re financially secure, don’t blow next month’s money on just one day. The thought of debt can easily increase stress and depression. Christmas is a time for spirituality and friendships. Family and friends

want to be with you, a present will soon be forgotten. Hopefully your Christmas dinner will be wonderful, but if the turkey burns and the roast potatoes get cremated, don’t worry. You still have the veg, pudding, mince pies and cheese. Plenty of people don’t have any of these. Many won’t have any food at all this Christmas, so your disaster with the meat isn’t much of an issue. When it comes to relationships, anxiety and feelings of depression are common. Create real festivity and happiness by avoiding known triggers. Avoid topics you know are contentious in your family and don’t make anyone feel unheard. Christmas gives choices. Choose to cherish the time wisely.

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Heart attack signs

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DEAR Doctor, A relative had a nasty scare one night recently, which luckily was nothing more than that. In the early hours of the morning he thought he was having a heart attack, and talking later we realised we really didn’t know what the signs are or how to act in this sort of situation. Could you please give us some tips on how to recognise the signs and what to do? Dr Perez Belmonte replied: Heart attacks are currently the most common cause of death amongst human beings, so it is very important to recognise the signs and know what to do. Although initial signs can vary a lot from one person to another depending on factors including age, gender or medical conditions, they usually come with a feeling of oppression in the centre or left-hand side of the chest, which can sometimes spread down the left arm or up the neck. Heart pain is usually identified by patients as the worst pain they have ever felt, although some

people have heart attacks without any chest pain at all. Other common symptoms include sweating, difficulty breathing, a general feeling of not being well or sudden extreme fatigue. For people with diabetes the first sign is usually breathing problems rather than chest pains and this can sometime cause fainting. Anyone with any of these symptoms, especially if they are elderly or at risk (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smokers, etc), or has a history of heart problems, should call a doctor or get to a health centre as quickly as possible. The person making the call to a doctor or ambulance team needs to stay as calm as possible and give as many details as they can. The patient meanwhile should be lying down, taking deep breaths and trying to stay as calm as possible. As always, prevention is the best remedy so anyone with heart problems or risk factors should see a cardiologist and a Specialist in Internal Medicine.

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Getting into shape post-pregnancy Looking Good, Staying Trim

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte.

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almeria

I BELIEVE more women engage in postpregnancy exercise, than pre or during pregnancy exercise, purely to lose the excess weight accumulated during the pregnancy. However the danger of post pregnancy exercise must not be underestimated. The hormone relaxin, which is responsible for allowing all connective tissue in the body (muscles, ligaments) to stretch, is still very much present in your body after giving birth, and can be present for up to six months. Overstretching or overexerting yourself at this stage could leave you with a permanent injury, however the benefits are vast. I recommend you consult with your doctor and speak to an exercise professional before embarking on a post preg-

Chronic pain leads to depression THIRTY per cent of people who suffer chronic pain also have depression, according to various experts at a mental health conference in Barcelona. They stressed the importance of providing treatment that takes into account the psychological and emotional changes that most patients suffer. Chronic pain is defined as pain suffered from more than three months or lasting beyond the period of healing of injury. Currently, it is the leading cause of long-term sick leave in Spain. Recent studies show one in five people suffer from moderate to severe pain, and one in three do not have a good quality of life due to illness. One clinical psychologist at the hospital said: “We need to consider pain as a global, multidimensional experience when evaluating and seeking intervention strategies. It is essential to consider the psychological dimension and provide tools to help the management of pain.”

nancy programme. Remember your body has just been put through a lot of trauma… Be kind to yourself. Here are a few tips: • No physical stress for first two weeks after birth. • Don’t resume full daily activities for six weeks after delivery. • If you have had a c-section, no exercise for eight to12 weeks. • Keep correct posture at all times. • Avoid hyperextending of joints. • Wear a sports bra, two if required. • Exercises from a stable base (sitting down, holding on with one hand etc.) • Pay attention to your lower back. • A slow gradual 10 minute warm up and cool down. • Avoid lying on your front in early stages of post pregnancy. • Avoid impact training (running etc.). • Avoid sudden changes in direction. • Avoid severe bouncing movements. • Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise .

EXERCISE: Remember your body has been through a lot of trauma.

By Nara Prusakova, Shutterstock

HEALTH & BEAUTY

• Stop exercising if your breasts become hot, swollen or hard. Core & Abdominals As important as it is for you to return your mid section to where it was prepregnancy, be sensible with the abdominal exercises you do in the first few months. In the meantime, you could make a start on safely strengthening your core by following some of the tips below. • Exercise the pelvic floor every day. • Start abdominal and pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible after delivery. • Pelvic floor exercises before and after main exercise session. • Avoid doming (dropping stomach when on hands & knees)

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Blog My treatment journey update! in the wake of being told I have breast cancer 2014 was a whirlwind of operations and tests Health Food Shop & Community Centre Are you looking for inspiration? You’ll be surprised at the range of natural & organic products available to inspire you.

In the Community Centre Kids Karate, kids Gymnastics Art classes, Pilates, Yoga, Tai-Chi, Salsa-size Spanish lessons and health screening

C/Malaga s/n, Albox, Almeria, Tel: 639 089 170 Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Sat 10am-2pm email: alboxgirasol@hotmail.com

Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving IT is hard to believe that I started chemotherapy over a year ago. So much has happened since then. Having got through chemo I had radiotherapy and then spent the summer trying to regain my strength and take stock. I was very tired, both physically and mentally. The long term side effects reared their ugly heads. The worst one being lymphedema. As I had my lymph nodes removed I developed painful swelling in my right arm as a result of my body’s inability to drain away lymph fluid. I now have regular physio and lymphatic draining massages, wear a compression sleeve and do exercises to control the swelling. I have to be careful not to lift with my right arm so I have adjusted the way I do things. The pins and needles come and go in my feet and you can get ‘chemo brain!’ Chemotherapy can affect your memory

and I often find myself grappling for words or wracking my brain to remember things. This will improve with time. My scars are pretty good but I still have quite a lot of pain and I am constantly reminded of the post-operative trauma in my body. The veins in my arms have been seriously compromised by the chemotherapy and finding a workable vein for a test is a trial and I often faint because it is such an ordeal.

I am determined to get better and stronger each day as I have too much to live for My eyebrows haven’t grown back very well but my hair is nice and thick. My eyelashes are like a scattering of spider legs! Not the most serious issue I know but nonetheless annoying! All these issues are expected and you learn to live with them. The important thing was my revision in November. I went for blood tests to check tumour markers etc, a CAT scan, and a mammogram on the remaining breast.

After the tests I went to see my oncologist. It was good news, no cancer in the other breast, good blood results and the tumours in my lungs had disappeared. The only thing my oncologist didn’t like was that the fact the tumours had vanished in response to chemo and as a result was more likely to be metastatic cancer. So, not a new tumour but one derived from the original breast cancer. The next step is to keep an eye on my lungs. I am having a bone scan to rule out any spreading as I have had some pain. They are checking my hormone levels to ensure I am not producing too much oestrogen which is the enemy! I also need an abdominal scan. If all is well I will then meet the plastic surgeon to discuss reconstruction. I feel optimistic and as always would not be feeling so positive without the love and support from my family, friends and nearest and dearest. It is a long haul recovering from cancer and then keeping it at bay! But I am determined to get better and stronger each day as I have too much to live for. So here’s wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, health and happiness!

Early exposure to another language influences our brains years later RESEARCHERS in Canada say being exposed to a language early in life influences how an individual’s brain deals with another language and dialect many years later; even in

people who have not spoken their first language for most of their lives. Researchers from the McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute carried

out an experiment on three groups of children aged between 10 and 17 with varying linguistic backgrounds. One group was made up of born-and-raised monolingual French-speakers, the other group were bilingual in French and Chinese, while the third group comprised of Chinese children who had been adopted by French families before they had turned three, and had not spoken Chinese since. All groups had to identify French-sounding words that did not actually mean anything, such as ‘vapagne’. During the test, the re-

searchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor which areas of their brains were involved and found different parts of the brain were activated during the test in the groups. The researchers are also planning to do further research in order to see if the same results are witnessed if the experiment was based on two similar languages such as French and Spanish. It is believed the experiment could form the basis for tailored language classes by understanding more how the brain works when dealing with the different languages.

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Good quality home-cooked food at affordable prices is key to our success HUMBUGS CAFE quite simply, is just like your mother’s kitchen, but without the washing up! By Eleanor Hawkins HUMBUGS Cafe in Arboleas has always been popular, but is now even better thanks to new owner Dawn Braid and her team. They have recently celebrated their first anniversary since Dawn took over in November 2014. Since then Humbugs has gone from strength to strength. “Providing good quality home-cooked food at affordable prices has been the key to our success,” said Dawn. Home-made food is served daily including lightly beer-battered cod, steak & ale pie, curry, lasagna, and burgers - to name but a few along with the options from the Specials Board. All of the main meals are served with a choice of Chips or Potatoes of the Day and garnish including fresh vegetables. So whether it’s a light snack, jacket potato with a choice of fillings, all-day English breakfast, Menu del Dia,

Change to service dates CHRISTMAS communion THE Anglican Church of Costa Almeria, Costa Calida, has announced that a Christmas Communion originally planned for 11am on December 25 in Llanos del Peral, Cucador, will not be going ahead. There will however be a Christmas Communion Service at 11am on Sunday, December 27.

cake or dessert, Humbugs really does have something for everyone - and we can’t forget their traditional roast dinner. Choose from one, two, or three

HUMBUGS CAFE: Now even better.

courses with a choice of roast beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, served every Sunday. All of the food is available to eat in or for takeaway. Their pre-Christmas

Lunch is now being served, from December 1 to December 23: four courses for only €15.95. Booking is essential. Humbugs is open seven days a week, staying open until 9pm every Friday. Dawn and her team are passionate about what they do and work hard to provide friendly and efficient service. The Cafe has FREE wifi for all their customers. With an outside fly-screened seating area, the terrace at Humbugs is a great place to enjoy the winter sunshine, or if it’s a little chilly you can sit inside in the warmth. Quite simply, Humbugs Cafe is just like your mother’s kitchen but without the washing up! To find Humbugs, head from Arboleas Trading Estate towards the village or call us on 950 095 904. You can also find us on Facebook. Call in and pick up your copy of TV Choice, a greetings card, calendar, or diary, or place an order for Avon.

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SOCIAL SCENE

FACE events raise thousands for charity GRAND total raised was €3,713 A DOUBLE whammy of events helped FACE (Fundraising in Arboleas, Caring for Everone) to raise thousands of euros over the last weekend of November. On the Friday evening, FACE organised their now traditional Christmas Market, and on the Sunday afternoon there was a Christmas party. Both events were held in a huge marquee which had been erected in the Arboleas Feria Ground. On the Friday evening, there were over 50 market stalls selling a wide range of Christmas and other products. In addition support of the event was given by various regional and national charities such as MACS (Mojacar Area Cancer Support), the AECC (Asociacion Española Contra El Cancer), the National Spanish Cancer Charity, and ALCER (Asociacion para la Lucha Contra Las Enfermedades del Riñon), a National Spanish Charity that assists people with renal problems. The event was opened by the deputy mayor of Arboleas, Roger Done, accompanied by FACE President Adele Wrigglesworth, before FACE presented €1,000 to Jose Fenoy of the ALCER charity. Throughout the evening entertainment was provided by the Incognito Singers, a choir of over 20 voices led by Musical Director David Murphy, who on the Friday evening were making their debut public performance. They gave a top quality performance of Christmas music in sev-

Left to right - Arb oleas councillor Mark Daniels w President Adele ith FACE Wrigglesworth pr esent €1,000 ch Fenoy Ibánez of eque to José ALCER as Vice Pr esident of FACE looks on.

nta Claus tmas Party with Sa ris Ch CE FA e th at (Santa’s Children r Nicki Wakeman be em M ee itt m m and FACE Co Little Helper). eral different languages and were superb. ‘Carrie’s Dusty Boots’ performed Pirates of the Dusty Carrie-bean, to music from the Johnny Depp film Pirates of the Carribean. Colourful costumes, scenery and the use of a smoke machine and above all fabulous dancing, went towards making a fabulous exhibition. Also there was head and beard shaving, tombola, raffles, a bar selling amongst other things FACE’s famous mulled wine made to a secret recipe, and many other delights such as mince pies! There was also a hamburger stall.

Most important of all of course was that Santa Claus was in attendance. The Sunday afternoon was a rrie-bean. ates of the Dusty Ca Pir g in more child orientated event with rm rfo pe s Carrie’s Dusty Boot face painting, fancy dress competition and children’s games. FACE would like to thank all the €200 first prize going However, once again the Incogstall holders, volunteers, sponsors, to Babs Kenningay. A full list of all nito Singers were in attendance, as entertainers and Santa Claus for the prize winners can be found on eiwere ‘Carrie’s Dusty Boots’ who did making these events the success they ther the FACE Facebook Page or on a completely different routine called undoubtedly were. the FACE webpage at www.faceSnowy White and the Seven Dusty charity.com Dwarfs. For further information about FACE The grand total of money raised Again for the children, Santa please ring Adele Wrigglesworth on over the two events raised €3,713, Claus was in attendance. The FACE telephone number although there is still some sponsorGrand Christmas Raffle was also 667 255 094. ship to be counted. drawn during the afternoon, with the

Night of comedy entertainment By Eleanor Hawkins ALMANZORA Charitable Theatre has announced that its next production will be a night of comedy and entertainment on December 11 and 12 (Friday and Saturday) at Bar Maloan’s, Albox, opposite the BP garage. The evening, aptly named Jest A Larf, will include a selection of short, humorous sketches, some of which the audience may recall while others will be new. During the interval well-known local acoustic guitarist Chris Pottle will also be providing live entertainment. Bar snacks, food and drinks will be available from the bar before the shows (which both start at 7pm) and during the intervals. Tickets, priced at €5, are available from Maloans Bar, Girasol and One Stop Pool Shop in Albox, Total Entertainment shops in Albox and Arboleas and CAT Services in La Alfoquia.

SOCIAL SCENE

Vicar of Dibley MEMBERS of the Luvvies Theatre Group are knuckling down to a busy winter of rehearsals for their next production, which will be The Vicar of Dibley. Taken from the enormously popular TV series of the same name, there are eight major parts as well as a plethora of minor roles, not to mention the many who provide the unseen backbone of the production - sets, scenery, lighting, sound, costume, to name a few, without which the show would not happen. The group are very fortunate to have the use of the premises of Total Entertainment in Albox for rehearsals - so if you are passing, look in the window and see people apparently behaving in a strange manner, they are not escapees from the Home for Eccentrics, they are actors! If you would like to become involved contact 634 346 309 or email info@the luvvies.com.

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Almanzora Group of Friends events GROUP outings take the form of day trips to places of interest THE Almanzora Group of Friends was originally started in 1998 by a small group of expatriates as a means of sharing information, and giving advice. They provide the opportunity to meet people and, with their experience, are able to help and advise with problems and general enquiries. The group is run on a non-profit making basis; all monies collected are used for the members. The Committee, Library and Information Centre are all manned by unpaid volunteers. The Information Centre is the ‘hub’ of the group, a place where help and advice is provided to all members who ask for it. This is where you can pick up your Newsletter at the beginning of each month. There are a number of information items available including the very helpful ‘Tell the Doctor ’ booklet (€6.50). This is also where you come if you would like to book one of our many organised trips. The Information Centre also has a well stocked library of over 5,000 books, both for children and adult readers. New books are supplied on a regular basis and donations are always gratefully received. You can take out

books, talking books and DVDs for a nominal fee. There is also a large selection of second hand books for sale. They produce a monthly newsletter which keeps people updated with everything that is happening within the group, provides information and shares members’ experiences of recent events. The editor is always on the look out for interesting articles to be included in the Newsletter so please feel free to contribute. The group holds regular Open Days which give members the chance to come and have a drink with the committee, meet other members, and take part in our raffles. Group outings take the form of day trips to places of interest, and mini breaks of three or more days, for those who like to enjoy the beautiful sights of this, our adopted country. All trips are advertised in the Information Centre, in the newsletter, and on the website www.almanzoragof.org. Travel is in modern, well equipped, air-conditioned coaches. They are based in Avenida Lepanto 44, Albox, open 10am to 1pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Phone 634 343 147 or email almanzorafriends@gmail.com.

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SOCIAL SCENE

BIKE RIDE: Was just one of the activities that took place in Cuevas del Almanzora.

Locals enjoy the festivities ACTIVITIES for all ages took place ALL sorts of activities for all ages were organised in Palomares to celebrate the day of the Patron Saint, Francisco Javier. Cuevas del Almanzora Town Hall took part in the organisation of the event, which included a bike ride, mass, a procession and food for everyone in Plaza de la Constitucion, which included home-made sausages. There were also performances for children.

Royal British Legion dates THE Mojacar Branch of the Royal British Legion informs of a Social Date on December 11. There will be a fish and chips quiz at the Beachcomber Bar in Mojacar Playa from 7.30pm. The quiz will start at 8.30pm and everyone is welcome. There will also be a Christmas raffle and all profits will be donated to the Poppy Appeal. On December 17, Christmas lunch now will be held at ‘Bistro’ (next to Millionaire Bar) in Vera Playa, with entertainment by Kay Francis. There is a three-course meal for €15. Contact Eileen on 950 462 376 or 634 321 507 to book or for more information. Also email: socialevents.rblmoj.3485@ gmail.com

Carol service TURRE Evangelical Church is holding its annual candlelit Carol Service on Friday December 18 at 7.30pm. The service is in English but all nationalities are welcome and will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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Central areas go pedestrian-friendly ALBOX should be a town where you can feel safe By Eleanor Hawkins AS of last week getting around Albox centre on foot is a little safer, the council has announced. Work has been carried out under the PFEA rural employment scheme to build pavements on the avenue leading to the Centro de Agua y Salud and the Albox health centre, both busy areas which locals often choose to visit on foot. In the past, although both centres receive hundreds of visitors every week and many, especially in the case of the health centre, are elderly, there were no pavements at all making walking

more of an adventure than a pleasure. “When we were running for the elections we promised to make Albox more pedestrian-friendly and that is exactly what we are doing, one step at a time,” local Mayor Rogelio Mena declared. “Albox should be a town where those who choose to get about on foot can feel safe doing so,” Mena continued. Altogether 38 jobs about town were planned under the PFEA including concreting of tens of kilometres of rural tracks, building or repairing pavements and repairing public fountains.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Suspect identified 12 years after death MAN died during a shootout against a family clan

DNA SAMPLES: Led the Guardia Civil to believe van belonged to the suspect. By Eleanor Hawkins A MAN from Murcia has been identified as a possible suspect 12 years after a man died in Albox during a shootout against a family clan. Juan Rodriguez died during the incident and three other men were wounded, the Guardia Civil reported. Two of those wounded were related to the deceased, while the third was a passerby who had nothing to do with the shootout and was on his way

to work but was left paraplegic. DNA samples were obtained from the van Guardia Civil Criminalist Service officers believed had been used by the suspect, who will be tried for manslaughter, and were sent to a biology laboratory at the police forceâ€™s general headquarters and a genetic profile created. Investigations remain open, the Guardia Civil reported, and further arrests may occur.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Old peoples’ home proposal put forward BUILDING a new day centre would be beneficial By Eleanor Hawkins THE local Partido Popular party has requested that a motion be put forward to Albox Council to start proceedings to offer up a municipal plot and put construction and management of a new old peoples’ home and day centre out to public tender. The home, the PP has stated, is badly needed as although Albox has a population of around 12,000 and more than 17 per cent are over 65, the

current home has capacity for just 35 residents meaning senior citizens are often forced to move into homes in other areas, taking them away from friends, families and the place they have in many cases lived all their lives. Party spokesman Juan Pedro Perez stressed that building a new home and day centre would also benefit Albox, which has an unemployment rate of more than 24 per cent, by creating jobs which would in turn have a positive effect on the local economy.

Elderly man dies in tragic tractor accident AN elderly man died after crashing his tractor into a wall half a kilometre from Albox on the AL7100 road towards Chirivel, emergency services have reported. The accident happened on Thursday (December 3) when the man was working on his farm in an area known as Curva del Palomar.

Although an ambulance team, firefighters and Guardia Civil and Local Police officers were sent to the scene nothing could be done to save the man’s life. The accident is suspected to have been caused by the tractor slipping while in reverse and crushing the driver against a wall.

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Use Polytunnels for vegetable productivity and frost protection by Gordon Jolly via Flickr

THEY are becoming more and more popular each gardening year in the UK Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.

POLYTUNNELS first appeared in the 1960s once the plastics industry managed to produce reliable wide-width polythene sheeting. They become more popular each gardening year in the UK and can also be useful in Spain, especially the large walk-in frame tunnels covered in plastic sheeting for growing a wide variety of crops, from lettuces to tomatoes and raspberries and protecting potted plants during the frost-risk months. The size is in theory whatever you like, but typical sizes for plots are widths of two to five metres and lengths of two to 20 metres. A minimum workable height at the centre of the tunnel is two to two and a half metres. There are two basic designs available to buy, semicircular arc and high tent shape. Well designed, constructed and maintained, they can last for years. By the

POLYTUNNELS: First appeared in the 1960s after the plastics industry began producing wide-width polythene sheeting. way, we have found two common spellings Polytunnel and Poly Tunnel. Use the one you are most comfortable with. The benefits are: • Crops grow quicker, earlier and possibly larger. The latter depending on your harvesting strategy, small is tender or giant could be a silver cup. • They are per square metre less expensive than glass or

polycarbonate greenhouses. • There is a wide range of sizes available. • They absorb the sun and achieve the most productive germination and Spring growing temperatures two to six weeks ahead of the open garden according to your location. • They protect growing plants from rain, frost, snow, hail and gales and therefore en-

able more autumn, winter and early spring crops to be grown. • Using irrigation tubing with drip holes, built-in close planting in rows can be achieved. Splitting the growing area into zones, a multi-zone irrigation system will allow you to give blocks of small and large vegetables, soft fruits and tender fruit trees the water they need. Kits to allow liquid fertilisers

to be metered into the irrigation water system are also available. What to look out for when buying a polytunnel: • Strength and tear-ability of plastic sheeting cover. • Ultraviolet resistance and quoted lifespan of the sheeting. • Quality of galvanised or protective painted metal framework. • Ease of construction.

• Seal-ability of doors. • Possibility of fitting a temperature controlled fan so you can use it through the hottest months. You will be surprised how hot the inside of a polytunnel can become on a sunny day from June to August. • Ability to partly roll the sides up in the summer if you don’t want the cost of a fan. Risks to your investment: • Planning laws need to be checked before construction. • Poor fixing and air seal at soil level to stop strong winds getting under the plastic and ballooning it. • If you don’t use ecological insecticides and fungicides you may build up an environment that is a health risk. The way ahead: Prices vary so check out several suppliers. If you are a handyman metalworker and have a supplier of wide plastic sheeting you could rig up a serviceable DIY Polytunnel. (c) Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com December 2015

HOMES & GARDENS

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Advertising feature

IT’S Neater Heater time of year again NOW available online throughout Iberia and beyond for those who would like a more personal service AFTER a glorious long Indian summer, a few weeks ago the temperature finally plummeted into winter faster than a Roller Coaster. In fact one of the only things that have gone down as fast as the temperature is the stack of heaters in the Neater Heater warehouse. “What a difference a day makes, one day I was jet washing the terrace in shorts and flipflops, and the next day getting inundated with heater orders” said Tony. He and his business partner, Richard, started Neater Heater when they were looking for the best value electric heating system for their own homes. Discovering Norwegian convector heaters by accident, they liked them so much that, to paraphrase Victor Kiam, they started a company. That was over six years ago. Since then, they have increased the range of heaters thereby giving the customer a choice of price, style and colour, while still maintaining the product standard that has given them such a good name. With their new and improved website, and their ability to take phone payments, Neater Heater can now offer their product to anyone in Iberia. “If the heater you want is in stock,” ex-

NEATER HEATER DISTRIBUTORS: ALMERIA ANTAS: Lifestyle Enclosures. Tel. 950 459 060 Heaters also available for purchase at our online shop with free home delivery WWW.NEATERHEATER.ES OR Tel. 634 312 171

NEATER HEATER: Don’t leave it too late to order.

plains Richard, “we can have it delivered to you pretty much the day after the payment clears. The only exception being Portugal, where

Put a bat box at the top of your Christmas list NOT sure what to ask for this Christmas? What about a bat box? Sure, bats are small, furry, and a bit ugly, but they can be a valuable asset to your garden. Perhaps you’re afraid of bats. Well first let’s clear a few things up. Although bats can be a carrier of rabies, statistically you are more likely to get rabies from a cow than from a bat. On average, only one person a year dies after contracting rabies from a bat. Many more die from dog bites or bee stings. And though bats may swoop at people sometimes, it’s only because they’re going after the tasty mosquitoes swarming around their heads. Bats love mosquitoes. In fact, one bat can consume up to 600 mosquitoes per hour! Just think what 10 bats could do overnight! If you’re prone to nasty mozzie bites, a bat box could be just what the doctor ordered. A typical bat box can hold a colony of 30-50 bats. Don’t like the sounds of it? Well look at it

this way: bats typically hang out in crevices, caves, or tight spaces. So in theory they could already be living in your basement or attic. Putting up a bat

box only ensures that all of the bats in the neighbourhood will be out of your house and living in a place where you can keep an eye on them.

delivery might take 48 hours, and the Balearics, where it might take up to a week”. Neater Heater also has agents from Javea, all the way

down the Costas to Malaga, for those who would like a more personal service. Neater Heaters can be bought individually on a room-by-room basis, or as a complete system. They are a quality product for people who want a cost-effective, reliable, heating solution for the short, sharp, Spanish (or Portugese) winters, but don’t want the expense of installing a complete boiler and radiator system. Look on the website, or call one of their agents. Stocks are constantly being replenished, but don’t leave it too late, remember: Winter is coming!

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Harnessing full potential of canine equipment USING a harness is growing in popularity among many pet owners

David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

A DOG harness is a piece of equipment similar to harness tack for horses. There are various designs, depending on the type of use. Harnesses can be used on Seeing Eye dogs in the assistance of a disabled person, on working dogs that haul a cart or sled, or even in sporting events, such as in the Scandinavian practice of skijoring and pulka. Harnesses are also worn by non-working dogs for training purposes. A harness is often worn in conjunction with a dog collar and used as an alternative for a dog leash attachment. While a collar only encircles the neck, harnesses have a loop that surrounds the torso as well, with connecting straps between them for added reinforcement and control. The design allows for distribution of force which may prevent choking; a dog will also not be able to slip free from a

harness as they may easily do from a standard collar. Harness usage is growing in popularity among many pet owners, especially for those with smaller breed dogs. Buttonholes in pet clothes allowing access to harness straps are among recent adjustments to accommodate the increasing use of harnesses. Assistance dogs will sometimes wear a harness if part of their job requires guiding or providing physical mobility for a disabled person. Generally, the harness design includes a built-in handle for the person to grip; this

type also offers reinforcement to the handler as well as a padded breastplate for the dogâ€™s comfort. Overall sturdiness of the design depends on whether the dog is gently leading, acting as a brace, or physically pulling a wheelchair. Sled dog harnesses vary depending on the purpose of the animal; the two basic duties of a sled dog are hauling freight or some sort or racing. Harnesses come in three main types: the freight harness, the H-back harness, and the X-back harness. Dog sports are growing and more types of harnesses are being developed, including the Y-back style and guard or distance harness.

Good morning cheeky Daisy! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508

MORE CONTROL: Dog harness.

PEOPLE often think their dogs or dog-sitting charges are fun, friendly and flexible. Let me introduce you to Daisy, a Cocker Spaniel with a very cheeky nature. Needless to say she is a popular client with our sitters. The owners, however, often ask us to prepare the sitters by saying that no matter how friendly and imploring she may be, Daisy is still a dog. Her routines are important for her well-being while her owners are present and more especially when her owners are absent. So why is the dogâ€™s routine so important and why do we stress this fact when we talk to our pet- and house-sitters? As many dog owners and professionals will attest, dogs tend to feel more secure and comfort-

able with a regular routine. The regularity of events, when they eat, when they walk, the words we use to address them give them stability and a clear view of the world. We ask our owners to fully brief the sitter, by spending a little time with them before they leave and also to write down the routine and key points for references. For the sitters we emphasise the reason for their recruitment as an at-home-pet-carer, to ensure the pets are well cared for in their own environment with routines maintained as far as possible. This keeps any stress to an absolute minimum. Housesitting can be a winwin for both parties, free house- and pet-sitting and the sitters get free accommodation!

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THIS week in our Small Furries series, we take a look at guinea pigs. Follow these helpful hints to keep your guineas healthy and happy. Lavish your guinea pigs with a spacious hutch they can run around in and get all the exercise they need. They scare easily, so make sure to leave around a variety of comfy boxes, big tubs and empty pots they can use to hide in the event of a dangerous intruder. Keep rabbits and guinea pigs apart, larger rabbits can seriously injure guinea pigs and are prone to bullying. Prevent boredom by providing plenty toys, untreated logs, cardboard boxes and other miscellaneous odds and ends to play with. Mix it up to keep their interest, as guinea pigs are easily bored. Different toys at different times, with a secret stash kept handy in case you detect a lack of energy. You wouldn’t want to be left alone in a darkened room all day, and neither do guinea pigs. Allow them to enjoy their very social nature by having other guinea pigs around as playmates to avoid loneliness and stress. Other guinea pigs are the best companion as they can share and communicate and have all kinds of fun we can’t possibly imagine. To prevent fighting, try and choose same-sex littermates, preferably ones who have grown up together. Having said that, keep males and females apart, unless neutered, or unless you want half a dozen babies to take care of. Remember, females are fertile after only three weeks, whilst males are active at around nine weeks, so before you know it, another litter could come along. If your guinea pig does live alone, be sure to engage with them for a few hours each day and give them the chance to interact.

Get up to date with the cat chat IT can take a while to communicate with them properly CATS are fiercely independent creatures known for being more aloof than their domestic canine counterparts, and it can take a good while to communicate with them properly, if at all. The results, of course, are worth it. If you’re curious about what your cat is trying to say to you then follow this short guide. Noises: Short meow: “Hiya, what’s the story?” Multiple meows: “I’ve missed you!” Mid-pitch meow: “I want....” Drawn-out mrrraaaaaoooow: “Mate, it’s been five hours since you filled my milk tray.” High-pitched RRRROWW!: “YOU STEPPED ON MY TAIL, YOU EEJIT!” Hiss: “Alright, buddy, you and me outside.” Movements: Tail vibrating: Very excited to see you. Tail held low and tucked under the rear: Frightened. Dilated pupils: Very playful

iamlilbub, wikipedia

Small furry friends

MEOW: “Hiya, what’s the story?” or excited. It can also indicate aggression. Ears pinned back: Fear, anxiety, aggression.

Tongue flicking: Worry, apprehension. Face sniffing: Confirming identity.

Dogs could soon live four years longer GENETICISTS at the University of Washington believe that dogs may soon live for an extra four years due to medical advances. Trials have begun with 32 middle-aged golden retrievers with a drug that has increased the life-span of mice by 25 per cent. Doctor Daniel Promislow, an

LIFE EXPECTANCY: May increase.

expert with the Dog Aging Project at the University said: “More important than the extra years, however, is the improvement in overall health during aging that we expect rapamycin to provide.”

Scott Beckner via Flickr

PETS

The news is likely to be welcomed by millions of families across the world who have had to deal with the loss of their dog. It is expected that more advances and better overall health could see canine life expectancy continue to increase.

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Resale property prices Good news register a slight drop for mortgage A MONTHLY report by pisos.com online property site has revealed that resale property prices in Spain registered an average price of €1,522 per square metre in November. Compared to the same month in 2014 this means the price has dropped 3.01 per cent, whereas compared to October 2015 it increased 0.82 per cent. Pisos.com director Miguel Angel Alemany stated that the market has managed to recover from a heavy blow during the recession and prices are unlikely to enter freefall again. “Now is the start of a new cycle during which developers will be planning properties aimed at particular potential buyers with nothing left to luck as the crisis taught us all to be careful, study locations and make sure our projects won’t be left in the air,” Alemany said. The most expensive resale properties

holders

NEW CYCLE: Developers planning properties aimed at particular buyers. can be found in the Basque Country (€2,808 per m2), Balearic Islands (€2,070 per m2) and Madrid (€2,042 per m2) and the cheapest in Castilla-La

Mancha (€945 per m2), Extremadura (€1,138 per m2) and Murcia (€1,180 per m2) according to the November report.

Artificial crystal lagoon relaunched ONE of the Costa del Sol’s greatest development projects of recent years, Alcazaba Hills Lagoon, is to go ahead after years of set-backs. International company Crystal Lagoons intends to invest €121 million in

the residential complex which will include 450 flats placed around the lagoon, with beaches and capacity for both swimmers and nautical sports. The Costa del Sol complex, which was halted in 2009 and will now be re-

launched thanks to the lagoon, will be built on a 30 hectare plot and will be aiming to provide holiday homes for middle class European buyers with particular focus on people from the UK, Germany and Holland.

THE 12 m ont h Eur i bor rate, used as a reference for the majority of variable interest mortgages in Spai n, cont i nues on i t s downward trend bringing families a little relief in the run-up to Christmas. Mortgage payers due for revision of payments are likely to save an average amount of €18 per month as the Euribor closed November at 0.0079 per cent, well under the 0.335 per cent registered in November 2014. For an average mortgage of €120,000 t o be paid in 20 years at a rate

of Euribor + 1 per cent, El Mundo reported, monthly payments will drop from €570 to €552. December, XTB analyst Jaime Diez reported, will be a month of uncertainty for the Euribor as Central European Bank measures m ay f or ce i t t o f al l further. The consequences of further drops, the analyst said, will be beneficial to families and businesses which will be able to take out or refinance loans, yet it will be bad for the banking sector as it will further reduce its benefits.

Marina d’Or set to go ahead CHINESE investment in Spain’s biggest resort development could see €1.2 billion poured in to ensure a massive expansion, with three golf courses, several hotels, a new theme park, indoor skiing, and over 30,000 homes as part of an original plan shelved in 2010. The Wand Group, led by China’s richest man Wang Jianlin, would take a 75 per cent stake in the resort, self

styled as ‘vacation city.’ The move would follow several other high-profile investments from the Chinese consortium including a €50 million payment for a 20 per cent stake in Atletico Madrid FC in 2014. The property development section of Marina d’Or, located in Oropesa del Mar in Castellon Province, has been in court administration since May of last year as it sought protection from creditors.

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FEATURE

Football celebrities in Mojacar, and I envision a bright future! Ric Polansky

MALCOLM ALLISON: He was known to everyone that surrounded him - except me. This guy was different from what I presumed footballers to be.

Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.

CELEBRITIES finally started trickling down to Mojacar. A scenic spot where they could escape the paparazzi. One day in La Parata bar I met an Englishman and his woman that were known to everyone that surrounded them - except me. He was a football manager. Nothing could be further from any expertise I presumed I had. I didn’t know the rules of the game and in fact didn’t learn to like the game until my wife took it up. This guy was a different cut from what I presumed footballers to be. He revelled in notoriety and all the fawning that goes with it. Yet, he was glib, movie star looks and always in complete control. His name was Malcolm Allison, he was coaching Crystal Palace and would be around for two weeks. I sincerely thanked my lucky stars. I became his guide and mentor to the area. It was a difficult task involving tasting different cavas and rating them 24/7. From the story he told me in private, he was

on the lam from the press back home. It seems he had left his wife and had taken up with Miss S; a playboy bunny he became emotionally involved with while squandering big money at the gaming tables. Coaching footballers was his specialty having had to give up playing due to tuberculosis and losing a lung. As a manager he was inventive and soon drew the notice of an ailing Joe Mercer of Manchester City fame. The

two became a dynamic duo and won the league. Therein commenced a roller coaster ride with celestial highs and abysmal lows. Within a year his club were into the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Most of the crowd reputedly came to see ‘big Mal’ as he was known then. He gave them a new look sporting a fedora hat and his custom cigar. During this period I started to travel to England in hopes of meeting investors there and Malcolm became a spring board to my intensions. Unfortunately, all the planning and saving for months before my trip backfired when I blew the entire sales budget in just two days drinking Champagne and eating at the Playboy club. Months rolled by and I decided to take another trip. While sitting with him at his house and sipping some Crystal Champagne before he was to go on national TV I asked him a question which I had been conjuring up for a long time. In the blink of an eye he replied as if waiting for the just such a chance to speak on the situation. That night while watching him enthral national audiences on the box he was ironically asked the same question - in which he gave a totally different reply. At dinner that night he told me you got to keep the “punters off balance to make them always want to listen to you.”

Creating harmony for Christmas and beyond A REASONABLE time to look for similarities rather than differences between peoples and faiths By Marcus Hopkins CHRISTMAS is intended to be a time of peace and harmony. Perhaps a reasonable time to look for similarities rather than differences between peoples and faiths. Four hundred and eighty Muslim soldiers currently serve in the British army. The Ministry of Defence want to increase the percentage of Muslims in the military. To achieve this, it is essential for British Muslims to feel that they will be accepted within the army, as they are. Muslim Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, born in Pakistan and who moved to Britain when he was 12, paid the ultimate price for Queen and country, being killed in action in Afghanistan. Sheffield born boxer Naseem Hamed, one of Britain’s greatest boxing talents is another Muslim so many British are proud of. In the business world there is Sir Anwar Pervez, Britain’s richest Muslim. According to the Sunday Times rich list, Sir Anwar and his family “would be even richer if they did not give large sums to charity.”

LONDON BUSES: Adverts are being placed on them with the slogan ‘United against extremism.’

Then helping to protect the streets of London was Ugandan born Tarique Ghaffur, formerly one of Britain’s most senior police officers, whose parents came from modern day Pakistan. The actions of terrorist groups such as Daesh is giving Muslims a terrible name in the UK. But that is exactly what Daesh are trying to do, but only if we allow it. Remember that Daesh have

bombed Muslim targets too. At this time of year, and at this present moment, creating harmony demands that peaceful Christians and Muslims stand together. Jesus, who Christians celebrate at this festive time, is also one of the most revered figures of Islam, as is Mary, facts often forgotten in the West. A UK Muslim charity, Ahmadiyya Muslim

Community UK is continuing its campaign to counter extremist rhetoric, with advertisements being placed on 100 London buses with the slogan ‘United against extremism.’ Holding out a hand of friendship to people from a different tradition, a different culture, even a different mind-set, can be a catalyst to building a more harmonious future. Politics and religion whether in Spain, the UK, Ireland or elsewhere, can only be managed when people work together to end distrust and suspicion. Peace happened in Northern Ireland, even though it took years to achieve, and even though difficulties persist. It took people from all sides, all backgrounds to become brave enough to grasp the pain of getting to know the other side again. Then, once trust and understanding was built, the hatreds of the past began to dissolve. This Christmas time, we all need to be brave if we really want to recreate peace. Most Muslims, like most Christians, are peaceful people. Eradicate the extremists, but embrace and support the peacefulness of the vast majority of Muslims.

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The silent danger of electric cars HYBRID and electric cars pose a 19 per cent higher risk of pedestrian collisions compared to gasoline powered vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US. Plans are being made to install artificial noise-making systems to alert other road users of their presence.

First-timers in more accidents A STUDY by LV Car insurance has shown UK drivers who pass their test first time are more likely to be in accidents, while those who tested multiple times are less likely to commit drugs and alcohol offences. The report puts the findings down to overly confident drivers having ‘rash’ behaviour.

Clarkson Quote of theWeek

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These newer supercars are much kinder to the environment as well. For example, this one here: the only thing coming out of its tailpipes are baby foxes.

Some might say...

Porsche to unveil new 911 Turbo AVAILABLE in both coupe and convertible versions DETROIT will see Porsche present the new 911 turbo models at the North American International Auto Show in January, while the cars themselves go on sale in Germany the same month. Available in both coupe and convertible versions, the 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S will boast an additional 20hp power, a sharper design and enhanced features. Turbochargers with larger compressors in the S and modified inlet ports and higher fuel pressure in the 911 Turbo will enable power outputs of 580 hp and 540 hp respectively. A dynamic boost function has been added to the engines to improve response by maintaining the charge pressure dur-

ing load changes. Fuel consumption is further reduced whilst driving performance continues to excel. The 911 Turbo S Coupe can reach 100kph in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 330kmh (205mph) and yet consumes only 9.1l/100km due to advanced transmission management and gear change mappings. The Porsche Stability Management (PSM) now also has a sport mode which makes it possible to approach performance limits more closely, and comes replete with an advanced communications system involving active messaging and warning lights. New design features include three-dimensional rear lights,

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20-inch wheels, new door handles and a reworked rear body. The new generation Turbo possess similar characteristics to the successful Carrera model and offers a wider look for the front end with double fillets for the narrow LED front lights.

The newly minted Porsche UNVEILING: North American Communication Management International Auto Show. system features a highly develLatest traffic information can oped infotainment system with be accessed and routes visuonline navigation and a multialised with 360-degree satellite touch monitor integrated into imaging. the centre console.

Youngsters given chance to roar across Jerez de la Frontera DTM Young Driver Test took place on December 2 in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Andalucia. Two BMW Motorsport Juniors, Jesse Krohn of Finland and Louis Delétraz of Chile, participat-

ed along with talented British pair Alexander Sims and George Russell. The three-day test gave the youngsters the chance to compete under great conditions.

MOTORING

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Audi’s new hybrid SUV appreciated COMBINES ample size with efficiency

TECHNOLOGY lovers and families alike will appreciate Audi’s latest model, the Q7 etron which combines the ample size of an SUV with the efficiency of a diesel electric plug-in. The powerful hybrid features Audi’s most advanced technology, with an anticipatory sat-nav system that knows when a built-up area is approaching and adapts its power sources in advance, whilst factoring in traffic conditions and switching seamlessly between its diesel, electric and hybrid modes. It’s a heavy vehicle at almost 2.5 tonnes but with a total of 369bhp, 516lb of torque, 3.0 litre VG diesel engine, and a 34 mile EV range, driving is

Photo by Thomas Doerfer, wikipedia

By Matthew Elliott

LATEST MODEL: The Q7 e-tron. a smooth affair with a settled, light steering making the weight easy to forget. A vibrating engine nullifies typical diesel vibes and keeps outside noise to an absolute minimum, while an efficient heating system uses the car’s own electrical activity to save power and increase the EV range.

Coming in at a relatively steep £65,000 (€92,000) the e-tron will be available this month in the UK, and also features a top speed of 135mph, eight speed automatic gearbox, and a combined economy of 166.2mpg, it represents decent value for money with all the quality you’d expect from an Audi.

EWN

E W N 10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almeria

www.euroweeklynews.com

SPORT

Top dogs Leicester and Cherries’ know ‘Howe’ but Chelsea and Liverpool don’t! THE Foxes top the Premier League after win at Swansea Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

FOOTBALL • Last weekend, by winning 3-0 at Swansea, Leicester City (with a Riyad Mahrez hattrick) leapt to the top of the Premiership. Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth stunned Chelsea 1-0 at the ‘Bridge’ (the biggest win in the Cherries’ history). Stoke City beat Manchester City 2-0. Arsenal defeated Sunderland 3-1. Watford clipped Norwich 2-0 and Newcastle shocked Liverpool 2-0. The games between Manchester United and West Ham, Southampton and bottom club Aston Villa and WBA and Spurs ended level. Crystal Palace met Everton on Monday. • Brighton & Hove Albion (3-2 winners over Charlton), Middlesbrough (2-0 victors at Ipswich) and Derby County (0-0 at Sheffield Wednesday) stand one-two-three in the Championship. • In the Champions League on Tuesday, Manchester United required a good result in Wolfsburg as neighbours Manchester City took on Borussia Monchengladbach and last night, Arsenal needed to beat Olympiakos by two goals in Cyprus. • This evening Fenerbahce

play Celtic in Turkey, Liverpool visit FC Sion in Switzerland and Tottenham meet Monaco, all in the Europa League. • The draw for the 3rd round of the FA Cup, made on Monday, includes: ArsenalSunderland, BirminghamBournemouth, ChelseaLeyton Orient or Scunthorpe, Everton-Dagenham & Redbridge or Whitehawk, Exeter-Liverpool, Manchester United-Sheffield United, Norwich-Manchester City, Oxford-Swansea, Salford City or Hartlepool-Derby County, Southampton-Crystal Palace, Spurs-Leicester (a re-run of the 1961 final), WatfordNewcastle, West Ham-Wolves and Wycombe-Aston Villa. • The 32 ties will be played between the January 8 - 11. • On Saturday, the draw takes place for the Euro 2016 Championships in France. Next month’s League Cup semi-finals will feature Liverpool-Stoke City and Manchester City-Everton. For Liverpool it will be their 16th last four appearance. • Despite fielding six reserves, Barcelona whipped Villanovese 6-1 before 68,000 fans at the Nou Camp to reach the last 16 of the Copa Del Rey. Soon after the La Liga leaders drew 1-1 at Valencia, managed now of course by Gary Neville. • Real Madrid have been thrown out of the Spanish Cup for fielding an illegible player, Russian Denis Cheryshev, in a first leg tie in Cadiz.

DID YOU KNOW? Since August 1992, Liverpool have won more penalties in the Premiership than any other club, 120 in total, of which 103 have been converted, 18 by Steven Gerrard. Arsenal have had 117 spot kicks, Manchester United 111, Newcastle 110, Chelsea 107 and Manchester City 68. In all PL and Cup games, 1992-2015, and not including shoot-outs, Liverpool have had 135 penalties, scoring 117.

• This weekend the top PL games are (on Saturday) Manchester City v Swansea City (early kick-off) and Bournemouth v Manchester United, followed on Sunday by Aston Villa v Arsenal, Liverpool v WBA and Spurs v Newcastle United. • Police have arrested several more high-ranking FIFA officials in relation to the bribery scandal. At least 16 members could now face charges of corruption and money-laundering. Last Monday’s BBC Panorama programme revealed that President Sepp Blatter and his cronies may well have been involved in a one billion US dollar organised crime syndicate. • FIFA will announce a £67 million loss on the last financial year. Where has all the money gone, we ask? • And there is now a strong possibility that the number of countries who will compete in the World Cup finals, could rise to 40. Round and about • Twenty-six Italian athletes face bans following an investigation by the country’s drug authorities. • Aussie Neil Robertson EDDIE HOWE: The Cherries’ biggest win.

(with a brilliant maximum 147 break) beat Liang Wenbo (China) in the UK snooker final in York. • And Marc Leishman made it a double for Australia by pipping Swede Henrik Stenson to win the Sun City golf challenge. Elsewhere, the American Bubba Watson and Spain’s Sergio Garcia (with his first triumph in two years) also registered tournament victories last weekend. • Former top golfer and world champion Tiger Woods is now ranked 400th in the world rankings… and three tournaments this month are the Ladies Masters in Dubai, 9-12 December, the USPGA in Florida, 10-12 and the USPGA in Orlando, 12-13. • Fiji beat England 28-17 in the final of the Rugby Sevens in Dubai. • In F1, Toro Rosso will switch

to Ferrari next year, Renault have confirmed the Lotus takeover and Red Bull have secured a Renault deal. • My choice for BBC Sports Personality of the Year is Andy Murray with Lewis Hamilton a close second.

British boxing champions By Tony Matthews SINCE the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in 1895, only eight British boxers, Tyson Fury being the latest, have officially been recognised as a World heavyweight champion at an approved and professional level. And here they are, listed in order of their triumphs: • Bob Fitzsimmons (undisputed, 1897-99) • Lennox Lewis (WBC, 1992-94) • Michael Bentt (WBO, 1993-94) • Herbie Hide (WBO, 1994-95) • Frank Bruno (WBC, 1995-96) • Henry Akinwande (WBO, 1996-97) • Herbie Hide (WBO, 1997-99) • Lennox Lewis (WBC, 1997-99) • Lennox Lewis (IBF, WBA, WBO, 1999-2000) • Lennox Lewis (IBF, WBC, 2000-01) • Lennox Lewis (WBC, 2002-04) • David Haye (WBA, 2009-11) • Tyson Fury (WBA, WBO and IBF, 2015-16) Fact File • Bob Fitzsimmons who was born in Helston, Cornwall, held the world title for a little over two years, from March 1897 until June 1899. • Fitzsimmons was also the first boxer to win a world title at three different levels. Having claimed the middleweight crown in 1891, he then added the light-heavyweight belt to his tally in 1903. • It was then another 93 years before the next British boxer was crowned world champion, Lennox Lewis won the WBC belt in December 1992. • Lewis, regarded as one of Britain’s finest boxers, held a world title for 2,346 days, only 17 short of Muhammad Ali’s total but a long way adrift of Wladimir Klitschko’s record of 4,382 which, of course, came to end on November 28 at the hands of Tyson Fury. • Lewis was involved in a total of 14 title defences. The record is held by American superstar Joe Louis with 25. Klitschko had 23.

SPORT

10 - 16 December 2015 / Costa de Almeria

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN

MAIN EVENT: Was the Committee Members’ team game.

Marina Phoenix competitions LEICESTER CITY: League leaders.

Treat for the Golf Society at Cucador WITH Christmas approaching fast it was decided to give the members and guests of the 19th Hole a very generous ‘Team Texas Scramble’ as an early Christmas treat at the beautiful Aguilon course. The dream team of Doug Birrell, Ralph Hunter, Nekana Galindez and Paco Grajal Ocana romped home the clear winners with a Nett 56 strokes playing off 10 per cent of their combined handicap, which meant they were playing off just 10, going round in gross five under par. Nekana also secured a nearest the pin on the very difficult third hole. In 2nd place, on countback with nett 62, was the team of Nick Pogson, Ron (the Rocket) Curtis, Ossi and Bob Tagg. The next four teams all had the same score of 62. Results 1st Doug Birrell, Ralph Hunter, Nekana Galindez and Paco Grajal Ocana, Nett 56. 2nd Nick Pogson, Ron (the Rocket) Curtis, Ossi and Bob Tagg, Nett 62. 3rd Mike and Karyn Esposito and Jerry and Christine Edwards, Nett 62. Nearest the pins. No 3 Nekana Galindez No 8 Mike Esposito No 12 Ted Vietch No 14 Tommy Seed No 15 (in two) Ossie No 17 Ossie Twos 3rd Ossie The 19th Hole Golf Society arranges weekly games at various courses in the area, the home course, which is play fortnightly, is Aguilon. If you are interested in joining the 19th Hole, call the secretary on 610 340 653 or email gs19thhole@hotmail.co.uk.

THE main event at Marina Phoenix last week was the Committee Members’ team game, with five teams of seven competing. This was followed by the annual Trophy Presentation Evening, at Marina Playa Hotel. The team game was won by the Captain’s team, narrowly beating the Handicap Secretary’s team. The wine prizes going to Terry Oliver, Greta Hahn, Steve Entwhistle, Ali Mahmud, José Urroz, Glennys Oliver and Jim Budd (captain). The Presentation Evening was again a resounding success with dinner followed by presentation of the year’s main trophies by Mary Rice of Casa Joya restaurant: Padfield Putter won by Malcolm Taylor and Derick Dale.

Pairs Trophy: Isobel Jones and Jose Urroz. Eclectic Trophy: Jim Budd. The Club Championship results were: Club Champion, overall best gross score over two rounds was Terry Oliver, six handicap Ladies Champion: Isobel Jones Best nett (handicap) Champion: Jim Budd Ladies Handicap Champion: Carole Taylor Marina Phoenix play Mondays (individual) and Thursdays (team game). To join them for a €25 green fee. Ring Jim on 950 162 727 / 600 353 670 or Rosalie 950 397 117 / 697 512 882.

Change of course for Marina Golf AFTER six months playing twice a week at Marina de la Torre, it was time for a change on Friday December 4, as CG Marina Golf Society chose to play Stableford format down on the lovely course at El Toyo, near Retamar, Almeria. Despite the ideal weather no one managed a score of 30 or more points. It was almost as though each of the 20 players had their minds on the drinks and tapas af-

terwards, or were distracted by the overhead flights in and out of Almeria airport! The results were: Division One: 1st Julie Oliver 28 points 2nd Ali Mahmud 27 points 3rd John Geaves 27 points Division Two: 1st Jose Alonso 29 points 2nd Sylvia Bradfield 26 points

3rd Martin Oliver 23 points Nearest the pin prizes were claimed by Bob Winter on the 12th, and Frank Button on the 17th. Normal service was resumed on Sunday Dec 6, when Ali Mahmud won the December Medal back on his home course with an excellent net score of 69, followed by John Geaves and Jose Urroz both on 75.

E W N Costa de Almería

10 - 16 December 2015

ANDY MURRAY: One of the favourites to win the BBC’S Sports Personality of the Year. Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

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Victory at last for Dickson FORUM’S Douglas Dickson was the society’s latest winner, finishing off a very consistent year in fine style with a victory at Marina on December 4, after scoring 36 points. Joy Blake was second on countback from Richard Price after both players scored 35 points, with Dave Greaves (34 points) fourth, Adrian Foster (33 points) fifth & Ron Wileman (33 points) sixth. Bob Vincent finally managed to find the right fairway and claimed the longest drive prize, with nearest the pins going to Bob Cowan, Ron Wileman, Mick Smith & Kevin Bircher. With just one qualifying event left in Forum’s Winter League competition it’s

very tight at the top, with second placed Ron Wileman able to claim the trophy if his team wins the final event at Aguilon. The top five players currently are Douglas Dickson, 65 points Ron Wileman, 61 points Malcolm Tilley, 53 points John Smith, 47 points Brian Gyer, 47points Forum’s upcoming fixtures are: December 18, Team Prize Scramble at Aguilon. January 8, Stableford at Aguilon. January 22, Stableford at Valle del Este. For further information, call Phil Elam on 666 847 840, email philjelam@yahoo.co.uk, or visit www.forumgolfsociety.webs.com.

DOUGLAS DICKSON: Finished off a very consistent year in fine style with victory at Marina on December 4.