ISSUE 659 • 2nd - 8th November 2018
EST 2005
A lot to live for Safe routes O
SOLIDARITY: More than 200 people took part in the walk.
UNDER the slogan ‘A lot to Live for,’ around 200 people took part in a walk of solidarity in Mojacar last Sunday to do their bit in the fight against breast cancer. Walkers of all ages and of a number of different nationalities, many of them wearing pink, and some with their dogs in tow, started off from Mojacar village’s Plaza Nueva, ending the march at the Hotel Puntazo in Mojacar Playa. Among them were Mojacar councillors Maria Luisa Perez and Raquel Belmon, who both stressed the need to detect breast cancer as AUTHORITIES in Almeria have signed off works worth more than €39 million for a new stretch of motorway spanning across the Almanzora Valley. A part of the new road, set to extend the existing Albox to El Cucador stretch of motorway, is due
early as possible. “It is important that we all collaborate, and especially against breast cancer which affects 27,000 women every year in Spain, and is the most common tumour in women,” commented Raquel Belmon, whose area of responsibility in the local authority is Social Services. Organised by the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC), the local Mojacar AECC branch, and the Garrucha Volunteer Service, with the collaboration of Mojacar Council, last Sunday’s walk was one of a
variety of initiatives around the province in recent weeks to mark World Breast Cancer Day. A lot to Live for 2018 was the eighth year for the event organised by the Mojacar AECC branch with the local council to raise money for the Spanish Cancer Association’s continued research and fight against cancer The Mojacar branch, one of 65 in Almeria Province, is now preparing for its next fundraising event: ‘One child, a thousand dreams,’ which will be held in the Mojacar Multiple Uses Centre on December 8.
Millions for roads to run from the latter town to Huercal-Overa. It will join the A-7106 at HuercalOvera. The latest section of road will be 3.3 kilometres long, have four lanes each
with a width of 3.5 metres. It is also set to include a 300-metre-long bridge across the Almanzora River, as well as two others across the Lloron and Agua ravines.
The works come as part of the Almanzora motorway, which will be 29 kilometres long and stretch from Fines to the Mediterranean when complete, provincial authorities said. Authorities said contracts for the roads have now been tendered.
RGANISATIONS Almería Acoge, Fepaim, SEDIM and Cáristas Diocesana de Almería have called for ‘safe migration routes’ following recent deaths in the Alboran Sea, including a bab y, w h o s e b o d y w a s r e t r i e v e d f r o m a small boat carrying 55 migrants. The organisations expressed their ‘absolute indignation’ at the repeated sinkings ‘which cause so many deaths in order to reach Europe,’ and argue that border controls ‘fundamentally cause the deaths of people.’ “We demand concrete and urgent actions are taken to avoid a repetition of this disgrace and to guarantee the safety of people who see they are forced to migrate.” In addition to demanding safe routes, the four organisations also want everything possible done to ‘respect the memory of the victims, to identify them and to communicate the tragedy to their families.’ On Tuesday evening the organisation staged a small gathering in Almeria City centre with a rope with 260 knots to symbolise the number of people who have perished trying to cross the Mediterranean this year.
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Running wild
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Rural tourism push
THREE horses running loose caused traffic accidents on the A7 in Roquetas. Three cars ran into t h e a n i m a l s l a s t F r i d a y, causing minor injuries to one person and the death of two of the horses.
Jury trial A MAN accused of killing a 15-year-old boy when he bashed him on the head with a stone during a brawl in El Ejido in January 2015 will have a trial by jury.
Big chill MINIMUM temperatures in Calar Alto and Puerto de la Ragua dropped to the lowest for the month of October in 44 years this week with the arrival of snow, registering just -8.2C on Monday night.
PRODUCTIVE: Association Vice-President Luis Aurelio Pérez Tapia said meetings would soon lead to results. COMPANIES from the Almanzora Valley tourist sector attended the Andalucia Tourism, Sport and Adventure Tourism Fair held last weekend to promote the area as an all-round rural tourism destination. The Almanzora Valley Tourism Business Association, which represents more than 80 companies, took part in a work session focused on marketing an inland, rural and nature-based tourism of-
fer, with representatives from tour operators, travel agencies, online platforms, hotels and hostels, active tourism enterprises, and provincial tourist offices, among others. Association Vice-President, Luis Aurelio Perez Tapia, described the event as very productive. He said the association had established agreements, “which will soon produce results,” after taking part in meetings with companies specialising in areas in-
cluding online promotion of adventure tourism, rural accommodation directories, ecological tourism, gastronomy-based tourism, and activities aimed at children. “The promotion of the region’s tourism offer is fundamental for attracting visitors,” Perez Tapia stressed. He said the association had been working for months on preparing activities designed to put Almanzora Valley on the rural tourism map.
Breaking down barriers PROMOTING the rights of people with an intellectual disability sat at the heart of a conference organised by seven provincial associations. The conference discussions focused on issues including access to the job market, education, social attitudes, equality, diversity and opportunities for all. Aspapros President Luis Francisco Pardo said the objective was to “expose the current situation which people with an intellectual disability in Almeria live, and then to address which path remains to be taken to find full inclusion.” Attending the conference Almeria mayor Ramón Fernández-Pacheco congratulated the associations “who work so that the inclusion of people with an intellectual disability is a reality.” He pledged that public administrations would “continue advancing so that different intellectual abilities do not represent a barrier to real inclusion.” The I Provincial Meeting for the Inclusion and Rights of Persons with an Intellectual Disability was organised by A Toda Vela, Altea Autismo, Apafa, Asalsido, Asparos, Aprodalba and Asprodesa. It brought together associations working in the field, families and experts in inclusion and rights.
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Environment prize A SCHOOL in Turre has won an award for an environmental project. The Andalucia government’s awarded the ECEIP María Cacho Castrillo school the ‘Seed’ prize for its work on the reforestation of an area in the Mofar area of the municipality using the Japonese Nendo Dango earth balls technique. With the help of Turre Council personnel, the children first cleaned up the land in preparation for the earth balls, separating and classifying the rubbish they picked up, including glass, paper and plastic, and using containers as plant pots. There were also trips out to the surrounding countryside to identify the main
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species and to collect broom, carob tree, palm and hackberry seeds. They studied and classified the seeds they found and then used them to make their earth bombs, which were spread around to encourage reforestation of the land and return it to its original state with vegetation native to the area. Environment and Land Planning delegate Raul Enriquez visited the school with Turre mayor Maria Isabel Lopez to give diplomas to the children. He praised their work for encouraging “respect for, care of and enjoyment of native flora and forest ecosystems, through information, training and active participation.” The Seed awards are given out for edu-
cational experiences included in the ‘Village’ environmental education programme. Launched in covers issues like climate change, forest conservation and biodiversity, as well as recycling, green energy and responsible consumption. The delegate said the administration’s initiative had “given the education community the opportunity to discover the botanical wealth in Andalucia though the creation of small gardens of native flora in their own education centres.” The Turre schoolchildren can now look forward to a two-day stay in the Huerto Alegre Farm School in the Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama mountains Natural Park in Granada.
Online video hits A
N online video campaign to promote Mojacar’s beaches has been a phenomenal success, the local council
said.
The Tourism department said the campaign exceeded all expectations, reaching more than a million people on Facebook altogether. Four high quality videos of areas of the municipal coastline were put out on social media from June to mid-October, showing off the diversity and beauty of Mojacar’s beaches, as well as the infrastructure they offer visitors. The first video to go out featured Mojácar’s virgin beaches, reaching nearly 260,000 people and getting more than 100,000 viewings. The Mojacar South video posted in July reached almost 165,000 people and got nearly 80,000 viewings, while the Mojacar Centre video put on social media at the end of the month reached more than 280,000 people and was viewed just under 100,000 times. The last video in the campaign was Mojacar North published in August. This video reached just shy of 350,000 people and was watched 104,000 times. Tourism councillor Emmanuel Agüero said the videos would be reused as promotional tools this autumn, winter and spring as thanks to the climate the municipality’s beaches attract visitors yearround.
PROMOTION: The videos showed off the diversity and beauty of Mojácar’s coastline.
NEWS
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Sowing employment seeds A WORKSHOP to help 15 unemployed people find jobs in the gardening sector has got underway in Cuevas de Almanzora. Participants completing a year of training and work experience will receive professional level certificates, opening up employment opportunities in areas such as park and garden maintenance and jobs in garden centres and plant nurseries.
The Andalucia government’s Employment, Business and Trade Department awarded Cuevas del Almanzora Council a grant of nearly €280,000 to organise the workshops, in which the national Employment and Social Security Ministry is collaborating. Cuevas del Almanzora mayor Antonio Fernadez Liria and Economic Development councillor Maríi Isabel Alarcon welcomed the participants
last week in the Casa To r c u a t o S o l e r B o l e a Function Room. The mayor referred to “the council’s satisfaction on having achieved such an important project for Cuevas as this workshop, which will train and will give employment to 15 unemployed people from our municipality.” He also took the opportunity to encourage participants to “fully make the most of this training, which will allow
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THE tensions between the AUAN homeowners’ association and Cantoria Council continue. In a recent letter directed at the local resident British community, Mayor Purficacion Sanchez dubbed AUAN “the British PP association,” and invited residents to form new associations “that will send us (PSOE) each and every one of your demands.” AUAN member Helen Prior responded with an open letter strongly defending the association and its president Maura Hillen. Mrs Prior, whose home in Vera was demolished in 2008 by the Junta de Andalucia in 2008, stated, “When you attack AUAN you must understand that you attack us. You also attack people who are still suffering from the planning chaos in Andalucia.” Maura Hillen told the Sol Times she was grateful to Mrs Prior, and stressed AUAN had no particular political party affiliation. “We speak to everybody to try and get legislation through the Andalucian parliament,” the AUAN President maintained. She said the “little spat” between the a s s o c i a t i o n a n d C a n t o r i a To w n H a l l stemmed from the PP and Ciudadanos parties backing a regional parliamentary initiative to change the planning laws in support of those awaiting legislation via a town plan. PSOE voted it down, a
CREDIT: AUAN Association Facebook page
Tensions rise
SPAT: AUAN President Maura Hillen insists the association is not party political. move Maura Hillen described as a “blow” for AUAN and “disappointing as PSOE have helped us change laws in the past.”
you to obtain a professional certificate with which you will have more work opportunities in the future.” The workshop is for people aged over 25, who over the year will alternate between the training and the workplace practice with a contract, gaining valuable experience to make them more employable and at the same time providing a service to the local community.
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A NEW search for an elderly woman from Turre who disappeared two years ago failed to produce any clues as to what happened to her, but there was one happy story to emerge from the search efforts last Saturday. Guardia Civil who had been taking part in the efforts found a dog which had been missing since the day before in the Fuente de Royo area of Turre. They locat-
A dog’s tale ed the animal after persistent barks alerted them to the fact it was in distress. Following the barks, the officers found the entrance to what appeared to be the narrow entrance to a cave. They decided
to check whether the dog was inside, having to crawl several metres and then drop down vertically to a gap where the Podenco was trapped. They then managed to get the grateful pooch out with an impro-
vised harness made from rope. Once outside the dog was happy to stay with its rescuers, who shared their sandwiches and water with it, and noticing that it was wearing a collar with a telephone number on it, got in contact with its owner. The relieved dog owner had combed the area for their pet after losing sight of it the morning before.
New look church R
ESIDENTS of the Las Pocicas area of Albox joined local dignitaries for the official inauguration of the newly renovated Santa Barbara Church last Sunday. Albox mayor Francisco Torrecillas, Deputy Mayor José Campoy, and Justice of the Peace María del Carmen García were among those present for the occasion. The inauguration ceremony included special thanks to a number of people, including Antonio ‘The Taylor,’ the local man responsible for ensuring the church renovation happened, the Saint John the Evangelist Brotherhood for its collaboration on the restauration of the image of Saint Barbara, the mayor and deputy mayor for their support, and Las Pocicas residents for taking an interest in the project. Following a mass, there was a procession, with parishioners carrying the image of Saint Barbara through the village streets, to the accompaniment of music from the Los Juanes band.
RENOVATED: Las Pocicas residents supported the project. The procession stopped halfway to inaugurate another inauguration project, the Doctor’s House, where in the past Las Pocicas residents went for their medical consultations. There was a blessing by
Albox priest, Antonio J María Saldaña Martínez, after which the mayor and deputy mayor unveiled a commemorative plaque. The Doctor’s House will serve as a function room for Las Pocicas cultural events.
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2nd - 8th November 2018 CREDIT: ALMERIA PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITE
NEWS BITES
Child friendly
HUERCAL-OVERA has obtained the Child Friendly City stamp awarded by UNICEF in recognition of its efforts to promote the application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in local entities.
REUSABLE: The Ecocur exhibition stand was made from cardboard.
Rock Albox THE 34th edition of the Rock Albox musical festival will be hitting the town on Saturday with performances by the groups Hamlet, Fausto Taranto, and Marea tribute band La Patera, among others.
City visits
THE Almeria guided tour programme for November starts tomorrow (Saturday) with a turn around the city’s historic centre, This will be followed by a visit to the Alcazaba citadel on Sunday morning.
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Revolutionary stand
XHIBITORS present at the Fruit Attraction trade fair under the Flavours Almeria brand drew a lot of attention, not only thanks to the quality of their products, but also because of a revolutionary stand design. Ecosur wowed with a stand which can be recycled, the first of its kind at the event. Every part of the stand was made from cardboard, from the walls and the counter, to the shelving, tables and
chairs. It was all designed to be practical, hard-wearing, but also reusable. Provincial government Agriculture Deputy Maria Lopez Asensio highlighted the added value which the image of companies attending the trade fair gave to the Flavours Almeria quality stamp, commenting: “The consumer already knows about the quality of our products, knows that they are healthy, and with these actions reinforce the image that they have to have healthy products.”
High-speed development ALMERA City Council says further progress on the high-speed rail connection looks to be on the cards. Housing and Urban Development councillor Miguel Angel Castellon commented this week that the Almeria High Speed society, made up of Almeria Council, regional government and national government representatives, is set to meet in the near future about putting out to tender the pre-project, viability study and project to carry out the second phase of works to run the train lines coming through the city underground. On Monday, ADIF rail infrastructure Construction Sub-Director, Raimundo Agosto, met with Government Sub-delegate in Almeria Manuel de la Fuente, Andalucia government delegate for Almeria, Jose Maria Martin, and Almeria mayor Ramon Fernandez Pacheco, to report on the rail works currently being carried out in the El Puche area of the city. Agosto said the documentation necessary for putting the second phase out to tender was now ready and would soon be published in the Official State Bulletin. The second phase of the works will extend the underground line to the Avenida del Mediterráneo, where the line will run at surface level again as far as a new station.
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Road works
THE Diputacion de Almeria has approved four projects to improve roads in Pulpi and Vicar, along with Roquetas de Mar and the provincial capital. The project is set to see improvements made to the pavements, gutters and walls on 42 roads across the four urban areas. The works have a budget of more than €1.8 million. They come as part of efforts to improve access to farming and livestock rearing areas, the Diputacion said in a statement. Oscar Liria, the Diputacion’s development spokesperson, said the contracts for the works had now gone out to tender. “They are investments that will enhance the agricultural sector through improvements to the roads which are used to deliver their goods,” Liria said. The four works are part of the Diputacion’s Rural Road Plan for 2018 and 2019. The plan has the backing of more than €10.5 million in funding and covers a total of 224 kilometres of rural roads.
Beer festival launches THE mayor of Almeria City has officially opened this year’s Oktoberfest fair, which is taking place in the Mirado de la Rambla until this Sunday. The event, which began last Tuesday, is based on the traditional German celebration which has since been spread around the world. Festival goers are expected to drink around 12,000 litres of beer during the festival, according to Almeria City Council. Mayor Ramon Fernandez Pacheco said it was a pleasure to
launch the event. “I am sure that until this Sunday thousands of families will be passing through to the Ramble to go to the festival,” the mayor said. “The event will help to boost social, cultural, gastronomic and business activities in the city,” FernandezPacheco said. Beer and Bavarian food is on offer as well as live music from the Las Vegas band and entertainment from actor Kikin Fernandez. Varieties of beer include a lemon flavoured and non-alcohol offering.
Spa trip
FOREIGN expats joined local Spaniards on a Mojacar Town Hall-organised trip to the Archena Spa resort in Murcia. More than 40 residents went along for a relaxing day to enjoy the spa facilities, accompanied by Mojacar Sports councillor Ana Garcia. Mojacar Council is signed up to an agreement between the Almeria Provincial Government and Archena Spa which means inclusion on the Spa Thermal Circuits Promotion, allowing municipal residents to benefit from reduced prices for admission and lunch. The town hall provided free transport to and from the spa. The Archena spa is thought to be one of the oldest in Spain, and its waters are highly appreciated for their medical properties
TRIP: More than 40 residents enjoyed the day.
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Pre-olympic preps ADRA has begun preparing for its role as host of the provincial phase of the 35th Thales Mathematical Olympiad for grade two secondary schoolchildren. The competition will bring together more than 500 participants next March. Adra mayor Manuel Cortes met recently with the Thales Mathematical Society delegate in Almeria, Eva Acosta and the head of the Abdera secondary school, where the event will take place, to discuss the first organisational steps. The mayor described Adra’s role as event host as “an excellent opportunity from the knowledge point of view for all the participants, coming from all parts of the province, because the value of mathematics becomes known among young people.” He also said the Olympiad would mean participants and their families would “get to know the attractions of our town.”
Exchange experience
AWARDS: The prize winners with the mayor and the Culture councillor.
Past and present C
OMPETITIONS organised by Vera Council to serve as a fun way of teaching local children about the area’s past and building a basis for the town’s future attracted more than 300 entrants. Prizes for the winners of the Historic drawing and Short story competitions were awarded last Friday at an official act held in the Victoria Covent. The children had to offer their vision of
what Bayra, the old Vera, would have been like, either in a picture or briefly in their own words. The competitions were part of a programme of events this year to mark the 500th anniversary of Vera and the declaration of 2018 as Year of Culture. The old Vera town located on today what is known as the Holy Spirit hill was hit by an earthquake on November 9, 1518, destroying the settlement
and claiming the lives of much of the population. A new town was then built on the plain in front of Bayra. Vera mayor Felix Lopez and Culture councillor Isabel de Haro also used the occasion to give copies of the fifth centenary logo designed by Javier Carmona to the local Ángel de Haro, Cuatro Caños, Reyes Católicos, Valdeserra, IES Alyanub and El Palmeral schools.
FOUR teaching students from the German city of Dortmund will be gaining work experience in a school in Adra under the Erasmus + K1 European exchange programme. Thanks to the inclusion of the Gaviota Insitute in the programme, the German students will have practical experience in different infant schools in the locality over a seven-week period, working with children aged up to three. The students will also learn about the local way of life and have the opportunity to discover Adra’s cultural and tourist attractions. Adra’s IES Gaviota and the Gisbert von Romberg institute in Dortmund are currently looking for host families for the students during their stay in the town. The idea is to give the students a property experience of life and customs in the area, and at the same time give them plenty of chances to practise their Spanish. This is third year of the exchange programme in Adra.
NEWS
Selfie winners THE winner of the Almeria City council selfie competition is to jet off to New York. City Promotion Councillor Carolina Lafita handed Rosa Medina Lozano her prize at a ceremony last week. Second placed Evelin Criado won a Mediterranean cruise and Mari Carmen Castillo got a trip to Leon for third place. A total of 545 people took part in this second edition of the competition. The councillor said many of the images sent in were of people wining and dining in the city’s bars and restaurants, which she attributed to the ‘excellent’ campaign to gain the gastronomy capital of Spain title. The initiative to mark World Tourism Day on September 27, under the slogan Tourism, set participants the challenge of showing the range of possibilities Almeria offers, turning residents and tourists into guides with their own vision of how to highlight the best of the city.
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Coastal cleanup MACENAS beach in Mojacar Playa was left rubbish-free thanks to the efforts of a 30-strong team of volunteers from Coastal Cleaners Andalucia. Split into two teams, the group started from each end of the beach, meeting in the middle. Two ramblas (water courses), discharge into the sea on the beach, and the volunteers found both were fairly littered. Over the course of the day they removed approximately 115 bags, 45 of which were recycled. In among the usual bottle tops, food wrappers, plastic bottles and cans were a lot of the plastic tubes from cotton ear buds and plastic drink straws. Job done, the group rewarded themselves with a well-earned drink. Future Coastal Cleaners Andalucia events include a litter pick and pre-Christmas dinner. See Coastal Cleaners Andalucia on Facebook.
RUBBISH: Volunteers removed bags, bottle tops, wrappers, plastic bottles and cans.
11 Access for all MAKING Adra more accessible for people with mobility issues is the aim of a council plan. The Municipal Accessibility Plan which will set out measures for eliminating physical obstacles in streets and buildings in the old town in particular. Councillor responsible for this area of the local authority’s work, Carmen BelénLópez, met recently with the monitoring team from Ilunion, the company awarded the contract to action the project, along with council experts, to check on progress in drawing up the plan. She said the initiative “will allow us to specifically set out what the best actions and measures are to adapt and eliminate obstacles from a large number of streets.”
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Healthy town
Ed. 659
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KEEN to make its contribution to the Spanish Network of Healthy Cities (RECS) initiative, Cuevas del Almanzora Town Hall was present at the network’s recent technical days held in Palma in Mallorca. Health councillor Ana Maria Castro and health expert Ana Belen Mena both attended the event, which this time focused on healthy routes The councillor commented that it was important the municipality has ‘a voice and vote in the Assembly.’ RECS is made up 215 local councils and provincial governments throughout Spain. Cuevas del Almanzora mayor Antonio Fernández Liria has been a member of the RECS Governing Board since April 2016.
CHARITY FASHION: Catwalk beauties (left) and event organisers Lynne Hart and Gilly Bradley (right).
Catwalking for animal shelter THE PAWS-PATAS charity fashion show at the Maramar Luz de Luna restaurant in Mojacar raised an amazing €580. Organisers Lynne Hart and Gilly Bradley worked tirelessly in the six weeks leading up to the show on Wednesday October 24, preparing clothes and accessories donated to the PAWS-PATAS fundraising outlets in Mojacar, Turre and Las Buganvillas. On the day,
the ladies, plus token chap Lewis Irvine, paraded in an amazing display of fabulous outfits; the models included Lady Ellen, who also provided live entertainment. Bunny Willis’s colourful and original Christmas decoration table attracted many happy customers and the PAWS-PATAS cat people sold a stack of books, in addition to which there was a jewellery stall and a raffle table.
The money raised from the event will go towards much-needed maintenance at the animal shelter. PAWS-PATAS survives entirely on donations and fundraising events. Visit www.paws-patas.org or email: info@paws-patas.org. Coming up on November 9 there is a PAWS-PATAS quiz at Stop Bar in Turre starting at 4pm, max six in a team and €2 per person. Call Diane 953 715 037.
Wherever You Are All adverts must be prepaid whether they are placed at our offices, by email or fax, or via our sales team. The advertisers full name, address and ID number must be supplied (not for publication). Sol Times does not accept any responsibility for claims made by advertisers, either in advertisements or advertorials, nor can it be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or the non-appearance of advertisements or advertorials. This publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors as a result of poor quality artwork or logos supplied by advertisers and no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement or advertorial. Every effort will be made to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of articles and advertisements in this publication, however the publisher does not accept responsibility for claims or opinions in the same. The publisher does not accept responsibility for opinions expressed by readers in the ‘Mailbox’ section of this newspaper. Reproduction of any part of this newspaper without the consent of the publishers is prohibited. E:&O.E. All rights reserved / Todos los Derechos Reservados Deposito Legal Sol Times Almeria Edition MA 811-2017
THE Rose Singers’ November Wherever You Are concert is dedicated to the memory of Peter Lindley LDCR (RN) MBE, who passed away on October 2. The evening concert will be at Miraflores Restaurant, Camping Los Gallardos on Tuesday at 7.30pm. The afternoon concert will be at the Parador in Mojacar Playa on Saturday November 10 at 3pm. A raffle will be held at both events with proceeds going to the Asprodalba association for people with an intellectual disability. Tickets are priced at €8 and can be bought in advance from Forget-Me-Not (Las Buganvillas), Total Entertainment (Turre), The Shop, Camping Los Gallardos and Abodes (between 353 and Koi), Mojacar Playa. They will also be available on the door, from choir members and by messaging the Rose Singers, Mojacar Facebook page.
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Weekender Jos Biggs’ column Page 14
Raised flower beds
Protect your investment Page 16
World in a bottle Page 28
Page 19
Tasty treacle toffee Page 23
Middle row seats Page 27
Pets at Xmas
Land Rover expands
Page 29
Page 38
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Feature
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The Darkness Cometh
By Jos Biggs
AS Barbara was on holiday I toddled next door in the darkling dawn to feed her cats. Cats can see in the dark, but I can’t, so I screwed up my eyes against the shock of sudden brightness and switched on her kitchen light. I opened them to the exact same amount of darkness as before. Illumination there was not! I tried a few other switches. Nothing! Gingerly I opened the fridge - and shut it again, fast! By the time I had located the cat food by feel and fed the cats by guesswork it was a little lighter, so I opened Barbara’s fuse box. All the little handles were pointing up, except one orange one which was down. I vacillated. If I pushed it up, as I thought it should be, would the
whole house explode?Would Barbara return to find nothing but a smouldering heap and three well-fed cats where her house had been? That was more responsibility than I felt up to, so I decided to Get Francisco - he knows about electricity, and then if anyone explodes the house it won’t be me! I explained telephonically what the problem was, adding that Barbara was due home that evening. “I’ll come at 5.30.” “Can’t you come earlier?’ ‘No, I’m in Rambla de Oria.” Rambla de Oria is a good deal closer than Outer Mongolia, so I reiterated my plea for earlier, emphasising Before Dark. “I’ll do my best.” Will Francisco come Before Dark? And if he does, will he explode the house?
josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk
Pause to remember I GUESS that nobody reading this actually remembers that momentous day, a century ago, when the armistice was signed, bringing to an end the years of deadly conflict, when so many from both sides of the channel, so needlessly lost their lives. So much devastation, so much loss and hurt, with so little real achievement, as evidenced by the renewal of hostilities just 20 years later. How right the decision never to forget, but to remind ourselves each year of the terrible cost of war, and to recommit ourselves year-onyear to seek peace at all times rather than conflict. And how well, initially at least, such intentions were upheld as each year, at 11am on November 11 the country came to a silent, reflective standstill. The years of course have passed. The emotions are necessarily less raw, as now comparatively few of us have experienced personal loss through conflict. But we still need to remember; to reflect on the dreadful cost of warfare and to express our gratitude to those, mostly unknown, whose sacrifice over the years has won for us the freedom we enjoy today. And so next week, at 11am on Sunday November 11, 100 years after that armistice, at war memorials, in churches,
in private homes and in many other places in towns and villages around the world, folk will take time to pause to remember, using that period of quiet reflection to be thankful and to commit themselves to strive for peaceful rather than forceful solutions to the troubles around. A celebration, not of war, as some suggest, but of the ending of hostilities and the hope of peace. So here in this part of Spain we too remember, with local branches of the Royal British Legion joining in services at the open-air church in Mojacar and at the central church in Arboleas. But whether you join us at one of these traditional local services, or at some other, or prefer to stay at home to watch the televised service in London, I can only ask that we all, in whatever way we find best, take time on this very special centenary to pause, to reflect, and to remember with thanksgiving.
Duncan Burr is Licensed Lay Reader for the Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida (further detail available at www.mojacarchurch.org) and may be contacted at d.burr@albox-online.net
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Weekender
HOME security is about the onion effect, where burglars must peel away at layers to get past the security measures. There is an old saying: ‘you don’t have to out run the bear just the other person.’ This means if your home has more security measure in place than your neighbours they will be targeted. This means if you want to protect your investment and make your home more saleable security measures are increasingly important. In recent times the advent of the more ruthless ‘creeper burglar’ has increased due to technological advances in vehicle designs. Most vehicles are becoming harder to break into. The average thief using crude or sophisticated methods are failing and so they are motivated to search for the owner’s unlocking device, and thus the need to break into the house. Creeper burglars are not only after your vehicle some are there for your
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Protect your investment
ALARM: Add another layer of defence.
valuables too. Some people make it too easy to enter their homes which entices the opportunist thief. High walls and fences may stop the neighbours from gawping at you
around the pool, but they are a haven for burglars who only have to get over the wall to be out of sight. This is so obvious, but people still do it. Lock your doors and windows!
Deter thieves from targeting your house by ensuring a clear line of sight from the street. Cut back trees and bushes that obscure your front door. A solid core door with a
deadlock, for example, is harder to force, grilles and shutters prevent burglars from breaking in through windows. Garages and garden sheds are often targeted
by burglars who can then use your tools or ladders to gain access to the house. Lights with motion sensor should be fitted. Ask friends to collect your mail and to stop junk mail from building up in your letterbox while you’re away from home. A neighbour parking in your driveway can also help signal the house is not unoccupied. Other measures could include internal lights or a radio set on timers and organising for someone to mow your lawn. Installing a small safe in your home is a relatively low-cost way to protect jewellery and cash. Break up packaging for expensive new gear before tucking it into the bin they are watching. Add another layer of defence fit an alarm system and CCTV cameras with remote viewing, choose wired over wireless. A barking dog can also provide effective security. Even installing a ‘Beware of the dog’ sign can make thieves pause before targeting your home.
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Weekender
Lifestyle
2nd - 8th November 2018
Small but perfectly formed
CLEAN HOUSE: A big plus when trying to sell. your home MORE than a third of house viewers would walk away from an untidy property which is crammed with personal items, according to a new study. Other unattractive characteristics that can ruin a sale include patterned or bright wallpaper, vinyl flooring, chandeliers and unbelievably, toilet seats. The research, carried out by Privilege Home Insurance, also revealed that cleanliness was the overall
winner when home buyers were asked what would prompt a second viewing and perhaps a sale. This was followed by outdoor space, a walk-in wardrobe and kitchen storage. Surprisingly, the findings suggest that women are 10 per cent more likely to point out structural issues, damp, bad lighting, a lack of natural light, storage and outdoor issues, as well as bad DIY jobs.
COSY: Small but perfectly formed.
W
HILE many people may dream of sprawling houses, vaulted ceilings and acres of land, others prefer a cosier approach to property.
And while smaller homes can be desirable to many buyers, decorating them to emphasise the space they do have can make a property seem
more useable. Thankfully there are many ways of doing this. It’s well-known that painting a room white or a light shade can enhance
its feeling of space, reflecting light and adding an airy quality to a room. The same is true of adding mirrors, which gives an impression of added space as well as reflecting more light. Keeping any furniture monochromatic will also lend a larger feeling to a room by creating a stream-lined look. Curtains can often cut out light even when you don’t want to and visually decrease the space in a room. Instead, blinds or shutters block out light when you need to without impacting on the space within a room. This tip also helps draw a buyer’s attention to any beautiful views you might have outside the property. In terms of furniture, choosing one piece which is large - for example a sofa - and keeping the rest relatively delicate draws the eye to that main piece while those in the background create depth. This can give the impression the room is deeper than it is. Similarly, striped flooring - such as wooden floorboards or tiles - running the length of a room can also suggest it is longer than it is. Finally, removing any clutter helps give an impression of space and also tells a buyer that a property has enough storage.
Lifestyle
2nd - 8th November 2018
Weekender 19
Make the most of the winter months S
UMMER time is officially over whic h f or s ome people spells the end of the gardening season and the chance to relax at the weekend. But keen gardeners often feel bereft at the thought of long wintry months with nothing to do. However, winter is actually a good time for catching up on all those things you didn’t have time to do during the summer because of the demands of regular mowing, clipping, trimming and weeding. Now that things have ceased growing, there's an opportunity to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, and tackle other projects. There’s time to assemble sheds, flat-pack arches and gazebos or put up fencing or trellis. Alternatively, dig a pond or make raised
PREPARATION: Colder months are ideal for digging foundations for raised flower beds. beds for growing vegetables. You could also consider a mini makeover. The planning can all be done indoors when the weather’s too bad for anything else, then in mild spells you can get on with digging out foundations, doing any brickwork and
laying paving. Winter is also the perfect time for soil preparation. If you are creating a new lawn, kitchen garden or flower bed, there is time to get the ground cleared and dug over. In addition, you can push ahead with planti-
ng. From now until midMarch is the best time for planting deciduous trees, shrubs, roses and hedges. In fact, it’s the only time you can plant bare root plants dug up from a nursery field. Even pot-grown shrubs from garden centres ‘take,’ so
TASKS: Now is a good time to do gardening jobs such as assembling a garden shed. it’s much better if they are put in when they aren’t in leaf. And you can make savings by planting now as garden centres often hold end-of-season sales to clear stock in time for Christmas. Useful little jobs can be tackled now you have
more time on your hands, like clearing or sorting out the shed and cleaning pots and seed trays ready for spring. Or prepare for colder weather by lagging the outdoor tap, replacing cracked panes of glass in the greenhouse and securing tree ties.
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Weekender
Lifestyle
2nd - 8th November 2018
Getting rid of Gotelé By Mark Shearman
THE one thing that can be disappointing, and can be found in various Spanish properties covering all the walls, is that popcorn, Anaglypta effect the Spanish refer to as Gotelé. The Spanish often spray it on walls when finishing off a new build, usually because the plaster finish is not up to standard, at least they did years ago. They can be a little unsightly and also be dirt traps. There are two types of Gotelé walls: one that has been painted with a water-based paint and one with an emulsion referred to in Spain as Plastico. Plastic emulsion paint is water based acrylic and provides a smooth matt finish to the walls. These paints have gained popularity because of their ease of application, quick drying properties, non-objectionable odour and good washability. Spray some water on the wall and if it disappears, soak the walls and scrape away. If it runs down the wall then it will be hard to remove and you would be bet-
GOTELE: Can be a dirt trap.
EASY: After skimming walls will be easier to sand. ter off with the second solution. There are products you can buy to remove it. Paint it on the wall and when it is dry wet it with water and then it will peel off like wall paper using a large scraper. You will need to skim it with a thin coat of plaster to cover up all those gauges and previous imperfections that
paint will show up. The second solution Cover the Gotelé with a thin skim of plaster. There are many products out there created specifically to cover Gotelé on interior walls. It also fills out any holes, hollows, bumps, cracks and crevices. The end result is smooth straight walls ready to
paint. It makes for easy preparation and application with trowel or scraper as well as quick and easy sanding. It also reduces the absorption, increasing the yield of the paint. Run a trowel or scraper over the whole area and knock off any loose Gotelé, mix up some plaster like Aguaplast or yeso fi-
no and fill in those areas first, then skim the whole wall, trowelling it flat. If you are unsure which product to use, as there are several, ask the person at the merchants. They will give you their product for cubierta Gotelé. I have always used yeso fino or Aguaplast they have a long enough working time before they start drying. Axton do a range of products with glue binders if suction cannot be achieved which most plasters rely on to adhere to the wall or ceiling. Once the plaster has dried, usually eight hours, run a block of sand paper over it and paint. Leroy Merlin stock a broad range of products in their construction section including tubs of pre-mixed plaster or paste that you can apply with a roller and then smooth it off with a trowel, rub down and seal ready to paint.
Smart homes IT began with smart phones, then we had tablets and the smart T V, s m a r t w a t c h e s , smart whiteboards in the classroom, and now we have smart homes. For those who have luckily managed to avoid the ongoing fanfare of technological advances (and probably save a bit of money in the long run) smart technologies are an advanced form of interactive computing which you can personally adapt to your needs. With smart homes, however, it becomes much more than a simple gimmick like a fitness tracker on your phone, the technology can radically alter your home life and is completely under your control if you can withstand
the publicity. A smart home is a networked home, with multiple devices linked wirelessly to an outside hub which can monitor household rhythms to optimise or personalise the inside environment. Examples would be a thermometer which learns about your energy usage and takes measures to ensure you never spend more than necessary, or a smart meter which switches on washing machines when the cost per unit is at its lowest. Outside devices can monitor weather reports and adapt watering systems appropriately, or check acidity levels and email you when the pH needs upping. Smart fridges can al-
ter temperatures depending on the contents and let you know when a particular item is running out, while smart beds can monitor your sleeping patterns and wake you up at precisely the right moment to enhance your morning energy. The so called ‘Internet of Things’ is already upon us. There are of course privacy matters inherent in this new era. The smart course of action would be to avoid becoming entirely reliant on such t e c h n o l o g y, o r g i v e away too much control to outside agencies. In the not so far away future, however, this may be more easily said than done.
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Weekender
Food & Drink
2nd - 8th November 2018
Not every fish species is suitable for sushi
THINK you can use any kind of fish for sushi or sashimi? Well think again. Yes, nearly every fish is edible, but that does not mean every single one is edible raw, thus making it unsuitable for sushi. Some of the classic fish species used in sushi include tuna, salmon, yellowtail, floun-
SUSHI-GRADE FISH: Some classic species include salmon, mackerel and sea bass.
der, squid, gizzard shad, mackerel, sea bass, sea bream and snapper. More often than not it is perfectly safe to use any farmed fish from the UK, Norway, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Norway to prepare sushi, because these countries have strict standards regarding cleanliness and you are very unlikely to
find parasites in their farmed fish, not even if you buy trout or sturgeon. Sushi chefs recommend that all the seafood sushi lovers decide to eat raw be previously frozen, because it is safer that way. Even sushi chefs freeze their salmon first, because it is incredibly susceptible
to parasites. Sushi-grade fish are caught quickly, bled and gutted upon capture and iced thoroughly. Some sushi lovers may even decide to catch their own fish and eat them raw in a nice rice roll, but they would be welladvised to bleed the fish by slicing through the gills and to gut it right on the boat, because most worms living in fish live in their guts and migrate to the flesh once the fish has died. However this can be prevented with fast gutting.
Five ways to make a no-cook seafood ceviche CEVICHE is a Latin American dish consisting mainly of meat or seafood which has been ‘cooked’ using only the acidity of vinegar or citrus juice - much like ‘boquerones en vinagre’ which can be found all over Spain. Here are five suggestions on how to serve it at home. First of all sushi-grade fish is necessary but it’s also acceptable to use frozen if it is high quality. Whatever fish you choose just cut it into thin strips and then put it in a citrus or vinegar marinade for around 45 minutes (depending on the thickness of the strips). Add a few herbs and spices to taste and it’s ready. Scallop ceviche is made with finely shredded and unsweetened coconut flakes which add an unexpected texture and
flavour to the spicy dish. White fish ceviche verde is made with a variety of fish for a mix of flavours and textures; combine this with creamy avocado, big green olives, crunchy chopped spring onions and some cherry tomatoes. Octopus ceviche is definitely for the more adventurous but it is a taste that goes well with a citrus marinade - for extra crunch and colour just add peppers. Ceviche tacos are an excellent barbecue item to liven up the meat based meal. Just make any sort of ceviche and serve it in a taco shell. Scandinavian ceviche is made with smoked fish instead of fresh and may be more appealing for those who are not keen on the idea of eating raw fish.
Custard apples, delicious fruit DESCRIBED by Mark Twain as “the most delicious fruit known to men,” the custard apple, or “chirimoya” in Spanish, is one of the healthy highlights of the autumn and winter in this part of the world. Custard apples have a sweet, creamy-textured, pale flesh with a flavour somewhere between a banana and a pineapple, with maybe a bit of pear thrown in, and are full of goodness. They are high in fibre, good sources of various minerals and B vitamins, and are packed with vitamin C. They are also rich in carbohydrates and contain more calories than many fruit. The custard apple pulp makes a tasty dessert eaten just on its own or with other fruit or mixed with a bit of natural yoghurt and honey. The fruit is also used to make shakes, smoothies, mousse and ice-cream. With their green indented skin and heart shape, custard apples stand out on fruit stands. They are often apple sized, but can grow to be as big as grapefruits. Neither the skin nor the pips - the number of pips can vary considerably - are edible. Using a spoon to get the pips out the flesh and to separate the flesh from the skin is highly recommended or you may end up a sticky mess! Catching a custard apple at just the right level of maturity between rock hard and seriously overripe can be a bit tricky. A useful tip is to wrap it in newspaper to encourage it to soften up. Or if a custard apple is going soft before you want to eat it, wrap it in cling film and stick it in the fridge.
Food & Drink
2nd - 8th November 2018
Treacle Toffee
TREACLE TOFFEE: A delightful treat. LAST week’s Parkin was demolished rather quickly, but I did make another one, which is now hidden in one of the cupboards here at Olive Tree Farm ready for Bonfire night. It is tightly wrapped in cling film, so it should be lovely and sticky on the night. As I still had treacle and golden syrup left, I decided to use it up and have a go at making treacle. My first attempt set perfectly, but the tray I used was a bit big, hence it was more like a sheet of glass. My second attempt was put in a smaller tray and broke into really nice chunks which was how I was hoping it would be. There are numerous recipes online, but this one worked well… Just remember to have hot water ready once you have poured it into your tray to set and put the pan straight back on the hob along with the hot water and a splash of washing up liquid, otherwise it will take an age to clean it, as the toffee sets very quickly. Equipment - You will need a deep, heavy bottom saucepan (the toffee bubbles up quite a lot
Tartar 115g Black Treacle 115g Golden Syrup
OLIVE TREE FARM was set up about four years ago with the intention of achieving a level of self sufficiency. We have poultry for meat and eggs, goats for milk, rabbits and small pigs for meat and harvest our 70 olive trees each year for oil. We also grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. when cooking, so make sure it is a decent sized pan). Grease and line an A4 sized baking tray and then grease the paper well also. You will also need a sugar thermometer. Ingredients 450g brown sugar 125 ml hot water ¼ teaspoon of Cream of
Method Put the hot water and sugar in your saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Do not stir! You can tilt the pan a little to check if the sugar has all dissolved. Once dissolved, add your other ingredients to the pan. Place your thermometer in the pan and give the mixture a gentle mix though using the thermometer… Be gentle! Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. You need to reach 140 deg C which is a soft crack for the toffee. Do not walk away from the pan, watch it at all times, and do not stir. As soon as you reach the temperature, very carefully pour the mixture into your prepared tray and leave to set. Once cold and set, you can break up the toffee and store in an airtight container until ready for use. Use greaseproof paper between the layers of broken toffee, so it doesn’t all stick together.
Weekender 23
24
Weekender
Puzzles
2nd - 8th November 2018
Wordsearch Obscure Metals & Metalloids
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.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
TARGET:
THALLIUM
CESIUM
GERMANIUM
OSMIUM
INDIUM
ARSENIC
ANTIMONY
GALLIUM
CADMIUM
MOLYBDENUM
RHODIUM
BORON
BARIUM
BISMUTH
SELENIUM
TANTALUM
Quick
Across 1 Move fast (4) 3 Gradual improvement, growth or development (8) 9 Childhood disease (7) 10 Subsequently to (5) 11 Encounters (5) 12 Less difficult (6) 14 Mistakes (6) 16 Film theatre (6) 19 Armed engagement (6) 21 Wait on (5) 24 Similar (5) 25 Argument (7) 26 Herder of sheep (8) 27 Fewer (4)
Down 1 Recall (8) 2 Have in common (5) 4 Not tired (6) 5 Seizes suddenly (5) 6 Outermost (7) 7 Certain (4) 8 Nearer (6) 13 Negligent (8) 15 Understand (7) 17 Demand (6) 18 Having or displaying warmth or affection (6) 20 Molars and incisors (5) 22 Established line of travel or access (5) 23 Felines (4)
• Average: 19
• Very good: 37
• Good: 26
• Excellent: 48
SCORING: • 4 letters: 1 point • 5 letters: 2 points • 6 letters: 3 points • 7 letters: 4 points • 8 or more letters: 11 points
enate enatic erotic etna aeon aper ante anti antic antis anis anoa attic atrip cent centrist crenate crone crow crows ciao cite cone conte contrite core corer coin coiner coir cows cotta cots cosine cost coast coal coals icon iris astir ants also
Cryptic
Across 1 Recurring pattern in accuracy clearly shown (5) 4 Entertains armies (5) 8 Some tennis pros perceptively thrive (7) 9 Learner taking the Great North Road? He's landed up in Scotland (5) 10 Trunk from actor's office (5) 11 Doctor Les adds burdens (7) 12 Spice Girl is after an oddball (6) 14 A sport designed for a clergyman (6) 18 Greek deity suffering in style (7) 20 Badly stain the material? (5) 22 Redesigned River Nile for a big ship (5) 23 Look after Rhode Island legislative leader's ivy feature (7) 24 Cry: "The Queen is tee-total" (5) 25 Quietens Commons' leader with aid for the poor (5)
Down 1 Windlass disturbed catnaps (7) 2 Sounds like there's plenty of paper for the church group (5) 3 Former partner and PLO, about to look around (7) 4 Stress, as rash is all over (6) 5 Is involved with old firm (5) 6 Let silk ruin frying pan (7) 7 They assist in the formulation of ideas (5) 13 A number of workers are paying guests (7) 15 Poison scare in building (7) 16 Joint in centre of Dorset causes annoyance (7) 17 Saint carrying tungsten alloy (6) 18 Beat legume (5) 19 It can be used in chocolate or returned in a taxi (5) 21 Party Rolling Stones held in Austria (5)
Puzzles
2nd - 8th November 2018
IRREGULAR SUDOKU
SOLTIMES STAR QUIZ : FIRST AND LAST 1. Born in Osterley in 1945, who was the first female presenter on BBC Radio 1 and is its longest-serving presenter? 2. Erhaab, in 1994, was which jockey's last Derby victory? 3. It’s All Over Now, in 1964, was which rock group’s first UK number one hit single? 4. Eugene Cernan, in December 1972, was the 11th and last person to do what? 5. The English physician William Harvey was, in 1628, the first person to describe what completely and in detail? 6. What is the 24th and last letter of the Greek
alphabet? 7. Which duo made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919? 8. What is the title of John Wayne’s last film? 9. Which product was the first advertised on ITV? 10. Who, in 1947, was the last Emperor of India? Not a lot of people know that... The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written in 1916, was Agatha Christie's first published novel. Her last public appearance was at the 1974 premiere of Murder on the Orient Express.
Kakuro
Answers 1. Anne NIGHTINGALE, 2. Willie CARSON, 3. THE ROLLING STONES, 4. WALK ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON (his lunar module pilot, Jack Schmitt, became the 12th, but as commander, Mr Cernan was the last to re-enter the Challenger, so becoming the last man to set foot on the lunar surface), 5. CIRCULATION OF BLOOD, 6. OMEGA, 7. Captain John ALCOCK and Lt Arthur Whitten-BROWN, 8. THE SHOOTIST, 9. GIBBS SR toothpaste, 10. King GEORGE VI
SUDOKU
Weekender 25
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.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
CrosswordSolutions from last week Quick
Cryptic
Sudoku
Irregular Sudoku
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Weekender
Health & beauty
2nd - 8th November 2018
Go for a middle row seat FAN of priority boarding on a plane? Well you may want to rethink paying that bit extra to get on first if a study by Arizona State University is to be believed. Their study concluded that priority boarding is bad for your health, as it increases the likelihood of spreading diseases. They studied boarding scenarios to see how a disease would spread if one person was infected. With priority boarding, the passenger is seated first towards the front of the plane meaning they are likely to come into contact with more people as other passengers go past them to find their seat, increasing their risk of coming into contact with an infected person. They recommend using a two-zone boarding process, which is used by some companies who still board planes via external stairs directly into the plane. This allows them to seat half the plane from the front and half from the back, which would lower passenger contact by around 27 per cent.
But there are things you can do to protect yourself against infection on a plane: Avoid the aisle seats. They offer the opportunity to stretch out a little more but you come into contact with more people passing through the aisle. Disinfect your seat. Whilst planes are cleaned between flights it is unlikely they are cleaned as extensively as we would like to think so. Having a small pack of disinfectant wipes in your hand luggage to wipe around the seat and tray will reduce the risk. Avoid sitting at the back of the plane, as this is where the bathrooms tend to be and people congregate there to wait in line, putting you in contact with more germs. Pop a pill. Try taking a multivitamin, vitamin C tablet or sachet for your drink to increase your immune system and help protect it against any possible infections ahead of the flight. AISLE SEAT: You come into contact with more people passing through the plane.
Much ado about Matcha
GREEN TEA: Scientists are still yet to discover what this tea can’t do.
A SUPERFOOD to rival all superfoods, the Matcha Green Tea craze is sweeping the globe, and for a good reason. The Japanese were definitely on to something when they began drinking the powdered green tea over a millennium ago. The Samurai, Japan’s most noble warriors, even drank it before going to battle. The tea is packed full of antioxidants and vitamins and is considered to be one of the most potent superfoods around. Matcha Green Tea doesn’t just contain any old antioxidants however, it contains a set of organic compounds called cate-
chins which are known for having cancer fighting properties. As the tea is made from storing the leaves away from light and oxygen to preserve its rich green colour, the powder also contains high levels of chlorophyll which helps to cleanse the body of unwanted toxins. The tea has also been proven to enhance calm, boost energy levels and improve memory and concentration. One cup contains enough iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C, to fortify your immune system. It even helps you burn calories.
Health & beauty
2nd - 8th November 2018
Brighter than white THE 28-day non-smoking challenge, Stoptob e r, h a s c o m e t o a n end, which apparently makes those of you who took part five times more likely to quit for good. Yo u a r e n o w c a r b o n monoxide free, can b r e a t h e e a s i e r, a n d reap the benefits of improvements to lung function and circulation. Unfortunately, aesthetic improvements are more difficult to naturally rec o v e r. S m o k e r s a r e more susceptible to premature ageing, sagging skin, stained teeth and hair loss. So why not reward your smoke-free body with a new healthier look. As a consequence of smoking, teeth yellow, discolour and stain due to the tar and nicotine contained within cigarettes. The porous properties of teeth mean these products are easily absorbed, often penetrating stains deep into the tooth enamel making them stubborn to remove. Using an activated charcoal toothpaste s u c h a s W h i t e G l o ’s Charcoal Deep Stain R e m o v e r To o t h p a s t e easily eradicates pestering tooth stains. This specialist formula uses high absorbent charcoal technology to instantly
DAZZLE: Enhance your smile while fighting the fags.
trap coloured particles, bad breath and whiten teeth. Whilst activated charcoal particles remove stubborn stains and detoxify the mouth. Suitable for everyday use, this toothpaste has a low abrasion formula which protects teeth against cavities. Smoking exposes your skin to 4,000 chemicals making it even more damaging than sunbathing. Premature ageing is one of the main reasons smokers look 1.4 years older than their actual age. Nicotine contained within cigarettes causes vasoconstriction, the narrowing of arteries
which limits the blood supply to smaller blood vessels. This suboptimal blood supply deprives the skin of anti-oxidants, moisture, oxygen and vitamin C which help to keep skin looking healthy, young and supple. A smoker ’s skin is also subject to sagging and wrinkles due to a high exposure to free radicals which break down collagen and elastin. Rejuvenate your skin by consuming foods with a high concentration of antioxidants such as spinach, almonds and oranges to support
Look after your diet at work STRESSING about issues at work can often lead to a poor diet and irregular eating patterns. The normal working day can start off well with a healthy breakfast, but by lunchtime and mid-afternoon, a hectic environment can lead to unplanned snacks or nothing to eat at all. Tight deadlines, overlapping meetings and other work commitment make us delay what we eat or opt for the wrong sort of things. According to experts, stress -eating is a big point of concern among office goers, and stress and anxietyinduced hunger can have long-term effect on the waistline.
Doctors from SL Raheja Hospital in Delhi, claim that making simple and smart food choices throughout the working day can help boost creativity and productivity, while keeping fatigue and stress to a minimum. Tips to help make the most of your day include, having a good breakfast, banning sugary snacks from the workplace and drinking plenty of water. It’s advisable to steer clear of sugary, caffeine laden drinks, and always eat a home-made lunch. Healthy snacks such as nuts, almonds and raisins, tubs of raw or roasted vegetables and fruit smoothies are also a good idea.
collagen production and improve skin elasticity. Moisturise daily and drink plenty of water to quench the thirst of your dehydrated skin.
Weekender 27
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Weekender
Feature
2nd - 8th November 2018
Around the world in a bottle by Sandy Shore A MAN never forgets his first drink, hence his lifelong interest in the female décolleté. Later on, I could never understand the appeal of beer. Of course I sipped a little to test the brew but far preferred Sarsaparilla. Sailors, so they say, have a preference for rum, but it did little for me when I began to wear bellbottoms. Nevertheless, it was par for the course for sailors to head for the bars when mooring at foreign ports. By the way, the question sometimes arises as to why ships are known as ‘she’ rather than ‘he.’ Surely it is obvious; on approaching a port, a ship keeps its bottom hidden, paints its topsides, and heads straight for the buoys. But, that is another story to those I reluctantly tell lest my sons read of their dear father’s dalliance with alcohol in its many forms. Older readers might recall
CLASSIC: Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront. the 1954 movie On the Waterfront which starred Marlon Brando. High drama, the movie puts the spotlight on the mobsters who infest New York’s Hoboken waterfront. Fast forward just five years and I was in those same joints. Much to my shame, I was a
teenage leader of a gang recruited from the crew of one of the great ocean liners moored at the Hoboken piers. By this time, I was knocking them back; doing so was the unavoidable culture of the seafarer’s calling. Being British, there was lofty
disdain for American beer but beggars can’t be choosers, ‘when in Rome’ and all that nonsense. The best, or rather the worst was yet to come. I first tasted Anis, which is aniseed-based liquor when we called in to Beirut, Lebanon. Never forgotten, the unseemly
ruckus in a brothel that occurred later left me with bruises and a hangover of such severity I grimace as it is recalled. Lessons will be learned? Well, not quite. My first taste of Saki occurred naturally in a Japanese port. Oh, the contempt was writ large on my handsome visage as my taste buds came into contact with what we Jack Tars describe as virgin’s pee. I later had little recollection of keeling over like a ship in dry dock whose supports have collapsed. Let’s not go there, Nigeria I mean. Britain’s Elder Dempster and Palm Line fleets regularly sailed up the creeks of West Africa, venturing deep into the Dark Continent’s jungles where the natives are fond of a tipple too. Palm Gin is sap from the palm tree so don’t try this at home. It is called gin because it looks like the stuff, but is more potent than Saki and Anis combined. I really should have stuck to Sarsaparilla.
Behind THE MUSIC
One Step Beyond V L James | vljcomms@gmail.com | Facebook: @vljamesinfo their own. Less aggressive L AST w e e k w e to l d you a bit about the eponyand political than The Specials, Madness mously titled debut were still social comalbum from The Specials. Well in mentators. My Girl’s Mad at 1979, the Me… I Didn’t Want chances are to See the Film that if you To n i g h t … a g a i n , owned that album you also our adolescent lives were brought owned One Step Beyond, to life in song. After debut single the debut album The Prince was refrom 1980’s chart l e a s e d o n Tw o To n e botherers Madness. Records, the album A six-piece from Camden To w n came out on maverPURE MADNESS: The group ick label Stiff. Hit (they would becontinue to perform with six of come a sevensingles from the althe seven members. bum included the tipiece a few weeks tle track, Night Boat after the release of the album when Chas Smash be- to Cairo and My Girl. It was the start of a decade of came a permanent member), Madn e s s c o m b i n e d t h e i r l o v e f o r J a - r e g u l a r c h a r t h i t s a n d To p o f T h e maican ska with English kitchen sink P o p s p e r f o r m a n c e s , b u t i t w i l l a l dramas and added a touch of vaude- ways be this first offering that will be v i l l e t o c r e a t e a u n i q u e s o u n d o f remembered most.
PETS
2nd - 8th November 2018
Weekender 29
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Does your cat miss you if you’re away for the holidays? “CATS don’t like change without their consent” - Roger Caras Cats miss us when we go away, it’s true! It’s hard to imagine cats growing sentimental or getting attached, however, our pet owners tell us they do. One cat owner we know swears that the minute the suitcase appears on the bed her cat starts dragging its leg and whining for attention. Perhaps you are going away for Christmas and New Year to visit family and friends? What do you do with your pets? Have you tried house-sitters from HouseSitMatch to look after them in their own home? They’ll have their own sitters to care for and cherish them in your absence. How we work HouseSitMatch is a house-sitting network where new members register online. We ID check everyone to ensure we know who you are, and sitters are police checked. We charge for membership to ensure that there is a commitment from both parties, and we can afford to manage our network online professionally. Our latest review on Trustpilot Signing up with HouseSit Match was very easy and I find the website very user friendly.
HOLIDAYS: Who will care for your pet at Christmas? Although I signed up only last week, I have already posted a house-sit and had it filled! The support I’ve received when I’ve needed it, is second to none. - Review by Pet owner Bridget G - Alicante How you benefit as a home and pet owner Our membership offers access to a secure network helping you find suitable sitters. We hide your contact details and address. You post an advert ahead of your travel dates, we publish the advert, and house-sitters can then apply.
Yo u c a n v i e w t h e i r p r o f i l e s and chat with them before you accept an applicant. If you join as a Premium member we can also help you at each stage of the process to get you started and manage your account. How you do join? Please register online at www.Housesitmatch.com. • Choose a membership plan • Standard (DIY option) = £49 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £79 pa
Do you need a house or pet-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 – an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742 or email admin@housesitmatch.com
ACCORDING to the results of a recently released study, dogs trained to detect victims of malaria could be posted at a number of UK ports. As part of a screening programme, the animals could sniff out people infected with the condition, and tests undertaken have shown that the dogs could correctly detect malaria in socks worn by infected children in 70 per cent of cases. In addition, they were able to indicate when there was no malaria present in nine out of 10 cases. Professor Steve Lindsay of Durham University said: “This could provide a non-invasive way of screening for the disease at ports of entry in a similar way to how sniffer dogs are routinely used. “If you could go in there
Veterinary Clinic
Avenida de Almeria 1 Bis Local 2 Edf La Para,04639 Turre Almeria
Photo credit: LSHTM YouTube
Cats at Christmas
Sniffing out malaria
DETECTING: Trained dogs were able to identify 70 per cent of cases.
and the dogs could identify malaria-infected people easily without lining everyone up and fingerpricking everyone, I think that would be a real, positive step.” The dogs are trained at the Medical Detection Dogs centre in Milton Keynes.
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Weekender
Leisure
2nd - 8th November 2018
The Great British Bake Off stands up to cancer Richard Shanley
Dishing the Dirt OF EUROPA DIGITAL
T H E G R E AT B R I T I S H BAKE OFF has just finished its most recent celebrity series to support S t a n d U p t o C a n c e r, b u t there’s already a starstudded line-up waiting in the tent for more. During Friday night’s Channel 4 telethon, it was announced that The Great Celebrity Bake Off will be returning next spring to raise money for cancer research and support. This all-new series will feature an incredible group of stars, including: Channel 4 news presenter K r i s h n a n G u r u - M u r t h y, Former Coronation Street and current Our Girl star Michelle Keegan, Comedian Russell Brand, This Morning and Big Brother presenter Rylan ClarkNeal, Channel 4 News and University Challenge presenter Jeremy Paxman, Love Island host Caroline Flack, Comedian
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF: The celebrity series will return next spring to raise money for cancer research and support. Jon Richardson, Actor J o h n L i t h g o w, S t i l l O p e n All Hours star Sally Linds a y, B e i n g H u m a n a c t o r Russell Tovey, The Crown star Greg Wise, Labour MP Jess Phillips, Comedi-
an James Acaster, Rapper Big Narstie, Boxer Nicola Adams, Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Paralympian Hannah Cockroft, Comedian Joe Wilkinson, Benidorm star
J o h n n y Ve g a s a n d I ’ m a Celebrity winner Georgia Toffolo Some of the stars of the 2018 series joined John Bishop on stage at Stand Up to Cancer last Friday
to show off what they’d learned in the tent. I t ’s s a f e t o s a y T h e A p prentice’s Nick Hewer still needs some more practice before he earns a Hollywood Handshake.
If you would like me to answer any questions you may have on satellite TV or to expand on anything I have written about please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europa-digital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show every weekday from 10am on Spectrum 96.1 and 106.8FM, now covering almost 3,000sq kms of Costa Almeria and Calida or listen online at costaalmeria.spectrumfm.net for the latest news and views from the world of satellite television.
Feature
2nd - 8th November 2018
Weekender 31
Did he stay or did he go? AUDITION: The Wyken Working Men’s Club in Coventry.
by John Redfern
Credit: © Robin Stott Creative Commons
I
AM now a bass player after my successful audition at the Wyken Working Men’s Club in Coventry for a slick Irish six-piece showband and was told that I was playing the following night at the Bedworth Liberal Club. Ruddy Nora! I had only played in a pop trio prior to my folk music days and when I arrived the following night I was that nervous I was glad that I had chosen to wear my brown corduroy trousers! The king pin of the band was a chap called Kevin Moore, the guitarist and lead vocalist (who became a life-long friend of mine up to this day)! He introduced me to each member of the band and gave me a large cardboard box saying: “You will need this tonight John!”
We finally arrived and unloaded the gear from the band’s van. The cardboard box was worrying me. Back stage with an hour before kick off the band members changed into their stage clothes. Blue suits, blue waistcoats, silk, sky-blue frilly shirts and large, black dicky bows which in a heavy wind, would have took you off your feet and sent you into outer space. I was
wearing denim jeans and a threadbare jacket that matched! I was that nervous I decided to leg it to the bar for a few jars of lager with a whisky chaser. Believe it or not I was back in the changing room 15 minutes later with a head on me like a zoo keeper’s boot. I slowly entered the dressing room and witnessed a sight for sore eyes - four grown men (excluding
the drummer) practising dance steps while holding their instruments. I was on the brink of doing a runner. Kevin Moore finally opened up the cardboard box saying: “A new suit, shirt and dicky bow, black shoes and socks. If they don’t fit just suffer and we can get them changed”. He added: “The steps are e a s y. E v e r y f o u r b e a t s y o u take two steps to the left then
two to the right, swing your guitar upright, then take two steps back and lower your g u i t a r. T h e n t w o s t e p s f o r ward! ‘Always smile and never look at your watch’. I changed into my new gear, placed my microphone stand next to the drummer, clipped on my mike, tuned my bass and placed it on its stand. There were now seven minutes before the stage curtains opened, I was born with two left feet and didn’t know a crotchet from a crutchet because I could only play by ear. I peeped through the crack in the curtains and the audience was full to capacity. Two minutes to go (should I stay or should I go). The Clash were talking to my sixth sense and told me to stay! The curtains opened, my bass was strapped on, the audience was cheering and the opening song was Hey Las Vegas by Tony Christie. You must be waiting in anticipation to find out how the show went?
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MOBILE APP COMPANY LOOKING FOR INVESTORS. Our existing mobile app service is looking to expand into Europe. Invest from as little as €3,000. Please call 626 426 642 for further information.
COSTA Almeria and Costa Calida. Mojacar Eucharist Sunday 11am, at San Pascual. Aljambra Chapel, Albox, Eucharist, second and last Thursday of each month, 11am. Evensong, second Sunday of each month 6pm. Llanos Del Peral, Cucador, Eucharist or morning worship, Sunday 11am. Church Wardens: Pam Carter 667 947 573. Janet Smith 671 451 838. For more information go to their website
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ZURGENA branch of the Royal British Legion hold Branch Meetings on the 1st Thursday of the month. Coffee morning 3rd Wednesday of the month. Quiz night with a hot and cold buffet last Friday of the month. We also arrange outings to places of interest and have regular lunches together. (253989)
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HEALTH & BEAUTY GIRASOL HEALTH FOOD SHOP, Calle Malaga, Albox. For all your dietary needs, health foods, organic foods, supplements, super food powders, organic eggs and veggie box scheme. Est 2006. Tel 639 089 170
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MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)
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WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
NAUTICAL COURSES INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 636 444 929
PETS THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs 6 euros, medium dogs 6.75 euros, big dogs 7.50 euros, cats from 5.25 euros a day . 630 234 556 / the5bonehotelturre@g mail.com New opening hours MonSat 9.30-12.30 and 18.00 – 19.00 Sundays 9.30-10.30
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36
Sport
2nd - 8th November 2018
Sport universal right T
HE 2018 Popular Races Circuit came to a close last week with an evening of prize-giving at the Cervantes theatre in Almeria City. Thanking all those who had made this year’s circuit season possible, provincial government Vice-President Javier Aureliano Garcia underlined the administration’s commitment to taking sport to every one of the province’s 103 municipalities, and to all ages. “Sport in our province is an accessible and universal right,” he said. “There is no municipality or corner of the province which does not
CREDIT: Almeria provincial government website
PRIZES: The Cervantes theatre was the venue for an evening of prize-giving.
New sports, new challenge SPORTY children can look forward to the opportunity to take on new challenges over the coming months. The 2018-2019 Provincial Sports Games will feature new sports, including fencing, cross duathlon and sailing. Also part of this year’s games is the objective of getting c h i l d r e n o ff t h e s o f a a n d a w a y f r o m t h e i r c o m p u t e r screens, and doing some kind of exercise instead. The ‘Walking for a Challenge’ initiative will hope to shine a light on problems of obesity and an overly sedentary lifestyle in the population in general by promoting healthy daily habits and the benefits of physical activity. Speaking recently, Provincial Government President Gabriel Amat said the sports games programme helped p r o m o t e s p o r t i n a l l 1 0 3 o f A l m e r i a ’s m u n i c i p a l i t i e s , adding that it has “as an added bonus that it develops the values essential in sport, such as team spirit, solidarity, exerting yourself and working as a team.” Last year more than 75,000 schoolchildren from 83 municipalities across the province participated in the Provincial Sports Games. The initiative first launched in 2011, and since then the provincial government has invested more than €25 million in what Amat said had been not just programmes and activities, but also sports grounds and improvements to existing facilities. Provincial Sports Deputy Angeles Martinez said this year’s programme would give schoolchildren the chance to take part in educational workshops, covering activities including open-air sport, athletics, recreational swimming, badminton and table tennis. There will also be organised days for children to learn more about basketball, rhythmic gymnastics and tennis, among others. At the weekends there are the matches for the four provincial leagues in basketball, five-aside football, volleyball and multi-sport activities for the youngest children. Finally there are high-performance sports promotions circuits in cooperation with sporting federations in disciplines including judo, swimming, rugby, cross country and chess.
have a space in which to get fit.” Talking about the different sports programmes, which range from the Active Almeria initiative to encourage visitors to come to the province year-round, to the Provincial Sports Games in which more than 80,000 children take part every year, the Vice-President said the common denominator was “to make sport a huge family, the values of which unite all participants and all towns.” The event held last Friday night brought together some of the approximately 4,000 runners who took part in the circuit races this year, personalities
from the world of athletics, sponsors, and collaborators. The efforts of the municipalities which hosted the races were recognised, with awards going to mayors and councillors from Rioja, Bedar, Antas, Seron, Sorbas, Macael, Turre, Cuevas Pulpi, Garrucha, Balanegra, Tijola, Vera and Gador. There were nods too for institutional collaboration to the Andalucia Athletics Federation, the Sub-delegation of the Government, the Provincial Traffic Department, and the Civil Protection groups in Cuevas del Almanzora, Turre, Garrucha, Pulpi, Vera, Huercal-Overa and Mojacar.
Green Way forward
TOURISM: The mayor of Huercal-Overa said the new path would attract more visitors to the area. HUÉRCAL-OVERA and Murcia are now joined by the Almendricos Green Way. The inauguration of the new walking and cycling route last Friday follows the completion of works carried out by the Murcia Region Tourist Board. Speaking at the event, Huercal-Overa mayor Domingo Fernandez underlined the importance of the project, not only as a leisure option for residents, but also for attracting visitors to the area. “With the Almendricos Green Way we give continuity to the Huercal-Overa one, joining our municipality with Murcia region, offering new opportunities to our residents who can now enjoy nearly 20 kilometres of continuous green way,” Fernandez said. “We are jointly backing active tourism and sport”, he continued. This is an action
with which we add another attraction to our municipality The mayor also promised that in the future the Huercal Overa green way path would be connected to the Almanzora Green Way. The 6.5-kilometre Almendric o s G r e e n Wa y f o l l o w s t h e route of the now disused railway line which joined Lorca and Baza. The Huercal-Overa G r e e n Wa y e x t e n d s f o r 1 3 kilometres as far as Las Norias, where the Almendricos path starts. Also attending the green way inauguration were Sports councillor Alonso Mena, along with Murcia Region Tourism councillor Miriam Guardiola, To u r i s m I n s t i t u t e D i r e c t o r General Director General Manuel Fernandez-Delgado, G r e e n Wa y s D i r e c t o r J u a n Soria, and Lorca mayor Fulgencio Gil.
UNITED: Coming together for exercise and to raise money for a good cause.
Runners and walkers unite RUNNERS and walkers of all ages and abilities came together for the third edition of Flamingo Running. Hundreds of people took part in the event held last Sunday morning in the Las Salinas area of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, running or walking 13km routes through lovely scenery. There was also the option of choosing a family-orientated eight-kilometre route, as well as races for children in the Cabo de Gata Church Square. Organised by AquéAtacamos in collaboration with the Almeria Municipal Sports Board, this year Flamingo Running raised money for the NGO El Teléfono de la Esperanza (The Telephone of Hope).
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Motoring
2nd - 8th November 2018
The fastest McLaren ever built MCLAREN Automotive has revealed the stunning, streamlined form and sensational specification of the McLaren Speedtail. The next chapter in McLaren’s Ultimate Series, the Speedtail is the first ‘HyperGT’ from the pioneering British company recognised for producing luxury sportscars and supercars that deliver extraordinary driving experiences. The Speedtail can achieve the highest maximum speed of any McLaren to date,
reaching 403 km/h (250mph), and will deliver an unprecedented blend of contemporary craftsmanship, materials, innovation and bespoke personalisation. Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Automotive said: “McLaren has never built a vehicle like the Speedtail before. As our first ‘Hyper-GT’,
the Speedtail is the ultimate McLaren road car; a fusion of art and science that combines an astonishing maximum speed with an iconic centraldriving position and a truly pioneering approach to bespoke personalisation. “A ground-breaking hybrid powertrain sits within a lightweight carbon fibre body reminiscent of
sleek ‘streamliners’ that once set world speed records, while the luxurious three-seat cockpit offers a sublime combination of an incredible driving experience, unmatched individualism and innovative materials never seen before in a road-going vehicle.” As the most powerful and most aerodynamically drag efficient McLaren, the Speedtail can exceed the 243mph record peak speed of the legendary McLaren F1, made possible by intense col-
AERODYNAMIC: The new McLaren Speedtail has been unveiled.
IT wasn’t the first crossover to hit the roads, but the Nissan Qashqai was the car that revolutionised the field when Nissan launched it 11 years ago. Good-looking, inexpensive and practical, it successfully combined the style, space and driving position of an SUV with the practicalities and affordability of a hatchback. This proved to be a winning formula, with Nissan selling over a million of these cars since 2007. Today the Qashqai is the UK’s third highest-selling car (behind the Ford Fiesta and Focus), and the good news is that it keeps getting better. The car will get a complete facelift in 2019, but for those who can’t wait till then, the current 2018 version comes with enough bells and whistles to make a fine bargain buy.
Nissan Qashqai 2018 The star of the show is Nissan’s new semi-autonomous ProPilot technology that comes as a €900 upg r a d e o n i t s m o s t p o p u l a r Te k n a
model, or as a standard on the topof-the-range Pilot One Edition. By using a host of cameras and radars, the Intelligent Cruise Control
laboration between McLaren’s design and engineering teams to deliver a peerless blend of aerodynamic, powertrain and dynamic excellence. It is also significant that this is the first of 18 new cars that McLaren will introduce as part of its Track25 business plan. A speed of 403km/h (250mph) is achieved in a unique Velocity mode, developed specifically for the Speedtail. Velocity mode optimises the hybrid powertrain for highspeed running, whilst tailoring the angle of the active rear ailerons. Additionally, the digital rearview cameras can be retracted to further improve drag. Furthermore, the Velocity Active Chassis Control can lower the Speedtail by 35mm, leaving the highest point of the vehicle just 1,120mm from the road surface. Just 106 will be created and are already reserved, at a price of from £1.75 million plus tax.
system can in theory drive the car on major roads without intervention. Features include automatically adjusting the speed when other vehicles pull in front or if traffic slows, and sounds a warning if the driver isn’t gripping the steering wheel hard enough. In addition, there are blind spot alerts which light up whenever it’s not clear to turn, and the touch screen infotainment system is really easy to use. On a more basic level, the spacious boot comes with clever compartment dividers to separate prams or bikes from shopping bags. Overall, the Qashqai remains justifiably popular because it manages to be fun, comfortable, and with all the practicality expected from a leading family SUV.
Motoring
2nd - 8th November 2018
39
Jaguar Land Rover expands to Slovakia J
AGUAR Land Rover has this week opened its state-of-the-art €1.4bn (£1bn) manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia, the first time a UK automotive company has opened a plant in this country. With the heart and soul of its business in the UK, Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in Nitra marks the latest step in the company’s global expansion strategy, following the opening of its Chinese joint venture in 2014 and
Brazilian plant in 2016, supported by contract manufacturing in India from 2011 and Austria from 2017. The creation of new international factories allows them to offer its customers even more exciting new models, protect against currency fluctuations and support a globally competitive business. On the opening, Professor Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover said: “Global businesses require global operational
STRIKING a balance between long-distance comfort and good old-fashioned driving enjoyment is difficult, so most manufacturers aim somewhere in the middle. The Jaguar F-Type is a conventional twoseater, available with a four-cylinder, six-cylinder, or eight-cylinder engine, and with a hard or convertible roof. It comes with either rear-wheel drive or allwheel drive and, if you opt for the range-topping SVR versions, it reaches supercar levels of performance.
STATE-OF-THE-ART: The new Jaguar Land Rover plant in Nitra.
footprints. While Jaguar Land Rover’s heart and soul remain firmly anchored in the UK, expanding internationally enriches and strengthens our UK business. “The opening of our next generation manufacturing plant in Nitra, Slovakia, represents the start of a new era in manufacturing for Jaguar Land Rover.
“It is the latest milestone in our long-term globalisation programme and the culmination of four years planning. “As with our existing manufacturing facilities located in the UK, China, Brazil, India and Austria, this high-tech plant in Slovakia will complement and support our corporate, R&D and engineering functions currently
Jaguar F-Type: Bold and beautiful Prices start at around €56,000 and soar to €147,000, but Jaguar sells about 10,000 of these cars every year. The P380 soft top has a limited-slip differential
based in the UK.” Jaguar Land Rover currently employ around 1,500 people in Nitra, 98 per cent are Slovak nationals and 30 per cent are women. It will launch a second phase of local recruitment in November for an additional 850 people to join the world-class team in Nitra. All manufacturing employees have taken part
in a bespoke 12-week training programme in the first overseas academy, representing an investment of €7.5 million. Europe has the largest number of Jaguar Land Rover retailers with almost 800 outlets in 42 countries. Since the beginning of 2018, they have sold more than 94,000 vehicles in Europe.
and adaptive dampers, alongside the turbocharged V6 that gives it 375bhp and 460Nm of thrust. It costs around €81,000 in this form, the R-Dynamic trim, and comes with beefy brakes and a range of visual adornments to let everybody know it’s a high-spec model. It is a beautiful car to drive and is arguably the best-handling convertible on the market. Overall, this Jaguar is a jack-of-all-trades which strikes a balance between sports car, grand tourer and boulevardier.