Sol Times Newspaper issue 276 Costa Almeria Edition

your free weekly newspaper www.soltimes.com

i s s u e 2 7 6 costa almeria 2 n d- 8 t h m a rchest. 6 yrs

soltimesLarge Range of

Beds & Matresses including Memory

Foamsecondhand

Furniture WantedBest Prices Paid

Linen StoreLinen Store627 251 856 - 600 268 176

Mon-Fri: 10:30am-2pm ~ Sat: 11am-2pm177 Paseo del Mediterraneo

Mojacar Playa (next to Price Brown)For We Fit come into the Linen

Store,Mosquito Nets and Vertical Blinds Fitted

www.alicanteairportparking.com

www.currenciesdirect.com

money without frontiers

Pol. Ind El Real, AntasTel: 950 459 060

Mobile: 649 482 677

See our main advert on page 14

Enclosures Europe S.L.

LIFESTYLE

Maria Maroto Perez : solicitor / barristerchristina clarke : british dePartMentUrb. las buganvillas, local 23, (nr Garrucha)

Telephone: 950 460 999www.mundiabogados.com

Contact us for a professional, prompt and reliable service.

We speak Spanish & English

MundI

• Conveyancing

• Translations

• Litigation

• Wills & Inheritance

• Tax Returns

• NIE & Residency

abogados

almond Blossom - sprinG is here!

time forcrufts 2011 pG 17

headlines30km per hour

restrictions to Be enforced on sinGle

carriaGe-way roadsairport workers strike oVer aena priVatisationnGo’s urGe spain to halt

arm sales to liBya

Sport

2 SOLTIMES MARCH 2011 ...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

• Free Hearing Test• Digital hearing Aids• Various Models & Colours• Adjustments, Parts & Repairs• Moulds & Batteries• Pensioners - 30% Off

FREE Eye Tests!

+Single Vision fromVarifocal from

28€98€

Designer Sunglasses

From 10 €30% discount

for the over 60s!

30DAILY LENSES

FOR ONLY18,90€

almeria...Two people have been

arrested for the offence of begging using children. They were operating in the Barrio de las 500 Viviendas.

Agents assigned to the Operations Management Area, Titan Group, acting within the Strategic Operational Plan that concerns the protection of minors and Control of Schools have arrested a 47 year old male and a 33 year old female, both residents of Almeria and Spanish Nationals.

A City Security Patrol operating in the parking area in the Calle Olula del Río, by the Centro Comercial noticed a middle aged couple who were using a girl to beg.

A woman in a wheelchair was sitting in the entrance area and a few metres away a man with a girl was leaning against a wall near the parking lots. Whenever a vehicle entered or left the girl would approach the driver’s window to ask for money.

After identification by the officers it transpired that the older people proved to be the girl’s mother and the mother’s boyfriend. Upon checking, the girl was found to be 7 years old.

Later, the detainees are taken to the police station, and the child was given into the care of the Servicio de Atención a la Familia.

www.ibexinsure.com

MaIN agENTS fOR aLL ENgLISh LEadINg bRaNdSFurniture uKFurniture uK

MuRCIa aLMERIa

MERCaMuNdO

EL REaL pOLIgONO INd.

hOTELgaSOLINaCaLLE vENTE vaCIO

vERa

aN

TaSC

aLL

E La

S R

aM

IRa

S

Furniture uKLOCaTION

WaREhOuSE

534

from dining room sets, to beds, wardrobes, garden furniture,

bedroom furniture, display cabinets & much, much more!

RetiRement Saleall stock must go!

Main agents for both wholesale & retail

free delivery to most areas.Mon - fri: 10am - 2.30pm Closed Saturday & Sundaysunit 6, C/Las Ramiras, Ind. El Real, vera/antas, almeria

Tel: 950 393 244

NGOs urGe spaiN tO halt arms sales tO libyaAmnesty InternAtIonAl And other nGos hAve urGed spAIn’s

Government to stop Arms sAles to lIbyA And to revIew defence contrActs wIth other countrIes In north AfrIcA And the mIddle eAst

“Due to the very serious situation in Libya, the first thing to do is to immediately cease all arms shipments (to the country) and then seriously review all shipments” to other countries in the region, said the head of Amnesty International Spain, Estaban Beltran.

Spain announced on Thursday it had suspended export licences for arms to Libya, where human rights groups say hundreds have been killed in escalating protests against Moamer

Kadhafi’s rule. The European Union agreed earlier Friday to slap an arms embargo on Libya.

The Spanish government’s announcement is “positive,” Beltran told a news conference.

But Spain must still “confirm officially that it will not sell any more arms to Libya,” which he said violates Spanish law stipulating that arms cannot be sold to countries in conflict, under repression or committing human rights abuses.

Spain sold arms to Libya, including planes and equipment, worth 7.0 million euros ($9.6 million) in the first half of 2010, according to figures quoted by the group of NGOs, which also includes Oxfam and Greenpeace.

Jesus Nunez, head of the Institute for the Study of Conflicts and Humanitarian Action (IECAH), said countries in north Africa and the Middle East, “our traditional customers ..., should not be the destination for the sales of (Spanish) arms.”

Besides Libya, Spain’s defence industry exports to Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Israel, according to the IECAH.

Nunez called for “transparency” in the sale of arms, noting that such exports had leapt 77 percent in the first half of 2010 to 730.4 million euros.

spaiN tO prObe GuaNtaNamO tOrture claims

A Spanish court has agreed to investigate a complaint by a Moroccan who said he was tortured while in the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, judicial sources said.

The National Court said it was competent to take the case as the complainant, Lahcen Ikassrien, has been living in Spain for 13 years.

In 2005 Spain declared itself competent to investigate any crime committed abroad, but after diplomatic problems the scope of the inquiries was reduced in 2009.

Spanish courts can now deal only with cases that have a clear link with Spain, or cases that are not being investigated in countries where the offences are alleged to have been committed.

The judges Friday rejected an appeal by prosecutors who

sought to have the case thrown out on the grounds that Ikassrien did not have sufficient links with Spain.

Spain’s top investigating judge Baltasar Garzon in 2009 had agreed last year to probe complaints of torture at Guantanamo by Ikassrien and three other former inmates, one of whom has Spanish nationality.

After Garzon was suspended last year for alleged abuse of power, the case was assigned to another judge.

The US detention camp in Cuba was set up to hold foreigners captured after US-led forces invaded Afghanistan to root out Al-Qaeda and its Taliban protectors in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, against the United States.

www.soltimes.com SOLTIMES MARCH 2011 3

almeria...The Mayor of Almeria,

Luis Rogelio Rodríguez Comendador (PP), the Mayor of Almería has announced some of his candidates for the Municipal Elections.

He refuses to be hurried in his announcement of the full list that will accompany the March elections, but is confirming one by one some of the members. His most recent announcement is that Aureliano Javier García, Secretary General of the PP in Almería and current Concejal de Alcaldía will join the chosen number.

So far, only the identity of four candidates have been announced: Himself, plus Esteban Martínez Rodríguez and Ana Labella, two members from GIAL, who were put forward under the integration agreement with this party, and now his latest candidate, Javier Aureliano Garcia.

as well as cuttiNG mOtOrway speed limits tO 110 kilOmetres per

hOur, the direccióN GeNeral de tráficO

has aNNOuNced it will reduce limits ON siNGle-carriaGeway rOads tO 30

kilOmetres per hOur.

speed limits ON siNGle-carriaGeway rOads tO reduce tO 30 kilOmetres per hOur

Only a few connecting roads with no buildings on them will see higher speed limits – at 50 kilometres per hour.

This will mean that most drivers in manual cars will spend the majority of their lives in first or second gear.

They claim it is the only way to cut the rising number of pedestrian deaths – 268 in the year 2009.

As for motorway speed limits, ecologists want to see these slices further, to 90 kilometres per hour.

Restrictions on these roads have been approved as a way of cutting down on petrol

consumption.But whilst saving money on

fuel, Spain’s government will now have to spend 250,000 euros on replacing road-signs.

Additionally, having recently re-set speed cameras on motorways to catch drivers at 135 kilometres per hour rather than 140 kilometres per hour, they will now have to spend even more money on re-setting these.

But the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) says motorists will spend more on speeding fines than they will save in petrol.

PP vice-secretary Esteban

González Pons calls the move ‘Sovietic’, likening it to communist Russia.

Both say they expected a more effective, workable and intelligent solution to cut down fuel usage.

“They could have ordered us to turn off the lights at 22.00hrs, to reduce our meat consumption or live two families per household. It’s every bit as farcical,” says González Pons.

The DGT also says it wants to see a million more commuters using bicycles within the next nine years, instead of cars.

eurIbor reAches record hIGh In februAry

februAry’s eurIbor fIGure Is the hIGhest In the lAst yeAr And nIne

months, economIsts report.Standing at 1.711 per cent on the penultimate day of the

month, it means that anyone with a variable-rate mortgage is now paying considerably more than they were a year ago.

Based upon a 25-year loan of 150,000 euros, monthly figures will have increased by 34 euros to an average of 614 euros a month.

Although interest rates in the Eurozone are not expected to soar in the short to medium term, economists predict that the steady rise seen since May 2009 will continue for the foreseeable future.

AIrport workers stAGe protest over prIvAtIsAtIon of AenA

Protest and strikes could be on the cards this Easter if the government goes ahead with its plans to privatise Spanish airports.

This weekend, an estimated 5,000 airport workers took to the streets in a demonstration, which ran from Atocha station to the Puerta del Sol square, against the privatisation of airline governing body AENA.

Airport workers from the Balearic Islands, who were unable to attend the protest in Madrid

due to difficulties in reaching the mainland, staged their own demonstration outside the government offices in Palma de Mallorca.

A total of 49 per cent of AENA is set to be floated on the stock market, the decision having been approved in Parliament on Friday.

AENA workers now fear for their jobs and future employment conditions.

Sport


15 Year Guarantee

We specialise exclusively in the construction of swimming pools

Ask for your free estimAte now!

telf: 966 444 424 • 664 358 453

A Spanish company

with 15 years experience

More than 2000

pools fitted

email: [email protected]

Special offerSpoolS: 6mx3m 8.950€, 8mx4m 10.950€, 10mx5m 12.950€

including - Project, licence, excavation, iron 15x15x05, gunnite, roman steps, moulded all in edge,

top quality reviglass tiles, decorative trimmings, pump, lights, choice of patterns

(dolphin or sea horse), automatic filling.

Service• covering the costa blanca, calida, almeria, tropical and costa del sol.• optional legal and fiscal service available.• We are a new breed of online estate

agent with 100’s of satisfied clients.

SellingWe speak english, spanish, dutch, German and French.Personalised viewings and Free secure key holding service.accompanied viewings and we GUarantee your property until sold.

Call us [email protected]

600 666 175

The BEST Way to...

soltimes

www.sellpropertyinspain.com

0% COMMISSION

for SaleEspanol 68

p SoLd

0% Commision - One low fixed fee.Free Valuation and consultation service.Wide angle digital Photographyand full written description ofyour property.

• advertise your property to millions of potential clients including the number one spanish and english property web sites, plus many more.

• Professional and pro active representation in Madrid.• newspaper advertising to attract local

clients.• Monthly marketing updates detailing

enquiries and viewings sent to you via email or to to your mobile phone.

Marketing

SPecIal offer Advertise your property with us from ONLY 29€ per month

Sell Your SpanishProperty Online

preparation

publIsher of spAIn’s el pAIs fAlls Into redSpain’s biggest media group

Prisa, which publishes the leading daily El Pais, said Monday it had slumped into the red in 2010 as sales dropped and it cut heavy debt.

Prisa reported a net loss of 72.9 million euros ($101 million) in 2010 after making a net profit of 50.5 million euros in 2009.

Revenue tumbled 14.8 percent to 2.69 billion euros.

“In 2010, Prisa implemented much of its financial restructuring plan, with the consolidation and control

of all its companies with the exception of Cuatro,” it said in a statement.

Prisa sold Cuatro television in 2010 to rival Telecinco, owned by Italy’s Mediaset, and 44 percent of its pay television channel Digital+ to Telecinco and Telefonica, for a total 976 million euros.

It announced 2,500 job losses worldwide, equal to 18 percent of its total staff spread across Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

Shareholders also approved

on November 27 a merger with US investment group Liberty Acquisitions Holdings, which was to inject some 650 million euros into the Spanish firm.

“The divestment plan and the reinforcement of capital structure has seen a capital injection of nearly two billion euros, which has enabled the group to significantly reduce its debt,” Prisa said.

Prisa ended the year with debt of 2.9 billion euros, compared to 4.8 billion euros at end-2009.

spaiN adOpts eNerGy saviNG measures tO

cOmbat Oil price hikeSPAIN HAS ANNOUNCED A SERIES OF ENERGy SAVING MEASURES, INCLUDING CUTS TO THE SPEED LIMIT AND LOWER PRICES FOR TRAIN TICKETS, IN RESPONSE

TO THE RISE IN WORLD OIL PRICES DUE TO UNREST IN THE MIDDLE EAST.“The goal is to reduce the

consumption of oil and gas to reduce our energy bill which has risen in recent days and which we do not forecast will drop,” Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba told a news conference.

Spain has one of the highest dependencies in the European Union on fossil fuels for its energy needs and the spike in oil prices has added to pressures on inflation and the country’s trade deficit.

Under the temporary measures which will come into effect on March 7, the speed limit on Spain’s highways will be reduced to 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour from 120

kph, Rubalcaba said.They will also require an

average of 7.0 percent of renewable content in all diesel and gasoline, up from 5.8 percent.

State-owned rail network Renfe will slash ticket prices on short- and medium-haul trips as well as on suburban commuter trains by up to five percent, he added.

Rubalcaba said the measures would be temporary but he did not say when they would end.

Earlier Friday, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April rose 76 cents to $112.12 per barrel -- the highest level since August 22, 2008 -- before sliding back

on profit-taking as supply worries persisted amid the escalating violence in oil-rich Libya.

Each increase of 10 euros in the cost of a barrel of oil adds some six billion euros to Spain’s energy bill, Rubalcaba said.

“This is a very serious problem which greatly affects out economy,” he said.

Spain imports about 13 percent of its oil from Libya and around 35 percent of its gas from Algeria, according to government figures.

The country has oil reserves that would last for over 90 days, Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian said earlier in the week.

Three hurT in axe aTTack aT Madrid healTh cenTre

A man ran amok in a Madrid medical centre last Friday and attacked people at random with an axe, leaving three seriously injured, police said.

Spanish media reported the man had had a problem getting an appointment at the centre before he returned with an axe.

A police spokesman said man attacked three people at random with the axe at the centre in the Madrid suburb of Fuenlabrada just after

midday.“The injured are in serious condition but their

lives are not in danger,” he said.Police detained the man as he fled on foot,

and he is now being questioned.The incident came two days after a man

stabbed 11 people in the street and inside a supermarket in the resort island of Ibiza before being arrested.

sNOw, raiN aNd hiGh wiNds hit 11 reGiONs iN spaiN

despIte brIGht sunshIne And mIld temperAtures on the south And eAst coAst of spAIn thIs weekend, 11 reGIons Are on Alert for possIble snow, rAIn And hIGh wInds As we Go to press

According to the State meteorological agency, AEMET, Cantabria and the provinces of Álava, Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya (Basque Country); Burgos, León and Palencia (Castilla y León); Lleida (Catalunya) and in Asturias could also see snow of up to 10 centimetres (four inches) in areas higher than 600 metres above sea-level.

About double this is expected in Navarra and in all provinces bordering the Pyrénées.

In Aragón, Teruel and Zaragoza provinces; in the Comunidad

Valenciana (Castellón province); in Catalunya, Girona and Tarragona provinces; in Galicia, the province of A Coruña, and in La Rioja, winds of 80 kilometres per hour are expected over the next few days.

The Balearic Islands are predicted to experience rainfall, but this should not go above 20 litres per square metre per hour.

High winds could also hit these islands.

www.soltimes.com 5SOLTIMES MARCH 2011

five killed iN accideNt at military

facility iN spaiN

The accident occurred at the Military Engineering Academy at Hoyo de Manzanares, 35 kilometers (21 miles) from Madrid, which also houses the International Demining Centre.

“Five soldiers died and three others were injured” and taken to hospital, it said.

Defence Minister Carme Chacon postponed a trip to Budapest for a meeting with her EU counterparts in order to visit the scene.

“It was a explosion of great magnitude,” she said.

Those killed were on a training exercise aimed at preparing them to join Spain’s contingent in the

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where they were to have taken part in operations to deactivate explosives, she told reporters.

“They were preparing to save lives in Lebanon when their lost their own lives.”

Among them “were some of the best bomb disposal experts in the armed forces” and “some had just returned from a mission in Afghanistan,” Chacon said.

Both Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and opposition leader Mariano Rajoy expressed their condolences to the families during a debate in parliament.

Five soldiers were killed and Three injured in an accidenTal explosion aT a MiliTary FaciliTy in cenTral spain ThaT houses a boMb disposal

Training cenTre, The deFence MinisTry said.

spaiN marks 30th aNNiversary Of failed military cOup

spaiN’s kiNG JuaN carlOs presided wedNesday Over a ceremONy tO mark the 30th aNNiversary Of the failure Of a military cOup that sOuGht tO crush a yOuNG demOcracy ushered iN after decades Of dictatOrship

A group of armed Civil Guards backed by a few army generals nostalgic for General Francisco Franco’s rule stormed parliament on February 23, 1981, firing submachine guns into the ceiling, and detained lawmakers in a bid to install another military regime.

The uprising began to crumble when the king, dressed in a military uniform symbolizing his role as head of the armed forces, went on television in the middle of the night to order the troops back to their barracks and endorse the new democratic constitution.

“Tonight I slept very well, not like that night,” the king joked as he arrived at

the same ornate parliament building where the coup attempt took place for the ceremony.

“Today we are much better off than we were then,” he added.

Among those taking part in the ceremony were former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez and the current chairman of the parliament, Jose Bono. Both were in the chamber at the time of the attempted coup as young lawmakers.

Parliament, which had approved a democratic constitution in 1978, three years after Franco’s death, was

installing Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo as prime minister when the coup plotters burst into the chamber.

Spanish television repeatedly broadcast footage Wednesday of the moment when the leader of the coup, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero, burst into the chamber firing his pistol and ordering everyone to the floor.

A year after the coup attempt, 33 men went on trial and all but three were convicted of taking part.

Tejero, now 78, served nearly 16 years of a 30-year sentence and reportedly lives in Malaga in the south.

Ten hurT in sTabbing spree on spanish resorT islandA man went berserk in the Spanish resort island of Ibiza on

Wednesday, stabbing at least 10 people before being arrested, police said.

At around 1:00 pm the man, of Moroccan origin, “went into the street armed with a stick and a knife and began to attack passers-by, and then it appears he went into a supermarket,” said a police spokesman in Madrid.

“Between 10 and 12 people were injured,” he said. “We don’t know the seriousness of the injuries, but they have been taken to various medical centres.”

An employee of the supermarket told Spanish public television he saw “colleagues losing blood, screaming and running. I saw someone start stabbing people and then running.”

The man was arrested by police as he was trying to attack an officer with a stick, the police spokesman said.

He said the man, who had been living in Ibiza “for some time”, had a history of “resisting authority.”

dOmestic viOleNce claims twO mOre victims

Two more women have been killed in cases of domestic violence in Spain, one in Reus, Catalunya and the other in Valencia.

In Reus, the victim’s own five-year-old daughter broke the news of her mother’s death to her teachers, after walking to school alone this morning. The victim, 44-year-old Montse M., was found, stabbed in the back, by her five-year-old daughter at their home in Reus on Tuesday night.

The main suspect is the woman’s partner, a 34-year-old South American man who was found guilty of abusing

the victim in 2006 and, in 2010, of failing to comply with a restraining order. He is now being sought by police.

In Valencia, a 32-year-old woman from Bolivia was found dead at an address in Calle Gregorio Gea shortly after 10am on Wednesday morning. Her partner, a 73-year-old man from Uruguay, was taken into custody after neighbours heard him saying in the street that he had killed her.

Police have confirmed that there is no record of any application by the victim for a restraining order.

two men serIously Injured In cAnAry IslAnds helIcopter crAsh

Two men have been injured, one serioulsy and the other critically after the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in the Caldera de Taburiente national park on the island of La Palma.

The accident ocurred at 9.20am in an area known as Dos Aguas, belonging to the town of El Paso, and it seems that the helicoper, belonging to the Tragsa company, was being used to transport building material for work being undertaken by the company on a footpath in the national park. Three helicopters from the emergency services, along with ambulances, were sent to the scene after the emergency call was received

The two occupants of the helicopter were evacuated the Hospital de La Palma. The helicopter was apparently flying very low at the time of the accident, but no further information about the cause of the accident has been supplied.

Sport


spAnIsh polIce nAb‘costA del crIme’ fuGItIve

spAnIsh polIce hAve Arrested A suspected druG trAffIcker just hours After hIs nAme And photo AppeAred on A lIst of brItAIn’s 10 most wAnted

fuGItIves who Are belIeved to hAve fled to spAInEverardus Wijtvliet, 29, a Dutch national, was

detained on Monday night in Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands, police said in a statement.

Hours before his arrest, Wijtvliet’s name and photograph appeared on a list of Britain’s 10 most wanted fugitives who British police believe have bolted to Spain.

Details of the 10 were posted on a “most wanted” website targeting the region by the charity Crimestoppers, which allows the public to give information anonymously, as part of its Operation Captura in Spain.

The police statement said that in 2009 a truck driven by a man who worked for Wijtvliet was stopped at the southern English port of Dover and found to contain large quantities of heroin and cocaine hidden in metal tubes.

They said Dutch police last year also searched Wijtvliet’s home in the town of Dussen and found

metal objects similar to those used to hide the drugs in the truck.

“Operation Captura has experienced an early success, with the arrest of one of the Most Wanted within 24 hours of the campaign’s launch,” Crimestoppers said on its website.

British police believe the other suspects are also hiding out in Spanish coastal resorts. They are suspected of crimes including child sex offences, kidnapping, robbery and drug smuggling.

They include the grandson of notorious London underworld enforcer “Mad” Frankie Fraser and a Glaswegian wanted over the supermarket murder of Scotland’s “public enemy number one”, Kevin “Gerbil” Carroll.

Several Spanish coastal resorts have been dubbed the “Costa del Crime” since the 1970s because hundreds of wanted British criminals are thought to have fled there.

spanish mother reunited with daughter she was told had died At birth

Growing scandal over babies allegedly stolen by doctors and sold for adoption over several decadesA Spanish mother has been

reunited with her daughter four decades after being told the child had died at birth. It is the first proven case in a growing scandal over babies stolen by Spanish hospital doctors and sold for adoption.

A DNA test proved the blood tie between the two women after the daughter hired private detectives to trace her biological mother.

“The adoption was legal, with her birth certificate saying she was ‘adopted from an unknown mother’,” Antonio Barroso, the head of an organisation investigating cases of missing babies, said.

The mother was left to mourn her baby after being told she had died at birth in a Barcelona clinic. “The doctors told her that her daughter had died. She even has the death certificate,” Barroso said. “We went to a laboratory and the result left no doubt. It is only now that the girl has seen her

own death certificate.”Barroso said mother and

daughter – who have asked not to be named – were reunited in December and the case had since been passed on to the attorney general’s office.

Another spokesman for the group, Juan Luis Moreno, commented that the mother had always suspected her child had not really died, but hospital authorities in Barcelona had told her they would take charge of burying the baby.

Many of those now seeking lost babies are women who never saw their baby’s corpse because hospitals said they would take charge of burial.

Barroso’s organisation has asked the attorney general to investigate several hundred cases of illegal adoption.

The attorney general agreed to co-ordinate the different investigations that will be carried out by prosecutors at a provincial level.

Barroso said the case opened up the possibility that many children who were adopted in circumstances that may have seemed legal at the time were actually stolen.

These would be added to existing cases where adopted children were apparently registered as the biological children of their adoptive parents.

Barroso helped found the group after discovering that his own parents had paid an intermediary who produced children for adoption from a hospital in Zaragoza.

The cases go back many decades. Although they began during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, they seem to have carried on after his death in 1975. On Tuesday, the Catalan Republican Left party will ask Spain’s parliament to aid those seeking lost children, with the creation of a DNA bank to help them.

socIAlIsts demAnd prIson sentence for cAmps

The Socialist PSPV-PSOE Party has initiated a private prosecution against Francisco Camps, the current President of the Valencian Regional Government, demanding a three-year prison sentence for his alleged bribery and an eight year ban from holding public office.

The Valencian Socialists want to see punishments meted out to Francisco Camps, Ricardo Costa, Rafael Betoret and Victor Campos, all of whom have been charged with bribery in contravention of article 420 of the Penal Code, after gifts they allegedly received from companies in the Gürtel network were linked to contracts handed out by the Generalitat Valenciana.

The Socialists argue that the gifts Camps and his colleagues received were directly linked to the

awarding of contracts, and not simply given to him because of the position he holds. The penal code lays down prison sentences of between two and four years for civil servants or public authorities who receive gifts or favours in exchange for using their position to secure contracts for third parties.

In the five years that Camps has been president of the Generalitat, around 50 contracts have been awarded to the Gürtel group of companies, the vast majority of which never went to tender as required by government norms. Apart from the prison sentence for Camps, the Socialists are also demanding fines of between 18,000 and 46,000 euros for the PP politicians involved.

mediterraNeaN sea risiNG at twice the rate seeN iN the 20th ceNtury

The Mediterranean sea rose at a rate of 1.5mm a year during the 20th century, a total rise of between 15 and 20 centimetres over the past 100 years, but this rate has already been doubled during the first decade of the 21st century, according to a new study by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.

Between the 1960s and the mid-1990s the sea “did not rise much”, but from then on “began to rise very sharply”, explained Manuel Vargas yáñez, co-author of the second edition of “Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean” at a press conference today.

This 15-20cm rise over the past century “could become problematic for some Pacific islands”, and if this is added to the 35 centimetres it will rise over the course of the current century, if it maintains the current rhythm, “the figure could be as high as half a metre”.

However, there are fears that the current rhythm will not be maintained, but rather exceeded, depending as it does on many factors including the emission of greenhouse

gases “which is increasing, not coming down”.

There is a possibility that the sea will rise 60cm this century, which, added to the rise seen over the last 100 years, would see “many densely-populated coastal areas suffer tremendous losses”, and see natural phenomena like hurricanes and storms having much more devastating effects.

The factors that influence the rise in sea levels are the increasing temperature of the water (which expands and takes up more space), atmospheric pressure and the increase in water volume, due in part to melting ice caps.

The salinity of the Mediterranean has also increased due to a drop in precipitation, a greater degree of evaporation, and human factors, like the building of reservoirs, which reduce the amount of fresh water that runs to the sea from the rivers.

“What happens in the future will depend both on the laws of Nature and human behaviour”, Vargas added.

madeleiNe mccaNN iNvestiGatOrs GO tO spaiN tO iNterview New witNessMissing Madeleine McCann

could have been smuggled into the US by a paedophile ring with British connections, it was claimed last night.

An Angolan man who works in club security in the Algarve has told police he knows the gang who abducted the toddler.

He says the evil mob is run by high-profile Portuguese businessmen and lawyers, with international links – including the UK.

Marcelino Jorge Italiano, 36, claims a number of respected figures in the towns of Faro and Albufeira are secretly involved.

He also alleges an Algarve orphanage has been used as a source of vulnerable children.

The 6ft 4in bouncer, who fled across the border into Spain, gave his dossier of information on the gang to

police in Huelva on Monday.He took a lawyer and spent

more than an hour talking to detectives.

He told them: “I know these people, I know they took Maddy, I can’t say how. I have been told that they have grabbed a dozen children in Portugal and Spain because they prey on the weak and the helpless.”

A source said last night: “Italiano has named names. He says he believes Madeleine was taken to the US some time ago and that the gang has the capacity to do this.

“He is positive they have taken many more children from the area and is convinced they are behind Madeleine’s abduction.”

Italiano is reported to have also given the name of a London associate of the gang’s leader.

detectIves seArchInG for mAdeleIne mccAnn Are set to IntervIew A mAn who clAIms she wAs tAken to AmerIcA.

Spanish police are now working closely with the Portuguese authorities to investigate his claims.

McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell, said: “As with all such investigations regarding Madeleine, this man has done the right thing by going to the Spanish police

authorities.“They will investigate it – as

will the private investigators hired by the family.”

Madeleine was almost four when she disappeared from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, on May 3, 2007.

7SOLTIMES MARCH 2011www.soltimes.com

www.moneycorp.com/soltimes

former military Officers say cuts will damage defence

ten retIred senIor mIlItAry offIcers hAve wrItten to the prIme mInIster to voIce theIr concerns over the loss of the AIrcrAft cArrIer hms Ark royAl.A former field marshal, three generals and six

admirals say the loss of Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jets has damaged Britain’s defence capabilities.

They say Britain can no longer mount amphibious operations without putting troops’ lives at “considerable risk”.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has defended the “difficult decisions”.

The BBC’s defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale, said the letter, which was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, raises questions about what military rescue operation forces could mount in the future.

In December, Dr Fox announced that the frigate sent to evacuate British nationals from Libya - HMS Cumberland - is to be decommissioned in April, following the strategic defence and security review (SDSR).

This is not the first time former military top brass have warned that recent cuts in the armed forces have left Britain dangerously exposed. Labour has already called for the defence review to be reopened in light of events in Egypt, Bahrain and Libya.

The letter - written before the current evacuation operation in Libya - is signed by, among others, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, a former chief of the defence staff; Maj Gen Julian Thompson and Adm Sir Jeremy Black, who commanded the carrier Invincible during the Falklands conflict.

Dr Fox insists Britain still has the “right military assets” in place to respond to crises.

But this group of former military commanders is calling on the prime minister to reassess

the decisions made in the defence review. They have called for a re-evaluation of the SDSR, which they say is “unduly trusting in an uncertain, fast-moving and dangerous world”.

However Dr Fox defended the steps taken to tackle the £38bn deficit left by Labour and said the review would not be reopened: “For our future carrier strike capability, it makes strategic sense to move towards greater inter-operability with the US and France and installing catapult and arrestor gear will deliver this. Sustaining both Tornado and Harrier would be prohibitively expensive in this current economic climate and Tornado continues to provide vital support to the front line in Afghanistan,” he said.

Referring to Libya, he said Hercules C-130 aircraft had lifted 51 UK citizens to safety on Thursday - and more than 100 were on their way to Malta on HMS Cumberland.

“None of our allies have seen fit to position an aircraft carrier off the coast of Libya as this is not the tool required for this task; there is no requirement for ground attack aircraft, but even if there were we would use our extensive regional basing and overflight rights,” he said.

But shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: “The government’s plans were based on strategic and international geo-political assumptions, many of which have been shaken over the past month.

“Recent dramatic events mean that the defence review must be reopened and perhaps even rethought. It would be sensible to stop and reflect again on our nation’s strategic defence needs.”

end pAper exAms for dIGItAl GenerAtIon

computerIsed exAms should replAce pen And pAper tests for A GenerAtIon used to dIGItAl leArnInG, the heAd of enGlAnd’s exAms wAtchdoG hAs sAId.

Writing in the Times Educational Supplement, Ofqual chief executive Isabel Nisbet said the current reliance on handwritten papers “cannot go on”. Only a few sections of existing exams can be taken on computers.

Two exam boards welcomed her comments, but head teachers said resources would be a problem for a computerised system.

Pupils are becoming increasingly “techno savvy”, Ms Nisbet wrote. “They use IT as their natural medium for identifying and exploring new issues and deepening their knowledge.

“yet we are even now accrediting new

GCSEs, due to run for several years, which are still taken largely on paper,” she said.

“This cannot go on. Our school exams are running the risk of becoming invalid, as their medium of pen and ink increasingly differs from the way in which youngsters learn,” she added.

Currently, the three exam boards offering exams in England - Edexcel, AQA and OCR - offer only a small number of papers that can be done online. Handwritten scripts are, however, widely scanned onto computers and marked on-screen.

Edexcel managing director Ziggy Liaquat said: “Technology has the potential to transform education by making its delivery more personalised, efficient and effective and more transparent and secure.”

AQA chief executive Andrew Hall welcomed Ms Nisbet’s comments and said it was “really important” that students be “assessed in the same way that they learn and using the technologies that are commonplace in the world outside the classroom”.

“The real prize here is to have assessment, online, on-demand, when the student is ready,” he said, suggesting a future where students did not all take their exams at the same time.

However, a spokesman for OCR said the board’s focus “was not to make existing paper-and-pen tests electronic but to explore ways that computers can add real value to assessment”.

The board’s chief executive, Mark Dawe, said that moving to a computer-based system posed “real challenges” in terms of providing fair, secure computer access in schools.


Almeria AngelsEmergency Support System

Call The angels onTel: 902 02 64 68

[email protected]

Peace of Mind for You & Your loved onesIn A Language You Understand

Someone to turn to for:• Instant Support With Our 24hr a day

british angel Operators

• Translation Service

• unlimited Wellbeing Checks

• Medical support - hospitals & doctors

• Secure Medical history held for Instance access In Times Of an Emergency

• Members Community Nurse

• 24hr Member On-Call Nurse

haY feverhay fever is a type of allergic

rhinitis caused by pollen or spores. allergic rhinitis is a condition where an allergen (something that causes an allergic reaction) makes the inside of your nose inflamed (swollen).

hay fever affects the nose, sinuses (small air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and forehead), throat and eyes.

the symptoms of hay fever include:

Frequent sneezing runny or blocked nose itchy, red or watery eyes an itchy throat, mouth, nose and

ears less commonly, you may

experience:the loss of your sense of smell Facial pain (caused by blocked

sinuses) sweats headaches hay fever usually occurs in spring

and summer, when there is more pollen in the air. trees, grass and plants release pollen as part of their reproductive process. Mould and fungi also release tiny reproductive particles, called spores.

People with hay fever can experience their symptoms at different times of the year, depending on which pollens or spores they are allergic to.

Allergic rhinitis can be classified

as either intermittent or persistent, depending on how often people experience their symptoms.

When is there most pollen? different trees and plants produce

their pollen at different times of the year. depending on which pollen you are allergic to, you may experience your hay fever symptoms at different times.

From January to april, pollens from trees are the most common cause of hay fever.

From May to august, pollens from grass are the most common cause of hay fever.

during the autumn, hay fever may be caused by weeds such as nettles and docks, late flowering plants, and mould and fungal spores.

the effect of the weatherthe amount of sunshine, rain

or wind affects how much pollen plants release and how much the pollen is spread around. on humid and windy days, pollen spreads easily. on rainy days, pollen may be cleared from the air, causing pollen levels to fall

during their pollen season, plants release pollen early in the morning. as the day gets warmer and more flowers open, pollen levels rise. on sunny days, the pollen count is highest in the early evening.

treatmenthay fever cannot be cured

completely, but there are a number of treatments available to relieve

the symptoms. these include antihistamine tablets, nasal (nose) sprays and eye drops.

For persistent hay fever, a treatment known as immunotherapy can be used to gradually increase a person’s exposure to the allergen while monitoring their response.

this can be effective at reducing the severity of an allergic reaction, but is not suitable for everyone.

PreventionIt is very difficult to completely

avoid pollen or spores. however, reducing your exposure to the substances that trigger your hay fever should ease the severity of your symptoms. Follow the advice below to avoid being exposed to excessive amounts of pollen and spores.

avoid cutting grass, playing or walking in grassy areas, and camping.

Wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes when you are outdoors.

change your clothes and take a shower after being outdoors to remove the pollen on your body.

try to stay indoors when the pollen count is high (over 50).

keep windows and doors shut in

the house. if it gets too warm, draw the curtains to keep out the sun and keep the temperature down.

Do not keep fresh flowers in the house.

Vacuum regularly, ideally using a machine with a hePa (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.

damp dust regularly. dusting with a wet cloth, rather than a dry one, will collect the dust and stop any pollen from being spread around.

keep pets out of the house during the hay fever season. if your pet does come indoors, wash it regularly

t o remove any pollen from its fur.

do not smoke or let other people smoke in your house. smoking and breathing in other people’s smoke will irritate the lining of your nose, eyes, throat and airways, and can make your symptoms worse.

keep car windows closed. You can buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car. this will need to be changed every time the car is serviced.

by Nicki Wakeman [email protected] www.almeriaangels.com


WindoWsUK Window, Doors, conservatories,

Patio Doors and Guttering Enclosures Specialist

phone for a fREE no obligation quote

Tel. 600 320 761

oUr ProMISe To YoU !Nobody will beat our quality

We will beat any like for like price

plas-tech are a company that

have traded for 17 years with

installations all over Europe.

Shoot bolt locking foreven more security

70mm Profiles

28mm glass units

Plas-Tech GutteringWe have been a flo-Plast stockist for over 17 years. Nobody sells more in Spain than us. Best product, best installation, best price deal direct with the importer

happy in theknowledge that they

didn’t buy a flyenclosure because they’re going to be

nice ‘n’ warm this winter just as they were

nice ‘n’ cool this summer!

Internally beadedfor Security

pilkington active for hot Summers

pilkington K forCold Winters

Plas-Tech

what’s the pOiNt Of prOtectiNG

cOrNish pasties?across cornwall They are waving Their Flags – celebraTions are in

Full swing as, aFTer years oF caMpaigning, The cornish pasTy has been awarded proTecTed sTaTus by The european coMMission!

However, this has caused a mixed reaction across the population - did it really need protection?

After all, it’s quite a hardy item, with its steely pastry shield filled with robust mince and chunks of beef and other stuff.

But those who produce particular types of food are often keen to have formal recognition for it.

The Cornish pasty now joins the rarified ranks of champagne, gorgonzola and parmesan-reggiano.

Only pasties prepared in Cornwall, that follow the agreed and traditional recipe can be labelled “Cornish”.

It means that a Cornish pasty must have the distinctive D shape, must be crimped on one side, must have a pastry that is golden in colour, must have not less than 12.5 per cent beef and must not split or crack, among many other musts.

Imitators be warned; anyone attempting to pass off a pasty as Cornish when it’s not might be executed, or perhaps fined.

According to Alan Adler, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, which works to protect the local economy and the thousands of related jobs, the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status is “helping to protect our British food legacy”.

Other of our regional products have it already: Melton Mowbray pork pies, for example, and Arbroath smokies.

But is a Cornish pasty really what we want history to record as our part of our Great British food legacy?

Maybe if we’d all done a few hours’ tin mining, we’d all be waving flags - for that was what they were invented for. The contents of the pie made a cheap but filling meal and the whole thing could be easily heated up. Meanwhile, the crimped edge made a nice handle.

Think of it as an 16th-century fashion accessory: a man-bag, but with food inside.

you take it with you to work at the mine and wolf down the filling meat and veg, throwing away the pastry which might have become contaminated with arsenic.

So, as with the origins of many pies, you’re not actually supposed to eat the pastry, it’s an organic, easy-to-decompose lunch box!

yet over the years, people decided to eat the box it came in and now, glazed with milk or egg, it even looks tasty.

Frankly, though, the Cornish pasty should have gone out

when John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich ordered his valet to put his meat between two pieces of bread.

With the meat between the bread he could thus play cribbage without getting his cards greasy.

But the pasty culture was so entrenched that, in Cornwall at any rate, the meaty treat fought off the sarnie for attention at lunchtime.

And now those who make these pasties feel they have triumphed. But not everyone is happy; just over the border, in Devon, manufacturers of what now are ‘illegally misnamed booty’, are considering their position.

While one anonymous producer moans that the decision was made by EU bureaucrats who can “go to hell”, a historian claims that the pasty was actually invented in Plymouth.

The debate continues....

Ink cartridgeSolutions

Refill Your Empty Cartridges.Why Replace When You can Re-use?Environmentally Friendly And Cost Effective

We are located within Knights Insurance Office. c/Malaga 6, albox - tel: 617 118 804

SAve Money With...

mon - fri: 9.30 - 2.00

at your side

i n v e n t


New OPeNiNg HOuRS Mon - Fri 9.30am - 3pmSaturday 10am - 2pm

Tel: 659 185 039

Party wear, Accesories including Silver

Jewellery, wraps, Scarves,

Ponchos, evening/Day Bags, Fascinators, Hand Made Cards

we also Stock a full range of Casual wear

including Knitwear

LONDON FASHIONS

SPrING & SUMMer SToCknoW In

Mojacar playa (within aXa Insurance)Email: [email protected]

Web: www.real-covers.esTlf: 950 478 763 / 609 667 333

real coversreal covers

freequotes17 years’experience

~ Winter Cover ~cuts down winter running costs

~ Solar Cover ~extends bathing season

~ ex-factory Prices ~special prices for community pools

Swimming pool Coversallareas

coVered

preparing for

Spring

Almeria AngelsEmergency Support System

In Baza!Location

Fusionson the

14th March 2011Between

10am to 3pmCome alone and meet a member of the Angels teamand find out about all of Almeria Angels Services

Win a FREE Wellbeing Check for 2Peace of Mind for You & Your Loved Ones...

tel: 902 02 64 68

For all your hair & beauty needs call 950 472 790 Mojacar Playa ~ Closed Sundays & Mondays

www.emporiumspain.com

Mad March sale!!20% off all colours

20% off all Tigi producTs20% off all acrylic, gel & minx nails

20% off quick slim body wrap

Now stockists of Swiss Apple SerumLarge range of jewellery & accessories

TropicanaSwimming Pools

Established 11 Years

Sand Change (incl Labour) only 80€Book NOW! 5% OFF either service with this advert

Call Tony on 610 345 725for a no-obligation quote

[email protected]

#

Makeover Special!SPRING CLEAN YOUR POOL &

PREPARE FOR THE SUMMER WITH AN ACID-JET WASH & REGROUT

Pool Leak Detection & Repairs

NOW OPEN

CREaTIvE INdIaN CuISINESample the delights of

creative indian cuisine at our restaurant in valle del

este Golf, vera, Almeria.

Find us at centro comercial, Valle del este Golf resort Urbanizacion Valle del este (autovia e15, salida 529)

www.mountainsofthemoon.webs.com

OffICIaLLy OpENEd ~ 1ST MaRCh Opening hours tuesday - sunday 13.00 - 23.00 bar & indian tapas 13.00 - 15.00 kitchen open 18.00 - 23.00Monday Closed

Mountains Of The Moon tel: 637 914 632 t o aV o i d d i s a P P o i n t M e n t P l e a s e b o o k

Naresh Vadher, the creative chef and proprietor of The Mountains Of The Moon Indian restaurant, has opened his new restaurant in what was previously Fairways restaurant in Valle Del Este Golf Resort.

Previously located in Arboleas and more recently Lomo Blanco on the Los Gallardos to Garrucha Road, Naresh has built a loyal following of regular customers. Now, along with his partner Reni, they look forward to welcoming both old and new customers to his new venue.

Naresh’s creative influences have been strongly drawn from his Asian / Hindu roots and several of the house speciality dishes have been passed on from family members. He is an inventive and creative chef and is always ready to give advice and suggestions as to what is best suited to individual tastes. Vegetarian options will be available. The lunch time menu will consist of a range of mouthwatering Indian Tapas and a full evening menu will be available from 6pm; the ever popular buffet will also soon be available.

Swap your old A/C system for a new,

energy efficient Hi-Tec invertor system

Ring Now for Details.

SalesServiceInstall’s

Fully Certified

10%dISCounTWITh ThIS

aDverT

[email protected][email protected]


Tel: 950 391 412www.locationwarehousing.com [email protected]

Unit 8 & 9 c/Mojana, El Real Ind Est. 04628 Antas, Almeria(off junction 534 of N340)

REMOvAL & STORAgE

AUCTIONSNext Auction:

Wednesday 2nd MarchAuctions held every 2 weeks.

Items being accepted for forthcoming auctions on

16th March & 30th MarchApprox 250 lots per auction

Week of sale viewing Mon & Tues10am - 2pm, and all day Wednesday

Auction starts prompt at 5pm Large quantities or awkward items

can now be collected

Removals & Storage, Local & Worldwide removalsHousehold & Commercial Storage

Container storage - short or long termFully alarmed & insured warehouse

Family run business

FREEESTIMATES

This year, let’s go further and explain why Fairtrade matters. By showing off the importance of Fairtrade to producers, the benefits of the Fairtrade premium for local communities and the change Fairtrade brings, we’re giving more people in the UK more reasons to choose Fairtrade.

This Fairtrade Fortnight we want the whole nation to get loud and proud about Fairtrade by asking everyone to Show Off your Label. Show off your passion, your favourite product and the story behind it.

Last year, more than a million and one Fairtrade swaps were made. This year will take people further, showing off the story behind the product and why Fairtrade is important. Most of all, we want to show off Fairtrade cotton and highlight the injustices that make Fairtrade and trade reform so vital for

cotton farmers in West Africa and India. Loud and proud for two weeks – let’s show off a different way of doing trade and why we campaign for it!

The FAIRTRADE Mark has been lovingly created in flower beds, on cliff faces and by hundreds of school children holding up coloured cards.

November 2010 marked the five year anniversary of Fairtrade certified cotton in the UK. We all rely on cotton, from throwing back the cotton bed clothes in the morning to drying off with a cotton towel, dressing head to toe in cotton and sitting on cotton-covered seats on the bus to work. Our day may end with dinner on a cotton table cloth, drying up with a cotton tea towel and perhaps even drawing cotton curtains before starting the

cotton cycle all over again. Where would we be without it?

If we rely on cotton all day and every day, an estimated 100 million rural households in 70 countries around the world rely on producing cotton to get them through today and hopefully tomorrow. Two thirds

of cotton is produced in the developing world and cotton makes up 40% of West Africa’s export income. Most of the families who rely on cotton are small-scale farmers. They’re up against unstable world prices for cotton, pushed down by cheap, subsidised cotton from China, the US and EU dumped on world markets. The costs of producing cotton (fuel, pesticides and insecticides) are increasing but farmers can’t pass these costs on when market prices for cotton are so low. The odds are stacked against small-scale cotton farmers.

Fairtrade is a pragmatic response to the realities of unfair trade and a vital lifeline for millions of farmers and their families. We also need international trade rules to put the needs of people and the planet first. In the run-up to the likely World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in late 2011, join us in calling for cuts to unfair, trade-distorting cotton subsidies. Subsidies paid to European and North American cotton farmers artificially push down the world price of cotton making it practically impossible

for small-scale farmers in West Africa to compete. Their costs are going up as cotton prices come down.

to find out more about this and other fairtrade products go to www.fairtrade.org.uk

last year amazing fairtrade supporters got the uk making over one million and one swaps to fairtrade products during

fairtrade fortnight. In schools, on high streets,

in work canteens, you made the message loud

and clear, that the people of britain want a fair deal for the producers behind the products they buy.

fairtrade fOrtNiGht

Strictly Hair covers ALL of your beauty needs from TOP TO TOE! The aim of The salon is To provide a firsT class service from our Top Toni & GuY sTYlisT

21 calle america, next to cornish Pride, albox

all haIr coloUrING INclUDeS a cUT & BloW DrY

Over 60’SDiScOunt

10% OFF Beauty* on Wednesdays

cut & BLOWDrY

€18.70

reGrOWtH tint€34.00

his & hers cut & Blowdry

and free Gents cut oNlY 22€

excellent competitiVe colourinG offers to Be had durinG march! all colourinG prices include a cut & Blow-dry!

pop in or telephone Jenny or leanne for a consultation and a quote!

Mon & Sat: 10am - 1.00pm & Tues - Fri: 10am - 4.40pm. CLOSED: 19th Feb

15% OFF HAIR

TEL: 950 439 717 / 620 447 858

Priadora RETAILER

MArCh MAdnESS

eyelash tint, eyebrow tint + eyebrow Shape Only 15€Priadara essential Facial only 18€

* not to be used with any other offer

don’t miss out!!


OSTEOpaTh NaTuROpaTh

Enrique arias, N.d, d.OTel. 629 289 385

for info and appointments

health Care foradults and Children

• Emergency home visits• English • Spanish• french • german• 20 year’s Serving the

community

uK Registered - TreatingSciatica - back pain - Sports Injuries

digestive and Cardiovascular disordersheadaches - arthritis - Skin Conditions

CeNTRO CueVA Del lOBO Paseo Mediterraneo 10, Mojacar BeachCeNTRO MeDiCO iNDAlO C/ Manuel Azaña, Almeria

Now available at Sophia Wellness Centre

Call us for our range of mobility productsTel: (0034) 650 626 [email protected]

fREE dELIvERy within the radius of 50km of arboleas

in ArboleasEasyCare Mobility.es

Locally-based Rental & Sales of:scooters, Wheelchairs, WalkinG aids(frames, tri-walkers, rollaters and crutches)other mobility aids: call for availability.servicing and repair of all types of mobility aids

look Good feel Great

Prices are subject to change without notification. Please confirm on booking. We reserve the right to withdraw offers at any time.

Calle Malaga - albox (100m from Mercadona)Monday - friday 9.30am - 5pm

Saturday 9.30am - 3pm. No siesta 950 633 086Call for an appointment

bECKSUK TraINeD

fuLLy quaLIfIEd SpORTS MaSSEuSE.bOdy MaSSagE aNdhOT STONE MaSSagE

By award Winning toni & Guy Stylists

LOIS bENSONBSc (hoNS) PoDIaTrY

(chIroPoDY)MaNy yEaRS NhS fOR aLL fOOT pRObLEMSEXpERTLy TREaTEd

oUr teamoUr HairdreSSerS

NaIL aRT by SaNdRa fOR fINgERS OR

TOESonLY 25€

MoTher’S DaY voUcherS avaIlaBle

full head of foilsdifferent ColoursPlus cut & Blow Dry

hELEnA BEnSonreScheDUleD for ThUrSDaY

3rD MarchfroM 11:30aM

50€Sandra, the Beautician will be on holiday from 19th february - she’ll be back in the

salon on Monday 7th March

* 16th february - 2nd March with Terri

*

for TWo WeeKS oNlYfaNTaSTIc foIl freNzY!

The device fires a double laser beam, with less combined energy than a laser pointer, into a suspicious mole, then analyses the locations of different skin pigments.

Scientists then look at the amount of eumelanin in the pigments - which is present in greater amounts in potentially cancerous tissue.

It is the first time the techinque has been used, and in tests, a team succesfully identified all eleven samples with melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Even with a 50 per cent success rate, the device could prevent hundreds of thousands of false diagnoses of the

disease across the world each year, says Thomas Matthews of Duke university.

Skin cancer is the fifth most common cause of the disease in men and the sixth most common in women.

In research published in Science Tranlational Medicine, the team say they plan to study thousands of archived skin slices using the laser, to predict its accuracy.

Currently, doctors use either a light and magnifying glass to study a mole, or perform a tissue biopsy.

Prof Warren Warren, of Duke’s Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Imaging, said that the first method was

a ‘17th century technique that is only 85 per cent reliable’.

A biopsy was not much better, he added, with studies showing that in 14 per cent of biopsy diagnoses doctors disagree whether or not cells were cancerous.

If they are not sure, they tend to follow a policy of ‘when in doubt, cut it out’, adding to the costs of treatment and potentially removing healthy cells.

With the new technique, a suspicious mole would still have to be removed for a final diagnosis of cancer, although the team are working on ways to scan a mole without removing it.

tiNy laser

‘detects siGNs

Of skiN caNcer’

a tiNy laser which caN detect siGNs Of skiN caNcer cOuld save thOusaNds Of

lives, scieNtists say.

A Mind, Body & Spirit Event

From holistic therapies to natural health and wellness.

skin care, cosmetic and aesthetic care.

demonstrations & talks on the day

Psychic and spiritual mediums- readings thoughout the day.

tarot, and angel card readings.

rune stones.

Psychic artist & clairvoyant

Therapists and local businesses that wish to register interest or to book

a space / trade stand contact Becks on 671 433 896 or

email [email protected]

A Mind, Body & Spirit Event

ThUrSDaY 31ST March 2011 10aM - 6PM

vaLLE dEL ESTEgolf Spa & beach hotel, veraurbanización Valle del este, Autovía e-15 Salida 529, 04620 VeRA Almería

will take place at:


Pampered

tel: 950 618 129email: [email protected]

bookings available: tuesday - Friday:

9.30 - 5pmsaturday: 9.30 - 3pmPalomares

Starter ◊ lash Tint ◊ Brow Shape ◊ File & Polish◊ Lip & chin wax

Main◊ Pedicure ◊ Back Massage◊ indian Head Massage◊ Mini Facial

Dessert◊ 1/2 Leg Wax◊ lash Perm◊ Ear Candling or detox

dermalogica approved skin care centre

Menu del Dia Still only 35 Euros

www.weighwatchers.es

have you tried it yet?Call 900 81 81 12

for your nearest meetingNEW

• Nails • Callus • Corns • • Diabetic Footcare • Biomechanics •

• All Foot Problems •

Lois Benson BSc (Hons) MChs Tel: 617 878 864

Clinics in: Albox at Cutting Edge& Arboleas at Sophias.

Mobile service available in Mojacar, Vera and surrounding areas.

podiatrist (chriropodist)

do you need an English Nurse or Care at home?Almeria Angels are dedicated professional caring agency working in Almanzora Valley providing individual care packages to all our clients within their homes or during hospital stays.home Visits : we visit you in the comfort of your own home, this can be on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.hospital Visits : we can assist you in any visit you may have to the hospital, pick up service available on request.

Making your LifE EaSiEr

Tel: 902 02 64 68

Now Caring in the

Mazarron & Camposol

area!

www.almeriaangels.com [email protected]

S.L

frillies - UK lingerieLesley Miller

Tel. 620 676 833email: [email protected]

House parties, fitting service, special orders

Come and talk to us at:Essentials - 1st Wednesday every month,

Los higuerales - 2nd Wednesday every month

www.kennedyfinancialservices.comwww.kennedyfinancialservices.com

“WOuLd yOu LIKE TO RECEIvE yOuR WhOLE pENSIONaS a LuMp SuM?”....Call david today!

raY DaNIelProfessional in Electro Magnetic

Stimulation (EMS) & Sports Massage Now at Sophias - Arboleas Every Tuesdayand Indigo Gym - Mojacar Every Thursday

TREATMENT FOR back Pain • Sciatica • Arthritus Rheumatism • Parkinsons • MS

Fractures & Sports Injuries

Tel: 617 741 564

hOt flushes may be a blessiNG health News

adVertisinG works!put Your Business On The MapBy callinG 950 430 820

or [email protected]

Call Claire: 639 089 170

gIRASOL KIDS gYMNASTICSCLUBSATURDAY MORNINgSDISCOUNTS FOR SIBLINgSMONDAY CLASS 3.30 - 4.30

feBruary offer

2€ with this voucher

(1 offer per person)available on

Mondays only

it will be welcome news to any child who has squealed and squirmed while a caring parent dabs stinging antiseptic on to their cuts.

Washing playground wounds with soap and water may be more effective than applying antibiotic creams, according to a study.

Scientists claim that cleaning a child’s cuts and grazes carefully under the tap helps the healing process more than using antibacterial lotions and treatments.

The researchers originally intended to compare two antibiotics commonly used to treat skin infections to find out which was more effective.

After cleaning and dressing the wounds of 191 patients at a children’s hospital, they gave each child one of the treatments at random – but found that the choice of drug made no difference.

Within a week, 95 per cent of the participants had recovered completely, regardless of which antibiotic they had received. The researchers concluded that the secret to successful healing was proper wound care and cleaning, not antibiotics.

The study’s lead author, Dr Aaron Chen, said: ‘The good news is that no matter which antibiotic we gave, nearly all skin infections cleared up fully within a week. The better news might be that good low-tech wound care – cleaning, draining and keeping the infected area clean – is what truly makes the difference between rapid healing and persistent infection.’

Dr Chen added that keeping wounds clean had always been the cornerstone of skin infection treatment, but that more doctors had started prescribing antibiotics in recent years – despite the raised costs and risk of developing side effects or drug resistance.

Paediatrician Dr George Siberry said: ‘Many physicians

understandably assume that antibiotics are always necessary for bacterial infections, but there is evidence to suggest this may not be the case.

‘We need studies that precisely measure the benefit of antibiotics to help us determine which cases warrant them and which ones would fare well without them.’

The 191 children in the study, aged from six months to 18 years, were treated for skin infections at Johns Hopkins Children’s Centre in Baltimore, Maryland, between 2006 and 2009.

Of these, 133 were infected with community-acquired MRSA bacteria, a virulent strain which does not respond to many antibiotics. The remainder had simple skin infections with non-resistant strains of the bacterium.

The researchers said a follow-up study was necessary to compare patients receiving a placebo with those on antibiotics, along with proper wound cleaning and dressing.

hot flushes may be a blessing in disguise for millions of women beginning the menopause, research suggests

A new study shows women plagued by the nuisance symptoms at the start of ‘’the change’’ have a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Scientists cannot yet explain the trend, identified from an analysis of data on 60,000 women taking part in a major US study.

But they say it is good news for women who are known to become more vulnerable to heart disease after the menopause.

Hot flushes - known as hot flashes in the US - are one of the most common menopausal symptoms. They occur suddenly, lasting about four minutes on average, and produce an uncomfortable feeling of intense heat.

Sufferers may break out in sweats and

frequent hot flushes at night can severely disrupt sleep.

The symptoms are caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the skin and are linked to hormone imbalances, but still not fully understood.

Researchers discovered the positive news about hot flushes after studying women taking part in the Women’s Health Initiative, a 10-year investigation of menopausal symptoms and heart and artery problems.

The findings will appear in the June issue of the journal Menopause and were published online today.

Participants were grouped according to whether they experienced hot flushes and night sweats at the start of the menopause, later during the menopause, at both time periods, or not at all.

‘’We found that women who experienced symptoms when they began menopause had

fewer cardiovascular events than those who experienced hot flashes late in menopause or not at all,’’ said study leader Dr Emily Szmuilowicz, from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Earlier research had associated menopausal symptoms with heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Dr Szmuilowicz said: ‘’While they are certainly bothersome, hot flashes may not be all bad. Our research found that despite previous reports suggesting that menopause symptoms were associated with increased levels of risk markers for heart disease.. the actual outcomes tell a different story.

‘’It is reassuring that these

symptoms, which are experienced by so many women, do not seem to correlate with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Hot flashes will never be enjoyable, but perhaps these findings will make them more tolerable.’’

why sOap aNd water is the best cure fOr a Grazed kNee

health News


www.lifestyle-enclosures.com

15SOLTIMES MARCH 2011 www.soltimes.com

MUSIC LESSONS MUSIC LESSONS qeqe

The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s, with eighteen consecutive Top 40 singles in the UK, from their debut in 1977 to their breakup in 1982, including four number one hits. The Jam released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK album charts. On splitting up all 18 singles were re-released and all reached at least the top 60.

The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk rock and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form ‘The Style Council’ and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam’s original compositions, and he played lead Rickenbacker guitar. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and played unusually prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band’s songs; including the hits “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight”, “The Eton Rifles” and “Town Called Malice”.

The Jam formed in Woking, Surrey in 1972; in their early years, their sets consisted of early rock’n’roll covers by the likes of Chuck

Berry and Little Richard. Then Weller discovered The Who’s “My Generation” and became fascinated with mod music and lifestyle - he said “I saw that through becoming a Mod it would give me a base and an angle to write from, and this we eventually did. We went out and bought black suits and started playing Motown, Stax and Atlantic covers. I bought a Rickenbacker

guitar, a Lambretta GP 150 and tried to style my hair like Steve Marriott’s circa ’66.”

Around 1976, Weller had another stylistic revelation after seeing the Sex Pistols: “The Pistols’ noisy garage band racket and Rotten’s youthful amphetamined arrogance. I loved it! It was so young and exciting, and of course, there were no flares - one of the most hideous fashion creations ever!”

In the following two years, The Jam gained a small following around London punk scene, however, though they shared an “angry young men” outlook, short hair, crushing volume and lightning-fast tempos, The Jam wore neatly tailored suits where others wore ripped clothes, played professionally where others were defiantly amateurish, and displayed clear 1960s rock influences where others were disdainful of such music; indeed, the band were tagged by some journalists as revivalists.

Weller has expressed his disinterest in any type of reformation. Weller stated that a Jam reunion would “never, ever happen”. He said “Me and my children would have to be destitute and starving in the gutter before I’d even consider that, and I don’t think that’ll happen anyway ... [the Jam’s music] still means something to people and a lot of that’s because we stopped at the right time, it didn’t go on and become embarrassing.”

Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnightTwo lovers missing the tranquility of solitudeGetting a cab and travelling on busesReading the grafitti about slashed seat affairs

I say that’s entertainment, that’s entertainment-Ahh! (la la la)

Bb GmA police car and a screaming sirenBb GmPneumatic drill and ripped up concreteBb GmA baby wailing, stray dog howlingBb GmThe screech of brakes and lamp light blinkingCm Ab Cm Ab Bb Gm Bb Gm

That’s entertainment, that’s entertainment

The smash of glass and the rumble of bootsAn electric train and a ripped up phone boothPaint splatters walls and the cry of a tomcatLights going out and a kick in the balls

I say that’s entertainment, that’s entertainment-Ahh! (la la la)

Days of speed and slow time MondaysPissing down with rain on a boring WednesdayWatching the news and not eating your teaA freezing cold flat, and damp on the walls

I say that’s entertainment, that’s entertainment

Waking up at 6am on a cool warm morningOpening the windows and breathing in petrolAn amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yardWatching the telly and thinking about your holidays

That’s entertainment, that’s entertainment-Ahh! (la la la)

Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettesCuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfumeA hot summer’s day and sticky black tarmacFeeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away

That’s entertainment, that’s entertainment

that’sentertainment the jam


www.europa-network.com

Special Offerfor March

For one month only we are offering a free wireless router worth 49.95€ to all new customers who sign up with Europa for ADSL.

Already a customer? Well if you tell a friend about this great offer and they join Europa, we will credit your account with 30 euros, yes 30! But hurry this offer is for March only

We have been supplying ADSL services for years, and the Europa Network ADSL Broadband package includes:

• FREE fixed line Spanish calls 24/7• FREE technical support in English

• FREE email account with Virus and Spam checking

• And FREE UK TelevisionYou can test Europa TV out for yourself, FREE for 7 days. Register at www.europa-network.com

Europa Network can also offer you the facility of moving your line rental away from Telefonica, and we can reduce your monthly line rental costs to only 13€ per month.

Plus you get:• Free Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting and Call

divert• One monthly bill (no more Telefonica bills)• You can keep your existing number• All support is in English • Free UK 0843 number which diverts to your

landline• Free UK 0872 number which diverts to your

Spanish MobileThese free UK numbers connect UK callers to your

landline or mobile in Spain at a fraction of the usual cost.

Now you kNow why Europa is oftEN imitatEd,

but NEvEr bEatEN!Everything we do is aimed towards our clients. We

can give you the full range of high quality Telecom services that you will need, with excellent service levels. We will also reduce your costs to the minimum. And we haven’t forgotten our roots – we speak English because at heart we’re a British company.

Call us now on 902 050 999 or visit www.europa-network.com

Internet with Oompf!10 yEars oN thE Costas aNd still goiNg stroNg!Europa NEtwork is Now by far thE largEst fixEd liNE tElEComs

CompaNy for thE british ExpatriatE CommuNity. with ovEr

10,000 CliENts, Europa has massivE buyiNg powEr, aNd wE pass thEsE saviNgs oN to our CliENts who

ENjoy uNrivallEd priCEs

advErtisiNg fEaturE


first crufts shOw held 120

years aGOon 11th februAry 1891 the very fIrst crufts event wAs held At the royAl

AGrIculturAl hAll In IslInGton

120 years later and the world’s greatest dog event, dfs Crufts is looking forward to celebrating its anniversary at the NEC Birmingham on 10th – 13th March 2011.

Since it was first held in 1891, the event has become an annual celebration of healthy, happy dogs and the unique relationship that they enjoy with the human race. dfs Crufts 2011 will be jam-packed with fun activities, trade stands and events which showcase the diverse role that dogs play in society.

There will be 21,500 dogs attending this year’s event, from pedigrees to cross breeds, which if stood nose to tail would stretch from the Greenwich Observatory in London down to Hampton Court palace. This stands in contrast to the 2,437 entries made in 1891, which included just 36 breeds.

New to this year will be a

dedicated Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Training Workshop to help people with their doggie dilemmas, a Breeding for the Future Zone, highlighting how to ensure that dogs are bred to be healthy and well adjusted and the launch of a Get Fit With Fido campaign, helping people to find ways to stay fit and active with their dogs. The show will be broadcast by More4 for the second year running, for two hours each night.

The event, which is one of the most popular shows at the NEC, covers five halls as well as the Pavilion and Arena. The Arena has a full programme of events that run throughout the four days of the show and which have become permanent fixtures as the event has evolved and grown. This includes Rescue Dog Agility, award of the Police Dog Team Operational and

Humanitarian Action of the year, Flyball, Cani-cross and the heart warming Friends for Life competition, which is full of amazing stories of friendships in adversity, where dogs have truly earned the title ‘man’s best friend’.

As ever, the grand finale will be the Best in Show competition, with more than 20,000 dogs from 37 different countries competing during the four days for one of seven places in the final and the chance to take the prestigious title.

Caroline Kisko, Communications Director of the Kennel Club, which organises dfs Crufts, said: “We are very excited about the landmark 120th year of dfs Crufts. The event has evolved over the years and is now an essential part of any dog

lover’s calendar. One thing that hasn’t changed, and which this event celebrates, is the central role that dogs continue to play in our lives.

“dfs Crufts 2011 will celebrate the various ways in which dogs enrich our lives, whether as working dogs or as pets, and will also be focused on health, education, training and fun. It will help people to learn more about buying a healthy dog from a responsible breeder or rescue home, and how to train, care for and enjoy life with their dog.

“The event is a unique opportunity for dog lovers to come together and celebrate man’s best friend. We would like to thank everybody who has supported it over the years and welcome newcomers to this annual celebration of dogs.”

Visitors to the show will be able to meet and greet around 200

different breeds in the Discover Dogs area and find out more about buying the right dog for them. There will be a dedicated section for breed rescue volunteers, who work to ensure that unwanted and abandoned dogs find a good home. Visitors will also be able to learn about Kennel Club Accredited Breeders, who put the health and welfare of their puppies first and foremost and have the required health tests for their breed carried out.

Tickets cost £13 for adults - with a 4-day ticket available at £46 - and Best in Show tickets starting at £17.00. Concessions are also available. All tickets are subject to a booking fee. Book by calling the dfs Crufts Ticket Hotline at The Ticket Factory on 0844 444 99 44, or online at www.theticketfactory.com.


www.screenmasters.es


44 pitch Caravan / Mobile Home park set on a fabulous 26,000m2 landscaped private area.ReseRve youR pitCH NoW!Facilities include 18m x 9m swimming poolRestaurant open from noon until early hoursCosts from as little as 8€ per day

RestauRaNtspeCialises iN:Flame Grilled MeattapasMenu del Dia 7€Wine, Beers, soft drinks

We can cater for: private parties Birthdays – Weddings – Family parties

el Rancho

open 12pm – 2am tues- sun, Closed Mon (open Fiesta Mondays)tel: 666 487 321 / 666 487 322

el Rancho

New exciting Development at

CaR BooteveRy WeDNesDay

9aM iN tHe RestauRaNt CaR

paRk. pitCHoNly 2€

www.rusticoakfurnitureelpinar.com

Los Carasoleszurgena (almeria)on the Baza road.www.rusticoakfurnitureelpinar.com

950 10 42 72

Solid oak furniture at very

reasonable prices

verA BrAncH OFFice: ronda Las Buganvillas Local 24, 04621 vera (Almeria, Spain)

teL. +34 - 950 617 017 / FAX. +34 - 950 133 342e-MAiL: [email protected] or [email protected]

pol Ind El Real de antas, C/ Interior, Nave 9, 04628 antas (almeria)

Tel: 950 459 017 fax: 950 459 018Tel Marie: 634 341 943 dave: 634 319 656 9am - 8pm

Showroom hours: Monday to friday: 10am-2:30pm Sat 11am-2pm ~ Other Times by appointment

new home from homefrom single items to the full package available

Quality Home Furnishings

sale now on to make room for new stock

look out for the oranGe stickers!

eVerythinG pictured is in our sale

noW SUPPlYING aND fITTING ShoWer & BaTh ScreeNS

baNk disclOsures a GOOd siGN fOr spaiNThe Bank of Spain didn’t exactly bare all last week, but its report on Spain’s cajas was the best peek we’ve had yet inside these troubled savings banks.

The cajas account for 42% of the country’s total banking assets, but so far trying to divine the scale of their losses has been mostly guesswork.The central bank’s headline disclosure was

that the cajas were exposed to about €100 billion in “potentially impaired loans” in real estate and construction as of December. That’s equal to about 10% of Spanish GDP. That exposure also equals about 46% of the cajas’ total real-estate and construction exposure of €217 billion. Of that €217 billion, some €173 billion was tied to lending, with €44 billion in foreclosed assets or property received in payment of debt.

The Bank had previously told us that the entire banking system’s problematic Spanish real-estate assets came to about €180 billion, but last week’s report marks the first break-out of the cajas’ situation, which has for months been fueling dramatic worst-case scenarios and spiraling borrowing costs for Europe’s fourth largest economy.

That the cajas had been battered in the credit crunch and housing bust was no secret: the savings banks, usually owned by local governments, have spent the last year being hustled through mergers that shrank their number to 17 from 45 last year. Now several of them are preparing public listings and feeling out private investors to raise enough capital to meet Madrid’s new requirements, or else face partial nationalization by the end of the year. To pass muster, the central bank estimates that Spain’s banks will need about €20 billion that they don’t currently have, though others estimate that they may need €40 billion or more.

That may all sound grim, but it’s a good sign that Spain is starting to come clean about the scale of the losses at the banks. Last February, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told the Atlantic Council that the Spanish financial system was “strong and solid,” and that the country’s banks “have proven to be resilient.” In

the year since Mr. Zapatero uttered those words, the premium that investors have demanded on Spanish 10-year government bonds has climbed roughly 30%.

That’s not to say that these latest disclosures and reforms have led Spain out of the woods. For one thing, the official loss rates seem based on assumptions that may prove too rosy. The government sees economic growth at 1.3% this year, but most private-sector analysts expect it to come in somewhere between 0.7% and 1%. And if Spanish property prices—now down about 19% from January 2008—fall more sharply than the Bank assumes, that €100 billion “potentially impaired” estimate could still grow.

Last week’s revelations weren’t pretty. But they’re better than leaving investors to guess at the extent of the cajas’ problems. The lesson from last summer’s less-than-rigorous stress tests in Europe was that ignoring problems at the banks won’t make them go away. Ireland—whose two biggest banks passed the first stress tests just months before being nationalized—learned this the hard way. Spain doesn’t have to, and anyway, the euro zone can’t afford for Spain to become another Ireland. Last week’s disclosures won’t solve the problems in the cajas’ portfolios, but they’re a start.

20 SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2011 ...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

Information provided by Currencies Direct, leading providers of foreign exchange. Call to

find out how we can help you get the best rates and save your transfer fees. Contact the Mojácar office on 950 478 914 or 0871 218 5001 from the

UK or email [email protected]

roYal Bank of Scotland PoSt loSeS of 1.1 Billion

market Commentary 25th february 2010Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, Britain’s

biggest government-owned lender, missed analyst estimates as losses from Ireland rose and profit from investment banking fell.

The net loss for 2010 was 1.1 billion pounds compared with a loss of 3.6 billion pounds in 2009, the bank said in a statement yesterday. Irish loan-losses almost doubled to 1.16 billion pounds, while operating profit at the investment bank fell by 2.2 billion pounds. RBS shares dropped. “We have much work still to do and there are significant obstacles still to overcome,” Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hester said in the statement.

The bank, which received a 45.5 billion-pound taxpayer rescue, the biggest in the world, has cut about 27,000 jobs and reduced its assets by 948 billion pounds since Hester replaced Fred Goodwin during the financial crisis of November 2008. RBS shares dropped 3.6 percent to 45.6 pence at the close in London, the biggest decline in the FTSE 350 Index of Britain’s five biggest banks.

The dollar and euro fell sharply to preferred safe-haven currencies, as traders continued to pull back from riskier positions in the wake of surging crude oil and growing Middle East violence. Attention is still firmly focussed on the developments in Libya and the oil-rich region. Developments are, of course, firstly captured by the oil price. Brent oil spiked to about 120 USD/barrel on rumours

of widespread disruptions, but later on there was a partial unwinding, helped by messages that Saudi Arabia would raise its production to compensate for the shortfall expected from Libyan oil production.

Sterling was under pressure yesterday as falling risk appetite dragged it lower, although strong expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates in coming months was seen providing support. It was further hurt by a survey showing that British retails sales growth slowed more than expected in February although firms ramped up prices at their fastest in 20 years.

So far today we have had UK Q4 GDP revised down to -0.6% q/q, +1.5% y/y which

was the biggest quarter to quarter fall since Q2 back in 2009. The Office for National Statistics said the downward revision due to lower production, service output along with the adverse weather conditions which are blame for the 0.6% drop from quarterly GDP. This has placed increased pressure on the pound and now sits at 1.6075 against the USD and 1.1661 against the EUR.

The conTenTs of This reporT are for informaTion purposes only. iT is noT inTended as a recommendaTion To Trade or a soliciTaTion for funds. currencies direcT cannoT be held responsible for any loss or damages arising from any acTion Taken following consideraTion of This informaTion.

Blaumar Estate Agents Huercal OveraAvda. Guillermo Reyna 53 Tel/Fax: 950 135 512 Mobile: 678 002 006 If you have a property to sell in huercal Overa or the immediate

surrounding villages & countryside, CONTaCT uS NOW!

Country house€225,000• 5 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms • 5,000m2 of land • Large outbuildings• Mains electric & water• 5 minutes to village with

amenities• 15 minutes to Huercal Overa

villa - €99,000 •3 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms •Rear patio & drive way •Village location •Walk to restaurants & bars •Mains elec & water etc •12 minutes to Huercal Overa

Apartment€124,950•3 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms •Private sun terrace •Fully Furnished •Great rental potential •Quiet area of Huercal Overa town •Walk to all amenities

B241

B207

B85

www.inmoblaumar.net

MATTRESS & PILLOW PROTECTION Mattress and pillow protectors not only

provide extra comfort, they will extend the life of your bedding by providing protection from wear and tear. Mattress toppers additionally provide an added cosy extra layer along with extra support and comfort.

DUVETS A duvet’s warmth is measured in togs and

you’ll want a different duvet depending on the time of year: Lightweight / summer - 4.5 tog or Autumn/Winter - 10.5 and 13.5 tog. There are also ‘all season’ duvets available that combine two duvets that can be used separately or together for winter use.

FILLINGSFillings are either natural or synthetic.

Natural fillings are made from duck down or the superior goose down, or a combination of both. The benefit of natural fillings is that they allow your skin to breathe.

NATURALDown is the soft, fluffy plumage. Each down

cluster contains thousands of filaments that intertwine with each other, forming air pockets that provide natural insulation to keep cold out and warmth in. In terms of quality, goose down has bigger clusters and retains more air, and so more warmth.

SyNTHETICSynthetic fillings offer a

more practical duvet. Unlike natural duvets that require professional cleaning, synthetic can be washed in a domestic washing machine - handy if they need to be regularly cleaned.

Technology nowadays means that synthetic duvets are better than ever. They give just as much warmth as feather filled duvets. Fillings will normally be made from polyester, or with polyester

microfibre; microfibre is a specially light and fine polyester fibre that’s air-blown into the duvet casing for good tog and softness. It’s designed to emulate the characteristics and feel of down. They are generally a little more expensive than those made of other types of polyester but the feel of the duvet is extra soft and especially cosy.

Finally, synthetic fillings are a good alternative to people who are allergic to feathers. And some are treated with antimicrobial and antibacterial chemicals to minimise allergic reactions to dust mites.

PILLOWS

As with duvet fillings, pillows are either made with synthetic or natural fillings. But whichever you choose, it’s important to get the right firmness and support for your head.

Top of the range are finest goose feather and down pillows. There’s also hollowfibre pillows and for those with allergies, our antibacterial pillows prevent dust mites, bacteria and fungal growth.

Plump up pillows regularly to maximise their support. Synthetic pillows however can be washed which is practical for everyday use too!

BEDDINGFlannel bed sheets provide night-time warmth

and comfort during those freezing months of winter. Made of cotton with other materials often added to give it more strength and warmth, flannel is most definitely the bed sheet of choice during cold weather.

Flannel is like other fabric in that it is rated by thread count, meaning that the higher the thread count, the softer and more luxurious the sheet will be. Look for thread counts above 200 as below this the fabric can feel cool; higher thread counts in excess of 400 are a reliable indication of a luxury sheet. Look at a light through the sheet to visually determine its value as the better sheets will always be more opaque..and, of course, don’t forget a wonderful fluffy throw to keep chills at bay and add a touch of luxury too!

SO NOW THAT yOUR MATTRESS AND PILLOWS AND yOUR BED LINEN IS ALL SORTED, IS IT TIME FOR BED yET?

we all want to get a good night’s sleep, so having the right bedding will help you feel comfortable and relaxed. the weight of the duvet, the support your pillow gives you and your duvet cover’s fabric all make a difference.

sleep easysleep easy

21SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2011www.soltimes.com

Please visit our office or refer to our website for more “bargains”. Vendors: If you are seriously considering selling your property please visit our office to discuss effective ways of achieving your goal.

As per decree 218/2005 the “Documento de Información Abreviada” (D.I.A) for any property sold by Veritas Homes is available at our office.

ProPerTY GroUP

ProPerty of tHe montH

3 bed / 2 bath renovated Cortijo to good standard. Plot 2.500 m². Gardens, terraces, pool & outside bar. Ref 1440

VAlle Del este Golf €299,950Velez rubIo €200,000

3 bed / 2 bath Villa. Build 140 m², Plot 612m². Heated pool. Solarium. Central heating Ref 1420

ArboleAs €195,000

3 bed/2 bath semi-detached Townhouse. Close to beach. Comm Pool & tennis court. Private garden & parking area 113m². Ref 1505

mojAcAr PlAyA €179,000ArboleAs €172,000

2 bed / 2 bath Villa in the 1st phase of Agua Nueva. Plot 400 mts². Garden & Pool. Fully furnished. Ref.1470

turre €169,950

3 bed / 2 bath Townhouse. Terrace with retractable glass doors. Fully furnished. Pool. 10 min walk to beach. Ref 1056

VerA PlAyA €159,950

2 bed / 1 bath 1st line Apartment. Roof terrace & front terrace. Stunning sea views. Garage. Pool. Ref. 1059

mojAcAr PlAyA €159,000

turre €150,000


2 bed / 2 bath 1st floor Apartment. Fully furnished. Indoor & outdoor Pool. Close to Mercadona. Ref 1449

VerA PlAyA €104,000turre €87,000



turre €145,500

3 bed / 3 bath southeast facing Villa 5 min walk to beach & promenade. Sea views. Pool. Central heating. Many extras Ref 1401

3 bed / 2 bath Villa. Build 123 m², Plot 600 m². Workshop room. Terrace, patio, gardens & pool. Ref 1054

4 bed / 1 bath lovely Cortijo + garage + annex. Plot 36.500 m² with hundreds of trees. Ref 1252

2 bed / 1 bath Apartment with stunning views. Marina de la Torre. Fully furnished. Pool. Private parking. Ref. 1209

2 bed / 2 bath Apartment. Fully furnished. Rooftop communal pool serviced by lift. Ref 1253

2 bed / 1 bath Apartment. Marina de la Torre. furnished. Terraces. Pools.Ref 1008

3 bed / 2 bath Townhouse in Huerta Nueva. Solarium. Terraces. Gas central heating. Communal Pool Ref.1260

2 bed / 1 bath Villa in the 1st phase of Agua Nueva. Plot 419 mts². Plunge Pool. Ref.1493

3 bed / 2 bath Villa in La Parata. Panoramic sea views. Close to restaurants & club. Space for pool. Ref 1400


2 bed / 1,5 bath apartment on 2 levels. beautiful complex. Fully furnished. terraces. sea views. Pool. ref 1066

REduCEd REduCEd

REduCEdREduCEd

REduCEd baRgaINmojAcAr €425,000

bArGAIn

Paseo del mediterraneo 197 - mojacar - Almeria

tel: 950 472 430 /+44 208 180 3240www.veritashomes.co.uk [email protected]

you can find us on

22 SOLTIMES MARCH 2011 ... remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

send your cleaninG

tips to editor@

soltimes.com

Nigel (production) 634 368 068Royston (Installation) 634 306 455Jim (Sales) 600 361 055unit 3, poligono Industrial Sur, alboxalmeria, Spain, 04800Email: [email protected]

Manufacturer and supplier to all the largest hardware outlets in the area.Yes, most of the fibreglass tanks, etc you see outside there were manufactured by us

Deal Direct with the best,not the rest!!Manufacture and full installation of all sizes of storage tanks(oil & water), swimming pools and the new three stagecleanable septic tanks.house and shed leaking roof repairs.

ALBOX FIBREgLASS

We are now in full production

Tel: 627 907 207www.solshaders.net email: [email protected]

AWNINGS - FLY SCREENS - INTERNAL BLINDS

■ domestic & commercial ■ supplied & fitted ■ many colours & styles ■ all areas covered ■ free quotations ■ signwriting service for commercial

SHADING SPAIN, WITH...

Tired of sitting around waiting for someone to sell your property?YoUr ProPerTY, YoUr Sale,0% coMMISSIoN.

Take a look at www.buyandsellpropertyinspain.com and break the rut!

Want up to

22,000,000people per month

to see

yourproperty?

Tel: 950 109 699 or 661 433 [email protected]

Take a look at our Website and see what is available to buy without commission! www.buyandsellpropertyinspain.com

cost of www.buyandsellpropertyinspain.com products against traditionalestate agents commisions - and savings made:

Buy this 3 bed, fully legal villa in Chirivel without commission for €235,000, or near offers, the owner recieves all that you pay!

Shiny Silver CutleryTo clean solid silver cutlery (not plated silver) line a plastic

bowl with aluminium foil, shiny side up.

Put a mug full of soda crystals in the bowl and add sufficient hot water to immerse the cutlery.

Put your rubber gloves on, drop in the cutlery and see the cutlery turn a beautiful bright shade in a couple of minutes. Rinse under a warm tap until no soda remains on them. buff

to a high shine with a dust cloth.

Remove Red WineRed wine spill on carpet? Douse with soda water then dab

with layers of paper towel. Continue until no colour shows on the paper towel.

Shower SolutionLimescale deposits around the bath taps and shower head

are often something we live with, but are easily cleaned. If your shower head is not removable do not despair. Simply take a plastic bowl, fill it with cheap hot white vinegar (heat it in a saucepan) and immerse the shower head in the bowl.

To keep the bowl in place, tape to the shower head using masking tape, this will not spoil the chrome. Leave it for one hour - no longer. Remove the tape and the bowl. The limescale will be loose; some will be in the vinegar. Take an old tooth brush and scrub the shower head. Do not forget to run the shower to remove any excess vinegar. Wipe the outside of the shower head with a wet cloth and buff up using a dry cloth.

Top TapsThe same principle applies

to all taps. Wrap paper towel all around areas the base of the taps where the limescale usually gathers. Then add hot vinegar onto the paper towel sheets until they are saturated. Follow the same method used in the previous top for removing limescale from the shower head. Leave for about an hour, then rinse thoroughly and buff to a shine. This does not work with taps or showers that are plated - you will

top 10 Natural cleaning tips

ruin the plating.

beautiful bathsAll baths are easily scratched no matter what they are made of. The shine can be ruined if

you use an abrasive cleaner and a rough cloth. by using a cream cleaner, specially designed for use in a bath together with a sponge, which is very soft and gentle, your bath will clean up beautifully and maintain its lovely shine and is scratch free.

Freshen UpWhen cleaning the toilet bowl, use a paper towel. It’s much more hygienic to throw some

scouring powder down the bowl, rub with paper towel until clean, throw the paper towel away, flush the loo and hey presto...a clean toilet.

Laundry Freshboys in the house? Line their laundry baskets with a couple of sheets of paper towel

sprinkled with tea tree oil to keep nasty smells at bay.

Winning WindowsWhen you clean your windows, use 25% vinegar mixed with 75% warm water. Put on your

rubber gloves and immerse an old cotton towel in the water. Heavily rub on the windows and then scrunch up a piece of newspaper and use to buff up the windows. If there are any streaks left use a dry cloth to finish off.

Effective CleaningA good tip ...if you are cleaning the inside of the windows wipe horizontally. When you clean

the outside wipe the window vertically. This is extremely handy for checking any streaks which may have been left. Vertical streaks will be on the outside and horizontal streaks will be on the inside!

Fragrant FridgeIf the little drain at the back of the fridge gets bunged up, take a piece of paper towel,

dampen it and roll very tightly to fit into and clean the outlet.

Happy Cleaning!


positi approper ty group S.L.

(0034) 950 617 [email protected]

www.positivagroup.com

a logo which speaks for itself in times of doubt always Positiva.

after a successful 4 years based in los Gallardos Positiva Property Group decided it was time to change gear and accelerate the business within from a stronger and more prestigious premises.Who we are Greg edwards Managing director since

2006 has a great deal of experience dealing with all types of properties in the region.

Francisco roca sales manager For european buyers, with extensive language skills and a strong, honest approach, and with the most incredible referral records ever achieved within our

company.beverley eccles sales Manager for

the Uk market place, fluent spanish speaking with a warm and friendly approach, who is an absolute pleasure to work with.

Positiva Property Group have relocated to the Modern and stylish Montemar centro commercial, and are located on the first floor immediately adjacent to the office of the euro Weekly.

the office is a refreshing change from your normal estate agency with stylish decoration, and a strong working energy from within its obvious why Positiva have survived the crisis.

Positiva Property Group in the past four years have grown from strength to strength and with the new team

combined extensive language skills and a sleek modern image, are

looking forward working with all prospective buyers and

sellers during 2011.Positiva Property Group during 2010 worked extensively within the european market place with euro buyers, this has emerged with a healthy start to 2011 with multiple referrals.Positiva Property

redefined the business within the

later part of 2010 by going back to basics and

focusing on our core skills which is selling houses and

selling houses well.Positiva have an incredible reputation

within the market place and this will assist them greatly from there new offices.

• a company who offers an unrivalled service in terms of customer focus, area, product and investment knowledge. We believe that providing a high level of service and conducting business to the highest standard is essential for the well being of our clients, now and in the future. We are an independent company; we have no hidden charges for either the buyer or the seller.

• qualified and experienced individuals who are here to help you. We provide confidential advice to assist you as much or as little as required. We can help you make the most of your current situation, and in most cases can assist you in improving this. Just another one of our bespoke services to arrange anything from initial deposits to final payments.

• Our bespoke service will ensure that we will find your ideal property in Spain, whether it be for a holiday home, permanent move or an investment

purchase. You can be sure that we will have the right property for you within our ever increasing portfolio and that we will assist you throughout the entire process.

Positiva are always looking to expand there portfolio so if you have a property your looking to sell, and actually want to sell it the please contact us, and we will arrange for one of our team to prepare the details for the sale in a professional manner.

Positiva would welcome your visit to our new offices located in the Montemar centro comercial, or refer to our web site www.positivapropertygroup.com if you are considering selling your property, as we have a healthy list of buyes waiting

for the right property to come along.

tel: (0034) 950 617 611www.positivapropertygroup.com

Centro Comercial Montemar, Local 8A, Mojacar 04638, Almeria

ppositi ap

proper ty group S.L.

950 617 611www.positivapropertygroup.comFo

r SA

LE


Mobile Mark: 671 220 162email: [email protected]

www.poolmedics.es

s w i m m i n g p o o l e n g i n e e r scomplete sand change, labour

& sand media oNlY 80€Pool leak

detection & repair service

Pool leaKaGe SPecIalISTS

DRAINAgE SOLUTIONS

Tel: 616 531 283 or 670 088 966

Emergency Drain Cleaning High Pressure Water Jetting

CCTv SurveysDrainage Repairs

Location of CesspitsQualified engineer

Expert Reports

Save ThIS NUMBer: 678 487 689+ breakdown+ Servicing+ diagnostics+ Repairs+ Insurance Work+ fully Legal

We will beat any written quote.all work guaranteed.aNy CaRaNy aREaaNy TIME

paRaMEdICS+db auTOTHE garagE THaT CoMES To you

log-on-Tommylog-on-Tommy

619 070 839619 070 839

cheaPeST loGS In ToWn

Small cut olive logs NO ROOTS for thesmaller fire

Chris: 637 82 97 87City & Guilds & ACS qualifications, CORGI registered with 10 years experience

Gas & Oil Fired Central Heating - Gas AppliancesPlumbing - Servicing - Repairs - Installations

FREE QUOTATIONS & ADVICEPLUMBING

Tel: 687 314 775 Same day delivery & stacking

service available

free kindlinG with eVery loadloGS for Sale

- grade a Olive- No Roots - best prices available

satellite & air-conditioninginstallations from SOLO SaT chief technician: Nick howe Call for february Offers!

Call outs only €30call Nick on 699 909 737

Office: 950 528 334 | Mob: 693 743 [email protected]

SOLAR POWERSmall system for lights and TV from 600€. Large system full house 5000€. Photowatt solar panels 170w 399€ cheapest

panels in spain. Hawker deep cycle AGM batteries 15yr life span 120a 65€. Chloride deep cycle 2v 1300a to make

12/24/48v battery bank 100€ per cell. Solar hot water system100-300 ltr from 250€. Inverters from 50€.

3000w pure sine inverter/charger best deal in spain 850€.24v wind turbine (as used for Olympic Games) 400w new 500€

All types of solar equipment bought for cash.Quad bike Wanted

CAll 619 744 516

OPENfOr busiNEss

JAMeS & SOnremovals / Storage uK, FrAnce

& SPAinPet transportation & competitve rates

651 519 307

4 Blocked toilets sinks & baths4 Blocked drains & pipes4 cctv surveys & inspections4 Drain tracing

4 new showers, baths & toilets4 turbine root cutting4 Blocked cesspits

All domestic and commercial work carried outAll work guaranteedCall out within 1 hour when possibleMojacar, Arboleas & all other areas covered

Tel: 950 091 109 or 648 768 587

locK STocK & BarrellocksMith & carPentrY serVicesOver 25 years experience in the trade

24 HOur Service

MLA registeredcity & Guilds Advanced carpenterAll types of carpentry undertakencALL uS: 608 673 086email: lockstockandbarrel44@gmail.comwww.lockstockandbarrel44.yolasite.com

run your central heatinG at a lower cost than Gas, oil or pellets, call for more details !

serVicer of pellet Burners

almeria heatinG

call Joseph: 659 685 133

heaT YoUr SWIMMING Pool for aS lITTle aS 1€ a DaY!

Enjoy your heated swimming pool all year round

winter months in Spain are often sunny but the pool is too cold to use. By installing one of our Air Source Heat

pumps you can use your pool all year round.

Air Source Heat Pumps ●Zero Carbon emissions ●

low Running Costs ●Pool Covers ●

Tel: 950 528 128Mob: 663 303 350

[email protected]

Phil lennonSecurity Specialist

Covering almeria & Murcia areasCaLL fOR a fREE quOTaTION

Securitas direct EspañaM: 699 355 056

[email protected]

PART & FULL VALETS - T CUTS & POLISHING - INTERIORSUPHOLSTERY CLEANING - SOFAS AND RUGS

MoBIle vehIcle valeTING

For more information contact

Craig:950 121 149Email: info:@canconnect.es

Avda America 14, Albox

Cheapest Calls in Spain

NOW AVAILAbLE AT

tO advertise here call 950 430 820 Or email: [email protected]

“satisfaction does not come with achievement, but with effort. full effort is full victory.” mahatma Gandhi


Viewpoint

biggy marshall is educated within law and administration and has been writing most of her life. she has been published in the danish press as well as in local english publications. she has lived in spain for nearly 20 years, the last 14

years in murcia. biggy can be contacted on [email protected]

disclaimer: the OpiNiONs expressed iN this cOlumN are the OpiNiONs Of the cOlumNist aNd NOt the OpiNiONs Of sOl times Newspaper GrOup. the Newspaper takes NO respONsibility fOr

the cONteNt Or the OpiNiONs Of cOlumNist.

oh, By the way....Getting old is in my opinion not that bad – especially not when

you think of the alternative!Summing up the number of jokes about age that I have stored

in my computer now requires more skills than summing up the years, I have lived. And the jokes keep on coming! Beginning to wonder what it is my friends are trying to tell me.

My feeling about getting old is aptly expressed in one of my favourite jokes: I am just 17 years old, only problem is that there is an old woman living in the mirrors – and she will not go away! I have often wondered whether other people feel the same.

They say that you get wiser with age, but I am still waiting for the bolt of enlightenment. In my humble opinion the only thing that happens with age is that you stop giving a damn.

One thing I have noticed is that people do not like to talk about age and growing older. The attitude to age is approximately the same as to death, probably because the two are intimate friends. We do not talk about age and we certainly do not use the words ‘old’ and ‘aged’. The subject of aging is treated with softened up expressions like ‘marked with a crows foot’, ‘grey haired’, and ‘no chicken’. The Eurythmics used an admittedly beautiful lyrical analogy: ‘Underneath this canopy of snow, where 57 winters took their toll’

‘I don’t think about dying. It’s the last thing I want to do’ – and yet, with age and the knowledge that you have more years behind you than in front of you, you inevitably wonder about death – some even fear it. Woody Allen once said: I am not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be around when it happens.

‘I’m retired – I was tired yesterday. I’m tired again today’. That was exactly the first sign I noticed about getting old, I started to get tired. I used to clean the house from top to bottom in one morning, now I need several breaks doing the same thing – and one morning is no longer enough. I can absolutely relate to the joke ‘At my age .. Happy hour is a NAP!’

Then your memory starts playing up. Ever gone into a room, to the fridge or wherever and suddenly wondered why you were there? Or, the classic, where did I put my glasses, my mobile, the keys? ‘I’ve been diagnosed with C.R.S. – CAN’T REMEMBER SHIT?

Then you start getting high – high cholesterol, high blood pressure etc. That’s the time when you say ‘Goodbye tension – Hello pension’.

You should never ignore that your sex life is an integral part of a healthy life – even in old age. Do not pay attention to ‘At my age, the only thing that gets hard is my arteries’, just go for it and keep healthy. However at lot is to be said for ‘I believe in having sex on the first date. At my age, there may not be a second’.

And now they want us to work even longer. In Spain the retirement age is gradually going up to 67 years. There are not enough jobs for 17, 27, 37 years old unemployed workers, and yet they think that tired, morbid, forgetful people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol should continue to occupy the good jobs until they reach 67? Hey-ho – straight from retirement party to grave! Great savings on the pension funds!

And, as I wanted to say was …………. ????????? Oh, sod it! ‘Just live each day like it’s your last – One day, you’ll get it right!’

THE NHS ? . . . IT KIllS ME !

By Colin [email protected]

I was just a lad and I remember the anguish when my Dad had to go into hospital for an operation, Mum was worried sick and so was I. It was nothing serious as it turned out, a rather nasty but easily remedied hernia, but even so he was in hospital for ten days because nobody was ever sent home until it was certain that the surgery had been effective and that the patient had stabilised. Moreover there was an added option of spending another week of recuperation in a convalescent home in Bournemouth.

Cut to February 2011.The report two weeks

ago by the Health Service Ombudsman in the UK, based on ten random cases investigated, concluded that the elderly patients concerned suffered unnecessary pain, indignity and distress while in the care of the NHS. There is no need to go into the awful details here – they should be etched on our brains from the extensive TV and media coverage. But what surprises me is the shock horror response from the authorities, as if this is something new. It’s not. Case after disgraceful case has been reported over years of declining standards of care in the chaos that has become the hallmark of this once great institution.

There will be people who take exception to this statement because they have had brilliant treatment at the

hands of the NHS - that’s to the good - and of course there are many caring and talented people within it. But the fact remains that there are hospitals up and down our country that can rightfully be branded as third world, not because the Doomsday Daily Mail or other such publications say so, but because personal experiences, and the sheer number of stories related by friends, neighbours and family members over a long period of time tells me so. And crucially from acquaintances who work within the NHS up to and including a consultant friend in a large North Country hospital. Almost everyone in the land has personal knowledge or knows someone who has had similar experiences.

The problem of course, is that standards have dropped to such an abysmal level, that when we receive good service in a well run ward with caring staff, we send up a little prayer of thanks and enthuse about the marvels of our wonderful health service. But this standard of care should be just that – standard. Everyone should have the right to expect this level of excellence, day in, day out, year on year, from every hospital in the land.

The day after the report was published, a lady from a national charity stated on the This Morning programme, that what is needed is more and better training, which in turn means more money. However what I am talking about here

is something that money does not buy. Whilst this lady was obviously well meaning, I dispute that it has anything to do with training or with nursing skills. When elderly patients starve to death on the ward; when people are left to lie in their own body waste and when the old and infirm are left unattended for hours on end, it has nothing to do with training or medical knowledge. It has to do with a total lack of compassion, and compassion is sadly a quality that is missing in too many of the staff employed within the NHS today, and is something that cannot be taught.

When I witnessed two nurses going from patient to patient with food in a geriatric ward who joked and giggled the whole time to each other, never once making eye contact with their charges, let alone engaging them in conversation or providing a soothing word, I asked myself: what are they doing in a caring profession?

My own father-in-law suffered terribly because having been ravaged by infection after hospital infection, he finally died after eight long months never having returned home. The hygiene and standard of cleanliness in that ward and in the private room he was at one time shunted into, was disgraceful.

And where are the managers? Those highly paid individuals who constantly blame everything on the lack

of money, and assure us time and again that ‘lessons have been learned’. Where else in industry and commerce are the management seemingly oblivious to what is happening on the front line? Many improvements in the quality of care could be undertaken without throwing huge amounts of public money at the problem, by reinforcing higher standards across the board with a more stringent recruitment policy and disciplinary code.

The elderly in our society have paid their dues. They have contributed to the prosperity and standing of the nation over a productive life including the support, through their efforts, of the Health service . . . and in many cases, served their country as members of the armed forces. They above all other sections of society deserve the very best care, compassion and respect that can be provided, and not simply cast aside.

Moreover, not only should there be a public outcry when cases like those highlighted are brought to our attention, but those responsible for such neglect should be brought to account.

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary definition for Manslaughter is: criminal homicide without malice aforethought.

I reckon that just about describes such cases.

Chris Marshall is a professional blogger and freelance broadcaster and writer who lives in Almerimar, Spain with his wife Sands, four cats, two Harley Davidson’s and more often

than not a bottle of red to hand!His weekly column in The Sol Times is sponsored by Bay Connect (www.bay-connect.com.

You can hear him daily on www.bayradio.fm and read him monthly in the Daily Telegraph.

Hard to believe but it will be four years on March 13th since we posted our first article on the blog www.almerimarlife.com, and by coincidence we are just coming up to our 4,000th post on the site as well .......

It has been an interesting and educational four years to say the least, not least in that as well as learning a lot more about the country we have chosen to live in, it has also shown us a lot about the people that also live in Spain, aspire to live in Spain or take their holidays in Spain.

On the subject of holidays it was

encouraging to read some market research recently which claimed that Spain continues to be one of the most popular holiday destinations for UK travellers and bookings for holidays to Spain have increased by as much as 32%. The evidence is still very much that tourism is on the increase to Spain, but that percentage wise more will come from Eastern European countries, India, China and niche markets like Residential Tourism, Gastro Tourism and activity based holidays like Golf.

On the site we have noticed a huge increase in advertisers from abroad

wanting to advertise holidays in Spain, and a significant increase in the amount of emails we get asking for information. In case you are interested these are the most frequently asked questions we get on a weekly basis from tourists coming to the Costa Almería on holiday.

1. Where will be able to get FREE Wi-Fi?

2. Where can I get cheap airport transfers as taxis and car hire are so expensive?

3. Where will my husband we able to watch the Football/Cricket/Golf/Rugby

views from a balcony in spain

by chris marshall

past, preseNt & future

By Jos [email protected]

during our Menu del dia, taken outside in the sunshine at saliente Monastry a fit looking young man appeared, strode purposefully across the terrace where we were seated, gazed for a while at the view before hitching his rucksack up into a more comfortable position and striding off into the same view, and out of our sight and mind.

Full of food and christian charity, and at peace with the world in general, we left the Monastry for the scenic drive back to albox, ready to appreciate to the full the beauty of the almond blossom in the afternoon sun.

rounding a corner (there are many!) we came face-to-face with an unexpected dilemma in the form of a hitch hiker. i do not pick up hitch hikers for any reason unless by some accident of Fate they are known to me, and have an obvious and genuine reason for needing assistance.

We recognised him as the be-rucksacked young man we had seen earlier. as he heard us approach he turned to face us, joined his hands in an attitude of prayer, an expression of humble supplication on his face and in every line of his body.

his unspoken plea came right from his heart, and went straight to mine.

‘shall we?’ Pete asked. i couldn’t have said no and slept that

night. anyway, christian charity and a very good tinto Verano were still coursing through my veins.

he proved to be an ideal passenger. he inserted himself and his rucksack into the back seat of our rather small car without fuss, and passed the journey in patient conversation, making allowance, i am sure, for my inability to understand spanish-speed spanish.

he was undertaking a 3 day hike from hijate, a total distance of 80 kilometres, he explained, adding that it would have taken him 3 hours to walk from saliente to albox.

Just before journey’s end we off-loaded him, and with fulsome thanks he transferred himself into his friend’s car for the remainder of the trip into albox. after he left our care i couldn’t help pondering on his tactics. had he, perhaps, been able to use his unique approach and general clean-cut charm to hitch a lift with other soft-hearted motorists along the way? had he discovered by experience that adopting the stance of a penitent, especially in the environs of a Monastry, is more effective than the casual stuck-out thumb?

how much of his 80 kilometre trek had actually been on foot? i don’t think it

matters – both hitcher and lifters were well satisfied with our afternoon’s deal!

a mutual faVour...

etc?4. Typically how much will it cost for

a family of four to eat out in the evening and what is there to do in the evenings?

5. What will the weather be like?Little has changed over the four

years! The WiFi question has obviously become much more frequent in the last two years, but other than that I think the rest have been in the Top 5 since day one.

On the subject of anniversaries it seems appropriate, with all the current events in Egypt and Libya, to reflect that last week (23rd February) it was the 30th anniversary of the failed military coup in Spain that sought to crush a young democracy ushered in after decades of dictatorship.

A group of armed Civil Guards backed

by a few army generals nostalgic for General Francisco Franco’s rule stormed parliament on February 23, 1981, firing submachine guns into the ceiling, and detained lawmakers in a bid to install another military regime.

The uprising began to crumble when the King, dressed in a military uniform symbolizing his role as head of the armed forces, went on television in the middle of the night to order the troops back to their barracks and endorse the new democratic constitution.

Known as 23-F a recent survey showed that 75% of Spaniards think that it needs to be remembered so that it never happens again.

On the subject of Surveys we have been running five short surveys on the site to try and get a feel for how recent

events and changes in Spain are being received. The five subjects are:

If the opportunity arose would you be confident in Purchasing a Property In Spain this year?

Currently 64% of people say they would be confident.

Is Spain throwing away its culture?Currently 75% of people say that it isWill Spain require a EU Bailout?

Currently 50% of people believe that it will

Do you think that Spain will stick with the smoking ban? Currently 60% of people don’t think that it will

How many times a year would you fly to Spain IF airlines provided a year round service?

The current average is 6.7 times a year.

26 SOLTIMES MARCH 2011 ...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMESSo

LuTIo

nS

HA

RD

SU

DO

KU

CR

YPTI

C C

RO

SS

wO

RD

CR

OS

Sw

OR

D

STA

ND

AR

D

SU

DO

KU

coffee Break

standard crossword

sudo

ku pu

ZZle

Sudo

ku is

a p

lace

men

t puz

zle.

Ent

er th

e nu

mbe

rs 1

to 9

in

each

row

and

col

umn

of a

grid

, mad

e up

of 3

x 3

sub

grid

s.

The

catc

h is

that

eac

h ro

w, c

olum

n an

d gr

id m

ust c

onta

in

only

one

inst

ance

of e

ach

num

ber o

r let

ter.

sudo

ku pu

ZZle

Very

hard

!cryptic crossword

acroSS8. Concludes (4)9. Inattentive (10)10. a form of sexual desire (6)11. from the east (8)12. big butte (4)13. Irritating (10)17. Summoned (4)18. Eskimo (5)19. general agreement on Tariffs and

Trade (4)20. paltry (10)22. all excited (4)23. flood (8)27. Every 60 minutes (6)28. disorder where dreams are

confused with reality (10)29. a hard smooth ivory colored

dentine (4)

doWn1. habitual (10)2. guess (8)3. beguiling (10)4. arch type (4)5. Current event information (4)6. Not these or those (6)7. Male cow (4)14. The opposable digit (5)15. Stationery (10)16. unmoving (10)19. alumnus (8)21. along a line (6)24. Close (4)25. pimples (4)26. Where the sun rises (4)

acroSS2 Not using a machine, down Shanghai’s

development, missing nothing (11)9 Identified setter in new commercial (5)10 Spattering remains in second quiet fish (9)12 funny ape with Jeans from an asian country! (8)15 Cab thanks football team (4)16 Strangely sad without initially difficult sums (4)17 Scope of Iran, generally (5)18 Reportedly hurry a country (6)19 Killer-whale comes up to a ship, not down (6)20 Time concealed river inside musical interval (5)21 Moved swiftly (through the air?) (4)23 a good editor is old! (4)25 Squirmed with funny g-girl getting married

outside (8)28 vessel to hold the

queen? (9)30 Left to possess

Chinese leader’s first buffoon! (5)

31 Sid came back, attempted to surround but passed around (11)

doWn 1 Truthful part of rich

one’s testimony? (6)2 Smells bad, and

sings without words! (4)

3 Land for a rest? (3)4 Existed, as after first

war (3)5 What you’re hoping

to do with Shanghai’s first love, perhaps (5)

6 give out children (5)7 Profited from dealing

crookedly? Not likely at first! (6)

8 puts forward southern guest’s adaptation, taking german capital (8)

11 Mathematical symbol for musical drama and hill (8)

12 Tool for dances at a

first wedding (6)13/27 place in Shanghai - a ‘dragon Inn’ - collapses

with Juliet inside (7,4)14 at a consistent rate, it delays reconstruction (8)16 business opening, in a way, is in a foreign

country (6)18 Official allows China’s leader to enter, then

meditates (8)22 brought in Eastern daughter after near

disruption (6)24 doctor is without new ‘King’ beverages (6)25 Envelops western music from Eminem? (5)26 victor’s headless, but not on the outside! (5)27 See 1329 Steal from, or return to, britain (3)30 Complicated section of animal (3)

Behind eVery Great man is a woman rollinG her eyes Jim carrey


Tel: 950 120 900

Website: www.shinform.net Email: [email protected]

Contact us on Skype at Shinform

Open: Mon - fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 1pmaddress - 28 de febrero, s/n, 04800, albox, almeria

ServING The local coMMUNITY SINce 2003steVe haYes INfORMaTICa

• pC’s • Laptops • printers etc...

• Sales & Repairs• On-site Call Out/Tuition

• Consumables

512 Kbps 17€ per month 1Mb 25€ per month 1.5Mb 30€ per month Special Offer!!

free installation

Only while stocks last

Existing customers Speeds & Packages changing soon

BroadBand internet

[email protected] Tel: 678 813 505

Terms & conditions apply

Telephone line rental 8€ per month for 2 incoming numbers eg UK & Spanish.

PAWS A WHILE PET HOTELPAWS A WHILE PET HOTEL• A home from home friendly atmosphere.

• A full menu to suit all requirements.• Pet suites. • 24/7 Veterinary care.

• Pets play area • Very secure surroundings with ample space & shade.

• Yours or your pets portrait available.

oPen eVerYdaY: 10am - 12pm & 5pm - 6.30pm

ENGLISH & SPANISH SPEAKING

fines, nr Alboxwww.pawsawhilefines.com

Telephone for prices & details of vaccinations required for stay.

dean: 696 562 662

Spain is a country with a well-known Catholic tradition. The carnival is, therefore, celebrated before the 40 days of Lent as a way to let loose before the prohibitions of the upcoming religious holidays.

Carnival season starts on or around Shrove Tuesday, which takes place this year on 16th February. Most towns stage some kind of parade, and there is usually lots of music and dancing as well as a “Carnival Queen” contest.

The carnival is a “fiesta of the people”; a reaction against abstentions and prohibitions of all types. To get involved just submerge yourself in the carnival celebrations, let go of all inhibitions!

Hardly surprisingly, during the Spanish Civil War, General Franco abolished the Carnival in rebel areas. And after the war, of course, there was still much opposition to the Carnival, so Franco abolished it once again from 1937. However, in true Spanish style, the celebrations continued in Cadiz and some other towns namely: Ayamonte, Isla Cristina, Fuentes de Andalucia, Trabujena, and Benamahoma.

In today’s Spain, carnival is a perfect opportunity to celebrate life!

It’s Carnival Time!It’s Carnival Time!

HuelvaThe Huelva carnival is one of the

biggest in Andalucia and is known

as the Columbian Carnival, in honour

of Christopher Columbus, who sailed

from Huelva to discover the New

World. The Huelva carnival closed

down during Franco’s prohibition and

it took a few years to start it up again,

even after democracy overtook the

country. It was not, therefore, until 1983 that this carnival

re-started after a long sleep. Like Cádiz, Huelva hosts

a major contest for all the different genres of carnival

singers and has been known to attract up to 70 different

groups!

CadizCádiz Carnival is undoubtedly the largest and most prominent on mainland Spain, almost world famous! Outside of Cádiz capital, carnivals take place throughout the province. The Puerto de Santa María carnival, for example, is a major event. This town is most famous for its “Comparsas” (singing groups) and many of them also participate in the big provincial contest held at the Teatro Falla in Cádiz. As in other places, everyone dresses up for the festivals and there is a parade on the last day.

JaenThe City of Jaen organises a full calendar

of carnival events. This is a carnival with six

centuries of history behind it with a man

named Condestable Iranzo credited with

founding the event. As in other areas, it was

prohibited for many years during Franco’s

rule of Spain, but today the Jaen Carnival is

going strong.

GranadaThe Granada Carnival

usually lasts about a week

and includes the usual

singing contests that are

held in theatres and other

venues. There is also plenty

of activity in the streets of

Granada (a city that is famous

for its “tapa” appetisers that

accompany drinks at no

extra charge), including a

parade.

SevilleThe city of Seville is known to dedicate February to carnival celebrations with all the usual song and dance performances and there is also a children’s carnival that’s scheduled on the weekends! The town of Pedrera in Seville province is known for its carnival with the entire village dressing up on Ash Wednesday for the traditional “burial of the sardine”.


MIS AMIGOS RestaurantPARTALOA

TEL: 657 445 396 OR 626 893 799

OPENING TIMES: THURS & MON 6 - 10 pmFri & Sat 1 - 10 pm Sun 1 - 5 pm

1 HOUR HORSE RIDE AT

RANCHO LUZ DE SOLWITH 3 COURSE

LUNCH

Delicious home cooked food in cosy & intimate surroundings atgreat value...

A la Carte Menu Available Thursday, Friday, Saturday

& Monday

VeGetarianoptions

aVailaBleSUNDAY LUNCH FROM 6€ SERVED 1.30PM — 5PMBOOKING RECOMMENDED

25€

food news...aN uNrecOGNisable wOrld: GlObal pOpulatiON Of 9billiON will cOmpete fOr fOOd supplies iN 2050

The earth’s population could top nine billion by 2050, leading to an ‘unrecognisable’ world as people compete for scarcer resources a U.S. science conference heard yesterday.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) heard how the world’s population’s will increase rapidly in poorer countries resulting in the need to produce the same amount of food in a 40 year period as had been produced in the previous 8,000 years.

Population growth is expected to be highest in African and South Asian states, while incomes are also expected to rise in

these countries by up to four times.

This will lead to further strain as research has shown that people earning higher wages consume more food.

“More people, more money, more consumption, but the same planet,’ Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund told the AFP news agency.

‘By 2050 we will not have a planet left that is recognisable,’

Mr Clay urged scientists and governments to start making changes now to how food is produced.

But while Mr Clay called for changes in food production, others are calling on more funding for family planning to control the number of humans, particularly in the developing nations.

John Bongaarts, vice-president of the UN Population Council, said: ‘For 20 years, there’s been very little investment in family planning, but there’s a return of interest now, partly because of the

environmental factors like global warming and food prices.

‘If we make much larger investments in family planning right now, the number of people could be closer to 8billion. Such an investment would have a very beneficial impact on human welfare and any environmental issue we care about.’

However Mr Bongaarts also said that any forecast of population was highly uncertain as fertility and mortality variables are difficult to forecast.

UN analysis of fertility rates across the globe show very low levels in Southern and Eastern Europe and this is expected to continue to other parts of the globe in the coming years.

But were this trend not to unfold and fertility rates remained higher than the UN predicts, the world’s population could top 10billion by 2100.

Life expectancy in developed countries could also play its part as predictions are that it will exceed 100 years by the turn of the century.

Were it to do so, and birth rates did drop, then the world’s population would again exceed 10billion.

The world’s population is expected to top seven billion at some point in 2011. The estimated population of the United Kingdom in 2010 was around 62million.

QuIte InterestInG fActs About

‘orAnGe’fruit Or cOlOur?The fruit came before the colour. The word “orange” derives

from the Arabic naranj and arrived in English as “narange” in the 14th century, gradually losing the initial “n”. This process is called wrong word division and also left us with apron (from naperon) and umpire (from noumpere). Orange was first used as the name for a colour in 1542.

what cOlOur is aN OraNGe?Oranges are unknown in the wild. They are a hybrid of

tangerines and the pomelo or “Chinese grapefruit” (which is pale green or yellow), and were first cultivated in south-east Asia. They weren’t orange, but green, and Vietnamese oranges and Thai tangerines are still bright green on the outside and orange inside.

So how have they ended up giving their name to a colour? It’s because oranges are a subtropical, not tropical fruit. The colour of an orange depends on where it grows. In more temperate climes, its green skin turns orange when the weather cools; but in countries where it’s always hot, the chlorophyll is preserved and the fruit stays green.

hOw ripe is my OraNGe?you can’t tell the ripeness of an orange by its colour, no

matter where it’s from. If an orange is unpicked, it can stay on the tree until the next season, during which time fluctuations in temperature can make it turn from green to orange and back to green again without the quality or flavour being affected.

OraNGe JuiceAlthough its origins are in south-east Asia, the first New

World orange trees were planted in Florida in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León.

Brazil now grows a third of all oranges in the world, of which 85 per cent are used for juice. Brazil’s Cutrale company produces one glass in five of all the orange juice drunk in the world. you don’t see it on packaging as it exports the concentrate, which is then turned into juice and listed as a product of the importing country.

It takes 50 glasses of water to grow enough oranges to make one glass of orange juice.

OraNGe hairAlexander the Great washed his hair in saffron to keep it a

lovely shiny orange colour. During his time saffron was as rare as diamonds and more expensive than gold.

OraNGe birdsCanaries were originally a mottled greeny-brown, but 400

years of crossbreeding by humans produced their yellow colour. A diet of red peppers turns them orange.

OraNGe braNdsFlymo, the hover lawnmower, was originally blue and only

turned orange in 1977. This was in response to consumer research that claimed it made it easier to find in long grass. Orange, the telecom company, was founded in 1994. Brand consultants Wolff Olins developed the orange square to emphasise the colour, rather than the fruit. They drew on the Chinese aesthetic discipline of feng shui, in which orange is the colour of purpose and organisation, and is supposed to help focus concentration. In the same year, advertising agency WCRS came up with the tag line: “The future’s bright, the future’s Orange.”

Less than a year later, airline easyJet launched with orange livery.

New OraNGeNew Amsterdam was founded by the Dutch in 1653, taken

by the English in 1664 and renamed New york, then retaken by the Dutch in 1673 and renamed New Orange. Under the Treaty of Westminster in 1674 the city was ceded to the English and New york became its permanent name.

OraNGe bOxesThe black box flight recorders on aircraft are actually

bright orange so that they can be found more easily. They were originally called “black boxes” because early electronic prototypes were stored in black metal boxes.

OraNGe puNishmeNtIn Spanish, anaranjear means, literally, to “orangicate” – to

pelt something with oranges.

healTh adviceeaT less red MeaT To reduce cancer risk

People should cut back on red and processed meat to reduce their risk of getting cancer, the government says.

New advice recommends eating no more than 70g a day - equivalent to three rashers of bacon or two sausages.

Experts say thousands of bowel cancer deaths could be prevented every year if people kept to the new limits. Advisers to the Department of Health in England say the restrictions would not put people at risk of

iron deficiencies.Bowel Cancer is the third

most common cancer in the UK - about 36,000 people are diagnosed every year, and 16,500 die. Eating 100 to 120g of red and processed meat a day - things like salami, ham and sausages - increases the risk of developing the condition by 20 to 30%, according to studies. But some commentators have questioned whether reducing red meat consumption would put people at greater risk of iron deficiency; red meat is a very good source of iron.

Iron deficiency causes anaemia, which leads to tiredness and dizzy spells, can affect brain development and result in behavioural problems. But a report from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition says if adults cut back to 70g of red meat a day, there would not be much impact on the number of people with low iron intake.

“Red meat can be part of a healthy balanced diet,” said the interim Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sally Davies, “but people who eat a lot should consider cutting down.”

“The occasional steak or extra few slices of lamb is fine, but regularly eating a lot could increase your risk of bowel cancer.”

The charity Beating Bowel Cancer welcomed the report.

Open every day 9am - Late teL: 638 889 520

cafe bar Los MeLLizosWeD 2ND March:

Man city V aston Villa 20:45celtic V rangers 20:45

arsenal V leyton orient 20:45SaT 5Th March:

birmingham V West brom 13:45arsenal V sunderland 16:00newcastle V everton 16:00cardiff city V ipswich 18:30

Man city V Wigan 18:30SUN 6Th March:

st. Mirren V rangers 13:45liverpool V Man Utd 14:30

Wolves V spurs 17:00

MoN 7Th March:dundee V aberdeen 21:00blackpool V chelsea 21:00

TUeS 8Th March:barcelona V arsenal 20:45

the pLace in the area fOr fOOtbaLL On ad spOrts in hd

Live entertainmentevery saturday

night

cafe bar Los MeLLizos


food & drink

avda Lepanto, Esquina c/Malaga - aLbOXTEL. 950 121 379 / 616 740 638 E: [email protected]

Open Mon-Sat 9.30 - 8pm (no siesta)

~ Verduras ~ Hortalizas ~ ~ Carne ~ Charcuteria ~

this week’s offerWhole Chickens

1.89€ PER KIlOchicken Breasts

4.80 per kilo

Chicken Wings1.99€ PER KIlOChicken legs

2.20€ PER KIlO

apples69c PER

kilo

The KimrickThe KimrickNEW

friday fish & Chips, served Lunchtime and dinner fresh Cod or haddock,

Chips & peas

tel: 950 475 198

correosFarMacia

red cross

app

rox

300

met

resKIMrIcK

Mojacar PlaYa 6.95€

large 4.95€Standard

Sunday Lunch 9€From

vENuE fOR hIRE!for private parties, Weddings, birthdays,

Christenings, anniversaries. all budgets catered for. From a finger buffet to a 7 course banquet. Call for details

inGredients1tbsp Olive Oil1tbsp Butter1 tsp crushed coriander seeds3 Leeks, sliced1 Sweet Potato, peeled & cut into ½in cubes1 Parsnip, cut into ½in cubes2 Potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” cubes5 cups of cold water1 bay leaf7 fresh sage leaves, choppedSalt & Pepper to taste½ cup crème fraiche for serving2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley MethodIn a large flameproof casserole, heat the oil. When it

is hot, add the butter. When the butter melts, cook the coriander seeds, stirring often, for 1 minute or until fragrant.Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Add the sweet potato, parsnip, turnips, and potatoes. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes.Add the water, bay leaf, sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.Discard the bay leaf. In a blender, puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems thick, stir in more water. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Ladle into bowls, add creme fraiche and parsley.Garnish with Crispy Bacon & serve with fresh bread for a wholesome snack too!

Ingredients2 whole mackerel1 lemon4 fresh rosemary sprigs2 garlic cloves, sliced1 small red onion, thinly sliced4 tbsp cider or apple juicesalt and freshly ground black pepper

MethodPreheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 or fan oven 180C/350F/Gas 4 from cold.Put each fish on a large square of tin foil or baking paper on a baking sheet. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper.Slice the lemon and then cut each slice in half. Tuck the lemon slices inside each fish with a couple of rosemary sprigs and a few garlic slices.Scatter over the onion and pour 2 tbsp of cider or apple juice over each fish.Wrap the tin foil or baking paper loosely around each fish to make a parcel, and bake for 25 minutes.Serve with boiled potatoes sprinkled with parsley.

Method:Preheat the oven at 350 °F/180°C/Gas 4Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the edge and act as handles to remove bars after baking. Grease foil with light oil spray.Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and blend briefly to combine.Cut butter in small pieces and sprinkle over flour mixture. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and firm and dry. Leave the oven on at the same temperature.Combine the cream, butter, salt, and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil for about 1 minute.Spread the pecans over the top of the crust. Pour the hot caramel filling evenly over the pecans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the caramel topping darkens.Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot topping. Let sit for a few moments and then use a knife or offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top. Chill the bars in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until the bars have fully set before slicing them. Using foil as handles, pull bars from pan and place on cutting board. Cut long side into 9 strips, then cut 4 strips across the short side, creating 36 bars…and remember to wipe the knife clean between cuts to ensure clean edges.

pecan cookies

IngredientsFor the base: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour½ cup dark brown sugar½ tsp salt½ cup cold unsalted butterFor the topping:1/3 cup heavy cream¾ cup unsalted butter¼ teaspoon salt¾ cup light brown sugar1 ½ cups pecans1 cup chocolate chips

dessert

starter

mainBaked mackerel recipe

hearty seasonal soup recipe

weekly Menu del Dia

4 courses including bottle of wine per couple & coffee; Monday to saturday

lunch & dinner inclusive 10€

SaturDayMenu del Dia

4 courses including bottle of wine per couple & coffee; lamb stew, roast lamb

shank, fresh fish and moretimes 1pm-4pm and 7pm-11pm

SunDay roaStMenu del Dia

4 courses including bottle of estewine per couple; roast lamb shoulder,

roast pork knuckle, beef steaks all served with roast potatoes & vegetables

lunch time 1pm - 4pm

PolIgono Industrial albox, near the ItV Garage

Petrol Station

◄ Albox

Baza/Fines ►

MeSON De iReNe

Bridge

iTV

→ → → → →

→ →

→

We are open Monday to Saturday7am ‘till late Sunday 9am - 4pm

booking recommended.Spanish speaking 950 430 145English speaking 647 730 103

Daily roast a different roast including roast lamb shank, roast lamb shoulder,

roast pork knuckle, roast pork spare ribs.

aLL inCLuSivE in ourMEnu dEL dia

Homemade andalucian Cooking

Everyday we have a large selection of stew, lamb, pork,

chickpeas, chicken and fish soups.

large selection of fish swordfish, hake, tuna, salmon,

squid rings and cod.

as well we have inside bbq to make our fresh galician suckling beef bone-in, beef sirloin steaks, beef fillets, pork tenderloin flame

grilled to your liking.

Meson de IreneMeson de Irene

VeGetarIan DISHeS aVaIlable


send your emails to: [email protected]

alBox rUGBY clUB..................... HQ at bar Azafrán (C/ Córdoba)Training times 11h30 - 13h30 every Sunday at the sports pavillion (with changing rooms and showers) All new players are welcome male or female and no previous rugby experience necessary! Visit us at the rugby HQ or come down and have a look on Sunday. For anymore info contact Mike on 677 655 049 Our second training session was on Sunday and turn out was yet again fantastic, we would like to thank everyone that turned up and look foward to seeing you next week!

AGUAVIVA EVANGELICAL CHURCH call 950 064 402 www alboxevangelicalcentre.esANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY, CHURCH Of ENGLAND, MOjACAR canon hugh broad, 950 478 432. contact church Wardens alan smith 950 478 066or visit: www.mojacarchurch.org ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY, CHURCH Of ENGLAND, ALbOx contact Peter for details on 950 293 806ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY, CHURCH Of ENGLAND, ROqUETAS contact Peter for details on 950 293 806EVANGELICAL CHURCH tel: 950 617 549 or visit our website www.turrechurch.com. fULL GOSPEL CHURCH INTERNATIONAL call Peter 676 241 292 or alfred 619 959 015 for further detailsIGLESIA ESPAñOLA REfORMADA EPISCOPAL rev`d. dr. ronald saunders (anglican communion) abadi hotel, baza - ROMAN CATHOLIC (MOjACAR VILLAGE) Priest: 950 475 017THE LIVING WATER CHURCH – MOJACAR For further details contact Pastor david hamilton 950 618 814KINGdOM HALL Of JEHOVAH’s WITNEssEs english meetings, tuesday 7.30pm, sunday 10.15am at oliva 15 (road opposite lidl), Vera. tel: 677 857 920TURRE CHURCH TODDLERS on Fridays 10 - 11.30am contact: Marianne on 950 472 349

A.A. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS call 620 165 005.ALMANzORA GROUP Of fRIENDS: Information Centre & Library ccontact diane bolam 686 009 788 www.almanzoragof.orgANIMAL PROTECTION SOCIETY ALbOx (A.P.S.A.) homing Officer - Call 662 000 378 Mon-Sat 10am-2pm. Charity shops are: alboX calle ancha, (just up from santander bank) & tiJola calle Vulcan (near the police station) General enquiries: 663 762 642AMIGOS DE LOS COCHES CLASICOS DEL LEVANTE a classic car club situated in the almeria/Murcia region of southern spain. For more information www.a-c-c.es, harry 629 529 656 or hans 968 419 256 or email: [email protected] - AbUSOS URbANISTICOS ALMANzORA NO - meet on the 3rd saturday of each month 11am at la Parilla in albox. tel: 617 118 209 www.almanzora-au.org - new members always welcome!BETTy’s GARdEN CLUB 12pm, 2nd Monday of the month at camping los Gallardos. contact: 950 398 162CAbRERA LAwN bOwLING CLUb secretary, bryan redington tel: 950 478 604.CANTORIA RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION For further details www.residentsinspain.com or phone the secretary on 662 413 075CLASSIC AUTOMObILE CLUb For further information call: Monique: 699 961 002; hans: 968 419 256; Peter: 968 419 222 DAMES IN HUERCAL OVERA meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the tennis club. 10.30 til 12.30. For further details please contact Pam 677 273 736DAMES IN TURRE call lesley 950 478 633 or email [email protected] IN SPAIN Meet at kimrick Mojacar 3rd Monday of the month 11am. Guests welcome. contact Gail creasey chairman 950 472 225 or iris hamilton secretary 950 475 863 ELDERbERRIES LUNCH CLUb For elderly, lonely, handicapped etc. tel: Margaret 950 477 063 or Marianne 950 472 349.ExPATRIATE OSTOMATES Of SPAIN (EOS) have you had surgery on the digestive or urinary system for cancer or other disease? if you would like to help someone, or receive further information, please call our local contact dee on 950 064 322 fORUM GOLf SOCIETY plays organised friendly games at local courses twice a month. contact Phil elam on 666 847 840 or [email protected], or see www.arboleas.co.uk/forumINDALO bOwLING CLUb los Gallardos visitors welcome. Please contact toni Watts, club Membership secretary 950 468 165INDALO PLAYERS THEATRE GROUP all enquiries to sue 950 133 655 / 666 133 217MODEL AERO fLYING CLUb For further information contact: Johnny hayes 950 478 899.MOjACAR CRICKET CLUb For further information call: dave redpath 950 617 606 or sam lewis 632 132 487SANTA IRENE CLUb DE VELA sailing for all! tel: John talisson 950 475 157 or email: sailrway@hot mail.corn

PAMELA’s LINE dANCE CLUB For further information call Pamela: 950 398 076DANCING CLASSES in Vera and los Gallardos for adults and children. information contact anita Watson tel 950 453861jULIE bRUCE DANCE/DRAMA ACADEMY call 950 617 545 or 697 861 071

For inclusion or amendments, please email: [email protected] WitH tHe name

oF Your cluB/association and a contact telepHone numBer and/or email address

cHurcH serVices

cluBs & associations

music & entertainment

around the costa almeriaaround the costa almeria

Mojacar Playa, next to Hotel Puntazo and the Tobacco shopOpen 7 days a week

ROHHA

For further information please call950 473 224 / 662 288 146 or visit our

website www.ukshoppinginspain.comsales@ukshoppinginspain.comwww.ukshoppinginspain.com

Something for all the family...ROhhaLIfESTyLE haS IT aLL!

delicate handmade gifts & Trinkets from1€ for those Special People in your Life

post your mail to the uK and renewyour uK passport too...

fROM EXquISITE JEWELLERy TO

SOMEThINg fORThE hOME

Cushion Covers from 1€ Curtains from 2.50€

for that special

something ...over 3000

items from 1€

ROhhaLIfESTyLE has it all...

BeTTY’S GarDeN clUB................Annual Competition Day for members and regular visitors.

April 11th 2011 at Los Gallardos Leisure the Judges will start

judging at approx 11-15 am There are eight Categories covering

a great many things. For more information contact Ann

Shone (Secretary Garden Club) on [email protected]

DaMeS IN TUrre....................... meet AT 11.00am on the last Monday in the Month at the Multiple Use Centre in Turre . We have interesting talks, organise short breaks to learn more about Spain and support local charities with various fund raising events Guests welcome at the meetings and all events tel.: Secretary Pam Smith 950 475 418 or President Lesley Barlow 950 478 633 for more information

The aPSa aGM..............................will be on Wednesday 30th March at 7.30pm at La Parrilla restaurant in Plaza Major in Albox. Please come along if you are a member or interested in joining and want to find out the future plans for this animal charity, how you could help and become involved. Any further information please ring 663 762 642.

WorTh a caT Box

Working to help the stray animals over the past 3 years, I have been made even more aware first hand of the extremes of human character. I have heard shocking stories of cruelty to animals, and been amazed at how many people can abandon their ‘loved’ pets. However, what I find most strange are the stories of petty meanness, from people who seem decent, AND the dishonesty.

Why do people book their pets into kennels and refuse to leave the boxes? Answer ... they are going to abandon them. This is obviously dishonest, BUT why can’t they at least donate the boxes? I heard of one case recently where a man handed over his beautiful cat for re-homing and then later sold the cat box at a car boot sale!

I am always writing about how desperately we need foster homes, flight partners and of course donations, but at the very least a cat box will be a huge help! Every cat that travels to Germany needs a box to travel in. I would have thought that a relieved animal owner who has found someone to take on the pet they can no longer keep, would at least have the decency to handover all its ‘accessories’!

It appears not. Of course I have met many kind and genuine people, but also a lot who are far too keen to offload their problems with a thought or a care, OR even a BOX!!! SO for everyone who wants us to help re-home cats for them, please be willing to at least lend us a box, because we cannot afford to keep buying them!

You can read more about the work Sandra and her friends are doing on www.alstrays.com, and you can contact her by email: [email protected]

BY SaNDra MarShall(WWW.alSTraYS.coM)

eveNT aT The aPSa ShoP IN alBox ...........................................Monday 14th March - Frillies new lingerie with Lesley 10

- 2pm. The shop is in Calle Ancha, just up the road from

bank Santander opposite San Francisco Square. The lingerie

sale will include special bargains for the day, come and find

yourselves a bargain and help the animal charity too!! There

is a private fitting service and changing rooms.


Community News

www.puppyrescueinspain.orgPuppy Rescue

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGPuppy Rescues 1st AGM is on Thursday 24th March 7.30pm

at Bar Lepanto, Ave Lepanto, Albox, Nr Mercadona New Members Welcome

Membership forms can be obtained fromPuppy Rescue shop or market stalls

Calle Malaga, Albox, 04800 Tel: 667 62 32 54

Caring for abandoned, abused and neglected puppies in Albox area. cif n0: G04698817

RanchoLuz

Del Sol

QuadBike

TrailsPartaloa

• 45€ per hour and 15€ for a passenger.• discount for groups of 4 or more.

• 2 hour ride and lunch at Bistro Bonito 70€ perperson, (minimum 2 bike riders) passengers 30€.

HorSE riding aLWayS avaiLaBLE634 601 602 or 676 190 813www.rancholuzdelsol.com

DaMeS IN SPaIN & DaMeS of TUrre ........................................... invite you to their INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EVENT for this Cenenary Year 1911 – 2011 on Tuesday 8 March at 11:00 am at Centro de Usos Multiples Mojacar. Guest Speaker; Dame Singers; Monologue; Buffet; Cava; Entry 5€. Raffle in aid of Breast Cancer. Tickets from Iris Hamilton 950 475 863. ALL LADIES WELCOME.

GooD lUcK To ShAnnYn And ThE SeNIorSat the Anita Watson

School of Dancing going to madrid to train with

the english national school of ballet and for their auditions for the 2011 summer school

love Lillie-mae and Sabie xxx

ThAnkYou ToAnITA

WATSonfor all you have done for Lillie. She will miss you.love Lillie-mae & Sabie

xxx

haPPY aNNIverSarY

to a wonderful coupleHave a great day

with love from all your family

send

your

email

s to:

edito

r@so

ltime

s.com

New Concept New venuegreat Meeting Place

Huercal Overa

ALBOx

CUCADOR

La Vida

La Alfoquia

Zurgena

ARBOLEAS

We are hereBaza Road

1km

Junc 547Mojacar E15

CUCADOR

idaLoungeBarvLa

LIvE FOOTBALL MATCHES BRIDgE CLUBQUIz NIgHT

BINgO NIgHT gOLF SOCIETY DARTS TEAM

ART CLUBWOMAN’S gROUP

ABC CLUBLet’s network together

COMINg SOON

idavLaCUCADOR

COME & JOIN US AT

CUCADOR

idavenuevLa

DINNER DANCE with live Entertainment Bookings for Private PartiesPlenty of room to dance the night away

CUCADOR

idaSaludvLa

THERAPY ROOMS AvAILABLE

CALL FOR DETAILS647 379 878

CUCADOR

idaRestaurantvLa

will open with the best local produce

.... home cooked for your pleasure

CAR BOOTEL RANCHOEL RANCHO

everY Wednesday 9am

For further information contact Julie on 646 675 297‘Situated on the AL8102 Huercal Overa/Taberno Road to the

junction of Los Llanos & Santo Petar crossroads’

restaurant car Park

CAR BOOT

Menu deL dia ~ Tue-FRi - 3 cOuRses ~ 7€MaNY BarGaINS To Be haD!!

Pitch only 2€

neW sTaLLs inc: FRuiT & VeG,dVd’s, cd’s, aVOn & OTHeRs

thanks forall you do, with love from Rob,

Danny & all your Claires

xx

haPPY BIrThDaYfraN

Just outside Albox is the latest addition to the community. Set in open countryside with lovely mountain views, this large venue has been refurbished to a high standard, and will now open as a Neighbourhood Community Centre. When fully functioning it is hoped this will become a base for a good number of clubs, groups and activities and an asset to the area.

With easy access and a large parking area, there is outside space for summer nights’ entertainment, sports, fun days and al fresco events.

The 200sq.mtr interior has been transformed and partially divided into three. The entrance is a lounge bar, complete with log fire, settees and armchairs, as well as traditional bar furniture, a warm cosy area for friendly drinks and snacks. The only thing missing is a TV, quiet background music only! Kitchen & dining facilities are also available.

The two salons are big enough for all manner of clubs and groups. From arts and

crafts to exercise classes, bingo or even a cinema.

For larger events these three rooms can be opened up into one or two rooms to hold bigger functions or dances, private and public.

Head west of Albox on the Baza Road. At the roundabout follow the signs for the ITV and Piedra Amarilla. At the next roundabout go straight over then turn right to Piedra Amarilla. 1km along, the P.A.C.C. is the big white building on the right.

On 13th March 11am – 3pm there is a GRAND CHARITY SALE with stalls, arts & crafts, car boot, bar & snacks, come along and support the charities and see what we are hoping to achieve. For further information or to book a space please call Jan 617 856 680

PIeDra aMarIlla coMMUNITY ceNTre

TaeKWoN-Do clUB Mojacar..... We are a small friendly club based in the Indigo Gym (formerly Harmony Gym) on Mojacar Playa. Classes €5 per lesson, 1st lesson FREE!!! and held on:Mon: 7pm - 8.30pm (12 yrs - adults)Wed: 4.15pm - 5.15pm (4 - 7 yrs) 5.15pm - 6.45pm (8 yrs - adults)Sat: 3pm - 4pm (4 - 7 yrs) 4pm - 5.30pm (8 yrs - adults)For more info Tel: 646 844 708 or visit our website: www.gtfspain.webs.com

love from Kellyand Jack xxx

haPPY BIrThDaY

PaUl / DaDhaPPY 21ST BIrThDaY

laUra

lots of love fromMum, Dad & Ash xxx


To Place YoUr aD.... Call: call paulette 950 430 820Email: [email protected] person: avda 28 febrero, 54, albox

PrIvaTe Sale aDS are freeUNDer 300€ (3 aDS Per WeeK)

EMAIL ThEM To [email protected]

do You hAVE aNYThING YoU WaNT To Sell?

TelePhoNe950 430 820

Business opportunituescoNTeNTS of eNGlISh

fUrNITUre STore avaIlaBle for Sale.all brand new stock.

reason for sale: retirement

Tel: 610 839 343

for sale

Boot sale at el rancho, taberno. every W e d n e s d a y , pitch only 2€ lots of stalls and bargains, for more information call Julie: 646 675 297

car Boot sale

drainaGe

Knowles & Abbott no.1 for electrics and plumbing. re-wires, free to air Uk satellite systems. tel: 950 137 208 or 638 010 691

CRAFT / HOBBYelaine’s Wools quality Uk wool & accessories. also available at c a m p o s o l Mazarron & on the arboleas forum. call 667 273 889 elaines [email protected]

electrical serVices

ELECTRICIAN

Full City & GuildsFully insured

& legalBoletins supplied

Tel : 687 245 569

Neil Godwin25 years experience

eNcloSUre SPecIalISTS

GlaSS ScreeNSCome and see us on the Albox road for a free no

obligation quoteCall 677 114 576 or 950 135 564

enclosuresfor hire

Professional Baby equipment hire.free delivery & collection.

Tel: 649 332 [email protected]

eleGance and Beauty

ConstruccionesMatreros

Swimming Pools

TerracesAll build reforms

Matt Murray

T: 950 069 065M: 647 841 750

ROSS REgAN S.L.building, reforms and General

Maintenance & Roofing

SpRINg IS hERE!aRE yOuR bbq’S, pOOL SuRROuNdS,

paTIO’S & pERgOLaS REady?Paul on 671 843 155 terry 646 234 222 email: [email protected]

rr

collectables

computers

STEvE HAYES INFORMATICA

Pc’s, Laptops, Printers etc.

Sales & Repairs on-site callout / tuition.

ConsumablesOpening hours

Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm& Sat 10am until 1pmTel: 950 120 900

DON ROBINSONPC hardware & software

specialist. Unbiased advise on purchases Installation, help and training. Diagnosis &

Repair 15€ an hour min charge 1 hour + parts I COMe tO yOu

Comp tIAA+certified tel: 646 587 746

e: [email protected]

ray’s collectablesBuy, Sell & Part exchange,

coins & Billets, Military Medals, Pocket Watches, Small Gold &

Silver Collectablescall ray:

634 671 887

sofT opTions

tel: 968 959 632Mobile: 686 377 [email protected]

Curtains, & SoftFurnishings. Made

to measure curtains & blinds.Cushions

& accessories. Also Roman, Blinds

Compe t i t i ve P r i ceste lephone Workshop :

curtains

ross regan We cover all aspects of work from total reforms, new builds, interiors, exteriors design & build call for a free no obligation quote 671 843 155 / 646 234 222

Handyman/Carpenter All Building Work & Driving work

30 years experience OAP & MuLtIJOB

DISCOuNt Sensible Prices Honest &

Reliable call Ian

634 362 394 German,Spanish & english

handyman

dress makinG

cycle hireElectric cycle hire. €5 per day w w w . r a i n b o w s endmojacar.com tel: 608 719 015

cleaninG

air-con

alternatiVe enerGy

A i r p o r t s e r v i c e s airport, social & shopping run. tel: 677 667 722 Airport runs – alicante / Murcia etc. cheap rates tel: 689 945 300

airport serVices

Call Justin at Sol Shaders for a free no

obligation quoteTel: 627 907 207

www.solshaders.net Email: [email protected]

internal & eXternal Blinds

SHADING SPAIN, WITH...

Internal & E x t e r n a l Blinds call Justin at sol shaders for a free no obligation quote on 627 907 207

auctionsL o c a t i o n Auctions, antas el real ind. est. every 2 weeks. next auction Wed 2nd March. starts 5pm. Viewing Mon / tues and all day Wed. house clearances speciality. tel: 950 391 412

Blinds

carlos (Saliente) plumbing & heating services. if it involves water, we can help! www.carlossaliente.com tel: 968 969 962

nEIL BATES

BUIlDercITY & GUIlDS QUalIfIeD

all aspects of building work

Tel: 950 137 621 or 639 435 141

coMPetitiVe Prices

MD air-con & refrigeration S.l. sales, s e r v i c e , installation, fully certified & legal. tel: 950 432 110 or 607 364 917 m d _ a i r c o n @m o b i l e e m a i l .vodafone.es

B e s p o k e c u r t a i n s . alterations, repairs, gazebo covers & mosquito nets. tel: 649 503 875

Everything for the visiting baby. car seats, high chairs, stair gates, cots etc. tel 950 436 581 or 666 375 688 [email protected]

Property Care Service, Key Holding, Holiday

Change Over Cleaning.let us take good

care of yourproperty!

SParKleS


SUCKLINgELECTRICAL

MOJACAR& surrounding areas

663 660 409 (Eng)677 672 144 (Span)[email protected]

- Mains electrical installation- electrical Repairs- Fault Finding- Surge Protection- water Pumps- econo-Heaters (supplied & fitted)

BeeN CuT OFF - iCP PROBleMSCAll uS!

builders

F i b r e g l a s s Supplies. see our main advert on Page 22

fiBreGlass

GutterinG

Cleaner/Home HelpExperienced Pet Sitter

(daytime only)*25€ for 4 hours. Why not

have your pets looked after as well and go out for the day? Albox area. References available*

Ring larraine: 950 122 076 or 696 14 64 58

Antas ComputerServices

All types of computer problems solved Hardware/

Software upgrades, internet & wireless

Networking installed.ALL AREAS COVEREDCall Colin 950 453 622

[email protected]

financialsecured loans, capital raising, cash advances whilst you sell your property. equity release. 902 585 569 / 652 986 088

As seen on TV

AVonRich Moisture

LipstickJust €5.95

For a brochure contact

CLAIRE691 987 454

[email protected]

electrical

sol classifiedssol classifieds To place your ad.... Call: paulette 950 430 820Email: [email protected] or in person: avda 28 febrero 54, albox

PrIvAtE SALE AdS ArE FrEE uNdEr 300€ (3 AdS PEr wEEk)EMaIL ThEM TO: [email protected]

hAndYMAnPainter / Decorator Interior & Exterior

Property maintenance Over 30 years

experience. All work considered, driving

etc. Honest & ReliableCall Dave: 950 064 342

Mobile: 617 621 729

Air Conditioningunits fitted from €125

tel: 678 813 505

www.aaparking.esTel: 639 081 067

CheapAirport ParkingAlicante Almeria Murcia

NewServicing / Repairs

Builders continued

Deep Pressure Massage call 687 569 113 950 064 484

new Year, new Start? Make this year the year to rid yourself of unwanted phobias, addictions or other problems. Fully Qualified therapist can help resolve most issues. call stephanie for a chat. 645 290 728

eleGance and Beauty cont.

carlos (Saliente) plumbing & heating services. if it involves water, we can help! www.carlossaliente.com tel: 968 969 962

heatiNG

do You hAVE A

BUSINeSS? WAnT To

aDverTISe?TelePhoNe950 430 820

Solar Wind Power Solutions.sPecial oFFer on large solar panels. over 15 years installation experience call Phil for competitive prices 636 261 240 email:info@sunergyalmer ia.com www.sunergy almeria.com

do You hAVE A

BUSINeSS? WAnT To


do You hAVE A

BUSINeSS? WAnT To


Any gym e q u i p m e n t , including step machine, free weights, boxing gloves, & kick pads, exercise ball, basket & ball, table tennis etc. call 677 993 717

wanted

serVices

Boiler - oil fired, roca laia Gti, with 12 radiators various sizes 1500€ Tel: 626 877 232rose bushes, s u m m e r flowering bulbs, compost, grow bags, seed potatoes, onion sets, vegetable growing kits, seeds etc. hsh, turre (on main road next to “dia” supermarket) 950 479 487 Mon-Fri 10-7 sat 10-4 no siesta.huge range of Bakeware, cookware and h o u s e h o l d Goods. budget price through to luxury quality. no-one has a better selection! hsh, turre. Kettles, and Toasters Coffee m a c h i n e s , Juicers, blenders, Food Processors, slow cookers, s t e a m e r s , Fryers, Grills, irons, hairdryers, hoovers, huge range of small d o m e s t i c a p p l i a n c e s . hsh, turre E l e c t r i c blankets, hot water bottles, duvets, draught e x c l u d e r s . keep Warm at hsh, turre. Cheap 50/50 sheets, percale sheets, egyptian cotton sheets, pillows, duvets & duvet covers, cushions, ready made curtains, quality towels in 12 colours. hsh, turre Wide range of paints including dulux, crown, berger, Johnstones & brushes, rollers, fillers, sealants etc. hsh, turre.Still some half price or less C h r i s t m a s confectionary left & thornton’s Valentine’s chocs, easter eggs now in. hsh, turre.Yorkshire tea-bags 240 €7.99, ty-phoo & tetley at bargain prices. hsh, turre.large German T e l e s c o p e , complete with tripod and all accessories 35x – 175x magnification, P r e c i s i o n instrument, hardly used, in very good condition €70 ono tel: 950 064 404 or 627 296 204

camera / video Tripod, Unused still in the box €20 ono tel: 950 064 404 or 627 296 204umacon Cement Mixer, excellent condition, in Good Working Order. €85 tel: 634 349 151Window, 122cm deep x 82cm wide comprising two windows each 95cm deep x 31cm wide with mosq/persiana, white alu/pvc, 150€. tel: 950 469 479reja, with scrolls 96cm deep x 73.5cm wide, 50€. tel: 950 469 479 fishing rods, olympic fibre glass 3-piece 13ft and rain-beau fly rod 2-piece 8ft, bag, gaff, landing and keep nets, reels and various tackle, 40€ the lot. tel: 950 469 479 new freesat standard satellite receiver for uk tv 70€ Upright trolley, idea for removal business etc 6 wheel model email for photo etc n m ay 2 6 @ g m a i l .com 150€ ono4 Garden chairs with beige and green cushions, 3 positions, excellent condition. cost 40 euros each will sell all for 40 euros. tele 690 757 968lG chocolate KG800 mobile phone with camera, all accessories, instruction manual, english ,spanish and car chargers. 3 years old, excellent condition, cost 189.00€ selling for 50 euros. tel: 690 757 9682 pairs of curtains, beige with tie backs, fully lined, 1 pair 90x90, 1 pair 72x90, never used cost 180pounds will accept 50€ Tel: 690 757 968P o r t a b l e massage couch with carry case. Good condition. €90 ono. tel: 625 291 364 Gents golf shoes. size Uk 10/eur 44.5. as new. €40 Tel: 625 291 364Full contents of apartment – cheaP –950 478 070

Patio Table Set100 cm diameter table and 6 chairs colour dark grey black quality plastic cost €180 bargain €75 Tel 689 906 691 Single bed and mattress and light oak headboard 6 months old new condition €90 Tel 689 906 6913 Piece Suite3 seater sofa-bed, rocking chair and chair pine wooden framed, upholstery pattern cream red and blue quality new condition bargain €250 Tel 689 906 691

Pace Sky digibox Model ds430n, complete with remote and mains lead. the best digibox for spain. bargain at only 60€ Tel: 693 702 635SkY Freesat viewing card. Watch all the free channels including skY3, FiVer, FiVe Usa etc. Will work in any sky Digibox. Only 35€. tel: 693 702 635 Dog Guard for sale fits any car. 50€ hardly used. as new. tel: 666 201 910 Water storage tank 500litres. 50€. tel: 666 201 91020” flat screen nordmende l.c.d. tV, with built in tdt, can be used as Pc monitor. brand new, hardly used. User´s manual and remote control. €85 o.n.o. tel: 950 467 231 or 627 747 296

w w w.neaterheater.es


do You hAVEa BUSINeSS?

WAnT ToaDverTISe?TelePhoNe

950 430 820

locksmith

pets section

SMITH PLUMBING SL

Tel: 950 468 041

official gas installersNew Installations

Safety Checks17 years experience

in this area

C a r l o s ( S a l i e n t e ) p l u m b i n g & heating services. if it involves water, we can help! www.car lossa l ien te .com tel: 968 969 962

plasterinG

BrITIShPlaSTerer

7 yEaRS EXpERIENCE

IN SpaIN. fRIENdLy, RELIabLE,

COMpETITvE quOTES, TEL aSh

679 659 397

Large Van spain-Uk-spain. Full or half loads, plus car transport tel: 00 44 796912 3588

paiNter/decorator

exPeRieNCeD iNTeRiOR & exTeRiOR DeCORATOR

using quality materials. This fast, friendly, clean and efficient service will never be beaten on price. eg: interior

rooms form 80€ & Villas from 475€ No payment

until complete satisfaction.TEL IAn: 617 904 774

B l o c k e d Drains ‘r’ Us tel: 950 091 109 / 648 768 587

satellite tV

A1 SkY TELEVISIon

SYSTEMSSatellite TV installations, alignment of dishes etc.

Also Spanish “freeview”systems supplied

& installedTel dave: 628 607 778

lock, Stock and Barrel, Fully qualified locksmith. change any lock, upgrade, break-in or lockout. 24 hour service. no call out charge. tel dave: 608 673 086

screens

personal

remoVals

a&e Taylor – Gas boiler & plumbing repairs. tel: 618 062 080

spanish tuition

24 hr casaserVeLocksmith, new locks, safes, security grills, window locks fitted.

Call 950466438 or 676306269www.casaserve.com

DAVeS tRANSPORt & ReMOVALS

Fully Insured – Totally Legal7.5 ton with tail Lift

Full/Part Load, Self Load. unload. Spain to england & Local For a competitive

quote call

620 049 [email protected]

general Plumbing Heating Bathrooms Maintenance

Mojacar PlumbingEstablished 11 years

Based in Mojacar Tel:699 909 773

Mojacar Plumbing

opticiansoptica Albox all your optical needs, eye tests, hearing tests, contact lenses. tel: 950 121 991

loGs Logs for sale, all sizes, good quality slow burning wood, no roots or rubbish, based in Mojacar €80 per trailer, can deliver to most areas within 30km please call 950 478 886 or 659 261 339Logs from 100€ delivered. call log-on-tommy 619 070 839

ELECTRIC bILLS TOO hIgh?

reduce your costs with a simple solar

solution call Phil

636261240 [email protected]

solar

“readers of a sensitive disposition

may find some of the

advertisments in this section

offensive”roquetas del mar / Almeria danna, the best massage. tanned young brazillian beauty! stunning figure, beautiful breasts welcomes you alone in sexy lingerie, by appointment. Mon –sun 11-11pm tel: 645 629 083Male Massuer Men only relaxing and affordable. tel: 676 902 388

cattery Open !

WOODHOUSE BOARDING KENNELS

& CATTERY ARBOLEAS

Small friendly kennels, 24hr vets service, pet transporting arranged,

welcome to viewTel: Tracy

Home: 649 333 226Mobile: 650 211 952

Animal hotel, aquilas every saturday afternoon, dog training courses twice weekly obedience classes tues & thurs mornings. call: 639 722 197

MY place or YoUrSDog & Horse Sitting Service

Ex RSPCA Inspector. Dog day sittingGoing away? Let us take care of your pets,

either at your home or ours. Dogs kept in house or kennels.

Pet passporting service. Just outside Albox.


PaloMINo kEnnELS

exclusive boarding kennels / cattery.

Warm, friendly secure countryside

environment.now managed by

aPsaTel 681 286 298 or 950 067 051

www.palominokennels.com

THE KENNELS & CATTERY

Family run. Fully legal, Nr Huercal Overa

discounts available pet passports

transportation to UK.Tel: 950 168 508or 651 519 307

Email:[email protected]

KeNNelMATeS Small family run

kennels and cattery,30 yrs experience in pet care, large secure exercise area, inspection

welcome. 15 mins Huercal

Overa 10 mins urcal. For more details call

Tlf: 950 958 133Mob: 616 615 528

[email protected]

ken & JackiedoG & cat

sitter serViceYour home or ours.

Honest & trust worthy. 3 years experience of all types of animals. References available

on request.Tel: 950 067 943 or 676 389 592

Knowles & Abbott no.1 for plumbing & electric. ch, solar hot water and water deposits. tel: 950 137 197 or 606 807 797

FLOOR AND WALL TILINg SPECIALIST

call Steve HolmanTel: 697 678 708

25 YEARS EXPERIENCEnot a jack of

all trades, just a master

of one!

tilinG

Professional Interior & Exterior

Decorator Coving etc.

Competitive rates only top quality materials used Call Barry on

664 753 280

“re-PlaTe”MATE

Don’t take a chance!Don’t break the Law!

Let us take the hassle away from you and

re-register your vehicle on to Spanish plates

We PRoMiSe to BeAt Any GenUine QUotAtion

For a full service contact:

Alan 662 249 159 www.replatematecostablanca.com

E

GB

Number plates

Phil the Pick locksmith 24 hours. locked Out? Locks fitted/upgraded house safes. arboleas & surrounding area. special weekend rates. tel: 697 243 181

h o u s e Clearance, all items wanted. large or small. tel: 615 214 562

MarIe’S houSE

clearaNce anything large

or small. transit van & driver for hire.telephone:

699 483 438

real Steel for all quality metal work, rejas, gates etc, and chain link fencing. call: 689 524 024 or visit www.therealsteel .net

Jewellery & repairs

rolex or C a r t i e r woman’s watch wanted must be good quality private buyer tel 647 379 878

insurance

A l m e r i m a r Insurance Your local insurance broker Tel: 950 498 000 or 667 479 940 E: info @ a l m e r i m a r insurance.com

ThE hOuSE CLEaRINg SpECIaLIST

Immediate Cash. quick decision.* We cover all areas

* We turn up, give cash & carry* We buy almost anything – The

highest Cash prices paid**ONLy serious & immediate sellers

should call please**Tel: 679 207 545 or 686 697 665

Satellite Tv Full Sky Package for

just €20 per month. inc all SkySports. FREESAT System

fitted from 299€Tel: 678 813 505

need a translator? call anna on 679 079 977

translator

hilton Cattery the best care for your cat. call 950 163 489

painting Inside and Out. all quality products Free quotes. Tel: 620 112 193

All your unwanted itemsbought for cash.

From a single item to anentire house.

~ALL AReAS coveReD~We also have a wide selection of pre-owned items for sale!

Tel: 619 862 203

The Clearance CompanyThe Clearance Company

Van hire

• We supply & fit top quality Aluminium, UPVC and Wood• Free home survey, professional advice & 10 year guarantee• With 30 years experience, quality & satisfaction guaranteed

• All types of building work undertaken • No job too big or small

WINDoWS • coNServaTorIeS • DoorS • PaTIo eNcloSUreS ~ archeS are oUr SPecIalITY

interGlaZedoUBle GlaZinG SpeCialiStSinterGlaZedoUBle GlaZinG SpeCialiStS

The PeoPle YoU caN TrUST

PhoNe KevIN oN 950 121 909 or 680 743 311

Prices to suit your pocket!

windows & doors

Man & Large van, very cheap ratestel: 950 163 489

rancho luz Del Sol, retamar, Partaloa. one to one or group lessons, latest en standard hats provided. escorted hacking and treks. Qualified BHS instructor. call erika drew on 678 838 547

horseridinG

For Sale Full contents of apartment cheaP tel: 950 478 070

The Metal works Grills, railings, gates of all types, security/sliding/roller, rejas, concertina doors etc. tel: keith Wood on 638 900 949

iron works

We have a vacancy for Maitre ‘d at the restaurant as we are sadly losing kate, who is returning to the Uk for personal reasons. an experienced person is required with at the very least c o n v e r s a t i o n a l spanish to manage the front of house operations and stock ordering. Please email [email protected] or telephone the restaurant for an interview. 950 475 198

situatioNs VacaNt

…among friends, in a fun and easy manner with paco

at Camping Los gallardos, Miraflores Restaurant.

NEW, bEgINNERS CLaSS STaRTS MONday 7th MaRCh 4.30pM.

private lessons and different levels also available.call paco 661 142 606

learn spanish…

spanishtuition

IMPROVe yOuR SPANISHWith conversation, pronountiation &

grammar practice. Diploma in Spanish

Foreign Language Next examination will be in May.Victoria [email protected]

plumBinG

pets section continuedhouse clearance

Capital ClearanceNeeD caSh?

immediate paymentBest deal on all unwanted goods

Contact Jane for advice or prompt appointment.

Tel: 689 023 602 Preowned items for sale

[email protected]

caSh coNverTor We will buy, exchange or sell your

unwanted items at Mercamundo 7 day indoor market visit us at

el Real poligono Antas from 10am-till late we can also offer local removals &

transport to and from uK WE hAVE MoVEd

637 184 625across from the petrol station

locksmith continued

homecontents


www.colespain.com [email protected]: 950 469 592 Mob: 697 640 681 / 644 350 361

VALLE DEL ESTE

LEGAL VILLAS WITH POOLS ARE URGENTLY REqUIRED

2 bed, 2 bath spacious ground floor apartment on Valle del Este with communal pool. Fully furnished with good private outside space to

the front and rear. NOW REDUCED 25,000€

FOR A QUICK SALE! 99,000€!!

PrOPErTYTO buY Or TO rENT

www.soltimes.com

Services include Key Holding, Maintenance, Furniture Packs,

cleaning & Laundry, Apartment & Post-box checks

Property Management Sale & Rentals

roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce Almerimar, vicar, La envia Golf

Mobile: (0034) 663 426 [email protected] www.enviapropertyservices.com

Arboleas - Villa3 Bed, 2 Bath€171,000

Our Ref: A1335 [email protected]

If you’re looking to buy, sell or rent a property

call us on Tel: 950 091 137or 616 760 409

ApArtment for rent in turre

3 Bed, 2 Bath,300€ pcm + Bills

Furnished, TerraceSecure Entry

Tel: 687 314 775

FrontlineMojacar Apartment,

€195,0000% Commission950 109 699661 433 443

WAnTEdJCb’s,

Mini-diggers (all Makes),

Tractors, Trailers & all other types

of plant machinery.

any age, any condition.CaSh

buyERall 4x4 vehicles

for cash, Mitsubishi, Landrover,

Suzuki, Nissan etc

Tel: 645 094 339or 950 064 763

JT METAL

Turn your old or unwanted CAR into CASH. We will dispose of in our Authorised Depollution End of

Life Treatment facility.Certificates issued

CARS, VANS, LORRIES, TRACTORS, TRAILERS, PLANT MACHINERY

WANTED Spanish or English

Also buyers of COPPER, BRASS, ALUMINIUM, LEAD, STAINLESS STEEL & GOLD

TEL: 645 094 339 / 950 064 763

RECYCLING

motorinG sectionMikes Mobile M e c h a n i c s all types of service, repair & itV testing. Fully qualified and legal with over 35 years experience. ring Mike or chris: 628 350 178 / 636 824 974

Peugeot 106 1.1 MaX, Petrol, 2002, itV’d 2012, ac, silver, VGc inside & out, drives lovely, 129,000km, 1995€ o.n.o. call: 677 667 722

Do YoU WaNT caSh? Then please call Mr CaShMaN

I would like to purchase your “vehi-cle” (Car, van etc) Spanish or English.

all conditions considered.also all household Items:

from Sofas -> fridges; Tables -> beds – absolutely anything.

****IMMEdIaTE CaSh& COLLECTION*****

CaLL NOW 636 411 540or 664 619 819

laNDroverS WAnTEdEnglish or Spanish.

Any condition

Telephone:659 685 133

Car Air Conre-gassing from €35

tel: 678 813 505

situations Vacant

car air-conditioninG

sales staff WantedTraining provided. €4,200 per month ote.

Must have own transport, computer & internet. basic computer knowledge.

email: [email protected]

call 0034 950 109 699

scooter for salebaRgaIN - daystar 125 cc - under 2000km2 Helmets, Locks, Leather suit etc New 2800€

Interested? 1,200€ ono(great starter bike).for more details call 649 186 107

Car for sale Ford Mondeo estate, 2004, diesel 2.0, spanish reg, 2yrs ITV, 1 yr tax, Ferrari Red. 2,500€ Tel: 649 212 707Merc 240 Estate (123) 1982 spanish Plates, lhd. in good mechanical condition €900. Tel: 639 253 075 Mojacar

For SaleFord Fiesta Trend

1.4, 2002, taxed, ITV, insurance.

Offers around €3,995Tel: 950 437 088 or Mob 618 154 832

looKING To BUY a car?checK oUr CLASSIFIEdS everY WeeKSol Times

require a Part time telephone sales Person to sell advertising to local businesses. Working from our Head Office in the Albox area, you will be…

organised, able to work as part of a team, and can smile when the pressure is on. are you good on a computer and can

speak spanish? if so we would like to hear from you!Full training is provided and a contract is

available for the successful person.for more information please email Cv

to [email protected] or call 950 430 820

Properties available for purchase or rental in Villaricos area, please contact us for

further details3 bedroom 2 bath apartment with garage and sea views VillaricosRef.8321 139,950€

new 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartments fully furnished. Puerto reyRef.100709 from 78,999€

Tel: 678 321 111 / 950 618 697 or email [email protected]/baria 27, La fortaleza 111, villaricos, 04618

call ann, best selling re/Max real estate agent in andalusia 2010 with 33 sales !

Tel : 666 26 07 92

Your property still not SolD?

vILLA - rEduCEd tO €209,950

Blaumar Estate Agents Huercal OveraAvda. Guillermo Reyna 53 Tel/Fax: 950 135 512 Mobile: 678 002 006www.inmoblaumar.net

• 3 / 4 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms • 210m2 house / 6,500m2 • Mains elec & agricultural water • Phone & internet connected • Private, but neighbours nearby • garage & Outbuildings • 3 mins drive to bars & shops etc • 10 mins to Huercal Overa

for saleKia Sephia 1.5Spanish Reg

One lady owner from new.

123,000kms (76,000miles)

Year 2000, Full service

history, drives beautifully,

€2,500 OVNOTel: 627 279 584

SuZuKI vITaRI 1.6JXsoft top. 1999. Miami blue

& silver. Pas. body kit, alloy wheels, free wheel front hubs, only 61.000 miles. Fsh spanish registered,

rhd, itV 22nd June. 3,950€ to include transfer of ownership. Tel: 950 398 772

Turbo 2000 4WD 4dr Saloon, 147K km ,4 WD, japanese Import, 5 Speed Manual, Metallic

Silver, P/S, E/W, E/wing mirros, C/L, A/C, A/W, Spolier, Bonnet Scoop, K&N Filter, Stainless

Exhaust, Bucket Seats, Front Fogs, Side Skirts, Boost gauge, Immobilizer, Alarm,

Good Condition for age. Tel: 663 613 909

1995 SUBarU IMPreza

noW2000€ ono

for Quick sale 210,000€house, not community, including car

2 bed, 2 bath, Mojacar Playa. near beachtel: 950 478 070

in all Coastal & inland areas:inc. albox, arboleas, albanchezVera, San Juan, Mojacar, Turre

Client references availableContact us with confidence.

[email protected]

Tel. 638 849 254

renTaL properTieS neeDeD

Long TerM LeTSArBOLEAS €350 pcm

3 bed villa + pool & gardenturrE €250 pcm

2 bed apartment – Central location

CHIrIvEL €350 pcm3 bed lovely Cortijo + great

views phone / Internet connected

ALBOX €550 pcmbrand New 3 bed villa + garage

in walled plot. 5 year + rentalALBOX €275 pcm

3 bed modernised village house. huge lounge & nice roof terrace


alIcaNTe aND MUrcIa aIrPorTloNG aND ShorT TerM ParKING

reservations 968 566 410 / 656 532 49124hrs Alicante 656 532 725 / 24hrs Murcia 656 532 724

email: [email protected] www.planeparking.es

We have over 20,000 square meters of secure parking

alicante and Murcia Dual contracts UNlIMITeD TraNSferSfly into alicante and out of Murcia or vice versa

Your vehicle will be waiting for you at the airport of your choice.available for long & Short Term clients

No hIDDeN charGeSpaRKINg COuLdN’T

bE EaSIER OR MORE SECuREOffering 24hrs parking, 365 days

a year from as little as 82cent per day unlimited transfers

Just 2 minutes from San Javier (Murcia)and alicante airport

Latest state of the art security systemComplimentary external cleanWe also offer a complete car

care services includingITv’s

GeNeva mOtOr shOw 2011wOrld’s first diesel pluG-iN hybrid

volvo clAIms It’s the dreAm combInAtIon for motorIsts who wAnt low emIssIons, low fuel

consumptIon And decent performAnceThe world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid

will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show, in the form of a “virtually” production-ready Volvo V60.

It will, says the Swedish firm, have carbon dioxide emissions below 50g/km and will go on sale in 2012.

The firm says that a plug-in diesel hybrid gives the driver the “very best of what an electric and diesel car can offer”, namely low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions combined with long range and high performance.

Volvo says that by pressing a button, the driver will be given options on how they want to drive. They can choose an all-electric mode with a range of up to 32 miles or a “high-efficiency hybrid with carbon dioxide emissions averaging just 49g/km”.

Alternatively, says Volvo, drivers can choose a “dynamic and engaging car with a combined output of 215-plus-70 horsepower, 324-plus-147lb ft of torque and acceleration from 0-62mph in just 6.9 seconds”.

The front wheels of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid will be driven by a five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbodiesel, which develops 215bhp and maximum torque of 324lb ft.

The rear axle features ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) in the form of an

electric motor producing 70bhp, which receives its power from a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The car has a six-speed automatic transmission.

The driver chooses the preferred driving mode via three buttons on the instrument panel: Pure, Hybrid and Power. The interaction between diesel and electric power is handled via an electronic control system.

“The second-generation hybrid is the perfect choice for the uncompromising buyer who wants a superbly carbon dioxide-lean car packed with driving pleasure,” said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. “To get drivers to think green, we have offered both, in one traditional genuine sports wagon.”

He added: “The technology is still undergoing development and testing. However the car already points very clearly to what our customers can expect when the plug-in hybrid enters showrooms next year.

“What we’ve done is to spice it up with spearhead technology that allows the driver to choose: zero emissions, high-efficiency hybrid or full-on performance. Just select the mode that suits best.”

mOtOriNG

the ‘good news’ paper

is looking for someone special to join us

NEWSpapER gROupsoltimes

Are you...?t confident & energetic?t able to work to deadlines?t Smiling when the pressure

is on?t Well-organised and able

to work on your own initiative?

t A team player with the ability to work with existing clients but also generate new business?

Then we wantto meet you!

experience is not essential as full and on-going training

is provided. excellent conditions apply. a contract

plus a high commission package, mobile phone

& expenses.

Positions currently available in South Costa Blanca

and albox, almeria

an excitinG opportunity for the riGht person.

Call Chrissie to find out more on 647 379 878or email your Cv to: [email protected]

a sunshine person who enjoys meeting

business people and can bring

energy and purpose to the role


SWIMMINg pOOLSPOOL SURESTE SL MADE WITH “GUNITE”

all ShaPeS & SiZeS

eg.8.500 €8m.X 4m.

Pool rePaIrS TerraceS

Pool coverS

free dolphin & Seal Mosiac design on base of pool. ask for details.

968 461 404 - 630 810 299E-mail: [email protected]

...e

Nter

taiN

meN

t Ne

ws lumley: ‘young have slack moral code’

Joanna Lumley has revealed that she thinks young people today are “being led

into a false paradise”.

In an interview with the Radio Times, the Absolutely Fabulous star said that she

worries children believe that theft, plagiarism and playing truant are acceptable.

“Nowadays, children find it laughably amusing to shoplift and steal,” she said. “We

allow them to bunk off school and bring in sicknotes. There was one ‘crime’ during

the whole time I was at school, when a fountain pen went missing. Stealing just

didn’t happen.“We smile when they download information from the internet and lazily present it

as their own work... We’re leading our children into a false paradise.”

The actress and political campaigner compared young people in the UK with those

she had met filming documentaries abroad, saying that she had seen some children

taking on great responsibility.

She continued: “In Ethiopia... you might find a 7-year-old expected to take 15

goats out into the fields for the whole day with only a chapati to eat and his whistle.

Why are we so afraid to give our children responsibilities like this?”

Lumley further added that she would like to see children spending less time on

the internet and instead taking part in outdoor pursuits like camping or working

on farms.

kidman believes in ‘sanctity Of marriage’Nicole Kidman has revealed that she wants to believe

in marriage.The Australian actress, whose husband is country

musician Keith Urban, said that she is just the sort of girl who “likes” to be somebody’s wife.

Kidman told The Australian Women’s Weekly magazine: “I want to believe in the sanctity of marriage. I want to believe in the union of two people. I want to show that no matter what you get hit with, no matter what pain you’re dealt, there is a way to get through it as a married couple.

“And I suppose that’s just where I’m at. Because I want that to be true. I’m just the kind of girl who likes to be married. I mean, I don’t just want to be married for the sake of being married, but I want to be in a deep relationship.”

‘enders star discusses Glenda exit plotEastEnders star Glynis Barber has revealed that

viewers can expect “sad and emotional” scenes as

her character Glenda Mitchell departs Walford in

next week’s episodes.

Glenda - who first appeared on Albert Square

more than a year ago - makes her exit from the

BBC soap after her daughters Ronnie (Samantha

Womack) and Roxy (Rita Simons) both turn against

her in a forthcoming storyline.

Roxy is the first to reject her mother after she

becomes convinced that Glenda was the schemer

behind the theft of her money - falling for the lies of

her cousin Phil, who was the real culprit.

Meanwhile, Ronnie has her own reasons to want

Glenda away from Walford when she begins to

suspect that the feisty blonde knows the truth

about her baby secret.

Discussing her exit script, Barber commented: “I felt sorry for Glenda

because at the end of the day she’s innocent. She didn’t actually steal Roxy’s money

- it was Phil, so it was really sad and emotional for me to be filming. When Glenda

leaves, she’s completely hurt and humiliated so the emotion comes through in the

scenes.”Explaining why Glenda leaves Walford, she continued: “Glenda’s been rejected

by her girls as well as Phil. No-one wants her or seems to care about her. She’s

devastated. She loves her girls and without them she’s all alone in the world.”

Barber added that she would not rule out a return for Glenda at some point in

the future.“The stage is all set for her to come back so you’ll have to wait and see,” she said.

“I’d quite like to see her with a different status, either with a strong male lead or

with a lot of money!”

Glenda’s departure airs on Tuesday, March 8 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

Jane russell has died aged 89; a hollywood film star of the forties and fifties whose acting ability attracted

less attention than her vital statistics!

Vital statisticsHer 38-inch bust became

the bedrock on which her career was built. Unlike modern actresses, she never unveiled it but its fully-clad charms aroused censors worldwide. Her first film, The Outlaw, made in 1941, was briefly shown in 1943 but caused such controversy that it was rapidly withdrawn and not widely released until 1950.

The film is innocuous by modern standards, not to say dull. But promotion is a powerful tool. “Mean, moody and magnificent”, the publicity department called her and many a GI swallowed the message. The Press endorsed it, reporting that her bosom “hung over the picture like a thunderstorm over a landscape”.

She was a discovery of Howard Hughes, the aeronautics tycoon. The Outlaw, a Western about Billy the Kid, was his production, which he ended up directing himself after firing Howard Hawks, a much more experienced film-maker. But try as he might, Hughes couldn’t stop Russell quivering under fire.

“Call in my designers,” he commanded. “Time for another engineering feat — the world’s first cantilevered brassiere.”

Press attention to her physical attractions meant that her acting ability never received its due. She could not play drama but she had a good sense of humour. Wiser producers than Hughes realised that fun could be had from her formidable sex appeal. In The Paleface (1948), its sequel, Son of Paleface (1952) and especially Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Jane Russell became a self-parody — a figure with whom audiences could laugh on the strength of past publicity.

Though the first to admit her shortcomings, she never wavered from the religion in which she was brought up. Adultery, alcoholism, drunken driving may have touched her life but she still believed that “the Lord is a living doll”. She confirmed it in her autobiography, My Path and Detours, published in 1986.

Born Ernastine Geraldine Russell on June 21 1921 at Bemidji, Minnesota, she grew up in California, graduating from Van Nuys School. Though her mother had been an actress, the young Jane did not initially entertain thoughts of a career in showbusiness, opting instead for employment as a chiropodist’s assistant. But showbiz was in the blood and in 1940, she enrolled in Max Reinhardt’s Theatrical Workshop. Later, she studied with Maria Ouspenskaya, with a litle modelling on the side.

That was how Howard Hughes discovered her, earmarking her immediately for the Western he planned to make with brand new stars. Russell and Jack Buetel were cast in the leading roles. Though The Outlaw was not released for many years, Hughes’s publicity machine kept the stories churning about this actress with the phenomenal embonpoint.

Hughes shrewdly placed her under long-term contract and began lending her services to other studios. Paramount, then planning a spoof Western with Bob Hope and Ginger Rogers, baulked at the leading lady’s terms and signed Jane Russell instead to play Calamity Jane in The Paleface.

At this time Hughes also bought into RKO, to which he sold half her contract. Every time she made a film for this studio, Hughes collected $200,000. And in a short space of time she made several — thrillers such as His Kind of Woman (1951) and Macao (1952), both opposite Robert Mitchum, The Las Vegas Story (1952) with Victor Mature and Double Dynamite (1951), with Frank Sinatra and Groucho Marx. The Western Montana Belle had been made for RKO in 1948, but Hughes bought out the rights and sat on the picture for four years, releasing it only in 1952, when he felt his protégée was sufficiently established. In that year she also made Son of Paleface for Paramount.

Her biggest success — and the one memorable film of her career — was

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953. It was blessed by a stroke of casting genius. The blonde whom gentlemen are supposed to prefer was Marilyn Monroe, leaving Russell to play the brunette they allegedly marry. And calling the shots was director Howard Hawks, veteran of such Thirties screwball classics as Bringing Up Baby and the man who might have made Jane Russell’s first film if Hughes had not sacked him.

Like Jayne Mansfield and Diana Dors she became famous for what she was rather than for what she did. In that respect she was entirely different from Monroe, who was cast initially as a femme fatale but had the good fortune to be acclaimed in comedy. Almost all her last films played to that strength, whereas Russell’s comic talent was largely overlooked. Most of her later films reverted to the image she thought she had outgrown.

In the mid-Sixties she made a handful of B pictures — the Westerns Johnny Reno and Waco in 1966 and the biker movie Born Losers (1967), as the mother of a rape victim. Her last film appearance was in a supporting role in the thriller Darker than Amber in 1970.

She did not, however, retire, switching instead to cabaret work and recording gospel songs, one of which - Do, Lord - became a popular choice in jukeboxes all over America. Jane Russell made her Broadway début in 1971, replacing Elaine Stritch in the hit musical Company, and appeared on television in the series yellow Rose and in advertisements — for brassieres, being retained as a spokeswoman for the Playtex company.

In real life, Jane Russell claimed to be quite different from her screen image. “I’m the mothering type,” she admitted, when visiting England in the early Fifties to attend the Royal Command Film Performance. High on her agenda was “to adopt a really cute little English baby boy”, while her mother, who was accompanying her, faced an even more challenging task. “I’ve come over”, she said, “to see if I can get hold of a rare German edition of the Bible”. “That”, added her daughter, “is the secret of our family’s success — religion. Mom always was devout.”

The quest for that “cute” little boy opened up a long and bitter battle, involving questions in the House and impassioned pleas by Lt Col Lipton, Labour MP for Brixton, for the actress to return the 15-month-old boy, Thomas Kavanagh of South Lambeth, to his rightful mother. An agreement had been reached with the boy’s parents for him to spend three months with the actress in her Hollywood home, but legislation of 1950 expressly forbade parents to allow their children to be adopted by non-British subjects.

In the end, after an 11-month struggle, Miss Russell did adopt Thomas Kavanagh in America, while the parents were discharged conditionally in London “for unlawfully permitting the care and possession of the child to be transferred”.

Jane Russell married the athlete Bob Waterfield in 1943. They adopted three children, including Thomas Kavanagh. The marriage was dissolved in 1968. Her second husband was the actor Roger Barratt, who died within three months of their 1968 marriage. In 1974, she married real-estate agent John Calvin Peoples.

She is survived by her children, Thomas K. Waterfield, Tracy Foundas and Robert “Buck” Waterfield, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

37www.soltimes.com SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2011

Solar Hot Water & Pool HeatingFull Heating InstallationsWater Treatment SystemsWater Deposits & Pumps

Solar/Oil/GasHot Water

Hot PoolHot House

All At Unbeatable Prices.Fully Guaranteed And Insured.

All At Unbeatable Prices.Fully Guaranteed And Insured.

Cortijo pipa, avenida de Limaria, 1, Lamaria, arboleas (next to the Welcome Stranger)968 969 962

[email protected]

BugsBugs Mosquito Screens & Blinds

Pull down / Sliding Blinds & Screens, Windows & Patios •

vertical Blinds • Security Grills • Shower/Bath screens • Awnings

rinG Pete & See for YourSelftel: 600 049 515

all areaS SPeedY reSPonSe

March is here, bringing with it the promise of spring fever: seed sowing, repotting and all the other tasks needed to bring the garden up to scratch for a new season. The prospect is enough to get even the sleepiest gardener all fired up.

Before precious planting time is upon us, take this opportunity to clean and reorganise your work space. you don’t need masses of equipment, but check supplies of compost, pots, trays, tools and their general fitness for purpose.

The practical hub of every good greenhouse or shed is a potting bench. you will use it year after year to sow, prick out and pot up seeds, seedlings and plants, so buy the best you can afford and make it the centrepiece of your set-up.

Get sOrted fOr spriNGpottInG benches

...hOme & GardeN

almost four in 10 people selling their home have cut the price at least once since putting it on the market, according to a

property website.Zoopla.co.uk said 37pc of properties listed for sale on its site had seen at least one price reduction since coming to the market, compared with 36pc in November.

The average discount to the original asking price stood at 6.9pc or £18,475, up from £15,879 or 6.1pc in November.

The company said the figures provided "a clear indication of sellers becoming more realistic" in their expectations and "will be a welcome sign to buyers" as the gap narrows between asking prices and what buyers are willing to pay.

Discounts were largest at the top end of the market, Zoopla said. On properties listed for sale at more than £1m, the average discount had climbed to 10pc off the original asking price, up from 8pc in November.

Nicholas Leeming, Zoopla's commercial director, said: "As a result of weaker than expected demand in the last

half of last year, sellers have progressively reduced asking prices to more realistic levels in order to achieve sales.

"The traditional influx of new properties on the market at the start of the year has created even more intense competition amongst sellers. Even the resilient £1m-plus market is showing signs that it is not immune from the general economic pressures, as reductions have jumped at that end of the market."

The report follows a warning from estate agents that fears about the job market are keeping the housing market depressed.

Home owners are reluctant to commit to moving house while the outlook for the economy, and unemployment in particular, remains uncertain, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said.

40% Of prOperty sellers cut their askiNG prices

alan TiTchMarsh says prince charles is

'besT royal gardener we have ever had!'

In an amusing account of his first meeting with the Prince, the presenter recalls how he was “suitably flattered” to hear that the future king listened to him “wittering on about gardening on BBC Radio 4” and thought him “very good you know”.

Since then the pair have been good friends, working together to highlight the health and environmental benefits of gardening.

Mr Titchmarsh insists the Prince is “not a whinger, but a doer” and “ one of the hardest working men I know”.

He said the Prince is an even better gardener than his grandfather, George VI, who is the subject of the King’s Speech, or even his beloved grandmother the Queen Mother, who taught the young prince to love gardening, or his own parents.

“He is by my reckoning the best royal gardener we have ever had, both by dint of knowledge and practical skills,” he writes in Gardener’s World magazine.

“His grandmother the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; s enthusiasm undoubtedly rubbed off. His grandfather King George VI was a keen rhododendron grower while the Queen and Prince Phillip share an active interest in their gardens too. But none of them, I believe can compete with the Prince’s all-round knowledge of plants and gardening or his capacity to get ‘stuck-in’. And he does -whether it is sowing peas in his kitchen garden or hedge-laying on the Highgrove Estate.”

As the Prince defends his “cranky approach” to gardening, Mr Titchmarsh also speaks of the “wisdom” in speaking out on the responsibility of everyone to do their bit “whether prince or gardener” to protect the environment and “ hand on the earth in better heart than it was on the day we inherited it”.

“There was a time of course when he went out on a limb in his passion for organic gardening when it was the province of men with beards, grey socks and sandals. We’ve come to realise the wisdom of his words over the last 20 years and now far more of us are award of the need for a ‘sustainable’ way of life.”


send your sports reports to : [email protected] Grumpy old men of los Gallardos........

Greetings from God’s little waiting room, where we are at the end of a rather arduous week. It started on Monday, and invite for drinks and snackipoos at a neighbors, the reason, to say farewell to family, going back after a holiday. A lovely sunny day, good company and a surfeit of food and drink. We were entertained by a magician and his monkey, it was more entertaining what didn’t happen than what did. The hostess then gave us a rendition of one of Ronnie Barker’s TV scripts, I was not aware that she had such a command of the vernacular, extremely funny. That night the MENSA meeting, where once more we succeeded in coming....nowhere.

Tuesday saw a crowd from this home for the bewildered, head off to Lubrin, with two of our Moroccan chapter, namely Abdulla Hansel and Fatima Gretal.. Once more we took the scenic route up the mountain. At the first rambler crossing the coach bottomed out, due to the extra weight at the front, namely Bagpuss and Fred Flintstone. There were a lot of “Ow’s

and Ahh’s” until we got to the bends then they changed to “Oh S...t”. Arriving at our destination, we were met by the lovely Mary Richards, who welcomed us and issued us with a map of the “watering holes. This year we

started at the top of the village, after the experience of last year, where getting from the 5th to the 6th stop was like climbing the north face of the Eiger. So off we set, sampling the wines and ales available and a plethora of tempting tapas at each stop. Surprisingly, we all arrived at the last stop at around the same time, to be met once more by Mary, who could tell by our glazed looks that we had had a good time. We took our leave, promising to return, and started back down the hill. The road did not seem so steep and the bends so vicious coming back, and with only one comfort stop, for that damn yorkie, we arrived safely at our haven. A very enjoyable night out, our thanks to the people of Lubrin for their hospitality.

Wednesday was “extreme sports night” where our table, at the end of the night looked like a mini off license, unlike Fitz’s, which I believe was empty again. The boy’s not had a good week, his understudy having beat him by one shot in the semi-final of a bowls competition.

There was another serious accident in this local, Bag puss’s missus, the new owner of the communal mobility scooter, was trying to manoeuvre it into a confined space. Unable to get it in on the first lock, she got off and reversed it over her foot leaving it black

and blue. She in now on the look out for some deep purple nail varnish to match her toenails.

The same personage sent Bagpuss a hand made Valentines card, the appropriate verse inside read:- My Valentine I think it’s funny, how you go out and spend your money, Miraflores and Del Pobre too, most days the bar on site will do. If any time the beer runs dry, a gin and tonic you will try. So please go on and make my day and live your life the tee-total way!!!! Don’t you just love it. Did she get a card.... no!!

I was looking forward to a quiet, peaceful weekend. Saturday was fine, so was Sunday, until just after lunch when I was about to inspect the insides of my eyelids, there was a fluttering and cackling like a flock of hens. The girls of my dreams,”The Merry Widows” were having a session over the road. Now these ladies, when on form, can see off the annual production of a small vineyard in an afternoon, and the noise.... deafening. Fortunately it was overcast, so it was an inside jobby, but even then I’m sure I saw the walls of the casa moving!!!

Thats all for this week. Until the next time. Tight lines. Uncle Albert

media Golf society.......

alBox darts leaGue......

On Wednesday 23rd February, the Society played an individual stableford competition at Macenas. The course was in excellent condition as usual and the weather was just right for a good days golf.

27 players enjoyed a good day´s golf and the winner with 38 points was Brian Lowden after countback , 2nd with 38 points was Greg Knight & 3rd with 36 points was Mr Reliable John Connor.There were 4 nearest the pin prizes on the 3rd Jan Page was closest, Brian Watts was closest on the 9th, Barry Sampson was succesful in 2 on

the 15 and Bob Coomes was nearest on the 16th.

There were 5 x 2’s recorded by Captain Roger Jenkins,Greg Knight,Mike Knowles,Steve Bishop and Brian Watts

Next week´s competition will be at Macenas, & the following week at Alboran .

A competition is held every Wednesday starting at 10.00am. New members & guests are very welcome, contact Keith Bradley at Badgers Bar Restaurant in Mojacar Playa, call 950 478 525/607 305 339.

BadGers Golf society.................

Sol Times Almeria is independent of political parties, private investment and government. Our policy is to provide readers with a news and information service that is fair, accurate and balanced. Sol Times Almeria

is an independent publication. Published weekly and produced exclusively in Almeria. Sol Times News Group cannot be held responsible for claims made by advertisers, nor can it be

held responsible for errors in advertisements caused by poor quality text, photographs or layout instructions. Furthermore, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss or damage resulting

caused by any error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement. Almeria Edition AL-344-2005 Roquetas Edition AL 956-2010

sol times costa almeriasales hq: 950 430 820 OPEN: Mon-Thurs 10am-5pm Fri 10am-4pm

pOSTaL addRESS: ROC pubLIShINg S.L.apdO. 242, 04800, aLbOX, aLMERIa

aLbOX, aRbOLEaS, aLfOquIa ROquETaS, aLMERIMaR

COaSTaL & MOJaCaR aREaSCLaSSIfIEdS

EDITOR: [email protected] ~ DESIGN:[email protected]

[email protected]

Find us on the Partaloa to Oria road (A399) 1km outside of Oria on the right. Carretera Autonomica A-399 c / Paraje el Puente sin 04810. Oria, Almeria

Pit StopT YRESSERVICINGREPAIRSPart worn tyres fromNew tyres from...includes fitting, balancing & iVa

Lazer Tracking onLy

Fixed Price ServicingPetrol up to 2L -Diesel up to 2L -

20€

free tracking with 2 or more new tyres

30€

15€

85€95€


ALL MAKES AND MODELSFREE Safety / ITV check with every service

I managed a morning out with ‘Captain Chippy Pete’ on his boat Edmund, also out of Garrucha. We were joined by his son ‘Landing Net Jo’ and his girlfriend ‘Marriage material Chloe’. She didn’t fish much, caught nothing and felt sea sick for most of the 4 four hours. She didn’t moan once, hence her nickname and why I advised Jo to marry her ASAP.

I caught a small conger and a decent enough red snapper and a few pandora bream. Both Pete and Jo caught pandoras and also a good blue mouthed rose bellied rockfish each. See photo of me and my red snapper.

Pete went out again later in the week with his son Jo and mate Josh, they caught lots of small stuff and Pete managed one decent fish, a forkbeard weighing about 7lbs.

‘Captain Brian Cuba’ took his Garrucha moored boat out with ‘Scaffolder Clive’ who is on holiday from the Channel Isles. ‘Pueblo Neville’ and ‘Kenolo’ joined them for the trip. They only caught the usual suspects, pandoras and combers etc. Same story on the next trip out with the ‘Mazzaron Boys’ except Brian caught a decent octopus.

Anglers fishing in the bay just south of Villaricos small marina have been catching some good fish from the beach. Two sea bass weighing 3 to 4lbs each and some nice bream too. Villaricos shoreline is a good spot (North of the town) for dentex bream to 30lbs but they are easier to land from a boat as otherwise they dive into the rocks. Literally a decent quality rubber dingy or kayak will do on calm days.

‘London Bill’ fished a rocky mark at the north end of Macenas Beach and

caught some sea bass to 2lbs and palometes a bit smaller. All fish came to spinning a small silver spoon.

‘Baza Barry’ fished with a mate on the Puentes Lake near Lorca and they caught mirror carp to 7lbs and barbel to 3lbs. Barry and his pal also fished lake Argos the same week without much success, the catch was small with nothing bigger than 1lb.

Bridie is due to get the next batch of boat and beach fishing licenses mid March so if anyone is interested please see me, you will need a copy of your passport and NIE document.

The next meeting of the Syedpur fishing club based in Albox (Sea and coarse) will take place at 4pm at the Syedpur Restaurant, Albox, on Wednesday March 2nd then every two weeks.

For further information on any of the above or to find out about beach, boat or coarse fishing licenses, see meat the Beachcomber Bar Restaurant on Mojacar Playa or call 950 473 099

Tight Lines, Beachcomber John

anGlinG news....with BeachcomBer John

25 FEBRUARy - RESULTSWith the weather having

been very warm all week with today being no

exception many members were wearing shorts for the first time since last year.

There is much work being carried out on the golf course with a lot of the bushes etc being cleared. It does make it easier looking for your balls now. The course is still in excellent condition although very busy at the moment.

Despite the hot weather, some of the scores did not reflect the ideal golfing conditions, but there were some good scores and these were as follows:

There was one two by Mick Coulson on the 12th.Division One: 1st – Geoff Bridgman – 38 points,

2nd – Bryan White – 35 points, 3rd – Bob Risbey – 32 points

Division Two: 1st - Chris Risbey – 28 points, 2nd – Sandra Bain – 27 points, 3rd – John Sumstrum – 25 points

Well played everyone!

RESULTS: Monday 21st February and the club played a Flag Competition. It was very windy once again but there were three two’s:

Rod Ambrose on the 2nd, Andrew Markham on the 9th, & Martin Reed on the 17th.

The Ladies results were: 1st - Dot Harris, 2nd - Nuala Hare, 3rd - Rosalie FardonThe Gents result were: 1st - Geof Owen, 2nd - Rod Amrose, 3rd - Colin Padfield Thursday 24th February was a beautiful day and the Competition was organized

by Brian Couper. Teams were in three and the best two scores counted, and the yellow ball counted as double.

1st: Jim Budd, Margaret Budd & Geoff Owen with 115 points.2nd: Colin Padfield, Sandra Edwards & June Humphries with 107 points3rd: Brian Mayhew, Steve Entwhistle & Elmer Trapper with 98 points

marina memBers Golf................

Still awaiting the results from the postponed matches: Shandy Bar v White Horse and Bar ANdaluz v Terca Edad 2.

Champion of Champions (individual player competition) is open to any member of Albox Darts league & as many players from each team can enter as they wish, team captains to inform [email protected] by 28th February with the names of players who will be entering from their team. When the committee know the numbers of players they can arrange a date & venue, then the players can turn up on the draw night and the competition will be run down to the semi finals stage. No entry fee.

Champion of Champions Entrants so far: Paul Maydew, Chris Weir, John Walker, Dave Warner, Derik Perryman, Dick Coppard, Jesus Mellado, Tino Garcia, Gines Gomez, Ant Bowen, Gary Bowen,

Jon Hilson, Ken Roberts, David Lloyd, Daved Landsford, Del Hilton, Michael Chapman, Bernie Blackmoor, Mark R Smith, Peter Mackey, Dai Bonehill, Gordon Smith, Keith Saunders, Dave Babb, Mally Gilbert, Martin Raison, Chris Watterson

Close off date is 28th February.

Knockout Cup CompetitionFirst round is this Thursday

24th February Tercra Edad 1 at home to Bar

Andaluz, Regency Snooker Club at

home to La Cinta, Le Panto at home to El Frax.The winners will be put

back into draw for the last 8. The results will be issued as another email on Friday 25th. Captains please make sure I get the results in quickly

please.NEW COMPETITIONLa Cinta owner Faustino

is planning a doubles competition on Sunday 3rd April at noon entry fee €5 per pair winners will get cup and €100 prize. Open to all darts players

Highlights & Special Mentions

Dave Warner of Pablos reported that despite Tino getting 3, Jesus getting 3 and Derek getting 1 (with the 120 on the floor), they still won 8 -0 aginst Sopranos!!!!! Pablos is top of the league based on sets won.

Martin Raison from Terca Edad 2 scored 180, Mally got a 2, 5 and 7 and still won his match against Mark Smith who only got one 7. Nan (Jill) had three darts on the floor when she went for double

10 - claimed she couldn’t see double 10.

Congratulations to Pete from Trabalon 103 finish and Keith Wood from Carrillo’s who scored a 180. Carillo’s are still unbeaten at home and 11 wins on the trott.

Chis Watterson had a 15 dart leg. Chris Watterson who must be man of the match and in a hurry. Chris scored 3x180s while practicing before the game , having got these out of his system he then managed a 15 dart leg 3x ton pluses and 4 tons on his way to winning his singles game. His doubles game was a similar story, with 1 x ton plus and 3 tons. Well done Chris keep up the good work.

Mark Drew: 671 188 296For On-line results go to

www.alboxinfo.com/darts


The EGA handicapping system can throw up some interesting results when adjusting handicaps by the C.S.A.(competition stableford adjustment) which is similar to the C.S.S. in the U.K. depending on the general scoring of the field a score of 36pts can become 39pts for handicap purposes as our winners are finding out,to have meaningful handicaps here in Spain societies should adopt this method.

RESULTSWednesday 16th February - Individual

StablefordWith the weather being kind to us we are seeing

the re-appearance of shirt-sleeves and shorts, we hope we are not being presumptive

1st Pat Sayer 36pts, 2nd Derrick Stephenson 33pts, 3rd Steve Willingham 31pts on a card play off

Twos: Pierre Dominguez x2 4th and 8th, Bob Schofield, David Street and Caroline Willingham

at the 10th Friday 18th February - Almeria league matchWe entertained Boxers GS and on a lovely day

for golf our team came out the winners by 3.5pts to 1.5pts

Wednesday 23rd February-Individual Stableford

It was a barmy sunny day for the members with a plethero of twos,our French member does not enter in to this club and had 2 x twos for the second week running!!

1st Bill Gibb 38pts, 2nd Pierre Dominguez 36pts, John Bridgen 33pts

Twos:Pierre Dominguez,Bill Gibb and Roger Kaye 4th, Pat Sayer 8th,Pierre Dominguez 10th, John Bridgen and Caroline Willingham 12th

Guests and visitors are welcome to join us on a Mon,Wed and Friday for information contact 636 938 404 or 634 641 199

aGuilon Golf memBers report........................

Saturday 26th February and it was not only the temperatures that were soaring at Playa Macenas but also the scoring went up with the warm sun on the players backs.

The overall winner for the monthly competition was Tony Morgan with an impressive 40 points followed by Steve Fear in second with 36 points on count back with Mark Williams

in 3rd also on 36 points. The longest drives went to Tony Morgan and Terry Hicks with nearest the pin going to Derrick Phillips.

Our next event will be a team competition on Saturday March 12th at Aguillon. New members and guests are always welcome for further information contact Dick on 950 528 551/699 397 267

urcal Golf.................................25 February 2011We had 40 players taking part

this week in very good February weather. We were joined by 6 players from the Forum Golf Society which is based in the other end of the province of Almería. They were in the area celebrating the 65th birthday of one of their members, George Gibson.

We also celebrated the 50th birthday of one of our players, Sharon Sly. Thanks for the cava and cake Sharon.

This week we played Best 2 stableford where the best 2 scores on each hole counted for the team. There were also 2 hidden holes where the score of an extra player had to count.

The winners were Hans Ooft (twice in two weeks), Barry Castle (on his return to Friday golf after a bit of a break), John Andrew and Isabel Fielding with a team score of 88 points. Last place and chocolates went to the team of Richard Todd, Paul Miles, Ingegerd Erasmi and Isabel Haworth with a score of 63.

Nearest the pin was on hole 17 and it was won by John Fielding with a distance of 1.45m.

you can see the full results at www.fridaygolfsociety.es.

If you would like to take part in the friendly Friday competitions at Almerimar you can put your name up on the entry list by the pro-shop or contact [email protected]

almerimar friday Golf....

SPONSORED By IBEx INSURANCE

The latest results have thrown the league wide open with Boxers G.S. losing for the first time,however Forum G.S. maintain their lead with an away win,but the chasing pack have games in hand.

Tuesday 15th FebruaryTable topping Forum visited

Valle del Este golf to take on Media,the course was in great condition on a sunny day with the games swinging from one side to the other,a great days golf came down to the last putt of the last match on the 18th

which went Forums way and resulted in a match score of Media 2pts,Forum 3pts

Friday 18th February

Unbeaten Boxers G.S. took their winning run to Aguilon golf to play Aguilon Members, another perfect sunny day with the wind proving tricky later, saw Boxers take an early lead but the home side finished strongly and came out the winners, the score finishing Aguilon 3.5pts to Boxers 1.5pts

For league information contact Les Raufer on 950 619 273 or 634 641 199.

almeria Golf leaGue...............

send your sports

eVents & reports to

[email protected]

six nations 2011: BeatinG enGland will Be

a ‘huGe ask’, concedes scotland full-Back

chris patersonscotlAnd Are AlreAdy lookInG AheAd to endInG

enGlAnd’s GrAnd slAm dreAm At twIckenhAm And resurrectInG theIr own rbs sIx nAtIons

cAmpAIGn After three defeAts In three GAmes.Scotland on Sunday suffered a

21-18 loss to Ireland, conceding three tries without reply and only being in the game in the closing stages due to Ireland’s lack of ruthlessness.

While head coach Andy Robinson expressed his disappointment with the way referee Nigel Owens officiated the game, there was no disguising Scotland’s porous defence, which allowed Jamie Heaslip, Eoin Reddan and Ronan O’Gara to touch down, and inability to threaten Ireland’s line.

Scotland must now win against championship leaders England - who have a 100 per cent record of three wins from three games - on March 13 to avoid a possible wooden spoon decider with Italy on March 19.

The Scots’ last win at Twickenham was in March 1983 - before eight members of Sunday’s starting xV were born.

Scotland fly-half Ruaridh Jackson, 23, said: “It’s certainly going to be a tough game and it would be awesome to be a part of.

“They’re on a roll, so it will be up to us to cause a shock by going down there to get a win.”

Chris Paterson, who won his 102nd cap on Sunday, added: “Although England are three from three, they’ll not be thinking about a Grand Slam, they’ll just be thinking about Scotland.

“They’re playing well, they’ve got a dangerous attack and a pretty good defence. We’ll have to improve if we want to do it.”

Jackson believes Scotland put on an improved showing from the 24-6 loss to Wales in the previous Six Nations encounter.

He added: “It was a step in the right direction. Although we didn’t get the win it was much better than the Wales game and hopefully we can keep building on that - and it would be a good game to get a win.

“We did some good stuff at times and made a lot of breaks. It’s now about getting that clinical edge to our game so we can finish things off and be ruthless.

“The tries are at the edge of our fingertips so hopefully we can start converting them.”

Glasgow Warriors fly-half Jackson was winning his fourth cap, but making his first Test start and hopes to retain the No 10 jersey ahead of Dan Parks.

He said: “Hopefully I’ve done enough to cause Andy a headache and hopefully it will be a tough

decision for him.“I felt I did all right out there,

so hopefully I can get another chance at Twickenham.”

Although without a win from their opening three games, Scotland are close, according to Jackson.

He added: “The game was there to win. Unfortunately our defence was a bit too weak at times and gave them a couple of easy scores.

“Coming into the Six Nations I thought our defence had been very good, bar the New Zealand game.

“Against South Africa we were very dominant there and it’s certainly not a major issue I don’t think.

“I think it’s something we can turnaround because we’ve shown we can do it. It’s a case of making sure it’s right on the day.”

Paterson, likewise, was optimistic about the performance.

He said: “There were so many positives out there, but the huge negative was the scoreline and the manor in which we conceded the three tries.

“It’s disappointing not to score tries. I thought we created one or two good opportunities and didn’t finish them.

“We go to Twickenham in two weeks’ time, it’s a huge ask - the form team of the Six Nations - but we’re going there determined to score tries and get a win. It’s about putting it all together.”

Thoughts of playing to avoid the wooden spoon against Italy have not entered Paterson’s thoughts.

He added: “We’ll deal with England and whatever happens the week after that happens.

“If that is the case we’ve been in that situation too often in recent years.

“We don’t look any further forward than England. It’s a big enough ask concentrating on them, never mind what comes after.”

Six Scotland players, including Jackson (calf) and Paterson (shoulder bruising), required treatment following yesterday’s match, but none of the injuries sustained provide cause for concern.

Among the forwards, Richie Gray had a knee strain, captain Alastair Kellock had hand bruising and a neck strain and flanker John Barclay had a bruised knee.

Sean Lamont (shoulder bruising) also required treatment.

40 SOLTIMES MARCH 2011

ww

w.soltim

es.com 950 430 8

20

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

www.soltimes.comsoltimes

Results:Sunday 27th February Hércules 0 - 0 Getafe Levante 2 - 1 Osasuna Racing Santander 2 - 2 Villarreal Athletic Bilbao 1 - 2 Valencia Saturday 26th February Sporting Gijón 0 - 0 Real Zaragoza Atlético Madrid 2 - 2 Sevilla Mallorca 0 - 3 Barcelona Espanyol 4 - 1 Real Sociedad Deportivo La Coruña 0 - 0 Real Madrid

Barça and Valencia hold firm as real and Villarreal slip upOn Saturday, Barcelona consolidated their Liga lead with a 3-0 win away to Real

Mallorca as Real Madrid slipped up at Deportivo La Coruña.Goals from Messi, Villa and Pedro made it 22 wins from 25 games for the Catalán

giants this season and Real now find themselves seven points adrift of their arch-rivals after only managing a 0-0 draw away to Deportivo.

Espanyol boosted their chances of European football next season with their 4-1 dubbing of Real Sociedad.

Atlético Madrid twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Sevilla, as both teams continued their assault on the Europa League places for next season.

Sporting Gijón and Real Zaragoza played out a 0-0 draw which did neither team any favours in the battle to avoid relegation.

On Sunday, Valencia took the opportunity to extend their lead over Villarreal to four points by beating Athletic Bilbao 2-1. Los Che came back from a goal down to tighten their grip on third place, as Villarreal were held to a 2-2 draw by Racing Santander.

Levante also came from behind to beat Osasuna 2-1 and climb above their opponents as both sides battle to stay above the relegation zone.

Hércules and Getafe played out a goalless draw.

LIGA STANDINGS AFTER 25 GAMES (*GAME IN HAND):

1 Barcelona 68 2 Real Madrid 61 3 Valencia 51 4 Villarreal 47 5 Espanyol 40 6 Athletic Bilbao 38 7 Sevilla 35 8 Atlético Madrid 34 9 Real Sociedad 34

10 Getafe 32 11 Real Mallorca 31 12 Racing Santander 29 13 Levante 27 14 Deportivo La Coruña 27 15 Hércules 26 16 Osasuna 25 17 Sporting Gijón 25 18 Real Zaragoza 24 19 Almería 21*20 Málaga 20*

FIxTURESWednesday 2nd March 20:00 Getafe vs Atlético Madrid 20:00 Osasuna vs Deportivo La Coruña 20:00 Real Sociedad vs Levante 20:00 Real Zaragoza vs Athletic Bilbao 20:00 Villarreal vs Hércules 22:00 Valencia vs Barcelona Thursday 3rd March 20:00 Almería vs Racing Santander 22:00 Real Madrid vs Málaga Saturday 5th March 18:00 Mallorca vs Valencia 20:00 Barcelona vs Real Zaragoza 22:00 Atlético Madrid vs Villarreal Sunday 6th March 17:00 Hércules vs Almería 17:00 Levante vs Espanyol 17:00 Málaga vs Osasuna 17:00 Sporting Gijón vs Getafe 19:00 Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla 21:00 Racing Santander vs Real Madrid

Villarreal knock naples out of europa leaGueVillarreal knocked out Napoli at the Madrigal

last night to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League.

After a goalless first leg, Marek Hamsik looked to have put Napoli in control with his 17th minute goal.

That left the yellow Submarines needing two-goals, which came quickly in five golden minutes as Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi both pounced to send them through.

Villarreal will now meet Bayer Leverkusen who completed a 6-0 aggregate win over Metalist Kharkiv.

On Wednesday, Porto knock Sevilla out of the Europa League on away goals.

Luis Fabiano gave Sevilla the lead in the 70th minute, but seconds later Porto were down to ten men as Alvaro Pereira saw red for a poor tackle, but the Portuguese held on to advance on away goals.

tennis: nadal continues to lead

atp rankinGsspAIn’s rAfAel nAdAl retAIned

hIs leAd At the top of An unchAnGed top 10 In the Atp men’s tennIs rAnkInGs Issued

thIs mondAy.Nadal continues to have a

clear lead over Roger Federer of Switzerland and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who defeated Federer in the final of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.

ATP top 10 as of February 28 (previous ranking in brackets):

1. (1) Rafael Nadal, Spain, 12,390 2. (2) Roger Federer, Switzerland,

7,965 3(3) Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 7,880

4(4) Robin Soderling, Sweden,

6,0555. (5) Andy Murray, Britain, 5,7156. (6) David Ferrer, Spain, 4,5107. (7) Tomas Berdych, Czech

Republic, 4,4108. (8) Andy Roddick, United

States, 3,7359. (9) Fernando Verdasco, Spain,

3,09510. (10) Juergen Melzer, Austria,

2,730

Tel: 950 633 051

Opposite the Dia Supermarket,

Albox

revePlaS 20KG

Exterior / Interior

23.17€Buy 1 x 120kg tub get

a roller FREEBuy 3 x 20kg tubs get

one more 20kg tub FREE

MaTePlaS 20KGInterior / Exterior20.18€Buy 1 x 20kg tub get a

roller FREEBuy 3 x 20kg tubs get

one more 20kg tub FREE

haMMerITe750mL

14.99€plus FREE

DisolventecaUcho - TerrazaS 15L(Waterproof Elasticroof paint)43.05€

SPecIal offerS

dISCounTS on A WIDe raNGe of exTerIor PaINTS

eSMalTe ProMarol 4l

(antioxident Metal Paint)

36.76€

xYlaDecor

750mL

11.94€

Documents

Sol Times Newspaper issue 276 Costa Almeria Edition