Costa Cálida Chronicle February 2014

Costa Clida Chronicle
The Longest Established FREE Magazine in Murcia
www.costacalidachronicle.com
Date: February 2014
Issue: 3
Volume: XIV
In association with Costa Clida International Radio and www.angloINFO.com
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Costa Clida Chronicle: Please tell our customers where you saw their advertisement
Sales Contact Teresa 619 199 407 or for the Editor Contact Patti 646 005 017
email: costacalidachronicle@gmail.com
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Here we are in February with the almond blossom in flower and St Valentines Day to celebrate. We have an amazing selection of restaurants in the area, all tempting you with fabulous menus for this special day. Dont leave it too late as they will be booked up quickly. Look in the Whats On section of this months magazine to see what else is going on, whether it is music nights that you are looking for, or maybe a day trip out somewhere new. Welcome to out New Advertisers: Algorfa Chiropractor Clinic Brian Jones Eden Hair & Beauty Golf Stop Los Balcones Namaste Indian Restaurant North West Murcia Properties Restaurante Gula Gula Restaurante Teteria Alhambra Restaurante Viggos And Welcome Back to: Colina Kennels Cool Solutions The Forge The Roving Diner El Hombre del Velero We would also like to thank Mike Eskdale for
his wonderful photo which we have used on the front cover of this months magazine. Mike had a career in photography and lives here full time now. We often have photos sent in to us, but as we cannot guarantee to use all of them, we are creating a photo page on the website www.costacalidachronicle.com so that everyone can have the opportunity to view these. Whilst on the subject of the website, we have noticed a large increase in vistors to both our website and our blog. Most of the visitors to the sites are from the United Kingdom and Spain, but we also have visitors from USA, Australia, and other European countries. Vistors are able to read articles from back issues on our website and one of our most popular articles being read is Getting married in Spain. Our blog is proving very popular for people wanting to find out about events that are being advertised at the last minute. Dont forget that if you are a charity or a current advertiser you can email us at costacalidachronicle@gmail.com for inclusion on the blog. From all at the
THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Alan Monk TV News Camposol Club de Golf Golf Tips Christine Lawford - Poem Clive & Rosie Palmer Exploring Murcia Dick & Clodagh Handscombe Gardening George Mitchell Never a Dull Moment Ken Whettall Housing Update Jane Cronin Learning Spanish Jennifer Rahman Ask Jennifer Liz Edmiston Food 4 Thought Liz Edmiston Life in Spain Paco Vet Animal Matters Phil Jones - Quiz Sara Millbank Ma Millbanks Kitchen Think Spain Spanish News
Costa Clida Chronicle
DISCLAIMER Whilst the CCC are happy to accept monthly reports from the various organizations in the area, the articles printed are not necessarily the opinions of the editor or publisher and the contents should be viewed as a guideline only. Professional advice should be sought to cover any information printed therein. Advertisements and reports are not formally endorsed by the CCC. We cannot accept responsibility for advertisers works, service or goods. The publishers endeavour to ensure the contents are correct, but cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions.
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SPECIAL PAGES Mar Menor Mazarrn Northwest Murcia Sport Whats On
48-52 66-72 24-28 84-88 77-82
Cloud Nine Country Music Lion Country MCC Social Club Viva Quartet FOOD & DRINK Food 4 Thought Ma Millbank Menu del Dia Vegetable of the Month
83 83 30 66 49 74 62 76 14
Mazarrn News Northwest Murcia Spanish News Subscriptions Teresas Travels LEISURE Author Review Gardening News Hiking in Moratalla Hunters NEST Never A Dull Moment Poem Puzzle Page Puzzle Solutions TV News WARM PROPERTY Housing Update
70 26 57 94 46 12 56 28 20 32 40 46 60 90 8 24 91
ADVERTORIAL Corral & Alcaraz 38 Dragontours 82 Liberty Seguros 20 Martinez de la Casa 46 Premier Pensions Solutions 58 The Fuschia Clinic 36 CHARITIES ACTIN 30 Age Concern 69 Andreas Charity 10 Cavalli Foundation 65 Dogs Looking for Homes 29 FAST 67 HAH 52 HELP MMM 52 JJs 42 MABS Mar Menor 48 MABS Northwest 28 MAMAS 68 MARA 26 Noahs ARC 44/45 PALS 58 CHILDREN Chatterbox EDUCATION Jane Cronin ENTERTAINMENT 32 73
GROUPS Classic Cars 83 CRA 68 Ladies Chatterbox 67 Mazarrn Leos 42 Sector C Greenfingers 66 Stamp Collecting 20 Welcome 72 HEALTH Forget Me Not 69 92/93 34 7 16 53&63 6 61 22 90 36 94 49 64 50 64
INFORMATION Advertisers Directory Aguilas & the Castle Animal Matters Ask Jennifer British Embassy Business News Charities & Groups Chinese New Year Classified Ads Dear Editor Distribution Focus on St Valentines Life in Spain Mar Menor News Mazarrn Ayuntamiento
RELIGION Beacon of Light 53 Mass in English 16 Olive Branch 74 Open Door 14 St Nicholas Church 10 Welcome House 26 Wellspring Victory Church 18 SPORT Camposol Golf Fuente Old Guard Golf Tips Local Sport Los Amigos Golf Los Amigos Mazarrn Sporting Camposol 87 84 88 88 84 86 85
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If you are an existing customers and you have some Business News that you would like to share with our readers then why not email it to us to be included on our Business News page. Please keep your news to about 50 words and send us an email by 15th of the month, to costacalidachronicle@gmail.com with Business News in the subject box.
Fancy doingsomething different this year on St Valentines evening? Enjoy a5 Course Menu with Cava Cocktail on arrival in our beautifully restored Casa Rural (Los Balcones at Caadas del Romero) whilst being entertained by our DJ. Only 50 per couple. Make it a night to remember by staying in one of our 7 comfortable rooms for only 30 per couple including breakfast, followed by a gentle stroll orbike ride in our grounds or even partake in a spot of petanque or tennis. Call to reserve on 696 974 469
With the cost of electricity rising almost monthly, now is the ideal time to consider solar power. Keith from Solar Directa has been installing solar hot water systems in the area for over 10 years and has built up a good reputation for one of the cheapest and most reliable systems available. Keith sources all his materials directly from the manufacturer, so keeps his costs to a minimum. Call Solar Directa on 659 315 130
Have you visited the Gula Gula in Puerto De Mazarrn lately? Their new chef will be delighted to cook for you and they offer a superb Menu del Dia from Monday until Saturday for only 9. Reserve your table by calling 968 154 102
Live Music at Las Lomas, Calasparra every Saturday night. Only 5. Good homecooked food available. Dont worry about drink driving. Book one of their beautiful log cabins for 60 a night (sleep up to 8) and stay on the Saturday night. Book through the Tourist Office in Calasparra (968 745 325) or Las Lomas on 646 406 208
The Fuschia Beauty Clinic Is pleased to announce that they are now the Official Distributors of Dreamweave Mascara and Lip Voltage products in Mainland Spain, The Balearic and The Canary Islands. New Stockist Enquiries contact Vivienne on 630 439 480
The Garden Centre 2003, just off the motorway past Camposol is offering 10% off all plants during the month of February. Buy your butane gas and logs from here as well. Do not forget to take the advert on page 45 showing full details of offer. Tel 669 565 402
Something Different. For those who would like the Spanish country life but not keen on the older stone built finca, Old Farmhouses have the ideal properties; 3 bed, 2 bath detached villas, residential area, recreational area with caf, bars and restaurants, no community fees. See website www.oldfarmhousesmurcia.com/ www.oldfarmhouses.es or phone 968 159 264/618 407 779
Bora Bora in Puerto de Mazarrn are pleased to announce the launch of their brand new Menu del Dia, available from Monday until Friday. 3 courses available for 9.50 which includes a glass of wine or a small drink. You can choose to eat in or outside on the terrace. Be the first to try it! Tel 968 153 111
The Yorkshire Linen winter sale is now on. They havereduced hundreds of lines to make way for all the fantastic new ranges arriving soon for spring. Genuine reductions on quilt sets, bedspreads, curtains, cushion covers and much more. Dont miss out. Call in and see all the special offers and great deals before its too late. Tel 968 595 946
Dr Dutey-Harispe has an established Chiropractic Clinic in Algorfa. He graduated from the Palmer College of Chiropractic in the USA, the fountainhead of chiropractic in the world. Due to patient demand, he has now opened a second clinic every Mondayin SOS Salon, Plaza Mercadona, Los Alcazares Tel 965 071 898 or 618 337 616
New Golf Shop Opens on Camposol B Ben Stokes Golf Professional and Golf Stop owner felt for sometime that the region is lacking a Golf Shop with a professional in house who can offer advice and also stock what he believes to be quality, but affordable, golf equipment and clothing. The Workplace on Camposol B is an ideal location for all local golfers, as at the moment there isnt another golf shop like this in the area. Ben also offers Golf Lessons at local courses plus general advice. Tel 634 332 476
Cool Solutions would like to advise TV clients in our area about the long expected satellite change which should finally take place in middle of February 2014. All we know is that we dont really know how it will affect us! We have prepared some alternatives. Hopefully we will not lose everything! Dont invest before you know more. Contact Gerard on 600 418 220
It is now possible to reserve tickets for the Lorca Easter Parades, on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday - this year on April 17th and 18th from Dragontours. Tickets sell fast so do not delay, call Eileen on 968 199 021
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Which Dog Is The Best For Me? With all the rescue dogs around, the choice of which dog to adopt is huge. The first thing to consider when deciding to take on an animal is to see if you have enough time and money, as well as do you have room at home for the new pet. If the answer to these three questions is yes, you will have to think about which kind of dog is the best for your needs. There are numerous positive things about having a dog, not least of which is the fact that you will get fitter if you take your dog for regular walks. This will benefit you not only because you will be getting regular exercise, but it is also a very social event. Dog walkers are renowned for meeting other dog walkers on a regular basis and many find this a good way to meet new people.
parents so you can have an idea of the dogs future physical and mental features. This is obviously not always possible, but there are certain features like the size of the puppys paws which may give some indication of its eventual size. Whether you decide on a puppy or a fully grown dog, it will give you years of love and devotion. Treat it well and it will remain loyal and faithful to you, but there are certain rules etc about keeping dogs and we will follow this up in next months article. Clinica Veterinaria Puerto de Mazarrn. Tel 968 153 931 Camposol Sector A Tel 968 138 081
Before deciding on which dog or puppy to have, you must bear in mind the following: What will be the size of the puppy when it is fully grown? Obviously, it is not the same to feed, transport or go for a walk with a Pekinese as a Saint Bernard. The size of the dog obviously affects the costs of feeding (a giant dog may eat more than one kilo of food a day). If the animal is going to live outside, it is better to choose medium or small sized breeds avoiding tiny dogs such as Pomeranians or Yorkshire Terriers which do not adapt to bad weather. Do you want a male or a female? Males may be harder to train, but females, although usually calmer, are in heat twice a year if not sterilized.
Do you want a long haired or short haired dog? The more fur, the more care is needed to keep the dog looking and feeling good. Daily combs, washing, professional sessions at the hairdressers etc are essential for long haired animals. All dogs will moult during the year, so dont get upset when there is dog hair on the carpet.
Decide on which type of dog you would prefer, but here in Spain there are so many rescue dogs, that apart from size etc, you may choose a dog purely on its nature and not its looks. There are certain races and their crosses which are linked to special legal rules regarding potentially dangerous animals and their owners have to get a specific license to own them. You should know something about the behaviour and features of the dog in which you are interested in advance, so it is recommended to ask your local vets for advice. Be aware if you live in a flat or on an urbanisation. There are breeds which may be very noisy, so it is important to get information about the rules in the neighbours community. If getting a puppy, try to check out the pets
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This months TV News has a longish article from one of our readers, so I will not say much on our home front, but thanks to all of you asking about our dog TAZI all recovered, but problem (bladder stones) could reoccur special diet and a tiny piece of a cranberry tablet a day. TV NEWS As you read this, we will be very close to the possible changes and loss of UK TV signals we have been predicting for what seems like years - delayed satellite launches being the main reason. The first two weeks of February will be the time this may all happen. If we do lose our satellite TV signal down here there will be ways to view bigger dishes or internet TV. As I have said many times before, wait until it happens to decide what to do. However, one of our readers, John A, has sent the following article that may be of interest to some. In its own right and without the loss of any channels, it brings full feature UK TV to Spain, but will also be a method of watching TV should we lose the channels. Rainbow Satellites VPN Router As Alan has explained in his monthly column, it is not possible to use the likes of BBC iPlayer, ITVplayer or Sky Go to view UK TV over the Internet in Spain without taking special measures. The broadcasters check that you are in UK before allowing you to watch. At the moment, broadcasters check your IP(Internet Protocol) address as provided by your Internet provider. From this address, it is possible to determine what country you are in. By routing via a special server in the UK, one can pick up a UK IP address and thus be allowed to watch UK TV via the net. The servers that provide such a service are known as VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and one can sign up to the many that advertise on the net for a monthly fee.
have found that they can download to your PC undesirable bits of software and do not usually provide sufficient speed to watch in HD. Nothing is really for free! However, routing your PC or laptop via a VPN does not solve the problem of connecting UK Smart TVs, Sky Boxes or other devices to the various UK TV services available over the net. This is where Rainbow Satellites magic box, aka VPN Router comes into play. This is connected to your main router and anything connected to the VPN router (via Wifi, or cable) automatically picks up a UK IP address. This has meant for me that I can now connect my Sky Box to Skys On Demand service. With a special attachment, I could have done this via Wifi, but this reduces speed somewhat and when streaming TV over the Internet, speed is of the essence. To watch streaming TV, a stable Internet speed of at least 4Mbs is recommended and 6Mbs for HD TV is desirable. This needs to be reliable and available at all times. Internet services that dip in speed in the evenings, as so often happens, will seriously limit the ability to watch streaming TV. In order not to lose speed, I bought a couple of TP-Link adapters (there are other brands) that very easily provide a wired connection through the house electricity mains circuits. A press of a button is all that is required to set these up. One is plugged into the Sky Box, or Smart TV, the other into the VPN Router. Easy! This has meant, with Sky On Demand, the ability to download programmes we have missed or failed to record. Apart from a few featured programmes, (mostly on Skys own channels), this service is not truly On Demand. Instead, you mark the programmes you want and they appear in the Planner once the download is complete. A download can take from 2030 minutes, to a couple of hours depending on its length and whether its in HD. It would be easy to connect a UK Smart TV to the VPN Router in the same way (via mains
adapters to achieve optimum speed). If the TV is near your router, then this can be plugged straight into the VPN Router. The VPN Router comes with one years subscription to the UK VPN service included. This has been specially designed to cope with the extra demands of streaming TV programmes via the Internet. It has to be pointed out that around 20-30% of ones Internet speed is always lost by routing through a VPN. My one and only criticism is that the subscription renewal, once the first year expires, is rather costly. I believe it is possible to set up this sort of service oneself using a specially adapted router (DD-WRT) and monthly subscription to a UK VPN service at around 6 per month, but I have yet to try this myself as Rainbows router was by far the easiest option. Just plug n go. A word of warning - Patience is needed when it is first plugged in, or after a power cut, as it can take quite a long time for it to set up its connection (up to 15 minutes). I recently discovered that there is a Sky+ app for Sky-plus users. This will run on smartphone or tablet (Android or Apple). I find it works really well on my Android phone. I was amazed when I first used it as it allows you to control your box from your phone, provided they are both connected to the same router. An example when this could be really useful is if you have a TV in a 2nd room connected to your Sky Box; you can change channels and play recordings without the need for some form of special control system. I use it to set recordings for the next day while I browse my Radio Times in bed! How sad is that! In one respect, the app is more advanced that the Sky Box itself. If there is a clash of recordings, it will alert you and then offer alternative transmission times of the programme(s) in question, if available. Away from home, you can still set recordings you may have forgotten or missed before you left! The Rainbow Satellites VPN-Router and the Sky+ app are both highly recommended! That may have been a bit technical for some of you, but I am sure will be of interest to many others. When the satellite changes do happen, we will be issuing a special bulletin on the situation to email subscribers and posting it on our website www.rainbowsats.org. Article sponsored by Rainbow Satellites the company for all your TV needs in the Murcia region. Contact Alan or Matt for free friendly advice at rainbowsats@ gmail.com or 686 358 475.
There are free services which many have used successfully (eg Ex-Pat TV), but I
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Another busy month as always! We received a call about a puppy in the fields near La Aljorra, but it was late evening and a new moon. I went out with my torch, but could not find the poor thing. Another search the following morning again proved negative, but the person who saw him first, found him the following day and brought him to us. What a gorgeous little lad he is, like a miniature German Shepherd. He is such a friendly soul we called him Solo. We only had him 3 days and a wonderful couple fell in love with him. Thank you so much Val and Brian from Camposol B. His new name is now Saxon.
The pigs that were homed last month have settled well and have been joined by Thomas, a Shetland pony that we rescued from the Pererra in Murcia last year and Mr Freckles another one of our animals. We all hope that the extended family have a great future together. Do you remember Heidis story? She was found in Calasparra with Leishmania and was very poorly. Our vet thought that she should be put to sleep, but he found that her internal organs were only mildly affected. She is the first dog in the area to have new treatment called auto vaccine where some of her blood is sent away and a serum made for her. Although not 100% successful, her tablets are now drastically reduced to one a day. She has pulled on a few heart strings and is going to her new home in England. Her new family Caralyn, Gary, Olivia, and Grace came over for a day. Yes a day (!) to meet her and wanted to take her there and then. Sorry guys a couple more weeks then she can fly. It was a pleasure to meet you all and thank you for finding the time and kindness you have shown to all our animals, not just Heidi. Bella, a puppy found in the next village to us, was brought in by our fostering team and
they did such a fantastic job that Bella went to her new home this month, again in the UK. Thank you Vince and Steve A few people are now sponsoring our animals by Direct Debit, so we now have a reliable income that helps pay for feed. Sorry to say though that we could do with a little more! We get very large vet bills and the money generated from our shop sales and other donations help to pay these, but our feed bills are very high. We have 14 equines that we are caring for, so if you could spare a few Euros each month we would be so grateful. Thanks again for ALL your support, Andrea.
Calle Sobrija 2248 Sector D20 Camposol Rev. Maureen Kent Well now we are into February, how are you doing with those New Year resolutions? As bad as that eh? Maybe thats the reason why I never make any! You see, I believe that having a whole year stretching ahead of me with the knowledge that Im expectIn association with Costa Clida International Radio and www.angloINFO.com
ing myself to keep something as unrealistic as a diet or some other impossible aim in mind, seems just too daunting! I really admire those of you who can make a resolution on January 1st and carry it through until December 31st. I would rather take a single day at a time. This way I can make a new goal each morning and stay with it! No, it isnt cheating, just not putting too much pressure upon myself. Some people feel the same about going to Church. They see the commitment of 52 Sundays looming before them and panic! So if you decide to attend a Church service this Sunday, good for you! Go and enjoy the fellowship and worship, then the prospect of doing the same next week will be something to look forward to.
Seeing all those new friends again wont fill you with dread, just anticipation. Go on, try it and see what a difference it could make to your life. A warm welcome awaits you at St. Nicholas. Services for February Sunday2nd Songs of Praise 10.30am Sunday9th Holy Communion 10.30am Sunday 16th Morning Prayer 10.30am Sunday 23rd Holy Communion 10.30am All services take place at the above address and we offer the services of Wedding Blessings, Holy Baptisms, Confirmations and Funerals. We have a Pastoral Service throughout the year, with people to listen, talk and are there to help anyone who is sick or in need. This Pastoral Care is absolutely confidential. For further information, please contact: Rev. Maureen Kent 636 099 579 Rev. Deacon Bill Coyle 634 143 260 Rev. Eberhard Klute (German Branch) 968 138 764
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Jodi Lynn Picoult was born on May 19th 1966 in Nesconset on Long Island, New York. She wrote her first story The Lobster Which Misunderstood at the tender age of 5. Jodi went to Princeton University and graduated in 1987. Her career started by editing text books and teaching English before gaining a Masters Degree from Harvard. She was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for fiction in 2003 and currently has some 14 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Jodi is married and has three children. They live with her husband Timothy in H a n o v e r, New Hampshire. Jodis first novel was Songs of the Humpb a c k W h a l e (1992). It is about a woman who
chooses to leave her emotionally abusive and distant husband behind in favour of driving across the country from San Diego, California to live with her brother in Massachusetts. Her teenage daughter chooses to come with her. Oliver, her husband, chooses to follow them in an attempt to save his family. Nineteen Minutes was published on March 9, 2007 and was Jodis first book to debut at Number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. This book is about a school shooting and focuses on the events leading up to and following the incident. The story begins in the small town of Sterling, New Hampshire, tracking the lives of a number of characters on an ordinary day. The characters include Alex Cormier, a superior court judge; her daughter Josie, a junior in high school; Lacy, Lewis and Peter Houghton; Detective Patrick Ducharme; and several victims-to-be. Detective Patrick Ducharme also featured in Perfect Match (2002). Jodi has stated that she brought Patricks character back for a second novel because she has a crush on him. Lone Wolf (2012) centres around a man returning to his childhood home after a terrible accident. Edward Warren has been living in Thailand for nearly 6 years when he receives a frantic phone call. His
estranged family have been injured in a car accident and Warrens father is comatose and his sister, Cara, is also injured. Cara still holds a grudge against Edward, since his departure led to their parents divorce. In the wreckage of the ruined marriage, shes lived with her father, an animal conservationist, who became famous after living with a wolf pack in the Canadian wild. It is almost impossible for her to reconcile the broken man in the hospital bed with her vibrant, dynamic father. Jodi Picoult has had various novels adapted to film and television including The Pact (2002) (Lifetime Original Movie), Plain Truth (2004) (Lifetime Original Movie), The Tenth Circle (2008) (Lifetime Original Movie), My Sisters Keeper (2009) (Feature film) and Salem Falls (2011) (Lifetime Original Movie)
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There are so many wonderful vegetables available to us in Spain that we thought over the next few months we would write some articles about some of the most popular ones. All of these are readily available on the many local markets as well as in supermarkets. Globe Artichoke alcachofa This popular vegetable is a variety of thistle cultivated as a food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. The budding Artichoke flower-head is a cluster of budding small flowers with bracts on an edible fleshy base known as the heart. The buds bloom into a beautiful purple/blue head similar to a thistle flower, but the structure then changes to a coarse, barely edible form. The plant can grow up to 2mtrs high, with silvery leaves.
year, so mature specimens can be disposed of after a few years, as each individual plant lives only a few years. The peak season for artichoke harvesting is the spring, but they can continue to be harvested throughout the summer, with another peak period in mid autumn. When harvested, Artichokes are cut from the plant, leaving an inch or two of stem. They possess good keeping qualities, frequently remaining quite fresh for two weeks or longer. Globe Artichokes are frequently prepared by removing all but 510mm or so of the stem. To remove thorns, which may interfere with eating, around a quarter of each scale should be cut off. Artichokes can be boiled or steamed and salt may be added to the water. The core of the stem tastes similar to the Artichoke heart and is edible. Covered Artichokes, in particular those that have been cut, can turn brown. Placing them in water slightly acidified with vinegar or lemon juice can prevent this discoloration. Artichoke leaves can be removed one at a time and the fleshy base eaten with hollandaise, vinegar, butter, mayonnaise, alioli, lemon juice, or other sauces. The fibrous upper part of each leaf is usually discarded. The
heart is eaten when the inedible choke has been peeled away from the base and discarded. The thin leaves covering the choke are also edible. The remaining concave-shaped heart can be filled with meat, then fried or baked in a savoury sauce. They can also be stuffed with lamb and other spices or a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, parsley, grated cheese, or sausage. The mixture is pushed into the spaces at the base of each leaf and into the centre before boiling or steaming. In Spain, the more tender, younger and smaller Artichokes are the most popular. They can be sprinkled with olive oil and left in hot ashes in a barbecue, sauted in olive oil and garlic, with rice as a paella, or sauted and combined with eggs in a tortilla. Artichokes can be made into Artichoke tea. The flower portion is put into water and consumed as a tisane. It has a slightly bitter woody taste. Artichoke is also the primary flavour of the 33-proof Italian liqueur Cynar which can be served over ice as an aperitif or as a cocktail with orange juice. The total antioxidant capacity of Artichoke flower heads is one of the highest reported for vegetables. The majority of the cynarine found in Artichoke is located in the pulp of the leaves, though dried leaves and stems of Artichoke also contain it. It inhibits taste receptors, making water and other foods and drinks seem sweet. Artichokes have been known to aid digestion, hepatic and gall bladder function. It can also reduce cholesterol levels which diminishes the risk of arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Artichokes are grown throughout the Mediterranean and are produced from seeds or root cuttings. They need good soil, regular watering and feeding, plus frost protection in winter. Rooted suckers can be planted each
Supersize me was an expression coined by the fast food chain, McDonalds. It remains an unhealthy encouragement to consume more calories in one meal than we need in a week. Supersize along with Big Mat, Big Mac and
Big Stuff might give us an idea that there is size involved. This is probably all we need for everyday descriptions and Big is used a lot in normal life. When it comes to the distances in space or the diameter of planets and so on, we need a completely different set of rules. The speed of light and the light year are better numbers to use. Something can be several Light Years away from something else and miles etc would make no sense. I have heard God described as Big, but is God Big? It seems not, in that the Bible never uses the word Big to describe God. I believe this is simply because Big does not cut-it. Big in the Bible is reserved for Big toe in the majority of uses. The Bible writers use words like Marvellous and Wonderful when referring to God and their experience of Him - this is more like it. As with the measurements in space, when it comes to God we need a new vocabulary because our more common words are simply not enough. The hymn writer wrote How Wonderful, How Marvellous is my Saviours love for me. Perhaps in Heaven we will have the words we need, but in the meantime Marvellous and Wonderful will help. Is this your experience of God? Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvellous deeds. Praise be
to his glorious name for ever; may the earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen. Psalm 72 v 18,19 You can find us every Sunday evening in the Cultural Centre, Camposol B at 5.30pm. Come and join us. We offer something a bit different each week. Sit around and chat over a cup of tea or coffee and learn about God and what He can do for YOU. We also hold monthly social events in Los Almagros. Look out for the posters or go to our website for details http://open-door.wix. com/open-door If you would like to be informed of our events and be added to our mailing, please email opendoorgettogether@gmail.com Find us at Los Almagros, Fuente Alamo, 30320, Murcia. GPS: 37 45 57.77 North. 1 15 56.95 West Ken 646 705 403 Carol 655 141 721
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The Month For Love Well, St Valentines Day is here again and once again I will fall foul of the love brigade. While I am a old romantic at heart, I cant help but feel for those who are put under incredible pressure by loved ones to place a token or price on their love. The pressure is on to find the perfect bunch of red roses, the perfect box of chocolates and even perhaps make the perfect marriage proposal. No pressure then! Shop keepers and florists will obviously take advantage of this special time of year to make up for slow Christmas and/or New Year sales by playing on our heartstrings and I do not begrudge them this opportunity, but I feel sorry for partners and spouses who are put under immense pressure to perform; apologies, I mean to demonstrate their love. My personal view is If you really love someone, why wait for St Valentines Day to show it? A little love a day goes a long way and love should be the gift that keeps on giving. Isnt this the true measure of love? I mean, finding the perfect rose is no guarantee of long lasting love, is it? It just means that you have taken the trouble to find the right gift, but perhaps as I grow older, I should learn that a gift that
brings a smile to the face of your loved one is better than nothing, I suppose. I must learn to grow old gracefully and not be so cynical. Dear Jennifer My best friend confided in me recently that her boyfriend of two years has hinted that he intends to propose to her on St Valentines Day. I know she truly loves him and I want the best for her. Unfortunately, I have a secret: I had a brief fling with her boyfriend two months ago and I cant get him out of my mind. I am torn between telling my friend the truth and keeping my secret from her. She is so in love with her boyfriend and the truth about his behaviour will ruin her life. What do I do? Sabine Dear Sabine Firstly, you need to find out where you stand with said Romeo. Was it really a brief fling or has he got feelings for you? You also need to find out from him if he is remorseful about his behaviour, or is he a cad. If he is the latter, then I think your best friend needs to know the truth about her beau, but if he genuinely loves her and is remorseful, then you need to get him out of your system. There is nothing as painful as unrequited love. Find someone who is prepared to love you in return and not someone who is just out for a good time. You deserve better. Jennifer Dear Jennifer I have been married for 10 years
and everything is perfect in our marriage, apart from one small niggling thing. Each St Valentines Day, my husband will find every excuse not to buy me a gift. He defends his actions claiming that St Valentines Day is just commercial hype and a gesture that makes others richer. He does not take me out to dinner and while I do respect his point of view, it would be nice to know that he still loves me and makes the effort. We always end up having an argument and I am dreading St Valentines Day this year. Maggie Dear Maggie Everyone is entitled to their personal point of view about St Valentines Day. It does not mean that he loves you less. More importantly, does he show you his love in other ways? What about on your wedding anniversaries and birthdays? I believe that actions speak louder than words, or even presents for that matter and as long as you are satisfied that he does love you through his actions, then this is the best demonstration of his love for you. Yes, it would be nice to receive a St Valentines Day gift as a romantic gesture, but dont place undue pressure on him. It is what is in his heart that matters, not a meaningless token (from his point of view). Jennifer If you would like advice and guidance on a problem, please send you questions to jennifer@lifemaxxinternational.com and I will answer them via this page.
Mass according to the Extraordinary form (in Latin) is celebrated every Saturday at the Catholic chapel at Pastrana, approximately 10km from Mazarrn Schedule of Masses (in Latin, with readings and homily in English): Saturday at 4:30pm Schedule of Confession: Saturday from 3:15-4:25pm Also on request Fr. Carlos Prats 628 824 555 Fr. Octavio Carpena 676 219 445 www.pastranaonline.com Saint Peter, Our First Pope Pope John Paul II reminded the Church that Christ, the Eternal Good Shepherd, appointed Peter to be the chief shepherd of His Flock as Pope so that His loving care should be experienced in time and that salvation should reach to the ends of the earth. Simon, son of Jonah, came from Bethsaida on the shores of the Sea of Galilee where he was the head of a family of fishermen. When his brother Andrew became a disciple of Jesus, he introduced Simon to the Lord who immediately re-named him
Cephas (Peter) which means Rock and describes the stability and reliability which serves the Church so well. Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles, has bequeathed to us his divinely inspired profession of faith which is the Rock upon which Christ builds his Church. As a guardian of the keys to Heavens gates, Peter continues to guide us in the challenges of successive ages. He has left the memory of a life characterised by an absolute commitment born of love for Jesus, and as a heroic witness which is an inspiration and reassurance of faith. He was the first to proclaim Christs divinity as the Son of the living God and, with
James and John, witnessed the Transfiguration. The same trio accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He died. In an act of loving reconciliation which obligated the triple denial and the result of human frailty, the Risen Lord made sure that Peter was the first Apostle to whom he appeared, and before He ascended to His Father, He entrusted him with the care of His Flock. Peters leadership and decision making qualities quickly became apparent when he arranged the election of Judas replacement, preached with outstanding courage success after receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
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I was thinking about something I had recently read about and it certainly focused my mind on what my response would be to the news that I had only one more year to live. Please bear with me and dont turn the page until you have read to the end! Having to spend time with folk who have had to live with these devastating words, it made me think seriously about how I would deal with the news and armed with the information, what would I do about it? You still may be thinking - hold on Andrew, this is a bit heavy and downbeat for the start of the year. When the sun comes out again, you will feel better. Certainly the sun on our backs can be invigorating, but would I live my final days any differently from those I have lived for the past sixty two and a half years. Would I change my routine? [Well, sort of routine.] Would I get up earlier in the mornings and go to bed later at night, so my useable days were longer? Would I change the way I conducted my life, treated people, spoke to people, loved people? Would my now limited time to do the things I had in my heart to do change my perspective? Would my focus change? Would the unimportant suddenly become extremely important? I dont know about you, but for me the days, months and years seem to be speeding up as I get older and suddenly it seems that the generation that birthed Acid Rock is now struggling with acid reflux. Where did today go? seems to be the statement I here often and use often. Our lives are speeding by at a seemingly increasing rate of knots. What will we do with the time we have left? In reality we dont have to wait to hear the dreaded words that our time is short, because it is a fact of life that one day we will depart from this earth. Some of us will live long and some of us will live short in comparison, but the important issue is what we do with the time we have.
a lady who experienced first hand, life and death in a Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War. This was followed by her ability to fully forgive her captors and get on with her life. Corrie was right; every one of us gets an 86,400 second deposit of time each and every day. What will we do with our seconds today? I have found and seen such talented people in our community here and even in their retirement years they buzz with excitement as they start using that talent to bless the lives of others. It does not matter how old we are, or how much time we have left. Its really all about living a full and meaningful life. I know folk who struggle with their own health, but still take every opportunity to reach out and serve others in all sorts of ways. That is wonderful and I applaud all of you who selflessly give up your time for others - what a deposit! Some of the last words of the Apostle Paul written in 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, speaks about the life he had lived. Paul knew that he was close to the end of his life and was looking forward to his destination. He had no regrets in life; he had lived his life to the full. So, as we head into this new year of opportunity, can I encourage you to donate some of your precious time and talents into living your life to the full? The Bible talks about where our treasure is. Thats where our heart is, which also means that where our heart is, we will also find our treasure. Is our treasure a desperate attempt to hold onto what we have, or to search for any opportunity to give some of what is precious to us [time], away?
Corrie Ten-Boom said these words, The measure of a life after all, is not its duration but its donation. Amazing words from
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Liberty Seguros - A Hole In One! Liberty Seguros has been elected by AEGG (the Association of Directors and Managers of Clubs and Golf Courses) as the Insurer of preference for golf insurances. The agreement ensuring that all of AEGGs members are entitled to the best benefits when contracting a Liberty Seguros Golf Insurance was signed by Manuel Lozano Pose, Manager of AEGG, and Francisco Javier Muoz Postigo, Commercial Director for Liberty Seguros in Malaga. AEGG is a non-profit making organisation that looks to boost, develop and present the role of Golf Club Director/Management, making it the ideal organization for Liberty Seguros to team up with in order to be able to grow in the field of specialist golf insurance. As Manuel Lozano Pose, Manager of AEGG mentioned, This agreement is very benefi-
cial to the organization: to be able to count on a partner such as Liberty Seguros is a breakthrough as they will be able to offer us comprehensive cover that can be adapted to our specific needs.
a result of intimidation or violence whilst being transported by the insured, whilst stored with the caddy-master, or at the pro-shop. Perhaps even more importantly, it provides Personal Accident Cover for death, permanent disability and medical expenses resulting from accidental injury occurring at the Golf Course. Third Party Liability is included up to 100,000 which also covers accidents whilst playing abroad, provided that liability would have applied to the insured had the same accident occurred in Spain. Ask your Liberty Seguros broker about these competitively priced Golf Policies and ensure you tee off with absolute peace of mind, whilst at any officially recognised club ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! Go to www.libertyexpatriates.es to find the nearest broker that speaks your language!
The policy covers breakage and/or damage to equipment and clubs during the course of play, as well as cover against fire and theft as
The Journey They stalk their prey with the stealth and precision of a soldier on maneuvers, often visiting many locations in their search because for them this is a campaign they must win. They are unyielding in this quest, sometimes returning to a location hours later in case there are trophies missed still waiting to be seized. Sometimes they are disappointed when their prey is taken by other predators, or the prey is too
large or too small. However, their determination to succeed drives them forward to continue the search and to this end they are unequalled in their tenacity and it knows no bounds for they will not be beaten.
Their mates however have long given up the hunt and moved to a nearby watering hole with others of the same species and, as he waits with patience, he finally sees his mate in the distance, laden down with her trophies. He groans, takes another drink and prepares to listen to the joys, disappointments and costs of his wifes Journey to The Winter Sales!!!
Because of the success we experienced on our last meeting, there were several new collectors, so this may be a future Never ending story. There was even mail from collectors who dont live in the Mazarrn area but are interested in joining our club. I would like to mention that we come together every first Tuesday of the month
at 6pm at the Biblioteca in Puerto de Mazarrn. It is good to know that at this time of the day there is plenty of parking space available. We meet until they tell us that the Biblioteca is closing (normally about 7.30pm), often without having noticed that the time has passed so quickly. We do not sell/buy during our meetings; we just exchange, show and talk about
our collections, look into our catalogues, help each other when in doubt and have a really good time. Think how long your stamps have been stored somewhere. Maybe now is the time to look at them again and enjoy finding new ones at our meetings. Guenther Ohly guentherohly@web.de
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Chinese New Year 2014 - The Year of the Horse Chinese New Year starts on the last day of January and will continue for 15 days. Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals arrived and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animals year would have some of that animals personality. Those born in the Year of the Horse are cheerful, skilful with money, perceptive, witty, talented and good with their hands. They are also energetic, independent, impatient, and enjoy travelling. Famous people born in the Year of the Horse include Rembrandt, Chopin and President Roosevelt.
Horoscopes were developed around animal signs to predict personality traits and destiny. Each animal is known to have certain characteristics that a person born under the sign would demonstrate. The year a person is born determines their animal sign. Animal signs are also assigned by month and hours of the day, which are also broken up into increments of 12. It is important to remember when determining the hour in which you were born, that hours are not based on local time, but in relation to the Suns location, according to the Chinese Zodiac. Animal Personality Traits Rat: quick-witted, smart, charming and persuasive Ox: patient, kind, stubborn and conservative Tiger: authoritative, emotional, courageous and intense Rabbit: popular, compassionate and sincere Dragon: energetic, fearless, warmhearted and charismatic Snake: charming, gregarious, introverted, generous and smart Horse: energetic, independent, impatient and enjoy travelling Sheep: mild-mannered, shy, kind and peace-loving Monkey: fun, energetic and active Rooster: independent, practical, hardworking and observant Dog: patient, diligent, generous, faithful and kind Pig: loving, tolerant, honest and appreciative of luxury The Five Elements and Yin and Yang Much of Chinese philosophy is built around five elements and the belief that they interact with natural phenomena. The five elements, metal, water, wood, fire, and earth, have existed in Chinese culture for thousands of years and affect the Chinese Zodiac. Each element has
different traits. Characteristics of the five elements are assigned to the 12 animal signs, creating 60 possible characteristic combinations. The concept of Yin and Yang also affects the Chinese Zodiac by assigning opposing forces to each animal sign - odd years are Yin years and even years are Yang years. Yin is perceived as earth, female, dark, and passive. Yang is perceived as male, heaven, light, and active. Chinese New Year Red clothes and anything decorative are symbolic of the Chinese New Year. Children are given lucky money in red envelopes and poems are written on red paper. The colour red symbolises fire, which according to Chinese folklore drives away bad luck and the crackling flames are supposed to frighten away evil spirits. Fireworks are prevalent during the Chinese New Year celebrations with sparkles, banging and crackling filling the atmosphere and this is a time of family reunion with members gathering for visits and banquets. The Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the Dragon Dance. The dragon, which might stretch a hundred feet long, is typically made of silk, paper and bamboo and is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colourful beast through the streets. There may also be marching bands and superb flamboyant floats through the streets making it quite a spectacle.
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In December the members of WARM enjoyed three interesting walks. The first was led by Martin and it was a walk that was quite different from all our previous routes for several reasons. Firstly, it was in an area of Murcia (near to Alicante province) that we hadnt previously visited. Secondly, we walked in wellies up and down the bed of a river with running water; El Ro Chcamo. Finally, it was flat without the need to climb any hill or mountain. It wasnt a very long walk, about 9-10 km, a comfortable stroll, but in an impressive and surprising landscape. The Ro Chcamo has running water throughout the year in the area that we walked (north of Abanilla and towards El Planeron) and the surrounding landscape is semi-desert. The early part of the route took us along a reasonably wide river bed with date palms dotted about and surrounded by heavily eroded and high cliffs. We saw several old cave houses as we walked, some obviously abandoned and others renovated. The final part of the route was the most spectacular. We had to walk in the water as we entered the very narrow gorge with towering cliffs on both sides and in various places our path took us below overhangs that appeared to be defying
gravity. The vegetation along this gorge was very lush and it was like reaching an oasis after spending the first part in a semidesert. The area is well known for its geology and fauna. It is also home to a rare indigenous species of small fish The Fartet and a rare finch normally found in the desert areas of North Africa. After the walk we enjoyed a very good Indian menu at the Bombay restaurant at Las Kalendas near Baos de Fortuna. failed in the multi-task of walking and talking whilst also watching! Fortunately, they did manage to return to the flock further along the walk where the road turned back to the beach, so no harm done. After a walk (with stop) of over 3.5 hours, the group then repaired to a local Argentinian Steak House for a very pleasant lunch of meat, followed by meat, followed by meat.sincere apologies to Bridget, the sole vegetarian amongst us!! Fortunately the restaurant was very accommodating, happily coming up with a huge plate of pasta, fish and vegetables. The final walk of the month was on 30th December when a small group of WARM walkers undertook a challenging walk near El Sabinar. We started the walk by going upwards for some distance to reach the top of Majal Alto in the Sierra Zacatn. After a rest to enjoy the impressive views, including a view of the snow covered La Sagra, we walk downwards across country until eventually reaching the village of El Sabinar, where a welcome cup of coffee was enjoyed. If you would like to join us on one of our interesting and enjoyable walks please contact warm2005@gmail.com for further information.
The second walk was our Christmas walk and was led by Steve and Sandra on the coast. 12 WARMers (plus Pedro the schnauzer) commenced at La Zenia beach and headed south for Campoamor. It was mostly a gentle walk along the beach-side promenade, although a few slightly more adventurous souls took in a bit of rock-scrambling at the base of the cliffs before arriving at La Glea Beach where a stop at a local chirinquito provided a welcome cup of coffee (naturally, a few insisted on embracing a little of the Christmas spirit and opted for something a little stronger!). The return trip proved a little too much for 4 of the group who managed to get lost when we had to take to the suburban streets along a short stretch where the beach promenade was interrupted. It wasnt only men who
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Northwest Murcia encapsulates everything that is desirable about Spain, with imposing mountain scenery, lush green landscapes, diverse cultures and charming hill top towns. In addition, the warm and welcoming community and easy access to the Costas and international airports, makes this beautiful region of Spain essential for you to visit or to make your permanent home.
life and those who want to lose themselves in wonderful surroundings or visit any of the stunning archaeological sites. The beautiful region of Northwest Murcia lends itself perfectly to permanent living and for a wonderful relaxing holiday. There are plenty of opportunities to visit the superb artisan markets where you can purchase local cheeses, wines, breads and preserves. Those seeking more adventure can paddle down river by canoe, go climbing, cycling, potholing, hiking and horse riding. During the evening you can relax in the delights of the region preparing a delicious barbecue using the Moorish ovens often found in the summer kitchens of country properties of the area. The cost of properties and cost of living are greatly reduced in this area of Spain and you can purchase a stunning home standing on a good sized plot with a pool from around 130,000. Lynda Day Northwest Murcia Properties Tel 634 340 131 www.northwestmurciaproperties.com sales@northwestmurciaproperties.com Cehegn Scene El Mesoncico at Plaza del Castillo in the old town of Cehegn. This month, on Sunday 23rd of February, we are celebrating the Carnaval. You will be able to taste fried cake with chocolate (tortas de Carnaval). Furthermore, you will listen to the music of a (chirigota), a group dressed in Carnaval costumes performing funny songs in the best carnaval atmosphere. Free parking is available at the Marble Technology Centre situated in Carretera Murcia and a free bus service runs to the market place every20 minutes.
will be 32 bars and restaurants participating by providing a tapa and a drink for only 2. As last year we are also celebrating the Cocktail Collection with 6 pubs and cafs offering for 2 some elaborate and interesting combinations for you to try. Free Nature Walks Cehegn provides a variety of landscapes which include woods, mountains, hills, sloping valleys, scrubland and streams. These natural habitats host flora and fauna of special interest which provide a priceless tourist and educational resource. The walks take place on the last Saturday of each month. They are designed for people of all ages who enjoy hiking at fairly easy levels which makes them accessible for the whole family. The tourist walks are free and start at 9am and are between 4km and 9km and take 2 to 3 hours. Please contact us regarding the nature walk in February. Any further enquiries please contact the New Cehegin Tourist Office located in front of the Town Hall or call 968 723 550 Visit our tourist website www.turismocehegin.es Santiago Leo Cehegn Tourist Office Musical Instrument Exhibition This exhibition is being held in the Musical Museum in Barranda just outside Caravaca and is on until the end of March. It is open Mon-Fri from 5.30pm-8.30pm. Apart from the African and American musical instruments to see, there are also related videos to watch. Musician Carlos Blanco Fadol is the man responsible for this superb exhibition and he has built up this fantastic collection over the years. Normal opening hours for the museum are: Until end of June Tue-Sun 10am-2pm (Sat also 4pm-7pm) 1st Jul-15th Sept the Sat evening opening is extended to 8pm Entry 3 (reduced 2) Tel 968 738 491 for group booking For more information call Caravaca Tourist Office on 968 702 424 If you have been meaning to keep to your New Years Resolution about going to the dentist, maybe now is the time. Juan Carlos Gomez Triguero Dentist in Caravaca is a fully qualified doctor as well as a dentist, so he has a wealth of knowledge and experience to deal with all areas of dentistry. He also speaks perfect English so there is no problem with being understood. He has all the most up-to-date equipment and can carry out any treatment from fillings to implants. Give Juan Carlos a call on 968 707 428 today! Call into Cafeteria Plaza in Caravaca when visiting this beautiful historic town. If it is a light snack and drink that you want, this quaint caf in the centre of town is the ideal place. You can either sit outside on the covered area, or inside in the clean, comfortable caf and be served by the extremely pleasant staff. Monday is market day in this buzzy typically Spanish town, so after spending a few hours shopping, Cafeteria Plaza is just the place to go.
Unlike coastal areas, living and integrating into Northwest Murcian life allows you to enjoy the wonderful thriving towns with their extensive history and no seasonal peaks. You will never struggle to find your way around this area, as the warm and welcoming Spanish locals and a small supportive ex-pat community are always happy to help!
The previously mentioned beautiful green landscapes with a sunny, healthy climate and diverse community, promotes personal wellbeing and the perfect lifestyle. The Northwest Murcia region is ideal if you are seeking easy integration into Spanish life, with the option to enjoy nature at its best, community activities andgood food, or to just simply relax. The mountains are full of wild game, most country homes have an abundance of fruit and olive trees and the whole area is steeped with historic buildings including castles, holy sanctuaries and convents. The beautiful towns of Cehegn, Caravaca, Moratalla, Mula, Bullas and Calasparra welcome visitors in search of true Spanish
The Archaeological Site of Begastri is opened for visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 2pm. You can see a video presentation followed by a guided tour to seetheremains of the Iberian culture before the IV century BC. On 15th February you can admire the history of the Old Quarter of Cehegn, visiting the Archaeological Museum, the Main Street, the Church of La Concepcin and the Casa Jaspe. Following the tour of the town there will be a visit to the school of wine in the Palacio de la Tercia where you will learn about wine. The tour will last approximately 2 hours and comfortable footwear is advised. The 6th Tapas Tour in Cehegn, organised by the Asociacion de Hosteleros and the Tourism Council, which started on 26th January will take place until 23rd February, on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There
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The volunteers of MARA run a charity shop in Mula to help to raise the much needed funds for the animals in our care. To keep our charity running we desperately need items to sell. If you have anything at all that you no longer need and you would like to donate them to our cause, please call Keith on the number below to arrange for us to either meet you or collect them from you. Items such as clothing, kitchenware, bric-a-brac, curtains, bedding and small items of furniture, please just let us know. Freddy is a German Shepherd cross who is 16 months old. Freddy has been in the shelter now for 9 months and is desperate for his forever home. He is a playful chap who is very good with his
shelter buddies and handlers. Freddy has been castrated and is ready to go. If you would like to know more about Freddy please call Keith on 628 811 188.
We recently had our movie night which showed us the absolute awesomeness of God and His creation. Louie Giglio brought us right up to date with just how vast our universe is by means of the Hubble telescope and also just how small earth is by comparison, which makes us as human beings very minute and yet we have been fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) Recently in one of our discussion groups, Debra brought up that she hadnt realised that names given to stars like Pleiades were actually named in scripture, which also made me think. The wonderful thing about it is that the more that is being discovered with todays technology the more you can read about it in the Bible, written about 3500 years ago over a period of 1500 years. God asks Job if he can bind the beautiful Pleiades or loosen Orions belt (Job 38:31). Its not the astrologers of
today that have given these stars their names but the Almighty God. The Old Testament is full of prophesies. I remember as a young person being very confused because the story of the birth of Jesus was in Isaiah, in the Old Testament. To me it should only have been in the New Testament. Of course I now realise that it was a prophecy that was in Isaiah. In my mind all this just gives more and more credence to the authenticity of the Bible. It has 66 books and 44 different authors, each one inspired by God in their writing. They came from all walks of life and most of them didnt know each other personally and yet theirs was the same theme. Read it for yourself and discover what that is. John 3:16 would make a good starting point. Lynda.spain@hotmail.co.uk Derek.tycymru@talktalk.co.uk Tel 633 447 937
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Molinicos-Bolvonegro This was the last trip of 2013 and we chose one of the most beautiful and amazing places in Moratallla, El Estrecho de Bolvonegro . We arrived at the Casa Rosauro on a sparkling winters morning, with clean air, the light whiter than normal and everything bathed in a silver tint. It was only 3 when we started our trip. We crossed the River Alhrabe by a small grove of Molino de la Traviesa where the leaves of the deciduous trees covered ground. We continued to the Benamor River, where some of the organisms living in sea about 16 million years ago had left their mark in stone and sedimentation. We resumed our walk and we remembered the life forms developed here, unable to keep the excitement of seeing live the remains of ancient dwellings. There are almost 3000 years of human settlement in this place. We took pictures of everything and walked the perimeter of the hill, enjoying the scenery
around us. As usual in this type of hill, the elevation is greater than that seen with the naked eye, which allowed us to take some beautiful photographs. The day was gorgeous and the sun warmed us and the lack of wind allowed us to enjoy very pleasant temperatures for the time of year. We kept going, crossing again the Alhrabe by the metal walkway to a doorway formed from oleanders. We were introduced to La Dimension Bolvonegro as we return to take a leap of millions of years and moved back to the sea Miocene. We are now about 20 million years away with mud volcanoes caused by seismic movements of the time, warped by the stratification of huge storms. We chose one of these fossils rock and sat for a snack and enjoy the incomparable typical marzipan from Moratalla.
Once recharged, we continued along the path winding alongside the Alhrabe to the point where it joins the Benamor. From here, we walked along the right bank of the river Moratalla with the spectacular rocky strait that gives us such a beautiful and breathtaking landscape. Birds flying in front of us give a thousand photographic scenes. Wildlife trails appear from foxes, badgers, with traces of a squirrel and a nest of an abandoned zarcero. We see a lot of whale rib which was trapped for millions of years in rocks that were once seabed. It is a magical place with the feeling of watching part of the skeleton of a giant ocean planet.
We see how the River Moratalla is now hidden by the lush vegetation. This is the point of our return as we again opened another chapter in Tasting Moratalla. We return to the story of the production of olive oil, intrinsically linked to our culture. Isabel Andreu and her brother Juan Manuel wait for us at the mill to show first hand the artisanal process of olive oil production. Juan Manuel tells and explains the entire process with knowledge transmitted from father to son for 4 generations. Isabel is part of the Tasting Panel for olive oil in the Region of Murcia and holds a second national award. With patience, she reveals the nuances of different oils, which are a wonderful treat for the senses. What better way to work up an appetite to enjoy the delicacies of our lands in the best possible company. We give thanks to Isabel and Juan Manuel Andreu and the Commander of the mill, for transmitting his passion to us. Piedad, Rosa, Jess y Cristina Walks for February: 9th - Otos - Castillo de Pliego 23rd - Rincn del Agua - Pozo de la Nieve Information and Reservations, please call the Tourist Office on 968 730 208 or email turismo@ayuntamientomoratalla.net All walks cost 10 with optional meal for 15. Places are limited to 30
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Tyson Tyson is a boxer cross. He is just under a year old and is perfect in every way, but he is not a guard dog. He will stay outside during the day, but loves cuddles at night. Tyson has been neutered and gets on well with other dogs. Call 646 406 208
Gracie This little girl was found running along the road in the dark just outside Bullas. She was filthy dirty and extremely thin and de-
hydrated. She just missed getting squashed by a huge lorry. She is about a year old and is only 25cm high so will be ideal for someone with a small house or apartment. Gracie is being fostered with a family with lots of other dogs and cats, so has got used to being with other animals, although she would be fine on her own. She will be spayed, chipped and have her Rabies vaccination and has been tested negative for Leishmania. Call 620 582 654
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Final Show For Lion Country Club Well folks the end of an era finally reached us at Lion Country Club on 20th Dec. Kris Kelly put on a fabulous set keeping the audience on their toes throughout the evening. With a Christmas drink and mince pies all round, plus a great Christmas Raffle, it brought a very fitting end to one of the foremost Country Clubs in the Costa Clida Region. We have been running for over 6 years and have with the help of the audiences contributed 3,000 to the CAF fund and when all is complete, over 1000 to
FAST. As most of you know, we were a non-profit-making organisation and until recently had been headed by Mervyn Booth associated with The Lions Of Mazarrn. It is with regret that due to illness Mervyn returned to UK to live and the temporary Management did not want to take on the responsibility of running the club anymore. After all it was Mervyns club, so the decision was taken to finish what he had put in place and to close the doors on 20th Dec for the
last time. When the books are closed and audited we will announce the final amount we will donate to FAST the first aid response team at Camposol. It just remains for present and past managers of the club to say a huge thank you for everyone that contributed to the success of the club, both artistes and the public and of course to Cheryl and Antonio our hosts at La Molata Social Club.
ACTIN are fighting for justice of the atrocious treatment, neglect and conduct that is taking place in a local pound. Dogs are being collected in this inadequate unit that consists of a number of open kennels. The place is unstaffed and closed to the public. A worker visits once a day to hose the kennels down, with the dogs still inside. Small puppies without their mothers are left soaking wet, sick dogs are left untreated and without consideration of extreme suffering, (witnessed by our team), a bare minimum of food is given and the worker does not attend weekends or holi-
days. The dogs do not receive medical care when sick and the pound is rife with parvo virus. It is forbidden to take photos and so the dogs have no chance of adoption. The company has a contract to collect stray dogs in conjunction with more than 8 Town Halls including Mazarrn and as far as Caravaca de la Cruz. Anyone losing a dog that is not micro chipped, unless they know about this kennel, does not have a hope of finding their dog. Many unwanted dogs are handed in, or peoples pets can be picked up from the street. Unfortunately these are unlikely to ever see their owners again.
Once ACTIN realised some of the atrocities taking place here, they wanted to adopt some of the dogs, but more irregularities were revealed about the way the pound is run during this operation. 31 dogs have been saved, but many have died of parvo virus. ACTIN has to pay for hospitalisation and treatment of these dogs, some of which had been there many weeks without being checked by the pound vet. The pound is obliged to give these dogs a chance and they eventually sent photos as requested by ACTIN and because of this we were able to re-unite one dog with its owner. By the time you read this we hope we will have moved further forward and will also have released more dogs from this hellhole.
If you want to help ACTIN with the rescue of these dogs and the ongoing legal battle, you can donate at Happy Pets on Camposol B, or to ACTINs PayPal account admin@ actin-spain.com. Our website has many stories relating to the pound on www.actin-spain.com and you can also join as a member. Facebook page adoptaspanishrescuedog, shows all of ACTINs dogs rescued from the pound and the ones that are now healthy, waiting for adoptions.
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Hi again, its Connor with more exciting news of the Christmas festivities and events. I dont know about you, but I had a fantastic Christmas and New Year and besides doing the usual; eating too much, drinking too much, being lazy and moaning about Brussel sprouts, I enjoyed the company of my two older brothers Matthew and Ben during the Christmas period.
years. I think if you asked any member of my family they would say the same thing. We were at The Spaniard Inn and La Vida as well as various places on Camposol, including the Cultural Centre. These were followed by an Open Door Christmas Dinner for forty friends in our house, with a special visit by Santa. The evening was certainly enjoyed by everyone who came.
all the same, it was still as exciting as always. Arthur and Marge arrived at our house at half past nine as they always do and we ate Christmas cake and cheese [because for some strange reason cheese apparently goes well with Christmas cake!] and drank champagne. Hundreds of presents were exchanged including a chocolate shifter, a pint coffee mug and a calendar of Nicole Scherzinger. At nearly half twelve Arthur and Marge said their goodbyes and went on their way and by 2pm we had sat down to eat our usual roast turkey with all the trimmings. Cringe-worthy jokes were read out at random and everybody was wearing colourful Christmas paper hats, smiling and enjoying themselves. The dishes were always in the back of my mind as we didnt have a dish washer, but it was all worth it. That afternoon we all sat down and relaxed and ate chocolate and cake and drank coffee and more champagne. By the evening we were all settled and ready to sit and enjoy a nice extra long Christmas special of Downtown Abbey which was good. This was the first year that we didnt have Ben to pipe in the New Year, but it was a good one anyway. I hope that you all had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year and I will see you all next time.
Before Christmas Day we had already sung at six Carol services with Ben playing his bagpipes at most of them and by the end of it I thought we had done enough Christmas Carol services to last me at least the next two
Then it was Christmas Day and unlike previous Christmas Days, this year there was no screaming ITS CHRISTMAS at six in the morning and no sneaking around on Christmas Eve to move pool tables around, but
NEST - Non-Sporty Easy Social Walks. Friday 21 February - Almond Blossom easy fundraising walk for Barneys Dog Rescue. Meet 10.30am El Berro car park near Alhama de Murcia. Come and join us for a beautiful outing looking at exquisite almond blossom around El Berro! Walking in a leisurely way through almond groves, in our usual non-sporty, social manner, well see the almond blossom in all shades of white, cream, and pink! Additionally its a fundraiser for Barneys Dog Rescue so youll be doing so much good by coming! Helping pay vets bills for Barneys rescue
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dogs, your presence will be so welcome for helping traumatised, sick, dogs and pups! Dogs are welcome on leads! Just wear sensible footwear to walk along the rubbly dirt tracks with some slopes and bring water to sip. Its an easy 2.5hr walk and we never rush - all NEST Walks are easy short ones. We admire views, chat and wait for slower people. The focus is the social side, meeting new people and making friends were not sporty walkers! Afterwards well drive to a beautiful restaurant in Sierra Espua (optional) where we can sometimes see wild boar. The walk itself is 5 and the meal is optional at 9, although most people couldnt be dragged away by then!
Please book in advance (full names and a Spanish contact tel no) and await confirmation to know youre booked in. Places are limited, so book early to get a place. Tel or text message to 679 002 147 Email natureespunatrails@gmail.com To see whats happening or get driving directions, go to www.nestwalks.info You can also choose and book your own walk for any date to suit your group; just ask. Looking forward to seeing you!
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Although it lacks the historical riches of towns such as Cartagena or Lorca, guilas can boast remains from the Stone Age onwards, as a quick visit to the towns Archaeological Museum will reveal. More recently, there is a rich heritage associated with the railway and the export of minerals, especially in the late 19th Century, which has a very strong British link. There is, however, one building in guilas which you cannot possibly miss The Castle of San Juan de las guilas, which dominates both the sea and the town at its foot. If you only have limited time in guilas, you should certainly try to visit it, although it will require a steep walk to it unless you take the chance of driving up the approach road (if open) hoping that there will be parking space in the restricted area by the castle.
town of guilas and the following room deals with the foundation of modern guilas. The final rooms on this ground floor (9 and 10) are subterranean in that you have to descend a few steps to them. These are rooms which served as prisons, either for soldiers (often for returning drunk!) or civilians. With this, your tour of the ground floor of the main fortress is completed, although you will also note the well in the middle of the open, central area. This was an essential feature for the castle and was organized so that rainwater was channelled into it from various parts of the building. It was the only supply of water for the castle when besieged, but despite this, it appears that neglect meant that the water in it was quite frequently undrinkable. From the ground floor, a new spiral staircase will take you up to the terrace and down to the castle basement. The terrace housed the castles main armaments, with cannons covering the interior and coast. The two rooms here were originally for surveillance and for the guard. There is a large display in one room emphasizing the troubles of the Mediterranean Sea from the end of the 15th Century as a result of the Ottoman Empires attacks on maritime traffic in the west, plus the Berber pirates. The other terrace room deals more generally with the resultant defensive structures which were created in the region of Murcia. After looking in these two rooms, you can walk around this upper, open level of the castle and past the various guns.
fles, blunderbusses, bayonets etc. In 1761, it is said that the garrison consisted of a Governor, an officer, two sergeants and 36 soldiers. The actual fort itself is only part of the whole castle complex which, in addition, has another two major components to be viewed. To the east of the fort is the San Pedro Cannon Battery designed to have nine guns with which to defend the Bahia de Levante and the harbour entrance. Linking this battery with the main fort is a passage with two strongpoints (San Jos and San Felipe) which also had cannons. Reconstruction has also restored the building which housed the powder room, the gun storage room and the Governors house. If the castle had a relatively calm existence throughout most of its life, there were the occasional flutters of activity. Very soon after the castle had been completed, there was one occasion on which several French ships were being pursued by British naval vessels and all but one took refuge in Cartagena. The remaining French ship carried on to guilas and with defending fire from the castle, found safe haven from its pursuers. Some years later, in 1808, fire from the castle was instrumental in dissuading a British ship from trying to capture several merchant ships in guilas harbour. The castle played little part in the Spanish War of Independence against France at the start of the 19th Century. In the period of internal instability in Spain in the 1820s the castle found itself in the hands of different factions at various times, but with no action taking place. In the Spanish Civil War, it served as a look-out post and the forts basement as a refuge, before, in 1956, it was finally passed from military control to the town council of guilas.
There was a defensive tower on this hill in Arab times in the 12th Century. In 1579, a new defensive tower was built and saw considerable action against Berber pirates. As this threat diminished, there were problems with another traditional enemy: the British! Several skirmishes with British naval ships are recorded. In 1751, an attack by a British squadron appears to have caused the collapse of two sections of the towers walls, causing plans for a new castle to be drawn up. It took until 1757 to complete the building of the present castle.
At the top of the slope above the exit from the lift in its prominent glass tower, you pay your entry fee (retired persons are free!) and obtain a descriptive leaflet (there is an English version) of the castle, which has been extensively restored in recent years, finished in 2007 after many years of neglect. Even in the 1960s, expansion of the port of guilas saw rock extracted which destroyed part of the old rear wall protecting the fort in the south. Inside the main fort, the first room on the ground floor has a model of the coast of guilas with displays to show the local geography. A second room deals with the areas geology. Room 3 passes on to species of plants and animals to be found in the interior. The following room is similar, but deals with the shoreline. The fifth room passes on to guilas before the castle was built, briefly reviewing the history of the area from Stone Age (Palaeolithic) times. Room 6 is a reconstruction of the kitchen which would have been used by the soldiers of the castle. Apparently, the normal diet of the soldiers was limited; mainly bread, stews and rice with fish. Meat was infrequent; only served on special days when there might be wine also. You then pass on to the construction of the fortress itself and the creation of the modern town of guilas. Room 7 has an interesting video about the building of the castle and the
Having descended all the way down the spiral staircase to the cellar, you will find a veritable complex of rooms. One is dedicated to the modern development of guilas, including the coming of the railways and industrialization, when it was progressively converted into an important commercial centre exporting minerals and products to many countries. A second room in the cellar is divided into several sections, dealing with the daily life of the soldiers who inhabited the castle. There are examples of the soldiers weapons; pistols, ri-
We hope that you agree that the castle is an impressive structure and one which is well worth visiting. In early 2013, the castle was closed to visitors on Mondays, but open other days between 11.30am and 1.30pm, and between 4pm and 6pm, although closing an hour later at the weekends in the morning session. Article by Clive and Rosie Palmer who have written several guide books on towns and regions in Murcia. These can be seen at, and obtained from, www.lulu.com, or contact clive.palmer5@btinternet.com. Clive and Rosies most recent book, Exploring Murcia, Days Out is available to buy from the CHM/Costa Clida Chronicle office on Camposol B, Best Wishes (who also stock other of their books), or phone Patti on 968 433 978.
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Enjoy a healthier, more youthful appearance with the ultimate in skin care technology. In January 2012, The Fuschia Beauty Clinic on Camposol C launched their latest anti-ageing treatment: The Bio Therapeutic Age Defying Facial. This is the ultimate in non-invasive face lifts! Tone and elasticity are dramatically improved. It reduces the signs of ageing and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
This extraordinary facial, uses micro current technology by the world leaders, who have over 30 years experience in this field. Bio Therapeutic are the only company with dual channel probes, which means a shorter treatment time and quicker results. The Fuschia Beauty Clinic are the only salon in the area with the latest machine. People will stare, make it worth their while Harry Winston For further information call Vivienne on 630 439 480
Dear Editor May I through your magazine publicly thank MABS Mazarrn for the fantastic work they do within our community. Last year, routine blood tests showed I had an aggressive and inoperable form of Prostate Cancer. My wife and I were stunned as the consultant delivered his findings. Surely he cant be talking about me! I couldnt have cancer. I feel fine! I always thought that cancer happened to someone else; not me. Unless you have been in that position, you cannot imagine the devastation and isolation you feel when you are given this bombshell news. Your world is turned upside down and sheer horror and disbelief overwhelms you. Panic and fear consumes you. You need help; you need support; you need information - but where do you go? When we had composed ourselves a few days later, we contacted MABS Mazarrn, based on Camposol, who help people of any nationality from all over the area. From the very beginning we were put at ease; they were amazing. Obviously the diagnosis didnt change, but they were able to talk us through the treatments I could be offered; the possible side effects I may encounter; show me how to look after myself during the treatment and much, much more. They gave us books and information leaflets to read at home to help us understand the cancer and treatments programmes better. They arranged and provided transport to get me to my treatments on 30 consecutive sessions and translators to come with me to follow-up appointments to make sure the doctors instructions/diagnosis were fully understood. They have counsellors and trained nurses to talk to in confidence, to help manage my and my familys concerns. They have a store of medical equipment like hospital beds, wheelchairs, walking frames and personal aids, all offered free to people there are supporting. Luckily I didnt need these. MABS Mazarrn is a registered charity run totally by volunteers and even though they are a registered charity they dont get any money from the Government or Council. All their money comes from fundraising events, donations and sales from their charity shop in Totana. I find this extraordinary as the sheer cost of the services they provide must be unbelievably high and no matter what
your nationality they are there to help. I am doing well now and I genuinely feel that without the help of MABS Mazarrn, my illness would have been a lot harder to handle. Thank you to MABS, from drivers, coordinators and the people who handle all the day to day running of the organization. Paul Camposol Resident and new MABS member PS If you want to support a charity then choose MABS Mazarrn 1 in 3 of us will be affected by cancer at some time in our lives. Dear Editor I thought this information might be of use to your readers. LD Lines - Santander To Poole and Return Ship - Norman Asturias- Price - 468.18 Brittany Ferries - 684.04 Inside cabin outbound - outside cabin inbound. Brittany Ferries this is not. This is not a minicruise ship with entertainment. This ship is leased to LD Lines by Stena Ro Ro. We are led to believe until LD Lines have evaluated the route; if profitable, they will buy a new ship. The crew operating the ship are Stena Ro Ro line staff from the captain down to the deckhands. They are Portuguese employed by LD Lines and were extremely helpful, cheerful a pleasant surprise after some of the French crews on Brittany Ferries who I have found to be quite arrogant and indifferent at times. There is no doubt that this ship is primarily a freight carrier and was built to be geared to the international truck driver. There is one bar and one restaurant and prices are cheaper than Brittany Ferries. Choice and food quality is good and comparable in quality to Brittany Ferries self-service cafeteria. Two full English breakfasts were only 11.30 and included hash browns, beans, bacon, fried bread, eggs, sausages, black pudding, mushrooms and toast or a roll - definitely a truckers breakfast! There are other lighter choices available, but as the wife wasnt with me watching I had the full monty. Lunch and evening meals were also very good value at
16.50 for a 3 course dinner of your choice. You are not restricted to buying a 3 course meal; you can just have a starter and sweet. Cabins are very similar to Brittany Ferries, but you get a proper old fashioned door key, not a cardboard bar-coded entry card that we have found to be unreliable at times on Brittany Ferries. Cabin storage space is more generous as well. There is a cinema with reclining seats showing films 24 hours a day. At reception they give you a menu to choose from and then put it on for you. You may need to take a book/magazines, as only day old newspapers on board. For a no-frills crossing at a saving of 215.86 compared to Brittany Ferries (others trips will vary slightly), cheaper food, pleasant, helpful and cheerful staff, its worth a try. Bob Owen Dear Editor Please can you repeat my letter from last month as the time was wrong and there was no venue mentioned. I am a student at the Official School of Languages in Mazarrn. We have started a Language Exchange where we will meet with English people and help them to improve their Spanish and we would like to practice our English with them. The classes will be held every Tuesday from 6pm until 8pm in the primary school Miguel Delibes opposite Mercadona and next to Lidl. The meetings will be on the second floor on the right hand side of the stairs.The classes are FREE and everyone is welcome, whatever level of Spanish they have. Even people with no Spanish at all can come as all information will be given in English as well as Spanish. Please spread the news about this exciting new initiative and help the English and Spanish communities to help each other. Should you require further information please dont hesitate to contact me. Kind regards Choneta Galindo chonetag@gmail.com
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Investing In Property In Spain? Things You Should Know When Buying Property in Spain There are no restrictions for foreign investors to buy property in Spain. However, you will need to obtain an NIE (National Identity Number (see paragraph 3) and open a Spanish bank account (see paragraph 8). EU citizens have the right to move to any EU country to live and work. They have to apply for a Residencia if they intend to live in Spain for more than 6 months. However, getting a Residencia for a non-EU citizen who decides to stay in the country on a permanent basis can be difficult. On 27th September 2013 the Spanish Governmentapproved a package of measures to encourage non-EU foreign investors to buy property in Spain. Non-European citizens can now get residency straightaway if they invest at least 500,000 in a property. Now that property prices are at rock bottom prices, it is an opportunity that cannot be missed if you wish to live in Spain and can afford to buy a luxury property in Spain. When buying property in Spain, there are a few things you should know to hopefully avoid any pitfalls and consequently help you to save money and difficulties. 1.Consult and take advice from professional Lawyers and Accountants. They have the expertise to ensure a safe purchase and they can easily detect any potential risks affecting your purchase, such as embargos, mortgages, licenses, legal paperwork, fines etc. A property in Spain could have debts and taxes owing on the property and any debt will become the new owners responsibility if overlooked. Your Lawyer must obtain proof that the vendor has paid all his obligations, utilities, outstanding mortgage and taxes. They will also liaise and advise you accordingly about all the tax matters before and after completion. All registered Abogados (Lawyers) are covered by professional insurance giving you peace of mind
with your new purchase. 2. Research the credentials of your Estate Agent. Not all Estate Agents are registered and have a commercial office, which means there will be no comeback if things go wrong. Choose a long-established and licensed Estate Agent with a strong reputation in the area, who is also a registered and approved member of the AIPP (Association of International Property Professionals). 3. NIE Number (Spanish National Identity Number). An NIE number is required when you are buying a property in Spain. You will have to make sure that you apply in advance to the Foreign Office before completion date. It takes approximately one week from the time of application. You may apply in person, or you can grant your Lawyer in Spain or in the UK with a Power of Attorney to make the application on your behalf. If you live abroad, this option will save you time and money. They will prepare a draft application in both languages and give you full instructions on what steps to take in your native country. 4. Request a Survey if you are buying property in the countryside. Requesting a survey can be very advisable if you are purchasing a property in a rural/countryside location, as this will help you to know more about boundaries, construction specifications, if any licenses are required for any extensions and avoid any surprises. 5. Get the right advice on taxes. You may buy a bargain, but your Lawyer will need to advise you regarding the amount of tax payable and will contact the Tax Office. They will also advise you about any future obligations to deal with. Any purchaser will be liable to pay two property taxes every year, Council Tax (IBI) and Non-
Residents Tax (if they are non-resident). Nominate a fiscal representative who can receive your correspondence on your behalf and act on time. 6. Ask about potential inheritance taxes. Discuss future implications on Inheritance Tax before completion. Splitting ownership with your inheritors can significantly reduce your tax exposure. There are other options that can reduce your tax bill to your inheritors so professional advice is necessary. 7. Draw up a will. This will avoid having to go down the path of the grant probate route, as inheriting will be a relatively straightforward matter. 8. Open a Spanish bank account. You will need to open a Spanish bank account to be able to withdraw the euro bankers draft required for completion and transfer all utility bills relating to the property for future payment. Your Lawyer can also advise you with regard to money transfers from your country of residence to your Spanish bank account to ensure you get the best exchange rate and transfer fees. Your Lawyer will also be able to advise you about alternative ways of paying for your property. Always take professional advice. Prevention is always better than cure. Celso Rodriguez-Corral Barrister & Partner at Corral Alcaraz Law Firm Member Nr.71399 of the Bar Association of Madrid Lawyers, Barristers & Accountants
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One last thing, the old man said wagging a finger as he handed over the keys to our log cabin, Dont cross that fence after dark and wander off into the woods. Why? Wolves, he said. Of course I never saw one, but did one night hear them howling in the distance, which literally took my breath away.
I didnt want to scare her, so I just sat and smiled at her. She was so beautiful. No-one is going to believe me I thought to myself, then hang on wheres my camera? Realising it was on the coffee table beside me and never once taking my eyes off her, I very gently reached out and fumbled around for the camera. Still her eyes never moved from me. Please dont move. Please dont move I kept whispering under my breath. She didnt and as you can see, I got my photo. I got up, grabbed the poker from the fire and opened the front door. She had backed off down the stairs, but never growled. She was definitely wild; some kind of strange mix; foxdog. I dont know. Naturally I was wary and so was she. I expected her to flee, but she didnt and she basically spent the rest of the week coming and going as she pleased, while we fed her of course. We always stayed a healthy distance from each other, but she definitely came to trust us. Still though, I wouldnt have liked to put out my hand to feed or try and pat her. I must admit, I really fell for her and christened her Foxy Lady due to her ears. One particularly bitterly cold evening, I emptied the log basket that sat by our fire, put a small blanket in and placed it outside under the window. In the morning when I woke up, there she was, fast asleep in it. I couldnt believe it. We fed her cheap tinned meat bought locally, but she most definitely preferred the scrambled eggs I made for her in the mornings! On our last night, we decided wed eat outside in the garden. It was minus 19, so we
lit a fire in the snow and dug out the garden bench. Foxy watched from a distance not quite sure what to make of it all, but she did eventually come over once the fire was roaring, although I did have to coax her down the garden steps by laying a trail of crisps.
My mate and I were deep in the snow of Slovakias Tatra Mountains. Wild and untamed with lynx, eagles, wild boar and even brown bears. Bitterly cold, yet beautiful. One evening, feeling like a little kid, I decided Id spend the night on the sofa by the fire, so at 11pm I loaded up the already glowing hearth with a armful of logs and climbed in under my thick duvet. I lay for I dont know how long, simply enjoying the hypnotic charms of the sight sound and smell of the fire before drifting off into a deep sleep. I had no idea what time it was when I woke in the morning, but it was light. I stretched and as I was considering getting up, I had a very eerie feeling; you know that feeling you get when someone or something is looking at you. I half sat up but saw nothing; then looked left towards the curtain-less window about fifteen feet away. I drew in a gasp of air, for there she was; paws up against the house and face right up against the glass. She didnt move, nor make a sound; just looked directly at me with much interest. I didnt move, as
By 11am the next day, it was time for us to leave. Foxy Lady was standing on the other side of the garden fence looking right at us. Sad to see us go? Maybe? By the time I got in the car, she was already trudging through the snow on her way back to the forest. I sat and watched until she soon disappeared into the dense trees and back into her own frozen world.... Good luck, I whispered.
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Januarywasanothersuccessful monthrescuing andre-homing. Chilli, one of our rescuedpuppies in foster care, has been adopted locally by a British couple.Apuppy,Bruno,found abandoned in Bolnuevo wasrescued andisnowbeing fosteredbyMargaret who found him until hecan be homed.Two puppies were rescued together, oneof which wasmicro-chipped,hasbeenreturned to the owner who had lost himand the other,Teddyis now being fostered byLisawho found him until he can be homed.
Werescueabandonedpuppies in the Mazarrn area and care for them in foster homes where they can be trainedand socialised whilst we are finding them a lovingforeverhome locallyor abroad.Tobe successfulin ourwork wealwaysneedfoster carers.We pay for all vaccinations and veterinary costsand give you support whenever you need it.If you feel you can offer a place in your home and your heart for one of our rescued puppiesshort or long term as a family pet or companion,please talk to us about our Foster Charter. To help usraise the fundsneededfor our workwe aredependentonpublic supportand generosity.We have aCharity ShopinPuerto de Mazarrnstaffed entirely by volunteers and we reallyneed all the public help we can get.Any unwantedsaleable itemswillbe gratefully received. We can arrange for donated itemsto be collected by one of our Association Members.We also need volunteerhelpers who cangive some offree timeto workin ourCharity Shop,so if youwould like tohelp, please come in and have a chat with the staff.
We have a Table Top Stall selling cakes and pastries toraise funds at Bar Palmeras, Puerto de Mazarrn on the first Saturday of themonthand at SaraLaras Bar, Puerto de Mazarrn on the third Saturday of every month,from 10am-2pm.
For more information or collection of donated items give one of our committee members a call Tony618 034 921orChristine603 127 984 WeDoItAll4ThePuppies Registered Charity N8.714/1
The Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club members who joined with the Lions Club in the Strides Walk for Diabetes on November 9th/10th have decided to do a sponsored walk or bike ride on Sunday 9th March. Application forms to participate in the walk or bike ride are available from Leo Members or from any Lion Member at the Lion Club weekly stall held every Friday 11am-1pm on Camposol B. All the money raised will go to sending the children with Diabetes to a special camp to help children learn how to cope with Diabetes at a very young age. We are also thrilled to that Barrington, who is a superb local vocalist, has agreed to do a fundraising gig for the Leo Club on Friday March 28th at Marianos, Camposol A at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale at 5 from Leo members, as above on Fridays on Camposol
B, or by phoning the Leo Advisor Gina Barker on 654 874 563. Leo members have said Since joining the Mazarrn Bahia Leos we have not only had loads of fun like horse riding, a bike ride and the sponsored walk for Diabetes, but we have been busy with fund raising events and Christmas crafts to raise money for the Leos. All the Leos say they look forward to their fortnightly meetings as well as various activities. Others have said it is lovely to have new friends and feel part of something and to be able to help people in need. One Leo, when thanked for the wonderful help the Leos did on the Strides Walk said You are very welcome. Thank you for allowing all of it to happen. I had so much fun and I am proud of
accomplishing what I did, especially as it was to help people. It is something that the Lions Club are thrilled to have started and are very proud of all the Leos. At their final meeting before Christmas when they were all asked one by one what they wanted for themselves, their friends and family, the answer was always the same Good Health and Happiness and with some children, Peace. May we take this opportunity to thank everyone for all the support for Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club. They meet at 7pm fortnightly on Fridays at the Camposol Cultural Centre and is open to children aged 12 to 18 years. For more information, call Gina Barker Leo Club Advisor on 654 874 563.
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Its been a busy start to the New Year and we would like to start by saying thank you to everyone who attended our fun Christmas Quiz, which was a great success. Thanks to all those that attended and everyone who donated prizes: The English Butcher, Tels Bar, Cats Bar, Eden Hair & Beauty and Molinos Garden Centre and last but not least, The Vista Bar for the prizes they donated as well as providing the venue at really short notice and an excellent curry for only 3. A Sad Story About Two Little Dogs Midge & Kenji My name is Midge and my best friend is Kenji. I am about one year old and Kenji is about 7 months old. We were adopted by Don and we had a great life because Don loved us lots and we went for loads of walks to Puerto de Mazarrn, but then tragedy struck.
Please remember Noahs ARC if you are getting new furniture and want to get rid of the old. We are always happy to collect any goods, including clothes, furniture and bric-a-brac because it enables us to carry on helping dogs and puppies in need. We have a stall on Fridays on Camposol B Commercial Centre from 10am-2pm. For collections please contact Chris on 634 332 335 We still have over 100 dogs and puppies in our care and some of those are in paid kennelling. Photos are all on the website noahsarcmurcia.com or Facebook Noahs ARC Mazarrn We are always happy to take you to the refuge to have a look for yourself if you are looking for a dog or puppy, or call 699 352 818 For cash donations please go to the website for our Paypal details.
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Don died suddenly and we waited for a week for someone to come and find us. We are now fostered by Auntie Sue who we knew before, so we are ok, but she has 4 dogs of her own and we would like a new home of our own. We are desperate to be together please. We are only little, housetrained, good on a lead and do as we are told. If you would like to meet us and Sue thinks you are special, you could be our new family. Please call 649 302 281 for a chat about us. Thank you. Don worked for Noahs ARC and he will be sadly missed
The Antiquity Certificate is the document needed at the Notary to update the Title Deeds (Escritura) with any alterations introduced to the property, such as pools or extensions done with or without a license. The Architect certifies the date of construction which serves as proof of prescription of a possible planning infraction. Subsequently, once this is done, any fine is the Architects responsibility. In the case of having done an extension or pool without a license, the Antiquity Certificate is very useful to guard against possible sanctions and is highly recommended to avoid putting off potential buyers due to the existence of undeclared buildings in the Title Deeds, even if done with a license. Once confirmed, Martinez de la Casa Architects will arrange an appointment to survey the pool/extension requiring only your NIE and current Title Deeds. Back in our office we check the age of the pool using satellite images (pictured is an example used in the process for Antiquity Certification) along with the measurements and documentation we take during our on-site visits.
The Antiquity Certificate is stamped by the Official College of Architects and delivered within 7/10days. The applicant can then either go ahead and update the Title Deeds, or wait for change of Property Titleholder/s at the Notary. The price of a Pool Antiquity Certificate is 250+IVA and for Extensions Antiquity Certificate 353+IVA. The only
condition in Murcia and Alicante is that the building/pool to certify is over 4 years old (or 8 years in areas of special protection). Testimonial Many thanks for undertaking the work on the two certificates which I needed for my villa (pool antiquity certificate & energy certification) within the time schedule agreed, at an extremely competitive price and without any communication issues. I would definitely recommend your services to anyone who requires work of this nature undertaking. Mr A J Pyle of Zurgena Area Martinez de la Casa Architects has experience in over 200 Antiquity Certificates and is one of the most prominent and respectable practises in the area, providing all types of certificates and licenses, amongst other services. They are the Number 1 company in EPC certificates (121 inc IVA) in Murcia, Almeria and Alicante. See over 60 reviews on our services or call us on 665 810 411 if you have any queries. www.martinezdelacasa.com
Whilst I love my exercise, I also love my food, so there is always a battle going on in my life as I also cannot stand to gain any weight. This is never easy when one of my favourite dishes of all time is proper homemade Steak and Kidney pudding. When I realized that Elliots Restaurant in Bolnuevo had won the coveted Pudding Club Award for the second year running, I thought I really must try it, but with no time to go out to eat, Carole and Chris very kindly arranged for me that when they made a fresh batch of puddings they would let me know so I could try a takeaway option. This pudding has to be the best I have ever tasted and at 4 for a good sized portion it was worth every cent. There are slightly smaller versions available for 3, but please give Elliots a couple of days notice if you would like the same; they will be pleased to oblige.
Still on the subject of food, I have always liked to try just about anything and like to think of myself as fairly adventurous rather than fussy. There is not much I will not eat, so I am always keen on trying new things. I was delighted, therefore when I discovered Restaurante Teteria Alhambra on the New Marina in Puerto de Mazarrn as it is a Moroccan restaurant. This restaurant is beautifully decorated inside with very authentic seating etc and out at the back overlooking the sea they have real tents with the very traditional low seating on highly decorative cushions. There is a good variety of traditional Moroccan food served in their colourful ceramic pots which include a range of couscous dishes and tagines. The lamb tagine was particularly delicious if you like the sweet and savoury mixture as it contains apricots, prunes and quince. Their Menu del Dia at only 9.95 for 2 courses including a drink also represents
great value for money. Please do not just take my word for it, give them a try! I have been most impressed with one of our newest venues in the area Bora Bora in Puerto de Mazarron. I have now sampled one of their excellent 5 main courses dishes and their full and hearty breakfast. Even in the middle of January this bar/restaurant was warm inside as it has full heating and air conditioning. Vince and Kira who own and run Bora Bora will always give you a warm welcome and nothing is too much trouble for them. The outside terrace is a lovely sun trap at this time of year. Watch out for forthcoming events here as they have some interesting plans! More next month Teresa
By His people Christ was rejected. By a Disciple He was betrayed. He felt everything you and I would feel In every single way. And the separation that Christ endured, After saying the word forgive, In the darkness of that mighty storm, Tasted death that we might live. Rejection has caused Gods children. Deep scars that last for years And has been the source of heart felt pain And the cause of many tears. And its when were feeling helpless And we feel too weak to fight, That the enemy whispers in our ears,
Of another lonely night. We must remember God is healing us. Take His hand; we are never alone Love and Atonement took Christ to the Cross! And His Grace will bring us home!
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Local Bars Do It For MABS! As MABS Mar Menor Cancer Support Group relies entirely on donations they are indebted to regular support from the Community. Three of the local bars that have been raising funds throughout 2013 are The Arches, Los Alcazares; Time Out Sports Bar, San Javier and Diamantes Restaurant, El Mojon.
The Arches, with a Certificate of Appreciation and thanked Ali for allowing MABS to use her premises and raising so much money. At Time Out Sports Bar, San Javier, owners Gary & Sue Greenaway have held Raffles and Race Afternoons as well as having a Book Stall and over the year raised 1,002. Time Out have supported MABS MM for several years and have sponsored events such as Race for Life and Party in the Park. Janet Bell, presented Sue & Gary with a Certificate of Appreciation and said We are indebted to people like Sue & Gary who continue to support MABS MM. A very successful Ladies Lunch Club has been running at Diamantes Restaurant for some time and MABS MM was chosen as
Two of MABS MM Volunteers, Val & Malcolm Vickery, run a Book Stall at The Arches every Saturday morning and have built up a regular following of customers. With books selling for only 1 each, the total raised for the year was an incredible 7,068!! Wendy Grant, Fundraising Co-ordinator for MABS MM presented Ali Chaplin, owner of
the charity to support. Each month the ladies enjoy a 3 course meal & wine, followed by Entertainment and hold a Raffle in aid of MABS MM. Throughout the year 1,382 was raised. Karla Fuller owner of Diamantes Re s t a u r a n t was thrilled to present MABS MM with a cheque and said MABS is such a worthwhile charity and we have customers who have been helped by them, so I am delighted we have been able to help and will continue doing so this year. MABS MM Cancer Support Group helps anyone affected by cancer and can help with counselling, driving patients to hospital, translating, and caring. There is a 24hr Helpline available 693 275 779. Events information 634 362 826.
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If you thought that St Valentines Day was just a clever marketing ploy to boost the businesses of chocolatiers and florists, you might be surprised to learn that the story of St Valentine is in fact steeped in legend and history. The most popular and possibly the most romantic belief is that St Valentine was a Roman Priest executed on February 14th in 270 AD for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the Emperor Claudius. Claudius was having trouble recruiting men for his army, because the married men did not want to leave their families for as long as Claudiuss campaigns would keep them away, so Claudius forbade all marriages, thinking that the young men would have no ties and would then join the army. Being a Christian Man of God, Valentine strongly believed in the sanctity of love and marriage and realising the injustice of the Emperors order, he continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. Eventually Valentine was arrested and thrown into jail awaiting his execution. It is believed that whilst in prison he befriended and fell in love with a young woman called Tiberia who was the daughter of the Prison Warden, Asterius. On the day that he died, it is said that Valentine sent a message to Tiberia thanking her for her friendship and loyalty and signed it Love from your Valentine. It was at the end of the 5th Century that the Pope Gelasius declared 14th February as St Valentines Day, but it wasnt until much
later in the Middle Ages that St Valentine became definitively associated with romance. In reality, is unlikely that we shall ever find out the real history related to St Valentines Day, but nevertheless, February has always been the month of love and St Valentine has become the Patron Saint of such, with 14th February the day to celebrate. It was around the 18th Century when the date evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers and offering confectionery, although the sending of Valentines Greetings can be traced back to as early as 1400. In Spain, St Valentines Day is called El Dia de Los Enamorados (Day of the Lovers) and is celebrated in much the same way as in the UK. However, in certain parts of Spain, particularly Catalonia, they also celebrate El Da de Libro y La Rosa which is on St Georges Day on April 23rd. On this day chivalrous Spanish gentleman honour St Georges romantic gesture of saving a princess from the clutches of an evil dragon by buying his loved one a rose and she reciprocates with a book. There are clearly still many romantics out there, as St Valentines Day is second only to Christmas in the number of greetings cards purchased and in the the number of fresh flowers sold and delivered throughout the world. If you are looking for something special this St Valentines Day, why not visit the Cake Magic Tearooms in San Pedro del Pinatar. For just 10 per person you can treat yourself or your loved one to a Romantic Afternoon Tea with heart shaped sandwiches and pink
fizz. You can even buy special St Valentines cupcakes and heart shaped sharing cakes. For that special touch they can personalise them with your very own message! If you want to dine in a beautiful and romantic setting, you will love El Hombre del Velero/ The Yachtsman on the Marina in San Pedro del Pinatar. They have a special St Valentines Menu which includes a Lobster Bisque and Chocolate Coulant.
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Guided Tours Pedalea Entre Dos AguasFebruary 23 , March 30th, April 6th We will explore the southern part of the Regional Park, pedalling between the salt ponds and the waters of the Mar Menor, seeing elements as old as the salt mills.
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Essential - bike and lunch Meet: 10am Duration: 3hrs Distance: 9km Departure and return from Molino Quentin, C/ Campoamor Price: 5 (Children under 10 years 3). From 0-3 years free. Vida En El Mundo De La Sal February 9th, March 9th Free tour the northern part of the Regional Park, walking across paths on salt ponds and crossing pine woods to reach a natural beach. Meet: 11am Duration: 2hrs Distance: 3km Departure from the Visitor Centre, Las Salinas, s/n (next to the roundabout at the Park entrance) Senda de Coterillo February 16 , March 23 The route will follow the white and green local path called Senda de Coterillo. During the tour we will see birds like herons, little egrets, sandpipers, storks and flamingos and other species from the bird observatories. We will come across plant species such as blue thisth rd
tle, sea lily and small reptiles along the paths that pass through the pine forest. We will rest for a few minutes on a natural beach (Torre Derribada) before walking along the shore and then back to the starting point. Meet: 10am Duration: 3hrs Distance: 3.8km Depart and return from Aparcamiento de la Charca de Coterillo and Playa de la Torre Derribada. Price: 5 (Children under 10 years 3 and up to 3 years free). Some sections of the paths through which we pass visit are not suitable for those with walking disabilities. We recommend wearing comfortable clothes and shoes, sunscreen, hat, water and binoculars for better sights of birds. Pre-registration required: name and age of each participant, email and telephone contact. Entries will be confirmed by order of receipt until all 30 places filled. For all the above Guided Tours you can obtain further information at Tourist Office If for any reason you are not able to continue with the booking once confirmed, please communicate it as soon as possible to the so your place can be offered elsewhere. The Department of Tourism recommend that you take this opportunity to download the PDF attachment to discover other parts of the region to live and enjoy cultural experiences in castles and forts, rock shelters, archaeological sites, museums, wineries, etc. More information at http://www.sanpedrodelpinatar.es/ ayto2/index.php/ turismo
Programme - Walking Together Rambla de Rio Seco - Pinar de Campoverde These walks will be held on the last Thursday of each month and they are designed with a very low level of difficulty and progression in terms of distance and time on the road, making them accessible to virtually everyone. Duration: 1hrs approx, walking 6km on average. Meet: 9:30am at the Social Services Centre. Please arrive before 9.20am to meet the schedule. The duration of activity depends on the distance, but we try to be back in the Town between 12.30pm and 1pm. Registration required 3 days before departure Provided by Building Equality and Human Services, 1st floor. Phone 968 185 393 Recommendations: Wear socks and trainers designed for running, walking, hiking. Bring a small backpack with water and some lunch and a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, raincoat etc. For more information go to www.sanpedrodelpinatar.es Tel 968 185 393 The Department of Women and Equality, reserves the right to make changes to their schedule. Reading Activity Story Time with Carmen Navarro every Tuesday until May 2014 in the Biblioteca de San Pedro del Pinatar (C/ Alcalde Julio Albaladejo, 16) from 6-7pm. This is aimed at children from4-7 years. For more information please call 968 182 575
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Events List 2014 Tuesday 4th February Volunteers Meeting at Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos. 11.15am for 11.30am start. Optional lunch 5 plus drink. Partners welcome. Phone Bacchus to book choice of food in advance. Lesley 968 134 978 Tuesday 11th February Charity Table Top Sale at La Zona Bar, Los Narejos (opp Consum). 10am to 1pm (weather permitting). Many bargains. Wednesday 19th February Chatters Social Group at Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos. Chat, quiz, make new friends. Open to all. 11.15-11.30am start. Optional lunch to follow, 5 plus drink. Mary 968 171 542 There will be a Quiz during February. Details will appear on our website/Facebook pages nearer the time.
Tuesday 4th March Volunteers Meeting at Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos. 11.15am for 11.30am start. Optional lunch 5 plus drink. Partners welcome. Phone Bacchus to book choice of food in advance. Lesley 968 134 978 Tuesday 11th March Charity Table Top Sale at La Zona Bar, Los Narejos (opp Consum). 10am to 1pm (weather permitting). Many bargains. Wednesday 19th March Chatters Social Group at Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos. Chat, quiz, make new friends. Open to all. 11.15-11.30am start. Optional lunch to follow, 5 plus drink. Mary 968 171 542 Saturday 22nd March Spring Ball. 5 course meal with half bottle wine pp. at Principe Asturias Restaurant, Santiago de La Ribera. Dance the night away with the King of soul Richie Alexander. Smart dress only;
a chance to wear your finery!! 17.50, so tickets selling fast. Book now with Celia on 968 574 576 We have events planned for April and May; details nearer the time, and of course we have the ever popular Rocking in Roda on Sunday June 8th. If you wish to find out more about HAH,visit www.helpathome.es To become a volunteer, either caring, fundraising or both, tel Lesley on 968 134 978 or email helpathomespain@gmail.com We help English speakers in their own homes, following surgery/illness etc. Our Clinical Lead is available 9.30am-5.30pm Mon to Friday. Tel 633 673 034 In the event of an emergency call 112
Camino Ingles Pilgrims Walk - Best Feet Forward for 3 Charities. Between 15th and 19th April 2014, Janneke Chambers, Lynda Fleming and Bernard Ash
of HELP Murcia Mar Menor will be walking the 120km Camino Ingles Pilgrims Walk from Ferrol to Santiago de Compestela. Camino Ingles (the English Way) ie the Pilgrims Way is one of five routes used by Pilgrims to make the pilgrimage to the tomb of St James the Apostle, which is located in the crypt of the Cathedral. The dates are significant as it is Easter Week (Semana Santa). During the 14th century and the first third of the 15th century, the British used ships to come to Santiago, in Galicia. These three intrepid Pilgrims are looking to raise funds for three charities: HELP MMM, CARITAS and DEBRA (Butterfly Children). They are looking to secure both Individual & Business Sponsorships. In return, they are offering Businesses some excellent advertising in the Press, Radio & TV, plus, of course, the satisfaction of helping these very worthwhile charities. They would like to hear from any Individual or Business to add to the 1,100 already secured. To make a pledge, or to request further details, please contact Bernard Ash via email bernardhelpmmm@gmail or telephone 659 751 611. Forms are available in the HELP MMM office behind Roblemar Restaurant in Los Alcazares.
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our centre meetings.
The Beacon of Light reopened after a break for Christmas with many new supporters. On January 23rd we had a demonstration and talk about crystals from Ian who regularly attends
changed his life and he became clairaudient and heard angels whisper messages for peoples loved ones. He is a television, radio and stage medium and has worked at Stanstead with Gordon Higgins and Colin Fry. He was the first medium to work New York 9/11 and his philosophy is to bring Love, Light and Laughter to everyone. We will also be welcoming another medium from England, Amanda Barrymore, who has been a medium for almost 36 years. She has been aware of seeing spirits since first seeing her Grandfather who had died when she was three years old. All details about Amanda can be found on her website www.amandabarrymor.co.uk February Meetings Wednesday 5th Marilyn Webb Wednesday 12th Mark Brandist Thursday 13th Workshop with Mark Brandist Thursday 13th An Evening of Clairvoyance
@ Beacon Of Light Centre 7pm 2 Wednesday 19th Amanda Barrymore Thursday 20th Workshop with Amanda Barrymore Thursday 20th An Evening of Clairvoyance @ Beacon of Light Centre 7pm 2 Wednesday 26th Anna/Marie Our meetings are every Wednesday from 7pm with weekly guest mediums. The meetings usually finish at approximately 8.30pm. As always, the evenings end with a friendly chat and a cup of tea and biscuits. All our meetings are funded by donations given during the evening. Our early healing sessions start at 6pm. For further information please phone 620 877 326 Email beacon.of.light.murcia@gmail.com http://beaconoflightmurcia.webs.com Facebook Beacon of Light Murcia
In February we will be thrilled to welcome Mark Brandist who is an international medium who has a Lifetime Achievement Award for 28 years of caring, healing and hospice work. He was a jockey who had an accident and during an operation he died on the operating table for 3 minutes and 20 seconds. It
Drugs Leave Hundreds of Brits Behind Bars Overseas Hundreds of British nationals are currently locked up in prisons across the globe for drugrelated offences, often detained for months without trial and facing distressing living conditions. In Spain, consular staff dealt with over 100 drug-related arrests last year alone and drugs offences account for approximately three-quarters of the 172 Brits currently on remand or serving sentences in Spain. Now the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), in conjunction with the charity Prisoners Abroad, is launching a campaign to highlight the consequences of the use, possession and smuggling of drugs in Spain and countries around the world. The zero-tolerance approach of some countries often results in strict penalties which can come as a shock to British travellers. In Spain offenders may, in some circumstances, be held on remand for over a year before their trial. Even if released on bail, they will be unable to leave the country. Offences that may carry cautions in the UK are often penalised with long prison sentences overseas. Some drug crimes can lead to even more severe penalties 33 countries or territories enforce death sentences for drug offences. In Spain, sentences can be as long as 20 years imprisonment in the case of hard drugs and up to 6 years and 9 months for soft drugs, with fines of up to six times the value of the drugs. Prisoners Abroad is currently supporting 84 Britons between the ages of 18 and 30 who are being held in foreign countries for drugs offences 62 are yet to face a trial. Here in Spain, the consequences of being detained for a drugs offence can be devastating, Will Middleton, Consular Director for Spain, comments Being sent to prison overseas away from family and friends is very distressing and even more so if you dont speak the language. We see people of all ages - from youngsters through to pensioners - who have lost their friends, their job, had to give up their studies, or had their children taken into
care and got into major financial difficulties because they did not think they would get caught. In the last year alone consular staff in Spain handled over 100 drug-related cases. If you or someone you know is involved in the illegal drugs trade, then the message is clear the consequences are simply not worth it. Terry Daniels and Billy Burton are two British nationals that have seen valuable years of their life spent in prisons overseas. Terry was sentenced by a Spanish court to 10 years in prison for drug smuggling on the basis of guilt by association, while Billy was charged with smuggling marijuana out of the Philippines. Both want to see the number of Britons involved in drugs in other countries reduced and have described their experiences in a video to warn others not to make their mistakes. Imprisoned in Spain Terry Daniels Terry Daniels was accused of smuggling a million pounds worth of cocaine from Brazil to Spain in 1997. She had been working in Brazil with her boss, a nightclub manager and was travelling back to Spain with him when he was caught with the drugs in his suitcase. Terry maintains her innocence and said she had no idea that he was carrying the drugs, but a Spanish court prosecuted her on the basis of guilt by association. She served six days in prison before being granted bail, when she then returned to the UK. A number of years passed and it appeared that the Spanish authorities had dropped the case. However, while living in Ireland in 2002 a police check revealed that she was still wanted in Spain. She had been prosecuted in her absence and her sentence (10 years in prison) was still outstanding. In June 2003, she was
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arrested on an international extradition warrant. She was flown back to Spain and imprisoned in one of the countrys toughest mixed jails, Topas prison, near Salamanca in northwest Spain where she stayed for 19 months. She was then given permission to serve the remainder of her reduced sentence in the UK. Terry says, I will always love Spain and know that holidaymakers and expats alike have a great time there, but I would urge people not to get involved in drugs not even recreational drug use which many may see as harmless. I got involved with drugs at a young age and paid the consequences I ended up in Topas prison and everything in my life changed it is not worth the risk. She now undertakes charity work on behalf of Fair Trials International and Prisoners Abroad and has recently published a book, Passport to Hell.
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Starting Your New Garden Or Modifying An Old One by Clodagh and Dick Handscombe, holistic gardeners and authors living in Spain for 25 years.
working or social life. * * Safe for both young and elderly. A swimming pool located and surrounded by a low leaf drop mini garden so that it is not the dominating feature of the garden. Cooking features beyond a barbecue, so that al fresco meals can be organised daily in good weather without the style of eating becoming boring. After the first few summers we have never barbecued. Instead we make much use of a parabolic solar cooker, a paella dish for paellas and a general large hot plate and a wood or charcoal fired Mexican oven. A collection of fruit trees and facilities to grow at least a few ecological fruit and vegetables. Both can be grown in builders buckets in small spaces. Thick boundary hedges for privacy and hideaways for nesting birds. Trees that not only provide shade, but also hide surrounding houses and possibly local eyesores. A challenge for the gardener/s in the family. dedicated
* Most expatriates buy properties in Spain with a very different lifestyle in mind from the one they experienced previously. Mostly they envisage a more open-air lifestyle to make the most of the generally drier warmer and healthier climate. However, this is only possible if the garden is designed and constructed to support this and the air-conditioning system, if you have one, is not set at temperatures that make it uncomfortable to venture outdoors in summer or winter. For instance: * The provision of shade from the hottest suns and shelter from the coldest winds, for the extremes of temperatures are very different from the average temperatures often quoted by tourist boards, estate agents and persons attempting to sell their house privately. The provision of good sized covered and open terraces for when the family or friends visit for meals or to partake in hobby activities or games. An interesting network of paths that do not turn boggy after monsoon like rainfalls. Colourful, perfumed and productive with minimum monthly maintenance needs, especially if you plan a busy
in Spain, the sub-title was Practical ideas for gardens that suit your Spanish lifestyle. Some years later our publisher Santana Books asked us to split the book into four in order to expand the chapters on growing fruit and vegetables and the development of gardens on apartment terraces and balconies. To differentiate the new edition of Your Garden in Spain the subtitle of the new one became From Planning To Planting and Maintenance, but an essential chapter in both is Chapter 2.1 Design the garden to match your lifestyle which includes an easy to follow self questionnaire to help you clarify your lifestyle needs. We require that anyone who asks for assistance or coaching in designing or redesigning their gardens to first read the book and then complete the questionnaire. Do so yourself before investing another euro in the garden. Our books can be obtained from high street and internet bookshops including Amazon, The London Book Depository, Bookworld and our publisher Santana Books. Stop Press After test marketing the 330 page book describing our 52 day 950 kilometre walk across Spain, (not to Santiago by the way, but a rather quieter route), we have changed the title and cover. The final title is Our 52 Day Adventure Along The Spanish Pyrenees, author Dick Handscombe. It is available as a normal book and as a kindle book. (c) Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com February 2014.
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A garden that looks great from wherever one stands or sits at all times of the year, for with an outdoor lifestyle you will live within it and not just view it through rain-splashed windows as so often happens in northern Europe. Hideaways for peaceful reads and siestas. Areas for children and grandchildren to play safely without constant supervision. Matches all aspects of the lifestyle that you foresee in both the short and longer term. The latter is very important if you are to be happy with your purchase.
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When we wrote the first edition of our practical and comprehensive book Your Garden
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Bird Flu Outbreak In Aragn An outbreak of bird flu in Aragn has led to one person dying, 11 people being admitted to intensive care and nine others under observation on wards. They are said to have been affected by the H1N1 virus which causes the so-called avian influenza, or more commonly referred to as bird flu, a potentially life-threatening condition which first hit the headlines nearly eight years ago. Precautions have meant vaccinating the immediate family members and anyone else who has come into contact with the patient. Outpatient Drugs To Be Funded By Users All regional health authorities across Spain will be required to charge for medication dispensed to outpatients in hospitals. This will affect anyone who has regular hospital consultation appointments for cancer, eczema, hepatitis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV and AIDS, degenerative conditions, or who has had a transplant. Certain types of drugs used to treat these patients are sold via the hospital dispensary because they are rare and expensive and not readily available at mainstream high-street pharmacies. Now, anyone prescribed these during their outpatient appointments will have to pay up to 10% of the recommended retail price, capped at 4.26. Medical Negligence Medical errors are on the increase and 798 patients have died as a result of negligence in hospital, says the Healthcare Ombudsman. Leader, Carmen Flores, blames the brutal cutbacks made by the current government for the fact that 106 more people died through medical negligence last year than in 2012, of whom 77 perished because the ambulance either took an hour to reach them or was not sent out at all. As well as ambulances not turning up or arriving an hour or more late being responsible for 77 deaths, another 66 patients died through infections caught in hospitals with inadequate hygiene standards caused by cutbacks in the cleaning budget. 149 babies were born with preventable disabilities because of poor delivery procedures, 93 patients were left disabled as a result of operations unconnected with their present condition and caused by negligence during surgery, whilst 59 patients have contracted Hepatitis C through treatment in hospital. A total of 315 cases of cosmetic surgery went wrong and 31 ophthalmology procedures poorly performed left patients with inadequate results or permanent damage, including loss of vision. The greatest number of incidences of negligence was recorded in Madrid. Flores blames staff shortages and lack of resources for the appalling decline in quality of a health service which, until just a few years ago, was officially the second-best in Europe. She cites shoddy situations such as a CAT scanner suffering a mechanical breakdown and not being repaired for days, or not enough nurses to go around, leaving one professional having to attend to 10 patients at a time and yet, ironically, Spanish nurses are leaving the country to find work as there are not enough jobs in the industry to absorb all the newly-qualified workers. Healthcare funding cuts are also leading to unacceptably long waiting lists, says the Patients Ombudsman. MEPs Slam Spains Abortion Reform Nearly all European Parliamentary groups
have expressed their total rejection of Spains abortion law reform, which only allows women to terminate a pregnancy where it is the result of a rape within just 12 weeks or where her life is in danger and does not permit her to do so where the foetus is deformed, however severely. Social Democrats, Liberals, Ecologists and members of the Unitarian Left are among the MEPs who have called for Spain to scrap its plans to restrict legal abortion. They have called the Spanish abortion reform patriarchal, fundamentalist and ultra-Catholic. E-Cigarettes Electronic cigarettes are one step closer to being banned in public places as the Spanish governments health department has announced plans to cover them in its forthcoming Consumer Law reform. Smoking E-Cigarettes will be prohibited inside all public sector buildings, including schools, health centres and open-air childrens parks or anywhere designed for children to play and on all forms of public transport. This should be effective by February. In practice, the law will need to be approved in national Parliament and referred to the Senate for its final seal of approval it is returned to Congress, and then published in the State Official Bulletin (BOE) before it is properly in force, but the regional government of Andaluca has already brought the ban forward and has forbidden E-Cigarette users to light up in public sector buildings or any enclosed areas used for childrens activities. Luncheon Vouchers Up to 5,000 family-run restaurants across Spain could face closure thanks to the governments clandestine attempt to increase income by making job perks in kind subject to social security stamp contributions. The national traders association UPTA says some 300,000 employees are given luncheon vouchers as part of their job benefits package, which they spend in restaurants near their workplace on midday menus typically costing between 8-10 a head. Now that these are set to become a taxable part of their salary, companies are likely to cease to give their staff luncheon vouchers. This means spending in restaurants in areas with a large number of big firms, particularly in tourist areas and major cities, will plummet. Meals paid for with luncheon vouchers account for up to 25% of these restaurants income. With many of these eateries being small family establishments, a potential loss of up to a quarter of their takings could spell disaster for their future. About 35,000 restaurants in Spain belong to the luncheon voucher scheme and they fear it could lead to mass job cuts in the food and catering industry and possibly thousands of restaurants and bars going out of business altogether. Both associations have called for the government to rethink its plans, or to include amendments which will soften the blow for small businesses that benefit from what are current-
ly tax-free employee benefits. Sangra The term Sangra can only be used for the red-wine-based punch drink if it is made in Spain or Portugal, the European Parliament has ruled. This popular and very potent summer refreshment, made with red wine, orange juice, chopped fruit and other ingredients including various types of alcohol, Sangra is probably the greatest Spanish clich after castanets and Flamenco dancers. Where it is on sale either bottled in supermarkets or served in bars in other countries, it can only be referred to as flavoured drink based on red wine or red wine punch, with the country of manufacture stated after it. Following on from Greek yoghurt and Feta cheese, which can only be called as such if originally made in Greece, the European Union has placed the same protection order over Sangra after 609 MPs voted in favour, 72 against and four abstained. Spanish Mortgages The European Central Bank (BCE) will keep interest rates in the Eurozone at the historic low of 0.25% after cutting the figure by half in November. This is partly fuelled by a fall in gross domestic product within member States which use the Euro and low inflation at 0.8% rather than the predicted 0.9%. The top three economies in the Eurozone France, Germany and Italy saw a retraction in growth and with the exception of Germany, continue in recession. Unemployment in the region remained at 12.1% as of November 2013, a record high which has barely moved since April last year and which is far exceeded by Greece (27.4%) and Spain (26.7%). BCE chairman Mario Draghi said medium-term forecasts for the Eurozone had worsened, as had short-term conditions in the money markets. He announced that the BCE was ready to act if necessary and to apply all available legal and financial instruments permitted by the Maastricht Treaty to support credit flow and the money markets. The reduced Eurozone interest rate, or Euribor, will mean mortgages and loan repayments sit at an all-time low and any which are due for revaluation for the first time since before November will reduce. Although borne out of poor circulation of money and non-existent consumer spending, the cut in the Euribor will be a godsend for Spanish homeowners with mortgages this year as they struggle to make ends meet in the face of the second-worst unemployment record in Europe and increasingly climbing costs of living.
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Beat the Banks! With the recent announcement that the ECB is set to hold rates at 0.25% and with the UK base rate still holding at 0.5%, with no indication that these rates will rise any time soon, you owe it to yourself to find a new home for your money. Both UK and European banks are paying interest that doesnt even keep pace with inflation, which is effectively reducing the value of your savings, which over time which will affect its purchasing power. With global investment markets on the rise from their lows of 2008 (the banking crises) can we afford to ignore the potential returns available through a portfolio of carefully constructed funds allowing for risk controlled returns? Take a look at the returns achieved in our sterling portfolios had you invested on the 1st January 2013 until 31st December 2013.
Cautious portfolio Balanced portfolio Growth portfolio Adventurous Growth
+ 9.61% + 13.26% +17.59% + 23.14%
As with all investments, past performance is no guide to the future. However, with a Discretionary Managed portfolio, where a team of specialist investment managers take the day-to-day decisions on where to invest the portfolios are carefully managed to reduce volatility. This can be achieved through investing into different asset classes with global exposure through highly rated and respected investment companies, many of whom would be difficult to access through direct investment. Also all portfolios allow 24/7 online reporting so you can keep fully up-to-date with how and where your funds are held and also daily commentary on issues that affect your portfolio.
All funds are held securely by one of the worlds largest custodians and the investment team based in London are fully regulated by the FCA (the UKs investment regulatory body) with the advisor (Premier Pension Solutions) holding regulation through Spains regulatory body the CNMV. We offer an initial assessment of your current holdings, along with a written recommendation, at no cost, to clearly demonstrate how and why our portfolios work. With bank deposit rates set to remain low, can you afford not to take action? Contact Premier Pensions on 966 260 901 or email contact@prempensions.com for further information.
Into 2014 With A Splash The annual PALS Sponsored Swim on New Years Day attracted the largest crowd ever with estimates of between 400 to 500 people watching 20 brave souls run into the water at 1pm.
March Trip To Benidorm is oversubscribed, but call, as there are always cancellations. We can add your name to our listings so that you do not miss out in future trips. Why did it go so quickly? 130 for 4 days, 3 nights, full board and coach included. PALS DO IT 4U. April 18th Day Out To Garrucha Market & on to our favourite restaurant in Bedar with stop off at Iceland in Vera on the way back. 25 including coach and lunch. We do this one each year and many people have said its always good fun and value. Aril 27th/1st May Andalucian Adventure. Visit and stay in Cordoba, Seville & Granada. Visit Ronda and the white villages. Half board in centrally located hotels; 4 nights, 5 days & coach. 320. A few places left. 18thOctober leave for a 7 Night, 8 Day Cruise from Valencia, then Palma de Mallorca, Sardinia and Italy for Rome and Florence and then Corsica. Full board, all drinks, all port taxes, all gratuities from an incredible 690 per person. If this is your first cruise then we know it wont be your last. You will have the comfort of people you know to rely upon. To find out more. PALS are at the Trevi each Saturday morning from 11am-1.30pm and at Bistro Ratouille on Wednesday afternoons from 1pm-3pm. Go to www.pals.sm4.biz or call 626 460 465.
The amount raised is still being accumulated, but looks to be fantastic in these hard times. We had Dolly Parton, 20s gadabouts, a chicken and a 82 year old belly dancer! Thanks to all who participated, sponsored and encouraged and also to our helpers on the day. At the moment the single largest sponsorship is the Decklid Team with over 1200. Every donation helps and gives us confidence that you believe in what we are doing. PALS have been in existence now for 14 years and have been responsible for the purchase of emergency medical equipment, ve-
hicles, inshore lifesaving boats, trauma tents and much more, amounting to over a quarter of a million Euros; yes 250,000 Euros. Thank you everybody past and present and please continue to support us. Our accounts are available for inspection at any time and you are welcome to attend any meeting. For 2014 we have some great ideas and hope that you will consider joining. By the time this article is published Burns Night will have come and gone. Photos and a full report next month. February is a bit of a cultural month with a Trip To La Bastida in Totana on 25th February; an archaeological site of world importance being pre-Roman and a defensive fort. Coach and lunch at La Rata included. 25 but limited places as we have a guide around the dig.
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Quiz questions on the January 2014 Costa Clida Chronicle

1. 2. 3. What does Watermaid offer you? Who claims to have a haggis piper?!! Who offers free winter checks with their advert? What grates on homeowners in Spain? 5. Ma Millbanks is offering you recipes for what? What does J.M.L. offer you? Who said that Were doing it again! 8. Which author book was reviewed in January? What does Graham do? What does stand for? (SAB)
9. 10.
6. 7.
4.
ACROSS
Answers on page 94
1 Airplane part 5 Pen fillers 9 Move while sleeping 13 6th month (Jewish calendar) 14 Expression 15 Shekel 16 Traveled by horse 17 The living dead 18 Ca. University 19 Flag holder 21 Harp 23 Paddles 24 Rotate 25 State capital 28 Jinxing 31 Italian boys name 32 Fry 34 Cologne (Gr.) 36 Picnic visitor 37 Before (prefix) 38 Hive dweller 39 Father 41 Boss 43 Alacks partner 44 Roman Diana, Greek Artemis 46 Concentrated 48 Origination 49 Devise
50 Athletic fields 53 Noncommissioned army ranks 57 Wine bottle 58 Discipline 60 Unconsciousness 61 Obscure 62 Looking at 63 Furrow 64 Churn 65 Buying alternative 66 Dried-up
DOWN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Jetty Movie star Nix Actor Peck Gods Brand Former USSRs secret police 8 Epilepsy convulsion 9 Russian satellite 10 Technical 11 Island 12 Menacing animal noise 14 Islands off of Portugal 20 Standard or average
22 Tax agency 24 Learner 25 Parent groups 26 Opp. of doric 27 Doorway 28 Popes governing organization 29 Lordly 30 Gather 33 Plant louse 35 Birds home 40 Draw into a tangle 41 ___ Arthur, U.S. President 42 Wood shaving 43 Storms 45 British drink 47 November (abbr.) 49 Publish 50 Shorten (abbr.) 51 Rolled chocolate candy brand 52 Decorative needle case 53 Pang 54 Color 55 Native ruler in Asia 56 Satiate 59 Grain
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ANIMAL ORGANISATIONS: ACTIN 968 163 529 Andreas Animal Rescue Fuente Alamo 690 906 565 Easy Horse Care Rojales 652 021 980 Galgos del Sol Murcia galgosdelsol@hotmail.com JJs Puppy Rescue Mazarrn 618 034 921 John Kemps Puppies La Pinilla, Fuente Alamo 646 737 230 Pets in Spain San Fulgencio/La Marina info@petsinspain.info MAMASs Mazarrn 666 186 037 MARA Mula 685 311 599 Noahs ARC Mazarrn 699 352 818 Mazarrn shop 634 364 553 Camposol shop 634 332 335 PAPS 966 769 137 Protector de Animales http://protectoraanimalparraga. net/ RAD Animal Association 655 027 676 CHARITIES: Age Concern Mazarrn 634 310 216 Alcoholics Anonymous Mazarrn 646 290 420 Cabo De Palos 968 545 181 Costa Clida Samaritans www.costablancasamaritans.com GO maD Mazarrn 678 598 677 HAH Help at Home San Javier 968 134 978/633 673 034 Help Murcia Mar Menor Los Alczares 968 570 059 Helping Hands contact@helpinghands.org.es Lions Club Mazarrn Baha Mazarrn 636 746 959 MABS Mar Menor 693 275 779 MABS Mazarrn 620 422 410 MABS NW Murcia mabsmurcianw@gmail.com
PALS (Protection & Life Saving) Mazarrn 968 437 837 CHURCHES: Beacon of Light Caadas del Romero 620 877 326 Mass in English Pastrana, Mazarrn 628 824 555 Olive Branch Christian Fellowship Camposol 618 720 181/968 199 622 Open Door Los Almagros 646 705 403/655 141 721 Pilar Christian Community Church Pilar de la Horidada 966 769 300/650 509 606 Puerto Lumbreras Church 619 945 283 St Nicholas Church Camposol 968 138 952 Welcome House Cehegin 633 447 937 Wellspring Victory Church Mazarrn 620 599 270 GROUPS: ADAPT San Pedro 966 189 402 Arts & Cultural Association of Murcia 655 421 120 Camposol Bridge Club 968 130 583 Camposol C Greenfingers 634 325 427 Caring for Carers San Javier 968 185 008/667 587 187 Cloud Nine Drama 644 400 123 Country Music Camposol 610 623 152 Darwinian Gardeners darwiniangardeners@gmail. com Ex-Servicemens Association Mazarrn 629 818 611 Friends & Buddies
Camposol 968 163 758 Humanists www.bolnuevo.com/social/Evolutionists Ladies Chatterbox Camposol 968 199 418/619 575 463 Lions Country Music La Molata 968 163 082 Los Palacios Camposol A Post Box A512 www.lospalacios-gardeners.com Spangles Harmony Chorus Los Alcazares 968 334 527/968 423 525 Teatro Canovero Las Canovas 968 151 149 Welcome Group Camposol, Mazarrn 620 105 179 If you would like details of your club or organization included on this page, please send an email to costacalidachronicle@gmail.com
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Sweets and Desserts In Great Britain thousands of pounds are spent on sending cards and flowers to our loved ones on St Valentines Day. Chocolates also feature in the exchange of gifts and often come in the shape of a heart. Here in Spain, it is much the same as England, but look out for the heart-shaped cakes appearing soon in a shop near you. What better way to show someone how much you love them than making something sweet for St Valentines Day? Below are some recipes to try that might say happy Valentines to someone special in your life. It doesnt have to be shaped or pretty, just covered in chocolate to win my heart. Buen Apetito Marzipan Hearts 225g icing sugar 225g ground almonds 1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice Few drops of almond essence Glace cherries to decorate Place icing sugar and almonds in a bowl and mix. Beat the egg and add with the lemon juice and almond essence. Turn the mixture onto a dusted board and knead lightly until smooth. Press the marzipan into a flat sheet and then cut into squares. Place on a baking sheet and leave to dry overnight. Heat the oven to 200C and bake the marzipan for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool and decorate. Rum Truffles 100g trifle sponges 4 tbsp rum 4 tbsp black coffee 25g slivered almonds 1 tbsp icing sugar 25g butter 100g strong chocolate
Chocolate strands to decorate Dice the sponges and place in shallow dish. Grill nuts for 5 minutes, turning until toasted. Allow to cool. Put icing sugar and butter into a bowl and beat together. Add the sponge, rum and almonds and mix well. Set aside. Break chocolate into squares and place in a glass heat-proof bowl over a pan of hot water. Leave until melted and stir in coffee until smooth. Remove from the heat and mix into sponge mixture. Set aside to cool until firm enough to roll. Using a spoon, scoop out a small portion and roll mixture into a ball. Roll in the chocolate strands and place in a paper case. Traditional Fudge 450g granulated sugar 100g butter 150ml milk 150ml evaporated milk Place sugar, butter, milk and evaporated milk in a heavy based pan and heat gently until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil without stirring and then boil gently until the mixture is 116C (a sugar thermometer is best used for this). Stir occasionally to prevent the milk scorching. Beat with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes grainy and thick. Pour into lightly oiled tin and leave to set. When almost set mark squares with a knife which allow for easier removal when completely set. Strawberry Romanov 500g strawberries 1 small orange 4 tbsp vodka 3 tbsp caster sugar Topping 142ml whipping cream 25g caster sugar 200g low fat soft cheese 4-5 tbsp milk Wash the strawberries, reserving 4 for decoration and cut the rest into quarters. Peel thin strips of rind off the orange and squeeze the juice out. Mix together the orange juice, vodka and sugar in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Toss the strawberries in the mixture and chill in fridge for 1 hour. Whip the cream until peaks form, beat the cheese in a bowl and fold into the cream. Add in the milk a spoonful at a time until a smooth consistency. Place the strawberries in 4 bowls, spoon the creamy cheese on top and decorate Banana and Strawberry Honey Crisp 75g rolled oats 25g caster sugar 25g butter I lemon 1 tbsp orange blossom honey 225g strawberries halved 4 medium bananas peeled and thickly sliced 4 tbsp Greek yogurt Sprinkle oats over a baking sheet and scatter with sugar. Dot with butter and then drizzle over the honey. Place in oven 190C for around 10 minutes or until toasted. Remove and allow to cool. Place the strawberries and bananas in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with Greek yogurt and finish with a scattering of crumbled honey crisp oats.
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Got a question about life in Spain? Follow Brits Living in Spain on Facebook, says British Embassy Unsure how to report a crime to the Spanish Polica Nacional in English? What are your healthcare rights? Know how to renew your passport or get one in an emergency?
The answers to these and many other important issues can be found on the Brits Living in Spain Facebook page. Since its launch in November, more than 3000** people have already liked Brits Living in Spain on Facebook and the number is growing fast. The secret to Brits Living in Spains popularity is that it offers both factual information and a lively forum for sharing experiences and reliable information about life in Spain. Brilliant keep up the good work. Great page excellent idea and comments for ex-pats here in Spain. Its an interesting way to get in touch with other Brits in Spain and the passport and legal info is good. These are just a few of the comments posted by followers and contributors to the page. Will Middleton, Consular Director for Spain, says, We are really pleased with the response so far and with how British residents are sharing the information they find useful with others. If you are not yet following us and want to benefit from independent advice and others experiences, then please search for Brits Living in Spain on Facebook and like our page. Brits Living in Spain is run and moderated by the British Consular network. It is a sister channel to the British Embassys UKinSpain Facebook channel, which focuses on institutional and political information. Residents who are Twitter fans and want to keep up with the latest news from the Consular network can also follow @BritsliveSpain and read news and comments from the British Ambassador on @SimonManleyFCO. How to follow Brits Living in Spain: Go to www.facebook.com/BritslivinginSpain and like us. If you dont already have an account you will be prompted to create one. If you are already on Facebook, then search for the Brits Living in Spain page and once on it, click on like. (** 3,230 followers at 21st January)
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A recent landmark birthday looming left me pondering where to go for a short break to give myself a REAL treat, rather than just a nice meal and an evening out. The solution proved to be a weekend away in Archena, staying at the thermal spa, Los Balnearios de Archena. Archena is only about 20 minutes drive inland from Thader Commercial Centre, so ideal from anywhere in the Costa Clida if you want a relaxing break without a long journey. There are 3 Hotels actually located on the spa complex, the Len, the Termas and the Levante. The Len is a 3* hotel, whilst the other hotels are 4* hotels. I booked a family room in the Termas through a reservations website for the best deal, although the spa has its own site, which is useful for information on http://www.balneariodearchena.com (currently in Spanish only). We arrived at dusk on the Friday night. There is limited parking available for a daily charge which we pre-booked, although make sure you take a suitcase with wheels or lighter bags as the walk from the underground carpark to where we stayed was about 400 yards.
The kids could not wait to explore the thermal pool, which is included free in the room rate. The first time we went down with our clothes on, changing in the changing rooms into our robes and used lockers, but as the weekend progressed and we chilled out, we adopted the custom of simply wandering around the spa in our robes along the pathways through the pretty gardens, like everyone else seemed to do! The mineral pool is amazing, around 35 and very large, with built-in spa areas, Jacuzzi beds, pounding water jets that knock you off your feet and whirlpools. The best part was the strong current that whizzes you around from the indoor pool through a waterfall to the OUTSIDE pool, where there are beds to lie on and look at the stars whilst being massaged by the mineral waters; if you can get out of the fast current! In December, this was a surreal but very relaxing experience, albeit with a chilly nose poking out the warm water of the baths! I lay outside watching the night sky, with the kids whizzing past every few minutes, waving and bobbing like corks. A few hints re the spa: Bathing hats are compulsory (unless you are COMPLETELY bald!).
Take a few euro coins for the lockers in the changing rooms. Take flip flops/slippers with hard soles for wandering around the resort. The thermal pool is included in the price, but all other treatments from saunas to massages to Chocolate therapy (!) are extra. Dont bother taking too many clothes. We spent most of the weekend in our robes! Arrive before dark the first time, as the signs to the Baths are small and not easy to see if driving at night. I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday weekend and we were reluctant to leave the resort, only venturing down to the shops in Murcia for a couple of hours and a meal on Saturday afternoon. The rest of the time we simply lazed away at the resort, with drinks in the old Casino building, walks and relaxing. I cant wait for my next birthday for the return trip! Liz Edmiston OwnersAway Property Rentals & Management Tel+ 34 691 977 107 info@ownersaway.com www.ownersaway.com
The Municipal Swimming Pool The Municipal Council of Mazarrn has approved the undertaking of spending 133,100 to cover and heat the municipal swimming pool. The mayor of Finance and Sports, Andrs
Valera, defended the investment. The Mayor of Mazarrn, Gins Campillo said this initiative has highlighted the economic impossibility of building an indoor swimming pool.
Ski Trip To Sierra Nevada The Youth Council of Mazarrn has changed the date of the organized skiing trip to Sierra Nevada now to be held on 22nd and 23rd March. The trip is with the company Viajes Noalnur de Mazarrn and the price remains the same at 160. Andrs Valera explained that This way we avoid coinciding with the celebration of the Carnaval. The tour price includes travel to Sierra Nevada, a 2-day ski pass, 2 days equipment hire, 2 days ski or snowboard class and one nights accommodation half board at the hotel Nevasur which is 3 stars. Andrs Valera said that the activity is aimed at young people aged 14 and older, but parents can also join and mothers can stay with their children if they are under that age. Young people between 14 and 17 must have the authorization from their parents or guardians to make the trip. To register for the activity, or for more information about it, go to the Informajoven located in the sports hall La Acea Monday to Friday from 9am-2pm, call 968 591 810, or email juventudmazarron@hotmail.es. You can also go to the travel agency Viajes Noalnur de Mazarrn, located in the Constitution Avenue number 145 (opposite the bus stop).
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The Murcia Region Riding for the Disabled Association (AMTE) has now joined ranks with Cavalli Foundation to carry on their work with Horse Assisted Therapy, Therapeutic and Para-Equestrian Riding.
* Special Half-term activities and Horse riding for children and parents. 15th/16th February Course in Communication and Clicker Training for Horses Better your Horsemanship interpret your horses body language Improve communication with your horse Look out for your horses welfare Achieve the results you are looking for in your riding 17th-21st February Cavalli Pony Club Mornings Tel 636 172 198 to book
For entrance fee and participation in kids games please look on the Cavalli Blog www. fundacioncavallifoundation.blogspot. com 23rd February Sponsored Walk around the Barrancos de Gebas Almond Blossom and dogs to delight us and accompany us 10 includes picnic lunch, guide and insurance 28th Feb, 1st/2nd March Horse Assisted Therapy Course Introductory Course for Professionals For more information about Cavalli activities contact infocavallifoundation@gmail.com Tel 636 172 198 or look on Cavalli Blog! Follow us on Facebook!
On December 28th a concerted effort was made to celebrate the first Para-Equestrian event in the Region of Murcia. The event took place at META Riding Centre, organised by Cavalli and the Murcia Region RDA. This was supported by a group of young riders
21st February Cavalli Carnival Camp 22nd February Half-term Carnival Show Entrance fee includes paella and 1 drink
from various regional riding schools who did a demonstration of their riding skills and made the day special for the Para-Equestrian participants. The President of Murcia Region Riding Federation came to congratulate everyone on their success. Paella and drinks were served and a great day was enjoyed by all. Cavalli slogan Helping horses help people describes perfectly what the AMTE Association has been striving to achieve over the years; safe and enjoyable riding for young and old alike, accessible riding and activities alongside their horses for those with physical, mental, psychological or emotional difficulties. The aim of Cavalli and the Murcia RDA team is to pay the same attention to helping horses and to helping horse owners who find they can no longer take care of their horses themselves. A Spanish couple got in touch with Cavalli,
desperately looking for a solution to their problem. They were emotionally and physically affected by their situation, recently made redundant with foreclosure on their home and the land where they keep their four horses. What were they to do with their horses? Cavalli Foundation has found a way to help them by bringing them into the team, supporting them and their horses until they can be taken up to the Ranch in Gebas. Fundraising Events
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This month we are happy to announce the 2nd Anniversary of our Maintenance Scheme! Im sure everyone will agree that Green Fingers have made a vast difference to the streets of Lower C; pavement and road repairs, gravelled verges, dustbins off roads and many plants established. Its lovely to walk around pretty areas which are no longer overgrown, although some of the work has been hard! If youd like to join the members of our scheme paying 15 per quarter, please get in touch. Wed also like to continue to keep Sector C tidy, so we ask; if you have a pet, please clear up after it and keep our area a pleasant place to stroll around. Many thanks. Thanks to all our loyal members and of course our workers who are up early and out clearing the streets once more. If theyre in your area, please offer your support: spare cash
in buckets, even hot drinks and biccies are appreciated! Were always looking for volunteers. Even if youre not resident and just holidaying here, youre most welcome. We offer bacon/sausage sarnies every Wednesday as an incentive! Please contact John our Chairman on 634 325 427. If youre unable to offer physical work, but can donate raffle prizes or plants, wed love to hear from you. No offers too small and thanks to everyone for their donations, including 15 from MABS. Our hard work continues into our 3rd year: pavement repairs completed on the Pig Farm road, weeding of the Petanca court, holes have been dug and a record 40 new trees and 27 Yuccas planted along the dual carriageway from the Sensol Villas office down to the Rambla road, concreting of manhole covers on Calles Ibiscum and Bugambilla and repairing
potholes on Calle Lopera, the Rambla bridge bend and dual carriageway, where flood water and silt have been cleared after a burst near the Golf Club. Streets on C1, 2, 3 and 4 have been also been sprayed with weed killer as part of our ongoing programme. However, its with sadness we have to mention the theft of one of our green water containers from the side of the dual carriageway between Sensol Villas and the roundabout and a further theft of a matching lid from the container behind the Welcome wall! These items will cost money to replace, so if anyone can guide us in confidence to the culprits, we would love to hear from you. Please check chalkboards, Facebook and website for any more information. http://www.greenfingersgardenandsocialgroup.com/
Thanks to the fantastic response we received from our first ever column in the Costa Clida Chronicle, we welcomed several new faces from Camposol and La Majada to our Christmas Dinner Dance. Imagine how pleased we were when we heard a message from a couple at Camposol on the local radio saying what a good evening theyd had at our event! We would now like to invite everyone to our next two events. The first is our Easter Monday Afternoon Fair at 3pm on 21st April. As always we are holding it outside our on-site bar and restaurant, La Taberna
and will have a variety of stalls, hot dogs, an Easter Egg Hunt for the children and a raffle. Theres no entry charge, so please join us and enjoy what is always a very pleasant afternoon. Another date for your diary is Wednesday 14th May, when we are organizing a coach trip to Jumilla with wine tasting and a menu del dia. We plan to have two pick up points: La Taberna at Mazarrn Country Club and Marianos Restaurant, Camposol A. The price for this trip will be 25 for our members and 27 for non-members.
Next month we are planning to launch our new website where well put contact details for buying tickets for our events etc. In the meantime, if you would like to join us on our trip to Jumilla, please email us at mccsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk
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The FAST Christmas Party Night at The Steak Out Restaurant, Camposol B on 11th December was a great success! Everyone enjoyed Camposols own Bernie Macs entertainment from start to finish, creating such a good party atmosphere which is what we all come to expect when in his company!
Ladies Chatterbox Group started the New Year with a very interesting and interactive meeting led by members of FAST, the group of trained volunteers who deliver a fantastic service helping people on Camposol in emergency situations. After an interesting talk on their work, FAST members encouraged everyone to practice emergency help on dummies and training equipment. Well done those people who were brave enough to volunteer to have a go! Also well done to those members who volunteered to join FAST as new members. The next meeting on Feb 13th will be a short AGM before Move that Body; by popular request a return visit from Annette.
Sew And Sew meets every Monday afternoon between 2.30pm and 4.30pm in the Cultural, Centre, Camposol B. Ladies Chatterbox Group meets on Camposol in the Cultural Centre on the 2nd Thursday of each month. If you would like further information, please contact Rosemary Scott on 619 575 463 or Chris Leiper on 968 199 441.
The Steak Out provided a wonderful buffet of both hot and cold food so much variety that plates were easily filled before managing to get even half way along the many tables of tempting food. Excellent value for the whole evening at only 10 per person! Stand up Bingo was played, which was good fun. The winner - the last person standing not to have a number called out - shared the amount raised with FAST and received 27.50. The Fundraising Team who organised this event also ran a Raffle and the large selection of great prizes made it somewhat difficult for the winners to choose. The dancing and singing added to the enjoyment of a thoroughly good evening. The amount raised for FAST came to a grand total of 393. Thanks to all of you! For Your Information: During 2013 FAST responded to 141 call outs and 109 ambulances were called. FAST Book Stall - Friday 28th February on Camposol B 10am FAST Recruiting - Responders & Supporters Information, please email rabt.val@hotmail.com FAST Demonstrations For bookings please email rabt.val@hotmail.com FAST Table Top Sale (date to be announced) Items for Donating to FAST please email paddysnell5@gmail.com Entertainment Saturday 1st March WILDCAT at the Black Bull, Camposol B Tickets 5 from FAST Book Stall or Brenda 680 174 499/Jean 646 737 479 Visit the FAST website www.fastcamposol.com Paddy Snell Responder/PR for FAST
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The AGM was held on 3rd December at Marianos and was attended by 88 members and 9 committee members, chaired by Bob Owen. Full details can be found on the CRA website, on the notice board inside Consum and at the CRA cabin adjacent to the Cutural Centre. Briefly, Bob outlined the achievements made in the past year, particularly regarding the obtaining of nota simples for a number of embargoed properties on Camposol. Progress was being made in the removal of these embargoes, but those affected should consult urgently with a solicitor experienced in these matters. One highlight of the day was the awarding of medals by Keith Donovan to Bob Owen in recognition of his hard work on behalf
of the residents over the past 5 years and to Jos Navarro, Mayor of El Saladillo, for his work in liaising with the Mayor of Mazarrn, Gines Campillo, over several of the issues concerning the infrastructure of Camposol and pushing forward a solution to these problems. Keith intends to award these medals annually to any deserving committee member. Bob and Val Taylor were also commended for their tireless work in raising funds with the lotto bonusball weekly draw. Jos should also be congratulated for his hard work in trying to get the Cultural Centre designated an official polling station so that Camposol residents can cast their votes there in future Council elections, instead of having to go into Mazarrn. The Cultural Centre has been approved for
this purpose for the forthcoming European elections in May, but Jos has found out that all polling stations in Spain have to be approved by the Electoral Authority each time there is an election. Jos is pushing hard for approval of the Cultural Centre for the Council elections in May 2015, and if granted, this will be publicised as soon as possible. It is important that we use this facility in the European elections as a demonstration to the authorities and it is in everyones interest to have the Cultural Centre designated as an official polling station. If we dont use it, the permission may not be allowed. Contact the CRA on www.cracamposol. com or email info@cracamposol.com
Your Own Peoples Animal Charity MAMAS endeavours to financially aid people who kindly rescue sick, injured, and abandoned animals; those feral animals that are lost, or heartlessly discarded by uncaring owners. We all see them, dogs running around alone, or out in the country in small packs at the roadside; cats out at night, under cars or scavenging for any scraps of food they can find. When you take one in, come to us. We assist you with vet bills to help lessen the burden on you. We can also provide food for them initially to get you going. Vet treatments range from neutering to other treatments suggested by our own vet. Lester was taken to the vets and abandoned there. He was only three months old, underweight and could barely stand. In fact he was so ill that he had to be kept there until he was fit enough to be released. He has now found a new home with a car-
ing lady and with some financial help from MAMAS towards his m e d i c a l costs, he is settled and healthy with his new family. Please contact us if you need help. Tel 666 186 037 or call at the shop Email mazarronanimalmedi-aid@hotmail.com How Do We Do This And How You Can Assist Us We need any items you no longer need; items of furniture, clothing, kitchenware,
electrical goods, anything we can sell. We will clear whole houses. Monetary donations are also welcome. In these difficult times anything you can do will be gratefully felt. You can donate at the shop, Mon to Sat 10am-2pm. Go towards Puerto de Mazarrn passed Lidl and turn left just before Consum Supermarket - we are 100mts away. We always have a good selection of second hand items in the shop at reasonable prices. If you need quality items, visit us. You can save yourself time, money and help animals at the same time. Check out our website where there is a link to show furnishings for sale. For full details go to mazarronanimalmedi-aid.co.uk Every Tuesday we are on Camposol B car park 10am-1pm opposite the petrol station. We can collect items from you there or arrange collection if needed.
50/50 Scheme This applies to larger items, from a single item up to full house contents including furniture and white goods. We can collect the bulky items free of charge, display them in our shop to ensure that you receive the best possible price and then forward your 50% share to you. Volunteers Urgently Needed To keep our charity going we urgently need new volunteers to replace the long serving ones that have recently retired. Can you spare one morning a week to help us? If you can find the time, please contact us by phone or at the shop. Helping You To Help Animals, that you rescue. Email mazarronanimalmedi-aid@hotmail.com Registered Charity No 9537/1a
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FORGET-ME-NOT - Aims of our charter Primarily to investigate the needs for Respite Care in the general Mazarrn, Murcia area. To promote goodwill amongst various charities, churches, organisations and others who are concerned about the problems associated with Respite Care. To seek ways to alleviate stress placed upon the spouse, family or friends for whom caring becomes a 24hr labour of love. To identify those who are in need of relief from the burden of such care. To seek out establishments, organisations, volunteers and others that can provide a break from the afflicted whilst alternative care is provided. The problem is mainly, but not exclusively, aimed to assist those whose partners are suffering from Alzheimers, dementia or other long term incurable illnesses or diseases. To supplement the work, without prejudice, of those organisations that provide medical and emotional support within their own constitutions, charters or etiquettes. To create funding for the provision of such care that may be required on an individual basis; any such expenditure to be subject to approval by a small team to be appointed and whose membership shall be regularly reviewed.
Welcome Start To 2014 The President of Age Concern (Ann Lambert) was at the Welcome Groups January meeting to receive a generous donation of 600. Welcome provide valuable support to Age Concern throughout the year and it was
great to see this year start in the same way! For anyone who wants to join us for a chat for a couple of hours, our next get-together will be at 1.30pm on Wednesday 5th February. The next Menu del Dia will be Wednesday 26th February at Las Galayos, Puerto de Mazarrn. A four course meal including drinks for 10, with music from Timeless. Age Concern can be found at the Cultural Centre, Camposol B Wednesday/Thursday 10am to 1pm. Telephone 634 310 216. Tickets can also be purchased outside Bar Salud, Fridays 11am to 1pm. Telephone 634 336 484.
To ensure that there is no conflict between the fund raising requirements and activities of Forget-Me-Not and those organisations that support this initiative. To widen the awareness of the increasing nature of the problem of Respite Care through regular media exposure such as radio, television, newspapers, periodicals and leaflets. Find out more or contact us on www.bolnuevo.com
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To raise money for the above by means of jointly supported events and through donations. To this end we have organised a Fun Day to be held at Marianos, Camposol A on St Georges Day April 23rd with music, stalls, fun and games and much more. We look forward to seeing you there.
Mazarrn Carnaval 2014 will have two parades this year. On Friday, February 28th the Gala Election of the Carnaval Muses and Musos will take place and Saturday March 1st will see the Childrens Carnaval Parade. The General Parade with local and foreign clubs taking part will take place on Sunday 2nd March. This is a festival that Mazarrn, wants to strengthen further and Councillor of Celebrations, Isidro Coy said This year we intend to install audible equipment in some areas of the route of the parade. The Council has extended the funding distributed to the Gala Election of Musos and Muses. This year, the winners of the different categories will receive 300 compared to 200 last year. In addition, each candidates will receive 100 just for participating, so we hope that this years gala numbers will increase with representatives from the various clubs.
a different location in the region with various markets giving a chance to show of the skills of its Artisans Association. Cycling Agreement Mazarrn Town Council and the cycling team PinoRoad SL have signed an agreement whereby the Town will become the logistics base in Europe for the sports. This was announced by the Mayor of Mazarrn, Gins Campillo, Sporting Director of PinoRoad SL, Jesus Buenda, and the President of the Cycling Federation of the Region of Murcia (FCRM), Jos Lpez Tortosa. The event was also attended by Salvador Guardiola, a Murcian rider belonging to this team. They also presented the jersey to the Chilean team that will be based in Mazarrn from March to September, with the logo Mazarrn Bahia and an image of the Phoenician boat. With the support of the Department of Sports for the team to train in Mazarrn, the corporate image will travel through various countries in South America and Europe. Jess Buenda thanked Mazarrn for supporting this professional cycling team saying that they have found the ideal in Mazarrn with its excellent climate and different terrains in which to train. The team of 20 from PinoRoad SL will reside in several houses in Puerto de Mazarrn for 7 months as the team face its debut in the European calendar. The team is composed of 9 Chilean and 4 Spanish riders, including Salvador Guardiola. On 8th and 9th March there will bed the first national BMX Competition and in September there will be the Spanish Championship League for Juniors and Masters which will test two cycling clubs in Mazarrn; Club Ciclista Mazarrn and 9 of Puerto de Mazarrn. Three Kings The Magi from the East arrived on Sunday 5th December by boat, landing about 4.30 in Puerto de Mazarrn. The Banda de Cornetas y Tambores Virgen de las Penas accompanied the Three Kings and travelled through the centre of the seaside town. The carriage in which their Majesties were, handed out candy and the coach also went to the neighborhood of San Isidro with bees and honeycomb, several elves and a carriage full of shepherds with the Queen of the Festivities, Maite Martnez and the Ladies of the Court; Cristina Torres, Maria Caballero and Rebeca Ortiz. Also participating were various courtship infant cartoon characters and a group of dancers who were performing a colourful show with fire. Closing the parade was a float of the Eastern Star.
Usuarios Almazarrn, hosting the awards ceremony of the 10th Beln Competition. The event was attended by the Mayor of Mazarrn, Gins Campillo, Councillor for Culture, Maria Celeste Soria and the President of Almazarron, Ana Mara Martnez. There was a high quality of cribs submitted to the contest and Maria Soria congratulated the Association for the contest that the she feels the City Council must support. 1st prizes in the Childrens category; Jos Mara Celdran de Haro, Alfonso Hernndez Campillo and Mara Jos Lpez Garcia. 1st prizes for Family Crib category; Mariana Snchez Blaya, Mari Carmen Moreno Zamora and Ana Garca Snchez. 1st prizes in the Schools category; Colleges La Canadica, Gins Garca Martnez and Bahia. 1st prize for A La Originaliad went to the IES Domingo Valdivieso and a special award for the Decoracin Navidea,was awarded to the college Francisco Caparros. The Mayor of Mazarrn congratulated the Association and its members not only for conducting this competition, but also for designing the cribs which improve year after year. The evening ended with a tasting of hot chocolate with cake prepared by the housewives and distributed among the participants after the awards which, like the competition, has also become a tradition in closing this popular crib competition. Trade Fair A Trade Solidarity Day took place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd December in Plaza Toneleros, Puerto de Mazarrn. This was organized by the Association of Ecumenical Church of Camposol.
The Marquee and Mobile Disco will be installed in the Plaza del Convento de Mazarrn, where the Awards Ceremony will be held for the parades with a jury of people from outside the Municipality. This year there will be four awards for local clubs consisting of 1,200 for 1st, 900 for 2nd, 600 for 3rd and a new prize of 400 for 4th. The Childrens Parade will keep its 3 awards of 650 for the winner, 500 for 2nd and 450 for 3rd. Also, the 2 awards for foreign clubs participating in the General Parade on the Sunday will remain as last year at 300 for 1st and 200 for 2nd. Also the best costume award for Gala Day will be 100 for each category. The clubs and bands, both local and foreign, who are interested in participating in any of the two parades, can register until Friday February 14th at 2pm. The application form can be downloaded from the municipal website www.mazarron.es or collected from the Department of Celebrations on the first floor of the Town Hall of Mazarrn. This request must also indicate whether the group has a candidate for the Muso/Musa Competition. For more information on any of these aspects you can call 968 339 306 or email festejos@mazarron.es Artisan Market The Department of Trade of Mazarrn and Regional Multiple Crafts Guild will present their Artisan Market on Saturday February 8th on the Paseo de las Comunidades Autnomos, between 10am and 2pm. This market will offer both residents of the Municipality and foreign citizens living in or visiting the coast, the most authentic craftsmanship from the Region of Murcia. Thirty artisans will demonstrate their crafts as well as display their work for sale. The Regional Guild of Various Handicraft takes to the streets every Saturday and Sunday in
Councillor for Social Policy in Mazarrn, Maria Martinez, visited the Fair and thanked both the Ecumenical Church Association and their volunteers for their selfless work. The Mayor of Mazarrn, Gins Campillo said We should be proud to have in our town Associations and Organizations such as these that are involved in the social life of Mazarrn, especially from foreign residents who show us how important solidarity is on these special days.
Beln Competition On Sunday 12th January, the Ateneo Cultural de Mazarrn, exhibited the Beln de la Asociacin de Amas de Casa, Consumidores y
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Hi from Bob with your latest Welcome report. As usual, theres a lot to get through, so Ill dive straight in. Welcome went to Benidorm for Christmas, staying at the popular Hotel Helios. Now, you may remember that in last months issue, I said that Fran and I were going to the family in England for the holiday, so we obviously werent there, but everybody who did go said what a fantastic time they had. Good food, great company and lovely crackers and gifts with the Christmas Gala Lunch. The hotel is already booked for Christmas 2014 and is filling fast, so reserve your place now to avoid disappointment. New Years Eve was another Welcome success, with Dan Davey, Rob Sweeney and our own Christine soon having everyone dancing. The night didnt fin-
get a beetle! Ive never done that before! Just luck, really - its all down to how the dice falls. Congratulations to Janet Smith for winning the Beetle Drive and Madcaps for winning the Family Fortunes. Modesty forbids me to reveal which team won the Quiz, but all in all, everybody had a good laugh. At the Welcome Meeting on January 3rd we were sorry to hear that the English Carnival committee had closed down. As Welcome had always donated money towards the costumes, they felt it was only right that the money left in the bank went back to Welcome. After discussions with the committee it was decided to make up the total money to split the money evenly between MABS, Age Concern and the AECC in Murcia.
ion Show and Bingo. Entertainment by Woody. Just 3 for an evening where the ladies can get together and have a good natter. 12th March Welcome Dance with Dan Davey and Darren Jones who together are Showtime. This promises to be another great night for just 8 and 5 for chicken and chips. 30th March Annual Treasure Hunt and we are promised that the route will take us to places that weve never been to before, but beware! This can lead to serious family squabbles! Weve not heard of a case of divorce so far, but theres always a first time! Its just an afternoon of fun and laughs, with a buffet waiting at our final mystery destination and prizes for the most and least points. 8. Names are now being taken for our Summer Ball on June 25th. 2014 Trips Our February Segovia Trip is fully booked. There are still cabins available on our Baltic Capitals Cruise, leaving on May 30th, overnight in Madrid, flight to Copenhagen, then 7 nights aboard MSC Poesia. Special discounted prices include transfers, full board on the ship, all drinks and insurance. The only extras are excursions and personal spending. There is limited availability on our September 15th Trip To Galicia, overnight in Salamanca, 3 nights in Santiago de Compostela and overnight in Avila on the return journey. All B & B with optional excursions included in the price of 310. Book/Jigsaw Swap dates for February are 4th and 18th. Call Jo on 669 457 985 for more details. Volunteers are always welcome, so if you can spare an hour, it would be most appreciated. Fun Petanca is on February 26th at 2pm at the rear of Marianos. Just 1 for members and 2 for others. Ring Les on 968 131 880 for more information. The next Welcome Meeting is on February 1st where you can buy tickets for all previously advertised events where available. For more details, call Rosemary on 620 105 179, or email rosemarybeak@hotmail.com or visit www.welcomegroupspain.com
ish until the early hours and thanks to all the helpers who made the night so unforgettable. The Games Night was the usual good fun, with the Beetle Drive, Bingo and Quiz. I even managed to
Future Events 12th February Welcome Dance with Sandy Fitzpatrick and Terry J. 8 and 5 for chicken and chips. 5th March Ladies Evening with the usual stalls selling jewellery, cards, etc and also the Fash-
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Lesson 5 More negatives and questions Your homework last month was to translate these two sentences into Spanish, so here are the answers: I like talking, but I need to work. Me gusta hablar pero necesito trabajar. Can I eat and drink as well? Puedo comer y beber tambin? If you are a fairly elementary student of Spanish and managed to do that correctly well youve achieved a lot! Also it means youve been paying attention to what Ive told you, which is always nice for me. For those of you who might not have got it quite right, the most typical mistake is to mistranslate talking remember that talking is treated like to talk after me gusta. Me gusta hablar (I like to talk I like talking). Also last lesson I promised you some more of those lovely verbs to give you more scope in what you can say. Remember that at the moment we are not making any changes to the verbs we are learning we are keeping them in their basic or infinitive form and learning ways we can fit them into sentences just as they are. Here is a quick reminder that these infinitive forms in Spanish always end in ar, -er or ir. There are no exceptions to this rule. Here are some more: Andar to walk Cerrar to close Comprar to buy Escuchar - to listen Estar to be (how or where) Firmar to sign
Visitar - to visit Correr to run Hacer to make/to do Leer to read Tener to have Ver to watch/to see Conducir to drive Escribir to write Ir to go Salir to go out If you want to commit these to memory, the best way to do it is in a relaxed and repetitive way. Heres a suggestion to help you. Write them down in a list, the Spanish words on the left and their English translations on the right. Sit down for 10-15 minutes in a quiet, comfortable place where youre not going to be disturbed, turn off your mobile phone, put the cat in another room and ignore your other half for a while! Maybe put some favourite music on in the background, then read the Spanish words slowly out loud, one after the other, whilst silently noticing their translations as you go down the list. Do this once or maybe twice a day, but without putting yourself under any pressure to memorise. After a few times you will find that the words start to stick in your mind, mainly because you are relaxed as you are learning them. Unfortunately in these articles you cant hear our new verbs pronounced, but you should be careful about them all the same. For example leer to read in an English pronunciation would turn those two letter Es into a longer sound. However, each vowel in Spanish is pronounced separately, le er, with both Es making the same pure sound. Always remember that with these infinitive verbs the beat or emphasis goes on
the last syllable andar, correr, conducir etc. We should now start seeing what new sentences we can make. Ill do some examples with their translations with some in English and Spanish for you to have a think about before the next lesson. You might need to do a small amount of research for some of the extra words. As usual, Ill tell you all the answers next month. Voy a andar a la playa. Im going to walk to the beach. Puedo cerrar la puerta? Can I close the door? No necesito comprar ms. I dont need to buy (any) more. Me gusta escuchar msica. I like listening to music. Vas a estar aqu mucho tiempo? Are you going to be here for long? Translate into English No puedo firmar hoy Quieres visitar a tu amigo? No necesito correr. Me gusta hacer los deberes. No voy a leer todo el libro. Translate into Spanish Do you want to have a lot of money? I like watching the news. I cant drink and drive. Are you going to write a letter? I need to go to the chemist. Jane Cronins Step by Step Spanish articles are now available as e-books at www.janecronin.eu where you can also obtain Janes brand new Step by Step Internet Spanish course.
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No surprises that this months review comes from the Spa at Archena. Having sampled the waters, we decided to sample the food as well! There are several places to eat on the resort, ranging from the caf at the poolside (robes only, no street clothes allowed!) and the snacks served at the old Casino, to formal dining in the hotels and restaurants. We chose the Restaurante La Terraza, described as minimalist and with a limited a la carte menu. However, the restaurant offers 2 set menus for 2 people, with 5 courses each and wine, so we decided to try one of these. The first test, given that the youngest cant manage 5 courses, was to see whether they were open to our taking the set menu for 2 with 3 plates! At 52 for 2 fixed price, it isnt cheap, but the waitress said it was no problem and then gave us all drinks and bread rolls. Im not sure how many drinks are included if you dine as a couple, but we were served 4 cokes and 2 large glasses of wine,
included in the price (along with what seemed to be unlimited bread rolls!). First course was a liver pt with sherry and a selection of crackers and breadsticks, easy enough to share. This was followed by a large salad with prawns and jamon Iberico, which was mainly polished off by me! Service was swift and we were given 4 mushroom croquettes to share next (causing the first bit of fighting as they were delicious!) and then the main course arrived. This was Entrecte a la plancha with potatoes and small green peppers on the side. The 2 steaks had been sliced and the whole lot served to us on a platter; ideal for sharing. The dessert was meant to be a plate of bite sized items, with mini cheesecakes, mini sponges and spoonfuls of homemade arroz con leche. At this point Im not sure what the portions should be, as the waitress took one look at Alexs blue eyes and brought out a plate with 3 of everything on it!! Ah, the benefit of having cute kids!
All in all it was excellent value for a resort of this type. There is also another set menu available for 48 per head, although as it has more seafood on it, the kids didnt like the sound of it. Having checked on the website, these menus do not appear to change and you can view them online. The only complaint was that in December there were only 2 places occupied and the minimalist style of the restaurant felt a little cold rather than welcoming, but the staff could not have been more pleasant or helpful. On the return trip, Ill be trying on of the other eating places on the resort, hopefully with quality and service to match the Terraza. Rating: (out of 5) Quality : Service : Value for Money : Location : Ambience :
(the resort)
Find Love - IT Changes Everything! Can you find love on the Internet? Millions of people believe you can. They want to click a mouse and discover lifelong bliss. In the real world however, its not that easy to find love, unless we turn to some place unexpected: God. When you find love from God, you find pure, unconditional, indestructible, eternal love. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings. This is from a version called, The Message. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesnt want what it doesnt have. Love doesnt strut, Doesnt have a swelled head, Doesnt force itself on others,
Isnt always me first, Doesnt fly off the handle, Doesnt keep score of the sins of others, Doesnt revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. A prayer by St. Francis of Assisi, also on the same theme: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. We are the church serving the community of Camposol and surrounding areas. A warm welcome awaits you at our service every Sunday morning at 10.30am in the Cultural Centre, Camposol B. Pastor Ralph and Margaret Locke 968 199 622
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RED Entertainment GREEN Charity & non-profit making events ORANGE Special menus BLACK Fiestas & important events PURPLE Market, exhibitions, leisure & meetings Please refer to the relevant advert or editorial for more details of events
Every Day All day breakfasts @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrn from 2.50 1 menu @ AP Grill, Camposol B 12-1pm (Mon-Fri) Any pizza and a drink @ Mamma Mia, Pto de Mazarrn 12.30-4.30pm 8 (exc Sat & Sun) 2 for 1 Menu @ AP Grill, Camposol B 1-3pm (Mon-Fri) Special Menu @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar 3.99 (Mon-Thurs) Happy Hour @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 4-6pm (Mon-Fri) Happy Hour @ Saralaras, Pto de Mazarrn 5-7pm (exc Weds, Sat, Sun) Happy Hour @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar 6-8pm (Mon-Thurs) Moroccan grill/salad/potatoes/drink @ Restaurante Alhambra, Pto de Mazarrn 8.50 Menu del Noche @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 10 (exc Tues & Sun) Menu del Noche @ Restaurante Avenida, Puerto de Mazarrn 12 inc a drink 3 Course Menu del Noche @ Elliots, Bolnuevo 12 (exc Sun) 3 Course Menu del Noche @ Chez Zoe, Pto de Mazarrn 12 (Wed-Sat) 3 Course Menu del Noche @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn 10 inc btl wine for 2
Every Mon
Chiropody with Phillip Dawe @ Sensol Golf Villa Sales Building, Camposol C Mazarrn Bay Bridge Club @ Atrium Hotel, Bolnuevo 9.30am Dancercize with Zizi @ The Arches, Los Alczares 12pm Ladies Chatterbox Group Sew & Sew @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2.30pm Spanish Conversation Class @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Quiz Night @ The Club House, Camposol C 8pm Quiz Night @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 8pm 2 Poker Night @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar from 8pm Bowling League @ Alley Palais, Camposol B Free glass wine/beer/soft drink with main course @ AP Grill, Camposol B 3 Course Menu del @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 10 Andreas Animal Rescue Collection @ Car Park, Camposol B 11.30am-1.30pm HELP MMM Bingo @ La Zona Bar, Los Alczares 2pm 1 game MABS MMM Fun Quiz @ La Rosa Bar, San Cayetano 9pm Every Tue B Clean Working Party @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9am Petanca @ Los Balcones, Caadas del Romero 10am-1pm Petanca @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhma from 4pm Fit 4 Life Weight Loss Support Group @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Language Exchange Class @ Miguel Delibes School, Pto de Mazarrn 6-8pm FREE Football Training Session (ages 4-17) @ El Pareton 6-7pm Learn to Ballroom Dance with Jacqui @ The Arches, Los Alczares 7pm Harlequin Rock Choir Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7.30-9pm Poker Night @ Black Bull, Camposol B 8pm Stamp Collecting @ Biblioteca, Puerto de Mazarrn 6pm Story Time @ Biblioteca de San Pedro del Pinatar 6-7pm (4-7yrs) Free dessert with any 3 course meals @ AP Grill, Camposol B 3 Course Menu del Noche @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 10 3 Course Menu del Noche @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrn, 10 inc btl wine for 2 Karaoke with Lynden B @ The Arches, Los Alczares MABS Mazarrn Coffee Morning @ MABS Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm MAMAS Collection/Book Stall @ Camposol B Car Park 10am-1pm
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MABS Mazarrn Craft Workshop @ MABS Centre, Camposol B 2.30-4.30pm Every Wed C Gardening Group Clean Up @ Camposol C 9am Camposol Bridge Club, Duplicate Bridge @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 9.30am Slimming Club @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 10.30am Dancercize with Zizi @ The Arches, Los Alczares 11am Magenta Harmony Group. 11.30am (Tel for venue) Ladies Coffee Afternoon @ Marianos, Camposol A 2.30-4.30pm Line Dancing with Lyn @ The Arches, Los Alczares 3pm Chiropodist (appointment only) @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Pool League @ Alley Palais, Camposol B Mazarrn AA Group @ Meeting Room adjacent to Caada de Gallego Church 5.30pm Beacon of Light Centre @ School House, Caadas del Romero 7-8.30pm Quiz Night @ Saralaras, Pto de Mazarrn 8pm 10% discount off your bill @ AP Grill, Camposol B Pizza Day @ Mamma Mia, Pto de Mazarrn 6 any pizza with purchase of drink & coffee 2 Course Pie Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrn, 10 inc a drink 3 Course Steak/Spare Rib Night @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 15 Age Concern booking events etc @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm MABS MMM Art Workshop @ Caf Golf, San Javier, 10am-12pm 2 PALS for booking events etc @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 1-3pm HAH Book & DVD Club @ La Zona Bar, Los Narejos 2.30-4.30pm Every Thu Camposol Market @ Camposol A Bingo @ The Club House, Camposol C 1-3pm Mazarrn Ladies Circle @ Hotel Playa Grande, Pto de Mazarrn 1.30pm Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC Meeting @ The Club House, Camposol C 4pm Quiz Night with Chippie @ Black Bull, Camposol B 8pm Free starter with all 3 course meals @ AP Grill, Camposol B 3 Course Mexican Night @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhma from 6pm 12 2 Course Curry Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrn, 10 inc a drink 4 Course Surprise Menu @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 25 for 2 Jam Night @ The Club House, Camposol C Club Night with DJ Romeo @ Alley Palais, Camposol B from 9pm Age Concern booking events etc @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm Andreas Animal Rescue Collection @ Mazarrn Country Club 11.30am-1pm Every Fri Camposol Bridge Club/Duplicate Bridge @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 9.30am Friday Art Group @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 9.45am-12.30pm Fitness Class @ Los Balcones, Caadas del Romero 10am Pilates @ Los Balcones, Caadas del Romero 11am Book Stall/Camposol A Gardening @ Car Park Camposol A 10.30am-12.30pm 10 Pin Bowling/Camposol C Greenfingers Garden Group @ Totana 4pm Semi Permanent/Specialist Make Up Artist @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Find the Joker @ Black Bull, Camposol B 7pm Chip Shop Menu @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar from 4.50 Fish & Chip Night @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn 6 Fish & Chip Night @ Black Bull, Camposol B 6.50 (11am-4pm & 6pm-9pm) Booking Advisable Fish & Chips @ AP Grill, Camposol B 6.50 Fish & Chip Night @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhma 7.95 from 6pm 2 Course Italian Night @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 8.50 (except 14th) 2 Course Surf or Turf Night @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn 10 inc btl wine for 2 3 Course Fish & Chip Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarron 10 Live Music @ Le Carrousel, Pto de Mazarrn (tapas menu from 9/menu tasting 15) Disco & Karaoke @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 9pm-late Noahs ARC Book Sale/Bric-a-Brac @ Camposol B 9.30am-2pm Lions Mazarrn booking events etc outside Compusurf, Camposol B 11am GOmaD Donations @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B/Costa Clida Radio 12.30-2pm Age Concern booking events etc @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 11am-1pm
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Every Sat
Harlequin Rock Choir Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2-4pm 3 Course Steak Night @ AP Grill, Camposol B 25 per cpl inc btl wine 3 Course Steak Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrn 15 Fillet/Aberdeen Angus Steak, get 2nd Price @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn Mixed Grill Menu @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhma Karaoke & Disco @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 9pm-late Live Entertainment @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrn Live Music @ Las Lomas, Calasparra
MABS MMM Book Sale @ The Arches, Los Alczares 10am-1pm HELP MMM Sale of Up-Market Clothes @ The Arches, Los Alczares 10am-1pm PALS for booking events @ Trevis, Camposol B 11am-1.30pm Every Sun Car Boot Sale @ Caadas del Romero Social Centre 8.30am Car Boot Sale @ Venta Romero, Cuevas de Reyllo 9am-2pm Fun Quiz @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhama 8pm Sunday Roast @ The Wishing Well, Valladolises from 5.95 Special Menu @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar from 5.99 Sunday Roast @ AP Grill, Camposol B, 6.95 Sunday Carvery @ Las Lomas, Calasparra from 7.95 Sunday Roast @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn 8.50 inc a drink Sunday Carvery @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C from 9 3 Course Sunday Lunch @ Elliots, Bolnuevo 10 Sunday Roast @ Lizs Cafe, Camposol B 10 inc a drink 3 Course Sunday Lunch/Evening @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 10 3 Course Sunday Lunch/Evening @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrn 10 inc btl wine for 2 Meat Carvery/Vegetable Buffet @ La Mariposa, Gebas from 10.50 inc glass wine/beer 3 Course Sunday Lunch @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhama 12 Barbeque Buffet @ El Hombre del Velero, San Pedro del Pinatar from 12.50 Sunday Roast @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrn HELP MMM Car Boot @ Autocine, Los Narejos 8.30am-12.30 Open Day @ Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, Rojales 1-4pm FEBRUARY Chinese New Year of the Horse (until 15th)
Music Instrument Exhibition @ Baranda Music Museum (until end March) Saturday 1 JJs Table Top Sale @ Bar Palmeras, Puerto de Mazarrn 10am-2pm ADAPT Meeting @ Pensionista de Hogar, San Pedro 10.30am Welcome Meeting @ Marianos, Camposol A 2pm Luxury Pedicure/Manicure/Mini Facial @ Eden Hair & Beauty, Cond de Alhama 30 (all of Feb) Disco with Lisa B @ Black Bull, Camposol B Buddy Holly Tribute @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn Bono Tribute @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 5 (food available)
Sunday 2
La Candeleria, Beniel Artisan Market @ Bullas Mazarrn FC v EMF Fuente (Home)
Monday 3
PALS Monthly Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 11.15am
Tuesday 4 Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10am-12pm Stamp Collecting Meeting @ the Biblioteca in Puerto de Mazarrn 6pm HAH Volunteers Meeting @ Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos 11.15am Wednesday 5 Visit to Elche & Shopping Centre near Torrevieja with Viajes Dragontours 17 Mazarrn Classic & Sports Car Group @ La Vida, El Pareton 4pm
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Age Concern Talking Shop Social @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 1.30-3.30pm Thursday 6 Market Morning @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Friday 7 1st Anniversary Party/Flamenco @ Spice Villa, Camposol A, 2 course meal & btl wine for 2 18 Viva Espaa Evening with Pitu/Flamenco/Tapas @ The Club House, Camposol C 20 MABS Murcia NW Outdoor Market Stall @ Calle Segura, Calasparra 9am-1pm MABS Mazarrn Jigsaw Bereavement Group @ Cats Bar, Camposol A 12pm Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7-9pm (12-18 year olds) Artisan Market @ Paseo de las Comunidades Autnomos , Pto de Mazarrn 10am-2pm Suzie G @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrn Andy Jones @ The Club House, Camposol C G n T @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn Robbie Williams Tribute @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 5 (food available) Sunday 9 Artisan Market @ Mula Hiking in Moratalla. Otos Castillo de Pliego 10 (opt meal 15) Free Guided Tour Vida En El Mundo De La Sal Meet Visitor Centre, Las Salinas 11am Monday 10 Guided Walk followed by 4 course lunch inc beer/wine @ La Mariposa, Gebas 12 Valentines Offer/His n Her Massage 30/His Cut & Her Blow Dry 15 @ Janes Salon, Condado (to 14/2) Valentines Offer/His Cut & Her Blow Dry 15/Blow Dry/Nail Shape/Polish 15 @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo (to 14/2) Tuesday 11 HAH Table Top Sale @ La Zona Bar, Los Alccares 10am-1pm HELP MMM Charity Market @ La Zona Bar, Los Alcazres 11am-1pm Wednesday 12 SAMM General Meeting @ CAR Infanta Cristina, Los Narejos 11am Laser Specialist Available @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Welcome Dance - Sandy Fitzpatrick/Terry J @ Marianos, Camposol A 7.45pm, 8 (food 5) MABS NW Volunteers Meeting @ 5pm Thursday 13 Friday 14 Demonstration of Dreamweave Mascara/nibbles/drinks @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo 12pm Ladies Chatterbox Group @ The Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2pm St Valentines Day
Saturday 8
Indoor Market with fashion/bling/DVDs etc @ Alley Palais, Camposol B Hair & Nail Combo Special @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo & Condado de Alhama St Valentines Meals 3 Course Meal/Woody @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 25 per cpl inc btl wine 3 Course Meal @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrn 29.50 per cpl inc cava 3 Course Meal @ Avenida Restauante, Pto de Mazarrn 15 inc coffee 2 Course Meal/Live Music @ Spice Villa, Camposol A 35 per cpl inc btl cava 3 Course Meal @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 35 per cpl 4 Course Meal @ Leonardos, Pto de Mazarrn 20 inc 1st drink/cocktail 4 Course Meal @ Mamma Mia, Pto de Mazarrn 20 inc 1st drink/cocktail 4 Course Meal @ Gula Gula, Pto de Mazarrn 20 inc drink & glass of cava 4 Course Meal @ Viggos, Pto de Mazarrn 4 20 inc drink & glass of cava 4 Course Meal @ The Club House, Camposol C 25 4 Course Meal/Music @ Los Balcones, Caadas del Romero 50 per cpl (80 inc accomm/breakfast) 5 Course Meal @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 25 inc btl wine for 2 4 Course Meal @ Le Carrousel, Pto de Mazarrn 25 inc drinks & a cocktail 4 Course Meal/Martin Ross @ La Mariposa, Gebas 99 per cpl inc accomm/breakfast 5 Course Meal @ El Hombre del Velero, San Pedro 35 St Valentines Meal @ Elliots, Bolnuevo St Valentines Special/Stevie T @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn 10 inc buffet/games MABS NW Dinner Dance/Linden B @ Bar Cantero, Calasparra 7.30pm for 8pm 20 Woody @ Alley Palais, Camposol B The Brady Bunch @ Black Bull, Camposol B
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Sandy Fitzpatrick @ The Clover, Condado de Alhama Open Door St Valentines Dinner @ Los Almagros 10 per couple MABS Mazarrn Book Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9am-1pm GOmAD Table Top Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 10am2pm FAST Book Stall @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B Saturday 15 Carnaval Aguilas, Cartagena & Cehgin JJs Table Top Sale @ Saralaras, Puerto de Mazarrn 10am-2pm 2 Hour Guided Tour The Old Quarter of Cehegn Murder/Mystery Weekend @ La Mariposa, Gebas 99 per cpl inc dinner/accomm/breakfast/Sunday lunch 4 4 4 5 5 Course Course Course Course Course Valentines Valentines Valentines Valentines Valentines Meal Meal Meal Meal Meal @ @ @ @ @ Mamma Mia, Pto de Mazarrn 20 inc 1st drink/cocktail Leonardos, Pto de Mazarrn 20 inc 1st drink/cocktail Le Carrousel, Pto de Mazarrn, 25 inc drinks & a cocktail Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 25 inc btl wine for 2 El Hombre del Velero, San Pedro 35
Robbie Williams Tribute @ The Club House, Camposol C The Beagles Farewell Swan Song @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrn Magnetik Surf @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 5 (food available) Cavalli Foundation Communication/Clicker Training Course for Horses @ META Stables Sunday 16 Artisan Market @ Caravaca Artisan Market @ Sanctuary de la Esperanza, Calasparra 10am-6pm Ruta del Ferrocarril (Railway Route) with Aguilas Tourist Information Centre Guided Tour Senda de Coterillo Meet Aparcamiento de la Charca de Coterillo 10am 5 Cavalli Foundation Communication/Clicker Training Course for Horses @ META Stables Monday 17 Downhill Biking @ La Mariposa, Gebas 35 inc lunch 2 Day Special Activities @ La Mariposa, Gebas 70 17th/18th overnight stay/breakfast Welcome Trip to Segovia. 4 day/3 night trip 150 Cavalli Foundation Pony Club Morning @ META Stables (until 21st) Tuesday 18 Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10am-12pm Kayaking/Quads Day to the Lake @ La Mariposa, Gebas 35 incl lunch HELP MMM General Meeting @ Las Claras, Los Narejos 11.30am Wednesday 19 Camposol Camera Club @ The Club House, Camposol C 4pm Dermatologist Available for FREE Consultation @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo HAH Chatters @ Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos 11.30am Friday 21 NEST Walk with optional meal. Meet El Berro Car Park, Sierra Espua 10.30am 5 Country Music Night @ The Club House, Camposol C 7.45pm 4 MABS Mazarrn Book Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9am-1pm MABS NW Outdoor Market Stall @ Calle Segura, Calasparra 9am-1pm Cavalli Foundation Carnival Camp @ META Stables Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7-9pm (12-18 year olds) Saturday 22 Nature Walk, Cehegn
Lobster Night @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 3 courses 25 Johnny Sax @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 5 Woody @ The Club House, Camposol C Magnetik Surf @ The Clover, Condado de Alhama Cavalli Foundation Carnival Show @ META Stables Sunday 23 Artisan Market/Carnival Celebration @ Plaza del Castillo, Cehegn 10am Table Top Sale @ Las Lomas, Calasparra Hiking in Moratalla. Rincon del Agua Pozo de la Nieve 10 (opt meal 15) Guided (bike) Tour Pedalea Entre Dos AguasMeet Molino Quentin, C/Campoamor 10am 5 Cavalli Foundation Sponsored Walk, Barranco de Gebas 10 inc picnic/insurance/guide Monday 24 Tuesday 25 Guided Walk/4 course lunch inc beer/wine @ La Mariposa, Gebas 12 Costa Clida Ladies League Golf Match Monthly B Clean Meeting @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 4pm
PALS Trip to Bastida in Totana & Meal at La Rata 25 Wednesday 26 Welcome Petanca @ Marianos, Camposol A 1pm
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Star Spangled Dinner/Cool Rockin Combo @ The Club House, Camposol C 20 6 Curry Buffet Meal @ La Mariposa, Gebas 16 (65 per cpl inc accomm) Thursday 27 Age Concern Menu del Dia @ Las Galayos, Pto de Mazarrn 10 inc drinks/live music Camposol Club de Golf Competition Walking from Rambla de Rio Seco-Pinar de Campoverde Meet Social Services Centre, San Pedro 9.20am
HELP MMM Murder/Mystery @ Olympia Restaurant, Mil Palmeras Friday 28 Indoor Market with fashion/bling/DVDs etc @ Alley Palais, Camposol B
The Beagles @ La Mariposa, Gebas (food available) GOmAD Table Top Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 10am2pm FAST Book Stall @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B Cavalli Foundation Horse Assisted Therapy Course @ META Stables MARCH Saturday 1 ADAPT Meeting @ Pensionista de Hogar, San Pedro 10.30am Welcome Meeting @ Marianos, Camposol A 2pm Wildcat @ Black Bull, Camposol B (proceeds to FAST) 5 Cavalli Foundation Horse Assisted Therapy Course @ META Stables Sunday 2 Artisan Market @ Bullas Trip to Aguilas Carnival with Viajes Dragontours 26 Cavalli Foundation Horse Assisted Therapy Course @ META Stables Monday 3 Tuesday 4 PALS Monthly Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 11.15am Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10am-12pm
HAH Volunteers Meeting @ Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, Los Narejos 11.15am Wednesday 5 Cosmetic Doctor Available for Botox/Fillers @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo Welcome Ladies Evening/Woody @ Marianos, Camposol A 7.45pm 3 Age Concern Talking Shop Social @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 1.30-3.30pm Thursday 6 Market Morning @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo
Demonstration of Dreamweave Mascara & Lip Voltage @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo & Condado
Book A Cruise For This Spring Or Summer Pre-book for the best prices for your next cruise. Let us know where you want to go and we will find the best deal.
Book before February 17thon certain European cruises with Iberocruceros/ Costa Cruceros for free all-inclusive drinks package. Sail from Valencia 31st March/April 7th/April14th. Book before 20th February on some Caribbean/European Cruises with Royal Caribbean you will receive up to 300 on-board credit, depending on the category you reserve. Book before 28th February with European Celebrity Cruises for special promotion including free tips and free drinks package (saving up to 300). Have you ever thought of seeing Paris from a River Cruise? Escape for 4 days on February 16th for only 435 per person; drinks and excursions included. Special Brussels and Beer Thematic River Cruise for 6 days starting March 21st for just 564 (flights not included). Why cruise? It is a relaxed way of visiting distant places without the hassle of moving from hotel to hotel, driving long distances or worrying about flight schedules. Enjoy new places and the gastronomy and entertainment available for you round the clock. Cruises include full board and participation
in all programmed activities on-board. Shore excursions are extra, paid directly to the company, but there are more and more compa-
Here are some suggestions of terrific offers for booking during the month of February: Cruise the Caribbean in February/March for just 799 + Taxes (204) including your flight from Madrid to the Dominican Republic and visiting Barbados, St Lucia, Martinica, St. Kitts and Tortola with Pullmantur - all-inclusive, so all drinks as well as full board are included.
nies offering all-inclusive drinks packages at modest sums. Tips are normally mandatory. Unless you have your own insurance, the best option is to book the insurance offered by the cruise company at the same time as you book the cruise. In order to cover cancellation costs, the travel insurance policy must be made at the same time as the booking. Hope to see you soon. Come, travel with us and enjoy. Viajes Dragontours, Camposol A Tel 968 199 021 Email info@dragontours.net
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Our next night will be on Friday 21st February in The Club House, Camposol C. Over the past year we have been meeting on the 1st Friday of each month. However, The Golf Club have just informed us that they have other commitments on these days for the next few months, hence the change in date. On that night we will be introducing a concept never tried before - All your favourite Country Stars on the big screen. We are really looking forward with anticipation to this, having obtained dvds, videos etc over the past few months. The night will start at the usual time of 7.45pm with the normal entrance fee of 4. Ann will teach a line dance and Tom/Helen a partner dance, with the rest of the night playing all your requests. If you are coming along to this special night and would like to hear/see a particular song, please contact us asap so that we can obtain a copy, if not already in our possession.
We were sorry to hear that Lion Country, based at La Molata, has decided not to continue. We have fond memories of many nights there at an excellent venue. We are now the only club in the Costa Clida providing a Country Music night. The lesson here is obvious - Use it or Lose it! If you have ever thought I must go to that Country Music Club someday! make that someday now. For further information, email thw35@yahoo.co.uk or telephone/text 968 970 630 or 610 632 152
Thanks to all of you who came and enjoyed our pantomime. We loved doing it and hope you had a good time! Oh yes you did!
Look out for details of our next production, which will be two one-act comedies! As usual we would encourage any new members to come and join us either front or backstage. Were a fun group and would love to have you on board!
We are hoping to form a group for owners of Classic and Sports Cars on Camposol and the surrounding area. The suggested aims for the group would be to hold regular noggin and natters, runs out in the cars to places of interest, possibly meeting up with other similar groups in adjoining region and to show the cars at local and other social events. If you would be interested in joining this group, please contact me, Chris Gale at chrisgale@live.co.uk or by phone on 634 135 214.
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In the next month we hope to have the final figure of our donation and the charity who will receive it.
It was on a clear and sunny day on December 12th that saw Fuente Old Guard make a return trip to Corvera Golf and Country Club. Although the fairways have suffered from the shortage of water, the greens were in superb condition and the bunkers were almost a joy to go in; so much sand it was like being on the beach!
The Longest Drive prizeoff the 14th tee was taken for the second time by Neil MacFarlane with his 206 metre shot.
Division Two was won by Dave Barrett with 33 points and was closely followed by Roger Olorenshaw scoring 33 points. Dave Gautier was in top spot in Division Three with 38 points, followed by Dave May with his score of 36 points. The Overall Winner and Winner of Division One with 39 points was Roy Quigley with Neil MacFarlane a close second overall in Division One with 38 points. Dave also took the prize for Nearest The Pin on hole 8, while Bob Daffon came closest to the pin on hole 10. The PlonkerAward this month was presented to Gavin Elbournealong with a rousing cheer of appreciation by his fellow players. Should anyone wish to join FOGGS or just play as a guest, please contact Dave on 868 082 013.
Altorreal Report Tuesday 7th January saw a below average number of 29 members and two guests gather for our first competition of the year at Altorreal Golf Course, 10kms north of the city of Murcia. The day started with a
bit of a chill in the air, but with blue skies and an ever-strengthening sun, we set off on what promised to be a good days golf. The course itself was in fair condition, with quite a lot of debris from the recent high
winds strewn across several fairways. For some of us though, this was not too much of a problem as we searched for our ball in the shade of the trees lining the fairway. Overall, it was a really pleasant outing to what is normally a very busy and well maintained course. The final scores were decided via count back for Category 1 and closely fought over for the P Lonker trophy. The Winners: Category 1 with 31 points: Alex Petas Category 2 with 29 points: Dave Pugh Category 3 with 22 points: Dave John The P Lonker Trophy was eagerly accepted by Terry Rooke. Aguilon 13th January In a hastily arranged, but nonetheless very successful days golf at Aguilon, 20 members took part in a Texas Scramble event. The main objective of this event was to donate food items to the Aguilon management for eventual distribution to those in need via Caritas. In order to take advantage of a much-reduced green fee, each participant had to donate just 1kg of food. I believe we achieved the objective when I say that over 200kgs of food was donated by the members of Los Amigos de Mazarrn Golf Society. I think the relevant phrase is absolutamente estupendo! Well done everybody.
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Sporting Campsol Play A Tournament In Holland Sporting Camposol was invited to participate in one of the biggest indoor tournaments in the north of Holland. On December 27th, the first round took place. Sporting Camposol had to end up in the first two for automatic qualification for the final round the next day. How was this adventure achieved? I have played often myself in that tournament and the organization had already asked if my team wanted to play I ve always had good contacts with professional clubs in Holland and the scouts could come and watch, so we made the effort to attend. said Jelco.
the boys woke up and in the second game, they could not hide. They played against one of the top favourites and it turned out to be the best match of the tournament. At a hectic pace the game was won by our team 5-4. As a highlight there was excellent play by Pirri & Boudia. Unfortunately, the young English player Daniel Scott ended up out with an injury, which was a shame because he had played excellently. Now the boys had loosened up and the third game was won in style with a score of 6-1. The crowd stood on the banks showing their enthusiasm. Everytime Sporting Camposol had to play, the people came out to watch. The 4th match was won 5-1 and the 6th match 6-2, so the first job was done. Everyone had seen Sporting Camposol and said they are one of the favourites. After the first day Sporting Camposol had two topscorers Pirri & Moha. So was the final day an easy job? Hahaha no way! I dont think so! But the boys thought Now we can beat everybody!, but I know from experience that the second day is even more difficult. The level is much higher and shows how fit you are? It was disappointing? No, certainly not. The boys played very well, but they could not reach the level of day one and they really needed that. On the final day the first game was drawn 0-0 and the second game was drawn 1-1. To go
to the final, Sporting Camposol had to win the last game.
Sporting Camposol started great and fresh, but the goalkeeper of the other team saved everything. They needed even more energy, but it flew away and slowly the candle went out and they finally lost 3-0. With eight games played in two days, and only two of them lost, the team can be proud of themselves. What did the boys think of Holland? I think they had a great time. I have tried to give them something from Dutch culture. We ate Dutch food and we have been invited to the Olympic Skating trial tournament with 20,000 crazy Dutch people in a stadium encouraging athletes on skates. Naturally, the boys also went to Amsterdam. We now need to carry this positive energy into the rest of the season.
The first day was a bit rough. The guys were clearly a little bit nervous with all the attention they got and that was obvious in the first game. It was not a very good game and Sporting Camposol lost by 0-2. Then
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After an excellent finish to 2013 with three wins from the last four games and scoring 15 goals, 2014 started badly for Mazarrn FC with a 2-0 home defeat by promotion rivals Nuestro Abaran CF. A win would have taken Mazarrn FC to 5th in the league, just two points away from 2nd place, but the up and down season continued. Mazarrn FCs home games are normally played on Sundays with varying kick off times. Admission is just 4 with juveniles free. Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC organise a supporters coach to each away game, something unique in this area where away support is almost non-existent. Coach prices are 7 for members and 9 for non-members. Full details of all games, dates and kick-off times and coach departure times both home and away, are normally not announced until the Wednesday before the weekend on which the game is to be played and advertised in the local media, on our website www.losamigosdemazarron.es and on posters at various points throughout Camposol and Mazarrn. Forthcoming Fixtures Sunday 2nd February EMF Fuente Alamo (home) Sunday 9th February Atletico Cabezo de Torres(away) Sunday 16th February CD Juvenia (home) Sunday 23rd February Sangonera la Verde CF (away) Sunday 2nd March AD Alquerias (home) Los Amigos de Mazarrn made a donation of 500 to Mazarrn FC before Christmas, but their main fund raising event in support of Mazarrn FC is the Annual Gala Evening and Dinner which in the four years so far has raised around 11,000. The 5th Annual Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC Gala Evening and Dinner will be held at the Hotel la Cumbre, Puerto de Mazarrn on Wednesday 12th March, with guest speaker
Joe Royle, the former Everton, Manchester City, Norwich and Bristol City player, who also played for England and went on to be a successful Manager at clubs like Oldham, Everton and Manchester City. The Comedian and MC for the evening is Benidorm-based Micky Lewis. There will also be music and dancing to the fabulous Beagles. Sadly, this will be the last occasion that the Beagles will perform in public as a duo so we are sure to give them a resounding send off.
with the celebrities in The Club House following the golf at a cost of 10 per person (advance booking essential). First tee off time is 9am and entries are limited to 36 players. Joe Royle is unable to play golf through long standing football injuries, but will be at the Golf Club to support the event. If you would like to enter a team of four for this competition or enter as an individual please contact the numbers below. Tickets are 40, which includes a five course meal with local beer, house wine and soft drinks during the serving of dinner. Dress code is collar and tie and only a limited number of tickets are remaining from contacts below. Other special guests for the evening are former World Welterweight Boxing Champion John H Stracey and the Los Amigos UK ambassador Tony Currie, the former Watford, Sheffield United, Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers England International. John is now an entertainer in his own right as a singer and we hope to persuade him to perform a couple of numbers for us from his repertoire during the evening. A Sporting Legends Evening at The Club House, Camposol C begins at 7.30pm. John H Stracey and Tony Currie will answer questions on their respective careers and DVD highlights will be shown of them in action. Steve Tucker of Costa Clida International Radio is acting as compere for the evening and admission is by ticket only. Joe Royle will also be in attendance. Tickets are 8 for members and 10 for non-members. Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC hold social meetings, which are open to members or not and are held every Thursday with the exception of the last Thursday of each month which is reserved for the Members Business Meeting and open to members only. If you are interested in football, want to take part in the various social events, or just want a chat and a drink among friends in pleasant surroundings, why not join us for an hour on a Thursday afternoon? You will be most welcome. On Tuesday morning 11th March there will be a Celebrity Golf Tournament at Camposol Club de Golf with a Texas Scramble format. The cost to join the celebrities for 18 holes is just 25 (buggies extra if required) and there will an excellent optional Menu del Dia Tickets for all the above can be booked at the Los Amigos weekly meetings at The Club House, Camposol C every Thursday (4pm) or from Barbara on 627 012 646, Dave on 634 369 639, Gerard on 624 320 567 or email losamigosdemazarronfc@hotmail.co.uk for availability.
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Christmas Competitions Christmas came early for the Golfers at Camposol when the prizes for the two competitions played on 2nd and 17th December were given out after the game on 17th as there were 10 prizes for each competition. Winners on 2nd December 1st Ernst Knoller 41pts 2nd Charlie Smillie 38 pts 3rd Steve Dixon 35pts 4th Mike Dawson 34pts 5th Vron Porter 34pts 6th Norman Ephithite 33pts 7th Graham Cooper 32pts 8th Bob Evans 32pts Best gent outside the top eight - Dieter Froelic 31pts Best lady outside the top eight - Gunda Ephithite 30pts Winners on 17th December 1st Eugene Toye 36pts nd 2 Vron Porter 36pts 3rd Pat Oakes 35pts 4th Clive Porter 34pts 5th Marilyn Jones 33pts 6th Dave Oakes 33pts 7th Gerry Birley 32pts 8th Malcolm Lee 32pts Best gent outside the
Norman Morgan, deserves a special mention for all the time and effort he has put in since taking on the mantle of Captain. The new Management of the Course are making many changes and although there is a considerable amount of work in progress, the course is playing well. People who have not played the course for some time are really surprised at how much work has been done in their absence. Some of the regular players were a bit worried when the lake and island were cleared, as most of wildlife left due to the disturbance, but we are relieved to see them slowly returning to their usual habitat. Costa Clida Ladies League The Ladies League play their next game on 24th February. We were hoping to get two more teams to join us, as this would make the League even more challenging, but so far this has not happened. If you are group of Lady Golfers who would like to be part of our
group, you are very welcome to join us. We play at reciprocal golf courses on a home and away basis and most courses have reduced green fees. To participate in the League, you only need a group of 6 ladies, so if you are interested or would like more information please contact Betty Roberts at bettylloyd1560@hotmail.com Forthcoming Event On Friday 7th March Camposol Golf Association are holding a Race Night the proceeds of which will go to those very worthy charities FAST, MABS and Cruz Roja, so come along and enjoy a flutter and have a great night whilst benefitting others. Everyone welcome, so reserve a table for you and your friends. A snack meal will be available in the early evening as Race Night starts at 7.30pm. Tickets at 3 each are available from The Club House, Mens Captain Trevor Andrew, Lady Captain Marilyn Jones, The Tea Pot next to Mercadona in Puerto de Mazarrn or Betty Roberts.
top eight - Bob Evans 31pts Best lady outside the top eight - Betty Roberts 29pts
All the cards from the nonwinners that played were put in a sack and Father Christmas, resplendent in red suit and whiskers, drew out a further 20 prize winners. The prize tables were creaking and groaning under the weight of so many prizes, all of which had been very generously sponsored by Luz del Sol and Alley Palais. While the players waited for the cards to be checked, Val Williams (Camposols answer to Pam Ayers) read a Christmas poem making it even funnier as it was delivered in a very rich Yorkshire accent. Stuart, Kate and their staff served up sandwiches, minced pies and mulled wine. Everyone agreed it was a great day and look forward to the competition on January 29th and February 27th. Anyone can play in these competitions with a genuine handicap. Just go in the Golf Shop and sign up. All 145 players that took part in both of the above competitions were extremely grateful for the generosity of the sponsors and appreciated all the hard work that had obviously gone in to making the events so successful. Captain of Camposol Club de Golf,
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Medals For Athletic Club Mazarrn In Regional League Cross 4 Mazarrn athletes participated in this league where 500 athletes competed. On Sunday January 12th they played at Puerto Lumbreras in an appropriate circuit by the Municipal Sports Centre on the 3rd day of the XXVIII Cross Regional League. The topranked Mazarrn athlete, Marta Navarro Caballero gained a bronze medal in the Benjamin category. Alejandro Navarro Rodrguez, in the Junior category, managed a creditable 4th place, while Mustapha Maarouf was 6th in the Cadet category and Tomas Ballesta Zamora came 16th in the Childrens category.
creditable third place, making a great tournament. Juan Francisco Lopez came third in the Alevn Category.
Mazarrn are immersed in celebrating the Municipal Phase School Sports programme that promotes the Physical Activity and Sport of the Autonomous Region in collaboration with the Department of Sports City of Mazarrn. The parties in recent weeks have been disputing centres to decide who will be representing the town in various sports. Check the blog www.costacalidachronicle.blogspot.com for more details.
A week later in Lorca, the Regional Murcia Table Tennis Championship took place. CD Mazarrn TM won the title in the Benjamin Category and were runners-up in the Children Category. The Benjamin team included Juan Francisco Lopez and Benito Gonzalez. The Mazarrn pair won every game of the tournament. Despite having moments of difficulty, they obtained the title by winning most matches by 3-0, except against the runner-up team, Totana TM, leaving the score at 3-1 in favour of Mazarrn. The League Regional Cross then moved to Jumilla, where the 4th day was held and where Mazarrn athletes returned to fight for new trophies for their club. Table Tennis CAR Infanta Cristina of Los Alcazares came first in the Regional Open Table Tennis Competition. CD Mazarrn TM category was represented in the Benjamin Category by Benito Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Lopez in Youngsters Category and Miguel Ortiz, Juan Manuel Navarro, Manuel Gonzalez and Antonio Fernndez in Childrens Category. In the Childrens Category, Miguel Ortiz won the championship after winning the final against Santiago Mndez from Totana. Juan Manuel and Manuel Gonzalez got to the quarter-finals, but Antonio Fernndez did not qualify. In the Benjamin Category, Benito achieved a In the Childrens Category, CD Mazarrn TM was represented by Antonio Fernandez, Manuel Gonzalez and Miguel Ortiz. The players played at a high level, winning various games by 3-0 and only losing in the final against the favourite, CD Murcia 3-0. A week later, the Sports Pavilion La Acea, saw the Reyes Championship Table Tennis with Categories for Benjamin, Youngsters and Children with trophies for the top finishers. Sunday December 22nd saw a presentation in the Sports Hall of Mazarrn. During the event 7 federated school sports teams and Basketball Mazarrn were presented with awards. Following the presentation there was a photograph of each team and club photo On 14th February there will be a multi-sport day and basketball for the Benjamin Category at different venues. The different schools of
The Sprightly Crew Tip of the Month Provided by Camposol Club De Golf Positioning the Ball Driver: Even with the outside of your left shoulder.
Hybrid/FW Wood: Even with your left arm pit.
3- through 6-irons: Even with your left ear.
Short Irons/ Wedges: Even with your left cheek. Once you have your ball position set for the particular club in your hand, focus on two things at address: your weight distribution and the shaft position. For standard full swings with every club, spread out your weight evenly over both feet and press the shaft slightly forward by moving your hands toward your target (be careful not to move the club head forward as well). This combination gives you the best chance to create ball first contact and solid strikes.
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FOR SALE
Dining room suite , extending table 6 chairs. Also matching cabinet with 3 drawers and cupboard , glass display unit above with light , Golden ceder colour , need space , the lot price 140 Tel 968 959 756 Calasparra WANTED 12 x 8 or 12 x 6 wooden shed Tel 868 046 390 LHD Transit van or bigger in good condition. Must be on Spanish plates Tel 620 582 654 PETS Dog Biscuits, Royal Canin Renal. 14kg bag unopened, surplus to requirements 45 (RRP 90) Tel: 666 272 907 Mula Kitten free to good homes. Black female, tabby female & dark tortie female. All will be neutered. Tel 620 582 654 CLASSIFIED ADS ARE AVAILABLE FREE FOR ITEMS UNDER 500 OR FOR WANTED/LOST ITEMS. (FOR NON-COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES ONLY AND EXCLUDING PROPERTIES, VEHICLES AND BOATS) Maximum 20 words and 3 classified ads per customer. To Place a Classified Advert: Please go to our Contact Us page at www.costacalidachronicle.com and put Classified advert in the Subject line, email costacalidachronicle@gmail. com or call 968 970 680 10-2pm MonFri
Low cost removals Spain UK - Spain p39 5. Ma Millbanks is offering you recipes for what? Recipes from around the world for Christmas p46 6. What is happening for Spain in January? The bank bail-out and supervision will come to an end p72 7. If you phoned Peter Kent what would he talk to you about? Freemasonry p98 8. Which author was reviewed in December? Katharine Louise Mosse P14 9. What is the herb of the month? Garlic p84 10. What the name of the global expat network? Angloinfo p100
Sony wide angle lens VCL0637H37mmthread10 New Duracell DR5 Camcorder battery10 Petanque set for 4 players/8 metals balls & carry case20 Tel635 885 062Camposol Iphone4 as new unlocked by Apple/ box & charger no marks or scratches 200 Tel 630 441 963 Calasparra Helex balanced flue gas fire. Can be fitted on any outside wall (no chimney required) 400 Tel 634 360 021/659 761 771 Two seater settee, dark purple. New cond. 100 ono buyer collects Tel 636 789 595 Camposol 5 Econoheat panel heaters 23 x 23 20 each Electric radiator 17w x 26h 20 Tel 686 925 783 Camposol Up and over aluminium garage door complete with frame lock and keys 300 Tel 608 437 590 Mazarrn Various sizes and colours of plant pots with or without plants from 2 Tel 676 671 217 Camposol
December 2013 Quiz Answers 1. What is Bar Amigos new special? Early Bird Menu p6 2. Who say that they have brrrriliant ways to keep you warm? Yorkshire Linen p9 3. Who offers to welcome you to sweeter side of life? Cakemagic p27 4. What does Advance Moves offer you?
GROUPS
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After 14 years selling property in the Murcia Region, Ive seen many changes, too numerous to mention, but one situation that has remained constant is property listings, or to be specific, the lack of! Every January I cast my eye over the showroom windows and say to myself, We need more properties! Its inevitable that after a good year of buoyant sales, our stock of property for sale dwindles. Correctly priced properties in popular locations are actually quite difficult to find. Often you can get one, or the other, but rarely both together. When we do, they are not difficult to sell quickly. Its quite disheartening for any estate agent to have to let a genuine buying client go simply because we dont have the right property. All we can do is add their names to a rapidly expanding database of disappointed clients and cast around for new listings to tempt them back. As we enter a new year, many property owners will be considering selling their homes and moving on. Its a good time to market a property, as the build-up to Easter brings many enquiries and buyers. The exchange rate has been favourable too. At present house-hunters can get 1.20 to the pound. Flights are also reasonably priced and there are lots of up-beat press and media articles about the region of Murcia. Your property, if priced correctly, will sell this year. A newly listed property captures the most interest within the first 8 weeks of exposure. Our advice is to take a look at comparable properties to your own, price it competitively and contact your preferred agent now to take advantage of the Easter surge in buyers. Kenneth Whettall Commercial Director Fuente Alamo Real Estate info@fuentealamorealestate.com Tel 0034 968 598 173
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Accomodation La Mariposa Accountants: Corral & Alcaraz Silvente Airport Parking: Airpark Murcia Seguro Parking
968 631 008 968 078 754 968 332 058 618 806 909 622 062 115
Builders: C M Constructions Fuente Building Services North West Murcia Const Tonys Building Services
659 696 649 647
159 744 742 119
948 982 555 952 733 021 142 994 411 355 016
Funeral Plans: ASSSA Ibex Insurance The Funeral Director Furniture: A Time 4 A Change DFS Furniture Plus
968 153 396 958 595 945 650 631 719 968 136 501 968 334 194 968 482 456
Banking & Finance: Premier Pension Solutions 966 260 901 Bars, Cafs & Restaurants: Amapola 660 Amigos Bar San Pedro 960 Antipodas Tavern 968 Avenida 968 Bistro Ratatouille 968 Black Bull 634 Bora Bora 968 Cafeteria Plaza 968 Cake Magic San Pedro 667 Casa Monca 619 Chez Zoe 676 El Hombre Del Velero 600 Elliots Bolnuevo 968 Gula Gula 968 La Bretanita 968 La Mariposa 968 La Proa 968 La Taberna Juan Chara 968 Las Lomas Calasparra 646 Le Carrousel 968 Leonardos 628 Lizs Cafe 696 Los Balcones 639 Mamma Mia 628 Namaste 968 Quality Indian 968 Rest. Teteria Alhanbra 968 Saralaras 665 Spice Villa 968 The AP Grill/Alley Palais 968 The Arches 653 The Clover 868 The Clubhouse Bistro 968 The Condado Club 868 The New Royal 968 The Old Market Tavern 968 The Wishing Well 609 Viggo`s 968 328 650 150 594 155 374 153 705 603 364 691 749 158 154 595 631 153 152 406 155 682 724 323 682 131 199 155 256 199 978 081 082 978 082 595 154 838 154 092 893 053 055 887 381 111 406 141 379 324 181 499 102 337 008 138 530 208 910 303 123 808 303 721 198 855 643 226 869 341 057 855 058 864 330 757 554
Building Services: A1 Garden & Ground Serv 628 505 Brian Jones 646 705 Crystal Conservatories 680 386 JD Roofing & Building 630 269 Martinez Del La Casa (Architects) 665 810 White Knight Glass Design 660 170 Woodworks Direct 649 540 Carpentry: Philip Carpenter/Joiner Car Hire: Bolnuevo Cars F & C Rent a Car Cars & Transport: Specialist Vehicles SL Catering The Roving Diner Chimney Sweeps: Sooty & Son Chiropodists: Phillip Dawe Cleaning Services: Limpieza Rosa
Garden Centres & Services A1 Garden & Ground Serv 628 505 733 Garden Centre 2003 669 565 402 Hairdressers & Barbers Eden Hair & Beauty Janes Salon Jane`s Salon CDA The Beauty Palace The Salon The Salon 2 620 968 666 968 691 686 072 158 144 971 916 354 536 433 287 828 717 232
680 443 219 968 150 979 968 199 156 968 146 158 676 217 059 660 478 881 968 150 244 619 199 407
Health & Beauty: Algorfa Chiropractor Clinic 618 337 Clinical Complimentary Therapies 634 327 Freedom Mobility 638 893 Janes Salon 968 158 Janes Salon CDA 666 144 Juice Plus 672 880 Mazarrn Mobility Hire 603 258 The Beauty Palace 968 971 The Fuschia Beauty Clinic 630 439 The Salon 691 916 The Salon 2 686 354
616 241 357 433 287 353 156 828 480 717 232
Computer Repairs & Sales: Camposol Computers 968 199 191 Loco Murcia 968 971 893 Dentists Dental Care English Speaking Dentist Olivier Houdusse Electricians: Louis Harris Entertainment Graham Cooper 968 199 111 968 707 428 968 153 645 619 712 821 657 596 638
Heating and Aircon: Calida Gas & Oil 659 761 771 Camposol Heating & Maintenance (CHM) 968 199 184 Llamas Chimeneas 968 591 030 Louis Harris 619 712 821 Petro Alhama (oil) 626 993 109 Home Furnishings: Curtain Call 616 240 171 Yorkshire Linen, Pto Maz 968 595 946 Yorkshire Linen, San Javier 968 193 912
Page 92
Insurance: ASSSA Ibex Liberty Seguros Nash Warren Internet Cafs: Camposol Computers
968 968 902 968
153 595 255 156
396 945 258 583
Protech Surveillance The Forge
667 196 366 618 963 958 666 270 411 109
968 199 191
Kennels, Catteries and Pet Care Cartwheel Cattery & Kennels 620 582 654 Catatonic 646 705 403 Colina Kennels 968 431 941 Laundrettes: Rainbow Laundrette 634 309 603 078 754 199 251 595 826 332 058 255 250 796 678 424 646 972 429 161 422 149 840 605 859 006 216 129 015
Services: Compusurf 968 970 Healthy H20 968 437 Martinez Del La Casa (Architects) 665 810 Petro Alhama (oil) 626 993 Solar Power: Freesol Solar Directa
Swimming Pool Cleaning Maintenance: Alpha Pools Jorge Pools Khn Pool Service Watermaid
& 968 674 968 646 971 168 138 705 824 000 638 088
Translation: Costa Calida Property Serv 968 199 251 Travel Agents Dragon Tours 968 TV & Satellite: Cool Solutions 600 CTV Aerial & Satellite Systems 600 ISS 655 Loco Murcia 968 Rainbow Satellites 686 YPM Satellites 628 Veterinary Clinics: Clinica Veterinaria Pto Maz 968 Emerg 608 Clinica Veterinaria SurEste 965 Veterinary Clinic Maskota 968 Emerg 619 199 021 418 220 218 480 971 358 234 153 466 352 597 378 046 543 893 475 045 931 553 438 929 473
659 232 507 659 315 130
Legal Services: Corral & Alcaraz 968 Costa Calida Property Serv 968 Professional & Legal Solutions 968 Silvente Accountant/Lawyer 968 Locksmiths: ADS Locksmith 600 Mechanics: Colair Decklid Auto Services Euro Tyre Totana Ken Sherwood Mechanic Kwik Fix English Mechanic Lopez Milan Mobile Car Mechanic Peter Neumticos El Cea 626 626 968 679 968 968 666 968
Solicitors: Corral & Alcaraz 968 078 754 Professional & Legal Solutions 968 595 826 Silvente Accountant/Lawyer 968 332 058 Spas & Hottubs: Eurospas Sport & Leisure: Camposol Golf Course Costa Clida Radio Espua Adventure Golf Stop Horse Riding META Magenta Harmony Choir 650 722 905 968 968 968 634 636 636 978 595 631 332 172 417 886 862 008 476 198 454
Mobility Products Freedom Mobility 638 893 357 Mazarrn Mobility Services 603 258 156 Outdoor Living: DFS Furniture Plus Woodworks Direct 968 334 194 968 482 456 649 540 016
Painting and Decorating: RJB Dcor Painting 699 044 742 Plumbers: Apache 24/7 Plumbing 674 788 693 Camposol Heating & Maintenance 968 199 184 Printing & Design: Entorno Grafico Mister Print Property Maintenance Brian Jones 968 654 007 638 893 357 646 705 021
Property Rentals: La Manga 4 U 0044 7921 351298 One2One Property Services 603 258 156 Owners Away 691 977 107 Paramount Resort Villa Rentals 968 970 614 Property Sales: Fuente Alamo Real Estate Holmes & Pegg N W Murcia Properties Old Farmhouses Prime Property Murcia 968 968 634 968 646 598 199 340 159 692 173 290 130 264 471
Removals & Storage Advance Moves 968 Costa Calida Transport 660 Daintons Removals & Storage 696 Lords Removals & Storage 608 Mar Menor Removals 968
654 667 359 956 180 634 061 872 564 298
Retail Outlets: A Time 4 A Change 968 136 501 Golf Stop 634 332 476 Kitchens Plus 1 968 184 235 Security ADS Locksmith Eriks Metal Works 600 255 250 636 050 008
Page 93
Albacete
Cieza Moratalla 3. Calasparra
Alicante
26. Fortuna
Archena Molina de Segura Alcantarilla Catral
27. Blanca
6. Caravaca De La Cruz 7. Cehegin
N-332
RM-15
16. Mula 17. Pliego
A-7
Orihuela
Murcia
RM-1 RM-19
Torrevieja
C-3315
El Berro
La Paca
1. Alhama de Murcia Aledo 21. Totana
Pilar De La Horadada 28. San Pedro del Pinatar
11. La Torre
RM-2 RM-23
Vlez Rubio
A-91
A-30 AP-7 23. Los Cantereros 33. Cuesta 5. Caadas del Blanca Las Palas 8. El Algar 10. La Manga Lorca Romero 4. Camposol RM-3 13. Los Belones 20. Tallante 24. Cabo de Palos 32. La Union 14. Mazarrn 25. La Manga Club Cartagena 22. Purias AP-7 2. Bolnuevo 18. Puerto de Mazarrn
A-7
RM-3
9. Fuente Alamo
29. Torre Pacheco
19. San Javier 12. Los Alcazares
Vera
31. guilas
All our advertisers have current copies of Costa Clida Chronicle, and other outlets are planned. If you have any problems obtaining a copy, please call Patti on 646 005 017.
If you would like to buy a subscription for the Costa Clida Chronicle to guarantee your monthly copy of the magazine, please fill in the form below and hand it in to the Costa Clida Chronicle office on Camposol, or send it to Costa Clida Chronicle SL, 35 Calle Jara, Centro Commercial Sector B, Camposol, 30875, Murcia, or go to the website www.costacalidachronicle.com Name: ............................................................
Address: ............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ Email: ............................................................
Telephone: ............................................................ Price for 6 months to UK: 36 Price for 6 months in Spain: 18 Other countries: POA Reserved copies (per month) 1 In Costa Clida Office, Camposol Method of Payment Paypal (3 extra) - costacalidachronicle@yahoo.es Bank Transfer: 3058 0206 91 2720017764
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Costa Clida Chronicle

The Longest Established FREE Magazine in Murcia

Date: February 2014

In association with Costa Clida International Radio and www.angloINFO.com

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THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Costa Clida Chronicle

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SPECIAL PAGES Mar Menor Mazarrn Northwest Murcia Sport Whats On

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our centre meetings.

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Cautious portfolio Balanced portfolio Growth portfolio Adventurous Growth

+ 9.61% + 13.26% +17.59% + 23.14%

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Quiz questions on the January 2014 Costa Clida Chronicle

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