Bike savingsSTIFF competition fromalmost 30 bidders toconstruct cycle lanes inAlmeria has yielded asaving of approximately3 million on theoriginal budget.

New theatreADRA is to get a newauditorium during2015. The buildingwill seat 103 people,cover an area of 279square metres, andis valued at morethan 200,000.

Hip Hop VicarTHOUSANDS of youngpeople gathered inVicar for the Hip HopStreet festival. Around700 people took partduring the 11th editionof the event, also itslargest.

FRONT EXTRAEWN

ISSUE NO. 1542 TRUST WE DO!our advertisers 22 - 28 JANUARY 2015 WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

Winter Fuel Allowance: Your say Page 12

EXPATRIATES who have beenlegally resident in Spain for twoyears or more must renew theirdriving licences to meet newregulations or face a 200 fine.

The new measure for EuropeanUnion (EU) expats living in Spainrequires people from the 28 EUmember states to renew anydriving licence they hold which isvalid for 15 years or more in thecase of car and motorcycle drivers(Group One) and five years orlonger in the case of drivers oftransport and larger vehicles(Group Two).

The new rule - which came intoeffect on Monday - applies to all EUexpats who have been legally living

in Spain for more than two years,and will apply to newer residentstwo years after the date they

legally became resident in Spain.Spains department of motor

vehicles DGT confirmed to theEWN that any EU expat who haslegally lived in Spain for two yearsor more must immediately renewtheir licence to a Spanish EUlicence or face a fine of 200.

The licence changes are requiredunder a new EU guideline aimed ateliminating the more than 110types of licences valid to drive inEU countries and provide astandard licence for all citizens.

Residents can renew their

driving licence by contacting thenearest traffic authority, calling060 or via the DGT traffic authoritywebsite www.dgt.es.

Proof of identity, proof ofresidence, the original drivinglicence and a copy are required forthe initial appointment, plus arecent photograph and officialform. The fee for the new licence is23.50.

Drivers are also reminded that as previously reported in the EWN speed limits on many Spanishroads are to be reduced thisspring. The speed limit onmotorways will remain at 120kilometres per hour (km/h), butroads with a current limit of100km/h will drop to 90km/h andthose currently at 90km/h will dropto either 70 or 50km/h.

Motorists in Spain are alsoreminded that the fine for breakingthe speed limit starts at 100 forspeeds of up to 150km/h.

The fine for driving under theinfluence of alcohol or drugs is1,000.

Have your say on this story atwww.euroweeklynews.com

EU expats must renewtheir driving licences

CORD

ONPR

ESSDR

IVERS

CORONATION STREET actress Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdrein the popular British soap, died on Monday January 19, aged 60.

Her husband David Beckett said she passed away peacefully at aManchester hospital after a short illness.

Anne owned a villa in Mojacar and often retreated to the area toget away from the spotlight and de-stress.

Continued on Page 8

Corrie star mourned

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera2 www.euroweeklynews.com

INDEXNews 1 - 24

Finance 27 - 32

Letters 33

Leapy Lee 34

Daily TV 36

Time Out 46 - 47

Health & Beauty 52- 55

Food 60 - 64

Albox 65 - 69

Homes & Gardens 71

Property 72

Classifieds 74 - 76

Motoring 77 - 78

Sport 79 - 80

EVERY year the town of Mojacar awardsentities or people who have contributed tothe good of the municipality with theirideas, influence or projects, with a GoldenIndalo.

The Indalo (pictured above) is a symbolof Mojacar and Almeria and is said to bringgood luck to those it is given to. Theawards will be made on Thursday January29 at the FITUR exhibition in Madrid

The award winners for this year havejust been announced. They are Doctor

Christiane Gohl, a famous German writer,who has lived in the Mojacar area for 10years. She has written under variouspseudonyms including Sara Lark, RicardaJordan and Elisabeth Rotenberg as well asin her own name.

Another Golden Indalo goes to RafaelAntonio Hernando Fraile. Fraile is aSpanish lawyer, a politician and currentlyacts as spokesman of the parliamentaryPopular Party in the Congress of Deputiesand as an MP for Almeria.

The 2015 GoldenIndalo awards

WINNERS: ChristianeGohl (left) and Rafael AHernando Fraile.

MOJACAR Town Hall is carryingout more improvements in thevillage streets.

This time the works are beingcarried out in the area of thehistoric old town.

The streets which will mostbenefit from new paving and therenovation of their urbanservices are Calle Estacion, CalleSalas, Calle Union, Calle Correos,

Calle Jazmin, Calle Irene andPlaza Cao.

The works, which areestimated at 241,876, havebeen contracted out for theamount of 163,168, which willsave the town council anestimated 78,708. The urbanworks are being funded by fundsthe town council obtained fromthe successful sale of a plot of

land in Macenas that can be usedfor the street renovationsincluded within the so calledDegraded Areas Plan.

The mayor, Rosa Maria Cano,stated that these works are notrestricted to the streets alreadymentioned. The improvement ofCalles Embajadores, Puntica andGlorieta will commence in thecoming weeks.

Thieves nabbedGUARDIA CIVIL officers havearrested three allegedperpetrators of a mopedtheft from a communitygarage in Roquetas. Two ofthe arrested individuals wereminors, aged 15 and 16.

Fort BravoFIREFIGHTERS rescued aclimber at Fort Bravo,Tabernas, after a phone callfrom a fellow climber alertedthem. The climber had fallenand was taken to hospitalwith injured ankles.

Boar huntAN investigation into anallegedly illegal boar hunt inCabo de Gata has beenshelved after new evidenceemerged to show that therequired permits had beenobtained.

Nijar rescueALMERIA coastguard rescueda 35-year-old man who hadfallen off a 15 metre cliff inthe town of Las Negras, Nijar.The rescued man was takento hospital with back and leginjuries.

Mayor scandalCANDIDATE for mayor forthe Ciudadanos in AlmeriaCity faces a court hearing foran alleged crime ofembezzlement after a2,820.57 transfer to a bankaccount of which he is a co-holder.

Not dampPATCHES on the wall of theAlcazaba in Almeria havebeen confirmed by expertsas not damp, according toan announcement by theJunta, but are the result of achemical reaction.

Albox compensationALBOX Town Hall has paid1,500 in moral damages toa former town employeewho claimed unlawfuldismissal. The payment forthe woman was ordered bythe provincial court.

ewswatchNImprovements to streets

Rafa NadalALMERIA company Cosentinohas launched its newadvertising campaign with afamous face. Tennis playerRafa Nadal is the new face ofCosentino to launch theirDekton Unlimited range.

Water fightTHE first public spat over thecontinuous breaks in watersupply and pressure drops inAdra has started between thePSOE and the PP with theformer threatening to begindemonstrations.

Fondon firesFONDON has marked theannual San Sebastian festivalby lighting long fires in thestreets during the eveningwhile cooking up a giant paellafor the towns residents andvisitors.

Adra hikingADRAS third walkingprogramme has come to anend. It finished as always witha trip out to Sierra Nevada.Approximately 150 youthsparticipated in the differenthealthy activities.

Daily fishADRAS fishing museum hasannounced that it will be open365 days of the year. It can bevisited every day from 9amuntil 2pm. The centre received6,500 visitors in 2014.

Homes cancelledTHE TSJA has upheld thedecision to annul thepermissions to build 440homes against the cliffs ofAguadulce. The decisionannuls the original agreementmade in April 2006.

NEWS 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera 3EWNTRUST our advertisers WE DO!

CREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.com

NE Spanish village honours the patronsaint of animals in the most dramaticfashion - by riding horses throughbonfires in a day and night of festivities.

The tradition - said to go back 500 years - is heldin San Bartolome de los Pinares, Avila, on SaintAnthonys eve (January 16). Known as the LasLuminares the festival is thought to have started topurify animals at a time when there was a spate ofthem falling unnaturally ill.

Hundreds of horses, donkeys and mules are madeto ride through the flames, with bonfires made fromdead branches piled in the streets of the village.

Although popular, it has drawn the ire of animalrights groups, who have put in official complaints

saying it is cruel to the horses and donkeys forced toundergo the ritual. But supporters of the event saythat despite the seeming danger to animals andriders, none have ever been hurt.

That is disputed by Observatorio Justicia yDefensa Animal (Observatory for Justice andDefence for Animals) which says it has vets reportsabout treatment to horses for burns.

In a complaint to Guardia Civil against the localauthorities it said it was against animal protectionlaws to force the horses to act in an unnatural wayand make them ignore their instinct to flee fire.

It added that animals suffer burns and the effectsof inhaling toxic fumes. That complaint was made in2013, but so far no action has been taken.

0

I have been surprised to find so manyKorean students are interested in learningSpanish, evident in the numerous Spanishlanguage departments at Koreanuniversities, said Spanish Ambassador to Korea,Gonzalo Ortiz, on the 65th anniversary ofdiplomatic ties between the two countries.

Quote of the Week

ALL 20 of the most watched televisionprogrammes in Spain during 2014 were footballmatches. The football-mad nation tuned in togames from the World Cup or matches involvingBarcelona or Real Madrid. Top of the list - with13.2 million viewers - was the Spain v Chilegame from the World Cup.

MILLION is the number of jobs that willbe created in Spain over the next two years,

according to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Hesaid that the countrys economic progress willhelp create these jobs and reduceunemployment.

1 And finally...Number of the week

Fire horses of Spainon St Anthonys eve

victo

r rive

ra fl

ickr

DRAMATIC: Horses are ridden through bonfires.

CASA PUGA, the oldesttapas bar in Almeria City, isto close after 106 years.

This tapas bar is in thefamous cuatro calles area

and is considered aninstitution in Almeria. It ismentioned in every touristguide and visited bytourists from all over the

world looking for a taste ofold Spain. Its archaic dcorof jamns hanging fromthe ceiling and bottles ofwine, flamenco andbullfighting memorabiliawill be sorely missed.

New laws allow com-mercial landlords to nowdictate the rental terms forall premises and theprotection that was once inplace for tenants has beenremoved.

As a consequence it isunderstood that CasaPugas tenants can nolonger plan their future.Their tenancy expires inDecember 2015, but due tothe uncertainty they face,the owners have decidedto close on March 28.

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com4

MOJACARs municipal arts centre, above the newlyrefurbished fountain, is holding an exhibition byMarko Blitz called Rickie Rocker en Maravillastan.

The exhibition, which comprises cartoons with aserious message, runs until January 31. The centreis open from Mondays to Saturdays from 10amuntil 4pm and on Sundays from 10am until 2pm.There are also workshops on Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5pm until 8pm.

A selection of Rickie Rocker drawings can beseen on Marko Blitzs official website atwww.rickierocker.blogspot.com.

Cartoons on show witha serious message

HATEVER your thoughtsare on the winter fueldebate that has raised itschilly, frozen and

controversial head in the weeks overChristmas, there is no arguing that inthe majority of Spain at the moment itis cold with a capital C.

If the sun is out during the day thenits quite warm, but once it dips belowthe horizon for the night it is definitelytime to wrap up warm or plonkyourself in front of the fireplace.

People assume that because it issunny for most of the year in Spain -particularly on the costas and theislands - that most expats are happilyfrolicking in the sea and lazing on thebeach with cocktails in their handsduring the winter months. At least,that seems to be the perception thatmany in the UK have, particularlysome sections of the media. It wouldbe interesting to see what these

people think after spending a week ortwo in a Spanish home not built towithstand the cold and without a fireor heating.

The cold affects the elderly muchmore so than those of a younger ageand it can be highly detrimental totheir health. The UKs decision toscrap the Winter Fuel Allowance forexpats in Spain is a thorny,controversial issue, but there is nogetting away from the fact that justbecause the average temperature inSpain is higher than the UK, this doesnot mean that pensioners dont needto heat their homes here during thewinter.

Yes, Spain is warmer in bothsummer and winter, but warm is notthe word we would use for the chillyand crisp mornings and nights we arecurrently experiencing.

See Page 12 for our readers viewson the subject.

W

Our ViewBrr!...Feeling thecold in January

Iconic tapas barfaces closure

WORLD FAMOUS: Casa Puga, the oldest tapas bar in Almeria City.

NEWS 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera 5EWNTRUST our advertisers WE DO!

TWO migrants have been arrestedfor killing between seven and 10 oftheir companions on a patera (smallimmigration boat) in Almeria.

The National Police were told bywitnesses to the aggression that anargument started when a Nigerian

priest started to pray, as he had afear of drowning. The Cameroonianaggressors blamed him for theweather turning bad and he becamethe first victim. The survivorsaccounts of the night are hazy as itwas dark and stormy, with low

visibility. They recall leaving the portof Nador (Morocco) with some 50migrants, of which only 29 survived.

The survivors do not know exactlyhow many died from either sufferingthe aggression of the arrested menor the harsh conditions on board

Migrants arrested for killing fellow sailors

A 22-YEAR-OLD Bulgarianman has learnt a couple ofvaluable lessons. He posteda video on a social networkshowing him driving at240km/h, at night on theN301 near Cartagena.

His dreams of being the

next internet sensationwere short lived as it wasseen by the authorities.

An investigation waslaunched and they wereable to track him down.

The driver was fined forexceeding the speed limit.

Speedy finedSILLY DRIVER: Posted his speed on social network.

FEATUREEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com6

STEP 1: OBTAINING A CERTIFICATE OFCONFORMITY

This is a statement by the carsmanufacturer that it conforms to EUregulations. You will need the carschassis number to complete this processonline at www.eurococ.eu/en/certificate_of_conformity.STEP 2: CURRENT LOG BOOK

The vehicles original log book showingyour name as the owner, the vehiclesage and a valid UK address. You will alsoneed the bill of sale for the car.STEP 3: RESIDENCY IN SPAIN

The Spanish residency certificate(Certificado de Empadronamiento) isyour official proof of residency in Spain.Your local town hall can provide you withthis document. You will need to take yourpassport and proof of Spanish address.STEP 4: OBTAINING A SPANISH MOTCERTIFICATE

All vehicles over four-years-old must be

roadworthy and clearly display a validITV sticker. The ITV (Vehicle TechnicalInspection) must be tested at anauthorised centre. You can find out thelocation of your nearest ITV centre onDGT website. You can also call your localcentre to make a booking. The cost canvary but generally is around 40 forpetrol and 56 for diesel-engine cars.STEP 5: OBTAINING A SPANISHEQUIVALENT OF A TAX DISC

The Spanish Tax Agency can provideyour vehicle with a valid tax disc forSpain, which must be carried in the carwhen in use. You will need to completethe relevant form online and pay theamount according to your cars tax band.

We hope the information provided inthis article is of interest.

If you would like to contact LineaDirecta please call 902 123 309.More information on Linea Directa

Registering your vehicle in SpainSpanish licence plates and registration document

Registering a non-Spanish vehicle in Spain is a complex and potentiallycostly procedure. However, you may be exempt from Spanish registrationtax by getting Spanish number-plates within one month of entering thecountry. But to do this, you need to become a resident. Linea Directa hasbeen insuring expat drivers in Spain for over a decade and understands allthe steps involved. Below we outline this process.

Advertising Feature

MORE than 100 people gathered at Cabode Gata in Nijar to film an advertisementfor the 2022 World Cup to be held inQatar.

Sites chosen for filming were beachesand coves ranging from Playazo toMonsul and Genoese.

Scenarios were created where viewerssimulated watching a football gametelevised on a giant screen, similar tothose installed in the streets, plazas andbeaches of towns and cities during theWorld Cup. In the advertisement, thebeaches and coves of Cabo de Gata were

used to represent thecoastal beaches of theGulf, while children playedfootball outside.

The territorialrepresentative ofAgriculture, Fisheries andEnvironment, Jose ManuelOrtiz, highlighted theimportance of the shoot.He said: In a few years,for several weeks,televisions around theworld for millions ofviewers will show thenatural wealth of Cabo deGatas beaches and coves,which will help to spreadits name and createdevelopment opportu-nities, jobs and wealth.

BAYARCAL Council hassigned an agreementwith Almeria ProvincialCouncil to finance therenovation of threemunicipal homes.

The homes areearmarked for threelarge families who havejoined the municipalregister. The familiesrelocated to Bayarcal aspart of an initiative to

encourage families withmore than threechildren to move to thetown. The families wereoffered free housingand land in order tohelp balance thepopulation and ensurethe school stayed open.

Along with the freehousing, they are alsosupplied with free waterand refuse collection.

World Cup advertin Cabo de Gata

Free housing for3 large families

Continued from Page 1Donna, from DonnasBoutique, told EWN thatthe actress had been intoher boutique on a number

of occasions to buyclothes. She had nothingbut kind words for thecelebrity, stating that shewas a lovely, down-to-

earth lady who alwayshad time for a chat.

Donna said: One of thethings Anne loved bestabout Mojacar was thefact that everyone heretreated her like a normalperson and she was ableto get out of the spotlighthere and lead a normallife.

Anne was reported tohave come to her Mojacargetaway after asking foran extended break fromthe soap last September,saying that her busyschedule had left herfeeling mentallyexhausted.

The actress, who livedin Manchester, referred tolong hours in TV studios,saying: At times, it isworse than being delayedat Alicante Airport.

Anne played the part ofDeirdre for 44 years andwas part of many majorstorylines.

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com8

EUREN (European Encounters), a projectwhich is part of the European LifelongLearning programme, has been given thego-ahead to visit Portugal.

The group will travel from HuercalOvera to the Portuguese town of Povoade Varzim to meet with groups fromacross Europe.

The first part of the programme will bepresented by Poland, describing itshistory, culture and aspects in commonwith Spain. Spain will feature next, withfolklore, music and dance. Othercountries in attendance include Belgiumand the UK. This is the fourth meeting

after the UK, Poland and Huercal Overain 2014. Mayor of Huercal Overa,Domingo Fernandez, spoke of theimportance of the programmes andadded: Huercal Overa continuesthroughout Europe, a journey that willcarry on with the recently adoptedEuropean Voluntary Service.

The group selected to attend has beenworking on its objectives to exchangeknowledge between European countriesin order to achieve a rapport and offeringopportunities to learn about the EU.

It aims to explore different cultures,fostering the ties between nations.

GETTING READY: EUREN members will travel to Portugal.

EUREN get greenlight for Portugal

Mojacar mourns death ofCoronation Street star

NEWS 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera 9EWNwww.euroweeklynews.com

NIJAR residents are celebratingafter a run of wins on the ONCElottery, totalling 1,680,000,

One Nijar resident won300,000 in cash, as well as

5,000 per month for 20 years,totalling 1,500,000.

The winning ticket was sold byPablo Rueda Torres, who alsosold the nine coupons, which

won 20,000 apiece.This is the second time that

Nijar has seen a big win, aftermore than 4,000,000 wasawarded in December 2014.

A bumper week for Nijar

HUERCAL OVERASTeatro Villa is co-hostingan exhibition by FAISEM,the Andalucian found-ation for the socialintegration of people withmental illness.

The exhibition, called Elcante del Ave Fenix (Songof the Phoenix), runs untilFebruary 2 and comprises60 pieces of art by 12artists, all of whom usethe painting workshopsaround the province.

Mayor of HuercalOvera, Domingo

Fernandez, accompaniedby the provincialrepresentative fromFAISEM, Amparo Lloret,opened the exhibition.

Fernandez stressed: Itis important to havedifferent activities topromote social andcreative skills as well as ameans to convey andexpress feelings andemotions. He went on toencourage residents andvisitors to visit theexhibition and enjoy itsartistic expression.

Art takes flightin Huercal Overa

FAISEM: Song of the Phoenix exhibition.

NEWS 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera 11EWNwww.euroweeklynews.com

By Pete Woodall(Woodys Los Boliches)

THE EHIC (European Health InsuranceCard), issued by the British healthcaresystem to British pensioners residentabroad, cannot be renewed online.That service is reserved for residentsof the UK only.

To renew a British EHIC from Spaincall 0044 191 218 1999, Monday toFriday between 8am and 5pm, and besure to press option #1. DWP phonelines are very busy so be prepared tohold.

Applicants should have theirnational insurance or national healthnumber to hand and any change ofaddress details, as the operator willarrange to forward a form to thataddress which must be filled in andreturned to the UK.

Once the process has beencompleted, a new medical card will besent through the mail.

This whole process can take up toone month.

The EHIC card is for free or reducedcost emergency medical treatment forEU/EEA and Swiss nationals whentemporarily outside their own countryor usual country of residence.

It is free and entitles the holder tothe same state medical care, underthe same conditions, as would beprovided to a national or resident ofthe country they are in.

In some EU/EAA countries theremay be a partial payment charge forthis which is generally no longerreimbursable.

Anyone resident and working in Spain needs to apply for

their EHIC card from their localSpanish social security office

or online athttp://www.seg-social.es.

The information is available inSpanish, English and other

languages.Residents of the Channel Islands andthe Isle of Man are not eligible for an

EHIC

Where is mynew EHIC?

FEATUREEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com12

The news that pensioners in Spain are to lose their Winter Fuel Allowance has provoked a huge response from ourreaders. The vast majority have come out against the cuts. Here is a small selection of comments -

Winter Fuel Allowance:the unkindest cut of all

Paying for gold taps

I AM a pensioner who paid tax andNational Insurance all my life. I still payincome tax to the UK under the DualAgreement UK/Spain.

Despite this, like many others, I cannotvote in UK elections.

The fuel allowance helps but I realisethat I am selfish in accepting it and thereare many more deserving cases such asan MPs expenses for everything fromduck ponds to toilet rolls.

Or overseas aid to enable some despotto put gold taps in one of his manybathrooms. And large families that dontwork but continue to breed, as well asany other sponger or insane cause.

It makes you proud to be British! Imlosing it. It must be old age (or the cold!).

Insulting remarks

WE too have paid all our taxes andtherefore feel that the allowance is aright not a handout!

Iain Duncan Smiths remarks rean obscene waste of money are aninsult. He and his associates havenot even had the courtesy to consultus in this matter.

A paltry pension

IF pensioners received a decent pensionin line with the rest of Europe, therewould be no need for a Winter Fuel

Allowance. I dont think 4 a week is toomuch to expect. Compare that to the250 million a week in foreign aid and themillions we pay out in drugs to satisfyaddicts in prison.

Im so glad I worked hard for 40 yearsknowing that Id retire on a life-changing16 a day.

Get a life!

AS a 68-year-old diabetic, if I wasnow living in England I would beentitled to free foot treatment, freeoptical treatment, all prescriptionsfree, concessionary bus pass/railpass, maybe some caring allowance,and if my savings were belowcertain levels, a pension top-up. As itis, I gave up all these to live in Spain.

I think it is obvious that by living inSpain I am actually saving the

British Government money.It is obscene for millionaires like

Iain Duncan Smith to stop theWinter Fuel Allowance. If it wassaving billions, I would understand,but a few million? Really, Mr DuncanSmith, get a life!

The ballot solution

PEOPLE may shrug their shoulders andthink there is nothing we can do as wedont have any voting rights.

However, we do have an army offamily and friends in the UK who over thenext few months will be visiting the ballotbox. We have sent a email to all ourcontacts in the UK and asked them to getin touch with their local MP about thematter.

If we all do this it should give cause forconcern, as most MPs do have one eyeon the ballot box.

Dodgy figures

THE UK Government has used somedubious calculations to penalise expatsand it can only cause greater concernabout how we will be treated should the

UK vote to leave the EU. There has been a website set up to

register your objection to this bill and it ishttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/73368 and I would suggest that yourreaders sign this petition to try to havethe policy overturned.

Fairs fair

AS the pensioners that should getthe Winter Fuel Allowance have paidinto the State all their lives, thereshould be no discrimination as tolocation. If this is to be so, then thepeople of Northern Scotland shouldget more than the people of theWest Country.

Cunning plan?

ENERGY prices here are the highest inEurope apart from Germany, and everylittle money we get helps a lot.

The trouble is we are all living longerand maybe this is a way of Governmenttrying to kill us off earlier!

Not everyone thought pensioners inSpain should get the WFA

Moaning expats

SPAIN is a great place to live; shameso many immigrants moan most ofthe time. Yes, we all paid tax and NIin the UK when working. Someboast about how little they paidthen and even now.

Let us not forget pensioners livingin the UK continue to pay tax (UKVAT) every day.

Yes, it gets cold in Spain butwinter heating costs are a fractionof those in the UK. Are we so poorthat 100 will make a difference?

Think of the savings on wintercoats and umbrellas!

B McDonnell, Javea (Costa Blanca)

Don & Tricia Widdall (by email)

David Moore (by email)

Keith and Judy Braddock, La Manga (Murcia)

Peter Barlow (by email)

Andy P (by email)

Godfree Lee El Oasis (Costa Blanca)

Keith Coombes, Moraira (Costa Blanca)

David B Jones (by email)

A heartfelt plea to Leapy Lee...I WRITE to you with rage in my heart. If the Winter Fuel Allowance is cut offfor expats in Spain, we pensioners here should take the Tory Millionaire Partyto the European Court.

Tory Millionaire Iain Duncan Smith should be informed (by the powers-that-be that many, many expat pensioners pay UK taxes.

Will Leapy Lee represent us!?Yvonne Fischer, Rojales (Costa Blanca)

This snow on a Mallorcan beach provesthat Spain is not always hot, hot, hot!

Hot under the collar about the WFA? Have your say and see more comments at www.euroweeklynews.com

Succession taxFollowing the European Court of

Justice ruling that Spanishsuccession tax was discriminatory,the Spanish tax authorities have nowissued new regulations withsignificant changes to the waySpains autonomous communityrules apply on inheritances andlifetime gifts.

From January 2015, if you areresident in Spain when you die,beneficiaries resident in an EU or

EEA state can apply the localregional rules of the regionalcommunity you live in. If youreceive an inheritance of Spanishassets from someone residentoutside Spain, but in an EU/EEAstate, you have the right to apply theregional rules of the autonomouscommunity where the highest valueof assets is located. If the assets areoutside Spain you can apply therules of your local community.

This is welcome news, since formany people the local regional rulestend to be more beneficial than thestate ones.

British expatriates also need toconsider UK inheritance tax.

Exit taxA new exit tax has been

introduced from January 2015. Itapplies to taxpayers (residents ofSpain for five of the last ten fiscalyears) who lose their Spanish taxresidence and hold shares or equityinterests in any type of entity of

mutual investment institution,whose market value exceeds4,000,000 or 1,000,000 if thetaxpayer holds a 25% interest in theentity. This applies to unrealisedgains, even if you do not sell theinvestments.

Payment may be deferred incertain cases, such as if the transfer isto a jurisdiction with which Spainexchanges tax information. If theindividual moves to anotherEU/EEA country, the gain needonly be declared if they sell theshares within 10 years or if theymove out of the EU/EEA (EuropeanEconomic Area).

If you hold shares or investmentsworth close to or more than thevalues above, contact Blevins Franksfor advice on how to structure thecapital so that your investments falloutside this exit tax regime, so youneed not be concerned by it shouldyou leave Spain.

As always, you need to make surethat you correctly declare all your

assets on your income and wealthtax returns and Form 720. With thenew automatic exchange ofinformation, the tax authorities willbe able to spot any discrepancies oromissions. Nonetheless, withspecialist advice you can oftenreduce tax on your savings,investments, pensions and assets.Blevins Franks have decades ofexperience advising Britishexpatriates and in-depth knowledgeof Spanish taxation.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs maychange. Any statements concerningtaxation are based upon ourunderstanding of current taxationlaws and practices which are subject tochange. Tax information has beensummarised; an individual is advisedto seek personalised advice.

To keep in touch with the latestdevelopments in the offshore world,check out the latest news on ourwebsite www.blevinsfranks.com

There are a few tax changes in Spain for2015, and you need to understand howthey affect you personally. Our previousarticle covered income and wealth tax,this week we look at capital gains tax,succession tax and the new exit tax.

Capital gains taxAll capital gains are now taxed at the

savings tax rates, even those arising onassets held for less than a year(previously taxed at the scale rates forgeneral income).

If you own assets (property orshares) acquired before 31st December1994, you need to be aware that thetime apportioned capital gains taxrelief on such assets has been removedfrom January 2015.

Instead each taxpayer will be entitledto a cumulative lifetime allowance of400,000 to apply to the salesproceeds of pre-December 1994 assets.Therefore, if you sell assets which youbought before 1995 and are nowworth over 400,000, you could havea much higher tax bill.

By Bill Blevins, Financial Correspondent,

Blevins Franks

Spanish Taxation In 2015 Part 2FINANCEEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com14

22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera 15EWNNEWS TRUST our advertisers WE DO!

MAURA HILLEN, the president of AbusosUrbanisticos Almanzora No (AUAN) hasannounced her intention to run in the Alboxelections.

AUAN fights for the rights ofhomeowners who bought their Spanishproperties in good faith, only to becomethe victims of legislation later with

numerous properties beingdemolished. Hillen receivedunanimous approval fromAUAN when sheannounced her intention.

She said: Urgentsolutions are required andfor this reason AUAN isasking for legislativechanges and some seem tobe in the making. However,whilst AUAN has receiveddeclarations of support,some support appears tobe lukewarm anduncertain. It is the PSOEparty that has shapedconcrete changes to thelegislation and I would liketo dedicate my efforts tothese changes.

Hillen, who is not amember of the PSOE orany political party,stressed: I am running asan independent to maintainmy freedom to operate.

AUAN election bid

HERE at EWN, we arecommitted to bringing ourreaders all their localand communitynews, andstrive toimprove ourpublicationsto helpinformreaders aboutall the news andevents in their area.

As Spains largest freelocal newspaper inEnglish, many people relyon EWN for news aboutupcoming events, andthis is where we needyour help. Do you have aforthcoming event that

you would like publicised?Do you need to get theword out to your

community? Byfeaturing your

event in EWN,you will reacha wideaudience andattract many

more people toattend.

We cannotguarantee that details ofevery future event willappear, but we will do ourupmost to publish them.

If you would like to reachout to readers, send eventinformation to editorial@euroweekly news.com

EWN at the heartof the community

FIREFIGHTERS put outmore than 100 containerand 30 bin fires in AlmeriaCity last year.

These acts of vandalismhave cost more than90,000 to extinguish,according to figuresreleased by the council.

The council indicated thatnine out of 10 of these fireswere acts of vandalism, anactivity that seems to be onthe increase. The latestcontainer fire was in the

Havana district of Retamar,although initial evidence

points to it beingaccidental. Firefighters inthe capital attendreceptacle fires at leasttwice a week, mainlyduring weekends or theearly hours of the morning.

Cars are not exemptfrom fire-loving vandalseither. In just one night inHavana during December2014, three vehicles wereset alight at the top ofPaseo del Toyo.

Councillor for Healthand Consumers, CarlosSanchez, asked residents tobe more vigilant whendisposing of hot ashes andother materials that radiateheat. Sanchez warned thatthese can start fires notonly in containers but alsoin waste collection lorries.This has a knock-on effectfor expenditure with thereplacement of containers,trucks and street furniture.

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com16

Vandals cause90% of bin fires

TARGETED: Rubbish bins.

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com18

GUARDIA CIVIL officers have arrested a 32-year-old resident of Vicar, FMSD, on suspicion of theftfrom an agricultural warehouse. The officers alsoarrested two additional people in the same villageon suspicion of receiving stolen goods.

The investigation began after the Guardia Civilwere made aware of the sale of plant protectionproducts of dubious origin. They located a farmerwho had purchased the goods, along with hisfriend. The farmer and his friend produced anumber of materials purchased recently in thetown. During an interview with the two men, theofficers were able to identify the thief and proceedto arrest him.

Busy yearfor Almeria

libraryVILLAESPESA library inAlmeria City loaned94,681 books and othermedia items in 2014,making it the third busiestlibrary in Andalucia.

The municipal libraryalso issued 2,849 newmemberships in 2014,bringing the total numberof members to 50,602 -26,712 women and23,890 men. January,May and November werethe busiest months whileJuly and August were thequietest.

Theft leadsto 3 arrests

TWO women have beenarrested on suspicion ofconning the elderly andcarrying out thefts.

The victims were agedbetween 70 and 86 yearsand resident in LasCabauelas, Vicar, Adraand Balerma.

The detainees areaccused of gaining theirvictims trust by carryingtheir shopping for them oroffering to clean their

homes. They would oftencall the victims by name or

greet them with effusivedisplays of affection,thereby confusing theelderly victims intothinking they must knowthem or simply loweringtheir guard. In othercases, the women wouldpickpocket the house keysfrom the victims during ahug. Once inside thevictims homes they wouldmanoeuvre a situation inorder to be left alone

before stealing money andpersonal possessions.

If they could not quicklylocate valuables, theywould often steal housekeys and return laterwhen the home wasempty. In one case, one ofthe women approached anelderly victim after a visitto a cash point, gainingaccess to the house andstealing valuables.

PMF, a 29-year-oldresident of Almeria andMCLF, a 38-year-oldresident of Almeria hadcarried out a number ofconfidence tricks andthefts in the area beforethe Guardia Civil were ableto make their arrests.

The case remains open,so that the involvement ofthe two women in othersimilar crimes is notdiscarded.

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com20

Female confidencetricksters arrested

ARRESTED: Female thief.

ALBOX Council hasresponded to the order toset aside 3.1 million in

compensation to 98 homeowners who face thedemolition of their homeswith an outright refusal.

Socialist mayor ofAlbox, Rogelio Mena,said: The council is notresponsible for any of theactions listed.

He described theamount fixed by the courtas unacceptable andunaffordable. I will notallow the effort that thetown council, staff andresidents have worked sohard for to go to ruinbecause of the previousmanagement team of thePartido Popular.

The mayor indicatedthat the figurerepresented 41.7 per centof the municipal budget.

Mena has authorisedand ordered theimmediate submission ofdocuments and resources

to defend the interests ofAlbox. He said: This willexamine the facts of thejudicial process in orderto establish responsi-bilities of the PartidoPopular over the yearswhen they proliferatedbuildings outside the lawand planning regulations.Our duty is transparency,clarity and a response tothe needs of our citizens.

His response came afterJudge Victor ManuelSamper imposed ademand for 3.1 millionon the town to allow forpossible liabilities arisingfrom the case against thetwo developers of a 98-home residential area.

The homes, which areowned mainly by Britishcitizens, face demolitionas part of the courtprocess against thedevelopers.

NEWSEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com22

Albox disputesliability demand

EWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera24 NEWSwww.euroweeklynews.com

YOLANDA DE TENA, a24-year-old mother ofone from Berja isfighting for her life inTorrecardenas hospitaljust one month afterfeeling a sharp pain inher leg.

The girl is suffering aninfection of unknownorigin although thehospital has not ruledout leukaemia.

Her family wish tomove her to a differenthospital where shecould receive morespecialist care, but thecosts are prohibitive.

With this in mind,residents of Berja havebeen raising funds tohelp pay for thetransfer, including aspeedily organised galacalled Todos Somos

Yolanda (We are allYolanda).

Yolandas sister,Irene de Tena, saidthat the family intendsto move her byhelicopter to a privatehospital in Pamplona orto a public centre inCordoba.

Irene explained thatthe family is tired ofhaving many questionsunanswered anddisparate diagnoses.She said they need tofind a second opinionto shed some light onYolandas condition. Adoctor told us that mysister is dying, saidIrene, and all we cando is pray. But we cantsit idly by. We need toseek other options andalternatives to try and

bring my sister back.Twenty-year-old

Irene, speaking as thefamilys spokesperson,is currently the onefamily membergenerating an income.

Aware of the familysfinancial situation, theresidents of Berja haverallied together to raiseas much money aspossible. People havevolunteered for eventsand to provide hand-crafted items to sell inorder to help.

Torrecardenas medicalteam have advisedagainst movingYolanda. They said thatalthough she hasimproved slightly in thepast few days, hercondition is still veryserious.

Berja girl, 24, infight for her life

DESPITE the crisis, Spainsbiggest companies are stillincluded amongst 250 ofthe worlds biggestretailers.

At their head isMercadona, which wasplaced 42nd in therankings of the 2015Global Powers of Retailingreport compiled by Deloitteand Stores magazine.

The report analysesperformance based onpublicly available data forthe 2013 fiscal year. To beeligible, each companymust have an annualturnover of at least $3.8billion (3.22 billion).

Mercadona retains theposition it occupied lastyear but Inditex - in otherwords the Zara empire -and the DIA supermarket

chain have both moved upplaces.

Inditex is now ranked at44 compared with 45 lastyear, while DIA movedfrom 73rd to 72ndposition.

El Corte Ingles lost fourplaces in this yearsranking, going down from62 to 64, while Eroskidropped from 127th placeto 136th.

Of the five Spanishbusinesses on the GlobalPowers of Retailing report,only Inditex has con-sistently moved up in therankings during the crisisyears. This period hasbeen less kind to El CorteIngles, which was Spainsbiggest national retailerfive years ago andoccupied 39th position.

LANDLINE, mobile, internet andtelevision packages are revolutionisingthe communications sector.

Proof of this are the figures fornumber portability where users transferfrom one company to another whileretaining their original number.

Jazztel and Ono have beenparticularly adept at poaching fromother providers and last year acquiredmore than two million clients this way,

although neither company owns its ownmobile network.

Ironically, the four operators who dopossess their own networks - Movistar,Vodafone, Orange and Yoigo - lost moreclients than they gained in 2014.

By the end of last year, Jazztel gained612,259 rivals clients, although this wasa fall of 22.5 per cent compared to2013. Ono acquired 462,570 clients,21.9 per cent fewer than in 2013.

Poaching clients pays off

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almerawww.euroweeklynews.com 27EWN

inanceA EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COMF

Job plans CARREFOUR ESPAA has41,000 employees ofwhom 86 per cent are onpermanent contracts.The supermarket chainplans to employ a further3,000 workers this year,again on permanentcontracts.

Wind projectMEXICOS govern-ment invited foreigninvestment for itsenergy reform andprivatisation plansover the next fouryears. Spanish multi-nationals Iberdrola,Gamesa and Accionawill invest up to7.6 billion in wind-farms.

usinessBextra

legal&List of shame gets improved tax results

Spanish firmswith a lot to sell

MORE people are paying their taxes inSpain than formerly.

According to Cristobal Montoro, theminister responsible for Spains taxauthority Hacienda, this stems from thedepartments announced plan topublish a list of the biggest non-payers.

Asked recently when the publiccould expect to see this list, Montororeplied that the government intends it

to appear very soon.Making known the names of tax

dodgers was in line with cultivating thepublic perception that citizens shouldcomply faithfully with taxpayingobligations, he added.

Hacienda is also working with thejudiciary to make public the names ofcitizens found guilty of fraud, Montorosaid.

STAT OF WEEKbusiness

Cristobal Montoro: Listto be published soon.

CRISTOBA

LMON

TORO

BANKRUPTCIES decreased 26per cent last year with 6,420

insolvencies. Most weredeclared in Catalua (21 percent), followed by Madrid (16per cent) and the ValencianCommunity (14 per cent).

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGALEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com28

British Amrcn Tobacco 3.569,75 -14,25 -0,40% 164,22K

British Land 802,50 +2,50 +0,31% 88,86K

BT Group 415,05 +5,95 +1,45% 1,01M

Bunzl 1.863,00 +10,00 +0,54% 32,74K

Burberry 1.671,50 +13,50 +0,81% 49,26K

Capita 1.078,50 +7,50 +0,70% 51,18K

Carnival 3.016,50 +26,50 +0,89% 11,21K

Most AdvancedAltisource Portfolio Solutions S.A. $ 27.66 9.29 50.57%Courier Corporation $ 19.62 5.13 35.40%E2open, Inc. $ 6.72 1.25 22.85%Empire Resorts, Inc. $ 6.67 0.90 15.60%VelocityShares 3x Long Silver ETN $ 26.90 3.60 15.45%Flamel Technologies S.A. $ 14 1.87 15.42%Depomed, Inc. $ 20.20 2.55 14.45%Kite Pharma, Inc. $ 82.66 10.24 14.14%Approach Resources Inc. $ 5.99 0.70 13.23%Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. $ 2.78 0.3072 12.42%Juno Therapeutics, Inc. $ 50.14 5.54 12.42%

Most DeclinedConatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. $ 6.19 4.14 40.08%Cathay General Bancorp $ 5.5094 1.0206 15.63%VelocityShares 3x Inverse Silver ETN $ 49.20 8.187 14.27%TESSCO Technologies Incorporated $ 24.01 2.80 10.44%Escalera Resources Co. $ 9.705 0.995 9.30%Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 12.21 1.19 8.88%Educational Development Corporation $ 4.40 0.425 8.81%NeuroDerm Ltd. $ 11.01 1.06 8.78%QAD Inc. $ 19.30 1.79 8.49%QAD Inc. $ 16 1.3601 7.83%China Mobile Games and Ent Gr Limtd $ 17.54 1.49 7.83%

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE (( PP )) CCHH AA NN GG EE (( PP )) %% CCHH GG.. NNEE TT VVOO LL UU MM EE

MMM 3M Co 162.00 +2.34 +1.47% 2.3MAXP American Express Co 86.04 +0.16 +0.19% 6.8MT AT&T Inc 33.80 +0.54 +1.62% 37.5MBA Boeing Co 130.78 +0.64 +0.49% 4.4MCAT Caterpillar Inc 83.86 -0.46 -0.55% 10.4MCVX Chevron Corp 105.12 +2.45 +2.39% 12.6MCSCO Cisco Systems Inc 27.68 +0.27 +0.99% 26.7MKO The Coca-Cola Co 42.53 +0.15 +0.35% 15.1MDIS Walt Disney Co 95.18 +0.83 +0.88% 6.1MDD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co 74.25 +1.10 +1.50% 3.8MXOM Exxon Mobil Corp 91.12 +2.16 +2.43% 17.7MGE General Electric Co 23.59 +0.01 +0.04% 49.8MGS Goldman Sachs Group Inc 177.23 -1.26 -0.71% 5.1MHD Home Depot Inc 104.12 +3.11 +3.08% 6.4MIBM International Business Machine... 157.14 +2.57 +1.66% 5.8MINTC Intel Corp 36.45 +0.26 +0.72% 62.8MJNJ Johnson & Johnson 104.04 +1.55 +1.51% 14.1MJPM JPMorgan Chase and Co 55.93 +0.94 +1.71% 29.4MMCD McDonald's Corp 91.49 +0.11 +0.12% 6.9MMRK Merck & Co Inc 63.03 +1.15 +1.86% 11.4MMSFT Microsoft Corp 46.24 +0.76 +1.67% 35.7MNKE Nike Inc 92.99 +0.18 +0.19% 4.4MPFE Pfizer Inc 32.80 +0.40 +1.23% 23.9MPG Procter & Gamble Co 91.25 +1.39 +1.55% 8.8MTRV Travelers Companies Inc 106.54 +2.33 +2.24% 2.1MUTX United Technologies Corp 116.15 +2.63 +2.32% 5.8MUNH UnitedHealth Group Inc 105.77 +1.31 +1.25% 6.0MVZ Verizon Communications Inc 47.99 +0.89 +1.89% 18.1MV Visa Inc 254.95 +1.82 +0.72% 2.8MWMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc 86.77 -0.61 -0.70% 8.4M

Centrica 266,15 +1,25 +0,47% 439,16KCoca Cola HBC AG 1.092,0 +15,0 +1,39% 27,03KCompass 1.102,00 +9,00 +0,82% 113,55KCRH 1.529,00 +21,00 +1,39% 66,75KDiageo 1.899,75 +8,25 +0,44% 270,10KDirect Line 307,90 +2,40 +0,79% 125,72KDixons Carphone 434,20 +6,70 +1,57% 299,29KEasyjet 1.608,00 +8,00 +0,50% 56,91KExperian 1.141,00 -4,00 -0,35% 176,53KFresnillo 889,75 +5,25 +0,59% 85,11KFriends Life Group 384,40 +2,90 +0,76% 495,67KG4S 280,45 +0,95 +0,34% 162,38KGKN 361,25 +5,35 +1,50% 139,40KGlaxosmithkline 1.440,00 +9,00 +0,63% 551,87KGlencore Xstrata 253,00 +0,45 +0,18% 3,40MHammerson 653,25 +3,75 +0,58% 117,24KHargreaves Lansdown 933,50 -2,00 -0,21% 148,30KHSBC 598,40 +4,40 +0,74% 1,57MIAG 493,05 +1,75 +0,36% 363,31KIMI 1.238,50 +6,50 +0,53% 23,28KImperial Tobacco 2.922,50 +30,50 +1,05% 180,43KIntercontinental Hotels 2.620,50 +19,50 +0,75% 14,14KIntertek 2.344,00 -7,00 -0,30% 33,67KIntu Properties 344,65 -0,35 -0,10% 234,96KITV 221,60 +2,00 +0,91% 444,08KJohnson Matthey 3.467,50 +16,50 +0,48% 11,18KKingfisher 322,30 +4,30 +1,35% 510,82KLand Securities 1.242,00 +8,00 +0,65% 56,36KLegal&General 252,15 +1,75 +0,70% 536,48KLloyds 74,485 +0,045 +0,06% 7,09MLondon Stock Exchge 2.267,00 +12,00 +0,53% 14,21KMarks&Spencer 455,00 +0,90 +0,20% 248,33KMeggitt 509,50 +0,50 +0,10% 102,47KMondi 1.072,00 +9,00 +0,85% 46,97KMorrison 193,15 +0,45 +0,23% 544,25KNational Grid 918,80 +1,90 +0,21% 366,82KNext 6.862,50 +7,50 +0,11% 24,41KOld Mutual 192,80 +1,10 +0,57% 525,16KPearson 1.236,50 +15,50 +1,27% 132,91KPersimmon 1.454,50 +5,50 +0,38% 32,93KPetrofac 615,75 +6,25 +1,03% 94,41KPrudential 1.506,50 +7,00 +0,47% 269,34KRandgold 5.385,00 -5,00 -0,09% 73,30KRBS PLC 366,10 +3,10 +0,85% 379,11KReckitt Benckiser 5.407,50 +32,50 +0,60% 92,98KReed Elsevier 1.101,00 -1,00 -0,09% 490,96KRio Tinto 2.856,50 -32,00 -1,11% 604,38KRolls-Royce 867,50 +6,50 +0,75% 205,15KRoyal Dutch Shell A 2.102,25 -0,25 -0,01% 333,16KRoyal Dutch Shell B 2.172,00 +4,50 +0,21% 361,13KRoyal Mail 429,50 -1,70 -0,39% 52,02KRSA Insurance 449,950 +2,150 +0,48% 103,44KSabmiller 3.399,50 +10,00 +0,30% 154,53KSage Group 469,10 -0,10 -0,02% 50,63KSainsbury 259,25 +2,45 +0,95% 343,21KSchroders 2.653,00 +20,00 +0,76% 8,73KSevern Trent 2.138,00 +11,00 +0,52% 28,06KShire 4.728,00 +29,00 +0,62% 67,64KSKY PLC 920,75 +0,25 +0,03% 235,68KSmith&Nephew 1.187,00 +11,00 +0,94% 131,87KSmiths Group 1.094,00 +6,00 +0,55% 16,61KSports Direct 733,50 +8,50 +1,17% 35,13KSSE 1.498,50 +1,50 +0,10% 148,46KSt James'S Place 797,00 +7,50 +0,95% 32,49KStandard Chartered 908,80 +8,20 +0,91% 423,45KStandard Life 397,80 +3,80 +0,96% 126,07KTaylor Wimpey 125,15 +0,15 +0,12% 1,78MTesco 225,20 +6,15 +2,81% 5,62MTravis Perkins 1.823,50 +39,50 +2,21% 76,56KTUI AG 1.119,00 +5,00 +0,45% 6,23KTullow Oil 368,30 +3,60 +0,99% 740,92KUnilever 2.756,00 +9,00 +0,33% 554,21KUnited Utilities 967,00 +2,50 +0,26% 44,48KVodafone Group PLC 231,00 +3,20 +1,40% 3,26MWeir Group 1.680,50 -6,50 -0,39% 28,36KWhitbread 4.792,50 +23,50 +0,49% 15,01KWolseley 3.637,00 +5,00 +0,14% 26,88KWPP 1.400,50 +15,50 +1,12% 234,53K

NASDAQCLOSING PRICES JANUARY 19

DOW JONESCLOSING PRICES JANUARY 19

3I Group 435,75 -0,55 -0,13% 55,48K

Aberdeen AM 411,70 +3,80 +0,93% 165,95K

Admiral 1.466,50 +12,50 +0,86% 50,29K

Aggreko 1.575,00 +35,00 +2,27% 80,86K

Anglo American 1.093,75 -5,75 -0,52% 398,74K

Antofagasta 694,50 +3,50 +0,51% 167,07K

ARM Holdings 998,25 +8,25 +0,83% 116,83K

Ashtead 1.040,50 -4,50 -0,43% 86,75K

Assoc. British Foods 3.118,50 +25,50 +0,82% 32,39K

Astrazeneca 4.742,50 +27,50 +0,58% 114,06K

Aviva 509,75 +3,25 +0,64% 931,78K

Babcock 1.025,00 +17,00 +1,69% 125,13K

BAE Systems 489,20 +5,40 +1,12% 387,33K

Barclays 226,50 +2,15 +0,96% 2,19M

Barratt 426,20 +0,10 +0,02% 59,72K

BG Group 849,20 -3,30 -0,39% 821,07K

BHP Billiton 1.381,25 -6,75 -0,49% 514,50K

BP 411,08 -2,28 -0,55% 3,52M

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE (( PP )) CCHH AA NN GG EE (( PP )) %% CCHH GG.. NNEE TT VVOO LL UU MM EE

LONDON - FTSE 100CLOSING PRICES JANUARY 19

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE (( PP )) CCHH AA NN GG EE %% CCHH GG.. VVOO LL UU MM EE

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE CCHH AA NN GG EE NNEE TT // %%CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE CCHH AA NN GG EE %%CCHH AA NN GG EE VVOO LL UU MM EE

US dollar ..................................................................1.15726Japan yen..............................................................135.644Switzerland franc ................................................1.0002Denmark kroner................................................7.43460Norway kroner ....................................................8.76719

0.76416 1.30862Units per

MAKE THE MOST OFYOUR MONEY WITH US

See our advert on page 31

currenciesdirect.com/mojacar Tel: +34 950 478 914

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almerawww.euroweeklynews.com 29EWN

THE scariest words a new boss ormanager can say are: There are goingto be changes here. Such fatal wordscauses employees to freak out. Dontpanic; many bosses refuse to embracechange too.

I speak from experience. Very muchtechnophobic, I resisted when, duringthe 1980s, my wife suggested Iconsider the pluses a PC had over atypewriter. Impressed, I went throughthe learning curve and bless the dayshe persuaded me to embrace change.

Many businesses are held back bytheir owners reluctance to takeadvantage of change. I recall amanaging director spelling out the

difference in American and Britishbusiness attitudes.

Previously Marketing Director of anAmerican corporation, he explained:In America, when a salesmansuggests something new, anappointment is made and the proposal

considered. If the boss likes it, he actsdecisively. If he doesnt, he says no.Here, the executive told me, thehardest bit is getting a boss to evensee you.

A favourite cartoon depicts a salesrep trying to grab the attention of amedieval king directing a battle inwhich arrows are being exchanged.The salesman has on offer a Gatlingmachine gun and boxes ofammunition. A short burst would be agame changer. Alas, the king is toobusy to see him.

During the 80s, few retailersaccepted plastic. I did and businessimproved by 40 per cent. Vainly I tried

to convince a retailer to follow myexample. He was dismissive and soonafterwards his business collapsed. Anearby retailer, selling similar items,told me that 90 per cent of herbusiness was done on credit or debitcards.

It was the same when cash-pointswere first offered to retailers andpetrol stations. A convenience storeowner who had installed a cash-pointtold me that it made more money thanthe rest of the shop.

Others couldnt or wouldnt see it.Now, years later, the same retailerscaught on and they now swear bythem. Businesses too are peer led.

Mike WalshMike Walsh was for 20 years RegionalAssessment Manager for the Guildof Master Craftsmen, Britainsbiggest quality assurancebody for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es 966 786 932

Talking shop

Get ahead by thinking ahead

Too cheapOLIVE oil sector trade union UPA accusedsupermarkets of selling the product as aloss-leader. They charge a few cents over3 for a litre of extra virgin oil which coststhat much to produce while three andfive-litre carafes work out at anunrealistic 2.64 a litre, UPA lamented.

Money backA MADRID court ordered Barclays to pay330,030 compensation plus 3,424commission to a married couple, bothpensioners, who were mis-soldstructured bonds. Although this was donewithout criminal or fraudulent intent, thecouple, who were uninformed country-people, were not adequately warned ofthe financial risks involved, a judgeruled.

Come fly with meCENTRAL AMERICAN countries hope topersuade Iberia to open or renew routesfrom Spain. These include Honduras,which has not had a direct link with Spainsince 2000, as well as Montevideo(Uruguay) or Santo Domingo (DominicanRepublic) which hopes to recover routeslost during Iberias restructuring andredundancies of 2013.

BUSINESS EXTRA

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGALEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com30

Q. Under the Horizontal Law, do the gardens of thetownhouses within the Community belong to the ownersof each property or to the Community which allows theowners the right to use them as their private land ?

In the case of a damaged water pipe or electric linefeeding the property, is the owner responsible for the

repair or the Community?I should think that the Community is responsible for

the services from the central meter position to the pointof entry to the property. Perhaps different insurancecompanies hold differing views on this.

R.B. (Costa Blanca)

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

Exactly who pays to fix the pipe?

A. First, you are correct to point outthat the gardens are in fact the propertyof the Community, which assigns theexclusive use to each owner. It is thesame for terraces. All those apartmentterraces do not really belong to theapartment owners. The completelyprivate property ends at the exterior wallof the structure.

The basic legal doctrine for electric,water or gas services is that from themain line to the meter, the company isresponsible for maintenance and repair.

From the meter into the consumersproperty, the owner is responsible. Nowyou suppose that, if the Community is thereal owner of this pipe, they must be

responsible for its upkeep. But no, theSpanish courts have routinely ruled thatexclusive use means the individual

owner is obligated to pay to fix the brokenline from the meter to his property.

And, yes, in those Communities wherethe meters for water or electricity aregrouped in a central location, this meanslong pipelines to each individual flat orhouse. This makes it easy for the meter-readers, but increases the owners risk.

In real life, if you had followed usclosely over the last few months, youwould have seen differing outcomes, justas you suggest.

In one case, the Community acceptedresponsibility with no problem. They paidfor the repair. However, in another case,the owner had to pay.

There are two steps you can take. Youcan propose to the Community at theAGM that they install individual meters atthe entrance to each property, or thatthey formally accept responsibility for themaintenance. You can also make sureyour insurance will cover you.

GETTING a job these days is atough thing to achieve. Andeven more so if you feel thatyour CV doesnt scream, hireme. Maybe youve been out ofwork for a few years whileraising a family. Maybe younever went to university anddont have fancy titles orqualifications to put down onpaper, or perhaps you justwerent very good at school. Butthis doesnt mean that you donthave skills and arent worthhiring. So how do you jazz upyour CV to let employers knowthat you are a good choice?

According to businessexperts, degrees andqualifications arent the only

things that employers look for,so you shouldnt be scared awayfrom applying for positions.

Of course, a university

degree or experience is greaton a CV, but if you lack thesethings, then just fill the gapswith real skills that real

employers are looking for.Personal skills such as goodcommunication, organisation,time management, being ateam player or havingleadership tendencies are justas essential within a worksetting as are qualifications.

A lot of potential employeeslook great on paper, withexcellent degrees, but whenyou ask them to communicate,they really struggle. Whilesome workers are promotedbecause they are technicallycompetent, but this doesntautomatically mean they havethe skills to engage andmotivate a team. Therefore,its important to rememberthat academic skills and soft

skills are as important as eachother, so highlight yours.

If you lack actual workingexperience, then demonstratehow in your day-to-day life youmay have developed andgained skill-sets. Findexamples and be able to talkabout them with confidence.

For example, a mother,wanting to go back to work,could illustrate how jugglingthree kids and running a homehas equipped her with Bond-like multi-tasking abilities, andpatience.

And finally, to make yourselfmore employable, brush up oncomputer skills to show thatyou really understandspreadsheets and how toproduce a killer presentation.

Stay informed about yourchosen profession. Organisesome impressive referencesfrom former employers orteachers, and learn some newskills. The more skills youpossess, the more employableyou will become.

Let your natural soft skills do the talking

JanePlunkett

A look at finance for females

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

Loose change

ADAM

GREG

OR

POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES: Its not just qualifications that count.

The more skills youpossess, the moreemployable you

will become

You and theLaw in SpainBy David Searl

Yes please, MrDarcy, a bit ofromance for meI READ with interest and dismayColin Birds disrespectful articleabout Jane Austen.

She wrote in times when ladieswere expected to behavethemselves until marriage andmen had to wait.

Fluttering hearts and heavingbosoms, bonnets and hand-kerchiefs were not to be sniffedat.

A gel who allowed more than apeck on the cheek was ruinedand the man might be forced tomarry her to preserve his ownhonour.

So none of this Ill still respectyou in the morning and of courseyou wont get pregnant businessfor Lizzie Bennett. I mean, lookwhat happened to silly Lydia!

Theres not a lady of myacquaintance who would nothave a flutter on Mr Darcy so Ican only presume that theres anelement of jealousy, Mr Bird. I askin all seriousness, when did youlast gallop across the moors onyour trusty steed to rescue yourprincess from a soaking in astorm?

So, yes, of course Janes novelshave modern men huffing withfrustration, but we gels like a bitof romance before surrenderingto manly arms with a sigh ofecstasy. Having said that, theresnothing wrong with enjoying aman in wet keks...

Suzanne Stokes (by email)

No vacanciesBILL CAMPBELLS letter needs aresponse.

As a member of the EU we arenot allowed to make a trade dealwith China, never mind Australia.

England (not the UK) has nowovertaken Netherlands as themost densely-populated countryin Europe.

With the EUs free movement oflabour how can we ever investsufficiently in public services withnet immigration of 266,000 ayear? What would be anacceptable limit to immigration forBill Campbell? Half-a-million? Amillion?

The EU is undemocratic,corrupt and staffed by failed

national politicians. We mustleave.

Roger Page, Mojacar Playa(Almeria)

Gasman conTWO men presented themselvesas representatives of a firm calledFenosa Gas Natural.

They said they had to test alloutlets and came into my kitchenwhere one man produced a meterto test them. He remained there,talking to me and getting lots ofinformation: was I living alone,was this a holiday home or did Ilive here all year round?

The other man said he wasgoing to another house but in facthe was in my bedroom,ransacking it. He took all mymoney, plus he emptied myjewellery box. They insisted I getmy passport to complete theirforms and asked for 125 to payfor the inspection.

I said I hadnt got it and theysuggested I go to the bank towithdraw it. I said this wasntpossible and they said they wouldcome back in two days to collectit.

They now had sufficientinformation about my passport,my address and my signature foridentity theft. They shook hands

and wished me a Happy NewYear.

Readers, watch out for them. Jean Smith (by email)

Easy preyI WOULD like to warn driversabout parking their vehicles nearor outside the Mercadonasupermarket in NuevaTorrequebrada, BenalmadenaCosta.

I have been towed away fromthis location even though thereare no yellow lines where Iparked, no signs to say it is arestricted area and no indicationthat this is a tow-away zone.

I am very annoyed that theauthorities find it an easy locationfor making more money andpreying on unsuspecting, law-

abiding road users. If they wantus all to join the Padron so thatmore money is provided for thearea, they should consider thatthis type of behaviour is nothelping but only making us veryangry.

A formal warning under thewindscreen wiper would sort thisout without heavy fines beingimposed for a first bewilderingoffence.

Rob Turner (by email)

Cold comfortDEAR Mr Cameron, Imaddressing this to you andalthough I know you will neverread it, it just makes me feelbetter.

I am an expat living in Spainbut you are probably not aware oreven care that winters here canget very cold. Have you ever beenhere in winter? No, thought not.

Homes are built to be cool, notwarm, and the heating for myhome is a Butano gas fire. Thistime of year one canister lastsaround 10 days and my heatingallowance paid for these.

Not only do we have the leastgenerous state pension in Europewhich, I might add, I have paidinto all my working life, but nowyou have stolen 200 off me.

Was it to pay for that ladys12th child or to help pay for thewedding of the couple too fat towork?

But of course expats dont havea vote, do we?

Bob Heaven (ex-Tory) Busot(Alicante)

Weeded outVOLUNTEERS of La Mata began aproject of removing invasiveplants in 2011.

When we cleared an area inTorreta 3, each plant had to bedug out individually by hand andthe debris put into plastic bagsand disposed of in a specific placeso as not to spread the seeds orroots.

What the town hall appears tohave done in the Mi Sol area istear over the ground willy-nillywith a machine, leaving all thedebris where it fell, an excellentway to spread the invasive plantseven further.

We, the Volunteers of La Mata,have an ongoing project ofreplanting the cleared areas, aswell as our normal job of vigilancewith regard to dogs off leads,rubbish etc, and are supposed tobe helping in the Torreta 3project.

It would be nice if the mediacould be made aware of the factthat a small group of expats hasbeen working for 12 years to lookafter this national park.

Jenny Dodd (by email)

Life sentencesANYBODY know where MarkChapman is, the convictedmurderer who killed John Lennonin New York 34 years ago lastDecember?

Answer: in the slammer wherehell most likely spend the rest ofhis life. Some individuals shouldbe kept off the streets foreveryone elses safety.

Even Chapman didnt murder24 innocent victims, as did Inesdel Rio here in Spain. However,due to a ridiculously unjust edictrecently proclaimed byStrasbourg (the Parot Doctrine),Spain has been compelled torelease Del Ro and other massmurderers. Its sovereignty andpenal system of justice have beenobliterated in one fell swoop!

Richard M McBride, Benidorm(Alicante)

WHEN YOU WRITEAll letters, whether by email orpost, should carry the writerspostal address, NIE and contactnumber though only the nameand town will be published.

Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed

earlier correspondence can see allletters posted on:

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT 22 - 28 January 2015/ Costa de Almerawww.euroweeklynews.com 33EWN

The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or state-ments, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.

ettersLYOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

TRUSTWE DO!

our advertisers

Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10,P-62, Polgono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29631 Benalmadena, Mlaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887

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

THE photo ofthis little egretwas taken atVillaricosbeach by DavidElliott-Binns.

ArboleasBirdwatching

Group (Almeria)

OPINION & COMMENTEWN 22 - 28 January 2015/ Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com34

OME 30 years ago I warnedthat the next world conflictwould be against Islamextremism. Naturally my viewswere brushed aside as another

of Leapys rants. I also forewarned if theauthorities didnt wake up to the threat itwould be too late; because the enemywould be ensconced everywhere. Well,the authorities didnt and the enemy is.

In towns and cities all over the civilizedworld there are thousands of Islamicterrorist cells, planning and awaitinginstructions to create mayhem andslaughter from within. If we had beeninfiltrated on this scale by the Nazisbefore the Second World War we wouldhave been wiped out. I also see thatprison radicalisation is now (at last)becoming a worry. This was actually thesituation which first alerted me to relatedproblems that could ensue in the future.During my incarceration in 76, I observedat first hand the type of violent thugs and

criminals that were being converted toIslam. Coupled with the almost fanaticfollowing of the religion I had experiencedfrom living in a Muslim country for eightyears, the selection of these radical newconverts somehow set off alarm bells. Asfar as I could see there were no pacifistsor peaceful individuals being encouraged

to join these sects, just dangerous menwith low intellect and most of them doingtime for acts of violence. Unless therewere dubious plans for the future of thesemen, it didnt make any sense. So the oldLeapers assumptions werent the sense-less ravings of an old senile pop singer,but common sense deductions of a

number of situations as I interpretedthem. And if I could see it, why couldntour highly remunerated security experts?

I also find the reactions of the so calledmoderate Muslims a bit low key. One canonly compare them to the German andIrish pacifists who voiced their dissent inshadowy cafs, with their names withheldand these days with their faces pixeldout. To be taken seriously these peopleneed to bury their fears and, if greatnumbers of them do indeed exist, rise uptogether. Jam the streets withthousands of Muslims decrying andcondemning these vicious inhumanatrocities. Just see the support you

get from the millions of your fellowhuman beings who believe in democracy

and free speech - whatever their religiousleanings. Somehow I fear that is notexactly the plot is it.? Well as far as Imconcerned, if you dont condemnsomething, then you condone it.

May all those killed in these latestatrocities RIP. I rather put my money onyou inhabiting the halls of paradise thanthose who put you there.

Je Suis Charlie.Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com

S

LEAPY LEESAYS ITOTHERS THINK IT

RIP to the latest victims

jan

kran

endo

nk

ISLAM EXTREMISM: The authorities need to wake up to the threat.

TV LISTINGEWN 15 - 21 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com36

5:30pm Antiques Road Trip6:15pm Pointless7:00pm BBC News7:30pm Regional News8:00pm The One Show8:30pm Inside Out9:00pm EastEnders9:30pm Panorama10:00pm Silent Witness11:00pm BBC News11:25pm Regional News11:40pm Weather11:45pm Waterloo Road12:40am The Graham Norton Show

6:15pm Flog It!7:00pm Eggheads7:30pm Great British RailwayJourneys8:00pm Top Gear9:00pm University Challenge9:30pm Only Connect10:00pm David Starkey's MagnaCarta11:00pm Backchat with JackWhitehall and His Dad11:30pm Newsnight12:20am Holocaust: FreddieKnoller's War

6:00pm The Chase7:00pm Local News and Weather7:30pm ITV News and Weather8:00pm Emmerdale8:30pm Coronation Street9:00pm Richard Wilson on theRoad9:30pm Coronation Street10:00pm Broadchurch11:00pm ITV News at Ten andWeather11:40pm The Jonathan Ross Show12:45am The Kyle Files

5:00pm Deal or No Deal6:00pm Come Dine with Me6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm The Simpsons7:30pm Hollyoaks8:00pm Channel 4 News9:00pm Dispatches9:30pm Food Unwrapped10:00pm The Undateables11:00pm Catastrophe11:35pm Bodyshockers12:35am 24 Hours in A and E

6:00pm 5 News at 56:30pm Neighbours7:00pm Home and Away7:30pm 5 News Tonight8:00pm Criminals: Caught on Camera8:30pm Car Crash TV9:00pm Storage: Flog the Lot!10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother11:00pm Got Hitched, Got Ditched12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Biton the Side

6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm Futurama7:00pm Futurama7:30pm The Simpsons8:00pm The Simpsons8:30pm The Simpsons9:00pm The Holidaymakers10:00pm 50 Ways to Kill YourMammy11:00pm Air Ambulance ER12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

5:30pm Antiques Road Trip6:15pm Pointless7:00pm BBC News at Six7:30pm BBC London News8:00pm The One Show8:30pm Match of the Day Live11:00pm BBC News at Ten11:25pm BBC London News11:35pm The Graham NortonShow12:20am Bluestone 42

6:15pm Flog It!7:00pm Eggheads7:30pm Great British RailwayJourneys8:00pm Antiques Road Trip9:00pm Mastermind9:30pm Food and Drink10:00pm The Big AllotmentChallenge11:00pm QI11:30pm Newsnight12:05am Albatross

3:00pm Judge Rinder4:00pm Tipping Point5:00pm Mel and Sue6:00pm The Chase7:00pm ITV News London7:30pm ITV News and Weather8:00pm Emmerdale8:30pm Coronation Street9:00pm The Martin Lewis MoneyShow9:30pm Coronation Street10:00pm Benidorm11:00pm ITV News at Ten andWeather11:40pm Knocked Up2:00am Jackpot247

3:10pm A Place in the Sun4:10pm Countdown5:00pm Deal or No Deal6:00pm Come Dine with Me6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm The Simpsons7:30pm Hollyoaks8:00pm Channel 4 News9:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's FridayNight Feast10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats DoesCountdown11:00pm The Last Leg12:05am Catastrophe

6:00pm 5 News at 56:30pm Neighbours7:00pm Home and Away7:30pm 5 News Tonight8:00pm Race to the Pole9:00pm Ice Road Truckers10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother11:00pm Celebrity Big Brother's Biton the Side12:30am Celebrity Big Brother

5:00pm Futurama5:30pm Futurama6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm Futurama7:00pm Futurama7:30pm The Simpsons8:30pm The Simpsons9:00pm Show Me Your Garden10:00pm Ascension11:40pm Fortitude: Behind theScenes12:10am Deep Blue Sea

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

Friday4:00pm Escape to the Continent5:00pm Final Score6:20pm Pointless7:10pm BBC News7:20pm Regional News7:25pm Weather7:30pm Now You See It8:00pm The Voice UK9:25pm The National Lottery10:15pm Casualty11:05pm BBC News11:20pm Weather11:25pm Match of the Day: FA CupHighlights12:55am The Football League Show

3:30pm Bowls5:30pm Somerset: After the Floods6:30pm Flog It!7:30pm Porridge8:00pm The Two RonniesSketchbook8:30pm The Many Faces of RonnieBarker9:30pm The Two Ronnies10:00pm Holbein: Eye of the Tudors -A Culture Show Special11:00pm The Artist12:35am Bowls Coverage of thelatest bowls fixture.

3:05pm Who's Doing the Dishes?4:05pm Doc Martin5:05pm Big Star's Little Star6:05pm Local News and Weather6:15pm ITV News and Weather6:30pm You've Been Framed!7:30pm Planets Got Talent8:00pm Stars in Their Eyes9:05pm Take Me Out10:20pm The Jonathan Ross Show11:20pm ITV News and Weather11:30pm Bridget Jones: The Edge ofReason1:30am Jackpot 247

5:00pm Come Dine with Me6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm Channel 4 News7:30pm The Restoration Man8:30pm Guy Martin's Spitfire10:00pm Holocaust: Night Will Fall11:20pm Unstoppable1:10am The Departed

4:25pm Columbo: Murder UnderGlass6:00pm Columbo: A Matter ofHonor7:25pm Elvis by the Presleys9:05pm Elvis - The 1968 ComebackSpecial10:05pm 5 News10:15pm Celebrity Big Brother11:15pm CSI: Crime SceneInvestigation12:15am Law and Order

4:00pm Greggs: More Than Meatsthe Pie5:00pm Emergency Animal Rescue5:30pm Last Man Standing6:00pm Harrow: A Very BritishSchool7:00pm The Fanatics8:00pm Show Me Your Garden9:00pm A League of Their Own10:00pm Deep Blue Sea12:05am A League of Their Own

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

5:05pm Escape to the Country5:35pm Songs of Praise6:10pm Nature's Boldest Thieves7:00pm BBC News7:20pm Regional News7:25pm Weather7:30pm Countryfile8:30pm Still Open All Hours9:00pm Call the Midwife10:00pm Last Tango in Halifax11:00pm BBC News11:20pm Regional News11:25pm Weather11:30pm Match of the Day: FACup Highlights12:30am The Apprentice USA

3:30pm Bowls6:15pm Ski Sunday7:00pm Real Steel9:00pm Top Gear10:00pm Dragons' Den11:00pm Shadow Dancer12:35am Billionaire's Paradise:Inside Necker Island 1:35amCountryfile News and storiesconcerning the heart of the Britishcountryside. 2:30am Holby City

3:20pm Midsomer Murders5:15pm The Man with the GoldenGun7:35pm Local News and Weather7:45pm ITV News and Weather8:00pm Get You Act Together9:15pm All Star Family Fortunes10:00pm Mr Selfridge11:00pm ITV News and Weather11:20pm Churchill: 100 Days ThatSaved Britain12:20am The Undriveables

3:25pm The Simpsons3:55pm The Simpsons4:30pm Maid in Manhattan6:35pm Channel 4 News7:00pm A Place in the Sun: WinterSun8:00pm Phil Spencer: Secret Agent9:00pm The Hotel10:00pm Walking the Nile11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats DoesCountdown12:05am Evil Dead 1:55am The LastLeg

4:20pm Cheaper by the Dozen 26:05pm Zookeeper8:00pm Bulletproof Monk9:55pm 5 News10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother11:00pm The Darkest Hour12:45am Cats Do the FunniestThings

5:00pm Emergency with AngelaGriffin6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm The Simpsons7:30pm Futurama8:00pm Modern Family8:30pm Modern Family9:00pm Fortitude: Behind the Scenes9:30pm Futurama10:00pm Futurama10:30pm Karl Pilkington: TheMoaning of Life11:30pm Show Me Your Garden12:30am NCIS: Los Angeles

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

6:15pm Pointless7:00pm BBC News7:30pm Regional News8:00pm The One Show8:30pm EastEnders9:00pm Holby City10:00pm Silent Witness11:00pm BBC News11:25pm Regional News11:40pm Weather11:45pm Count Arthur Strong12:15am Film 2015

6:15pm Flog It!7:00pm Eggheads7:30pm Great British RailwayJourneys8:00pm Holocaust Memorial Day9:00pm Alex Polizzi: The Fixer10:00pm Touched by Auschwitz11:30pm Newsnight12:15am Weather

6:00pm The Chase7:00pm Local News and Weather7:30pm ITV News and Weather8:00pm Emmerdale8:30pm River Monsters9:00pm Bad Builders Bang toRights10:00pm Paul O'Grady's AnimalOrphans11:00pm ITV News at Ten andWeather11:40pm On Assignment12:10am Benidorm

6:00pm Come Dine with Me6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm The Simpsons7:30pm Hollyoaks8:00pm Channel 4 News9:00pm Phil Spencer: SecretAgent10:00pm 24 Hours in PoliceCustody11:00pm Ramsay's Hotel Hell11:55pm Josie: The Most HatedWoman in Britain?12:55am Pokerstars.Com andMonte-Carlo Casino EPT GrandFinal

6:00pm 5 News at 56:30pm Neighbours7:00pm Home and Away7:30pm 5 News Tonight8:00pm Benefits: Can't Work, Won'tWork9:00pm Costa Del Casualty10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother11:00pm Britain's Flashiest Families12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Biton the Side

4:00pm Inside RAF Brize Norton5:00pm Futurama5:30pm Futurama6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm Futurama7:00pm Futurama7:30pm The Simpsons8:00pm The Simpsons8:30pm The Simpsons9:00pm Modern Family9:30pm Modern Family10:00pm Air Ambulance ER11:00pm Ross Kemp: ExtremeWorld12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

5:30pm Antiques Road Trip6:15pm Pointless7:00pm BBC News7:30pm Regional News8:00pm The One Show9:00pm Pets - Wild at Heart10:00pm Churchill11:00pm BBC News11:25pm Regional News11:40pm Weather11:45pm The Holocaust: A Storyof Remembrance12:15am The League Cup Show

6:15pm Flog It!7:00pm Eggheads7:30pm Great British RailwayJourneys8:00pm Antiques Road Trip9:00pm The Great British SewingBee10:00pm Wolf Hall11:00pm Up the Women11:30pm Newsnight12:15am Weather

5:00pm Mel and Sue6:00pm The Chase7:00pm Local News and Weather7:30pm ITV News and Weather8:00pm Emmerdale8:30pm Coronation Street9:00pm Midsomer Murders11:00pm ITV News at Ten andWeather11:40pm Bring Back Borstal12:40am I Never Knew That AboutBritain

4:10pm Countdown5:00pm Deal or No Deal6:00pm Come Dine with Me6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm The Simpsons7:30pm Hollyoaks8:00pm Channel 4 News9:00pm The Restoration Man10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E11:00pm Bodyshockers12:00am The Undateables

6:00pm 5 News at 56:30pm Neighbours7:00pm Home and Away7:30pm 5 News Tonight8:00pm Cowboy Builders9:00pm North Pole Ice Airport10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother11:00pm Age Gap Love12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Biton the Side

4:00pm Inside RAF Brize Norton5:00pm Futurama5:30pm Futurama6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm Futurama7:00pm Futurama7:30pm The Simpsons8:00pm The Simpsons8:30pm The Simpsons9:00pm The Fanatics10:00pm 50 Ways to Kill YourMammy11:00pm Karl Pilkington: TheMoaning of Life12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles1:00am NCIS: Los Angeles2:00am Hawaii Five-0 3:00amHawaii Five-0 4:00am Road Wars

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

Tuesday Wednesday5:30pm Antiques Road Trip6:15pm Pointless7:00pm BBC News at Six7:30pm BBC London News8:00pm The One Show8:30pm EastEnders9:00pm Room 1019:30pm EastEnders10:00pm Death in Paradise11:00pm BBC News at Ten11:25pm BBC London News11:35pm Question Time12:35am This Week

3:00pm World Indoor BowlsChampionships6:15pm Flog It!7:00pm Eggheads7:30pm Great British RailwayJourneys8:00pm Antiques Road Trip9:00pm Winterwatch10:00pm Winterwatch10:30pm Surviving the Holocaust -Freddie Knoller's War11:30pm Newsnight12:20am The Super-Rich and Us

6:00pm The Chase7:00pm ITV News London7:30pm ITV News and Weather8:00pm Emmerdale8:30pm The Kyle Files9:00pm Emmerdale9:30pm Birds of a Feather10:00pm Bring Back Borstal11:00pm ITV News at Ten andWeather11:40pm The Late Debate12:10am Kids Behind Bars

6:00pm Come Dine with Me6:30pm The Simpsons7:00pm The Simpsons7:30pm Hollyoaks8:00pm Channel 4 News9:00pm Location, Location,Location10:00pm Cucumber11:00pm Josie: The Most HatedWoman in Britain?12:00am 24 Hours in PoliceCustody

6:00pm 5 News at 56:30pm Neighbours7:00pm Home and Away7:30pm 5 News Tonight8:00pm The Nightmare NeighbourNext Door9:00pm Benefits: Can't Work, Won'tWork10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother11:00pm Botched Up Bodies12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Biton the Side

5:00pm Futurama5:30pm Futurama6:00pm The Simpsons6:30pm Futurama7:00pm Futurama7:30pm The Simpsons8:30pm The Simpsons9:00pm David Attenborough'sGalapagos10:00pm Ross Kemp: ExtremeWorld11:00pm Ascension12:25am An Idiot Abroad

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

ITV

CH4

CH5

SKY1

Thursday Saturday Sunday Monday

E waited anhour. I stoodoutside withbuoyant

anticipation but no one came.I started getting jumpy and

returned to that mostcherished spot on the planetwherein some English had beenmumbled. Before I could utter aword, she spoke: He lives inMojacar, the rent-a-car goddessblurted. It isnt far. About anhour and a half. The paved roadtakes you directly there.

I could have kissed her forsuch welcome news. I started toshow her my drivers licence andshe said shed put the bill on my

brother for not picking us up.Damn, things were reallybreaking better! She then walkedme out to a car so small I thoughtit was a sadistic joke played upontourists. But, when she handedme the keys it all became real.We put our luggage and baby inand off we whizzed into the mostbarren landscape I had everseen. Karen finally broke the

silence: My God, how do thesepeople survive? What do they eator grow? There is nothing herebut sand, rocks bushes andcactus. A bleak summarisationthat equalled my mutual butsecret sentiment. But, I couldntagree without letting down myguard. After all, I was leading thecharge. She was right, we werefar from home, far from Iowasrolling, verdant landscapes. Thefuture indeed appeared bleak.

Crossing my first riverbed Iwent wrong, driving directlyopposite to the other side. Therewas a dirt and gravel pathwayleading in the direction of the hillswe had been travelling. I wassupposed to know that once inthe riverbed you had to turn rightand drive down it for about amile, then turn left and youd beback on the asphalt. But, mymind hadnt learned the art ofSpanish premonition (something

I havent yet conquered following47 years of failed attempts).

Now, I was lost in low hills andsteadily climbing. Using my BoyScout knowledge, I searched forthe road most trodden, assumingit would lead me somewhere.

But, the higher we climbed thefewer adobe farmhousesappeared. People would rush outwaving their arms to either bid usoff or welcome. Damn peasants,none of them knew where MO-JAW-KAR was. The wife gave methat stare again. So, I boltedonward with a cavalier attitude.

Studying the worn paths formy best options I could only findhoofprints and not tyre marks.The higher up I continued thedarker the residents became,sunburnt to a deep brownearthen colour and poorlyclothed. Not one had heard ofMO-JAW-KAR. (No wonder itwasnt on the maps!)

W

Ric PolanskyRic Polansky moved to Mojacar in1969 as a pioneerdeveloper. He readsextensively and hastravelled in SouthAmerica panninggold and lookingfor El Dorado.

Not looking back - whatever theconsequences! (Part Two)

OPINION & COMMENTEWN 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com38

LOOKING

BACK IN

MOJACAR

THE OPENROAD:Lost, butpressingon forMO-JAW-KAR.

Jare

d eb

erha

rdt/f

lickr

CYCLISTS will be putting their best wheelforward in a fun ride to raise cash for ananimal charity.

The San Animal bike ride is being heldon Sunday, February 1 to collect moneyfor the animal sanctuary.

There is a place for people of all levelsof fitness with two different ridesplanned.

The first, for enthusiasts, is a 60kilometre trip starting at 10.30am fromthe San Juan de los Terreros pine wood

picnic area. An hour later the family ride

will start - a more leisurely 15kilometre journey.

A 4 donation from eachparticipant is asked for to go intothe charitys coffers.

As part of the event there willbe a car boot/table top sale from11am with bric-a-brac, jewelleryand handmade gifts for sale.There is no fee for sellers, but adonation would be welcome.

There will also be a barbecueand drinks available.

For more information call Peteron 630 528 464 or emailpete@sananimal.org.

San Animal is a charity set upto look after abandoned cats anddogs in the Aguilas, Lorca andsurrounding areas.

More information on thesanctuary: www.sananimal.org.

editorial@euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE 22 - 28 January 2015 / Costa de Almerawww.euroweeklynews.com 43EWN

Wheels to helpcats and dogs

THE Royal British Legion (RBL) in Mojacar ispart of one of the UKs leading armed forcescharities.

It gives the chance to members to gettogether to not just take part in fundraisingand welfare activities, but to also be part of avibrant social scene.

The Mojacar branch meets at 11am on thefirst and third Thursday of each month, withthe second being the more informal meeting.

Membership is open to everyone, not justex-members of the armed forces, as long asthey have an interest in or share the objectivesof the RBL. They help those who have served

their countries as well as theirfamilies. For details email

Membership SecretaryMarion Gunther:

paulmarion@live.co.uk.

RBL is open to all

THE 11 recycled teenagers, plus two pre-teenagers who sang carols at Arboleas and LasLlanos market in December raised a total of 400 forChildren in Need in Arboleas.

The funds were recently presented to Cecelia at the ArboleasChemist. The money was spent on Christmas p