Costa Cálida Chronicle - Costa Calida Chronicle

Transcription

Costa
Cálida
Chronicle
The Longest Established
hed
FREE Magazine
in Murcia
www.costacalidachronicle.com
cle.com
Date: December 2013
Issue: 1
Volume: XIV
In association with Costa Cálida International Radio and www.angloINFO.com
Costa Cálida Chronicle: Please tell our customers where you saw their advertisementt
Page 2
Sales Contact Teresa 619 199 407 or for the Editor Contact Patti 646 005 017
email: costacalidachronicle@gmail.com
Costa Cálida Chronicle: Please tell our customers where you saw their advertisement
Page 3
It is incredible to believe that yet again, another year has passed and that 2013 is now
drawing to a close. It has been another exceptionally busy year here at The Costa Cálida
Chronicle thanks to all our loyal advertisers
and readers keeping us so busy. So much for
our intentions to keep the magazine to the 100
page limit that we promised ourselves at the
beginning of the year; it is just that we hate
to say no!
New Advertisers
Bar/Restaurant Bora Bora
Entertainer Graham Cooper
Mazarrón Mobility
One2One Property
Restaurante La Bretanita
White Knight Glass Design
Welcome Back
Bodega Martinez
Branded
C M Constructions
Consulting IT
Galvez Renero
Hair By Carol
Hombre Gentlemen’s Barbers
La Vista Bar
Mountain View Kennels
The Dog Bowl
The Laundry Shop
Yogamayga
THANK YOU TO OUR
CONTRIBUTORS
Dick & Clodagh Handscombe –
Gardening
Jane Cronin – Learning Spanish
It looks as if winter has finally arrived now
Mark Davies – Classic Artistes
and our thoughts turn to darker nights and a
need to keep warm and cosy. There are some
lovely “winter warmer” menus in our amazing
Sara Millbank – Ma Millbank’s
selection of Bars and Restaurants that have
Kitchen
appeared in this month’s magazine, so look
out for those. If you have not yet booked your
Clive & Rosie Palmer – Exploring
Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve event,
Murcia
please do not leave it too long. Many of our
restaurant customers are sold out for both and
Alan Monk – TV News
others have only a few spaces left, so make
sure that you don’t miss out. There is a wonWe have given you a break from your studies
derful selection of events to choose from if you
Jennifer Rahman – Ask Jennifer
this month, but Jane Cronin will be back with
want a traditional British style turkey dinner, or
more tips on learning Spanish in January.
if you wish to try something different, you can
George Mitchell – Never a Dull
select a Spanish style Christmas dinner, or you
Moment
We wish all of you a Very Happy Christmas
can even opt for an Indian meal. If you are returning to the UK for Christmas you may wish
and a Prosperous New Year. Enjoy the festo sample some of the “pre-Christmas” offers
tive season, but take care when you are out
Philip Jones - Quiz questions
and about.
with friends here in the weeks running up to
Christmas before you go. Go to the ‘What’s
From all at the
On’ section in this month’s magazine for a
comprehensive list of events.
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.
Costa Cálida Chronicle
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SPECIAL PAGES
Christmas Food
Mar Menor
Mazarrón
Northwest Murcia
Sport
What’s On
50-53
26-33
74-81
62-66
93-97
85-91
ADVERTORIAL
Bora Bora
Cake Magic
Cálida Caring Agency
Corral Alcaraz
Dragontours
Graham Cooper
Liberty Seguros
Linea Directa
Premier Pensions Solutions
34
27
36
58
92
92
22
16
48
102
26
74
12
46
30
31
80
70
29
33
42
77
48
62
20
75
10
CHILDREN
Chatterbox
8
FOOD & DRINK
Herb of the Month
Ma Millbank
Menu del Dia
84
54
84
GROUPS
CRA
Darwinians
Ex-Servicemen
Humanists
Ladies’ Chatterbox
Los Palacios
Mazarrón CC Group
Mazarrón Pudding Club
Sector C Greenfingers
Welcome
76
38
79
46
75
81
55
76
74
40
HEALTH
Forget Me Not
79
INFORMATION
Advertisers’ Directory
100/101
Ask Jennifer
16
British Embassy
42
Business News
6
Classified Ads
98
CRA
76
Dear Editor
18
Focus on the Festive Season 28
IFEPA
30
Life in Spain
102
Mar Menor News
32
Mazarrón News
78
Murcia News
60
Northwest Murcia
Spanish News
Teresa’s Travels
Two Walls in Cartagena
66
72
58
24
LEISURE
Author Review
Gardening News
Hiking in Moratalla
NEST
Never A Dull Moment
Poem
Puzzle Page
Puzzle Solutions
TV News
WARM
14
82
65
34
22
59
68
98
8
62
PROPERTY
Housing Update
Property Matters
99
99
RELIGION
Beacon of Light
Mass in English
Olive Branch
Open Door
Puerto Lumbreras Church
St Nicholas Church
Welcome House
Wellspring Victory Church
70
7
59
40
55
12
64
44
SPORT
Camposol Golf
Fuente Old Guard
Golf Tips
Ladies Golf
Los Amigos Golf
Los Amigos Mazarrón
Straight Down the Middle
Supermoto
97
96
96
94
94
95
93
93
CHARITIES
ACTIN
ADAPT
Age Concern
Andrea’s Charity
Cavalli Foundation
Cruz Azul
Easy Horse Care
FAST
GO maD
HAH
HELP MMM
JJ’s
MABS Mazarrón
MAMAS
MARA
Noah’s ARC
PALS
Pets In Spain
ENTERTAINMENT
Burns Night at the The Clubhouse
44
Classic Artistes
67
Cloud Nine
36
Country Music
80
Lion Country Music
78
Page 5
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.
Bar Amigos announce their new Specials!
From Monday to Thursday
between 4pm & 6pm try the new
Early Bird Menu for just 3.99€ or
join them for Happy Hour between 6pm
& 8pm.
Bar Amigos, 121 Avda de las Salinas, San
Pedro del Pinatar
Tel 960 650 893
If you are looking for Christmas Presents
or Christmas Decorations you need look
no further than The Garden Centre 2003
just beyond Sector A on Camposol. There
is a wide range of lovely items with new
stock arriving all the time.
Contact Juani on 669 565 402
Home From Home are pleased to announce that due to your continued support, their son has now joined the business making him the 4th generation of
chimney sweeps in the family. Their new
name, Sooty & Son will bring a new fresh
approach to the service offered, making it even more professional and efficient. Their Chimney Sweeping Service
extends to residential and commercial
premises, wood burners, open fires, AGA’s
and Raeburn ovens, oil fired central heating and BBQ’s. Bars and restaurants are
also catered for. Remember the 4 elements
that can seriously damage your home are
gas, electric, fire and water. Be sure to
leave it to the approved professionals.
Tel 660 478 881
A great new product in Garden Furniture guaranteed totally waterproof, UVresistant and built to last. This stylish new
nautical grade material furniture comes in
choices of arm design and colours. Have
fun choosing the style and colours to suit
your tastes, requirements and space. It is
so easy to keep clean. People who have
viewed in our showroom think it is indoor
furniture - and why not? Come and see
and try at Furniture Plus Piramide Centre, Puerto de Mazarrón. See main advert
on back page of this month’s magazine for
location directions and pictures.
Tel 968 153 907
Restaurant Le Carrousel in Puerto
de Mazarrón is shortly to be introducing
French Fondue and Raclette.
Contact Yoann for further details on 968
155 910
Saralara’s family run bar in Puerto de
Mazarrón is pleased to announce that
they now serve English Breakfasts from
10am. Prices start at just 3.95€. They
also have Tetley Beer on draught served
in their newly refurbished and warm and
cozy bar! The cold nights are now upon us
so come along to experience a “real home
from home” with Eddie, Karen, Olly and
Natalie.
Tel 665 256 643
If you have not yet booked your Christmas Day Lunch you may wish to consider
La Chara in Isla Plana. Here you can sample a 5 course meal including wine, water,
coffee, cava and sweets all for only 30€
per head. They will have some authentic
Spanish dishes on the menu. Be quick.
Reservations essential!
Tel 968 152 016 or call into the restaurant to view the complete menu.
Zoe is planning some lovely Festive Menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New
Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, but as she
had to return to France just around our
deadline we were not able to give details
in time for this edition.
Please contact Zoe on 676 691 324 for
more details.
Gift wrapping rolls from UK 6 metres or 2
metres luxury wrap for 1€ per roll is available at Ibex Insurance, Pto de Mazarrón.
Ibex are donating all profits to GOmaD
charity. Also available are non-slip, nondrip pet water bowls, perfect for car
travel for the slobberer in your family,
as seen on Dragon’s Den and The White
House or view at www.roadrefresher.
co.uk - now at Ibex for only 7€. Buy a pet
insurance policy you’ll get a special dog
bowl free!
Call Ibex Insurance on 968 595 945
Due to the ongoing success of their window
cleaning business, KJ Window Cleaning
would like to announce they are expanding their services to include total villa
care with immediate effect. To keep in line
with their future expansion plans, they will
now be known as KJ Total Care.
Tel 688 697 629 for more information.
Pampered Paws professional dog grooming service and doggy accessories December special offer is:
Bath & Dry, reshaping of feet, cleaning
of ears & nail clipping, finished off with a
pampered perfume – all for just 15€
Now on Facebook and website is coming
soon
Call Joanne on 634 302 388
At A Time 4 A Change, El Algar, they
guarantee to deliver your furniture in time
for Christmas, so if ‘Auntie Betty’ is coming
and you need an extra bed, or you want to
impress the in-laws with a bigger dining
table, call in or visit the website atime4achange.com
Telephone 968 136 501
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Mass in English is celebrated every Saturday at the Catholic chapel at Pastrana,
approximately 10km from Mazarrón
Schedule of Masses:
Saturday at 4:30pm
Schedule of Confession:
Saturday from 3:45-4:25pm also on request
Fr. Carlos Prats 628 824 555
Fr. Octavio Carpena 676 219 445
www.pastranaonline.com
The Birth of Baby Jesus
Mary and Joseph set out on a difficult journey southward from Nazareth to Bethlehem, at the decree of Caesar Augustus for
the census of the whole Roman inhabited
world. Everyone went to be registered;
each to his own town.
Joseph and Mary set out for Nazareth to
David’s town called Bethlehem, since Joseph was of David’s house and lineage,
in order to be registered together with
Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
The distance was approximately 100 miles
and Joseph walked beside his pregnant
wife who travelled on their donkey and
the journey would have taken them six or
seven days. It was winter and travelling
across these barren hills would not have
been easy. Bethlehem is six miles south
of Jerusalem and lies 2360 feet above sea
level, with temperatures being around six
degrees Celsius.
When they reached Bethlehem, the only
Inn with any decent accommodation was
full and the only alternative available to
them was a stable offered to them by the
Inn keeper, being nothing more than a very
rough shelter for animals. There the Son
of man was born and Joseph worshipped
in wonder at the little baby, who he knew
was truly God and would one day redeem
the world.
There the shepherds were astounded to
hear the sound of Angels singing. The Angels gave them the extraordinary sign by
which they could recognize the saviour, “As
an infant wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger,” born in the stable of the
local Inn keeper. (Luke 2:16)
St Luke tells us, “The shepherds came and
they found Mary and Joseph and the infant
lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:16)
Eight days later St. Luke says, Joseph exercised the authority which had been conferred on him and gave the child His holy
name, Jesus.
God who is rich in Mercy, made us alive in
baby Jesus.
Page 7
the last week of September and at the time
of writing is still at 43.5E and testing – over 6
weeks – unprecedented.
This has lead to much speculation. Astra and
the TV companies have been VERY quiet on
the subject with no announcements. Has the
“E” satellite some technical problems?
TV NEWS
I must have been saying the same thing for
the last four editions - “Any changes due to
the new “E” satellite are imminent”. Well it’s
the same story for this edition! We in the industry are wondering when the satellite will
come on stream. The usual practice is for
a satellite to be launched, go to the testing
position at 43.5E and after a week’s testing,
move to its transmission position and be online working 10 days after launch.
Watch our website www.rainbowsats.org
for information, or sign up for email information as it happens.
Watch this space! The Christmas schedules
will soon be published and I really hope we
can all get through that period without disruption.
I am not sure what to say to the many of you
who do not have UK TV at the moment and
have been waiting for the possible changes
before making a decision. The safe option is
internet TV if your internet is good enough.
Ask us for more details.
Article sponsored by Rainbow Satellites,
the company for all your TV needs in the Murcia region of Southern Spain. Contact Alan
or Matt on rainbowsats@gmail.com or
(0034) 686 358 475 for free friendly advice.
I am annoyed with companies still installing
1.35m dishes and saying “Yes, that will be
OK”, when they have no idea if that will be
www.rainbowsats.org has some good basic information which we try to keep updated
in these turbulent UK TV times.
ily and education. After we had done this,
we went to Ikea to get some new tables for
school because we had moved down to the
camper van for school. I slept in the car on
the way over to Nueva Condomina, where
Ikea is. We had all missed lunch, but we
didn’t mind because the breakfast was large
enough and late enough. We were successful in finding tables, so we popped over to
Consum to get some pizza for the night and
watch the dreaded by many, X Factor.
a nice green
view
from
the
pool.
They looked
nice. We are
also
building an extension from the
house for the
pool
table.
We have built
the walls and
the frame and
are now doing the tiling.
This is one of
the reasons
why we have
moved down
to the camper van for school, because Dad is
building an extension behind us and is making a lot of noise with grinding and welding
(he loves welding and is teaching me).
The “E” – the one that MAY change our reception of BBC and ITV – was launched during
Hi there, Nathan here and this month I am
here to tell you about a conference in Mojacar.
the case when the changes happen. I know
some of our potential clients have gone elsewhere when we say we do not know what the
imminent future will be and we do not know
the size of dish that will be required, or the
worst case that satellite TV from the BBC and
ITV will not be available down here at all and
other companies are saying “It will be OK”.
December! 11 months of the year gone
where? Christmas is rapidly approaching. Are
you all prepared? Matt and I are home this
year with Mum Monk and some friends for
dinner - well makes a change from turkey the old ones are the best ones! We hope you
have a great festive season. It will be 2014
when you read the next edition. Any “old timers” down here in Spain will remember when
there was no hint of Christmas in the shops
until a week before the day. Times change!
Leroy Merlin had all the decorations out first
week of November. Not as bad as UK though.
Have you noticed every advert on UK TV is
Christmas related? Old man scrooge has had
his say!
We woke up at about 8 o’clock in the morning.
I didn’t like this because we had an hour’s
journey to do. We were all tired and Dad was
very nervous due to his speech, so the journey was quiet. When we arrived, we ate a
cooked breakfast as well as toast and orange
juice. Dad finally gave his talk and many people laughed. It was about his life and how we
moved to Spain. Afterwards we stayed for a
drink with the people who organised it.
We had a chat about their family and our fam-
The big talking point at this moment is will
it come online before Christmas and risk a
problem with transmissions over the festive
period? Lots of word says they won’t take the
risk and it will be New Year before any transmission changes are made, but there again,
it may all happen a day after this is sent for
publication!
A few days later we put the trees in we had
collected from our friends days earlier. We
put them in near the pool so you could have
No-one knows for sure the outcome of these
changes. I suppose that the safest option is
to fit a 1.80m dish – the biggest practically
possible and that most in the industry feel
will be OK. It may be overkill and it may be
inadequate!
I am not ready to do any important welding
because I can’t do it in a straight line yet! It
is hard to do it to Dad’s standards because
he is a professional and has done it since he
was 14, but it is good fun and everything is
coming on fine.
Speak to you next month, bye for now!
Page 8
Page 9
Sonny is a
very
sweet
little
dog,
about 4 years
old.
He
is
chipped and
neutered and
good
with
other
dogs.
He is quiet in
the house, in
fact the perfect small dog
companion.
645
Call:
469 253
Ximo
is
a
beautiful Galgo x
Podenco and
is approx 18
months old.
He is a delightful easyto-please dog
who is good
with
other
dogs and cats
too!
Ximo
will be a very
loyal and loving companion.
Call: 645 469 253
Angel is one
of 5 puppies
in need of
new homes.
They
were
dumped beside a bin
with
their
mum
when
they
were
just 2 days
old. They are
now 9 weeks
old and will
be small/medium
when
fully grown.
Call:
645
469 253
Bobby
was
found
wandering
in
the pine forest close to
La
Marina.
He is about
10
months,
looks like a
Staffie cross
Pointer
and
in very good
condition. He
is very gentle
and good with
other dogs.
Call:
645
469 253
From last month Amigo, Jasmine and Ralfie
are adopted and someone is interested in
Amanda so hopefully she will also find a loving home.
To view more animals for adoption go to
www.petsinspain.com
To advertise an animal for adoption email
info@petsinspain.info
Page 10
Page 11
St Nicholas Ecumenical Church
Calle Sobrija 2248
Sector D20 Camposol
By Rev Len Eaton MBE
www.stnicholaschurchspain.com
On November 10th, Remembrance Sunday, we held two services in the Church;
our usual morning service at 10.30am with
Holy Communion for Remembrance
and a further service at 12.30pm for the
Ex-Servicemen’s Association of Mazarrón
District. The Church was full to capacity on
both occasions. The next day, Monday 11th,
was Armistice Day and we held a service
of Celebration and Commemoration for the
lives of the departed, at the Memorial Garden on Camposol A. There were in excess
of 200 people present including a number
of officials from the Mazarrón Town Hall,
Remember Twiglet, the donkey from
Mazarrón with the broken leg? With the help
of our “Facebook” friends, we have raised just
over 3.000€ needed for the operation. Twiglet should be out of hospital when this publication comes out. He will have been there for
a month. At the time of writing this he has
had his first pot removed and a lighter one
the RBL, the Ex-Servicemen’s Association
and many others from Camposol and other
places in the area.
At the end of November, Saturday 30th,
Rev Deacon Eberhard Klute was ordained
a Minister for service in the German
speaking part of our Church and on Advent Sunday, December 1st, Rev Deacon
Maureen Kent was ordained as a Minister.
Maureen will be The Minister in Charge of
the Church with effect from January 1st
2014 when the present Minister in Charge,
Rev Len Eaton stands down from that duty.
6.30pm
Tuesday 24thMidnight Mass 11.30pm
Sunday 29th Family Service 10.30am
Services for December
Sunday 1st Ordination with Holy Communion 10.30am
Sunday 8th Morning Prayer 10.30am
Sunday 15th Holy Communion 10.30am
Sunday 22nd Nine Lessons and Carols
For any of the Church Services offered, or
other information, please call;
Rev Len Eaton 968 138 952
Rev Deacon Maureen Kent 636 099 679
Rev Deacon Bill Coyle 634 143 260
Rev Bro Konrad 679 927 268
put on. This will make him use his leg to walk,
as at this time he is “Goose-stepping” around
the paddock.
Mula, after he has been castrated.
Charlie Boy the donkey with the turned under hooves has made a full recovery. We are
doubly grateful to the surgeons and staff of
the veterinary hospital at Reispeg, Alicante.
On Monday 16th December we intend to take
both Charlie Boy and Twiglet to the carpark
on Camposol B where you will be able to meet
them and have a sherry and mince pie to celebrate Christmas with us.
We have homed Thomas the Shetland pony
that was rescued from a Murcia pound. He
has gone to live with Amanda and her husband in Sax near to Alicante. They were looking for a small pony to stable with their horse
Cubitza. We were very happy when we left
him there as he just fitted in so well. Henry
one of our donkeys has also been homed and
will be leaving us to go to his new home in
All services take place at Calle Sobrija
2248, D20 Camposol, where a warm welcome awaits you. Services offered by the
Church are Wedding Blessings, Holy Baptism, Confirmation and Funerals. We also
have a Pastoral Service throughout the
year, with people who listen, talk and are
there to help anyone who is sick or in need.
The Pastoral care is absolutely confidential.
We have been trying to get a horse out of
the pound in Murcia now for about 3 months.
The good news is that we should be able to
move him out in about a week or so. By the
time you read this he should be safe within
the charity.
We have homed several dogs this month;
Carlos and Ana have both gone to homes on
Camposol. Two puppies that were dumped by
the bins in Tallante at 17 days old had to be
bottle fed and have also been homed; one to
Camposol, the other to UK! Thank you Amanda for undertaking this task. Pedro and Lua
also made the trip to the UK to start their
new lives. Good luck Sam and Karen. Reyo,
a Galgo, also headed off to his new home in
Poland. Lots of luck to all our boys and girls
that we have sent on their way to long, happy, and healthy lives. We miss them all, but to
continue, we need to home them, so all in all
we have had a very active, productive month.
If you would like to help in any way, please
contact me at andreasanimalrescuemurcia.com or 690 906 565. You can also see
me every Monday on Camposol B car park
11.30am-1.30pm where I also collect donations, clothes, etc for our shops.
We would like to wish all our supporters a Very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Huge
thanks as always to the team at the Costa
Cálida Chronicle for their continued support.
Andrea xxxx
Page 12
Page 13
Katharine Louise Mosse, OBE, was born on
20th October 1961. She is an English author
and broadcaster and is best known for her
2005 novel Labyrinth, which has been translated into more than 37 languages and won
the Richard & Judy Best Book Award in 2006.
Kate published her first novel Eskimo Kissing
in 1996, followed by Crucifix Lane in 1998.
Kate was born in West Sussex and lives in
Chichester with her old school friend husband Greg. She was executive director of
the Chichester Festival Theatre from 1998 to
2001.
In 1996 Kate co-founded the annual Women’s
Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize,
and from 2014, the Baileys Women’s Prize for
Fiction), of which she is also the Honorary Director. The Prize celebrates international fiction throughout the world written by women
A regular guest on UK radio and television,
Kate presented the BBC Four literary chat
show Readers’ and Writers’ Roadshow and appears on the BBC Breakfast News and BBC2’s
The Review Show. She is a guest presenter
for A Good Read on BBC Radio 4 and writes a
regular column for the book trade magazine
The Bookseller. Kate is leading the campaign
against the closure of the UK library service.
Kate Mosse was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013
Birthday Honours for services to literature.
Probably the best known Kate Mosse books
are the Languedoc Trilogy, although she
has written a number of books and plays.
Labyrinth
In this extraordinary thriller, rich in the atmospheres of medieval and contemporary
France, the lives of two women born centuries
apart are linked by a common destiny. When
Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France,
she unearths a link with an extraordinary
past. Eight hundred years ago, on the night
before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young
herbalist and healer. Although she cannot understand the symbols and diagrams the book
contains, Alais knows her destiny lies in protecting their secret, at all costs.
Sepulchre
This is the second novel in Kate’s Languedoc
Trilogy. A timeslip adventure novel set in 19th
century and contemporary France, it is about
Tarot, about ghosts, about the power of music
and place, about the relationship between the
two great modern republics of the 20th century, France and America.
Citadel
The third and final novel in Kate’s Languedoc
Trilogy tells the story of an all-female group
of Resistance fighters in the south of France,
codenamed ‘Citadel’. Led by Sandrine Vidal,
they are fighting not only to liberate the Midi
from Nazi Occupation as their forefathers and
mothers, the Cathars, had seven hundred
years earlier fought to protect their land from
the invaders from the North, but also to protect an ancient secret that, if it fell into the
wrong hands, could change the course of history. This is a fast paced adventure story of
love and war, courage and sacrifice, about a
brave group of women and the loyal men who
love them.
Photo Copyright: Mark Rusher
Page 14
Page 15
Faking It!
There are times in
our lives when we
find ourselves in
unhappy or sensitive
situations.
While some people
can smile through
the crisis, for many
it takes tremendous
inner strength just
to soldier on. While
some life coaches
may enthuse that
“once you fake sincerity, you’ve got it made”, I disagree.
Faking sincerity is not natural and while you
may have the broadest smile on your face,
deep within you, the truth can undermine
your confidence and self- worth leaving you
feeling like a cheat. Is it better to be truthful
about our feelings at the detriment of everyone else? I find it laudable to be honest with
yourself, but it is another to let your feelings
cloud your judgement at the expense of others. Being truthful does not make you any
less a person, but it is equally important to
consider the feelings of others.
Dear Jennifer,
How Can I Support This Wedding?
My sister is getting married in December and
I am finding it difficult to muster any enthusiasm. I love my sister to bits, but she admitted
to me a few months ago that she wanted to
take her relationship with her fiancé to “the
next level” and she planned to stop taking her
birth control pills in a bid to get pregnant and
“trap her fiancé”. She has done precisely that
and I feel that it is a terrible way to bring a
child into the world. I promised to keep her
secret safe, but I need some advice on dealing with my feelings of disappointment with
my sister, especially as I am maid-of-honour.
How can I smile through this pretence?
Sandra, Murcia.
Dear Sandra,
I realise that the pretence is making you feel
uncomfortable, but would you want your personal feelings to get in the way of sisterly
love? Whilst you may not agree with how your
sister has gone about her wedding, it is her
decision to make. Have you told her how you
feel? If not, I suggest that you do so soon.
Not only will it unburden you of this guilt and
anger, but your sister will respect you for your
honesty. Keeping your feelings bottled up will
only consume you with frustration and anger,
neither which are good for your health and
inner peace. For her sake, try and be happy
for her. Let her know that despite your misgivings, you will support her decision because
you love her. After all, a wedding takes two
people and your sister and her fiancé have
made their choices. Try and have a good time
at the wedding and let them get on with their
lives.
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
My marriage is a sham!
Twenty years ago, I left my husband to be
with my current partner. I quickly realised
that it was a big mistake, but I could not bring
myself to admit this to my ex-husband and
my children. Instead, I kept up with the pretence because of my pride. However, instead
of being happy, I am miserable and have
been suffering in silence all these years. I am
too ashamed to tell my children the truth. I
have now decided to leave my partner, but I
am so worried how my family and friends will
react. I don’t want them to think the worst of
me. I am torn between doing what is right for
me and hurting my children all over again.
Please help!
Mandy B.
Dear Mandy,
Staying in a miserable relationship can only
achieve one thing – making you more miserable. Being in an unhappy relationship for
so many years eventually undermines your
self-confidence and self-worth. The question
is, “Can you live with yourself knowing how
unhappy you are?” I don’t for one second feel
your children will want you to be unhappy.
People make mistakes and it is part of life,
so don’t go on punishing yourself. It is time
to come clean with your children. They may
be unhappy with the long-standing pretence
at first, but if they love you, they will support
your decision. Staying in an unhappy relationship will continue to make life difficult for
yourself and even perhaps them. It is time
to make a new life for yourself and move on.
Jennifer
If you would like some advice with your problem, send your question to
jennifer@lifemaxxinternational.com.
Page 16
Page 17
Patti & team
Costa Calida Chronicle
Murcia
Dear Patti,
Have just picked up November magazine
and I am again delighted with the layout
and the space allocated to us…you never
let us down and it is so appreciated.
As a local charity, we depend on the media to let the community know what we
are doing, and when, and it is through
the publicity afforded to us that we get so
much continued support.
Thank you for all the time and effort that
you put in on our behalf, and please thank
all those concerned; we could not have
achieved so much success without your
help.
Kind regards and Happy Christmas
Lesley Eburne
HAH founder/manager
Dear Editor
Camposol Gradually Plunged into Medieval Darkness as Swinghing Ayuntamiento Cuts Bite In
These cuts are now taking place daily and
Sector D lighting has been switched off on
numerous occasions, including on the connecting main road Avenida de Los Covachos and the perimeter road Calle Babinas
that runs along the outer perimeter of the
campo. Polygonos D9 to D16 are particularly badly affected, with many residents
now fearful of venturing out at night without powerful torches as they cannot see
a foot in front of them, risking slips, trips
and falls. This will undoubtedly cause a rise
in break-ins to properties and other unlawful acts such as muggings and vandalism.
Sector A residents have also reported
similar actions and problems as the daily
cuts insidiously turn the whole urbanization
into a facsimile of wartime Britain. Surely
to goodness at least the interconnecting
roads and perimeters could be protected
or indeed some other well thought cost
reductions instead of this “blunt instrument”?
Many residents find this action by the
Ayuntamiento unbelievable and a major
retrograde step in this day and age given
that similar actions do not appear to have
been taken in other areas of Mazarrón and
surrounding areas. It is a sad state of affairs and maybe soon “ARP” wardens will
have to patrol the area; not to enforce the
lights out mandate and prevent bombings,
but to protect the residents and their properties that will continue to devalue by the
day.
Glen Ford
Following the adoption of Camposol by the
Ayuntamiento of Mazarrón and previous
complaints of the poor upkeep of lighting
throughout the urbanization, the current
Ayuntamiento decided that all non-connecting main roads in Camposol would be
disconnected as they were not prepared
to fund adequate lighting. The previous
administrations never sunk to this sort of
action.
Dear Editor
As I am sure you already heard, I am leaving these warm shores & heading up north
to the cold: UK!!!
I have been writing since March 2009, when
as a Volunteer for Caritas. I first introduced this organisation to Camposol ..
then BIG G got hold of my MAD heart &
the rest is history!!!
I wish to say a huge big thanks from the
bottom of my MAD heart for all the patience you have shown me & the great
support shown to this amazing Charity. Without the likes of the Costa Cálida
Chronicle, our message of Love, Hope &
Compassion would not reach those out
there, that NEED to know there are truly
those less fortunate than ourselves: it is
not all sun, sea & ........!
I have no idea at this stage who is taking
over the PR, but I trust the name of GOmaD
(GOD) shall continue to shine throughout
the pages...
At the GOmaD
AGM
on 28th October, Tony
H o l f o r d
was elected
President,
as seen here
with Amanda. Tony has
been
with
GOmaD for
1.5yrs & has
been an active & valid
m e m b e r.
Amongst
many duties
he is our ‘Transport Co-ordinator’, but already taken his new role very seriously &
attended the recent Fashion Show: minus
wearing a skirt!! GOmaD is going places in
strength & receiving such favour – thanks
to God.
Fondest regards to you all for everything
you have done in helping me raise the profile of Making A Difference xxxxx.
MAD-Amanda xxxxxx
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
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A concrete monolith; the hotel exterior was
very unwelcoming and inside not much more
positive could be said about the middle aged
receptionist either. After twenty minutes of
her company while filling in paperwork, I harboured no doubts she’d graduated from the
Soviet school of charm with an A+. This is
exactly how Moscow felt twenty years ago!
My
room
was
certainly rustic;
dirty
bathroom,
electrical
wires
protruding
from
small
holes and the
tiny balcony
was....... literally crumbling
away.
Really
not
safe,
and
since I was
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floors
up, I decided
not to venture out onto
it again. Although officially going by the name of Volgograd since 1961, in the eyes of millions of
Russians, this city I was stood in will forever
be known as Stalingrad.
It’s always difficult in Russia at any time of
the year to escape WW11 or as the Russians
call it The Great Patriotic War, but here and
especially right now, it’s impossible, as Russia
has recently celebrated the 70th anniversary
of the battle of Stalingrad.
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There is a 24-hour assistance service and
prominently displayed on billboards, red flags
and streets named after Soviet heroes, because even today, the Russian psyche still has
decades of political brainwashing deep inside
it.
I’ll give you an example; in the UK we ‘Commemorate Remembrance Day’. We do so by
wearing poppies, standing in silence as the
bugler plays the Last Post and we remember
the fallen. In Russia they ‘Celebrate Victory
Day’; many boisterously wave red flags as
goose-stepping soldiers and tanks pass by to
the blaring tunes of Soviet army songs.
Churchill famously summed up Russia (and
by that he meant its mind set) perfectly well
when he said “Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a
mystery, inside an enigma.” My own personal
saying on Russia after twenty years of travelling through it, working in it and mixing with
its people is thus; “Every time I go to Russia,
I learn something new.......and every time I
go, I understand less.” In a city centre coffee
shop, Anna my young waitress even told me,
“Government is going to change the name
of our city back to Stalingrad.” She beamed
proudly as I smiled with respect while all the
time feeling unnerved.
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1942/43. I kept my head down as I wanted
to count each step and also wanted to leave it
as long as possible before laying my eyes on
my destination.
Eventually I looked up.....and up....and
up......and took her in, in all her defiant glory, Mamayev Kurgan. The Motherland Calls,
or as many simply call her, Mother Russia; a
sculpture of a woman so gigantic that from
her foot to the tip of her sword, she stands
at a colossal 269 feet. To me though it was
much more than just her height; it was the
symbolism. I’m certainly no apologist for the
USSR, but even I felt humbled being in her
presence. I could hear music, haunting angelic sounds coming from the nearby eternal
flame building. Silently I stood in the freezing
night at the feet of Mother Russia thinking of
the hundreds of thousands of Stalingrad’s citizens buried under her frozen earth.
It was below zero with a wind chill of god
only knows what when I hailed a taxi at
9pm. “Mamayev Kurgan” I simply told the
driver who needed no further instruction. Ten
minutes later he dropped me off outside the
city and I began the long hard climb up the
two hundred steps.......each step chillingly
representing a day in the famous battle of
Often seen as a personal clash of hatred between two men, this brutal battle saw Hitler
determined to take the city that bore Stalin’s
name and Stalin in return demanding of his
Marshal Zhukov “Not a step backward”. The
result was the surprising defeat of the mighty
German Sixth Army and a major turning point
in the war; also, the brutal slaughter of almost two million with untold horrors forced
on the citizens of Stalingrad.
I tried to imagine the horrors they had gone
through at the battle of Stalingrad. I couldn’t.
For more info on George’s writing: georgermitchell.com
It’s 2013........not just old museums stuffed
with photos, but pro-Soviet victory posters
Page 22
Page 23
Although there is an enormous amount to see
in Cartagena covering almost 2500 years, the
town’s history can also be seen through its
walls! Two remnants of wall, both preserved
in museums, hark back to the very founding
of the city and, several hundred years later,
to a short renaissance at the end of the Roman Empire.
Firstly, there is the Punic Wall and its museum. Paradoxically, the remnants of the
Punic Wall are preserved in a very modern
building to the left of Calle San Diego, just
before Plaza Bastarreche. There is a small
entrance fee and the museum is open, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00am to 5.30pm in
winter and to 7.00pm from mid-March to early November. From July to mid-September, it
is open an hour longer and also on Mondays,
although, of course, these details can change.
The Carthaginians who built the Punic Wall
(Punic is derived from the Latin for a Carthaginian) came from Carthage, sited on the present city of Tunis in North Africa by the Phoenicians. Following defeat by the Romans in
the central Mediterranean, the Carthaginians
turned their attention to the Iberian Peninsula as a potential source of wealth including
precious metals. The Carthaginian general
Hasdrubal founded Cartagena, then known
as Qart-Hadast, around 228 BC. Some suggest that, under the Carthaginians, the city
housed around 15 to 20,000 people with an
urban infrastructure which would include ordered and paved streets, a forum, temples
and an acropolis (fortress) including the royal
palace.
The main remains from the period are from
the wall which protected the city in the east.
The wall was a significant structure which was
well known in the ancient world. It consisted
of two parallel walls, separated by a gap of 5
metres. The outer wall was formed of massive sandstone blocks brought from quarries
to the north-west of Cartagena. It is estimated that the whole structure was 10 to
12 metres high and was built in the Greek
“casement” style. There were cross-walls dividing the internal space into rooms (as well
as strengthening the construction) and the
whole structure had three levels. The ground
floor was used for stables, the upper floor as
accommodation and storage for the defenders, with the ramparts on the very top.
vain attempt to challenge the might of Rome.
From here, you can also look down into the
area of the remains of the Punic Wall before
you descend to see them at closer quarters.
You can quite clearly see the two outer walls
of the structure and the cross-walls between
them. We are sure, that, like us, you will find
the remains impressive.
You are also able to walk across the width of
the wall and descend stairs into an entirely
different archaeological find which, though
much more modern than the wall, is just as
fascinating if slightly more macabre – a crypt
from about the 17th Century! During excavations, the archaeologists came across the
crypt of the Brotherhood of San José, with
110 niches in its walls. The small holes in
the wall with their bones and skulls are quite
striking! There are also remains of old wall
paintings.
past the Edificio Muralla Bizantina in the direction of the Roman Theatre. The museum
is located in the basement of a building which
houses temporary exhibitions for the city.
Entry when we visited was free and opening
times 10.30am to 1.30pm Tuesday to Saturday.
While the western part of the Roman Empire
had collapsed in the 5th Century, that in the
East, centered on the city of Constantinople
(now Istanbul but originally known as Byzantium) had continued to thrive. In the mid6th Century, the Byzantines looked to recover
the lost lands of the western empire. In 552
AD, the Emperor Justinian took advantage
of a civil war among the Visigoths, who had
occupied Spain including Cartagena, to send
an army and occupy a coastal territory in
south-east Spain, from Cadiz to near Valencia, which, with the Balearic Islands, formed
the “new” province of Spania. Malaga and
Cartagena were the two main towns of this
province, with the latter exercising a role as a
military and administrative centre. Carthago
Spartaria, as Cartagena then became known,
remained under Byzantine control for 70
years before, around 621-3 AD it was taken
and sacked by the Visigoths.
Excavations on the site of the museum began
in 1983. Initially, the remains of walls and
of ceramic materials from this era caused the
archaeologists to suggest that the great walls
protecting Byzantine Carthago Spartaria had
been found. However, it is now thought that
the wall remains in the cellar of the museum
correspond to the portico which once led to
the garden of the Roman Theatre. In the second half of the 6th Century AD it was modified
as part of the wall to protect the fortified area
on the hill behind.
In the museum, the remains of the wall can
be seen clearly over several metres of length
and are around 2 to 3 metres in height, but
there are other fascinating remains to view
as well, including those of a Roman house
from the 1st Century BC. The house was demolished to allow the building of the Roman
Theatre and its surrounding structures. You
can now see the base of two large rooms with
decorated mosaic floors. The coloured stone
incrustations indicate the house would have
been a high social class residence.
The Byzantine Wall Museum
This museum is very close to the remarkable Roman Theatre. To get to it, walk along
Calle Cuatro Santos on the landward side of
the Roman Theatre (running also behind the
Castle), which eventually runs into Calle San
Diego on which the Punic Wall Museum is
located. The building, which you can easily
miss, is on the corner, a little way up and on
the right of Calle Doctor Martinez, a few yards
Inside the museum, there is an audio-visual
room in which a 10 minute video expounds
the history of the times of the Carthaginians, followed by information on the building of the wall and the later Roman assault.
Outside this room is a display about the city
of Qart-Hadast and its subsequent conquest
by the Roman general Publius Scipio in 209
BC, some years after another Carthaginian,
Hannibal, had set off from it to cross the Alps
with his army and elephants in an ultimately
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
Rosie’s book, Exploring Murcia, Days Out,
is available to buy from the CHM/Costa Cálida
Chronicle office on Camposol B, Best Wishes
(who also stock other of their books including
the follow-up “Exploring Murcia, More Days
Out”), or phone Patti on 968 433 978.
Page 24
Page 25
The ADAPT/EROSKI English class got off to
a flying start and Eroski have enlisted the help
of enthusiastic volunteers from ADAPT to
help them with their English language in order to improve their customer relations with
English speaking clientele.
This will be a 6 week course where small
groups of ADAPT members and Eroski staff,
in a very relaxed way, will have discussions
and role play helped by a glossary of relevant words and phrases which are commonly
used in the store. These will pertain to food,
clothing, electrical goods etc. They are enjoyable classes with the prospect of all of us
learning another language and making new
friends along the way.
The baby goats were a joy to see and there
were a few one day old ones which were making a very wobbly attempt at standing and
some two day old ones which we were able
to hold. We all went a bit soppy at this point
with lots of ‘Oohs and Aahs’ and photographs!
We rounded off a very interesting and informative morning with a little picnic under a
canopy in the grounds. We were served different types of organic cheese with biscuits,
yoghurt and delicious, creamy milk. Oh, and
wine of course.
We were shown around after the obligatory
‘dressing up’ in white coats and shoe protectors; necessary for the scrupulously clean
conditions, and the process was explained to
us. Then we got to meet the goats!! There
were around a thousand goats of different
ages, kept in large pens with ample space
within the barns. I don’t know if you can tell
if a goat is happy, but they all seemed to be!
ADAPT welcomes new members at only 10€
per year and we meet at The Pensionistas del
Hogar, San Pedro del Pinatar, on the first Saturday of the month. Doors open at 10am for
the meeting. Tea and coffee can be obtained
at the bar.
For more information call Enid Winskill on
966 189 402
www.adaptsanpedro.eu
Our thanks go to ADAPT President Jane
Cronin, our Co-ordinator, Roger Clarke, our
Interpreter Emmy le Mielleur and Eroski manager Damian.
Organic ADAPT & Eroski
Some ADAPT members recently had a day
trip out to a goat farm. We must stress that
these are not the goats which you see in the
fields here with their familiar aroma; these
goats are very clean and lovingly looked after
by the dairy farm which supplies Eroski with
organic cheeses, milk and yoghurt.
The cookery course for ADAPT also introduced us to some of Eroski’s organic products
and they offered us the chance to visit one
of their producers at their Eco farm in Cartagena.
Page 26
When Val Latham, owner of Cake Magic,
moved to Spain in 1999, she thought she was
leaving 20 years of cake-making behind her.
However, it wasn’t long before her amazing
creative talents were spotted and she progressed from making a few ‘ad hoc’ wedding
cakes at home to opening a bridal shop in Pilar de la Horadada. She soon realised that
the location of the shop wasn’t ideal, so she
set about looking for alternative premises and
decided to concentrate on making celebration
cakes for all occasions.
These days Val’s son Tom works with her and
they make a great team. Tom does the baking
and Val creates what can only be described
as edible works of art! It seems nothing is
too challenging and Val says that she can do
anything you ask for!
Cake Magic Tea Room has been a roaring
success and Val has been surprised that most
of her clients are Spanish. They are clearly
taken with the quintessential English surroundings where Val and Tom serve all types
of coffee and fruit teas, as well a wide variety
of freshly made sandwiches. All are served on
pretty vintage-style china plates, cups and
saucers. Cream Teas are a speciality and for
the winter Val has plans to make quiche and
homemade soups.
It is hard to believe that Cake Magic has only
been open for a couple of months and Val has
lots of exciting plans for the future including
Cake Decorating Courses. She already hosts
children’s themed parties in the 35 seater Tea
Room and offers party packages from just
7.50€ a head.
Saturday 21st December is Christmas Cake
Magic Day! There will be mince pies, Christmas cake, cava and mulled wine and for just
5€ per child, the little ones can visit Santa’s
Grotto and receive a special gift from Papa
Noel. See the free voucher for Mum or Dad in
the Cake Magic advert!
Cake Magic Tea Room is located in San Pedro del Pinatar, opposite the Town Hall and
next to the church. It is open 6 days a week,
Monday to Saturday from 9am to 2.30pm and
from 5.30pm to 8.30pm. You can also order
cakes online at www.cake-magic.net or
telephone Val on 667 603 141.
As soon as she walked into the empty shop in
her hometown of San Pedro del Pinatar, she
knew she was in the right place and Cake
Magic was re-born! Val said “I wanted somewhere to showcase my cakes and decided to
open a typical English Tea Room, so that people could not only see, but taste our many
different types of confectionary. We do everything from the most grand and elaborate
wedding cakes and fun-themed celebration
cakes to muffins, cupcakes, carrot cake and
gateaux.”
Page 27
As a relative “newbie” resident in Spain and
being someone who loves Christmas, it has
been interesting to learn about Spanish customs and celebrations. Talking to British
expats who remain in Spain, it seems they
mostly sit in two camps; it is either “just another Fiesta day”, or it is an opportunity to
integrate the British Christmas and New Year
festivities with the Spanish traditions. Indeed
the latter actually extends the merriment; as
while our friends and family back in Blighty
are packing away the Christmas decorations
for fear of bad luck, we get the chance to do it
all again on 6th January for the “Three Kings”.
Sharing Menu on Christmas Day, which is
also available by reservation only on Christmas Eve.
For a more contemporary style, you might
want to visit the Archibb Restaurant or Archibb Music Bar, which can be found in the
new Pinatar Arena. Open to non-members
as well as members, they have lots going
on during December. Throughout the whole
month, including Christmas Eve, they have a
5 Course Set Christmas Menu with 5 different menu options to choose from. On Christmas Day they have a Traditional Spanish
Lunch for just 25€ per person including
drinks and for Noche Vieja they have a special New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner. See their
advert for more details and keep an eye on
the Costa Cálida Chronicle website throughout December for new events! You know how
the Spanish like to keep us on our toes with
their spontaneous planning!!
st
To my Spanish friends it is odd that our
Christmas celebrations and events commence
on 1st December and sometimes earlier and
continue up until the “Twelfth Day”. However,
although it may be odd to them, the Spanish have certainly realised that there are clear
advantages to this“quasi Spanglish Festive
Season”; not least the Spanish children who
now get presents on both 25th December and
6th January and of course businesses who realise the obvious opportunities linked to the
integrated communities.
Saturday 21 December is Christmas Cake
Magic Day at Cake Magic Tea Rooms. For
just 5€ per person, the children can visit Father Christmas (Papa Noel) in his Grotto and
if they are very very good they will receive a
special gift! Mum and Dad can relax with a
traditional mince pie or mulled wine and for
each Grotto ticket purchased, you can have
one free coffee with the voucher in the Cake
Magic advert!
Alternatively, during this Festive Season you
might want to take advantage of the Bar
Amigos specials! From Monday to Thursday
The Mar Menor region is home to a fairly
large expat community, but it also has many
traditional Spanish towns and villages. San
Pedro del Pinatar is an excellent example of
the Spanish and other nationalities living and
celebrating the Festive Season side by side.
This is where you will find Restaurante El
Hombre del Velero/The Yachtsman, located on the famous Marina de las Salinas.
They will be serving a traditional Spanish
between 4pm & 6pm you can sample the new
Early Bird Menu for just 3.99€, or join them
for Happy Hour between 6pm & 8pm. Golfers might also be interested in the Amigos
Golf Society on Saturday 7th December.
In most resorts in the Mar Menor, the real fun
starts on the evening of 5th January when the
Three Kings arrive in boats at various locations along the coastline and lead the magical
processions of dancers, musicians and floats
through the streets, throwing sweets to the
children. The names of the Three Kings are
Melchior, who always has a white beard and
white hair, Casper who always has a brown
or red beard and hair and Balthasar who is
always a black man. Such processions (La
Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos) are usually
held in the following Mar Menor locations: Los
Alcazares; La Manga; San Pedro del Pinatar;
Torre Pacheco; San Javier and Santiago de la
Ribera. Routes and programmes are not yet
finalised but we will update our website as
soon as we have it!
In a tradition similar to Christmas Eve in the
UK, the children put milk and biscuits next to
the Christmas tree for the Three Kings and
water for the camels. They will often leave
out a pair of their best shoes to be filled with
presents in much the same way as stockings
are left out for Santa Claus.
Whether you are celebrating Spanish, British
or Spanglish style, we hope you have a Merry
Christmas, a Prosperous New Year and Happy
Three Kings.
Photos copyright: Denise Prest
Page 28
HAH Showcase Their Homemade Stalls
For the past few months, HAH Mar Menor
have been asking for donations of wool, material etc., to enable their volunteers to make
gifts, crafts, decorations etc. for their Christmas Fayres and the response from the community has been fantastic! For weeks, HAH
Volunteers and friends have been designing,
knitting, sewing etc, getting ready to showcase their work at the Fashion Show held at
La Vereda Restaurant on Oct 25th and what a
fantastic selection.
rant in Sucina, HAH Mar Menor held their
annual Nearly New Fashion Show and
Auction. Zigi and her ladies modelled some
fabulous fashions, all of which had been donated. Evening wear, day dresses and tops,
some designer labels were shown and then
auctioned and what bargains there were to be
had from as little as 5€!!
Pam Prince, HAH Secretary who held Craft
mornings at her home said “The girls have
been so busy making these super gifts, novelties and toys from scratch and have had a lot
of fun thinking up and trying different things.
All the wool and materials used have been donated, so all money raised will go back into
the community, who we would like to thank
for their donations. We raised over 300€ at
our first event at La Vereda from our homemade stalls, including home made cakes and
have a list of orders to make for Christmas!
Paul Eburne, HAH President said “It is unbelievable the amount of extra work our volunteers do, which was shown today. Apart
from the homemade stalls, we had cards, diaries and calendars, clothes and of course the
Fashion Show by Zigi and her girls, followed
by the Auction. The event raised 1,077€, an
achievement of which we are all extremely
proud.”
Lesley Eburne HAH founder/manager said
“We have an amazing team of volunteers
who seem to be able and willing to turn their
hands to anything. They help with our clients/companions/shopping/respite/organise
events and now they are making these fan-
If you need help following illness/operation
contact our fully qualified and registered
Clinical Lead on 633 673 034, or if you
could spare a couple of hours to suit you, join
our volunteers to help with care, fundraising
or craft making No experience necessary;
just a desire to help our community.
Visit our website www.helpathome.es
Email helpathomespain@gmail.com
Tel Pam 968 582 535 or Lesley on 968 134
078
HAH Fabulous Fashion Show
On Friday October 25th at La Vereda Restau-
Also, being showcased for the 1st time were
crafts, knitted items, toys and cakes ALL
made by HAH volunteers, along with diaries,
occasion and Christmas Cards, calendars
and promotional items, some great ideas for
Christmas gifts.
tastic gifts and novelties to raise funds - unbelievable!! We had a brilliant day and raised
a staggering 1,077€. I would like to thank our
volunteers, Zigi and her ladies and everyone
who has donated items and who turned out
to support us.”
Page 29
Cruz Azul (Blue Cross) Promotes Better
Pet Care in Murcia
A new charity has been launched in the Murcia region, dedicated to promoting responsible pet ownership and providing veterinary
care for the sick and injured pets of people
who are finding it a struggle to care for them
in these hard times. The charity will be run
along similar lines to the UK’s Blue Cross and
PDSA; where people on limited incomes can
go to apply for support for their pet.
Cruz Azul Vice President and Centre Manager, Sue Thomason, says: “As far as we are
aware, there is no other charity in Spain that
offers the same kind of service. Starting in
IFEPA, Torre Pacheco Car Show
The IFEPA exhibition centre becomes the
biggest car showroom for both new and
used cars in the Region of Murcia from
6-8th December. Anyone interested in purchasing a vehicle has the opportunity to
choose from among the wide range of
models on sale in the XXVII Salón de
la Automoción e Industrias Afines.
This fair has been established for some
years and is an obligatory reference point
for all those with an interest in the world of
the Murcia Region, with the intention of expanding into other areas of Spain, we aim to
promote responsible pet ownership and to
assist those who need help to care for their
pets.”
Cruz Azul is currently working with vets in
the Los Alcázares, San Javier and Sucina areas and is raising funds to enable the referral
of sick or injured pets for treatment. They can
only do this with public support and their initial priority will be major fundraising to start
the process. When established, Cruz Azul
also plans to run campaigns for sterilisation,
vaccination and micro chipping to help reduce
the stray animal problem in the region.
As part of their fundraising strategy, Cruz
Azul will be opening a shop in San Javier,
next door to Yorkshire Linen. The shop will be
open Monday to Saturday, from 10am-2pm
selling top quality clothing and accessories,
furniture, household goods, books and brica-brac. Go along and see what bargains are
on offer and if you’re planning to clear out
your wardrobe or you have unwanted household items, Cruz Azul will be delighted to
hear from you. Call Sue on 693 017 616
or email shop@cruzazulmurcia.es. Collection of larger items can be arranged.
unteers, not only for the shop, but for other
important roles within the organisation, so
whether you have a little or a lot of time to
spare, please email info@cruzazulmurcia.
es for an application form, or visit the website
www.cruzazulmurcia.es
Cruz Azul values their volunteers and the
contribution that they make to enable them
to carry out their work. They will agree
with each volunteer the amount of time the
individual will spend each week helping Cruz
Azul and both parties will then sign a volunteer agreement. The volunteer roles offered
within Cruz Azul benefit all concerned and
Cruz Azul strongly believes that it is a twoway relationship that should benefit both parties. “Our firm intention is to do everything
we can to ensure that everyone has a positive
volunteering experience.” commented Sue
Thomason.
Cruz Azul Murcia is a registered charity (No.
11.720/1a) and exists to provide veterinary
care for the sick and injured pets of people in
need and to promote responsible pet ownership.
Cruz Azul is currently recruiting more vol-
If you or someone you know needs help, or
you would like to volunteer or donate, please
call 693 017 616 or visit the website www.
cruzazulmurcia.es
automobiles. There will be the latest innovations in the sector and affiliated industries
as well as all the major car dealerships.
With 22,000 square metres of exhibition
space, the presence of affiliated industries,
including accessories, lubricants, tyres,
workshop equipment and various parts
for vehicles, make the show relevant for
both those working in the sector and those
with an interest in purchasing a vehicle.
same guarantees of quality as if buying directly from the dealership showrooms. All
models of vehicles are on offer from top
level luxury vehicles through to practical
family cars and new technology vehicles.
There will be vehicles of all ages and conditions, enabling potential purchasers to view
a wide range of vehicles at similar prices
from a number of different manufacturers
and dealers.
Both new and used vehicles are on display
and on sale and purchasers are given the
Region of Murcia Grand Outlet Fair 2013
This year’s Outlet Fair, one of the largest
events of its type in Spain, is being held
from Friday 20th December to Sunday 22nd
December in the Ifepa exhibition centre
in Torre Pacheco, occupying a floor area
of 8,000m2. The dates of the event offer
bargain-hunters an ideal chance to stock up
on Christmas presents, with top brand discounts of 50%, 70% and even 90% available.
A wide range of products will be on sale
including fashion goods, footwear, IT products, sports goods, opticians’ products,
household goods, perfumes, accessories,
decoration and much, much more, all at
prices too good to miss. The aims of the
outlet event are twofold: firstly, to lend a
helping hand to traders in their efforts to
shift stock from their warehouses and stimulate cash flow, and secondly to enable
shoppers from all over the Region to acquire
top brand high-quality products at unbeatable prices.
The whole event is for the whole family and
lounge and restaurant facilities will form
part of the Fair. Opening times for the general public are 10am-10pm on Friday 20th
and Saturday 21st and 10am-9pm on Sunday 22nd December.
Page 30
Lot’s of Success at Easy Horse Care
Rescue Centre Charity Auction
The place to be for bargains was Alfie’s
Place Bar and Restaurant in La Zenia.
David Feest, fundraiser for the EHCRC did
an excellent job wielding the hammer,
ably assisted by his wife Vicky. Over fifty
lots were snapped up by eager punters
including a signed biography by Jordan,
a dog kennel and fine bone china plates.
Alfie, the proprietor also donated two
tickets for his ABBA show which proved
very popular.
Residents, Education and Industry and
Tourism. The Mayor and his colleagues
were presented with a copy each of
“Faith – Diary of a Heroic Horse” which is
now available in Spanish and will be sold
in Spain and the USA where there are
many Spanish speaking residents. Faith
is the first horse in Spain to be fitted with
a prosthetic leg and her diary is written
by Sue Weeding, co-founder of the EHCRC. Faith’s Diary is available to buy on
the EHCRC website
Everything for sale in the shop is only 1€
and eager bargain hunters were snapping up quality items such as adult’s and
children’s clothes and shoes soon after
the shop opened for business.
meat. We also want to support and help
the many residents who are suffering
from the economic crisis affecting many
of them. That is why everything on sale
here is priced at only 1€. Many people
are not aware that this place exists and
we have placed signs outside and near
the bridge to direct them to the indoor
market.”
If you have any quality used items you
want to donate to this new shop or any of
the charities’ other five shops please call
Vicky on 636 062 000
The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre have
their Sunday open day from 1pm to 4pm
so come along and meet all of their 61
horses, ponies and donkeys and enjoy
refreshments and food in the garden café
before meeting the equines on the popular horse tour. Directions to the centre
can be found on the website.
www.easyhorsecare.net
Charity Shop Number 6 For Easy
Horse Care Rescue Centre
Situated inside the indoor market, next
to the Town Hall, on the banks of the River Segura in the centre of Rojales, Easy
Horse Care Rescue Centre has opened
their sixth charity shop in the area.
The official opening was performed by
the Mayor of Rojales, Antonio Perez, accompanied by his Councillors for Foreign
Sue Weeding explained “We are very
grateful to the Mayor
and his colleagues
for giving up their
valuable time to
open our new charity shop here in the
centre of Rojales.
Without their support and cooperation this would not
have been possible
for us to achieve.
The indoor market
is not as vibrant as
it used to be and we
hope to increase the
number of people
who come here so
that the other stalls
in here can benefit
also. There is an
excellent fresh fish
stall as well as fresh
fruit, vegetables and
This was the second auction organized by
the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre from
Rojales supported by The Looking Good
Boutique. David Feest said “Our thanks
once again to Alfie for being our host and
donating lots for the auction. Support
for the event and more donations were
given by Tracey of Browns and Nails, Louise from The Good Looking Boutique and
many others. Thanks also to our fantastic
volunteers who helped make it all possible and of course the people who attended and joined in the fun. It is always
a pleasure to not only raise much-needed
funds for our charity, but to also have the
opportunity to tell people about what we
do, which is primarily rescuing horses
and donkeys in distress.”
Page 31
There is so much to see and do in the Mar
Menor area and below we have listed some
of the activities available to everyone:
Weavers Workshop - Every Tuesday
from 10am-2pm
Crafts workshop where every week women
throughout the municipality perform various hobbies, resulting in the making of
countless personal items such as decorative ornaments by all attendees. Everything then gets sold at a later date and
proceeds go to an association or charity.
Location: Centre for Equality and Human
Services.
For more information go to
www.sanpedrodelpinatar.es
Tel 968 185 393 ext 112
Free Guided Tours - December 1st, January 19th, February 9th and March 9th
“Vida en el Mundo de la Sal
(Life
in
the
World
of
Salt)”
Tour of the Northern part of the Regional
Park, walking across paths on salt ponds
and crossing pine woods to reach a natural beach, feeling the breeze on your
face. This mix of colour and life will provide you with an unforgettable experience.
Time: 11am
Duration: 2 hours
Distance: 3 km
Depart from the Visitor Centre “Las Salinas”
(next to the roundabout at the Park entrance)
We recommend wearing comfortable
clothes and shoes, sunscreen, hat, water
and binoculars for better sights of birds.
Pre-registration is required and entry will
be confirmed until all 30 places are filled.
5€ (children under 10 years 3€)
Guided Tours - December 22nd, January
26th, February 23rd, March 30th and April 6th
“Pedalea
entre
dos
aguas”
We explore the southern part of the Regional Park cycling between the salt ponds
and the waters of the Mar Menor, sighting
elements as old as the salt mills.
Time: 10am
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 9 km
Departure and return from Molino Quentin,
C/Campoamor
Equipment: Bicycle, comfortable shoes,
inconspicuous clothing, hat, water, snack,
mosquito repellent, sunscreen and swimwear. In addition we also recommend carrying binoculars and camera.
Pre-registration required.
5€ (children up to 10 years 3€)
Guided Tours – January 12th, February
16th and March 23rd
“Senda de Coterillo”
The route follows 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
observatory. We will
come across plant
species such as blue
thistle, sea lily and
small reptiles along
the paths that pass
through the pine forest. Rest for a few
minutes on a natural
beach (Torre Derribada) and walk along
the shore of the sea and back to the starting point.
Hours: 10am
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 3.8 km
Departure and return: Aparcamiento de la
Charca de Coterillo and Playa de la Torre
Derribada.
Equipment: comfortable shoes, inconspicuous clothing, hat, water, snack, mosquito
repelent, sunscreen and swimwear. Moreover also recommend bringing binoculars
and camera.
We also report that some sections of the
paths through which we pass visit are not
suitable for those with walking disabilities.
Pre-registration required with the following
information: Name, surname and age of each
participant, origin of each of the participants, e-mail and telephone contact.
Entries will be confirmed by order of receipt until all 30 places filled.
For more information go to
www.sanpedrodelpinatar.es
Tel 968 185 393 ext 112
http://www.sanpedrodelpinatar.es/
ayto2/index.php/turismo
“Naturalmente Solidario” - Food Collection Campaign
Organisers: Servicio de Información de los
Parques Regionales Salinas de SanPedro,
Calblanque, El Valle and Carrascoy and Sierra Espuña and Cruz Roja
Available to schools, associations, group of
friends, we will pfovide a free guided tour
to the Natural Areas of the Region of Murcia voluntarily donating staple food. Cruz
Roja of Murcia will arrange to pick up the
donations from the Visitor Centres and distribute to those who need it most.
Non-perishable foods that can be carried
are oil, rice, sugar, biscuits, flour, beans,
pasta and infant foods.
More Information:
Visitor Centre “Las Salinas”
Tel 968 179 139
infosanpedro@carm.es
Tourist Information Office
Page 32
entertainment by The Caballeros who put on
a super tribute show which included Buddy
Holly, Elvis Presley, ABBA, Freddie and the
Dreamers and Marc Bolan, to name but a
few. The finale was spectacular with The
Caballeros dressed in Halloween costume
and singing ghostly songs. Everyone got
up to dance and HELP MMM raised €348
at the event.
Bargain Hunt Auction in Sucina
The auction was held on 31st Oct and was
supported mainly by people from Riquelme
Golf Resort. Louise & Darren laid on snacks
for the occasion and gave the use of Carol’s
Bar facilities free of charge. They opened
their doors early morning as opposed to
the normal time of 7pm.
There was a wide range of items on view
and direct bids on the day realised a clear
profit of 136€ for HELP MMM. Darren
& Louise added to that by donating a
collection box which contained another
35€, making the full total of 171€.
Visitors from as far afield as Santa Pola
were attracted by the reputation of the
Big Band Swingtet and singer Paul Allen.
They were not disappointed and the dance
floor was full for every session. The whole
event was a resounding success. Guests
booked in early to take full advantage of
the hotel facilities. The rooms (breakfast
included), as well as the dinner and live
entertainment were all included in the €45
ticket price – really good value. There was
also a Quiz and a Happy Hour to engage
guests.
There were some superb raffle prizes and
the 1,072€ raised was shared by the two
HELP Charities. Joan Mitchell would like
to thank all those who donated the prizes,
in particular Javier and Estel of Paymar
Muebles in Los Belones, who donated the
main prize of a very large and beautiful
ornate mirror.
their time in Spain perhaps.
Whilst the quiz was challenging, the
fish and chip supper was excellent. The
winning team was the Sextytets with 80
points, but the big cheer of the night went
to the Pedros who got the Booby Cake as a
prize. HELP MMM raised 479€, which was
a very good result.
Answer: A female ferret is called a Jill.
The star item of a one week’s holiday in
Portugal, donated by Mike Stoddard, was
not sold and will be carried forward to the
next event.
We would like to record a very big Thank
You to Louise & Darren for their generous
support.
Quiz That Was A Test Of Knowledge
HELP MMM’s Quiz was prepared and
presented by Elaine, an ex-teacher at the
Caravan Club, San Javier on Friday, 15th
November. The quite difficult questions
proved to be a real test of general
knowledge for the 70 people who attended.
How many people would know what a
female ferret is called? (See below) In
answer to this, the most notorious answer
of the night was “Ferreteria” a reflection of
Two “HELPS” Combine
On Wednesday 23rd October this year’s
Dinner/Dance was held at the Costa
Narejos Hotel in Los Alcazares and was a
joint effort between HELP MMM and HELP
Vega Baja. The evening was co-hosted by
the two presidents, Bernard Ash and Ron
Perrin. A big thank you must go to Mrs Pat
Perrin and Joan Mitchell, who worked so
tirelessly to make the whole event such an
enjoyable and successful occasion.
The most touching moments were during
the last song, Englebert’s ‘Last Waltz’ when
a husband got his disabled wife up from
her wheelchair and they both swayed to
the music, with him supporting her in his
strong arms.
Halloween with The Caballeros
On
30th
O c t o b e r
a
great
evening was
enjoyed by
over
100
people
at
the
Costa
N a r e j o s
Hotel in Los
Alcazares
w i t h
Page 33
NEST Festivities/January - NON-sporty easy
social walks
Friday 3rd January – 10.30am at El Berro car
park opposite Camping Sierra Espuña – See
The Fossilized Dinosaur’s Footprint fresh air and amazing views in good company, after holiday feasting with added interest!
so bring cameras!
Wednesday 29th January – Meet 10.30am El
Berro car park opposite Camping Sierra Espuña – Gebas Moonscapes - walk through the
dazzling white, chalky moonscapes of Gebas,
to a beautiful view of a gorgeous blue lake
which we’ll be visiting very close up soon.
footwear to walk along the rubbly dirt tracks
with some slopes and bring water to sip. Both
walks are easy 2hr walks and we never rush.
We admire views and chat and wait for the
slower ones and make sure they’re alright!
The focus of NEST walks is the social side of
meeting new people and making friends –
we’re not a sporty walking group!
The walks are 5€ and the meal is optional at
9€, though most people couldn’t be dragged
away by then and it’s a very sociable high
spot of the day!
You need to book in advance (with full names
and a Spanish contact tel no) and await confirmation to know you’re booked in as places
are limited, so make sure you book early to
get a place.
Tel or text message to 679 002 147
Email natureespunatrails@gmail.com and
anytime you want to see what’s happening or
get driving directions, go to the website at
www.nestwalks.info
We also cross an easy, short, flat-bottomed
wooden bridge with rope sides which makes
you look like an intrepid explorer in photos,
After each walk we’ll drive to a beautiful
restaurant in Sierra Espuña where we can
sometimes see wild boar. Just wear sensible
You can choose and book your own walk for
any date to suit your group; just ask! Looking
forward to seeing you!
Bora Bora is surely the hottest new place
in town. Find us opposite the Playa Grande
Hotel in Puerto de Mazarron. This lovely
venue is under new management and has
recently been tastefully refurbished. Bora
Bora is deceptively spacious inside and is
fully air-conditioned and heated and is perfect for large groups or charities. It is available for hire and can seat up to around 120
people. Bora Bora also has its own disco
and lighting equipment available; all you
have to find is the DJ!
dren’s play area with a wide range of toys
and DVD’s allowing parents time to enjoy a
quiet drink or a meal. There is good disabled access via a ramp and a newly fitted
disabled toilet.
which includes some very appetizing sizzling “Tex Mex” style food and daily homemade desserts.
There is something for everyone at Bora
Bora as there is restaurant, bar and terrace seating and a private indoor chil-
The bar snack menu at just 5€ is amazing
value for money and there is also a good
selection of daily tapas and a full menu
There will be live entertainment every Saturday at Bora Bora. Keep checking the
‘What’s On’ section in the Costa Cálida
Chronicle each month as there are rumours that some of the acts will be really
“different”!
The Sunday lunches at Bora Bora are already proving very popular and include a
minimum of 5 vegetables and homemade
cauliflower cheese. This is also excellent
value for money at 6.95€ for a main course
and a dessert.
Call Vince or Kira for more details and to
reserve your table on 968 153 111
Page 34
Page 35
Hear ye. Hear ye!! Dates for the fabulous
“Puss in Boots” Pantomime performed
by Cloud Nine Drama are 16th, 18th, and
19th, January at La Molata (Los Muñoces,
just 15mins from Camposol) and also at
the beautiful Bullas Theatre in NW Murcia
on 2nd February 2014.
Grandparents, parents, kids don’t miss out
on an evening of fun, frolics and high jinx
a show for all ages.
together and join in the fun? If you know of
anyone teaching in a Language School in
any of these areas, please pass this information on to them. It’s a great opportunity
for Spanish students to see a traditional
English pantomime.
Check out our website for further information on Cloud Nine
www.cloudninedramagroupmurcia.
com
Tickets can be reserved/booked through
Ruma Jordan rumajordan@hotmail.com
or Paul Macdonald pandsmac@hotmail.
com.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
Parents, if your children are at schools local to these venues, why not get a group
Calida Caring Agency SL would like to
thank everyone who attended and wished
us well on our Open Day on 6th October. We
had a lovely day with some great response
and excellent feedback and comments.
Thank you all for the loan of the slow cookers!
We have had our first client which proved
to be a very rewarding success. The adaptations of this home made this client’s life
much easier. He was able to feel part of
a supportive environment and enjoyed his
time with us.
Dawn Heron
Page 36
Page 37
We had a most enjoyable visit to a private
garden near Crevillente. Owners Carol
and Alan Hawes took us first to their Eucalyptus grove; a plantation of about 500
trees which was begun in 2005 using about
twenty species of small Eucalyptus. These
are now mature trees which keep Carol and
Alan supplied with firewood during the winter. As we walked towards their house we
were led through a part of the garden filled,
on one side with plants from Africa and on
the other with plants from Australia. A very
colourful display indeed.
We were then treated to refreshments of
delicious biscuits and fresh orange juice,
squeezed from their own oranges. We sat
under their pergola, which was covered
with many climbing plants – thunbergias,
bougainvilleas and roses.
Once fortified, we moved on to explore the
rest of the garden, full of trees and colourful bushes. We wandered up and down the
avenue of orange trees and admired the
formal rose garden. Carol was kind enough
to take many of us into her greenhouse
and was generously handing out pots of
ground-covering plants.
All too soon it was time for lunch and our
hosts led us to an Indian restaurant in the
centre of Catral. Here we all ate rather
more than we should have, but everyone
agreed that it was an excellent meal.
We then climbed back into the coach and
drove to the Carmen del Campillo Moorish tea gardens. By now dusk was falling
and dozens of candles were being lit, giving a truly romantic touch to this gem of a
garden. Started 30 years ago, with a bare
patch of land containing one solitary palm
tree, it is now a maze of little individual
gardens, separated each from the other by
neatly trimmed hedges of privet, or rows of
cypresses. Stone benches and seats invited
us to pause and look and listen. The bubbling sound of water could be heard here
and there, with water running in a shallow fountain or an inlaid rectangular pool
reflecting the greenery around it. It was
magical.
Finally, after wandering through the vast
Arabic house, we all sat down and enjoyed
a glass of mint tea and some wickedly
sweet Baklava. Then it was time to make
our way back to the bus and home.
For information about future events see our
webpage www.bolnuevo.com, or email
darwiniangardeners@gmail.com,
or
phone 669 338 885.
Page 38
Page 39
Hello again from Bob with your latest update
from Welcome. Haven’t we been lucky with
the weather! The sun is still shining and still
no sign of winter. Let’s hope it continues that
way. As this is the last time I’ll be writing before the festive season, Fran and I would like
to take the opportunity to wish you all a Very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, but I
expect we’ll see many of you around.
We had our usual Annual Trip To Benidorm in October staying at Hotel Helios. As
always, great food, lovely company and fabulous weather. Our trip out was to the Caves of
Candelabra; a very interesting and informative tour and well worth a visit if you’re in
that area.
Our October Dance featured tributes to Status Quo and The Eagles and of course, everybody danced and sang along. Well done all
the helpers.
Our November
Dance
was
earlier
in the month
than normal
and saw the
return of the
Costa’s
favourite
comedian; the
one and only
Allan
Wallace. He had
us in stitches
right from the
start, as we
expected and
even played the bagpipes! He did a rendition of “Scotland The Brave” as he marched
Sat Navs are great until we unquestioningly
follow their instructions against our common
sense or other factors! Apparently there have
From January 4th Meeting, tickets on sale for:
Ladies Evening on March 5th at €3, with all
the usual stalls selling jewellery, cards, etc,
and a fashion show. Entertainment will be by
the popular Woody.
March 12th Dance with “Show Time”.
March 30th Annual Treasure Hunt. This is
always a fun afternoon for just €8, including a
buffet at our final destination.
around
the
room.
We
all want him
back
again
soon.
The
lovely Lucinda had us all
dancing - another fantastic night out.
Our Christmas
Party
Night is on
December 4th,
with Ricky Levazza and the
delectable
Joanna. Tickets are just €12, with chicken and chips at €5.
Christmas Trip to Hotel Helios in Benidorm,
leaves our area on December 23rd, for 4
nights full board, including a gala Christmas
Lunch for €230.
Our New Year’s Eve Dance features Dan
Davey, Rob Sweeney and Christine. Tickets
€20 to include a cold buffet.
Games Night on January 8th, with Beetle
Drive, Bingo and Quiz. Always a night of good
fun and laughs for just €3.
Tickets on sale for:
January 22nd Dance with tributes to Buddy
Holly, Roy Orbison, Barry Manilow and The
Everly’s. Just €8 and €5 for chicken and chips.
February 12th Dance, with Sandy Fitzpatrick
and Terry J, at €8.
been quite a number of accidents caused by
blind obedience to the confident instructions
issued from the black box. People have driven
into streams and rivers as well as the wrong
way down one-way streets and other traffic
infringements, despite the stupidity of doing
so. Our obedience to the instructions needs to
be confirmed by our other senses; otherwise
it is simply blind faith and doomed to fail in
time.
We put our trust or faith in lots of situations
and things daily. Even when we sit down, we
exercise trust in the ability of the chair to
hold our weight. We trust pilots are able to fly
safely and that the food we eat is both safe
and uncontaminated. Our trust is based on a
belief that we are being looked after and designers as well as food producers etc, are not
out to do us harm.
Why is it, that when it comes to trusting God,
people throw a wobbly and find any excuse
they can think of to cast some doubt? Why
is it that even when God sends His Son as
a baby to a young virgin in Bethlehem we
decide that Xmas is better than Christmas
because it removes the reminder that actually God was reaching-out here. He said they
cannot help themselves, I love them and they
need a Saviour. If only they would listen to
me and follow my instructions! God is saying
“Perform a U Turn as soon as possible. You
Trips for 2014:
Trip to Segovia from February 17th to 20th.
SORRY SOLD OUT.
Baltic Capitals’ Cruise from May 30th.
This will be aboard MSC Poesia, with overnight in Madrid, flight to Copenhagen, 7
nights aboard, fully inclusive of all meals
and drinks, visiting Warnemunde (Germany),
Stockholm, Tallin and the unmissable St Petersburg. Special discounted prices including
cancellation insurance.
Trip to Galicia from September 15th to 21st.
This includes overnight in Salamanca, home
to Spain’s oldest university, staying at Hotel
Exe Hall 88, 3 nights in Santiago de Compostela at Hotel Hespera Gelmirez, with included optional trips to La Corruna, Vigo and
Pontevedra. On the return journey, overnight
in Avila at Hotel Palacio De Valderrabanos, all
B&B and at only €310 this is selling fast, so
reserve your place now.
Book/Jigsaw Swap is December 3rd only
because of holidays. Restart January 7th. Ring
Jo on 669 457 985 for details.
For more information and tickets, call Rosemary on 620 105 179
Email rosemarybeak@hotmail.com
www.welcomegroupspain.com
are going the wrong way…”
“There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death”…Proverbs 14
v 12
You are invited to come and join us for
any of our events in December:
Sunday 8th Get Together and Worship @
Cultural Centre, Camposol B 5.30pm.
Sunday 15th Welcome House Fellowship,
Carol Service @ Cehegin 4pm.
Monday 16th December Christmas Dinner
@ Los Almagros 7pm. (note date change)
Thursday 19th Carol Singing @ La Vida, El
Pareton 7.30pm.
Sunday 22nd December Carols by Candlelight with Mince Pies @ Cultural Centre,
Camposol B 5.30pm.
Monday 23rd Carol Singing @ Spaniard Inn,
Hacienda Del Alamo 7.30pm.
Further details and other planned events go
to http://open-door.wix.com/open-door
If you would like to be informed of our events
and be added to our mailing list please let us
know by emailing opendoorgettogether@
gmail.com
Find us @ Los Almagros, Fuente Alamo,
30320, Murcia. GPS: 37”45’ 57.77’ North.
1” 15’ 56.95’ West
Phone Ken 646 705 403 or Carol 655 141
721
Page 40
Page 41
The Unlucky Thirteen Revealed As
Crimestoppers
Launch
Operation
Captura Campaign Seeking Criminals
Believed To Be Hiding In Spain
Crimestoppers and the NCA work closely with
the British Embassy in Madrid and with British and Spanish law enforcement agencies.
The campaign highlights appeals for information on criminals who have European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) issued against them.
Information given to Crimestoppers can help
locate these criminals so that arrests can be
carried out by the Spanish police.
Lord Ashcroft, KCMG PC, Founder and Chair
of Crimestoppers, said: “The fact we are
able to once again launch Operation Captura is an indication of how successful the last
seven years have been since its inception.
th
The suspects are part of the 8 Captura appeal since its launch in 2006 and are wanted
for crimes including attempted murder, sexual offences against a child and drug dealing.
The successful multi-agency campaign identifies serious criminals on the run wanted
by UK law enforcement agencies for crimes
committed in the UK. Since Operation
Captura launched in October 2006, 53 out
of 63 criminals have been arrested, with
many now behind bars.
“However despite our success so far, there
are still a number of dangerous criminals
who see Spain as a safe haven to hide from
their past, but with the support of the Spanish and UK public, we can hunt them out and
bring them to justice.”
British Ambassador, Simon Manley CMG,
said: “We face threats from drug traffickers and distributors; people smugglers and
human traffickers; fraudsters and financial
criminals; and the emerging threat posed by
cyber criminals.
“The cooperation that Spain and the UK enjoy on law enforcement is a vital part of that
strong bilateral relationship, contributing to
the security – and the prosperity - of both
our countries. “
Hank Cole, Head of International Operations
for the National Crime Agency, said: “The
NCA and its partners have the capability to
pursue fugitives relentlessly. Spain is not a
safe haven. 53 fugitives have been caught
since Captura was launched, and many
more linked to other operations.
“The exceptional level of collaboration and
intelligence sharing with the Spanish authorities has been vital to many of these arrests.
The most important thing though is the power of this campaign to harness the eyes and
ears of the public, both in the UK and here.”
For those people calling from Spain there is
a special freephone Spanish 900 555 111
telephone number which will be answered in
the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents and a
translation service is available upon request.
People can also pass on information anonymously via the Crimestoppers number 0800
555 111 or online at
www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Registered Charity Nº 8.714/1ª
some of our older dogs to go for re-homing.
November was another successful month
rescuing and re-homing. The puppies
and dogs that went to Holland on 24th
October for re-homing, Luna, Poppy,
Lucky, Buster, Daisy and Danny were
all adopted by Dutch families. Abandoned
puppies Baxter, Buddy and Pilot were
rescued and placed in foster homes.
Baxter and Buddy were adopted by the
foster families. We have reserved places
in Holland for more rescued puppies and
We rescue abandoned puppies in the
Mazarrón area and care for them in foster
homes where they can be trained and
socialised whilst we are finding them a
loving forever home locally or abroad. To
be successful in our work we always need
foster carers. We pay for all vaccinations
and veterinary costs and 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 puppies short or
long term as a family pet or companion
please talk to us about our Foster Charter.
To help us raise the funds needed for our
work we are dependent on public support
and generosity. We have a Charity Shop
in Puerto de Mazarrón staffed entirely by
volunteers and we really need all the public
help we can get. Any unwanted saleable
items that will be gratefully received.
We can arrange for donated items to
be collected by one of our Association
Members. We also need volunteer helpers
who can give some of free time to work
in our Charity Shop so if you would like
to help come in and have a chat with the
staff.
For More Information or Collection
Of Donated Items, Give One Of Our
Committee Members A Call
Tony 618 034 921 or Christine 603
127 984
W e D o I t A l l 4T h e P u p p i e s
Page 42
Page 43
Burns’ Night is returning to Camposol on Friday 24th January after a year’s absence due to
the change of proprietors last January.
We welcome the return of Willie Hume, who is
not only a piper, but also an entertainer. There
will also be a 3 piece band to provide the musical entertainment after the formal part of
the evening is over. We say formal, however
the speeches, particularly the address to the
lads and lassies will be laced with humour.
Anyone not familiar with a Burns’ Night will
no doubt be surprised by the tradition and colour. Formal dress is required. At the last one
we counted 14 kilts. Can this be beaten? It’s
up to you.
At the time of writing we are looking for someone to do one of the speeches. Can you help?
As before, a few of our English friends will display their “skills” by reading small sections of
Burns’ poems. The price is €25 per person
A Different Kind of Christmas
The ‘Season of Goodwill’ is almost upon us
and for many people here on the Costa Cálida, that hunt for the perfect present will start
with a vengeance. There always seems to be
a heightened sense of excitement as Christmas gets nearer and we party, we celebrate,
we give [even when we can’t afford it], and
we send cards to people scattered all around
the world; some of whom we are rarely in
contact with throughout the rest of the year.
When asked the question ‘why?’, the normal
response is ‘Well, it’s Christmas’.
Don’t take my comments wrongly… I’m not
having a dig at what we do and I believe it
is wonderful to celebrate the birth of Christ
by giving and receiving. Whether or not Jesus
was born on 25th December is immaterial to
me. It’s a fact that he was born, grew up,
had a brief three years on this earth teaching and healing lives, died aged 33 years on a
Roman cross and started something that has
impacted our world for ever, which is far more
to include a welcome drink, bottles of wine
on each table, a traditional Burns’ Night 3
course menu followed by coffee and shortbread. No doubt there will be a few bottles
of whisky for consumption (or ‘gravy’ for the
haggis).
After the meal and speeches, the night will
continue with music from Interactive Murcia.
If you have ever wondered what a Traditional
Burns’ Night is all about, here is your opportunity to find out. We are looking for a couple
of volunteers to help us on 24th January, to
help prepare the room/greet guests and escort them to their seats etc.
If you would like to offer your services/obtain
further information, or reserve tickets contact
us via email thw35@yahoo.co.uk or
telephone 968 970 630/610 632 152
Helen – Rab – Eddie - Tommy
important than when we have our Christmas
holiday!
The question I want to ask today is, “Why do
we just celebrate a ‘Season of Goodwill’?”
I hear many comments like “Thank goodness
that’s all over for another year” and I think
to myself, ‘What a shame’. Christmas is not
about over-spending, shopping until we drop,
partying all night, drinking ourselves stupid
and walking around with silly Father Christmas hats flashing and wobbling all over our
heads. In the light of my last comment, I can
understand the “I’m glad it’s all over” comments.
Jesus did not come for a ‘Season of Goodwill’, He came to show us a new way of living,
a new way of serving others, a new way of
giving and a new way of loving… this is how
His birth was announced to the local shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem. ‘And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, goodwill toward men’.
Hold it there! Did I miss something? No mention of a season anywhere and it was not our
goodwill at all. It was His goodwill towards us
and it was without a time limit.
As Christmas approaches, could I encourage
you to make this Christmas, a ‘Different kind
of Christmas’. Don’t stop giving, loving and
serving others when the used wrapping paper is thrown into the bin. Take hold of God’s
goodwill gift to you - His Son Jesus and take
His gift of unconditional love to a hurting
world in 2014.
This year Wellspring Victory Church will
not be holding our normal Christmas Eve
Carol service in our church building in Puerto
de Mazarrón. We will be celebrating on Christmas Eve in the Cultural Centre on Camposol Sector B, as part of our usual Carols on
Camposol Concerts. We hope to be joined
by other local Christians for a great celebration of Jesus’ birth, so please come along and
join with us. [See our advert for dates and
details of all concerts on Camposol.]
We at Wellspring wish everyone a blessed
Christmas and a truly happy 2014.
Page 44
Page 45
leaders for their cooperation in this event.
The first walk of the season was held on
Sat 19th October around the old lead mining
area of Fortuna. It was well supported by 28
members and friends with a good representation from our Almeria end of the group.
Lunch was at the Portichuelo in Mazarron
The next group walk was in the Balsicas
area of Mazarrón on Saturday 16th November along the recently restored Via Pecuaria track which is part of the old drovers’
road. This was followed by lunch and the
AGM at Los Galayos in Puerto de Mazarron.
On 11th November, members of the group attended the Remembrance Day wreath-laying
at the Garden of Remembrance on Camposol where a wreath was laid by retired Royal
Air Force Director of Music, Flight Lieutenant
Deryck Davison in honour of the service men
and women who had no religion and had died
for their country. We thank the local religious
Once again the Halloween Show organised by
META Riding Centre was a great success
and enjoyed by all. This year, however, it was
made extra special as all the proceeds and all
the effort were dedicated to Cavalli Foundation towards the water connection and fencing fund.
Cavalli would like to give a big vote of thanks
and appreciation to everybody involved in the
organisation and for the massive support received from the public in general.
Another event that was well attended and has
stimulated surprising interest was the Course
in Horse Psychology and Natural Horseman-
The next humanist event will be in the San Juan
de las Torreros area on Sat 14th December and
will be hosted by our friends from that area.
More news on the website which can be accessed via www.bolnuevo.com
ship geared to the needs of the Cavalli Volunteer team. Similar courses open to the
public will be held throughout 2014, so for
more information contact Veronica or check
on Cavalli Foundation Facebook – take a
look and click on ‘I like’, please.
The next Cavalli fundraising event is the December Sponsored Walk, postponed from
10th November to make room on the agenda
for the Natural Horsemanship Course. Sponsorship forms can be ordered by email. The
walk from the Mirador de Gebas down to the
lake and back is approximately 10kms. There
is a 5€ inscription fee which covers the cost
of a picnic lunch – sandwich, fruit and drink.
The Cavalli
2014 Calendar is now
on sale. Copies can be
ordered
by
email,
collected
from
META
Riding
Centre
or purchased
from
the
Cavalli stand
at the Christmas
Show
– a perfect
Christmas gift
for horse lovers!
Cavalli Foundation,
META Riding Centre,
La Costera de Alhama
Tel 636 17 21 98
Email infocavallifoundation@gmail.com
veronica.cknowles@gmail.com
www.horseridingbymeta.blogspot.com
Page 46
Page 47
Take A Closer Look At Our Investment
Returns
With interest rates set to remain low for the
foreseeable future and with the introduction
of a cap on rates that Spanish Banks can
pay on bank deposits, it can be a challenge
to ensure that your savings maintain growth,
at least matching that of inflation, let alone
growing above that.
a fully recognised and regulated UK FCA
(Financial Conducts Authority formally the
Financial Services Authority) company. Funds
can be invested either through a standalone
investment, in a QNUPS/QROPs, or through a
Spanish Compliant Investment Bond allowing
for tax reductions all of which are compliant
with the new asset reporting requirements in
Spain.
There are other options over and above typical
savings and fixed deposit accounts that can
provide a longer term and secure home for
your money. Many believe that investing their
hard earned funds in investments is a risk not
worth taking. However there may be a bigger
risk in leaving your funds earning little more
than 2% per annum which is then normally
taxed at a rate of around 20%.
Below are the performance figures for a
range of portfolios which show the last 6
and 12 months. As with all investment past
performance is no guide to the future and
discretionary portfolio management may not
be right for everybody.
We offer a range of carefully constructed and
managed investment portfolios with some
of the most recognised and respected fund
managers in the world. They can be designed
for both capital growth and income and can
be held in either Sterling or Euros. There is a
category for almost every risk ranging from
Defensive through to Cautious, Balanced,
Growth and Aggressive. All the portfolios
allow for 24/7 online reporting with daily
fund prices and commentary all held within
We
Are
Here
To
Help
Each month
we
help
many
animals in distress. Honey
(pictured)
a large dog
with a large
problem was
helped
last
month as she
was
unable
to walk with
a torn ligament, but is now on the road to recovery.
If you have taken in a rescue animal or need
help with an unexpected vet bill please contact us.
Risk Category
6 months to
the end of
Sept
12 months
to the end
of Sept
Defensive
2.23%
5.12%
Cautious
5.37%
8.16%
Balanced
5.97%
11.12%
Growth
7.43%
12.93%
Aggressive
11.03%
17.12%
The Aim of Our Charity
To assist financially with the cost of neutering your pet, or any feral animal in your
neighbourhood.
If funds are available we can help with medical expenses for operations etc. and as a last
resort with euthanasia to prevent an animal
further suffering.
How Do We Do This?
We sell the items that you have generously
donated plus any cash contributions. As
with most charities, there is never enough
money to do everything we would like, so no
contribution is refused.
How You Can Help Us?
We need your unwanted items. You may
donate anything from a single item up to
a house clearance. Typically we take brica-brac, electrical goods, furniture, clothing
and bedding. You can donate at the shop,
Mon to Sat 10am-2pm. (Take the road into
Puerto de Mazarrón and turn left at the new
Consum
supermarket).
We normally have
a good selection of
second hand items in
the shop at reasonable prices, so if you
are looking for anything, make us your
first port of call and
you may save yourself some money and
help our charity at the
same time.
Check out our website
where there is a link
to show furnishings
If you wish to discuss your exiting investment
portfolio, savings accounts or are looking to
invest for either capital growth or income
please contact us to take advantage of our
complimentary review. We have at our
disposal pension and investment analysts
who can review and make recommendations
on how to improve your existing situation
through fully regulated products with the
strongest of investor protection.
Our Investment clients receive regular face to
face reviews to enable us to ensure that their
requirements now and for the long term are
met for capital growth and income.
We would like to offer you a free complimentary
review of your current holdings and discuss
how we can assist in making the most of your
funds in a protected environment.
If you would like further information on the
services we offer please contact us on 966
260 901 or email
contact@prempensions.com
for sale.
For full details go to mazarronanimalmedi-aid.co.uk
Camposol Drop-Off Point
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.
Our 50/50 Scheme - applies to larger
items only.
Anything from a single item to a 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 once sold we forward your 50% share
to you.
FaceBook
Join us on Facebook or take a look to see
how we are getting along at
www.facebook.com/mamascharity
Please contact us if you need help on 666
186 037 or call at the shop.
Email
mazarronanimalmedi-aid@hotmail.com
Helping You Helping Animals
Registered Charity No 9537/1a
Page 48
Page 49
Traditional Christmas Food
Christmas is a time for celebration throughout much of the world. Celebrations mean
special food and usually a lot of it! Here we
are going to explore some of the favourite
food eaten at this special time of year. Some
of it will already have been prepared months
before Christmas, but there is still much that
can be cooked or made in the weeks prior to
the celebrations.
Other
meat
popular
during
the festive season is Ham or
Beef.
Both of
these meats can
be roasted, although Ham is
often boiled first
and then glazed
to give it a su-
perb flavour. In Spain of course we have the
famous Serrano Ham, which is smoked leg
of pork, the best of which is apparently the
Black Iberico Jamon. No Spanish meal is
complete without at least a taster of this superb Ham
In Spain Seafood is still eaten extensively
at fiesta time, especially at Christmas, the
most popular being Langostinos, Prawns,
Crab, Mussels and Lobster. Spain has the idea
coastline for catching huge amounts of seafood and it is therefore a major part of the
Spanish diet. The Spanish
Paella is more often than
not a seafood dish with a
good selection of shellfish
as well as white fish. The
Paella is prepared in a
huge metal dish which will
feed the whole family.
The Scandinavian countries and Germany love
their Sausages which
come in a huge variety of
sizes, shapes and colours.
At Christmas time these
Sausages can be smoked
or cured, using different meat such as pork
Probably the most expensive item to buy for
the Christmas celebrations is the meat for
the main meal. As it is such an important occasion and there will be families gathering, it
is important that you choose the right meat or
equivalent for you and your guests.
Turkey – has become very popular over the
years and there are over 8 million Turkeys
consumed on Christmas Day in the UK. For
those of you who do not want a whole Turkey, many shops sell a ready-rolled breast
of Turkey that does not take up too much
room in the oven and will cook more quickly
than a whole one. Fresh and frozen Turkeys
are used for cooking, although fresh turkeys
are generally preferred, although they cost
more. Turkeys are usually roasted in an oven
for several hours, often while the cook prepares the remainder of the meal. An alternative to Turkey is
of course Goose,
although
many
people find this
rather rich and
possibly fatty.
Page 50
and veal. The Swedish Prinskorv, a variety
of a Vienna Sausage, is a small Sausage
made from pork and veal. These are often
served up on a Christmas Smörgasbord,
along with ham, liver paté, herring salad and
bread and cheese. In Norway Julepølse is a
Pork Sausage made with powdered ginger,
cloves, mustard seeds and nutmeg. This is often served at Christmas, steamed or roasted. The German Weisswurst Sausages are
made with veal and bacon, usually flavoured
with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger
and cardamom and are often eaten with potato salad at Christmas.
There are many sweets and confectionery to
either make or buy for Christmas.
Marzipan
Almond Paste is made from ground almonds
or almond meal and sugar in equal quantities,
with a small amount of cooking oil, beaten
eggs, heavy cream or corn syrup added to
bind the two ingredients. Under EU law, Marzipan must have a minimum almond oil content of 14% and a maximum moisture content of 8.5%. Optional additional ingredients
are rosewater, honey, pistachios, preservatives, and sometimes hazelnuts. In Sweden
and Finland, Almond Paste refers to a Marzipan that contains 50% ground almonds, a
much higher quality than regular Marzipan.
In Germany, Lübecker Marzipan is known
for its quality. It contains 66% almonds.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is another popular Christmas
treat. It is a sweet food-product flavoured
with ginger and typically using honey or molasses (treacle) rather than just sugar. Gin-
gerbread foods vary, ranging from a soft,
moist loaf cake to something close to a ginger
biscuit and is often eaten spread with butter.
The town of Market Drayton became known
for its Gingerbread and this is proudly displayed on their town’s welcome sign. In England, Gingerbread may refer to a cake, or a
type of biscuit made with ginger. In the biscuit form, it commonly takes the form of Gingerbread Men, which are popular at Christmas time. Parkin is a form soft Gingerbread
cake made with oatmeal and treacle which is
popular in northern England.
In Germany, Gingerbread is made in two
forms: a soft form called Lebkuchen and a
harder form, Pfefferkuchen, particularly associated with carnivals and street markets
such as the Christmas markets that occur in
many German towns. The hard Gingerbread
One of the most popular Christmas products
is Marzipan or Almond Paste, which of
course is so popular in Spain with many almonds being grown locally. Marzipan can be
used in a variety of ways and is easy to make.
It is a confection consisting primarily of sugar
or honey and ground almonds, sometimes
augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets such as Turron or rolled
into a thin sheet to cover fruit cake, especially
Christmas cake, prior to icing. Marzipan can
also be put into cakes such as Stollen, Torell
and Simnel cake. As Marzipan is so pliable, it
can be shaped into fruit or animals, which can
then be painted with food colouring to give
the items authenticity. These can either be
displayed in an attractive dish or used to decorate the top of cakes, such as holly leaves
etc on a Christmas cake.
Page 51
on January 6th celebrates the visit of the Magi
to the Christ Child. The Eve of Epiphany (the
night of January 5th) is popularly known as
Twelfth Night. The season for the Roscón de
Reyes extends from the end of the Twelve
Days of Christmas up until Mardi Gras, or Fat
Tuesday, the day before the start of Lent.
is made in decorative shapes, which are then
further decorated with sweets and icing. Traditionally, these were dunked in port wine.
Since 1991, the people of Bergen in Norway
build a city of Gingerbread houses each year
before Christmas, called Pepperkakebyen. It
is claimed to be the world’s largest such city.
In 2009, the people of Bergen were shocked
when the gingerbread city was destroyed in
an act of vandalism.
Gingerbread is often used as displays in
shop windows as another type of model-making with Gingerbread uses a boiled dough
that can be molded like clay to form inedible
statuettes or other decorations.
France
The Thirteen Desserts or Lei Tretze Desserts, are traditional desserts produced when
celebrating Christmas in the French region of
Provence. The “Big Supper” (le gros souper)
ends with a ritual of The Thirteen Desserts,
representing Jesus and the 12 apostles. The
desserts always number thirteen, but the
exact items vary from area to area or familial tradition. The food traditionally is set out
Christmas Eve and remains on the table for
three days until December 27th.
Spain
Roscón de Reyes, or King’s Cake, is a type
of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of
countries including Spain. It is a popular food
item during the Christmas season (Christmas
Eve to Epiphany). The cake contains a small
trinket, traditionally a bean, although more
often now it is a small plastic baby, said to
represent Baby Jesus. The trinket is sometimes found inside or more commonly now
placed underneath the cake.
The Roscón de Reyes takes its name from
the biblical three kings. In Catholic tradition,
the Solemnity of Epiphany, commemorated
America
Pumpkin Pie is a traditional American dessert, often eaten during the winter months,
especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It is the symbol of harvest and consists of
a Pumpkin-based custard baked in a pastry case. It can be flavoured with nutmeg,
cinnamon, cloves or ginger. The pumpkin is
sliced in half, and the seeds removed. The
two halves are heated until soft. The pulp is
scooped out and pureed in a blender, to ensure its consistency. This pulp is then mixed
with eggs, evaporated and/or sweetened condensed milk, sugar, nutmeg and other spices
then baked in the pastry case.
Germany
A Stollen is a fruit cake containing dried fruit
and often marzipan, covered with icing sugar.
The cake is usually made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts and spices
and is usually eaten during the Christmas
season, when it is called Weihnachtsstollen
or Christstollen. It is a bread-like fruitcake
made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. The traditional weight of a Stollen is around 2kg,
but smaller sizes are now available. They are
often sold in the famous German Christmas
markets. There is a Stollenfest in Dresden
every year on the Saturday before the second
Sunday in Advent.
Page 52
Pumpkin is native to North America and was
quickly accepted as pie filler, although recipes
for Pumpkin Pie did not appear in American
cookbooks until the early nineteenth century,
when it soon became symbolic of Thanksgiving.
Christmas Cakes and Christmas Puddings
are usually made many months in advance so
that the cake or pudding can mature and soak
up the brandy that is usually added over the
weeks prior to Christmas.
Traditional Christmas Drinks
Champagne or Cava
As expected, this is a favourite drink at Christmas, sometimes drunk as Bucks Fizz when
added to orange juice. Here in Spain we are
spoilt with the choice of excellent Cava, some
costing only a few euros per bottle.
Mulled Wine
Much can be written about Mulled Wine
which is popular in Northern Europe where
the weather can be very cold over the Christmas period. It is usually served hot and can
be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Port or Claret
are the popular choices for the wine used, but
Mulled Wine is known in different countries
as:
Sweden – Glögg
Denmark - Glogg
France – Vin Chaud
Netherlands - Bisschopswijn
Germany - Glühwein
Italy - Vin Brulé
UK
Of course we are all familiar with the traditions from the UK, but these vary from area
to area. What Christmas would be complete
without Mince Pies, Christmas Cake and
of course Christmas Pudding? For those of
you who do not like dried fruit, there is always
a Christmas Yule Log which is usually made
of chocolate sponge rolled up and decorated
to look like a log. Like the traditional Christmas Cake, a Christmas Yule Log can be
decorated with Christmas figures and edible
holly leaves and fruit made from either icing
or marzipan.
any red wine can make a super Mulled Wine.
Different recipes can be found, but a basic
recipe is to add a large cupful of water, sugar
and spice to taste to one pint of wine. Boil
the spice in the water, then add the wine and
sugar. Bring this to boiling point and taste.
Add more spice or sugar as required. Popular spices are cloves, nutmeg, or cinnamon.
There are even specially prepared spice mixes
for Mulled Wine available.
Page 53
Christmas around the World 2013
America
Pumpkin Pie
450g fresh pumpkin
2 eggs
225ml evaporated milk
225g caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
50g raisins
Pastry Case (short crust pastry is best but
any of your choice)
Peel the pumpkin and chop into cubes.
Place between 2 deep plates over a pan
of boiling water. Steam for 15-20 minutes until soft then mash purée and allow
to cool. Separate the eggs and whisk the
egg whites until forming peaks. In another
bowl lightly whip the egg yolks with the
pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, sugar
and spices until smooth. Stir in raisins and
fold in egg whites until smooth. Spoon the
mixture in a pastry case and bake for 50
minutes in oven 190º Gas 5.
Spain
Roscon de los Reyes - (Three Kings
Cake)
30g yeast
1½ kg flour
8 eggs
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp orange flower water
1 ½ cups of milk (room temperature)
300g sugar
300g butter
250g candied fruit
1 small plastic or porcelain doll
Mix yeast with ½ kilo flour, slowly add ½
cup of milk and mix well. Remove half of
the dough and roll into a ball and allow
to grow double in size. With the remaining flour make a hollowed out mound on a
baking tray. Put all the remaining ingredients (apart from the candied fruit and toy)
in the centre and slowly mix. When the ball
of dough has doubled in size, mix it with
the original dough until both are completely united. Mix in the dough on the baking
tray until all completely incorporated. Cover with a clean tea towel or cloth and allow
to rise to double the size (about 2 hours).
Place doll or toy in the dough and knead
well. Shape into a circle with a hole in the
middle, but not all the way through. Place
on a large baking tray and allow rising
again, but being aware that the ring will
also rise when cooked.
Decorate with the candied fruit and brush
with beaten egg to give a glazed finish.
Cook in a moderate oven for 20 minutes
and allow to cool.
United Kingdom
Spiced Mincemeat
225g cooked apple
225g currants
225g sultanas
225g raisins
115g dried figs
1 grated carrot
100ml apple juice
Rind and juice of 1 lemon
Rind and juice of 1 orange
200ml brandy
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground mixed spices
125g shelled walnuts chopped
125g almonds
125g mixed peel (optional)
Place all the ingredients except the nuts
into a large bowl and soak for a minimum
12 hours or over night. Place mixture into a
saucepan and bring to the boil. Once cool,
stir in the nuts if using. Use in cooking,
or spoon into containers or jars. Mixture
will keep in the refrigerator for up to three
weeks, but does not freeze well.
Christmas Puddings
115g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g breadcrumbs
50g margarine
3 eggs
550g sugar-free mince meat
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
and beat well until evenly mixed. Place
mixture in lightened greased pudding bowl.
Cover bowl with foil. Steam for 2 hours.
Alternatively, if you don’t have a steamer,
place in large saucepan with water halfway
up the bowl. Steam for 2 hours, checking
the water level occasionally and topping up
when necessary.
Italy
Christmas Tiramisu
1 lbs mascarpone or soft cream cheese
¾ cup granulated sugar
8 large egg yolks
½ cup dessert sweet wine
2 cup espresso or very strong black coffee
(approx.)
Lady fingers or 14oz angel food or sponge
cake, thinly sliced
Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
In a small bowl, using a fork, beat the
cheese until creamy. Place a large (about
10-12 cups capacity) metal bowl over boiling water. Using a hand-held electric mixer
set on medium high, beat the granulated sugar and egg yolks in the bowl until
blended. Gradually add the wine and then
turn to high as the mixture thickens. Cook
and beat for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened and light, scraping down
the sides of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the
heat and continue to beat the mixture for 1
minute longer. Beat in the cheese until just
blended. Pour one cup of the espresso into
a small shallow bowl that is large enough to
hold a ladyfinger if it is placed horizontally
in the bowl. Quickly dip the rounded top
side of each ladyfinger into the espresso.
Only the top half of the ladyfingers should
be soaked with the espresso. (If the ladyfingers get too wet, they will fall apart!)
Add more coffee to the bowl as needed.
Place the ladyfingers flat side down in the
bottom of a 13 x 9 glass or ceramic pan.
(Do not use a metal pan.) Form one layer.
Pour half of the custard mixture over the
ladyfingers and spread to cover them. Dip
the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso
(there will be a few remaining ones) and
form a second layer over the custard mix-
ture. Pour the remaining custard mixture
over the ladyfingers and spread to an even
layer. Place the cocoa in a strainer and dust
the top of the tiramisu evenly. Cover and
refrigerate for at least 10 hours.
Iceland
Icelandic Christmas Salad
½ medium head red cabbage, shredded
1 tpsb (15 ml) red currant jelly
1 tpsb (15 ml) preserve or jam of your
choice (raspberry preserves or apricot jam
are both good)
2 tpsb (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
Put the shredded cabbage in a sieve or
colander and cover with a plate and several cans to weigh the plate down and
compress the cabbage. After 3 to 4 hours,
drain the cabbage and place it in a large
bowl. Combine the red currant jelly, the
preserves or jam, and the lemon juice in a
small bowl. Toss this mixture with the cabbage until well combined. Serves 4 to 6.
Chestnut Fool
225g unsweetened chestnut puree
150g low-fat plain yogurt
25g fructose
25g chocolate chopped
In a bowl, beat together the chestnut puree, fructose and yoghurt until smooth.
Transfer to four small serving dishes and
sprinkle with chocolate. Serve straight
away or chill.
Germany
Gingerbread Cookies
350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
Tsp bicarbonate of soda
Tsp ground ginger
Tsp ground cinnamon
125g/4½oz butter
175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
1 egg
Tbsp golden syrup
Icing & cake decorations
Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda,
ginger and cinnamon and pour into the
bowl of a food processor. Add the butter
and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Lightly beat the
egg and golden syrup together, add to the
food processor and pulse until the mixture
clumps together. Tip the dough out, kneading briefly until smooth. Wrap in cling-film
and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas
4. Line two baking trays with greaseproof
paper. Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in
thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread shapes
and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap
between them. Bake for 12-15 minutes,
or until lightly golden brown. Leave on the
tray for 10 minutes and then move to a
wire rack to finish cooling. When cooled
decorate with icing and cake decorations.
Page 54
The Mazarrón Country Club (MCC) Residents Social Club has been active for almost 10 years and we hold several events
(every 2 months or so) throughout the
year, held at La Taberna, our on-site restaurant/function suite. We try to vary the
musical entertainment; some of our entertainers being more popular than others
and we cater for both our members and
non-members.
We also occasionally organise trips away
for a few days.
Our Christmas Party on Thursday 12th
December will be held in the new function
suite of La Taberna. Martin Ross (The Beagles with Stuart), one of our more popular
artistes will be entertaining us. Join us for
the evening with a superb menu for 17€
including wine. The new function room will
accommodate considerably more people
than the original building, so we are keen
to promote our events to those people who
do not live on site and would otherwise be
unaware of our events.
If you require any further information,
please do not hesitate to call me on 968
956 278.
Best wishes
Linda Theaker
(Secretary of the Social Club)
Puerto Lumbreras Christian Fellowship now meets every 1st and 3rd Sunday
each month at 11.00am in the premises
of the Spanish Evangelical Church Puerto
Lumbreras
Tel 619 453 283 Paul and Sandra
Page 55
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Page 57
It occurred to me only the other day
that we really are very lucky to have the
breadth and variety of so many good quality services right on our doorstep. I probably take it for granted now, but I often
end up stopping somewhere mid morning
when I am out and about on my travels for
a late breakfast and coffee, but as I am
always short of time I tend to phone ahead
and pre-order so I can be in and out more
quickly. Where could you do that in the
UK? Just about every outlet here is incredibly flexible and happy to help and will allow just about anything to be “taken away”,
whether it be a full English Breakfast or a
whole Sunday Roast Dinner, plated up and
ready to go! Just ask. You will be surprised
and delighted at the response.
It seems so long ago now, but we spent
Halloween Night at Bistro Ratatouille in
Puerto de Mazarrón. Everyone made an
effort to dress up and the restaurant was
Payment In Kind - An Alternative To Cancelling Your Mortgage In Spain.
What is payment in kind?
Payment in kind, “dación en pago”, can be
used in Spain as an alternative to cancelling
the mortgage when handing over the property to the bank. Sometimes paying back the
banks in Spain can be very difficult, especially
if you have lost your job or your income has
been reduced.
The option of cancelling the debt by selling
the property can be frustrating if the market
property value is much lower than the mortgage value. A few years ago, a mortgage
foreclosure would result in an auction where
the asset was sold for an amount similar to
or higher than the unpaid debt. Now, it is the
other way around and the debt may not be
fully cancelled just by auctioning the property. The debtor may still retain some personal
beautifully decorated for the event. The
food was excellent value at only 10€ for 2
courses and a great time was had by all. I
look forward to the next one. Many thanks
to Antoine and Corinne.
It has never been much fun having a birthday in mid-November as no matter where
you live the weather is usually pretty bad
as it always changes just a few days before
and this year was no exception! For once
I decided to take the day off to do a bit of
retail therapy and have a nice lunch. This
time we chose The Club House Bistro at
Camposol Golf. I cannot thank Stuart and
Ric enough, as they usually only offer the
full A la Carte menu during the evenings,
but made an exception as it was my birthday. We had a wonderful afternoon and the
food was delicious. The full menu can be
made available during the day with enough
prior notice and a large enough party if you
just ask!
liability even after the auction. Therefore, the
transferal of the property to the bank, possible under some circumstances, to cancel
the debt may make sense. This may be called
“payment in kind” or “dación en pago”.
Is it that simple?
Debts should only be repaid using mortgaged
assets, thus limiting the debtor’s liability to
only include mortgaged assets. However, the
mortgage usually includes unlimited personal
liability and therefore, upon enforcement of
the mortgage, the debtor is still liable for the
remaining amount.
The law allows banks to reclaim the asset for
60% of the assessed value, but the debtor
is still liable for the remaining unpaid debt.
However, banks may be forced to accept a
property as payment in kind of the debt when
they face foreign debtors who return to their
For most of us, the prospect of going to
the dentist is never particularly pleasant,
but I am less and less nervous every time
I go now since being with the dentist Olivier Houdusse in Puerto de Mazarrón. I
am proud to announce that I have just had
an enormous filling replaced and without
an injection for the first time in my life.
He offered me the choice, but said he was
confident that I would not feel any pain as
it was just a replacement and he was right.
Thank you Olivier.
I will not be returning to the UK for Christmas this year as I usually do, so I look
forward to sampling many of the festive
delights on offer around the region and
hope to see many familiar faces whilst out
and about.
Happy Christmas everyone.
More next year!
country of origin and they have no other assets in Spain other than the property. In this
critical scenario, banks may negotiate on the
debt and try to get an agreement with the
debtor, while the property has a much lower
value than the debt and they know they could
not clear the whole amount of the debt by
auctioning the property.
There are different options in situations
where the debtor is unable to make mortgage
payments; on one hand The Royal Decree
6/2012 incorporates a Code of Good Practice.
However, the Royal Decree is very restrictive
and it is applied to debtors “at risk of social
exclusion”, but it has very limited practical application due to specific requirements
of the debtor. Under those circumstances, a
four-year grace period for repaying capital is
established and the mortgage term can be
extended up to 40 years, repaying interest at
the 0.25 Euribor benchmark plus 0.25, during the grace period. Finally, if the debtor is
unable to afford the payments, the bank can
accept the payment in kind. Therefore, transferring the property will involve cancelling the
whole debt as well as all personal liabilities.
However, a number of options exist for other
debtors where pushing the banks and negotiating the mortgage may end up leading us
to a payment in kind. The bank will have no
other option than to accept our property to
satisfy the mortgage as a way of cancelling
the whole debt without further personal liability of debtor.
There are also intermediate alternative solutions to a payment in kind that may be considered, like re-negotiation of the mortgage
whole amount or conditions with extensions
to deadlines or granting grace periods where
only the interest is repaid
Always take professional advice from a qualified lawyer before it is too late. Prevention is
always better than cure.
Celso Rodriguez-Corral
Barrister & Partner at Corral Alcaraz Law Firm
Lawyers, Barristers & Accountants
Page 58
Advent is the Latin term - adventus – meaning arrival or coming. It is the time when
Christians remember that Jesus came into the
world, in Palestine, 2000 years ago.
Jesus also promised one day to return in all
His glory.
The promise of Christ’s Advent shows how
great He is. He came from Godhead to manhood and put on a garment of flesh. What a
coming! A few shepherds talked about it on
that first Christmas, but the whole world talks
about it today. Jesus knew it would all take
Him to Golgotha.
Augustus, emperor of Rome, had attained supreme lordship in 27BC. His birth name was
Octavius, but they created the title Augustus
to honour his eminence. However, to Luke,
Caesar Augustus was only background to the
Lord from heaven. Augustus flattered himself
with the title of, ‘lord and saviour’ and was
appointed as sole emperor by the authority
of the Senate.
Mark’s first verse relates to, “The beginning
of the good news about Jesus Christ.” Jesus’
arrival had been pre-empted by an angel who
told the shepherds, “I bring you good news
of great joy” (Luke 2:10). He used the same
Greek word for “good news” and added another one, the Greek chara, for “great joy.”
Olive Branch Christian Fellowship wishes
that each of you experience the real joy of
Christmas. We are the Community Church of
Camposol, serving the people of Camposol,
meeting together every Sunday morning,
from varying different backgrounds. You will
be warmly welcomed for this service which
includes Communion. Afterwards we enjoy
chatting together and serving coffee and tea.
Pastor Ralph and Margaret Locke – 968 199
622
Jesus had always been King and was born
King. He came as a child lying in a bed of
straw in an animal feeding trough and was
destined to impact the world in a way no emperor ever could have imagined and a wider
world than Augustus could have dreamed existed.
by Christine Lawford
A victim of a rival gang,
A couple of yards from home,
Was shot three times in the back of the
head,
For a dollar and a mobile phone
Another young man lies dead in the street,
Another young life is gone.
Mothers run into the streets and cry.
Don’t let it be my Son!
To all gang members everywhere,
You were born for more than this,
Please think about the rest of your life,
And not death’s early kiss.
How many deaths does it have to take?
Before you understand,
One day it’s going to be your little child,
With a shot gun in their hand!
God wants to show you a different life,
So please don’t turn away,
You only have to open your hearts,
And hear what He has to say.
Your children need a father,
They need you to come home.
Take hold of your life and turn it around,
And don’t be a gangland clone!
Is life that cheap you cannot see?
Why Christ died on the Cross?
Does His love for you mean nothing at all?
If so you are truly Lost!
Page 59
Government Affairs Council
The Governing Council has approved in its
meeting today Friday, November 8 , the
creation and regulation of regional registry
of companies engaged in lending or brokering mortgage loans or to provide them
in order to ensure the defense of the economic interests of consumers and users in
relation to these services.
It has also approved various agreements,
for a total of five million euros, relating
to the provision of health and social care,
most notably the departure of 1.5 million
to be distributed among a total of 17 associations in Murcia dedicated to combating
poverty and social exclusion in the region.
Also, of that amount, the regional government allocated 2.6 million to equip the
imaging unit of the mother-child hospital
Virgen de la Arrixaca . It has also given the
green light to a game of 790,000 euros for
the home telecare service to older people
in the Region of Murcia.
Furthermore, the Governing Council has
given its approval to a grant worth over
776,000 euros to equip schools with a total of 131 assistants from foreign speech,
which support learning of English, French,
German, Chinese and Italian in the region.
Also, the regional government sign an
agreement with the Catholic University of
San Antonio for the restoration of the stature of Christ the Healer of the Church of
San Juan de Dios de Murcia.
The Governing Council also approved the
renewal of the Microsoft corporate licensing.
The Government Creates a Regional
Registry Of Credit Companies to Increase Consumer Protection
The Governing Council has agreed to establish and regulate the regional registry of
companies engaged in lending or brokering mortgage loans or contracts for holding
loans or credit. This is to ensure the protection of the economic interests of consumers and users regarding intermediation
services or contracting of loans or credit.
The functions of this highlights the control
of the legality of the prices of services,
advertising, commissions, interest and all
documentation submitted to the same for
registration. Companies must register annually with the regional registry. This new
record will be accessible through the website of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Commerce and Handicrafts. Queries
made consumers and users of the services
will be free of charge.
Fight Against Poverty
Murcia has approved the distribution of 1.5
million euros to 17 organizations and associations in the region working to fight
poverty and social exclusion. This initiative
reflects the commitment of the President
of the Community in the State Debate Region, which resulted in the adoption of this
endowment by a resolution by the Governing Council last July.
255,879€ has been allocated to La Fundación Patronato Jesús Abandonado de
Murcia, 358,792 to Cáritas Diocesana,
230,949€ to Cruz Roja Española and
92,379€ to La Fundación CEPAIM.
Similarly la Asociación ACCEM received
142,122€, 16,580€ for la Dotación Para
la Asociación Betania, 56,849€ for Columbares, 21,318€ for la Asociación Murcia
Acoge and 27,781€ for Traperos de Emaús.
El Candil’ will receive
28,424€, La Asociación Colectivo ‘La
Huertecica’ 17,765€,
La Fundación Solidaridad y Reinserción 10,659€, Rais
Fundación 58,878€,
COPEDECO 35,530€,
REPAIN
56,849€,
while La Hospitalidad Santa Teresa and
El Buen Samaritano
both received 21,932
Health and Social Care
2.6 million euros has been allocated for the
imaging unit of the mother-child hospital
Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca. This
will provide four high performance ultrasound equipments and a team for mobile
digital radiology. There will be an up-todate digital X -ray room, a digital telemedicine room and four bone densitometer resuscitation equipments. This will provide
the hospital with the best technology infrastructure as well as the most advanced
diagnostic systems possible.
Home Telecare Service For Older People
789,495€ has been awarded through the
Instituto Murciano Social Action Ministry of
Health and Social Policy to continue providing home telecare service for older people in the region. At present, this service
provides coverage to 4,300 for dependent
older, which encourages them to stay in familiar surroundings as long as possible.
Early Intervention Centre In Totana
78,860€ has been given through the Instituto Murciano Social Action (IMAS) of the
Ministry of Health and Social Policy, to ensure an early service focus in the municipality of Totana. Currently the centre provides services to 95 children up to six years
of age and through the network of Early
Care Centers IMAS provides this service to
a total of 3,359 children in the region.
Development of Bilingualism
More than 776,000€ is to be used to equip
schools with speaking assistants from foreign countries. The work of these assistants will be to teach conversation with a
native language and to get to know other
cultures through the relationship and coexistence.
Heritage Protection
The Governing Council has approved an
agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Catholic University of San Antonio (UCAM) for restoration of the statue of Christ the Healer of
the Church of San Juan de Dios de Murcia. UCAM will bear the cost of restoration
amounting to 30,000€ and the Ministry,
through the Center for Restoration of the
Region of Murcia will supervise the work.
The carving is an image of a crucified Christ
in polychrome wood. The work, executed
as an altarpiece is a picture of great antiquity from the sixteenth century.
Page 60
Page 61
Recently
there
have
been a lot of dogs left
either on the urbanization in Calasparra, or
thrown over the fence of
our compound. We are
overwhelmed at the moment and urgently need
to find forever homes for
a number of our dogs.
We also have a number
of puppies that are looking for new homes.
around
humans
due to living in foster care for a while
and he has not
taken to life in the
compound.
Aly is also a German
Shepherd
cross
about
4
months old. All of
his siblings have
now been adopted
and we would like
to place Aly as
soon as possible.
He is a beautiful little chap.
We have a 6 year old
male German Shepherd
Freddy
that we are also trying
to place. All of our dogs
will be vaccinated and some of them are castrated. Here is a selection of our animals:
Connor was found with his nose all bloodied.
He had obviously been smashed in the face
Freddy is a loveable chap, just coming up
with a rock. After 24 hours in the vets on a
to 1 year old, possibly a German Shepherd
drip for dehydration and bruising to his face,
cross. He loves to play and he needs to be
he has now made a full recovery. The nun
There are another three WARM walks to report on this month. The first took place on
the southern slopes of the Sierra de Oro,
partly belonging to the ayuntamientos
of Abaran and Ricote. This was led by new
members of WARM, Carla and Juan. The
start was near the old hermita called Casa
de Oración. The first and easy part of
the walk led along a steep and wide barranco through forests and olive fields for
about an hour until we reached the, nowadays, uninhabited village called Viñica; a
lovely place, almost an oasis in a small private valley. Some palm and orange trees,
a caseria in ruins and a cisterna are what is
left of habitation since 1965. The more difficult part of the walk came next when we
had to climb for some 10 minutes followed
by half an hour’s walk along a small track
with lovely views. At the top there was a
viewpoint from where we could see the
Ricote Valley and the towns of Cieza and
Abaran. Then we followed a small part of
the PR-MU-56 uphill towards the old gravel
road from Abaran into the Ricote Valley.
This gravel road took us about half an hour
of easy walking to the place where the cars
were parked.
The second walk was led by Pat and Lawrie
in the middle of October – normally when
one would expect a touch of autumn in the
air even in the south of Spain – but still
the sun shone down relentlessly on us. It
was with some relief that, after manoeuvring our way along tracks and boulders in
the rambla, we reached the isolated little
beach of Cala El Bolete and some took advantage of the beautifully clean turquoise
water to cool down. After replacing all the
spent calories with a picnic, we retraced
Connor
that found him and contacted us also blessed
him.
If you are interested in any of these dogs, or
would like to visit our kennels, please contact
Keith on 628 811 188 or Marion on 628 811
187 for more information.
our tracks back to the bar La Cantina in
Campillo de Adentro where we refreshed
ourselves once more with cool beers and
shandies. It was great to see WARM
members from different parts of the Murcia Region – Moratalla, Ricote, Mar Menor,
Mazarrón, some of whom we hadn’t seen
for some years. In addition we were joined
by five members from Jim’s local group
from Rambla Del Cañar near Isla Plana.
The
third
walk was led
by Tony in
the far north
west of the
region starting from a
small
village
called
Otos. As is
usual in this
area, there
were a few
challenging
sections, but
we enjoyed
wonderful
views and towards the end we followed
a narrow footpath through some beautiful woods. The last five minutes led us
through the tiny squares of the village until
we reached the local restaurant where we
all enjoyed an excellent lunch.
If you are interested in joining a group
of walkers who enjoy exploring the countryside of Murcia then please contact
warm2005@gmail.com for a copy of the
current programme.
Page 62
(172512*5«),&2
6LJORXXI6/
agendas escolares • diseño gráﬁco • catálogo de productos • displays
folletos publicitarios • carteles • calendarios • libros • papelería corporativa
Pol Ind. Marimingo - C/. Campo de Cartagena, 27 - 30180 BULLAS (Murcia) Telf./Fax: 968 654 007
entornograf@entornograf.com • www.entornograf.com
Page 63
Last month we celebrated our first year as
Welcome House; an exciting time, starting with a Remembrance Day service and a
Carol Service, where 50 folk sang well loved
carols, followed by mince pies and mulled
wine.
Three Kings came to visit at Epiphany and
we tasted their special cake. At our Burns’
Lunch we killed the Haggis; Valentine’s Day
wasn’t forgotten and of course we celebrated
St David’s Day, tasting Welsh fare. Easter
a special time, saw our first Communion
Service; a shared meal and Easter eggs all
round, then of course there was Whit Sunday and a BBQ.
Besides our Sunday gatherings we hosted
concerts, (more food); what would we do
without Bill our head chef always willing to
cook for us? Cliff & Julia entertained us with
their Rock and Gospel. We even bopped a
little and did a trial test on our outdoor oven
(lovely jacket potatoes).
We had a Pool Party in the summer for the
visiting children and September saw the return of Rhythm and Joy and a BBQ.
Throughout the year we have been blessed
with visiting speakers on Sundays.
They
came back so they must like us! We are always supported by Open Door.
We now meet on two Sundays a month; the
first at 4pm, the third at 11am. Recently we
had a great time on a Scavenger Hunt, delving into our Bibles for answers which was fun
and enlightening. We didn’t even move from
our chairs!
Tuesday morning is a time of Fellowship with
coffee, Welsh cakes (get in before Ray) and
discussions. Throughout the year, both Christian and non-Christian folk have been able to
enjoy each other’s company in a non-threatening environment, often sharing a meal together; no bible bashing, but we do proclaim Jesus.
Thank you for all your support.
Hebrews
10:25 says ‘Let us not give up meeting together but encourage one another.’
GOD IS GOOD
Page 64
With the advance of autumn, the dawn delayed the onset of the “King Star” due to
the change of position of our planet when
we arrived at the Tourist Office in Moratalla
just before 8am. We were to visit a place
known as Las Muelas de Béjar. We left by La
Fuente Mayor, an important natural spring
with water filtered by the high peaks that
surround this small but spectacular valley,
with peaks around 1400/1500 metres high.
We had hardly begun to walk, when Eloína
noticed a common kestrel very close to us,
among the oaks and rock ledges, striving to
pursue its breakfast. It is probably a male
because it is not frightened by us. A few
meters away, there is an old oak, with clear
signs of old age, providing a sculpture worthy of any modern artist. A huge branch
was broken off many years ago. It almost
looks petrified and has the form of a curious bridge. We followed the path that cattle take daily and began the climb up the
remains of what was once an old coal road
before leaving the pine forest. The path ascended by the side of the ravine, winding
through Dolomitic rocks. Autumn curiously
has a second spring feeling, which is not
only evident in some bird songs, but we see
it reflected in the vegetation, with lavender
and other flowers looking as if it were May.
There appeared to be the first signs of the
altitude evening out and one of the most
beautiful moments of the day. We took the
path where ibex and wild boar go and circumvented the oak forest that took us to
the base of Los Cenajos de Las Muelas, a
sort of “vegetable gymkhana“ that forces us
to jump with joy as we made our way into
the wilderness.
The intricate path ascended from time to
time almost vertical and we had to climb
almost on all fours. The habitat provided
by this shady hillside with mixed forest is an
idyllic setting for an autumn morning and
the perfect place to observe the phenom-
ena of nature, with small corners where the
magic of the micro-climate, as pointed out
by Luis, drew our attention to a small area
covered with ferns and the dryness of the
soil that sustains us.
Almost at the top, a Dolomitic wall allowed
us to look over to Campo de Bejar. This natural lookout is not for vertigo sufferers! It
offered us the spectacle of the landscape of
Moratalla including La Cuerda del Zacatín,
La Molata de la Fuensanta, the unrecognisable Las Cuevas de Zaén, almost hidden,
the green of El Carrascal de Bajil, La Mole
del Lanchar and the whole of La Cuerda de
los Álamos. Finally, there was a clear transition from the Dolomites limestone and we
went then walked through a limestone path
that slowly became an area quite aggressive, but undeniably beautiful and one of
the most attractive erosion forms. We then
had lunch near the lavish amphitheatre of La
Rambla de Las Buitreras, right where some
vultures perched. We
enjoy not only the
food, but the panoramic views over the
high fields of Caravaca, Lorca and the
Andalusians. Neil and
Richard told us many
ways down from this
height
which
are
ideal to travel on our
mountain bikes as we
plan the next route.
The cave was reached by a narrow gorge
that forced us to crawl in single file. Almost without realizing it, we gathered in
this curious cave. The atmosphere was so
tranquil, that for a while we were probably
in the same place where men had spent
many hours of their lives, waiting for the
sun, ridding themselves of the fears of the
dark nights, planning hunting trips, or just
loving and leaving to spend their lives as we
do now. We visited the second cave which
was much smaller and easier to get to. The
whole environment of La Rambla de Las
Buitreras, has a powerful historical burden.
We took some photos inside the cave before
returning by retracing the path towards the
hill, looking to complete the day by enjoying some local cuisine in the beautiful Casa
Cristo where Juani is in command of the
kitchen of the Restaurante La Pastora.
The Excursion to Las Muelas de BéjarCueva Navarro
We still had the most
exciting moment of
the day; a visit to La
Cueva Navarro. Again
we struggled along a
winding path from the
hill to the very mouth
of the cave along
limestone ledges that
allowed us to walk
with relative ease on
the very steep slopes.
Page 65
Here we are in December and many of us
are thinking about Christmas and New Year
celebrations. This is the time of year when
there is plenty of drinking and eating going
on. Just be aware that the ‘drink drive’ laws
here in Spain are just as strict, if not more
so, than the UK. If you are going out to celebrate, make sure that the designated driver
does not drive. If you are caught and are
tested positive for drink, the penalties are
very severe.
There are plenty of Spanish bars and restaurants in the area, but only a couple of
English ones if that is what you prefer. Las
Lomas, on the way to the Sanctuary at Calasparra, was taken over by Chris and Mel
a few months ago. This restaurant is in a
beautiful setting and there is so much going
on throughout the month of December. All
of the food is home cooked with fresh vegetables whenever possible. Try their Lunch
Buffet (eat as much as you like) for excellent value at 5.95€ or their superb Sunday Carvery. If you are a quiz buff, how
about trying out your knowledge at the Quiz
Night every Monday at 8pm? Happy Hour
is 4pm-7pm every day.
Another great place to visit and be dined
and wined is La Mariposa in Gebas. This
stunning hideaway in the Sierra Espuña
is well worth a visit either for their Music
Nights, Activity Breaks or for just a few
nights away. They do a Sunday Carvery
from 10.50€pp, but it is advisable to book
as this is one of the best Sunday lunches in
the area. There are also Organised Walks
which at 12€pp including lunch has got to
be value for money, but again booking is essential.
On 26th October, there was a coach crash
near Cehegin, after the brakes failed. The
3.30pm coach from Murcia crashed into a
barrier at the side of the road before smashing through a roundabout. 14 people, including the driver were rushed to the hospital in
Caravaca, but thankfully none was seriously
injured.
The Artesan Market held every 3rd Sunday
of the month at the Sanctuary de la Esperanza just outside Calasparra is proving to be
a real success. The market includes artesan
products from the area, particularly from
Calasparra, and each month will be dedicated to a different theme. The market will
be held in the main square at the Sanctuary
from 10am to 6pm.
Exhibition of “Loren Paintings”
From November 21st, in the Wine Museum in Bullas is the exhibition “Paintings
by Loren” by Maria Dolores Bernal, Murcia painter from the hamlet of El Palmar.
ings of Loren”. You can now tour the temporary exhibition hall in the Bullas Wine Museum where the original works of this painter
should appeal to locals and others who visit.
Cehegín Scene
Artesan Market
On Sunday 22nd December, from 10am, you
will be able to enjoy the El Mesoncico market and taste typical products of this time of
the year such as turron and other Christmas
delights. There will be festive music including that from Los Animeros del Campillo de
los Jiménez.
Free parking is available at the Marble Technology Centre in Carretera Murcia. A free
bus service is operated to the market place
every 20 minutes.
Free Guided Tour on 14th December
Meeting at Plaza del Castillo at 11am
Admire the history of the Old Quarter of Cehegín visiting the Archaeological Museum,
the Main Street, the Church of La Concepción 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.
This artist has the privilege of being included
in the Gal Art
and Exhibition Artists,
where
you
can
follow
the
career
of Maria Dolores Bernal,
whose stage
name
is
“Loren”. She
began
her
career in solo
exhibitions
in 1992, in
the village of
Era Alta with
the exhibition
“The
Paint-
The walk will be approximately 2 hours.
Make sure you have good footwear and a
bottle of water.
Reservation is necessary. Contact the
Tourist Office on 968 723 550 or email
oficinaturismo@cehegin.es
Next Free Walk will be on 18th January
Next Car Boot Sale will be on 19th January
Walking in Caravaca
The Town Hall in Caravaca have started a
programme to encourage people to keep fit
by walking. These organised walks on Sundays will be led by a guide and will cost 3€.
15th December – La Alberguilla and Montadores - 9am from La Templete. The walk is
about 12km and should take about 3-4hrs.
Please book online at www.sportia.com or
call in to the Town Hall.
Page 66
“Every Picture Tells a Story” is a mixture
of rock, country, blues, soul, and folk, and includes his breakthrough hit, “Maggie May”,
co-written by classical guitarist Martin Quittenton, as well as “Reason to Believe”,
a song from Tim Hardin’s debut album of
1966. “Reason to Believe” had initially
been the A-side of the single and “Maggie
May” the B-side, until general reaction resulted in their reversal.
The album also included a version of Arthur
Crudup’s “That’s All Right (Mama)” (the
first single for Elvis Presley) and a cover
of the Bob Dylan song “Tomorrow Is a
Long Time,” an outtake from Dylan’s 1963
album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” (it
would see release on 1971’s, “Bob Dylan’s
Greatest Hits Vol. II”).
All five members of The Faces (with whom
Stewart at that time was lead vocalist) appeared on the album, with guitarist/bassist Ronnie Wood and keyboardist Ian
McLagan on Hammond B3 organ being
most prominent. Due to contractual restrictions, the personnel listings were somewhat
vague and it was unclear that the full Faces
line-up recorded the version of The Temptations’ Motown classic hit “(I Know) I’m
Losing You”. Other contributors included
Ray Jackson on mandolin (though Stewart forgot his name and merely mentioned
“The mandolin player in Lindisfarne” on
the sleeve). Micky Waller on drums. Maggie Bell from the Scottish rock band Stone
the Crows performed backing vocals (mentioned on the sleeve as “vocal abrasives”) on
the title track, and Madeline Bell ex of 60’s
band Blue Mink sang backup on the next
track, “Seems Like A Long Time”. Pete
Sears played all the piano on the album except for one track, “I’m Losing You” which
featured Ian McLagan on piano, along with
The Faces as a band.
“Every Picture Tells a Story” reached
the number-one position in both the UK (for
six weeks) and the US (four weeks) at the
same time that “Maggie May” was topping
the singles charts in both territories, making
Stewart the first artiste to achieve such a
feat. The album has often been voted among
the best British albums of all time.
In 1992, the album was awarded the numberone spot in Jimmy Guterman’s book ‘The
Best Rock ‘N’ Roll Records of All Time: A Fan’s
Guide to the Stuff You Love’.
“Every Picture Tells a Story” was ranked
99th in a 2005 survey held by British television’s Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.
In 2009 the song “Every Picture Tells a
Story” was used for the soundtrack of Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost
and Damned”. This album sold 4 million copies worldwide and is still being bought today
by a whole new generation of music-listening
audiences. It is my favourite Rod Stewart
recording and I regularly play tracks on my
shows.
I would like to wish everybody a happy and
peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New
Year. I thank you for your comments on the
articles I have compiled and hope that you
will continue to enjoy them.
You can listen to Mark Davies on Costa
Cálida Radio on Nite Express on Mon and
Wed 7-9pm and on Friday evenings on Cálida
Rocks 7-9pm.
“Every Picture
Tells a Story” is
the third album
by Rod Stewart,
released in the
middle of 1971.
It incorporates a
mixture of hard
rock, folk, and
blues styles. It
went to number one on both
the UK and U.S.
charts and finished third in the Jazz & Pop critics’ poll for best album of 1971. It has been
an enduring critical success, including a number 172 ranking on Rolling Stone magazine’s
2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all
time and inclusion in both 1001 Albums You
Must Hear Before You Die (2005) and 1,000
Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008).
Page 67
Quiz questions on the November 2013 Costa Cálida Chronicle
1.
Who is fully legal and
registered and offers
you new construction or
maintenance work?
2.
Where can you get winter warmers?
3.
Who has recently arrived
in Los Alcazares and is
offering you Long And
Short Term Parking for
San Javier Airport?
4.
Who is offering step by
step Spanish?
5.
What is Ma Millbank‘s
Kitchen offering you this
month?
6.
What fines will increase
from 500€ to 1000€ with
the new traffic legislation?
ACROSS
1
6
10
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
22
24
25
27
29
32
33
34
37
41
43
44
45
46
Answers on page 94
48
49
51
54
Card game
Emit sound
National capital
Planet
Asian dress
Set down
Main bread ingredient
Oink animals
Muffle
Leaned
Stored
Time period
Car manufacturer
Reasoning
Booze
Some
Pain unit
Wet
V.P.’s boss
Beat severely
Thai
Tender
Dreamer
Shiny balloon material
Travel term
Freezing
Slight
Plays
7.
Who claims that they
‘Never had a Dull Moment’?
8.
Which author’s book was
reviewed in November?
9.
What is the herb of the
month?
10.
Whose sofas shout comfort?
56
57
58
60
64
66
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
European nation
Fuel
Wall support
Ropes
Open
Type of tea
Attack
Cook in an oven
Skin
Snag
Pillow covering
Harvard’s rival
Asian country
DOWN
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Woof
Well
Smooth
Photographer’s
workplace
Flail
Cooking measurement
Short poem
Recommend
Demo
Hoary
Saudi Arabian citizen
Spring flower
Merely
21
23
26
28
29
30
31
35
36
38
39
40
42
46
47
50
52
53
54
55
56
57
59
61
62
63
65
67
Pairs
2,000 pounds
Polish currency
Cheats
Totals
Folk story
Indication
Young lady
Very big
Range
Little Mermaid’s love
Chair
Lip
Puzzle
Factual
Hertz
Expressionless
Essential amino acid
Indian prince
City
Utopian
Scads
Ca. University
Stitch
Giant
Was looked at
Rock group
Tinct
Page 68
Page 69
Once
again
The
Beacon of Light
meetings
have
welcomed many
new faces and
on November
28th we held a
special evening with guest
medium Carol
Everett at the
Social Club at
Condado de Alhama. Our thanks as always to
Rachel and Paul for their support.
Our 4th GOmaD Fashion Show took place
on 4th November. It was well attended as
always and our ‘dedicated lady followers of
fashion’ helped us raise the sum of 1,240€
for this worthwhile and needy local charity.
of his speaker system to enable our ‘Compère Extraordinaire’ Brenda to make the
introductions for the show to run smoothly.
Also thanks to Tom who has become our
resident photographer at these bi-annual
events and last but not least, to the eight
volunteers who made up our model entourage, without whom this event would not
have been able to have taken place. For
Dolores it was her first time on the ‘cat
walk’ and although she was a little nervous, we hope that she will be a willing participant in our subsequent fashion events.
Our meetings are every Wednesday from 7pm
with weekly guest mediums and we 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 6.00
pm
December Meetings:
Wednesday 4th - Jimmy McArthur - bring
Together with all the other volunteers who
helped on the day and before to make
Anne and Brenda, through the bountiful
donations given to us throughout the year,
were able to put together an outstanding
modelled collection of garments together
with an array of excellent quality clothing
for purchase at massively reduced prices.
They would like to take this opportunity in
thanking Malcolm Ruston of Shots Event
Crew for supplying the music and the use
a flower
Wednesday 11th - Sammy Fitzsimmons
Wednesday 18th - Debbie Blevins and our
Carol Service with mince pies etc.
We will close for Christmas and re-open on
Wednesday January 8th with Marilyn Webb.
For further information please phone 620
877 326
Email beacon.of.light.murcia@gmail.com
http://beaconoflightmurcia.webs.com
or join us on Facebook Beacon of Light Murcia
these events happen, it is not only an
event to raise money and awareness for
this exemplary charity, but also an opportunity to bring together various members
of an ever growing organisation.
Amanda our former President gave a
heart-felt address to everyone and stated
that if you feel you can dedicate a little of
your time towards our goal please call 634
321 161 or drop into our shop in Mazarrón
which is open from 10am-2pm Tues, Weds,
Thurs & Sat to discuss aspects of our charitable work. We can arrange to pick up any
large items and our white van is parked at
the Commercial Centre, Sector A, Camposol on Tuesdays 11am-1pm. We also, with
the generosity of local businesses place
‘Donation Bins’ within their premises as a
further way of people being able to donate
and help those in need within our community.
We will be organising our next fashion
show to take place sometime in the spring,
so if you are sorting out your wardrobe
ready to make room for your winter clothing, please think of us!
Many thanks from the GOmaD team.
Page 70
Page 71
Spain’s Bank Bail-Out And Supervision
To End In January
Spain’s banks will come out of their ‘bail-out
period’ in January without the need for any
further European Union funding. A Eurogroup
report shows the country’s financial institutions are now in a sound position, having
only used 41.3 billion euros of the 100 billion bail-out fund applied for in spring 2012.
Spain has also avoided needing a bail-out for
the country itself to cover its debts, as was
the case with the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus.
Economy Minister Luis de Guindos says Spain
has agreed with the Eurogroup that no more
funding or supervision will be needed for the
nation’s financial institutions from January
2014. Eurogroup leader and Dutch Minister
of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem says regulation of banks in Spain is better than it was 18
months ago. Market confidence has grown
internationally and the institutions themselves are stronger and more resistant. He
also praised Spain’s ongoing reforms and
confirmed the government intends to carry
on along the same lines, a statement which
De Guindos confirmed.
Pyrénéen Glaciers Could Vanish In 60
Years
Glaciers in the Spanish and French Pyrénées
could disappear within less than 60 years,
warn environmental experts. Global warming
has led to the 45 square kilometres of glaciers in the mountains to reduce to just five
between 1870 and now.
The Pyrénéen Climate Change Observatory
has collected data on atmospheric warming
and says up to 60% of the plant life in the
area is in danger of extinction, something
which is expected to worsen given predictions of a temperature rise of between 2.8ºC
and 4ºC by the High Council of Scientific Investigations (CSIC) in Spain. Mountain flora
is beginning to be found higher up the hills
which will have a direct and significant impact on water reserves as well as human
activities such as farming hydro-electricity
production and tourism.
Mortgages Become Cheaper
Interest rates in the Eurozone have gone
down by another ¼% to a record low of
0.25, further reducing monthly mortgage
payments for Spain’s homeowners. European
Central Bank chairman Mario Draghi says the
decision was to stimulate credit flow and increase consumer spending.
As well as mortgages going down, the reduction in the Euribor means credit card, car finance and loan repayments will be cheaper
across the Eurozone and exporters will have
a greater profit margin, bringing more money into the countries which use the common
currency. Economists say this reduction is
not particularly drastic, since in 2011 the Euribor went down below 1% for the first time
because there is very little margin left to decrease it.
Even though personal loans, business finance and mortgages will cost less for the
end consumer, banks are likely to continue to
be reluctant to lend money. Banks may also
begin to panic when they see their return on
loans falling, but if they are willing to free
up credit restrictions, numbers of loans and
mortgages applied for may multiply and they
would see a greater income from them, even
if a lower return on each individual one.
In the past year, the number of mortgages on
residential properties has fallen by 41.7%,
but with house prices lower than ever due to
excess supply cause by over-building and repossessions – the average residential home
expected to be worth 50% of its pre-2008
value by the end of 2013 – economists say
banks need to start lending again in order to
shift their own stock.
Cheaper mortgages, if they are easier to access, will mean more Spaniards in the 20-40
age-group on a low income will be able to
afford property and finally leave the family
nest.
Foreign investment is at its highest since
early 2005 and increased by 13% in the first
half of this year, but it has a long way to go
to catch up with the expatriates’ and holidayhome owners’ levels of purchase a decade
ago, in 2003, which was 20% higher than it
is today.
Villagers Trapped and Homes Evacuated
A Costa Brava forest fire left all residents in
two villages trapped in their homes and led
to at least 10 farmhouses being evacuated
as the flames spread out of control due to
high winds.
Emergency services reported that gusts of up
to 50km/hr caused the blaze to extend in a
southerly direction, and that it had already
jumped over the river Ter and reached the
Torrent woodland, to the north of the village
of Foixà. At least 80 hectares of land was
wiped out. Villagers in Foixà, Jafre and Vilopriu (Girona province) were unable to leave
their homes as these were surrounded by a
wall of fire.
Judges Call 600,000€ Fines For Protests
Or Photographing Police
New legislation attempting to limit public
demonstrations
and
imposing fines ranging from 30,000€ to
600,000€ for ‘insulting a police officer’ or
‘protesting in public
without
authorities’
consent’
has
been
slammed by judges,
pressure groups and
even the police themselves. The association
Judges for Democracy
likens the Law of Public Safety to legislation
passed during dictator General Franco’s
era which effectively
censored freedom of speech and the move
is almost certainly against the terms of the
Spanish Constitution and leaves ordinary citizens ‘defenceless’.
Sanctions for non-compliance are ‘tantamount to destitution’ on the part of the accused, say judges, because one single fine
would ‘wipe out a person’s entire assets’ and
a person facing a fine under the Law of Public Safety would have no choice but to try
to defend themselves in court, which would
involve extremely high legal costs. Members
of the opposition in government say the legislation is effectively a ‘gagging order’ on the
public.
Head of the countrywide pressure group
Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca, or
PAH (‘mortgage victims’ association’), Ada
Colau says the contents of the new legislation and the ‘disproportionate’ fines threatened are merely a way of stopping people
from expressing their discontent about unpopular government policies and instead of
changing their unpopular policies, the government is seeking to frighten into silence
anyone who complains about them.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, says
the police union SUP and Judges for Democracy, an escrache or personalised protest is
merely a little noisy and no harm is done,
meaning there are no legal grounds to fine or
arrest anyone involved.
Fines can also be imposed where protesters
take photographs or videos of police officers
in the course of their duty. In cases reported
of police violence against peaceful protesters,
these images are the only evidence demonstrators have to prove they were the victims
of physical assault, says the PAH. All demonstrations which are staged without prior consent from the State are also subject to fines
that could exceed half a million euros.
Christmas Lotteries Worth 2.24 Billion
In Prize Money
This year’s Christmas lottery will be the first
one ever where winnings are subject to tax
and is 280 million euros fewer than last year.
The number of ticket series has also decreased from 180 to 160.
Of the total prize money, 640 million will
be handed out to winners of the most wellknown festive lottery, El Gordo. This is one
of Spain’s favourites, since the chances of
winning are much higher, even though the
prizes are much lower, typically running into
tens of thousands rather than millions. Each
‘series’ of numbers for the El Gordo draw has
100,000 tickets, and a full ticket continues to
cost 200€, but they are sold in décimos, or
tenths, at 20€ each.
The price has not varied in many years, but
anyone who wins 2,500€ or more will now
have to hand over 20% to the government
in tax.
First prize in the El Gordo draw for a full ticket is four million euros for the winning series, or 400,000€ for a décimo; second prize
is 1.25 million for a full ticket or 125,000€
for a décimo; third prize is half a million euros for a full ticket, or 50,000€ for a décimo;
two fourth prizes of 200,000€ for a ticket and
20,000€ for a décimo; eight fifth prizes at
60,000€ or 6,000€ for a décimo, and 1,794
prizes of 1,000€ a ticket or 100€ for a décimo
will be given out.
Page 72
Page 73
Welcome to the hot and sunny days of winter, but where did those biting winds and
cold night-time temperatures come from?
Our dedicated group of maintenance workers and volunteers still turn out regularly
despite the adverse weather and we continue our search for new volunteers. Even
if you are not resident and just spend your
holidays here, you are very welcome to join
our group. We offer bacon or sausage butties every Wednesday as an incentive! If you
would like to offer your skills, just get in
touch with John, our chairman. If you are
not able to join our working parties, but you
would like to donate a raffle prize or plants
for future use, we would love to hear from
you; no offer of help is too small!
Our community maintenance scheme is
still growing. Members pay just 15€ per
quarter to improve our whole of ‘C’, which
is great value as Green Fingers have made
a vast difference to the look of our streets,
with neat, gravelled verges, dustbins off
the roads, water butts installed, many new
plants and trees now becoming established
and repairs to kerbs and roads where needed. Our volunteers have undertaken these
tasks until the local council totally take
over responsibility for Camposol ‘C’ and it’s
lovely to look around our sector now, with
its pretty planted areas and features. It is
no longer looking ‘overgrown and forgotten’
even though some of the work has been
backbreaking! We have many ongoing projects, but please let us know if you have any
particular task you would like us to tackle in
Age Concern Costa Cálida held a very
successful auction at Mariano’s, Camposol
in October. There were over 180 items for
sale ranging from furniture and domestic
appliances to sports gear, computers, sound
and vision and many other categories in between. If you can get it into Mariano’s we
will try to find a buyer for you! Over 800€
was raised for Age Concern and we are
very grateful to all who helped to make the
day go with a swing. Look out for details of
our next auction in March/April.
Don’t miss our annual Christmas Fayre on
Saturday 7th December at El Lagarto Verde
on the Via Axial in Puerto de Mazarrón. As
always we will have an array of stalls including our own well-supplied homemade cake
stall where you can get all your Christmas
cakes, mince pies & sausage rolls, plenty of
bling & clothing (including M & S), plants,
face-painting, and a special performance of
Christmas carols by the Wellspring Victory
Church Choir. Santa will, of course, be in
attendance. 1€ entrance will give you the
chance of winning a prize, including meat
vouchers from the English Butcher. Doors
open to the public 11.30am. Stallholders
call 634 336 484 for information.
Wednesday 4th December – Christmas
Social at Cultural Centre, Camposol B at
1.30pm.
your area. The streets on Sector C continue
to be cleared, weeded and sprayed by the
maintenance team, and another new bench
has been provided on the dual carriageway.
We would politely request that, if you have
a pet, please clear up any mess and keep
our area a pleasant place to stroll around;
thanks.
There has been a huge demand for tickets
to our Christmas Meal & Dance on 13th
December at The Club House, with live music from Andy Jones, but there may still be
a few available. Please contact Ann 968
974 951 or John 634 325 427. Please
check chalkboards, Facebook and website
for any more news http://www.greenfingersgardenandsocialgroup.com/
Our next Talking Shop Social is at the Cultural Centre, Camposol will be on Wednesday 8th January at 1.30pm. Hope to see you
there.
Wednesday 27th January Menu del Dia
(venue to be confirmed) 10€
Tickets from:
Outside Bar Salud, Camposol B, Fridays
11am-1pm
Camposol Cultural Centre Wed/Thu 10am1pm
Tel 634 310 216 or 634 336 484
Page 74
Of course we hope that you will never have
need of this or of any other of the equipment
that PALS have donated to the local emergency teams over the past 13 years - over
a quarter of a million Euros worth of life
saving machines in use in local saluds, ambulances and 112 and Cruz Roja vehicles. It
was your money and we are proud to be the
custodians and hope that you agree we spend
this visibly, sensibly and with total transparency. Our accounts are ready and available
for inspection at any time. These accounts
are not just profit and loss sheets; they are
detailed analysis of your trust in us.
How Do We Raise The Money?
We organise trips events and holidays, so
please support us to maximise our efforts.
We were privileged in November to have
several members bringing examples of
craftwork to display and demonstrations
of their skills. There were decorated candles, decoupage, beautiful cards for all occasions and sewing and crochet projects.
We were shown how to decorate beautiful
candles and make attractive boxes for presents or decorations.
A group of members visited Lorca earlier in
the month. Enrico, our guide for the day,
met us at the station in Lorca and after
brief introductions he led us to the Blue
Museum explaining on the route the history of various buildings and monuments
we passed.
Some old favourites remain, but there are
new exciting ideas being considered.
If you are looking for something special to
celebrate the year, why not come to PALS’
Annual Christmas Dinner Dance on 8th December at the Costa Costa Hotel in Mazarrón?
- an 8 course meal with drink and live entertainment for 29.50€ and a chance to really
put on your finery.
Support the PALS’ Annual Sponsored
Swim at 1pm on New Years Day at Bahia
Beach. Last year we had some amazing
characters in fancy dress. Sponsorship forms
available.
Join in Burns’ Night celebrations on 25th
January at Playa Grande Hotel, Mazarrón - a
traditional night with piper and other music,
kilts, haggis etc – 25€ with special rates at
the hotel if you want to stay the night.
February 25th - a Visit To La Bastida, a large
pre-Romantic archaeological dig in the foothills of the Sierra Espuñas and then lunch at
La Rata. 25€ with English speaking guide.
The curator of the Blue Museum was most
welcoming and we watched an interesting video about the Easter Parades. It told
us of the intense rivalry between the Blue
Brotherhood and the White Brotherhood.
The costumes the Blue Brotherhood wear
are designed and made in the Blue Museum. After viewing the costumes we were
invited up to see the making of the clothing. We saw the outfits from the beginning
of the design right through to the finished
product. The embroidery, which is done in
silk and gold thread, is absolutely fantastic. The ladies work 8 hours a day at this
and if they are running behind as it gets
nearer to the parade, they work 24 hours
in 8 hour shifts - amazing.
The 3 Night Stay In Benidorm over St Patrick’s sold out to those on our mailing list very
quickly.
18th March Garrucha Market with a great
lunch at Bedar and then on to what used to
be Iceland. 25€
25th April Andalucian Adventure, staying at
central hotels in Cordoba, Seville and Grenada with visits to Ronda and the white villages. Half board 320€ per person.
18th October 7 Night/8 Day Cruise To Palma de Mallorca, Sardinia, Italy for Rome
and Florence, Corsica from Valencia. Coach,
all drinks on board, food, entertainment, port
taxes tips included from 645€. We put this to
those on our mailing list and have filled two
coaches. We are currently trying to arrange
further cabins and another coach.
Tickets from PALS at Trevi Bar, Camposol on
a Saturday mornings 11am-1.30pm, or Bistro
Ratatouille, Puerto de Mazarrón on a Wednesdays 1pm-3pm or call 626 460 465
www.pals.sm4.biz
The next meeting will be the Christmas
meal on December 12th.
Ladies Chatterbox Group meets in the
Cultural Centre, Camposol B on the Second 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.
Chatterbox “SEW and SEW” is a group
for anyone who would like to meet with
other sewing or craft work enthusiasts (not
necessarily very experienced!) to work together, chat and enjoy a cuppa! We meet
every Monday 2.30-4.30pm in the Cultural
Centre. For more information ring Pat on
608 548 136
Page 75
Happy Christmas Everyone.
PALS wish all their supporters and indeed
everyone the very best for the festivities.
2013 has been a momentous year for PALS
with the culmination of 7 years collaboration
finally managing to get the CAFÉ Ambulance
delivered fully equipped and ready for any
emergency.
The Mazarrón Pudding Club held its Annual General Meeting at Elliot’s Restaurant in
Bolnuevo on 16th October. One of the regular
items on the meeting’s agenda is the selection of the Restaurant to receive the Club’s
annual award of the Best Steak and Kidney
Pudding of the previous year.
The decision was decided by ballot amongst
the members and resulted in Elliot’s receiving the award of the Club’s engraved plaque
for 2012/2013. This was presented to Carol
Please read below an important communication from our President, Bob Owen that will
be of great interest to all Camposol residents.
This article was written on November 9th, so
by the time you read it, hopefully some of the
points mentioned will have come to fruition.
This month’s meeting with Mayor Gines
Campillo saw the results of the current coalition government’s efforts to solve some more
of Camposol’s on-going problems.
Iberdrola have been switching off street lights
due to unpaid bills from Masa. The council will
be awarding the contract worth 130,000€ to
one of three tenders to repair, maintain and
switch on street lights on the main roads. This
cost will be born out of municipal funds.
The contract for the water and sewage treatment has been awarded to Esamur. That formalises another part of our infrastructure.
The repairs to pavements and roads caused
by Aqualia are still under negotiation. Masa
should have paid these bills, but failed to do
so. As a result, Aqualia have refused to reinstate these pavements and roads. Negotiations continue.
A new engineer has been appointed to evaluate the cost of bringing Camposol up to a finished standard. He has 5-6 months to complete this work. Once his report is available to
and her staff by the Club’s Secretary and its
President. This was the second time Elliot’s
had received the honour as they had also won
it the previous year.
Another regular item on the AGM’s agenda
was its Charity Donation. At every AGM, because the Pudding Club is a non-profit organisation, the Committee decides the amount
that can be donated from the Club’s funds.
This year a record sum of 500€ was available. All members’ names were placed in a
the council they will schedule the work over
the coming years with costs born out of municipal funds. The work will be prioritised with
the worst affected areas being done first. This
completion work will take years, but progress
will be dictated by the budget each year and
will not cost residents any more than their
normal IBI payments.
The Mayor has confirmed that Sector A has
been adopted. The full adoption of B-C-D
can only take place once the urbanisation
is brought up to a finished standard. There
will be no imposed entity and all repairs and
maintenance will be carried out by the council
out of municipal funds.
The subject of private roads and the responsibility for payment of street lighting and
maintenance has yet to be negotiated. It was
number 1 on our agenda at our next meeting
on 27th November.
Agreement has at long last been settled with
Confederacion Hidrographica. There will not
be any demolition of houses built over the
rambla. An alternative scheme had been
agreed with extra underground pipes and
land built on that belonged to the Confederacion will be replaced by the allocation of other
land belonging to the council.
box and a name was drawn out by a nonmember. The winner then has the opportunity
to nominate his chosen charity to receive the
money. Member Ian Dalley was the recipient
and decided that the donation should be go
to Aspadem a registered charity which supports disabled children and their families in
Mazarrón.
Reg Croxford
President
to take part in the UIDM executive
committee and influence decisions on
Camposol.
11.
Allocated a dedicated Camposol policeman and opened the police office.
12.
Established an office at the Cultural
Centre for residents’ benefit. No other
urbanisation has this.
13.
Established a padron/voting roll facility at the Cultural Centre two days
a month. No other urbanisation has
this.
14.
Executed retrieval of Masa’s bank
bonds.
15.
Has put a road sweeper machine on
the urbanisation.
16.
Has awarded a contract to a company
to supply and empty more green bins
for garden waste.
All these positive items have come to fruition
following our protracted negotiations with the
council.
Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day and for
Spain, notoriously slow in most things it does,
this pace of events is certainly not considered
slow.
To summarise:
1.
We have a stable water and sewage
supply.
2.
The street lights on the main roads
will be repaired and maintained at the
council’s expense.
3.
The repairs needed caused by Masa’s
failure to pay Aqualia is under negotiation.
4.
An engineer’s report is expected in
5-6 months following which work will
commence worst affected area’s first,
at the council’s expense.
5.
Adoption of Sector A is confirmed.
6.
B,C & D will be adopted and no entity
will be imposed.
7.
The threat of demolition of hundreds
of houses has been averted with the
new agreement with the Confederacion Hidrographica.
8.
Repaired the bridge and provided an
alternative exit road from C & D.
9.
Appointed Jose Navarro (our choice of
candidate) as District Mayor.
10.
Allowed two CRA committee members
Compared to the previous administrations
efforts it is in class of its own, Formula One
class.
To the critics I would urge you read this again
and then tell me that your committee have
done nothing, or that this council has done
nothing for Camposol. The other urbanisations in the municipality have not received the
attention that we have and can only dream of
the progress we have made.
This coalition is to be congratulated on making more progress with Camposol’s problems
in a couple of years than the previous administration did in 8 years in power. I should
know; I have led your committee for 4 years
and experienced both administrations. We
haven’t finished yet; onwards and upwards.
Bob Owen
Chairman, CRA Central Liaison Committee
Page 76
Bumper Weekend For MABS Mazarrón!!!!
On Friday 25th October, Judy (smilealot) Carter made the trip from the UK to Murcia, intent on raising funds for a local charity that
had been helping her father as he underwent
treatment for cancer. The charity was MABS
Mazarrón and Judy wanted to show her appreciation for the help and support her father
Bob and his family had received during his
recent illness.
Judy, a single
mother to five
children was determined to do
something
that
would make people want to ‘dig
deep’ into their
pockets to raise
money so she
hit on the idea of
having her lovely
locks shaved, in
public – what a
very brave lady!
The chosen venue was the Trevi Bar on Camposol B, with entertainment by the fabulous
DJ Weeto who soon had the audience singing
along to the nostalgic music of 60’s and 70’s.
Judy toured the local bars and restaurants
with a bucket to make sure every last penny
was donated.
Race for Life. This year we had an excellent
mix of Spanish and English, old and young
participants, all making their way around the
4km course around Camposol. Several even
did it twice!!! The event is expected to raise
in the region of 5,000€, which in the current
economic climate is a fantastic achievement.
MABS Mazarrón are extremely grateful to
Judy and all the runners/walkers who took
part in these fundraising events. Special
thanks go to:- Mercers; Mazarrón Ayuntamiento; Camposol Local Policeman (Pedro);
Guardia Civil; Autos Al-Mazarrón; Cruz Rojo;
Phillipe for entertaining the less energetic of
us during the race; Trevi Bar Adena for her
continued help and not forgetting the MABS
Volunteers who helped before, during and after the events – THANK YOU ALL!!
A Great End To The Year’s Fundraising
for MABS Mazarrón
We saw yet another fantastic series of fundraising events on Friday 8th November when
the Harlequins Rock Choir put on a first class
show at Mariano’s to raise funds for MABS
Mazarrón. This was the biggest event the
choir had organised, so nerves were twitching and the atmosphere was electric with anticipation, but the nerves were unnecessary;
they were brilliant! There was an added bonus with the children from Murcia Dance accompanying the choir with some initiative and
unique routines.
tive and talented people. There was everything from silver to china, ceramics to metalwork, cards to jewellery and everything in
between. Nearly 400 people came along to
browse the available merchandise and purchase that unique and exclusive Christmas
gifts for friends and family. The MABS Team
were on hand to give advice and support to
those in need, as well as sell their now infamous cakes and preserves, while others sold
bespoke MABS items and hand crafted cards
made by their weekly Craft Group.
The raffle, with a first prize of a Christmas
dinner complete with Halogen oven, meat
voucher and Christmas Pudding, plus an
abundant selection of
wonderfully hand
crafted prizes that were generously donated
by the stall-holders was quickly sold out!!
The day raised a fantastic 1,563.60€.
Not content with that, Judy joined over 60
other energetic people for the 2013 MABS
MABS Mazarrón would like to thank Ann
Thompson and the Harlequins Rock Choir, the
children and parents from Murcia Dance and
Matt and his friends from The Artisan Co-Operative for raising 2,754.70€ – wow!!!!
A great night topped only by the amount
raised - an amazing 1,191.10€.
MABS Mazarrón would also like to take this
opportunity to thank all of their sponsors and
supporters who have given so generously this
year; our volunteers for their sterling work
throughout the year and of course all of you
who have supported our events during 2013
– Thank You.
On Saturday 9th November at the same venue, The Artisan Co-operative rolled into town
with a fantastic array of unique, hand-made
items lovingly made by a group of very crea-
We will be back next year with a new calendar of events, but until then we wish you all
a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy &
Healthy New Year.
Page 77
At the appointed hour, scissorhands
Sue,
joint owner of the
Trevi started the
deed,
cheered
on by the growing crowds. Judy
was
delighted
with the results
and thrilled when
the event raised
a
whopping
1132.22€
and
there is more to
come in!!!!!
Waste Collection Debt
On 29 October the Mayor of Mazarrón, Ginés
Campillo and the President of Lábaro Grupo
Inmobiliario SA, David Caballero, signed an
agreement that the Council of Mazarrón undertakes to pay the historical debt that the
municipality contracted with the Waste Collection Company Urbaser. The City will have
until 2018 to pay the 8,545,721.44€ that is
owed to the group Lábaro. This agreement
is possible thanks to the improvement of the
City’s financial situation.
The Mayor said “This debt should have been
attended to much earlier and is an example
of the previous neglect of politicians who had
no interest in working, nor in their people. We
will continue to defend the right of citizens of
the municipality of Mazarrón.”
Domestic Violence
The Department of Equality of Mazarrón Town
Council is committed to the prevention of domestic violence matters, hence for the third
consecutive year it has offered to secondary
education centres of Mazarrón the Municipal
Programme on Gender Violence Prevention. The programme is through the Specialized Care Centre for Victims of Domestic Violence (CAVI) Mazarrón.
Councillor for Equality, Maria Martinez explained “In the coming months we will continue our working sessions with the boys and
girls who are enrolled in 2nd ESO within the
schools of Felipe II, Domingo Valdivieso and
Sigo XXI. Our main goal is to provide teens
with the warning signs to help them detect
if they are involved or not in a relationship
that may be called ‘ toxic ‘, providing information that helps them understand the problem
of gender-based violence. The boys and girls
should be clear that a healthy relationship will
bring tranquility, trust, freedom, optimism,
safety and happiness.”
Padron
Further to our article on page 22 of November
Costa Cálida Chronicle regarding registering
on the “Padron” at Camposol, we are now informed the dates of this service have changed
and will now be held on the second and last
Friday of each month.
Flu Vaccinations
Everyone can get this vaccination by asking
at their Medical Centres in Mazarrón or Puerto de Mazarrón, presenting their relevant
health card. In Puerto de Mazarrón children
must first see the paediatrician to, while in
Mazarrón only those children who are to be
vaccinated for the first time need see the paediatrician.
AMC Rutas MTB Murcia (21), Cicistas BTT
Cartagena Asnobike (20) and Peña Las 9 Bike
Planet Totana (20).
The campaign is aimed at certain groups that
are considered ‘at risk’:
Those 60 years and older.
Pregnant women.
People between 6 months and 59 years with
chronic diseases.
Those who are caring for or assisting in health
care workers who come into contact with caregivers or partners of patients with chronic
disease or the elderly.
Diving Course
The hiking club Amigos de Naturaleza, with
the Department of Sports City of Mazarrón,
the school Bahia Surf and Centro de Buceo
del Sureste Bachisub, have organized a beginners course in surfing, bodyboarding and
seabed diving, aimed at young people aged
11-15 years. These activities are free with
use of all equipment needed for the activity,
so that any young person interested can join
provided they have the appropriate authorisation from their parents or guardians.
Mountain Biking
Surpassing all expectations and with exceptional weather, the Marcha XVIII Mountain
Bike (MTB) Mazarrón Bahia had 380 competitors registered. This was successfully organised by the Club Ciclista 9 y ½ of Puerto de
Mazarrón, with the Department of Sports.
The overall winner was Juan Antonio Sánchez
Navarro, who was joined on the podium by
Jesus Lopez Navarro, ranked second and Fernando Piñero Gallego was third.
After conducting a raffle with gifts of sports
equipment, the Councillor for Sports, Andres
Valera, thanked the cyclists for their participation in this event and urged them to come
back next year to Mazarrón.
Places for each course is limited and to register, call 680 531 529/669 086 885 or 655
315 449, or call in to the offices of the Department of Sports located in the sports hall
La Aceña in Mazarrón and ask for Rafael Peral.
Sports Results
The National VI National Open Tae
kwon-do was held in Pamploma, attended
by several regions including Murcia. Antonio Mendez received a bronze medal in
the 43kg but Ruben Ortiz lost in his first
match against the team from Madrid. In
the overall Men’s National Team, Murcia
took third place, while the Women’s Team
from Murcia were crowned runners-up.
In the female category, first was Victoria Machota from Mazarrón, Noelia Navarro was
second and Raquel Garcia third. Recognition
was given by way of presenting hams to the
clubs with the largest number of participants:
The Table Tennis Sports Club of Mazarrón
spent the first 3 days of November in Granadina de Huetor Vega to take part in the Table Tennis Zone Tournaments with a view
to qualifying for the Spanish Championship.
Benjamin category was represented by Juan
Francisco Lopez and Benito Gonzalez, while
in category Children was Manuel González,
Miguel Ortiz and Juan Manuel Navarro.
On 8th November in Yecla, the II Murcian
Athletics Gala was hosted by the Athletics
Federation of the Region of Murcia (FAMU).
Among the winners was the athlete Ismael
Belhaki from Mazarrón Athletics Club. Belhaki
has been four times regional champion cadet
in the 60m and 300m in indoor track and in
the 100m and 300m runs outdoors. He also
holds the Regional Cadet Record for the 300m
run. He also became a double bronze medallist in the Championship of Spain Autonomous Teams Cadet for the 300m run and in
the Championship of Spain Cadet Outdoor. He
was 4th in the Championship of Spain Cadet
Regional Teams in the 4 x 100m run this season, 5th in the Championship of Spain Cadet
Indoor at 60m and a finalist in the Championship of Spain Cadet Track at 300m.
Page 78
We have arranged a St George’s Day (23rd
April) event at Mariano’s, Camposol A, with
entertainment from afternoon through until midnight with local artistes and musicians; technicians already booked. We also
have stalls and a special programme being
prepared, including a tug of war contest,
possibly with St George versus St Andrew,
St Patrick and St David teams?
The serious side is that there is nowhere
really to take our carers and the afflicted
for a couple of hours where we can provide
a home from home; a true respite. The
Cultural Centre on Camposol is ideal, but
there are no kitchen facilities. If we can
get enough signatures on a petition we can
apply to the Ayuntamiento for a change to
their somewhat blinkered attitude to the
use of the building, so if you see our petition, please sign.
We are looking for a steering committee to
make sure that this venture is a success
and of course volunteers are most welcome. You can visit our website at
www.bolnuevo.com, or call 626 460
465 or call into the Cultural Centre to see
our meeting dates.
Respite Care is not only for those whose
lives are affected by Alzheimer’s or Dementia, but for any long term permanent
illness and we make no apology for reprinting a poem that was found after a sufferer
passed away. We need say no more, but if
you can help or donate or entertain call us.
Alzheimer’s Request
Do not ask me to remember.
Don’t try to make me understand.
Let me rest and know you are with me.
Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.
We saw the return of the ever popular Jimmy
Vincent giving another superb performance.
We even had our own sidekick, Jim, taking
to the stage and giving us a couple of solos
on his pedal steel guitar and accompanying
Jimmy in a few songs. It was great to hear
the steel playing live in the club again.
Now On To December News
We are proud
to present yet
another new artiste to the club.
The
acclaimed
Country
Artiste
Kristine Kelly is
making her debut here at Lion
Country Music
Club. With a mix
of old and new
country, Kristine
is definitely making her mark here in the
music scene all along the coast. Friends, this
is not an act to miss and will bring this year
to a fitting close on 20th December. Also for
your enjoyment as it is the yuletide season,
Lion Country Music Club will be celebrating
with everyone with good old mince pies and a
Christmas drink all for free!
The venue at La Molata is located just off the
RM23/MU 603 and only around 10km from
Camposol. Boasting a large dance floor, it’s
also a licensed premises with drinks at Spanish prices and their hosts, Antonio & Cheryl,
maintain a superb kitchen. The ‘fish and
chips’ are, reportedly, ‘to die for!’ Advance
bookings for meals should be made to Cheryl
on 619 003 022 to avoid disappointment.
Well friends, we all look forward to seeing you
on 20th December for pies and a drink and of
course simply Great Country Music!
We are trying to get respite care going in
the Mazarrón area and many of the leading charities and organisations are putting
their expertise and knowledge into this essential and worthwhile cause. Funding is of
course an essential and we are delighted
that the local Freemasons have donated
2500€ to start the fund.
Well folks, Lion Country Music Club is back
on the old trail again. We are sorry to inform
you all that Mervyn, the founder member of
the club has now left for pastures new in UK
because of health problems. We wish him all
the success in restarting his life with Pat back
in the Old Country and so sorry to see him go,
but we still roll on.
I’m confused beyond your concept.
I’m sad and sick and lost.
All I know is that I need you,
To be with me at all cost.
Do not lose your patience with me.
Do not scold or curse or cry.
I can’t help the way I’m acting.
I can’t be different, though I try.
Just remember that I need you;
That the best of me is gone.
Please don’t fail to stand beside me.
Love me ‘til my life is gone.
Page 79
We meet on the 1st Friday of each month
in The Club House, Camposol C, starting
at 7.45pm. Friday 6th December sees the
return of Lenny Mitchell, who gave us such
a good night on his last appearance.
Country Music in Camposol welcomed a
new name on Friday 1st November - Dickie
Ray from Benidorm. This guy can really
sing, giving us just the right mix of traditional, laced with more up-to-date country
music. He will certainly be returning.
January 3rd is the first Friday in January
2014. As some of our regulars won’t be
here and those that are here will no doubt
have had enough entertainment over the
Christmas/New Year period, we have decided not to have a “do” that night.
Before Dickie took to the stage, Ann taught
a line dance and Tom/Helen taught a partner dance. We do our best to ensure that
people feel “involved”. Brian, who was
with us for the first time, took care of the
raffle draw.
Any enquiries/questions to
thw35@yahoo.co.uk or 610 632 152
FAST Wishes To Inform Or Remind
You Of:
THE FAST CHRISTMAS PARTY!
This will be held at The Steak Out, Camposol Sector B on Wednesday 11th December.
Cost: €10 - which includes Hot and Cold
Buffet. Come along and enjoy
Camposol’s very own Bernie Mac who will
be entertaining everyone!
There are still some tickets available!
Tickets and information available from the
FAST Stall outside T J Electricals, Camposol B every Friday morning, or telephone
Cathie 968 199 717, Brenda 680 174
499 or Jean 646 737 479
Demonstrations by FAST are Proving
To Be Both Beneficial and Popular.
A Talk and Demonstration is given in order
to show that it need not be difficult to carry
out Emergency First Aid and CPR. People
are then assisted, encouraged and given
the opportunity to try out and practice
on three different sized manikins – adult,
child and baby. What to do when someone
is choking is demonstrated using appara-
tus, which then allows this procedure to be
tried out. This is extremely useful in gaining the confidence needed should anyone
find themselves in this situation!
Contact for bookings/information by email
rabt.val@hotmail.com and/or chris@
halsey.me.uk
The Training Of New Responders
Many responders have already carried out
Responding Duties. All FAST Responders
are requested each month to provide details of the dates and hours they are able
to cover. The roster is then worked out
which then provides the 24 hours every
day of the year cover to respond to anyone
phoning FAST on Camposol.
rabt.val@hotmail.com
FAST Book Stall has a large selection of
books for sale; both hard and paperback
in very good condition at 3 Books for €1,
on sale outside T J Electricals, Camposol
Sector B on the SECOND and LAST Friday
morning of each month.
FAST will be holding their AGM on Monday
13th January 2014 at The Cultural Centre,
Camposol B 6pm-8pm.
Paddy Snell
Visit the FAST website
www.fastcamposol.com for details of
Events and Information.
The Emergency Number 112 should always
be telephoned prior to phoning FAST
Responders on duty always work in pairs
and never alone.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the FAST Team of Responders,
please contact Val Taylor on email
Page 80
Remembrance Service
There was an inspiring atmosphere when I
stepped into the circle of the Memorial Garden (Camposol A/Los Palacios) on 11th November at 11.20am on the Monday morning.
Although a vigorous wind had sprung from
nowhere the night before, Rev Len Eaton was
not phased and said that other years had
seen the same weather pattern. His sermon
was very poignant and I personally found it
very moving and inspiring.
Our thanks to Malcolm Rushton for supplying the sound system, also under difficult
conditions, with laptop screens not being the
most readable under strong sunlight. David
Senior-Peake did his usual great job on the
organisation front and many thanks for every
contribution, both financially and in many
other ways.
The Service commenced at 11.30am, followed by a 2 minutes silence at 12pm to bring
us in line with English time. It is humbling to
imagine this simple tribute being observed in
so many places.
As usual, we were pleased to see representatives from Mazarrón Council, who donated
three Acacia trees, which we will be able to
enjoy for many years to come. Those present
were:
Maria Martínez, Social Policy, Equality, Health,
Heritage and Museum;
Magdalena Mendez, Agriculture; David Fernández, Citizen
Participation, Environment, Trade and Transport & Tatiana Andres, Camposol Office/Social
Centre Sector B.
A very enjoyable lunch followed the service
with Flamenco guitarists at El Saladillo Restaurante providing excellent entertainment.
(Also organised by David Senior Peake) Judging by the “buzz” that I observed during and
after the meal, a good time was had by all.
The following poem was written by Jamie Renolds, a pupil of Shipston Primary School:
Remember
Every poppy for a life that was given,
Mothers said goodbye to their sons,
Everyone joined together to save our country,
Memorials stand today so we don’t forget,
Brave, innocent men who gave their lives,
Each and everyone of them,
Remembered.
Costa Cálida Chronicle Poppy Appeal
We would like to thank those who donated to
the Poppy Appeal by having the official poppy logo on their adverts in the Costa Cálida
Chronicle or simply by donating cash:
Alley Palais; Andrea’s Therapies; Best of
Spanish; Bistro Ratatouille; Black Bull; Camposol Heating & Maintenance (CHM); The Clover; Compusurf; Costa Cálida Radio; Curtain
Call; Decklid; DFS; Dragontours; Elliot’s; El
Carro; El Hombre Valero; Eurospas; Freesol;
Furniture Plus; Garden Centre 2003; Healthy
H20; Home from Home; Ibex; Ken Sherwood; Kevin’s Flyscreens; La Vida Bar; Legs
& Co; Louis Harris; META; New Royal: Owners
Away; PALS Solicitor; Pets2Go2UK; Premier
Pensions; Phillip Dawe; Prime Property Murcia; Rainbow Satellites; Restaurante Amapola; SaraLara’s; Silvente; T J Electricals; The
Beauty Palace; The Club House; The Condado
Club; Time 4 a Change; Tony’s Building Services.
A total of 512.65€ was raised this year, which
is a fantastic amount especially in the present
climate.
There was a fantastic sense of camaraderie,
as I listened to the ex-servicemen chatting
amongst themselves. For those of us who
have lost someone close - it was also a time
to reflect and remember.
Page 81
Spanish Gardens In Spain by Dick Handscombe, author and gardener living in Spain
for 25 years.
Typical Problem Gardens
Unfortunately many families purchasing
properties in Spain do one of three things,
each not very appropriate for an enjoyable
relaxed outdoor life in Spain – which is the
main reason given by people for coming to
Spain.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Develop a replica of an urban English garden characterised by a central lawn, straight paths and edges
to flower beds and a drive/car standing area. The overall design driven
by wanting to look out on an attractive urban landscape from panoramic
windows on dull and rainy days, or
escaping inside from the evening
midges rather than on designing a
garden to live in.
Develop a pool resort which is a replica of the hotel gardens that they
used to stay in for a week or two a
year, characterised by the most visible part of the garden taken up by
the largest pool and surrounding terrace possible with shade provided
by large umbrellas and generally no
trees except for one or two in the
boundary hedge to hide the house
next door.
Many find that’s great for a couple of
short holidays in the sun each year,
but it can become a monotonous
never-changing view from windows,
sheltered covered terraces and from
under the umbrellas. Of course even
in Spain the pool will probably be
only used from May to October unless it’s heated and covered with a
three metre high sliding cover. Then
one has a view of a large greenhouse
365 days a year!
Attempt to develop a tropical garden like the ones they saw in Asia
characterised by dramatic jungle-
type gardens of tropical flowering
and fruiting bushes, trees, climbing
plants and orchids. This is possible
in situations very sheltered from the
scorching hot summer winds from
Africa and the cold northerly winds
from the north and which have a reliable water supply throughout the
year. Unfortunately such gardens can
lose many plants if winter frosts occur in your location.
More Useable Lifestyle Gardens
A better alternative is to develop a garden
that becomes the main room of the house
for most months of the year; a garden designed for living in rather than only looking at; a garden that tempts one to wander through it, to sit in the shade of mature
trees in the summer and relax and eat out
in sheltered sunny nooks during the cooler
winter months and with the views and night
time perfumes that prompts one to eat out
in it on most nights of the year. Such a garden is likely to be driven by your vision of
an open air lifestyle; a vision based on a
detailed analysis of what your dream life
in Spain will be and the ways in which your
garden design needs to make that dream
come true. The alternative is to install and
use daily air-conditioning and central heating and again live indoors looking out on an
inappropriately hostile garden!
A satisfying garden is likely to be characterised by a balance of shady and sunny spots,
mature trees within the garden as well as
integral with the boundary hedge, internal
as well as boundary windbreaks. The pool
may be incorporated into one of a number of
smaller connected gardens; attractive internal vistas as one wanders through the garden as well as the preservation of the best
distant vistas beyond the boundary walls or
hedge. Plants are appropriate to your summer and winter microclimates, with space
for some seasonal organically grown fruit
and vegetables – it doesn’t require much
space to be able to make daily harvests 365
days a year - and perhaps a corner run for
one or two hens.
The above concept can be developed in very
small gardens as well as in a larger space.
We only have a 800 square metre garden
around the house, but our integrated holistic
approach to its development enabled us to
soon acclimatise to the Spanish climate in a
natural way.
Our book ‘Your Garden In Spain’ includes
a simple lifestyle questionnaire as the first
step in designing or re-designing a Spanish
garden. The rest of the book and the two
sister books ‘Growing Healthy Fruit In
Spain’ and ‘Growing Healthy Vegetables In Spain – From Sprouting Seeds
To Watermelons’ are designed to take the
headaches out of the design, construction,
planting and seasonal maintenance of your
garden. Over the past 25 years we have
learned much the hard way – there is no
need for you to make the same mistakes.
Happy lifestyle gardening!
For
convenience the
books mentioned
and
‘Living Well
From
Our
Garden
–
Mediterranean Style’
can all be
obtained
via Amazon
Books
and
would
all
make
good
Christmas
presents.
Dick Handscombe
www.gardeninginspain.com
Page 82
Page 83
Garlic – Ajo
You cannot live in Southern Europe and especially Spain, without experiencing the flavour
of Garlic. This pungent herb is a species in
the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek and chive. With
a history of human use of over 7,000 years,
Garlic is native to central Asia and has long
been part of the staple diet in the Mediterranean region as well as Asia and Africa. Bulb
Garlic is available in many forms, including
fresh, frozen, dried and it can also be produced in tubes or jars.
Garlic is easy to grow and can be grown yearround in mild climates. In cold climates, Garlic Cloves are planted in the autumn, about
six weeks before the soil freezes and it is
harvested in late spring. The cloves must be
planted at sufficient depth to prevent freeze/
thaw to protect the Garlic from mold. Garlic
Plants can be grown closely together, leaving
enough space for the bulbs to mature and are
easily grown in containers. It likes loose, dry,
well drained soils in sunny locations.
Garlic may be added to different kinds of
bread to create a variety of classic dishes, such
as Garlic Bread, Garlic Toast, Bruschetta
and Crostini. Oils can also be flavoured with
Garlic Cloves and used to season many dishes of vegetables, meats, breads and pasta. In
some cuisines, the young Garlic Bulbs are
pickled for three to six weeks in a mixture of
sugar, salt, and spices. Lightly Smoked Garlic is becoming increasingly popular in British
and European cuisine and is used for stuffing
poultry and game and in soups and stews.
Alioli is a particular favourite in Spain. This
is a mixture of Garlic, egg yolks and olive
oil, similar to mayonnaise and is served to accompany either starters or tapas, or the main
course.
Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years
for many conditions, including parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low
energy. Garlic was also used as an antiseptic
to prevent gangrene during World War I and
II and it reportedly helps regulate blood sugar
levels. There are numerous studies being carried out using Garlic to treat AID’s patients
and Garlic Capsules are often taken to help
with blood circulation and reducing cholesterol in the body.
One obvious downside of eating Garlic is
bad breath and the smell emitted through
skin pores when large or regular amounts of
Garlic are consumed. Drinking milk is said to
help neutralise bad breath and eating parsley
or basil is also supposed to help alleviate the
problem.
It is thought that Garlic wards off vampires,
demons and werewolves, which may come
from the fact that many animals such as
birds, insects and worms dislike Garlic.
China produces a huge amount of Garlic,
amounting to 77% of the world’s output. The
Garlic Bulb is the most commonly used part
of the plant and these are divided into Garlic
Cloves. The skin of the cloves are removed
prior to being cooked whole, sliced or crushed
and added to various dishes. The flavour of
the Garlic varies with different cooking methods and is often added to onion, tomato or
ginger prior to being added to the main dish.
The Garlic Leaves or Garlic Flowers can
also be eaten, sometimes fried in a very light
batter.
Page 84
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
Happy Hour @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 4-6pm (Mon-Fri)
Happy Hour @ Saralara’s, Pto de Mazarrón 5-7pm (exc Weds, Sat, Sun)
Mahou only 1.50€ per pint @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A 5-7pm
Happy Hour @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 4-7pm
Happy Hour @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar 6-8pm (Mon-Fri)
1€ menu @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B 12-1pm (Mon-Fri)
Soup of the day with bread @ Cerveceria El Mirador, Pto de Mazarrón 2€
2 for 1 menu @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B 1-3pm (Mon-Fri)
Early Bird Menu @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar 4-6pm (Mon-Fri) 3.99€
All you can eat Lunch Buffet @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 5.95€ (exc Tues & Sun)
Soup of the day & chilli or curry @ Cerveceria El Mirador, Pto de Mazarrón 7.50€
Menu del Noche @ Restaurante Avenida, Puerto de Mazarrón 12€ inc a drink
3 Course Menu del Noche @ La Chara, Isla Plana 15€ (exc Mon)
4 Course Especial @ La Chara, Isla Plana 21€ inc wine/beer/water (am & pm exc Mon)
5 Course Christmas Menu @ Archibb Restaurante, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro from 35€
3 Course Menu del Noche @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón 10€ inc btl wine for 2 (Mon-Thurs)
5 Course Set Christmas Menu @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
Early Bird Menu @ Bar Amigos, San Pedro del Pinatar 4-6pm 3.99€ (Mon-Thurs)
Every Mon
Chiropody with Phillip Dawe @ Sensol Golf Villa Sales Building, Camposol C
Mazarrón Bay Bridge Club @ Atrium Hotel, Bolnuevo 9.30am
Yoga with Mari Carmen @ Bolnuevo 10am
Dancercize with Zizi @ The Arches, Los Alcázares 12pm
Ladies’ Chatterbox Sew & Sew @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2.30-4.30pm
Quiz Night @ The Club House, Camposol C 8pm
Quiz Night @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 8pm
Poker Night @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar from 8pm
Music Quiz/Lucky Envelope Prize @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A from 8pm
Bowling League @ Alley Palais, Camposol B
International Friends Evening @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
Snowball Bingo with Don @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Free glass wine/beer/soft drink with main course @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B
3 Course Menu del Noche @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 10€
Menu del Dia @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A 8€
1€ Coin/Live Music @ La Vida, El Pareton 12-4pm
Andrea’s Animal Rescue Collection @ Car Park, Camposol B 11.30am-1.30pm
HELP MMM Bingo @ La Zona Bar, Los Alcázares 2pm 1€/game
MABS MMM Fun Quiz @ La Rosa Bar, San Cayetano 9pm
Every Tue
B Clean Working Party @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9am
Dance Fitness with Annette @ Celebration Suite, Mazarrón Country Club 10am
Petanca @ Condado Club, Condado de Alháma from 4pm
Football Training Session (ages 4-17) @ El Pareton 6-7pm
Learn to Ballroom Dance with Jacqui @ The Arches, Los Alcázares 7pm
Harlequin Rock Choir Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7.30-9pm
Late Evening Friends Club @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
Weavers Workshop @ Centre for Equality and Human Services, San Pedro 10am-2pm
Page 85
Free dessert with 3 course meals @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B
Christmas Menu Available (am & pm) @ Elliot’s, Bolnuevo
3 Course Menu del Noche @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 10€
3 Course Turkey & Tinsel Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón,
12.50€ inc btl wine for 2
3 Course Turkey & Tinsel Night @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C 15€
Karaoke with Lynden B @ The Arches, Los Alcázares
MABS Mazarrón Coffee Morning @ MABS Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm
MAMAS Collection/Book Stall @ Camposol B Car Park 10am-1pm
MABS Mazarrón 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
Gentle Yoga with Mari Carmen @ Bolnuevo 10am
Slimming Club @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 10.30am
Dancercize with Zizi @ The Arches, Los Alcázares 11am
Magenta Harmony Group. 11.30am (Tel for venue)
Computer Clinic @ La Vida, El Pareton 1-3pm
Annette’s Writing Group @ Camposol C 2pm
Line Dancing with Lyn @ The Arches, Los Alcázares 3pm
Mar Menor Golf Society Competition
Pool League @ Alley Palais, Camposol B
Mazarrón AA Group @ Meeting Room adjacent to Cañada de Gallego Church 5.30pm
Beacon of Light Centre @ School House, Cañadas del Romero 7-8.30pm
Quiz Night @ Saralara’s, Pto de Mazarrón 8pm
Spanglish Tea/Coffee Social @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
10% discount @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B
2 Course Pie Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón, 10€ inc a drink
3 Course Steak Night @ La Vida, El Pareton 28.50€ for 2 inc wine
3 Course Steak & Spare Rib Night @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 15€
3 Course Happy Dinner @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 34€ for 2 inc btl wine
Age Concern booking events etc @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm
MABS MMM Art Workshop @ Café Golf, San Javier, 10am-12pm 2€
PALS for booking events etc @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 1-3pm
HAH Book & DVD Club @ La Zona Bar, Los Narejos 2.30-4.30pm
Every Thu
Camposol Market @ Camposol A
Dance Fitness with Annette @ Celebration Suite, Mazarrón Country Club 11.30am
Bingo @ The Club House, Camposol C 1-3pm
Mazarrón Ladies’ Circle @ Hotel Playa Grande, Pto de Mazarrón 1.30pm
Quiz Night with Chippie @ Black Bull, Camposol B 8pm
1€ Pinchos y Caña Night @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
Salsa Dancing @ Archibb Music Bar, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
Fun Quiz/Curry Night @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A
Free starter with all 3 course meals @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B
Christmas Menu Available (am & pm) @ Elliot’s, Bolnuevo
Pre-Christmas Dinner @ La Vida, El Pareton from 7.50€
3 Course Mexican Night @ Condado Club, Condado de Alháma from 6pm, 12€
3 Course Turkey & Tinsel Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón,
12.50€ inc btl wine for 2
3 Course Turkey & Tinsel Night @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C 15€
4 Course Surprise Menu @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 25€ for 2
3 Course Menu del Noche @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 15€ inc btl wine for 2
Jam Night with GNT & Backwater @ 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
Andrea’s Animal Rescue Collection @ Mazarrón Country Club 11.30am-1pm
Page 86
Every Fri
Camposol Bridge Club/Duplicate Bridge @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 9.30am
Friday Art Group @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 9.45am-12.30pm
Indoor Market @ The Steak Out, Camposol B 10am-2pm
Sit 2B Fit with Annette @ Mariano’s, Camposol A 10.30am
Book Stall/Camposol A Gardening @ Car Park Camposol A 10.30am-12.30pm
10 Pin Bowling/Camposol C Greenfingers @ Totana 4pm
Find the Joker followed by Disco @ Black Bull, Camposol B from 7pm
Fun Quiz @ La Vida, El Pareton 9pm
Fish & Chip Day/Evening @ La Vida, El Pareton from 5.50€ (2-9pm)
Fish & Chip Night @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón 6.00€
Fish & Chip Day/Evening @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A from 6.50€ (2-7pm)
Fish & Chips @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B 6.50€
Fish & Chip Night @ Condado Club, Condado de Alháma 7.95€ from 6pm
2 Course Surf or Turf Night @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón 10€ inc btl wine for 2
3 Course Fish & Chip Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarron 10€
Special Friday Evening @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 33€ for 2 inc btl wine
Italian Night @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón
Live Music @ Le Carrousel, Pto de Mazarrón (tapas menu from 9€/menu tasting 15€)
Disco & Karaoke @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 9pm-late
Karaoke with Eddie B @ The Steak Out, Camposol B from 9pm
Disco & Karaoke with DJ Sathers @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrón from 9pm
Noahs ARC Book Sale/Bric-a-Brac @ Camposol B 9.30am-2pm
Lions Mazarrón booking events etc outside Compusurf, Camposol B 11am
GOmaD Donations @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B/Costa Calida Radio 12.30-2pm
Age Concern booking events etc @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 11am-1pm
Every Sat
Harlequin Rock Choir Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2-4pm
3 Course Steak Night @ La Vida, El Pareton 28.50€ for 2 inc wine
3 Course Steak Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón 15€
3 Course Steak Night @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B 25€ per couple incl btl wine
3 Course Surprise Menu @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 19.50€
Exotic Saturday/Wines of World @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 20€ inc btl wine for 2
Mixed Grill Menu @ Condado Club, Condado de Alháma
Karaoke & Disco @ Alley Palais, Camposol B 9pm-late
Live Entertainment @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrón
MABS MMM Book Sale @ The Arches, Los Alcázares 10am-1pm
PALS for booking events @ Trevi’s, Camposol B 11am-1.30pm
PALS for booking events @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 1-3pm
Every Sun
Car Boot Sale @ Cañadas 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 Lunch @ Elliot’s, Bolnuevo from 6.50€
Sunday Lunch @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A from 6.50€
Sunday Roast @ Alley Palais Grill, Camposol B, 6.95€
Sunday Lunch @ La Vida, El Pareton from 7.50€
2 Course Sunday Roast @ Mediterranean Beach Bar, Pto de Mazarrón 8€ inc glass of wine
Sunday Roast @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón 8.50€ inc a drink
Sunday Carvery @ Las Lomas, Calasparra from 8.95€
Sunday Carvery @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C from 9€
Sunday Roast @ Liz’s Cafe, Camposol B 10€ inc a drink
3 Course Sunday Lunch (am & pm) @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 10€ inc a drink
3 Course Sunday Lunch (am & pm) @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón 10€ inc btle 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€
Gourmet Menu Lunch @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 16€
3 Course Lunch Special @ La Chara, Isla Plana 19.95€ inc wine, drinks and coffee
2 Cpourse Sunday Lunch @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrón 6.95€
Page 87
Party with Bernie Mac @ The Club House, Camposol C from 7.30pm
HELP MMM Car Boot @ Autocine, Los Narejos
Open Day @ Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, Rojales 1-4pm
DECEMBER
Sunday 1
Artisan Market @ Bullas
Mazarrón FC v Esparragal (away)
Free Guided Tour in San Pedro del Pinatar - Vida en el Mundo de la Sal 11am
Sunday Lunch @ The Wishing Well, Valladolises from 5.95€
Monday 2
Camposol Club de Golf Christmas Competition
PALS Monthly Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 11.15am
Tuesday 3
Santa Bárbara - Archivel, Caravaca de la Cruz (until 8th)
San Francisco Javier, San Javier
Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10-12pm
Camposol Residents Assocation AGM @ Mariano’s, Camposol A 11am
Night of the Senses Dining in the Dark @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro 24€
The Hopefuls Respite Social @ Lui’s Lounge, San Javier Camp Site 11.30am
HAH Chatters Christmas Lunch @ Bacchus Restaurant, Urb Oasis, Los Narejos
Wednesday 4
Santa Bárbara, Mazarrón
Indoor Market @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrón from 11am
Welcome Christmas Party/Ricky Lavazza @ Mariano’s, Camposol A 7.45pm 12€
Wardi @ The Arches, Los Alcázares
Ladies Golf Competition @ Hacienda del Alamo (proceeds to Local Cancer Charity)
Age Concern Talking Shop Christmas Social @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 1.30pm
Thursday 5
Friday 6
Straight Down the Middle Golf Outing & Christmas Lunch @ Torre Pacheco
Dia de la Constitución (National Spanish Holiday)
Fiestas de la Virgen, Yecla
St Nicholas Day
Welcome Ladies’ Shopping Day–Torrevieja Market/La Zenia/Iceland 10€
Downhill No Pedalling Bike Ride @ La Mariposa, Gebas
XXIX Car Show @ IFEPA, Torre Pacheco (until 8th)
Country Music Night @ The Club House, Camposol C 7.45pm (proceeds to GomaD)
The CAS Band @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A
MABS NW Outdoor Market Stall @ Calle Segura, Calasparra 9am-1pm
MABS Mazarrón Jigsaw Bereavement Group @ Cat’s Bar, Camposol A 12pm
MARA Lunch Club @ Las Lomas, Calasparra 2pm 10€ (numbers limited)
GOmaD Christmas Dance/Buffet @ Function Room, Mazarrón Country Club 7.30pm, 16€
Saturday 7
ADAPT Meeting @ Pensionista de Hogar, San Pedro 10.30am
Open Golf Society @ Amigos Bar, San Pedro del Pinatar
Classic Rock Band @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón
Pitu @ La Proa, Pto de Mazarrón
Karaoke & Disco with Lisa B @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Karaoke with Sam @ The Arches, Los Alcázares
Age Concern Christmas Fair @ El Lagarto Verde, Pto de Mazarrón 11.30am-3.30pm 1€
Page 88
Sunday 8
Immaculada Concepción (National Spanish Holiday)
La Purísima, Mazarrón
Santa Eulalia, Totana
Artisan Market @ Mula
HAH Christmas Craft Fair @ Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, from 12pm
PALS Christmas Dance @ Costa Hotel, Mazarrón 29.50€ inc full menu/drinks/live music
Monday 9
Guided Walk followed by 4 course lunch @ La Mariposa, Gebas 12€
HAH Volunteers Christmas Lunch @ Paddy Singh’s, Los Urrutias 1pm (invitation only)
Human Rights Day
Tuesday 10
HAH Table Top Sale @ La Zona Bar, Los Alcácares 10am-2pm
HELP MMM Charity Market @ La Zona Bar, Los Alcazáres 11am-1pm
Wednesday 11
Trip to Elche & Torrevieja with Viajes Dragontours 18€
SAMM Meeting @ CAR Infanta Cristina, Los Narejos 11am
LIONS Mazarrón Trip to Benidorm Market 15€
ESAMD Dinner @ Los Galayos, Pto de Mazarrón 7.30pm
FAST Christmas Party Night @ The Steak Out, Camposol B 10€ inc buffet & ent
MABS NW Christmas Party/Woody @ Venta Reales Celebration Hall, Calasparra 20€
Thursday 12
River Rafting @ La Mariposa, Gebas 35€
Fuente Old Guard Golf Society Game @ Corvera
Ladies’ Chatterbox Christmas Lunch
Mazarrón CC Social Club Christmas Party @ Mazarrón Country Club, 17€ inc live ent/wine
3 Course Lobster Night @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 25€
Friday 13
Indoor Market with fashion/bling/DVD’s etc @ Alley Palais, Camposol B
2 Hour Quad Bike Tour @ La Mariposa, Gebas 11am, 30€
Half Day Kayak Tour @ La Mariposa, Gebas 2.30pm 50€
Greenfingers Social Group Dinner/Dance @ The Club House, Camposol C
Chaz ‘n Dave Tribute @ Alley Palais, Camposol B from 5€ (with/without pie ‘n mash)
MABS Mazarrón Book Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9-1pm
GOmAD Table Top Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 10–2pm
FAST Book Stall @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B
HELP MMM Christmas Lunch @ Olympia Restaurant, Mil Palmeras 1.30pm 20€
Mazarrón Bahia Leo Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7-9pm (12-18 year olds)
Saturday 14
Downhill No Pedalling Bike Ride @ La Mariposa, Gebas 20€
Guided Tour of Cehegín @ Plaza del Castillo, Cehegín 10am
Humanists of Murcia Meeting @ San Juan de los Terreros
Secreto Flamenco (Flamenco and Rumba) @ La Proa, Pto de Mazarrón
Johnny Sax @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Lynden B Christmas Show @ The Arches, Los Alcázares
Beatles Tribute Band @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón
Andy Jones @ The Club House, Camposol C
Karaoke with Suzy G @ The Clover, Condado de Alhama
Pets in Spain Christmas Fair @ Madagascar Mascotas, Quesada 10am-2pm
JJ’s Fundraising Evening/Michelle @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 20€
Sunday 15
Artisan Market @ Caravaca
Ruta del Ferrocarril (Railway Route) with Aguilas Tourist Information Centre
Walk in Caravaca @ La Templete - La Alberguilla and Montadores 9am 3€
Welcome House Christingle @ Cehegín with Open Door 4pm
Page 89
Sunday Lunch @ The Wishing Well, Valladolises from 5.95€
Monday 16
Open Door Christmas Dinner @ Los Almagros 7pm
Andrea’s Charity visit to Camposol B with donkeys, sherry & mince pies
Tuesday 17
Camposol Club de Golf Christmas Competition
Christmas Carol Singing, Wellspring Victory Church @ Camposol C (Triangle) 6.30pm
HELP MMM General Meeting @ Las Claras, Los Narejos 11.30am
The Hopefuls Respite Social @ Lui’s Lounge, San Javier Camp Site 11.30am
Wednesday 18
Camposol Camera Club @ The Club House, Camposol C 4pm
Christmas Carol Singing, Wellspring Victory Church @ Camposol A 6.30pm
HAH Chatters @ Bacchus Restaurant, La Oasis, 11.30am
Noahs ARC Fun Christmas Quiz @ Oscar’s, Camposol B 8pm
Thursday 19
Open Door Carol Singing @ La Vida, El Pareton 7.30pm
Pitu @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrón
Suzy G Christmas Show @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón
Friday 20
Indoor Market with fashion/bling/DVD’s etc @ Alley Palais, Camposol B
Christmas Carol Singing, Wellspring Victory Church @ Camposol D (Triangle) 6.30pm
Lion Country Music @ La Molata Social Club, Los Muñoces 8pm
Outlet Fair @ IFEPA, Torre Pacheco (until 22nd)
Christmas Party @ The Steak Out, Camposol B free entrance/buffet/music
MABS Mazarrón Book Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9am-1pm
Saturday 21
Winter Solstice
6km Nature Walk, Cehegín
META Christmas Horse Show (Cavalli Foundation) 11am-3pm, 5€ inc paella/drink
Christmas Cake Magic Day & Santa @ Cake Magic Tea Room, San Pedro del Pinatar
Maria O’Hara @ The Club House, Camposol C
The Classic Rock Band @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A
Ken Maybury (Hypnotist) @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón
Bring a Plate Christmas Party @ Saralara’s, Pto de Mazarrón
Pitu @ La Proa, Pto de Mazarrón
Christmas Party @ The Clover, Condado de Alhama
Sunday 22
Artisan Market @ Plaza del Castillo, Cehegin 10am
Open Door Carols by Candlelight @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 5.30pm
Guided Cycling Tour, San Pedro del Pinatar - Pedalea entre dos aguas 10am 5€
3 Course Pre-Christmas Dinner @ The Wishing Well, Valladolises 15€ inc wine for 2
Monday 23
Welcome Christmas Trip to Benidorm – 4 Nights 230€ inc full board/travel
Open Door Carol Singing @ The Spaniard, Hacienda del Alamo 7.30pm
Suzy G Christmas Show @ The Arches, Los Alcázares
Tuesday 24
Carol Concert, Wellspring Victory Church @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 6pm
3
3
5
4
Course
Course
Course
Course
Christmas Menu @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 17.50€
Christmas Menu/Woody @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C 5€ (20€ inc meal)
Spanish Sharing Menu @ El Hombre del Velero, San Pedro 29.92€ (excl drinks)
Christmas Menu @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón, 25€ inc btl wine for 2
Page 90
Festive Disco & Karaoke @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A
Wednesday 25
Christmas Day – National Holiday
Special Menu @ The Quality Indian, Camposol B 12.50€ inc 1 drink
5 Course Lunch @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena 25€ inc drinks
5 Course Lunch @ La Chara, Isla Plana 30€ inc wine/water/sweets/coffee
4 Course Lunch @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón 39.95€ inc btl wine for 2
3 Course Lunch (plus canapes/glass of cava) @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón 40€
5 Course Lunch @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón 50€ inc cava on arrival
5 Course Lunch @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C 50€ inc btl wine for 2/glass of cava
5 Course Spanish Sharing Menu @ El Hombre del Velero, San Pedro 29.95€ (excl drinks)
Traditional Spanish Lunch @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro 25€
Thursday 26
Boxing Day
3 Course Turkey & Tinsel Night @ Old Market Tavern, Pto de Mazarrón, 12.50€
Guided Walk followed by 4 course lunch @ La Mariposa, Gebas 12€
Friday 27
GOmAD Table Top Sale @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 10am–2pm
FAST Book Stall @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B
Mazarrón Bahia Leo Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7-9pm (12-18 year olds)
Saturday 28
Magnetik Surf @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A
G ‘N T @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Tuesday 31
Monthly B Clean Meeting @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 4pm
Welcome New Year’s Eve Dance @ Mariano’s, Camposol A 20€ inc buffet (opt 7€ coach)
Buffet/Pop Idol Party @ Saralara’s, Pto de Mazarrón free entrance/free buffet
Buffet/Live Entertainment @ The Steak Out, Camposol B free entrance/free buffet
Buffet/Andy McKay @ The Arches, Los Alcázares 5€ (ticket only)
Buffet/The CAS Band @ Bora Bora, Pto de Mazarrón 12€ inc cava/grapes at midnight
Hot & Cold Buffet/Magnetik Surf @ New Royal, Pto de Mazarrón 15€
Party/Buffet/Live Entertainment @ Spice Villa, Camposol A 7.30pm 30€ (unlimited drinks)
5 Course Meal/Dancing to Resident DJ @ Condado Club, Condado de Alhama 25€
5 Course Meal/Live Entertainment @ Le Carrousel, Pto de Mazarrón 45€ inc drinks with meal
4 Course Meal/Live Entertainment @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrón
49.50€ inc btl cava for 2
5 Course Gala Meal @ Archibb Restaurant, Pinatar Arena, San Pedro
59.95€ inc drinks (69.95€ non members)
6 Course Meal/Entertainment @ Amapola Restaurante, Bolnuevo 70€ inc wine
2 Night Special @ La Mariposa, Gebas 149€ inc breakfast/dinner/wine with meals/live ent
New Year’s Eve Menu including grapes @ Old Market Tavern 25€ incl btl wine for 2
Hot & Cold Buffet/Disco & Karaoke @ The Vista Bar, Camposol A
Night at the Races @ La Vida, El Pareton with canapés, dancing, prizes, games 5€
Glitz & Glamour Party @ The Clover, Condado de Alhama 5€ inc 1st drink raffle/disco/music
Lisa B @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Party Time @ Cerveceria El Mirador, Pto de Mazarrón
JANUARY 2014
Wednesday 1
New Year’s Day (National Holiday)
PALS Sponsored Swim @ Bahia Beach, Pto de Mazarrón 1pm
Friday 3
4 Nights/3½ Days Activities @ La Mariposa, Gebas 209€ inc full board/all activities
NEST Walk with optional meal, Meet El Berro Car Park, Sierra Espuña 10.30am 5€
MABS Mazarrón Jigsaw Bereavement Group @ Cat’s Bar, Camposol A 12pm
Saturday 4
ADAPT Meeting @ Pensionista de Hogar, San Pedro 10.30am
Welcome Meeting @ Mariano’s, Camposol A 2pm
Sunday 5
Artisan Market @ Bullas
Monday 6
Dia de Reyes – National Spanish Holiday
3 Kings’ Lunch @ The Club House Bistro, Camposol C 15€ 3 courses
PALS Monthly Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 11.15am
Tuesday 7
Romería del 7 de Enero, Totana
Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10am-12pm
Wednesday 8
Welcome Games Night @ Mariano’s, Camposol A 7.30pm, 3€
Age Concern Talking Shop @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 1.30pm
Page 91
Christmas And Beyond
At this late date, most people have already
figured out what they will be doing for Christmas and New Year. Perhaps you’ve booked
a hotel in Benidorm or further afield. If you
haven’t made any plans as yet don’t panic.
You can still find some wonderful holiday offers.
Take Benidorm; if what you wish for is a traditional English Christmas dinner and ambience, without having to put up with the rain,
cold or snow of the UK. For as little as 180€
per person you can stay for 3 nights in a 3*
hotel, full board and enjoy your traditional
roast with all the trimmings.
For the more adventurous, you might go to
Jerez de la Frontera near Cadiz, in a stunning
4* hotel, 4 nights half board, for just 295€
per person.
Perhaps you fancy a bus tour to Andalucía,
including a day trip into Gibraltar – great
shopping opportunities there! - or to Ronda
to enjoy the spectacular scenery, for 290€ per
person, including your special Christmas Gala
dinner in Granada.
Why not a short flight to New York City and
celebrate the New Year in Times Square?
You could go up the Mediterranean coast to
the lovely historical city of Peñiscola; 5 days
full board for just 245€ per person.
You can still find a cabin aboard a Christmas
Caribbean cruise, including your flights from
Madrid, transfers and a cruise around the Antillas, from 3770€ for 2 people sharing an interior cabin. Also available are exterior cabins
and balcony cabins, at slightly higher prices,
or you may prefer a round-the-Med cruise,
departure from Barcelona, for just 2300€ for
2 people.
After New Year
Once the holiday season is over, it is time to
think about some Spring short breaks. Numerous choices might include an overnight
coach trip from Camposol to Granada, for as
little as 85€ per person, or a 9 day guided
tour of Moroccofor just 750€ per person.
You might want to go for a few days to Madrid, Valencia or Barcelona or any of the wonderful cities in Spain.
For New Year’s Eve, there are many
choices.
Why not spend a few nights in Madrid and
eat your 12 lucky grapes to the stroke of the
clock in the “Puerto del Sol”, geographical
centre of Spain?
Let yourself be guided by Dragontours who
can suggest hotels within your budget, find
the best means of transport to get you there
and provide you with detailed maps and information of your choice destination. No matter
where or when, come and visit us on Camposol A Commercial Centre. See you soon!
Photo credits:
http://www.newyearsevepartynyc.com
http://www.cruisecopenhagen.com
http://www.unaplauso.com
http://www.birminghamwayfarers.co.uk
Graham Cooper,
originally from the
Midlands, recently has made the
move to Spain and
is now “living the
dream” on Camposol.
Graham was best
known in the 60’s
and 70’s whilst
with the group
“The Fortunes”.
He also performs
original cover versions of The Eagles,
The
Real
Thing, The Searchers, Sam Cook, Neil Diamond and The Foundations, so for something
really different contact Graham for bookings
on 657 596 638.
Page 92
The Ford-Dunn brothers from Murcia have
been in devastating form lately, with older
brother Mat going into the last round with a
20 point lead in the SM Master 35 Championship. Mat was taking no chances in both of
his races. He knew that finishing 3rd in each
race would be enough to win him the championship title.
The racing was close, with the top 3 riders all
capable of winning the championship battling
for the lead. The battle went down to the last
corner of the last lap when the rider in 2nd
position crashed, causing Mat, who was right
behind him, to stall his bike as he desperately
tried to avoid the fallen rider. The large crowd
November Fireworks ……..
Since our last report, the Straight Down
the Middle Golf Society has been out on
the course on a couple of occasions.
The first one was held on 15th October at
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Club and as always the course was in excellent condition.
One or two
(nameless
members)
did find that
the
greens
were faster
than to their
liking,
but
that did not
affect
Tom
Percy
who
played
his
way around
and recorded
a score of 31
points. This
could not be
bettered by
anyone else, although Dan Rust (29) and
at the race fell silent as the race commentator went into overdrive describing the frantic
action below him as both riders desperately
tried to re-start their bikes, but it was Mat
who kept his cool and fired his bike up first
and raced to the finish line to take 2nd position in the race. This gave him a point’s lead
that the others could not better, making him
Spanish Champion for 2013.
Anthony Ford-Dunn was racing in the premier,
SM Open Championship. With the championship title already out of his grasp due to
his missing the first two races of the season,
his aim was to secure 4th position in the title
standings. Fresh from his wins at the previous Spanish and Catalan Championship
rounds, Anthony was in great form, but the
dusty low-grip dirt section was favouring his
competitors on the KTM machinery and he
was struggling for grip on his Supermotoland
Phil Clayton (28) tried their best. Phil also
managed to come closest to the pin.
Tom will now have to speak nicely to the
Handicap Secretary to try to avert the normal reduction in handicap.
The second game held on 6th November,
was at Paraleja Golf Course, where despite
some rumours the course was in fair condition.
Honda. He battled hard and was one of three
riders that fought for the win in each of his
three races. He managed impressive 3rd, 2nd
and 3rd positions that gave him 3rd overall for
the day’s racing and secured him 4th overall
in the 2013 SM Open Spanish Championship. It was great day’s racing as he stood
on the podium with the reigning Spanish
Champion Francesco Cucharrera who had
just secured his 5th Spanish Championship
title.
The brothers and their sponsors Advance
Moves International Removals and Stratton Motorsports would like to thank the
many race fans and supporters that turned
up to the event and experienced a great day’s
racing culminating in both Ford-Dunn Brothers finishing 2nd and 3rd on the podium and
Mat clinching the SM Master 35 Championship.
will get him captured for the next report.
Nearest the Pin Winners were Jim (again)
and Dave Bennett.
Our next outing on 5th December will be at
Torre Pacheco followed by the Christmas
lunch. All members and guests welcome.
Geoff Sharp
663 498 701
Certainly Bill Henry
and Jim Booth had
no problems and they
fought out a tight
match to finish with
36 and 34 points respectively.
Unfortunately, as Bill
is only a guest at present, the winners accolade was taken by
Jim. (Sorry no picture
of Jim as yours truly
was unavailable to
play this course). We
Page 93
Ford-Dunn is Spanish Champion
The final Supermoto race of the year was
held at Albaida, Alicante, and it produced
some dramatic racing as all of the Spanish
championship titles were up for grabs.
Official Report of Our Open Competition.
On Wednesday, 9th October, 76 players
took part in The 4th Annual Open Competition of the Los Amigos de Mazarrón
Golf Society at Camposol Club de Golf.
The primary objective of this annual event
was to raise money for local children’s
charities. There was a Hole-In-One Competition with a prize of €5,000! If nobody
achieved a hole-in-one, then Nearest The
Pin would win a very nice golf bag. Lee
Harrington from Hacienda del Alamo Golf
Resort, actually hit the flag with his tee
shot. There being no player achieving a
hole-in-one, it then went to the player getting nearest the pin who happened to be
our very own Los Amigos member, Nick
Jones.
Alex Petas and Keith Collins
2nd, scoring 59 points was ‘CGC 1’.
Captain Eugene Toye with Mark Henwood, Billy Preston and Julie White.
3rd, scoring 59.4 points were ‘The Fab Four’.
Captain Phil Carter with Nigel Chadderton, Peter Smithson and Dan Rust.
Our grateful thanks go to the many sponsors, without whom the whole event would
have been ‘just another competition’.
Moreover, our congratulations go to everyone who took part in a most successful
golfing competition.
When all teams had finished, they were
able to enjoy an excellent BBQ provided
for us by The Club House, Camposol C.
Results:
Winners, scoring 56.7 points were ‘The
Rhinoceroses’.
Captain Bob Rowe, with Dave Perry,
Approximately
80
people
attended
our‘Presentation Evening’ on 22nd October, held in the Black Bull, Camposol B.
It was at this event that we were able to
distribute a grand total of 4,050€ to five
different organisations within the Mazarrón
area. An excellent buffet was provided by
Carol, the new owner of the Black Bull.
Hacienda del Alamo are pleased to announce their 5th Annual Ladies’ Golf
Christmas Competition on Wednesday
4th December.
This will be a 2 Ball Scramble Fun Competition with lots of prizes and a Charity Raffle. Dress is red and black and a Christmas
hat!
Green Fee, buggy, lunch, coffee and mince
pies and more at half way, all for 45€. For
further information please contact Hacienda de del Alamo Pro Shop on 608 353
894 or by email at golfers@hdagolf.com
or marilynn.pearce@yahoo.co.uk
Page 94
New
signings
Alcon and Gilberto have been
introduced and
this will hopefully help the
team to return
to winning ways
and launch a
push for promotion. Alcon was
Mazarrón FC’s
leading
goal
scorer in the
2009/2010 season when they
were members
of the Terera
Division, so he
should be a welcome addition to the squad. Along with Jose
Ruben and Cecilio, Mazarrón FC must now
have one of the strongest attacking line ups
on paper, so it is now time to convert this into
success on the field.
Both the Juveniles (17/18 years) and the Cadetes (15/16years) made successful starts to
the season and at the time of writing were
first and second in their divisions. The policy
of bringing through local players from the
Mazarrón area is now beginning to bear fruit
and our junior set-up is one to be proud of.
Mazarrón FC’s home games are normally played on Sundays with varying kick off
times. Admission is just 4€, with juveniles
free. Los Amigos de Mazarrón 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, date 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 Mazarrón.
Forthcoming fixtures:
Sunday 1st December
CD Esparragal (away)
Sunday 8th December
GESA Seguros Churra EDMF (home)
Sunday 15th December
Santiago De La Ribera FC (home)
Sunday 22nd December
Moratalla AD (away)
Sunday 12th January
Nuestro Abaran CF (home)
The Los Amigos Christmas Party and Social Evening was held at The Club House,
Camposol C on Saturday 30th November. Entertainment was provided by Michelle and
Pitu and members and friends also enjoyed
a buffet supper. A full report of the event together with photographs will be available for
next month’s issue.
Tickets for the 5th Annual Los Amigos de
Mazarrón FC Gala Evening and Dinner are
in great demand and selling very quickly and
all VIP tickets have been sold. It will be held
at the Hotel la Cumbre, Puerto de Mazarrón
on Wednesday 12th March 2014 with guest
speaker Joe Royle. The event is jointly sponsored by New Images, Camposol B and Ibex
Insurance, Puerto de Mazarrón. Tickets are
40€ which includes a five course meal with
local beer, house wine and soft drinks during
the serving of dinner.
Ex-Sheffield United, Leeds Q.P.R mad England International Tony Currie and former
World Welterweight Boxing Champion John
H Stracey will be guests at the dinner with
their wives. Tony and
John will also be taking part in two special
events on Tuesday 11th
March. In the morning
there will be a Celebrity Golf Tournament
at the Camposol Club
de Golf with a Texas
Scramble format. The
cost for 18 holes is
just 25€ (buggies extra if required) and
a Menu del Dia lunch
in The Club House at
10€. Entries are limited to 36 players, so if
you would like to take
part, please email as soon as possible.
Later
that
evening,
there
will
be a Sporting
Legends Evening at The
Club House,
Camposol C,
when John H
Stracey and
Tony
Currie
will
answer
questions on
their respective careers with DVD highlights of them in
action. Admission is by ticket only, 8€ for Los
Amigos de Mazarrón FC members and 10€
for non-members.
Los Amigos de Mazarrón FC hold weekly
meetings at The Club House, Camposol C at 4
pm. Social meetings, which are open to anyone, 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.
The membership year runs from 1st August
to 31st July for 10€ which includes discounted
season tickets, reduced price coach travel and
discounts for some social events. If you are
interested in football, want to take part in the
various social events we will be organising 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.
Tickets for the above events can be booked
3pm-4pm on Thursdays prior to the Los
Amigos weekly meetings at The Club House,
Camposol C, or Barbara on 627 012 646,
Dave on 634 369 639, Dave on 600 631
956 or email
losamigosdemazarronfc@hotmail.co.uk
The early season promise shown by Mazarrón
FC failed to materialise and with four defeats
in five games a slide down the league table
was inevitable. However, the team returned
to form with a 4-1 home victory against CF
Molina, despite being reduced to 10 men
when Randry was sent off after receiving two
yellow cards.
Page 95
presented to Derek Hayward amid a rousing
cheer of appreciation from his fellow players.
The Nearest the Pin 4th Hole was won by
Bob Daffon while Alan Sullivan was closest
on hole 10. The Two’s Money was equally
shared by Bill Adams and Alan Sullivan.
October is a busy month for Fuente Old
Guard with our Annual Matchplay Knockout Competition and the Monthly Stapleford Match to be played. The Matchplay, in
memory of the late David Jaycock was played
on October 17th at the Hacienda Academy
course and in a hard fought final Dave Barrett became champion for the second time,
narrowly beating Roy Quigley. Dave was presented with the rosebowl and a gift voucher
for two people and buggy on the main Hacienda course.
Our Stapleford Competition was held at
Lorca Golf Resort on Thursday October 31st on
a fine autumn day, ideal for golf. The Overall
Winner and Winner of Division 1 was Dave
Simpson, with an impressive 39 points on his
score card. Close behind was Alan Sullivan
taking 2nd place overall, but he was Winner
of Division 2 with 32 points. Neal McFarlane
took 2nd place in Division 1 with 32 points,
while Roger Olorenshaw was runner-up in Division 2 with 30 points. In Division 3 Paul
Western was again in top spot with 31 points
with Howard Wright close behind with 27
points. The prestigious Plonker Award was
The Sprightly Crew Tip of the Month
Provided by Camposol Club De Golf
To Putt or to Chip
How to play from the fringe of the green may
be the most difficult decision in golf, the reason being that there are so many options in
clubs and shots. You can successfully use any
of the 14 clubs in your bag, from driver to
putter.
2.
Commit before you hit.
*
3.
See it (imagine the shot), feel it (practice the swing until you sense the perfect preview swing), then do it (within
eight seconds of the preview swing).
The lie is bad, down in a divot, so the
putter won’t roll the ball forward but
pop it up. Then chip with a somewhat
lofted club.
*
The grass between the ball and the
green is too long so the roll through it
will be unpredictable. Then fly the ball
over the grass, landing it three feet
onto the putting surface.
*
The grain of the fringe grass is against
your swing and the grass is long
enough to catch your putter. Then use
the lowest-lofted club that will land
the ball three feet on the green with
the least amount of backspin.
There are several more specific rules, which
give order to the decision making process.
1.
You can also make many different swings.
Because not much power is required, you
can play hands-only shots, ball forward, centre or back in your stance, use sweeping or
descending impacts and the results will be
reasonable at least some of the time. The important question when you’re standing in the
fringe isn’t “What shot can I get away with?”
but “What shot can I reliably get closest to
the pin, or even hole?”
There are three general rules for playing
from the fringe (or within) three steps of the
green’s edge).
1.
All other things being equal, simpler is
better.
Should anyone wish to join FOGGS, or just
play as a guest, please contact Dave on 868
082 013. Our next game is at Corvera on
December 12th.
From inside 50 feet to the hole, if
there’s no reason not to use a putter,
then putt using your putter stroke.
2.
From outside 50 feet, if there is no
reason not to use a putter, use it with
your chipping motion.
3.
If you’re not going to putt and the
landing area is predictable, use the
lowest-lofted club that will land the
ball three feet onto the putting surface.
4.
If the landing area is unpredictable
(and likely unforgiving), fly the ball as
close to the hole as you can.
If you are now slightly confused, don’t worry.
All will become clear once you start to practice these shots around the green.
Here are some examples of the sort of options
you’ll face the next time you have a shot from
the fringe to play. Remember, you want to
choose the simplest shot that will handle the
situation. Since the putt is the simplest shot
in golf, it should always be your first choice,
unless:
*
Never make a swing if you’re undecided on
how to play the shot. You must commit to doing your best every time. Choose the shot,
imagine it (seeing in your mind’s eye that it
will work), feel the motion that will produce
it (a perfect preview swing), then make your
real swing. You must hit the ball within eight
seconds of making your preview swing, so
that you don’t lose the feel of the perfect motion you are looking for.
The key is to hit enough chips/putts to learn
which of these shots work best and which is
easiest for you to execute well. Practice.
You are so far from the hole, your distance perspective is poor and you’re
not sure you can putt it all the way
there. Then use your putter with a
chipping stroke.
Page 96
Ron Moss Trophy
On 23rd October the Men’s Wednesday Group
played for the Ron Moss Trophy. Ron was
our Club President and Club Captain and the
trophy has been played for annually since
2004 when sadly Ron passed on, but he has
left a wealth of memories behind him and
what better way than to remember him on
this special day than by playing for this trophy. His widow Ann Moss presented the trophy to Eugene Toye, a well deserved winner
with a handicap of 5. It was a good day that
everyone enjoyed.
The winning team was Jean Smith, David
Platts, Trevor Andrew and Betty Roberts. The
day started out bright enough, but the wind
got up and there was a really chilly breeze
making golfing difficult which was reflected in
the scores.
on a home and away basis and most courses
give reduced green fees. To participate in the
League you only need a group of 6 ladies. If
you are interested, or would like more information, please contact Betty Roberts on
bettylloyd1560@hotmail.com
The Costa Cálida Ladies’ League
The League started again on 30th September
and the second round took place on 28th October. League Results stand at Peraleja 41
points, La Manga 30 points, Camposol 35
points and Hacienda 30 points. We played
our last game of the year on 25th November
and re-start the League in February.
Camposol Club de Golf are going to hold
two Christmas Competitions; one on 2nd December and one on 17th December. There will
be lots of Christmas Fayre prizes to be won.
Anyone can play in these competitions providing they have an up-to-date handicap. All
the Knock Out Competitions are due to start
in the New Year and we want to make these
competitions as challenging as possible.
We were hoping to get 2 more teams to join
in with us as this would make the League
even more challenging, but this has not happened yet and we are still working on it. 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
Betty Roberts
Pre-Christmas “Do”
The Pre-Christmas Dinner Dance at Costa
Hotel, Mazarrón on 15th November was thoroughly enjoyed by all the 116 revellers who
attended.
They really pushed the boat out and the room
looked lovely with the Christmas table centrepiece. The service was fantastic and the
food was excellent. This was a joint group
event organised by the CGA and the Tuesday
Sprightly Group, with entertainment by Lenny
Mitchell keeping everyone on the dance floor.
Before the Dinner Dance there was a mixed
golf competition in which 34 players took
part.
Page 97
FOR SALE
4 X steel wheels with plastic wheel trims
(new) + 1 X steel wheel complete with
tyre (New) for Volkswagen Touran 150€
Tel 639 029 302
Bernina 1008 Electric Sewing Machine. Gd
working order 100€
Tel 606 765 444 Aledo
Bodyzone electric heated foot massager/
boxed. As new 10€
Bodyzone electric heated body massager/5
attachments/boxed. As new 10€
Pine bedside cabinet 20€
Tel 635 885 062 Camposol
Royal 2000 garden vac/also blows. Gd cond
25€ ono
Complete up and over aluminium garage door
with frame lock and keys 350€
Tel 608 437 590 Mazarrón
Silver microwave/grill/little used 25€
Mexican
pine
console
table/3
drawers/120cmx48cm&76cm high as new 50€
Tel 968 425 385/600 781 263 Totana
PETS
Kittens free to good homes. Various colours –
black, ginger, tabby & dark torties.
Tel 620 582 654
Spanish pine extending dining table/6
chairs. Can seat up to 10. Gd cond 200€ ono
Tel 968 150 244/659 468 992 La Azohia
GROUPS
Mans
black
dinner
suit/jacket
chest
size 42”/trousers 31”. Exc cond 40€
Tel 687105 994 Camposol
Transformer heavy duty 240v down to 110v
2x32amp outlets 40€ Telescope Bresser
35x175/tripod/cd/instructions 40€
Roller Blades/Italian size 37 knee/elbow/wrist
pads VGC 40€
Tel 699 275 530 Lorca
2 gas bottle heaters 60€ each/100€ for both
Radiator style heater on wheels 30€
Blue/white bird cage & stand 10€
Tel 696 641 833 Fuente Alamo mornings
only.
Mobile gas heater complete with gas bottle
55€
Tel 649 358 986 Mula
Yarvik Tablet Wireless, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
4GB, 7” Screen & 16GB SD card. Still under
warranty less/ideal Christmas present 50€.
Upgrading.
Tel 687 105 994 Camposol
2mtre 2 man inflatable dinghy/carry bag/
paddles/unused 145€
Childs bike/3 to 6 year old/ideal for Christmas/only used when grandson visited 35€
Tel 647 037 495
Galvanised
50mm
metal
stud
partition
sections/base
&
head
channels/2.7m long studs. 1€ per length
Tel 617 572 408 after 8th December
WANTED
Band Drum Kit for use in February & August
2014 to borrow or buy at low price.
Ken 646 705 403
850w generator/2 stroke/hardly used 60€
Ufesa
2kW
oil
filled
radiator/Heat
control/2
settings
15€
Rebounder (mini trampoline) hardly used 12€
Tel 600 233 456
Sewing machine & washing machine in gd
working order for reasonable price
Tel 611 611 858 Mazarrón area
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 Mon-Fri
October 2013 Quiz Answers
1.
Who claims that you can refresh, relax and renew with use of their products?
Eurospas p2
2.
Who is offering professional transportation for pets throughout Europe?
Pets2go2.co.uk
p8
3.
Who has installed an Ecu Tuning Centre?
Ken Sherwood
p12
4.
Who claims “Everything is fresh. Everything homemade”?
Ratatouille p19
5.
What was Ma Millbank’s Kitchen celebrating in the middle of October from
the 7th to 13th?
National Curry Week p54
6.
Who is under new management?
Saralara’s p25
7.
Who is author of the month?
G.R.Mitchell p 42
8.
What’s the name of the Ladies Barbershop Harmony Chorus?
Spangles P31
9.
What is the herb of the month?
Mustard p16
10.
Who offers to take care of your meal
times?
Country Kitchen p41
Page 98
Winter Warmers
This year I have seen more clients than ever
arrive for their 3 and 4 month Winter stays,
drawn to Southern Spain by our lovely mild
winters. Most villas and apartments are fitted
out for holiday rentals and summer living, so
to make sure that guests are still comfortable
during the colder months. Here are some tips
to turn your property into a year round rental.
Make sure that you provide continental quilts
for all beds, with at least a tog 10 rating for
Winter nights. In addition, decorative quilted
throws look good and offer another layer of
warmth.
Many homes have dual heating and cooling
via the air-conditioning system, but some
guests don’t find that this warms the rooms
in the right places, especially in a ducted system where the heat enters the room at ceiling
level. Other guests can’t sleep with these systems operating all the time, so offer an alternative heating source such as an oil filled radiator with thermostat to heat silently at night.
This can also easily be moved between rooms.
Calor gas heaters are very effective, but make
sure that yours is checked regularly if renting and that the rubber hose is within date.
A free-standing carbón monoxide alarm is a
good idea for peace of mind and can be bought
for about 25€.
Some extra fleece blankets will be welcomed
by guests to cover legs and shoulders at night,
particularly if they enjoy sitting outside.
If you feel like really making your property a
Winter winner, invest in a patio heater. These
range from the tall gas heaters as seen in
many bars and restaurants to the more stylish
glass pyramid type. Starting at about 150€ for
basic ones, these go up to 500€ for the glass
pyramids, but keep your eyes open for a bargain. Mine was 299€ from Leroy Merlin last
year and absolutely lovely now the nights are
drawing in - as good as chestnuts roasting on
an open fire anyday!
Liz Edmiston
OwnersAway Property Rentals & Management
Tel 691 977 107
info@ownersaway.com
www.ownersaway.com
The World’s Best Real Estate Markets in
2012 - Global Real Estate Index
Amongst hundreds of the finest locations in
the world to buy the best value international
property, including many desirable locations
in South America and the Far East, it is quite
extraordinary that Murcia is in the top 25.
It’s the only Spanish region to achieve such
a position. The index was compiled to identify “Places in the world today that boasts the
most attractive, and potentially lucrative, real
estate opportunities.”
As property prices in Murcia have declined to
a more affordable level, around 50% below
pre-crisis peaks, sales have begun to grow
significantly. Murcia has led the way with a
42.9% increase in sales to non-resident foreigners, exceeding all other regions.
What does this mean to property owners
in the region?
Sellers who have taken the valuation advice
of their local agent and pitched their property
price accordingly, will have seen a large increase in viewings and probably received offers. Our own experience this year has been
encouraging, with properties that had been
on the market for many years finally being
sold directly due to reductions in price to
reflect current buyer’s budgets and requirements. If your property has been on the market for more than a year, or possibly longer,
it may be beneficial to ask your estate agent
what valuations are currently achieving sales
with your type of property.
Your local estate agents are trend-spotters.
On a daily basis they will be receiving enquiries for properties advertised at sensible prices
and will be well aware of the lack of interest
in the ones that are over-priced. If the valuation is below your expectations, you don’t
need to change your price, but at least you
will understand why there is little or no viewing interest.
Kenneth Whettall
Commercial Director
Fuente Alamo Real Estate
Info@fuentealamorealestate.com
Tel 0034 968 598 173
Page 99
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
Banking & Finance:
Lloyds Bank International 902 024 365
Premier Pension Solutions 966 260 901
Bars, Cafés & Restaurants:
Amapola
660
Amigos Bar
960
Antipodas Tavern
968
Archibb Restaurante
968
Avenida
968
Bistro Ratatouille
968
Black Bull
634
Bora Bora
968
Cafeteria Plaza
968
Cake Magic San Pedro
667
Casa Moníca
619
Cerveceria El Mirador
678
Chez Zoe
676
El Hombre Del Velero
600
Elliot’s
968
La Bretanita
968
La Chara
968
La Mariposa
968
La Proa
968
La Taberna Juan Chara
968
La Vida
625
Las Lomas
646
Le Carrousel
968
Leonardo’s
628
Liz’s Cafe
696
Mamma Mia
628
Mediterranean Beach Bar 619
Quality Indian
968
Saralara’s
665
Spice Villa
968
The AP Grill
968
The Arches
653
The Clover
868
The Clubhouse Bistro
968
The Condado Club
868
The New Royal
968
328
650
150
116
594
155
334
153
705
603
364
381
691
749
158
595
152
631
153
152
917
406
155
682
724
682
500
199
256
199
978
081
082
978
082
595
092
893
053
060
055
887
381
111
406
141
379
727
324
181
499
337
016
008
138
530
425
208
910
303
123
303
555
198
643
226
869
341
057
855
058
864
The
The
The
The
Old Market Tavern
Steak Out
Vista Bar
Wishing Well
968
968
648
609
154
970
731
838
330
619
309
757
Builders:
C M Constructions
Fuente Building Services
North West Murcia Const
Tony’s Building Services
659
696
649
647
159
744
742
119
948
982
555
952
Building Services:
A1 Garden & Ground Serv
Alton Secondary Glazing
B & H Soluciones (Energy)
JD Roofing & Building
White Knight Glass Design
Woodworks Direct
628
968
610
630
660
649
505
979
785
269
170
540
733
260
188
994
355
016
Carpentry:
Philip Carpenter/Joiner
680 443 219
Car Hire:
Bolnuevo Cars
F & C Rent a Car
968 150 979
968 199 156
Cars & Transport:
Specialist Vehicles SL
968 146 158
Chimney Sweeps:
Sooty & Son
660 478 881
Chiropodists:
Phillip Dawe
968 150 244
Cleaning Services:
K J Total Care
688 697 629
Limpieza Rosa
619 199 407
Puncture Safe Valet Service 634 355 707
Clothes Shops:
Branded
Legs & Co
607 050 309
660 792 513
Computer Repairs & Sales:
Camposol Computers
968 199 191
Consulting IT
691 993 219
Loco Murcia
968 971 893
Dentists
Dental Care
English Speaking Dentist
968 199 111
968 707 428
Olivier Houdusse
968 153 645
Electricians:
Louis Harris
619 712 821
Entertainment
Graham Cooper
657 596 638
Funeral Plans:
ASSSA
Ibex Insurance
The Funeral Director
968 153 396
958 595 945
650 631 719
Furniture:
A Time 4 A Change
DFS
Furniture Plus
968 136 501
968 334 194
968 482 456
Garden Centres & Services
A1 Garden & Ground Serv 628 505 733
Garden Centre 2003
669 565 402
Hairdressers & Barbers
Hair By Carol
Hombre Barbers
Jane’s Salon
Jane’s Salon CDA
The Beauty Palace
The Salon
The Salon 2
968
699
968
666
968
691
686
974
152
158
144
971
916
354
Health & Beauty:
Beauty Essentials
663 176
Calida Caring Agency
968 045
Clinical Complimentary Therapies
634 327
Freedom Mobility
638 893
Jane’s Salon
968 158
Janes Salon CDA
666 144
Mazarròn Mobility Hire
603 258
The Beauty Palace
968 971
The Fuschia Beauty Clinic 630 439
The Salon
691 916
The Salon 2
686 354
989
969
433
287
828
717
232
233
496
241
357
433
287
156
828
480
717
232
Heating and Aircon:
Calida Gas & Oil
659 761 771
Camposol Heating & Maintenance (CHM)
968 199 184
Crystal Design
680 386 142
Llamas Chimeneas
968 591 030
Louis Harris
619 712 821
Page 100
Insurance:
ASSSA
Ibex
Linea Directa
968 153 396
968 595 945
902 123 975
Internet Cafés:
Alley Palais
Camposol Computers
968 978 869
968 199 191
Kennels, Cateries and Pet Care
4 Legs Dog Grooming
608 712
Catatonic
646 705
El Carro Cattery & Kennels 620 582
Mountain View Kennels
676 394
Pampered Paws
634 302
Laundrettes:
Rainbow Laundrette
The Laundry Shop
634 309 603
968 131 997
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
Ken Sherwood Mechanic
Kwik Fix English Mechanic
Mobile Car Mechanic
Neumáticos El Ceña
Puncture Safe
599
403
654
431
388
626
626
679
968
666
968
634
078 754
199 251
595 826
332 058
255 250
796
678
646
972
161
422
355
149
840
859
006
129
015
707
Mobility Products
Freedom Mobility
638 893 357
Home Discount Supplies
968 193 267
Mazarròn 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 Décor Painting
699 044 742
Trevor Smith
968 163 298
Plumbers:
Apache 24/7 Plumbing
674 788 693
Camposol Heating & Maintenance
968 199 184
Crystal Design
680 386 142
Printing & Design:
Entorno Grafico
Mister Print
Property Maintenance:
Trevor Smith
968 654 007
638 893 357
968 163 298
Property Rentals:
Mar Menor Lets
654 094 270
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:
Best of Spanish
Fuente Alamo Real Estate
Holmes & Pegg
Old Farmhouses
Prime Property Murcia
635
968
968
968
646
434
598
199
159
692
651
173
290
264
471
Removals & Storage
Advance Moves
968
Costa Calida Transport
660
Dainton’s Removals & Storage
696
Lord’s Removals & Storage 608
Mar Menor Removals
696
180 634
061 872
621 884
Retail Outlets:
A Time 4 A Change
Bodega Martinez
Branded
Home Discount Supplies
Legs & Co
The Dog Bowl
T J Electricals
968
968
607
968
660
699
868
136
199
050
193
792
262
181
501
126
309
267
513
176
121
Security
ADS Locksmith
Eriks Metal Works
Protech Surveillance
T J Electricals
600
636
667
868
255
050
196
181
250
008
366
121
Services:
4 Legs Dog Grooming
608
Compusurf
968
Healthy H20
968
Pampered Paws
634
Puncture Safe Valet Service 634
712
970
437
302
355
599
666
270
388
707
654 667
359 956
Solar Power:
Freesol
Solar Directa
659 232 507
659 315 130
Solicitors:
Corral & Alcaraz
968
Professional & Legal Solutions
968
Silvente Accountant/Lawyer
968
Spas & Hottubs:
Eurospas
650
722 905
Sport & Leisure:
Alley Palais
Camposol Golf Course
Costa Cálida Radio
Dance Zone
Espuña Adventure
Horse Riding META
Magenta Harmony Choir
Pinatar Arena Football Club
Yogamayga
968
968
968
649
968
636
636
968
968
978
978
595
647
631
172
417
116
150
869
886
862
467
008
198
454
060
755
Swimming Pool Cleaning &
Maintenance:
Alpha Pools
968
Jorge Pools
674
Köhn Pool Service
968
Watermaid
646
971
168
138
705
824
000
638
088
078 754
595 826
332 058
Translation:
Carolina
616 139 175
Costa Calida Property Serv 968 199 251
Galvez Renero
968 153 707
Travel Agents
Dragon Tours
968 199 021
TV & Satellite:
CTV Aerial & Satellite Systems
600
ISS
655
Loco Murcia
968
Rainbow Satellites
686
T J Electricals
868
YPM Satellites
628
218
480
971
358
181
234
046
543
893
475
121
045
Veterinary Clinics:
Clinica Veterinaria Pto Maz
Emerg
Clinica Veterinaria SurEste
Veterinary Clinic Maskota
Emerg
153
466
352
597
378
931
553
438
929
473
968
608
965
968
619
Home Furnishings:
Curtain Call
616 240 171
Yorkshire Linen, Pto Maz
968 595 946
Yorkshire Linen, San Javier 968 193 912
Page 101
Out and About
If you have never ventured further than Murcia or Cartagena, then it may be time to consider exploring a little more of this beautiful
country and hopping over into the next province for a short break!
In October, to coincide with younger son
Alex’s birthday, I decided to take the boys on
a trip. Fed up with buying Xbox games and
other gadgets as presents, I wanted to instead buy them ‘experiences’ and things to
remember, so for his 11th birthday we decided
to book a long weekend in Valencia and go to
the City of Arts and Science.
We had a fantastic time, so here to motivate
you all to explore further afield are some of
the highlights and a few hints!
The City of Arts is made up of 5 main parts,
but only 3 are really of much interest to kids
and families. These are The Hemisferic, a
dome housing a 3D cinema, The Principe
Felipe Science Museum and The Oceanográfico which is the largest aquarium in Europe, home to more than 500 marine species.
A combined ticket for the 3 main attractions
allows you to save substantially, as it offers
nearly a 20% saving across the tickets when
bought individually. Kids rates apply up to 12
years old, but my older son qualified for Student rates and only had to prove date of birth
to get this.
You don’t have to visit all 3 attractions on the
same day, so if staying for a weekend break,
the tickets are valid for 2 or 3 days, but you
do have to select entry days and showing
times for the 3D cinema at the time of booking when making online reservations. However, we wanted to change our times once we
arrived and that is easily done at the ticket
office on site.
As we were staying out of town, we chose to
take the metro and then walk to the City of
Science and Arts along the river bed, formerly the Turia River, which stretches on for
several kilometres through this lovely city.
It is a beautiful walk and the park has cafés, gardens and woodland areas to explore,
whilst the number of joggers and cyclists did
make me feel guilty as I tucked into my tostada. Valencianos seem to be very health
conscious!
The complex has a website www.cac.es
and despite the odd name, it offers some
very good information in English and Spanish
about the different attractions and you can
book and buy tickets online.
This month we would like to share with you
all a sad but special story of a poor homeless man who, despite everything, did everything he could for his faithful companion,
and she in turn remained faithful to him to
the very end and beyond... Zlato is a German Shepherd who faithfully lay beside the
body of her owner. The man who was homeless had died on the streets with nothing
other than his dog.
First stop was The Principe Felipe Science
Museum and if you have kids that like to
touch everything, then this place is heaven
on earth, as they have license to fiddle with
all manner of exhibits and displays in order to
no longer served him, so he put them in a
dump and left them to starve. Did we rescue them? Yes of course and now Kiko and
Boris are safely in their forever homes in
the UK.
Isn’t it shameful that we constantly hear
the excuse that poverty is the reason why
people don’t look after their dogs? We know
that is total rubbish – poverty is not an excuse for cruelty and neglect of a pet!!
When a street man ensured that his dog
was vaccinated and had her rabies jab and
she wore a flea collar and a collar with an ID
tag on, we know it is possible that all people
can take care of their animals. That is why
ACTIN took Zlato, in honour of someone
Why did ACTIN take Zlato when we are not
a rescue?
Because our constant and sometimes
thankless work involves trying to educate
owners to do the right things by their dogs.
One example is of a man who has a home,
a car, a job, a respectable man who has the
money and the ability to take care of his
dogs!!! But no, he is a hunter and his dogs
make their own discoveries. Set over 3 floors,
some of the exhibits were a little tame for the
boys (the science of sofas and seating and
your home might be fascinating to some),
but they quickly gravitated to the hands on
displays.
We were able to take our own blood pressure,
be scanned by thermal imaging cameras,
read about DNA, learn about the weather and
make our own cyclones, and much more.
After about 2 hours of constant exploring, we
made our way to the restaurant, which offered a family meal deal for 2 adults and a
child for 29.50€ all in. There was a reasonable
choice of starters and mains, plus dessert and
a drink, so not bad value at all given that we
were a captive audience! Quality was ok, only
the pork escalopes looked a little over cooked,
but the rest was fine. Alex complained that
as he got the kid’s meal. No starter was included, but by the time he had stolen half my
salad bowl and a good few of the chips, even
he was satisfied. Self service means that you
can help yourself to as much as you want of
side dishes, although the mains come with a
serving size, such as “2 slices of chicken only
please”.
Finally, fed and watered we made our way to
the cinema for a sit down and a well deserved
rest. Next month I’ll share with you the second part of our Valencian adventure.
Liz Edmiston
OwnersAway Property Rentals & Management
Tel + 34 691 977 107
info@ownersaway.com
www.ownersaway.com
poor, who put his dog before himself. How
could we let her go to the pound? Zlato is
10 months old, friendly, well behaved and
healthy. If you would like to sponsor, foster
or adopt Zlato, please contact us, or donate
for her boarding and her care.
In spite of having a very good record for
homing and finding fantastic adopters for
our dogs, we still have some in our care that
we hope we can home very soon. Success
stories include:
Rasta to Southampton, Sweetypie to Hull,
Tito to Plymouth, Bear to Sheffield, Toby
to Starfish Rescue who have a home for
him, but will give him some time in foster
care to ensure the home is right for him.
All of these dogs have gone to their forever
homes.
Please visit our website for all the latest
news, to become a member, or to sponsor
and advertise your business.
www.actin-spain.com
May we take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support during 2013 and we
look forward to progressing further in 2014
and beyond and work towards a happier future for all creatures, great and small.
Seasons greetings from The ACTIN Team.
Page 102
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Costa Cálida Chronicle - Costa Calida Chronicle

Transcription

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