No 1001 Monday 11th - Sunday 17th December 2023
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ORIHUELA MAKES LATE ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE ITS CHRISTMAS n Thursday the Orihuela Council finally awarded a contract for the provision of Christmas lights, albeit a month or more after other local municipalities, many of whom have already switched on. As expected the Orihuela council effort is to a much lower level and value than its neighbours.
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With just one contractor submitting a bid, the lights are finally being erected this week, with them due to be illuminated on Friday. However, the budget of 61,000 euros, will leave 20 districts without any lighting whatsoever, and the 30,000 residents of the Coast with just symbolic decorations. Meanwhile, both Elche and Torrevieja have each spent in the region of 400,000 euros on their Christmas lighting, which have been lighting up their streets for the last 2 weeks. Essentially, what the budget will allow in the Orihuela municipality will be just 15 arches and 55 LED projectors which will be distributed in an area of more than 365 square kilometres. The councillor responsible, Rocio Ortuño has apologised to the residents of the districts, some with more than 3,000 residents, while the opposition of PSOE and Cs has attacked the government's management of the contracts calling for the councillor, a close family friend of the mayor, to be dismissed.
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FROM PAGE 1 SALVAGING CHRISTMAS But while the Orihuela Costa relies on the goodwill of Zenia Boulevard for many of its Christmas lights and entertainment the city has still been able to find funding to erect the Municipal Nativity Scene in La Lonja at a cost of 16,912 euros and the "Santa Claus village" in the Plaza de Ramón Sijé, costing a further 17,000 euros, as it promotes, what it describes as family traditions, attracts local and international tourism and generates a spirit of solidarity and generosity. And it will also be Zenia Boulevard that organises the annual Christmas Santa Parade where, starting at 5pm, 22 December, Papa Noel will kick off the holiday celebrations as he travels through the streets spreading Christmas cheer, with his elves, in advance of one of the most beloved annual traditions. Santa Claus will be accompanied by a troupe of dancers, jugglers, snowmen and even soldiers and a dazzling array of colourful floats, as the parade travels to the Zenia Boulevard commercial centre where Santa will delight the throngs of children from the main stage. The parade will begin at the top of Calle Nicolás de Bussi in the area of the CEIP Los Dolses, passing through Calle Jade and finishing up at the stage area of Centro Comercial Zenia Boulevard by about 6pm. But the lack of Christmas lights and activities in Orihuela Costa is not the only controversy, with many residents now planning to travel to Orihuela city on 17 December, where a demonstration will take place outside the town hall at 12 noon, and where campaigners will protest against the increasing abandonment of the coast, particularly the chil-
Monday 11th - Sunday 17th December 2023
dren’s parks, by the municipal authorities. Organisers are calling it ‘A Christmas shock for Orihuela Costa’ where a statement will be made about the state of children’s parks, the roads, piles of Rubbish, Orihuela Costa in its worst ever condition in the history of Orihuela. No town Hall has had such a first 6 months in office this bad’. Meanwhile, in an effort to spread some Christmas cheer locally, the Asociación de vecinos Cabo Roig y Lomas-Orihuela Costa (AVCRL) is organising its own Christmas Lights Competition, which will be launched this week, and with which they hope to encourage residents to deck out their homes with twinkling lights and creative patio and veranda displays, adding a little extra magic to the holiday season. Those wishing to enter will need to post an image of their display on the AVCRL Facebook Page. Personally, I already have my favourite, which can be seen on Calle Ortosa in La Regia, where former UK publicans, Paul and Phyllis Robertson, have decked out their bungalow with a colourful Christmas light display, operated predominantly by solar power. Speaking to The Leader Paul said, “we hate to see the streets so dark over the holiday period, so we created our own display to cheer up local children at this special time of the year,” which he described as ‘extremely magical’. “We take great satisfaction in seeing the delight that the lights bring to passers-by, many of whom stop to admire and take photographs of them.” The couple had been decorating their home in Luton, UK, every Christmas, for many years, prior to moving to Spain just 3 years ago. “We just felt that we had to keep the tradition going,” said Phyllis, as Paul continues to add to, and improve the display, every year.
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Paul and Phyllis Robertson agree that the smiles they see on thefaces of passers-by make all their efforts worthwhile. ADVERTISING SALES
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THREE ARRESTS FOR SHOO TING OF ORIHUELA NIGHTCLUB DOORMAN
The incident occurred around six o'clock on Saturday morning on Avenida Teodomiro in Orihuela.
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he National Police have arrested three men in Orihuela for shooting the doorman of a nightclub after they were prohibited from entering the premises on the Avda Teodomiro. The incident occurred around six o'clock on Saturday morning outside a popular leisure establishment to which the men were refused entry for being drunk. The Police Station received a notice warning them of an incident involving three men, all of Spanish nationality, and between 41 and 45 years of age, and the doorman of the entertainment venue. Apparently, the three individuals were not happy with the doorman's decision not to let them enter the premises, because they showed symptoms of intoxication, so a heated argument occurred between them. Upset at having been denied entry, the three men left momentarily to return minutes later in a car. One of them was armed with a shotgun with which he fired at the doorman up to 3 times. The doorman was hit in the legs by the gunshots but his injuries are said only to be minor.
The three attackers left the scene, although the Orihuela Police were quickly on their trail resulting in an arrest being made within just a few minutes by agents assigned to the Citizen Assistance Group of National Police in Orihuela. The three men were arrested for the crime of Attempted Murder. Furthermore, the alleged perpetrator of the shooting was also found to be prohibited from carrying weapons, for which he has also been charged. The National Police is still trying to locate the gun from which the shots were fired, in addition to collecting statements of witnesses, victims and the alleged perpetrators. The victim is currently being treated in hospital where he is currently comfortable, with minor injuries to his lower limbs.
ALGERIAN TAXI-BOAT GANG DISMANTLED The Guardia Civil has broken up a criminal organisation dedicated to the smuggling of Algerians into Spain and drug trafficking. In total, seven people have been arrested and 68 kilograms of methamphetamines have been seized in Alicante, Murcia and Almería. The organisation sent boats loaded with ecstasy and amphetamines from Spain to Algeria. The return trips were used to transport Algerian citizens to the Spanish coasts. Six of the arrests were carried out in Alicante. A seventh arrest was made in the Almeria town of Roquetas de Mar when the boat sailing to Algeria, that was loaded with drugs, broke down in the middle of the sea. On this occasion, 48 kilograms of methamphetamines were seized.
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FIVE BANKRUPTCIES A DAY ACROSS ALICANTE PROVINCE Covid, international conflicts, and the cost of living, are all said to be contributing to difficulties for business owners, and 2023, so far, has not shown any let up, with, from January to September, a declaration of no less than 1,347 bankruptcy proceedings in the Commercial Courts of the province of Alicante (between companies, selfemployed individuals and non-business individuals), which represents practically five a day since the beginning of the year (4.98 daily average).
AUDIT CALL FOR TORREVIEJA VADOS
In just nine months this figure practically doubles the bankruptcy proceedings that were declared in the entire year 2022 when there were 723 procedures. With three months left to finalise the 2023 statistics, the data from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) already shows an increase of 86% in the province. The worst quarter of the current year was the second, when 527 bankruptcy proceedings were declared.
Sueña Torrevieja has proposed a motion for the modification of the municipal ordinance of permanent vados.
In the third quarter, which includes the month of August, there were 392 insolvency procedures opened in the courts.
Vados are most commonly known by the sign which indicates that parking is prohibited outside a property or access route, with the permission to display such a sign approved by the town hall, thus allowing for the flow of traffic through the section.
Across the Valencian Community, the evolution of bankruptcy proceedings was 105%, according to the report, which represents more than doubling the number of bankruptcy proceedings opened in the third quarter of last year. In total, 1,175 contests were declared.
Displaying a vado prohibits parking for all vehicles, including the occupants of the property, who are also prohibited from parking outside their home. A vado prohibits parking, it does not allow for a reserved space. They are used in a variety of locations, not just residential properties.
However, the number of zombie companies (those that are technically bankrupt but continue to operate by refinancing their debt) has been reduced by 40% in the Valencian Community
Pablo Samper, spokesperson for Sueña, has said that it is necessary to carry out an urgent review of all the vados in Torrevieja to check that they are valid and up to date with payments. “There is a high number of permanent vados, that have not been updated which leads to problems such as the blocking of ramps by vehicles, private vehicles parked in loading and unloading areas and on pedestrian crossings.”
Treasurer arrested for theft of charity funds An accountant and her husband have been arrested by the National Police in Elche, accused of appropriating 120,000 euro from a not-for-profit organisation for which the arrested woman acted as treasurer. Agents from Alicante, who carried out the investigation, have verified that the detained man received up to 257 transfers worth 90,000 euro into his bank account, and the woman received another 30,000 into her account through 135 transfers. The association works for people at risk of social exclusion, across the province of Alicante, offering training in industrial textile manufacturing along with necessary social support. The appropriation of the money has left the association in a serious situation of lack of liq-
uidity, forcing it to temporarily cease the development of its activity and stop providing support to dozens of women. The detainees are a woman and a man, 42 and 44 years old respectively. Both are Spanish nationals.. The investigation began following a complaint filed by the president of the association, who detected two payments which had not gone to the bank account of the supplier, but to a different one. Furthermore, according to the complaint, another service provider of the association reported that it had three pending invoices for an amount of 1,540 euro. When the president asked about these payments, the accused showed the president three emails in which the recipient supposedly confirmed having received the money..
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TORREVIEJA CAROLS IN THE SQUARE
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ROJALES PAYS TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF CONCENTRATION CAMP Rojales has remembered three Rojaleros who were murdered between the end of 1941 and the beginning of 1942 in the Nazi concentration camp at Mauthausen-Gusen during, World War II.
hristmas in Torrevieja wouldn´t be the same without the annual Carols in the Square event, and this year, according to the Councillor for International Residents, Gitte Lund Thomsen, the intention is to have a more representative reflection of the diverse nationalities and cultures that live in the town, by offering a more inclusive involvement.
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Three tiles bearing the names of Felipe Carbonell Figueroa, Manuel Ferrández Garri and Antonio Navarro Chazarra were highlighted at the main door of the Rojales Town Hall, next to the work of the sculptor Carlos Carmona. The Council wanted to recognise the victims in an event which was attended by Felipe Carbonell 's son, who received numerous expressions of affection in a tribute of "justice and historical memory."
Everyone is invited along to the event on Friday 15 December 2023, starting at 5:30 p.m., and everyone will be able to join in with the festive singalong.
Orihuela commemorates International Disability Day
Amongst the participants for this international fiesta are the "Francisco Casanovas" Professional Music Conservatory of Torrevieja, along with their choir, an ensemble of the Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra directed by Francisco J. Garres Pérez, lending a voice from the north of the continent will be the Coro Skandinaviska Skolan Costa Blanca, and the popular Crescendo Choir, with the south of Spain represented by the Coro Rociero Blanca y Verde (Casa de Andalucia Rafael Alberti de Torrevieja), and with Sette Vocci adding their local input.
The Orihuela City Council has commemorated Disability Day, in an emotional event held in the Plaza del Carmen and, in parallel, in the Orihuela Costa town hall. According to the councillor for Social Welfare, Agustina Rodríguez, “this important date shows our commitment as a Government Team to work towards inclusion and diversity in our municipality in all areas”. In addition to the reading of a manifesto, the Department of Social Welfare has also organized two training activities for professionals who work in this field. One was held on November 24 while the other activity, a conference on autism will be held on December 26 and 27 at the La Lonja Auditorium.
As always, the event takes place in the main square in Torrevieja, outside the town hall, the Plaza de la Constitucion, where you can also enjoy the festive lights concentration, and the municipal nativity scene.
Manifesto in Orihuela Costa At the same time, the town hall in Orihuela Costa hosted another reading, which was presented by Luis Manuel Carcedo Moya, director of Cáritas Orihuela. This event was also attended by the councillor of Costa, Manuel Mestre.
RETRIAL OF GYNAECOLOGIST ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING HIS DAUGHTERS A Murcia court has ordered the retrial of a gynaecologist accused of the sexual abuse of his two young daughters. The Court originally dismissed the case last year, but has now ordered its reopening following an appeal presented in a private prosecution and now the case is being heard for trial. This gynaecologist was accused of intimately touching his two daughters, giving them kisses with his tongue, and forcing them to give him massages. The Prosecutor's Office considers him guilty of two crimes of sexual abuse of a minor under 13 years of age and demands that he be sentenced to five years in prison for each crime. In addition, it demands a measure of supervised release when he
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The manifesto focused on “Inclusive Cities for All”, in which emphasis was placed on “the growing acceptance that disability is part of the human condition. Councilor Mestre highlighted his commitments set out in the manifesto adding that he is committed to improving issues related to disability and people who suffer from them.
leaves prison, for a period of 8 years and prevention of approaching or communicating with his daughters for 7years. The Public Ministry also requests that the accused compensate his children in 6,000 euro for the moral damage caused. The private accusation considers the defendant guilty of a crime of sexual abuse of a minor under 16 years of age and of a crime of continuous abuse of a minor under 16 years of age, both with the aggravating factor of relationship.
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TWO YEARS SUSPENDED FOLLOWING SEIZURE OF COCAINE IN TORRE DE LA HORADADA Images of the drug haul provided by the Civil Guard in 2015
he Provincial Court has imposed a sentence of just two years in prison for two people arrested in 2015 at the Torre de la Horadada yacht club, with a stash of 389 kilos of cocaine seized from their boat.
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The defendants, a 79-year-old man and his 52year-old son, spent nearly four months in jail following their arrest but now they will not have to return to prison because the court has granted them a stay of execution at the request of their defense lawyer, Moisés Candela Sabater. The Prosecutor's Office, which has not appealed the ruling, requested that both be sentenced to nine years in prison and a fine of
14.5 million euros for the value of the cocaine, but the Court has upheld the mitigating request of lawyer Moisés Candela because of undue delays and has reduced their sentence to two years in prison, since they both lacked a criminal record. The events took place on January 29, 2015 at the yacht club in the Pilareño district of Torre de la Horadada. A member of the club saw that a docked pleasure boat was listing, and he could see some suspicious packages. He notified the manager of the yacht club who contacted the Civil Guard. After obtaining the consent of the boat owner's son to inspect the vessel, agents locat-
ed 13 bales containing a total of 390 packages of cocaine. The net weight of the drug was 389 kilos, with a purity of 70.1% and a valued on the illicit market of 14,536,587 euros.
The bundles of drugs were attached to a floating plastic drum. They returned to port during the early hours of January 28 and the next day the cache was discovered.
The two defendants said that they received payment of 130,000 euros for transporting the drugs into the Torre de la Horadada marina from a point about 31 nautical miles off the coast of Santa Pola.
The Court that tried the case said that, despite being a case that lacked complexity, there have been undue delays of more than eight years that are not attributable to the accused and therefore the sentence should be reduced accordingly.
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GIVE ME A DOG’S LIFE dolphus Cooke, also known as ‘Cooke of Cooksborough’ or ‘Adolf’ to his neighbours (not really!) lived just up the road from where I come from. He died in 1876, having become world famous for his eccentricity. Had he been born poor and landless, he would most likely have been locked up in Mullingar Lunatic Asylum; but because he was such an influential landlord, with his subjects complying with his every whim, Cooke was an ‘eccentric.’
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‘The Master’ had very definite beliefs when it came to the subject of reincarnation. His mortal hereafter informed him first of all, that his father was coming back as a bee. And so he designed his father’s mausoleum in the shape of a beehive. And yes, for those of you who may remember the ‘Beehive’ dance venue, it was located close to the spot. Adolphus later changed his mind, after his daddy spoke to him in a dream and in the form of a turkeycock. His father was by now a turkey-cock on the estate. Now, all turkey-cocks look the same – except perhaps, to a hen turkey; so to make sure that his father would never be snubbed around the yard, all the servants had to doff their hat to every turkey-cock they passed on the estate! Our colourful Cooke character was
in no doubt as to what form his own reincarnation would take; he was destined to return home as a fox! He had his servants dig extralarge fox-holes all over the estate, so that when he was chased by dogs, he had a maze of easy escape routes.
from where I can look up at them swooning all over me.
So what if my fellow-Westmeath man is right and we all do come back next time, reincarnated as an animal; what would you like to be? There is a huge choice out there and the final decision requires a lot of thought. Having pondered the dilemma at great length, my mind is made up; I wish to come back as a dog! After all, if the dog be ‘man’s best friend’, I shan’t be drifting too far from human instincts.
Barking at strangers will give my humans a sense of security and with words such as ‘he’s a great watchdog’ they will justify my existence as one of the family. Most mongrel dogs don’t like the postman; they think that because he comes to the door every day and never gets admitted, it is their job to shift him off the property. I know better, and Barry will be my friend too.
I am very particular as to what breed of dog I shall be turned into. Definitely not one of those little ‘yap, yap’, variety with the rat’s head. No, I want to be at least a medium sized mádra; good-looking and smart – which in fairness to myself requires no change in either of those two departments.
Having given the matter some further though, I have decided that I wish to come back as a working collie. This way I shall be even more indispensable to my human, and I’ll have ‘tennis-tail’ from wagging to praise.
Is there any life better than a dog’s life, I ask you? Food delivered straight to my dish, followed by stretching out for a glorious siesta in the afternoon. ‘Oh what a beautiful dog’, I hear them all say. All the nice Gorls will be lining up to pat me on the head and stroke my back - before I roll onto my back and let them tickle my tummy,
There will be games to be played with both children and adults. Tracking and scent games will appeal to me and ‘fetch the ball, Bernard’ (after St Bernard) will be the favourite pursuit.
I never could stay idle for long as a human; never one for lying up all day doing nothing; and so being a sheep or cattle dog will be right up my alley. Being a ‘good cattle dog’, on top of a ‘great watchdog’ really appeals to me. Can you imagine the satisfaction of getting the better of a bully cow out in the field? The mad bitc…, I mean cow, won’t come into the yard for the farmer. Head down near the ground, she
keeps going round in circles trying to charge me. But sooner or later, she has to turn and I’m ‘in like Flynn’ to nip hard on her heel … and then the other heel! Next time she knows better and who is boss around here! No wonder my farmer human loves me. If its job satisfaction you want,
come back as a working dog. Is there any better life out there? And I promise not to chase any fox … just in case it is my neighbour! DON’T FORGET Animals are much more agreeable friends; they ask no questions, they make no criticisms.
CONSELL TO REGULATE THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS he Department of Education plans to issue new rules that, among other issues, will regulate the use of mobile phones in schools and institutes in the Valencian Community.
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This was announced on Monday by the regional Secretary of Education, Daniel McEvoy, who also announced that the Ministry is to carry out a restructuring of the Vocational Training (FP) map, since he considers that the planning that has been done so far is "inadequate." McEvoy said that the Department of Education wants to listen to the opinions of experts before introducing changes to the regulations, focusing on two aspects: the use of mobile phones and the fight against bullying. He added that, in principle, the Consell is not in favour of "excessively restrictive legislation" with respect to mobile phones, but it is necessary to introduce a framework decree that makes it clear "how and when these devices can be used.”
With respect to bullying, it is essential not only to address cases of bullying, but also to motivate prevention, before bullying occurs, something that they hope to include in this new decree that is to be announced for the year next. He then spoke about studies, in the autonomous community, for the distribution of vocational training. Thus, the Department of Education is going to commit to "correct planning" of vocational training studies based on the profile of each town or region where they are located, so that, for example, an industrial city has the training cycles appropriate to local needs. McEvoy implied that until now the implementation of training cycles was often due to " unpredictable decisions and without first having the necessary classrooms and infrastructure", hence he advocated a restructuring of the vocational training map and a correct planning.
The Consell says it is not in favour of "excessively restrictive legislation”.
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Mazón wants second runway for Alicante T he president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, has demanded that Central Government builds a second runway for the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport that will allow him to deal with the increase in foreign tourists visiting the Valencian Community, who will foreseeably exceed the "record number” of 10 million by the end of the year.
Mazón has urged the central government to implement the master plan for the Alicante-Elche Airport and to provide a second runway “to better promote the Costa Blanca as a tourist destination” and allow it to absorb the increase in passengers and flights. The president has said that he is “happy and hopeful” that by the end of the year
Mazón has been demanding the 2nd runway for some time
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there will foreseeably be more than 10 million foreign tourists who have visited the Valencian Community, a figure higher than that registered before the pandemic, in 2019. The President gave as an example of the tourist projection the fact that the British company EasyJet will soon establish a base at the Alicante-Elche airport from where it will launch a total of 9 new air connections with the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and Czech Republic. The president also spoke about the suppression of the tourist tax "which should never have been approved and which we have managed to prevent from coming into force." During his speech, Mazón also referred to the tourism sector of the Valencian Community as “mature, extraordinarily professional, advanced and pioneering”. Starting from this basis, he said that this sector has the potential to go further, "to optimize, improve, innovate and offer the best" and that to do so they will continue to have the Generalitat on their side. NORWICH FLIGHTS TO ALICANTE In an announcement on Friday this potential was further amplified with the addition of Norwich now confirmed by Ryanair as a destination, starting in April 2024, with flights already on offer, from just GBP 29.99.
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Zenia Boulevard rescues Christmas in Orihuela Costa espite the virtual abandonment of Christmas on the Coast by the Orihuela Council, there will be a Magical Christmas in Zenia Boulevard which will feature workshops and storytelling for children with more than a dozen musical and entertainment shows.
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Throughout the month of December, Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men will visit the gingerbread house on Zenia Boulevard in the morning and afternoon so that children can share their wishes for the holiday. Santa Claus will be in residence for the entire month with the Three Wise Men visiting from the 26th until January 5th. Children will be able to leave their letters to Santa from 12 to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., extending until 9 p.m. on Saturdays, December 16 and 23 in the Christmas house decorated by IKEA. On December 22, despite its virtual abandonment of Christmas on the coast, the Orihuela Council will join Zenia Boulevard with the organisation of the Santa Claus Parade where, from 5 pm the streets will be filled with floats, music and parades as a prelude to Christmas Eve. Representatives of the shopping centre will also accompany Santa Claus on his visit to the paediatric wing of
the Torrevieja Hospital which will take place on December 18 with a gift provided to each of the children.
During the days running up to Christmas, educational workshops and music will be featured aplenty. El Limonar school will present a carol concert on Friday 15 December, followed on Saturday by a children’s workshop, musical theatre and a Meet & Greet with Zenia’s Pets. On Sunday it will be the turn of the family show “The Christmas Circus” from 5 p.m. The 22nd will see the Santa Claus Parade and then on Saturday 23rd there will be another Children’s event, the Crazy dreams Christmas Special. Cellist Isa Hidalgo will play on Sunday the 24th at 12 noon and saxophonist Peari will do the same at noon on New Year’s Eve. Throughout the month of December, Zenia Boulevard has scheduled more than a dozen educational, craft and creative workshops so that children can have fun while learning, all of them designed with the Christmas season as their main theme, where they can create their own gifts, from a paperweight, a cup of chocolates or a plate for the Roscón de Reyes. All Zenia Boulevard activities are completely free of charge.
Torrevieja authorises all day parking on Ramón Gallud The Torrevieja Council has authorised parking along the main commercial stretch of Calle Ramón Gallud between the intersection of C/Clemente Gosálvez and C/Joaquín Chapaprieta 24 hours a day. It will be limited to a maximum of two hours from 9 am to 9 pm, but without limitation overnight. The measure responds to a request from residents, in the heart of the city's urban area, although in reality only 40 parking spaces are freed up in an area where there is a high demand for parking. Security Councilor Federico Alarcón, in response to questions from the media, said that the Local Police will continue to read license plates during restricted parking hours to guarantee there is no abuse of the new regulations, and vehicles that exceed those two hours will be sanctioned. Signs have now been erected to confirm the changes, following a summer of a complete parking ban so that both lanes remained clear due to the traffic disruption on the maritime façade.
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QUARTER MILLION EURO SPEND ON TORREVIEJA GYM EQUIPMENT A further million euro is in the pipeline for improvements to the rugby field
Almost Half a Million Euro added to Quesada Improvement Spend Torrevieja council has approved the tender for a contract to replace the equipment and technical floor of the municipal gym in the Ciudad Deportivo de Torrevieja. The base tender budget is 258,669 euros (VAT included). On awarding the contract the winning company must provide the new equipment within a period of three months.
The four new bikes alone are valued at 20,000 euros. A part of the budget will also be allocated to the complete renovation of the technical floor.
There will be more than 30 new pieces of gym apparatus purchased, including a machine adapted for people in wheelchairs, bicycles, ellipticals, spinning, as well as dumbbells, bars, and much more.
In 2010, the Nelson Mandela rugby field, eleven tennis courts and seven paddle tennis courts, were also opened on the same premises. The latter have been closed for years due to their poor state of
The gym was opened, along with other facilities, in the so-called racket area of the sports city more than a decade ago.
conservation and security. The gym opened at full capacity in 2011. Also in the pipeline is the renovation of the artificial turf of the rugby field at a cost of almost one million euros - 985,096 euro. Although much more delayed in the processing, is the drafting of the project for the repair of the paddle tennis courts, a project that Councillor Diana Box has been promising for four years. She said in March 2022 that the project was imminent and estimated the investment at 600,000 euros.
Rojales Council has put out to tender a contract for the renewal of the drinking water supply network and pavements on Avda de las Unidas, the section between calles Costa Azul, Campo Viejo, and Adelfas. This is the 2nd phase of remodelling Avda de las Unidas, the "golden mile" of Ciudad Quesada, where a large number of hospitality, supermarkets and leisure establishments are situated. The Council has already improved the main section of the road, which already sports a renewed image with coloured paving stones, similar to those used in the refurbishment of the main roads in the town centre. This work is financed by the Alicante Provincial Council's Plan+cerca 2023,
and includes the replacement of the steelwork, the pavement, the burying of wiring and improvements to public lighting. The completion period is four months once the work has started, so the City Council hopes that they will be a reality before the summer. The contract also proposes several improvements in the renewal of the sanitation network of some surrounding roads. The impact on traffic during the works will force some detours, but it will be worth it in the end. The contract, valued at 415,829 euro, is expected to be awarded during the first quarter of 2023, so that they can finish the summer.
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STUDIO 32 SHAKING DOWN THE BENIJOFAR THEATRE IN THE CAUSE OF CHARITY What a West End Party it was. Over four nights the audience joined in clapping and singing along to their favourite songs. At the end of the show they were all on their feet dancing in the aisles as the show came to an end with an Abba medley.
The ‘West End Party’ Cast.
Comments from the audience were fabulous, really enjoyed it, amazing, such energy and enthusiasm. Studio 32 would like to thank the Benijofar town hall for allowing us to book their theatre in the Cultural Centre at such short notice. In showing their appreciation, Lonee Hopwood and Linda Daniel presented a cheque for E1,000 to the Mayor and his wife, money that will be used to help the needy in the Benijofar area. The cast are now taking a break over the Christmas period, returning on the 9th January 2024 to the Casa Contenta in Rojales, where they will begin the tasks of casting and rehearsing for their next production, the Pajama Game. If you would like to find out more about joining Studio32 Musical Theatre Group please contact Linda 679 062 72 or go along to Casa Contenta,
Rojales on Tuesday 9th January from 7.30pm. The next show will be back at the re-furbished Cardinal Beluga Theatre in San Fulgencio on 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th May. Tickets will be available soon through our website https://studiothirtytwo.org at E12 each. More information on the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/Studio32Musicaltheatregroup
PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH "Where every person matters but God matters most! Where has this year gone? Time has just flown by and here we are decking halls and mirrors with boughs of holly, walking through Winter Wonderlands (albeit Spanish ones - sin snow…) singing nostalgically about memories of Frosty the Snowman and appreciating glasses of mulled wine, as it is in fact rather chilly outside now! I am currently preparing our Carol Concert for this year. It´s on Sunday 17th Dec at 11am and you are
very welcome to come along! For me, Christmas has always started with the Carol Concert. I loved the Carols night in the village where we lived, singing in the choir and walking in with candles lit. Watching the nostalgia in people around; happiness, some sadness for missing loved ones, and loving the togetherness of a small village; singing carols was always so special. My boys would be excited to put the Christmas tree up and get the decorations out – always on 12th Dec. My eldest would always sort out the lights as I just got them in a total tangle. Oh, the memories! This nostalgia brings me on to Christmas cards. A lot of cards give us an “aaaahh” feeling: Baby Jesus in a crib or manger, Three wise men coming with precious gifts, the little shepherd boy with a lamb over his shoulder… And yes, of course it is nice. And yes, they are all part of the Christmas story. But there is more to the story. Just as our world now is fraught with danger, so was theirs. Joseph had a message from an angel telling him not to go home from Bethlehem but to travel to Egypt for a time – a time which turned out to be several years. The wise men were astute guys and knew that King Herod was up to something. They too were warned to go home by a different route and not go back near Herod. Herod was so paranoid about a new king being born that he had more than 2000 infants slaughtered. Horrific! The bible is full of nice things, full of inspiration and hope. It is also filled with advice about how to live right lives; comfort and sound teaching for those who do, and warnings for those who don´t. Is Jesus still the reason for the season or have we been tempted to take Christ out of Christmas as we shop, listen to Christmas songs and celebrate this Christmas? And I´m not for one minute knocking Christmas songs- I love them and can and do sing along with the best of them... But, let´s not forget the old favourite carols and consider the story they
tell. Are we brave enough to tell our grandchildren the Christmas story? The one with Jesus Christ in it? I hope so. As for the little shepherd boy; well, he reminds us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came to save the lost sheep. He came for me and for you. Jesus grew up and gave his life for each of us and offered an opportunity for eternal life with Him and His Father. Is His story part of your story? Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful Christmas. Pilar Christian Community Church. Calle Canalejas 3, Pilar de la Horadada. Email: phil.molloypccc@gmail.com English Service at 11am – 12:15 every Sunday. Info at: pilarchurch.com
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SPAIN HAS ITS OWN ROYAL CONTROVERSY
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s British Royals deal with the race row reignited after King Charles and the Princess of Wales were named in the Dutch version of Omid Scobie's new book Endgame, not to be outdone, the Royal Family in Spain is now also playing out a drama of its own about Queen Leticia's former love life. Jaime del Burgo, Letizia's 'resurrected' ex-brother-in-law, claims the pair were romantically involved, even after she married King Felipe. The 53-year-old, who is currently based in the UK, recently contributed to a tell-all book about Queen Letizia, “Letizia & I,” by journalist Jaime Peñafiel, in which he claimed that he had a relationship with the 51-year-old royal before he married her sister, Telma Ortiz, 50. In the book, Del Burgo also claimed that the two were still romantically involved after Letizia tied the knot with King Felipe, 55, in 2004.
According to the book’s author, the relationship between Jaime del Burgo and the young Letizia Ortiz began in 2000 in Venice, and went through, he explains, "four stages."
She was single and very much established as a successful journalist on Spanish Television, but before knowing that she was in a relationship with Prince Felipe de Borbón, he wanted to marry her. He tells Peñafiel that they met for dinner in the garden of the Ritz hotel in Madrid, where he had planned to give her a ring and to propose to her. But before he could do so, she confessed to him that she had met a man who would change her life, Felipe de Borbón. However, in a social media post last weekend the book goes on to say that the 'affair' extended into the years following her marriage to the monarch. As “proof” to support his claim, in a since-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he shared a selfie that Letizia took in a bathroom mirror. The photo was not dated. In the selfie, Letizia is wearing a black pashmina, which Jaime claims belonged to him. He claims that the queen sent him a message with the selfie that read, “Love. I wear your pashmina. It’s like feeling you by my side. It takes care of me. It protects
me. I count the hours until we see each other again. Love you.”
Although he later deleted the tweet, it is a textbook revenge strategy used on such networks, with which everyone wonders if it is true, a lie, or even if his profile has been hacked. Del Burgo has not yet spoken out following the commotion caused by his tweet but, be that as it may, he quickly removed all content from his social networks. On X (formerly Twitter) you can now only read "Jaime del Burgo has not posted."
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CRYPTIC CROSSWORD QUICKIE CROSSWORD
ANSWERS Week 1000
ACROSS 4. Strew (7)
DOWN 1.
Superficial (7)
8.
Jinx (6)
2.
Appal (7)
9.
Surround (7)
3.
Chillier (6)
10.
Haughty (6)
5.
Marital (8)
11.
Unequalled (6)
6.
Essay (6)
12.
Sacrifice (8)
7.
OT book (6)
18.
Extenuate (8)
13.
Gaol (8)
20.
Impede (6)
14.
Most (7)
21.
Ethnic (6)
15.
Let down (7)
22.
Versus (7)
16.
Knife (6)
23.
Lunge (6)
17.
Bound (6)
24.
Offspring (7)
19.
Detest (6)
CAN YOU MASTER THE SUDOKU CHALLENGE? Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
Solution on Page 22
QUICK ACROSS: 1 Consolation; 9 Aid; 10 Go to waste; 11 Faint; 13 Lorries; 14 Espied; 16 Assail; 18 Respire; 19 Dress; 20 Etiquette; 21 All; 22 Defenceless. DOWN: 2 Old; 3 Sight; 4 Little; 5 Towards; 6 Obstinate; 7 Half-hearted; 8 Ceaselessly; 12 Impassive; 15 Epicure; 17 Hectic; 19 Dwell; 21 Ass. CRYPTIC CRYPTIC ACROSS: 1 Perambulate; 9 Ova; 10 Somewhere; 11 Nears; 13 Seaweed; 14 Reveal; 16 Ashore; 18 Scruple; 19 Tudor; 20 Dietitian; 21 Off; 22 Typewriters. DOWN: 2 Ena; 3 Asses; 4 Bemuse; 5 Low mass; 6 The record; 7 Countryside; 8 Needlecraft; 12 Adversely; 15 Apprise; 17 Senior; 19 Tenet; 21 Oar.
ACROSS 4. More than one vent-peg drips round both ends of the ice-bag (7) 8. Decorations are or are not different (6) 9. Boar's head brought up to be cooked (7) 10. Official revision of rota in New York (6) 11. Hospital doctor required in sudden bout of illness, we hear (6) 12. Splendid comfort, one hears, for high-ranking Spaniard (8) 18. Toasting an eccentric dancer (8) 20. Father, saint or cleric (6) 21. Watergate is involved with the clue (6) 22. Colonist preceded by young attendant in historical show (7) 23. Describing the intricate pattern of Old Testament law (6) 24. Hide the Earl somehow (7)
L EA D E R T R I V I A Q U I Z 1. What was Al Capone's nickname? 2. Based on record sales, which two groups were the bestselling music artists in the US between 1962-1964? 3. Which English actor's memoir was titled "My Word is my Bond"? 4. Which three countries in the world have the most active volcanoes? 5. Name the seven countries from the former Soviet Union that have names ending with the letter 'a'. 6. 'It Doesn't Matter Any More' was a posthumous hit for Buddy Holly. Which Canadian singer songwriter wrote the song? 7. Ringo's only featured drum solo with The Beatles can be heard on which song? a. All You Need Is Love, b. Oh! Darling, c. The End, d. Hey Jude 8. Forbes recently declared that Magic Johnson is a billionaire. According to Forbes, which three other sportsmen are billionaires? 9. In which country is the Creole language known as Bajan spoken? 10. Name the Beatles songs in which each of the following historical figures get a mention. a. Chairman Mao, b. Sir Walter Raleigh, c. Mr. Edward Heath, d. Edgar Allan Poe, e. Pablo Fanque 11. "Are you serving that ape a martini?" is a line from which
DOWN 1. No agent gets the weight wrong (7) 2. As a substitute it could be stained (7) 3. Gazed at a Communist going past the street (6) 5. He is biased in favour of a member of the resistance movement (8) 6. The sort of party incurring a charge (6) 7. Those people absorbing an alternative abstract idea (6) 13. A performer makes it produce rapturous delight (8) 14. Describing the smallest note written by a learner (7) 15. Lengthen a sentence (7) 16. Ruin the state of Virginia in a passionate outburst (6) 17. Treats badly in a state of inertia (2,4) 19. Make quick progress in the opinion poll, by the sound of it (6)
( A n s we r s o n p a g e 2 2 ) 1995 science fiction adventure film? 12. The following are nicknames for national association football teams. Name the country. a. El Tri, b. The Blue Tigers, c. The All Whites, d. Bafana Bafana 13. Who was the first actor to play the CIA operative Felix Leiter in the James Bond series of films? 14. Which famous artist was shot and seriously wounded by the "radical feminist" Valarie Solanas? 15. Complete the following film poster tag line with a film title. "David Lean, the director of Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai, invites you on ....." 16. When 7 UP was first introduced in 1929 it was marketed as an antidepressant. Which one of the following additives did it contain? a. morphine, b. cocaine, c. opium, d. lithium 17. What was the name of the 1968 massacre in Vietnam that would later help undermine public support for the war in the USA? 18. Founded in 1854, what is the only French company that continually finds itself in the Top 10 list of the world's most valuable corporate brands? 19. Which Martin Scorsese film ends with the words "Hey, I'm back"? 20. Michael Jackson's HIStory, Past, Present and Future, Book I is the best selling double album of all time. Which 1979 concept album is the second best selling double album?
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PAGE 15
bursts into Health Minister Backs Down After Vehicle flames in San Miguel Torrevieja Hospital Strike Threat fter initially stating that the previously agreed working conditions for Torrevieja hospital staff would be cancelled, which promptly attracted the inevitable threat of strike action, the Minister of Health, Mariano Gómez, has now said that his regional government will respect the agreement reached by the workers with the previous administration, to reduce the annual hours of health workers and increase salaries, especially with regard to on-call hours, thereby bringing these figures closer to those of statutory staff.
A
The agreement comes after a meeting with union representatives, who had been asking for this agreement to be respected for weeks. The improvements, which were agreed with the previous government following industrial action, after the hospital was brought into disastrous public management, extended until 2027, with a series of annual additions. However, the agreement now reached focuses only on what was agreed for 2023 and 2024, with the minister's commitment to the introduction of a law "that equalises the legal regimes of public
health workers", to put an end to the differences between statutory personnel and labour personnel, which are governed by different agreements. The announcement of the points of agreement reached was made by the committee itself, after the councillor limited himself to only pointing out, at the insistence of journalists, that "it had been a satisfactory agreement for both parties." Fran García, spokesperson for the works committee, explained that "a progressive reduction in the annual working day was agreed and the on-call hours of doctors and nursing staff were equalised. "That remains the same. Also, for 2024, Temporary Disabilities will be supplemented so that they are paid at 100%." This agreement deactivates the protests that the workers had started a few weeks ago due to the Ministry's refusal to apply this agreement. At the beginning of the year the PP, which now governs, supported the protests that led to this agreement, but once they entered into Government they refused to apply the promise based on a negative report from the Legal Profession due to a lack of budget.
A vehicle burst into flames on Tuesday after it had been involved in an accident on the CV- 941 near San Miguel de Salinas. Three vehicles were caught up in the accident, the drivers of which had to be helped due to the severity of the accident. One of the vehicles involved in the accident has caught fire following crash, requiring the intervention of firefighters from Torrevieja.
Despite the seriousness of the accident there were no fatalities, although there were injuries of varying degrees.
Torrevieja Property Fraudsters in Court The trial has begun against two estate agents who are accused of fraud whilst selling property in Torrevieja. The Prosecutor asked for three years in prison for the pair accused of deceiving a couple in the purchase of two homes in Torrevieja. The Prosecutor's Office maintains that the real estate agents kept 187,000 euro from the buyers, and did not use the funds to pay for the homes.
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The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints in Torrevieja meet at 10.00 each Sunday in their chapel at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia, 104. All Welcome. Phone or whatsapp the missionaries on 659 016 733 Join us at the SALT CHURCH Sundays at 10.30 am. We are a friendly church, bible centred in our teaching and informal in our worship. Meets at Calle Daya Nueva 12, Polígono Ind. Levante 11, 03187 Los Montesinos. We look forward to meeting you. www.Saltchurchspain. Facebook SaltChurchSpain International Christian Assembly, Calle Beniajan 14, Torrevieja -Evangelical Church. Sunday Service 11 a.m.; - Contact 966 799 273 / 660 127 276. Evangelical non-denominational church. www.icatorrevieja.org
The Car of the Month at AUTOMOVILES CRESPO is a very attractive 2019 Ford Focus ST-Line Hybrid at just 21,900 euro. Come along to our large showroom in Elche and see our vast range of new and
used cars or call 96 666 22 60 for all our latest offers. See page 7. We can assure you of the biggest and best choice of new and used cars in the area for price, choice and quality. ENGLISH SPOKEN
AGE CONCERN BEREAVEMENT GROUP. Have you lost somebody close to you? Are you finding life difficult after a bereavement? Come along and chat to other people in the same situation. Starting on October 10th, then every Tuesday from 2-4pm at the Age Concern Centre, Calle Paganini, La Siesta, Torrevieja. 96 678 6887. Everyone is welcome. Los Alcázares Digital Camera Club. Interested in photography? We invite you to come and join us at our twice monthly meetings. Please contact coordinatorladcc@ gmail.com or see http://www.los-alcazarescamera.club/ for details. COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION (CCA) Open to residents of Orihuela Costa over 60 years of age. Located at the Centro Civico Alameda del Mar. Open 3 times a week for a programme of English speaking
Monday 11th - Sunday 17th December 2023
activities, support, information and advice with the support of Orihuela Council. Anyone wanting to join CCA social activities can pop along. Open 2pm -6pm Mondays and Thursdays, Wednesday 2pm - 5pm. You can register between 1pm & 2pm on those days, in the Cafe area where you will find Eva or Norah. email: oc.communitycare@gmail.com RAGS CLUB (previously Friendship Centre). Every Tuesday Lunchtime, From a Bun to a Banquet. At Graceys - upstairs La Zenia park in Lidl Carpark. COME AND PLAY RUMMIKUB. Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur is here to help you with problem solving and well being for the over 50’s. We need volunteer Drivers and people to join our Home Visiting Team to visit a Residential Home, and take them out for a coffee. Call into our centre at C/Paganini s/n, Urb. La Siesta 03184 Torrevieja or ring 966 786 887. Or email: costablanca@ageconcern.org.es Royal Naval Association, Torrevieja Branch now meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the Lakeview bar/restaurant, Quesada. For more info contact Chairman Tony Jenkins on +44 7576 117 222, Secretary Steve Hemingfield 0n Mob/Whats 711 011 373 The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Assn. Contact with the RAFA and the RMG is via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk.
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LOOKING FOR Silent Business Partner for small Private Care Home. Invest 10K and get 20K back in 14 months. Call 747 438 225
CONSTRUCTION AND GENERAL BUILDING. For all building works large or small, phone 604 152 124 for quotes. We also specialise in pool leaks and repairs. (1010) Law Services: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, Solicitor, Debt Collections, Bad Tenants. 747 438 225
I am looking for an apartment to let. One or two bedrooms, fully furnished, one person only. Long term. Email brendan murphy: brendanmurphy609@gmail.com or call 00353 0872 586249
Several corgi buses boxed for sale. Also other items not with boxes. Los Montesinos. Call 744 617 883
FREE CLASSIFIED ADS If you have items that are WANTED or FOR SALE, ANNOUNCEMENTS, NOTICES and suchlike, advertise them, to a maximum of 35 words, FREE OF CHARGE, on this page. SEND BY EMAIL TO:
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ty, there are still drivers who choose not to use them, which increases the risk to road users. It wasn´t too long ago that both the DGT and Guardia Civil trying a different approach to get the message across. Humour! The DGT pointed out that "they are easy to use and do not wear out with use", the Guardia Civil went further and, humorously, says "More than 32 million vehicles circulate in Spain, and all of them left the factory with indicators.
Indicators! here are many things we could repeat on a daily basis and the message would still not get through, and the use of indicators is one of those. Not using your indicators, or using them incorrectly, could land you with a fine, and yet, all too often, drivers just don´t bother.
T
You must use the indicators to signal any manoeuvre that implies a lateral movement, such as making a turn, a change of direction,
overtaking, parking, joining, taking an exit... These orange flashing lights, mandatory on all motor vehicles, are the means that a driver has to indicate intention to other road users. Its operation, which only requires raising or lowering the corresponding lever located behind the steering wheel with one finger, is important to avoid a traffic incident or collision. Despite being a key element in terms of safe-
Don't tell us yours didn’t! If so, auction it off, you're going to make a fortune because it's a unique and unknown jewel. Instead, now we need to use it (the tick-tock is cool)”. The General Traffic Regulations, they are mandatory to inform other road users about the manoeuvre that is going to be carried out. In any case, activating them does not give full priority or right of way to carry it out. First you have to make sure that it can be done without hindering the progress of other motorists or compromising road safety. To do this, it is necessary to observe the traffic well through the mirrors and looking around. After making sure that we can complete the move without incident, we proceed to signal the action.
PAGE 17
There are multiple traffic situations in which it is necessary to use them to indicate what action we are going to carry out with our vehicle. Such is the case of the incorporations in a road, either from stopped or in movement when we access a motorway; changes of direction, in which vehicles traveling in the opposite direction must also be watched; parking or stopping; overtaking and lane changes; as well as the exits of a roundabout, for example. In the extraordinary event that they do not work, the indication of the change of direction must be indicated with the left arm: in a horizontal position with the palm of the hand extended downwards, if the movement is going to be towards the side indicated by the hand, left; or bent upwards, also with the palm of the hand extended, if it is going to be the other way, right. The General Circulation Regulation establishes that a turning, change of direction or overtaking manoeuvre carried out "without warning the rest of the users with the mandatory signals, without sufficient notice" is considered a serious infraction sanctioned with a fine of 200 euro. Likewise, any failure of the indicators will result in a failure at the ITV inspection.
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PERCY’S RAMBLINGS DIRTY WATER ....
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Flooding around Potter Heigham and the River Thurne floodplain in early November
“Furious homeowners in great Yarmouth say new £121 million bridge is to blame for floods that left several villages underwater …” ur experience with flooding has been less dramatic: It all started on one of those days without a care in the World. The sun was shining, sparkling and bright, through the wide-open patio doors, letting fresh warm air flow through the room.
O
From our point of view, it was difficult not to think it had come from her, not knowing her exact age, other than she is getting elderly, we reasoned she must have been caught in an unexpected moment. It seemed the only answer as we had not knowingly spilt anything.
In front of the television, on top of the polished laminate floor, lay a plain grey rug and as I walked over it in bare feet, I felt moisture in one small area.
Over the next few days, the damp patch very slowly spread. No staining, just a clear wet patch, it was strange because the laminated coating on the floor around the rug had no sign of moisture.
Meg, our rescued Jack Russell, was following me as she normally does, and when I stopped to inspect the damp patch, she looked up at me with staring eyes as much to say that has nothing to do with me. Then getting a little closer to the spot sniffed at it by twinkling her nose, and she didn’t waste any time turning, slinking away with tail between her legs.
The build-up, as I said, was slow, the damp patch got larger and although the floor below the rug was damp there was no sign of the water emanating from the spot. We frequently looked up at the ceiling to see if the liquid was coming from there, but not a sign of anything that would suggest a leak in the roof.
Suddenly, one morning we were greeted with a spray of water gushing up the wall, initiating from behind the unit close to the TV screen. We pulled the unit out and the spray stretched into the air arching over, a cascade of crystal-clear water. Meg, who had been forgiven for the mystery dampness in the carpet, took one look with horror on her face, yapped at it, and then tucked her tail between her legs and ran out of the door, she was not going to get the blame for that. It was going to be a few days later before she would venture into the room again. We discovered an obscure main water conduit we knew nothing of buried in the wall at floor level which had been leaking for some time, seeping out of the pipe into and under the laminated floor, before bursting open spraying its unsolidified fluid everywhere, coating the living room awash with unsoiled clear water. The clean-up and repair was going to take some time. However, it was nothing like the situation experienced by Inhabitants who see their property flooded up and past ceiling level, needing more than a clean-up but a serious concentrated effort renewing the damages caused from the overflowing banks of a river, which would also include sludge, garbage and raw
sewage pouring out of the drains that cannot cope with the deluge. Water, a constant need, for it is life, and yet out of control it’s a fluid of horror. Flooding has been a frequent and constant news item, people’s swamped property portrayed as soon as there is any unusual weather. We are told some houses have had the problem repeated time and time again when their local river overflows. I am not sure when rules were issued, but it was some time in the distant past, when the UK was a member of the EU, which sent out a Directive to restrict dredging of rivers to protect the tiny living creatures that survive by making a home in the bottom of the flowing waters. The Environmental Agency was made responsible for the policing of this act. Now I know nothing about what happens at the lower end of a river, but I do know if you are digging in the garden and destroy an ant’s nest or disturb a worm in its daily activity then either of them leave very quickly and take up residence somewhere else. I am sure the little things living on the bottom of rivers and lakes would be doing the same if disturbed. Before this directive by the EU, landowners and others have known for hundreds of years that waterways and rivers must be kept clean
by dredging and in the past farmers carried out this work, because without being cleared, over time, sludge and silt builds up and the causeway is unable to cope with any unusual additional water. So there we have the Environment Agency, controlling these waterways, which these days they are probably doing working from home, and the nearest they get to a river is maybe studying the sediments on a fancy fish tank they have in the living room, and yet in Yarmouth they approved spoiling the river bed and the homes of the wiggly things that live there, to build two piers so a road could be constructed, which also reduced the flow of water, causing flooding to villages up stream. But when Mr Price of Herefordshire used a JCB to clear the rotting foliage and silt so that the water could flow more freely and help in prevention of flooding to the local area they got the rulebook out and decided his action was illegal. He was deprived of his liberty for twelve months and fined over half a million pounds. It seems to me that any farmer or landowner would know about the environment they live in far better than someone with a white collar. In my view, Mr Price has been treated very badly. Take care. www.facebook.com/percy chattey books.
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PAGE 19
‘The Golfers’ painted by Charles Lees, shows a match being played at St Andrews in 1847
GOLF HAS BEEN AROUND for a long time. Mary Queen of Scots was reportedly so infatuated with the sport that in 1567 she played a round only days after the death of her husband, Lord Darnley. She was accused of “coldbloodedness.”
excited anticipation. The purpose-built arena's air-supported dome partially collapsed and substantial repair work will be needed. Tiger and Rory's tech-infused league will not now commence until 2025. The news has left them understandably deflated.
Historians insist that a version was first played in Europe. That game was probably Coif, a hockey-like Dutch pastime. Charles Lees's 7ft wide oil painting 'The Golfers' considered by many to be the world's greatest golfing picture, depicts the Old Course at St. Andrews with fifty-four spectators at a famous foursomes. Whatever golf’s origins, its frustrations span centuries. The editors of 'The Nation ' wrote in 1894, that “The disappointments of the game are conducive to bad language.” A Scotsman, singing its praises, admitted that it led to much profanity, and that he, being in the ministry, had had to give it up,” ‘What!’ said his friend, ‘give up golf!’ ‘No,’ said he, ‘the ministry.’
My GOLFSPY's SWING TIP for us Oldies: We don't turn as well or hit the ball as far as we used to. One simple way to increase your shoulder turn and create more power is to turn your front foot in at address, so that it is pointing straight ahead. You will find it much easier to make a full shoulder turn on the way back and create lots more power. This increases your hip turn, giving the extra coil that means increased yardage.
THE LAUNCH OF TGL in Florida has been delayed until 2025 after the roof of it's inflatable arena was damaged following the failure of a temporary power system. Scheduled to begin on 9 January 2024, the prospect of a 15 event tournament taking place in the stadium with real grass and a giant screen was causing
WORLD GOLF AWARDS have announced the winner of the 2023 Best Course In Spain Award: The 36 hole La Hacienda Links Golf Resort” on the Costa del Sol. (No, I hadn't heard of it either.) THE FIRST DAY of the 2017 Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl was no place for old men, especially if suffering from laryngitis like the eventual winner Bernhard Langer. “I should be in bed but I couldn’t miss this,” he croaked. Tom Watson holed a 90 footer on the 1st and a
GOLF AT THE SUNNY CORNER ood days golf last Tuesday, at Las Colinas with Sunny Corner golf Xmas jumper day. Blind pairs winners George Gunn and Shane Scoot-denness, par 3s combined Ron Thompson, pictured.
G
All round best player George Gunn.
60 footer on the 14TH in 30 mph crosswinds. Cascading water, he spluttered: “Bring it on, this is true links golf!” 2023 WASN'T MUCH BETTER for golfers in the UK. The Open at Hoylake was blighted by downpours and the Alfred Dunhill was delayed due to flooding. It's easy to forget how lucky we are to be playing in Spain. We’re so used to shorts that when one cold morning I appeared on the tee at Altorreal in black waterproofs and black balaclava my partner thought he was about to be attacked by a jihadist. GOLFERS HAVE the happiest marriages – fact. 500 golfers and non-golfers' wives were asked to rate their marriages on a scale of one to five. Nearly 80% of the golfers' wives rated their
satisfaction as five, compared to 59% of nongolfers wives. So you can head off to the tee with the blessing of 'Er Indoors. (But maybe not on your wedding anniversary.) GET YOUR DELIGHTED EXPRESSION ready for ball markers printed with “May the Course be with You,” golfballs stamped with “Jingle those balls,” tees stamped with “Have a Tee-rrific Christmas” and shot glasses printed with “Dad's best Shot.” Not forgetting “Dad's Lucky Golf Socks.” You've got a drawer-full from last year, but who cares, it's Christmas! A Merry Christmas to all and happy golfing in 2024. Contact Mick for regripping & repairs. Tel 638 859 475 or visit https://mickthegrip.blogspot.com
SMILING JACK'S GOLF SOCIETY Good day ladies and gents and a special thank you for supporting Smiling Jack's Golf Society for our last outing of the year It was a bit dark at the first tee, but La Finca Golf Resort couldn't do enough to make us so welcome. The course was in excellent condition and a great day was had by our many golfers. A big shout out to the Ger and Al for looking after us so we'll as per. Also, a special mention to the huge number of prizes donated for our raffle, outstanding. A special thank you also to our Julie for flying back from UK just to get the fantastic food ready for us. Now for the scores: NTP on 3 was Neil O’Down, on 13 was Neil Piling, NTP in two on 10 was Pablo. In joint second place with 32 points was Pablo and Mary. Well done to you both but no
cigar. Our winner for the first time was Mary's other half, John, with 33 points, well done. The winner of the big raffle prize was Tom ‘Super Leeds’ Burke who wins a free Smiling Jack's Day of golf courtesy of the man himself Ger. I like to thank you all for your support throughout this year and especially to mi Julie for putting up with the stress from me whilst trying to get all this working perfectly, sorry dear. Our next outing will be at Roda golf on Thursday 11th January 2024. Details will be posted shortly. Merry Christmas from El Presidente
PAGE 20
Monday 11th - Sunday 17th December 2023
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VISTABELLA BOWLS CLUB
by Freddie Willey
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GREENLANDS BOWLS - Pearl Houghton The CHESTNUTS played host to San Miguel and really dug deep and achieved an 8-2 victory so well done all the players for such a great result putting the team at the top of their league. The Maples were outplayed this week losing 12-0 to San Luis. There is not much else to say except pull your socks up and let's have you back to winning ways. The Gladiators entertained El Cid this week and swords were sharp and brought home an 8-2 victory which keeps them at the top of their league, so keep focused and keep the winning ways going. The Maples were up against La Marina and lost 8-4 so seems more focus is needed as well, so come on folks. No more games this week owing to the passing of Jill Collins who was an ardent supporter of Greenlands and the social side of the club. Our condolences to Barry and family.
Emerald Isle Bowls Club Elwyn Morris
South Alicante Enterprise Division Flamingos v Vistabella Albatrosses (away match) A very cold day for bowls but managed a couple of winning rinks. Keith Black, Derek Howe & Maggie Furness 32-11, Freddie Willey, Derek Stevenson & Alan Bannister 21-9. Overall scores Country bowls 100pts to Vistabella's 97pts (very close) winners Country bowls 8-4. South Alicante Discovery Division Vistabella Drivers v Emerald Isle Neptunes A hard game against a very strong team but Vistabella managed to win one and draw a rink (good effort). Frank Barclay, Jeff Neve & Graham Doel 15-14, Rosemarie and Ken Savage & John Ridley 21-21. Overall scores Vistabella 76pts to Emerald Isle 96pts which gave Emerald Isle a 9-3 win.
bowlers. Vistabella managed one winning rink Tony Grimes, Alice Howe, Sue Wilson & Alan Bannister 17-14. Outplayed today by very strong Country bowls team. Overall scores 86-49. Convincing win for Country bowls 8-2. But afterwards a lovely meal had by all in the cosy warm restaurant, lovely meal. LLB Southern League Division B Vistabella Picadors - bye LLB Southern League Division C Conquistadors v San Luis Leopards (home match).
Winter League -
A very good result for Vistabella with three winning rinks. Rosemarie Savage, Ken Savage & Sue Wilson 27-7, Tony Grimes, Jeff Neve & Graham Doel 24-13 plus Clive Smith, Jim Jepson & Dave Hill 10-0. Overall scores 80pts - 62pts to Vistabella. 8-4 win for Vistabella Conquistadors. Well done.
Country Bowls v Vistabella (away match)
Contact:
A very damp, drizzly day for bowls, difficult for all
richardwilley321@gmail.com Tel: 698 925 932
SAN MIGUEL BOWLS CLUB By BARRY JONES On Monday morning San Miguel Dolphins were home to Emerald Isle Titans, it was a close-run game with the final score of 6 - 6, 87 shots to 91. Best winning triple were Jan Farmer, Dave Homer and Dori Svanbergsson 26 - 10. San Miguel Orcas were away to Greenland Chestnuts losing 2 10, 67 shots to 85. The winning triple were Bob Nesbitt, Dave Young and Bill Brownlee 17 - 14. On Wednesday San Miguel were away to Emerald Isle where
Titans began the week away at San Miguel Dolphins and they got a very good 6-6 Aggregate of 91-84 draw there, M Oakley S Marks R Marks 24-10, N Prior M Ellis M Dyer 21-12 Neptunes travelled to Vistabella Drivers and came away with a great 9-3 Aggregate of 96-76-win, G Inwood I Laverick B Fenty 21-9, S Ellis D Taylor J Taylor 21-14, J Sayer S Johnson K Jolliffe 19-17, P Moore M Thomas J Fenty got a 21-21 draw. Emperors played San Miguel in Winter League, and they finished with a very good win with Aggregate of 67-56, N Davis K Barber S Marks R Marks 23-10, S Kavanagh A Pridmore M Hartley B Kavanagh 20-8, M Oakley K Whelan D Mooney M Dyer 18-16 Cavaliers were at home against Quesada Swallows and got beaten by 4-8 Aggregate of 80-90, S Johnson N Davis M Hartley 24-14, P Willicott K Jolliffe B Kavanagh 22-13 Claymores played away at San Luis Tigers and got a good draw 6-6 Aggregate of 78-68, J Sayers J Fenty J Taylor 34-5, G Stritch D Laverick M Stritch 14-12. Outlaws played San Miguel Comanches and got beaten 2-10 Aggregate of 69-109 M Peaper J Mcguire J Holmyard 22-14 SAPS on Sat at 13-15 2 hours bowling with coaching Shoes and Bowls supplied all for 5 Euros and a bar.
they had another bad day at the office, losing 2 - 8, 56 shots to 67, the winning rink were Anita Brown, Steve Parr, Dori Svanbergsson and Steve Cantley 22 - 6. On Friday San Miguel Apaches were home to Country Bowls Geckos where they shared the points 6 - 6, 91 shots to 71. The best winning triple were Anita Brown, Pat McEwan and Ron Nairey 26 - 11. San Miguel Cherokees were away to Country Bowls Cubs where they lost 2 - 10, 88 shots to 105, the winning triple were Angela Broadhurst, Mark Westmoreland and Graham Barwell 37 - 9. San Miguel Comanches were away to Emerald Isle Outlaws
where they came out on top with a 10 - 2 win, 107 shots to 69. The best winning triples were Jenny Harvey, Adam Ingram and Rab Harvey 34 - 11. A reminder that the Wasps sessions are closed for the Christmas break after Wednesday 20th December until 10th January 2024. We welcome all bowlers who would like to join San Miguel B.C. as we are a unique club we only pay owner fees and a club fee and NO LEAGUE RINK FEES. For further information on San Miguel B.C please contact club secretary Barry Jones on 602 504 905 or club president Alan Campbell on 606 676 118
La Marina Bowls Club Monday and we were at home to Quesada and came away with a very hard fought 3 points, the shot difference was 57-121 in their favour, and our 3 points came from a shot difference of 1 shot in our favour. Our 1 point came from Trevor Stemp, Shirley Hadaway and Garth Slater with a draw of 15 shots each, and win was thanks to Les & Dave Joynes with Barry Roberts who won 15-14. Friday we were away to Greenlands a
game that had to put back to the afternoon in the respect of the funeral of Jill Collins (our sympathy goes to Barry and his family) as you can imagine it was a game played in a somewhat subdued atmosphere but nerveless it was played and we came away with a 8 – 4 victory which included a shot difference in our favour of 86 – 82. Unfortunately I cannot name our points winners but well done everybody for a good game in sad and very windy conditions.
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SAN LUIS BOWLS CLUB WITH SHEILA CAMMACK
It’s been a mixed week for our teams this week; with some “wow”!! moments and some; “oh dear that wasn’t the plan”!! But with just a couple of matches left before the Christmas break, everyone is fighting for points, ready for a good start to the second half of the season.
SOUTH ALICANTE LEAGUE: Monday 4th SL Klingons had an excellent result at home to Greenlands Maples, winning on all 5 rinks for 12 points-0, 115 shots-69. Well done to the whole team: Jan Pocock, Tricia & Pat Reilly 20-11, Kath Reid, June & Keith Jones 22-12, Neil Burrows, Sandra Burrows, Dave Webb 22-18, Dee Hoey, Caroline & John Smyth 29-8, Margaret & Neil Morrison, Ian Kenyon 22-18. WINTER LEAGUE: on Wednesday 6th San Luis were away at Bonalba, and had a very close match, winning 2 games each but taking the points 6-4, shots 70-65. Winners:
MONTE MAR BOWLS CLUB Sponsored by The Pub, Gran Alacant Insurances, Dialprix, The Belfry, Skippers, La Piedra. WINTER SABA LEAGUE MONTE MAR MATADORS v QUESADA RUBIES A great result at home to Quesada Rubies winning on all rinks and the shots. Well done Dave Eades, Steve Hindle skip
Kath Reid, Jane & Stewart Hamill, Ian Kenyon 21-12, Neil Burrows, Bill Webb, Barbara Louis, Sandra Burrows 20-18.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE: on Friday 8th SL Tigers were home v Emerald Isle Claymores. There were some hard fought battles, the Tigers won on 3 rinks, but lost the shots 6978, points 6-6. Winners: Joy Gardiner, Jane Hamill, Jean Cooper 24-10, Bill Webb, Florence Murphy, Jim Gracie 15-9, Chris Jackson, Ralph Jones, Vic Mahomet 13-11. SL Lions BYE SL Leopards were away at Vistabella v Conquistadores but I do not have any result details. SL Pumas had the long journey north to Monte Mar; unfortunately the Matadors showed no mercy and the Pumas had a tough morning for 0-12 points, 65-89. Here’s to good results in 2024.
Keith Young, Sheila Roberts, Diane Horsington skip John Hunt, Des Freeman, Paul Dodd. Skip Barry Watson, Gina Hindle, Howie Williams skip Phil Goble, Colin Bedford, Cindy Bedford skip Neil Crawford. Shots Matadors 128 – 64 Rubies. Points Matadors 12 – 0 Rubies. SOUTHERN LEAGUE MONTE MAR MATADORS v SAN LUIS PUMAS The second home game and another great result this time against San Luis Pumas. Well
done Lynne Armitage, Chris Harding, skip Keith Young, Gina Hindle, Steve Hindle skip Graham Smyth, Colin Bedford, Howie Williams skip John Hunt, Jean Chamberlain, Cindy Bedford skip Phil Goble, Sue Bounds, Diane Horsington skip Joan Harding. Shots Matadors 89 – 65 Pumas. Points Matadors 12 – 0 Pumas. For further information about Monte Mar Bowls and Social Club check out our website www.montmarbowls.com. We are also on Facebook.
COUNTRY BOWLS CLUB with PETER DIX
EL RANCHO BOWLS CLUB On Monday the Raiders had a bye. Wednesday found the Rowdies playing host to Benitachell and had a splendid match, taking three of the four rinks and the overall shots, a big morale booster for the team. Sheila Cox, Ron Greenstreet, Marion Haynes and Mike Cox 27-10. Bill Johnston, Derek Barker, Pam Harris and Henry Ryder 17-15. Mike Higgins, Rose Passmore, Mags Higgins and Keith Longshaw 9-32. Ria Dukker, Lesley Day, Judy Foley and Bob Day 18-8. On Thursday the Rowdies were at El Cid, where the weather was a lot warmer than yesterday and we were soon in shirt sleeve Country Bowls Club had a quieter Monday this week with the Seahawks and Ravens without a game in the Southern Alicante League it was left to the Flamingos to fly the flag. At home to Vistabella Albatrosses they set about the task with vigour coming out on top, winning on 3 and losing on 2, with one end to go the score was 96-97 to Vistabella but the team of Carole Donnellellan, Andy Failes and Peter Dix picked up 4 shots to seal the win 8-4, 100-97 shots. On Tuesday the Christmas Party was held at Marios in Sucina, 48 attended and enjoyed a super meal and the entertainment. In the Southern League we are into
December and a on coldish day the Geckos visited San Miguel and played the Apaches. A close game was had on the slower surface, cold, damp and windy, with only few ends to go it looked like a 100% loss but 3 rinks knuckled down and came out winning by the narrowest of margins. Overall result 6 points each, 71-91 shots. Highest rink was Darren Reynolds, Clive Hoyal and Peter Dix 19 shots to 16. In Division C the Cubs played at home against the San Miguel Chiquitos, the inform Cubs soon took control of the game in the cold windy conditions resulting in another great win 10 points to 2, 105-88 shots. Highest rink was John King, Dave Belton and Tom Macdonald 33-9.
order. As you would expect we were playing in good company, both colleagues and opponents, the only unfriendly issue was my body’s lack of bowl control. But I enjoyed the enjoyed the occasion despite coming away without a point. Bill Johnston, Val Ryder, Diane Yates and Henry Ryder 7-36. Debbie Ham, Rose Passmore, Adrian Ham and Marion Haynes 12-19. Ria Dukker, Lesley Day, Judy Foley and Bob Day 6-35. Sheila Cox, Frances Johnston, Malc Sykes and Mike Cox 14-26. The Mustangs Friday match was postponed until next Tuesday. Bowlers of all levels are welcome at El Rancho, for further membership information contact Sheila Cox at micksheilacox@gmail.com.
CARP-R-US ANGLING CLUB A chilly morning turned in to a lovely winters day for the Carp-R-Us Ann Fowles Memorial Trophy/Fur and Feather at El Bosquet. Unfortunately the whole venue had been used for a fishing festival the two previous days and this seemed to have a somewhat detrimental effect of the fishing. Winning the match, and therefore the Ann Fowles Trophy, from peg 8 using pole and maggot was Dave Hutchinson who weighed in a disappointing 6.34kg. Second, his best result at a club match, was Graham Booth who fished waggler and corn to land 5.90kg from peg 1. Third was Tony Flett on peg 2 who fished the pole with a variety of baits for 4.48kg. Fourth was Trevor Morrey on peg 1a with 4.18kg. Trevor also used pole and maggot. Further information about the club can be found on its website www.carp-r-us.weebly.com or on the Facebook page Carp-R-Us Fishing Costa Blanca
PAGE 22
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Monday 11th - Sunday 17th December 2023
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EARLY CUP EXIT GIVES THADER LEAGUE SURVIVAL ADDED IMPORTANCE Victor Pinon, a 22 year old central defender, is the latest player to join Thader. He arrives from Torrevieja, and has previously had stints at Los Montesinos and Algezares.
3-hour journey, almost 300 kilometers, awaited CD Thader last Wednesday, when they travelled north to Castellon.
A
Having had byes in previous rounds of La Nostra Copa (Valencian Community Cup), Odisea FC hosted the men from Rojales, inside Javier Marquina Stadium.
Although every competitive match is there to be won, manager Carlos Canales probably wasn't too upset at his team being knocked out of the competition at the first time of asking, as he strives to engineer a climb out of the league's relegation places.
TDLO LEAGUE FORMAT WEEK 3 TUESDAY 5TH DEC. League Format Week 3 (5/12/23)
Tickets are now on sale at the
Gap Girls
11 - 10
Primadonnas
Tipsy Tigers
10 - 11
Friendly Chicas
Ladybirds
15 - 6
Dolly Mixtures
Friendly Temps
14 - 6
Wacky Allsorts
Wolfsburg, in the Bundesliga, next April.
LEAGUE TABLE
Ex Thader youth player Xavi Simons is sponsoring this event, along with 2 other good prizes, as he currently plays for 4th place RB Leipzig. Thader's last Community league match of 2023, will be on Sun 17 Dec, ko 5pm, when they will visit near rivals Callosa CF, in the hope that they can continue a good run of league form.
PREMIER LEAGUE UK BROADCAST DEAL REAL-TERM LOSS, SAYS GLOBALDATA
P
F
A
Gap Girlz
3
41
19
Friendly's Temps
3
37
26
Primadonnas
3
37
27
Friendly's Chicas
3
32
32
Tipsy Tigers
3
30
34
Macklin's Dolly Mixtures 3
24
41
Ladybirds
2
23
20
Wacky Allsorts
2
7
32
for consumers but less so for the Premier League.
Following the news that the Premier League has sold the UK broadcast rights to Sky and TNT Sports for £6.7 billion; Conrad Wiacek, Head of Sport Analysis at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view: “The Premier League will rightly be delighted to have secured a new media rights deal with Sky and TNT in the UK market. On the surface, the deal is a success and an increase for the Premier League on its previous deal, guaranteeing the league $8.45 billion (£6.7 billion) in revenue over the next four years. “However, in real terms the deal is a loss for the Premier League. More games are available in the packages, and the term is over four years
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Torrevieja Darts Ladies Organisation
Odisea FC............2 club for a chance to win an all expenses paid trip for 2, to CD Thader ...........1 watch Red Bull Leipzig v
Odisea currently sit top of their Preferente division group, so it was no surprise that they notched up a 2 goal lead, before Fran scored a consolation goal for the visitors.
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as opposed to the three year cycles the Premier League has previously operated in simply meaning a lower cost per game, which is great
HOT DARTS WEEK 3: Pat Schofield (TT) 153, 100, Helen Bushell (FC) 138, “There was an expectation the Amazon, Apple 100, Bliss Wright (GG) 134, 100, Yvonne Rouffignac (GG) 121, 100 x2, Sharon and DAZN would be in the running for rights yet none of have challenged the incumbents in O´Rourke (LB) 133, Sharon Marshall (GG) 126, Sarah Grove (FT) 122, Debbie Comcast owned Sky and Warner Bros de Grys (PD) 121, Lisa Ivill (TT) 121, Discovery owned TNT. In fact, with Amazon Chris Greenwood (WA) 114, Bev Howard losing rights for the ‘Christmas’ package, its (FT) 107, Margaret Bowden (WA) 106, suggests that the streaming services have no Pat Woods (LB) 105, 101, Rhianna interest in attempting to take on the UK market. With Amazon and Apple positioning them- Marshall (GG) 103, Diane Curran (FT) 100 x2, Chelsea Campbell (GG) 100, selves effectively in the US market, and DAZN Sharon Crane (TT) 100, Diane Dane (PD) having rights in several key European markets, 100, Nina Mander James (TT) 100, Angie the UK sports rights market is still dominated Mullen (LB) 100, Dons Ralph (LB) 100 by Sky and will be for the foreseeable future.”
AUSTRALIAN RAPTORS WOMENS RUGBY PLAYING AT VILLAJOYOSA On Wednesday 13 December, at 6pm, La Vila will host an Australian Rugby team for the very first time. The visitors will be the AUSTRALIAN RAPTORS S16 Women's Team, which will face a team from the Valencian Community Having already played in Barcelona last Saturday the Raptors will finish their tour with a match against the Madrid National Team on Saturday, December 16 The meeting serves as preparation for the Valencian Community which will take part in the Spanish Championship of Autonomous National Teams CESA The match on Wednesday will have free entry Before the game, the Australian girls will visit the Old Town of Villajoyosa, where they will learn about the history of the area. This match is organised by the Costa Blanca Rugby Club and has the collaboration of the Sports Department of the Villajoyosa City Council, Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante Provincial Council and Rugby Federation of the Valencian Community
QUIZ FROM P 14: 1. Scarface, 2. The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons, 3. Roger Moore, 4. Indonesia, Japan, USA, 5. Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Russia. 6. Paul Anka. 7. Answer c. The End (Abbey Road). 8. Michael Jordan, Lebron James and Tiger Woods, 9. Barbados, 10. a. Revolution, b. Im So Tired, c. Taxman, d. I Am The Walrus, e. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite. 11. Congo. 12. a. Mexico, b. India, c. New Zealand, d. South Africa, 13. Jack Lord, 14. Andy Warhol, 15. A Passage to India, 16. Answer d. lithium, 17. My Lai, 18. Louis Vuitton, 19. The Color of Money, 20. The Wall (Pink Floyd)
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CUP COMPETITIONS By Paul Durrant
Both KO Cup and Auxiliary Cup competitions will resume in April '24 to conclusion, following League fixture completion.
LEAGUE AWARDS Prizes this term will be awarded to the top 3 teams in both division 1 and 2. All other prize categories remain the same.
LEAGUE RESULTS 7 DECEMBER DIVISION 1 CK1 Lads Mind The Gap Domino's Doms Hub Hyenas Tipsy Toad Toppers
9-3 10-2 9-3 P-P 9-3
Freakie Taverners Milo's CC's Bees El Capitan Leeson St Trotters
DIVISION 2 Illy's Oldies Pint Depot Queens Fallen Angels Fire Station Danny's Bar
8-4 5-7 5-7 11-1 7-5
Tipsy Toad Tiaras Hub Hellraisers Domino's Desps CK1 Ladybirds Tasty Taverners
LEAGUE TABLES DIVISION 1 Domino's Domignomes Mind The Gap Tipsy Toad Toppers CC's Bees El Capitan Hub Hyenas CK1 Lads Leeson Street Trotters Milo's Freakie Taverners DIVISION 2 Fire Station Danny's Bar Illy's Oldies Domino's Desperados Fallen Angels CK1 Ladybirds Hub Hellraisers Tasty Taverners Tipsy Toad Tiaras Pint Depot Queens
P 8 8 8 8 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Pts 15 14 12 9 8 8 5 4 3 0 14 14 12 10 10 8 6 4 4 0
legs 67 69 66 51 52 50 36 37 25 17 69 64 64 53 52 51 31 41 38 18
180’S: Bliss Wright, Steve M Dalton, Steve Mullen, Paddy Morgan MOST 180’S: Andres Liamazares X 4 HIGH FINISHES: Graham Solomons 154, Che Liam 112, Mark Farmer 100 HIGHEST FINISH TO DATE: Dave Askew 160
DIVISION 1 C.K. 1 LADS V FREAKIE TAVERNERS This Lads win saw the boys leap frog Leeson St. and keep Freakies anchored at the foot of the table. A great performance from the Lads that saw them 6-0 up at half time with some pretty decent arrows from Steve Mullen 4 tons and 180, Steve Dalton 2 tons and a 180, and Les Adams 4 tons. In response tons from Ernie Willis, Tony Garcia and Debs de Grys but
no outer ring. Les Adams secured the points in the 2nd half, Dalton adding 100,140 in his 2-0 victory, Bill Leaves hitting a whopping 152 but losing the 12th leg. Freakies cleaning up the 9th,10th and 11th legs through Steve Hawkins, Bryan Livesy (inc a 74 out) and a POTM outing for Tony Garcia. Mullen - Lads - POTM. MIND THE GAP V MILOS Despite a Gap battering, Milos are showing a decent improvement week on week. A POTM showing from Javi de Gea 2x135,125, 5x100, 4x80+, to include a singles defeat of an in form Gordon Cowan (5 ind. tons) and fine efforts from Derek Mongan 4 ton +'s including a pairs victory, plus the teams 40 scores of note, bodes well. It however, is not yet good enough to beat the current champions (but for how long?). Another 30 tons or more, a maximum from Bliss Wright, a 6 ton unbeaten evening for POTM Sam Salt, just 6 tons from James Brown and 112 and 79 outs from Che Liam, not forgetting 5 winning outs from Paul Mooody. Quite outstanding. DOMINOS DOMIGNOMES V C.C.BEES Hot on the heels of the Gap are Gnomes who themselves banged in 35 tons, to include a 6x100, 5x140, a ton checkout, and a 16 dart singles effort from Mark Farmer. Bees winning Ricky Perez legs came via Paul Tollafield, Reg Christopher inc. a 75 out with Richie McSweeney and a 1-2 singles win over Chelsea Campbell from a 4 ton Ivan Jones. As expected from Gnomes there were more superb darts from Nigel Justice 6 tons, a further 8 three figure scores from Ricky Perez and 4 tons apiece from Olly Walker and Dave Wharton. POTM - Farmer - Reg Christopher. TIPSY TOAD TOPPERS V LEESON ST.TROTTERS Toppers won all 3 triples and 2 of the pairs for a comfortable 5-1 half time lead. Leeson's Barry Shingler knocking in 140,100, Ken Skinner adding a 3rd in the opening 3, but Toppers providing the outs, courtesy of a Dale McGuiness T20,S20,D8, Dave Askew 100,D10 and Graham
Alex Nikolov and Kain Hickman Solomans D10. were Trotters sole winners in the 1st six sharing 4 tons and winning doubles. Phil de Lacy D16 and Askew a 76 out on the bull closed the 1st half. Wins from Leeson's Hickman and Yvonne Rouffignac
Paddy & Yvonne
sandwiched an Askew victory for 6-3, "Roofers" hitting 4x83+ and 2x100 for POTM. Solomans gaining the 7th leg, to include a T20,T18,D20 - 154 out, the recipient Nikolov - OUCH!!! Paddy Morgan earned POTM with a 2-0 win over Billy Dolling the Topper hitting 5x83+ and a maximum.
DIVISION 2. ILLIES OLDIES V TIPSY TOAD TIARAS It was lovely to meet Illy´s Oldies, a nice bunch of chaps. The Tiaras were expecting a hard time of it but found themselves taking the first leg courtesy of POTM Eileen Askew´s 10-15-D20 and were 3 apiece at the halfway stage (Lisa Ivill D4, Simone de Lacy 16- D8). Thinking they were in with a good chance of a draw at full time, the ladies were slow to capitalise on scoring advantage and allowed the oldies to nab the spoils, with only Captain Pat Schofield taking a singles glory. Larry & Eileen
Top players for the home team were David Johnston with 3 wins, Steve ´Tesco´ Parkin with 2 up his sleeve and POTM Larry The Lamb Hodson 140, 134 and a 3 darter in the final singles (D6-4-D2). PINT DEPOT QUEENS V HUB HELLRAISERS Lorraine Cox continued her fine run of form with yet another POTM performance, but still to figure on the winning side. With a 4-2 half time lead my money would have been on the Royals to at least get their 1st point, not so as Raisers reeled off the first 5 singles, Ali
Scammell finding D8 for the points. 3 figure scores from Queens Alison Wands, Debbie Wright, Rachel Broadhead and Cox. Raisers replying with tons from Carol Peace,Linda Davies and POTM Sue Spiers, taking the 1st of her sides 5 singles victories. FALLEN ANGELS V DOMINOS DESPERADOS Angels never recovered from a 1st half 2-4 score, needing 4 singles for a draw but achieving just 3. Tony Spiers and Graham White both found D8 before the break, Despos Colin Kernahan in real form with 3x83+, 3x100+ and 3 outs, Kath Wallbanks the 4th leg. Steve Harding helping out with 102,140. POTM, Kernahan 140, D10, stretched Despos lead, prior to an Angels revival, Forrest hitting his 3rd ton of the match plus D16, Spiers 100,D5 and Mike Tierney making it all square after 10 legs. Despos regained their composure taking the last 2 and match via Eunice Letts and Mike Langan. Angels - POTM - Forrest. FIRE STATION V C.K.1 BIRDS Station retain top spot and increase their leg advantage over 2nd placed Dannys, with this surprising thumping of Birds. Plenty of scores from the ladies, probably good enough to beat most, but not Station. Just the one overall pairs win from Gena Wood and Angie Philpott. Robbie Monks got the all important 7th leg on D10 for both points, but it was Tim Clarke taking the POTM accolade with 4 tons and plenty of 80+ scores. Kirsty Green hitting trebles with ease for Birds POTM. DANNYS BAR V TASTY TAVERNERS Tasties got the better of Dannys 1-2 in the triples Henni Oortwijn and Sharon Williams closing for the visitors, Rob Norbury replying for the hosts. Bob Smiths 2x140, D8, levelled the match, Williams regaining Tasties advantage, with partner Oortwijn. Two tons from Murray Macleod, plus a further 100 and D4 from Lesley Lumb made it all square at tea time. Mandy Woods nudged Tasties ahead in the 2nd half, only for Dannys to reel off the next four legs, taking the match. Macleod outing on 60 after 116,125, Lumb nailing D16, somehow surviving an 83,140,100, barrage from Williams. Norbury claiming the points over Winnie McKay, Paul Raffell 138,100 losing the 12th to Chris Hutchinson D19. POTM - Macleod - Williams.
Tasty Taverners
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