Costa Calida Chronicle January 2015

Costa
Clida
Chronicle
The Longest Established

hed
FREE Magazine
in Murcia
www.costacalidachronicle.com
Date: January 2015
Issue: 2
Volume: XV
In association with Costa Clida International Radio and www.angloINFO.com
SPECIAL PAGES
Mar Menor
Mazarrn
Northwest Murcia
Sport
Whats On
58-62
44-49
30-33
78-81
79-85
ADITORIAL
Corral & Alcaraz
Dragontours
Legal View
Sovereign Wealth
16
74
28
18
CHARITIES
ADAPT
Age Concern
Andreas Charity
Cavalli Foundation
Easy Horse Care
ESAMD
FAST
GOmaD
HAH
HELP Mar Menor
Lions
MAMAS
Noahs ARC
PALS
Pets in Spain
Swap Tears for Smiles
61
45
52
8
60
22
44
8
62
60
52
51
38
50
26/76
86
CHILDREN
Chatterbox
Leos
67
36
EDUCATION
Jane Cronin
14
ENTERTAINMENT
Cave Concert
30
Cloud Nine
Country Music
Los Canovas Players
Spangles
28
76
49
58
FOOD & DRINK

Food 4 Thought
Ma Millbank
Menu del Dia
Vegetable of the Month
22
34
68
34
GROUPS
Camposol B Clean
48
Camposol C Greenfingers
44
Camposol Sector D
47
Humanists
14
Ladies Chatterbox
47
Mazarrn Bridge
48
MCC Social Club
45
Welcome
24
64
63
LEISURE
Author Review
Gardening News
Hiking in Moratalla
NEST
Never a Dull Moment
Poem
Puzzle Page
Puzzle Solutions
TV News
WARM
42
12
33
56
75
43
54
82
10
33
PROPERTY
Housing Update
Property Matters
83
83
RELIGION
Beacon of Light
16
Mass in English
20
Olive Branch
18
Open Door
36
St Nicholas Church
56
Welcome House
30
Wellspring Victory Church
66
HEALTH/BEAUTY
Acupuncture
56
Fitness Month by Month
50
Forget Me Not
49
INFORMATION
Advertisers Directory
Animal Matters
British Embassy
Business News
Classified Ads
Dacia Dokker
Dear Editor
Jumilla
Mazarrn News
Northwest Murcia
Samaritans
Spanish News
Teresas Travels
84/85
7
26/86
6
82
10
40
32
46
31
63
SPORT
Camposol Golf
78
Fuente Old Guard
78
Local Sport
81
Los Amigos Mazarrn 79
Los Nietos Golf
80
Straight Down the Middle
80
Price List - All Prices are excluding IVA

A - Full Page
Size of advert
19cm wide
26,5 cm high
Full Colour
250,00
B - Half Page
x 19cm wide
13,1cm high
135,00
C - 1/4 Page
x 9,3cm wide
13,1cm high
85,00
F Card
Business
x 12,6cm wide x 6,25cm wide x 9,3cm wide

8,7cm high or 8,7cm high
5cm high
6,25 wide x 17,5
cm high
75,00
45,00
35,00
To advertise with us contact Teresa on 619 199 407 or email us on costacalidachronicle@gmail.com
Costa Clida Chronicle: Please tell our customers where you saw their advertisementt
Page 2
Sales Contact Teresa 619 199 407 or for the Editor Contact Patti 646 005 017
email: costacalidachronicle@gmail.com
Costa Clida Chronicle: Please tell our customers where you saw their advertisement
Page 3
As is usual at this time of year, many of the

bars and restaurants are taking their holidays
after the manic Christmas and New Year
celebrations, although there are still plenty
to choose from when you are out and about.
Be assured that they will be open February/
March time ready for the new season.
We must apologise to Hector Hurley for
missing out his Cash Waiting advert in the
December magazine. This does not happen
very often and we hope that you will make
full use of his knowledge and expertise when
trading in something for cash so that you can
put the money towards something that you
really want.
Even at this time of year there are new
businesses opening in the area as they see
the potential of using the power of advertising
to promote them. We would like to welcome
and hope that you will support:
New Advertisers
Auna Antonia Lopez Solicitor Lawyer
Bar/Restaurante Lara
Legal View
Quick Print
Sovereign Wealth Financial Advice
Welcome Back
Another World Properties
Clida Care Agency

Camposol Properties
Eden Hair & Beauty
Kevins Fly Screens
Miles Guttering
Petro Alhama
Tels Bar
The Care Agency
Vivien Stuart (Spanish lessons)
Yogamayga
The 2015 Costa Clida Chronicle Calendar
is now out and this year we are offering these
to our readers and friends. If you would like
one, please call in to our office on Camposol
B or Los Belones Laundrette.
We would like to thank all our
contributors who have produced such
varied and interesting articles each
month over the past year for our readers
and we wish everyone a Wonderful and
Prosperous New Year.
From all of us at the
Costa Clida Chronicle

Please note that the recycling points for cards
this year are at Best Wishes and the Post
office on Camposol B and Noahs ARC charity
shop in Puerto de Mazarrn.
THANK YOU TO OUR

CONTRIBUTORS
Alan Monk TV News
Christine Lawford - Poem
Clive & Rosie Palmer
Exploring Murcia
Dick Handscombe Gardening
George Mitchell Never a Dull
Moment
Ian Field Fitness, Month by
Month
Ken Whettall Housing Update
Jane Cronin Learning
Spanish
Liz Edmiston Property
Matters/Food 4 Thought
Paco Sanchez Vera Animal
Matters
Sara Millbank Ma Millbanks
Kitchen
Think Spain Spanish News
DISCLAIMER
Whilst the CCC are happy to accept monthly reports from the various organizations in the area, the articles printed are not necessarily the
opinions of the editor or publisher and the contents should be viewed as a guideline only. Professional advice should be sought to cover any
information printed therein. Advertisements and reports are not formally endorsed by the CCC. We cannot accept responsibility for advertisers
works, service or goods. The publishers endeavour to ensure the contents are correct, but cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors
or omissions.
Page 4
Page 5
If you are an existing customer and you have some Business News that you would like to
share with our readers then why not email it to us to be included on our Business News page.
Please keep your news to about 50 words and send us an email by 15th of the month,
to costacalidachronicle@gmail.com with Business News in the subject box.
Are you thinking of selling your house?

Make sure that all your licences etc are upto-date. Martinez de la Casa Architects
are experts in this field. By law you must
have an energy certificate before you put
your house on the market. Martinez de
la Casa Architects organise this for you
for 121 inc IVA.
For all your cleaning, from duvet and

pillows to rugs and small carpets,
Rainbow Laundrette in the Mar Menor
now has drop-off points:
The Post Room, Rio Nalon
Tel 968 575 626
Ascensions Hair & Beauty, Los Narejos
Tel 868 107 629
After a few weeks holiday, Caf

Buenavista, in El Alamillo, re-opens on
January 5th with a Three Kings Eve Party!
We will have a DJ and 70s and 80s music,
Come and join the party!
Tel 868 088 140
For antiquity Certificates, EPCS, Structural

Surveys and all Building Licences call 665
810 411
During January, Blue Sky Caf in Bolnuevo

will be offering free tea refills with their
delicious, traditional Cream Teas! What a
lovely way to spend a couple of hours one
afternoon.
Call Keith on 635 220 850 for your
reservation!
Janes Salon, Bolnuevo are proud to offer

all their clients a Pampering Session and
Lunch on Thursdays to including a mini
facial, speedy nails and blow dry, choice
of fresh baguette/salad and spicy wedges
with a glass of wine or other refreshment.
They will be bringing Camposol, Mazarrn
Country Club and Condado de Alhama
closer by offering free transport (Jan/Feb)
when booking any pamper package on
selected days. Please book in advance due
to popular demand.
Whether you are looking for windows,

doors or security improvements or just
replacement shutters for your windows
you need look no further than Brian
Jones. Brian has been working in the area
for over 10 years and is your one stop
shop for all your property maintenance
needs.
Tel Brian on 646 705 021
Tel 968 158 433
The Beauty Palace on Camposol B has

pleasure in welcoming Jane Hardy as
part of their team. Jane worked at New
Images for a few years until its closure in
December. They would also like to wish
Melissa from New Images good luck in her
new venture.
If you are looking to upgrade your SKY TV

Box, or replace your entire TV package,
look no further than Sky Satellite
Systems. They can do it all!
For more details of offers available, call
Bob on 689 291 753.
Tel 968 971 828
Solhuse Real Estate Agency, would like

to wish all clients and associates a Happy
and Prosperous New Year. To celebrate
the New Year, the company is offering
reduced commission rates in its New Year
Property Sales Special where their usual
5% commission is reduced to just 3% on
any property newly listed during January
(up to 100,000).
Quickprint is a newly opened print

agency on Camposol, offering quality
printing at sensible prices. They specialise
in business cards and flyers, but also
produce brochures, booklets, banners, for
sale boards etc. A design service is also
offered with free quotations.
Tel 968 105 333 or email info@solhuse.

com for your free, no-obligation market
valuation.
You may be surprised at our prices, so

please call John Craig on 638 942 234 for
a quote.
Bar/Restaurante Lara is the latest

to join the Costa Clida Chronicle
ever popular Menu del Dia guide. This
restaurant in Puerto de Mazarrn has
stunning sea views! Lara offers a superb
value for money Menu del Dia for only
9 which includes a bottle of wine for 2.
Tell Lara that you saw their advert in this
months magazine to get 2 free glasses
of wine or 2 caas to go with your meal!
Tel 616 559 122
Yorkshire Linen Best Seller!

Teddy Bear Mattress Enhancers Perfect for cold nights in Spain from
24.99. Keep toasty, warm and snug with
these supremely soft mattress enhancers.
*Warm and cosy 230 gms fleece layer for
Winter
*Soft touch microfibre reverse for Summer
*Non allergenic
*Fitted elastic straps to fit most beds
*Washable at 40
Available in single, double and king sizes.
Tel 968 595 946 Mazarrn
968 193 912 San Javier
Page 6
Dog Health Programme

Undoubtedly the basis of good health for our
dogs should concentrate on good nutrition,
proper hygiene, a good environment where
the animal can exercise stress-free and of
course a good programme of vaccination, flea
treatment and de-worming.
Vaccine Programme In Dogs
There are different vaccines on the market
against major infectious diseases of dogs.
This is more or less the vaccination protocol
that is followed by most vets:
applied in animals older than six months.

Firstly we do a blood test to confirm the
absence of antibodies against Leishmania and
then we start vaccinating the animal. There
will be three initial doses spaced at three
week intervals and then an annual booster
dose. At first the appearance of this vaccine
triggered euphoria among veterinarians,
but over time we have seen animals that
were vaccinated still become ill and it is
difficult to interpret the results of serological
tests. This vaccine can also accelerate
some autoimmune diseases such as Lupus,
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Perianal Fistulas etc
and may be contraindicated in those animals
suffering some immune-mediated processes
such as Atopic Dermatitis.
Clinica Veterinaria
Puerto de Mazarrn
Tel 968 153 931
Camposol A
Tel 968 199 263
6 weeks - Early Primary Vaccination that

does not interfere with the colostral immunity
against Parvovirus and Distemper.
8 weeks - Revaccination with heptavelente
vaccine
for
Parvovirus,
Distemper,
Adenovirus viral hepatitis, Parainfluenza and
Leptospirosis.
10 weeks heptavelente.
Third
vaccine
including
In breeds with racial predisposition to

Parvovirus, such as Rottweilers, German
Bulldogs, or dogs predisposed to have had
contact with the virus in accommodation such
as kennels or shelters, it would be advisable to
give two doses,with an interval of two weeks,
with bivalent vaccine Parvo-Coronavirus.
3 months - Rabies vaccine must be vaccinated

annually in the Autonomous Community of
Murcia, although if the dog is vaccinated and
revaccinated, puppy vaccinal antibodies from
most vaccines are effective for three years
Other Recommended Vaccines:
The vaccine for Kennel Cough has two
components; virus type 2 Parainfluenza and
Bordetella bronchiseptica. This vaccine is
essential when dogs are going in to kennels.
These vaccines are very effective and have
active immunity after only 48 hours of
inoculation.
We also recommend vaccination against
Babesiosis, which is a vector-borne disease
ticks. Unfortunately, there is still no effective
vaccine against Ehrlichiosis, which is the
disease transmitted by ticks in the South of
Spain.
There are also vaccines against Canine
Herpesvirus which is responsible for infertility,
abortions and neonatal mortality in pregnant
dogs, especially those living on farms or
kennels with large numbers of individuals.
Two doses of the vaccine should be given to
pregnant bitches.
Finally, the vaccine against Leishmaniasis
has been available for some years now. This
disease comes from a parasite, as with malaria
in humans and the effectiveness of these
vaccines is like those designed to prevent
infection from viruses or bacteria, with a level
of protection of 70%. This vaccine should be
Page 7
All good news from Cavalli this month.

Petit and Hannah took their first hack out in
the Autumn sunshine. He is well on the way
to recovery and Hannah is thrilled.
We
found
Lluvia lame
and
tied
to a fence.
Cavalli had
a
call
for
help
and
responded
straight away.
Lluvia
was
immediately
adopted
by
Rafa
and
Carmen and
r e n a m e d
Arizona. She
and Carmen
are
now
inseparable
friends
and
she has found
a wonderful forever home along with dogs,
chickens and Rafa, of course.
Cavalli veteran pony, Magic, was the hero
of the morning, helping out with the kids at
Cavalli Foundation stand and supporting
International Volunteers Day in Alhama
Town Hall Square.
Christian Humanitarian Aid Charity

in the Mazarron & Surrounding area
helping those in need irrespective of
race, creed or status.
We would like to thank all the volunteers
for their help during 2014, without whom
we would not be in a position to help those
families in need in our area and we hope
we can rely on them to continue to help us
in 2015.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
evening a small team of our volunteers go to
Lidl in Puerto de Mazarrn and pick up their
rejected food items. These are then taken
back to our shop and sorted, cleaned up,
repackaged in some cases and then returned
to the rear of Lidls where we distribute
the goods to our clients. Some also go to
our Mazarrn shop clients. No out-of-date
items or meat are given out and the best
of the edible rejected fruit and vegetables
are distributed; packets that are torn and
Sophie, a re-homed rescue dog, had an

exciting road trip with Cavalli volunteer
Kristy as they both made their way over the
Pyrenees and onwards to her forever home
with Kristys parents in the Isle of Man.
We presented a project to the Fibromyalgia

Association Fibrofamur during a series of talks
organized by Clinalgia and the Fibromyalgia
Unit at Molina del Segura Hospital - the
beneficial effects of therapeutic riding and
activities for Fibromyalgia sufferers - in the
company of our rescued horses and ponies,
with the view to commencing in spring 2015.
Last but not least, Father Christmas paid a
special visit to bring surprises for the children
of Cavalli Riding School during their
Christmas Camp.
cleaning
products
with the tops
missing are
resealed.
Sometimes
it is a messy
business
for
the
volunteers,
but it is a
worthwhile
task as this
food is an
extra bonus
for
our
clients over
and
above
the aid food we give to them each month.
It is also an opportunity for the clients on
a weekly basis to request any other items
they need to help them and their families
live a little more comfortably and to know
someone is there to help.
During
December
we distributed items
from our Christmas
Present Appeal. We
would like to take this
opportunity to thank
all those who helped
us achieve this task.
The Fat Ladies Club
collected and wrapped
donated hand knitted
items and toys for our
seasonal appeal and
the Welcome Group
donated 79 Goody
The fantastic work weve achieved during

2014 has been made possible by the help
of our tireless volunteers and the generous
donations from friends and supporters, so
thanks to all and a special vote of thanks for
the patience and support of Cavalli patrons
and the staff of the Costa Clida Chronicle.
All that remains is for us to wish you all a very
happy and prosperous New Year.
Liz and Veronica
(0034) 636 172 198
Follow us on Facebook, or for more
information about horse rescue and therapy
projects email
infocavallifoundation@gmail.com
www.cavallifoundation.org
Bags for us to distribute; a heartfelt thanks

to you on behalf of the children we help
goes to you all.
We look forward to your continued support
during 2015 and if you would like to help us
in any way; volunteer in one of our shops,
or drive our van or come to our Mazarrn
shop to repair and to test the electrical
items that are donated to us or help at one
of our three Aid Days per month, please call
634 357 137, email us on
madmazarron@live.com or visit one of
our shops.
If you need our help or support in any way,
please do not hesitate to contact us, we are
here to help anybody if we can.
C/Carmen, 8
Mazarrn
30870 Murcia
Tel. 634 357 137
CIF G30853790
Page 8
Page 9
Calle Sobrija 2248

Sector D
Camposol
laughter and so many lovely comments

regarding the unity between us all. This is
where my New Years Resolution comes in.
A happy, healthy and peaceful New

Year to everyone.
Now I like talking to people, but not

everyone feels the same. Sometimes
they feel shy, or maybe they have some
other reason for not doing so. It could be
a language barrier for instance, so I am
going to make sure I both speak and smile
at everyone I meet each day. I am just
warning you in case you come across this
mad woman on Camposol, or in the locality
of Mazarrn. So beware, if you are looking
glum and dont have a smile of your own,
Ill give you one of mine. My resolution
wont make me healthier, but the exercise
I get from using my chuckle muscles will, I
hope, benefit more than just myself! Who
knows, instead of spreading those cold
germs this winter, we could spread a bit
of warmth and happiness if we all do the
same.
Have you made and more importantly,

kept any Resolutions this January? I know
we are only at the beginning of the month,
but lots of people fail to keep those wellintentioned ideas for more than the first
week or two. I dont usually make any, but
this year I have and its all down to the
Christmas concert we had in December.
For the first time, we combined the choirs
from our English and German speaking
branches, to make a fantastic evening of
Christmas carols, songs and poems. Even
though we were not all able to understand
each others language, we nevertheless
joined in the chorus with great enthusiasm.
The atmosphere was wonderful (and not
all down to Monicas gluhwein and Lens
mince pies!), with lots of singing and
We also hold a Bible Discussion Group

each Tuesday at 4.30pm. All welcome.
As well as the services, we offer
Wedding Blessings, Holy Baptisms,
Confirmations and Funerals. We have
a Pastoral Care Group throughout the
year, with people willing to listen, talk and
help anyone who is sick or in need. This
Pastoral Care is in complete confidence.
For further information, please contact:
Rev Maureen Kent 968 970 637 / 636
099 679
Rev Deacon Bill Coyle 634 143 260
Rev Eberhard Klute 968 138 764 (German
Branch)
God bless
Rev Maureen
NEST - Nature Espua Trails - wishes you

a wonderful New Year in 2015!
We have two easy walks in January to start
the year off sociably with fun, fresh air and
astounding views!
Friday 9th & 30th January - LAKE meet
10.30am at El Berro car park.
The 9th January walk is 2 hours in the
dazzling white moonscapes of Gebas for
glorious distant views of the blue lake great for landscape photographers! This
will be a tantalising taste and view of the
lake ready for 30th January walk when well
walk via a different route, right to the edge
of the beautiful lake (3 hours).
Services for January 2015

All on Sundays at 10.30am
4th Songs of Praise
11th Holy Communion
18th Morning Prayer
25th Holy Communion
NEST walks are for the friendly and social

as well as having health benefits. Were not
sporty walkers. We always go at a relaxed
easy pace, with stops to chat. The walks
are usually on rubbly paths with some
slopes, but 30th January walk is mostly
on tarmac. We wait for slower people in
a supportive spirit and dont race ahead,
although you need to be fit. Bring water
and wear sensible walking footwear. Not
least, bring a smile! The walk is 5 and the
delicious authentic Spanish meal 9.
Book by texting/calling 679 002 147
After each walk well go to the restaurant
in the mountains where we may see wild
boar if lucky.
Email natureespunatrails@gmail.com
with names and contact tels and await
confirmation as places are limited.
I am looking forward to seeing you all! Its
a nice way to make friends, keep fit and
have fun!
Detailed driving directions and more on
www.nestwalks.info
Page 10
Page 11
Guidelines For An Effective Winter

Clean Up by Dick Handscombe,
holistic gardener living in Spain for over 25
years
11. The pruning of fruiting vines, shrubs

and trees and the thinning of strawberry
beds and transplanting of young suckers
to expand the bed.
January is the best month for a thorough

winter cutback and cleanup in most gardens
along the Costas and in coastal inland
valleys. Above 300 metres, some tasks are
best left until after the snowy and frosty
weather is past.
Some Detailed Guide Lines For Some

Specific Plants
Bougainvilleas Unless established plants
are given a hard pruning they are liable to
become leggy and shapeless and even grow
out of control. Uncontrolled plants can grow
beyond the edge of the roof and well above
boundary walls. Firstly they look unsightly
and secondly they can get torn from the
walls by high winds when in full leaf and
flower.
Cut back the side shoots along each of
the main branches to stimulate flowering
shoots.
Cut back the main branches to give shape.
Cut out all suckers these are the paler
green straight stems with larger leaves.
After pruning, check that the main branches
are securely but loosely tied, to allow for the
expansion of trunks and branches. Thread
the tying up wire through an old piece of
hose so that it doesnt cut into the stems as
they grow. Treat younger plants a little more
gently concentrating on pruning to shape.
The Main Objective

To prepare the garden for the next twelve
months of healthy and scenically beautiful
growth, flowering and fruiting.
The Main Tasks
Providing the weather is fine, there is a busy
month ahead in established gardens.
1. The pruning of trees and shrubs in the
manner that will best stimulate flower
buds and create aesthetically attractive
plants
and
remove
unnecessary,
diseased and dangerous branches.
2. The reduction of the height and spread
of plants to a size consistent with the
size and style of garden and to maintain
the best internal and external vistas.
3.
The clearing out of dead and diseased

plants; also any annual and perennial
weeds.
4. The removal of pockets of rotting leaves

and twigs in flower beds or under hedges
unless being allowed to build up as
natural mulch under evergreen shrubs.
5. The splitting and transplanting of large
clumps of perennial plants, including
summer flowering bulbs and rhizomes.
6. The removal of all rotting leaves and

other debris from rockeries, trim back
the more evasive plants and re-grit
around the stems of those liable to rot
off if not given excellent drainage.
7. The recycling of as much garden waste
as possible into a compost heap.
8. The loosening and aeration of hard
compacted soil.
At the same time,
add beneficial composts or well rotted
manures as mulches and worked into
the soil.
9. The preparation of new or cleared flower
beds ready for spring plantings.
10. The clearing out of decaying matter
and excess plants from ponds and the
cleaning up of fountains.
Lantanas Need to be well pruned annually

to stimulate heavy flowering and stop them
from becoming very leggy. Each of the
several varieties needs a slightly different
treatment:
Low growing: Purple and white trailing cut
back leggy branches by at least half their
length and trim to shape. Yellow and orange/
red varieties prune lightly to shape.
Medium height and spread shrubs: Yellow,
yellow/orange, pink/yellow, yellow/white
and white varieties cut back all flowering
stems to 5-10cm from the trunk, just above
a new budding point. The pruned plants will
look very bare, but you will stimulate the
sprouting of a multitude of new flowering
shoots.
Standards: Yellow/orange variety can be
trained to create attractive standards cut
to shape to encourage side shoots.
Climbing: - Pink/yellow, white and orange/
yellow varieties can be trained to grow up or
over walls prune side shoots to shape and
leave the tallest branches intact.
Hibiscus some Spanish gardeners cut
these back very hard, but we dont find this
necessary. A shortening of the branches
by 30-50cm, depending on the size and
situation of the plant will give a good shape.
Plumbago shorten branches to half their
length and generally tidy up. Normally this
will produce a well shaped bush. However, if
the plant has become
very leggy, cut back
almost to the base.
Also cut back plants
in containers hard,
to stimulate a close
flowering
bushy
growth. Cut back the
main stems and side
shoots.
Jasmine cut out all
leggy shoots and trim
to shape. If you need
to reduce its size
further, cut back each
lateral branch hard.
Oleander trim to size and shape annually.

Hedges and stand-alone specimen plants
can grow very large and become quite
leggy. It is therefore a good idea to prune
back very hard every second or third year.
Shorten all branches by a few feet. They
will soon branch out again. In between, just
keep them tidy and cut out any suckers. If
you have a really leggy plant or hedge and
can live with reduced privacy for a couple
of years, cut back all but one stem to 40
centimetres above the base. The stem that
is left should be cut out when new shoots
grow up. Do wear gloves when handling
oleander branches and leaves. The sap
and flowers are poisonous.
Begonia - the pink variety is the most
prolific and must be pruned right back,
leaving just a framework of woody branches
to give an attractive shape to next years
growth. Normally other varieties just need
trimming back to shape.
Galan de Noche should be finished
flowering by now, so cut back hard.
Flower beds - trim back herbs (eg.
lavender/rosemary) to shape. Deadhead
currently flowering perennials such as
chrysanthemums. Cut back margaritas etc.
to encourage spring growth. All dead leaves
should be removed from gazanias - if you
have large plants divide and replant where
you have gaps.
Palms cut out some lower fronds (mind
the spikes) and generally tidy up the trunk.
Cut off any dead bunches of flowers or
dates.
Hedges - all types benefit from a short back
and sides in the winter. Cut back the top
to a height that gives you privacy without
being impossible to prune safely. Trim both
sides to tidy and reduce the overhang over
adjacent shrubs and flowerbeds. A good
trim also stimulates flowering shoots on
hedges. If the hedge is getting leggy, cut
out some of the hard thick internal branches
to stimulate new thicker growth.
Trees once established, these can grow
very fast. Some species, including mimosas,
have very shallow roots and if allowed to
grow very tall, there is a danger of their
being uprooted in winter storms. If you let
them get out of hand, you wont be able to
prune them easily. In general, prune trees
to restrict height and improve their shape.
On all trees cut out dead branches as they
appear.
Roses - cut back shrubs to two or three
buds of the previous years growth. Cut
out any suckers coming up from the base.
With climber and ramblers, cut out old and
weak stems with few flowering shoots. Cut
back the rest to shape. After pruning, mulch
around all roses with a good layer of horse
manure
Terrace Pots generally tidy up your
pots. Remove dead plants and cut back
dead stems, leaves and flowers on plants
you want to keep. Clean off moss from the
outside.
Dick Handscombe
www.gardenspain.com
Page 12
Page 13
More Direct Object Pronouns

Well, who would have thought that in an
Essential Spanish course we would spend
so much time on the meaning of the word
lo? Its one of those fiddly little words that
give us so much trouble. In fact if we could
abolish any word from Spanish that contained
two letters or less, we poor English speakers
would be a lot happier!
The task at hand this month is to look at
the word lo when it means it and how it
can be tacked on to the end of other words.
Lo meaning it can stand on its own in
many sentences, but they are a bit more
complicated to explain, so for now we will just
see how it can be linked onto the end of the
infinitive of verbs. After that we will see how
la, los and las can work in the same way,
and what they mean.
In the last article we saw the following
sentences:
Quiero beberlo - I want to drink it
Necesito limpiarlo - I need to clean it
Puedo verlo - I can see it
a pronoun, something that goes instead of a

noun. For example if we say: I want to drink
it, the speaker and listener must already
know what it stands for, otherwise it doesnt
make sense. In fact the full sentence was
Quiero beber el vino - I want to drink the
wine.
What I havent yet told you is that lo in
fact refers to things that are masculine and
singular (here we go again!). El vino is a
masculine singular word, which is why lo is
the correct pronoun to replace it.
If we wish to say it about something that is
feminine and singular, we use the word la.
Here are two examples which should make
this clear:
Voy a cocinar la tortilla - Im going to cook
the tortilla
Voy a cocinarla - Im going to cook it
No puedo cerrar la ventana - I cant close
the window
No puedo cerrarla - I cant close it
Lo here is replacing something that it

already understood. Its grammatical label is
To complete this tale, we can now look briefly

at how to make the plural of it; that is them,
using los when referring to masculine plural
Humanists of Murcia Walk

Thirty-nine walkers met up in Librilla in Bar
Santa Lucia for a coffee before the walk
and a short drive across the A-7 autopista.
Audrey led the walkers up to the canal that
takes water to Lorca.
to the mirador. It was a wide smooth track

through the trees. At the mirador above
the Embalse, they met the Fast Trackers
admiring the fantastic view of the damn
and the Badlands (amazing landscape of
chalk and limestone mini hills).
Rhian gave the group a brief talk about

Humanism before the combined group
meandered down the direct route to the
cars.
and las for feminine plural. Again clear

examples ought to do the trick:
Me gusta ver las pelculas - I like watching
the films
Me gusta verlas - I like watching them
Necesito firmar los papeles? - Do I need
to sign the papers?
Necesito firmarlos?
- Do I need to
sign them?
I think that is all relatively easy to understand
in theory. The big challenge of course is
remembering when youre speaking, whether
what you are referring to is masculine or
feminine, or even singular or plural. This
actually takes all of us a very long time and
we make plenty of mistakes along the way.
You should never worry about this as you will
always be understood by using the masculine
form lo. Remember the whole point is that
both speaker and listener already know what
is being referred to!
Jane Cronins Step by Step Spanish
articles are now available as e-books at
www.janecronin.eu where you can also
obtain Janes brand new Step by Step
Internet Spanish course.
The lunch was in Restaurante Pagan on

the edge of the A-7, where 42 people sat
down to lunch. Jon is still trying to work
out where the extra four diners came from!
It was a great meal, served by efficient
and friendly staff. They even managed
to produce a surprise birthday cake for
Liz who was celebrating her 39th birthday
again.
Cotton tablecloths, two veggie
meals and plenty of knives and forks and
gallons of red wine completed the day.
For more information about the Humanists
go to www.bolnuevo.com/Joomla/
evolutionists
The walkers divided into two groups. The

Fast Trackers went straight up the hill,
while the Amblers went east along the
canal to la Rambla de Algeciras. They
turned left and strolled along the rambla
for 30 minutes before heading up the hill
Page 14
Page 15
The Beacon
of
Light
meetings
are
every
We d n e s d ay
starting from
7pm
with
weekly guest
m e d i u m s
which usually
finish
at
approximately
8.30pm.
As
6 Months Grace Period For Spanish Fiscal

Residents To Declare Their Foreign Pensions In Spain Starts On 1st January 2015
It was published in the Official Spanish Gazette (BOE) on 28th November, Law 28/2014,
that Spanish fiscal residents will be given a
6 months grace period to update their fiscal situation to declare pensions received
from their own countries. This act comes
into force, effectively from 1st January
2015 and follows the new draft for Spanish
Income Tax and Non Resident Tax Law,
approved on 1st August 2014.
always the evening ends with a friendly

chat and a cup of tea and biscuits.
All our meetings are funded by donations
given during the evening. Our early healing
sessions start at 6pm.
May we take this opportunity to wish
everyone a year of Happiness, Good
Health and Peace.
The Beacon Of Light Guest Mediums for
January are:
No surcharges, interest charges for

late payment or penalties, will be
applied when updating your tax
situation within this 6 month period.
For those who have already updated their situation declaring their pensions, they may be able to request the
cancellation of default interest and
claim back a refund of penalties
and surcharges which have already
been paid. You should contact your
tax advisor.
According to the Spanish Inland Revenue this grace period has been granted to make sure that Spanish pensioners and Spanish fiscal residents complete their annual income tax returns
the right way, including pensions and
other earnings from overseas. However, it is very likely that following this
6 month grace period, the tax author
ities will undertake subsequent inspe
ction campaigns and those who have
not updated their fiscal situation may
It is important to highlight:
This applies to expats and property

owners who are considered Spanish
Fiscal Residents because they spend
more than 183 days in Spain in one
calendar year, not necessarily counting them as consecutive days.
You can also be presumed a Spanish resident for tax purposes if your
centre of vital interests is in
Spain; ie. if your spouse lives in Spain
and youre not legally separated. This
was introduced to prevent fraud by
those who lived in Spain and had nondeclared incomes under the 183 day
residence criteria.
Supplementary tax returns for the

four previous years will need to be
submitted including pensions, or just
pension incomes which were wrongly
declared.
Wednesday 7th - Anna Marie

Wednesday 14th - Sammy Fitzsimmons
Wednesday 21st - Debbie Blevins
Wednesday 28th - Jimmy McArthur (please
bring a flower)
For further information please phone 620
877 326
Email
beacon.of.light.murcia@gmail.
com
http://beaconoflightmurcia.webs.
com
Facebook Beacon of Light Murcia
face substantial tax bills.

New Double Taxation Agreement UKSpain
The new treaty signed between the Kingdom
of Spain and The United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, published
in the Official Gazette (BOE) on 15th May
2014, is also a key issue for expats. This replaces the old 1976 Double Tax Agreement.
The new treaty is especially relevant to expat pensioners, who are in receipt of civil
service pensions from public sector occupations, ie. civil servants, military personnel,
fire service, police and local authorities, are
exempt from Spanish tax.
Under the new treaty, the amount of the
pension is still exempt, but must be included
when calculating how much tax is due in
Spain. We did not need to include those pension incomes under the old treaty. This could
have the effect of pushing any other income
into a higher tax bracket, meaning those affected could face a higher tax bill in Spain.
Assets Declaration 2015
The tax form 720 must be completed, the
same as last year, by all tax residents in
Spain, with a deadline of 31st March 2015,
reporting assets held as of 31st December
2014 with a value of more than 50,000.
1. Accounts in foreign banks: Balance
at 31st December 2014 and average
balance in the last quarter.
2. Properties and property rights owned
in any other country.
3. Shares, rights, life insurances and
incomes deposited, handled or obtained abroad.
Tax evaders will incur a penalty of 5K for
every asset not declared after the deadline
with a minimum penalty of 10,000. In addition, non-declared assets might be considered by the Tax Office as capital gains and
could incur an additional penalty up to 150%
over the total taxable amount.
For more information please feel free to contact:
Corral & Alcaraz Law Firm
Please seek expert advice as it is not
worth the risk.
Page 16
Page 17
NEW
INDEPENDENT
FINANCIAL
ADVISOR ARRIVES IN TOWN
Sovereign Wealth Financial Advice has
recently been working at Camposol for two
new clients who wanted help with their
pensions and investments. In turn, they have
introduced them to the local area and shown
them that there could be a real need for their
services here.
Who
Are
They?
Sovereign
W e a l t h
Financial
Advice
is
a
firm
of
Independent
Financial
Advisors
based in the
UK,
fully
regulated by
the Financial
C o n d u c t
Authority
(registration number is 587971). Although
based in the UK Sovereign Wealth Financial
Advice is able to offer to their clients in Spain
the same independent financial advice and
services as those clients based in the UK.
Using what are known as Passport Rights
Sovereign Wealth Financial Advice can
practice in many EU countries offering expats the same level of protection as residents
in the UK. Advisor, Gary Day, regularly travels
around Europe meeting clients and he will
be the Advisor for Camposol and the Costa
Clida.
Christmas is over once again for another

year.
The festivities have ended; too much food
eaten, too much money spent. Some will be
Sovereign
Wealth
Financial
Advice
understands the importance of face to face
advice and their advisors are happy to travel
as far as you need them to, for regular review
meetings, or if there are a number of you,
to give talks on areas of concern. There are
many different ways Sovereign Wealth
Financial Advice can work with you; some
clients like electronic communication such as
Skype and email and some want an actual
advisor there in front of them. This is left
totally up to the individual client and they
are happy to tailor their service specifically
to you.
Sovereign Wealth Financial Advice is
planning to hold a short seminar locally at
the end of February to introduce themselves
and meet as many of you as possible. They
will give a presentation on various aspects
of financial planning, including pensions,
their company and will then take any
questions. From working at Camposol they
know pensions are a really pressing area of
concern for many of you. They have not yet
fixed an exact date or venue for the Seminar,
but please contact them if you would like to
attend, so that they can book a suitably sized
local venue and then confirm a date(s). They
are thinking the week commencing Monday
23rd February. Please contact them by email
on advisors@sovereignwealthspain.info
or by telephone on +34 968 972 432, which
is a locally charged number.
Another idea to meet new potential clients is
to offer a surgery service where Sovereign
Wealth Financial Advice will visit for a few
days and book two hour appointments to hold
initial meetings. These would be completely
free of charge. During these meetings they
would complete a fact find which will help
paying all year until the following Christmas.

(I hear you saying you misery.) We have one
or two days of pure indulgence.
them to understand your goals and objectives

and give them the information they need to
start the financial review process.
Sovereign Wealth Financial Advice has
been made aware that in the past, residents
of Camposol have been left feeling let down
by Financial Advisors. They have either failed
to meet their promises or simply not visited
as often as they said they would. Please
be assured that with your help, Sovereign
Wealth Financial Advice wish to become
a real presence in the local area, taking an
active role in helping you understand, protect
and grow your finances and through regular
articles and tailored seminars/surgeries,
giving you a thorough knowledge of what
is available to you for your future financial
security.
Sovereign Wealth Financial Advice plans
to write a monthly article in the Costa Clida
Chronicle and want to know your areas of
concern so they can specifically target articles
to address these.
Sovereign Wealth
Financial Advice wants to make their
articles as relevant to you as possible.
Their philosophy is, Financial planning is a
two way street; you have to tell us what
you want and need. We then have to
research, investigate and find answers
and solutions for you.
Without your
input we can make an educated guess of
the issues, but if you tell us exactly what
the problems are, we can work towards
solving them. Please feel free to email
us with your thoughts and ideas.
I know Gary Day and Marc Harper look
forward to meeting you all soon.
What about those who have nothing; no

money, no presents to show and children
upset because Santa did not call at their
house?
I know it has become a tradition and as a child
of course I loved Christmas and receiving
presents - what child wouldnt, but as an
adult I see the poor and starving; their needs
are far greater than mine.
The need for all is to know Jesus and in
some schools His name is only mentioned at
Christmas. It is imperative to tell those who
do not know the name of Jesus before it is
too late.
If you do know Him, your place is assured in
eternity (heaven). If you do not know Him,
start this New Year asking questions.
Why is it of paramount importance to get
to know Jesus?
Come and join us at the Olive Branch
Christian Fellowship. We meet every
Sunday morning at 10.30am at the Cultural
Centre on Camposol B. We take communion
each week.
We wish you all a Very Happy, Blessed and
Peaceful New Year.
For information, call Pastor Ralph and
Margaret Locke on 968 199 622 or 618 720
181
Page 18
Page 19
Torreviejas Hospital Quiron Christmas

Meeting
with
International
Media
On December 11th, numerous journalists
and members of the leading newspapers
and magazines of foreign languages from
Torrevieja, Costa Blanca and Costa Clida,
joined members of Hospital Quiron to
highlight the importance of international
media to European residents in these areas.
a reference centre in Torrevieja and Alicante

in the private sector which has more than 20
medical specialties.
He also explained that the work of the
international media is essential to keep all
foreign citizens residing in the area aware of
the effort we make every day in our centre for
patients to feel at home.
Referral hospital with an International
Vocation
Hospital Quiron, Torrevieja is open 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year and has more than
twenty medical specialties. Highlights include
general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology,
urology,
oncology,
rehabilitation,
neurorehabilitation, general and paediatric
emergencies. They also have a team of
interpreters who speak several languages to
support the number of foreign patients who
choose these health services.
Dr Christian Brito, deputy manager of Levante

and Canary Islands addressed the audience,
noting that Hospital Quiron, Torrevieja is
The international vocation of the hospital

enables broad coverage with major domestic
and foreign medical insurance companies
and it has a special team that offers effective
communication and administration, aware of
the idiosyncrasies of patients. In addition,
Hospital Quiron has two medical centres
in Orihuela and Santa Pola that underpin the
health benefits throughout the region of the
Vega Baja.
Hospital Quiron, Torrevieja has received

quality certification UNE EN ISO 9001
AENOR, in all their medical centres and
services in addition to accreditation in
Environmental Management ISO 14001
standard AENOR. They have been honoured
Please Note:
We do not celebrate our Holy Mass in Pastrana
any more. We are now in St. Josephs Church
(El Saladillo, near Camposol and Mazarrn
Country Club urbanizations at exit 17, RM 3
motorway).
Schedule of Masses:
Every Saturday Mass is at 4:30pm (in English)
Every Sunday Mass according to the
extraordinary form (in Latin) is at 9am
Schedule of Confessions:
Saturday from 3:15pm to 4:20pm (also on
request)
Fr. Octavio Carpena Mobile 676 219 445
Fr.Carlos Prats Mobile 628 824 555
Rmisch-Katholische Kirche
Traditionelle Lateinische Messe
Jeden Sonntag in des Hlgn. Josephs Kirche (El
Saladillo, in der Nhe der Siedlung Camposol,
Ausfahrt 17, RM 3), um 9 Uhr Morgens.
Beichte
Jeden Samstag von 3:15 bis 4:20 Uhr
nachmittags, und
Jeden Sonntag vor der Messe.
glise Catholique Romaine:
Messe latine (forme extraordinaire du rite
romain). Le dimanche lglise Saint Joseph
(San Jos, El Saladillo, prs du Camposol,
sortie 17 autoruoute RM3), 9 heures.
Confessions le samedi (de 3 heures 15 4
heures 20) et le dimanche avant la messe.
St Jean Marie Vianney - The Cure of
Ars. Patron Saint of Parish Priests and
Confessors (1)
We have not deserved to pray - but God,
in his goodness, has permitted us to speak
with Him- St. Jean Vianney, the Cure of Ars.
twice with the TOP 20 award in recognition

of their quality management and care.
Quiron Hospital Group
They have medical staff of international
prestige, the most in the sector and is
number one in Spain for the number of
patients treated. There are thirty eight health
centres, 2,864 hospital beds and they have
15,000 employees of which over 7,500 are
physicians.
In 2013, they recorded a total of 4.64
million
visits,
991,050
emergencies,
272,731 surgeries, 18,917 births, more
than 10,500 assisted reproductive cycles
and about 45,000 cancer treatments.
Quiron is the largest private hospital
network in Spain with 21 general hospitals:
A Corua, Adeje (Tenerife), 3 in Barcelona,
Erandio (Vizcaya), Los Barrios (Cdiz), 3 in
Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Murcia, Palma
de Mallorca, San Sebastin, Santa Cruz
de Tenerife, Sevilla, Torrevieja (Alicante),
Valencia, Vitoria and Zaragoza; two day
hospitals in Playa de Muro (Mallorca) and
Zaragoza; 4 case assisted reproduction
centres in Bilbao, Murcia, Pamplona and
Torrent (Valencia); 2 eye centres in La Coruna
and Barcelona and consultation centres of
different specialties in La Coruna, Ferrol
(A Corua), Fuengirola (Mlaga), Orihuela
(Alicante), Santa Pola (Alicante), Sa Pobla
(Mallorca), Seville and Torrevieja (Alicante).
Hospital Quiron Torrevieja
Rosa Ruiz Aragons
rosa.ruiz@quiron.es
Tel 626 023 153
Saint Jean Marie

Vianney you were
born of a deeply
religious mother;
from
her
you
received the Holy
Faith; you learned
to love God and to
pray. At a young
age, you were seen
kneeling in the
front of the statue
of Mary. Your soul
was supernaturally
carried
towards
the things on High.
Despite the high
cost, you answered
your
vocation!
Against
many
obstacles
and
contradictions, you had to fight and suffer to
become the perfect priest which you were, but
your deep spirit of faith supported you in all
these battles. O most holy Saint John Vianney,
you were a priest who was outstanding in
pastoral zeal. May priests today be filled with
that zeal, faithful to their calling, refreshed in
their labours by the Holy Spirit, supported by
their fellow workers and appreciated by those
whose lives they touch. Dear Cur of Ars, pray
for us, but especially for all priests! Holy Priest
of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for me during this novena especially for
... (mention silently your special intentions).
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Page 20
Page 21
If you are looking to spend a few hours dining

in a hidden gem of a restaurant with views
of the sea, then a trip to Mares Bravas just
outside Cartagena should definitely be on
your to do list.
Tucked away in a sheltered bay on the road at
the end of the container port, the restaurant
is extremely popular, as it is a great location
to take kids who can play on the beach
whilst the adults sit on the terrace relaxing.
I went there on a Sunday in December and
by 2pm the place was already almost full. We
managed to get a small table on the terrace,
but larger groups or families and those who
prefer to dine inside the actual restaurant
would definitely need to make a reservation.
The menu is really varied and has an

extensive range of starters, main courses
and a good wine list. Paella is available, but
needs to be pre-ordered when you book your
table. As I was watching the waistline a little
before Christmas, I chose a simple salad to

start, with egg, tuna and tomato. This was
followed by a shared seafood platter, which
was enormous and seemed to have every
item of seafood imaginable on it, some of
which I had never heard of or seen before,
but all delicious. The parts I DID recognise
were langoustines, mussels, oysters, large
tuna steak, swordfish and a whole sea bass.
The rest may remain a mystery! A decent
bread basket was all we needed to complete
the meal and the dessert menu looked very
tempting, but I did manage to resist!
The cost for 2 people with a drink and coffee
was 55, so not a menu for everyday, but the
views and location make it perfect for a treat
or a celebration and there are certainly many
reasonably priced main courses on the menu.
The restaurant has a website on this link
for the US version in English, although the
translation is a bit dodgy.
The Spanish
version is much better.

http://www.maresbravas.es/our-menu
The service was very good, but not rushed
and there was no problem catching our
waiters eye, even though he was dashing
about like a mad thing!
Ill definitely be going back.
You will find restaurant Mares Bravas at Playa
Cala Cortina on the beach and there is plenty
of parking nearby.
Carretera Escombreras, s/n
Playa Cala Cortina
30202 Cartagena (Murcia)
Tel 968 502 065/968 122 435
Rating (out of 5)
Quality
Service
Value for Money
Location
:
:
:
:
Russian Medal for UK Veteran

John Queree, aged 97 and a resident of
Bolnuevo near Mazarrn, has been awarded
the Ushakov Medal by Russia as a mark of
respect for Johns participation in the Russian
Convoys during World War 2.
security of Prime Minister Winston Churchill

when he went to meet with the President of
the United States in Iceland and has long held
memories of his ship being visited by King
George V and the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Dr Templeton.
The British Government introduced the Arctic

Star campaign medal in 2012 to honour
those who served in the Arctic Convoys and
John was awarded this medal last year (70
years after the event!). Russia also wanted
to award its own medal, but the UKs rules
did not permit British nationals to accept and
wear the Ushakov Medal. In 2013 however,
it made an exception and a small number of
surviving veterans are now entitled to receive
this prestigious award.
John said that he was extremely proud to

receive the Ushakov Medal and it would be
added to the collection of 40 medals that he
and his brothers had received between them
for their service.
Royal British Legion
Poppy Appeal 2014
The 2014 Royal British
Legion Poppy Appeal was
our most successful yet!
A total of 6,565.39 was
raised in the Mazarrn
area - 26% more than
2013.
The appeal was given a boost by a generous
donation of 1,900 from the proceeds of the
show Keep Smiling Through, a series of
sketches, songs and poems set in the war
years to commemorate the 100th anniversary
of the outbreak of World War 1. Audiences
were given a mixture of amusing and serious
takes on life in those difficult times. Many
thanks to you all.
On 10th December, the First Secretary of

the Russian Embassy in Madrid travelled to
Bolnuevo to present John with the Ushakov
Medal. She read a citation from the Russian
Government, conveying its gratitude for his
invaluable contribution, displaying heroism
and bravery in terrible conditions. Winston
Churchill famously called it The worst
journey in the world. John is one of only 3 UK
veterans living in Spain to receive the award.
John has lived in Bolnuevo with his wife Anne
since 1985. He is the last surviving member
of a family of six brothers, all of whom went to
war in 1939 and all of whom returned safely.
John was present at some key moments of
history including the sinking of the Bismark,
the surrender of the Italian Fleet and the
bombardment of the French Fleet in North
Africa. He was also involved in the on-board
We are also very grateful to all the bars,

restaurants, shops etc who raised funds for
the appeal. This year Saralaras Bar in Puerto
de Mazarrn was the clear winner, raising a
massive 550!
We are also very grateful to our team of
volunteers who, every year, help with the sale
of poppies.
The Royal British Legion provides support to
servicemen and women and veterans and
their families when they find themselves in
need. These days beneficiaries can be as
young as 18 and the Royal British Legion is
there to help them for the rest of their lives.
Membership and enquiries, please call Ian on
629 818 611 or email
esamd_espana@yahoo.co.uk
Page 22
Page 23
Hi from Bob with all the latest news from

Welcome.
I hope that you all had a good Christmas and
that 2015 will bring you health and happiness.
If it goes as quickly as 2014 seemed to, itll
soon be time to get ready for next Christmas!
Our November Dance with Kevin Tyler
and the lovely Joanna soon had the dance
floor full as usual and was yet another night
enjoyed by all.
Madrid at the end of the month was great
with all the Christmas lights and the window
displays in the shops. We had a trip to Toledo,
an ancient city with plenty to see and do
and The Valley Of The Fallen, a monument
to those killed in the Spanish Civil War. This
controversial monument is under threat of
being destroyed, so if you havent seen it,
do so soon, as it may not be there for much
longer. We went to the races on the Sunday,
with the horses being kind to some, not so
kind to others! A fabulous 5 days and
another Welcome success.
Two coaches of ladies went on 5th December
to Torrevieja market, La Zenia shopping mall
and also Iceland. The coach boots were full!
Our Christmas Party Night was on 10th
December and featured everybodys favourite,
the fantastic
R i c k y
Levazza,
supported
by
Sandy
Fitzpatrick.
Perhaps
we
should have
called it the
Ricky
and
Haydn Show
as Ricky did
his duet with
Haydn singing
Delilah
to
much
cheering, applause and encouragement from
the capacity audience. Well done Rosemary
and thanks to all the helpers who spent their
day decorating the room.
We have our Annual Games Night on
January 7th, with Beetle Drive, Bingo, Quiz
and more. This is always good fun and a great
way to wind down after the festive season.
Tickets just 3.
The January Dance is on Wednesday 28th,
with the lovely Lucinda and Andy Jones.
Tickets 8.
The
Valentines
Weekend
Trip
to
Benalmadena is now fully booked, but we
still have our February Dance on 25th, with
Diverse Duo and Dan Davey. Tickets 8.
2015 Trips
May 11th 3-Night Trip to the ancient city
of Cordoba for the Patio Of The Flowers
festival. See all the patios in the old city
dressed with displays of colourful blooms.
This festival attracts people from all over
Spain and is a sight not to be missed. Book
now as this popular event is selling fast. 260
staying B & B in a 4* hotel and including a
trip to Ubeda.
May
27th
Cruise
around
the
Mediterranean. Overnight in Valencia, then
on to Barcelona for 12 nights aboard Royal
Caribbean Vision Of The Seas. Calling at
Villefranche for Nice and Monaco, La Spezia
for Florence and Pisa, Civitavecchia for Rome,
Naples, 2 days in Venice, Ravenna and Kotor,
Montenegro, a World Heritage site. All outside
cabins.
September 14th 5-Night Trip, with 2 nights
in Salamanca, staying at 4* Exe Hall Hotel,
within walking distance of the old part of the
city, 2 nights in Leon, and 1 night in Valladolid.
All B & B at just 295.
Book/Jigsaw Swap dates for January are
13th and 27th.
Call Jo on 669 457 985 for more details.
Fun Petanca is on January 7th.
Call Les on 968 131 880 for more information.
Our next Monthly Meeting is on Saturday 3rd
January, where tickets will be on sale for all
previously advertised events where available
and also for Ladies Evening on March
4th, March Dance on 25th and our Annual
Treasure Hunt on March 29th.
For more details call Rosemary on 620 105
179
rosemarybeak@hotmail.com
www.welcomegroupspain.com
Facebook welcomegroupspain
Page 24
Page 25
Appeal To Locate
Wanted Liverpool
Man
The National Crime
Agency is appealing
to the public to help
find
a
suspected
member
of
a
Merseyside
based
organised
criminal
network that plotted
to smuggle up to 40
tonnes of drugs into
the UK.
of Scott, no matter how small or trivial

it seems, please contact the NCA or
Crimestoppers anonymously.
Anyone in Spain with information can call a
special freephone number 900 555 111 which
will be answered in the UK by Crimestoppers
call agents. A translation service is available
upon request.
Calls To
Benefit
Fraud
Hotline
Double
Thanks
to honest
Brits,
c a l l s
to
the
benefit
f r a u d
hotline
in Spain
h a v e
doubled
since the
British
Paul John Scott, aged 32, from Liverpool, is

wanted for questioning in connection with the
plot to import cocaine from South America
hidden inside tins of fish and wooden pallets.
The Guardia Civil in Spain would also like
to talk to Scott about the murder of British
national Francis Brennan in Alicante earlier
this year.
Scott is believed to be in Europe and has
links to Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and
France. An appeal for information relating to
Scott was broadcast on BBC Ones Crimewatch
programme on Thursday 4th December at
21.00 GMT.
The appeal for Scott preceded the sentencing
on 5th December at Liverpool Crown Court of
his criminal associate Kevin Jennings, aged
51, from Huyton, Liverpool, for conspiracy to
import cocaine. Jennings was arrested in May
2014 by NCA officers while walking his dog
in Walton.
Twenty-four
members
of
the
highly
sophisticated international criminal network
were jailed for more than 250 years in
October 2011.
Greg McKenna, North West Investigations
Branch Commander, said Paul Scott is the
last man outstanding in our investigation into
the plot to flood the UK with huge quantities
of drugs. He is also wanted for questioning
in relation to the murder of Francis Brennan.
We are working closely with Merseyside Police
and the Spanish authorities to locate him, but
we need the help of the public too. If you
have information on the whereabouts
Government launched a major advertising

campaign during the last week of October to
encourage the public to call the hotline if they
suspect benefit fraud and to urge claimants
to report changes in their circumstances.
The Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP) benefit fraud hotline in Spain 900
554 440 has seen a surge in vital tip-offs
that fraud investigators are now pursuing to
verify if people are claiming benefits illegally.
Awareness of the campaign and associated
media coverage among expatriates in Spain
and their willingness to call the hotline is
helping investigators to reduce the waste of
honest taxpayers money on fraudsters.
Mimi is a
beautiful
black Belgian
Shepherd.
She
is
around
5
months old
and weighs
10.5
kilos
so will be
medium/
large when
fully grown.
Mimi is good
with
other
dogs, house
trained, chipped and vaccinated.
Call 645 469 253
Amber is a
1yr old little
girl
found
abandoned
tied
to
a
gate
post.
She is good
n a t u r e d
and doesnt
mistrust
a n y b o d y.
She
loves
cuddles and to curl up by your side and
enjoys going for a walk on a lead. Amber
likes playing ball with you and gets on well
with other dogs and cats.
Call 645 469 253
Sasha
is
a
black
and
white
Siberian
H u s k y /
G e r m a n
Shepherd
cross.
Her
age is approx
3 years. She
loves to play
and retrieve
a stick or a
ball and is
good
with
other
dogs
and cats.
Work and Pensions Minister Mark Harper said

Hard working taxpayers have had enough of
fraudsters taking money which is meant for
genuine claimants, which is why were seeing
so many people taking action by calling
the hotline. We know its a small minority
who commit benefit fraud, but I would urge
anyone who has suspicions, to call the free
and confidential number or report them
anonymously online.
Worldwide, someone is reported to
benefit fraud hotlines every minute of
every working day on average and in
the last year alone nearly 60,000 fraud
investigations have been launched.
The Government has recovered nearly one
billion pounds of wrongly paid benefits in
the last year and has introduced a raft of
measures to crack down on people who cheat
the system - both abroad and in the UK
including:
Tough new rules so that 40% of individuals
benefits can be taken to repay stolen cash
- on top of any fine or custodial sentence
handed out by the courts.
Increased penalties from 2,000 to 5,000,
without taking a fraudster to court.
A new 50 civil penalty for claimants who
negligently give incorrect information on
their claims, or fail to report a change in
circumstances which results in overpayments.
If you suspect a benefit cheat, call the
confidential hotline on 900 554 440, open
from 8am to 4pm every weekday in Spain or
report them online at
www.dwp.gov.uk/benefit-thieves-spain.
Call 645 469 253

Thor is a
big beautiful
b r i n d l e
coloured
Boxer
in
need of a
new home.
He
was
born 2011,
vaccinated
and
is
a
really
well
behaved
boy.
Call 645 469 253
To view more animals for adoption go
to www.petsinspain.com
To advertise an animal for adoption
email info@petsinspain.info
Page 26
Page 27
Professional
qualified
English
speaking Solicitor and Tax Accountant
now available on Camposol.
Whether you are running a business and
need a Qualified Accountant, or are just
looking for some Legal Advice, you need
look no further than Legal View. Concise
and simple information is now available
locally in your own language!
Legal View is now open in their new office
on Camposol Sector A (just next to The
Vista Bar) and will be delighted to advise
you.
Legal View will be pleased to help you
with every aspect of setting up a business
here is Spain. They can also advise you on
exactly what you responsibilities are with
regard to personal tax returns or making a
will and all in English!
Pepe Silvente is a member of The Law
Association of Murcia (ICAMUR) and the
Colegio de Economistas de Murcia.
Contact Pepe Silvente now for your free,
personal consultation.
Tel 968 199 237
Last Chance to get your tickets - OH

YES IT IS!
Cloud Nine Drama proudly presents
the Panto - Aladdin and His Lamp on
22nd/24th and 25th January 2015, 8pm
at La Molata Social Centre.
Come and meet all your favourite

characters. Laugh and cheer at the antics
of Aladdin, Widow Twanky and their
friends, Boo at the Evil Sorcerer. Get
your best singing and cheering voices to
join in the fun!
Last
year
tickets
sold
out
very
quickly!
Dont be disappointed! Email
rumajordan@hotmail.com for tickets.
We will also be selling them on Camposol
B (look out for dates and time details on
Facebook page Preguntas y Mas Murcia
and Cloud Nine FB page for details of
when we will be on Camposol Commercial
Centre). If you are in Puerto de Mazarrn,
they will also be on sale at The Teapot
(next to Mercadona).
Tickets: adults 5 & Kids 3. As with all our
productions, a portion of our profits are
donated to charity! Come and have a fun
night and help a charity at the same time.
Page 28
Page 29
As I write, winter seems to have really settled

in and we have had several days of muchneeded rain, although when I knew I was
going to live in Spain I hadnt expected it to
be quite so cold!
At times, life is not always what we expect.
Just this last week we have experienced lots of
lows, but also some high spots and its these
that help get us through the bad times. By the
time you read this we will have celebrated the
birth of Jesus as a baby in a cradle, but He was
born to be the man on the cross.
He loves us so much that He was willing
to die for us and to take our sins to that
cross so that through faith we can gain
eternal life. John 3:16.
The wind instruments of today are as old as

the Palaeolithic period and show that they are
as much a part of our cultural heritage as the
prestigious cave art.
Some weeks ago a local TV programme
gathered a group of experts from fields as
diverse as music, psychiatry and archaeology,
with the objective of finding evidence of how
sound and music was used by our ancestors.
It was found that the sounds produced by
simple instruments such as flutes and whistles
in the 100Hz band, caused major changes in
the brain and consequently human behaviour;
Dopamine and Seratin levels drop, causing a
near trance like state. It is common knowledge
that one of the ways that Shamans go into a
trance (besides fasting and fatigue) is through
the sound of the continuous beating of a drum.
I am sure that as Jesus, the boy, was growing

up, He would also have experienced highs
and lows and during His ministry would have
shared them with His heavenly Father; both
the good and the bad. What a privilege we
have to be able to do the same.
Although there were difficult times last year,
the Lord truly blessed us at Welcome House.
At Christmas I made some blessing boxes. If
we were to place a note in to remind us each
time of how God blessed us, by the end of
the year it would be overflowing. Its a way of
focusing on Gods love for us.
As we go into the New Year, give a
thought to how the Lord has blessed you.
Sound became a powerful weapon in the fight

against demons, evil spirits, sickness and
even storms. Never mind that the sound was
produced by striking against a rock or the
resonance of a drum; their protective powers
were always the same. Similarly the sound
also served for the expressions of jubilation
or joy. More recently, the hypothesis has
been put forward that both cave paintings
and the Megalithic constructions could have
been inspired by sound waves, interpreted
as super natural. Echoes from the mouths of
caves would be the voices of the spirits and
the paintings the answers to those voices. It
is not entirely a new hypothesis as a number
of experts have theorised on the connection
between humans and spirits through an
altered state of consciousness.
Our next gathering at Welcome House is on

18th January. Why not think about joining us.
Watch the website for more details and other
https://sites.google.com/
happenings.
site/casawelcome2013
Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful
year.
If you would like to contact us regarding
anything we have publicised, or may be
planning in the future, or just for a chat, our
contact details are
lynda.spain@hotmail.co.uk
derek.tycymru@talktalk.net
Tel 633 447 937
Welcome House can be found at 3A Campillio
y Suertes Cehegin.
Research has shown that the most highly

decorated caves are those with the best
acoustic effects.
Here in Zaen, Moratalla, we are surrounded by

much prehistoric rock art and it was here that
the group Vocal Igne decided to give us a
short concert of ancient and evocative songs.
Fifty of us gathered in Bajil and walked up to
the caves, taking the path to a magnificent
cave that could only be reached by negotiating
a narrow precipitous ledge. The cave interior
had been shaped by many years of erosion to
give the resemblance of St Pauls Cathedral.
At around 6pm on a beautiful sunny, but
somewhat cold and windy evening, we all
huddled in our coats and blankets and were
served with wine and cakes. Vocal Igne, a
group of 10 singers and musicians, who have
performed before the European Parliament,
began their concert. The music was haunting
and you did not need to understand the
words to be moved by the sounds. We all
sat entranced as the golden skies slowly
turned into a beautiful pink and blue sunset.
The music enveloped us in waves and it was
easy to understand the effect it had on our
ancestors as it had on us all today.
Everything must end and in the gathering
dusk with the music still in our ears we made
our way down to Zaen for a light tapas meal.
Here, once again, we were treated to a solo
from Vocal Igne and it was discovered that
the lead singer spoke perfect English having
studied for a year at Sheffield University - Sue
and Neil were in their element!
Page 30
It was great to be able to get into the

Christmas spirit by attending the Carol
Service at Welcome House in Cehegn. Lynda
and Derrick have been opening up their
house for those wanting to be included in
their religious gatherings for the last couple
of years, usually meeting on the 1st and 3rd
Sunday of the month. They work with Ken
and Carol Robertson from Open Door near
Fuente Alamo and have provided a wonderful
environment in which people can get together,
not just for religious reasons, but generally
as a place to meet like-minded people. They
have hosted various music nights and also
have morning meetings during the month for
activities such as card crafting. Thank you
Lynda and Derrick for putting so much effort
into providing a service for so many people.
Once again we are grateful for living in such
a wonderful part of Spain. We have had
a few days of rain for which the farmers
are very thankful, but we have also had
wonderful days of sunshine during the
festive period. Our Christmas celebrations
are over and now it is time for the Spanish
celebrations for Three Kings. Many of the
bars and restaurants will be closed for 5th and
6th January, but Bar Alandalus will be open so
that you can join in all the fun. Alfonso works
really hard to make sure that there is always
something on during these festive times, so
show him that he is appreciated by joining
him for Three Kings.
Free parking is available at the Marble

Technology Centre situated in Carretera
Murcia. A free bus service is operated to the
market place every 20 minutes.
The Archaeological Site of Begastri is opened
for visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from
10am to 2pm. There is a video presentation
followed by a guided tour to see the remains
of the Iberian culture before the IV century
B.C. The guided tour on the 2nd Saturday of
each month will be in English.
Car Boot Sale
This will be on Sunday 18th January in the
square beside the old railway station next to
the Va Verde. There is plenty of room for
parking, but the Town Hall will no longer be
able to provide the stalls. The charge remains
at 2 per site. Anyone interested in booking a
site please contact the Cehegn Tourist Office
Free Nature Walks
Cehegin provides a variety of landscapes
which include woods, mountains, hills,
sloping valleys, scrubland and streams.
These natural habitats host flora and fauna
of special interest which provide a priceless
tourist and educational resource. These
walks take place on
the last Saturday of
each month and are
designed for people
of all ages who enjoy
hiking at fairly easy
levels. The tourist
walks are free and
start at 9am. They
are usually between 4
and 9km and take between 2 to 3 hours.

At the moment we are preparing the timetable for the walks for 2015. Please, contact
the Tourist Office regarding the nature walk
in January.
Any further enquiries please contact the
Cehegin Tourist Office on 968 723 550 or
visit our website www.turismocehegin.es
Santiago Leo
Cehegin Tourist Office
DRuta by Caravaca de la Cruz
These walks are organised by the
Department of Sports and Health to
promote the sport and nature. The routes are
of medium difficulty and will be guided by
specialized monitors in hiking. Registration
can be done in the offices of the Department
of Sports, or through the website www.
sporttia.com. Registration 3 per route.
25th January Walk Revolcadores - 10km
and should take about 4 hours.
Walks in Moratalla 10 (meal 15)
13th January Aldea de Charan-Molata
de Charan
It is essential to reserve a place on these
walks as they are limited to 30 persons. The
walks are for the more experienced walker
as much of the route is up fairly steep tracks,
but you will visit places that are beautiful and
full of wild flowers etc.
Tel 968 730 208
turismo@ayuntamientomoratalla.net
Cehegn Highlights In January

On the last Sunday of every month from
October to April there is a craft market
known as El Mesoncico in the Plaza del
Castillo the highest point in the old town of
Cehegin (Casco Antiguo). You will find more
than 60 craftsmen of the area with stalls
displaying such products as cured meats,
hams, pottery, cakes, wines, cheeses, etc.
You will be able to taste and enjoy the foods
and products most typical to this area. On
Sunday 25th January we remember the
traditional Matanza (the preparation of

freshly prepared pork). Experience the
wonderful flavours of pork, roast meats
and freshly barbecued cured meats and
sausages, all accompanied by good wine
and bread. There will also be handmade
traditional Spanish dishes like migas
con tajs.
Page 31
Jumilla is a relatively small town in the

north-east of Murcia with around 25,000
inhabitants. However, it has excellent links
to the motorway from Murcia City past Cieza
and is well worth a visit. As you near the
town on the N344, the most notable feature
is the castle which stands out clearly on the
hill behind the town centre and dominates the
agricultural plain beneath. On this hill, have
been found remains from the Bronze and Iron
Ages, followed by Iberians who established
the first urban nucleus in the area. They
were succeeded by the Romans with retired
legionnaires obtaining land in the area and
building their villas which have bequeathed
some superb mosaics.
the Town Hall of the time (Palacio del Consejo)

was in the square, built in classical style in the
mid-16th Century. The interior of the building
was totally remodelled in 1997. However, the
Renaissance facade has been preserved and is
now said to be the only surviving example in
a civil building in Murcia. Today, the building
houses the Archaeological Museum, but has,
in the past, also been a grain store, home of
the town archives and a prison!
The Archaeological Museum was inaugurated

in 1956. When we were last there, it opened
every day except Mondays, from 10am (11am
on Sundays) to 2pm and from 5pm to 8pm
in the afternoon (not, however, on Sundays).
There was a minimal entrance charge.
From a time before 625 AD, it appears that
Jumilla found itself in the area of Levantine
Spain controlled by Byzantium (the Eastern
Roman Empire) before it was integrated fully
into the Visigoth Kingdom which had its capital
at Toledo. With the Moors arrival in Spain in
711 AD, Jumilla was first integrated into the
Kingdom of Tudmir until Arab control in Spain
began to fragment. The Jumilla area then
became part of the Kingdom (Taifa) of Denia,
then Valencia and finally Murcia, before the
Reconquista saw Christian control established
Thereafter, the
in the mid-12th Century.
towns fortunes ebbed and flowed in common
with the rest of Spain. There was significant
urban development in the 16th Century with
another major move forward in the second
half of the 19th and first few years of the 20th
Centuries.
If you wish to acquaint yourself with

the towns early history, then there is
nowhere better than the Archaeological
Museum (MuseoArqueolgico Municipal
Jernimo Molina), which stands at the
head of a square, the Plaza de Arriba,
near the towns principal church, the
Iglesia de Santiago.
The Plaza de Arriba is located at one of the
entrances into Arab Jumilla and is also the
site of an Islamic necropolis of the 12th and
13th Centuries. The square then became the
economic and political centre of the expanding
settlement in the 16th Century. Unsurprisingly,
The ground/basement floor dealt with

prehistory before the Iberians, the first floor
with the Iberians and the second floor with
the Romans through to medieval times.
The prehistoric section goes from Stone Age

(Palaeolithic) times through the Copper Age
(preceding the main Bronze Age) and the
Bronze Age, including the funeral rituals.
Various pots are displayed, including a large
Bronze Age Pithoi storage jar. The exhibits
have signs in both Spanish and English.
The most impressive part of the museum,
however, deals with the Iberian population of
the area. You will be able to view a multitude
of ceramics from this time and there is much
information on the signboards about life at
the time, religious activity, burial customs
and Iberian warriors. Among items on display
are cinerary urns, weapons and beads and
ornaments. Some of the pots are intricately
decorated and are of Greek origin.
You will be able to look at typical house
contents, while the funeral remains have
provided many exceptional items. For men,
grave goods would often be weapons (warriors
would be cremated accompanied by their
arms), while women would have ornaments
placed with their remains. At the top of the
social tree, a chieftain would even have a
masonry structure placed above his interment
such as the four sided stone sculpture (the
Pilar Estela Funeraria de los Jinetes) depicting
a warrior on a horse on three sides and a god
with a child on the other from the late 4th
Century BC.
Another
case
of
finds
had
n u m e r o u s
o r n a m e n t s
reflecting female
interments,
i n c l u d i n g
necklaces
and
loom
weights.
You
will
see
examples
of
Iberian weapons
such
as
the
falcate, an iron
sword with a
flat blade and
with
one
or
both edges sharpened. Spears or javelins
of around two metres length were a further
weapon, while the shorter lances, often made
of metal, had points at both ends. Shields
were made of leather with an iron grip.
Why so much emphasis on the Iberian period?
In fact, many of the remains come from a
nearby settlement, Coimbra del Barranco
Ancho, not quite three miles from Jumilla.
This settlement existed from the late 5th
Century to the early 2nd Century BC, with the
Roman occupation of the area seeming to
have coincided with the villages destruction.
Of particular interest are the three burial
areas, or necropolises, which adjoined the
village as it was excavation of these which
gave the main pieces you can now view in the
museum. In 1979, a sanctuary related to the
village was found and excavations discovered
offerings which had been left in cracks in
the rocks as well as votive offerings. Gold
and silver masks, bronze items and ceramic
vases were among the other finds as well as
a terracotta face. The sanctuary has been
dated to the mid-4th Century to the late 3rd
Century BC.
In the museum, you will find a brief description
of the settlement which must have been very
impressive in its time. It was walled (large
stone blocks) and had a perimeter fully of
three kilometres enclosing an internal space
of 54 hectares. The entrance was defended by
two towers. Internally, generally rectangular
houses were in terraces, but there was a lack
of public buildings and squares, which was
normal in Iberian settlements.
The second floor of the museum contains a
wide variety of exhibits from Roman times
onwards.
The Roman era is represented
by various terracotta figures, lamps, pots
and building materials, but perhaps most
impressive of all is the mosaic which covers a
good proportion of the floor area and is said
to date from the second century AD. There is
also an important collection of Roman coins.
In addition, there are also various ceramics
from the time of the Visigoths, and vases
decorated with manganese from 12th and 13th
Century Arab Jumilla. To these are added a
few remains found from the early medieval
Christian period.
Article by Clive and Rosie Palmer who have
written several guide books on towns and
regions in Murcia. Their book, Exploring
Murcia, Days Out is available to buy
from the Costa Clida Chronicle office on
Camposol B, Best Wishes (who also stock
other of their books), or phone Patti on 968
433 978. All their books can be viewed at and
obtained from www.lulu.com, or contact
clive.palmer5@btinternet.com.
Page 32
plan to reschedule this walk to coincide with

the flowering of the almond trees in February
2015.
W.A.R.M. inside the Casa Pintada, Mula
outside Moratalla. This is a beautiful area full

of breathtaking scenery, with many paths and
routes to explore. We chose a route which
saw us climbing fairly steeply for the first
hour, being rewarded with stunning views.
Muela de Moratalla was visible for most of
this part of the walk. Once on the plateau we
continued along level paths until we reached
a ruined cortijo, where we stopped for a
well earned lunch in the sun. From here we
had a different aspect, with views down to
Camping La Puerta and over to Moratalla and
the surrounding countryside. Well rested, we
started our descent enjoying the views and
the wild life on the way. A large adder snake
crossed our path and a golden eagle soared
high above us.
We ended the day with a
refreshing drink at Camping La Puerta.
Fiona and Steve had better luck later in the

month. On a fresh November morning, 15
walkers and one four legged friend set off
to walk in the hills above Camping La Puerta
If you would like to join us on one our many

varied walks please contact warm2005@
gmail.com for a copy of the current
programme.
Autumn in Campo de San Juan

A day in the uplands of High Alhrabe at
this beautiful time of the year, started with a
golden light bathing the dominant deciduous
trees in their forest gallery. We started our
walk in the Hermitage of San Juan, where
the Vuela Bird makes its journey looking
for the ribbons of golden colour of the river
and its main tributaries. Autumn has begun
with high temperatures, which combined with
the drought this year, has left its mark in the
forests, as many of the poplars have dropped
their leaves, which due to the lack of nutrients
are dry and colourless. The willows are a little
late and are still green.
we crossed back over the waters of Alhrabe,

reaching the broad curve where two Scots
pines are rooted in the banks of the river. A
new bridge allowed us to cross towards the
Mill Tormos. Part of the building was in a
habitable condition, thanks to the care of the
current owners. A great example of the Alamo
tree grows beside the mill and we walked in
single file surrounded by multicoloured leaves.
our path. A fountain flowed silently creating

a small river running downhill to the Alhrabe
and again we crossed a log bridge that took
us through a beautiful deciduous forest on the
way back. Neil told us that the landscape of the
village Risca near the golden forest, reminds
him of his beloved England (not Sheffield Neil
I dont believe you!) As we approached the
point where we left the camera trap, we waited
to see if we were successful, but as so often
with nature we were disappointed - the otter
had not made an appearance, but instead the
bait had been taken by a heron. We returned
to the rest of the group and showed them our
photographic results.
We arrived at Rio Alhrabe at a point where

we noted the various bands of vegetation and
curiously most of the willows have roots on
their trunks like beards, perhaps because the
water level in the reservoir rose higher than
the tree line. We continued along the shore
to a point where we had noted previously
the Ladies of Alhrabe (otters) had left their
marks in the form of numerous droppings.
Since we first discovered the group we have
tried to learn a little more about their habits
when we return to the area. We tried to do
a little field work in the classic style of Flix
Rodrguez de la Fuente. We placed the camera
and some fish as bait on a rock jutting out
of the water as we continued our journey
downstream, following the ancient road
leading to the Mill of Risca. The woodland
was shown in all its autumnal splendour and
we had a magnificent view of the Miocene
strata, a point of geological interest and of
regional importance. The wall in front of us
was like a museum piece with its exhibition of
fossils of different shapes and sizes stacked
as they were millions of years ago when they
were swept away by the ocean currents and
eventually piled up making them part of these
rocks.
We continued on our path until we reached

the farmhouse of Mill Capel which is also in
surprisingly good condition and we visited
some of the rooms, where we found two nests
of red-rumped swallow; one on the floor, which
is quite common with these nests. We climbed
the hill in search of the two large oaks near
the water source that supplied the farmhouse
and from here we returned to the Rio Alhabre.
Taking the road back we looked for the path
that led to the place where the three mills
worked in past times. The path was small and
winding with blackthorn bushes appearing in
We arrived at our cars and had lunch at Bar

Los Rosales in El Sabinar with wine from
the Third Ulea. We enjoyed various spirits
and warm doughnuts leaving for home with
laughter and much fun, and Grahams voice
intoning: Show me the way to go home.
Using the protection of the mill, we enjoyed our

breakfast before continuing with our walk. We
crossed the river by two precarious log bridges
as the golden light reached its maximum
intensity around us. We took many photos
as we tried to capture the magic of both light
and leaves. We found a badger latrine in the
middle of the path which indicated its recent
presence. We reached a new log bridge and
Page 33
The walkers of WARM had their first wet day

this season, but the leaders Pat and Lawrie
were not deterred! Eleven met at Pacos Bar
in Nio de Mula in a light drizzle and by the
time we arrived at our starting point of the
walk, the rain had turned to a downpour. A
democratic decision (well, nearly) was made
to postpone the walk which was going to be
along the Rio Mula and therefore would be
very slippery and muddy. We then returned
to Pacos Bar for coffees (and breakfasts for
some) and to agree on what to do. Mula has
two very interesting cultural establishments the Museo de Arte Ibrico del Cigarrelejo
and La Fundacin Casa Pintada which
houses a permanent collection of
artworks by Cristobal Gabbaron, an
artist born in Mula who is now renowned
throughout the United States and Europe
- so nine of us became the WAMM Group
(Walkers Around Mula Museums). The
cultural excursion was followed by lunch;
where? At Pacos of course. Pat and Lawrie
When I heard that Turnips were to be the first

vegetable of 2015, I must admit to feeling a
slight panic. Can I really find enough recipes
to fill a page in the magazine and would they
be interesting enough? I do use Turnips
in cooking of course, but its mainly as an
added vegetable to stews and casseroles or
vegetable soups. However, when I started
to look at my recipe books I was amazed
to find there were many dishes I had done
before. The patties were something we
cooked when camping as they are so easy to
do and can be done in a frying pan on a gas
stove. Of course adding Turnips or Swede
to mashed potatoes is a very popular way to
hide vegetables when feeding children and I
love butternut squash and Turnip together
in a soup. If youre on a low carb diet, then
why not try the Turnip fries as an alternative
to chips?
Buen Apetito
Butternut Squash And Turnip Soup
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of cubed butternut squash
2 cups of cubed turnip
1 onion diced
1 stick of celery finely chopped
1 pint of chicken stock
3 cloves of garlic
1tbsp honey
tsp black pepper
tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Heat the butter and oil in a medium pan, stir
in all vegetables and cook until just beginning
to brown, (around 10 minutes). Add stock,
garlic, honey and seasoning and cook for a
further 20 minutes or until all vegetables
are soft. Serve chunky or blend to a smooth
soup.
Turnip and Potato Patties

pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-
Turnip nabo
The whole of the Turnip can be eaten
including the leaves, but it is the small,
tender varieties that are grown for human
consumption. The larger varieties are
often used as feed for livestock and the
roots provide a valuable energy source for
young animals.
Turnips prefer cold-weather climates and
the most common variety is white-skinned
with a purple, red, or green blush on the top
where the sun has hit. They are a biennial
plant, taking two years from germination to
reproduction. The Turnip spends the first
year growing and storing nutrients and the
second year it flowers, producing seeds. The
flowers of the Turnip are tall and yellow,
with the seeds forming in pea-like pods.
Smaller Turnips tend to be sweeter and
can be eaten raw, adding a nice crunch to
salads, while larger Turnips have a nuttier
taste and are best when blanched or boiled.
To avoid a bitter flavour, place a potato in
the water directly next to the Turnip.
The most common type of Turnip is mostly
inch cubes (about 1 1/3 cups)

6 oz potato, peeled and cut into inch cubes
(about 1 cup)
2 tbsp thinly sliced runner beans
1 egg, beaten lightly
cup plain flour
Grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oils
Salt and pepper
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water,
cook the turnip and potato cubes for 15 to
17 minutes, until they are tender and drain
them. In a bowl, mash them with a fork and
stir in the runner beans, egg, flour and salt
and pepper to taste. Coat the bottom of a
large, heavy bottomed frying pan with about
inch of the oil. Heat the pan on medium
high heat until the surface of the oil begins
to shimmer, but not smoke. Spoon cup
mounds of the turnip potato batter into the
pan, flattening them into inch thick patties
with the back of a spatula. Fry the patties
until they are golden, turning them once,
about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the
patties to paper towels to drain off excess oil.
Scalloped Turnips
4 tbsp butter
cup thinly sliced onions
4 cups peeled, thinly sliced turnips
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
cup milk
1/3 cup cream
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 1-quart
casserole. Melt 1 tbsp butter and lightly saut
onions until just browned. Layer a third of the
sliced turnips in the casserole dish; top with a
third of the onion; sprinkle with 2 tsp of flour,
1/3 tsp of salt, and one grind of pepper; pat
with dollops from 1 tbsp of butter. Repeat this
layering twice. Mix milk and cream together
and pour over the turnips. Cover and bake in
a 350F oven for 30 minutes, then remove
cover and bake for another 30-45 minutes,
white-skinned apart from the upper 16cm,

which protrude above the ground. The
interior flesh is entirely white. The root is
roughly conical, but can be occasionally
global, about 520cm in diameter and lacks
side roots. The taproot (the normal root
below the swollen storage root) is thin and is
normally 10cm or more in length. This part is
normally trimmed off before marketing. The
leaves grow directly from the above-ground
shoulder of the root and are sometimes
eaten as Turnip Tops. Turnip leaves and
root have a pungent flavour similar to raw
cabbage or radishes that becomes mild after
cooking.
Turnip Roots weigh up to about one
kilogram, although they can be harvested
when smaller. Most very small Turnips
(also called Baby Turnips) are specialty
varieties. These are only available when
freshly harvested and do not keep well. Most
Baby Turnips can be eaten whole, including
their leaves and come in yellow, orange and
red as well as white-fleshed. Their flavour is
mild, so they can be eaten raw in salads like
radishes and other vegetables. The Turnip
Root is high in Vitamin C and the leaves are
or until tender and bubbly.

Turnip and Bacon Mash
2 pounds turnip
2 pounds potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder
pound bacon
Peel and cube the turnip. Cook in a saucepan
in salted water until very tender. Peel and
cube the potatoes and cook in a saucepan
with salty water until tender. Drain both the
turnip and potatoes and then mash with the
butter or margarine, salt, pepper and garlic
powder to taste. Set aside. In a frying pan
fry the bacon until nice and crispy. Remove
from the pan and chop until small. Reserve
2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Add the
mashed turnip and potato and crumpled
bacon. Stir in the bacon grease and heat to
the desired temperature before serving. Can
be baked in the oven if preferred.
Turnip Fries
3 pounds turnips
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder (also known as onion salt)
Preheat oven to 220 C. Line a baking sheet
with a piece of foil and lightly grease. Peel the
turnips and cut into French fry-sized sticks,
about 1/3 x 4 inches. Place into a large bowl
and toss with the vegetable oil to coat. Place
the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, paprika,
onion powder in a re-sealable plastic bag
and shake to mix. Place the oiled turnips into
the bag and shake until evenly coated with
the spices. Spread out onto the prepared
baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until
the outside is crispy and the inside is tender,
about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
high in Vitamin A, C, K and calcium.

There is evidence that the Turnip was
domesticated before the 15th century BC
when it was grown in India for its oil-bearing
seeds. Wild forms of the Hot Turnip are
found over west Asia and Europe.
In Scotland, Ireland, Northern England and
parts of Canada, the usage is confusingly
reversed, with the yellow vegetables being
called Turnips or neeps, and the white
ones swedes. Neeps are mashed and eaten
with haggis, traditionally on Burns Night.
Turnip Lanterns are also an old tradition
in these areas. In Turkey, Turnips are
used to flavour salgam, a juice made from
purple carrots and spices served ice cold
and in other Middle Eastern countries such
as Lebanon, Turnips are pickled. In Japan
Pickled Turnips are sometimes stir-fried
with salt/soy sauce and Turnip Greens are
included in the ritual of the Festival of Seven
Herbs, called suzuna. In the Tyrolean Alps
of Austria, raw shredded Turnip Root is
served in a chilled remoulade in the absence
of other fresh greens as a winter salad.
Page 34
Page 35
The Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club association

is made up of young people from 12
to 18 years old who want to help their
community
T
h
e
Mazarrn
Leos joined
the
Lions
Club during
Operation
Kilo Food at
Consum
on
Camposol in
December. As
usual all the
food collected
went
to
Mazarrn
Cruz
Roja
for the many
people they support for Navidad. The Leos
would like to join the Lions Club in thanking
everyone at Camposol for their generosity.
Its just not fair you know;

The only son of a friend of ours is 15 and is
dying of Cancer.
Another friend of ours is 21 with Multiple
Sclerosis and he can only move one finger.
Recently another friend died just short of his
70th birthday.
Phil Hughes died from a hit from a cricket ball.
Michael Schumacher is still unwell after
banging his head while skiing.
At the start of a New Year, it is impossible

to know exactly what will transpire. We live
on a fragile planet with a high degree of
unpredictability which at times is hard to live
with. Why are we surprised though? We are
hurtling through space at a ridiculous speed.
Nobody really understands our universe and
the next disaster is just round the corner.
What are we to make of all this
uncertainty and uncontrollability in our
lives and in our environment?
The Leos were also delighted to be asked

by Julie and Chris from Compusurf to
help decorate their Christmas tree in the
Commercial Centre on Camposol B, which
they loved doing, so a big thank you to
Compusurf from The Leos.
The Leos will celebrate the first anniversary

of the Charter issued from America on January
22nd when they became the first independent
Alpha Leo Club in Spain. Their celebration
will be held at Marianos, Camposol A with
entertainment provided by Barrington. Tickets
are 5 and will be available from The Lions
stall every Friday outside Oscars, Camposol
B and The Beauty Palace and Branded,
Camposol B
The Lions and Camposol where this club
is based are very proud of The Leos and
thank them for their wonderful effort. The
Leos are very grateful to the many people
of Camposol who support them and welcome
new members.
The Mazarrn Bahia Leos meet fortnightly
at the Camposol Cultural Centre at 7pm to
9pm. For more information please call the
Leo Advisor Virginia Barker on 654 874 563
Denial is no good, as inevitably the events

of life will affect us whether we acknowledge
them or not. A few years ago something
stopped me putting my hand into rotating
machinery. I believe God intervened. So
why doesnt God intervene in every case
where someone is in danger or pain? Would
you want Him to? I do know He cares about
suffering and does not take delight in the
suffering of anyone.
Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus John
11 v 35 and For I take no pleasure in the
death of anyone, declares the Sovereign
LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18v 32.
I also know that many people dont want to
involve God in their lives anyway, so really
you cannot blame God if you dont believe in
Him! Use this next year to find God and to get
to know Him - He does care for you.
You can find us most Sunday evenings on

Camposol B in the Cultural Centre at 5.30pm
Contact Ken on 646 705 403 or check the
website to see what we will be doing each
week.
Come and join us. We offer something a bit
different. Sit around and chat over a cup of
tea or coffee and learn about God and what
He can do for YOU.
We also hold monthly social events in Los
Almagros. Look out for the posters or go to
our website for details.
http://open-door.wix.com/open-door
If you would like to be informed of our events
and be added to our mailing list please let
us know at opendoorgettogether@gmail.
com
Los Almagros, Fuente Alamo, 30320, Murcia
GPS: 3745 57.77 North. 1 15 56.95 West
Phone Ken 646 705 403 or Carol 655 141
721
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
TV News
December always seems to be a month when
not much new happens in the TV world. I think
all the channels and schedules are in place for
the festive period and no-one wants to see
changes. The providers do not want to risk
problems during that period with new and
innovative items, but I suspect things will all
start happening again in the New Year.
I thought I would have a brief recap of UK TV
in Southern Spain both to refresh us all who
have been here a while, newcomers and those
who are thinking of moving here.
UK TV reception does vary throughout the
regions of Spain and the following really only
applies to the Murcia Region - one of the
lucky areas to still be able to receive UK TV
by satellite transmission. Having said that,
the signals are very weak here and LARGE
dishes are needed to get the signals strong
enough to watch UK TV. The ideal is a 1.90m
dish (HUGE) which will get just about all the
available channels with a little signal to spare
for bad weather effects. A 1.45m will do the
job with no signal to spare and the smaller
1.35m that many households have from when
the signals were stronger, will get a selection
of channels, but not everything particularly
some of the BBC/ITV regions.
Having installed a large dish (that is not always
possible on some properties, so new buyers
beware and get a reputable TV company to

survey for a dish before you finally buy), you
will need a digibox to convert the satellite
signals to TV pictures and sound for viewing on
any TV set. There are many types of digibox for
both FREESAT and SKY (watching SKY outside
of the UK is technically illegal but there are
ways!) and each of these have boxes, from the
most simple, channel viewing to recording one
channel whilst watching another together, with
the facility for catch-up TV with Iplayer and
the like (technically not viewable in Spain, but
again there are ways!). Talk to your installer
about all the options before making that big
decision.
There is a fairly new way to watch UK TV
in Spain (and worldwide) and that is over
the Internet (not on your computer with its
restrictions and not having to be a geek to
work it, but with a special digibox that to the
operator is just like watching satellite TV, but
without the necessity of that massive dish).
What is required is EXCELLENT stable Internet
supply and that can be a problem in some
areas of Spain, although as with all technology,
that situation is getting better all the time. If
you have that decent Internet from a supplier
that will support continual downloads (not all
will), that requirement is TOTALLY different
from sending an email or booking a ticket with
Ryan Air; but if you have it, then internet TV
is a real alternative. It is not all about Internet
speed (2MB is usually ample), but about
consistency and if you are thinking of going
down this route, have your supplier loan you
a box for a few days before you buy. We have
a client that has nearly 30MB speed, but we
cannot get net TV to work well!
Get the facts and talk to a reputable dealer
before you spend a lot of money on something
that is either not right for you, or will not work
well. Use an installer recommended by friends
and neighbours, or one who has been around
a while doing this job. There are, as in most
walks of life, some sharks out there!
Article sponsored by Rainbow Satellites, the
company for all your TV needs in the Murcia
region of Southern Spain.
Contact Alan by email rainbowsats@gmail.
com or phone (0034) 686 358 475 for good
honest free advice.
Welcome 2015!
We at Rainbow wish all our readers and
clients a very happy 2015 and may it bring all
you want. There is not a lot to report on the
house, garden, animal and family front this
month. The garden is really dormant with the
colder days, but the steady rain now and again
has filled both the wells and hopefully we will
have ample water for the summer watering
schedule. Mum Monk, now back in the UK,
has settled into the home well and seems
to be enjoying the social life available. I am
actually typing this in mid-December on Easy
Jet to Bristol before visiting her in Plymouth.
This Christmas will be the first in the years
she was in Spain that we will not spend the
festivities together. Life moves along in often
unseen pathways. Just make the most of what
it throws at you!
Page 39
Dear Editor
Geoff Balshaw, the Master of Sierra Espua
Freemasons Lodge for the past year, had
much pleasure in presenting a donation of
1000 to Padisito, a locally Totana based
charity which assists families with disabled
relatives and also presenting a donation of
1000 to GOmad charity.
The money was raised over the past

year by the members of the lodge at a
number of social functions. The lodge has
supported local charities since its formation
and will continue to do so in the future.
successes with Rocking in Roda, Ruf Mari,

Auction, Fashion Show, Table Top Sales,
Craft Fayres etc. None of this would have
been possible without the volunteers and
all the work that they do both with the fund
raising and the caring. We have had many
successes and a few sad ones, but we
were there to help most of those struggling
when needed. We average 150-200+ hrs
per month (including outside care), so this
is approx 2,000 hrs every year. We have
loaned out our medical equipment nearly
200 times this year and have helped
so many people in so many ways, with
counselling, repatriation, dog re-homing,
food delivery, as well as hygiene, foot
health care, cleaning, shopping, getting
people to and from appointments and just
being there to help those struggling, when
needed.
Last but not least, our thanks to you all at
the Costa Clida Chronicle for advertising
and reporting on our events and supporting
us throughout the year. Your help has been
invaluable in getting our message across.
Thank you all so much.
the closest mechanic to us was Tim from

Kwik Fix in El Pareton.
We quickly explained our dilemma and that
there was a baby in the car and could he
help? What a fantastic service and what
a lovely man he is. Tim literally dropped
everything he could to help us and within
less than 24 hours the car was sorted. It
was also very reasonable and did not cost
thousands after all.
Thank you so much Tim. We are lucky to
have you.
N Butler
Camposol C
Dear Editor
The photo shows members of Keep Smiling
Through presenting the Ex-Servicemens
Association of Mazarrn District with
1,902, the proceeds from the show
commemorating the 100th anniversary of
the outbreak of World War One.
A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New

Year.
Lesley Eburne
HAH founder/manager
Dear Editor
Dear Editor
A few weeks ago we made a terrible

mistake by filling up our rental car with
petrol and it should have been diesel!
It did not take long to dawn on us what
had actually happened as the car simply
broke down. We optimistically contacted
the car rental company to see what could
be done and were horrified to be told it
was not their problem but ours and no, the
insurance would not cover it either and it
would be very expensive!
Well, that is it for 2014 fund raising. What

a great year we have had! So many
After a quick look through the Business

Directory of the Chronicle we realised that
Kind Regards
Roger
Thanks to everyone who supported this

event.
Pat Hunt
keepsmilingthrough1914@gmail.com
Page 40
Page 41
S i m o n
Scarrow
S i m o n
S c a r r o w
was born in
Nigeria, but
he now lives
in
Norfolk
with his wife
and
two
children. His
passion
for
writing began
at an early
age. After a childhood spent travelling the
world he pursued his great love of history as
a teacher, before becoming a full-time writer
of historical novels in 2005. Simons Roman
soldier heroes Cato and Macro first stormed
the book shops in 2000 and Simon continues
to create one new adult Roman novel each
year. Simon has many other literary projects
in hand including a young adult Roman

series and The Sword And The Scimitar,
an epic tale
of the Siege
of Malta in
the sixteenth
century.
The
Blood
Crows May
2014
For
nearly
ten
years,
the
Roman
E m p i r e
has
fought
ceaselessly
to strengthen
its hold over
Britannia, but
opposition
from native
tribes led by the ruthless warrior Caratacus

threatens to destroy everything. Prefect
Cato and Centurion Macro are summoned
by Governor Ostorius to Londinium. Tasked
with leading a newly formed cavalry cohort
into the heartland of Wales, they must
destroy the growing resistance, but with
Caratacus hatching increasingly ambitious
plans and disorder threatening from within
Macro and Catos own ranks, this final test
will push the soldiers to their limits. If they
do not emerge as victors, the Emperor
Claudiuss rule may be at stake and the very
foundations of the Roman Empire could be
shattered irrevocably.
The Legion
July 2011
When
the
a c t i o n s
of a rebel
gladiator
in
Egypt
threaten the
stability
of
the
Roman
E m p i r e ,
P r e f e c t
Cato
and
Centurion
Macro know
he must be
stopped.
The
locals
are
holding
the Romans
responsible
for
the
attacks and Ajaxs crew have been
making along the coast and now Egypt is
dangerously volatile. Tasked with tracking
and defeating the renegade, Cato and Macro
are soon hot on Ajaxs trail, determined to
destroy the enemy, but will the strength of a
psychotically fatalist gladiator and his newfound allies, hell-bent on destruction, defeat
the Roman warriors?
Brothers in
Blood Oct
2014
The Roman
Empires
conquest of
Britannia
is
under threat
from within.
A messenger
on the streets
of
Rome
has
been
intercepted
and tortured,
revealing
a
plot
to
sabotage
the
Roman
a r m y s
campaign
against Caratacus, commander of Britannias
native tribes. A treacherous agents mission
is to open a second front of attack against
them and eliminate the two Roman soldiers
who could stand in the way. Unwarned, the
Prefect Cato and the Centurion Macro are
with the Roman army pursuing Caratacus
and his men through the mountains of
Britannia. Defeating Caratacus seems within
their grasp, but the plot against the two
heroes threatens not only their military
goals but also their lives.
Page 42
Page 43
A Very Happy New Year from FAST

Kelly at IBEX, held a Coffee and Cakes
Morning on 19th November raising 56.69
for FAST. Responders, Val and Bobby Taylor
carried out free blood pressure checks for the
public who then enjoyed tea and home made
cakes served by FAST Supporter Jane Taylor.
Thank you Kelly for helping FAST, plus some
of the public too, who were advised to visit
their doctor following their blood pressure
check!
The FAST Christmas Fayre at Marianos,
Camposol A on 29th November was another
great success. The traders wish to pass on
their grateful thanks to everyone who gave
help and assistance to them before, during
and after the event which was very much
appreciated. Father Christmas was a popular
attraction handing out a free gift to every
child visiting him.
Thanks to Glen Olney for providing the sound

system, plus all those behind the scenes
supporters and to everyone who kindly
donated prizes for the raffle and tombola
stalls; T J Electricals, Branded, Cutting
Crew, Images, Lizs Caf, Ocean Fish Bar,
The Greenfingers Maintenance Team

have been working on Mondays as usual;
clearing, weeding and spraying in rotation
every street on Camposol Lower C. We have
said goodbye to Ken, who has now returned
(very reluctantly!) to the UK for the Winter
with wife Lynn, who kindly steps in on butty
Oscars, CDA Fitness, Elliots, Black Bull,

Ann Wamsley, Jean Collins, Kath Pickings and
Sam the AVON lady to mention a few.
Pot for collecting money and selling books.

John and the Bingo players at Tels Bar for
300 collected during October and November.
The Benidorm Coach Trip outing raised

227 and the Christmas Dance raised
662.
Ann Doyle from Camposol Line Dancing for

donating 100.
Special thanks from FAST to:

Ann Wamsley, a FAST Supporter for many
years who kindly carries out work which has
proved so beneficial to so many.
Thank you to Marianos and all the staff
for their kind cooperation once again. The
Christmas Fayre raised the amazing amount
of 4922.93.
Liz and family who recently kindly donated
254.65 following the sad loss of Tommy
Flanagan.
Alex Jarret who donated 100 towards the
replacement of the FAST car lost in the floods
Neighbourhood Watch, Camposol D for kindly
donating 30.
Glen, Jane, staff and customers of the Tea
patrol in Caths absence they will both be

missed. Mark takes on the mantle of Project
Manager as part of their job share and is
really looking forward to 2015 with lots of
new ideas for the continuing improvement
of C (and huge improvements to our
website take a look!). Various areas will
be surveyed with a view to choosing future
projects, including replacement of any trees
and plants which have not survived during
the Summer and Autumn, despite watering.
If you would like a task completed in your
area please contact us and please give any
plants near your home or holiday home a
drink if possible, as the cold winds we have
been experiencing can quickly dry them out
- thank you.
Thanks also to all our volunteers for
turning out on a Wednesday morning
and a special welcome to newbie Marilyn!
This month they joined with a team from
Upper C to weed and clear the road from
the Golf Club to the dual carriageway a
complete transformation which can be
seen in the gallery on our website! Plants
have been trimmed and gravelled areas
near the Windmill feature and along the
golf course fence have also been weeded
and the ground along the edge of the dual
carriageway prepared before the team
laid new kerb stones. A large hole at the
junction of Calles Puerto Lumbreras and
Begijar (left by Aqualia after their repair of a
burst water main!) has also been resurfaced
and concreted by our team. The remainder
Thank you to the Costa Clida Chronicle

and the many businesses who have assisted
and supported FAST throughout 2014 and
Jeff, Tracy, Tom, James and staff at T J
Electricals for providing free storage of
books and equipment required for the FAST
stalls on Camposol B.
From January through to 12th December
2014 FAST responded to and carried out
181 Callouts and 127 Ambulance Calls
on receiving an Emergency Call
Please visit the FAST Stalls on Camposol
Sector B for information; we will be pleased
to see you!
www.fastcamposol.com
In A Medical Emergency Call 112
Then Tel FAST 968 970 626
General Enquiries 634 327 730
Email secretary@fastcamposol.com
of the ready-mix concrete was extremely

useful in filling gota fria damage to the
central reservation of the dual carriageway
and reinforcing the flood drainpipe down
towards the Rambla, which takes inevitable
excess flood water from the main road. This
water and silt has been cleared by our team
and volunteers on more than one occasion
during the past month to enable traffic to
pass in safety.
Well, after yet another year of Green
Fingered magic(!) it just leaves me to wish A
Happy New year to all, and many thanks to
all those who have supported Green Fingers
in 2014; local businesses and individuals
alike, including everyone for donations of
plants, raffle prizes and to our bucket!
Please contact our Chairman, John,
on 634 325 427 for any more
information
or
check
chalkboards,
Facebook and website http://www.
greenfingersgardenandsocialgroup.
com/
Page 44
The lucky winner of the hamper was Denis

of Camposol D. Our thanks go, not only to
the public and the stallholders for supporting
us, but also to the volunteers and friends who
worked so hard to make the day a success.
We raised over 1000 for the charity!
Age Concern Costa Clida started the

Christmas festivities early with a party at the
Cultural Centre, Camposol on Wednesday 3rd
December. Partygoers enjoyed an array of
festive food from sausage rolls and sandwiches
to mince pies and cake. The Carousel Choir
provided excellent entertainment all in
seasonal dress, singing carols and Christmas
songs. There was even a visit from Santa and
Frosty the Snowman!!
On January 7th we kick off the New Year with

our Monthly Social at the Cultural Centre,
Camposol at 1.30pm. There will be a talk on
arthritis which may interest any sufferers.
The Age Concern Christmas Fair was held

at El Lagarto Verde in Puerto de Mazarrn. It
was packed with stalls selling all manner of
goods including clothing and jewellery, plants,
cards, artwork, pies, sweets, cakes and much
more. The bar was open all day for Spanish
and English food (bacon & eggs or paella!)
and we were treated with a performance of
carol-singing, again by the Carousel Choir.
Our final event last year was our Christmas

Dinner Dance at Costa Hotel in Mazarrn.
This went so well that weve already reserved
the hotels function suite for an event on
Thursday 28th May. We will again offer free
coach transport to and from Costa Hotel.
We hope to finalize the details for this event
later this month, so watch our website www.
mccsocialclub.com.
Call 634 310 216 for more information.

A Happy New Year to all!
Our next event is a day trip to the Annual

Medieval Market in Orihuela, on Saturday
31st January. This trip is sold out and has
a waiting list. As always, do contact us to
add your name to our waiting list as we
occasionally have last-minute cancellations.
Our coach leaves the Country Club at
10am and has a pick up point at Marianos,
Camposol A at 10.10am.
were holding it outside La Taberna Bar and

Restaurant, at the Country Club. We hope to
have a variety of stalls, an Easter Egg Hunt
for the children and a Raffle. There will be
no entry charge, so please join us and enjoy
what is always a very pleasant afternoon.
Contact us to reserve a space if you would
like a stall at this event. Stalls are free to our
club members and 5 for non-members.
Our 3 Night Mini Break to Valencias Las

Fallas festival in March is also fully booked
and has a waiting list. Again, do contact us
if you would like to add your name to the
waiting list.
Details of our events, including any events we

organize between the times we write these
reports, are on our website
Hazel Davison
Email info@mccsocialclub.com
First and foremost, our Social Club committee

would like to thank everyone who supported
us in 2014 so we could put on a good selection
of events. As a Social Club, we dont need to
make a profit, so when we receive more from
ticket sales than an event has cost, were able
use the surplus towards keeping ticket prices
for future events as low as possible.
Our first Menu del Dia of 2015 will be on

Wednesday 28th January at Restaurante
Avenida, Puerto de Mazarrn at 10 per head.
Tickets available at the Cultural Centre, which
is open Wednesday and Thursday 10am-1pm
and Friday 12.30-3.30pm.
The only other event we had confirmed in

time to mention here is our Easter Monday
Afternoon Fair at 3pm on 6th April. As always,
Page 45
Exhibition until 8th March

There will be an exhibition to appreciate
hydraulic models, when Antonio Paredes
takes us through some of the most interesting
places of Mazarrn. The exhibition can be
seen in the Universidad Popular in Avenida de
la Constitucin and in the Centro Cultural in
Mazarrn.
Titled Matri Terrae, Paredes refers to land

that has provided support throughout the
centuries, something that manifests with the
models in this exhibition based on the Castillo
de los Vlez, la Fbrica de Alumbre, la Mina
de Luisito y Finca Coqueta.
Visiting hours:
8am-3pm and 7-9pm Monday to Friday at
Universidad Popular
8am-10.30pm Monday to Friday in Centro
Cultural of Mazarrn
Both exhibitions will be open at weekends
that coincide with Fiestas.
Art Exhibition At Mazarrn Town Hall

Until 30th January
The Murcian painter Antonio Martinez Mengual
exhibits Luz Herida, a painting inspired
by Mediterranean palm tree as the main
element. It is displayed in a unique setting
of Las Casas Consistoriales in Mazarrn,
recently recognised by the Ministry of Public
Works for the quality of the building after the
restoration carried out in recent years.
renowned painter from Blanca, Pedro Cano

and Cartagena artist, Javier Lorente, chaired
the jury along with painters Luis Marino
Mateos, Thomas Raja and Mariano Guillen.
charge of the choir. Among those present

were the Mayor of Mazarrn, Francisco
Garcia, Deputy Mayor, Gins Campillo and
the President of Cruz Roja Mazarrn, Carmen
Navarro.
Antonio Agull took first prize of 2,500,

granted by the City of Mazarrn. Second
prize of 1,500 and sponsored by Mazalia
was awarded to Alfredo Lpez. The third prize
of 1,000 and sponsored by Agyrec, went to
Jos Antonio Francs.
The special 600 prize for a watercolor,

sponsored by Hortisa, went to Manuel
Jimnez Adems. The 350 for four runnersup, sponsored by Optica Guilln, Ortiz Vera
Hermanos, Bar Luis y Camping Playas de
Mazarrn were: Jaime Jurado, Blai Toms,
Sergio Del Amo and Alberto Mrquez.
In the junior category the first prize was not
awarded. The second prize, sponsored by
Librera Navarro and valued at 60 of painting
material, was awarded to Alfonso Hernandez.
The third child prize of 40 painting material
and sponsored by Librera Calle Mayor, went
to Carlos Luque.
New Bridge at Caadas del Romero
A total of 238,169 has been awarded for
work on building a new bridge after the
flood of 2012 ruptured some of the previous
infrastructure. This solution is the most
expensive but also the most reliable and
durable over time, offering more guarantees
in the event of future floods.
At noon there was the Solemn Mass at the

Santuario de la Pursima. In the afternoon,
the traditional procession was held with the
image of the Patroness of Mazarrn, starting
from the sanctuary and accompanied by
the Band of Bugles and Drums of Mazarrn.
The Queen of the Festival was Elena Perez,
and the Ladies, Carmen Mndez and ngela
Lpez.
Green Line Service
The Green Line service was introduced to
Mazarrn last year and has shown a very
good reception of the service.
To use the service via Smartphone or tablet,
simply download the Green Line application.
Each user connects to Play Store or APP
Store. This is completely free. Once you open
the application on the mobile device, the user
decides whether to raise a query or report
an incident. The procedure is very quick and
easy. To report an incident, simply select the
type of search.
The APP Green Line is responsible for
automatically detecting the exact coordinates
where it is located. Later, you can attach a
picture of the incident with a brief description.
Once submitted, the procedures are initiated
to solve the detected incident.
In Mazarrn, the type of incidents that have
been reported most are those that refer
to sidewalks and driveways followed by
lighting, cleaning and garbage. So far
136 incidents have been reported, of which
42% have already been solved. You can also
access the web www.lineaverdemazarron.
com. Through this domain, citizens can
raise any environmental issues and within a
maximum of 24 hours will be answered by a
team of experts.
The painting collection by Mengual shows a

Mediterranean palm tree as the main element.
Most of his paintings are an explosion of
colour, marked by his personality and style.
This renowned artist was born in 1948 and
has had fifty solo exhibitions.
This exhibition will be on display until January
30th Monday to Friday from 10am-2pm and
5pm-8pm and Saturdays from 10am-2pm,
except on the last Saturday of the month and
holidays.
Outdoor Painting Competition
Fifty participants competed in the 12th
Outdoor Painting Competition. Creativity,
pragmatism and resolution finally resulted in
beautiful works in many different styles. The
The project will be funded by Mazarrn and

European funds.
The Green Line service has won the 2014

Conama Sustainability Award. It also featured
in the Quality Award 2013 in the category of
Healthy and Sustainable Urban Development
awarded by the Spanish Healthy Cities
Network (RECS) and Major Impact Award
2013 Citizen of Ecovidrio.
Mazarrn Celebrated Da De Su Patrona

With Traditional Religious Events
Volunteers
from
Cruz
Roja
Mazarrn
celebrated their 116th year and handed over
a wreath during Mass to remember the day of
its patron, la Pursima Concepcin.
The events began at 9am at a hospice with
Mass celebrated by the parish priest of
San Andres and San Antonio, Julio Romero
Fernndez. The Franciscan Sisters were in
Page 46
The Programme Committee has put

together some very interesting Chatterbox
afternoons and various trips. Full details will
be available at the January meeting, which
will feature a flower arranging display by
Karen and Lynn. They will demonstrate
some table arrangements which will be
raffled off at the end of the afternoon. We
meet at 2pm on the 2nd Thursday of every
month in the Cultural Centre, Camposol B.
All are welcome and you can catch up with
old friends and new over a cup of tea or
coffee.
Chatterbox Book Club will hold its 2nd
meeting in the Cultural Centre on 29th
January at 2pm. The first book to be read
has been chosen, but we will not start

reading it until after this meeting, so there
is still time to come along and join the
group.
Chatterbox Genealogy Group will meet
on 22nd January at 2pm in the Cultural
Centre. The group is being slightly revamped and will be known in future as the
Chatterbox Family History Group. If
you would like to find out more about your
ancestors, do come along and you will be
given all the help required to start you
off on a trail of discovery. Gill, one of the
members, has penned these words for you;
Come and join, come and see
Why we enjoy Family History.
Make new friends and have a laugh
Find Aunt Sally who lived in Bath.
Trace aunts, uncles and grandparents too
These are the family that have made you.
Chatterbox SEW and SEW Group would
like to say a huge big thank you to everyone
who supported the first ever Craft Fair by
SEW and SEW on 22nd November. We had
this booked since August, and our team of
The work is continuing on the areas on

Camposol D Sector that were affected
by the gota fria. Everyone has been
very busy and slowly things are looking
a bit better. Volunteer work on Fridays
will commence now that everything has
settled down. Please come and help if
you have even half an hour to spare.
There have been some big changes on
the Committee of Camposol D Sector:
Mike Drummond - Chairman, Bob Owen
- Treasurer, Les Crook - Secretary and
Linda Crook - Social Secretary, have all
stepped down after working tirelessly from
the inception of the group six years ago.
For different reasons they are stepping
down to let some new blood take over and
bring some new ideas to the group. At the
time of going to print Anita Girvan is the
new Treasurer, Ken DAngelo is the new
Social Secretary and we are looking for
volunteers for Chairman, Vice Chairman
and Secretary. We also require a Project
Manager. If anyone is interested, please
ring Mike Drummond on 666 863 670.
ladies had been working tirelessly to make

it happen. It was a resounding success,
with 580 being raised for Forget Me Not,
including 136.99 collected by the ladies
of Chatterbox through the Smartie Tube
Collection.
Thank you to the Costa Clida Chronicle
and other media for advertising us and also
the New Royal for their generous donation
of a Sunday lunch for two, which raided 50
on the raffle. We hope that the funds raised
will be a big help for the people in need and
we look forward to raising more funds in
the future.
Our very best wishes to you all, Susan,
Karen and all the ladies at SEW and SEW.
We meet every Monday at 2.30pm in the
Cultural Centre.
Chatterbox/Book Club - Chris Leiper 968
199 441 or Anne Patrick 618 410 274
Family History - Jean Dore 968 199 080
SEW and SEW - Sue 605 737 107 or
Karen 696 668 084
success. 122 people attended and had

a three course meal with entertainment
by Mark Ellis, who was excellent.
He
had everyone on their feet all night.
The Club House excelled in their service
and quality of food and it all went very
smoothly. It was my last function as
social secretary and everyone certainly
made it a night to remember. PLEASE
support Ken DAngelo in his new role.
The next Camposol D Meeting will be held
on 5th January, 4pm at The Club House.
Linda Crook
Press Secretary
On 13th December we held our Annual

Christmas Party which was a huge
Page 47
We ended the year on a high with a

wonderful Christmas lunch at the lovely
Amapola Restaurant, Bolnuevo. Lunch
was followed by a raffle of Christmas
produce and we must thank Paco for the
kind donation of a bottle of wine and all his
staff for looking after us so well. The sun
shone and everyone was in good spirits
quite literally(!) and we left ready to face
the Christmas onslaught.
Twelve members of Mazarrn Bay Bridge

Club (MBBC) went up the AP-7 to visit Los
Alczares Bridge Club (LABC) for a team
game of duplicate bridge.
The venue
was the Los Claras Community Centre
(Pensionistas), just off the autopista.
After a coffee it was straight into 16 hands
of bridge; no talking, no mobiles, just
quiet concentration. At the lunch break,
LABC had obviously been thinking harder
because they were 40 Imperial Points

(imps) ahead. (Dont ask about imps and
scoring).
The lunch was a simple Menu del Dia with
ample supplies of red wine.
After the break, another 8 hands were
played and MBBC made up some ground,
but the final result was a convincing win
for LABC; 135 imps to 115 imps. Jon
reluctantly handed over the trophy to Ron
of LABC. The cup will stay in Los Alczares
until March 2015, when there will be a
home match in Puerto de Mazarrn.
Note to MBBC organiser for March 2015.
Serve red wine instead of coffee at 10am
and even bigger bottles at lunch!
You can see the weekly results on
We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and

wish everyone happiness and good health in
the New Year. If there is anybody who feels
that they might like to lose a few of those
extra seasonal calories, just turn up to our
Tuesday morning work parties held each
week! We will be very pleased to see you.
Council Activity
Last month we reported that the Council had
agreed to address many of the problems that
exist on Camposol Sector B. You probably
will have noticed teams of road sweepers
becoming almost a common sight around the
sector and that work is now in progress to
repair the many footpaths left badly damaged
after water leaks. Also, the Commercial
Centre parking restriction signs and yellow
lines have been made more obvious and
replaced as appropriate. Please be aware
that anyone who chooses to ignore these
signs and parks on the yellow lines is at
great risk of receiving a heavy fine and
having their car towed away to the police

pound. This has already happened to a few
shoppers recently.
Tree Planting
We have had a total of 60 trees; Mimosa,
Jacaranda and Pimienta, planted along the
approach road to the Commercial Centre and
the road at the side of the Rambla leading to
the bridge. Planting along the road connecting
B5 (Cultural Centre) to B15/B22 will continue
in the next few weeks, weather permitting.
Please Adopt a Tree(s) - the trees need
watering regularly, especially until their roots
have become established. We are seeking
volunteer residents to come forward and take
responsibility for the watering of the tree(s)
in their care.We can supply 20L Water Jerry
cans if required.
We still need willing volunteers!
The numbers coming forward to give help
with the planting, weeding, litter clearing,
www.bridgewebs.com.
Look
for
Mazarrn Bay Bridge Club, Spain. For
more information or to find a partner,
telephone 00(34) 968 158 468 or email
thompson.jon.jon@gmail.com
watering, etc. are few, so, once again, please

contact us if you can offer some assistance.
We meet every Tuesday morning for
a couple of hours and each extra pair of
hands makes a great difference. Come to our
monthly meetings held on the last Tuesday
of each month at Trevi Bar 4-5pm and tell
us what improvements you would like to see
happen on or near your poligono.
B Clean Community Group Scheme
Please join the scheme and subscribe just 5
a month to help us keep Camposol looking
great. If you are willing to add your name
to the growing list of members, please
contact Sandy or Helen for details. The more
subscribers we have, the better Camposol will
look.
Sandy (Treasurer) 968 986 030
Email sanandstu@gmail.com
Helen (Secretary) 968 199 506
Email helenwhite522@gmail.com
Page 48
LOS CANOVAS PLAYERS ANNOUNCEMENT

The Los Canovas Players are pleased to
announce that their next production will be
on Thursday 16th, Friday 17th and Saturday
18th April 2015. Curtain up at 8pm each
night.
Further information will be published
in next months issue of the Costa
Clida Chronicle.
We would be pleased to hear from anyone
who would like to join our drama group
in any capacity, whether it is on stage,
front of house or just as a general
helper. You may contact Roger by email
on
loscanovasplayers@gmail.com
or by phone on 968 151 149 for more
information.
We look forward to entertaining you.
Happy New Year to you all from

everyone at Forget Me Not
We finished off our first year with a very
busy December. The Table Top Sales on
Camposol B were very successful and
thanks to all who supported us and those
who helped on the stall. We again enjoyed
the musical interlude provided by Carousel
with their Christmas carols and songs and
thank you to the public who came along
and joined in the singing.
In early December, Volunteers and Carers

enjoyed a Pre-Christmas Meal at Elliotts,
Bolnuevo.
It was most delicious and
thanks to Carol and Steve at Elliotts for
making the meal special.
Please note our new website at www.
and if you
forgetmenotmazarron.es
have any questions you need answered
please contact us on 660 442 845 or 626
734 922.
Forget Me Not provides free care
by trained volunteers supported by
professional nurses at the Cultural Centre,
Camposol every Monday at 10.30am until
1.30pm for all those suffering from long
term illnesses.
We hope to advise you of our activities
that we have planned for early 2015 in our
article in the next Costa Clida Chronicle.
Again, on behalf of all at Forget Me
Not, have a very Happy New Year.
Page 49
PALS wish all their supporters a Happy

and Healthy New Year for 2015.
This year we are only promoting three events:
A 4 day trip full board with coach to
Benidorm 160, celebrating the St Patricks
and San Jose Fiestas in March. (Fully booked)
A fantastic coach trip into Portugal visiting
Lisbon, Oporto and Fatima in May at a
remarkable 510 half board.
7 nights Mediterranean Cruise on board
Pulmantours Sovereign of the Seas in
October all inclusive, (drinks, tips, taxes, food
and coach to and from Mazarrn) with prices
starting at 700. (Fully Booked)
Events do occur and places do become
available, so we have a cancellation list. Add
your name now. We allocate places for any trip
or holiday, initially to those who are regular
customers and are now firm friends and
thereafter we advertise in the Costa Clida
Chronicle as our main media promotion. In
the case of the cruise, it was a sell-out of the
60 cabins within 17 days!
So we have just the one super holiday to offer
you; the Trip to Portugal with a coach from
the Mazarrn area:
th
Thursday 14 May: Mazarrn/Salamanca

- morning departure towards Salamanca,
The Benefits of Spinning

Spinning is a studio cycling workout and is an
intense interval session, but with the beauty
of the rider being in control and being able to
tailor the workout to their ability by adjusting
their own bike. The workouts are great fun
and done to music. A lot of people are afraid
of trying this exercise class as it looks like
such hard work, but it has a lot of benefits
and you can adjust the workout according
to your ability. Spinning is a cardiovascular
and endurance cycling workout that is done
on a stationary bike on which the tension can
be increased or decreased in a variety of ways
- resistance during a steep climb, followed by
a short sprint and then a more gentle pedal.
Results are often far greater than you would
achieve in a long steady cycle in the gym or
even on the road. A big reason why people
take part in Spinning classes is due to the
huge amount of calories you can burn in a
session - between 800-1000 calories in one
hour!
crossing the plains of La Mancha with

stops en-route. Arrive hotel dinner and
accommodation
Friday 15th May: Salamanca/Guimaraes/
Oporto - breakfast and departure towards
Guimaraes, passing en-route by Ciudad
Rodrigo. Arrival and free time to visit the
Medieval city, known as the birth of Portugal
with its castle & palaces, continuing to Oporto.
Arrival, dinner and accommodation.
Saturday 16th May: Oporto - Breakfast
and orientation tour of Oporto. Arrival at
the old town and free time, dinner and
accommodation in the hotel.
Sunday
17th
May:
Oporto/Fatima/
Nazare/Obidos/Lisbon - Breakfast and
departure towards Lisbon, visiting en-route
Ftima, with its famous shrine and typical
medieval villages of Nazare & Obidos with
its castle. Continuing on to Lisbon, arrival,
dinner & accommodation.
Monday 18th May: Lisbon - breakfast and
tour of the capital with its Plaza Rossio, Avda
de la Liberdade and Park of Eduardo VII with
official guide and continue to the Manuelina
area, with the Jeronimos Monastery and the
Tower of Belem. In the afternoon, free time
for a more detailed visit of Lisbon. Dinner and
why people are choosing to take Spinning

classes. Spinning is an anaerobic exercise,
which pulls energy from your reserves and
builds up your muscular endurance over an
extended period of time.
Spinning is low
impact and keeps the pressure off your knees
and feet. It doesnt take long for your efforts
to show and you will notice the difference in a
short time as while you are working out your
legs, your abdominal muscles are also getting
a great workout.
accommodation in the hotel.

Tuesday 19th May: Lisbon/Layos breakfast and departure towards Toledo,
passing en-route by Badajoz and Trujillo.
Stops en-route. Arrival in the city of Layos,
about 12km away from Toledo. Dinner and
accommodation.
Wednesday 20th May: Layos - breakfast
and departure to Mota del Cuervo crossing La
Mancha on the famous route of Don Quixote.
Arrival in Consuegra and visit the Castle and
the windmills situated on the top of the hill
with one of the most beautiful views of La
Mancha. Continue to Alcazar de San Juan
with its famous wine cellars. On to Campo de
Criptana and Mota del Cuervo with its typical
windmills. Return to Mazarrn.
Included In The Price:
Modern air-conditioned bus with video,
fridge, reclining seats etc
- Visit of Lisbon with official guide (English)
- Salamanca H Hall****/Oporto H Tuela***/
Lisbon H Roma***/Layos H Golf***
- Half board at the hotel from dinner on the
first day to breakfast the last day
Contact 626 460 465 or visit Bistro
Ratatouille on Wednesdays 1pm-3pm or
Trevi Bar Saturdays 11am-1.30pm for more
information and purchase of tickets.
When we work muscles to their extremes, we

cause them to break down and then the body
reacts to rebuild them stronger and bigger
than before. The rebuilding and healing
process requires a lot of energy. Hence, after
a big workout such as Spinning, our body
can be working harder than usual for a couple
of days, burning more calories as it refuels
and repairs. This can be described as having
an increased metabolic rate. The muscles
worked out are the biggest in the body
and they are compound exercises (working
various muscle groups simultaneously).
The bigger the muscles worked and the
more muscle groups worked, the bigger the
metabolic effect, the more calories the body
burns not just during the workout, but in the
hours and days afterwards.
Spinning classes coming to CDA Fitness
Studio soon
Why not give it a try!
For further information, call 634 304 087
Why Does It Work So Well?

Cardiovascular health is another big reason
Page 50
A Big Thank You from MAMAS

Here at MAMAS all our volunteers would like
to thank you, the public who have helped
us over the past year. We hope you enjoyed
your Christmas and wish you a Happy New
Year. Thanks to your help we were able to do
even more last year, helping more animals in
pain and neglect and easing their suffering.
In December
alone some of
the
animals
we
helped
i n c l u d e d
Panda who
n e e d e d
an
urgent
operation to
remove
5
tumours. (His
happy owners
confirm that
he is now a
different dog
with a new
lease of life.)
Also the Ibizan Hound who needed two plates
fitting to his badly damaged rear leg to enable
him to walk properly again.
How You Can Help Us?

We need your unwanted items; anything from
a single item up to a house clearance. We
accept bric-a-brac, electrical goods, furniture,
clothing and bedding. You can donate at the
shop, Mon to Sat 10am-2.pm. The shop is in
Puerto de Mazarrn, just past Mercadona/
Lidl towards the port. Turn left onto the road
immediately after Consum and we are in the
third turning on the left (Calle San Juan)
opposite the park on your right.
With the extra space in the new shop, we
have a good selection of second-hand items
at reasonable prices, so if you are looking
for anything why not call in to see whats
available.
You may save yourself some
money and help our charity at the same time.
Check out our website where there is a link to
show furnishings for sale.
mazarronanimalmedi-aid.co.uk
Drop-Off Point
Every Tuesday we are on Camposol B car park
10am-12pm, opposite the petrol station. We
can collect items from you there or arrange
collection if needed.
Collection Service
We have a large van, which means we are
able to collect any size of item promptly, so if
you want to donate to the charity, give us a
call and we will call round and collect straight
away.
Please contact us if you need help on
666 186 037 or call at the shop.
Email mazarronanimalmedi-aid@hotmail.
com
Helping You Helping Animals
Registered Charity No 9537/1a
How Do We Do This?
We are entirely reliant on your generous
donations. As all our volunteers work for
nothing, you can be sure that the money
raised from your donations will go towards
running the charity and helping the animals.
Not one cent is taken in wages or salary.
Page 51
Recognition At Last
CAF {Community Ambulance Fund Espaa}
was formed as a joint venture between PALS
and the Mazarrn Lions.
However, until 10th December, when the Lions

were invited to the 150 years celebration of
Cruz Roja, our name had not been displayed
on the donated Ambulance.
We are now happy to report that this has now
been rectified by members of the local Cruz
Roja.
The event was attended by the Mayor of
Mazarrn, Francisco Garcia along with many
members of the council and it was pleasing to
hear that the council has adopted Camposol
Sectors B, C and D and are going to work hard
to improve the problems that the residents of
Camposol have been experiencing.
Goodbye 2014 - Hello and Welcome to

2015
We hope all the hangovers are now over and

you are feeling better.
This
last
year
saw
AAR rescue
a
number
of
equines,
h o r s e s ,
ponies, and
foals
and
of
course
donkeys,
some
of
which came
from
the
Perrera
in
Murcia. This
is not a place
that we go to on a regular basis, but the
veterinary staff there know that we are only
a phone call away and we know that if we
cannot take an equine out of there it would
We then had the pleasure of seeing the

Lions logo attached to the Ambulance. It
has been a long time coming, but we are very
pleased that our contribution has now been

recognised.
be sacrificed. We still have to abide by the

rules set by the ministry and have in place,
microchips, passport and transport orders
before we are allowed to move the animals.
We also rescue equines from individuals that
cannot afford to care for them anymore. This
seems endless, as every week we are receiving
more
and
more phone
calls.
sherry and mince pies in return!! I think

that both donkeys and residents enjoyed the
meeting, even though it rained and umbrellas
were the order of the day.
Twiglet and
Alberto were
treated to an
afternoon out
in Camposol
on
15th
December for
a Christmas
treat.
They
were
given
carrots
and
apples
by
the
local
residents
who received
We do have equines that can be homed;

several of the rescued ones from 2014
have already found good homes, but if you
are considering one, speak to us about
what paperwork you have to have in place.
Dont forget this is Spain and not the UK.
Your property has to be registered with the
ministry. It is not expensive, but it does take
a little time.
Last year saw
us take in
several dogs
and puppies.
Sadly
some
of the pups
contracted
Parvovirus
and did not
pull through,
so we decided
that
we
needed
a
quarantine
area
which
is now near
completion. We also have dogs and pups that
want homes. Please check out our Facebook
page. If anything take your fancy, give me
a call and we can go through the adoption
process or call and see me on Camposol
B carpark where I stand every
Monday
11.30am-1.30pm, collecting items for our
shops. If you would like to donate larger
items, please give me a call on 690 906 565
to arrange pickup.
Until next month.
Stay safe.
Andrea
Page 52
Page 53
34 words of 3 letters or more
BADGER
BUDGIE
CAT
CHICKEN
CHIMPANZEE
DEER
DOG
DUCK
EAGLE
FOX
GOAT
HEDGEHOG
HORSE
LION (F)
MOUSE
PIGEON
RABBIT
ROBIN
TIGER
WHALE
Answers on page 82
Page 54
Page 55
Acupuncture originates from China and has

been practiced there for thousands of years.
Although there are records of Acupuncture
being used hundreds of years ago in Europe,
it was during the second half of the twentieth
century it began to spread rapidly in Western
Europe, the United States and Canada.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very
thin needles through the patients skin at
specific points on the body - the needles
are inserted to various depths. We are not
sure how Acupuncture works scientifically.
However, we do know that it does have
some therapeutic benefits, including pain
relief and alleviation from nausea caused by
chemotherapy.
According to traditional Chinese medical

theory, Acupuncture points are located
on meridians through which gi vital energy
runs. There is no histological, anatomical
or scientific proof that these meridians or
Acupuncture points exist. Acupuncture
remains
controversial
among
Western
medical doctors and scientists. Creating case
studies that use proper scientific controls is
difficult because of the invasive nature of
Acupuncture
The patient will be asked to lie down, either

face-up, face-down or on his/her side,
depending on where the needless are inserted.
The Acupuncturist should use single-use
disposable sterile needles. As each needle
is inserted the patient should feel them, but
initially without pain. However, when the
needle reaches the right depth there should
be a deep aching sensation. Sometimes
the needles are heated or stimulated with
electricity after insertion. Once inserted, the
needles will remain there for about twenty
minutes.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Traditional
Chinese
medicine
explains
that health is the result of a harmonious
balance of the complementary extremes
of yin and yan of the life force known
as gi or chi. Qi is said to flow through meridians
(pathways) in the human body. Through
350 Acupuncture points in the body, these
meridians and energy flows may be accessed.
Illness is said to be the consequence of an
imbalance of the forces. If needles are
inserted into these points with appropriate
combinations it is said that the energy flow
can be brought back into proper balance.
In Western societies, Acupuncture is
explained including concepts of neuroscience.
Acupuncture points are seen by Western
practitioners as places where nerves, muscles
and connective tissue can be stimulated.
Acupuncture practitioners say that the
stimulation increases bloodflow while at the
same time triggering the activity of our own
bodys natural painkillers.
Who May Benefit From Acupuncture
Treatment?
Even though Acupuncture is commonly used
on its own for some conditions, it is becoming
very popular as
a
combination
treatment
by
doctors. The use
of Acupuncture
to alleviate pain
and
nausea
after surgery is
becoming more
widespread.
Acupuncture
is also starting
to make inroads
into
veterinary
medicine.
As more and more physicians accept
acupuncture, a wider range of illnesses
and condition are being considered for
Acupuncture treatment.
As it is very difficult to devise clinical
studies that measure the effectiveness
of Acupuncture against a placebo, it is
hard to create a definitive list of conditions
in which acupuncture may be effective.
However, some studies have indicated
that acupuncture may help in treating
low back pain, migraines, post-operative
dental pain and osteoarthritis, as well as
chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Other studies have shown that acupuncture
may help women with painful periods.
What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture?
When performed correctly it is safe.
There are very few side effects.
It is a very effective combination treatment.
It is effective in controlling some types of
pain.
It may be considered for patients who do not
respond to pain medications.
Acupuncture can be great for helping
all sorts of ailments and is available at
Janes Salon with Teresa twice a week by
appointment only.
Tel 968 158 533
How Is Acupuncture Treatment Done?

Acupuncture generally involves several
weekly or fortnightly treatments. This does
depend on the problem, as helping with
cystitis can require just one treatment
every 6 months, while some other problems
require courses consisting of up to 12
sessions. A visit to an Acupuncturist will
involve an examination and an assessment

of the patients condition, the insertion
of needles and advice on self-care.
Sessions last about 45 minutes to an hour.
Page 56
Last month we finally decided to bite the

bullet and buy a new car. Our trusty 20
year old left hand drive Renault 5 that we
had bought in the UK for 300 seven years
ago and then drove out to Spain, had served
us brilliantly, but with the new Spanish
scrappage allowance being resurrected, a
2,000 trade-in was too good to turn down.
We decided that we wanted a multi-purpose
vehicle with space for our possessions as well
as our two rescue dogs.
We did all our research on the Internet and we
selected a top-of-the-range Citron Berlingo
as our main choice. We knew exactly what we
wanted and how much we wanted to pay. This
is where it all started to go wrong!
We made our way to the first local main
dealer and stated what we wanted with a
detailed print out from Citron Spain showing
all the extras that we wanted included. The
cost of the new vehicle with the specification
we selected came to 20,600. We were more
than happy to go ahead and place the order
there and then if a price of 20,300 could be
agreed. This appeared to be a major stumbling
block! We ended up leaving the dealership
without buying anything, with a promise from
the salesman that we would be called on the
Monday with a decision if they were prepared
to offer a 300 discount. We never got the
call, so we went to another dealer.
and even more with the price.We settled

on practically the same specification as the
Citron, but with the added benefit of a fitted
tow bar and the optional 5 year or 100,000km
warranty. With the Spanish scrappage
allowance deducted from the total price, it
came to just 12,900. A total no brainer if
you ask me! If you have not heard of a Dacia
Dokker, you may be surprised that it is based
on the trusted Renault Kangoo and is built in
the same factory in Morocco. With trusted
mechanicals and a proven engine I feel very
happy with our purchase.
We then decided to go to Murcia and try

another Citron dealer. This time we did not
have to explain what we wanted to buy, as after
20 minutes of walking around and looking at
the stock we were completely ignored. They
would not even make eye contact with me.
They probably had it in their heads that they
would have a good job without prospective
customers interfering with their work day. At
this point we were considering keeping our
trusty old car for another couple of years.
On the way back, we spotted a Dacia
showroom and we decided to take a look. As
soon as we went through the showroom door
we saw what looked very similar to vehicle
we were trying so very hard to buy for the
last week, except it was a Dacia Dokker. We
were approached by a salesperson, who on
finding that we did not speak fluent Spanish,
introduced us to a lovely lady, Aurelia, who
spoke perfect English. She asked what
we were looking for and then showed us
around the Dacia range. I must say that I
was impressed with what we were shown
Having now taken delivery and had the time

to enjoy, I am so glad that the journey we
undertook to buy a different MPV led us to
this little gem. Mileage is not too bad either;
520km to date and still on the same 50 of
diesel we put in when we collected from the
Dacia/Renault showroom. We now need to
decide on what to spend our 7000 savings
on. I feel a cruise coming on.
Joe Flay
Once again we stated what our requirements

were and what we were prepared to pay. We
were told that we could not have the model
we wanted for a month. This was not a big
problem for us, but it was a big problem for

the dealer, so he tried to sell us a secondhand Peugeot Partner which he said we could
have there and then. After explaining in no
uncertain terms once again what we wanted,
he told us to come back on Monday and he
would see what he could do for us. At this
point we had a Spanish speaking translator
with us just to make sure we were not getting
the wrong end of the stick! It would appear
that the official Citron price was a bit out of
sync with what the dealer wanted to achieve.
Page 57
Spangles in Festive Mood

Spangles kicked off their Christmas season
by singing for the APAH charity at Iceland,
San Javier, on Saturday 29th November,
helping them raise 836.69.
outfits. The afternoons entertainment was

followed by a posh dinner, with chorus
award presentations, topped off with a lively
disco and karaoke, provided by Linden B.
The food was superb, the accommodation
excellent and the staff looked after us really
well.
We invited old and new members,
family and supporters and we had a ball
remarked Lyn Baines, Co-Chorus Manager.
Its amazing to think that the gem of an
idea sprung at a BBQ at a friends house all
those years ago would blossom into a 45
strong chorus ten years later. Lyn founded
the chorus with Anthea Prentice back in
2004 and with the help of inspirational
Musical Directors and lots of coaching the
chorus has grown to what it is today.
They then went on to celebrate their 10th

anniversary at Hotel Traia, San Pedro
del Pinatar in the afternoon, with a Singalong-a-Grease with everyone joining
in the Grease spirit with some fabulous
Not resting on their laurels, Spangles

got into the Christmas swing on Sunday
7th December, singing for the volunteers
and customers visiting the HAH (Help at
Home) Christmas Fayre. There was a
cold wind blowing, but the sun was shining
and a good crowd had gathered to support
the charity and hear Spangles sing. We
were delighted to see Anthea, aided by a

walker, arrive to sing with us commented
Gail Grainger, Spangles Musical Director.
Anthea had only recently been discharged
from hospital after an operation for a
broken knee cap, but she was determined
not to miss out on Spangles Christmas
commitments.
Thursday 11th December saw Spangles
last rehearsal at Las Claras having fun,
with a quiz, prize bingo, Secret Santa and
a sumptuous buffet provided by the chorus
members.
Dos Mares Shopping Centre welcomed
Spangles on Saturday 13th December,
where they sang to shoppers, friends and
family in front of the Belen.
Spangles returns to rehearsals on Thursday
8th January and they will have a very busy
time ahead, honing their performance of
two contest songs in readiness for the SABS
(Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers)
annual chorus contest in Benalmdena,
Mlaga next April. Spangles first won the
gold medal in this contest in 2011 and
their second in 2013. As choruses are not
allowed to compete in the year following
their win, they will be going for their third
gold medal in 2015. We have to be on our
mettle. remarked Gail, We have other
Spanish choruses snapping at our heels,
so we must raise our game each time we
compete and Spangles is doing this by
hard work, dedication and determination.
The Spangles CD, Pure Gold, is on
sale at 5. Call 968 574 987 or 968 334
527 to order your copy.
Spangles welcomes new members, so if
youre looking to make new friends and
enjoy singing, why not join us when we
rehearse at Las Claras? We meet every
Thursday from 10am-1pm.
Please call Lyn on 968 574 987 or Anthea
on 968 334 527 to book Spangles or to
find out how to join
Visit the website www.spangleschorus.
com.
Photographers:
Donna Walsh.
Charles
Grainger
Page 58
and
Page 59
Friendship Lunch Raises 500

The
lunch
was
attended
by
70
members of the HELP Murcia Mar
Menor Friendship Club and included
the Grand Christmas Draw, which raised 505
(approx) for the charity.
There were also special prizes presented by
Doreen to anyone who had a birthday or a
wedding anniversary during the year that
ended in a date with a 0 or 5.
The lunch was held at the Caravan Club, San

Javier, where Tony and his staff provided
everyone with a great Christmas meal and
all the trimmings. Many thanks to them for
their continued support during 2014. Ron
provided the music and every one joined in
Surgery Success For Neglected Horse

A neglected horse with crippling front hoof
problems will return to the Easy Horse Care
Rescue Centre after receiving life-saving
surgery in Barcelona.
The mare, named Goldie by centre founders

Sue and Rod Weeding, came to EHCRC last
year with severe laminitis in both her front
feet. This is a very painful condition caused in
her case by years of neglect.
All of her life she was kept on her own in the
most horrendous circumstances and just fed
rubbish, Sue says.
Goldie was sent to Equihealth Veterinarios
clinic in Barcelona in October, for highly
specialised surgery. This was her last chance.
If this had not worked the only course of
action would have been to put her to sleep.
Shes a lot more comfortable now and is able
to move freely without painkillers, so thats
been a huge success, says Sue. She will
the carols and Christmas songs led by Elaine

Dale. Meals-on-Wheels - The hard work put
in by Doreen Sykes and Joan Mitchell was
appreciated by all who attended and there
was even a Meals-on- Wheels service for
two members, who were unable to attend the
event through ill health. It ended the year on
a good note!
From Sweltering to Shivering
Even though the early mornings have now
turned very cold, our band of volunteers
still turn out every Sunday morning at
the Auto Cine Car Boot Sale to raise funds
for good causes in the Murcia region. This
intrepid bunch work all year round selling
donated goods, sweltering and sweating in
the Summer and shivering and freezing in
the Winter, but always with a smile on their
faces. We look forward to seeing you at our
stall on a Sunday morning. There are always
plenty of items to purchase and every cent
helps the good causes.
Do you have bric-a-brac, furniture, household
items or clothes that you dont use and want
to get rid of?
We can arrange to collect
them, or you can bring items to our office at
Calle Penlope 11, Los Narejos, (behind the
Deutsche Bank)
Tel 968 570 059
very grateful for any items donated.

Thank You
We would like to take the opportunity to
thank everyone who donates items for sale
as this enables HELP Murcia Mar Menor to
donate funds to the poor and needy in our
region. Without you we would not be able to
carry on this work. A quote from one of the
volunteers sums up their attitude; Its hard
work and turning out on these cold mornings
is not easy, but the work is very satisfying.
We always have great fun and a hot cup of
coffee with a drop of spirit in it makes all the
difference!
Alternatively, you can bring them to our Car

Boot Stall at the Autocine, Los Narejos on
Sunday mornings from 9am-1pm. We will be
Happy New Year!
always have to have special medical shoeing,

but were very fortunate that our farrier has
worked with and has had training by the
Equihealth Clinic so he can continue the work
that was done in Barcelona.
their
eight
charity shops
across
the
A l i c a n t e
province,
goes towards
the
feeding
and care of
the
many
h o r s e s ,
ponies
and
d o n k e y s
that live at
the
centre.
The EHCRC
charity shops
are located in
La Zenia, Los
Montesinos,
La Siesta, Ciudad Quesada, Guardamar, La
Marina, Pilar de Horadada and Gran Alacant.
Donations of furniture, clothes and brica-brac to stock the shops are gratefully
welcomed. Large items such as furniture can
be collected from your house and we offer
a delivery service for large items purchased
from the charity shops. EHCRC is looking for
volunteers to staff its shops for a few hours or
days each week.
Please contact the charity shop hotline on
652 021 980 for more information about
furniture pick-ups and volunteering.
Rod collected
Goldie whilst
dropping
off
another
r e s c u e d
a n i m a l
requiring
specialist
care;
little
Franky
the
donkey, who
was
found
in
midNovember
with
a
s e ve r e l y
malformed
h o o v e s
caused
by
years
of
inadequate
hoof
care.
His front left
hoof curved
so far under
that he was walking on the equivalent of his
wrist. The Equihealth Veterinarios team will
attempt corrective surgery to lengthen the
back tendons of Frankys front leg to help the
hoof rotate to the correct position.
The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre
welcomes any donations and sponsorships
to help support their important work. Every
single cent donated to EHCRC, or spent in
The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre opens

to the public on the first Sunday of every
month between 1pm and 4pm. The centre
is located just outside Rojales at Partido Lo
Garriga 59. For more details and directions to
the centre, please visit
www.easyhorsecare.net
Page 60
Carol Singing
Every year the ADAPT Choir re-appears for
the annual Carol Singing Tour and its as if
theyve never been away. In just a few weeks
they have a wonderful programme of popular
carols sung in English and also a few Spanish
ones and with the leadership of choirmaster
Dennis Gill, give a polished performance
which is always in demand.
Apart from local venues such as Aidemar,

Villedemar and The Baker Foundation,
the Choir is invited each year to sing
at the Language Colleges in Mazarrn,
Aguilas, Totana and Lorca where there are
always warm welcomes, friendly audience
participation and usually a lovely buffet to
show their appreciation.
It was agreed that probably the scariest
venue is at the San Pedro Pensionistas for
the Christmas meeting of ADAPT in front of
fellow friends and members, but as usual this
year they were very kind, quite impressed
and enjoyed a singalong.
The whole show was very funny from start to

finish with lots of audience participation. There
was the usual witty heckling, mostly by
friends and ADAPT members and the children
shouted excitedly throughout. There were
film sequences and lots of music and dancing
from the cast and also from our beautiful
guests, the girls from Ballet Kebanna.
The Spanish community of San Pedro have

come to love the traditional English Panto
which is written and produced in English and
Spanish each year by Jane Cronin and Eric
Berg and takes place in the Casa de Cultura
of San Pedro.
Playing to a full house for all performances, the
ADAPT production of Aladdin was a huge
success and raised 1,775 from ticket
sales and donations to go to El Samaritano
Association.
New President for ADAPT
The ADAPT December AGM saw founder and
serving president Jane Cronin step down after
6 years at the helm.
Jane has put a great deal of work into ADAPT
and firmly established the Association within

the town of San Pedro, looking after the wellbeing of members and promoting integration
into the wider Spanish community. Jane
has accepted a future role on the committee,
though a far less demanding one than
President and she intends to continue with
the Annual Pantomime and other projects in
San Pedro.
With a standing ovation ringing in her ears,

the members presented Jane with a bouquet
and a bottle of bubbly in grateful appreciation
of all her efforts over the last 6 years. Janet
Pierce also stepped down after 4 years of being
a hard working, highly reliable and diligent
ADAPT Secretary.
The membership also
presented Janet with a bouquet and bubbly
for her excellent service to the association.
Tel 620 946 508 or email SecretaryAdapt@
outlook.com for more details.
The next meeting of ADAPT will be on the
first Saturday in February at 10.30am in the
Pensionistas, San Pedro del Pinatar when new
members will be made very welcome.
Enid Winskill
ADAPT Publicity Officer
Theyve Done It Again!

This years ADAPT Pantomime, Aladdin,
was as usual a traditional favourite played
with an unusual twist to an English and
Spanish speaking audience.
The Beautiful Princess Jasmines entrance

brought the house down as she appeared
with full beard and was accompanied by some
film of Conchita Wurst, the Eurovision Song
Contest winner.
Page 61
HAH Mar Menor Finish 2014 In Grand

Style
The last event of the year was at the
Bacchus Craft Fayre on Sunday December
7th, when the team turned out in force with
the crafts, cards, cakes etc. What a success!
A staggering 500 was raised on the day.
The sun shone, the atmosphere was great
and Spangles Ladies Harmony Chorus
entertained the 100+ people that turned
up to grab a bargain from one of the many
stalls.
Father Christmas (Ollie) turned up with

his little helper (Lottie) giving out sweets.
I am delighted to help and am so pleased
the morning was a success. He thanked all
the volunteers for the work they do in the
local community, helping those struggling to
cope following illness. Where would we be
without the help and support of these local
charities?
HAH (Chatters) Social Group Christmas

Lunch
On Monday December 1st at Bacchus
Restaurant, La Oasis, HAH Chatters Social
Group, held their Christmas Lunch for
clients, volunteers and friends. During a
fantastic 3 course meal, including, beef,
pork and of course the traditional turkey
with all the trimmings, carols were playing
in the background.
Winner of the Smarties 20cents Campaign
was Bill Hulse who was present with a 50
voucher for Iceland.
Monday December 8th was the Volunteers

and friends Christmas Lunch at Paddy
Singhs Restaurant, Los Urrutias, where
64 guests enjoyed a fabulous 3 course
meal. Paul Eburne HAH President, thanked
everyone for coming, the Volunteers for all
their hard work over the last 12 months and
Allen and staff at the restaurant for making
it a day to remember.
DFS Hosted HAH (Mar Menor) Christmas

Fayre
Saturday 22nd December was the Christmas
Fayre at DFS, San Javier. Stalls sold HAH
homemade crafts, gifts and cakes, clothes,
cards and calendars, jewellery and the ever
popular (everyone a winner Tombola). In
just two hours a fantastic 322 was raised
for HAH.
Paul Airey from DFS, who sponsors HAH
said It was a great morning and the way
these volunteers work so hard is amazing.
There was such a variety of things to buy
and most made by the HAH Volunteers.
Carole Duff, HAH Volunteer thanked

DFS for their continued support, and the
volunteers who helped to make this event
so successful.
Oh What A Night For HAH Mar Menor!
214 very happy people enjoyed the first HAH
Dinner Dance at Hotel 525, Los Alcazares.
Following a beautiful meal, served by happy
smiling people in record time, Red Tops
arrived and the party went with a swing!!
Lesley Eburne, one of the event organisers,
said We had a waiting list for tickets this
year and it was a fantastic night, so watch
out for next year - already booked!! Manuela
Lopez from the hotel did us proud, as did the
hotel staff, HAH Volunteers and Red Tops.
HAH Help AMMA HELP HAH

On Wednesday 5th December, representatives
from HAH went to the Hogar del Pensionistas,
San Pedro del Pinatar to meet the recently
formed group AMMA (Alzheimers Mar
Menor Association) to present a cheque for
1,000. Their aim is to help both clients and
carers with a little respite, initially with 2
workshops each week, in the Pensionistas
Club. Carers can accompany their loved
ones, or drop them at the centre and have a
couple of hours break. Times are 9.30am12.30pm Wednesday and Friday. Paul and
Lesley Eburne (HAH Founders) along with
HAH Carers Mary Westcott and Susan
Atkinson, met with Raquel Pena, President of
AMMA, and Jackie Ree, Treasurer and carer
Christine.
Only 214 was made on tickets (just 1 per

head), but the raffle raised 984 and an
auction of a picture of Jimi Hendrix, taken
by celebrity professional photographer Bill
Zygmant raised 305. Our thanks to Bill for
his generosity. Lesley also thanked Angela
Brown, event co-ordinator, HAH Volunteers
for selling the raffle tickets and everyone for
making it a night to remember; a fantastic
night and 1498 was raised.
Presenting the cheque, Paul said We
are absolutely thrilled that this charity
is in our area, as we have had several
clients with this terrible disease and have
not been able to offer them the special
care they need. On a similar basis to us,
trained carers, physiotherapists etc., will be
available and we are delighted to be able
to work alongside them to help even more
people who are struggling. We saw today
the work they are doing, creating a happy,
safe environment, offering both physical
and mental stimulation, as well as a much
needed break for the carers. We wish them
every success.
For further details please telephone AMMA
on 630 689 431
Both charities are desperate for carers, so if
you can help in any way, please telephone
the appropriate numbers. We need your
help - you may need ours.
HAH would like to wish all their volunteers,
clients and supporters a very Happy,
Healthy and Prosperous New Year
HAH telephone 633 673 034
Email helpathomespain@gmail.com
Page 62
Its that time of year again when things start

to change from the usual routine. The nights
draw in, but the streets are festooned with
bright decorations. The weather turns colder,
but the restaurants and bars are packed
with revellers. Yes, its that time New Year.
For most of us expats, New Year means
something very different from its meaning
in the UK. Generally we are older and aging
more and the exuberance pouring out from
the children doesnt reach us here in the same
way. Having approached Christmas in a more
sedate manner with dinners, rather than
the manic party going of our childhood and
younger days, as we age, we also notice more
and at this time of year, that is so important.
We notice more those around us; just the
normal people we see every day; but more so
now. The little old lady two doors down you
havent seen for several days; a colleague
who seems to be behaving differently; the old
man sitting on a bench in the park staring
at nothing for hours; the lady sitting drinking
endless cups of tea in the caf. Why not just
approach them with a smile and ask how they
are. They may really appreciate this small
gesture; so often just having someone notice
them and listen to them can transform their

whole day.
You dont need to help, or even know how to
help, as so often just someone to listen is all
that is needed. If, as you listen to them, you
feel that they could do with extra, you could
guide them towards more personal support
such as family, confidant or close friends,
or even towards professional help which
they may never have considered. This could
include a priest, doctor, nurse, counsellor,
therapist, mentor and so many other people.
By simply approaching someone who appears
lonely with a smile and asking how they are
could make all the difference to them, and to
you. It could show that this time of year isnt
just the commercial event it seems to have
become; rather it is as it really should be; a
time for caring and sharing.
New Year isnt just about others, however
important they are; it is also about YOU. The
same advice holds good for you, yourself;
seek out that listening ear, smile, be open
to others just as much as to yourself. As
Andr Alexis once said, The group of people
in front of her was jovial and paid her no
attention. The group behind was much the
Our Ladies Christmas Lunch, kindly

arranged by Martine, was held at The
Hotel Mariposa. For anyone new to the
area and not familiar with it, this venue is
in a stunningly beautiful setting set in the
mountains of the Sierra Espua. The hotel
offers a free minibus service, so you can
really relax and enjoy the scenery without
worrying about those mountain roads. We
had their standard Menu del Dia, which is a
full 4 course menu with plenty of choices.
It was a lovely afternoon and definitely one
to remember. The Mariposa also offers an
amazing selection of outdoor activities, so
do check out their advert and website for
more information.
If you are a lover of cakes, then please

take the time to visit La Pasteleria in
Puerto de Mazarrn. Helma, the proprietor,
prides herself on everything being fresh
and home-made and it really shows. La
Pasteleria has a wide selection of pastries,
cakes, breads and sandwiches. If you have
a special occasion, they can make you a
personalised
cake
serving from 6 to 20
people. Visit their
website for full details
www.la-pasteleria.
es.
I have been a regular customer of Lizs

Caf on Camposol B since it opened and
when I am on office duty I often order a
breakfast from there, but I also really enjoy
their take-away Sunday Roast option. You
can order a main course for only 6.50, but
you do need to take your own plate. The
ladies in Lizs Caf are a real pleasure to
visit as they are such a happy and friendly
team that will do anything for you. Keep up
I do like to watch live

music and have seen
most of the artistes
in the area perform
at some point over
the years including
Graham
Cooper.
Graham has recently
teamed
up
with
Bernie and they are
the good work Liz!
same. She was alone without being alone.

If you feel alone, even in a crowd, there is a
less intrusive service; Samaritans in Spain,
who offer a free, totally confidential, listening
service by phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year on 902 883 535, or by email on
pat@samaritansinspain.com or at their
shop and drop-in centre at Punta Marina
Centre. Their motto is You talk; We listen,
so you or your friend would need to do just
that - talk. A trained listener is on call right
through the holiday period, so please, if you
feel you need someone to just listen to you,
then call Samaritans in Spain at any time.
The current costs of calling the Samaritans
902 number is 9 cents connection, plus 4
to 8 cents per minute depending on time
of day. Sadly, the mobile prices differ with
each mobile phone company, but can cost
a staggering 40 to 80 cents a minute, so
wherever possible try to use a Telefnica
landline or call box.
Enjoy this festive time of year, but
remember that should you need the
Samaritans, they are available 24/7.
now named Retro. I saw them perform

recently at a Camposol party and was really
impressed. If you want to book Retro for
a private party then do give them a call,
you will not be disappointed! They will liven
up any party and you can guarantee they
will have everyone up dancing!
Happy New Year everyone.
Teresa
The Other New Year
Page 63
Jobseekers Crisis Benefits

Benefits for jobseekers whose dole money
has expired have been renewed and anyone
registered as unemployed but with no other
income will be able to claim their 426 a
month for another six months.
This monthly crisis benefit is claimed by
around 450,000 people in Spain, around
1% of the total population. Social welfare
charities and support groups stress that it
is totally necessary for the government to
continue prolonging it, but that even more
needs to be done to ensure those who cannot
find jobs will not go hungry.
Over a million people had their electricity cut
off last year because they could not pay the
bills and, except where charities were able to
help, many of these are still without power.
The financial crisis is over and Spain is out of
recession, but the after-effects are not.
Those in receipt of the benefit are required
to show evidence of their active search for a
job and those registered on the dole will be
assigned a mentor to provide them with work
offers and advice.
AVE Fast Train Network Connects Up To
12 More Cities
Castelln on the east coast, Murcia in the
south-east, Granada and Cdiz at either end
of the southern region of Andaluca, Burgos,
Len, Zamora and Palencia in the centrenorth region of Castilla y Len, Vigo in the far
north-western region of Galicia and Cceres,
Mrida and Badajoz in the land-locked
western region of Extremadura will join the
fast train system next year.
As a result of the financial crisis, the initial

investment of 29 billion euros planned has
gone down to five billion, meaning the bare
minimum of works connecting the cities to
the high-speed network has become priority,
with other modernisation and improvement
works having to be shelved.
The fast AVE train system has been increased
to include the Albacete-Alicante line and the
Barcelona-French border track.
Andaluca was home to the first-ever highspeed AVE line in Spain, opened in 1992 for
the Sevilla Expo and this will be expanded to
connect the city with Granada to the east and
Cdiz to the west via Crdoba and Mlaga,
encompassing Antequera.
Over the course of next year, the highspeed AVE line from Valencia will connect
up to Castelln, 89 kilometres north. This
will eventually form part of the so-called
Mediterranean Corridor, aimed at connecting
the French border with Almera along the
coast to transport passengers and goods.

The Tarragona-French border AVE line is
now up and running and with Castelln
included, Valencia to the French border will
also be connected by high-speed network
and the connecting of Murcia with the town
of Monforte del Cid in the south-west of the
Alicante province by AVE means the Almera
to Alicante section will be joined by an
unbroken fast train route.
Gallery
Thieves
Take
70
Original
Paintings
Thieves have stolen around 70 original works
of art from a gallery in Madrid, valued at
upwards of 600,000.
Pedro Mrquez, who ran the Puerta de Alcal
art museum before handing it over to his son,
says intruders gained entry by breaking into
a disused bar, Las Tablas, next door to the
gallery and making a hole in the wall. Several
of these were original works by Valenciaborn artist Eustaquio Segrelles, whose
uncle Jos Segrelles was illustrator to 19thcentury novelist Vicente Blasco Ibez and
14 paintings of a collection of 30 by Sevilla
artist Pablo Segarra Chas which formed part
of a special exhibition were taken. Others
had been painted by famous national artists
including Miguel Acevedo, Juan Gonzlez
Alacreu and Josep Royo.
New Build Housing Permits
Permits issued for building new homes in
Spain have increased dramatically this year
with 2,883 handed out in September alone.
By the end of the third quarter of 2014, a total
of 27,598 new build licences were granted by
the College of Technical Architects, compared
to 22,817 in the same period last year and
the amount of permits issued in September
this year was up 31.6% on the same month
in 2013. The ministry says the upsurge of
20.6% so far this year is a positive sign that
interest in buying property in Spain is on the
up.
Infanta Cristina to pay back 587,000
The Infanta Cristina is due to pay nearly
600,000 requested by the prosecution
service in the hope that this will buy the Royal
sister her freedom. According to the Duchess
of Palmas solicitor Miquel Roca, she is willing
to refund the taxes she reportedly evaded
for the years 2007 and 2008 by offsetting
personal expenses against the front company
Aizoon, which had no commercial activity and
which she owned 50-50 with her husband,
Iaki Urdangarn.
The Infanta Cristina, whose brother is
King Felipe VI, said she had no dealings
whatsoever in the financial side of Aizoon
and was unconnected
to the Nos Institute,
merely signing what
her husband told her
to sign out of love and
trust.
Carlos
Fabra
Is
Jailed
Former president of
the PP for Castelln
Carlos Fabra has gone
to jail 11 years after
legal action was first
taken against him.
Carlos Fabra has been
sentenced
to
four
years behind bars for four counts of tax

fraud committed between 1999 and 2003,
during which time he knowingly failed to pay
693,000 in duties. Fabras ex-wife Mara
Amparo Fernndez has also been sentenced
to two years in jail for two fiscal offences
allegedly taking an illegal commission for
speeding up the commercialising of healthcare
products retailed by Naranjax, a firm owned
by Vicente Vilar who filed legal action against
her 11 years ago.
Fabra, 68, was acquitted of power-dealing
and bribery, which meant the 13 years in jail
he was originally facing were reduced to four.
The former provincial council president was
behind the construction of Castelln airport,
a terminal which has never seen a plane land
or take off.
Gate-crashing Law Student
A 20-year-old Spanish law student who
apparently passed himself off as a spy and
gate-crashed the Kings coronation is waiting
to find out if he will be prosecuted.
Francisco Nicolas Gomez Iglesias, dubbed
Little Nicolas, is thought to have fooled
dozens of Spains elite by passing himself
off as various government officials, including
a secret service agent and an adviser to the
deputy prime minister. He was arrested in
October on suspicion of fraud, forgery and
impersonating government officials, but was
bailed while police investigated the case.
He lunched with business executives and
politicians and even joined them in the VIP
box at Real Madrids stadium.
Police became suspicious after he tried, but
failed, to get into a party at the US embassy.
A search of his house found fake government
vehicle permits, a police siren and two official
Civil Guard and National Police licence plates.
Among the events he claims to have been
invited to was King Felipe VIs coronation in
June, which came after the abdication of King
Juan Carlos.
Rafa Nadal Named Adoptive Son Of
Mallorca
During the presentation ceremony, Rafa, 28,
who is currently ATP world number 3 said
Throughout my whole life, I have always felt
very lucky to be Mallorcan.
Rafas parents, grandparents, aunts and
uncles, including his uncle Toni Nadal, who
is also his trainer and girlfriend Xisca Perell
attended the ceremony, as did literally
hundreds of fans from all over the island.
Five-Metre
68-Million-Year-Old
Dinosaurs Neck
A fossilised dinosaur neck five metres long
has been dug up from a site in Catalunya.
It is said to weigh around 2.5 tonnes and is
formed entirely of rock and took at least five
hours to uncover and remove.
The 16-foot neck is believed to be that of a
Titanosaurus, one of the largest species of
dinosaur in the world, and would have lived
there around 68 million years ago.
Remains found include eight vertebrae from
the neck of the Titanosaurus, which would
have measured between 15 and 20 metres
in length when it was alive. Experts from the
Cataln Institute of Palaeonthology and the
University of Zaragoza, who are behind the
excavations in Orcau (Lleida province), say
the finding will offer valuable information
about the life of dinosaurs which inhabited
what is now the Pyrnes.
Page 64
Page 65
Community Awards presented by

Preguntas y Mas Facebook Page
The first award is for Chris & Lin from
Noahs ARC.
They started the Noahs ARC stall on a

Friday morning on Camposol B Commercial
Centre. They also instigated the openings
of the Noahs ARC shops on Camposol.
They have raised lots of money for the
charity and fostered many dogs along with
their 4 adopted ones. Good luck in your
retirement, both of you; you are well loved
and will be missed
The other award is a PYM Team award for
FAST
The award was presented to Dave Marks
who received it on behalf of the whole
Responders Team and Support Team,
at the FAST Christmas Fayre. The
teams were nominated by many of the
Preguntas y Mas members. These teams
do outstanding work on Camposol; in some
cases keeping people alive whilst waiting
Well, 2014 seemed to pass by very quickly

and here we are at the start of another year.
Is it really fourteen years since we all waited
in anticipation to see if the world, as we knew
it, would end as we saw in the Millenium?
Time seems to race away and is like sand
running through our fingers; my mother told
me that this is how it would be as I got older!
My question is, as we dash into this New
Year; will 2015 be a year of opportunity
or a year of missed chances? It is so easy
to miss opportunities; I can look back now
over the past year and know I missed out on
things I promised myself that I would do and
places I promised myself I would go to.
Life is based on choices that we make daily

and my challenge to you and to myself is
Will we make some choices this year
that will make 2015 the best year ever
for us here on the Costa Clida?
This New Year has started - that is a definite
and it will finish next December 31st. What
will you do differently between these

two dates that will make this year
very special, full of opportunity and
meaningful to both yourself and to those
whose lives you touch? If 2014 was a
rotten year for you, 2015 need not be the
same. I read once that if we continue to do
the same things we have always done, we
will keep getting the same results that we
have always got! That means to get different
results we need to do things differently; we
do this by making different choices, to do
different things, but changing the way we live
our lives can be hard.
I have met some amazing people over the
past year who have made difficult choices
that have meant giving up on how they
would normally deal with or respond to life
situations. In doing so, they have experienced
wonderful changes in their lives and are on
new pathways of great opportunity. Joy has
replaced sorrow and the old fears have been
replaced by new hope and strength - this is
for the ambulances to arrive. The Support

Team work hard to raise funds to keep this
fabulous free service going. It has often
been said that FAST deserve a medal and
now they have one!
their year to write history and they are doing

just that.
So as 2015 starts, I would encourage you
not to just make New Years resolutions, but
make a choice to find out what really
matters in life. I am not touting religion
which is manmade. I am speaking about a
relationship, which is a loving heavenly Father
reaching out to His very precious creation thats you and me and God wants this year to
be the best year of our lives.
Wellspring Victory Church, Puerto de
Mazarrn is a different kind of Church. Our
mission field is outside the walls of our
building and we love serving our community
at every opportunity. That is why you will see
us doing all kinds of different things during
the year. If you do not have a church that you
call home, or are new to the area, we would
love to see you one Sunday morning. Come
along and check us out - make a choice - it
could completely change your life.
Page 66
Hi Nathan here again; just keeping you

updated about what Im up to.
of space in her room. All her old stuff was

chucked out, which Im sure Shannon wont
mind.
As you may already know, Shannon has left

home to go to college, which she is enjoying
a lot. When she left I knew Id miss her, but
I knew it was for the best that she studied at
college. I also knew of course that she would
be fine in the capable hands of Mums friend
Ruth. Shannon is at a college at Berwick, in
Northumberland.
Overall Shannon is missed by everyone we

know really, but shes happy and studying
well and shell be coming over for Christmas
with Ben so that will be nice to see them both.
Shannon is really looking forward to coming
over as it is minus 1 degree in Scotland and I
think Ben is too. Unfortunately Matthew wont
be coming this year because he wants to have
Christmas in his own house for the first time.
It will be the first time in 26 years Mum and
Dad havent had him around for Christmas, so
they will miss him, as will we.
I had my birthday just after Shannon left
and I turned 14. It was odd not having her
here for that but, she Skyped me and that
Well thank you again and I hope you had a

good Christmas and a Happy New Year. Bye
for now.
Unfortunately our Granny died at the healthy

old age of 90! When we all went to the UK for
the funeral we met up with Shannon again, as
well as many other family members. It was
just unfortunate about the circumstances.
Shannon was very pleased to see us and we
were equally as pleased to see her. When
we got back to Spain we cleared Shannons
room which, expectedly, was a mess! The
good news was/is that she now has a new
bed which is very comfortable, with plenty
was awesome. She was happy to see us

and very happy to see the cat, Boris, but he
seemed relatively neutral. Im sure the cats
in the cattery miss her too because nobody
visits them during the day now except Dad
of course!
Page 67
Page 68
RED Entertainment
GREEN Charity & non-profit making events
ORANGE Special menus
BLACK Fiestas & important events
PURPLE Market, exhibitions, leisure & meetings
Please refer to the relevant advert or editorial for more details of events
Every Day
Painting Exhibition by Murcian Artist Antonio Martinez Mengual @ Mazarrn Town Hall
10am-2pm and 5-8pm (Mon-Fri) until 30th Jan
Exhibition by Antonio Paredes - 8am-3pm and 7-9pm Monday to Friday at Universidad
Popular and 8am-10.30pm Monday to Friday in Centro Cultural, Mazarrn (until 8th March)
2 free caas/glasses of wine @ Laras, Pto de Mazarrn when dining mention their advert
All Day Breakfasts @ Black Bull, Camposol B from 3 (until 12pm on Sun)
Breakfast Menu @ Blue Sky Caf, Bolnuevo from 4 (closed 12th-20th)
Breakfast @ La Vida, El Pareton (from 11am Tues-Sat)
Breakfast @ Lizs Caf, Camposol B (from 9am)
3 x Tapas Offer/Soup & a Sandwich 6 500 Calorie Lunch 7 @ Blue Sky Caf,
Bolnuevo 6 (closed 12th-20th)
Afternoon Tea @ Blue Sky Caf, Bolnuevo 5 free refill coffee/tea 3-6pm Mon-Sat
(closed 12th-20th)
Menu del Noche @ Caf Buenavista. Pto de Mazarrn 7 or 9 (Tues-Sun)
Menu del Noche @ Laras, Pto de Mazarrn 9 (10 weekends & fiesta days) Closed Thurs
3 x Tapas & btl house wine 12/3 Course Menu del Noche 14 inc glass wine/beer @
Blue Sky Caf, Bolnuevo 12 (closed 12th-20th)
3 Course Menu del Noche @ Elliots, Bolnuevo 12 (Mon-Sat)
3 Course Menu del Noche @ Chez Zoe, Pto de Mazarrn 12 (Weds-Sat)
Earlybird Menu @ Spice Villa, Camposol A 12.50 inc btl wine for 2 (6-8pm)
Chiropody with Phillip Dawe @ Sensol Golf Villa Sales Building, Camposol C
Spanish Conversation Classes @Janes Salon, Bolnuevo
Mazarrn Bay Bridge Club @ Hotel Playa Grande, Pto de Mazarrn 9.30am
Camposol D Community Working Party @ Camposol D
Legs, Bums & Tums 10am/ Bokwa 11am @ CDA Exercise & Dance Studio,
Camposol B
Dancercize with Zizi @ The Arches, Los Alczares 12pm
Bingo @ Black Bull, Camposol B 2pm
Ladies Chatterbox Sew & Sew @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2.30-4.30pm
Kettlebells @ CDA Exercise & Dance Studio, Camposol B 6.30pm
Poker Night @ Black Bull, Camposol B 8pm
Entertainment Quiz with Paul @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 8.30pm
Every Mon
Andreas Animal Rescue Collection @ Car Park, Camposol B 11.30am-1.30pm

HELP MMM Bingo @ La Zona Bar, Los Alczares 1/game 2pm
MABS MMM Fun Quiz @ La Rosa Bar, San Cayetano 9pm
Every Tue
Chiropractor @Janes Salon, Bolnuevo

Spanish Lessons @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo 9am (from 13th Jan)
Tai Chi Fit 9am/Circuits 10am/Pilates 11am @ CDA Exercise & Dance Studio,
Camposol B
Camposol B Clean Working Party @ Commercial Centre, Camposol B 9am
Fit 4 Life Weight Loss Support Group @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo 4-5pm
Guitar Group @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 4-7pm
Zumba @ The Arches, Los Alczares, 4.30pm
Boxercise @ CDA Exercise & Dance Studio, Camposol B 5pm
Page 69
Yoga @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo 5.15pm (from 20th Jan)

Football Training Session (ages 4-17) @ El Pareton 6-7pm
English/Spanish Conversation Group @ Neighbourhood Association Bar, Isla Plana 6pm
Learn to Ballroom Dance with Jacqui @ The Arches, Los Alczares 7pm
Friends & Buddies Meeting @ The Club House, Camposol C 8pm
General Knowledge Quiz with Lucas @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 8.30pm
Pool League @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Great British Classic Night @ La Vida, El Pareton
Karaoke with Lynden B @ The Arches, Los Alczares
MABS Mazarrn Coffee Morning @ MABS Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm
MAMAS Collection/Book Stall @ Camposol B Car Park 10am-12pm
GOmaD available for collections @ Camposol A 11am-1pm
MABS Mazarrn Craft Workshop @ MABS Centre, Camposol B 2.30-4.30pm
Every Wed
Mar Menor Golf Society Competition

Chiropodist @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo
Yoga Fit 9am/Aerobic Body Tone 10am/Vitality Class 11am @ CDA Exercise &
Dance Studio, Camposol B
C Gardening Group Clean Up @ Camposol C (near Sensol Golf Office) 9am
Camposol Bridge Club, Duplicate Bridge @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 9.30am
Gentle Yoga with Mari Carmen @ Yogomayga, Bolnuevo 10am
Dancercize with Zizi @ The Arches, Los Alczares 11am
Ladies Coffee Afternoon @ Marianos, Camposol A 2.30-4.30pm
Line Dancing with Lyn @ The Arches, Los Alczares 3pm
Line Dancing @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo 4pm (from 7th Jan)
Body Pump @ CDA Exercise & Dance Studio, Camposol B 5pm
Chi Kung @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo 5pm (from 7th Jan)
Mazarrn AA Group @ Meeting Room adjacent to Caada de Gallego Church 5.30pm
Games Night inc poker/darts ec @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 8pm
Pool Night @ Black Bull, Camposol B (free)
Steak Night @ La Vida, El Pareton from 9.95 inc glass of wine
MABS MMM Art Workshop @ Caf Golf, San Javier, 2 10am-12pm
PALS for booking events etc @ Bistro Ratatouille, Pto de Mazarrn 1-3pm
HAH Book & DVD Club @ La Zona Bar, Los Narejos 2.30-4.30pm
Age Concern for purchase of tickets @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm
Every Thu
Camposol Market @ Camposol A

Step & Tone 9am/Kettlebells 10am/Rebound 11am @ CDA Exercise & Dance
Studio, Camposol B
Mazarrn Bay Gentle Bridge Club @ Hotel Playa Grande, Pto de Mazarrn 9.30am
Avon Lady @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 10.30-12pm
Mazarrn Ladies Circle @ Hotel Playa Grande, Pto de Mazarrn 1.30pm
Painting Classes @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo 2-4pm (from 8th Jan)
Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC Meeting @ The Club House, Camposol C 4pm
Yoga @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo 5.15pm (from 22nd Jan)
Advance Circuits @ CDA Exercise & Dance Studio, Camposol B 6.30pm
Fun Quiz @ Black Bull, Camposol B 8pm (food avail from 3)
Bingo @ Alandalus, Calasparra from 8pm
Quiz with TJ @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 8.30pm
Market Day Special @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 2 for bacon/sausage sandwich
8.30am-3pm
Great British Classic Night @ La Vida, El Pareton
Age Concern for tickets etc @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 10am-1pm
Andreas Animal Rescue Collection @ Mazarrn Country Club 11.30am-1pm
Page 70
HAH Book/Card Stall @ La Zona Bar, Los Narejos 2-4.30pm

Every Fri
Semi Permanent Makeup Artist @ Janes Salon, Bolnuevo

Pilates Ball 9am/Legs, Bums & Tums 10am/Bokwa 11am @ CDA Exercise &
Dance Studio, Camposol B
Camposol Bridge Club/Duplicate Bridge @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 9.30am
Friday Art Group @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 9.45am-12.30pm
Camposol A Gardening Book Stall@ Car Park Camposol A 10.30am-12.30pm
10 Pin Bowling/Camposol C Greenfingers Group @ Totana 4pm
Find the Joker @ Black Bull, Camposol B from 6pm
English/Spanish/French Language Exchange @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo
6-8pm (from 9th Jan)
Poker @ Alandalus, Calasparra from 8pm
Fish & Chips/ Quiz @ La Vida, El Pareton from 5.50 (food from 12pm, quiz from 9pm)
Fish & Chips @ Black Bull, Camposol B 6.50 (11am-4pm)
Fish & Chips @ Viggos, Pto de Mazarrn
Karaoke/Disco with Lisa B @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Karaoke with Bernie Mac @ Tels Bar, Camposol A
Noahs ARC Book Sale/Bric-a-Brac @ Camposol B 9.30am-2pm
Lions Mazarrn booking events etc outside Compusurf, Camposol B 11am
GOmaD available for collections @ Camposol B Car Park 11am-1pm
GOmaD Donations @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B/Costa Calida Radio 12.30-2pm
Age Concern booking events etc @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 12.30-3.30pm
Every Sat
Painting Exhibition by Murcian Artist @ Mazarrn Town Hall 10-2pm

Furniture/Antique Re-Cycling/Restoration Class @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo
10.30am (from 10/1)
Avon Lady @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 12-1.30pm
Bingo @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 1.30pm
Harlequin Rock Choir Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2-4pm
Steak Night @ La Vida, El Pareton from 9.95 inc glass of wine
MABS MMM Book Sale @ The Arches, Los Alczares 10am-1pm
HELP MMM Sale of up-market clothes @ The Arches, Los Alczares 10am-1pm
PALS for booking events @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 11am-1.30pm
Every Sun
Car Boot Sale @ Caadas del Romero Social Centre 8.30am

Car Boot Sale @ Venta Romero, Cuevas de Reyllo. 9am-2pm
Bingo @ Tels Bar, Camposol A 7.15pm
Sunday Roast @ Tels Bar, Camposol A from 5

Sunday Lunch @ Black Bull, Camposol B from 6.95 12.30-4pm
Traditional Sunday Lunch @ La Vida, El Pareton from 7.50
3 Course Sunday Roast @ Lizs Caf, Camposol B 10 inc a drink
3 Course Sunday Lunch @ Elliots, Bolnuevo 10
Meat Carvery/Vegetable Buffet @ La Mariposa, Gebas from 10.50
Sunday Lunch @ Blue Sky Caf, Bolnuevo 12-30-8pm
HELP MMM Car Boot @ Autocine, Los Narejos 8.30am-12.30pm
Open Day @ Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, Rojales 1-4pm
JANUARY 2015
Saturday 3
4 Day Multi Activity Break @ La Mariposa, Gebas 239 inc activities/accomm/meals

ADAPT Meeting @ Pensionista de Hogar, San Pedro 10.30am
Cavalli Chistmas School/Pony Club @ Cavalli Foundation
Page 71
Sunday 4
Artisan Market @ Bullas

Mazarrn FC v CD Lumbreras (away)
Monday 5
Sector D Community Group Meeting @ The Club House, Camposol C 4pm

Three Kings Eve Party/DJ Doctor Season @ Caf Buenavista, El Alamillo
Cavalli Christmas School/Pony Club @ Cavalli Foundation
PALS Monthly Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 11.15am
Tuesday 6
Da de Reyes (Spanish National Holiday)

Stamp Collectors Meeting @ Biblioteca, Pto de Mazarrn 6pm
Three Kings Day @ La Vida, El Pareton from 10am
Three Kings Day/Music & Fun @ Alandalus, Calasparra
HAH Volunteers Meeting @ Centro Civico, Roda 11.15am
Wednesday 7
Romera del 7 de Enero, Totana

Los Nietos Golf Society Day @ Peraleja 11am 30
Welcome Petanca @ Marianos, Camposol A
Welcome Games Night @ Marianos, Camposol A 3
Open Door Meet n Heat Evening/Patrick & Christine @ Los Almagros 7pm
(bring your own pizza to cook)
MABS MMM Volunteers Meeting @ Centro Civico, Roda Bar, Roda 11.15am
Age Concern Talking Shop Social @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 1.30-3.30pm
Friday 9
NEST Walk with optional meal. Meet El Berro Car Park, Sierra Espua
5 10.30am
Costa Clida Country Music Club Night/Martin Ross @ Marianos, Camposol A
4 7.45pm
GOmAD Table Top Sale @ Camposol B Commercial Centre 10am2pm

FAST Book Stall @ Camposol B Commercial Centre
Saturday 10
Artisan Market @ Paseo de las Comunidades Autnomos, Pto de Mazarrn 10am-2pm
Sunday 11
Artisan Market @ Mula

Mazarrn FC v Yeclano Deportivo (away)
Monday 12
Easy/Medium Guided Walk/4 Course Lunch inc beer/wine @ La Mariposa,

Gebas 12
Tuesday 13
Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10am-12pm

MABS Murcia NW Outdoor Market Stall @ Calle Segura, Calasparra 9am-1pm
Wednesday 14 General Meeting of SAMM @ CAR Infanta Cristina, Los Narejos 11am
ESAMD Winter Dinner/Dance/Terry Jay @ Hotel Costa, Mazarrn
MABS Murcia NW Volunteers Meeting @ 5pm
Thursday 15
Friday 16
Downhill Cycling/4 Course Lunch @ La Mariposa, Gebas 35

inc bike/guide/safety equip
MABS Mazarrn Book Sale @ Camposol B Commercial Centre 9am-1pm
Page 72
Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7-9pm

Saturday 17
San Antn, Bullas & Torre Pacheco

Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC 3 Day Trip to Valencia
Culture Vultures Trip to Modern Ballet @ Congress Hall, Murcia from 27
JJs Table Top Sale at Saralaras, Pto de Mazarrn 11am-2pm
Sunday 18
Artisan Market @ Caravaca

Artisan Market @ Sanctuary de la Esperanza, Calasparra 10am-6pm
Ruta del Ferrocarril (Railway Route) with Aguilas Tourist Information Centre
Mazarrn FC v AD Sucina (home)
Tuesday 20
San Sebastin, Ricote

HELP MMM General Meeting @ Las Claras, Los Narejos 11.30am
Wednesday 21 Straight Down the Middle AGM @ The Club House, Camposol C 11.30am
Thursday 22
Ladies Chatterbox Family History Group @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2pm

Ladies Night @ Eden Hair & Beauty, Condado de Alhama
Cloud Nine Drama Pantomime (Aladdin) @ La Molata Social Centre, Los Muoces 8pm
Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club Anniversary Party/Barrington @ Marianos, Camposol A 5
Friday 23
Open Door Haggis, Neeps & Tatties Night @ Los Almagros 5 7pm
Camposol Golf Away Day @ Roda 41pp (6 disc for members)
Saturday 24
Murder/Mystery Night @ La Vida, El Pareton

Cloud Nine Drama Pantomime (Aladdin) @ La Molata Social Centre, Los Muoces 8pm
Sunday 25
Burns Night
Artisan Market @ Plaza del Castillo, Cehegin 10am
Mazarrn FC v Beniajan CF (home)
Cloud Nine Drama Pantomime (Aladdin) @ La Molata Social Centre,
Los Muoces 8pm
Burns Night Party @ Black Bull, Camposol B
Monday 26
Australia Day
Tuesday 27
Easy/Medium Guided Walk/4 Course Lunch inc beer/wine @ La Mariposa,

Gebas 12
Costa Clida Ladies Golf
Welcome Book Swap @ ICA Medical Centre, Camposol B 10am-12pm
Camposol Monthly B Clean Meeting @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 4pm
Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC Monthly Lunch Club
MABS Mazarrn Volunteer Meeting @ Trevi Bar, Camposol B 11.30am
Wednesday 28 Straight Down the Middle Golf Competition @ Roda Golf Club 9am
Welcome Dance/Lucinda & Andy Jones @ Marianos, Camposol A 8
Culture Vultures Trip to Elvis Tribute @ Teatro Romea, Murcia from 14
Camposol Golf AGM @ The Club House 3pm
Age Concern Menu del Dia @ Restaurante Avenida, Pto de Mazarrn 10
Page 73
Thursday 29
Fiesta de las Cuadrillas - Barranda, Caravaca de la Cruz

Ladies Chatterbox Book Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 2pm
Friday 30
Fiesta del Vino, Bullas (until 1st March)

NEST Walk with optional meal. Meet El Berro Car Park, Sierra Espua 10.30am, 5
GOmAD Table Top Sale @ Camposol B Commercial Centre 10am2pm
HELP MMM Charity Market @ La Zona Bar, Los Alcazres 11am-1pm
Age Concern Table Top Sale @ Camposol B Commercial Centre
FAST Book Stall @ Camposol B Commercial Centre
Mazarrn Bahia Leo Club @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 7-9pm
Saturday 31
Murder/Mystery Weekend @ La Mariposa, Gebas 99/cpl inc

accomm/bkfast/4 course meal/Sunday roast
Mazarrn Country Club Social Club Trip to Orihuela Medieval Market
FEBRUARY
Sunday 1
Artisan Market @ Bullas

Mazarrn FC v EMF Fuente Alamo (away)
Monday 2
La Candelaria, Beniel
PALS Monthly Meeting @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 11.15am

Tuesday 3
Downhill Cycling/4 Course Lunch @ La Mariposa, Gebas 35

inc bike/guide/safety equip
Stamp Collectors Meeting @ Biblioteca, Pto de Mazarrn 6pm
Wednesday 4
MABS MMM Volunteers Meeting @ Centro Civico, Roda Bar, Roda 11.15am
Age Concern Talking Shop Social @ Cultural Centre, Camposol B 1.30-3.30pm
Los Nietos Golf Day @ Serena 12pm 34
Friday 6
Saturday 7
ADAPT Meeting @ Pensionista de Hogar, San Pedro 10.30am

Culture Vultures Trip to The Beatles Tribute @ El Batel, Cartagena 20
Sunday 8
Cloud Nine Drama Pantomime (Aladdin) @ El Auditorio y Palacio Dona Elena, Aguilas
First And Foremost A Very Happy New

Year 2015 To You All
This year begins the 19th year of Viajes
Dragontours existence. Thanks to all our
faithful customers, who have counted on us
year after year, by allowing us to be their
travel advisors and who in so many cases
have become our good friends. We are still
going strong and look forward to being here
for you all many more years to come.
within a 15-minute walk of the amazing

Mosque of Crdoba and included in our tour is
a guided 2-hour walking tour, (English guide),
through some of the best patios, including a
welcome drink and nibbles at the end. Every
year over 60 private homes participate in this
festival which offers a prestigious prize for
the most spectacular and unique garden. It is
a real privilege to wander through the inner
courtyards of private homes, surrounded by
the beauty and scent of hundreds of flowers.
The trip also includes travel insurance and
courier guide. The price per person in double
occupancy is just 245. (Inquire about single
supplement). There will be an optional guided
tour of the Mosque, for just 10 more. We
have a limited number for this trip, so book
This year we have organized a very special

trip, to the Cordoba Patio Festival from
May 12th to 14th. We will pick up from Puerto
de Mazarrn, Bolnuevo, Mazarrn Country
Club, Camposol (all sectors) and Condado de
Alhama. Our B & B hotel is on a quiet street,
quickly.
Future Trips
February 22nd, as every year, Dragontours
will be running a trip to the amazing
Aguilas Carnival. Including a reserved seat
and departing early afternoon, enjoy the
atmosphere for just 26.
Fallas in Valencia on March 18th for just
25.
April 7th Murcia Spring Festival for 15.
The Incredible Wine Horse Festival of
Caravaca on May 2nd for 19.
Boat Trip to Tabarca Island on June 11th
for 32.
From June 17th, our Wednesday trips to the
fun-filled Benidorm Market start for only
19 (16 under 15).
Dragontours will also organize tickets and
coach transfer, to the Easter Processions of
Lorca, deemed some of the most spectacular
in Spain. Dates are April 2nd and 3rd.
Viajes Dragontours, your English speaking
travel agency located in the Commercial
Centre of Camposol A, is always ready to
help you out with your holidays, flights, hotel
bookings and whatever your travel needs
might be. Pop in and see us and let us find
the best prices available for your next holiday.
Tel 968 199 021
Email info@dragontours.net
Page 74
Id watched the river freeze in stages over

the past few weeks and decided that once
it had totally frozen, I was going to venture
out for a long walk along it; just me and
my camera; so it would be today? In the
meantime I had some writing to do and
make a pot of Broccoli and Stilton soup for
later (see, proof that men can multi task!)
Four hours later
Reminding myself that dozens freeze to
death on Russian streets every year, I
got dressed, not for a quick dash to the
shops, but a three to four hour hike. With
a thermal vest and Long Johns (yes I
know its not sexy, but it keeps you alive),
various fleeces, a jumper and a thick
Berghaus jacket, woolly socks, two pairs
of gloves, scarf covering most of my face,
and a Russian fur hat on - I could barely
get out the door! Down in the clunky lift,
through the metal door and out into the
deep freeze.
Normally when you cross roads in Moscow,
you literally take your life in your hands as
you dodge up to eight lanes of constant
traffic. Today, only a few cars - occasionally.
I started walking, following the river all the

way to the Kremlin. With an (unofficial)
population of up to seventeen million,
Moscow is a bustling city, but today I
couldnt believe how deftly quiet it was.
Where is everyone? A little voice in my
head said, Inside you fool!
I marvelled at how thick the ice on the river
was. Sure the air was freezing, but the
sky was clear and I was actually sweating.
Arriving in Red Square, I marvelled at
the sight Id seen hundreds of times over
twenty years, but a sight that in the winter
never fails to take my breath away. I have
to admit by now though that my fingers
and toes were getting numb and as for
my nostrils - they actually had little frozen
icicles coming out of them. I did take a
bizarre photo of said nostrils, but didnt
think youd want to see that! Oh and I also
wanted to pee badly! But where? And how
to get through all my layers of clothes? I
dismissed the thought; I could hold it!
However, even after stopping for only a

few minutes, I could feel the cold seeping
through my clothes. Must keep the blood
pumping. I did consider taking the Metro
back, but thought that would be a kop out
so I slunk into GUM shopping centre, stood
under a heater for ten minutes, stuck a
couple of chunks of chocolate in my mouth
and headed out again. I must admit it,
the hike back was nowhere near as much

fun. It was getting dark, heavy snow was
blowing through a horizontal wind that cut
right into me the novelty had worn off, I
just wanted to be inside.
Another ninety minutes later I made it to
my apartment building, but it did take a few
minutes of fumbling with frozen fingers to
get the key into the lock properly. Inside,
I quickly stripped, dumped my clothes on
the hall floor, legs feet hands and face were
tingling and turning white. I immediately
ran a huge bath, adding a glug of Radox for
good measure and moments later I eased
my numb body into the steaming foamy
water. Oh bliss!
After my heavenly bath and in real banya

tradition, I stood out on my balcony with
only a towel round me as the steam
billowed from my now lobster pink body.
A black but starry sky made the city tingle
and it seemed locked in a frozen time
warp. Quickly I shut the inner and outer
windows and went back inside. It was time
for a bowl of that soup and a shot of vodka.
So, what does minus 34 really feel like?
COLD!
For more information on Georges writing,
go to georgermitchell.com
Page 75
Fourteen floors up in my cosy apartment

in the Taganka area of Moscow, I looked
down on the freezing city and river below.
Stunning! I opened the enclosed balcony
windows and the air came rushing in.....
wow, cold! But how cold was it? I wondered.
I scraped the ice off the thermometer
on the window ledge. It read minus 29!
(wind chill minus 34.)
Pets in Spain Cat Sterilisation

The Pets In Spain animal charity Street
Cats Sterilisation Project launched in
August has seen outstanding results. A new
charity shop in Avenida Londres, La Marina
urbanisation is the main source of funding
for the scheme and since opening in August,
sufficient funds have been raised to realise
the sterilisation of 63 mainly female street
cats.
However, the project is not just about

sterilising street cats. During the course of
their volunteer work collecting and trapping
cats, 11 of them were in fact very friendly,
socialised cats. Resulting enquiries and
Last month we mentioned that our night on

Friday 5th December was shaping up to be
our night of the year. We are pleased that
this prophesy was spot on. Red Strokes
and Christine gave us a memorable night
with their Stetsons and Petticoat show.
Not only did they sing the songs of Kenny
Rogers/Dolly/Shania and Garth Brooks,
but they dressed like them.
All this
working to help them Realise Street Cats

Sterilisation Campaigns in other municipalities
and were present at formal meetings with
Guardamar Town Hall representatives to
advise how best to manage the feral cats
situation there. Guardamar council has since
announced that they will start to cooperate
with local animal welfare volunteers and if
necessary change existing council by-laws to
aid the volunteers in their work with the street
cats. Torrevieja Town Hall has also changed
its policy and will now make funds available to
sterilise street cats in the municipality.
searches revealed five previously lost family

pets have now been reunited with their much
relieved owners. Also, 19 orphaned kittens
that were on the streets have been rescued.
Some of them are in permanent homes thanks
to the charitys animal adoption programme
and others are being cared for in Pets In
Spain temporary foster homes until adopted.
Six of the cats caught were euthanised by the
vet to alleviate suffering due to serious injury
or disease.
Pets In Spain projects are totally selffunding. The charity does not receive any
grants or funds from local or regional
authorities. The average discounted cost
to the charity to sterilize one female cat at
local vet clinics is 60. If you would like to
join the charitys street cats project team as
a volunteer, or if you have any items that can
be sold to help raise funds, please contact the
charity on Facebook at petsin.spain1, or by
phone on 645 469 253, or via email
info@petsinspain.com.
Donations are much needed to help fund the
expansion of this scheme which is just one of
the charitys animal welfare projects. PayPal
donations to info@petsinspain.com, or in
person at the charity shop, or you can visit
the Donation page on the website
www.petsinspain.com
Pets In Spain charity committee members

are in contact with people in other areas
entertainment for only 4!

Over the past 8 years we (Ann/Roy &
Helen/Tom) have been involved in
the
2 Country Music Clubs operating in the
Costa Clida (one has now sadly closed)
and the attendance on 5th December was
the largest in all these years, so hopefully
this will continue into 2015 and beyond.

What was just as satisfying, was the mix of
nationalities; there were Germans, Dutch,
Belgian, French and of course Brits. We
would like to take this opportunity to thank
everyone who has supported us over the
last 2 years. It is much appreciated.
Normally we meet at Marianos, Camposol A,
on the first Friday of each month, however
please note that our January night will be on
the 2nd Friday, 9th January when Martin Ross
will dust down his country music repertoire
and entertain us. Starting at 7.45pm,
requests are played. If there is sufficient
time a line dance and then a partner dance
is taught. Dont worry; if you have 2 left
feet; the dances are easy! Then at 9pm the
live music starts. Entry is 4.
If interested, look for our Facebook page.
Further enquiries go to thw35@yahoo.
co.uk
Tel/text 610 632 152
Page 76
Page 77
November was another busy month for Fuente

Old Guard with our AGM on November 20th
and our monthly Stapleford Competition and
Annual Presentations on 27th.
The November competition was the Gerry

Clarke Memorial held at Hacienda del Alamo
and the winner this year was Richard Pearce
with 42 points. Richard was also winner of
Division Two, with Gerry McRobert taking top
spot in Division One with 40 points. Meanwhile
in Division Three, Paul Western was ahead of
the rest with 33 points.
Nearest the Pin Winners were Peter Court and
Maurice Nafzger and our guests Lee and Tony.
Following the game we enjoyed an excellent
meal at the Spaniard Inn and our presentations
were made to Chris Andrews as Most
Improved Player and Dave Gautier received
the Order of Merit Award. The Presidents Cup
also went to Chris with the Captains Award
going to Howard Wright.
Dave Barrett took on the responsibility of
Captain for 2015 with Gerry McRobert as his
The CGA Quiz 21st November

115 people took part in the quiz which was
preceded by fish and chips. The quiz was a
great success, ably and smoothly run by Phil
Halton and his partner. All the proceeds,
which were in excess of 500, go to this
years chosen charities FAST, MABS and
Help the Heroes.
Away Day at Roda

We are in the process of arranging an away
day at Roda Golf Course on 23rd January at a
price of 41 per person with a buggy, which
will be discounted by 6 for CGA members,
Should anyone wish to join FOGGS or just

play as a guest, please contact DAVE on 868
082 013.
poster on the notice board in the bar of The

Club House or by emailing Betty Roberts on
Bettylloyd1560@hotmail.com.
Competitions at Club de Golf
The first Christmas Club Competition was
played on 10th December and the 2ndon 18th
December. I had been in plaster for 2 months
having broken my wrist whilst gardening,
so played badly! Camposol Golf Course is
looking much improved due to the efforts of
the new green keeper Adam who is doing an
excellent job. Parts of course have been relandscaped and the bunkers have had a lot of
work and new sand in them.
making the deal 70 for two people sharing a

buggy. Non-members are still welcome, but
obviously they will not receive the discount.
The sign-up sheet will be on the CGA Notice
Board in the Mens Changing Room. We are
hoping to be wearing our discounted new
white shirts with the CGA Logo on them.
Christmas Dinner Dance
This years Christmas Do was at Hotel Costas
Celebration Room in Mazarron on Saturday
13th December when some of Mazarrn
Bowling Club joined us swelling the numbers
to 113. There were enormous amounts of
food, beer and wine and the service was
impeccable, obliging and cheerful. The dance
floor was never empty and everyone had a
terrific time. Hopefully Mazarrn Bowling
Club will join us on other social events.
Vice Captain.
Camposol Golf Association AGM

This will be held in the back room of the
Club House at 3pm on Wednesday 28th
January. The CGA Financial Year ends on 31st
December. The cost to join CGA is 10 a year
and this covers you for your Golf Insurance.
To renew your membership it is a mere 5.
Come along to the meeting and have your say
on the direction you think the CGA should be
going.
Costa Clida Ladies League

Result up to now: Peraleja 57, Hacienda 46, La
Manga 22 and Camposol 28 points. Camposol
and La Manga have played one game less than
the other two teams hence the big difference.
The next match will be on 26th January. We
all enjoy our Ladies League encounters in a
competitive, but friendly spirit. If you are
group of Lady Golfers who would like to be
part of our group, you are very welcome to
join us. We play at reciprocal golf courses
at reduced green fees. To participate, you
only need a group of 6 ladies. If you are
interested in joining us, or would like more
information, please contact Betty Roberts at
bettylloyd1560@hotmail.com.
Charity Race Night at The Club House

This event will be held at The Club House on
20th February; everyone welcome. Proceeds
will go to the same charities as The Quiz
Night. Optional meal of Chicken Curry, Chilli,
or Ham, Egg & Chips for 6.50. Please book
your table and meal choice by signing the
Page 78
With Cecilio unavailable and Cristian out of

favour, too much pressure was put on Tolo
up front and Mazarron tended to revert to
the long ball game. Suspensions and injuries
to key players also affected results and
performances.
Mazarrn FCs home games are normally
played on Sundays. Admission is just 4 with
juveniles free. Los Amigos de Mazarrn
FC organise a supporters coach to most
away games; tickets for away games are
8 for members and 10 for non-members.
Full details of all games and coach departure
times, are normally not announced until the
Wednesday before the weekend on which the
game is to be played and advertised in the
local media, on www.mazarronfc.es, on
Los Amigos de Mazarrn FC Facebook page
and on posters at various points throughout
Camposol and Mazarrn.
Forthcoming fixtures:
Sunday 4th January CD Lumbreras (away)
Sunday 11th January Yeclano Deportivo
(away)
Sunday 18th January AD Sucina (home)
Sunday 25th January Beniajan CF (home)
Sunday 1st February EMF Fuente Alamo

(away)
Los Amigos enjoyed a Turkey & Tinsel
Christmas Dinner at The Club House, on
Wednesday 10th December. In addition to
an excellent three course meal there was
entertainment with Suzie G and everyone had
a great evening.
Newcastle United and Liverpool legend, Alan

Kennedy and former WBC World Welterweight
Boxing Champion, John H Stracey. Tickets at
40 include a five course meal with beer, wine
and soft drinks during dinner.
On the day before the Gala Dinner, John H
Stracey and Alan Kennedy will take part in
a Celebrity Golf Tournament at Camposol
Club de Golf along with former Sheffield
United, Leeds and England International,
Tony Currie and former Sheffield Wednesday,
Southampton and England striker David
Hirst. Former Charlton Athletic midfielder
Peter Reeves, who was captain of the winning
team last year, will be returning to defend
his trophy. There will be a shotgun start at
9.15am with a two-course carvery lunch for
players and spectators at a cost of 8.50.
Entries are still invited from either individuals
or teams. The cost for 18 holes is 25, or
45 if you wish to team up with one of the
celebrities, with buggies (for 2 persons)
available at an additional 20 (10 pp).
This years event is being sponsored by Expat
Pensions.
Los Amigos Luncheon Club resumes on

Tuesday 27th January. For full details and
information please call at the weekly Los
Amigos meetings or email
pamada.1130@yahoo.co.uk.
On Saturday 17th January we have a 3 Day
Trip To Valencia, staying two nights at the
Expo Hotel in the heart of the city. The coach
leaves Camposol at 8.30am on the Saturday
and departs Valencia at 5pm on Monday
19th January. There will be plenty of time for
shopping in the January sales and optional
visits to the Lladro Museum and factory and
to the La Liga game between Valencia and
Almeria due to be played that weekend.
The 6th Annual Los Amigos de Mazarrn
FC Gala Evening and Dinner will be held
at Hotel La Cumbre, Puerto de Mazarrn on
Wednesday 11th March. Tickets are selling
so fast that we expect to sell out by the end
of January. This fabulous event is jointly
sponsored for the fifth year running by Ibex
Insurance, Puerto de Mazarron and The Club
House, Camposol. Guest speakers are former
If you wish to take part in the golf competition

or require further information, please ring
634 338 770
There will be a Social Evening at The Club
House to welcome all the celebrity guests
to Mazarrn. This will involve a Celebrity Mr
& Mrs Competition, a Question & Answer
Session with David Hirst and music with John
H Stracey. Tickets are 5 for members and
7.50 for non-members.
Tickets and information available from the
weekly Los Amigos meetings at The Club
House, Camposol C on Thursdays at 4pm or
call Barbara on 627 012 646, Dave on 634
369 639, Gerard on 624 320 567 or email
losamigosdemazarronfc@hotmail.co.uk.
(The last Thursday of each month is reserved
for the Members Business Meeting and open
to members only.)
Membership is just 10 and
information please email
pamada.1130@yahoo.co.uk.
for
more
Page 79
Mazarrn FCs form continued to be

indifferent in November and December. A run
of four games without defeat including a 1-0
win over local rivals Sporting Camposol was
followed by two successive defeats against
Espinardo Atletico and Thader Alcantarilla.
However, an excellent draw away at fourth
placed CD Alberca left Mazarrn just outside
the play off positions.
17-handicapper Iain Furniss won the Los

Nietos Golf Society December competition
in a close contest at Roda.
Entertainment Secretary Roy Toms surprised

everyone by hitting the Longest Drive at
the tenth and Fines Secretary Peter Crook
recorded his best ever score of 19 points.
Sixteen members took part and Iain scored

37 Stableford points to win by one point from
society Vice-Captain and 13-handicapper
Glyn Greasley and 19-handicapper Pat
Hurley, who both scored 36 points.
The next Monthly Competitions are on

Wednesday January 7 (11am) at Peraleja
(30) and at Serena (12 noon) on
Wednesday, February 4 (37).
New members and guests are always
welcome. For more information email
crazygolfers55@gmail.com or call in at
El Fraile Bar and Restaurant, Los Nietos.
Glyn took second spot with the Best Back

Nine and was also Nearest The Pin On the
seventh hole. Clive Williams won the prize
for Nearest The Pin on hole 13 and Trevor
Beechey was Nearest The Flag with his
second shot to the 15th.
G e t t i n g
into
the
Christmas
Spirit
The
last
of
our
tournaments
for
2014
was
played
at
Paraleja
Golf on 28th
November
where
the
overnight
rain
had
left
some
fairways with
rather large
patches of very wet ground, although all of
the greens had benefited from the rain and
were in excellent condition.
was
There
good
turnout
from
the
membership and with a split start on tees

one & ten we were soon on our way.
Once back at the 19th the cards were checked
and Jeff Perry was declared the winner
with a score of 32 points. Disappointment
showed on the face of Tony Rootes, who had
for some time been the leader, but finished
in second with 31 points. There was a tie
for 3rd between Bob Skinner and Ian Dalley
on 30 points.
On December 3rd the society held its Annual
Christmas Fun Day and Presentations
Ceremony at the very tricky par three
course in Torre
Pacheco.
This tight little course stretches even the
best players.
The competition was for teams of three, with
mixed handicaps and well done to Don, the
Handicap Secretary, for getting a very even
balance in all of the
teams. The winning
team comprised of
Gerry Taylor, Clive
Hathaway and Dave
Robinson.
Following the game
the
restaurant
provided an excellent
meal with food and
wine in abundance,
getting everyone in
the right spirit for the
Trophy Presentation
by retiring Society
Captain, Jim Booth.
O v e r a l l
P o i n t s
Champion Gerry Taylor
Runner Up
Points Cup Jeff Perry
D a v e
G u n t r i p
Memorial
Cup - Jeff
Perry
P e t e r
Preston
Memorial
Pairs Cup Ian Dalley &
Bob Skinner
Dave Guntrip Meerkat Trophy - Gerry
Taylor
The next meeting of the Society will be on
21st January 2015 for the AGM. It is to be
held in The Club House at Camposol Golf,
starting at 11.30am.
Proposals and members wishing to stand for
committee positions should let the secretary
Joe Chalk know as soon as possible.
The next game will be at Roda Golf on 28th
January, meeting at 9am for 10 oclock tee
off.
We hope everybody has had a good
Christmas and New Year and look forward
to an improved handicap in 2015.
Geoff Sharp
hatters45@msn.com
Page 80
Vuelta a Murcia
Mazarrn will be regional capital of cycling,
this time with a major event, the Vuelta a
Murcia starting on 14th February, when the
competition celebrates its 35th year.
During this event many athletes, clubs

and coaches saw their work recognized
primarily for achievements during the
2013/2014 season. The award was
accepted by the club president Fulgencio
Gallego, Isabel Mara Lpez Plazas, coach
and Councillor for Sports, Andrs Valera.
X National Open Fishing Competition
In The Bay Of Mazarrn
On 29th November, 116 competitors from
different parts of Spain braved the bad
weather vying for four hours in three
beaches of Mazarron; Bolnuevo, Playa
Grande and Alamillo.
The start of the race will be from the

Avenida de la Constitucin de Mazarrn
and the cyclists will head for Isla Plana and
on to the Alto del Cedacero. The route will
also go through Cartagena, Murcia, Sierra
Espua and then on up to the castle of
Lorca.
Rafael Solis from Pescasurf Murcia won

the Open. Mary Coy from Santa Lucia and
Miguel ngel Llamas also from Pescasurf
Murcia took second and third places in a
competition which saw catches of different
fish including bass and of a great weight
among the different species.
The mayor of Mazarrn, Francisco Garca,

highlighted the importance of holding this
event in Mazarrn and mentioned the links
that the town has always had with this
cycling race.
The mayor of Mazarrn, Francisco Garcia,

attended the awards ceremony which was
presided over by the Councillor for Sports,
Andrs Valera, Celebrations, Isidro Coy and
Rural Development, Magdalena Mendez.
Athletic Club Receives Gold Shield

Mazarrn Athletics Club was recently
awarded the Gold Shield by the Federation
of Murcia during the celebration on the
campus of the UCAM Cartagena in Murcia
III Athletics Gala.
The day ended with a barbecue held on the

beach of Rihuete.
The Vuelta a Murcia is an important

competition, not only nationally, but
internationally. The best names of cycling
often compete in this event as the dates in
which it takes place is ideal for preparation
of the bigger races later in the season.
So far four teams have confirmed their
attendance. Usually one stage has been
won by Alejandro Valverde.
Page 81
FOR SALE
WANTED
Oak Nest of 4 Tables, new condition 75

Rustic Wine Bottle open cupboard with
drawer/holds 16 bottles 75
Silver floor standing uplighter/reading
lamp 35
Tel 968 199 913/646 444 942/669
979 272 Camposol B
CLASSIFIED ADS ARE AVAILABLE FREE

FOR ITEMS UNDER 500 OR FOR WANTED/
LOST ITEMS. (FOR NON-COMMERCIAL
ENTERPRISES ONLY AND EXCLUDING
PROPERTIES, VEHICLES AND BOATS)
Maximum 20 words and 3 classified
ads per customer.
GROUPS
Horse Manure from Cavalli Foundation 1
a sack
Each sack of manure you buy from Cavalli
for your garden will help to save and
maintain horses in distress.
Tel 636 172 198
To Place a Classified Advert:

Please go to our Contact Us page at www.
costacalidachronicle.com
and
put
Classified advert in the Subject line, email
costacalidachronicle@gmail.com
or
call 968 970 680 10-2pm Mon-Fri
Pair of lhd headlights for 2006 Vauxhall/

Opel Meriva 120 the pair.
Tel 676 312 991
Boggle Answers:
MIGRATORY
GROAT
AIRY
ARMY
GAMY
GOAT
GORY
GRAM
GRAY
MART
ROAM
ROAR
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AGO
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Page 82
January 2014 began with lots of promise

and didnt disappoint. Our primary concern
wasnt buying clients, as we have built
a very large database of serious buyers
looking for property in Rural and Coastal
Locations. To satisfy their needs, we needed
more property listings at the right prices.
Our local advertising did the trick and
we soon found ourselves out and about
photographing new property instructions in
just about every quarter of the region. There
was never a quiet period thereafter and
even the traditionally quiet months amazed
us. In fact we never had more than 2 days
off consecutively throughout the whole year!
Winter Warmers
Although we are blessed with a wonderful
climate in the Region of Murcia, at times we
still need an additional form of heating in our
holiday homes, as they are not designed to
retain heat effectively for obvious reasons!
With Winter lets becoming more popular
than ever, the first thing that many of our
clients ask for on arrival is supplementary
heating. Most AC systems can also be used
for heating, but some clients dont like to
have it running all night to keep warm if they
are light sleepers, or they simply prefer a
different type of heating.
So, what are the options? Here are some of
the most popular, with options for all budgets
and size of properties:
*
Oil filled radiators. Easy to use

and not expensive to buy. Many have
thermostats and timers and can be
moved around the villa if they are on
wheels. Still use electricity, so can be
expensive to run for long periods of
time, especially the 3kw versions.
Wall mounted heaters. These

range from simple thin panel heaters
to programmable electric radiators.
The panel heaters are easy to install,
cheap to buy and run at around 400800w, but in a really cold winter may
not be sufficient in a larger home.
Great for smaller rooms & bedrooms.
Our sales in 2014 were more than double

2013s and by the end of the summer we
decided to take the huge step and move
into new premises in Puerto de Mazarrn
with fellow Spanish Real Estate Group
members Best of Spanish. This gave us
more administration options, access to more
properties and a huge increase in footfall,
with buyers and new vendors walking in on
a daily basis. After initial setting up (with all
the bureaucracy that entails) we certainly hit
the ground running and the effects of the
move, as I write, are still being felt, with
December, a traditionally quiet month, filled
with viewing appointments and also well into
January and February.
as soon as possible. All the major property

portals like Rightmove, Zoopla and A Place
in the Sun etc. report considerable increases
in their website traffic. We put most of our
properties on over 50 of these portals, so
why not give your property sale chances
a boost in 2015? Just give us a call, visit
our website or call into our showroom for
a personal chat and we will be happy to
give you the benefit of our experience and
explain more about our services.
What can we expect of 2015?

Spanish Property Sales are certainly entering
an upward trend. Prices have stabilised
and even a modest increase is anticipated
in the New Year. If you want to sell in the
New Year, but havent yet put your property
on the market, then certainly consider it
Kenneth Whettall
Fuente Alamo Real Estate/Murcia Coast
& Country
Info@fuentealamorealestate.com
Tel 0034 968 598 173
70-120 and need only a regulator

and rubber pipe to connect the bottle.
Look for one with more than one heat
setting to regulate supply.
Larger flueless fires can also be installed.
I had one of these installed in my villa
a couple of years ago by Camposol
Heating & Maintenance. This large fire
takes up a whole wall and belts out the
heat, but also looks wonderful. It you
have a larger budget and space for one
of these, they really are amazing. Again,
it simply runs from a gas bottle and no
flue needed.
On any gas fire, the tube should be
checked for damage periodically & if
using a gas fire, whether in a rental or
your own home, please get a carbon
monoxide detector to detect any leaks.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity

to wish everyone a very healthy, happy and
prosperous New Year from everyone in the
group.
These cost 20-50, but can save lives.

*
Bioethanol fires. These new fires

range in size from table top to wall
mounted. I recently bought a small
table top one for about 35. It gives
out minimal heat, but looks amazing.
The only downside seems to be that
the ethanol-based fuel may work out
expensive for larger fires as a sole
heat source. I went through a litre in
about 4 nights & my tabletop version
has only one burner. Lovely to look at
though!
Liz Edmiston
OwnersAway
Property
Management
Tel 691 977 107
info@ownersaway.com
www.ownersaway.com
Rentals
&
Assessment of 2014 From a personal

perspective
I usually offer up a few industry statistics
in this section of the column. However, this
month I would like to give the readers a
personal over-view of 2014 from our own
experiences.
The larger radiators offer a solution

more like central heating, with options
to select from a series of programmes to
suit your needs, or simply use on manual
as required. These cost around 150-300
per radiator depending on the capacity
and how many functions you need and
are simple to mount on the wall on
brackets.
*
Calor gas fires. Cheap to buy, but

unless you already have gas in the
home you need to register with Repsol
to get a contract to obtain the bottles.
The basic freestanding heaters cost
Page 83
Accommodation
La Mariposa
968 631 008
Accountants:
Auna
Corral & Alcaraz
Legal View
Silvente
968
968
968
968
703
078
199
332
473
754
237
058
S & D Builders
Tonys Building Services
Woodworks Direct
622 691 923

647 119 952
649 540 016
Furniture:
A Time 4 A Change
DFS
Furniture Plus
968 136 501

968 334 194
968 153 907
Car Hire:
Bolnuevo Cars
F&C Rent a Car
968 150 979

968 199 156
Garden Services:
Anchor Landscapes
Garden Centre 2003
622 648 038

669 565 402
Cars & Transport:

Airpark Parking:
Airpark Murcia
618 806 989
Specialist Vehicles SL
968 146 158
Architects:
Martinez de la Casa
665 810 411
Chimney Sweeps:
Sooty and Son
660 478 881
Banking & Finance:

Sovereign Wealth
968 972 432
Chiropodists:
Clinica Camposol
Phillip Dawe
968 199 111

968 150 244
Cleaning:
KJ Total Care
Limpieza Rosy
688 697 629

619 199 407
Bars, Cafs & Restaurants:

Alandalus
968
Amapola
660
Bar/Restaurante La Llana 968
Bar/Restaurante Lara
616
Black Bull
634
Blue Sky Caf
635
Caf Buenavista
868
Cafeteria Plaza
968
Chez Zoe
676
Elliots Bolnuevo
968
Gula Gula
968
La Mariposa
968
La Pasteleria
629
La Proa
968
La Taberna Juan Chara
968
La Vida
625
Lizs Cafe
696
Quality Indian
968
Spice Villa
968
Tels Bar
634
The Arches
653
Totana Tennis Club
968
Viggos
968
Builders/Building Services
Brian Jones & Co
646
CRS Building Services
634
Fuente Building Services 696
JD Roofing & Building
630
Kevin Fly Screens
650
Miles Guttering
617
955
328
103
559
374
220
088
705
691
158
154
631
079
153
152
917
724
199
199
143
081
421
154
705
151
744
269
662
142
942
092
300
122
381
850
140
406
324
499
102
008
523
138
530
425
123
198
226
088
341
804
102
021
916
982
994
579
987
Computer Repairs & Sales:

Camposol Computers
968 199 191
Loco Murcia
968 971 893
Protech IT Solutions
968 971 800
Dentists:
Clinica Camposol
Olivier Houdusse
968 199 111

968 153 645
Education:
Spanish Classes with Vivienne
630 939 626
Electricians & Electricals:
AC Services
672 850 963
Louis Harris
619 712 821
T J Electricals
868 181 121
Entertainment:
RETRO
657 596 638
Funeral Plans:
ASSSA
Ibex Insurance
The Funeral Director
968 153 396

958 595 945
650 631 719
Hairdressers & Barbers:

Eden Hair & Beauty
620
Janes Salon
968
The Beauty Palace
968
The Salon
691
The Salon 2
686
072
158
971
916
354
536
433
828
717
232
Health & Beauty:

Calida Care Agency
634 317 092
Cambridge 800
673 162 695
Clinical Complimentary Therapies
634 327 241
Eden Hair & Beauty
620 072 536
Freedom Health & Beauty 638 893 357
Janes Salon
968 158 433
The Beauty Palace
968 971 828
The Care Agency
0044 1455 559988
The Fuschia Beauty Clinic 630 439 480
The Salon
691 916 717
The Salon 2
686 354 232
Heating and Aircon:
AC Services
672 850 963
Calida Gas & Oil
659 761 771
Camposol Heating & Maintenance (CHM)
968 199 184
Llamas Chimeneas
968 591 030
Louis Harris
619 712 821
Petroalhama
968 632 320
Sol Pellet
697 949 519
T J Electricals
868 181 121
Home Furnishings:
Curtain Call
616 240 171
Yorkshire Linen, Pto Maz 968 595 946
Yorkshire Linen, San Javier968 193 912
Insurance:
ASSSA
H R Insurance
Ibex
968 153 396

669 046 167
968 595 945
Page 84
968 156 583

968 070 020
Internet Cafs & Technical Services:

Camposol Computers
968 199 191
Compusurf
968 970 666
Kennels, Catteries and Pet Care:
Delmonte Cat Hotel
968 168 711
Kitchen Fitters/Suppliers:
German Kitchen Studio
636 306 711
Kitchens Plus 1
968 184 235
Laundrettes:
Los Belones Launderette
Rainbow Laundrette
The Laundry Shop
968 569 096

968 575 626
670 847 305
Legal Services:
Auna
968
Corral & Alcaraz
968
Costa Clida Property Serv
968
Legal View
968
Professional & Legal Solutions
968
Silvente Accountant/Lawyer
968
703 473
078 754
199 251
199 237
595 826
332 058
Locksmiths:
ADS Locksmiths
600 255 250
Mechanics:
Autotunes
Colair
Decklid Auto Services
Euro Tyre Totana
Ken Sherwood Mechanic
Kwik Fix English Mechanic
Mobile Car Mechanic Peter
Neumticos El Cea
602
626
626
968
679
968
666
968
Mobility Products:
Freedom Mobility
638 893 357
Outdoor Living:
DFS
Furniture Plus
Woodworks Direct
478
796
678
424
646
972
161
422
793
149
840
605
859
006
129
015
968 334 194

968 482 456
649 540 016
Painting and Decorating:

RJB Dcor Painting
699 044 742
Plumbers:
Apache 24/7 Plumbing
Brian Jones
Calida Gas & Oil

659 761 771
Camposol Heating & Maintenance (CHM)
968 199 184
Printing & Design:
Entorno Grafico
Mister Print
Quickprint
968 654 007

638 893 357
968 970 681
Property Maintenance/Management:
Brian Jones Property Maint 646 705 021
Mar Menor Services
644 300 125
Property Rentals:
Camposol Properties
La Manga 4 U
0044
Owners Away
Sensol Golf Villa Rentals
968 592 679

7921 351298
691 977 107
968 970 614
Property Sales:
Aagaard Property (T/A Solhuse Real Estate)
968 105 333
Another World Properties 968 592 679
Best of Spanish
968 598 173
Fuente Alamo Real Estate 968 598 173
Holmes & Pegg
968 199 290
Old Farmhouses
968 159 264
Removals & Storage:
Advance Moves
968
Costa Clida Transport
660
Daintons
696
Lords Removals & Storage 608
Mar Menor Removals
696
654
359
180
061
621
667
956
634
872
884
Retail Outlets:
A Time 4 A Change
Eurocasa
Gafas,es Opticians
German Kitchen Studio
Kitchens Plus 1
La Pasteleria
T J Electricals
968
968
868
636
968
629
868
136
594
300
306
184
079
181
501
401
400
711
235
523
121
Security:
AC Services
ADS Locksmiths
Eriks Metal Works
672 850 963

600 255 250
636 050 008
Services:
Compusurf
968 970
Martinez Del La Casa (Architects)
665 810
Repair It , Dont Bin It
646 705
Petroalhama
968 632
666
411
403
320
Solar Power:
Freesol
Solar Directa
Sol Pellet
659 232 507

659 315 130
697 949 519
Solicitors:
Auna
968
Corral & Alcaraz
968
Legal View
968
Professional & Legal Solutions
968
Silvente Accountant/Lawyer
968
703 473
078 754
199 237
595 826
332 058
Spas & Hot Tubs:

Eurospas
650 722 905
Sport & Leisure:

CDA Fitness
Costa Clida Radio
Espua Adventure
Yogamayga
634
968
968
968
304
595
631
150
087
862
008
755
Swimming Pool Construction, Cleaning

& Maintenance:
Alpha Pools
968 971 824
Camposol Properties
968 592 679
Jorge Pools
674 168 000
Khn Pool Service
968 138 638
Watermaid
646 705 088
Translation:
Costa Clida Property Serv 968 199 251
Mar Menor Services
644 300 125
Travel Agents:
Dragon Tours
968 199 021
TV & Satellite:
CTV Aerial & Satellite Systems
600
Compusurf
968
ISS
625
Loco Murcia
671
Sky Satellite Systems
689
T J Electricals
868
YPM Satellites
628
218
970
187
682
291
181
234
046
666
149
579
753
121
045
Veterinary Clinics:
Clinica Veterinaria Pto Maz 968
Emerg 608
Clinica Veterinaria Sur Este965
Veterinary Clinic Maskota 968
Emerg 619
153
466
352
597
378
931
553
438
929
473
Nash Warren
Natalia Camara
674 788 693

646 705 021
Page 85
Sarah-Jane Morris appointed British

Consul in Alicante
The British Embassy in Spain has announced
that Sarah-Jane Morris is to take over as
British Consul in Alicante, whilst the current
Consul, Paul Rodwell moves to a new role
within the Foreign Office.
already used elsewhere in Spain and many

other parts of the world. The job of a Consul is
to focus on strategic issues, such as new ways
of preventing and tackling the most common
and complex problems that face British
Nationals abroad, whilst local teams, led by
experienced Vice-Consuls, continue to lead
the frontline delivery of consular assistance
to Britons in distress.
Sarah-Jane Morris said, I am proud to have

the opportunity to oversee the excellent
work of the Alicante team, so ably led by
Vice-Consul Lloyd Milen and I am looking
forward to seeing what more can be done
to improve yet further the service offered
to British Nationals. Alicante is one of the
busiest Consulates in the world, supporting
two million British visitors to the region every
year, as well as a very large British expatriate
community.
As Consul in Alicante, Mrs Morris will be

responsible for one of the busiest British
Consulates in the world, whose team
supports the two million British visitors to
the region every year, as well as the large
expatriate community of over 165,000 who
are registered on the Padrn in the provinces
of Alicante, Valencia, Murcia, Castelln and
Albacete. Every year the team handles around
2,500 consular customers, from victims of
crime to individuals in extreme distress.
Paul Rodwell is relocating and will continue

to work for the Foreign Office in a global
communications role, to design consular
campaigns aimed at reducing the number
of British nationals getting into difficulties
abroad.
Paul Rodwell said, I have thoroughly enjoyed
my four years in Alicante, and would like to
thank the team enormously for all their hard
work and achievements, as well as the many
external partners and charities across the
Costa Blanca who work with us and make our
job easier. I am looking forward to my next
challenge.
Mrs Morris will manage Alicante in addition

to the Consulate-General in Madrid, where
she has served as consul for central and
northern Spain for the last two years.
The management of Alicante and Madrid
Consulates by one Consul follows the model
Commenting on the two appointments,

British Ambassador Simon Manley said, I
would like to congratulate both Sarah-Jane
and Paul on their new roles. Having worked
with Sarah-Jane in Central and Northern
Spain, I know she will bring her more than
In the last few

weeks, the hearts
of many have been
opened
to
the
needs of those less
fortunate in this
area. Fundraising
can be difficult,
especially
when
there
are
so
many worthwhile
c h a r i t i e s .
Nevertheless, we
have
received
some
wonderful
donations
from
our dear friends
Nadine and Ray in Roldan who have held
charity evenings at various venues and we
thank them for that.
The ladies from the Olive Branch Christian
Fellowship also deserve a huge thank you
as they have braved the elements all this year
and raised much need funds on the Table Top
Sales on Camposol B. Also a big thank you
to the regular customers who support them.
The Olive Branch Pastors and congregation
all dug deep and bought all the Christmas
presents for the children of our families.
Without their kind help we would not have
managed this, but each child we visited got a
little something for Christmas.
10 years of consular experience to the

new challenge. She will, I am sure, be an
invaluable asset to the whole region covered
by our Alicante Consulate. I look forward to
working with her and our consular teams in
Alicante and Madrid. I know too from my own
visits to the region covered by Alicante the
outstanding contribution Paul has made to our
consular work there, as well as to prevention
campaigns across Southern Europe more
broadly. Besides providing assistance to those
who most need it, our ambition must be to
help Britons help themselves and reduce the
numbers who require assistance in future.
The nine British Consulates covering Spain
and Andorra are now managed by three
British Consuls, as follows:
*
Spain Central and East (Consul,

Sarah-Jane Morris, based in Madrid)
responsible for consulates in Madrid,
Alicante and Bilbao, covering the
regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria,
Pas Vasco, La Rioja, Navarra, Castilla
y Leon, Madrid, Extremadura, Castilla
La Mancha, Valencia and Murcia.
Spain North East (Consul-General,

Andrew Gwatkin, based in Barcelona)
responsible for consulates in
Barcelona,
Palma
de
Mallorca
and Ibiza, covering the regions of
Catalua, Aragon and the Balearic
Islands, as well as the Principality of
Andorra.
Spain South (Consul, Charmaine

Arbouin,
based
in
Malaga)
responsible for consulates in Malaga,

Tenerife and Las Palmas, covering
the regions of Andaluca, Ceuta and
Melilla and the Canary Islands.
child dancing with delight because she had

been given half a packet of sweets; an old lady
who received a warm sweater; the man who
lives in a car received a duvet and numerous
other memories which just shows us that God
is the great provider. We move forward into
2015 with great hope faith and trust that God,
who has led us to this venture, will continue
to sustain us and continue to provide for the
needs of these lovely families.
We would like to take this opportunity to

express our thanks to Lou and Pat who have
been working with us for the past three
months and now return to see their family for
a well-earned rest. God Bless you both.
A special thank you to Mick at Kidease
Equipment Hire who donated a large amount
of prams and cots etc; all of which have been
given to our needy families already.
Marian and Lesley at The Dog Bowl, Fuente
Alamo always go the extra mile for us
collecting at the shop and donating food as
well, so we thank them.
Swap Tears for Smiles goes into the New
Year and our second year, taking with us fond
memories of our first year; such as a young
It just remains for us to wish you all a Peaceful

New year.
God Bless and Keep you all
Arthur & Marge
Drop off Points
The Food Bowl, Fuente Alamo - Marian &
Lesley
Fortnightly Table Top Sale - Camposol Sector
B
Robbos Golf Shop, San Javier - Neil & Nikki
Robinson
Time Out, San Javier - Gary & Sue
Arthur & Marge 659 270 885/689 653 987
Email arthurlaws@hotmail.com
Email
swaptearsforsmilesspain@yahoo.
com
www.swaptearsforsmiles.wix.com/
swap-tears-4-smiles
w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m /
swaptearsforsmiles-spain
Page 86
Page 87
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Costa Calida Chronicle January 2015

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Costa

The Longest Established

Date: January 2015

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

FOOD & DRINK

Price List - All Prices are excluding IVA

x 12,6cm wide x 6,25cm wide x 9,3cm wide

To advertise with us contact Teresa on 619 199 407 or email us on costacalidachronicle@gmail.com

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

As is usual at this time of year, many of the

Clida Care Agency

Costa Clida Chronicle

THANK YOU TO OUR

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

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

Are you thinking of selling your house?

For all your cleaning, from duvet and

After a few weeks holiday, Caf

For antiquity Certificates, EPCS, Structural

During January, Blue Sky Caf in Bolnuevo

Janes Salon, Bolnuevo are proud to offer

Whether you are looking for windows,

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

Tel 968 158 433

The Beauty Palace on Camposol B has

If you are looking to upgrade your SKY TV

Tel 968 971 828

Solhuse Real Estate Agency, would like

Quickprint is a newly opened print

Tel 968 105 333 or email info@solhuse.

You may be surprised at our prices, so

Bar/Restaurante Lara is the latest

Yorkshire Linen Best Seller!

Dog Health Programme

applied in animals older than six months.

6 weeks - Early Primary Vaccination that

In breeds with racial predisposition to

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

3 months - Rabies vaccine must be vaccinated

All good news from Cavalli this month.

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

Christian Humanitarian Aid Charity

Sophie, a re-homed rescue dog, had an

We presented a project to the Fibromyalgia

The fantastic work weve achieved during

Bags for us to distribute; a heartfelt thanks

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

Calle Sobrija 2248

laughter and so many lovely comments

A happy, healthy and peaceful New

Now I like talking to people, but not

Have you made and more importantly,

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

We also hold a Bible Discussion Group

NEST - Nature Espua Trails - wishes you

Services for January 2015

NEST walks are for the friendly and social

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

Guidelines For An Effective Winter

11. The pruning of fruiting vines, shrubs

January is the best month for a thorough

Some Detailed Guide Lines For Some

The Main Objective

The clearing out of dead and diseased

4. The removal of pockets of rotting leaves

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

6. The removal of all rotting leaves and