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Corts Valencianes Last week a deputation from the Orihuela Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (Vecinos Colaborando) was invited to speak to the Valencian regional government. In support were members of the nationally registered NHW scheme, Vecinos Cooperando y Colaborando de España and councillors from the Orihuela town hall. This great honour, for the NHW scheme, was at the invitation from a committee of the Regional Government formed to discuss and make recommendations towards improving policing and security within the region. The committee was proposed and formed by the ruling Partido Popular and chaired by the Deputy Mayor of Orihuela, and member of the Valencian Parliament, Monica Lorente. The aim is to solicit additional funding for the region from central government. To give an example a town with less than 5,000 residents has no requirement to employ Policia Local. Many do at their own expense and as municipalities grow they are required, by law to provide Policia Local cover. This cover is often inadequate and in many cases makes up for the lack of Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional whose brief it is to combat crime. The Committee was opposed by the opposition PSOE and United Left but due to a PP majority has gone ahead. Speakers invited to make representations and recommendations included the Mayor of Almoradi, Antonio Angel Hurtado Roca. Chris Poole, head of the Orihuela Costa NHW, presented the Neighbourhood Watch's case to the committee. He explained, via a translator, that a close, reciprocal working relationship between the police and scheme members had reduced crime by up to 40 per cent wherever it existed. He explained what the NHW was not; it doesn't patrol the streets, it's non-political, it is there purely to assist the police and they watch the neighbourhood not their neighbours. They are all volunteers and rely on sponsorship and individual acts of generosity to exist and all their members were volunteers. The reason for this was to ensure that the areas where the groups are in place see a reduction in crime, anti-social behaviour have a greater cohesion and community spirit and this results in a better place for everyone to live and visit. Once Chris, himself a retired police officer from the West Midlands Police, had thanked the Committee members for this chance to present their case the floor was opened for questions. The United Left representative wanted to know if increased building had contributed to crime figures, another observation was the correlation between construction of new houses, lack of people on the Padron and houses being left empty for long periods of time causing an ideal environment for criminals. Finally the point was made that there are 573 police officers in the Vega Baja area, Orihuela has just been reinforced with 31 more Policia Local agents was this not enough and was the budget being used correctly? Mr Poole did an admirable job of responding. He began by stating that basic security needs were not keeping pace with the growth of Orihuela Costa. Where groups exist criminals operate elsewhere so there is the need to continue to expand the scheme. The valid point was also made that Orihuela Costa is a tourist destination with many residents not being permanent. Most burglaries occur just after the occupants move back in, when they have their holiday money in the house. Both permanent and visiting residents want their houses to be safe when they are there and when they're not. People who live in an area are there permanently, a police car is there for as long as it takes them to drive by. Local knowledge is key in combating crime and who knows an area better than someone who lives there. The scheme is there to pass information to the police and to circulate warnings to members and residents alike. One police car needs eight policemen to keep it on the road for 24 hours; two on earlies, two on lates, two on nights and two on a rest day. 31 new policemen translates into just three patrol cars. Criminals rely on opportunity, handbag snatches, burglaries and thefts from insecure property all contribute to the crime figures. The NHW advise on crime prevention and with the signs in areas covered by coordinators criminals soon realise they cannot operate with impunity. Chris finished by saying that they enjoyed the full support from the town hall and the police chiefs in their area and together they are all working towards making their area a safer place to live and holiday. The offer was also made to take committee representatives to the UK to see the scheme at work, first hand. After the presentation, the deputation from the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme was met by the President of the Valencian Parliament, Julio de España. The party departed with his thanks for attending and helping to raise awareness of the Scheme. The Committee will undergo further discussions and then present its recommendation to the Valencian Parliament, Cortes Valenciana. Once these have been discussed and voted upon a petition will be forwarded to the central government in Madrid for its consideration. With the Spanish Congress enjoying a socialist majority the right of centre PP are dubious as to the support they can expect. Best case scenario is a few concessions, worse case is a complete denial of its propositions. Two things will come from this though; the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme has been seen to be taken seriously at a regional level and may form part of the petition in Madrid, and secondly, the lack of security in the densely populated areas of Valencia cannot be ignored by Congress forever. Change in Spain may not happen over night but it is another step towards acceptance of a scheme that has reduced crime in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and anywhere else it has been set up by people who want to a secure and safe future. M Tissington |
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Clothing for charity A new agreement has been signed between prominent charity "Humana" and Torrevieja town hall. The agreement will see the installation of 28 used clothing containers in Torrevieja centre and surrounding urbanisations. In a meeting with Humana spokesperson, Maria del Carmen Burguete, Torrevieja's own Councillor for Charities, Maria Dolores Canales, specified that the charity is seeking used clothing and footwear. Councillor Canales also said that for many years now, Torrevieja has been working towards helping the environment and what better way now to contribute to the environment than by reusing our resources. "Not only does this initiative offer us the opportunity to recycle one of our main resources," explained Councillor Canales, "But in addition, the effort will also go towards financing Humana projects in places such as Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe." The containers will be located at the following points: - Urb. La Siesta, C/Paganini (2 containers) - Pedanía de La Mata (2 containers in Plza. De Encarnación Puchol) - Urb. Las Torretas (10 containers) - Urb. Los Balcones, Avda. de la Asunción (2 containers) - Urb. Los Altos (1 container) - Around Playa del Cura: 1 container Plaza Asunción; 1 container Avda. Habaneras; 1 container en C/Fragata - Around Playa del Acequión: 1 container Plaza Iglesia San Roque. - C/Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, 43 (Cáritas), 2 containers - Zona Centro; a)1 container in Plaza Habana; b) 1 container at Colegio Inmaculada Concepción; c) 2 containers near La Inmaculada church; d) 1 container on Plaza de Oriente. Humana will take care of the installation and maintenance of the containers as well as the collection of used clothing and footwear. The charity will also inform the Town Hall every three months about how much clothing (in kilos) has been donated. In addition to this, Torrevieja Town Hall will be given 350 kilos of clothing every year for Social Services. The remainder of the clothing will be brought to Humana where it will be sorted and classified for delivery. The primary recipients of the clothing and footwear will be African countries. Clothing will also be sold off cheaply in second hand shops, generating revenue for the charity as well as jobs. Finally, clothing will also be kept for emergency shipments, to be sent to displaced refugees should the need arise. Founded at the end of the 1970s, the Humana charity is a non governmental humanitarian organization. At first, the charity was founded to support victims of Apartheid in Africa. Later, the charity kept on its clothing and footwear collections, both to provide the basics to poverty stricken families but also to fund aid projects. A Leddy |
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Volunteers
Wanted The Torrevieja Half Marathon will soon be upon us and the Policia Local are asking for volunteers to turn out and help. Coordinating the volunteers from the Neighbourhood Watch and the Torry Army is secretary of the Vecinos Cooperando, Christine Pilar. The half marathon is on Sunday 25 February and volunteers, supported by the police, will help marshal the route and hand out water to the runners. If you need more information or want to volunteer you can call Christine on 965 716 258. Alternatively you could volunteer in person at a meeting chaired by Inspector Joaquin Andreu of Torrevieja's Policia Local tomorrow, Wednesday 14 February, at 11 am in the Infantana Cristina Palacio de Desportes, opposite the Torry football ground. At previous events all volunteers received a bag of goodies for helping out at the event and all they require is you wear your reflective tops you have in your cars, in case of breakdowns, and help everyone to enjoy the day. M Tissington |
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The Godfather of jazz Huub Jansen and his Amazing Jazz Band played to over 400 people in Torrevieja's Municipal Theatre on Friday night. The anticipation was almost palpable as this is only one of three venues released this year so far. The Amazing Jazz Band took to the stage and Huub, looking and acting like Don Corleone, was centre stage, drum kit arrayed around him and flanked by Richard Endlich on banjo, Marco Kuipers on sax and clarinet, Frans Bouwmeester on bass (a modern bass that was described as a stick with strings), Eelco van Velzen on trombone and master of ceremonies, Cees van del Heuvel on trumpet and vocals. An evening of two halves with over two hours of music kept the audience applauding, clapping and singing along. 'Nobody Knows You When You Are Down and Out' began followed by 'Muskrat Ramble'. The latecomers arrived and Cees promised to play the last song again for them. Jazz, Blues and classic ballads were evenly sprinkled right across the evening with songs like, 'What a Difference a Day Makes', 'Someday You'll Be Sorry', 'I Wanna Be Like You' from Disney's 'Jungle Book' was also given the Amazing treatment. During their rendition of 'I Found A New Baby' the band just left the stage for ten whole minutes so that Huub could concentrate on his drum solo and what a solo. With too many years experience than he cares to remember Huub blithely rocked, rattled and rolled. During the interview I got a chance to speak to a couple of the members of the band. Marco Kuiper explained that the concert came about by a friend of Huub's living locally to Torrevieja. Marco said, "Yes it is good for Torrevieja we play here but it is also good for us too. I can stand outside in my shirt sleeves and drink a beer. In Holland it is snowing and very cold now so yes, we are very happy to be here." After the intermission Cees and Huub got into 'Ain't Misbehavin'' 'Hello Dolly' and 'St Louis Blues' and the bilingual version of 'Sugar' sung verse by verse in English and then Dutch. To finish it was a choice between 'Ice Cream' and 'When the Saints Go Marching In'. The band started on 'Ice Cream' but the Godfather vetoed it with a drum roll and they did 'The Saints'. After all, as Cees said, "You're the boss." It was a fantastic performance and Cees van den Heuvel's voice added gravitas, depth and power to everything he turned it to. It wouldn't be fair to say he stole the show but he did borrow it off Huub on occasions. The final song of the night was 'Oh Mona', a standing ovation and smiles all round. A truly amazing experience. M Tissington |
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New court
opened for play The Mayor of Torrevieja, Pedro Hernandez Mateo, inaugurated the new tennis court at Torrevieja Tennis Club. Accompanied by the Councillor for Sport, Antonio Hódar and the president of Torrevieja Tennis Club, José Vicente Berná. The tennis club is one of the town's oldest sporting entities, founded in 1973. The club has over 300 members, ranging in age from 6 to 76 years old. A Leddy |
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Psych unit
opens Torrevieja Hospital's psychiatric unit opened its doors for the first time this month. The unit contains ten individual rooms as well as a multipurpose living room and treatment room. In order to best ensure the security of both patients and staff, the entire psychiatric unit is monitored by CCTV during the day and infrared CCTV at night. The staff is currently made up of three psychiatrists, a psychologist, infirmary aides and occupational therapists. The day room allows patients a communal recreational zone in which they can relax during the day. According to hospital officials, nurses and aides with previous experience in the mental health sector have been selected to work in Torrevieja's psychiatric unit. A Leddy |
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New online
booking service A new website for hotel bookings in the Vega Baja area was launched this week. www.Costablanca-sur.com was presented to the press by the regional Councillor for Tourism, Milagrosa Martínez along with Torrevieja's Mayor, Pedro Hernandez Mateo and AFIET (Association of tourism enterprise) president, Juan Palau. The new website will serve as a central reservations centre from which tourists can browse and book hotels within the entire Vega Baja area. The site is offered in both Spanish and English and currently features hotels in Torrevieja, Guardamar, Pilar de la Horadada, Orihuela, Rojales and Catral. At present, the site features eight hotels with more to be added over time. The Mayor of Torrevieja expressed his satisfaction at the new initiative, designed to improve the hotel service in the Vega Baja. A Leddy |
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Desalination to go ahead Cristina Narbona, the Spanish Minister for the Environment announced that work will start, "within the next few days", on the desalination plant in Torrevieja. The announcement was made last Wednesday to Congress. The new plant, which when completed will be the biggest in Europe and have the potential capacity to be one of the biggest in the world, will be situated between the water treatment plant and the new hospital on the coastal side of the N-332. The plant is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2009 and will take 22 months to construct. It will produce 80 square hectometres of water a year and has the capacity to clear 240,000 cubic metres of water a day. Narbona also stated that there will be no environmental impact caused by the new desalination plant and that the effluent will be pumped into the sea 500 metres away from the coastline. The plant will be built at a cost of 297 million euros and forms part of the government's plan AGUA ( Actuaciones para el Gestion y Utilizacion del Agua, Action for the Management and Utilization of Water). The plan also takes into account storing the water in La Pedrera reservoir and moving it via the Cartegena Canal for use by farmers in Murcia. M Tissington |
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Domestic violence increase Incidences of domestic violence against women in the Alicante province almost tripled in 2006, it was revealed this week. Protection orders granted to female victims of abuse rose from 954 in 2005 to 2344 in 2006. The figure for 2006 is expected to rise as data for the last quarter of the year has not yet been published. Officials believe that part of the increase is due to the fact that more victims are coming forward to report incidences of domestic violence than ever before. The most recent incident took place last week in El Campello when a man stabbed his ex girlfriend in the face between 15 and 20 times. Officials have reported a sharp increase in the amount of restraining orders in the last number of years. In 2000, only 500 restraining orders had been issued in Spain compared to 40,000 at the present time. It is estimated that over three quarters of a million women in Spain are victims of domestic violence but experts believe that as only a fraction of cases are reported, a realistic figure is very difficult to verify. A Leddy |
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Maximum forest fire risk Strong winds in the area have forced officials to declare a maximum risk of forest fires this week. The entire region has been deemed "level 3" risk with 80-90 km/h winds expected. The pre emergency warning advises citizens against any type of outdoor fire, even in authorized recreational zones where ordinarily, a barbeque or campfire would be allowed. A Leddy |
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New parking campaign Rosa Quesada, Councillor for Social Welfare, and Pedro Valero, Councillor for Traffic, in Torrevieja have announced a new initiative aimed at illegal parking. In conjunction with the secretary of the children's charity APANEE, Jesucristo Riquelme, they want to educate drivers who block the dropped kerbs intended for disabled access. APANEE cares for the needs of children with special needs such as physical disabilities and educational needs. The new parking campaign is due to run for the duration of February but town hall sources have suggested that if it is successful it will be continued for another two months. Essentially drivers who park their cars in such a way they block the ramps set into kerbs they would usually be fined 60 - 90 euros and have their cars towed. Now they can opt to have the fine waived if they agree to attend an educational course for a few hours on an evening of their choice. The course consists of a video showing the difficulties encountered by the wheel chair bound and mothers who have to manoeuvre prams and pushchairs around the town centre too. The guilty drivers will also be given the opportunity to try getting themselves around Torrevieja when they are sat in a wheel chair. This campaign, unique in Spain, due to its affiliation of town hall and charitable organisation was first tried in January and February 2004. Of the 200 tickets given out to illegally parked cars 90 opted to take the educational course given by APANEE. The new scheme has also raised interest from town halls throughout Spain keen on implementing similar educational programmes to prevent illegally parked cars from making everyone's lives that bit more difficult. M Tissington |
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A message from the PSOE The PSOE aims to bring the local government of Torrevieja closer to residents. The measures to be introduced bear comparison with practices in the UK. For example, councillors will be designated with responsibility for a district. The reason being that over recent years Torrevieja has experienced demographic changes. As a result, the majority of residents now live in the surrounding urbanisations and each has developed its own difficulties. As things stand, central areas of Torrevieja have been embellished and the periphery unjustifiably neglected. Residents are unlikely to ever see the face of a councillor and the PSOE intends to change this. Democracy requires participation and parties need to listen and act on what they hear. Therefore the PSOE will ensure that councillors will be available regularly in the areas for which they have responsibility, with the creation of "CONCEJALIAS DE DISTRITO". In other words this measure will bear similarities to the surgeries in the UK. Local government is out of touch with the majority of residents. That trend can be reversed with good will and a change in the ordinances. A year ago, February 2006 to be precise, the PSOE tabled a motion to amend the statutes of local government in Torrevieja. Our proposal came up for debate at a full council meeting at met with defeat at the hands of the PP. Rejection resulted not from any flaws in our proposition but a refusal to act upon a sensible proposal that had emanated from the opposition. After the 27th May we expect to be in a position to introduce the necessary changes which will include the measures specifically referred to above. The PSOE is preparing an electoral programme prior to issuing a manifesto. If you have a question or proposals for incorporation do not hesitate to be in touch. Somebody from the PSOE will be available at the Casa del Pueblo on Calle La Paz number 115, second floor, every evening from 5 to 8 pm and they will do their best to answer any questions you may have or deal with suggestions for improving our community. We are centrally situated in Torrevieja, just behind Todo Todo. If you are unable to visit, then you can contact us by e-mail psoetorrevieja@hotmail.com or call on 96 670 2066 or mobile 692 471 607. The PSOE is listening and waiting to hear from you. |
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Starlight rescue The Starlight Academy of Performing Arts, run by Helen and Patti on Saturday mornings, had an emergency. The venue, in San Miguel de Salinas, where they teach and rehearse children in ballet, tap, song, dance and drama, is soon to be rented out to a business. With no hall to perform in the future for the budding artistes looked grim until Cliff and Angie of Inn the Dog House came up with a solution and rescued the Academy. The old hall, used over the last year, is to be given a new lease of life, well a new lease anyway. Cliff and Angie are just round the corner and run a bar and supermarket. The supermarket is soon to be closed and renovated. Its new role will be the place that the Starlight Academy will use in the future, Alan from the San Miguel Gym has donated a room for the next two weeks whilst work is carried out. Cliff plans to put mirrors along one wall, practice bars on another and it will, eventually, have a tuck shop and toilet. Cliff said, "We don't really have a village hall here and this seems the ideal location for one." He's keen to hear from any other groups, classes or clubs who are looking for a place to meet and can be contacted on 966 723 977. Alternatively you could go along and check it out yourself because they are also starting virtual horse racing on Saturday 24 February plus quiz night is Friday night, bingo on Wednesday afternoons and they do a one course Sunday lunch for 4.95, a Wednesday market day special for five euros and fish and chips on Friday evening. You can find Inn the Dog House in San Miguel de Salinas. Head out of Los Balcones, off the N-332 and past the new hospital, and just carry on. When you get to San Miguel there is a small turning on your left, opposite the Ford showroom. The Dog House is just up there. If you have a budding star aged six and over for the Starlight Academy then Helen can be contacted on 664 160 342 and Patti on 600 426 185. Their next performance is a 70's night for Animal Aid in Guardamar on 7 March and they also plan to raise money for Leah Wells and her family whilst she undergoes treatment for Leukaemia. So a happy ending even though the Starlight Academy are Inn the Dog House. M Tissington |
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Robbery
warning At 11.30am on Friday 9th February, at the new LIDL in La Zenia a lady was loading her car when a well dressed young man approached. He is described as being 20-30 years old, with fair skin and hair, weighing between 13 and 14 stone and measuring about six feet tall. He was wearing a white long sleeved top with turquoise hoops and white trousers. The lady had left her jacket on the rear seat of the car while she loaded her shopping, the thief opened the rear door and stole her jacket containing her Residencia, driving licence, BMW car keys and SIP card as well as her purse which contained an amount of cash. The jacket was a pale blue fleece. If found, please contact Rod Millington on 966764292 |
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Newlywed
grants 26 newlywed couples were the lucky recipients of housing grants this week. The grants, worth 3000 euros each, have been awarded for the last eight years and aim to help young newlyweds onto the housing ladder. A total of 78,000 euros was given away in newlyweds grants by Town Hall this week. In order to qualify, couples must be enlisted on the Padron for at least two years, must be first time buyers and must not sell their home within five years of receiving the grant. A Leddy |
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Last green area to go:
Protest scheduled today Supporters of C.L.A.R.O. will hold a demonstration today Tuesday, 13 February, 2007 at 9.30 am in front of the Town Hall in Orihuela on the occasion of the Plenary meeting of the Council which is scheduled to give final approval to a project to build 1,500 new houses in Cala la Mosca in Orihuela Costa. If the project is approved, citizens of Orihuela Costa will soon lose this last green area on the coast between Punta Prima and Playa Flamenca. Instead there will be another densely built urbanisation. Who wants this? Not the people living in Orihuela Costa. They have not been consulted. If they had been they would have said NO. We don't need more houses and more concrete. What is needed is a big, natural park or green area which would be a focal point for Orihuela Costa, providing it with a heart in an otherwise soulless development which is a testimony to greed rather than an effort to create an area in which people would be proud to live. Although the purpose of the demonstration is to protest against this particular project, we are calling on all those who want to stop this uncontrolled, greed- motivated development to join in the demonstration and stand up for an alternative, environmentally friendly future for Orihuela Costa. This is a chance for the politicians in Orihuela to see what the people on the coast think of the policies they are inflicting on us. CLARO - www.orihuela-costa.eu |
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Walk for those
who can't The Peter Scothern Foundation is holding a sponsored walk on Sunday, April 1st at 11am. The walk takes place in La Mata natural park and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Monies raised by sponsorship will go towards the Peter Scothern Foundation's Adventure Centre for the Disadvantaged and Disabled. After the walk, an ExiteFM Roadshow will take place at the Judges Chamber, Via Park II. Sponsorshp forms are available from: Busters Bar (Flamenca beach), Jacks & Sons (Flamenca beach), Maceys (Flamenca beach), Total stationery (Flamenca beach), ExiteFM (La Florida), JD News (Miraflores), Judges Chamber (Via Park II), The Sporting Life (Los Dolses), Sandy's Superstore (Aguas Nuevas) and La Mata Natural Park office. A Leddy |
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Oops! A cement lorry had an unfortunate run in with an urbanisation in Playa Flamenca this week. The lorry collided with electricity cables which were ripped from each surrounding home by the force. The entire estate was left without power for the remainder of the day. Cables were dragged down the road, lamp posts were knocked down and the truck blocked the entrance to the urbanisation for over three hours. When finally released, the lorry was full of hardened cement. Unsurprisingly, the lorry driver did not want his picture taken. Keith Brown |
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Skills Centre Celebrations were afoot at the Skills centre on Thursday 8th February, with four hard working students collecting their City & Guilds certificates and unit credit towards their diploma in hairdressing. Kimberley Carter, Nichola Hartness, Charlotte Barrett and Keri Wimperis all passed their test with flying colours and are one step closer to becoming fully qualified hairdressers. The theory examinations were taken here in Spain on 7th December 2006, watched over by an independent adjudicator and the girls had to wait until February 2007 to find out weather they were successful or not, they need not have worried as the Skills centre has produced a 100% pass rate with all students being successful. Kimberly and Keri are pictured together with their proud teachers, Karen and Sonia however Nichola and Charlotte are currently away in England at the moment and will have to wait until they return to receive the the good news and certificates. The Skills centre has enjoyed successfully helping individuals gain certificates and qualifications for a long time here in Torevieja and they teach a wide range of subjects from beauty to air conditioning. Currently they are offering a 10% discount to everyone who books a course before the end of February 2007 provided you cut out their advert from the Coast Rider on page 99, there is also an easy payment plan which is available upon request. The Skills Centre is also pleased to announce that in conjunction with ICS they are launching their Saturday School GCSE studies in English Literature, English Language and Maths. Further units will be made available as demand progresses. All examinations will take place at a registered centre in England and prices are 20euros per session including discount. The Skills Centre can be found on C/Madrid 39 Local 8 Torrevieja. Jackie, the administrator is always available for more information telephone her now on 966 927 704 and don't forget they are always looking for models. |
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Congratulations
Ron and Gill Ron and Gill Sheldon of San Luis recently celebrated their Golden Wedding after meeting way back at the local dance in Dudley Town Hall. This was in the days of ballroom dancing and before the emergence of.rock and roll. Ron was originally from Tipton in the West Midlands and Gill was from Much Wenlock in Shropshire. Ron was a mechanical and thermal design engineer for most of his working life and at one time ran his own engineering company with Gill attending to the office side of the business until the recession in the early 90’s. After that they bought a Post Office and Newsagents and ran that for 5 years, but it aged them 10 years. Especially the time that the Post Office was attacked by robbers with baseball bats, in which, fortunately, they were unsuccessful. This frightening experience encouraged them to buy a big dog because the police thought buying a gun wasn’t a great idea. On selling the business they retired and moved permanently to Spain in 1997, having bought their house here in 1990. Ron had been a golfing fanatic for 35 years and Gill the proverbial golf widow, but on retirement discovered bowling 6 years ago and decided it was something they could do together, because Gill had never participated in any sport before. They both took up bowling at La Siesta Bowls Club and were coached by Alan Blyth, the 1999 Spanish National Singles Champion. Ron later became Match Secretary at the club for 3 years and is currently Captain of the La Siesta Southern League Golds team since Bill Toleman, another Spanish Nationals title winner, retired from that position. At the end of November last year they went on their first cruise and holiday in and around China and the South China Sea. This was memorable for all the wrong reasons. They both contracted the infamous ships gastro virus and on return caught the flu which cancelled Christmas for both of them. To celebrate the actual Golden Wedding at the end of January, they went to Manolo’s Restaurant for a night out with some friends. Ron and Gill have a son, Mark, who lives with his family in North Lancs overlooking Morcambe Bay, but because of business pressures couldn’t get out to help them celebrate at this time. Last week they very generously organised a bowls competition for as many of their friends as the green would accommodate at La Siesta Bowls Club. This turned out to be one of the great days the club has seen and will be remembered for a good long time to come. All who know them wish them well and hope they have many more happy years together. |
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Spain bans more models Spain continues to be at the forefront of the fight against eating disorders by this week banning five models from the prominent Pasarela Cibeles show. The country's top fashion show, which rejected five additional models out of the total 69, announced the move in September and on Sunday last, the show went ahead without more "too thin" women. Women with BMI (Body Mass Index) scores of less than 18 were not allowed to participate in this week's show. Models were assessed by three doctors and it is thought that the five may have lost weight since the initial assessment and were therefore, not allowed to participate in the show. Leonor Perez Pita, director of the Pasarela Cibeles show, stressed that the aim of the prominent Madrid fashion show was to convey a message of "health and beauty." She explained: "Five hundred people will see them here, but through television it will make it six million, and a young girl may think it's a definition of beauty and may even make herself ill as a result." In November 2006, 21-year-old Brazilian model, Ana Carolina Reston died of anorexia. The model was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed just over six stone when she died. Her death has brought about calls for changes in the industry. A Leddy |
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Spanish Army gets
Israeli missile The Spanish government have just signed an agreement to spend 330 million euros (425.5 USD) on a new anti-tank missile. The makers of the missile are the Israeli's RAFAEL Armament Development Authority and the deal, with General Dynamics Santa Barbara of Spain, is for 260 Spike long-range infrared launchers and 2,600 anti-tank missiles. To give the missile its full name, the Spike LR ATGW, is known as the Gill by the Israelis, and has been in production in various forms since 2000. Finland, Poland the Netherlands and more recently Czechoslovakia have all bought the weapons system. It was one of the contenders with the British Army but they opted for the slightly lighter, 'fire and forget' American system known as the Javelin to replace the aging Milan. The Spike consists of a 13 kg missile, a 13 kg launcher with an add-on 4 kg infrared long-range sight. A typical anti-tank infantry team would consist of two men, a gunner with the launch system plus tripod and a loader carrying two missiles. The system can be ready to fire in 30 seconds and ready to re-fire in 15. It has the advantage of being dual role as it is a 'fire and forget' operating mode, where the target is acquired, missile locked on and fired. The system can also be manually guided onto a target using an optic fibre from launch site to missile. The versatility of the system also enables the missile to be launched from one location and guided from another. The enemy would be looking for the tell tale puff of smoke on launch to return fire when attacked and this increases the firers survivability. The missile has a dual warhead, the first sets off any explosive, reactive armour (some tanks are equipped with explosive blocks that deflect warheads) and the second penetrates the skin of the tank. Production is set to begin this year and the order is expected to be complete by 2014 with 60 per cent of production taking place in Spain. Israel has used this weapons system to great effect during various combat scenarios and it is an effective bunker buster as well as an anti-tank missile and can be fired from enclosed spaces with dual phase propulsion, an ejection charge and a main booster that takes the missile out to a range from 200 metres to 4 kilometres. M Tissington |
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Princess mourns sister The nation is mourning with its princess this week. Spain's future queen, Princess Letizia, was devastated when the news broke that her sister had been found dead. Erika Ortiz (31) is thought to have died in her sleep after taking a cocktail of anti depressant pills. A number of letters to family members were also found in Ms Oritz' home. A funeral service, held on Thursday, was attended by the Spanish royal family. After the service, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia thanked the public for their condolences. The Princess, who is heavily pregnant with her second child, thanked everyone "who felt saddened by the death of my little sister." Erika is survived by a six year old daughter. A Leddy |
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No more troops for
Afghanistan Spain's Minister for Defence, Jose Antonio Alonso, announced this week that despite a plea by NATO for more troops, Spain will not be sending more soldiers to Afghanistan. In a press conference, the Minister confirmed that Spain will retain its current peacekeeping presence in the troubled zone, but will not be deploying more troops. Spain currently has 690 troops stationed in Afghanistan which, according to the Minister, is a sufficient number to help fulfill the peacekeeping and reconstruction work. Since Spain became involved in the Afghanistan peacekeeping mission in early 2002, the government has spent 685 million euros and deployed over 7200 soldiers. A Leddy |
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Spain victorious The England squad walked off the pitch at Old Trafford last week to a chorus of boos and a 0-1 loss to Spain. A goal from substitute Andres Iniesta sent Spain home the victors of the friendly match, much to the disappointment of England fans. The Spanish squad's confidence will certainly have improved after their win, crucial for two important European Championship qualifiers next month. The team had suffered four losses in its past seven games but Iniesta's goal in the 63rd minute broke the streak of bad luck. Spain's coach Luis Aragones said the game provided helpful preparation. A Leddy |
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Exotic animals perish 1000 exotic animals perished in a warehouse in Madrid this week. Snakes, lizards, turtles and other reptiles were killed in a fire which broke out at an animal importation company's warehouse. The cause of the fire is not yet known but it is believed that the company, Zoborneo, Spain's largest importer of exotic animals, is cooperating fully with the investigation. A Leddy |
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Orange fuelled cars Orange growers in Valencia are set to turn orange pulp and peel into bioethanol fuel for cars, it was revealed this week. Esteban Gonzales, head of planning for the Valencian region, announced the plan at a conference on climate change. The Valencian region produces 4 million tonnes of oranges per annum with five juice processing plants producing 240,000 tonnes of waste which could be utilized by the project. Gonzales also revealed that with another juice processing plant planned, waste could rise to 500,000 tonnes, enough to produce over 37 million litres of bioethanol. Mixing plant based ethanol with petrol is a method used to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Spain's goal is to replace 6% of regular transport fuel with bioethanol or biodiesel by 2010. A Leddy |
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Government will hand
over documents The Spanish government has at last agreed to declassify documents pertaining to CIA flights, allegedly used to transport terror suspects via this country. The government will turn documents over to the investigating judge, revealed Vice President, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega. So far, the government has denied having any part in the CIA's extraordinary renditioning programme. A Leddy |