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The Queen of the Sea is crowned The patronal fiestas in Torrevieja are in full swing this week with the Dia de La Virgen del Carmen tomorrow Wednesday July 16th and the paella competition in the Fish market and giant paella today, Tuesday 15th. Last Friday night in the Virgen del Carmen cultural centre there was the ceremony of the crowning of this year’s ‘Reina del Mar’ (Queen of the Sea), the young woman who will be the Fiesta queen for this year’s celebrations and for the year to come representing ‘la cofradía de pescadores’ (the fishermen’s brotherhood). Admission was free but by ticket and the theatre was almost full. It seemed initially as the minutes ticked away to the supposed starting time of the proceedings that it might have been cancelled. The barrier was across the door of the auditorium and there were no queues of waiting people, even some of the Spanish media seemed caught out. Outside the theatre the small square was full of children playing games of tennis, football and tag, all at the same time and all in the same space somehow managing to avoid the groups of parents and friends gathered talking to each other. Then all of a sudden as is often the case at such events the doors opened and people started to appear as if from the wings of some vast stage. It was a late start but well worth the wait. The evening began with some songs and sketches based on a fisherman’s life and the sea, mostly involving the demon drink in some shape or form. Even the fishwife stumbling down the stairs tossing out sardines to the audience as she went to meet her husband had imbibed one too many. The music and theatre were excellent and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. This was followed by a side show of photos old and new depicting various aspects of fishing and fishermen including a wonderful picture of a boat being built on the beach of the town looking very much like either the Pascual or the Carmen Flores. Then it was on to the main part of the evening as the compère for the evening announced the crowning ceremony. Rather like a ‘Court of Queens’ gathering in the north of England when carnival queens are crowned, a number of other fiesta queens were present and were presented to the new queen. One by one they were escorted down the steps of the theatre from the back of the auditorium to the stage dressed in beautiful elegant gowns and with their sashes of office across their shoulders. The outgoing Reina del Mar had given her speech of thanks for her past year and to her parents and family for their support and it was time for the new queen, Maria José Sancho Soler to make her appearance, brought on to the stage on the arm of the patrón mayor of the cofradia de pescadores, Pedro Ángel Carmona Pérez. Wearing a white gown she sparkled under the stage lights looking a little nervous and overcome by it all. The tiara was placed on her head and Eduardo Dolon the councillor for fiestas and culture took the sash and put it over her shoulder and with a traditional kiss she became the new Reina del Mar. After the investiture there were further celebrations at a ‘Gran Verbena Popular’ with Sangría on offer. Paul Mutter |
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It’s a knockout update The guys at Mysteries International have just put up a new website www.itsacostaknockout.com giving full details of how you can join in the fun over the next few weeks. The site also has loads of pictures of the last two weeks competitions, as well as the team results so far. The runners up team from the first week, The Final Whistle have still got a chance of making the final as one of the top runners up. The event is getting bigger every week, with more stall holders and more spectators. Mysteries International have added a rodeo bull to complement the other attractions. To attract even more stall holders the cost of a pitch has now been brought down to €10. They are still looking for more teams to compete in the next three events. The event in two weeks’ time is especially for children’s teams. So don’t miss out on one of the best events of the summer. Call Richard or John on 634 098 155, or 634 098 156 Sean McSeveney |
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Holiday from
the Lions You may remember a little while back an appeal that was launched by local voluntary worker John Kadwell. Well known for his work with young people and APANEE John had met a young man, Cristian Pagnan Morales who attends APANEE. Cristian is 14 years old and had never been on a holiday. John decided that it would be a wonderful idea if Cristian and his sister Samanta could be provided with a holiday and so launched his appeal through the local press. The Torrevieja Costa Lions Club heard about the appeal and being the group they are thought it was a very worthwhile cause and an opportunity for the Lions to step in and see if they could help raise the funds necessary. The net result was that the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club has donated two flight tickets, one for Cristian and the other for his sister Samanta, to take them to Ireland. John Kadwell will be accompanying them on their trip. In addition through the generosity of the local public supporting the Lions Basket fund raisers, a further 400€ was raised to assist pay for extra activities whilst in Ireland. The tickets and money were presented at a recent meeting of the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club by the Lions president Terry Crandon to Cristian and Samanta. Their mother was also present to thank the Lions for their work in raising the funds for the children to go on their very first holiday. Cristian also received a rare Torrevieja Costa Lions Club pennant as a keepsake from Lion President Terry Crandon. Lion Janette Bennett spoke in Spanish to Cristian on behalf of the Club, wishing them well on their wonderful holiday. By the way don’t forget that the Lions Youth Brass Band is appearing in the Municipal Theatre on Sunday 20th July this coming weekend with the Youth section of the Union Musical Torrevejense Band. Tickets are priced at 8€ each and can be obtained form the ticket office in front of the theatre. All the profits will be going to the Cruz Roja Ambulance appeal fund, another very worthwhile cause so please support the event. Paul Mutter |
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First of the
Summer Sewage It came as no surprise to the residents living near the Barranco Rubio beach at Campamor, when sewage started appearing on the normally lovely and popular beach. Almost every year as the summer residents appear, 200m of the aging sewage system breaks down, spewing raw filth and sewage from the broken joints. Much of the stinking sewage seeps onto the nearby beach. The problem came to light during the first weekend of July, when bathers and local residents reported the problem to lifeguards patrolling the beach. After several days nothing appeared to have been done about the problem and locals then contacted C.L.A.R.O. party representatives. C.L.A.R.O. then took positive action by contacting local police and the environment agency. In a statement from C.L.A.R.O. they proclaim, “The 200 metres of sewage pipes are on private land where some three years ago houses were built much closer to the sea than the 100 metre limit of the Ley de la Costa (coastal boundary law). The 200 metres of pipe do not serve only this relatively new development but a significant part of Campoamor which has expanded greatly over the past 20 years. When the new houses were built some three years ago, the Town Hall did not renew the sewage system and place it on public land as they should have done, but took the usual easy way out of just leaving it as it was. Inevitably, the consequences of that decision are now being felt by those living nearby and the holiday-makers using the beach.” It is obvious that this spillage can cause serious health problems to unsuspecting beach users. Several people on the beach complained of skin disorders which they have experienced when swimming in the sea off the beach. In some places the sewage is quite obvious, in others a simple act of scraping the surface layer of sand back exposes smelly polluted water. Children could be seen digging in the sand making sand castles. C.L.A.R.O. further commented, “We have been assured by those present that the Town Hall knows very well what the problem is and what solution is required. They have simply done nothing, except pretend that the water was not polluted and that the problem arose from the draining of a swimming pool.” NOTE: Before going to press, Jose Antonio Aniorte Grau, Councillor for Orihuela Costa, contacted the press with the town hall’s analysis of the water. Please see the next article. Sean McSeveney |
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Hotel Fontana closed The Hotel Fontana, a fixture in the town for the last 25 years in the centre of Torrevieja has been forced to close its doors. The debts owed by the hotel have forced the closure which sees 28 people made unemployed. The debts have been the subject of local political wrangling recently when it was claimed by the Socialist opposition in the town that the Town Council owed money to the Fontana. This claim was quickly repudiated by the Finance councillor who said that in fact it was the opposite way round with the Town Hall being one of the hotel’s creditors. A judge ordered that the building be closed up and it is now secured with metal security grilles. The debt is estimated at around seven million euros of which according to reports, 400,000 is owed to the Social Security and 200,000 to employees. The debts were run up by the management company who ran the hotel for the past ten years. Talks have been conducted between the owner and other hotel chains but as yet there are no firm indications of a new management team being able to take over the troubled hotel. Paul Mutter |
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Torrevieja hospital continues to
shine The new hospital in Torrevieja continues to produce results that put it amongst the top hospitals in the country particularly when it comes to surgical operations carried out. In the first six months of this year medical teams have carried out almost twice as many operations as would be expected for a hospital of its size and with the population it serves. In the first six months a total of 10,827 operations were carried out over 5000 of which were under general anaesthetic. Of these almost 60% were designed to allow the patients to return quickly to their own homes to recover thus cutting down the risk of cross infection and also the psychological impact of having to stay in hospital. Paul Mutter |
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Those blasted mosquitoes The Socialist councillor Miguel Seva is unhappy with what he sees as the ‘passivity’ and lack of action and concern by the Town Hall in dealing with what he claims are the plagues of mosquitoes that are affecting certain urbanisations. He says the problem is a serious one for residents of San Luis, Los Balcones, Las Torretas, La Siesta and other areas. He claims that many are forced to stay inside and that some have allergic reactions forcing them to attend medical centres. Because of this and the number of complaints he has apparently received he wants the council to take action. Paul Mutter |
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Protected Housing The Mayor of Torrevieja Pedro Hernandez Mateo and the Regional councillor José Ramón García Antón signed an agreement that will mean Torrevieja joining with 24 other municipalities in the province of Alicante to be part of the strategic planning for 2008 – 2011 as far as protected housing is concerned. This is part of the overall strategic plan for housing presented by the President of the Valencian community Francisco Camps. The protected housing programme provides families on low incomes and young people with an opportunity to get a property of their own and the present administration is committed to increasing the availability of such housing which has become particularly needed with the rise in property prices over the last five years in particular. Paul Mutter |
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Habaneras
2008 The 54th International Habaneras competition gets underway this coming Sunday July 20th and for the following week the Eras de la Sal will be resounding to the sound of choirs from all over the world challenging to become this year’s Habaneras champions. The first competition was organised and held over 60 years ago in 1955 and had the very modest ambitions of gaining a little publicity for the town of Torrevieja and to provide a tourist spectacle for the enjoyment of holidaymakers. Over the years that has changed considerably and now the competition attracts choirs and singers form all over the world and is one of the most prestigious completions of its kind. This year the prize money has been increased to a total of €56,500 an increase of €8,100 over last year. The Habanera as a musical has soaked up influences from a number of sources but in principle is a song about life at sea, often about a longing for a loved one far away. Starting life as a European dance it was taken to Cuba by the Spaniards and gained an African rhythm. As the songs ad music were taken by sailors to different countries in their travels other strands were woven into the habanera to give it the flavour it has today. This year’s competitions are devoted to the memory of a great Torrevejense and prolific composer of habaneras and other music who died earlier this year, Ricardo Lafuente. The compulsory habanera for this year’s competition is ‘Dique de Levante’, by Grau Vegara, who is chairman of the jury for the competition. The timetable for the competition is as follows with all performances starting at 11.00 pm Sunday 20th The Mayor of Torrevieja Pedro Hernandez Mateo will give the opening address to the competition with music by Coro y Orquesta Ricardo Lafuente – Salinas de Torrevieja, la Agrupación Coral Manuel Barberá and Coro Maestro Casanovas. Monday 21st The competition proper starts with performances from Coro Polifónico del Liceo de Música de Copiapó, CHILE; the Coro de la Catedral de San Esteban de Nairobi, KENYA; and Coro Anima Una de Minsk, BIELORRUSIA and the Coro Universitario de Mendoza, ARGENTINA. Tuesday 22nd Tonight it is the turn of the following choirs Coro de la Academia de Minsk, BIELORRUSIA; la Coral Comfenalco de Santander, COLOMBIA; the Coro Juvenil Balsis de Riga, LATVIA, and the Coral Polifónica Cuamense “Raimundo Pereira” de Calabozo, VENEZUELA. Wednesday 23rd Appearances from the Coro Branco Cvetkovic de Belgrado, SERBIA; the Coro de Niños de San Juan, PUERTO RICO; the Coro Mixto Cantemus de Nyíregyháza, HUNGARY and the Coro Ángel Barja – León. Thursday 24th The Coro April de Gátchina, RUSSIA; the Coro Juvenil Gaudeamus – Guernica (Vizcaya); the Coro Akolada de Bydgoszcz, POLAND and the Coro Normal University de Manila, PHILLIPINES. Friday 25th This is the last day of the competition as such with the following choirs taking part, the Coro Femenino Náyade – Irún (Guipúzcoa); el Coro de la Universidad Este de Manila, PHILLIPINES; el Coro Oñatiko Ganbara – Oñate (Guipúzcoa) y el Coro de Cámara de Matanzas, CUBA. Saturday 26th On Saturday there is a gala choral performance which precedes the prize giving ceremony. Sunday 27th Today there is the closing ceremony and celebrations with the participation of la Masa Coral José Hódar, la Coral Torrevejense Francisco Vallejos and the Orfeón Municipal Ricardo Lafuente. To finish as is usual all the singers from the town choirs, together with the band of the Union Musical Torrevejense will perform the anthems of Torrevieja, Valencia and España. In addition to the fixed performances in the Eras de la Sal there will be a number of more ‘spontaneous happenings’ in Calle Concepción, the Embarcadero de Torrelamata and in the Habaneras shopping centre. Tickets can be obtained from the ticket office outside the Municipal Theatre and are priced at 7€ for performances form the 20th to the 25th inclusive and 14€ for the Saturday and Sunday night performances. Tickets are half priced for pensioners. Season tickets for the week are also available priced at 56 or 64 € depending on which row the tickets are for. Again there are reductions for pensioners. The season tickets are available at the official Habaneras offices at C/. Patricio Pérez, 10 – Bajo A between the hours of 10.00 am until 2.00pm and 6.00 pm and 9.00 pm until the 18th July. Paul Mutter |
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REPORTING CRIME Fortunately, although the threat of crime is always there in the background; for most of us, most of the time that is where it remains; a slim possibility rather than a likely option. However when it does happen particularly if it is a violent crime where the perpetrators should be removed form the streets as soon as possible to protect the rest of society it is vital that a report is made to the police or the Guardia Civil if they have not already been at the scene itself. Sometimes things are not as simple as this. We received a call from a reader who had been mugged, held up at gunpoint and knifepoint in Torreblanca by two men, a nasty crime. Fortunately the man involved was not injured and he and his partner wanted to notify the Guardia Civil. They telephoned only to come up against the brick wall of needing an interpreter. The couple involved have been in Spain less than two months and so there command of Spanish is not good enough to conduct a detailed conversation with the forces of law and order to ensure all the details were perfectly correct. They were extremely concerned about this and could not understand why they had to pay for a translator. Now it is easy to dismiss this with an “Ah, but we are in Spain and we must communicate in their language,” but the man’s partner made a very good point. Should there not be a translation service available as this is supposed to be a tourist area and to expect tourists to be able to converse in Spanish or have to pay for a translator is both unrealistic and not in the best interests of furthering tourism in the area. And anyway we are in Europe. In the UK there would be translators and police available who could speak the languages of those living in the region. There seemed some good points there to me and I phoned up the OARI to put the main one to them of a translator. Well apparently in Torrevieja at least there is a free translator available between 9.00 am and 2.00 pm at the Guardia Civil station but you must visit in person. I was able to pass this information on to the couple concerned and hopefully they were able to report the crime and for the authorities to make some progress in putting the transgressors behind bars. The couple concerned told me that there have been several attacks in the Torreblanca area. Being able to report crimes in languages other than Spanish for tourist in particular is obviously not just a problem for Torrevieja and a government officer has suggested that Benidorm might like to adopt a similar scheme to one that has been running successfully in Madrid. SATE stands for Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero (Assistance Service for Foreign Tourists). It is a specialized police team that is dedicated to this task and gives help in a number of ways such as in the cancelling of credit cards, psychological support, reporting lost property, contacting embassies and so on. These support services are given in the tourist’s own language. Seems a good idea and maybe the Spanish Police and Guardia Civil should consider improving the language skills of their officers to reflect the make up of the current population living in Spain. What do you think? Paul Mutter |
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San Javier Rocks The 11th San Javier International Festival of Jazz is well under way now and for lovers of Jazz and good music the festival is a must attracting as it does some of the very best international artists in a number of genres stretching from contemporary jazz to New Orleans and from Country to Blues. The only common ingredient is quality and that is available in bundles. All the performances are held in the open air Auditorio Parque Almansa San Javier and to listen to such high quality music with the stars shining above is a wonderful experience. Here is what Tony Poole from Wave 106 FM had to say about the main group performing on Thursday 10th July ‘The main act for the evening was the New York jazz fusion collective Metro. Formed in 1994 by guitarist Chuck Loeb and keyboardist Mitch Foreman, they dreamed of starting a cooperative band project during the years they toured with Stan Getz. The band has released six albums to date, their latest ‘Express´ features the great NY bass player Will Lee. Tonight´s ´Special Edition´ performance featured four jazz super heavyweights with a tribute to the late American saxman Michael Brecker; brother Randy on Trumpet, virtuoso saxophonist Eric Marienthal, the brilliant bassist Gerald Veasley and Dave Weckl, one of the most admired drummers in the world. This spectacular line up promised to be one of the festival highlights and didn´t disappoint. Their music was straight ahead funk fusion, no smooth jazz here, just down to the bone entertaining funky jazz. Chuck Loeb was particularly impressive on the Pat Metheny-ish ´Cabo Frio´, subtle yet breathtaking. The excellent Eric Marienthal got the crowd rocking with every funky sax solo he performed. All the band members demonstrated technical mastery, collectively and with each and every solo. Metro is most definitely one of the best jazz fusion groups to emerge in last decade.’ I went down to see one of my favourite groups from the 70’s and 80’s, Smooth Jazz and fusion masters Spiro Gyra. This five piece band still sports three of the original line up, saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, guitarist Julio Fernandez and keyboard player Tom Schuman. The ‘newer’ additions to the team are bassist Scott Ambush and percussionist Bonny B. And can those boys play. The set began with new boy Bonny B leading the band. They played three of their most famous songs including ‘Morning Dance’ and the crowd were ecstatic. They played with so much energy and speed and the solos seemed to go on forever. The ‘new’ boys stunned with solos of their own with Scott Ambush giving a virtuoso display of multi rhythmic tapping, slapping and harmonic playing. Again his speed across the fingerboard and range of technique was quite breathtaking. Bonny B is a stickman with personality in abundance and one wonders whether the group will be able to contain him. His playing and ability to get the audience involved were fantastic everyone was clapping and hopping to the beat and returning his vocal calls. The original members showed the years had been more than kind to them with brilliant displays of their own and the audience were reluctant to let them go with just the one encore. When I first heard Jay Beckenstein play I was transported to some other place and his playing still has that effect on me today. The festival runs until Sunday 27th July with a closing concert from the legendary Herbie Hancock. There is still plenty to listen to including Blues guitarist Gary Moore tonight Tuesday 15th; Rock legend Johnny Winter on Friday 18th July; The James Carter Quintet on Saturday 19th and the Robert Cray band on Saturday 26th July. Tickets can be obtained online from Servicam or from the festival offices in San Javier or the box office at the Auditorio Parque Almansa San Javier. You can also find out more about the festival with full details of the programme by visiting the festival webpage at jazz.sanjavier.es/en/index.htm Paul Mutter |
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‘ELS CELTES’ GET READY
FOR THE FIESTAS This year sees a new addition to the Moors and Christians festivities in Guardamar – when the ‘filá’ ‘Els Celtes’ take to the streets for the first time as part of the local celebrations. The group is made up of Scots, Irish, English and Spanish residents who are keen to blend their traditions and history – promoting positive integration and sharing in the fun and excitement of these annual events The Group, formed in March, have been working tirelessly, meeting weekly and practicing together as part of their preparation. They belong to the Comparsa El Cid – although they have their own group identity. They have designed their own costumes for this year’s events – with much of the fabric and materials being imported from Scotland and Ireland. “It has all been a terrific learning curve for all of us”, explained Maureen McCann who is the driving force behind the initiative and co-ordinates the ‘women’s section’ of the group, “Our Spanish members and colleagues have all been extremely supportive and we are all looking forward to the events in July’.(18 – 26 July).” Antonio Puigcerver who leads the ‘men’s section’ added “It is very difficult for those from other countries and background to understand fully the history and traditions associated with these festivities. We have all enjoyed working together on costumes, accessories, music and fundraising – which has been a key factor in our development this year.” ‘Els Celtes’ continue to seek sponsorship – as well as continuing with their constant internal fundraising strategy – and would be keen to hear from any businesses or organisations who would be interested in helping them in their fundraising efforts. Any interested parties can contact the ‘Els Celtes Treasurer - Pam King on 662523251 or Antonio Puigcerver (Chairman) on 606640486 or Maureen Mc Cann (Secretary) on 618180290. |
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Sex workers up
60% in six years The number of women who have become victims of sexual exploitation in the Alicante province has risen by over 60% in the last six years. The figures mainly relate to those women obliged to work in the sex industry, which a new report indicates stands at around 19,416 women countrywide. Experts believe that the rise is partially due to the increase in the number of alternative clubs where many women are forced to work as prostitutes behind the scenes. According to the report, the Alicante province has 58 such clubs, the highest number per region in Spain. 95.2% of known female prostitutes in Spain are of foreign nationality (18,478) while the remainder (937) are Spanish. Most of the foreign women hail from South America (58.6%) with the majority of those from Brazil (40%), Colombia (16.9%), Dominican Republic (13.4%), Ecuador (3.6%), Bolivia (1%) and Peru (0.4%). 35% of the total are said to be from elsewhere in Europe with 6.2% from Africa. According to police, the gangs which operate the prostitution rings within the Alicante province are for the most part Albanian, Albano-Kosovan, German, Bosnian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Dutch, Italian, Lithuanian and Moroccan as well as some mixed gangs involving both foreign and Spanish nationals. The recently published study revealed just how lucrative the business is, claiming that sex clubs rake in almost €2000 per day not including drinks and cover charges. |
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Free transport to the
Moors and Christains The Moors and Christians festival is one of the most traditional festivals in the Southern and Eastern part of Spain and the parades in Orihuela city are some of the finest in the area. It celebrates the re-capture of Spain from the Arabs in the 12th and 13th Century. It is always a wonderful spectacle and the town hall of Orihuela is organising free transport for the citizens of Orihuela Costa, to and from Orihuela Town. The main program is as follows: On Friday, 18th July starting at 21.00 – Grand Entrance & Procession of the Christians. On Saturday 19th July starting at 21.00 – Grand Entrance & Procession of the Moors The buses will depart from the Playa Flamenca Town Hall at 7.30 pm on the 18th and 19th of July. The buses will be returning from Orihuela for Playa Flamenca at approx. 12.30 am on the 19th and the 20th. You are asked to be on time for the buses. You can reserve your seat on the in the town hall Playa Flamenca. Paul Mutter |
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All clear for water Jose Antonio Aniorte Grau, the councillor for Orihuela Costa has said the analysis of the water at the Barranco Rubio beach reveals that has not been contaminated by human-waste disposal. An expert team from AQUAGEST took samples of the water and all the results are conclusive. The councillor said, “Everything that was denounced by the CLARO political party is a lie and their only objective was to provoke alarm and panic among the citizens in Orihuela Costa. There are no discharges of fecal matter or contaminated waters. After testing, analyzing and studying the water and the source for the last three days, the result of this study has very clearly indicated that this is water which flows down from the promenade - a natural process, because on the top are several Urbanisations which are watering their gardens, swimming pools and others, for this reason this water is not contaminated. It is irresponsible, scaremongering and sensationalist to suggest otherwise" Aniorte has also had conversations with the Red Cross and they have no reports of people who have allegedly been infected by, or who have complained about the alleged fecal water. The councillor assured all that with the modernization of the pumping station and the related network which was upgraded last year that it was impossible that fecal water was also discharged." Paul Mutter |
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Protected Housing lottery 142 families and young people were fortunate when their numbers were pulled quite literally out of the hat because they were taking part in the lottery for the assignment of 142 protected housing units in Orihuela. The houses which are in four developments are built on land ceded by the Town Hall and the construction is financed by the Valencian government. The manager of the Valencian Institute of Housing Javier Sogorb said the project would not have been possible without the close cooperation between the Institute and the Town Hall in Orihuela. The Mayoress of Orihuela Monica Lorente said that the provision of housing for families and the young is a basic necessity and one of the prime objectives of their administration. Paul Mutter |
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COSTLY DEEDS In another twist to the tale in the Tecnologia Urbanistica saga, the residents of Macarena II have been given demands letters. Before Tecnologia will release the title deeds to the owners they are demanding between €5000 and €9000 per property. The letters were sent by Aroca, the firm of solicitors employed by the residents of Macarena II to deal with Tecnologia, and try to get the title deeds released from Tecnologia, for without the deeds none of the property owners can sell their properties. All of which have been fully paid for. The content of the letter from Aroca sets out the demands from Tecnologia that the following bills be paid before Tecnologia will sign over the deeds: Tecnologia want each property owner to pay the bill of €1950.00, for builders’ water and electricity from three years ago. All the properties have habitation certificates and are connected to mains water and electricity. Owners are required to pay off a mortgage cancellation fee of €1150.00. This is not from a mortgage taken out by the property owners but by Tecnologia themselves, to finance the building of the properties. Demands are also being made for payment of the Suma on the properties for the last four years. The owners refute this because for the past four years the properties have remained in Tecnologica’s name and not the name of the property owner. “Had they released the title deeds then we would have had no issues with paying the Suma,” said one resident. A meeting with a representative of the bank that held the mortgages on the property said that they had levied no mortgage cancellation charges on Tecnologia. But Tecnologia are not the only ones trying to get more money from the owners, Atlas is also trying to charge people several hundred Euros extra for late payment charges. This has infuriated those concerned, as one told us, “Everybody paid Atlas the monies that were due when Atlas asked for them and they have receipts showing this.” Altogether between Tecnologia and Atlas, people are being asked to pay between €5000 - €9000 extra to receive their deeds. When people bought their properties five years ago everybody paid between €3200.00 and €4500.00 to pay for all of the cost. Those that did receive their deeds were given a refund of approximately €900 to €1200. It would seem that money has now been swallowed up in costs. Now five years further down the line the remaining owners still do not have title deeds, and are now being forced to pay a considerable additional sum to have those deeds. The resident who originally contacted the CoastRider said, “We are all extremely angry on Macarena II and we will not pay these extra costs which are the builders not ours. If these costs were indeed true then surely they should be shared amongst the other residents of Macarena II as well. But as they clearly have no hold over those that already have their title deeds they are putting unfair pressure on us. It is time that they gave us what it rightfully ours and hand over the title deeds. It is not as if they have not got a bad enough name at the moment. If they have any chance of resurrecting themselves from this mess, then they need to be seen to be acting fairly.” The same resident added, “When Aroca our appointed solicitors, were asked what they intended to do about this being our legal representatives they just shrugged their shoulders and recommended that we pay the charges.” Surely there should be a controlling body that has the power to hand out hefty fines and even bring cases to court against developers. They wonder why there is a slump in the property market? It is time to clean up the act. Sean McSeveney |
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Formation of Gran
Alacant branch of
the Royal British
Legion A meeting is to be held in the Bowls Club Gran Alacant, to inaugurate The Royal British Legion Gran Alacant Branch. The meeting will take place on Tuesday 2nd September 2008 commencing at 7.30 pm. David Young, District Recruitment Officer, will give a short talk on the Legion and answer any questions prior to the formalities. A Branch Committee will be required, so volunteers will be needed! The Branch area will encompass a triangle from Gran Alacant, El Altet, to Elche and halfway across the Santa Pola salt lakes, and Santa Pola. Anyone who is interested in joining the Branch can attend and Membership Applications will be available on the night. This branch will be the twentieth branch to be formed in District North of Spain which covers from Roquetas de Mar in the South to the French border in the north. |
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Light at the end of the
tunnel Gordon Lloyd or Don as he prefers to be known has led a very full life, full of variety. In the several careers he has pursued in his life he has been successful and has been well thought of receiving many personal plaudits and testimonials but it was not about that his wife Sue rang the CoastRider about. She told us that there was another side to the story, of much harder times in the last few years when they had been living in Spain and a story she thought others might like to hear about. Don and his wife live in a lovely quiet neighbourhood close to the well known Los Arcos restaurant. Thy have lived there for about four years and before that in Callas Blancas for a further three. Don had been wounded on active service in the Suez emergency when an insurgent grenade had gone off close to him and a group of soldiers. Although they had dived for a trench to protect themselves, the blast had caught them before they were able to get completely under cover. Don received some shrapnel wounds but also considerable damage to his right knee when several of his colleagues had fallen on top of him into the trench. The injury was to cause him further trouble as the years wore on. He is a time served painter and decorator who eventually moved into managing a sports centre near Oldham. He won an award as ‘Mr North West’ in a body builder’s competition for Sports centre staff. Don was also involved in several safety and environment campaigns with local schoolchildren. Life had been kind to him but he had also put in a lot of effort himself. In his sixties when he came to Spain his life was about to take some unexpected turns. The continual pressure of walking and putting pressure on his injured knee had led to problems with his spine which meant he would need surgery to correct the situation. This was some two years ago and he had the operation performed in Torrevieja hospital for which he has nothing but praise. Three vertebrae of his spine were fused and a replacement knee joint put in during two separate operations. Shortly after this his daughter, Karen, died at the age of 46 of a stroke a big blow to him. Then Don himself suffered a stroke followed by a further three events which has left him with a partly frozen face and hand. As if this was not enough to contend with he was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. At this point in his life Don told me that he felt at an all time low, as if there was no hope and nothing to live for but Don has some very good friends and found some support which he says made all the difference to him and pulled him through. “I felt as though I was dying,” he said, “But when you feel low there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.” It was this message that Don and Sue wanted us to emphasise, that no matter how bleak it may seem there are people who can and will help, because it was that help and those friends that breathed the will to survive back into Don. Don has had the all-clear from Prostate cancer. Don wanted to give his special thanks to Doctor Pino at the Torrevieja hospital who he could not praise enough and Jackie and Alan James from the AECC for all their help and support. Someone else who came in for a special vote of thanks is Simon Morton the well known entertainer and presenter on Sunshine FM. Don said he first contacted Simon to ask for a request for his daughter and the friendship grew from there. Simon visited him and helped raised his spirits. Sheila and Rosa of Garcia and Garcia the legal services company handled all of the translation that Don and Lyn required and acted as a taxi service when needed. Their special friends Geoff and Lynsay and last but by no means least Don wished to pay tribute to his wife Lyn for her constant support and encouragement during his troubles. Don hopes that his story might give hope to others in similar situations to keep battling through that no matter how dark the night is, the sun can come out again in the morning. Paul Mutter |
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Kids summer entertainment The summer entertainment for the youngsters in La Marina is well under way, with both La Marina and San Fulgencio Youth Club and the Impact Summer Club, being well attended all week. The youth club intend to have a beach day this Saturday, with lots of fun and games down on La Marina beach. Volleyball, kayaking, football and rounders as well as fun in the water are all on the cards. The Monday night swim at the Sports Complex has proved incredibly popular, allowing the kids time to cool down after a hot day of playing. The Impact Summer Club has been making use of the cooler morning temperatures to get the kids into shape and have lots of fun. Their summer programme continues until the end of August. If you want to join them for some Pony riding or Archery, then you will need to get up early on a Friday morning as they set off at 8:30am. Don’t forget your sun cream and water. For more details on either of the clubs call Martin or Erica on 966 790 786 for the youth club, or Andrew on 966 795 593 for the Summer Club. |
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Tobacconist Robbed After only being open for less than a week of its summer season, the tobacconist on the urbanisation of La Marina was robbed at the weekend. Thieves broke in through the rear doors of the property before making away with a large number of recently stockpiled cigarettes. Police believe that this was a carefully planned crime. As the criminals seemed to have known exactly when the shop would be stocked to its maximum. In addition to the incident of attempted mugging at Lidl, which we reported last week, there has been another mugging on the urbanisation. This time an elderly couple were walking down the slope from the commercial centre next to Poppy’s night club. A car containing two men stopped to ask them directions. One occupant got out of the car and grabbed the elderly lady’s handbag before speeding off. The police ask that everyone tries to be extra vigilant at this time. Do not leave your handbags, wallets and mobile phones on display on top of the tables in bars and restaurants. Police also warn women not to resist if someone tries to steal your handbag, as many of the criminals are desperate and dangerous. It is not worth getting injured for a few euros! In a warning from the Chief of the Local police, motorists have been told that the police in La Marina are having a clamp down on illegal cars. Random stops for documentation checks will be carried out all week. |
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Mystery
body found
floating in
sea The body of an unidentified male was found floating in the sea off the coast of Guardamar earlier this week. The body was found at 4pm on Tuesday last at the town’s Playa de las Ortigas. The man, estimated to be 75 years of age, was pulled from the sea by the Cruz Roja and was wearing a life jacket, a harness, swimming trunks and sandals. |
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This region
“most vulnerable”
for
fires The Valencian Community is one of the regions “most vulnerable” to forest fires, it was revealed this week. According to the WWF/Adena, the Valencian Community has a risk factor of 56% when it comes to fires here. Each region has been classified in terms of the total average number of fires annually as well as other calculated risk factors. The Valencian Community is in ninth place nationally with an average of 131 forest fires. The region is fifth place when it comes to percentage risk and factors which cause the fires themselves. The report indicates that intense sun rays are the primary fire risk with 31% (this, apparently, only happens in the Valencian Community, Castilla-La Mancha and Aragón). Agricultural fires cause 23% of forest fires, followed by cigarettes and people burning rubbish. The number of fires started by unknown causes is relatively low, says the report, with just 4% going unsolved. According to SEPRONA, the Guardia Civil’s environmental wing, between 1995 and 2006, there have been 185 people arrested for starting forest fires. Within the Valencian Community, between 1998 and 2005, there were 633, says the report. |
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A warm welcome from a new church A new Christian Evangelical Church in this area assures all new comers of a very warm welcome. Called by its formal name, 'Christ In You - The Hope of Glory Church' it has started from locally humble beginnings although internationally, it is a very substantial Church indeed with various branches and functions in several different countries. With its growing congregation led by the inspirational and motivational Pastor, the Reverend Joseph Nkire, originally from Nigeria, the Church meets for its worship and celebratory services every Sunday morning at 10am in the Municipal Room, Plaza Florida, Pinar de Campoverde in the municipality of Pilar de la Horadada which is actually situated immediately behind the swimming pool and along the walkway from the Deutsch Bank, behind the Sunday Market. Newcomers of all ages and nationalities are welcomed and this is because Spanish translation services exist and even a Finnish translator in the form of one of the Church elders, Vuokko Forster, herself Finnish. Already English, Spanish and Finnish speakers attend and all newcomers can be assured of dynamic and meaningful Evangelical Christian worship under the guidance of Pastor Joseph assisted by the Church elders. Whilst not forgetting that age brings with it wisdom, younger people are actively sought as well to create together a really mixed and varied congregation of this growing Missionary Ministry. There are also weekly prayer meetings and other activities. Pastor Joseph's wife, Jean Nkire, is a qualified counsellor and senior mental health practitioner and with over twenty years experience, is International Director of Mission for Women's Welfare and as well as this project, the Church under its banner 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters' which is a Christian global outreach organisation, charitably registered in the UK and India, works with orphans, including those affected by AIDS in India and Uganda. With a list of other Christian services too numerous to detail here and other worldwide contacts, why not come along and join the very friendly worship and let your prayers make a real difference. Pastor Joseph Nkire welcomes telephone enquiries on 96 676 3962 by Email to: botwgo@yahoo.co.uk or why not visit the 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' website at: www.botwgo.org to see something of the Christian Global Outreach Programme? If nothing else, just turn up and experience the difference that dynamic Evangelism can make to you? Michael John Chappell |
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Mar Azul Summer Performance As part of the end of summer term celebrations Mar Azul International School produced a musical extravaganza. The primary school put on two musical performances for their parents, which were directed by their drama teacher Susan Thomas. The musical was a delight to watch with excellent choreography and fantastic costumes made in collaboration with the teachers and parents. The musical showed the story of Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow and the Lion from the wizard of Oz travelling along the yellow brick road but meeting some unusual characters along the way. The reception class came on stage to sing two songs from Annie which definitely had the cute factor, the next characters to join the journey were Don Quijote and Sancho. The whole scene was performed in Spanish showing off how bilingual the children have become. Next to appear on the yellow brick road was Mary Poppins and the children from years 1 & 2 flying their beautiful colourful kites. Further down the road we met Oliver and the Artful Dodger who along with their class mates from years 3 & 4 sang and danced to “Food glorious food” and “Consider yourself”. As Dorothy and her friends helped the Lion get his nerve they then all jumped into a taxi which took them of to Rydell High. This provided as an excellent link for the entrance of years 5 & 6 as the Pink ladies and T’Birds. They performed songs from Grease with an excellent solo dance from Mollie Arlett, who really got the crowd going wild. As Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow and the Lion chanted there’s no place like home, all the cast took to the stage for the finale while Sophie Greer sung a solo of somewhere over the rainbow which did not leave a dry eye in the house. It was a fantastic colourful finish to the performance which had a standing ovation from all the parents and teachers alike. The school would like to thank all the children that took part and to all the parents for their support in making the costumes etc. The main cast starred: Dorothy – Lauren Price, Scarecrow – Jose Luis Juarez Aix, Tin Man – Mikayla Berrey and the Lion – Aoife Faulkner. Well done to you all. For further information call Mar Azul school on 966701860 or click www.marazulschool.com |
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Pride of Spain awards Hurry up and nominate – closing date July 26th The second annual CoastRider Pride of Spain Awards will again be held at the Municipal theatre, Torrevieja on Friday 12th September 2008. Nominations for the awards are now open, so if you have someone in your life deserving of special recognition for their work, bravery or courage, simply fill in the form and we’ll do the rest. The Pride of Spain Awards are designed to offer recognition to local people who have gone that extra mile for their community here in Spain. Since launching the awards back in 2007 it has surprised us as to how many people are quietly working miracles in their own communities. Some are extra brave children, who have battled illness or other difficulties; others are retirees who, not content to spend their twilight years sitting on a porch, sipping sangria, have dedicated huge amounts of their personal time to making the lives of those around them better. Neighbours, teachers, fundraisers, people of outstanding bravery and courage – we have encountered many. This year’s awards ceremony is already gearing up to be an even more spectacular experience than 2007 with some extra award categories and a new line up of artists and entertainment. All proceeds from the ceremony will be in aid of our very own charity, the Ambulance Appeal, in aid of the Cruz Roja, as we still have €37,000 to raise by January 2009 before the current ambulance needs to be replaced. You can nominate in the following categories: Lifetime Achievement Award Outstanding Bravery/Beyond the call of duty Award Fundraiser of the Year Award Carer of the Year Award Teacher of the Year Award Neighbour of the YearAward Child of Courage Award Community Spirit Award Young Achiever Award Business of the Year Employee of the Year Special Recognition Award This year, we’ve added some extra categories including Business of the Year and Employee of the year which will allow both the Expat and Spanish business communities join in with the event. The awards ceremony will be a glittering night at Torrevieja’s exclusive Teatro Municipal where nominees, friends and family are invited to don their “Sunday best” and join us for one of the most spectacular evenings of the year. The most important aspect of the evening are the nominees themselves. Unfortunately, most people worthy of an award are the type of person who would never dream of putting themselves forward for a recognition award, so in order to give them the praise they deserve, we’re relying on you, their friends, family and colleagues, to nominate them! Simply fill in the nomination form on page 17 of this week’s CoastRider or download it here. |
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LA MARINA FOOTBALL CLUB Last week saw the first training session of CF La Marina at the Polideportiva in La Marina village. Twenty five hopefuls attended the training session organised by Barry Wallis, former commercial manager for English Conference side Welling United. Barry moved over to Spain last November and has been putting plans into place to form the new team. He told the CoastRider, “I was surprised to find that a place the size of La Marina and San Fulgencio, did not have a league football team.” With this in mind he set about organising a coaching team. FA qualified coach Don Falcone and former Bristol Rovers player Dave Lewis form the main coaching team. They have already managed to attract a sponsor in the way of Irwing Removals. Nigel Irwing director of Irwing Removals has for a long time had a history with Brentford football club. Having a business over here he was keen to give something back to the community and has provided money for strips and equipment. The team are still waiting to find out which league they will play in next year. Although training is taking place at La Marina village at the moment, as soon as the pitch at San Fulgencio is ready training and matches will take place there. Training will take place throughout the summer and it is hoped that several pre-season matches can be played before October. Barry has asked that if anyone is interested in playing for CF La Marina they should come along to a training session. He hopes to attract a multi national team, especially Spaniards living in the surrounding area. The training sessions take place on Tuesday and Thursday evening between 7.30pm and 9.00pm. Barry can be contacted on 600 398 457 for further details. Sean McSeveney |
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Street signs destroyed
days after being erected For the past two years, residents on the la Marina urbanisation have been pushing the council to erect street signs. In an act of mindless vandalism two of them have been destroyed already. San Fulgencio council recently embarked upon a programme of installing new street signs in urbanisation La Marina. Initially these are being erected on streets that have new houses without any street names, throughout the coming months more will be erected in other locations where street signs are missing or where residents' addresses are difficult to find. However, it looks as though not everyone is pleased to see the new signs going up because last week someone, or more likely a group of people, deliberately destroyed new signs that had just been erected on the corners of calle Monaco and calle Berna in the urbanisation. One was completely separated from its mounting and another was damaged and left hanging dangerously at an angle. One resident told the CoastRider, “I can hardly believe it, we struggle to get the council to spend money on the urbanization. When they do, some moron comes along and vandalises the new signs. It is little wonder they don’t want to waste money on us.” The council had previously asked for residents to be vigilant in looking out for cable thieves that are visiting the urbanisation. They also want people to report to the local police any group of people acting suspicious or loitering around street corners as they may be waiting for the all clear before carrying out an act of vandalism. The new emergency services number in San Fulgencio is 092 and by calling this number you will put in contact with the local police. They will react quickly and investigate any incident or suspicious activity reported to them. Sean McSeveney |
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Totally Dance Shine Totally Dance staged their first recital, Shine at the Teatro Capitol, Rojales on Friday evening. Most of the girls, some as young as three, were beginners having never danced in front of an audience before. In what can only be described as spectacular the girls wowed the crowd with a show full of energy, colour, excitement and entertainment. There were more costume changes than I could have imagined possible. The girls looked superb and the performed brilliantly. Just given the number of different styles of dance that were performed, from ballet and tap, to rock and roll. And lest we forget, the majorette performances as well as freestyle dance. Not only can the girls dance they can sing as well. There was music from the 60’s all the way to the latest hits for today. No one could have gone home disappointed. The performance raised a considerable sum for the CoastRider’s Cruz Roja appeal. The whole of the dance group would like to thank the town hall of Rojales for allowing them to use the theatre. Before the event I asked organiser Susan Faulkner if she was nervous about the show, she laughingly replied, “Nervous! I have been nervous about it for the past three months.” When I asked 10 year old Holly Horgen the same question, she said, “No, but I am really excited about it and I can’t wait.” Last week before the show I interviewed Susan, the principal teacher and founder of Totally Dance. Susan moved over to Spain just over a year ago from the west coast of Scotland, where she had built an extremely successful dance school, with a teaching career expanding over 20 years and a performing career of over 35 years. In this period of time Susan gained numerous Teacher Diplomas enabling her to offer not only tuition in an extensive range of branches of dance but also entry for medal and graded examination awards. Susan is a Fellow member of the B.A.T.D and has been for 25 years and is also a member of the I.D.T.A (International Dance Teachers Association). As Totally Dance primarily focuses on teaching dance to youngsters, I asked Susan if she thought that dance was becoming less popular amongst younger students with the advent of video games. She replied, “Certainly not and especially over here where youngsters seem to want to be out doing activities more than they do in the UK. It is my intention as a professional dancer and dance teacher to represent and offer an extensive range of dance as an art as well as a fun form of recreation and exercise. You only have to look at the expressions on the faces of the dancers to see how much they enjoy it.” All Totally Dance students over the age of 5 will be taking exams with the B.A.T.D (British Association of Teachers of Dancing) in December of this year. An official examiner from the B.A.T.D will travel over from the UK especially to conduct these exam sessions. The hard work does not finish here, as classes will continue throughout the summer in preparation for the numerous events Totally Dance have been asked to participate in. Including the MT Escuela De Danza end of term show in Dolores, the CoastRider Beach Party and the Quesada Fiesta. Totally Dance opened its doors in the Costa Blanca in September 2007 at Howards Gym, Quesada. It has proved to be extremely popular and one year on it’s thriving. Totally Dance is proud to announce the arrival of a second school in Heartbeat Gym, La Marina. Classes are available in tap, ballet, freestyle, rock 'n' roll, modern, jazz, highland and baton twirling. Enrolling for Totally Dance will take place on the 6th September 2008 at the following times: Totally Dance La Marina at the Heartbeat Gym, La Marina (opposite La Marina market) between 10:30am and 12:00pm Totally Dance Quesada at Howard’s Gym, Quesada (in the Juice bar above Howard’s Gym) between 1:00pm and 2:30pm Sean McSeveney |
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RESCUED BY AN ANGEL This is the quite extraordinary story of 'Risto', an unwanted little dog who was literally rescued from certain death by an Angel. Risto is a small and delightful Fox Terrier dog and has been aged at around 8 years. In mid May, the usual late evening refuse collections were taking place throughout the area and on this occasion in Canada de Praes which lies between Pilar de la Horadada and Pinar de Campoverde. As is usually the case, the green skips were filled to overflowing and plastic bags lay piled against the sides of them. One of the refuse workers, quite coincidentally named Angel hoisted up one of the bags ready to throw it into the shredding mechanism in the back of the refuse truck when he felt a movement inside. Ripping open the tightly sealed bag, he found little Risto inside, struggling for air and in a very poor state indeed. Seconds from certain death, the dog had been rescued and given a chance of life once more. Unfortunately, it is against regulations for dogs to be carried in municipal vehicles and so Angel was forced to leave the creature to its fate. The following morning, little Risto had walked the four kilometres from Canada de Praes and was found by a kindly woman outside a hairdresser in the centre of Pilar who took the dog to the Local Police. Enquiries revealed that Risto had no identification microchip and so he was taken to the pound at Los Infiernos near Murcia. This is where the Animal Charity A.P.A.H. (Asociación Protectora de Animales Horadada) stepped in and animal protection officer and well known rights campaigner, Vicky Pena from Campoverde immediately took little Risto in as a 'foster carer' pending a permanent home being found. Indeed, it was Vicky's idea to name the little Fox Terrier 'Risto' after a Spanish television game show personality. And so Risto it has become and a full medical by that ever friendly veterinary surgeon, Senor Arturo Saura Alcaraz whose practise is near the church in Pilar revealed the dog to be in a poor state, with a severe skin infection, ear infection and conjunctivitis. However, he is now well on the road to recovery thanks to Vicky, Senor Arturo and the A.P.A.H. team and has been fully vaccinated, sterilised and weight stabilised at 7.5 kilos. Determined as ever, Vicky appeared on Television Horadada with Risto in the hope that someone might recognise the little dog. With the help of her husband John, she has also closely liaised with the Local Police and placed over 100 posters all around Pilar but so far no luck thus far. Vicky may be contacted on 686 981 794 to enquire about 'Risto' and A.P.A.H. maintain a website at www.apahrescue.org and a Charity shop at Calle Jose Sanchez, Pilar de la Horadada as well as a stall on the Sunday morning market at Campoverde where the all important funds are raised by a team of hard working volunteers to pay for the charitable veterinary care. |
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FAME OR SHAME Last week saw the launch of a new website www.fameorshamespain.com The website is the brain child of John Roberts. Having moved here from Wales almost three years ago, John like many other ex-pats, was totally fed up of being ripped off by unscrupulous traders. He desperately wanted to find people that he could trust to carry out the tasks and services that he himself was unable to do. Whether that was to service his car, fix his computer, stop a leak or even provide a soothing Indian head massage at the end of an exhausting week. With this in mind Fame or Shame Spain was born. The website is aimed at ex-pats with the emphasis on providing an informative website for good services as well as shoddy workmanship. Although only just launched, the first shamed culprit adorns the Wall of Shame. I won’t tell you who they are; I will let you find out for yourselves. The website is not just about naming and shaming, it has an incredibly useful information page, that covers many eventualities, from the laws on driving in Spain, public transport, legal and heaven forbid you should need it any time soon, a section on funerals and wills. There is a lot of information on there that I did not know about. It has obviously been painstakingly researched, and it is clear that a lot of effort has gone into the design; making it easy to navigate. To bring the website to everyone’s attention, John organised a launch party in Bar One at Los Balcones. The party was well attended, by businesses and consumers. The famous, Roddy the piper roused everyone with skirl of his bagpipes. I spoke to John at the launch and he told me, “If you’re an ex-pat living in Spain and you have you have had a good experience using a professional businesses in Spain, with a good customer services, then share your experience and help promote good, professional businesses on our Wall of Fame.” John added, “It is not often that good businesses are given the publicity that they are due. But to be sure that the businesses are not self promoting, we will investigate each case on an individual basis. The same will go for businesses that have been shamed. We also give any businesses that appears on the Wall of Shame the right to have their reply printed.” Well this is all good news if you have access to the internet, but what about the thousands out there that don’t. “We have that covered as well!” says John, “Next month we are launching a witty student style rag mag entitled Fame or Shame Spain Rag. We hope that this will appeal to a wider audience. It also gives local businesses a chance to advertise their quality services and products in the magazine.” I think the website is a great idea and have bookmarked it. I am looking forward to it developing even more as the site matures. I have noticed that there are a number of views and reviews on restaurants already. John urges the public to put their own reviews on the site, that way you are not just getting the possibly biased opinion of just one person. Sean McSeveney |
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Sevillana Club in
Orihuela Costa The Sevillana is a very popular dance associated with flamenco and often performed at fiestas. Full of flounces, sharp turns, strong body lines and colourful costumes it evokes for many of us the spirit of the south of Spain, the Feria of Seville; smartly costumed men and women riding in carriages and the passion and emotion of Andalucia. It is becoming very popular with the international residents here on the Costa and a group in Torrevieja who have been learning for about two years, have taken part in events in the town this year including the celebrations for Europe Day in the main square. It is certainly an excellent way to feel the pulse of Spanish rhythms, learn about Spanish culture and have the opportunity to wear some traditional costumes. Raquel Peña who is the artistic director of the Orihuela Costa resort is currently involved in teaching Sevillana to adults of all nationalities at her dance academy in Pilar de la Horadada. Her students have asked her to form a club so that they can meet other people involved in and interested in the Sevillana. So responding to their requests Raquel will be starting a new Sevillana club at the ‘Hole in Pub’ at the Orihuela Costa Resort which will be starting on Sunday 27th July at 6.00pm. There will be demonstrations of the dances which are all in 3/4 or double time (6/8), the history of the music and dances and instruction in clapping to time and if enough new people are interested, she plans to start classes for people to learn the dance steps, parts and body movements. The club is open to anyone and there is full wheelchair access at the Orihuela Costa resort. From time to time there will be appearances from some of the dancers from the Raquel Peña Academy of Dance. Raquel Peña has made the Orihuela Costa Resort the Academy’s home for live performances and of course amongst her pupils is Jay Markwick, who won the recent ‘Spain’s Next Star’ competition and featured in a CoastRider profile by Sean McSeveney. The club will be conducted in both Spanish and English. The entrance fee is 10 euros per person and this includes a drink and tapas. The club will meet every month on the last Sunday of the month. The Hole in One Pub is situated inside the Orihuela Costa Resort next to the restaurant. If you would like to be part of the Sevillana Club then please call Raquel Peña on 630 689 431 or the Orihuela Costa Resort direct on 966 760 800. Paul Mutter |
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La Bodega’s got talent La Bodega on the urbanisation of La Marina is holding a Britain’s got talent type contest every Monday throughout July and August. Last Monday I was asked to be one of the judges in the first of the competitions. I am not sure how the contestants felt, but I know I was very nervous about being a judge. But I need not have worried as the Simon Cowell and Peers Morgan in me soon came out. It was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into preparing for the competition. The judges table was set right down to the lights and buzzers, for buzzing off those competitors not up to the standard. The buzzers were made by local electrician Dave, a task that I am sure he now regrets, as he decided to enter the competition and had all three buzzers turned on him. Word of mouth had obviously got round, as the bar was packed out at the start of the evening. The prospect of winning a €100 cash prize had attracted the first weeks quota of contestants, all set to find out if they would win, or at worse end up being humiliated by the judges and crowd. Ten year old Molly, who had the unenviable position of being the first contestant of the night opened the show with a rendition of Sandra Dee, from the musical Grease. With no sign of nerves at all young Molly wowed the crowd and judges with her strong voice and performance. Second up and first to be subjected to the dreaded sound of the buzzers, was a very nervous Billy Hayland, singing Sweet Caroline. Despite being buzzed off by all three judges he took it all in the good humour it was meant to be. The next contestants up were Dave and joining him were two lovely young sisters Aurian and Phoebe, they were set to sing Candy Man, an old Sammy Davis number. Not being a lover of Sammy Davis and thinking this unlikely looking trio, were only here to make up the numbers, I and the rest of the judges and audience were stunned by the obviously well rehearsed number. The harmonies from the girls who were only nine and ten years old, were the likes you would expect from professional backing singers. The crowd and judges showed their appreciation by giving them a rapturous applause and even myself (Mr Nasty, as I was later nicknamed), could find little to criticise them on. But for some strange reason they left the bar before it was announced who would go through to compete in the next round. It turned out that they had polled the third highest votes and would have sailed through. With the exception of Nigel Moore, who played guitar a number of Karaoke type contestants followed, before a young woman by the name of Chelsea was unleashed on the judges. The 15 year old singer guitarist immediately blew away all the previous competition with a fantastic folk song. This easily placed her into the next round. The next act The Bristol Boys, threw away the word talent and exchanged it for entertainment. With very little talent, this most unlikely looking bunch of fun lads line danced (in a fashion), to Hill Billy Rock. Complete with Texan hats and a attitude that had the crowd in hysterics the guys danced and half stripped their way to the next round. We were all sure that we had seen all the contestants that were likely to go through to the next round, but it seemed the best had been saved until last. Singing Cher’s Walking in Memphis, 14 year old Gemma, took the competition to the next level. With six contestants in the next round, the two favourites from the first round: Chelsea and Gemma breezed through to the final. It was the judges’ La Bodega’s got talent choice as to who the third contestant would be to make it to the final. The two female judges overruled my choice and opted for the Bristol Boys, who had promised to add the Full Monty to their dance if they reached the final. The first finalist was the extremely talented 15 year old Chelsea, who was on holiday from Scotland, complete with guitar. She sang a folk type song that she had written herself. In my opinion it was the best performance of the night, but for the audience, I think it was just too ambitious. Gemma was up next and in a highly polished performance it was easy to see why she had made the final six in Spain’s next star. The 14 year old will without a doubt have a future in singing. It would seem that in the final the best of the entertainment was saved until last, as the Bristol Boys once more donned their Stetsons and took to the stage to the screams of the crowd, especially the female members. Once again they started with Hill Billy Rock, then got the crowd going even more by switching to YMCA and finally ending with The FULL Monty. My persistent buzzing seemed to go unheard by the crowd as even the bars oldest regular, 72 year old Doris, couldn’t tear themselves away from the fun the lads had created. At the end of the night Gemma just squeezed out Chelsea to win the title of La Bodega’s got talent and take the €100 cash prize. Even so the runners up received almost a €100 worth of tickets for Terra Mitica. No one expected the Bristol Boys to win and no one including themselves were disappointed that they didn’t. They made the night one of the most entertaining nights I have enjoyed since living in Spain. Gemma will go onto the grand final to be held in December. It is rumoured that the prize at the grand final will be €1000. If you want to take part in one of the rounds give Tracey a call at La Bodega on 966 797 963 Sean McSeveney |
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Costa Blanca Scottish Society Costa Blanca Scottish Society hosted a very successful Spanish Night in June as their ultimate function before the summer break. This was another success story for the club and its organising committee. The Spanish singing group Brisa del Sur in traditional dress, began by singing a medley of folk songs. It was then the turn of a local Flamenco school demonstrating some lively Sevillanas. The dancers and singers entertained alternately until they took a well deserved short break. It was then the turn of the Scots in highland dress to take on the proceedings with some dancing of the Gay Gordon’s and Strip the Willow. It was good fun to see so many people on the dance floor and also very colourful to see people in Scottish and Spanish dress taking part in the Scottish dancing, many for the first time! It has become a tradition to start the evening off with a short set of tunes on the bagpipes played by Donnie Macdiarmid and then to end the night with a large circle singing Auld Lang Syne again accompanied by Donnie. The Spanish Night was no exception and it was brilliant to have so many Spanish joining hands and even joining in the singing; thus making it a superb end to really great night and a wonderful opportunity for an exchange of cultures and so may it continue. The society has been going for less than a year and has organised at least one social function per month and has been gathering a loyal band of supporters of all nationalities and new interest continually being generated. Costa Blanca Scottish Society dates for your diary:- Tuesday 2nd September at 8pm at Asturias Restaurant - General Meeting for ALL members – bring along your dancing shoes for a few Scottish reels after the meeting Friday 19th September at 8pm at Asturias Restaurant – BBQ and disco * SPECIAL PRICE tickets only 5€ For more information please contact: Chieftain , Allan Marshall: 965 724 235. Head of Entertainments Committee, Iain Black: 965 714 535 |
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Bargains galore at AEBE (The Children’s
Butterfly Charity) charity shops tomorrow Clear your diaries, ladies, for tomorrow Wednesday July 16th because the AEBE charity shops in Pueblo Bravo and La Marina are running another of their (not surprisingly) extremely popular ‘1€ days’. All ladies clothing items will be reduced to 1€ only but just for Wednesday this week July 16th so do not delay, do not put it off, one day only and that day is tomorrow Wednesday 16th . The AEBE (Associacion de Epidermolisis Bullosa de Espana) has its headquarters in Malaga, Andalucia and are part of the European network of DebRA related charities sponsoring research into the condition known as Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). This is a genetic condition, passed down through families. There are a number of different forms of Epidermolysis Bullosa or EB ranging from the mildest where the blistering is mainly on the hands and feet making walking and holding items extremely painful through to more severe cases where the whole body is affected and the wounds heal very slowly, giving rise to scarring, physical deformity and significant disability. The Spanish call the condition ‘Piel de mariposa’, Butterfly skin, a beautiful name for an extremely distressing condition. The three charity shops that the AEBE now run in Pueblo Bravo, La Marina and Sax provide funds for the provision of nurses and the daily costs associated with the supplies of special bandages required by the children. The money from special fund raising events is now going towards a new fund that has been set up by the AEBE to establish a respite centre. The centre will be in Malaga where the charity’s headquarters are and the project requires a total of 250,000€. The centre will then be able to offer help to children, parents and carers alike. If anyone wants to donate to this special fund there is a bank account ‘Butterfly Respite Home’ with the Cajamar and the number is 3058 0863 01 2720006347. The charity shop in Pueblo Bravo is open between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and from 10 .00 am until 1.00 pm on Saturday. You can contact the shop or Anne for more information about the charity on 966 718 134. Paul Mutter |
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She’s a winner! The first Weight Watchers Spain Leader of the Year Awards Gala Dinner was held last Saturday at the Beatriz Palace Hotel and Spa, Fuengirola, Costa Del Sol. These awards, to recognise Weight Watchers Top Leaders in Spain, followed the Weight Watchers 4th Annual Convention. . Weight Watchers Members were able to nominate their Leader explaining what makes their Leader so special. Furthermore they were asked to give examples of things that their Leader had done to make them and other Members in the group feel supported in their weight loss. There were nearly 3000 nominations received by Weight Watchers Head Office in Bareclona but there could only be 10 winners selected from over 100 Leaders. Annette Bray, Weight Watchers Leader and Local Trainer was one of these Leaders. This was an extra special recognition for Annette as she won her Customer Service Ambassador category in the Company Women Awards last November and was delighted to receive a further award now from Weight Watchers recognising the exceptional service she delivers to her Members to support their weight loss, nominated by them. Annette says “Wow what a difference a year makes! I am thrilled and delighted to receive a 2nd award in the past 12 months. It is especially welcomed as I know it is my own Members who have made the decision to nominate me and have recognised my efforts in not only providing a high level of customer service but have also recognised my efforts to support, inspire and motivate them to achieve their goal to lose weight. I have been a Leader now for nearly 3 years in Spain and continue to get a great deal of satisfaction and inspiration myself from seeing what a difference weight loss can make to my Members health, self-esteem and lives! I can empathise with my Members as I have been there – I know what it is to be overweight. I was a yo-yo dieter myself for over 20 years. I tried every diet going until I found the new Switch programme introduced by Weight Watchers. This programme helped me to not only lose 12.8k but more importantly to me, to maintain that weight loss now for over 2 years by taking small steps to change my lifestyle and habits. I still enjoy eating out and the odd glass or bottle of wine though!” Weight Watchers Spain was launched in 2000 and Meetings in Spanish are growing up around the country, however, the call for English Meetings amongst the expatriate communities was recognised early on and there are now over 40 Meetings held in English each week. For your local Meeting please go to www.weightwatchers.es , click on “Localiza una reunión” and you will find the English Meetings listed separately. Alternatively you can call the Call Centre on 902 300 210 or Candace Edwards, Area Manager for English Meetings, on 626 672 493. Annette leads Meetings in La Marina, San Luis, Torrevieja and Quesada and can be contacted on 637 970 138. |
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KATH’S LOSS IS MABS’ GAIN Cancer Support Group (MABS) Murcia/ Mar Menor recently received a donation of 600 euros from DFS - Direct Furniture Spain - and GYTS (Gea y Truyols Slimmers), which is run by Sue Airey. “The money was raised by holding a weekly health club, where members get weighed and try to lose (and in some cases gain) weight” commented Sue. “There is a weigh-in and discussion group where members talk about successful methods of losing weight or sustaining their weight loss or gain, and members share their experiences, as well as enjoying mutual support from one another”. Also at the presentation was GYTS member, Kath Allen, who has successfully lost over 3 stone and is still losing. “I was determined to look good for my daughter’s wedding” she said. “Our members agree that we have such an enjoyable and sociable lifestyle in Spain and that this, together with the frequency of visitors, often works against good weight management, so the weekly meeting motivates members to eat sensibly and healthily”. GYTS raised over 300 euros during the year from subscriptions and the members agreed that it should be donated to MABS Murcia/Mar Menor. When Paul Airey of DFS heard this, he immediately offered to match the amount. “I am absolutely delighted with the donation from GYTS and DFS, who have already been helping MABS behind the scenes for some time now, so this recent gesture is overwhelming and very much appreciated.” said Lyn “We need to buy more equipment, such as orthopaedic beds, mobility aids and hoists, as well as find suitable storage for them, so this donation will be put to very good use. A big thank you to DFS and to all the members of GYTS.” MABS provides help and support to those suffering from cancer and their families. They are also looking for volunteers, so if you have a spare few hours and can help with fundraising, driving, translating or just ‘being there’ for someone, do please get in touch. If you want to volunteer, donate or you need help, you can contact MABS on 968 432 525 or 693 275 779 or visit the website: www.mabsmurcia.com |
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Ringing in the Natural Park
of La Mata Torrevieja The Conselleria of the Medio Ambiente (Environment) for the lakes of Torrevieja and La Mata have spent several days ringing the chicks of several protected birds in the Natural Park. These are the Audouin Gull, the Slender billed Gull and the Montagu’s Harrier. The biggest success story is that of the Adouin Gull colony which is one of the most important in the world, with 750 pairs, an increase from 450 last year and 25 pairs three years ago. Medio Ambiente has announced that some of these young birds will be exported to other colonies in the Communidad Valencia. |