| Local & National News |
 |
|
¡CAMPEONES! Olé was the chant that rang around the world on Sunday night when Spain dramatically lifted the European Championship cup in Vienna against Germany, arguably one of the toughest opposition teams in Europe if not the world. Without a doubt I would have loved to have been at the final in Vienna in person, instead I had to settle for the Eras de la Sal, open air theatre in Torrevieja. Vienna it might not have been, but exciting it certainly was! I am pretty sure that the atmosphere could not possibly have been much better in Austria. Torrevieja town hall arranged for a giant outdoor TV screen to be erected in the outdoor theatre and provided seating for 1500 spectators. The tickets for the event were given out on a first come first served basis. Despite limiting it to 1500 tickets, thousands of additional fans, many with flags draped round their shoulders and faces painted, turned up at the venue hoping to get in. A few more patriotic ones were completely covered in body paint and wearing yellow and red wigs. Only a lucky few extra fans were permitted to enter. A young German family turned up without tickets, but with a little help from the CoastRider they were allowed in to make up the very small German contingent of the crowd. Greta Schmidt and her husband Olaf, had brought their two young sons dressed in German football strips, down to watch the spectacle, she told us, “It is so exciting to get the opportunity to watch one of the greatest sporting events in Europe, in such a fantastic setting and atmosphere. We have lived here for ten years, that is why my boys are wearing German strips but have Spanish flags painted on their faces. I will be supporting both teams.” Inside the theatre the atmosphere was electric even before the kick off. Once the game started it just got better. There was definitely a nervous period during the first ten minutes when Germany threatened the Spanish defence on a number of occasions. But every time Fernando Torres ran at the German defence, you knew in your heart that he would break it down. And down he did break it midway through the first half, with a true attacker’s goal that sealed the fate of Spain. The crowd went wild and the noise in the theatre was deafening, as they celebrated what was to be the only goal of the match. Despite no more goals the game was one of the best finals ever played, as Spain were not happy to just sit back and defend their one goal lead. The event organisers could easily have done away with the seating as the crowd spent more time on their feet than they did on the seats. Despite aggressive attacking by the Germans in the second half, Spain dominated the remainder of the game. The announcement of three extra minutes to be played at the end of normal time, was met with a groan of despair. You could have cut the tension with a knife in the final seconds, especially when Germany launched a final assault on the Spanish defence. But the night was to be all Spain’s as the final whistle went. Sheer jubilation is the only word I can use to describe the scenes as fireworks exploded overhead and the crowd jumped, sung and chanted with joy. For the first time since 1964 Spain had reached the European Championship final and won. For some the emotion was too much as we witnessed grown men and young girls break down into tears of happiness. “I can’t believe we have done it”, cried teenager Maria Perez, who had the word “podemos” (we can do it) written on her back in lipstick. On the streets outside of the theatre the roads were full of cars all honking their horns and adorned with flags. Many had passengers hanging out windows and standing up through sunroofs making as much noise as they possibly could. As I headed back some stage after midnight, I had to struggle through a sea of people all heading for the centre of Torrevieja, to party the night away. I am sure that not a lot of sleep was had as noise and fireworks continued well into the early hours of Monday morning. Sean McSeveney |
|
The second annual CoastRider
Pride of Spain Awards 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 Year Award • 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 here on the left or download it here. |
|
It’s a Costa Knockout update It all kicks off this Saturday at the market place on the urbanisation of La Marina. Have you got your team in yet? There is still time, especially for weeks three and four. What ever you do, don’t miss out on what is going to be one of the best events of the summer. The CoastRider has been closely monitoring the progress of the competition and we are happy to provide you the latest update. Water and power plus full TV coverage from the new Viva TV channel have now been secured. Richard Sparks told us “We have been in contact with Sunshine FM and we hope to get them involved as well.” One of the latest sponsors to come forward is the luxury car specialists Coches con Clase. The Elche based company will be showing off some of there most luxurious vehicles at every event. Richard revealed, “We still need more teams especially from outside La Marina and we want more traders plus the stage for the last week, sponsors are coming in slowly, but we have all the food, drink and ice cream that we need.” He added, “All volunteers will be welcome. We are having a meeting with the charities early this week to discuss what level of participation they are offering.” The team strips have arrived, along with marshal’s vests. John and Richard are spending most of their lives on the road currently, trying to find more sponsors for this incredible event. John comments, “It really is a fantastic advertising opportunity. More than half a million people could see the adverts. There are very few opportunities anywhere that involve so much exposure for such a small cost.” Children’s teams will be welcome for the fifth week of the event they can take up to six teams with ten children and entry for the children’s teams is free. The children’s event coincides with the Fiesta week, and it looks like it’s going to be a really big one. At all the events, there will be lots for families to get involved in and for each of the heats three bouncy castles will be available for the younger children. All supplied free of charge by Mysteries International. Acts are being invited for the final weeks, and event organisers have asked that if you would like to participate then send in a demo, or information on the type of act you are and what dates they are available. Other towns wishing us to bring the event to them should get in touch with Mysteries International, so that they can schedule next year. You can contact Richard or John on 634 098 155 or 634 098 156 or log on to www.itsacostaknockout.com Sean McSeveney |
|
Age Concern Last Monday night, The Grand Muralla Chinese Restaurant played host to an Age Concern fund raising evening. Over 80 people turned up at the ticket only event and they were treated to a very special Chinese banquet. Not only was the food great but the entertainment was fantastic as well, with live entertainment provided by the excellent Cathy Carson accompanied by her husband Keith. After the meal it did not take Cathy long before she had everyone up and dancing to a wide variety of songs. There was the usual excellent Age Concern raffle and Age Concern are pleased to announce that the whole evening was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and the money raised from the event was a magnificent €308. The president of Age Concern, Judy Ferris would like to extend her thanks to Cathy and Keith for the fantastic entertainment, to all of the people who came along and made the event so enjoyable and lastly to the Age Concern volunteers who helped to make the evening a success. Sean McSeveney |
|
No Blue Flag for Playa del Cura Once again the Playa del Cura has been refused a Blue flag apparently because it is too popular which seems a little unkind. However the beach along with others in the town has been awarded a Qualitur flag which is another award for quality on the beaches so that bathers can be assured that the beach is still a fine beach and meets the Qualitur standards. Paul Mutter |
|
Improving communications The Policia Local and workers in the Social Services from a number of municipalities in the Vega Baja will be undergoing 20 hours of intensive English language tuition. The purpose of the classes is to help improve communications with ‘us’, the English speaking members of the community particularly if you Spanish is not as strong as it might be. The course is examined with a final test at the end and is an initiative from the Mancommunidad for the economic promotion of the Vega Baja which is also arranging other courses for example on the environment. Paul Mutter |
|
More Pedestrianisation A company called ‘Plania’ have been given a project to plan for the extension of the current pedestrian area in the town centre of Torrevieja. This is in line with promises from the Town Hall to reduce traffic in the centre of the town and make it a more pleasant environment for pedestrians and shoppers alike. The next area to be looked at is the area bordered by calle Fotografos Darblade, calle Canonigo Torres, calle Azorin and calle Clemente Gosalvez. Eventually the pedestrianise area will extend as far as the refashioned Paseo Vista Alegre. APYMECO the small and medium sized business organisation has welcomed the idea saying that it is necessary in order to keep attracting people to shop and do business in the centre of the town. Extending the pedestrianised area also requires additional car parking spaces to be found to make up for the loss. No time scale has yet been put on this next phase of the plan. Paul Mutter |
|
More Tourist information Six young people have been employed to man tourist information kiosks on the beaches of Playa del Cura and Playa Naufragos. They are in place now and the kiosks will operate until September 15th. They are supplementing the service currently available from the main offices in the town. Paul Mutter |
|
It’s a load of rubbish A series of pamphlets are being produced at the moment to inform people of which bins to use for which type of rubbish. The leaflets will also explain what the correct procedure is for arranging to pick up pieces of furniture and items not covered by the normal service. Paul Mutter |
|
Habaneras textThe 54th edition of this famous international competition gets underway on July 20th and the featured compulsory Habanera will be ‘El Dique de Levante’ a new piece by composer Francisco Grau, musical director of the Royal Band and chairman of the Habaneras jury. The performances will all take place in the Eras de Sal and this year’s competition as a whole is dedicated to the memory of the prolific Torrevejense composer Ricardo Lafuente who died earlier this year. There are 20 visiting choirs from four continents representing the following countries, Chile, Kenya, Belarusia, Argentina, Colombia, Latvia, Venezuela, Serbia, Puerto Rico, Hungary, Russia, Poland, The Philippines, Cuba and of course Spain. The prize money has been increased from 10 to 12 thousand euros for the Habaneras section of the competition and from 9 – 10 thousand euros for the Polifonia section. A total of 1200 choristers will be performing during the week long competition. The Cabo Cevera hotel where most of the competitors will be staying will also be hosting a number of conferences and classes on a range of musical subjects. Paul Mutter |
|
title text |
|
Dog Poisoning
in Benimar Poisoning a defenceless animal must rank as one of the most cowardly crimes there are, committed by those who clearly need help. We have been contacted by two women from the Benimar area who have told us about what has happened to their dogs and what apparently is a spate of poisonings that have occurred in the area. Diane told us that about a month ago two of her three dogs were poisoned, the third escaped unharmed. One of those dogs was saved but the other one died. She said it was the most awful experience being in the vet’s surgery and watching the animals having repeated fits until in this case one of them died. She put the incident behind her but a week ago at the weekend the two remaining dogs were poisoned once again. This time they were able to save both animals. Diane was beside herself after this latest episode because it was clear she could not let her dogs out alone in the garden for fear of them being got at. Believing that the poison must have been thrown over the wall in some form, a search of the garden was carried out to see if there was anything that would give a clue to the source of the poison and eventually a small brown round pill like item was discovered. Diana said it looked like a fruit pastille. She put it in a plastic bag and took it down to the local vet where it has been sent away to be analysed. She also found a further half a tablet and has given this to a friend to take to England for it to be analysed in laboratories in the UK. One denuncia has been taken out and Diane will be making out a further report. Local Police have told her that leaving poison around in this way is an offence punishable by a term in prison so they are not taking the crime lightly. Meanwhile Diane is touring the local ferreterias to try to understand what type of poisons are available for people to buy over the counter without any record being kept of the purchase. Another lady contacted us to say that according to local vets this is not an isolated incident. She said that there was also a previous spate of poisonings about one and a half years ago. Diane is left wondering whether some person has a personal grudge against her and is targeting the dogs as some form of revenge. Paul Mutter |
|
Lack of chemists on
Orihuela Costa is cause
for concern If you live in Orihuela Costa and were asked, “Where can I find a chemist?”, you might be hard pushed to answer that question. Despite having a population of 28,000 and that is not counting the summer visitors, the Orihuela Costa only has three chemists and not one of them is open out of normal hours or at the weekend after Saturday morning. Nearby Pilar del la Horadada with 23,000 registered residents has nine chemists and a duty chemist scheme. The governing centre of Orihuela Costa, Orihuela city and the outlying districts with some 62,000 inhabitants has 23 chemists; it also has a duty chemist roster. For years people in Orihuela Costa have complained about having too few chemists and having to go outside Orihuela Costa, to Torrevieja or Pilar de la Horadada, to find a duty chemist. As a result the C.L.A.R.O. Party have decided to take the initiative to write to the College of Chemists in Alicante and to the Mayor of Orihuela calling attention to these shortcomings The College of Chemists at one of its next fortnightly meetings considers and takes action concerning the law (Ley 6/1998 Ordenacion Farmaceutica de la Comunidad Valenciana) governing the provision of Chemists. As it stands at present the law is not being adhered to in Orihuela Costa. Article 21 of the concerning law, states that there should be one chemist per 2,800 inhabitants. Which if adhered to properly means that another seven chemists are required for the area. Article 32 concerning the hours of opening of Chemists states that Municipalities with a population of over 20,000 inhabitants and a fully functioning Health Centre authorised by the regional government, should have at least one obligatory Duty Chemist. In a press release by C.L.A.R.O. the party declared, “We hope that the Mayoress of Orihuela and her Councillor for Health will support C.L.A.R.O’s demands before the College of Chemists of Alicante and ensure that the citizens of Orihuela Costa have their rights respected in relation to the number of Chemists and a Duty Chemist scheme.” In reality it makes better sense to have a duty chemist. If no duty chemist exists then people are more likely to attend an emergency clinic or casualty department, for an ailment or minor injury that a chemist could advise on. Sean McSeveney |
|
Julian Dicks Soccer School Former West Ham and Liverpool footballer Julian Dicks is setting up a football academy here on the Costa Blanca. The school will be for youngsters aged 7 to 15 years old and will be based at San Miguel Campo. Julian hopes to have a summer camp running for the beginning of August. Since moving here two and a half years ago, Julian has been looking to set up a soccer school. In an interview with the CoastRider he told us, “I really want to put something back into the sport. The best way I can think of is to try and help youngsters by teaching them the skills that they need, and if a special player emerges, then I would love to help them break into the football profession. Most youngsters love to play football and many would love to be professional footballers when they grow up. The reality is that for every 5000 good young footballers only one of them will make a professional. Not only do I want to teach them how to play, but if I do find a star amongst my pupils, I would like to mentor them.” Julian continued, “I made a number of mistakes in my career, that I wouldn’t like anyone else to repeat. If I can impart that sort of advice to just one youngster then I would have achieved something.” Julian left his home in Bristol at just 14 years of age, where he headed to Birmingham as an apprentice for Birmingham City. Because of his age he still had to attend school every day, but every evening he trained with the rest of the young apprentices, most of who were 17 and 18. Julian says, “Leaving home at such a young age was hard for me at first, I was living with lads a good bit older than me, so I had to grow up quickly.” He made his debut for Birmingham City at 16 and continued to play for them for another six years. By the time he was 22 he had been noticed by the scouts at West Ham, and shortly after he moved to the London based club. Julian spent five years playing for West Ham before Graeme Souness persuaded him to move to Liverpool. Julian recalls, “Moving to Liverpool was a good decision for me at the time, it gave me a chance to play with one of the best teams in the country. Unfortunately when Graeme Souness left, I didn’t see eye to eye with the new manager. After being at Liverpool for only a year I was given the chance to return to West Ham.” Julian spent a further six years playing and captaining The Hammers as a left back, before a knee injury forced him into retirement in 1999. I asked Julian if he ever regretted becoming a professional player? He replied, “Never! I love the game and I loved the lifestyle. Being well paid is obviously a bonus, but for me and most players it is not about the money, it is all about playing.” He added, “It can be hard for your family and sometimes you feel like you are under the spotlight all the time. It is not so good when the press write lies about you, or print stories that are hurtful, but that is the side that comes with the fame.” Julian is now a professional golfer, but his heart is still very much with football. It is for this reason that he is determined to get his football academy off the ground. Julian has been in contact with several premiership teams who are keen to put their name to the club. If any of the clubs youngsters were good enough, they would be offered a chance to go to England and train at the premiership clubs academy. Julian is just waiting for the written confirmation that he has the use of the facilities at San Miguel. All the training will take place under the guidance of FA qualified coaches. He has already secured places in the local leagues for four junior teams from the 7 to 15 year old age groups. Julian envisages having four training sessions a week, one night for each of the four teams. League games would be played at the weekend during the season. If you fancy the life of being a professional footballer, Julian’s soccer school seems like an ideal base to realize that goal. If anyone is interested in enrolling in either the summer camp or the soccer school and you would like to find out more information then visit the website www.juliandickssoccerschool.com or email to info@juliandickssoccerschool.com, alternatively you can give Julian a call on 687 438 552. Sean McSeveney |
|
From footy to flamenco For the winner of Spain’s Next Star, Flamenco dancer Jay Markwick it all started when he was a seven year old budding footballer living in Thurock in Essex. Every Saturday morning his mother Debbie would take him to football training and afterwards they would go on to Jay’s little sister Jazmine’s dance classes. For months Jay would watch his sister’s class, when she practised at home he would often comment to both his sister and his mum, how Jazmine was doing it wrong. He would then show her the correct steps. Like every proud mum, Debbie couldn’t help but comment to the dance teacher that Jay knew the moves better than his sister. One Saturday the dance instructor asked Jay to show the class how to dance. Dressed in his Thurock football strip complete with shin pads, he showed the girls how Latin and Ballroom should be done. The teacher was instantly impressed and without much persuasion she managed to enrol Jay in her ballroom dance classes. It was from that moment that Jay’s passion for dance began, but those lessons were to be short lived as ten months later Jay and the rest of his family left Essex to move to Spain. On arriving in Spain, Jay found it difficult to find a Latin and ballroom class that he was happy with. When in Spain do as the Spanish do! And that is exactly what Jay did, he decided to take up Flamenco under the tutelage of Raquel Peña and her dance school. Raquel who has taken many a young dancer and turned them into a professional, recognised a natural talent in Jay. She teamed him up with two other young lads of similar age. Together they created a storm. So good were they, that they were invited to the World Sevillana Feria in Seville, where they received a standing ovation from a delighted crowd. Since then the trio have split up, but that did not stop Jay, who jumped at the opportunity of competing in Spain’s Next Star. The rest as we say, is history. I asked Jay how he felt when it was announced he was the shows winner. “I couldn’t believe it, I was speechless, we were all convinced that a singer would win the competition. It took ages for it to sink in.” replied Jay. “I had to do the winning performance again, but after that I was wandering around for about 15 minutes just holding my head in my hands in wonder.” Jay has another year left at school, in that time he has to decide what his next moves will be, I asked him what his aspirations for the future were, he replied saying “In the long term I would love to have my own dance company and tour the world especially the UK, America and Japan, before coming back to Spain as an internationally recognised dancer. In the nearer future I am working closely with my manager and mentor Raquel. She is trying to get me into the private dance school in Granada on a scholarship, or find someone to sponsor me. We have been looking for sponsors for some time now. It is expensive continually having to buy new costumes and especially my boots. I go through a set of €300 boots in less than three months.” Raquel says, “I am extremely confident Jay will get a place in Granada or Seville as he has the fastest and cleanest turns I have ever seen on a Flamenco dancer; whether he can get in on a scholarship is yet to be seen.” In response to my question about whether he got much stick from his friends, for choosing dance rather than a more traditional sport to compete in Jay responded, “I got a small amount of teasing when I was around 12, mainly from other English kids, but when I explained that Flamenco was a dance emulating the moves made by the matadors in the bull ring, they soon stopped. They were all pleased for me when they found out I had won Spain’s Next Star. The hardest part was that I was not allowed to tell anyone that I had won until after it had been televised. It was more than two weeks before everyone could watch it.” I asked him if he ever got nervous when he danced in front of large audiences. He explained, “I get nervous before most shows, even small ones, but once I get onto the stage and start dancing it is almost like I enter another world. I get such a buzz out of dancing it is indescribable; the bigger the audience the bigger the buzz I get during the performance and afterwards.” I questioned Jay about his free time and what he liked to do to relax. He laughed and said, “Free time! What free time? I come home from school and then practice. I practice for around 14 hours a week and on every other Sunday I compete in Latin and ballroom dance competitions with my dance partner. On the rare occasions I do have some spare time I like to chill out on my PlayStation or in the summer have some friends over and spend time in the swimming pool.” Jay is the current Spanish National Junior Latin and Ballroom dance champion. Raquel is currently training two girls to become his dance partners. On the subject of girls I pried into Jay’s private life, he told me, “I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment and because of my commitment to dance I am not actively looking for one, but if the right girl came along then I am certainly not going to object.” “Is dancing the only job you can see yourself doing?” I asked Jay. “Just about,” was his reply, he added “If my dancing career did not come off then I like the idea of becoming a commercial pilot, that is why I know I have to do well at school and finish with good results.” I can honestly say that I feel privileged to have interviewed Jay at this early stage in his career. He is a relaxed, extremely handsome young man with an unassuming manner and even a little shy; that is until he steps onto that stage where he becomes a different person. He lives up to the name the Spanish have come to know him as: El Lord del Flamenco; The Lord of Flamenco. I have little doubt that he will go on to bigger and better things and the international stage is waiting to welcome him. If you want to find out more about Jay and follow his progress he has a new website www.ellorddelflamenco.com If you want to see this remarkably talented dancer in action he will be appearing at the CoastRider’s Cruz Roja appeal being organised by the Torrevieja Lions Club at the main theatre in Torrevieja. Sean McSeveney |
|
TAABS AT THE LOUNGE BAR
FOR CRUZ ROJA APPEAL That popular local singing show group TAABS had their last show before taking a well earned rest over the summer period. On this occasion their hosts were the Lounge Bar at Aguas Nuevas and appearing with the group as guests for the evening were local comedienne Rose Sharkey and the lady with the golden voice, Cathy Carson. The show was a great success and as always at TAABS shows a raffle was held with the prizes being donated by George Thomson of UK Products at the Zocco Sunday market and Guardamar. George has also agreed to donate the raffle prizes for the group’s shows in the autumn when they return from their summer holidays. TAABS has been donating money to the Cruz Roja Ambulance appeal fund right from the very start of the appeal and the proceedings from every show are given over to this extremely worthwhile drive to provide a much needed new ambulance for the Cruz Roja service to attend to the needs of the Torrevieja area. The proceedings from this particular evening were a wonderful 616.71€ and the group wanted to thank all who came and gave so generously and the Lounge Bar for hosting the event. The group sang numbers from this year’s productions ‘Old Time Music Hall’ and ‘Songs from the Movies’. Those taking part on this occasion were Cherie, Eileen, Bonnie, Lisa Ann, June, Dave, Lisa and Basil who also acted as compère for the evening. The group with guest artists Rose Sharkey and Cathy Carson from the Lounge Bar show posed for a photograph with members of the Cruz Roja in Torrevieja against the backdrop of what is fast becoming the most photographed vehicle in the town as we use it for all the TAABS donations outside the Cruz Roja offices. Thanks again to TAABS for all the work they have done, have a good break and see you again in the autumn. Paul Mutter |
|
Royal Naval Association
presents Ships bell Torrevieja has had a long partnership with the sea and although many of the crafts and trades associated with that partnership have disappeared, new links are being forged with the Floating Museum, Latin sailing boat fleet and the restoration of the schooner Pascual Flores which when finished will be used as a training vessel for young people. The Royal Naval Association has quickly forged firm links with the town’s marine and nautical organisations and it was at a celebration Trafalgar night dinner some years ago that an idea was born following a conversation about the project to restore the Pascual Flores. Someone happened to mention they would need a bell for the vessel and the RNA promptly decided to start a fund to buy one. One of the methods they had used to raise funds was to auction a specially brewed bottle of Trafalgar ale from Gale’s brewery made to celebrate the 200th Trafalgar day. Each year the bottle has been sold without of course ever being opened. Some three years later enough money was in the fund and the time had come to get a quotation for the work. They had hoped to get a Spanish firm to forge the bell for them but the quotes they received were more than they had in the ‘kitty’ and so the order went to an Italian foundry instead. The next problem was the rope for the bell. Traditionally these are intricate complex twistings and splicings with special knots at the end. It is a skill and craft that is dying out but one of the Royal Naval Association members came up trumps. He just happened to have the original bell rope from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal which he had ‘liberated’ when it was being decommissioned in 1980 after 25 years of sterling service with the Royal Navy. So everything had fallen into place. Last Wednesday the Royal Naval Association was invited along to the Town Hall for the handing over of the bell and the signing of an accord between the Council of Torrevieja and the association. Present for the ceremony were the Mayor of Torrevieja Pedro Hernandez Mateo, the councillor for culture Eduardo Dolon, José Antonio Sanchez in charge of the contracts for the Pascual Flores, Pedro Valero councillor for Foreign residents , Graham Knight director of the OARI and Rod Millington chairman of the RNA. Also present were a large number of members and guests from the association. Before the ceremony proper got under way there was a small presentation made by Mike Powell of the RNA to Lola Sanchea Roca, director of the Mar y Sal museum and ‘Rafa’ Raphael Aracil director of the floating museum. Mike donated a framed print of ‘Flying the Flag’ showing a number of warships together and a plaque from ‘892 squadron’ which was a carrier based fighter squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm formed in 1943. Opening the main ceremony the Mayor said they were gathered in this particular room because that is where all the important agreements are made by the council. He said the contribution by the Royal Naval Association was a wonderful example of how communities can share their customs and traditions and it is a great instance of integration. The Mayor went on to read out the accord between the Town and the Royal Naval Association and gave his profound thanks to the RNA for their work and gift. He said that with the bell the Pascual Flores could truly take to the water when it was completed because under maritime law every vessel had to be able to sound a warning bell or claxon if it found itself in fog or very poor visibility. The Mayor and chairman of the RNA signed the accord and the Mayor then unveiled a special gift for the Royal Naval Association. It was a small scale sculpture by the Torrevieja sculptor Victor Garcia, a copy in zinc of the ‘Hombre del Mar’ which stands at the end of the ‘Dique’ on the front. The sculpture is one of only ten produced and is the first to have been presented. Rod Millington in reply thanked the Mayor and talked about the background to the collection for the bell and rope. Then came the highlight of a busy morning when the Mayor and Rod Millington unveiled the bell itself which had been covered during the initial part of the ceremony. The Mayor then demonstrated the correct sounding of the bell and it rang true and clear. The Pascual Flores is due to be finished this autumn when the town will receive a visit from its sister ship the Carmen Flores which was launched in 1919 a year later than the Pascual Flores. Both Ships were built on the beach at Torrevieja and the Carmen Flores is now in the possession of the maritime museum in Barcelona. Paul Mutter |
|
Award winning Lions
Youth Brass Band
visits Torrevieja Spanish towns pride themselves on their musical heritage and most have at least one band with musicians starting at a very young age to continue the traditions of their fathers and grandfathers before them. In Torrevieja we are fortunate to have more than one band in the town of a high standard and of course we play hosts to the International Brass band competition, the sixth annual event of which will be taking place in the last week of August this year. The Torrevieja Costa Lions club has arranged a visit by the Lions Youth Brass Band which will be visiting the Costa Blanca in July playing a number of concerts at different venues up and down the coast. We are fortunate enough to have them in Torrevieja itself on Sunday 20th when they are appearing at the Municipal Theatre. On the same bill is the youth band of the Union Musical Torrevejense. Entrance costs a mere 8€ and the profits form the evening are going to the Cruz Roja Ambulance appeal fund. The doors will be open at 7.30 pm for an 8.00 pm start and tickets can be obtained from the Municipal Theatre box office. The Lions Youth band is a first class band and has won several awards. Here is what they have to say about themselves. The Lions Youth Brass was started in 1989 to give young people throughout the Cheshire area the opportunity to learn to play a brass instrument in a band situation. The band receives support from local Lions Clubs and over the years the band has gone from strength to strength. Three bands form the Lions Youth Band. At this time, 97 young people from the age of 5 to 19 years are members of the Beginner, Junior and Youth sections. The bands accept anyone at any level who would like to learn to play a brass instrument; and lend instruments free of charge wherever possible. The Beginner band has three musical directors, who teach the youngsters to read music and to play in a band environment. When The Lions Youth Brass Band. they are ready they go on to play in the Junior band. Each year the Junior band enters music festivals where they do very well. Both the Beginner and Junior band join the Youth band in some of their concerts. AII four musical directors of these two bands have gone through the ranks and played for the Youth band. The Youth Band is directed by Nigel Birch who has directed the band to many successes in various competitions over the years, the most recent being a Silver Award in the National Youth Brass Band Contest in April of 2007 and in January 2008 winning the Gwent Youth Brass Band Festival. Each year workshops are organised for the bands. This year the Youth Band was very lucky to have had workshops with the famous Foden Richardson Championship Band and Black Dyke, especially leading up to competitions, when guest conductors coming to help the band. In 2003 the band represented Great Britain as one of 26 countries taking part in the International Music Festival for Youth in Cheb in the Czech Republic. The Youth band gives approximately 30 concerts a year. Ten of these concerts are for local Lions Clubs that support the band and local charities across the South Cheshire area. Each year the band is taken on tour usually to the south coast of England where local Lions Clubs raise funds for their charities. In 2007 the band played in Torquay and Minehead. The founder president of Torrevieja Costa Lions Club Chris Bignell told CoastRider that they wanted to hold concerts for the benefit of local charities and decided to give the proceeds of the visit of the Lions Youth band whilst in the Torrevieja area to the Cruz Roja Ambulance appeal. On Saturday 19th July, the day before the concert in Torrevieja the band will be playing in the Plaza de Embarcadero in La Mata where once again they will be collecting for the Cruz Roja Appeal. Paul Mutter |
|
90 Years young When you reach 90 years of age you deserve a good party and that is what Ken Griffiths’ friends decided he should have. Basil Joseph from TAABS took over the organisation of the entertainment and set to work telephoning some of his fellow artists to see if they were available for an afternoon and early evening bash at the Swimming Pool bar in the Lago Jardin urbanisation. The pool is set in a lovely area with a bar and terrace and really is a wonderful a setting for such an occasion. Ken is quite a remarkable man and featured in a profile written by Sean McSeveney in the CoastRider two issues ago. He is very well known, liked and respected in the Torrevieja area and not only for the stout work he has done supporting charities over the years. He is also a very strong supporter and fan of FC Torrevieja. Basil Joseph had managed to round up the TAABS singing and show group, Icenii a new dance group, the Velvetones including Topaz, Rose Sharkey and Cathy Carson not a bad list of performing artistes I think you will agree. It was a boiling cauldron of a day and even though the show was not due to start until 5.00pm in the afternoon it was still fearsomely warm. Members of TAABS improvised dressing rooms in the alleyway outside as they donned their ‘cockney’ gear to do a series of very well known popular numbers including ‘Any old iron’ and ‘Who were you with last night’. They performed in the relative shade of the covered terrace area but the first act up, Icenii performed in the full glare of the sun on the open terrace. Looking extremely smart and well turned out in black and white the three dancers performed a tap routine which was very well received by all present including those who were enjoying sunbathing and swimming in the pool adjacent, and were being treated to a free afternoon’s entertainment. The group did another couple of numbers later on in the programme. The Velvetones had come with about half their full contingent of singers due to holidays and absences but there were still more than enough voices to perform their popular barbershop numbers. After their first set of numbers four of their members who make up Topaz sang a few songs before Ken himself was called up to say a few words. He may be ninety but he still has plenty of energy and he visibly warmed to his task as he thanked everyone for coming and organising the afternoon. He explained that the money collected form the raffle would be split between the Cruz Roja Ambulance appeal and Spina Bifida. He had a particular interest in Spina Bifida after hearing of a young lady working in the library in his home town in the UK with the condition. He had hoped to go and see her but after eventually organising a trip to the library he arrived to find it was her day off! After his speech we were led by the Velvetones into singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and it was back to the show for the Velvetones second session. The afternoon’s entertainment was rounded off by popular local entertainers Rose Sharkey with her ‘naughty but nice’ lyrics and Cathy Carson who despite having a cold managed to get the partygoers in the mood with a number of songs from her repertoire. The raffle raised over 200 euros which was split between the Cruz Roja ambulance appeal and Spina Bifida. Prizes for the raffle had been donated by George Thomson of UK products at the Zoco market and in Guardamar. A very happy birthday Ken and may you have many more of them. Paul Mutter |
|
Elche shooter
imprisoned A 49-year-old man has been remanded in prison without bail, accused of shooting a 20 year old man in Elche last week. The incident occurred on Thursday in the city’s Plaza de Espana when the accused is alleged to have opened fire on the victim with a shotgun. The victim, named as Daniel, died from his injuries. It is alleged that the killer, 49-year-old Jose B. claims he was owed €900,000 by the victim’s father. Reports indicate that the suspect decided to kill the man’s young son in order to settle the debt. The alleged shooter is reported to have phoned the victim’s father after the incident to say “I’ve shot your son. Now you’ve got what you wanted.” |
|
Benijófar
street revamp The town hall of Benijófar have undertaken a revamp of one of the main thoroughfares of the town, Avenida Federico García Lorca. The news comes following official confirmation of the receipt of funding from the Provincial Infrastructural Commission. According to the socialist Mayor of Benijófar, Daniel Padilla, the street will be the object of “a profound remodelling.” The work, which has a budget of €350,000, will be funded almost in its entirety by the provincial grant. The street is a major business and commercial nerve centre with offices, restaurants and shops located along its length. It is hoped that the redesign will benefit all those concerned. Mayor Padilla revealed that the works will be large due to the length of the street and will see a remodelling of the local infrastructure. Officials say that effort will be taken to ensure that as little inconvenience as possible is passed on to residents and businesses in the area. |
|
Saved from
the flames One of the hogueras due to go up in smoke during last week’s San Juan festivities was saved from the flames in Rojales. The sculpture wasn’t one of the winners, chosen to be saved; rather, it was because no official permission had been granted to burn it. The hoguera was located on Calle Maestro Ventura. Rojales’ Mayor, Antonio Martinez told the press “Nothing was prohibited, and if it has not been burned it is because there was no request.” The Mayor also revealed that “bad feelings” did not exist towards anyone and that it is the norm that each group which creates a hoguera must in advance seek official permission to burn it. Over 200 people had gathered just before midnight on Tuesday last where a glass of champagne and cider as well as music was laid on to entertain. The group responsible for the hoguera in question revealed that they had sought permission for the burning and necessary street closure on June 16th. Having not received a reply by June 20th, the group say they submitted another request that the hoguera be placed on a private pavement having been granted permission by the owner. Still no answer, until the owner of the private pavement where the burning was due to take place is said to have received a call from municipal officials to tell him that if the burning took place on his land, he would be ultimately responsible for any incident which occurred. The decision was taken not to go ahead with the burning of the hoguera. |
|
Two traffic
accidents Two people were injured on Monday night last week when accidents occurred in Rojales and Calpe. According to local emergency services, the first incident occurred at 9pm on Monday night when the CICU (Centre of Information and Coordination of Emergencies) received a call alerting paramedics to a traffic accident on the highway in Calpe. It transpired that a motorist had crashed into a ditch. On arrival at the scene, members of the SAMU ambulance crew confirmed that the man, a 34 year old, sustained multiple fractures and once stabilised, was transferred to the Marina Alta Hospital in Dénia. On the same night, an incident occurred on the CV91 in Rojales. In Pueblo Lucero, a 25 year old man was seriously injured in a traffic accident. The SAMU ambulance crew brought the injured man to Torrevieja Hospital. |
|
Statement by Ron
Horncastle - Lead
Coordinator
Neighborhood
Watch Algorfa Area A rumor has recently been circulated by someone with their own agenda that the Policia Local Algorfa has withdrawn their cooperation with the area’s Neighborhood Watch Associations. The Lead Coordinator, for the Algorfa area, Ron Horncastle, wishes to clearly state that the rumor is totally unfounded. The cooperation and communication between the Algorfa Police and Neighborhood Watch is firmly and well established and is effective in assisting the local police to reduce incidents of crime and attempted criminal activities. The Algorfa Neighborhood Watch Associations receive a rapid response and a professional service from the local police. Translation of the statement given by the Chief of Police - Algorfa El Jefe Policia Local Algorfa, Pedro Garcia Bertomeu, has stated that the cooperation with The Neighborhood Watch in Algorfa has been fluid and effective over the past two years in conducting joint campaigns of citizen awareness and in the passing of information. He adds, “These collaborations, led by the Policia Local Algorfa, are giving excellent results because neighbors are informing the police of any irregularity or suspicious anomaly which the Policia Local may deal with and resolve quickly. The collaboration of all neighbors and, of course, cooperating with the Neighborhood Watch Associations of Algorfa, is of great importance to us, helping us make our work more effective." |
|
“Vacaciones en tu
Pueblo” begins once
more Once again, a variety of local towns are participating in the “Vacaciones en tu Pueblo” scheme. Catral, Benejúzar, San Fulgencio and San Isidro are host to a group of children from the Saharui villages in northern Africa. From July 7th to 25th, 1700 children between the ages of four and 12 will arrive in Spain to spend their summer holidays in a fun and privileged manner, a different world from the refugee camps they call home. The theme of this year’s scheme is “Learning to play”, the sad truth of the matter being that many of these children suffer such hardship that playing is well down the list of priorities. The scheme is organized by the Mancomunidad de Servicios Sociales Bajo Segura whose president, José Antonio Berenguer explains, “’Vacaciones en tu Pueblo’ is one of the most popular programmes we offer, each year the number of people participating increases.” Each child will stay with a voluntary host family and will participate in activities which will promote socialization and self esteem. |
|
Youth Club
news Now that the summer holidays are here, the staff at La Marina and San Fulgencio youth club, have gone into overdrive. To help break up the summer holidays for the kids that live here and to provide a bit of extra fun to those on holiday, the club will be holding a special weekly activity to coincide with their regular activities. The CoastRider will try and keep you updated weekly as to what the week’s special activity will be. For Thursday the 3rd of July, they are having a trip to the water park Aquopolis. You don’t have to live in La Marina or San Fulgencio to join in the fun at the youth club. If you do live there then you can join the club and receive a discount off your daily fee. All you need to join are two passport photos and a copy of the padron. If you are not a resident then you have to pay €3.50, I am sure any parent would agree that it’s not a lot for a day of fun. The youth club Manager Martin Ince is putting out an offer, to anyone thinking of opening a Youth Club on The Costa Blanca. He is more than happy to talk to anyone regarding the problems and procedures of getting a club up and running, and he will offer as much advice and support as he can give. |
|
Ladies Day Why miss out on Ladies day just because you are in Spain? One of the most prodigious events in the racing calendar Royal Ascot ladies day took place last week. The Final Whistle Sports Bar, held a ladies day last year. Due to the huge success, many of the women demanded that a repeat day be held again this year. It’s not often that our ladies get to wear a hat and get dressed in all the finery. The day started off with strawberries and champagne. Lunch was a traditional hog roast, which was devoured with gusto, all the better to soak up the copious amounts of champers that was flowing. Of course the whole fun of a day at the races is having a little flutter. All in all a great day was had and just like last year, the ladies have insisted it be repeated again next year. Sean McSeveney |
|
A Night of bonfires Like the rest of Spain, the folks of La Marina celebrated the Hogueres de San Juan. A large number took to the beaches at La Marina and El Pinet. From a viewpoint on the sand dunes you could see bonfires up and down the coast. More and more ex-pats are joining in this fiesta each year. Many revellers partied well into the early hours, kept entertained by a crazy few that decided to jump through the flames of the fires. Thankfully everyone seems to have survived the night relatively unscathed. Anita Stearmen told the CoastRider,“I am really looking forward to the fiesta again next year. It will be held on a Friday then and I won’t have to worry about getting up for work.” Despite the number of people and fires on the beach, the council had the beaches back to their blue flag condition by eight the next morning. Sean McSeveney |
|
Put your town on Google Earth Some of the more Internet savvy residents of La Marina have been putting the town on the map, the Google Earth map that is! Jan Strange who runs La Marina forum www.lamarinaforum.com asked members of the forum to start putting pictures and places of interest on Google Earth. Jan says, “More and more people are using Google Earth. It is a great programme where you can view any place in the world. Originally it is built up of mainly satellite pictures that allowed you to zoom into any location including your own home and view it at a number of angles. One of the neat features of Google Earth is you can add pictures and 3d images of places of interest. Then other people can view these as well.” She adds, “It is nice to show off the interesting points of your home town, that’s why I asked the members of the forum to do it. Let’s put La Marina on the World map.” If you have never used Google Earth before then simply type Google Earth into your Internet search engine and it will come up. You need to download a small free programme. Once you have done that you are ready to go. Be prepared to be impressed. Sean McSeveney |
|
Medieval Market
on the Castle
tour Have you ever tried following the Castle Route in Alicante province? On what was once the border between Valencia and Castilla there are a whole series of castles, some just ruins but others in good repair, and well worth a visit. Starting in Alicante with both Santa Bárbara and San Fernando castles, you follow the main motorway to Madrid and pass by castles in Novelda, Elda, Petrel, Sax, Villena and, if you turn off a little way to the right, castles in Biar and Banyeres de Mariola. The reason why we draw your attention to this route is that on the week-end of 12 and 13 July a Medieval Market will be held in Banyeres de Mariola. The village is built on top of a hill and the Market will be held in the village square right in the middle of the town, just a few steps below the impressive castle. The castle itself is open to the public over this weekend. The Medieval Market is in fact just part of the fiestas to honour the patron saint Santa Maria Magdalena and this will be the second time that Amata, an association dedicated to preserving the arts and crafts, will be organising the event. After last year's success the Town Hall asked for more workshops and more demonstrations this year, so there's lots to see and to do. Besides some 50 arts and craft stalls and a busy tavern, there will be demonstrations by a potter, a soap maker, a hatter (no, not the mad hatter, but someone showing the whole process of making felt hats!) and a musical instrument maker, mostly making stringed instruments. For the children, there is a games area, a miniature animal farm, workshops where they can learn the beginnings of a craft and a teller of fairy tales. Mingling with the crowd will be some unusual medieval people including someone on stilts and a gaggle of geese (kept in line by their owner) and late in the evening the juggler plays with fire. The Market is open on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July from 12 noon to 2.30 pm and from 6 pm till quite late. More information, also in English, on 639 979 678 |
|
Alicante International Speakers Club - part of Toastmasters International Alicante now has its own International Speakers Club which is part of Toastmasters International, a truly International organisation of speakers clubs with over four million members world wide. Already well established in Spain, there are Toastmasters International clubs in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Torrevieja - and now Alicante. As a new club we are immensely grateful for the help and support from the members of Torrevieja Club and for being ‘under their wing’ as we grow to full independence. Why a Speaking Club? Well, you may be more comfortable communicating with people by phone, email, talking to a few friends or just on a one-to one basis. Speaking to small or larger groups is often seen as really frightening and to be avoided at all costs. Yet in this age of almost instant world wide communication, good personal communication skills are more vital than ever if you want to be more successful in business, clubs, formal family occasions (like a wedding speech!) or even with friends and neighbours. What will it do for me? The aim is to empower people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. We do this by providing a mutually supportive and positive environment for members and guests to improve personal communication skills and enhance self confidence. Being able to express yourself clearly means you can get your ideas across to others, be more understood and gain more confidence to speak out about, and influence or change, those things that really matter to you, your family and your life. Most schools and universities don’t offer this kind of know-how so most of us learn is by stumbling along doing the best we can, and probably wishing we knew how and what to do, and had the poise and confidence to do it. One great advantage we have is our truly international membership represented by our committee of English, Irish and Spanish members. An exciting part of the Club is the opportunity to exchange ideas and understand other cultures which helps non-Spanish members to integrate more into local Spanish life and customs. Club meetings are where you will be able to learn and practice talking to others in small groups and improving your communication skills. You will learn, at your own pace in your own time scale, firstly from other members by watching them and then by participating yourself. Members have the benefit of helpful and constructive feedback on any talk or speech they give to be able to learn and gain confidence, speak with clarity, persuasiveness and enthusiasm. To get you off to a good start you can have the support of a mentor. A mentor is friendly, experienced fellow member who will help you with your first few talks or presentations and answer any questions you may have. A mentor was once a new member too and so knows how important help can be to someone just beginning. So if you want to improve on or polish up your speaking skills then come along - as our very welcomed guest - to any of our twice-monthly Wednesday evening meetings to see just what you can gain from being part of Alicante International Speakers Club. It’s absolutely free for you to come along and there is no obligation to join. We recommend that you come to a couple of meetings first to comfortably make up your mind to join us. Club meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 8 pm until 9.30 pm throughout the year. The next meetings are on the following Wednesdays - 25th June, 16th July, 30th July, 13th August & 27th August. We meet, with the kind permission of Alicante University, at: Sede Ciudad de Alicante (Segunda planta Aula 2.1) Avda. Ramon y Cajal 4 03001 - Alicante This is a convenient venue overlooking Alicante Marina, close to the famous ‘wavy pavement’ and with ample public car parks nearby. Guests are always welcome so if you would like more information please get in touch with the Club President John Chocqueel Mangan - Tel: 664 824 479/email john@jomagg.com or the Vice-President Education Jose Luis Casal - Tel: 686 014 049 or email: jlcasel@gmail.com |
|
Carls Bar Carl’s Bar Charity for the Butterfly Children On Tuesday 17th June Carls Bar in Los Montesinos, held a charity night to raise money for the Butterfly Childrenand what a great night it was. The fantastic Jon Summer opened and compared the evening with his dynamic voice and quick with getting everyone in the mood for fun filled evening. He 1st half of the raffle was drawn as there were so many prizes donated by local people and businesses it had to be done in two halves. Thanks to Strands 2, CC Supermarket, Fojka Mobel shop, and the local people and businesses who didn’t wish to be named. Then one of the highlights if the nigh was Carls Bar Chef Martin who had his chest waxed by the girls from Bellisma which raised €175, 85. Another chef and one of the managers at Carls Bar Anita raised a formidable €465.40 doing a sponsored slim. There was also €125.00 raised by the local lads for the correct 4 top teams in the Premier League. This was organised by Shimmy at the start of the season the same Shimmy who had his beard shaved for the charity last year,. Then the barman from Carls Bar Colin Booth did 30 minutes stand up which was hilarious and the first time he had ever done anything like it before. After the second half of the raffle was finished it was then announced that the bar had raised a whopping €971.25 and so the very generous customers tried to round it up to €1000 but was exceeded and raised €1020.00... Then the brilliant vocal guitarist Stevie Crowe finished off the night with some dance numbers that had the place rocking. All the artist and girls from Bellisma gave there time and skills for free. A big thank you to everyone who helped from all the staff at Carls. |
|
Party in the Park is back! It’s back! The biggest weekend party on the Orihuela Costa. With top acts from around Europe performing on the big stage and fun area, the Party in the Park 2008 is one of this summer’s “not to be missed” events. After a successful show last year, as seen on BBC1’s “Living in the Sun”, the big weekend show is now much bigger with lots of exciting things for all the family to enjoy. Organisers have introduced more new “Dare you try” fun rides for all the family and have increased the “Win a prize” traditional fair ground. There will be big chances to win some exciting prices from a range of top companies on the Costa Blanca. The main stage is set to host some great artists, signed to perform from the UK and from around Europe. Organisers have also bagged some of the biggest names from around Spain – top bands and solo artists you will want to hear over and over. The big arena will host breathtaking performances from dance troupes and artistic displays. There will be lots of exciting things to see and do as well as market and display stands to browse through which will offer lots of products and services. Organisers are keeping it cool with some top of the range cooling machines and if you want to enjoy a bit of pampering, you can view and try out lots of therapies on site, or even relax in the VIP bar lounge with a nice cocktail and nibbles. The fun stuff is all for a good cause with a big sumo fight, beat the celeb in “wacky races” and “smart art” contest all raising funds for charity. Kids are well entertained this year with games, join in workshops, fun rides and lots of stuff to win. Watch out for the “Kids go for fame” in Spain, introducing young people with great recognised talents. Watch out in future editions of the CoastRider for further information on times and dates. |
|
IMPACT CHARITY Who are they? What are they doing? What’s Impact Charity all about anyway? These are the sorts questions that people who have heard about the charity have been asking. In this article I hope to reveal more about this particular charity. Almost three years ago Andrew and Valerie Roberts were running the Impact Bookshop and Tea Rooms on the urbanisation La Marina. It was during that time that they started a Friday night Kid’s Club, which quickly became very popular with around thirty children from four to fourteen years old coming along regularly. As the club grew they started to include activities like indoor games, arts and crafts, story times, outdoor sports and then at the end of the evening a home-cooked two course meal was provided to the gang of hungry children. “One night we even had 55 children and it was a birthday party which meant a big birthday cake and lots of noise! But great fun.” commented Andrew. It was at this point Andrew and Valerie realised that there were many children here who wanted something more in the form of organised after school type activities. They understood that children love playing outdoor sports and games, they love learning to cook, walks in the forest, horse and pony riding, fishing and camping. There were many possibilities and few opportunities for the children. One of the main aims of the charity aim is to address this. It is not just sport and recreation that the children need, as many of them are ex-pats some are starting to fall behind in the basics of reading and writing in English. Valerie discovered while reading with the children, that a number nine year olds for example could not read books designed for six year olds. A common problem they identified is that we are now seeing sixteen year olds finishing their secondary school education with no qualifications, and are unable to read and write English and although fluently speak Spanish, they have a weak command of Spanish grammar. The outcome of this is that it can only lower their prospects for a good job in the future. The situation can only get worse as the huge expatriate school population leave school. Therefore, something needed to be done. The idea of an education centre developed and within months they started a Learning Centre and employed a good English teacher to help meet these needs. Andrew told us, “We found that quite often the children in most need could not always afford the extra tuition. This is where the charity comes in.” He added we are now starting a sponsor a child program to help families with the costs of extra tuition. Right now are appealing to businesses and individuals for help.” The children’s work they started has led to the start of this Children’s Charity, which even includes the animal rescue centre, Finca Lucendum. Andrew and Valerie were approached by Ralf and Gisella, the owners of Finca Lucendum, and were asked if they would like to bring the children horse and pony riding. Valerie, having worked with trained horses most of her life was thrilled with the opportunity. Now, after a recent donation of horse riding equipment from the La Marina Bowls Club the children are well equipped for their rides into the forest. Finca Lucendum now comes under the charitable umbrella of Impact Charity as it needed to be properly registered with the local authorities. Finca Lucendum is doing a fantastic job by looking after nearly eighty dogs who have been abandoned, tortured, left to die. Most of the dogs and puppies at the Finca are available for re-homing. Ralf and Gisella ensure that the dogs are fit and well before re-homing, that includes vaccinations, microchips and pet passports. All of which costs money .They are a wonderful retired couple, who devote all their time and money into this work but who are also looking to the future. They want to know that this work can be continued so there is the Impact Charity shop and the Sunday market stall on La Marina Urbanisation which help pay. Like many charities there is never enough money. To try and cover the shortfall they have started a sponsor a dog program and a sponsor a horse program. It has only started very recently but is already receiving interest. Some people have sponsored a dog or horse as a birthday present and they receive a gift certificate, news updates and a chance to go and meet the dog or horse they sponsored. At the moment Impact’s children’s work is poised for the launch of Impact International Youth Fitness ten-week Summer Club. It will be held from 9:30am to 2:00pm Monday to Friday and includes dodge ball, archery, short tennis, the very interesting spacehopper football, treasure hunts and even more such as pony and horse riding, junior circuits, swimming and unihockey as well as many more activities. To compliment this there is also going to be a Beach Sports Program running in the evenings from Monday to Thursday from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, which includes beach rugby, beach volleyball, beach cricket & rounders and not forgetting beach soccer. “It’s gong to be really full-on this summer. But I can’t wait!” says organiser Andrew. “We have been kindly given some money from the Bingo Club here in La Marina, which has enabled us to buy lots of new equipment like spacehoppers, tennis equipment, and a host of other things and again the La Marina Bowls Club have just told me there’s some more money for sports equipment too. I’m so grateful.” There is behind Andrew and Valerie a strong Christian faith that has been their rock and guiding light in all they do. Valerie and Andrew run a home church as the name suggests from their home. The church is small but is growing and recently started a Girl’s Club which is run by Valerie and the girls are learning about the bible and what it means to be a Christian while devouring cakes and hot chocolates. Andrew hopes to start a Boy’s Club soon. They also run a Wednesday Bible Study for people who come from lots of different churches and some come who do not yet feel ready to go to a church but want to listen and find out more. The future is looking bright for Impact. They have many more big plans including: a Homeless project, upgrading the animal rescue centre, a community project, but the ultimate aim is for the International Youth Fitness Camp. Andrew says “The International Youth Fitness Camp is a huge multi-faceted project which is centred around improving the quality of life for young people through achievement, encouragement, faith and love. Health and fitness through sports and activities are part of it and it will be a really fun place. The aim is to try and bring the best out of each young person and them discover their strengths, gifts and talents. Although this is almost too big to fully comprehend we feel it will come soon and it will be big.” I interviewed Shirley, who used to organise a lot of Garden and garage sales for Finca Lucendum, she now works as a volunteer in the charity shop, she explained, “It has all changed now. What was once a bookshop and Café has been turned into a first class charity shop, full of second-hand clothes (good ones too), books and household goods. We need to expand now though because people here are very generous and constantly bring in more for us to sell. We now have a thriving charity shop with a great team of hard working volunteers.” She added with a smile, “We still get people coming in looking for the lovely scones and real tea that they used to serve here.” If you are interested in becoming involved in anyway or want to find out more, you can visit their website: www.spiritofimpact.com, If you are not online you can call into the shop or give Andrew and Valerie a call on 966 795 593. Sean McSeveney |
|
Viva TV: Making
television for you The CoastRider are proud to be one of the first to announce the up-coming launch of a new TV channel. Viva TV will be launched on the 1st of September on the Telmicro Levante broadcast platform. The new channel is being hailed as the largest ex-pat community channel in the world. It will have more than 350,000 viewers on its launch and with expansion plans it is believed that more than 1/2 a million viewers will be reached early next year. In an interview with co-directors Richard Haywood, Trevor Lugmayer and Trevor Jones, they told the CoastRider, “We have been planning the channel for almost a year now. We have signed an exclusive agreement to rent air time on the Telmicro digital broadcast platform. Making a decision of which company to use was one of the most important aspects of the whole process. We studied a number of different options and everytime Telmicro came out on top. They have all the correct permissions already in place and are currently negotiating more channels with content suppliers. It is the largest platform in the region, so we will be able to cover more customers.” The channel will operate 12 hours a day from 8:00am until 8:00pm. An hour long breakfast show covering local content will be followed by nine hours of the Viva TV Shop. The shopping channel will be a mix of internationally known home shopping companies and local companies offering any type of goods and services. It is a rare opportunity for local companies to sell directly or to provide informative commercials. The shopping channel will be followed by a further two hours of local content. Most of the content will come from locally produced programmes including fishing, cooking, music, lifestyle and travel programmes mainly starring local people. Events such as the Beach Party and It’s a Costa Knockout will be covered in dedicated half or one hour programmes. The line up for September has already been produced and includes the brilliant, Andy and Dave’s Excellent adventures. It follows two rather mad local individuals that compete with each other in a series of exciting adventures from Granada to Valencia. Watch your Telmicro info channel to see the channel promo. It should be running from Friday. Technical Director Richard Haywood was keen to make it known that the channel will be focusing on producing a community channel of the highest quality. He says, “We won’t be charging our guests to appear on the show, we are looking for interesting people to come to our brand new custom made studio and offices in Benijofar and appear on TV. We want to hear from anyone that has interesting stories or has any ideas for new programmes. If they would like to feature in the programme all the better. We want to know what we can do for you.” Part of the channel programming will include clips that viewers have taken themselves. This can be in the form of news, funny clips or anything else that might be of interest to other viewers. A comment often directed at the media is that events are never advertised in advance, Trevor Jones says “We would very much like to address this situation, but we can only do that with the help of our viewers. I urge them all to contact us, as if we don’t know, we can’t show.” Viva TV are appealing for a number of people to come and join the team, they are looking for presenters, editors, content providers and technicians. If you would like to become part of the team then contact Viva TV via email at info@vivatv.es or call the office on 902 906 018. Viva TV will be putting more information as it becomes available on their website www.vivatv.es Sean McSeveney |
|
TORRY LADIES HELP VALENCIAN TENPIN
TEAM TO SPANISH CHAMPIONSHIP Another annual edition of the longest running national team events in tenpin bowling, the 56th Autonomous Regions´ Championships has taken place in Alcorcon, Madrid between the male and female teams of Andalucia, Asturias, Baleares, Catalonia, Galicia, Madrid, and Valencia. Once a total of 46 men and 28 ladies had finished their series on the lanes of the Tres Aguas centre last Sunday, Catalonia had clinched the championship in men and Valencia had emerged victorious in ladies, repeating their success of 2007. Valencia were also runners-up in men, managing to keep Madrid behind them until the end. In ladies, second place went to the Catalonian team who saw victory slip away to Valencia in the very last event. Euro Bowling Torrevieja, the new strong team based in “Salt City”, was now represented for the first time in the Valencian team by Lesley Gamblen, Lynne Ailsby, and Bob Day all Valencian Champions 2007 in their respective categories. Their combined effort was crucial to Valencia’s success: Lesley completed all four events (19 games), finishing sixth overall and third-best in her team with an average of 176.79. Lynne bowled two events (10 games) averaging 157.70. Bob completed 16 games at 189.00, finishing ninth overall and second-best in the Valencian team. |
|
West End Choral Workshop
comes to Torrevieja International singer, conductor, and vocal coach from England, Nigel Hopkins, is to run a weeklong West End Choral Workshop for local singers in August. The course will take place at the Hotel Cabo Cervera, in La Mata from 4th - 9th August, culminating in a concert there at 8pm on the last evening, with a generous donation made to the AECC cancer charity from the proceeds. Nigel Hopkins has visited the Costa Blanca on three previous occasions with his famous choir, “Let’s Sing” from Birmingham. They were in L’Alfas del Pi at the end of May this year when the proceeds from their concert took the AECC Appeal for the Siemens Breast Scanner over its €300,000 target. “Let’s Sing” have been described in the Spanish press as: “spell-binding”…… “breath-taking and enthralling”…… “on previous visits the choir have brought the audience to their feet - they are that good!”……. “probably the best choir ever to have visited the Costa Blanca”. Nigel is joined in the workshop by his son, Matthew, himself a top professional singer, conductor, and keyboard player. He is currently Director of Music at Nottingham Trent West End Choral Workshop comes to Torrevieja University in England, and at 26 years old, the youngest person ever to hold such a position in a UK university. Between them, father and son will use their vast experience to guide singers through the techniques required to enhance their vocal performances to produce a concert of the music of West End Musicals on the last day of the course. Budding soloists may audition to perform at the concert, and will receive personal coaching by the two experts in solo performance. The course is open to any singers, male and female, and will rehearse from 10am - 1pm on 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th August. Soloists will be coached on Wednesday 6th, and the final rehearsal and concert will take place on Saturday 9th. Singers may obtain an application form by e-mailing: nigelhopkins@hotmail.co.uk or keithashton2000@gmail.com This is an excellent opportunity for singers on the Costa Blanca to benefit from the experience of two of England’s finest choral conductors and vocal tutors. Between them they have supplied the West End with many professional performers, and they issue an open invitation to all singers on the Costa Blanca to join them in preparing and performing music from such West End musicals as Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Camelot, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers, Cabaret, and many more. |
|
SHIVER ME TIMBERS! Landlubbers had to make way for the sailor’s market last weekend as it came ashore at Playa Flamenca. With more than 70 stalls, workshops and demonstrations there was more than enough action to entertain all the family. The event held over four days was well attended especially in the evening. It was obvious a lot of work and effort had gone into organising the market, it had a very Caribbean and medieval feel to it. Careful selection of the vendors ensured that all the stalls were topical and for the most part original in their content; all the stalls were manned by sailors and pirates and were decked out in the fashion of the eighteenth century. Food and drink from days of olde were on offer as well as traditional sweets and cakes. My wife particularly liked the jewellery and fashion wear made from leather and semi-precious stones. I was most impressed by one artist who was able to inscribe your name on a grain of rice. Entertainment was provided through out the day. Sailors paraded around the market playing Spanish bagpipes and drums, accompanied by jugglers and menacing pirates. Children were kept rapt by fairytales from across the seas and parades of slaves and donkeys. Archery displays proved to be very popular, with the chance to have a go for yourself. Each evening ended with praise to the missionary fathers, cumulating in a firework spectacle. Sean McSeveney |
 |
|
British to claim £86m from Spanish government HUNDREDS OF BRITS COME FORWARD TO RECLAIM MORE THAN AN ESTIMATED £86 MILLION FROM SPANISH GOVERNMENT IN OVERPAID CAPITAL GAINS TAX Hundreds of Britons who have sold a property in Spain between June 2004 and December 2006 have begun the fight to reclaim their money from the Spanish government, who overcharged them Capital Gains Tax by 20%. However, where as initial conservative estimates put the total amount to be reclaimed at £11,000 per person – totalling an estimated £37 million – over the last three months hundreds of Brits have registered average reclaims of more than £19,300 each – totalling more than an estimated £86 million that British people have been overcharged by the Spanish government. The tax loophole – which was originally exposed by currency exchange brokers HiFX and Spanish lawyers, Costa, Alvarez, Manglano & Associates – came about after British non residents paid a Spanish Non Residents’ Income Tax rate of 35% on any capital gains, compared to a rate of 15% paid by Spanish nationals. This 20% overpayment not only totals a profit somewhere in the region of an estimated £86 million, but also contravenes European Community Treaty rules on discrimination and therefore was unduly charged by the Spanish Government. British people applying for a refund are also set to add on missing interest at a compound rate of 6% to their reclaims, meaning payouts could be on average 26 % larger than first thought. However, whilst more than 300 people have so far joined forces and registered requests for rebates since the launch of the website that was set up to help them (www.spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk) , thousands more are still to come forward. Mark Bodega, Director of currency specialists HiFX said: “Since launching the website and establishing this class action against the Spanish tax authorities, we have always said it would be extremely difficult to put an actual figure on the number of people affected by this tax issue and how much they would be able to reclaim from the Spanish government. This is largely because the Spanish government will not reveal this information, and this is why our initial estimation about the amount being able to be reclaimed was on the conservative side. However, the sums that people are coming forward to reclaim are much larger than anticipated, almost double in size. So far more than 300 people have registered to be part of the class action, which is a huge response – but we anticipate there are more than 4,500 British people affected by this, meaning there are still a lot of people who need to come forward to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.” People who have sold property previous to June 2004 have already missed out on being able to make a reclaim on their overpaid tax, as under Spanish law claims can only be made dating back over a four year period, meaning millions more have become victim to this tax trap. For more information, and details of how to register your interest, visit : www.spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk or call the helpline on 0845 680 3849 or email: info@spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk Commenting on the issue, Spanish Lawyer Emilio Alvarez said: “A change in the law at the start of 2007, which saw the standard Capital Gains Tax for non Spanish residents being brought in to line – ºa reduction from 35% to 15% , passed by largely unnoticed. As a result, thousands of people who had previously sold property in Spain are entitled to a 20% rebate, with estimates now standing at £19,000 each plus interest. The response so far has been amazing, thousands have made enquiries, with more than 200 people registering to begin the reclaim process. However, if anyone believes they have been affected by this they need to move quickly, due to stringent legal restrictions people who sold their property before June 2004 have already missed out, as claimants must register within 4 years, but thousands of Brits can still join forces and fight to get the Spanish tax authorities to pay back the money owed. “In some cases potential claimants are being put off by the lawyers who acted for them during the sale as they are being told that they will not be able to get hold of the necessary forms (Form 212) or that this consumer campaign will not succeed. As a result, we are offering to speak to the Spanish Tax Office on behalf of any clients who have doubts to ascertain whether or not they are eligible and get the forms they need.” |