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Transcript
FREE
PDC DARTS CHAMP IN GA!
Stephen Bunting joing the
gang at Bar Sioux
for the locals...by the locals..!
The very best for expat info!
AVOID DELAYS SENDING & RECEIVING
MAIL
OFFICE: C/San Luis 2, 03187 Los Montesinos AlicanteTel. 966 720 959 Visit our website: www.easypost.es
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4
It was a morning full of surprises. None more so than Mitch being at our planned meeting place for the team, the car park outside of the town hall, before I was. He’d messaged me, excited and already pumping with adrenaline. “Come on! I’m ready let’s go dad!”
I was already on my way and soon met up with a bouncy Mitch and his ev-er-hungry and sleepy girlfriend Chris-tel. Raquel, my girlfriend arrived next and soon Rob our driver and Shaun the photographer rolled up looking as wide awake and ready for the adventure as we were.We were off and on time, 6.15am which was important if we were to stay on schedule all day and complete the challenge before we lost the daylight in evening. Then things started to get in-teresting as we found the main road, our only exit out of town, blocked following a severe road traffic accident and we were diverted on a twenty minute round trip to get back on the road where we needed to be heading. Then came the tractor in front of us before the police road stop and then finally we hit the fast road...and got stuck behind a crane pos-sibly being driven by my mum judging by the snail’s pace it was moving ahead of us.
We eventually arrived at the planned starting point for the challenge in Murcia City an hour and a half late and began getting the kayaks ready and into our wetsuits. A hot coffee at that point was needed by the whole team as the temperature next to the river was down to seven degrees at that time. We really needed to get a move on but the coffee was good and the caffeine would help us.The Howells girls, Ann and Holly were getting the kayaks from their truck while we got dressed, and giggling constant-ly; I blamed the caffeine. We loaded the kayaks with (hopefully) everything we needed and climbed into them and headed off quickly, waving to the team
and our supporters as we disappeared around the first bend; the cold river water getting us wet straight away and finishing the job the caffeine had admi-rably started, that of waking us up.With the shouts from our team and those who’d come to see us off ringing in our ears we soon got into a rhythm and were making the banjo noise from ‘Deliverance’ in no time. It was a beau-tiful morning to be on the river and with the wildlife around us waking up, Mitch was sure to sure to see his first duck very soon, and he did, up close and friendly. To Mitch it was an amazing moment and he was almost bouncing up and down in his kayak shouting ‘Duck! Duck! Correction…he was bouncing up and down shouting ‘Duck!’
Also alongside us were geese, terrapins and the odd Kingfisher with its beautiful turquoise plumage. However, we didn’t have much time to admire the wildlife as we had to crack on. And we did, cov-ering the 12km to our first rest stop at Beniel in just less than two hours – good going. We were starving and freezing cold thanks to the water so a quick bowl of rice and potatoes (carbohydrates) was wolfed down by each of us and we jumped back in the kayaks to head down stream to Orihuela City; our next stop off and the location of a huge weir that would act as a big water slide for us to go down in the kayaks.
We negotiated a few small weirs and a couple of sets of interesting rapids (we had to carry the kayaks down one under the full flow of the river) and with the sun shining down on us and the rowing rate at a good pace we were warming up in no time. The ‘Deliverance’ tune once again played a big part as did ‘Old man river’ which was peppered (and spoilt in my opinion)throughout by shouts of ‘Duck!’ coming from behind me as they swam under the kayaks as we ap-proached them.
Alongside the river banks became low cut grass with people walking dogs and cycling who either waved at us and asked where we were going or took pho-tos on their phones. When they heard we had come from Murcia and were heading for Guardamar most wished us good luck while the rest laughingly shouted, ‘Locos!’ From low-cut grass the sides of the river became tall concrete walls as we entered the city of Orihuela and up ahead next to the second bridge we glimpsed the familiar and welcome sight of purple tee shirts; our team was there waiting for us.Another swift break and we were off again, although this time as the team walked alongside us they headed into a patch of mud. All of a sudden Steve, who’d come along with his wife Kirsty and young lad Lewis, and Rob from our team, shouted back to the following group to stop. The mud they were walk-ing on was sucking them down making them sink into it, and fast. Lewis by this time was screaming ‘I’m gonna die!’ as dad Steve tried to haul him out of the mud where he had sunk up to his knees. With Lewis extracted Steve, now carry-ing the extra weight of his son, began to sink even further. Lewis, now without any shoes as they had been claimed by the mud, was passed to the gallant Rob – who began to sink- while Steve got himself out of the mud; minus a shoe of his own. Eventually everyone managed to get out and you’ll be pleased to know Lewis’s prediction of dying fell short of the mark. Steve had to walk around the rest of the city and back to his car with no shoes or trousers –as they were caked u to the thighs in mud – while Kirsty couldn’t stop laughing and Lewis wondered what the hell had just hap-pened, and how on earth he had man-aged to survive.
We left them to it and headed happily out of the city and ready to get going again as we needed to keep up a good pace of we were to finish on time.One thing we learnt on the day was that
OUR DELIVERANCE
5
team were already there and armed with phones to get a video of us; possibly, getting a soaking if we got it wrong. Mitch and I clambered up and over the bridge to have a look at the big weir which spans the whole river and must be around fifty metes wide. The three metre slope would act as a slide with the water than ran down it carrying us to the edge and then we would drop almost two metres over the edge, verti-cally. Again I went first and fortunately managed to keep the kayak straight, which is essential, as the water carried me down the slope and then over the edge and vertically into the cold water (again) up to my waist, but I’d made it and shouted a few appropriate swear words as the adrenaline kicked in. Mitch didn’t come down straight and as he hit a loose branch, which got stuck under the kayak, he began to turn sideways. Not good. As he headed over the edge and into the water the kayak tuned even more dumping him, and the mascot he was carrying, into the river. He was soaked but at least the team and those watching were enjoying themselves as we, well Mitch, ‘entertained’ them.Onwards we rowed. Guardamar was not far now (about 8km) and as we headed out of Rojales we could see the huge mast on the coast, next to our destina-tion, a welcome sight but still about two hours away for us.
More reeds bashed away at our heads and bodies and the river as ever had no flow at all on it so the going was tough but we’d made good time so far so we were feeling confident even when we had to lay down in the kayaks on our backs to be able to pass under a very low bridge; the rod of iron hanging down inches above our noses as we passed underneath made us sweat a little too. We soon found a new obstacle created by the local town hall. The reeds had been cut ahead of us, which was good. However, many had been cut and left to flow down the river and had complete-ly blocked it at points, which was not so good. We developed a fun strate-gy to deal with the problem; we built
up as much speed as we could as we approached the reed dam on the river and then attempted to crash through it. Although it was very tiring it was also good fun, and it worked…well, most of the time anyway.
As the river narrowed after Formentera we could see the team waiting for us up ahead. They had headed downriver to check out whether we could get through where the river splits about 5km from Guardamar. The news wasn’t good. We couldn’t get through as the authorities had closed off the river for about a one kilometre stretch meaning one thing. We’d have to carry the kayaks over that distance. We got out of the water watched by some curious sheep, several goats and a shepherd wondering what on earth we were doing as we walked past the flock and up to the path than ran alongside where the river should have been. It was hell. The hardest part of the whole adventure. Two kayaks weighing in at about 65kg each and we had a long way to carry them. With me walking in front carrying the front ends of the kayaks in each hand and Mitch bringing up the rear with the back ends we struggled on. Really struggled. By the five hundred metre mark we were exhausted and the muscles in our backs and shoulders were really starting to hurt.
It took us forty-five minutes to cover that stretch and it now meant we would be behind schedule if we came across any more problems. We didn’t have far to go so it didn’t seem likely but as we’d found out during this trip, you just never know.As it turned out the last three kilo-metres, from the bridge that carries the road N332 on its merry way up and down the coast, were wonderful. Spurred on by our team and friends and supporters on the river bank cheering us on and running alongside us we upped the pace and began to see the wonderful lighthouse at the end of our particular tunnel. What a sight! We were really pumped up by the people who’d turned
out to see us and we powered towards the port with such ferocity they had to run along the river bank to keep up with us. And finally we were there. As we round-ed the corner to turn in to the port we ignited the flares we had been carry-ing all this time for just this moment. They burned brightly, filling the port with smoke and announcing our arrival in style as we headed towards the bar where most, quite sensibly, had decided to wait for us. Apparently we lit more than one fuse though as the harbour master came running out to the water’s edge and, glowing almost as red as the flares, he told us off. We knew we would probably get in to trouble by lighting the flares but a telling off was a small price to pay for what was, for us, a very memorable moment.
Exhausted we hauled ourselves out of the kayaks and just lay on the portside starting to feel the effects of four and a half hours of rowing, which meant we’d done approximately fourteen thousand oar strokes, each.No wonder it hurt.A round of photographs for friends and the press held us back from a large, cool beer although it was only temporary and the occasion meant we weren’t feeling the cold just yet.
Two kayaks, seventeen weirs and rapids and fifty two kilometres later we’d made it and the drive home, thankfully carried out by Rob, was pure therapy in itself. If only to be moving so fast for once! It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever attempted (I used to race motorbikes in six hour endurance races and I thought that was hard) but we both felt proud to have done it even if we did have to do it over two days. That’s what it was all about, a challenge. And to do it alongside my son was the best thing I’ve ever done.
Thanks to everyone who helped make it possible - this article is dedicated to them.
OUR DELIVERANCE
6
rowing requires a rhythm but Orihuela city and its surroundings put paid to that. On exiting Orihuela City, after the fun and games on the big weir with our friends and the team who had met us in the city centre, we hit the most dis-heartening part of the challenge.No water. Well, very little. At times it was down to just a few inches deep and for the next hour we had to keep getting out and carrying the kayaks as it was impossible to row. After that the river was still shallow (around half a metre) and dotted with boulders that stopped us finding any rhythm. We lost time. A lot of time and the next stretch down to Benejuzar seemed to take forever. By the time we got there the tempera-ture was dropping but with some more food and a quick chat with the team we got going again looking forward to the rapids and weir that welcomed us before we got to Algorfa, where the team would once again meet us. Time was really against us by now as on the last stretch we had also had to either pick, brush or batter our way through the reeds that hung low over the river. And we were exhausted. Pains were coming thick and fast now with Mitch getting cramp fre-quently and my shoulders burning with every paddle stroke.
The thought of the weir we would be rid-ing down helped us to plough on as the light started to go and the temperature dropped even more. We were starting to get very cold. The tiredness didn’t help but with less than 16km to go once we reached Algorfa we knew we could do it. When we arrived at the weir and rapids (which were close together and meant we had to make a sharp turn after going down the weir and then straight into fast rapids with another left turn to try and do as we headed down and through the rocks.
Above us on the wall that ran alongside the river were the team and people with cameras all anticipating the sight of us
two riding the kayaks through the fast water and obstacles. I went first and it was tough as the weir tried to push me
to the far bank but I managed to hold it on line and head for the rapids where I missed the left turn and stopped mo-mentarily on a rock before the rushing water pushed me off again and into the waiting, and relatively still, water below. Mitch did the same although his on-board camera became the day’s first casualty as it was smashed off of the front of his kayak when he hit a rock. We were buzzing after that and rowed on down the river towards Algorfa, forgetting momentarily the fatigue and aches and leaving the team to return to their cars and head down the road to meet us.
Before we got there we saw the familiar purple tee shirts of our team standing on the river bank signalling us to pull over. They’d had a talk a felt very strongly that it would be dangerous for us to go on much further as it was almost dark and we could hardly see. We told them we were determined to finish and carried on rowing to the rest stop about 2km further down the river. But what they had said began to make sense as we tried to feel our way at times through reeds and by dodging the odd rock sticking up and out of the water; which was impossible to see by that time. The truth dawned on us that we wouldn’t be finishing that day and after agreeing that we’d have to stop and get out at Al-gorfa and come back and finish another day, we rowed on silently to the meeting point.
A good number of people were still waiting to greet us at Algorfa and it was a welcome sight as we rounded the corner and saw them all on the river bank. We pulled over; exhausted and told the team that we agreed with their decision…it was no longer safe to go on. We were gutted. With the aches that now came with the rapid cooling of our bodies we were, it must be said, very despondent; thinking we’d let everyone down but we couldn’t expect the team to
have to be responsible for our safety if we (foolishly) carried on. No, they were right. But it didn’t make us feel any
better.
Part twoWe were back. Two weeks later we stood at the place that had held so much disappointment for us, the river bank in Algorfa. But this time we had the adren-alin flowing again and after the public response we’d had to our first effort we knew we had a huge amount of support. We were determined to finish, and do it in style.The water level had risen somewhat since the first time we were on the river which meant that the weirs and rapids would be that much bigger and faster. We couldn’t wait. The first was only about four kilometres away and we reached it within thirty five minutes which was a very fast pace, just what we wanted.
Again, I got the job of going down it first, there was a theme developing here, and one of the ‘joys’ of this type of kayaking is that once you are in the flow towards a weir or rapid there is no turn-ing back as the strong flow will take you towards it. It did, and as I approached the drop I began to realise it was a lot bigger and faster than we had previously witnessed when we had scouted the riv-er a month before. There was no going back and I headed over the metre and a half drop and plunged into the cold wa-ter up to my waist although still in the kayak. The buoyancy brought the front back up and I sat in a freezing puddle of water, totally exhilarated! Mitch did the same and it was great to see him as it dawned on him just how big the drop was but he came down safely and we paddled on laughing and whoop-ing at what we’d just experienced. The ‘Deliverance’ theme also made another appearance at this point too.
Rojales would be next and its big weir had water flowing over it which meant we could ride it. But first we’d be stop-
ping and getting out of the kayaks to get a good look at it from all side and decide the best route to go down. The
OUR DELIVERANCE
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exercises to do after and between your rides this will help prevent many of the niggles and aches that come from riding a bike for long periods of time, you can even do them when stopped for a coffee break. Finding more time to ride your bike is a challenge for all of us but two things will help, be creative and be organised. These two qualities will allow you to seize every opportunity that comes your way. You can cycle to work, for the shopping, for the papers to friends houses for dinner to the pub, restaurant etc. There are numerous opportunities to spend more time in the saddle and save money if you want to.
There are many ways to get yourself fitter. One of the best ways is to cycle on hills, there are many reasons to love hills rather than hate them, hills have always had a poor reputation with bike riders, hills make
you fit, they may make your legs hurt and your lungs burn but riding hills regularly will build up leg strength and will force you to work a little bit harder than usual and they will also boost your cardio vascular fitness levels.
Do not avoid them if you want to get fitter and faster. Hills also give variety to your ride and once at the top you normally have beautiful views and great fun descending after the hard push to get to the top, there are many different types of hills and the best thing is to find a hill close to you that suits you best.
Try timing yourself up the hill and see how you improve if you can do hills everything else is easy. Pacing yourself whilst on a ride is also important as you need to ensure that you have
enough energy left to see you through to the end, being able to chat to your mates and other riders is a good measure that you have your pacing right.
If you are out of breath it is time to slow down, remember the hare and the tortoise. Running out of energy on the bike is un-pleasant but can be easily avoided if you think about nutrition before, during and after your ride. You don’t have to carry loads of expensive supplements with you, all you need is a handful of dried apricots which are easily available, easy to carry and easy to eat.
It’s also important to ensure that at least one of your water bottles contains a carbo-hydrate drink (energy drink).
If you haven’t ridden in a group be-fore, it’s an idea to join a local group or club no matter what style and type of cycling you do, there are groups out there for everyone.
Riding in a group is enjoyable, socia-ble, make new friends and allows you new opportunities, learn new differ-ent routes it also makes you work harder and go further. Please check our website under clubs and groups for information or give us a call.
Also in 2015 give yourself an aim, if the furthest you have cycled is 40 or 50k try to aim for 50 or 70k, also try to complete one long ride of 100k during 2015.Hope this helps you all to improve and learn new skills, be-come fitter , healthier and happier.Keep that wheels turning “ All the best Gary and Lynn” .
On Wednesday 17th December the Ladies and Gents Hybrid / Mountain bike groups arrived at Cyclogical in Quesada for a glass of mulled wine before taking part in their respective Christmas ride outs. The Gents group led by Rob and Ken left the shop at 10.30 and covered approx. 50kms before retiring to the Minigolf restaurant at 2pm ready for their 3 course Christmas dinner with all the trimmings which was waiting for them. Lynn’s Ladies group left the shop at 11.15 and covered 40kms before finally stopping at the Minigolf for their Christmas lunch at 3pm.
Both groups were dressed as Santas and Elves and had a great ride and a superb Christmas dinner and most of all a great time. So if you fancy making new friends and enjoy getting out on your bike with others give us a call and join one of our groups.
Monday Morning: 10am Gents Cycling Group. All Levels. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)1pm Ladies Cycling Group.
Beginners. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)
Tuesday Morning: 9am Training Group. Advanced. (Road Bikes) Wednesday Morning: 10am Gents Cycling Group. All Levels. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)11am Ladies Cycling Group. All Levels. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)
Thursday Evening: 5.30pm Training Group. Advanced. (Road Bikes)
Sunday Morning: 8am Training Group. Advanced. (Road Bikes)
A NEW YEAR A NEW YOU IN 2015
Happy New Year to you all from Lynn and I. We hope you have a great 2015 and now’s the time to improve on all your cy-cling skills. If you haven’t started cycling yet then what are you waiting for? For those of you who have here are some tips and ideas on how to improve and make yourself a better fitter cyclist. Consistency is how you get fitter.
It’s far better to ride a little bit several times a week than just having one big ride every other week. Developing a cycling habit will be the best thing you can do to improve your fitness. Cycling shouldn’t be uncomfortable but we know that many rid-ers suffer various aches and pains. Howev-er there is a lot that you can do to avoid it. Having the right size and kind of bike is paramount, having the saddle and handle-bars altered to suit your shape and size is very important.
The bike needs to fit you. Have a good routine of stretching and strengthening
CYCLING tips advice routes
by Gary Routledgewww.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
“Get on yer bike!”“Get on yer bike!” Annual Christmas Ride outs
Open Mon-Fri 09.30-17.30 Sat: 10.00-14.00Call Gary or Lynn: 637 487 377www.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
Calle Los Arcos, 7 QUESADA
Sales, Repairs, Hires, Accessories & Clothing
8
exercises to do after and between your rides this will help prevent many of the niggles and aches that come from riding a bike for long periods of time, you can even do them when stopped for a coffee break. Finding more time to ride your bike is a challenge for all of us but two things will help, be creative and be organised. These two qualities will allow you to seize every opportunity that comes your way. You can cycle to work, for the shopping, for the papers to friends houses for dinner to the pub, restaurant etc. There are numerous opportunities to spend more time in the saddle and save money if you want to.
There are many ways to get yourself fitter. One of the best ways is to cycle on hills, there are many reasons to love hills rather than hate them, hills have always had a poor reputation with bike riders, hills make
you fit, they may make your legs hurt and your lungs burn but riding hills regularly will build up leg strength and will force you to work a little bit harder than usual and they will also boost your cardio vascular fitness levels.
Do not avoid them if you want to get fitter and faster. Hills also give variety to your ride and once at the top you normally have beautiful views and great fun descending after the hard push to get to the top, there are many different types of hills and the best thing is to find a hill close to you that suits you best.
Try timing yourself up the hill and see how you improve if you can do hills everything else is easy. Pacing yourself whilst on a ride is also important as you need to ensure that you have
enough energy left to see you through to the end, being able to chat to your mates and other riders is a good measure that you have your pacing right.
If you are out of breath it is time to slow down, remember the hare and the tortoise. Running out of energy on the bike is un-pleasant but can be easily avoided if you think about nutrition before, during and after your ride. You don’t have to carry loads of expensive supplements with you, all you need is a handful of dried apricots which are easily available, easy to carry and easy to eat.
It’s also important to ensure that at least one of your water bottles contains a carbo-hydrate drink (energy drink).
If you haven’t ridden in a group be-fore, it’s an idea to join a local group or club no matter what style and type of cycling you do, there are groups out there for everyone.
Riding in a group is enjoyable, socia-ble, make new friends and allows you new opportunities, learn new differ-ent routes it also makes you work harder and go further. Please check our website under clubs and groups for information or give us a call.
Also in 2015 give yourself an aim, if the furthest you have cycled is 40 or 50k try to aim for 50 or 70k, also try to complete one long ride of 100k during 2015.Hope this helps you all to improve and learn new skills, be-come fitter , healthier and happier.Keep that wheels turning “ All the best Gary and Lynn” .
On Wednesday 17th December the Ladies and Gents Hybrid / Mountain bike groups arrived at Cyclogical in Quesada for a glass of mulled wine before taking part in their respective Christmas ride outs. The Gents group led by Rob and Ken left the shop at 10.30 and covered approx. 50kms before retiring to the Minigolf restaurant at 2pm ready for their 3 course Christmas dinner with all the trimmings which was waiting for them. Lynn’s Ladies group left the shop at 11.15 and covered 40kms before finally stopping at the Minigolf for their Christmas lunch at 3pm.
Both groups were dressed as Santas and Elves and had a great ride and a superb Christmas dinner and most of all a great time. So if you fancy making new friends and enjoy getting out on your bike with others give us a call and join one of our groups.
Monday Morning: 10am Gents Cycling Group. All Levels. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)1pm Ladies Cycling Group.
Beginners. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)
Tuesday Morning: 9am Training Group. Advanced. (Road Bikes) Wednesday Morning: 10am Gents Cycling Group. All Levels. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)11am Ladies Cycling Group. All Levels. (Hybrids and Mountain Bikes)
Thursday Evening: 5.30pm Training Group. Advanced. (Road Bikes)
Sunday Morning: 8am Training Group. Advanced. (Road Bikes)
A NEW YEAR A NEW YOU IN 2015
Happy New Year to you all from Lynn and I. We hope you have a great 2015 and now’s the time to improve on all your cy-cling skills. If you haven’t started cycling yet then what are you waiting for? For those of you who have here are some tips and ideas on how to improve and make yourself a better fitter cyclist. Consistency is how you get fitter.
It’s far better to ride a little bit several times a week than just having one big ride every other week. Developing a cycling habit will be the best thing you can do to improve your fitness. Cycling shouldn’t be uncomfortable but we know that many rid-ers suffer various aches and pains. Howev-er there is a lot that you can do to avoid it. Having the right size and kind of bike is paramount, having the saddle and handle-bars altered to suit your shape and size is very important.
The bike needs to fit you. Have a good routine of stretching and strengthening
CYCLING tips advice routes
by Gary Routledgewww.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
“Get on yer bike!”“Get on yer bike!” Annual Christmas Ride outs
Open Mon-Fri 09.30-17.30 Sat: 10.00-14.00Call Gary or Lynn: 637 487 377www.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
Calle Los Arcos, 7 QUESADA
Sales, Repairs, Hires, Accessories & Clothing
9
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medio diaWe are open every day from 6.00pm
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One of the many things I love about Algorfa is the orange groves which line the new road down from La Finca to the village. They’re a haven of peace and tranquillity, with Na-ture exhibited in all her glory, and I love to take Paddy in there, let him off the lead and watch him bound with unconfined joy along the avenues, sometimes chasing rabbits, but more often than not just enjoying being alive in that perfect space.In April and May, the smell of the orange blossom as you stroll down the back road to the village is overpowering. And once the bees arrive for pollination purposes, you wouldn’t believe the noise they make. Lo-cally, it’s known as the Algorfa Roar, and if you happen to be around at the time, you’ll understand why. The hum of the bees builds into a crescendo of sound that can be heard for miles around.
And of course, there are the birds singing and flitting from tree to tree, and the rabbits running through the avenues and finding the safety of the warren if any dogs are around. In spring, if you keep your eyes peeled as you walk past the groves, you may even see a couple of hares, up on their hind legs box-ing.Come October, the oranges start to change from green to – well, orange. However, they are still hard to the touch, but by the end of November they are ready to be picked and
eaten, although it will be at least another month or so before the commercial harvest begins. And the fruits will keep coming right through until the end of March.The custom is that, if the groves are fenced off, you’re trespassing if you go in there, but if there is open access from the road, you can go in and walk your dog, and even pick a few oranges straight from the tree, as long as you’re not too greedy. The large, thin skinned Valencian oranges that grow in our local groves make wonderful fresh orange juice – sweet, but with just a hint of sharp-ness, and so juicy that just two oranges will provide us with a large glass of juice each to start our day.
I tend to keep my eyes on the ground in the groves at this time of year, both for windfalls which have just fallen from the trees, and would go to waste if just left to rot, and kin-dling for the fire. A 20 minute walk is enough to fill one bag with twigs, and another with oranges, while Paddy is trying – and failing – to cut down the rabbit population. However, oranges are good for much more than eating and juicing. Orange peel also has its uses. Rubbed over the skin, it is an effective mosquito repellent. And if cats are a problem in your garden, spreading orange peel around your treasured plants will stop the cats from digging. I’m reliably informed that cats can’t stand the smell of oranges.
You can also use orange peel in the home. Place dried peel in cloth bags in your ward-robe to freshen up all your clothes and pre-vent damp, musty smells. Boiling orange peel and cloves in water on the hob will perfume the whole house. This could come in useful when the drains start to smell, or Uncle Bert has overindulged on the curry!One of the most surprising uses of orange peel I discovered by accident while driving in the campo one day. Lots of houses have what appears to be a curtain of orange peel outside. Strips of peel hang from strings, looking for all the world like a washing line full of doll’s clothes.Powdered dried orange peel is one of the main constituents in gunpowder, and this has given rise to something of a cottage in-dustry. Specialist companies will pay €2 a kilo for dried orange peel, which is then used in the manufacture of fireworks for Spain’s many fiestas. Don’t give up the day job, though, as dried orange peel is very light! Still, it’s a nice way for locals to earn a few extra Euros.The oils present in orange peel are flamma-ble and, when the peel is dried in the sun for two weeks or more, it makes excellent kindling. For a blazing log fire, add dried or-ange peel. As a bonus, the burning peel will give your room a delicate fragrance. Who would have thought our lovely Costa Blanca oranges could have so many uses?
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Festive Fun.
Christmas has gone and we look forward to a New Year and hopefully new efforts from the council of San Fulgencio when it comes to putting things right on the urbanisation of La Marina. There was very little festive cheer from the council towards the urbanisation. They as usual supplied one solitary tree down by the community centre and a nativ-ity scene none to cleverly hidden by huge police barriers at the tourist office. It resembled a crime scene more than a festive one! Some residents did embarrass and bully the council into making a bigger effort, we got 2 street light decorations put up (one on Avda Londres and another by the medical centre). Thanks for the effort, ho, ho, ho! This yet again demonstrates that the urb has to go cap in hand to get things done , the council is not proactive, merely reactive when faced with possible adverse publicity. Take a visit to San Fulgencio and count the number of decorative street lights and the splendid nativity scene, the contrast to the urbanisation is staggering.
The year starts off against the back drop of the allegations made against our mayor of financial wrong doings to the sum of 190,000 euro’s. I don’t know if the allegations are true and can’t possible comment but this comes so swiftly after the convictions of two other mayors/party leaders for breach/corrupt practices. I hope we will soon learn the truth behind the latest scandal involving our council. It has been well publicised in the English speaking press but as yet I haven’t seen any denial issued by the council, I’m sure we will in due course.
Enough of the political stuff let me move on to the practical stuff. I still haven’t seen a road sweeper any where in sight around my way for over 6 months nor have I seen any evidence that the proliferation of weeds that are causing damage to the walk ways are being dealt with. On a positive note the sign that use to send traffic the wrong way to my community has been moved to a more prominent and proper place. The blue bollards that stirred so much comment now total just 2 (there were 3 when I first wrote) again I suspect the reason (safety) for having them in the first place still holds good so I look forward to having the correct number in place very soon.
I still believe despite what I have been told that the urbanisation does play second fiddle to the the town despite the major-ity of cash coming from the urb. I really do encour-age everyone, no matter their na-tionality to register on the padron and get registered to vote in the local elections in a few years time. Don’t just register but vote when the time comes. In between times if an individual has an issue with how the administration is dealing with the urb go to the town hall and make your feelings known.
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You may or may not know that I have spent some time in England over the holiday period. It was my first English Christmas since 2002. The kids were expecting a white one as they were in England but, alas, it wasn’t to be. Af-ter. Always after down our way. And it wasn’t even proper snow! It was more of a thick frost. A very thick frost! But the kids were delighted, they were out in the cul-de-sac throwing frost balls at each other. Being home certainly made me appreciate the sunshine more! And frozen puddles! They’ve never seen frozen puddles before. It was a nov-elty.
I felt a lot like an outsider looking in. I noticed a lot of things. Like bright green dog poo. Yes, I swear it’s true. Here somebody puts a note in dog-gie doo requesting that you “please pick it up”. In England, either there’s a jobsworth wandering around spray-ing Fido’s dinner from last night, or we should be concerned about what last night’s dinner actually was! My good-ness, if it was a council person, how much of their time would it have taken to pick it up? About the same amount of time it would take to graffiti it, I wonder?
The 5p supermarket bag charge has been in for months now, and all check-out staff politely inform you that they have to charge you and ask you if it’s all right, before apologising. in Spain, another 2 cents is added to your bill and no pasa nada. Nothing is said. English people say “sorry” A LOT. Sometimes unnecessarily, I think. But that’s just our ‘way’. An alternative is to use a ‘self service’ checkout where you DIY it.
Sales calls. EVERY DAY. Several times a day. We were staying with my dad and he just kept them talking if he picked up the phone claiming to be the lodg-er. However, one day I answered one of these calls in Spanish. Kept telling him I couldn’t understand him (which was true, they have very thick Indian accents) and said “¿Que?” a lot, until they hung up on ME. You’re welcome.
The time was actually the right time. Not having to add on the hour takes a bit of getting used to. It’s not just me, is it...?
The countryside around Sussex is as-tounding. Green. Driving around the coast road by the cliffs, stopping off in a typical country pub with a roar-ing fire for hot chocolate to wrap your frost bitten fingers around, muddy wellies, friendly smiles, rosy cheeks, that’s an English winter. (won’t men-tion the windswept hair, chill factor, or rain...)
We like a good moan, but in England they call it “conversion”. The weather, last night’s telly, train fares, not happy about train fares going up but still pay while smiling through gritted teeth. Talking of trains, I heard a great excuse for a late arriv-al. This was due to “strong sunlight”. In January. Honestly, none of this is made up!
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Back in 2000 when still a baby faced
40 ish, we began our retirement plans
hoping to live out our last in the land of
sangria and sun. I decided learning the
language will be a good idea. Now bear
in mind, for those that have not heard
me moan before, I didn’t do school,
took no exams and could barely write,
no joking, I spelt my name wrong on
my 11+ the one exam I did take. I am
not much better now to be honest, but
no, I determined to learn and started
college, a huge thing for me because on
the days I did attend school, I loathed
going because I had not a clue of what
was going on.
I spent a lot of time in hospital and
no one bothered with my education,
being a girl everyone assumed I would
marry and bear many future taxpay-
ers. So at the age of 40+ off to col-
lege I went with my lunch money in my
sticky palm, hoping to learn how to ask
for a beer, the obvious one, and the
usual polite manners to accompany the
request, not realising I signed up for a
GCSE. Okay not a problem, I thought,
I’m a grown up... The course began.
Lesson 1.
The teacher, a wonderful woman, fun-
nily enough I did wonder if she may
be related to, or a little minion of our
esteemed editor of ‘All Abroad,’ Dave
Bull in some way, her surname being
Bullock. She asked me for the definite
article in Spanish... Durr, I’m stuck. I
don’t know what it is in English.
Lesson 2.
Can you conjugate verbs...?’ Durr, at
this point I did wonder if I had joined a
cult of some description, and they were
expecting me to join in some sexual
rights, the word sounding similar to
‘conjugal’ to me. I stiffened my British
upper lip ready to walk out, about to
tell them they had got the wrong bunny
here, when the pupil next to me dug
her bony 70 year old forefinger in my
ribs, and must have been a witch who
read my mind, because she hissed be-
tween her loose top teeth, ‘Conjugate
twit, not conjugal.’ I smiled and looked
towards the Bullock,
‘I am sorry dear,’ well she was at least
half my age. ‘I don’t understand what
to conjugate is, and I am afraid I don’t
remember what a ‘verb’ is... See I told
you I didn’t do school.
Lesson 3.
Please miss, I didn’t do my homework
because you are not only speaking a
foreign language to me, I don’t under-
stand the English bit. Yes, the Bullock
realised she had found her “special”
project, i.e. me.
I had visions of standing in the corner
with a dunce hat on or of someone
hoisting me out of the class by my ear,
but no. The young Bullock took me in
hand and taught me what I needed in
English and then in Spanish and at the
end of two years I left with an A grade.
Well done me I earned a qualification at
the age of 40+ but then came the time
to use this new acquired knowledge.
On our first holiday in Spain, I steeled
myself for the first ‘Hola,’ The word
rolled from my lips like a native and I
received a ‘Hola’ in reply. In the bar I
ordered, ‘Un gin y tonic con hielo, una
cerveza, y un beso extra.’ Yes okay for
all you bilinguals, I ordered an extra
‘Kiss’ not an extra glass I wanted, but
MANDY’SSpanish Diary
by Mandy Tams
as he was so handsome I’m not sure I
made a true mistake.
My confidence grew, I shopped, hag-
gled and spoke to anyone who would
answer until my downfall came and
smacked me in the face and I needed
a padlock.
Now I can tell someone, ‘My postillion
has been struck by lighting’ in Span-
ish, but not ‘I want a padlock.’
In the hardware shop I stuttered and
stammered racking my brains, but
could not think how to ask and yet
determined not to fall in the trap and
do the British thing, which is to repeat
‘padlock,’ slow and loud, repeating it
slower and louder each time. Taking
my pride in my hands, I mimed what
I wanted, with an astonished husband
by my side wishing he were elsewhere,
in fact anywhere.
I mimed a robber with a swag bag;
I mimed wrapping a chain around
his shovels and clicking a lock on.
I mimed everything I could think of
until the light shone on the ferretero’s
little face, ‘Ah ha,’ he says, transla-
tion for the none bi lingual, is ‘Ah ha.’
He clapped his hands and shouts with
Spanish glee, ‘Queries un candado.’
I flung my arms in the air dropping my
crutches, relief on my face, as I said
to him, ‘I don’t know, what a candado
is, but if you tell me it’s a padlock then
yes I want one.’ He dipped under his
desk and pulled out an assortment of
padlocks to applause from behind me
where a crowd had collected entranced
by my mime. Some graciously saying
it was better than a show, all I know
is, I may not speak good Spanish but I
can’t half mime.Mandy Tams
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Get ready for The Homes Gardens & LIFESTYLE Show!
The Homes Gardens & LIFESTYLE Show at the Denia Marriott Hotel, Jesus Pobre near Javea on March 11th & 12th March is getting ready to welcome our visitors in style as our Show Spon-sors BLU So Easy! will be welcoming everyone with a stylish BLU cava cocktail from the CAVA FOUNTAIN in the main lobby by the Jazz and Blues Bar where some magic awaits you as the Round Town News sponsors of our MAGIC EXPERIENCE with YANNI the Street Magician who will be performing memorable magic, PLUS there is also an 8 day Mediterranean Cruise to be won in RTN’s FREE to enter draw, as if by magic you could be setting sail in May 2016! Celeb Syd Little from Little & Large fame is cooking up some comedy and cuisine with our very own Masterchef semi-finalist Danny Bowler in the Show case kitchens both day’s along with our COSTA’S COOK OFF! Our cooking competition with 4 local chefs creating culinary dishes for the audience decide the winner!
Talking of wining, how about a nice 250.00 in currency to spend courtesy of Infinity International in CRACK THE SAFE and win the Currency in the Casino or A 32 “ TV, or a luxury spa weekend for two at the Denia Marriot Hotel.We are pushing the boat out with more features than ever before including the ‘LEGAL SUITE’ sponsored by Pellicer & Heredia, your legal questions answered, and the opportunity to win a ‘Free Will’ besides many other prizes at the Show! The brand new ‘TAPAS TRAIL’ just follow our show route map to find participating stands to receive your FREE Tapa! And for all the animal lovers out there we are launching ‘PET IDOL 2016’ The cutest pet photograph competi-tion……. To enter send you pet (cat, dog or oth-er furry or feathered pet) photos in to [email protected] with your pets name! Back by popular demand is UK TV’s antiques expert Mark Stacey on hand to value antiques and collectables, bring them along, you can also participate in his Antiques quiz to win an an-tique! (No not Mark !)It’s a New Year, and therefore you may be on the lookout for new ideas for your Homes, Gar-dens and Lifestyle, the Spring Show will boast hundreds of products and services all on offer to see, touch, taste, try and buy……For a truly informative, inspirational fun packed two day’s there is only one place to be! The Homes Gar-dens & Lifestyle Show is there for you to enjoy, meet new people, and all our local businesses will be there waiting to meet you! See www.gmpromotions.es for more info
What’s On - The Homes Gardens & LIFESTYLE Show!
21
Fri Feb 12thPablos International, Playa Flamenca - David J Williams – 9pm Em’s Dreams, La Marina – Paul Vegas – 9pmO’Riordans, Cabo Roig – Paul Allen – 10pmLa Taberna, Quesada – Nilo – 9pmPosh Club, La Marina – Charles Cole – 1.30pmStray Sod, La Fuente – Dan Davy – 10pmEmerald Isle, La Florida – Richie Alexander – 9pmThe Archers, Quesada – Jaz – 8pmFountain Bar, Dolores – Rewind Disco for Elche Children’s Home – 7.30pmLansdowne, Playa Fla-menca – The Streeters – 10pmJ.R Junior Bar, Los Mon-tesinos – Testament to the 60’s – 7pm, 5 Euros to SATSSat Feb 13thLa Bodegueta, Lo Crispin – Cassi Kennedy – 8pmImanyos, Daya Nueva – Johnny Scott – 9.30pmStray Sod, La Fuente – Kolted – 10pmEmerald Isle, La Florida – Dan Davy and Nick Gold – 9pmQuesada Country Club, Quesada – Rod Stewart Tribute – 9pmLandsdowne, Playa Fla-menca – Richie Alexander – 10pmGogarty’s, La Zenia – Tony de Love – 10pmAneto Cerveceria, Beni-mar – Tony Capaldi – 9pmBar Carlos, Torrevieja – Open Mic night - 9pmStray Sod, La Fuente – Kolted – 10pmFoxy’s Bar, Via Park V – James Ellis – 6.30pmVistabella Golf, Entre Naranjas – Terry Jay – 8.30pmBlack Horse, Cabo Roig – Samantha Curtis – 9pmTavern, Lo Crispin – JJ Soulman – 9pmLa Manga Camping, La Manga – Done n Dusted – 8.30pmSun Feb 14thYOLO, Cabo Roig – David J Williams – 10pmPablos International, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmSports Complex, La Mari-na – Woody – 9pmPosh Club, La Marina – Paul Vegas – 9pm
Champagne Bar, La Fuente – Benny the Piano Man – 3pmDurty Nelly’s, Torrevieja – Jose Bolero – 3pmMonos, Quesada – Crazy G – 8pmFri Feb 19thPablos International, Playa Flamenca - David J Williams – 9pmO’Riordans, Cabo Roig – Paul Allen – 10pmVictoria Tea Room, Almor-adi – Rod Stewart Tribute – 9pmPosh Club, La Marina – Charles Cole – 1.30pmLansdowne, Playa Fla-menca – The Streeters – 10pmEmerald Isle, La Florida – Richie Alexander – 9pmSat Feb 20thRestaurante Los Rosales, Guardamar, “Bang! The Streeters” – 15 Euros – 7.30pm – call 697501992 for ticketsPablo’s International, Playa Flamenca – Cassi Kennedy – 9pmBreakaways, Pueblo Principe – Rebecca Holt – 9pmCarol’s Bar, Sucina – Rod Stewart Tribute – 9pmPosh Club, La Marina – Cherry K – 9pmLandsdowne, Playa Fla-menca – Richie Alexander – 10pmGogarty’s, La Zenia – Tony de Love – 10pmAneto Cerveceria, Beni-mar – Tony Capaldi – 9pmBar Carlos, Torrevieja – Open Mic night - 9pmStray Sod, La Fuente – Kolted – 10pmFoxy’s Bar, Via Park V – James Ellis – 6.30pmFri Feb 26thO’Riordans, Cabo Roig – Paul Allen – 10pmPosh Club, La Marina – Charles Cole – 1.30pmLansdowne, Playa Fla-menca – The Streeters – 10pmEmerald Isle, La Florida – Richie Alexander – 9pmSat Feb 27thTaberna Orange Bar, Entre Naranjas – Cassi Kennedy – 9pmPosh Club, La Marina – Paul Christie – 9pmLandsdowne, Playa Fla-menca – Richie Alexander – 10pmGogarty’s, La Zenia – Tony de Love – 10pmAneto Cerveceria, Beni-
What’s On Gig Guide March - weekendsLets Rock the Costas
Let’s Rock Shows will be starting off their 2016 season on February 20th with 2 phenomenal rock n roll bands on one show - Bang! and The Streeters. The 2 bands from Murcia have never played togeth-er on one show before, so this is a unique chance to see the very first “Battle of the Bands” at Restaurante Los Rosales on the CV895 in Campo De Guardamar. The 200 seater restaurant has long been the home of many sell out shows and has had acts from all over the world on its stage.
This latest show is a first for Rosales and Lets Rock shows as there have never been 2 bands on the one stage before. The 2 Murcia based 3 piece bands are highly respected on the Costa Blanca and have been playing at fiestas and bars up and down the coast from Valencia to Almeria. Both are dedicated to live music and use no
backing tracks. The Streeters cover all types of music from rock n roll to surf, blues and pop. There style is such that you just have to get up and dance. They are renowned for having the youngest guitarist in a working band. Austin Slack has been performing with the band since he was 14 years old. He is such a talented musician that he has been snapped up to play in a country wide tour with “Symphonie Pink Floyd”. The massive year long tour will take him all over Spain as well as Tenerife and Majorca. The show on February 20th at Los Rosales will be the public’s last chance to see the original Streeters band performing until after the tour finishes.
Along with the 2 live bands there will also be a guest appearance from local musician and per-sonality “Dave The Hat”, who has recently come out of hospital. He and the other acts will be helping to raise money for the charity Cats and Dogs Association. Jax Lawson has helped raise thousands of Euros for local and UK charities
by not only fundraising herself but also bringing the charities along to her many shows. Tickets for “Bang! The Streeters” are on sale now for 15 Euros which includes a 2 course meal. Go to www.lrshows.com , call 697501992 or see poster for outlets. Doors open at 7.30pm
More crowd pleasing shows have been booked throughout the year and include The Liverpool Band, The Troupers Swing Band, Benidorm Tom Jones, Il Divo, Take That and UK official Peter Kay Tribute shows. Reservations have been coming in thick and fast.
If you would like your events in our next issue, it’s free. Just let me know who, where and when by emailing me at - [email protected] Or visit www.keepentertainmentliveinspain.com for shows, acts and event details.
Love your life. Love live, music and sup-port your entertain-ers!Jax Law-son x
There can be a huge amount of pressure upon Expats in Spain to integrate into Spanish life, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We should of course make every effort to blend in, to em-brace our new lives, and to experience as much as possible. However, everyone seems to have different ideas of what that entails.In this article, we take a light-hearted look at some of the aspects of Spanish life... and why I, personally, won’t ever be 100 per cent there.
Spanish foodI love food. However, there are a number of expats that think it is okay to criticise my di-etary choices. So what if I want sausage and mash for tea... or a bag of Frazzles... a sausage butty with HP sauce... or a box of Mr Kiplings occasionally. I eat a lot of Spanish food (we have loads of Spanish recipes on the website), the seafood dishes being my main favourites. I embrace cuisine from all cultures so why do I need to restrict my diet to one place now? When I lived in the UK, I didn’t solely eat fried breakfasts, roast dinners, fish and chips or cot-tage pie. I ate everything I could get my hands on. Within a twenty minute walk from my home I could enjoy any cuisine you could imagine. Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Mexican, Thai, Ja-maican, French, Spanish, Turkish, Greek - the list goes on and on.
Spanish wineAnyone who knows me knows I’m no connois-seur when it comes to wine. I’m just as happy quaffing ice cold Cardbordeaux as I am supping a dry Bermejo. If I had to solely drink one wine from one country for the rest of my life though - it would not be from Spain. Italian wines are my absolute favourite with Pinot Grigio topping the list. Lanzarote wines could almost make me change my mind, with Bermejo and Stratvs be-ing personal favourites. Sadly Stratvs is closed now for building licence issues, so I may not get another chance. Spanish wines are a bit too erm... meaty for me. And why is it that most of the bars I visit think it is acceptable to give you a glass of golden acid instead of a nice crisp dry white wine? I’ve switched to rosado recently when out, to avoid what has become a regular disappointment.
CoffeeI adore the smell of coffee, there’s nothing quite like it to get the nostrils twitching. How-ever, I am sadly allergic to the little bean. When I explain this to Spanish friends I am immedi-ately treated like I have some terminal illness, and should be handled with kid gloves.
The Spanish languageI love the Spanish language and the way it is spoken. I love the passion of it. I love the vol-ume. I love the vehemence. I love that you can swear like a trooper (with friends of course... not advisable with strangers) and needless to say, those were the first words I learned after being able to order a large glass of wine. In six years of living in Lanzarote I got lazy. I had lessons, which I excelled at... and would chat about business when with Spanish clients... but it was easy to be lazy. As Lanzarote is so reliant on tourism, most of our Spanish friends wanted to improve their English so that they could bet-ter serve their customers. I should have been firm, I should have asked to switch... but it was all too easy to say “yes.” I learned more Spanish in the first six months of moving to Almeria than in the six years in Lanzarote. I’m still far from fluent, and my listening skills are appalling... but I’m getting there. I am, how-ever, tired of hearing people criticise when we dare to say “I get by”. I do get by... I also learn more every day... and even if my rolled Rs cause much hilarity I get lots of help from Spanish people who can see I try so hard. But some Brits are snobbish about the language. 80 per cent of British people can’t even speak their own language properly - let alone grasp a completely new one. We have moved (in lan-guage terms) from Cornwall to Newcastle with-out passing London on the way through - give me a break.
PetsThe Brits and Northern Europeans are a world apart from the Spanish when it comes to pets. Our neighbours find it hilarious that we have three big hairy beasts living in the house with us while theirs are chained up outside howling at the moon... the sun... the air... and anything else they can howl at. I must add that all their dogs are healthy and well fed, all have shelter, and all get regular attention and fuss. But they are there to do a job, whereas ours are mem-bers of our family. Will I ever get to the point where my dogs live outside guarding the prop-erty while I am warm and dry indoors? Never.
FeriasI have never enjoyed crowds. I am like a cor-nered rat when I can’t move freely, and I re-ally don’t like sweaty men rubbing up against me as we are all squashed together to catch a fleeting glimpse of a king on a camel... or being elbowed in the gut by a little old lady to spot a few blokes in pointy hats carrying a gold statue through the streets. Back in the UK I avoided street parties. I simply can’t face the hustle and bustle. It doesn’t make me a bad person - I just don’t see why I should change my entire
personality and lose all “personal space” pho-bias because I’m in a different country. There is nothing wrong with the ferias of course - and they’re an integral part of Spain which most newcomers embrace wholeheartedly - good for them! I just can’t do it. Our Spanish neighbours don’t go either. In their words: “It is for young people now.”
TelevisionNope... sorry... just can’t do it. I’ve tried, really I have. It was all we had for the first three or four years in Lanzarote. But no, just no. I end-ed up watching just the news and quiz shows because the general standard of entertainment was a world apart from my taste. So... I will continue watching my Doctor Who and The Ap-prentice. I shall look forward to Dragons Den and Gogglebox. I shall stick to what I know and love. After I have spent all day translat-ing press releases from Spanish to English... and researching Spanish politics until my eyes bleed... I just want to wind down - and English speaking telly does that for me.
ConclusionApologies if it sounds like I am slating Spain here. I’m not doing that intentionally - there are a huge number of things I love about this country. It is home, and I can’t see that chang-ing any time soon. I love the fresher air... I love the welcoming attitude of the people... I love the food (okay we’ve done that one)... I love the weather (except for the winters... it’s gets damn cold here in the hills)... and I love that my stress levels are so much lower than they used to be. I love the straight-talking attitude of the locals without the two-faced politeness we Brits seem to embrace. But I can’t ever see me conversing solely in Spanish, living off a purely Spanish diet, watching only Spanish tel-ly, listening only to Spanish music, and pranc-ing about in a flamenco dress... ... ... so I shall never be truly integrated.Do our Spanish friends care? Do they hell! They see us as their neighbours and do not describe us as “visitors”. Our neighbour got very an-gry with me some time ago, when I used the word “Guiri”, because in their eyes we ARE immersed. They enjoy tasting the different flavours we give them. Our neighbour always knows he has half a gallon of German gluhwein coming every Christmas Day and he loves my lemon curd and my flapjacks. One friend begs for corned beef hash when he comes for dinner (incidentally he has now moved to Bristol), and we are treated as friends without conditions or judgement. We receive none of the snobbish-ness that some Brits like to band about.
Elle Draper
24
25
Do you ever think about what has hap-
pened in the space of a ‘normal’ life-
time? Because eighty years ago – and
eighty years before that, and so on, the
world was a very different place. Here
are a few facts to conjure upon.
1936, just eighty years ago: Was the
year George V died, the Civil War
began in Spain, Hitler was spreading
his vitriolic hatred throughout Europe.
Meanwhile the first helicopter flight
was taken, and the BBC instigated the
first TV service – three hours per day.
‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ won an Oscar,
and Sunderland won the league. Athletic
Bilbao (wearing, incidentally, colours
copied from Sunderland) won the
league here in Spain. Fred Perry won
Wimbledon, and Len Hutton and Harold
Larwood were rising stars of English
cricket. In the Berlin Olympics, negro
Jesse Owens won four gold medals, but
was not only shunned by Hitler, but by
Rooseveldt, who did not invite him to
the White House reception. Jewish high
jumper Gretel Bergmann, who broke the
German record, was also spurned by the
dictator.
1856, a further eighty years back: The
Crimean War, scene of the recent and
bloody ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
ended. The fight against slavery brought
more terrible violence in the Southern
USA, which still only sported 31 states.
Mutiny was festering in India, as British
rule was on the point of being rejected.
James Buchanan was elected President
of the USA. The world’s first oil refin-
ery was opened, at Ploesti, Romania.
Charles Dickens bought Gads Hill Place
in Kent, as Darwin worked on his theory
of evolution. Richard Wagner completed
the score of Die Walküre, and two very
illustrious people were born: George
Bernard Shaw and Sigmund Freud.
1776, back another 80: And we see the
Declaration of Independence, and the
birth, really of the USA. Meanwhile there
were changes afoot in Europe, as Naples
distanced itself from Spanish control,
Portugal was in a state of upheaval, and
France on the very brink of revolution.
Mozart wrote the Haffner Serenade, and
the Bolshoi had its first opera season in
St Petersburg. Gibbons published the
first volume of ‘The Decline and Fall of
the Roman Empire’
And, folks, that just takes us back three
fairly standard lifetimes – a whole lot of
change, eh?
Malcolm Palmer
Malcolm Palmer
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Computer help & advice
withSleep Paralysis v- Spirit
Sleep Paralysis is the inability to move at all, although you are fully conscious. From a health point of view it’s nothing to wor-ry about as it’s your body that’s not mov-ing smoothly through the stages of sleep. Sleep paralysis usually lasts no longer than a couple of minutes, although it seems much longer. From a personal point of view, I have experienced this phenomenon a number of times over the years and I re-member as a child lying fully awake but not being able to move. I was so frightened; I couldn’t speak or shout out. I realised quite quickly that the only thing I could do was to wait a while and the feeling passed as quickly as it came. I don’t know what was more frightening as a child, sleep paralysis, which was having to succumb to something I didn’t understand where my mind seemed active unlike my body and voice or, some-thing quite different - the start of feeling spirit around me.
To move or not to move?As a Clairvoyant Medium I know that sleep paralysis is completely different than any-one claiming to see or feel spirit For a start, sleep paralysis is being in that state of half being awake, and half asleep although you feel completely conscious it’s as if there is an internal battle going on as to who wins. The waking self or the sleeping self!In my experience, ‘Ghostly’ experiences are completely different. For a start, when seeing or sensing spirit, your body can move, and you can shout out if you want to whereas everything is in reverse in relation to sleep paralysis.
Flashing faces!One of the things I get asked a lot is why do people sometimes see flashes of faces before going to sleep - most are very clear images seem to be of people they haven’t seen before. I remember this distinctly es-pecially when spirit activity was starting to get very strong around me yet I was still
trying to ignore it as I was frightened of ghosts! Just like sleep paralysis there is much controversy around the ‘flashing fac-es’. Some believe it is attributed once again, to sleep paralysis. It’s my belief that it isn’t. Again, it’s something to do with the brow chakra opening which is known as the third eye - the ‘all seeing’ eye which, when devel-oped, helps us to see beyond the physical realm. When you are tired and ready for a good night’s sleep, your mind starts to relax so it’s much easier for you to receive clair-voyant information which can be received in a number of ways from colours, random images, and eventually into something tan-gible such as faces. If like me, seeing the faces may happen involuntarily, whereas for others, they will see the flashing faces as they start to develop their psychic ability. When this happens for the first time it can be extremely frightening and yet in reality it can be a common occurrence.
Visitation from other dimensions?For those who have experienced ‘flashing faces’, some may seem familiar, but most will be people you feel you have never seen before. Because this is attributed to clair-voyance, the faces could be people you have yet to meet in the future (premoni-tions) as if you are connecting with parallel dimensions through your third eye such as people you had connections with in previ-ous lives, or even your own ancestors. It’s widely known that as the veil between our world and the spirit world is much thinner during the hours of darkness, and anything is possible. . . There is a name for this - ‘The Pareidolia’ which scientists believe the meaning is seeing faces in things when none exist. The reality of it all is, no-one knows for definite what they are, and why they continue to show themselves to us..
How to stop it!To stop sleep paralysis or any other fright-ening experiences at night all you have to do is call upon beings of 100% light such
as the Angelic Realms. Archangel Michael particularly can stand guard over you while you sleep helping to promote sweet dreams and wrap you in his blue ray of strength and protection.
Invoking Archangel MichaelVisualise the mighty Archangel Michael - leader of the Archangels, standing in his blue ray of light. To invoke him, say this mantra “Archangel Michael so strong and true, please surround me with love and protection anew. Wrap me in your cloak of light to make my dreams loving and bright - thank you, so mote it be”. Then see him standing with his sword of light which will help cut cords to anything lower than be-ings of pure light.
Crystal for protectionYou can also place a piece of Amethyst in the bedroom. Amethyst is a protective stone bringing positivity and healing into the home. It is also known as the dream stone and if you put a cleansed piece un-der your pillow, it can bring about pleasant dreams. Amethyst can also help to alleviate any fears bringing a sense of calm into any room.
Dream catcherPlacing a handmade dream catcher on the wall behind your bed is also a protective measure against bad dreams, sleep pa-ralysis or ‘sleep terrors’ especially where children are concerned. It’s a well known fact that dream catchers promote a good night’s sleep and positive dreams, as the bad dreams get caught up in the web of the cream catcher.
A waking nightmare? Sleep Paralysis - A waking nightmare, or a higher consciousness enabling one to con-nect with ‘the other side’? I know what my take on this is - What do you believe?
Alison Wynne-Ryder ‘The Quirky Medium’
SLEEP PARALYSIS - v- GHOSTLY
EXPERIENCES ON WAKING
Follow me on Twitter @Rescuemediumalithequirkymedium.blogspot.co.ukdiscovertheangels.comIf you’d like to book a reading call me on
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