May/june 2012
Contents
1. Revista May June 2012 yi British Society of Catalunya B E Emporda Midsummer Ball 21st June 2012 Lo Mirador See Menu on Page 19 If you like your trees pruned dismantled or any other landscaping or garden blitzing please don t hesitate to call Merc 616400173 l Ww Mes de 10 anys d experiencia en jardineria Over 10 years experience of trees and i tala d arbres general landscaping Nou servei eliminaci de soques d arbre New service Stump grinding incl s en zones de dificil acc s even on slopes and difficult terrain Nik is a skilled tree surgeon College trained in England Being a tree specialist his work consists of pruning dismantling and giving advice on trees The pruning of the trees is done always respecting the biology and architecture of the tree He has a Stump grinder that is the only one in Catalunya and there is only another one like it in the whole of Spain It has the advantage that can take stumps out of the most difficult places where other bigger machinery cannot get to If you want to contact Nik call 616 400 184 or 616 400 173 2 Dear Members The Costa Brava is now waking up for the summer ready to welcome the visi tors At this moment Don and are en joying a few days in Miami prior to a very exciting cruise from Fort Lauder dale visiting Caribbean islands Colom bia then through the Panama Canal and up the west side of America visiting Los Ange2. General Insurance Home insurance Business Civil amp Public Liability Health Accidents Boats Investment plans Community blect English amp Spanish Cars Motor Bikes ete CALL US ON 971 111639 AND ASK FOR SAMMY THOMAS Sarny Thomas SLU Plaza Marques de Camps 9 10 Entlo 1 17001 Girona Spam Fax 972 204038 Email sammy wsamurthomas com WER www sammythomas com Samy Thoma SUU Nan mpane A ETOC ob epia Mim Ceca Pie 2 Prawna agaa lard ITI aj ecreiiiada ls mpedisi feamrere magati jardci 17 1 Lie MAD de ITa jek de mia A aageranra TAEMA RED CROSS SUPPORT GROUP Sue Creed Some years ago Elda Mata of the Torroella Red Cross to gether with several U3A members set up a Support Group for English speaking Seniors They continue to do a wonderful job of helping those in need who live in the Torroella L Estartit area Similar support groups are in the process of being set up in the Palafrugell and Palamos areas both of which have a high density of foreign residents This is not only for U3A members but for any person experi encing difficulties with health mobility language welfare rights etc We all hope to be self sufficient for as long as possible but eventually there may come a time when we need a help ing hand In order for this project to be a success we would need to be aware of potential cases so that these can be fol lowed up and a visiting plan set up If you know of anyone in need of help please
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4. UK or Spain please tick Ithe box There may be an additional cost for this in the future Costa Brava Property Solutions CH nt laroy ech dol E ao oo tare jy Merl andiare pee Laie me ELO E L O e Modern and traditional bathrooms and kitchens e Halle EATS A O ER EFL O OEE late Ko oo e Curved windows our speciality e e Security shutters and grilles Terrace enclosures Kitchens For free quotations without obligation please contact Lindsay Jordan 34 659 130 995 info costabravapropertysolutions es www costabravapropertysolutions es 25 YEARS OF BUILDING EXPERIENCE Quality Building On Schedule On Budget 47 New Products For w We can now offer not only the finest PVCu products but also the highest quality Aluminium _units incorporating the latest dynamic thermal break system 48
5. a day full of hope excitement and bright ness the same hope and excitement we should see in our future the brightness we expect from our politicians If only all days were a new Sant Jordi day Long live Sant Jordi to keep our culture to see smiles and cuddles in the street to remember that culture and education are important to remember not only our lovers but also our friends to hope something pleasant will be happening in our lives Nos sobran los motivos we have plenty of reasons as the great poet and singer Joaquin Sabina sings in one of his songs Nuria Heras Isach http www yes escala com 6 Se MAY JUNE INTENSIVE CONVERSATION Let bcs 37001 ON THE COSTA BRAVA kd Pr puttane aa 3 ESS 4 f i 4 TA a e J Pe P A d TEL 472 770 440 www ves escala com Easter Bonnet Lunch at Restaurant Sotavent Roger Hanson Easter time is once again upon us and as usual we had our an nual Easter Bonnet lunch We returned to last year s venue the Restaurant Sotavent and once again Manolo did not disappoint The food was outstanding and was washed down with an am ple amount of fine wine and concluded with coffee everybody leaving the table satisfied The bonnet contest was this year entered by three men and four ladies exhibiting a varied artistic and imaginative streak The important task of judging was give to Don who closely viewed the contestants and announced the winners a
6. contact the Coordinator below Please be assured that all information is treated with complete confidenti ality Already many members have contacted us for help or informa tion through the Red Cross Support Group on the U3A Web site This also lists various items which are available for loan through the local Red Cross e g wheelchairs There can be no support programme without volunteers so if you are interested in giving a little of your time to this scheme please contact one of the Coordinators below Torroella L Estartit Verges L Escala area Roger Creed 972 66 80 14 creeds17256 qmail com Palafrugell Pals La Bisbal area Christine Green 972 62 03 76 christineverde qmail com Palamos Calonge Sant Antoni area Christine Green Contact can also be made through the Red Cross Group on the U3A website hitp www u3acostabrava org 10 To the Committee British Catalonia Society 16 April 2012 would just like to extend my grateful thanks to the committee of the British Catalonia Society for their serious consideration of my email asking about the possibility of a donation being granted to the Toroella Assemblea Local de Creu Roja towards payment of badly needed replacements for their Dummies used in first aid group demonstrations Pat Sturgeon very kindly rang to give me the good news that you have generously voted to pay for this invaluable equipment Today have spoken to Elda Mata Miro Sans who started
7. in public War does not determine who is right only who is left Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Evening news is where they begin with Good Evening and then proceed to tell you why it isn t To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism To steal from many is research A bus station is where a bus stops A train station is where a train stops On my desk have a work station Some cause happiness wherever they go Others whenever they go You don t seem to be yourself lately So tell me what brought about such an improvement The following web sites have more examples http Awww englishforums com content humour paraprosdokians htm http www aish com j fs Jewish_Paraprosdokians html 37 BARAR YOT ted i Insurance Arokers Bt IN air ranch he Health Insurance policies im ENGLIS HEALTH insurance 15 probably the most important policy a family can have You may have money amp belongmes bat 1f you don t have a good health what use are they to ws ae ni f i Get vour health policy from as little as 3 2 a 0 0 per month Foc more misomatoe please contact our ofitices or end ur an e mail Depending oo what company We ll find you the best healthcare plan that adapts to vou from a wide range of insurance companies we work with So get insured with Sammy Thomas 5 L U Inswance Brokers Sammy 1s ovigmally from Doncaster England based m Girona s
8. to values that its built in exposure meter think are suitable and indeed most cam eras do a reasonably good job of setting the values correctly So for quick pictures Auto will quite probably be fine So if Auto is doing a good job why use any other setting If the subject of your intended picture is moving for instance there is a bird in your garden and you want to freeze any movement then it s time to use the S setting This controls how long the shutter remains open and letting light fall onto the sensor in the camera or onto the film in the camera The camera will adjust the aper ture to a suitable value to try to get a well exposed photograph What is the aperture setting This controls how wide the shutter opens It is graduated in f numbers The value f2 8 for instance will allow much more light in than f22 The smaller the number the more light you let onto the sensor or film Why bother if Auto and the S setting do such a good job The aperture will also af fect the depth of field That simply is how much of your picture is focused Imagine taking a photograph of somebody standing against a complicated background A sharply focussed back ground will be distracting from the main subject 28 The selection of the aperture will allow you to have the subject in focus but the background out of focus and so the subject will stand out far more A low f e g f2 8 number will give a small depth of field while a higher f nu
9. we have supported children through Action Aid for over 20 years Hope to see some of you in Palamos You all deserve a medal Thank you Best Wishes Mary Hepworth Editorial Note Whilst this is not a British Catalonia Society event I felt it was worth publishing as it was such a worthwhile cause and fitted in well with the Cancer Walk organised by The Walrus Bar 13 e SS SS ee es E NGLISH CH URC H penal Madremanya Do you miss your church back home Y Y k ra Did you attend church years ago and have got out of the habit ve ie Do you feel that you are missing a spiritual dimension to your life re l We invite you to give us the opportunity to respond Sn eupan to these and other questions ane We meet for public worship in English at 12 00 noon on the LAST Sunday of every month at the parish church of Sant Esteve Madremanya A sear La Bisbal and you would be very welcome whatever A your church affiliation And to join us afterwards for a bring and share lunch For further information and directions phone 972 490 383 Melissa 937 640 714 Eleanor tt r T e BUILDING SERVICES AND MAINTENENCE City Guilds Joiner 25 yrs Exp Doors windows persianas Kitchen timber flooring painting etc All aspects of building work undertaken WANA Tel 620 036 172 626 532 824 e mail samueljwillis hotmail com 14 sky digital Sky LEscala Get connected To U K
10. year 7 days a week Somas Opposite the main roundabout of Platja de Pals UNIKEGOLF ke 16 Puns for Educated Minds Get ready to GROAN Courtesy of Richard Bosdet The fattest knight at King Arthur s round table was Sir Cumference He acquired his size from too much pi thought saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian Editor used Google to work this one out She was only a whiskey maker but he loved her still A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption No matter how much you push the envelope it ll still be stationery A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart Two silk worms had a race They ended up in a tie A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall The police are looking into it Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana Atheism is a non prophet organization Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway One hat said to the other You stay here I ll go on a head wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger Then it hit me A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab centre said Keep off the Grass The midget fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a sea soned veteran A backwar
11. Cristobal Montoro said he was confident that the new package would enable Spain to meet the target However observers warn that Spain will struggle to meet this both this year s and next year s target and will have to dig just as deep next year The economy is expected to shrink by 2 this year and the recession makes the austerity task that much more difficult The cuts outlined in the budget fall short of the 34bn experts calculate is needed to reduce the deficit to 5 3 Unfortunately this could mean further cuts are needed before long very possibly including more tax rises especially as some economists think the government s tax revenue projec tions for 2012 are too optimistic If the measures outlined in the 2012 budget are not successful at reducing the deficit tax hikes could be avoidable As El Pais commented in an editorial after the budget It s most likely that during this year the government will have to raise taxes again the recessive phase of the economy will make this difficult There are strategies to emerge from reces sion All of them risky and require a strong message of tax hikes As always seek advice form a firm like Blevins Franks on the legitimate tax planning opportunities available to you in Spain Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change Individuals must take personalised advice To keep in touch with the latest development
12. and has presided over the expat associated Red Cross Group in Tor roella She was absolutely overwhelmed by the news and the generosity of your association She is at present away on holi day with her family but am sure on her return she will be in touch with you The U3A Red Cross Associated group have previously organ ised half day first aid courses using the present Red Cross dummies for demonstration Christina Clark who organised last years course explained to the Red Cross that unfortunately the present dummies were past their usefulness as they were really too old and the plastic too hard for useful demonstrations The Assembly realised that Tina had in her professional career been in charge of training and testing life guards so they invited her to advise them on the best replacements for their needs have spoken to Tina Clark and told her the good news from the B C S She says that in the future should you so wish she would be willing to organise a similar course for your organisa tion as she has done for the U3A Thank you once again for your generosity and support of such an important local organisation Best wishes Roger Creed Secretary Torroella Red Cross expatriate volunteer group 11 Report on Costa Brava Ladies Coffee Morning Sale and Raffle followed by Lunch at Robert s Restaurant L Estartit in aid of Fundacio Oncolliga de Girona Wednesday March 21 2012 The first
13. contributors Thanks also to DIGITAL copisteria Torroella who took great care to ensure that your copy of The Revista is crisp and clear 45 British Society of Catalunya Emporda Branch MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM to September 2012 Name wren nwnnnnnnnccenecccenccerenn First name s Name of spouse partner Address to post Revista to Street RRs Town wren nnn nanan nnnnnnscenncenn Province County Postcode www Telephone Fax E Mail Amount enclosed 15 Any other relevant details Next of kin in case of Emergencies 15 per couple or individual Please Note that the 15 00 covers one or two people it is not 15 00 per person Send in any case to Des Sherriff Francesc Pi 1 17255 Begur Spain Currently membership always runs from 1st October 30th Sep tember Cheques in Euros drawn ona Spanish bank please payable to Brit ish Society of Catalunya or transfer the money from your bank di rectly to Bank Sabadell l Escala account British Society of Cata lunya ES74 0081 0237 6800 0111 2415 The Revista is delivered electronically 6 times a year If you would like a printed copy of The Revista delivered to
14. d poet writes inverse In a democracy it s your vote that counts In feudalism it s your count that votes When cannibals ate a missionary they got a taste of religion If you jumped off the bridge in Paris you d be in Seine Garden Notes am not a professional gardener but do enjoy pottering around in the garden In these short articles intend sharing some of my experi ences of gardening in Spain would particularly welcome a dialogue with members about their experiences so that we all can learn A particular passion of mine is the use of bulbs With my birthday in March I love seeing all the Spring bulbs providing their splashes of colour so early in the year Last year planted about 250 daffodils tu lips anemones crocuses It never ceases to amaze me how we push these dried up objects into the soil and without fail months later green shoots appear followed by a glorious display of flowers A particular favourite of mine are dwarf daffodils and tulips The only downside to bulbs is that you need to leave them to die back after flowering In my view there are 3 options 1 What normally do is Leave them to die back naturally They are a bit untidy but feel this is a small price to pay for all the pleas ure they have given me do trim back the dead flowers leave them for about 6 week after flowering 2 Gently dig them up and re plant them in a spare bit of ground Leave them to die back then dig them up and store t
15. day of Spring and after 4 months of no rain God de cided the Spring rains would commence So had a few words with my husband and mother up there Please no rain be tween 10 30 a m and 1 00 p m set off in torrential rain at 8 00 a m from Pals and lowering black clouds dreading no one would come out in this weather but as turned towards L Estartit it became a light drizzle You wonderful ladies one by one arrived set up your tables and rails inside and out under cover The cakes and helpers appeared can t thank you enough for your support Believe it or not by 10 30 a m the rain eased and we even had a glimmer of sunshine and it stayed dry until after 1 30 p m Thank you Roger amp Mum Four of the Fundacio ladies set up their stall with lots of attrac tive handmade items Jen with her delicious cakes and pies Reka with her jewellery and ladies with a great choice of lovely clothes and accessories at bargain prices It s nice to have something different in the wardrobe that has not cost a fortune People started arriving and stayed for a long time enjoying the atmosphere it took me 2 hours to get around the tables Julie and Melita sold the raffle tickets and Lizzy R called the raffle on which we made 122 We presented Corrinda with a thank you plant for all her help over the last 25years Liz H kindly bought Corrinda s plant and collected the lunch money 31 people attended the lunch We a
16. dels all sizes at best Prices PHONE IN for SPECIAL OFFERS SATELLITE SYSTEMS for English Dutch French German and Spanish TV amp free to View professionally installed SPANISH DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL Conversions now being installed Phone For quote 32 THESE RECEIVERS ARE NOW IN STOCK AMSTRAD 500Gb NEW SKY HD third more recording HUMAX HD FREESAT 350Gb HD like Sky Plus no card needed 50 hours recording time NEW WHITE FREEVIEW CARDS IN STOCK SKY SUBSCRIPTION CARDS now AVAILABLE WITHOUT UK ADDRESS HOUSE ALARMS amp surveillance systems Professionally installed Get a free quotation All equipment covered by one year or manufacturer s guarantee Free delivery on all items purchased from us Free quotations on request Prompt after sales service For prompt callouts technical advice with a fast amp reliable friendly service Telephone 616 757 336 or 972 30 42 82 also fax amp answering service E mail andrewgoldcrown skycostabrava com WEBSITE SKYCOSTABRAVA COM Spain s 2012 Budget And A Tax Amnesty By Bill Blevins Financial Correspondent Blevins Franks Spain s tough 2012 austerity budget provides for savings total ing around 27 3bn This includes the 15bn in tax rises and expenditure cuts announced last December Taxpayers will be relieved that it did not include any new tax rises but how long will this last After being submitted to parliament the budget will be formally adopt
17. dhe ET ila jeh ia ie fl emer Tg Pa 40 Up Close and Personal in a L Escala Garden Roger Arndell The praying mantis is named for its prominent front legs which are bent and held at an angle that suggests the position of prayer They are kept worldwide as a pet believe that the green mantis is Spohodromantis viridis but may be wrong Despite its scientific name this insect ranges in colour from bright green to dull brown The mantis with the feather like antenna was photographed in the Sum mer in my garden have been unable to identify it and would be grateful if any member can enlighten me or put me on to an insect expert as have a number of garden insects not yet identified HUMMINGBIRD HAWKMOTH This Hawkmoth is a familiar Day Flying moth often seen visiting garden flowers using the long probos cis to extract nectar It is a very common moth often seen throught the year Editors Note There are some more pictures available on The Revista web site http www bsce ch revista 42 EGYPTIAN GRASSHOPPER This grasshopper can be found throught the year in our gar dens Body length is 30 80 It is superficially locust like Adults are uniformly grey brown and a pronotum that is distinctly ridged like plates of armour It has a bulbous head with striped lf eyes SA OSTABRAVA IMMO S L www costabrava immo com Your professionals for the purchase and sale of property We sp
18. e a serious bummer 12 Decafalon n The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you how much weight one has gained 13 Glibido All talk and no action 14 Dopeler Effect The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly 15 Arachnoleptic Fit n The frantic dance performed just after you ve accidentally walked through a spider web 16 Beelzebug n Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out 17 Caterpallor n The colour you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you re eating 24 The Washington Post has also published the winning submis sions to its yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words And the winners are 1 Coffee n The person upon whom one coughs 2 Flabbergasted adj Appalled by discovering 3 Abdicate v To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach 4 Esplanade v To attempt an explanation while drunk 5 Willy nilly adj mpotent 6 Negligent adj Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown 7 Lymph v To walk with a lisp 8 Gargoyle n Olive flavoured mouthwash 9 Flatulence n Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller 10 Balderdash n A rapidly receding hairline 11 Testicle n Ahumorous question on an exam 12 Rectitude n Th
19. e formal dignified bearing adopted by proc tologists 13 Pokemon n A Rastafarian proctologist 14 Oyster n A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yid dishisms 15 Frisbeetarianism n The belief that after death the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there 16 Circumvent n An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men 25 MAMY TILAN Insurance Brokers Se naw erranti AH Save up to 55 on your LIFE insurance premiums Life insurance here in Spain is a very common thie especially if vou have a mortgage Here at Sammy Thomas Insurance Brokers ow aim is to save you lots of money on your life msurance premiums 75 of our customers that have asked ws to compare there hfe msurance policy from the one they had with there bank have saved up te 35 on there premiums Tired of paying very high premiums on your life insurance We ve compared our msurance polices with many banks policies and beheve me there are major differences We guarantee vou will pay a less and have more for you monev Ask us for a free insurance comparison and start saving on your life insurance as from NOW Trust im us you won t be disappointed Sammy 1s fom Doncaster England based m Girona since 1990 and has a Master m Life amp General Insurance Home insurance Business Civil amp Public Liability Health Accident Boats Investment plans Community blocs English amp Spanish Cars Motor Biles
20. e with choreographed routines Have you two been rehearsing this act for weeks Rawhide Yeeeehah Whatever next a The Western theme continued Norman Wray whipped up a a a musical frenzy with his take on Doris Day singing The Dead ij wood Stage from the GE a musical Calamity D Jane Wife Yvonne 4 ably abetted by June Joyce and Karen q Johnson made up the horses on his stagecoach as Nor man wielded his whip Could thongs get any better An amazing and gt gmusing performance by all would have telephoned Simon Cowell to come and watch if I d had his number to hand Husky voiced Helen Elsden bubbly Barbara Hanson kinetic Karen Johnson and dynamic Diane Parker formed a veritable tour de foursome who treated us to a pulsating hour of Supremes Three Degrees Shirelles Crystals and Ronettes songs Ladies we all agreed that Phil lt Spector should be eating his am heart out At half past one in the morn ing Tony decided to reprise his personal karaoke favour ite as a curtain closer To the lingering strains of Everybody Hurts by REM and appreciative chants of Tony Tony Tony echoing from his adoring fans we reluctantly left to wend our weary way home Tony will be adding 10 of his profit from the evening to the Walk proceeds a_big thank you to those who came and espe cially to all those who rose singing to the occasion Edit
21. eak your language We have been in l Escala for 14 years We have more than 100 properties for sale We have experience with everything concerning your property Purchase and sale at the best price Free valuation when you use our services Planning and control of your renovation or your new construction We are an agent of one of the largest banks We can offer you New mortgages or re mortgages Property insurance etc Visit us in our office Passeig del Mar 19 Telephone 972 77 35 97 or 666 760 227 44 Your Officers and Committee Chairperson Mary Clark 972 77 05 17 e mail marylescala yahoo co uk Vice chairperson Pat Sturgeon 97277 23 24 amp Event Organiserr e mail traveller16444 telefonica net Treasurer John Sienczak 972 77 46 26 e mail john virtual friday com Secretary Roger Arndell 9727701 30 E mail rogerdenromi yahoo co uk Membership Secretary Des Sherriff972 62 35 25 e mail janddsherriff gmail com Revista layout John Sienczak and production e mail john virtual Friday com Advertising The Revista Distribution Barbara Hanson 97277 1679 barbaraandroger talktalk net Event organisers Andrea amp Roy Speakman 972 77 42 63 e mailandreaandroy telefonica net Event Organiser Alice Debbage 972 77 33 72 e mail mdebbage google mail com Event Organiser June Joyce 972772585 e mail gerryandjune100 hotmail co uk Event Organiser Lynn Taylor 972 77 68 89 E mail casalollipop hotmail com Thanks to all our
22. ed in June Tax amnesty The budget included the announcement that Spain will launch a fiscal amnesty With the state of the economy the deficit and desperate need for the government to increase revenue an amnesty does present a pragmatic solution in a country where around 20 is thought to be underground The amnesty will enable individuals to regularise undeclared accounts whether in Spain or offshore They will only need to pay 10 on regularised money and 8 on dividends No questions will be asked or criminal penalties imposed The government believes that 25bn of previously undisclosed assets could now be declared thus earning the government 2 5bn Besides the initial earnings for the government from the 10 tax once the funds have been regularised they will then be in the system and so could continue to be taxed at the normal rates in future years thus generating ongoing revenue for the government where once it did not receive any from these funds Cost of living Contrary to expectations the government did not increase VAT as it wanted to spare consumers However electricity and gas bills will rise by 7 and 5 re spectively to reduce energy subsidies so your cost of living will rise anyway 34 Reducing the deficit will the budget work As agreed with the EU the government has to reduce the defi cit from 8 5 to 5 3 of gross domestic product GDP this year and to 3 next year Budget minister
23. etc CALL US ON 971 121639 AND ASE FOR SAMMY THOMAS Sammy Thomas S L U Plaza Marques de Camps 9 10 Entlo 1 17001 Girona Spain Fax 972 204038 WEB wanw sammythomas com Dammy Toes SLU Hi egies PA SETS Cak iegiel Mim AH Caco Piua EC Prefderterna que erick FLI a becred ade be cap ecied Neer mge ardet 27 0 y Lih oe dka NT da Joe i eis A anane Teme Ure 26 fi a k al Mst MARCH 2092 Albert Iglesias Sale and repair of edo computers ADSL Virus Upgrades We speak English Call 600 66 10 67 I Escala or www ALBERTIGLESIAS com C MORENETA 4 17130 L ESCALA 27 Through the Lens So you have bought your shiny new camera You carefully take it out of its box and find besides the camera an assortment of leads maybe a user manual although more and more these are on CD or you need to download them a CD and various other bits and pieces The camera has all sorts of knobs buttons and switches Be brave it is not as complicated as it may seem at first glance want in this article to look at one of the controls that may be present Generally it is a dial with settings such as Auto P A S and M on and it is these want to discuss PASM stand for Programmable Aperture Speed and Manual Canon use slightly different letters Tv instead of S standing for time value and Av instead of A standing for aperture value but the effects are the same Auto will set the shutter soeed and aperture
24. hem in a cool dark dry place have never tried this as never seem to have a spare bit of ground would be interested to hear from anybody who has done this 3 Treat them as annuals and just dig them up when they have fin ished flowering feel this is such a waste as bulbs are designed to die back multiply and grow back the following year As well as the traditional spring bulbs there are a variety of summer bulbs that will grow very successfully in Spain This year have planted about 200 Begonias Gladioli Cannas Acidanthra Iris Gyp sophilia and Lilies As well as growing in the soil many of these make excellent pot plants One of the issues have is that the spring bulbs are taking up room dying back whilst need to get the summer bulbs planted have ex perimented this year by starting the summer bulbs off in 3 pots to give them a head start before plant them out towards the middle of May will let you Know how get on am about to create a new rockery in my garden This will be the subject of my next article together with some photographs John Sienczak 18 British Society of Catalunya MIDSUMMER BALL Thursday 21 June 2012 Lo Mirador Toroella de Montgri 19 00 for 20 00 RTD Carpaccio of Beef Pappardell Carbonara Carrot Soup with Marscapone WN Grilled Loin of Veal Out of Bone shoulder Of Lamb Cod au Gratin with Garlic amp Mariere sauce Sw Cheese Platter Mosaic of fruit Sorbet Choc
25. les San Francisco etc and arriving 3 weeks later in Vancouver where we will stay with friends for a week As soon as get back we will be busy with preparations for the Queens Jubilee Celebrations in Malcolm and Alice s Garden on June 9th and our summer Ball at the Mirador in Torrella on June 21st If you don t attend either of these functions you will be missing 2 exceptional events do hope to see you all there We were asked recently by the friends of the Red Cross in Tor rella if we could possibly help them to buy 2 new dolls which they use to give talks and lessons on resuscitation We have agreed to do this This organisation does a lot to help ex pats in this area do hope that we shall see you at our meetings this summer Until next time Best wishes Mary Editorial John Sienczak In this issue we have majored on events raising money for Can cer Research The annual cancer walk from L Estartit to L Escala was a great success see pages 21 23 and 25 This was a fol lowed by a Karaoke night at the Walrus where a high old time was had by one and all have also included an article from Mary Hepworth see pages 12 13 who has been organising ladies lunches selling clothes and other items for cancer research in Gi rona One of the aims of the Catalonia Society is to promote good rela tions with the local Catalan community The walk organised by The Walrus Bar in L Escala included a contingent of Catalans who e
26. ll had a very good lunch thanks to Corrinda and Pedro Elaine stepped in to do the accounts and accept donations as sadly Jean s husband was ill so she could not be with us 12 10 of all sales and donations amounted to 143 50 So in to tal we made 266 00 for the Fundacio A big thank you to all the ladies selling items and giving 10 of your profits and everyone for turning out on a damp day Thank you also to Jen Ursula Natalie and Elaine for the su per cakes and the ladies who donated items and money etc Sadly Sara W who helped me deliver boxes of clothes rails etc suffered an injury at home so could not make it on the day Maria Regine Barbara Ann and Elaine helped me clear and pack up Despite the weather it was a great success and en joyed by all Thank you everyone for supporting our cause am sorry to say this is my last coffee morning sale but if a group of ladies would like to take over am willing to assist We now have a total of 850 00 in the fund and will pre sent the cheque to the Fundacio Ladies at our last lunch at the Hotel Trias Palamos on Wednesday April 18 The lunch is 1 30 p m for 2 00 p m and will cost 13 00 to in clude 3 courses bread wine and water Names only required by Friday April 13 please if you wish to attend phone Mary 972667856 or e mail Elaine johnelainekilving ton hotmail com The proceeds of this our last raffle will go to homeless children in Catalonia as
27. mber e g f16 a greater depth of field For landscape photography you will probably want far more in focus so a value of perhaps 16 may be suitable P for programmable is a mode which will allow you to alter both speed and aperture together and so choose the combination you want The last setting M is a manual mode and although the built in exposure meter is still working you can over ride it and adjust the setting to values of your choice For instance have you ever tried to photograph the moon In auto mode the camera will try to set the speed and aper ture to values that will give you a white blob instead of the moon Adjusting the values will enable you to obtain a much better picture and if there are foreground objects you want to include then set the aperture accordingly and a faster speed to cut down the harsh white blob Other settings on the dial may include scene settings and the ex posure meter will do its best to set optimum values for each type of scene One last point if you want to use a slow shutter speed then a tri pod or somewhere to rest the camera becomes necessary to avoid camera shake Next time would like to talk about focus and look at the various focussing modes David Brown 29 The Revista Recipe Hello Members It is that time again when give you a few suggestions to liven your diet As am a lover of artichokes thought that would do a feature on these tasty vegetable
28. mee 1990 and has a Master in General Insurance amp Administration of Business We also insure Home Business Life Cral amp Public Liability Accidents Boats Investment plans Community blocz English amp Spanish Cars Motor Bikes ete CALL US ON 971 111639 AND ASK FOR SAMMY THOMAS Sammy Thomas S L U Plaza Marques de Camps 9 10 Entlo 1 17001 Girona Spam Fax 972 204038 Email sammy sam ythomas com WEB www sammythomas con fa homa LU Ao eg A DTG Cob gia Pim C8 Co cried ios EE Peer equ Trick JTI aj lecrediigds octet Peers mgen arches 27 0 n Le AT de PT de jeh ie ee egress ELLIS Oe Le 38 VILLA SERVICE PACSA S L N I F B 17343609 API 455 U K OFFICE 18 Firwood Park Chadderton Oldham OL9 9SE Tel 0161 652 0263 Fax 0161 284 0672 E mail info villaservice info www villaservice info www villaservice co uk Established in l Escala for more than 20 yearsoliday rentals quality villas amp apartments with full back up from experienced staff We supply sheets towels cots high chairs and anything required for successful holidays Car rentals modern air conditioned Fords Pick up at airport our office or bus and train stations Villa amp apartment sales Villa and apartment management for owners regular security checks on your prop erties and renting to approved clients if required CONTACTS Mary in l Escala Melanie in l Escala and U K Marissa in l Escala Jean Francois for all que
29. njoyed themselves and asked for the following comments to be published The organisation was unbeatable from start to finish the lift over to L Estartit the buffet breakfast at Harveys the sta tions along the way we really appreciated the oranges and the welcome when we got back to the Walrus We were to tally impressed and will try and drum up more participants for next year We have organised a donation to the Torroella Red Cross As sembly for the replacement resuscitation Dummies A thank you letter is printed on page 11 and an article about the Red Cross organisation is on page 10 This now brings our total donations for this year to 4100 Euros Also we are planning to buy some furniture for the L Escala fire men rest rooms and we are still talking to the L_Escala CAP about providing some equipment in a similar manner to the Pala frugell CAP Hospital We have a new contributor this month Roger Arndell who has provided some close up photographs of insects from his garden in L Escala As well as the article in the magazine there are more pictures and links on The Revista web site http www bsce ch revista Roger has planned some more contributions for future issues 4 My thanks to Richard Bosdet who sent me the Puns for Edu cated Minds on page 17 had to use Google to work out what one meant However most of them are of the Groan Groan va riety We also have Humour for Smart Peo
30. olate flan with orange sauce bread water wine and coffee included 25 Euros Please choose a first course second course and dessert per person Bookings to Pat Sturgeon 97277 2324 E Mail traveller16444 telefonica net MUST BE BY 7TH JUNE Walrus Walk fund raising finale A Charityoke by Geoff Martin photos by Mel Karaoke is an emotive word people either love or hate them Walrus bar owner Tony Waters an avowed aficionado of kara okes decided that a fitting end to his annual cancer charity walk should be a grand charityoke to take place later that same eve ning March 31 after the walkers had recovered their breath After a quiet start a collection of serious singers began to stack up some memorable performances Norma Trueman set a high standard by blowing the roof off the bar with a pile driving power ballad If they are looking to fill the vacant shoes of Whitney Houston they need look no further Following a duet with her grand daughter Taniel on a rare visit from South Africa Norma s youngest son Haydon Trueman enthralled us all with an uncan nily accurate interpretation of Romeo and Juliet by Mark Knop fler of Dire Straits Barbara Hanson kept up the pace with two virtuoso soulful solo offerings The Blues Brothers aka Jayson Muxlow and Neal Johnson made a surprise appearance giving the spellbound audience ren ditions of Shake Your Tail Feather and Rawhide complet
31. ors Note The following pages have photographs from the walk There are more pictures in he Revista website http www bsce ch revista 21 23 Humour for Smart People Sue and Tony Gibbs The Washington Post s Mensa Invitational once again invited read ers to take any word from the dictionary alter it by adding subtract ing or changing one letter and supply a new definition Here are the winners 1 Cashtration n The act of buying a house which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time 2 Ignoranus A person who s both stupid and an asshole 3 Intaxication Euphoria at getting a tax refund which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with 4 Reintarnation Coming back to life as a hillbilly 5 Bozone n The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating The bozone layer unfortunately shows little sign of breaking down in the near future 6 Foreploy Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid 7 Giraffiti Vandalism spray painted very very high 8 Sarchasm The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn t get it 9 Inoculatte To take coffee intravenously when you are running late 10 Osteopornosis A degenerate disease This one got extra credit 11 Karmageddon It s like when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes right And then like the Earth explodes and it s lik
32. ple on pages 25 26 sent to me by Sue and Tony Gibbs The Yes language school is offering intensive Spanish conversa tion courses see advert on page 7 If we can get a group of 8 people together then the price is 4 Euros per person per hour am happy to be the focal point for a group to study a couple of hours per week Contact me at the email address below had intended to write an article on the pros cons of using a Kin dle However nobody responded to my request for Kindle Experi ences good or bad so have abandoned the idea for now have a introduced a Garden Notes article on page 18 The inten tion is to generate some feedback from other keen gardeners so that we can share experiences of gardening in Catalonia Do please contact me regarding anything concerning the maga zine at revista bsce ch John Sienczak DISCLAIMER The British Society of Catalunya can not be held responsible for the legality accuracy or quality of the services offered by the ad vertisers in the publicity of The Revista Whoever engages any of the advertised services does so at their own cost and risk British Society of Catalunya no se hace responsable de la legali dad exactitud o cualidad de los servicios ofrecidos por los anun ciantes en la publicidad de la Revista Quienquiera que contrate alguno de los servicios anunciados lo hace por su cuenta y ri esgo LONG LIVE SANT JORDI Sant Jordi Saint George patron of Catal
33. s They are usually in plentiful supply at differ ent times of the year They are cheap to buy too so what do you do with them You are about to find out WHOLE ARTICHOKES SERVED WITH EITHER VINAIGRETTE OR HOLLANDAISE Serves 6 This is a very simple way to serve artichokes especially if you have the time to pick off the leaves one by one and dip them into the Sauce You will need 6 artichokes one per person Pinch of salt This is what you do Place the artichokes into a pressure cooker with a pinch of salt Cover them with just enough water and cook for about 10 15 min utes on a vegetable setting NB If you do not possess a pressure cooker then cook in a sauce pan for double the time You will know when they are cooked because the stalk at the base will easily fall off Drain and reserve until ready to serve These can be a simple starter to your meal by placing one arti choke in a gratin dish and serve the dipping sauce separately Now for another more complicated recipe but can assure you it is really worth the effort 30 BRAISED ARTICHOKES Serves 6 You will need 12 artichokes trimmed by cutting around the base and upwards 3 large until almost all the leaves have been discarded then dipped into a bowl of cold water with the juice of a lemon The lemon juice will help discoloration 3 large scallions trimmed and quartered 3 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped 4 tablespoons ex
34. s Carolyn Starr for the ladies and John Sturgeon for the men Both re ceived Easter Baskets as their prize The event as usual was concluded with the raffle organised by Andrea and Barbara There was a fine variety if prizes on view and many people went home happy winners Many thanks to Andrea who once again organised the event and to Manolo and his staff for their excellent food and service SAMAY Cy orae Brokar g i yus yali Looking for insurance for you English o Spanish Car Don t look any further Apart form insunnz your Spanish vehicles we can also meure cars from England Holland amp Denmark with ther original mmber plates We maintam your ne claims bomas up to 65 o wiih a certificate from your old msurance company Folicy s can be printed out in English so you have no problems understanding the small print We look for the best price amp cover within a big range of mswante company s we work with Contract your car insurance at fully comprehensive from the 10 of February until the 30 of April you ll receive a bank transfer of 60E if you pay by direct debit Or 30 in a petrol voucher if YOU don t pay by direct debit anly for sem policies with a anime cost of the insurance of 4508 For more decails om this offer please cogtace oor offices or send mi a0 e mail Trust im us you won t be disappomted Sammy 1s from Doncaster England based m Girona since 1990 and has a Master im Life amp
35. s in the offshore world check out the latest news on our website www blevinsfranks com 35 KENNA DIVING S L www kennaecodiving net Tel 34 972772746 letterbox kennaecodiving net Try Dives ae Kit Hire Dive Courses ee SE WE Kit Sales Night Diving T hg Cave Diving SS 7 od l SE ver Wreck Diving Auth Shore Diving gt A Si uthorised dealer padi com BOAT HIRE amp CHARTER Live Aboard Charter Half or Full Day Charters Evening amp Night Coastal Cruises Up to 30 Persons TRANSFERS amp TAXI SERVICES In association with Vincenc Lavado Taxi L Escala Fully licensed amp insured Large capacity available Reservations during office hours 09 00 19 00 hrs Spanish amp Catalan 630672184 English 617918523 36 PARAPROSDOKIANS Winston Churchill loved them Here is the definition Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected frequently used in a humorous situation Where there s a will want to be in it is a type of Paraprosdokian Do not argue with an idiot He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience The last thing want to do is hurt you But it s still on my list Of course agree with you Now we ll both be wrong Light travels faster than sound This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak If agreed with you we d both be wrong We never really grow up we only learn how to act
36. stions or queries regarding sales aT ee TILAAN Insurance Brokers Bit ina pl Lorn cit Ira Home Insurance policies m English Save up to 20 from original prices on home insurance Home insurance 15 the type of policy one sometimes takes granted for but your home is where you have placed all of your personal belongings and money over the years Here in Spam everybody sells msurance But does vour house have the policy you deserve o really want o need Qhar aim is to find for you the policy to cover every important detail possible From Robbery water damage electrical induct ete We guarantee to look for the best prce amp cover within a big range of Insurance company s we work with Tired of not being able to communicate with your actual insurance agent broker or company Trustin us youwon t be disappomted Sammy 1s from Doncaster England based in Girona smee 1990 and has a Master im Life amp General Insurance Business Life Civil amp Public Liability Health Accidents Boats Investment plans Community blocs English amp Spanish Cars Motor Bikes etc CALL US ON _ 72 221639 AND ASK FOR SAMMY THOMAS Sammy Thomas L U Plaza Marques de Camps 9 10 Enilo 1 17001 Girona Spam Fax 972 204038 Email sanmyiasammythomas com WEB uww samnithomas com Tay Mammas HUU H m mihim ETPA METOE Colegial Mim WIH Conceriada Allon EC Proewe mga larch TLL a laoreet Aree gens Panid 7i HLA Dele
37. tra virgin olive oil Few sprigs of thyme 3 4 bay leaves Pinch of salt Peppercorns to suit bottle of white wine Preserved chopped lemon peel to suit This is what you do After initially preparing the artichokes as above sweeten them by saut ing with the prepared onions and garlic in the olive oil ona medium heat for about 2 minutes Add the thyme bay and season ing and cook gently for about 5 minutes do not allow to colour Add the wine and 150ml 5 fl oz water and bring to the boil Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer check the seasoning cover with a lid and cook for about 20 30 minutes Test the cooking of the artichokes by inserting the tip of a small knife there should no resistance Add the preserved lemon peel at this stage if using Serve in warm dishes with the liquor surrounding them NB Before cooking the prepared artichokes they must be lifted out of the watered lemon juice liquid and drained The preserved lemon peel can be made in advance by sprinkling salt over the peel and left to marinate for at least a week but this fla vouring is optional Jacqy Harding 31 skydigital D Sound amp VISION SKY SYSTEMS INSTALLED with freeview Or Subscription Cards with 80 cm dish cables amp mounting brackets etc SKY HD high definition Digibox with Activated subscription card SKY PLUS 160Gb receiver and recorder With no extra charge with your current SKY Subscription HD TVs latest mo
38. unya and England On the 23rd April 1616 two authors of worldwide renown died in Stratford Upon Avon and Madrid William Shake speare and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Shakespeare and Cervantes together with Saint George are the rea sons why Catalunya wakes up full of colour smiles roses and books on the 23rd April Sant Jordi means happiness and brightness tradition and culture Sant Jordi is the day in which we enjoy a stroll on the streets full of peo ple cuddles and smiles new authors books signatures prizes cul ture A culture which shouldn t die a tradition we must honour a spirit we need to uphold especially in these times when the economic and politi cal climate is so unstable We read and suffer continuous cuts in national budgets Our country is going through a very difficult time where the economy is about to suffer a break down The politicians are making some decisions which will not only affect our present lives but also our future and that of new generations We have to accept and understand some of these cuts but we cannot agree with some others The budget on health and education the mainstays of a country has been reduced by 10 They may not be conscious of how important culture is how much these cuts will affect us our culture and the future of our nation This celebra tion this day should be used as a claim to make politicians realize the big mistake they are making Sant Jordi has always been
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