The Almeria Focus – May 2023

Almería Focus

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Municipal Elections

Themajor event this May in Spain is the Municipal Elections on May 28th. We explain how these work in our “In the News” section and an article.

The period for people in Spain making their 2022 tax declaration has now started and runs until June 30th. In our “In the News” section we highlight some of the relevant information.

INFOCA, the fire-fighting organisation, are very worried that there may be more fires because of the dry weather and are asking the general public to be very careful. Caught throwing cigarette butts out of a vehicle loses four driver points and a 200 euros fine, and if this causes a major fire there can be very heavy fines and a prison term. The recent fire at Cantoria was started by the illegal burning of agricultural waste. ‘INFOCA’ can call on the services of the ‘UME’ which is a section of the Spanish Military specifically trained to respond to emergencies including forest fires, with a battalion based in Seville.

The El Palmeral area in Garrucha is being turned into a theme park, sports and culture area. The 9,500m2 site will have a “Treasure Island” play area with a pirate’s galleon. with reference to the film “Treasure Island” being filmed in our area by Orson Wells in 1972. For older children there will be three “Zip” lines, and there will be a general café and picnic area. An amphitheatre is planned for cultural and social activities. As we mentioned last month, Garrucha is now a “cuidad” as the population is over 10,000.

The Somali Wild Ass is a very endangered species with less than 200 in the wild and it is now extinct in Sudan and Egypt. The Oasys MiniHollywood zoo has been taking part in a breeding project and a 30kg male baby ass has been born. He has been christened ‘Matumaini’ that is the Swahili word meaning ‘Hope’. There had been fears from the zoo vets that during the 12-month gestation period the mother might lose her baby, but all was well. After two years with his

mother, ‘Matumaini’ will be sent to another location where he can eventually breed with female asses. He will become another attraction for visitors in the meantime.

The managers of the Torrecárdenas hospital in Almería city are actively exploring ways to solve the continuing parking problem. The hospital is still the main one in our province and is steadily expanding. With the opening of the maternity hospital alongside in 2020, total staff numbers have gone up to 4,500, with more appointments and more visitors coming to see patients. Last September, 500 parking spaces were allocated in the nearby Torrecárdenas shopping centre with shuttle buses from 7.30am to 3.30pm but many people are not aware that this exists. One proposed solution is an underground multistorey car park on nearby land that has been ceded to the university for the future Faculty of Medicine.

May 1st is a “red” national fiesta day to celebrate “Day of the Worker”. May 6th is the day of the coronation in London, confirming Charles as King and crowning Camilla as Queen. There seems to be quite a lack of interest amongst many UK nationals in Spain. Sunday, May 7th (the first Sunday in May) is Spanish Mothers Day. Monday, May 15th, is a major fiesta day in Madrid to celebrate San Isidro, a farmer who is said to have greatly helped the poor in 1172. Mojácar and other towns and villages hold a “Romeria” , a procession with decorated farm vehicles going into the countryside for a picnic.

Somali Wild Ass

In the News

Municipal Elections

In an article we explain the way the municipal elections work that take place throughout Spain on Sunday May 28th. These determine which political parties obtain seats for councillors in power (and the opposition) until 2027. We explain how the votes from non-Spanish residents can have a major impact in our area. Figures published by the Census Office in Almería show that there are 482,000 people of all nationalities able to vote in the 103 municipalities and 12,800 are non-Spanish. There are 9,600 people from the EU and the remainder includes Brits. This may not seem very many, but in our immediate area the numbers are substantial. Arboleas has 525 potential voters of various nationalities with a large number of Brits, and 1,235 Spaniards, which is 30%, and Bédar has the same percentage with 164 out of a total of 545. The town with the highest proportion is Partaloa with 35% totalling 169 out of 476. Mojácar has 22% with 783 out of about 3,150 and Zurgena has 19% totalling 323 out of 1,724. In various municipalities there are councillors who are Brits. The ones that stand this year may be elected to be councillors in power or in opposition. As we stress in our article, if you have gone to the trouble of applying for a vote you should ensure that you go to the polling stations and cast your vote. The mayor or mayoress and councillors in power receive full or part time salaries, often substantial amounts of money. Opposition councillors are paid peanuts!

“El

Cable Inglés” Open

Interested persons can now go onto “El Cable Inglés” (The English Pier) that juts out into the sea at Almería port. Work to restore it and open it up to the public has been undertaken over several years. People cannot just turn up, they have to apply for one of four 50-minute slots in the morning at 9am, 10am, 11am and 12 noon and three in the afternoon at 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 8,30pm, with a safety limit of 250 people. To obtain entry, free of charge, go to the port website: https://apalmeria. com/puerto-ciudad/cable-ingles. The pier is open 7 days a week and the new system will be

in place until June 30th, when it will be reviewed. On March 29th, prior to the opening to the public on April 4th, over 21,000 people had applied for the five slots a day from April 4th-9th with the maximum of 250 people, so a daily maximum of 1,750. Numbers were expected to come down after Easter. Opened in 1904 by King Alfonso XIII, the pier was built by a Dutch and English company to discharge iron ore into ships. The iron ore came on a dedicated railway line from the open-cast El Aquife mine just over the border into Granada. Instead of a very labour-intensive process of offloading the iron ore at the port, the wagons tipped it into hoppers that went directly into the ships and the loading took hours instead of days. It was not used after 1986 when the cost of producing the iron ore was less than the selling price and the mine shut. The iron ore is high-grade, used for producing steel, and the mine was purchased by a Spanish and German company in 2008 and re-opened at the end of 2020. Permission to use the restored railway line and build a new discharge point at Almería port was refused, and also a plan to take it by lorries to Carboneras port. Instead, the iron ore is trucked to Motril and Málaga ports. Although it is called the English pier, the cast iron structure came from Galloway in Scotland.

Exchanging UK Driving Licences

The reciprocal arrangement between Spain and the UK allows the vast majority of UK residents to exchange current or expired UK licences for Spanish ones for six months from March 16th. Spain has been given access to driving offences that have been committed in the UK, but this was stated to be one of the “sticking points” when the agreement was negotiated. Applicants for the exchange have to provide a “check code” obtained from DVLC that gives third parties access to the information. The DGT (Spanish traffic authority) in a press release on March 14th stated that information being exchanged included types of vehicles authorised, the loss of points for being over the alcohol limit or under the influence of drugs, speeding, not wearing a seat belt, not

In the News

wearing a helmet if required, using a mobile phone whilst driving, going through a red traffic light and driving in a prohibited lane. Points are not being deducted from the new Spanish licence for current offences in the UK, and a Spanish licence starts with 12 points. In Spain, the Guardia Civil traffic police have access from their on-board computers to driving offences on a Spanish licence. Whether the UK information will be shown is not clear. The DVLC check code is obtained by going to https:// www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and the DVLC consider it is valid for 21 days. However, it has been reported that the DGT, in some parts of Spain, are asking for the check code to be obtained in the last 24 hours before the appointment to exchange a UK licence at the ‘Tráfico’ offices. The office in Almería city is the only one in our province and has very recently moved to Avenida Federico García Lorca, 79, open from 9am-2pm with an appointment. The provisional document that tráfico supply whilst the Spanish licence is being processed is only valid in Spain. If during this period a person wishes to drive in another country, they need the Spanish version of an International Driving Permit. This is valid for 12 months and can be requested at the same appointment. A second colour photograph is needed and the fee is 10 euros 51céntimos. The fee for the psychophysical aptitude test that needs to be done at one of the authorised centres is not a standard one. The DGT give a guide fee of 30 euros, but this may be as low as 25 euros and not more than 55 euros.

The Population Age Groups

Almería is not a province where overall the population is elderly, and the average age of 40 is one of the lowest in Spain. However, there are zones that have very distinct age groups. The municipality with the oldest ages in the whole province is Partaloa with 78.86% of its population of 1,003 inhabitants, (eight out of ten people) aged over 50, and only 40 inhabitants, just 5.89%, below the age of 16. Alsodux in the Alpajarras only has 129 inhabitants but 72% are aged 50 or over and there are only three people below the

age of 16. This is often a feature of rural areas where young people tend to move away to find work. Conversely, in Huércal de Almería very close to Almería city with 18,384 inhabitants, 20.24% (3,721) are under the age of 16 and only 26.28% (4,832) are over the age of 50. Other places with a high number of young people include El Ejido (19.13%), Cuevas de Almanzora (18.8%), Vera (17.59%, Roquetas (17.19%), Pulpí (16.63%) Almería city (15.85%) and Carboneras with 15.54%.

Cruise Ships

The first cruise ship to arrive in Almería at the start of the season was the ‘Star Flyer’ from the Star Clippers line that docked on April 15th with 170 passengers. The total number of cruise ships already booked to arrive this season is 26 with a potential of 11,140 passengers, which is 85% better than last year. The largest ship, the ‘Marella Voyager’, will dock on June 1st and can carry 1,900 passengers. It will have come from Málaga and then will sail to Palma de Mallorca. The last cruise ship to arrive is the ‘Ocean Odyssey’, of the Vantage Cruise Line, which has a capacity of 162 passengers and will dock on December 14th. Nine cruise ships have Almería as the first stop on their voyage and depart from Cádiz, Málaga, Cartagena, Ibiza, Alicante and Tangier. As yet, there are no cruise ships that start their journeys in Almería, and the only one that did, several years ago, docked in Barcelona. Passengers had to find their own way back!

King Juan Carlos I

The Spanish King Juan Carlos I, aged 85, abdicated in 2014 and his son King Felipe VI became king. Unfortunately, Juan Carlos, now an Honorary King, has been embroiled in controversy with a lot of it relating to financial matters including money laundering. After extensive investigations by the ‘Hacienda’ (The Spanish tax man) he made two multi-million payments to settle his tax liability. Investigators in Spain and Switzerland dropped further investigations because of a lack of definitive evidence. His personal life has been under the spotlight in relation to a German

In the News

woman who has been “a close friend” for many years. There is currently a case in the High Court in London between her and Juan Carlos, and she wants damages and a restraining order as she claims he is harassing and spying on her. He is asking for the return of 65 million euros, part of 88 million euros allegedly paid to him by the King of Saudi Arabia in 2008 before a contract for a 6.7 billion euros Spanish high-speed train project was signed. She claims the money was a gift “out of affection for her and her son”, not just money that she was holding on his behalf. He now lives in Abu Dhabi, in self-imposed exile since August 2020, to protect his son from further embarrassment. The general view in Spain is that his actions have damaged the monarchy and there are calls for him to return to Spain (temporarily) and make a public apology in the Spanish parliament. He has always been a very keen yachtsman and announced he was returning to Spain where there was an important regatta at Vigo near the Portuguese border from April 17th-23rd. The day before he had a private lunch in London with King Charles. The Spanish monarchy has very close ties to the English and Greek monarchies. He has been estranged from his wife, now the Honorary Queen Sofia, for many years and they only very rarely appear together for royal or state functions.

Very Drunk

In early April, Guardia Civil stopped a lorry driver on the N-340 road in Huércal-Overa who had caused a traffic accident involving a car. As he was a professional driver, his alcohol limit was 0.15mg/l but he tested positive at nine times the limit. A police spokesperson stated that he was obviously very drunk, and completely incapable of driving any vehicle. He was kept in prison overnight, granted bail in court the next day to await trial, and he will obviously lose his licence. Fortunately, the occupants of the car he collided with were unhurt.

‘Repsol’ Awards

The refinery company ‘Repsol’ publish a Spanish bar and restaurant guide, similar to the Michelin

guide. Two of the highest awards, that are called “suns”, have been given to the La Costa restaurant in El Ejido and the Terraza Carmona in Vera. This restaurant has been given a top Repsol award for the last 19 years. In the rest of Almería province, there are smaller 48 awards including a new one for Casa Pepe in San José, Níjar. The guide highlights 300 restaurants and bars throughout Spain and is very popular amongst residents and tourists and it was deliberately published just before Easter. The guide can be seen at https://www.guiarepsol.com

The Almerimar ‘Equinac’ Centre

Set up in 2002, ‘Equinac’ is a charity tasked with the protection of marine creatures such as turtles, dolphins and sharks. If any of these are spotted near the beach with injuries or problems and a call is made to 112, the Guardia Civil call on the 38 volunteers to come to the scene, and they do this day and night every day of the year. If there are injuries that can be treated there is a “hospital” and holding centre with large tanks at Almerimar that opened in 2016. Unfortunately, as there are no available funds, Equinac have announced that the centre will have to close but the volunteers will continue to be on standby. Funding for the Almerimar centre has been requested from the Ministry for Sustainable Development without any success. 11 years ago, the Junta de Andalucía announced that a dedicated centre would be

Tony and Clare, local Equinac volunteers

In the News

opened in Carboneras but this has never taken place, and no funding for Equinac is available from this source either. In our area the four volunteers are Adele and Alex Land of New Wave Villas, Clare Flatters of the ‘Focus’ magazine and Tony Navarro of Buceo Mojácar. Their area stretches from Carboneras to Vera Playa, or beyond if no other volunteers are available when needed.

Stealing Electricity

The number of people growing marihuana is increasing, and if undetected provides a lucrative source of income. The growing involves using a large amount of electricity for lamps, airconditioning and other equipment. To obtain the electricity, growers bypass the meters and connect directly into the incoming supply. They need electricity 24 hours a day, and large growers need the power equivalent to 80 homes. This can cause fires and an excess demand that may cause transformers to burn out and stop working, with consequent power cuts needing expensive repairs. In some cases, the power company ‘Endesa’ have installed much larger transformers than should be needed to stop power cuts. The company work closely with the local police to disconnect illegal supplies, and growers will be subject to criminal proceedings. Figures from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior reveal that in 2021, police seized 3.3 million cannabis plants, 96% more than in 2020, and final figures for 2022 are expected to show another large increase. In 2022, some 1,800 illegal connections to obtain electricity, an average of five every day, were disconnected. In blocks of apartments that are vacant, it is not unusual to find that several of them are being used by growers. In our province in 2022 a total of 2,300 illegal connections were dealt with, and the amount of electricity obtained fraudulently was equivalent to 17.2 million kW/h. (1 kW/h is the power needed for an appliance that uses 1,000 watts during 1 hour). This amount of electricity is the same amount that is used in municipalities such as Gador and Sorbas with 1,400 homes. Power companies and the police partly rely on tip-offs from the

public that there are indoor cannabis plantations. Anonymous complaints can be e-mailed to anomalias@enel.com, by calling 800 760 220 or using a form on supply company’s websites.

The ‘Caso Poniente’ Verdicts

Last month we referred to the corruption scandal in El Ejido involving the town hall, a multi-service company, and a large web of other companies and individuals, labelled ‘Caso Poniente’. The allegation in 2009 was that the multi-service company invoiced the town hall (with the fraudulent approval of various people including the mayor and the municipal financial comptroller) for highly inflated amounts of money pocketed by individuals using 20 companies, some with various family members as directors. 47 people were accused of crimes and the verdicts were announced at the end of March. 32 of them were found guilty including the two “ring leaders” who were the mayor at the time and the comptroller. The court ruled that a total of 71 million euros had been generated of which 58.8 million euros had been defrauded by the defendants. Juan Enciso, the exmayor, was given a prison term of 5 years and 3 months, and fined 2.6 million euros. José Antonio Alemán, the comptroller, considered to be the originator of the fraud was condemned to 7 years and 6 months with the same fine. Bank accounts belonging to both these people were blocked, and the court has ordered that they each pay El Ejido town hall just over 2 million euros. Lesser prison terms were handed down for many other people, the most serious ones meriting sentences of between four and five years. The ex-mayor’s wife, the comptroller’s wife, and a wife who was a director of another company, were all sentenced to prison terms between three and four years. The wife, three sons and two sons-in-laws of the head of the multi-services company given five years in prison, were each given sentences of 3 years and 4 months. A large number of those convicted, who were also fined, were banned from holding public office for periods of up to 13 years for the ex-mayor and comptroller. Many

In the News

of the defendants were accused of defrauding the ‘Hacienda’ (Spanish tax authority) but the court ruled that these were time-barred as it was too long between the alleged offences and the trial. It is expected that a large majority of the people found guilty will mount an appeal.

The Cost of Electric Cars

In Spain, four electric cars, the Fiat 500, Fiat 763, Dacia Spring and the MG 4 are the most popular with new buyers, and part of the attraction is the price. Discounts on the Dacia Spring can bring the price down to 20,000 euros with the Fiat 500 and the MG4 down to about 27,000 euros. The Fiat 763 sales are good, but almost exclusively sold to companies. However, electric cars sold in the last 12 months only account for 3.7% of total sales, and Spain is in 13th place regarding electric cars sold in other European countries. The market penetration is topped by Sweden with 33%, the Netherlands 23%, Denmark 21% and Finland with 18%. Sales in Italy are the same percentage as Spain, but in 15th place with only 2% penetration is the Czech Republic. The average retail price of an electric car in Spain is 45,000 euros (with discounts) according to the Association of Motor Traders, but the average price of all non-electric vehicle sold in Spain in 2022 was only 31,500. Automotive analysts state that the government discount for buying an electric car has to be greatly increased to achieve more sales, and describe the number of charging points in public places as “pathetic”. In Andalucía there is a grant of 2,500 euros or 4,500 euros off the price of an electric car that costs no more than 45,000 euros depending on the distance between charges, and 5,000 euros or 7,000 euros if a car over the age of 7 years is scrapped. There is an additional 10% if the buyer of an electric car lives in a municipality with less than 5,000 inhabitants. There is a discount of 70% for individuals off the cost of a charging point (80% for small municipalities) but some manufacturers will instal them at no charge. Unfairly, the ‘Hacienda’ (Spanish taxman) counts the discounts as being effectively capital gains, so charges

income tax on the total grant of about 20-30%!

2022 Income Tax Returns

The Spanish tax year is the calendar year and income tax returns (known as IRPF) have to be made before June 30th the following year so the current one that has to be completed relates to 2022. 90% of these returns are made over the internet and this could be done from April 11th. This is a good system for simple returns but great care has to be taken if it is complicated, and it may be that some tax relief is not claimed. Declarations can be made at the ‘Hacienda’ (Spanish Tax Authority) from June 1st at their offices in person with an appointment. The tax office for our area is in Huércal-Overa. Many people employ an accountant to do this and all tax returns with a bank transfer for any tax due has to be done by June 27th. Employees earning less than 22,000 euros per annum do not have to make a return as long as wages included from a second employer are not more than 1,600 euros. All self-employed persons have to make a tax return every quarter and then the annual return. Previously, when working out their expenses they have been able to add 5% for “expenses difficult to justify” and this has been increased for 2022 to 7%. Pensions count as income so have to be declared, including UK pensions paid in euros and any Spanish pension (with a total allowance of 2,000 euros), along with income from UK assets not taxed there. UK pensions from local government, the civil service, armed forces, police, from teaching and some other categories have to be declared but no tax is due. The personal allowance up to age 64 is 5,550 euros, from 65-74 it is 6,700 euros and from 75 upwards 8,100 euros, with an additional allowance for a spouse and children. A couple each making a tax return can make it a joint one if this has tax advantages. Income tax is split 50/50 between the Spanish state and the Autonomous Community (in our case Andalucía) and starts at 9.5% for each of them, so 19%. The amount of net income free of tax after any allowances has been increased from 14,000 euros to 15,000 euros, and the first band

In the News

of 19% is taxable income up to 12, 450 euros over the 15,000 euros allowance, and then 24% from 12,450 euros to 21,200 euros. The tax bands go up to 47% for incomes over 300,000 euros. Tax due can split into 50% with the return, and 50% in the following November. Self-employed people who pay income tax every quarter will receive a refund when their personal circumstances are made known in their annual tax return. 367,000 people in our province will make a tax return that will bring in an estimated 166 million euros with refunds of an estimated 141 million euros, so the taxman will pull in about 25 million euros.

The Mojácar Bus Station

At the beginning of April, the Mojácar mayoress Rosa María Cano, and other dignitaries inspected the new 5,600m2 bus station, near the petrol station, that has been finished. There are four bus/coach bays, a 50m2 waiting room and toilets, a futuristic sun shade for passengers, and taxi bays. Apart from the local municipal bus services, the location of the bus station allows long-distance coaches easy access to the Mojácar bypass road and to the motorway, for journeys to Murcia, Madrid and Alicante. The number of long distance coaches goes up dramatically in the summer, with the influx of tourists. The 686,000 euros project has been 80% funded by the EU Feder grants. Work is proceeding on the new Health Centre alongside.

New Electric Scooter Rules

The ‘DGT’ (Spanish Traffic Authority) have announced new regulations relating to electric scooters that will come into force on January 1st, 2024. There are technical requirements that include a battery level and speed indicators, an acoustic warning device, independent brakes on both front and back wheels, a white light and reflector at the front, a red reflector at the back and a brake light, with reflective markings on the wheels. Wheels will have to be a minimum of 8 inches in diameter and of a material that is suitable for good road adhesion, and there will have to be a cut-out that stops the motor at a

speed of over 25km/h, the legal limit. It has been stated previously that electric scooters have to have a parking stand, the same as bicycles and motorbikes, but currently this is not included in the list. Manufacturers have to provide a certificate showing that their models comply with all the regulations. Administrative regulations are not yet published, but these are anticipated to include a registration procedure at town halls where the certificate is needed, and probably compulsory third-party insurance. For existing electric scooters that do not have the new specified characteristics, they can be driven until the end of 2026. Wearing a helmet at all times is already a legal requirement. Sadly, in León on April 2nd, a 15yr old boy on a scooter who was not wearing a helmet collided with a car at 9pm on a poorly lit street. He died from fatal injuries in hospital the next day.

Mercadona Cut 200 Prices

Juan Roig is the chairman of Mercadona which is a private company, and other family members hold various positions. He recently presented the 2022 figures at a news conference and announced that they had reduced the price of 200 items. This includes fresh meat, fruit and vegetables and sunflower oil that have come down 13-20%. Many products have a yellow label that signifies they should be eaten fairly quickly or frozen, and these products are discounted.

Juan Roig

In the News

Also, on Saturday afternoon, many prices are reduced because the supermarkets are closed on Sundays and perishable products cannot be kept until Monday. Every evening, before they close, there are additional discounted goods. Juan Roig stated that prices were reviewed every day, and reflected the fact that it might be a rainy day with less customers, so prices were reduced to address any expected surplus.

Spanish Covid-19 Vaccine Approved

The European Medical Agency has given approval for a new Covid-19 vaccine, developed by the Spanish company ‘Hipra’. The vaccine called “Bimervax” is approved as a booster dose for people over the age of 16 who have received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. If required, European medical agencies can order up to 250 million doses.

A “Credit” for Surplus Solar Energy

People with photovoltaic solar panel installations for their own use, known as “autoconsumo”, went up to just over 3,000 at the end of 2022 in our province. These figures come from the supply company ‘Endesa’ and they state that the numbers are continuing to go up this year. The total electricity generated had a potential of 48,000 Kw. There has always been a problem with excess energy and one solution has been the installation of batteries, but they are not cheap. Another solution has been the ability to “sell” surplus energy to the electricity supply companies. The Spanish Association of Consumers considers that this involves too much bureaucracy and the amount of money generated bears no resemblance to the price that a consumer pays normally for the same amount of power. A new procedure has been christened “virtual batteries”, but there is nothing about it that is “virtual” and there is no physical or notional battery involved. Without any additional equipment, energy companies (but not yet all of them) will register the surplus amount of electricity generated from solar panels which can be called upon when it is needed, (such as very cloudy days or during the

night), so this is in the form of a credit. Supply companies who operate the scheme show the amount of credit on monthly bills. For most companies, the credit can only be taken during the following month, but there is also a possibility that the credit can be set against bills from a second home. For people with fixed contracts and prices, the energy surplus is usually calculated to be the same amount, but for people on the variable ‘PVPC’, tariff where the cost to the consumer can have large swings every hour, the supply companies may use the average hourly cost each day. There is still a paperchase to accede to this scheme, but it is considered that this is a viable option for people with solar panels that produce more electricity than they need, at certain times of the day, instead of using physical batteries. With all these schemes, a consumer still has an account with the electricity supplier and will have to pay for any electricity obtained from the supplier when needed, standard charges according to the “potencia” (the amount of contracted power), and IVA (VAT). Certified installers of solar panels will undertake the administrative procedures necessary, and the obtaining of grants that are available from the Junta de Andalucía, in most cases. These grants are currently available until the money allocated runs out, or until the end of 2023. It is anticipated that they will be renewed.

New Family Laws Approved

The Spanish Parliament (Congress) has passed a bill designed to improve family law, partly related to the period after a birth, and it is expected to be approved in the upper parliament. Last month, we pointed out that non-married couples in a stable relationship should apply to have their partnership registered as being a “Pareja de Hecho” as this gives the same inheritance relief as a married couple, and also access to a widow’s pension. After the maternity leave is finished, a married mother is entitled to one hour every day for 9 months for breastfeeding, but this can be saved up and taken as a straight 15 days, and is now extended to pareja de hecho couples. Paid

In the News

maternity and paternity leave are the same, at 16 weeks, but the first 6 weeks for both parents have to be taken immediately following the birth. The remaining 10 weeks have to be taken within 12 months but can be split up into periods of one or more weeks, with a 15-day advance notice to an employer. The Spanish Social Security department pay for the leave which is the same amount as the normal pay from the employer (or for a selfemployed person), but it is exempt from income tax. In general, the rules for receiving a benefit of 100 euros per month until a child reaches the age of three has been extended with more categories. Ione Belarra, the Spanish Minister of Social Rights, states that this may encourage mothers to have another child. A single parent with two children now comes into the category of a “large family” with the same benefits that include relief on the cost of electricity based on income, and the ‘thermal benefit’ that is towards the cost of general heating, heating water and cooking, for vulnerable households. Workers now have the right to 5 paid days of leave per year, to attend to immediate family members in the event of them having serious accidents, hospital stays or operations.

Motorway Signs For Petrol Stations

Drivers on Spanish motorways often stop for fuel and may also stop for a drink and a rest. In many cases however, the sign for a petrol pump means coming off the motorway including driving for some distance on a secondary road. There is one way to determine where the petrol station is, apart from seeing the fuel supplier’s logo above the petrol station, and this is the colour of the sign. Motorway signs are blue, so a petrol station symbol on a blue background indicates it is beside the motorway. A symbol on a green background indicates that the petrol station is very close to the motorway, but a symbol on a white sign indicates that a detour on a secondary road has to be used to get to it. On toll roads, all petrol stations have to be beside the road and the minimum distance between them has to be 20km. The maximum distance, which may be shown on a sign, is 40-60km.

Car navigation equipment and phone Apps will also indicate where the petrol stations are located.

A Working From Home Accident

A company employee was working from home and required to work between 8am-2pm seated in front of her computer. She fell on the way back from the toilet and was injured when a glass door broke. A judge has ruled that as this was during the fixed work period it was an industrial accident and going to the toilet was a normal and necessary occurrence. The insurance company that covered the employer for accidents would not pay out any money because she was not sitting in front of her computer. The judge stated that working from home during or after the pandemic threw up situations that had to be considered from a strictly legal standpoint, and in this case the person was on her way back from the toilet to continue working. In Spain, on a normal and direct route from home to work or vice versa, an employee is covered for accidents and injuries. In one case, a man always deviated slightly to collect his daughter from a nursery, and he was involved in an accident and injured. The employer’s insurance company declined to pay out as it was not his most direct route home. A judge ruled that this was still an industrial accident as it was a daily and necessary short deviation, quite different from if he had varied his direct journey to stop at a bar on the way home.

Low Reservoir Levels

The Junta de Andalucía Minister for Sustainability, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, is very concerned regarding the low level of water in all the reservoirs. Because of the lack of rain, none of them are over 30% of their capacity and the one at Cuevas del Almanzora is down to 15%. The difference between last year and this year is 500 cubic hectometres (132 million gallons) less water. The Junta has earmarked 4 billion euros to combat the drought that is a big problem for agriculturalists. Another worry is that there is a higher risk of forest fires because of the drought.

In the News

When the desalination plant at Cuevas is back in operation this will provide water for agriculture, as it did before it was wrecked in the 2012 floods.

Good Almería and Andalucía Exports

Figures for January show that Andalucía exported agricultural goods worth 1.2 billion euros, up 5.4% over January 2022 figures. Exports from Almería province totalled 479 million euros, the highest of any other province apart from Jaén and amounted to 40%. All exports of fruit and veg from Andalucía increased, and sales of olive oil went up 10%. Germany was top of the lists of countries that took 131,500 tonnes to the value of 240 million euros, and France accounted for 134 million euros. Exports to the Low Countries totalled 110 million euros and sales to Portugal went up 42% to 103 million euros. UK exports were second from the bottom with exports worth 102 million euros and the US bought products worth 73 million euros.

Almería Province Births and Deaths

Almería province is the only one in Andalucía that in the third quarter of 2022 registered more births than deaths, and the general trend is a decrease in population. There were 1.756 births with 1,432 deaths but the higher number of births was due to a non-Spanish parent or parents. 460 births were where both parents were nonSpanish, 181 births had one non-Spanish parent, and in 18 cases the mother was non-Spanish but the father’s name and nationality were not shown. As regards marriages in our province, there were 693 in the same period and nine were between men and 13 between women. 20 weddings were with brides and grooms who were non-Spanish and 102 had one non-Spanish bride or groom.

“Clunk Click Every Trip”

Motorists in the UK in summer 1970 will remember the “Clunk Click Every Trip” campaign to encourage drivers and passengers to wear seat belts. Unfortunately, in Spain, there are a large number of drivers and passengers who don’t do this, nor do they use child restraints properly.

The fine for non-compliance is 200 euros and the driver points lost has gone up to four. From April 3rd-10th, traffic police mounted a special campaign and caught more than 5,000 people not observing the regulations. A spokesperson from the DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority) observed that if the campaign had continued for another week the number of people caught might have doubled. The spokesperson reminded drivers and passengers that in serious accidents there was a 50% higher likelihood of serious injuries and deaths if the regulations were flouted.

Roadside Warning Triangles

During March there were 70 fatal road accidents in Spain where 79 people died, 8 more than in 2022. The DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority) is concerned that there are deaths and injuries to people who get out of their vehicle when it has broken down to put in place warning triangles. Only one is required behind a vehicle where traffic is only coming from behind, but two are needed front and back on conventional roads. The head of the DGT, Pere Navarro, has stated that he considers that warning triangles should not be compulsory on motorways or toll roads because of heavy traffic and higher speeds, and he may introduce the necessary legislation. The special “V-16 Help Flash” lights can be used instead of warning triangles and these are magnetic and can be put on the roof of a normal car without getting out. New models being introduced have a SIM card

In the News

and the location of the vehicle through Vodafone (at present) can be seen at traffic police centres. There is no indication as to the type of vehicle, merely that there is a breakdown or accident. The 360-degree flashing lights are visible from up to 1km away in daylight and further at night. By January 2026 the SIM card version is compulsory, and replaces warning triangles that cease to be legal requirement in Spain and can no longer be used. Persons who have bought the original help lights do not have to change them for the new model, but this is recommended. The new version costs about 40-60 euros and both types have to be to an approved design. A battery operates the light for about 2hrs 50 minutes in total and can be recharged. After four years without being used, the battery should still have 80% capacity.

300kg of Solid Waste

The company ‘Aguas de Garrucha’ carry out a permanent cleaning of the main sewer points to remove solid waste and grease that can block them. From the main one in Calle Mayor and the promenade they recently removed 300kg that was predominantly “wet wipes” that do not break down in sewers, unlike toilet paper. Apart from blocking the sewers this can present a problem at the main pumping stations. The authorities in Garrucha have appealed to the general public to put wet wipes in their general rubbish, not toilets. This of course applies to everybody, wherever they live.

IKEA Open In July

IKEA have announced that their store in Almería city will open in July and staff training is underway. It is at the end of the ‘Rambla’ near to the A-7 motorway. When interviews for staff started in March, there were 6,000 applications for 110 jobs, and other staff will be transferred from existing stores, making a total staff number of 200 direct employees. Spanish government regulations are that 2% of more than 50 staff in any company have to be persons that are physically challenged, and IKEA have announced that this applies to 5% of their staff with 54% female employees. María

José Martorell is in charge of the expansion of IKEA in Spain and states that 1,500 jobs have been created in two years, with total sales of 1.8 billion euros and 22%, 406 million euros, from internet sales. Apart from major stores, IKEA run design centres such as the one in the Torrecárdenas shopping centre where orders can be placed, and collection points. María José Martorell states that the company is committed to continue the installation of photovoltaic solar panels to produce electricity, which is 20% of their need at present, and promote fully recyclable packing materials made from previously recycled materials. IKEA is the world leader in purchasing organic cotton for the manufacture of various products and has purchased land in New Zealand and Florida for planting trees.

Affordable Housing

In 2012, with many banks experiencing “toxic” debts in the construction industry, the entity ‘Sareb’ was set up. All the toxic debts, with no possibility of any repayment, were transferred, and Sareb was responsible for dealing with them. In some cases, demolition was authorised to free up the land, properties could be completed if they were at an advanced level of construction, and completed properties could be sold as soon as possible. Many investment companies bought properties taking the long-term view that this was a sensible undertaking. Properties included went from small developments up to a skyscraper in Benidorm. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has announced that the government will purchase 35,000 properties from Sareb spread throughout Spain, to be available at an affordable rent for young persons and families. 15,000 new properties will be built on land that Sareb currently own that the government will purchase. Pedro Sánchez considered that the age of independance, when young people in Spain can leave home and rent or buy property is far too high and “unacceptable”. When the plan was announced, some political cynics pointed out that the announcement was before the municipal and

In the News

regional elections throughout Spain on May 28th!

Euthanasia in Our Province

In January 2021, euthanasia became legal in Spain with certain conditions. It applies to people who have severe and irreversible mental or physical pain and suffering from diseases such as cancer, a neurodegenerative illness and also a 24/7 reliance on mechanical equipment to prolong life. Initially, a person has to make a request to die to their family doctor who must advise the person if there is any possible treatment available to alleviate their suffering. If this is negative, a second request has to be made to a doctor or hospital staff confirming their intention, and it is then considered by a medical panel. The whole procedure is intended to be completed in a few weeks and the request can be authorised or denied, but in this case an appeal against the denial can be made. There are two methods that can be undertaken and one is the

administering of a substance by medical personnel that causes a death, or the provision of drugs that the patient can self-administer, and there is a choice. Doctors and hospital staff have the right to “opt-out” if they have strong reasons, such as it is against their religious beliefs, and in our province 29 medical personnel have done this. Andalucía was very slow in putting the procedure into place, but after it was eventually introduced, one person was authorised to undertake euthanasia (which was carried out) in our province and other requests are being considered. In Madrid, whilst the debate about euthanasia was taking place in the Spanish Parliament, the husband of woman with a chronic irreversible condition made a video of his wife pleading with him to end her life. He obtained drugs that she took herself causing her death, and this was also videoed. He then went to a police station to tell them what he had done. No action was taken against the husband.

So Now You Know...

“Blood, Toil, Tears And Sweat”

On May 10th, 1940, Winston Churchill succeeded Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister and formed an all-party war cabinet in response to German troops entering Europe. He made his famous “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” speech in the House of Commons on May 13th. It was a paraphrase of a speech on July 2nd, 1849, when Giuseppe Garibaldi was addressing his revolutionary troops in Rome. He said, “I offer hunger, thirst, forced marches, battle, and death,” and Churchill as a young man had considered writing a biography of Garibaldi. Churchill made other famous speeches and rallied Parliament behind him.

The “King James Version”

On May 2nd, 1611, the “Authorised King James Version” of the bible was published and became the standard English language bible. It was commissioned by King James I in 1604 and was the third translation approved by the Church of England, influenced by the German “Geneva” bible, a Protestant version. King James was a believer in the Word of God and the Right of Kings and was very opposed to the Roman Catholic Church. The first edition of his bible contained a denouncement of Catholicism. It was the only one used from the 17th century until the mid-20th century “Revised Versions” in 1952, 1978 and 1989.

The Dambusters

On May 16th, 1943, Lancaster bombers destroyed two large dams in Germany, dropping the famous “bouncing bomb” invented by Dr. Barnes Wallis. “Operation Chastise” needed technology and pilot skills never seen before and was very dangerous. If successful, the severe damage to the Nazi war industry was considered to be of paramount importance, but at a high cost. The bombs had to be spun before release at precisely 500rpm and dropped exactly 60ft over the water at 232mph. 19 bombers with 133 crew set off to destroy three dams, but 53 crew lost their lives when eight planes crashed or were shot down.

The First Mile Under 4 Minutes

On May 6th, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, at the Iffley Road Sports ground on a cinder track. Most experts thought that less than four minutes was impossible, but it had become an obsession with many athletes. The very carefully planned AAA race had Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher setting the pace and Brasher lead the first two laps with Chataway taking the lead half way through the third lap. On the last lap, on the final bend, Bannister steamed away and was first at the tape in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. In Vancouver in August, he cut his time down to 3 minutes 58.8 seconds.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Known as “The little Corporal”, Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on May 5th, 1821, on the remote British island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South-Western Africa. An autopsy was carried out on May 6th, a cast for a death mask was taken on May 7th and on May 9th he was buried, in the presence of French and English witnesses. He had ordered an autopsy so that his son would know the cause of death which was cancer, and insisted on wearing his full Field Marshal uniform when his death was near. His body was going to be taken back to France but his will stated that he was to be buried on the island.

Dartmoor Prison

On May 29th, 1809, Dartmoor Prison in Devon was opened to house French and American prisoners of war, captured during the Napoleonic war and the war of 1812. It was built with rocks from the moorland site chosen by a landowner and former secretary to the Prince Regent, and was an alternative to the very overcrowded and unsanitary conditions of the floating prisons in use in Plymouth Harbour. It was closed in 1816 after the wars ended and the prisoners were repatriated. It remained dormant until 1851, when it was recommissioned as a penal prison. In 2013 it was announced it would close in 2023 but it is to remain open.

Municipal Elections, May 28th

Elections

to determine which political parties and elected councillors control town halls until May 2027 take place on Sunday, March 28th. Throughout Spain there are 8,136 municipalities, with more than 67,000 candidates.

Electioneering starts at midnight Friday, May 12th and finishes at midnight Friday, May 26th. The Saturday is a day for reflection without any electioneering before the elections on the Sunday.

The number of elected councillors, always an odd number, varies with the population and goes up to 27 in Almería city in our province, with the highest number of inhabitants. Each political party who wishes to gain seats publishes a list of names, with a couple of extra ones in case a person stands down or is prevented from standing for some reason. Councillors who win seats come from the list in descending order and the person who heads the list is potentially the mayor or mayoress. If there is no clear majority for any one party and there is a coalition of two or more parties, the mayor, mayoress or their deputies are subject to negotiation. Voters vote for a political party, not individual councillors, so if there is someone who is considered by voters to be an excellent candidate, they have to vote for the party that has this person on their list.

This time, post Brexit, there has been a major and unique change relating to UK nationals who are eligible to vote. The census office sent personalised letters to all these people telling them how to apply for a vote. Hopefully, this will result in a much higher number of Brits voting compared to those in 2019, and letters were also sent to EU residents who did not vote in the 2019 elections but are still eligible to vote this time. This is also completely new.

When electioneering starts, political parties set up headquarters quite often in empty premises, hold general meetings, and often go door to

door. They will provide envelopes with their list of candidates that can be kept and taken to the polling station, but all the lists are available there too, along with envelopes. Prior to polling day, the census office sends a card to each voter telling them where they have to go to vote with their table number. As voting takes place on a Sunday, the location is very often a school. If you forget to take this card there it does not matter, but you have to take photo id, such as a TIE residence card or passport. The names of every eligible voter are on a list at the polling station and each person going there is crossed off the list. Voting is from 9am to 8pm and then the votes are counted, along with any postal ones. The result is often available later in the evening.

Counting votes is done according to the d’Hondt system, invented by a Belgian professor. As an example, if there are seven councillors, the total votes for each party are divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The highest seven totals are then apportioned to the political party that they apply to, and this determines the number of councillors from each party.

In our area, with a high number of non-Spanish, assuming the eligible ones all applied for a vote and cast their vote, this will have a major impact on who runs our town halls until 2027. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain about the results, it’s too late!

The Importance of Sleep

Doctor

Odile Romero is the head of the Neurophysics department of the Sleep Unit at the Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona. He is a member of the Spanish Sleep Society and the International Sleep Alliance Organisation. An exhaustive study of sleep patterns has been published in the ‘Sleep Journal’.

The main result of the investigations is that up to 40% of the population have sleep problems that can have an effect on physical and mental health. The amount of sleep we need varies with age and a newly-born baby will sleep for 14-17 hours a day. Adolescents up to the age of 18 need 8-10 hours, adults up to the age of 60, 7-9 hours with a decreasing amount of 7-8 hours for the elderly. This is partly because the elderly population are the most likely to have a short siesta in the afternoon. The Sleep Journal study determined that there was a minimum time and a maximum time, and with only 6 hours of sleep, although the person may consider that they are not tired, tests when they woke up determined that concentration was reduced and reaction time increased.

Doctor Romero states that there should be a period before we go to bed when we should not drink coffee or stimulants, not watch TV (although a nature programme may be relaxing), and not play video games where a quick response is necessary, both physically and mentally. Listening to relaxing music or reading a book is recommended, and conversation between family members also helps us to relax. Eating a banana or a glass of hot milk is also a good idea. Adequate sleep and sleep patterns are important for our physical well-being, and bedrooms should be a tranquil place, without using social media or watching television. Listening to the radio is not a bad idea providing it is programmed to turn itself off shortly afterwards.

Another important area is that during sleep our liver acts as a filter that gets rid of toxins in the blood. If the process is interrupted the toxins will not be completely cleared and will be stored up.

The liver also creates good cholesterol, helps to combat fatty greases, controls the level of insulin and creates ‘Kupffer’ cells that combat bacteria. If the liver is not functioning correctly, this can lead to a loss of energy, a slow metabolism and ultimately severe health problems. Infusions drunk before bedtime are beneficial, and one of the easiest ones to prepare is warm to hot water containing slices of lemon. An infusion from health shops made from dandelions helps the liver and has anti-inflammatory benefits, with a claim that it helps combat inflammation caused by arthritis, even after only taking it for a few days.

Obesity in children is a problem in Spain as well as in other countries and poor sleep can be a major cause. Normal sleep produces leptins, which help us to consider we have eaten enough food, and ghrelin that is a gastro-intestine hormone that helps regulate body weight. Also, inadequate sleep creates a craving for bad, sweet foods. A Spanish study of children between the ages of 6-9 showed that 23% were overweight and 17% were clinically obese. Unfortunately, in Europe, Spain is the third highest country for children being overweight, and the fourth for obesity.

Parents should ensure that their children have a regular going to bed and waking up time, as this leads to the brain developing our biological clock. Without this, children when they reach adulthood may still have similar problems.

2035 Not Totally Feasible

Itmay seem a long time in the future to 2035, but in reality, it is only 12 years away. This is the year when it has been proposed in the EU that no new petrol, diesel, hybrid or gas fuelled cars can be sold, and from this date onwards they all have to be electric.

In mid-February, there was a vote in the European Parliament with 340 in favour, 279 against and 21 abstentions, so by no means a unified vote. Italy and Germany voted against the proposal and current thinking in Spain is that 2035 is too soon. The proposal that 2035 is the definitive date will have to be approved in parliament by all 27 member states, and it may be that the date will slide to 2050 in some countries. Another proposal from Germany and Italy is that vehicles powered by e-hydrogen, with an 85% drop in CO2 emissions should be able to be purchased after 2035.

Fernando Miguélez, the Director General of the Spanish Motor Traders Association, points out that 2035 is not the date when existing non-electric powered vehicles cannot continue to circulate. By the end of this year, 149 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, so Almería city, Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido in our province, have to have in place low emission zones where “dirty” vehicles will be prohibited. Banned vehicles will still be able to be driven outside these zones without committing any offence. Fernando Miguélez states that some banned vehicles will be replaced with cleaner ones, but not all of them. He thinks that non-electric vehicles purchased in 2034 should be allowed to stay on the road until 2050. He points out that matriculated “km-0” cars, not electric ones, can be purchased after January 1st, 2035, as legally they are not new ones. Volvo now only market electric vehicles and Nissan will from 2030. Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Toyota have no plans to stop producing non-electric cars until 2035.

In 2022, a total of 30,544 electric vehicles were sold in Spain, but this is only 3.7% of all new vehicles. There is no likelihood that the target of 3 million electric vehicles by 2030 can be achieved.

The ‘DGT’ (Spanish Traffic Authority) state that there are 24.9 million cars on the road, but only 135,000 are electric. Sales will need to be 500,000 every year.

The average price of an electric vehicle in Spain, with good specifications, is stated to be 38,000 euros. New developments for cheaper batteries will eventually bring the price down, or more generous government schemes than the 4,500 or 7,000 euros discount (if a car over 7-years old is scrapped). Since 2020, the pandemic has resulted in new car sales of all types dropping, as well as the extreme shortage of integrated chips experienced by manufacturers. In 2019, total vehicle sales in Spain were 1.26 million, but this dropped in 2022 to 813,000 a drop of 65%.

‘Ganvam’ is a Spanish vehicle distributers’ association, and they point out that the average age of cars in Spain has gone from 7.7 in 2002 to 13.9 in 2022, and the average age of second-hand cars sold privately in 2022 went up to 14.6. Even if the average motorist wants to buy an electric car, the high prices mean that this is usually not possible.

Another problem is the lack of charging points in public places. The total in 2022 was only 18,000, just 4,500 more than in 2021, with a target of 45,000. The target of 80-100,000 this year is clearly completely impossible.

Useful Numbers

ACCOUNTING

AIRPORT PARKING

ANTIQUES

ARCHITECTS

ART & ARTISTS

AUTOMATIC DOORS

CAKES TO ORDER

CAMPSITES

CATERING / EVENTS

CLOTHING (Personalised)

COUNSELLING / HEALING

CURTAINS & SOFT FURNISHINGS

DIGGER HIRE See Excavation

DIVING See Scuba Diving

DOCTORS & CLINICS (Private)

DOG GROOMING

DOG TRAINING

DOORS See Windows & Doors

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

ELECTRICAL GOODS

ESTATE AGENTS

EXCAVATION

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

EXCURSIONS

FABRICS

FASHION

FINANCIAL SERVICES

FLORISTS

FLY SCREENS

FOOD SHOPS

FUNERAL COMPANIES

FROZEN FOOD SUPPLIER

FUNERAL PLANS

FURNITURE PACKAGES

FURNITURE, RUSTIC/HANDMADE

GARDENS

GLASS CURTAINS

GLAZING (Supply & Repair)

GOLD & JEWELLERY BUYING

GOLF COURSES

GOLF TUITION

GRASS, ARTIFICIAL

GUTTERING

HAIR, HEALTH & BEAUTY

HARDWARE OUTLETS

HEALTH FOODS

HEATING

HIRE

HOUSE CLEARANCE

HOUSE & PET SITTING

INTERPRETING/TRANSLATIONS

LOCKSMITHS

LOGS FOR

MARKETING

MOBILE HOMES & CARAVANS

MOTORCYCLES & QUADS

OPTICIANS

PET

PHYSIOTHERAPY

PICTURE FRAMING

PIZZERIAS

PLASTERERS

PLUMBERS

PODIATRISTS

See Chiropodists & Podiatrists

POOL COVERS

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT &

PROPERTY PROMOTERS

PSYCHOLOGIST

RADIO STATIONS

SECURITY & SAFES See

SEWING

SEPTIC

SHOE REPAIRS

SIGNS (Shop & Vehicle)

SKIP HIRE

SNOOKER HALLS

SOLAR ENERGY

SWEET SHOPS

TILING & PATIO WORK See also Building Services

TIMBER SUPPLIERS

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

TRANSLATING - see Interpreters

TRANSPORT - see Removals TRAVEL

TV

TUITION

VEHICLE REPAIRS (MOBILE)

VEHICLE SALES

VETS

WEB SERVICES

WINDOW CLEANING

WINDOWS

Community News

Art on the Beaches of Mojácar

The rescue and lifeguard modules on the beaches of Mojácar are coming to life thanks to the artists “Makiniko”, (Maria Ángeles “Maki” & Nicolás Rodriguez) who, commissioned by Mojácar Council, have managed to bring the seabed and its most emblematic species to our coast.

Los Bandidos Kick off the Season

Just five Los Bandidos runners participated in the first race in the Circuito de Carreras Populares Diputación de Almeria 2023 in Olula del Rio on Saturday 15 April. The race was advertised as 10k, but the actual route, which went through the town and along the Via Verde, was just under 9k. Once again the Los Bandidos ladies came away trophies!

The winner finished in 31:25, with the first lady in 32:31. 159 runners crossed the finish line. Trophies were awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in each age group as well as to the overall winners.

Los Bandidos results (position, name, time and age group prizes)

70 Steve Slack 40:06

79 Aki Lisauskaite 40:49 (3rd F)

126 Sarah Briggs 49:42

142 Rachael Slack 51:57 (1st E-F)

146 Sharon Howelett 54:54 (2nd D-F)

Los Bandidos was set up in June 2018 with a small group running the 5k Mojácar Paseo, and now has road cycling, sea swimming and triathlon groups. All ages, nationalities and speeds are welcome, whether permanent residents or holiday makers. Los Bandidos are keen to integrate and support the local community. We are are currently collecting non-perishable food and toiletries for the Red Cross Food Bank. We are very sociable and most sessions are followed by a post-activity coffee, cake or breakfast, depending on the time of day. Follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date with our latest activities (facebook.com/groups/490933409244200). We look forward to seeing you soon.

At the moment whales are the main subject of this first work found on the Piedra Villazar beach in front of the Parador. In the coming days they will finish two other works, one on the Venta del Bancal beach in front of the Hotel Indalo and the other on Lance beach. All with themes of the sea and its surprising inhabitants, waiting for their turn.

Maria Ángeles “Maki”, a photographer specialising in cultural events, and Nicolás Rodriguez, have the job of adding beauty and a life of their own to the new rescue and lifeguard modules, a beauty and spectacularity which does not go unnoticed by bathers or passers-by.

Nicolás Rodriguez has been in the world of painting for 30 years. Graffiti artist and artist, he is a Fine Arts graduate. He started out with some friends in the world of graffiti, a method of free painting, generally in urban spaces and as visual street art. From the beginnings of graffiti, with a touch of illegality, this artistic expression has become a fullyfledged part of the art world, and despite being widespread, there are very few professional graffiti artists. He is currently an art teacher in a Málaga secondary school and has run different workshops organised by the Almería Provincial Council, combining teaching with many jobs in the province

Community News

and throughout the world, taking part in different competitions abroad and receiving awards on many occasions. For the last 10 years he has worked with María Ángeles “Maki” Fernández, forming the group Makinico, a name that synthesizes their joint work and with which they sign many works.

The Mojácar Moors & Christians Magazine

The “Al-Mosaquer” Organisation publishes a magazine which gives all the information about this celebration, its origin, the impressive parades, the groups involved, the music, performances and various activities. This magazine, with an initial circulation of 1000 copies, will be in full colour printed in Spanish but with the greeting of the President and the programme of fiestas, translated in English. The cost of this will be covered through the sale of advertising space with rates as follows:

- Half-Page section: 100 euros, Full-Page: 200 euros

- Inside Back cover: 300 euros

- Cover interior: 400 euros

- Upper 2/3 of the Back cover: 500 euros

Aguilon Amigos Spring Trophy

In absolutely perfect golfing conditions, Aguilon Amigos held their Spring Trophy competition on 5th April, 2023. A field of 24 Amigos teed off in this medal competition at Aguilon Golf Course, which was in excellent condition as normal. When the results were announced, all Amigos were delighted to hear that the Spring Trophy had been won by Eddie Vaughan, with a magnificent score of net 65. Eddie’s victory was even more notable as he had previously won, within the last year, the Amigos Inaugural Cup and the Summer Cooper Tournament. Eddie’s win effectively means that he has won the Amigos “Grand Slam” a fantastic achievement given the level of competition in each of these events. This achievement is even more notable because he is our most senior member. Congratulations Eddie!!! The end of March saw the conclusion of the Amigos Winter Eclectic won by Robert Lockyer with a score of 66 and runner up was Lynne Atherton with a score of 65.

Aguilon Amigos play each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Aguilon Golf Course in San Juan in Federation Qualifying Competitions. Anyone wishing to join us should contact aguilonamigos2021@ gmail.com for more information.

For information please contact Laura Flores: 664793983 Luisa: 617279966 Emilio: 670036064 E-mail: almosaquer@gmail.com

Bank Account (IBAN): ES05 2103 5600 1800 3002 4547

We thank you in advance for your support.

Emilio Egea Gea Presidente de la Asociación de Moros y Cristianos “AL-MOSAQUER”

Eddie Vaughan

What’s On

Almería

The musical La Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast) comes to Teatro Cervantes, Almería city, on Saturday, June 3rd, at 5pm, intended to be a family event. Tickets are 15 euros in advance or 18 euros at the door.

Mediterráneo Homenaje a Joan Manuel Serrat is a tribute concert to the singer / songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat. It comes to Teatro Cervantes, Almería city, on Saturday, May 13th, at 9.30pm. Tickets are 15 euros in advance or 18 euros at the door.

Black Ice is a tribute concert to AC/DC as part of their “50th Anniversary AC / DC” tour. It comes to Teatro Cervantes, Almería city, on Saturday, June 17th, at 11pm. Tickets are 12 euros in advance or 15 euros at the door.

Aladdin, the family musical, comes to Teatro Cervantes, Almería city, on Sunday, May 21st, at 6pm. Tickets are 15 euros in advance or 18 euros at the door.

The musical Germinal comes to Teatro Cervantes, Almería city, on Saturday, June 3rd, at 9pm. The musical is based on the Emile Zola novel depicting France in the 1860s. There is an 80-piece symphony orchestra and 60 actors and singers. The musical and performers have won many awards. Tickets are 20 & 25 euros.

Tickets for Teatro Cervantes, Almería city, from box office at Calle del Poeta Villaspesa,1. Open Mon-Fri, 11am-1pm & 4pm-7pm, Saturday from 11am-2pm, or 1hr before performances, or from www.todaslasentradas.com

Tickets for concerts in Almería (except Teatro Cervantes) available from the ticket office in the Teatro Apolo, 25 Rambla Obispo Orberá, Almería , tel: 950 230 922. MonFri, 10.30am-1.30pm & 6-8pm, or Sat, 11am-1pm. Tickets can be purchased from 2hrs before

What’s On

performances at the venue or from www.ticketmaster.es or call Ticketmaster: 902 1500 25. Main branches of ‘CaixaBank’ have machines which issue tickets; including Vera near the church square.

Águilas

Regresamos a Los 80s comes to Águilas auditorio on Sunday, May 28th, at 6pm. It tells the story of a birthday party where an uncle recalls his experiences as a leader of a band in the 1980s, with music from Queen, Michael Jackson, Nacha Pop, Mecano,

Locuillo and others. Tickets are 13 & 15 euros from normal outlets and www.entradas360.com

The 2022-2023 Promusica series of concerts continues with a performance by the Region of Murcia Symphony Orchestra on Friday, May 19th, at 8.30pm. Along with other works they perform Beethoven’s 9th symphony. Tickets are 20 euros.

Aguilas tickets from Victoria Travel 968 410 929 & www.bacantix. com,Museo Arqueológico, www. auditorio-aguilas.org or from 2hrs before performances at the box office.

Villaricos

Dreambeach 2023. The electronic music festival at Villaricos takes place from August 9th-13th.

Vera

Diario de la Piano is a piano concert by Juan Cervera, a classical pianist and composer from Granada. He has recently released a CD entitled #10 that has been very well received. He performs at the municipal auditorio on Saturday, May 20th, at 8pm. Tickets are 5 euros from Convento de la Victoria, the auditorio box office, and www.bravoentradas.es

Roquetas de Mar

Lorca Sonoro is a musical / theatre event dedicated to Federico Garcia Lorca featuring Pasión Vega, the very famous female Spanish singer, and the actor Victor Clavijo. The event has music and poetry and comes to the auditorio on Sunday, May 21st, at 8pm. Tickets are 20, 22, 30 & 32 euros.

What’s On

Exhibitions

The Doña Pakyta Museum in Almería city has an exhibition entitled ‘La Chanca’ in their Espacio Camina area until June 4th, including works from the 1940s to the 1970s by Pérez Siquier, Visconti, Czech Canton and Perceval. The museum is at 2, Plaza Emilio Pérez and is open from 10.30am to 1.30pm, and from 5pm to 8pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and the same morning hours on Sundays. Admission free.

Miscellaneous

Mojácar Moors & Christians Festival this year will be from Friday, June 16th to Sunday, June 18th.

Age Support Summer Funfest Saturday, 15th July at Arboleas Community Centre.

The Onbeat company bring their musical El Musical de Los 80s and 90s by Spanish artists to the auditorio on Saturday, June 3rd, at 9pm, following excellent reviews in Madrid. Tickets are 15 & 20 euros.

Dos Día En La Vida is a tribute concert to Pau Donés, lead Singer of the Jarabe de Palo group, and comes to the auditorio on Saturday, June 17th, at 9pm. Seven musicians from a group based in Albacete perform the compositions. Tickets are 15, 18 & 20 euros.

Roquetas de Mar Auditorio tickets are on sale at www. teatroauditorioroquetas.org or their ticket office, open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11am-1pm & 6pm8pm.

What’s On

Market Days

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Huércal-Overa, Antas, Berja

Albox, Los Gallardos, Cuevas del Almanzora

Mojácar, Bédar, Lubrin, Vélez Blanco, Palomares, Tabernas

Cuevas del Almanzora, Olula del Río, Carboneras, Sorbas

Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Rastros, Car Boot Sales, etc.

Garrucha, Turre, Zurgena

Aguilas, Vera, Arboleas, Vélez Rubio

Villaricos, Purias, San Juan de los Terreros, Fines

Saturday: Sunday:

Los Llanos, between Arboleas & Albox

Chiringuito Extreme, Hostal Rural, Turre

Plaza del Rey, Velez Rubio

Mojácar Rastro, Multiple Use Centre

Activities - Clubs - Associations

Clubs, Societies & Activities

Almanzora Group of Friends

Library and Information Centre, Tues - Fri, 10am-1pm, Plaza San Antonia, Barrio Alto, Albox. Extensive English Library, DVDs and talking books, monthly magazine, monthly quiz, trips. www.almanzoragof.org or Facebook: Almanzora Group of Friends. Tel: 602 495 306

Almeria Link Friendship Group

Membership is free and open to all. We meet at weekends in the Mojacar area to enjoy dining experiences and form friendships. New members are always welcome. Please contact Bob on 950472551

WOW Women on Wednesday

Scotty’s, Mojácar Playa, 2pm. Get together, buy, sell, swap, meet new people.

Dames in Huércal Overa

3rd Wed. of the month, 10.30am, Tennis Club, Huércal Overa. All welcome. Tel. Jan Oliver 642 413 945.

Dames in Turre

Monthly lunches and trips. New members welcome. Chairman, Barbara Wardley, casaroojo@hotmail.co.uk. Secretary, Moira Armatage +34 711 007 192, mogsy2009@ live.com

Mojácar Community Library

Multi-Use centre. Mon, Wed and Fri, 11am - 1pm .

Flamenco Forum for English Speakers on Facebook. Information and events. Tel: 687 480 694

The Royal British Legion - Zurgena & District Branch

La Parrilla, Albox, first Thursday of the month, 11a.m. Email zurgenaRBLsecretary@yahoo. co.uk. See www.britishlegion.org.uk/branches

/zurgena

Indalo Hash House Harriers

Meet 2nd and 4th Sunday, 11am, various locations. www.indaloh3.com

Mojácar Bridge Club

Contact Les Brice 697 297 991 or Ron Hounsell 711 064 726. www.bridgewebs. com/mojacar/

Vera & District Lions Club

We meet regularly including social events. For more information please contact by email veralionssecretary@gmail.com or email/telephone President Zoe Rylett on zoerylett@gmail.com - 639 036 051. All items gratefully received at The Lions Charity Shop in Turre. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 - 14:00. Mobility equipment available. Donations and Standing Orders to Vera And District Lions Fundraising. ES19 3058 0186 3527 2000 7801

The Royal British Legion, Mojácar First and third Thursday of every month (except July and August) at 11am, coffee and chat at Cokkia Restaurant (opposite Neptuno). Ex-Forces and non-Service people all welcome. We hold lunches and other events which we publicise at the coffee mornings and on local media. For welfare advice and help for the exForces community in need of support email SpainNorthCommunitySupport@rbl. community. If you wish to hold an event in aid of the Poppy Appeal or help at our collection points in October and November please email Mojacar.Committee1@rbl. community or ring 699 953 222. We are now on Facebook, click on Groups and search for Royal British Legion Mojacar Branch.

AUAN - Abusos Urbanisticos

Almanzora No

Association campaigning for the legalisation of homes in the Almanzora Valley built without proper authority. Meeings on 3rd Saturday of every other month, 11am, La Parrilla, Albox. Tel: 617 118 209 www.almanzora-au.org

Vera Photo Club

First Sunday of month, Bar La Pará, Turre (opposite the Vet), 10am - 12.30pm. Presentations by invited speakers, field trips, instruction, studio photography, monthly assignments and exhibitions. All levels welcome. Phone Sarah 670003717 or Claus 628585538.

Freemasons in the Province of Almeria

Craft & Chapter. 661 026 912 or 670 27 27 37

Freemasons – The Side Degrees

Mark, RAM, RSM, OSM & Allied. 678 574 579

Albox Computer Club

Hotel La Parrilla, Albox. Fri, 10am. All levels of experience are welcomed. www. alboxcc.com

Traditional Japanese Reiki and Gendai Reiki Ho

Classes, workshops, and Reiki shares in Mojacar. Tel: 634 347 930, website: www. gendaireikispain.com

Ancestry Club for Beginners & Intermediate

Tel. 634 309 590

Psychic Development Circle

Various classes at different times. Everyone welcome. Tel: Barbara 637 469 937 barbaramoonlight@gmail.com

Activities - Clubs - Associations

Clubs, Societies & Activities continued

Amigos de los Coches Clasicos

Local multi-national group of classic car enthusiasts. Meetings the first Thursday of the month, 3pm, Hotel Rural Miguel Rosi, junction 559 E15/A7. www.a-c-c.es, email: info@a-c-c.es, tel. David 630740502

Miraflores 1/10 Scale RC Club

Thursdays, 3pm. Tel: Richard on 666 274 861 for more details.

Model Aero Flying Club, Cortijo Grande

Sun. & Wed., 10.30am. Contact Jeff on 950 469304 or Colin on 666 982186

Aeroclub ULM Günter (Vera)

Tel: 607 316 553

Pita Escuela Agave School of Río Aguas. A multicultural, environmental and musical project, specialized on the integral usage of the agave plant and the processing of its wood.Tel 630 66 18 65 (Timbe) pitaescuela@hotmail.com

Sunseed

A hands-on practical centre for low-impact living and environmental education in Los Molinos del Rio Aguas near Sorbas. Free tours at 4pm. www.sunseed.org.uk Tel: 950 525 770

Religious Groups & Churches

Church of England (Anglican Services)

Mojácar, Sundays, 11am; Llanos Del Peral, Sundays,11am; Aljambra Chapel Albox, 2nd Thursday monthly at 11am. For directions, details and all church activities please see www.almeriaanglican.com or contact Tony Noble on 634303807. Also available Funerals, Wedding Blessings, Wedding Vow renewals and Baptisms.

Kingdom Hall, Jehovah’s Witnesses

Tues 7:30pm & Sun 10.00am. Poligono Aljoroque - C/El Cajete 6, Antas. Contact: 652 293 269

Turre Evangelical Church

Sundays at 10.30 – worship, a not too long talk from the Bible, coffee and cake. Welcoming and relaxed – all welcome. Find us on Turre’s main street, Avenida de Almeria, corner of C/Alberquillca. Email: contact@turrechurch.es Tel: (0034) 711 035 486 Web: turrechurch.es

New Life Church, Huercal-Overa

We are a Jesus centred church family learning to love one another. Sunday service at 11 am, www.newlifechurch.eu tel. 685 628 184

Living Water Church Mojacar Playa

Opposite Red Cross Centre and Salas Farmacia. Sunday Service 11am. Bible study, Tuesday 10am. Prayer, Wednesday 5pm. Cafe Church, Thursday 11am to 1pm. See FaceBook or visit www.livingwaterchurchmojacar.com

Aguaviva Evangelical Church

Near the health Centre, opposite BiciBox, Albox. Tel: Rod Southwood, 687 560 544

Roman Catholic Masses

These can be found on www.misas.org for most places.

Support Groups & Charities

MACS Cancer Support Group

General Enquiries call 634 328 334 10am to 4pm. 24/7 Careline: 634 656 555. Fully Spanish registered charity. Shops in Mojácar, Turre, Albox and Huercal-Overa open Mon-Fri, 10-2pm www.macscancersu pport.com Email: macscancersupport@ live.co.uk

Stepping Stones Carers Support Group

Turre Evangelical Hall, Thurs, 11am-2pm. Tel 950 472 822 or 677 683 385 www. steppingstones.group

Age Support Almanzora

Shop and welfare office near Peugeot garage, Albox, open Mon-Fri, 10:00-13:45. Lunch club, bereavement group, equipment loan, befrienders. Helpline 642 045 210.

A.A. Alcoholics Anonymous

Mojacar Area Meetings:- Monday 6pm, Turre Evangelical Church (Avenida de Almeria, Turre). Friday, 6pm, Living Water Church, Mojacar Playa (opposite Red Cross building). Tel: 634 300 364 or email aaspain@gmail.com

Al-Anon Family Groups for people whose life is or has been affected by someone else’s drinking. Meetings Mondays, 4:45 - 5:45 at Turre Evangelical Church. Tel: 698460801 or email AlAnon. LaAlfoquia@gmail.com

Universal Wonderful Street Academy

NGO that supports street children in Accra (Ghana). Registered charity. www. universalwonderfulstreetacademy.org. Beatriz: 617 182 154

Harmony Community Support

Providing assistance to those in need. Tel. 634 339 192 Mon - Fri, 11:00 - 14:00 help@harmonycharity.com

Walk for Life Arboleas

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer and need help or support contact our welfare team. Email irenewalk4life@icloud.com Tel. 643 63 81 77. To volunteer to help at any of our events and become a Friend of Walk for Life email claire.walk4life@gmail.com Tel 644602249.

Activities - Clubs - Associations

Music & Drama Groups

Indalo Players

Well established drama group always looking for new members to act or help back stage. Contact Jennifer Jordan email jenniferjanejordan@gmail.com/ phone 34 722 860 085.

Independent Theatre Group

Always looking for new people, novices & full blown Thesbians. Call Ian Jones on 950 436 581 or 666 375 688 or e-mail independenttheatre@hotmail.com

The Luvvies

New members always welcome for acting or work behind the scenes etc. Tel. 634 346 309 or e-mail theluvvies@hotmail.com

Jacqueline Welby Productions

New members always needed to act or work back stage or with any other activities. Tel. Jacqueline Morris Welby 634 313 531

Orquesta Ciudad de Vera

A friendly group of musicians of various ages and levels. All newcomers welcome, only requirement is to play an orchestral instrument and read music. Rehearsals Vera Auditorio on Saturday mornings. See www. ocv.org.es for details.

Vera Voces

A friendly choir singing classical music, directed by pianist, singer and director, Barry Jobling. All welcome, no auditions. Rehearsals Mondays, 5-7pm, at Vera Auditorio. Facebook: Vera Voces. Contact veravoces1@gmail.com

All Aloud Community Choir meet every Tuesday at Charlotte’s Bar and Grill, formerly Chapman’s Bar, Albox, from 2.45 pm until 4.45 pm. All Welcome.

Albox Ukebox

A friendly group that meets weekly on Tuesday afternoons in Charlotte’s Bar (formerly Chapman’s) in Albox to learn and sing songs with the ukulele. All welcome. For details tel. Chris on 634 375 471.

Yoga

Sol Yoga Centre, Arboleas Tel: 686 400331

VaVa Yoga Studio, Vera. Tel: 642 314 316

Yoga Therapy with Portia Oliver. Tel: 681301474 www. portiaoliver.es

Arts & Crafts

Sewing Group, Mojacar

We meet at Scotty’s el Tropico bar for sewing, knitting, crochet etc. Weds.

10.30 to 12.30. Tel. Brenda 634 34 34 92. We are a friendly group meeting for coffee and chat.

Ladies Sewing Circle

Evangelical Church, Turre, Wednesday

10.30 – 12.30 Tel: 667 702 774

Picante Quilting Club

Scotty’s El Tropico, Mojacar. First Thurs of the month, 10am-12.30pm. Beginners welcome. For more details or to book your place, please email Jo at jogibson787@yahoo.co.uk

Cloud Zebra Craft Workshops & Clubs

In Almanzora and Oria, Tues 10-2, Thurs and Fri, 10.30 -2.30. Call 744 60 96 30. No experience needed.

Bedar Arts Centre

Ceramic classes, Mondays and Wednesdays. Painting classes Tuesday 10:301330. For info, call 664 896 555

Dance

Strictly Line Dancing

Salon de Actos, Centro de Usos

Multiples, Mojacar. Fridays, 4–7pm. Beginners welcome. Contact: Glynis 648217503 or Mary Beth 661671526 or strictlylinedancingmojacar@gmail.com

Eleanor & Gilly’s Line Dance Class

Chapman’s Bar, Albox, 2pm- 3-45pm, Mondays. All levels welcome. 950439003.

Step2It - Line Dancing

Arboleas. Weds: 6.45 p.m-7.30 p.m, First Steps/Intro. 7.30 p.m-10.30, Beginners / Improvers /Intermediate. Carrie Ann 627279584 www.carrieanngreen.com

Almeria Line Dancers

Julie - 634304625 / 950110433

Ceroc Dancing

Artisan Centre, Mojacar, Tues 8.15pm Beginners/Improvers/Advanced. All welcome. Contact Tracey 687251799

Belly Dancing

Mojácar, Garrucha & Huércal-Overa. Contact Fatima: 610 472 596

Bellydance Classes

Mojácar, Turre, Palomares. Call 639 724 521

Dance Classes with Hollie Newell Ballet, tap, contemporary, modern, jazz, lyrical, zumba and more. Based in Turre. Tel: 634 317 391

Performing Arts Centre DanZaVera

54 Verasol, Vera. Royal Academy Ballet, Imperial Society Modern, Tap and Jazz. Also Hip-Hop, Oriental Dance, Spanish Classical. Tel Anita: 670 715 787

Complete Beginners Flamenco Mojácar. No specialist shoes or equipment required, friendly hour long class. Email info@lagitanainglesa.com

VaVa Yoga Danza (Spanish)

With Barbarito. Cuban & Latin Salsa, Bachata & Merengue. Tel: 642 314 316

Send details of your group to almeriafocus@gmail.com

WhatsApp: 667 80 11 40

Activities - Clubs - Associations

Sports

Almería Lawn Bowling Club

Contact Shirley: 679 970 399

Bowling Club de Zurgena Friendly, social and competitive bowling, all levels & standards. zurgenabc@gmail. com. www.zurgenabc.com

Cabrera Lawn Bowling Club www.cabreralbc.com

Indalo Lawn Bowling Club

First class facilities with all levels of bowling catered for. Visit our website http://www. indalobowlingclub.org

Mojacar Bowls Club

Behind Marina Mar Hotel. Everybody welcome - Tues, Thurs and Sat starting with coffee at 9:30. Contact Janet 627204422, janlawspain@yahoo.co.uk

Aguilón Amigos Golf Club

Aguilon Golf Course on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays teeing off just before 9am. If you would like to play email aguilonamigos2021@gmail.com

Badgers Golf Society Mojácar

We play every Wednesday and alternate Saturdays. All are welcome. Contact Paul Cunningham on (0044)7775837453 WhatsApp or badgersmojacar@mail.com

Boxers Golf Society Albox

All welcome to join us as members or guests. Call in at the Why Not bar in Albox on Saturday mornings or email peterstooks@avired.com

Forum Golf Society

Plays friendly events at local courses twice a month. Richard Price. Telephone 850993073 or rfp53@yahoo.co.uk. www.forumgolfsociety.webs.com

Golfing Guapas Society

We are a group of ladies of all nationalities meeting one Friday in the month...golf followed by lunch and prizes. All welcome. Call Vivienne 683 558 696.

Valle del Este Golf Society.

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays. Contact Alan Townsend Tel. 690 090 982

Almería Golf League

Contact Les on 950 619 273.

Marina Phoenix Golf Society

Visitors welcome Mondays and Thursdays. Tel Don Atkins 605 051 238. Email marinaphoenixgs@gmail.com

Huzzah Golf Society

Friendly group of all abilities, playing Aguilon golf course each Monday and local courses. All welcome. Call Eric & WhatsApp 643 04 96 96. Fb: Huzzah Golf Society. Email: huzzahgs@gmail.com

Albox Club de Tenis

Sun & Thurs mornings, Tues afternoons. Tel Sue: 950 064 369 Fb: Albox Club de Tenis

Cabrera Tennis Club

Contact info@ cabreratennisclub.com www.cabreratennisclub.com

Club de Tenis y Padel Indalo Vera. Tel: 950 59 28 77 - 608 250 607

Tennis Coach

Diego Rodriguez Tel: 689 688 226

Padel tennis lessons

At home. Tel: Ulises Gutiérrez, 606 902 691

PartyLevante Sailing Club

Initiation for children from 7 yrs in small groups. Email info@partylevante.com or call 680942141 www.partylevante.com

Santa Irene Sailing Club

Come and join us out on the watersailing or crewing our safety boat. Every Sunday at 10:30 in the boat park at the north end of Garrucha harbour. Email info@santaireneclubdevela.com www. santaireneclubdevela.com

Adelante Gimnasia Artìstica

Huercal-Overa.Classes for fun gymnastics, competitive levels, pre school and adults. Fully qualified coach. From 2 years. Tel 622 129 702 or info@adelanteartisitca.es www. adelanteartistica.es Facebook Adelante Gimnasia artistica.

Walking Football Club

Turre football ground, 9.30am, Monday, for training, exercise & playing. www. fclosamigos.com

Los Bandidos

Run, jog , walk a 5km route along the Paseo. Free to all. See Facebook. Contact Kevin on ironmankev08@gmail.com

Arboleas Table Tennis Club

Mon/Wed/Fri, 9.30 - 10.30 am, building with blue door next to swimming pool bar, Arboleas. Beginners welcome. Contact Chairperson - Keith tel 634 326 350.

Fitness & Martial Arts

Girasol, Albox

Pilates, children’s karate & Tai-chi. Tel 639 089 170

Aerobics or Pilates

Campo de Futbol, Turre. Contact Vicki 650 764 623 or vicki.lynch@live.co.uk

Slimming Group

Sophia Wellness Centre Arboleas, Thurs

12.30pm, Contact Vicki 650 764 623 or vicki.lynch@live.co.uk

Mojácar Taekwondo

5 years to adults. Various classes & times. Contact Serge 646844708. Facebook GTF Spain

Sophia Wellness Centre, Arboleas Various activities. Tel. 950 449 451.

Fitness with Alison, Mojácar

Full Body Workout, Pilates, AquaZumba, Zumba, Step Aerobics, Total Toning, AeroFit. Tel 666 273 168.

Hollie Newell Zumba Almeria

Turre, Los Gallardos, Arboleas and San Juan. Contact: 634 317 391

Jova Gym, Mojácar

Various activities. www.jovasport.es 671 247 035. See facebook.

Qigong

Group courses and personal training. Partaloa and Albox area. Contact Ilse +32 497451953 or +34 643489975

https://ilsevanbrabant.com/en/course/

Qigong Classes

Mojácar & Lubrín. Call 711 096 381.

Send details of your group to almeriafocus@gmail.com or WhatsApp: 667 80 11 40

Coffee Break

Jokes of the Month

The Emu

Street Names

A redneck’s father passed away in his sleep. So, in the morning, he calls 911 to come to pick up the body. The 911 operator told him that she would send someone out right away. “Where do you live?” asked the operator. He replied, “At the end of Eucalyptus Drive.” The operator asked, “Can you spell that for me? There was a long pause and finally he said, “How ‘bout if I drag him over to Oak Street and you pick him up there?”

The Cat

Brenda and Terry are going out for the evening. The last thing they do is put their cat out. The taxi arrives, but as the couple walk out of the house, the cat scoots back in. Terry returns inside to chase it out, but Brenda, not wanting it known that the house would be empty, explains to the taxi driver, “My husband is just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother.” Several minutes later, an exhausted Terry arrives and climbs into the taxi saying, “Sorry I took so long, the stupid idiot was hiding under the bed and I had to poke her with a coat hanger several times before I could get her to come out!”

Wedding Anniverary

Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife was really annoyed. She told him, “Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!”

The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, brought the box back in the house. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale. Bob has been missing since Friday.

An Aussie trucker walks into an outback cafe’ with a full-grown emu behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders. The trucker says, ‘A hamburger, fry’s and a coke,’ and turns to the emu, ‘What’s yours?’ ‘Sounds great, I’ll have the same,’ says the emu. A short time later the waitress returns with the order ‘That will be $9.40 please,’ and he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change and pays. The next day, the man and the emu come again and he says, ‘A hamburger, fry’s and a coke.’ The emu says, ‘ Sounds great, I’ll have the same.’ Again the trucker reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again. ‘The usual?’ asks the waitress. ‘No, it’s Friday night, so I’ll have a steak, baked potato and a salad,’ says the man. ‘Same for me,’ says the emu. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, ‘That will be $32.62.’ Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table. The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. ‘Excuse me sir, how do you manage to always pull the exact change from your pocket every time?’ ‘Well, Mam’ says the trucker, ‘a few years ago, I was cleaning out the back shed, and found an old lamp. When I cleaned it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there..’

‘That’s brilliant!’ says the waitress. ‘Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you’ll always be as rich as you want, for as long as you live!’ ‘That’s right. Whether it’s a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there.’ says the man. Still curious the waitress asks, ‘What’s with the emu?’ The trucker pauses, sighs, and answers, ‘My second wish was for a tall bird with a big bum and long legs, who agrees with everything I say.

Multiple Births

Four men are in the hospital waiting room because their wives are having babies. A nurse goes up to the first guy and says, “Congratulations! You’re the father of twins.” “That’s odd,” answers the man. “I work for the Minnesota Twins!” A nurse says to the second guy, “Congratulations! You’re the father of triplets!” “That’s weird,” answers the second man. “I work for the 3M company!” A nurse tells the third man, “Congratulations! You’re the father of quadruplets!” “That’s strange,” he answers. “I work for the Four Seasons hotel!” The last man is groaning and banging his head against the wall. “What’s wrong?”, the others ask. “I work for 7 Up!”

Technology

Bill Gates is hanging out with the chairman of General Motors. “If automotive technology had kept pace with computer technology over the past few decades,” boasts Gates, “you would now be driving a V-32 instead of a V-8, and it would have a top speed of 10,000 miles per hour. Or, you could have an economy car that weighs 30 pounds and gets a thousand miles to a gallon of gas. In either case, the sticker price of a new car would be less than $50.” “Sure,” says the GM chairman. “But would you really want to drive a car that crashes four times a day?”

Einstein

On the way to a conference Einstein tells his driver, who looks a bit like him, “I’m sick of all these conferences. I always say the same things over and over!” The driver agrees: “You’re right. As your driver, I attended all of them, and even though I don’t know anything about science, I could give the conference in your place.” “That’s a great idea!” says Einstein. “Let’s switch places then!” So, they switch clothes and as soon as they arrive, the driver dressed as Einstein goes on stage and starts giving the usual speech, while the real Einstein, dressed as the car driver, watches. But, in the crowd, there is one scientist who wants to impress everyone and thinks of a very difficult question to ask Einstein, hoping he won’t be able to respond. So, this guy stands up and interrupts the conference by posing his very difficult question. The whole room goes silent, holding their breath, waiting for the response. The driver looks at him, straight in the eye, and says, “Sir, your question is so easy to answer that I’m going to let my driver reply to it for me.”

The Camels

The little camel asks his mother, “Mum, why do we have these great big humps?” She replied, “Because in the humps we store calories, so we can survive for a long time without eating any food when we are crossing a very large desert.” The little camel asks, “Mum, why do we have all this thick fur?” She replied, “Because the dessert at night is so cold, and the fur stops us from feeling very cold.” The little camel asks, “Mum, why do we have these great big hoofs?” She replied, “Because in the desert during the day the sand is very hot, and the hoofs save us from the hot sand hurting our feet.” The little camel says, “But mum, what are we doing here in the zoo!”

Your Stars

Mar. 21

- April 20

Travel will be on your mind, but you should be sure that you’ve got all your work up-to-date. Opportunities to get together with people in powerful positions could help you get ahead. Go over their important documents and take the time to suggest alternatives. Get out and enjoy some entertainment. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Sept. 24 - Oct. 23

You may find that depression is causing you to feel lonely and insecure. Don’t gossip. Difficulties with your mate may lead to estrangement. Your lack of attention may have been a factor. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Apr. 21

- May 21

There are ways of making extra cash if you put your mind to it. Do what’s best for the people you love most. In return, the satisfaction you get is enough for you. If you try to manipulate emotional situations you will find yourself alienated. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

You can make financial deals, but it may be best if you’re not using your own cash. Opportunities to meet new lovers will I come through pleasure trips or social events. You can bet that someone in a higher position is watching to see how busy you are. You are best to work at home if you can. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

May 22 - June 21

Visitors may drop by unexpectedly, resulting in tension with your lover. You may meet that special person if you attend fundraising functions. You can meet new and exciting lovers through work related projects. Your hard work will payoff; advancement looks positive. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Take time to make physical improvements that will enhance your appearance. Your boss may not be in the best of moods this month. You are best not to say too much to colleagues. Older family members may take advantage of you by making you feel guilty.

Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

June 22 - July 22

Physical limitations are possible if you aren’t careful. Try to be considerate in your personal obligations. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Do not overspend on entertainment. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

Make residential changes that will lift your spirits. You may want to make changes in your home environment. Try not to get upset or angry without having all the facts. Opposition is present and you should be prepared to counteract it as best you can. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Dec. 22

- Jan. 20

Older relatives may be a burden. Don’t let your health suffer because of worry. Talk to someone you trust. Your greatest gains will come through your creative ideas. Pleasure trips will turn out to be better than anticipated. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

Aug. 23 - Sept. 23

Take a long look at your present direction and consider your professional options. Do not reveal personal information to those you feel may be untrustworthy. Put your energy into self-improvement programs that promise to make you into a better you. You may meet that special person if you attend fundraising functions. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Jan. 21

- Feb. 19

Romantic encounters will be full of excitement. Look into ways that you can make extra cash. You can beautify your surroundings by renovating or redecorating. Your emotional partner may make you angry this month. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

You need an outlet that will help take your mind off any troubles at work. You might find it difficult to control your emotions. Romance will unfold through business trips. You may find that someone you live with may be irritable; you’re best to leave them alone. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Feb. 20

- Mar. 20