The Almeria Focus – October 2023

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Autumn Has Arrived

The“high season” for potential fires continues until October 15th and ‘INFOCA’ the fire prevention and fire fighting unit have been called out lately to extinguish various fires in our vicinity.

One of the high-risk activities is letting off fireworks which caused a fire in Mojácar village, and during September a fire in Cuevas was brought under control after several hours. There was a fire in Vera and one at the recycling plant near Albox. In Almería province so far this year, local fire brigades, sometimes backed up by INFOCA personnel and aircraft, have dealt with fires on 83 occasions over a total area of 309 hectares (1.2 square miles).

In September the Calar Alto observatory near Gergal celebrated its 50th anniversary. It has been at the forefront of innovation and made many important discoveries, partly because it has some of the clearest skies in Europe. At 4am on Wednesday, September 13th the Calar Alto team tracked an asteroid that entered the earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 89,000 km/h. It was first detected 100km above Granada and it totally burnt out 36km over Jaén.

The Oasys MiniHollywood western theme park celebrate their 50th anniversary next year and major expansion plans have been announced. Planning permission is being requested for a Senator Group hotel, a campsite for motorhomes and a themed “glamping” area. A new children’s play area will have a zip-line, and one of the swimming pools will have a 30-metre-high slide. Their zoo currently has 800 inhabitants from 200 species and they work hand in hand with other zoos on breeding programmes.

The Cosentino company have announced two further purchases following their acquisition of the Macenas complex in Mojácar. They have purchased the Tuareg disco and nightclub site opposite the golf course, and the land where the uncompleted hotel is situated. The Tuareg disco was open during the 90s and was owned by the Italian businessman Mauro Cappati. Work on the

hotel was stopped because it was being built too near to the sea, and the only course of action is probably demolition.

The anti-flu vaccine and a Covid booster given on the same visit to a doctor’s surgery will be repeated this year. It will probably start with people over the age of 80 and work down to those over the age of 60. People classed as especially vulnerable for a variety of reasons, and pregnant women, will also receive the Covid booster. The current plan is that they will start to be given in early October. We comment on this in more detail in our ‘In the News’ section.

Thursday, October 12th is a national fiesta date, ‘Día de la Hispanidád’ (Hispanic Day) that was formerly ‘Christopher Columbus Day’. Extensive investigations at Granada University have not so far proved conclusively whether he was Spanish or Italian. He is said to have been very cruel to prisoners, so naming this date in his honour was dropped. October 12th is also the religious fiesta of ‘Nuestra Señora del Pilar’ (Virgin of the pillar) who is the patron saint of the Guardia Civil police. Turre have a large fiesta from Wednesday, October 4th-7th, and Saturday, October 7th is a fiesta day in Mojácar as it is their female patron saint’s day, ‘Virgen de Rosario’. Tuesday, October 31st is of course Hallowe’en, the eve of Wednesday, November 1st, a national fiesta, “All Saint’s Day”, when family and friends who have died are remembered. November 2nd is ‘All Souls Day’ to remember all the dead.

Clocks go back one hour on Sunday, October 29th at 3am.

In the News

Latest Spanish Parliament News

Last month we explained how the General Election on July 23rd had led to a hung parliament with the PP (roughly a conservative party) coalition having 172 MPs and the PSOE (roughly a socialist party) coalition having 171 MPs. A majority in parliament needs a minimum of 176 MPs. The PP leader Alberto Feijóo was invited by King Felipe to try to form a government that took place on September 27th and 29th. These dates are just after we went to press, but it was a forgone conclusion that he would fail. The King will then ask Pedro Sánchez, the PSOE leader, to form a government but he needs 7 votes from the Junts Catalonian Independence party to gain a majority of two. Last month we explained that Carles Puigdemont, the former President of the Catalonia parliament, and other MPs fled to Brussels on November 1st, 2017, to avoid arrest after the illegal referendum and declaration of independence. He is still there and is demanding very sweeping concessions as spokesperson for the Junts party. He wants an amnesty that would allow him and two other former MPs to return to Spain, not be arrested and extradited from Belgium, or be arrested in Spain, along with an amnesty for other politicians and functionaries within Spain where there are at least 44 cases pending in court. He also wants a pardon for all those convicted of offences so far. Pedro Sánchez has to decide how far he is going to go to reach an agreement, but Carles Puigdemont states that his conditions are not negotiable. Senior politicians, including former prime minsters, are stating that the written Spanish constitution prohibits a general amnesty or pardon for any group, and is only for individuals, and the Supreme Court would have to rule on this. Pedro Sánchez has to obtain a majority before November 27th and if not there will be new General Elections, probably on Sunday, January 14th. No political party wants this to happen but it may be unavoidable.

The Helicopter Crash

Last month we reported that a Guardia Civil helicopter had crashed at La Mojonera in the Poniente area of Almería province. The destination was the Dreambeach music festival site. Initial investigation by the Guardia Civil Air Accident

department has revealed more information that is not very good. The pilot was landing, not taking off, very close to the Cortijo Blanco restaurant where he had made a prior booking for lunch. As he attempted to land the rotors caused a large dust cloud, the pilot became disorientated and the tail rotor crashed into a tree that threw the helicopter on its side. This was not due to a gust of wind that had initially been claimed. Neither the pilot nor a camera operator was injured, although an ambulance crew who went to the scene stated that the pilot was “stunned”. The Eurocopter AS355 NP helicopter however, part of a fleet of 12 based in Málaga, was completely wrecked. The Guardia Civil have stated that where the pilot tried to land was not a designated or approved landing site, which greatly contributed to the crash.

Anti Flu & Covid Vaccinations

Last year, young children in Andalucía and some other autonomous communities received the anti-flu vaccine. This was judged to be very successful and is considered to have stopped a large number of adults and children getting the flu. This year it will be extended to the 1.6 million healthy children in all of Spain aged from 6 months to 5 years. Children less than age 2 will receive a normal vaccination and older children a nasal spray. The flu affects 20-40% of young children and they can easily pass it on to other children, nursery and teaching staff, and family members, particularly the elderly. Last year, 50% of children had the vaccine, but it is hoped that this will go up to over 60% with parents realising that this is a good idea. Last year, the anti-flu vaccine and a Covid booster were given to the elderly population on the same visit to a doctor’s surgery. This will be repeated this year, and will probably start with people over the age of 80 and work down to people over the age of 60. People classed as vulnerable for a variety of reasons will also receive the Covid booster, including pregnant women and people in the health service, farmacias (chemists), police, emergency services and other public sectors. A new type of anti-Covid vaccine will be given, to reflect the latest changes in Covid mutation. On September 1st the European Medical Agency

In the News

announced that a BionTech-Pfizer was the main one that would be made available. This is specially configured to respond to the new ‘XBB.1.5’ and ‘XBB 1.5-like’ virus strains commonly known as the ‘Kraken’ variants. There is a possibility that in Spain some vaccines may come from the Hipra company in Barcelona. The Spanish authorities purchased 36 million doses from this company for the last booster vaccine programme. When the doses can be made available from the chosen manufacturers will be the deciding factor for the timescale, but the general aim is that vaccinations start during the last week in September and continue through October. There will be some time differences in the various autonomous communities, in our case the Junta de Andalucía. The same day as the EMA press release, the Madrid Carlos III health Institute announced that Covid cases were going up, particularly in the over 64s and children below the age of four. They stated that this rate was 130 per 100,000 head of population and this was a real cause for concern. The age of people admitted to hospital was predominantly those over the age of 79, with 32 cases per 100,000. The authorities pointed out that whilst the flu was a winter occurrence, Covid numbers went up in summer with much more contact between individuals. The incidence rate for the entire population in September was only 3 people in every 100,000.

Almería City Ambulance Response

A row has broken out between family members and the Almería ambulance and health service, which led to a question being asked in the Andalucía Parliament. On Sunday, August 27th, the 112 emergency services received several calls, the first one at 10.25am, alerting them that a man who was well known locally had fallen in the street in the centre of the city, and was injured. As is the case with all health calls initially made to 112, they are routed to a centre at the Bola Azul hospital who dictate the response. The caller stated that the man was conscious, and the response with no ambulance immediately available was classified as being a “delayable emergency”. A further call to 112 was then made stating that the man was now unresponsive, and a “critical care” ambulance

that normally transports very ill patients between hospitals was sent to the scene. This took 16 minutes from the second call, but despite the ambulance team trying to revive him for 20 minutes, he was dead when they arrived. Family members complained that it was over 40 minutes before the ambulance arrived, but the health service stated it was 16 minutes. Eventually it was agreed that from the first “non-life-threatening call” and the arrival of the critical care ambulance there was a 40-minute time period. People in the street went to the Provincial Hospital 400m away, where there is an emergency department to ask for help but this was not forthcoming as an ambulance was on its way. There was also a discrepancy on a document when an autopsy was done that recorded the death as taking place at 10.45am which was before the ambulance arrived. The autopsy revealed that the man, aged 50, had died from a severe heart attack, and problems with his heart were a pre-existing condition. The matter then became political with the Health Minister in the Andalucía Parliament being asked why there was a delay, with claims that this was because the whole health service was underfunded, lacked staff and resources. The Minister for Health conveyed her deep sympathy to the man’s family and promised an investigation. The family stated that the 40-minute delay in the city centre in mid-morning was totally unacceptable and they would consider legal proceedings against the health service.

Payment for Overtime

Since 2019, employers where overtime is a normal occurrence have to keep a log of when every employee starts and leaves work. This is for the purpose of calculating extra wages for overtime. An employee has the right to ask to see their log and employers have to keep the records for four years. Some employers do not keep these records, so the exact overtime is not logged (although this is an offence against labour laws), and unfortunately, some employers agree with their workers that the log will not show the correct overtime. Employees who want to keep their jobs may have to agree to this, although it is illegal. The High Court in Catalonia has recently heard an appeal by an employee who

In the News

kept their own work time records and claimed that 1,250 hours of overtime had not been paid at the higher rate, but the employer kept no records at all. A lower court had rejected the complaint in April 2022 because there were no official records, but the High Court ruled that the lack of logs kept by an employer was not a good enough reason, and they could not dispute the hours the employee had logged personally. The employer has to pay the higher overtime rate along with an interest payment of 10%. This is the second case to come to a High Court where the court ruled that the lack of official records was not a handicap to a successful claim by an employee for overtime payments.

The Fluctuating Euribor

The Euribor is a European inter-bank lending rate, but there are various percentages depending on the loan time. The rate that affects our variable rate mortgages is the interest rate for 12 months. This is added to the bank interest rate and this is what we have to pay. The Euribor was of little interest to mortgage holders until 21 months ago as the rate had been a negative amount for a long time. It then became a positive amount and has shot up to 4.149% in July, with a slight drop in August to 4. 072%. If a bank / lender is adding 1%, the total interest is 1% more than the Euribor. Any drop is good news, but on September 14th the European Central Bank met to see how the Euribor rate was affecting inflation. Unfortunately, they raised the rate by a quarter of one percent, for the tenth time, to 4.5%. Although inflation in Spain is low, it was higher in France and Germany. The only good news was that this “might” be the last rise. The Bank of Spain has to pass on the Euribor rate, they can’t go out of step and reduce it. In early September, the comparison site HelpMyCash calculated that the average mortgage in Andalucía was 122,000 euros over 24 years, and the monthly payment had gone up from 537 euros to 723 euros, a big increase! Financial experts consider that the Euribor will probably come down in the last six months of 2024 to 3.6% or 3.8%, and in 2025 will go down to 2.3% or 2.5%, hopefully. The “code of practice” that banks have agreed to follow is that a mortgage holder suffering from the high payments of a variable mortgage can go

to their bank for help. There is the possibility of a short “mortgage holiday” when only the interest is paid, an extension of the mortgage term by up to seven years so payments go down, or switching to a fixed rate mortgage. HelpMyCash state that the average mortgage in Almería province is 93,000 euros, somewhat less that the average in Andalucía as a whole. About 25% of the adult population in Spain have a mortgage, 25% are renting and 50% are property owners with no mortgage.

A New McDonald’s in Almería City

The fast-food chain McDonald’s are completing the necessary paper work that will enable them to open a restaurant in Almería city close to the new IKEA store. The application includes a music licence and a 24hr take-away service. The company recently opened another restaurant in Granada, which brings their existing total in Spain up to 600. On an adjoining plot another company has applied for planning permission to open a low-cost petrol and diesel service station.

The ES-Alert Activated

The EU obliges all member states to put in place a general alert for the population for predictions of very serious events, such as flooding, earthquakes, fires, tornados, a nuclear incident and a serious terrorist attack. Spain put this in place during 2022 and it was tested in Andalucía last October. At 2.30pm on the afternoon of Sunday, September 3rd it was activated in southern Madrid after prediction of heavy storms and flooding, which proved to be the case with major damage and disruption, and many trains leaving Madrid were cancelled. The ES-Alert message (in Spanish and English) warned of level 1 flooding (the lowest level from 1 to 3) and advised people not to make car journeys unless absolutely necessary and stay indoors. On social media various people claimed the loud tone, vibration and message to smartphones was intrusive, might panic elderly persons, and how did “big brother” know their mobile phone number? The head of the Civil Protection Agency in Spain explained that the message was not an SMS and was “broadcast” like a radio transmission from mobile phone cell network masts, and was a

In the News

“reverse 112” system. Anybody with a smartphone, within range, received the message, but the authorities had no way of knowing who received it and there was no personal data involved. It applied to all mobile phones including those belonging to tourists, which is partly the reason the messages are bi-lingual. In Madrid there are cell phone masts every 200-500m, but in other areas they are spaced at 5 or even 10km. Because of heavy rain in some places that could affect reception, the message was sent out again. Some people within range did not receive the message because their phone had the official “security and emergencies” setting in the “notifications” menu turned off, but not necessarily intentionally. It can be turned off but the authorities do not recommend this. The alert was also put out on radio and TV channels which is normal procedure. The system has been used in the US for a long time, and residents in Hawaii in 2018 received a warning of an incoming missile strike via mobile phones, radio and TV advising people to take shelter, with the words, “This is not a drill”. It was cancelled after 38 minutes with another “correction” message! The false message was put down to a “confused operator error” from an employee who had selected the “missile alert” message instead of “test missile alert”. The head of the emergency services in Hawaii subsequently resigned.

Bank Deposit Interest Rates

Over six months ago, Christine Lagarde, President of the European Bank, heavily criticised banks in Spain for offering a very low rate of interest on deposit accounts. Her advice was that if the interest rate from your bank was very low then shop around, and if necessary, change banks. The comparison site HelpMyCash has details of the best deposit accounts on offer. A typical interest rate was 0.04% last January and is now no more than 2% for money kept in a deposit account for 12 months, compared to 3.5% in France and Italy for six or 12 months. Spanish banks have been alarmed to find that many customers are taking Christine Lagarde’s advice, and if they have savings are transferring them to entities that give more interest. There is a guarantee that no client in a European bank will lose their money, up to a limit

of 100,000 euros. (We referred to this in our “In the News” section last month). Financial experts state that customers with money should go and negotiate “face to face” with their bank, and in the case of a sum of 50,000 euros the bank may well offer an interest rate of 2.5% or more, particularly if you threaten to move your money elsewhere if they will not play ball. The Spanish Government are operating “in function” until a new government has been formed, but proposals before the General Election from Nadia Calviño (Vice President and Minister for the Economy) were that Spanish banks might be forced by law to give more interest on deposit accounts, under “anti-competition” regulations that apply to entities that form a cartel.

Walt Disney & Mojácar

Mojácar town hall have enthusiastically joined forces with the newly formed organisation “Walt was here” who claim that Walt Disney was born in Mojácar. A large mural has been painted on the school wall, with the proposal that a square should be renamed “Plaza de Walt Disney” and a tour made available of various streets featuring Walt Disney motifs. Whether Walt Disney was born in Mojácar has never been proven, but it is claimed that in 1940 “two men in suits” from the FBI came to Mojácar to look at birth records that had either been lost, or they took away. (Why the FBI were interested has never been explained!). One legend has it that Walt was the illegitimate son of Don Carillo, a Mojácar doctor, and Isabel Zamora, a domestic washer woman who took Walt to America to avoid a scandal and lived in her brother’s home. It is claimed that she became a servant to the Disney family and may

In the News

have, or may not have, abandoned Walt with the family unofficially adopting him. The late Tito de Amo, the American who founded Tito’s beach bar in Mojácar, stated that as a child in his family home in Los Angeles, opposite the Disney family home, he had met Walt who was then age 53 who took him to see the first Disneyland being constructed. In his beach bar he had a photo of Walt Disney and a photo of the doctor, that are remarkably similar, very different to a photo of Elias Disney, his supposed father. Tito undertook some research and stated that a document when Walt Disney was confirmed in church lacked the required date and place of birth. A Disney animator is supposed to have asked Walt if it was true that he had been born in Spain, and he replied “Who knows?”

AVE Funding

The AVE (high speed train) from Murcia city to Almería city is supposed to be fully operational by 2026, including the station at Vera. A grant of 70 billion euros, a “post Covid recovery fund” for Spain is being advanced in tranches of 7 billion until 2026. It is intended that the last tranche pays for the AVE in our area, assuming it is fully operational by 2026, which at present cannot be guaranteed. At the end of August, the EU announced that 411 million euros from their “Feder” funding will be available before the end of 2023 to pay for the as yet uncompleted sections from Nonduermas (in Murcia province) to Vera, and Los ArejosEl Puche, one of the last sections near Almería city. The EU stressed that the “Mediterranean Corridor” rail project that includes the line from France to Almería was of vital importance, both for passengers and goods, to reduce road use and provide an alternative high-speed rail journey. They specify platforms of 400m for passenger use and 700m for goods, with speeds of 250km/h and 100km/h respectively. There is a hint that further Feder funding might be made available.

Flights to Madrid

Since the pandemic, flights from Almería to Madrid have never returned to the 2019 frequency. For some time, the Almería ‘diputación’ (county council), Almería city council, the Chamber of Trade

and the Costa de Almería Tourist Department have been pressurising Iberia, the company who operate the flights. An agreement has now been reached from October 29th and the rest of the 2023-2024 winter season. The 17 flights a week in 2022 are being increased to 24 and on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays the early morning 7.10am flight from Almería has been re-instated. To enable this to take place, aircraft will spend the night at the airport following the last flight the night before, along with the crew. The early morning flights are considered to be essential for businessmen who need to spend as long as possible in Madrid. Also, Iberia are switching the existing aircraft to Airbus ones, that have 51% extra capacity giving 108,000 seats, 12% more than in 2019. The Almería Chamber of Trade complain bitterly that the average ticket price is 298 euros, a lot more than flying to Madrid from Málaga or Granada. Iberia state it is “supply and demand”. The flights from Almería to Seville are considered to be a necessary public service, and are 50% subsidised by the Junta de Andalucía. The Chamber of Trade consider that the Madrid flights should have the same subsidies, as alternative journeys to Madrid take several hours.

A Burglar Shot Dead

In 2018 an 80-year-old man in the Balearic Islands was attacked by two men who had come to burglar him. Three months before, during another robbery he and his wife had been tied up. He was forced to open his safe on the second occasion and the men became very abusive and violent as there was hardly anything in it. The owner of the house had a shotgun in his bedroom and he went there and armed himself with it. The two thieves came up to the bedroom, both exhibited violent behaviour and the elderly man discharged his shotgun that killed one of the men. The other man then attacked him and rendered him unconscious. The elderly man was taken to court for shooting the burglar dead, but explained that he was fearful for his life and that of his wife, and they had threatened to harm his grandchildren. He stated he did not have his glasses on, was not shooting to kill anyone, but had hoped to drive them away when they saw he had a gun. He explained that this did not stop them, and he acted

In the News

purely in self-defence and was horrified when he was told by police who came to the scene that he had killed one of the burglars. Three men are in court accused of entering his property although only two men went inside and attacked him, and the second burglar is accused of assault. He claims that the elderly man was attempting to reload his shotgun which was why he attacked him, but the house owner denied this was the case. A jury has to decide whether the house owner righteously acted in self-defence and was not shooting to kill. His lawyer claims that this is a travesty of justice, and the man should not find himself in court, charged with any offence whatsoever. The court case is still ongoing.

The Spanish Princesses

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain have two daughters, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, aged 18 this month, and the Infante Sofia who is 16. Leonor has spent two years studying for an International Baccalaureate qualification at the private Welsh

UWC Atlantic College in Glamorgan that is in the 12th century St Donat’s Castle. In mid-August she started military training at the Military Academy in Zaragoza as a Spanish King or Queen is the head of the Spanish Armed Forces. Leonor will spend three years in the military, and the first year at Zaragoza is with the army. Her second year will be with the navy and her third year with the air force at the San Javier base in Murcia. She receives no dispensation because of her royal status and is training with other cadets for their induction into the armed forces. There has not been a ruling monarch Queen in Spain since 1830-1868, when Isabella II de Borbón was Queen. In early September, Sofia left Spain to attend the same school in Wales. Strictly speaking, a male child would be the one who became King, despite any daughters, but this has not occurred in the present situation. It had been envisaged that as Leonor was the oldest child, if she had a younger brother the Spanish Constitution would be amended so that she became Queen.

Electric Cars in Spain

EUmember states have committed to manufacturing only electric cars from 2035, but this seems optimistic, including in Spain.

Nordic countries have the highest number of electric vehicles with 84% of all cars in Norway, followed by Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. The average in the EU is 12%, but Spain has the lowest number with 36,444 at the end of 2022 totalling 3.79%. By the end of June this year, the percentage had gone up to 4.9%. Manufacturers and dealers say there is no way they can suddenly increase production or imports to the numbers needed in 2035.

The Spanish incentive scheme ‘Move III’ gives a grant of 7,000 euros off the purchase of an electric vehicle costing less than 54,450 euros including IVA (VAT), if a vehicle over 7 years old is scrapped. With no scrappage, the grant is 4,500 euros. The Spanish Association of Motor Dealers complain that a person who buys a 40,000 euros car is very unlikely to own a car more than 7 years old.

There is a 70% discount off the price of installing an electric vehicle charging point at home, or 80% in a municipality with less than 5,000 inhabitants. A typical cost comes down to 400500 euros (providing the installation is not unduly complicated), but some manufacturers of electric cars may have their own discount scheme.

The cheapest ‘compact’ electric cars in Spain start off with the Dacia Spring from 20,200 euros, the Renault Twingo from 24,000 euros, the Smart EQ from 25,000 euros, the Fiat 500e from 27,000 euros and the Nissan Leaf from 35,600 euros. A typical range between charges is from 180km to 350km. Manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes and Audi only offer expensive models.

Outside of the home, owners of electric vehicles have to use public or privately run charging points, and a survey of 6,200 owners of electric cars in France (with 12% market penetration) revealed that 54% of these owners regretted buying them.

The overriding complaint was charging problems. The price of charging has doubled in the last three years with complaints that the different tariffs are very complicated, and public charging points are often out of action.

The capacity of a battery is expressed as being kW/h, (1,000 watts available for one hour) and there are slow 3.4 kW/h, fast 7.4 kW/h and ultrafast 22 kW/h charging points. The Dacia Spring has a 27.4 kW/h battery, so using a 3.4 kW/h charging point needs 8 hours for a full charge. 80% of the charge can be achieved in 50 minutes using an ultra-fast charger, but RACE (The Spanish RAC) warns drivers not to charge small batteries at the highest power available as this reduces their life. Their advice is to keep the battery between 20%-80% and slow charging for small batteries is best.

As of June 30th, it was stated that there were 25,000 public or private area charging points in Spain, out of a 2023 target of 100,000, but 60% were waiting for a complicated bureaucratic permission to be operational, which can take two years. ‘Endesa’ have 5,000 charging points with most of the ultra-fast ones not yet in use, and ‘Repsol’ have nearly 500. ‘Mercadona’ have nearly 2,000 charging points, with free slow charging points in most stores for up to 60 minutes. Their ultra-fast chargers (where available) cost 25 céntimos per kW/h. Costs vary widely with a 40 kW/h charge costing anything from 8 euros to 20 euros in public places and from 10 euros (Mercadona) to 36 euros in privately owned charging areas.

So Now You Know...

McDonald’s

In 1940, brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened up the first McDonald’s restaurant, a BBQ one, in San Bernardino, California. Eight years later, they switched to burgers, shakes, potato chips, and pies. The McDonalds purchased several ‘Multi-mixers’ for use in their establishment, and when Multi-mixer salesman Ray Kroc visited them he was impressed by their success and efficiency and he purchased franchise rights from the brothers. In 1955, he opened his first franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois. The very first McDonald’s restaurant in the UK opened its doors on October 1st, 1974, in Woolwich, in south London.

St Mary’s Church Bells

The St. Mary’s church at Twyford in Hampshire has a tradition of ringing their church bells on October 7th every year. The origin of this tradition goes back to the 18th Century when a local resident called William Davis became lost in heavy fog while riding his horse home at night. Luckily, he heard the church bells ringing, avoided falling into a quarry, and managed to find his way home. As a form of thanks, he left some money to the church in his will when he died, so that the church could continue to ring their bells on October 7th every year at 9.30am and 7pm, just in case there were any other lost travellers.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

British composer and conductor Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was born on October 12th at Down Ampney, Gloucestershire. He combined modern composition techniques with traditional English folk and Tudor music to create a very unique style. His major compositions include Mass in G Minor, Fantasia on a Theme of Tallis and the opera, The Pilgrim’s Progress. He was a prolific composer with nine symphonies, church and choral music, film and stage music, and several operas. At age 85 he was due to supervise a recording of his 9th symphony, but he died the night before. The recording took place as a memorial tribute.

Bill Clinton Impeachment

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-176 to approve a motion starting an impeachment inquiry of President Bill Clinton on October 8th, 1998. It was only the third time in U.S. history that the House launched a formal impeachment process of a sitting President, and the previous ones were against Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Richard Nixon in 1974. Bill Clinton was accused of perjury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and abuse of power, with a report alleging explicit details of his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. With 67% of votes needed for impeachment he was found not guilty with only 45%.

Sputnik 1

On October 4th, 1957, the Space Age began as the Russians launched their first satellite into orbit. Sputnik 1 weighed just 184 lbs. and transmitted a beeping radio signal for 21 days. Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3rd and carried the dog Laika. The remarkable accomplishment by Soviet Russia sent a shockwave through the American political leadership, resulting in U.S. efforts to be the first on the moon. NASA was formed in October 1958 and in 1969 the US Apollo 11 mission with its lunar module resulted in Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar pilot “Buzz” Aldrin becoming the first humans to set foot on the moon.

Libra and Scorpio

People born in October can be born under one of two very different star signs. If you’re born before October 23rd, you have the sign of Libra. Those born on October 23rd or later, have the sign of Scorpio. Librans are said to value harmony and diplomacy and are said to be both intelligent and kind. Scorpios are quite different, valuing trust and honesty above other things, as well as being quite intense yet imaginative people. Famous Libra star sign people include Mahatma Gandhi, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John Lennon, Will Smith and Beyoncé. Scorpios include Pablo Picasso, Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Julia Roberts and Whoopi Goldberg.

The ‘Boat People’ Immigrants

Spain and the UK have very different ways of combating the would-be immigrants who arrive on boats, and the procedure for processing them. Working with the Guardia Civil police and Maritime Coastguards, the Red Cross receive and process immigrants arriving in boats.

Off the coast of Almería in 2022 there were 421 emergency interventions at sea and the vast majority of people are taken to Almería port unless Motril is closer. On numerous occasions people were intercepted on beaches. In total, just over 4,000 people were processed, but in 2023 until the end of June, with relatively good weather, the number had gone up from 1,200 in 2022 to 1,700.

At the end of August, on just two days, three boats with 95 people were intercepted on beaches at Adra, and 77 at El Ejido. The Guardia Civil police stated that these high numbers were extremely difficult to handle with not enough police. Onward transport was a big problem, apart from Red Cross personnel being inundated. The ‘mafia’ organisers are now using “taxi boats” very similar to the ones used to carry drugs, and up to four 300 CV outboard motors mean the boats can reach a speed of 30 knots, which is faster than most of the coastguard vessels. They offload their passengers very quickly, and then go back to where they have come from.

There is a centre at Almería port where the immigrants are housed initially, but the capacity is only for 100 people, and on occasions immigrants have to be sent to Murcia. As regards the Mediterranean coast in Spain, the authorities have reached agreements with Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal. In 2019, Morocco was given 32 million euros, 30 million in 2021, and an anticipated 30 million this year, to combat people coming from Morocco, and the EU has advanced money to help limit immigrants crossing into Morocco from other countries. Apart from the money destined to increase police and coastguard personnel, Spain has provided two high speed patrol boats for the Moroccan coastguards. Previously, if the Spanish

coastguards intercepted a boat just outside Moroccan waters, the passengers had to be taken to a Spanish port, but now they are taken back to Morocco.

Mauritania and Senegal have been given 10 million euros three years running to combat immigrants setting off, and recently a Guardia Civil vessel picked up 168 immigrants on the same day off Mauritania. On this occasion Mauritania refused to have them brought back, but they were taken to Senegal. A human rights organisation was very critical of all the migrants being taken “en masse” to Senegal, despite their undetermined status, but the Guardia Civil replied that humanitarian considerations were paramount. The immigrants on board for several days were having to use buckets as toilets, some needed medical attention, and they had run out of food.

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior states that 35%-40% of potential immigrants leaving African ports to come to Spain in 2022 and 2023 so far were stopped, as a result of cooperation and bilateral agreements, and this had undoubtably saved many lives. In 2022 a total of 31,200 illegal immigrants arrived in Spain compared to 41,200 in 2021, a drop of 26%. Asylum seekers in Spain can obtain temporary paperwork to enable them to work here six months after their asylum interview has taken place without any notified decision. A one-year work permit can be renewed three times, if necessary, with access to health care, education for children and some financial help, leading to a full resident status if granted asylum.

Free directory entries: WhatsApp 667 80 11 40 or email

The Focus A-Z

Directory

This A-Z directory is the only comprehensive listing of all the businesses and services you routinely need and can never find!

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ACCOUNTING

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ART & ARTISTS

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TUITION

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See also Building Services

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TIMBER SUPPLIERS

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

VAN

See

Useful Numbers

Community News

Donation to the San Agustin’s Children’s Home, Vera

Further to our press release in the September issue of the Focus magazine, we would like to make an amendment. The money being collected by the Vera & District Lion’s Club is for structural works, including the walls of the San Agustín Children’s Home in Vera. In 2017, Shea’s Restaurant at La Parata Donations raised an incredible 22,000 euros in their fundraising initiative, which paid entirely for the Home’s roof appeal. We apologise for the incorrect wording in our press release.

Living Water Church Mojácar

Indalo Players Fly!

by: Chrissie Cremore

The long awaited production by The Indalo Players of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”; having been discussed 10 years ago, has finally come to fruition. With a revitalised company and lots of local talent they look forward to bringing you their adaptation entitled “ONE FLEW EAST...ONE FLEW WEST”. This title comes from the nursery rhyme included in the book written by Ken Kesey:

Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn

Apple seed and apple thorn

Wire, briar, limber lock

Three geese in a flock

One flew east

One flew west

And one flew over, The cuckoo’s nest

A Turtle Nest on Mojácar Beach

A loggerhead turtle, already monitored by the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University, chose the Descargador beach in Mojácar to lay its eggs at the end of August.

Alerted by a local resident, the protocol was put into operation and the nest protected. Over approximately an hour and a half the turtle laid 92 eggs. The location, a very busy beach, the proximity to the sea, and other considerations assessed by the experts, made apparent the lack of conditions to guarantee the success of the laying. Under these circumstances, the experts took the decision to collect the eggs and proceed to their incubation in different institutions that collaborate with the Regional Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy Ministry. When the hatchlings are big enough they will be released into the sea.

The crux of the story is the battle between Randle P McMurphy, played unforgettably in the film by Jack Nicholson and Nurse Ratched. The 1960 novel is an allegory about an authoritarian society represented by Ratched. In order to escape the prison labour, McMurphy fakes insanity and is shifted to the special ward for the mentally unstable. McMurphy represents sexuality, freedom and self determination; characteristics that clash with the oppressed ward which is controlled by Nurse Ratched. McMurphy is not crazy but rather that he is trying to manipulate the system to his advantage.

In this ward, he must rise up against a cruel nurse who runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medications and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. Instead of viewing them as human beings and trying to help them better themselves, she just wants to dominate them. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon effects all the ward’s patients.

The Indalo Players have worked very hard on cultivating their characters and some have never “trod the boards”. And they have also had

Community News

the opportunity to add their own “directive” thoughts to the production. Gary and Sally Elliott have worked on the set design and production assistance. “ONE FLEW EAST - ONE FLEW WEST” will be performed at The Vera Auditorium on Friday, 20th October and Saturday 21st, October. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets are 7 euros and can be purchased from Items For Sale in Mojácar, Forget Me Not in Las Buganvillas and Total Entertainment in Turre.

For further information about The Indalo Players please visit their website: www.indaloplayers.es Facebook: Indalo Players el Teatro, Mojácar. President: jenniferjanejordan@gmail.com

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

119 Patricia Mulcahy 43:02 (3rd D-F)

126 Corinne Cherel 44:56

128 Karen Ayers 45:29 (1st F-F)

134 Sharon Howlett 46:18

135 Ian Forrester 46:40

150 Lesley Davidge 1:10:22 (1st G-F)

In the Sub-14 category Guillermo Moscardo Cherel ran 1k and finished in 7th place in a time of 04:44.

Full results: https://www.cruzandolameta.es/ clasificaciones/v2/rioja-circuito-de-carreraspopulares-diputacion-de-almeria-2023--1845/#clasificaciones

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 currently collecting non-perishable food and toiletries for the Red Cross Food Bank.

Los Bandidos Race in Rioja

Just seven Los Bandidos runners took on the 13th race in the Circuito de Carreras Populares Diputación de Almeria 2023 in Rioja on Saturday 23 September. It was still 30 degrees at 19.00 when the 7.7k, three lap race started, with a short, sharp hill on each lap.

The winner finished in 26:38, with the first lady in 32:11. 150 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. All competitors received a commemorative coaster.

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 (https://www.facebook.com/ groups/490933409244200). We look forward to seeing you soon.

Do you like driving and have some spare time?

The PAWS-PATAS animal shelter needs transport for their volunteers who come to live and work at the shelter for a few weeks and arrive by bus or air. There is a reimbursement of 25 euros for fuel for trips to Almería airport. If you can help, please contact Antoinette on antoinette@pawspatas.org.

What’s On

Almería

Silvia Pérez Cruz, the famous songwriter and performer, comes to the Maestro Padilla Auditorio in Almería city on Friday, October 6th at 8.30pm. She is performing her latest album ‘Género Imposible’ that was recorded between 2020 and 2022 at various live concerts. Tickets are 25, 35 & 38 euros.

The Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra perform a concert at Teatro Cervantes in Almería city on Sunday, October 22nd at 8pm. They perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Mozart’s Divertimento in F major KV 138, Dvorak’s Slavonic dance, Komitas’ Arminian Miniatures and Brahm’s Hungarian Dances numbers 1 & 5. Tickets are 20 euros.

Alan Haynes & Santiago Campillo come to the Teatro Apolo in Almería city on Friday, October 13th at 8.30pm. They perform Texas Blues music in a homage concert to Albert King, Albert Collins, Steve Ray Vaughan and other artistes. Tickets are 10 euros.

Coco, a family musical, comes to the Teatro Cervantes in Almería city on Sunday, October 15th at 5.30pm. It tells the story of the boy Miguel who sets off to become a musician, but by mistake enters the world of the dead. Tickets are 15 euros.

The Musical Toy Story, a tribute concert with other Disney compositions, comes to Teatro Cervantes, Almería city on Sunday, November 12th at 12 noon. Tickets are 12 euros.

The Abba tribute group ‘Abborn’ come to the Maestro Padilla auditorio in Almería city on December 23rd at 8.30pm. Their ‘Generation Abba’ tour has been seen in 50 countries with 3,000 concerts since the group from Slovakia started up in 1999. They last performed in Almería four years ago, and the event was quickly sold out. Tickets are 24 & 28 euros.

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. Mon- Fri, 10.30am-1.30pm

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

Roquetas de Mar

The Royal Film Concert Orchestra, with 90 members, perform a John Williams film music concert with scores from action films, at the Roquetas auditorio on Saturday, October 14th at 9pm. Tickets are 45 euros.

Saturday Night Disco is a performance celebrating the most famous people who performed at the Studio 54 in New York. It features a disco band, international performers and dancers, and comes to the auditorio on Saturday, October 21st at 8pm. Tickets are 25, 30 & 35 euros.

Niña Pastori comes to the auditorio on Saturday, October 28th at 9pm as part of her world tour ‘Camino’ performing her latest album and other songs. Tickets are 45 & 48 euros.

The Kiev Ballet company come to the auditorio on Saturday, November 4th at 9pm to perform Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet. Tickets are 23 & 25 euros.

Roquetas de Mar Auditorio tickets are on sale at www. teatroauditorioroquetas.org or their ticket office, open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11am-1pm & 6pm-8pm.

Águilas

The Lion King tribute, ‘De Simba a Kiara’, performed by the Onbeat company comes to the auditorio on Sunday, November 5th at 6pm. It has been awarded ‘Best Spanish family concert 2023’. Tickets are 15 & 18 euros.

The Kiev Ballet Company perform Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at the Águilas auditorio on Wednesday, November 1st at 8.30pm. Tickets are 29 euros, and 1,50 euros goes to the Ukrainian emergency services fund.

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.

What’s On Vera

The 6th Lego Construction Exhibition takes place on Saturday & Sunday, October 7th (open 10am-2pm & 4pm-8pm) & 8th (open 10am-2pm) at the Convento de la Victoria. Admission is free.

Celine Dion Tribute act, January Butler, has been professional for 16 years, singing all over the world. Her support act is the fabulous tenor Jesús Hernández, whose voice complements perfectly the huge range of January/Celine at the amazing auditoria in Vera. Profits to Vera and District Lions. Tickets are just 10 euros, available at the Emporio de Zoe, next to the Ayuntamiento in Vera, or call 639 03 60 51/email zoerylett@ gmail.com

Orquesta Ciudad de Vera. Vera City Orchestra. An evening of classical music. October 15th, free entry. We play several times a year, have a website and tracks on YouTube. For details see https:// ocv-vera.wixsite.com/home

Miscellaneous

The 13th annual Almeria Western Film Festival (AWFF) takes place in Tabernas from October 11th-14th, and at Oasis Mini-Hollywood, Fort Bravo, Texas Hollywood and Western Leone. The “Spirit of Western” award has been given to the Australian film director John Hillcoat who will present his 2005 film “The Proposal” on October 11th, and he will receive his award on October 12th. Further details can be seen at www. almeriawesternfilmfestival.es

Mojácar Fiesta

The Virgen del Rosario patron saint fiesta takes place on Sunday, October 7th. Apart from religious celebrations there is the “Jousting ribbon event” on horseback, at the Fuente, below the village, that starts at 5pm.

ROCKtoberfest October 22nd, 6pm at New Bar International, Arboleas. Organised by the fabulous musician Jack Law, the line up includes Seldom Sober, Best of Three, Rebs on the Rocks and Bite The Bullet. Tickets are available from New Bar International, 7.50 euros, all profits to Vera Lions.

Arboleas Indalo Gardening Club. We are a non profit organization looking to give information to help people with their gardens and to reach out to as many people as possible with social events. We meet on the last Friday of the month at the Community Centre opposite the Health Centre car park, 10.30 –13.00.

Los Bandidos Paseo Run/Walk

Please note from October 4th we will be starting at 9am from the Red Cross end of the Paseo.

Open Mic Night every Thursday at Miraflores, Los Gallardos, kick off at 8pm. Everyone welcome.

PAWS-PATAS The secondhand book sale at Scotty’s El Tropico is held on the second Tuesday of the month, 10.30am - 1pm. All proceeds to stray cat neutering.

The Royal British Legion

THE POPPY APPEAL LUNCH

Thursday, 26th October, at Miraflores, 1 for 1.30pm

3 Course Menu del Dia, followed by Raffle of Spirits and Wine followed at 3pm by The Sue Moretta Singers Concert

with many of your old favourites Please reserve by contacting 699 953 222 or nickallbeury@outlook.com

Mods n

Rockers, Live

Music & Fun, Saturday, October 7th, at Tito’s Space, Mojacar. Take two live bands, Skyfall and Melanie Howard-Coles, add some fun Mods v Rockers competitive games, and for just 5 euros each, you can be transported back in time with as much or as little involvement as you choose - although be warned. Despite fancy dress being totally optional, the competition for the ‘Best Dressed’ will be serious. Profits to Vera and District Lions. Tickets can be bought at Tito’s, at the Lions shop in Turre, via Jackie Miles Kirby, or online.

Your menu choice is not required. Price 19 euros p.p. on the day. Menu

Winter veg soup, Prawn & Crab salad, Mushroom & Stilton Melt, Chicken liver Pate ****

Pork loin & Mushroom Sauce, Cod in parsley sauce, Chicken breast & garlic & parsley cream, Broccoli & Mushroom Lasagne, 200gm Fillet Steak for 8 euros supplement ****

Choice of dessert

What’s On

Market Days

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

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

Garrucha, Turre, Zurgena

Aguilas, Vera, Arboleas, Vélez Rubio

Sunday: Rastros, Car Boot Sales, etc.

Villaricos, Purias, San Juan de los Terreros, Fines

Saturday:

Sunday:

Los Llanos, between Arboleas & Albox

Bédar, 2nd Saturday of the month

Chiringuito Extreme, Hostal Rural, Turre Plaza del Rey, Velez Rubio

Mojácar Rastro, Multiple Use Centre

Activities - Clubs - Associations

Clubs, Societies & Activities

Free Spanish and English Lessons

Available in some municipalities. Enquire at your local town hall.

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

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, 11am. Email zurgenaRBLsecretary @yahoo.co.uk. See www.britishlegion.org/ 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

The Lions meet regularly, including social events. New members and volunteers warmly welcomed. The Lions Charity Shop in Turre is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am-2pm. Mobility equipment available for those in need. For more information, including forthcoming fundraising events: https://veralions.com/; email veralionssecretary@gmail.com; or call President Andy Pearson on 711 005 682.

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.

Psychic Development Circle

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

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

Ancestry Club for Beginners & Intermediate Tel. 634 309 590

Mojácar Community Library

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

Arboleas Indalo Gardening Club

Community Centre, opposite the Health Centre car park. Last Friday of the month, 10:30am - 1pm.

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

Antas 1/10 Scale RC Club

Thursdays 10.00am at RC Circuito, Antas. Ring Chris on 634328059 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, Tuesday, 12:30pm. 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

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.

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

Activities - Clubs - Associations

Music & Drama Groups

Open Mic Night

Every Thursday, 8pm, at Miraflores, Los Gallardos, 8pm. Everyone welcome.

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 Wednesday at Bar Kubatin (at Hostal Meson) Arboleas from 3pm to 5pm. All welcome, no auditions.

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

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

Mojácar Playa Golf

Play every Tuesday around 11.30. Mostly at Marina Golf Club. Everybody welcome. Membership available. Call James 681 355 796. Golf trip holidays also available. Golf tour operator.

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. Weds/Sat, 9am, Red Cross end (from 4th Oct). 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. Mojácar Qigong/Taijiquan

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11.00am. Samsara (Opposite Lua) monjchalao@ gmail.com. See Facebook gusfit.es

Coffee Break

Jokes of the Month

The Choice

A Mormon and an Irishman are on a plane sitting next to each other on a flight from London to New York. After the plane is airborne, drink orders are taken. The Irishman asked for a whiskey, which was promptly brought and placed in front of him. The flight attendant then asked the Mormon if he would like an alcoholic drink. He replied in disgust, “I’d rather be set on by a dozen whores than let liquor touch my lips.” The Irishman handed his glass of whiskey back to the flight attendant and said, “Me, too, I didn’t know we had a choice.”

The Auction

An auction at Sotheby’s in London was in full swing when a female assistant spoke to the auctioneer. He announced, “A gentleman has lost his wallet that contains 15,000 pounds but he will give a reward of 1,000 pounds to the person who hands it in”. There was a long silence but then from the back of the room a person shouted out, “One thousand five hundred”.

A Message From God

A climber fell off a cliff, and, as he tumbled down, he caught hold of a small branch. “Help! Is there anybody up there?” he shouted. A majestic voice boomed through the air, “I will help you, my son, but first you must have faith in me.” “Yes, yes, I trust you!”, cried the man. “Let go of the branch”, boomed the voice. There was a long pause, and the man shouted up again, “Is there anybody else up there?”

French Fries

A man spotted a restaurant sign that advertised fat-free French fries. “Sounds great,” thought the health-conscious man so he went in and ordered a plate full. He watched as the cook pulled a basket of fries from the fryer and saw that they were dripping with oil when the cook put them onto a plate. “Wait a minute,” the man said. “Those don’t look fat-free.” “Sure they are,” the cook said. “We only charge for the potatoes.”

Two Nuns

The Pictures

A New York attorney representing a wealthy and respected art collector called his client and said to him, “Saul, I have some good news and I have some bad news.” The art collector replied, “I’ve had an awful day; let’s hear the good news first.” The attorney said, “Well, I met with your wife today, and she informed me that she paid 5,000 euros for two pictures that she thinks she will be able to sell for a minimum of 5-10 million euros. I think she could be right.” Saul replied enthusiastically, “Well done! My wife is a brilliant businesswoman! You’ve just made my day. Now I know I can handle the bad news. What is it?”

The attorney replied, “The pictures are of you and your secretary having sex, and your wife thinks a newspaper will buy them.”

Two nuns are walking down the street when they notice that a man is following them. Sister Michael, the older and wiser nun, says to the young and naïve Sister Patrick, “See that crossroad ahead? You go left and I’ll go right: he can’t follow us both. We’ll meet back at the Abbey.” So the sisters part and the man follows Sister Michael. Some time later, Sister Patrick is anxiously waiting at the Abbey when Sister Michael returns alone. “Thank the Lord you are alright!”, exclaims Sister Patrick. “But what happened to that man? “Well,” replies Sister Michael, “After a few minutes, I stopped and pulled up my dress.” Sister Patrick stares in shock. “Then,” continues Sister Michael, “he stopped and pulled down his trousers.” Sister Patrick gasps. “Oh Sister, why would you let him do that?” “Because,” explains Sister Michael, “a nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his trousers down!”

Snagging

A businessman rented the top three floors of a new office block but he noticed some defects. He met up with the sales agent and the builder on site to iron them out. On the lowest floor the businessman pointed out that three doors did not fit properly. The agent made a note, but the builder opened a window and shouted out, “Green side up!”. On the next floor there was a cracked washbasin in one of the toilets, the agent made another note, but the builder opened a window and shouted out, “Green side up!”. On the top floor some wires were coming out of the ceiling but there were no light fittings. The agent made a further note, but the builder opened a window again and shouted out, “Green side up!”. The businessman said to the builder, “The agent is making notes, but all you do is shout ‘Green side up’ out of the windows. Why aren’t you paying attention?” The builder replied, “Those four idiots down there said they knew how to lay turf!”

Nephew Charles

“Am I mentioned in the will?” the nephew asked anxiously. “You certainly are,” replied the lawyer. Right here in the third paragraph your uncle says: To my niece Sarah I bequeath a hundred thousand dollars, to my cousin Janice fifty thousand dollars, and to my nephew Charles, who was always curious to know if he was mentioned in my will, I say “Hi, Charles.”

Multiple Birth

A father-to-be was waiting anxiously outside the labour ward where his wife was delivering a baby. A nurse came up to the man and said, ‘You have a girl, but there’s another one on the way, so come back soon.’ ‘Twins,’ he thought, a little shakily. He went away and came back an hour later to be told that the second baby had been born, but there was still another on the way. ‘Good grief,’ he thought. He went to the pub down the street, and after a beer he phoned in and was told a fourth one was on the way. He started to drown his sorrows. A few stiff whiskies later he called the hospital again, but was so drunk he dialled the wrong number - and got the recorded cricket score. Crying in agony, he collapsed on the floor, a poor, devastated, shuddering and weeping mess. As the barman struggled to pick him up, he heard the voice from the phone say, ‘The score is 88 all out. And the last one was a duck.’

The Husband

Paula, was anxiously waiting for her daughter Janet’s plane to land. Janet had just come back from Africa trying to find adventure during her gap year. As Janet was exiting the plane, Paula noticed a man directly behind her with a feathered headdress, exotic markings all over his body and carrying a shrunken head and a spear. Janet introduced this man as her new husband. Paula gasped out loud in disbelief and screamed, “I told you to marry a RICH doctor ... RICH, I said!”

Your Stars

Mar. 21

- April 20

You will be relentless when it comes to getting yourself back into shape. It will be all around you. Try not to hurt your partner’s feelings. Be careful when dealing with investments. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

Sept. 24

- Oct. 23

Travel will lead you in new directions. Don’t expect new acquaintances to be completely honest about themselves. Changes at home will be necessary. This day was meant for love. Make creative changes to your residence. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Apr. 21

- May 21

Your leadership ability will enhance your reputation. You must be careful not to reveal secrets or get involved in gossip. Your tendency to dramatize may be a little much for your partner to take constantly. You have more than enough on your plate already. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Oct. 24

- Nov. 22

Travel for business or pleasure. You must consider yourself for a change. You may find that female colleagues will be more help than you anticipated. Find out what they’re up to, and see if you can pick up where you left off. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

May 22

- June 21

Clear up domestic chores that have remained undone for some time. You will be popular with acquaintances; however, loved ones could feel left out and insecure. Children will keep you busy. People you live with will not be terribly happy with you regardless of what you do this month. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

June 22 - July 22

You can pick up information that will give you an edge. Try out for a local sports team such as volleyball, tennis, lawn bowling, or whatever interests you. Be discreet and don’t present your ideas until you’re certain that they’re foolproof. Don’t expect support from your mate. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

July

Aug. 23 - Sept. 23

You may find it necessary to confront a situation that has gotten out of hand. You will upset your partner if you have spent money on things that aren’t necessary. You will be in a high cycle regarding work. You’ll only hurt your lover if you don’t. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Take time to deal with legal documents and the affairs of people who you may be indebted to. A residential move may be in order. Get into fitness programs to keep in shape. Your ambitious mood may not go over well with loved ones. Find out all the facts before you jump to conclusions. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Nov. 23

- Dec. 21

Get busy on those home improvement projects that you’ve been procrastinating about. Work quietly on your own. Travel will be most enticing. Consider a cruise. Avoid any erratic behavior or it could cause isolation at home. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Dec. 22

- Jan. 20

Your personal life is going through a state of confusion. Do not trust others with important information. It might be time to pick up the slack and do your share. You can meet interesting new friends if you join worthwhile groups. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

Jan. 21

- Feb. 19

Prove your worth; concentrate on getting the job done and steer clear of office politics and gossip. You may meet that special person if you attend fundraising functions. Keep your feelings to yourself if you want to avoid embarrassment. You should be looking at ways to spoil yourself. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Feb. 20

- Mar. 20

You need to do something energetic and different. Try and avoid getting involved in idle chatter or gossip that might get you in trouble. You need a job with more responsibility and a higher wage. Don’t let your health suffer because of worry. Talk to someone you trust. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.