7 February - 13 February 2023

International robbery gang busted in Orihuela

The investigation began in October of last year and the operation was carried out in two phases. Criminal activity was detected in both France and Spain, for which international collaboration was required and in the first phase, five members of a well-known ItalianCroatian clan were arrested in the town of Orihuela. Officers confiscated various jewels and luxury items, as well as plastic cards used in robberies, forged documents and 4,300 euros in cash.

The second phase resulted in the arrest of 26 members of the gang in Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and France, the majority being in the latter country. A total of 17 house searches have been carried out in five countries with more evidence seized by officers. This

included fake invoices, cash and money counting devices as well as more jewellery.

During the investigation police officers discovered that the gang was very flexible and had great mobility and it was this ability to move quickly that had helped it avoid being detected

earlier. Members quickly changed their address in Spain and made many trips around Europe, using false documentation for the rental of properties. During the operation, almost 200 police officers from five countries took part.

Thanks to the investigations carried out, it was found that the robberies at homes were mainly committed by young women, supported by a male get-away driver. To break into people’shomes, they used the “slip” technique, which is when the thief slides a plastic sheet or cord between the door frame and the latch.

The organisation also specialised in carrying out ‘rip deal’ scams, a form of deception in which the gang members, mainly men, posed as highlevel businessmen in a foreign country. They deceived the victim by pretending to be interested in buying luxury real estate, gold or jewels in cash deals. The scammers gave the victims notes that were simply paper clippings, except for a small amount that they used to deceive during the initial transaction.

National Police, in a joint investigation with the French National Gendarmerie, have dismantled a criminal gang of Italian-Croatian origin

which specialised in robbing homes and scams. The gang came tumbling down after five members were arrested in Orihuela.

Minimum wage hike

The Spanish government has unveiled an 8 percent rise in the minimum wage, despite the opposition of employer groups, in a context of high inflation and a key election year.

The announcement by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez comes just months before municipal polls in various regions and a general election which is due by the year’s end.

“We’re going to approve a new 8 percent increase in the minimum wage to reach 1,080 euros gross across 14 months,”Pedro Sanchez told the Senate upper house of parliament.

Spain traditionally makes salary payments in 14 monthly payments per year, with the extra paychecks typically paid in July and December.

“We are respecting our commitment to raise the minimum wage to 60 percent of the average Spanish salary,” he said.

Split across 12 months, that would equate to a gross payment of 1,260

euros.Although the unions had been pushing for 1,100 euros over 14 months, they hailed the announcement as welcome.

“There will be some 2.5 million beneficiaries and it will have a greater impact on women, young people, those with temporary contracts or working in agriculture or the service sectors,” tweeted CCOO union boss Unai Sordo.

Talks on raising the minimum wage were boycotted by employers’ groups on grounds their concerns were not being taken into account.

“Let them just give us the figure and get it over with,” grumbled Antonio Garamendi, head of the CEOE business lobby in remarks to reporters.

The new increase in the minimum wage comes againsta backdrop of high inflation, even though price hikes have slowed significantly in recent months.Inflation stood at 5.8 percent in January, after peaking at 10.8 percent in July, the highest level in 38 years.

The announcement also comes ahead of a busy electoral year for Spain with various municipal polls in May and a general election by the year’s end, although no date has yet been set.

Pedro Sanchez was quick to flag his government’s efforts to raise the minimum wage since taking office in 2018.

“We have raised it by 36 percent, that’s to say from 735 euros when we entered government to 1,000 euros gross over 14 months, and always in the face of staunch opposition from the neo-liberals,” he said.

World Cancer Day Success

Maria and the Pink Ladies and Panthers took to Zenia Boulevard at the weekend to mark World Cancer Day. The event was widely supported by the local community and the charity raised 1035 euros for the AACC Early Detection Programme.

The money was raised through donations from kind-hearted people from Orihuela Costa and the surrounding areas who visited the day-long event.

There was live entertainment throughout the day provided by Simon Jackson MBE, Leroy Morales, Stevie Spit, Mother and son performers Project Duo, Margaret Macdonald and the day was closed with a performance by The Raquel Peña Flamenco Dancers. A special thanks to Alfie G who hosted the whole day from 10.30 till 4.30pm.

A minute’s silence was held at 3pm where members of the public joined

hands and observed the tribute held in honour of all those who have lost their lives to cancer.

Maria Wilson said: “The total amount raised will be passed on to the AACC to help in the fight against cancer and support the charities work with those diagnosed with the disease and their families.A big thank you to the Management TeamatZeniaBoulevard forits continuous help and support.”

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AUTOMÓVILES CRESPO THE BIGGEST AND BEST FOR PRICE CHOICE AND QUALITY

Pilar Cultural Centre Fiasco

The Town Hall of Pilar de la Horadada is to demolish the unfinished Cultural Centre that has stood abandoned since 2006. However, the decision has caused controversy after it was announced that it is going to cost 3 million euros to demolish a structure that cost 2 million to build. A fact the is being labelled a fiasco by local residents and taxpayers.

The bidding period has now ended for a contract valued at just under €3 million to demolish what was built, with the winning tender set to be announced this month.

The building stands on the northern edge of Pilar town

Third award for local coastal path

centre and is referred to locally as ‘the shame of the town’. The building reached national notoriety as an example of mass overspending by Spanish councils during the boom period in the first decade of the century.

The project ground to a halt after the original 2-million-euro budget allocated in 2001 was predicted to need to increase to 9 million euros in just five years. The Marina Baches Cultural Centre project was officially scrapped in 2014.

The original plans included an underground car park and a

public square and to add insult to injury, in 2020 the Supreme Court ruled that Pilar council had to pay €2.7 million in compensation to two companies for lost revenues as result of the unopened car park.

Following the demolition there are plans to redevelop the plot to house a multi-purpose building.

The 1,489m2 facility has a cost of a further 3 million euros.

Government to close sexual consent legal loophole

The Spanish government has pledged to amend a new sexual consent law that was passed in August last year, since it has since allowed hundreds of sex offenders to get their prison sentences significantly reduced, despite the law’s main intention being to increase the protection of women.

The law, known as ‘Only Yes is Yes‘, made verbal consent the key issue in cases of alleged sexual assault. At the same time, however, it revised the minimum and maximum prison terms for sexual assault convictions, a move that led to many judges reducing the sentences of convicted rapists

and abusers on appeal by months and even years.

For the first time since the law entered into force, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly spoke about a correction to the text.

‘The Law on Sexual Freedom has had an unwanted consequence, the reduction of sentences in some cases. This is a technical question that does not reflect the will of the Executive,’ he told the Senate house on Tuesday. ‘And those unwanted effects, of course, we are going to correct them.’

Since the law was passed, over 300 convicted sex offenders have had their

sentences reduced and at least 20 who had been near the end of their sentences have been released from prison.

That has led to an outcry by women’s groups and criticism from the general public, putting pressure on the coalition government to act.

Changing the law, however, could produce tensions during an election year between Sánchez’ ruling PSOE socialists and their junior coalition partner, the Podemos group. Equality Minister Irene Montero, who championed the sexual consent law, said negotiations are ongoing among coalition members to reform it.

For the third consecutive year, the path that runs between the beaches of Cala Capitán and La Caleta, in Cabo Roig, has been awarded the ‘Sendero Azul’ by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC).

ÁngelNoguera, Orihuela Councillor for Infrastructure, said that Department has made this award possible and facilitated the renewal for another year.

He said: “This recognition is related to the improvement of the environmental and cultural services that this City Council provides to society as a whole, by transforming this space into a valuable resource for environmental interpretation,

the enjoyment of nature and

outdoor sports and leisure activities.”

The BlueTrail in question runs parallel to the coastline and includes a total of five viewpoints, presenting a variety of areas of high geological interest; from its cliffs and beaches, as well as elements of key heritage, such as the Cabo Roig Tower, a military watchtower from the 16th century, catalogued as an Asset of Cultural Interest.

Throughout its 2.5-kilometre route, people can enjoy the marine landscape, from Cabo Roig to La Manga del Mar Menor and Isla Grosa, observing the shadows in the water of the oceanic Posidonia

meadows, which form authentic underwater forests that serve as shelter and food for aquatic animals.

On the land, the abundant existence of a protected shrub known as Jarilla Cabeza de Gato, and the species of red-tailed lizard, common bee-eater, common shrike, yellow-legged gull, black-headed gull, little tern common, common tern, plover, turnstone, sandpiper and great cormorant, among others, can be spotted.

The Councillor added: “The Blue Flag Trails help to value natural spaces of cultural interest and heritage close to beaches or marinas that have the Blue Flag - such as the 11 beaches of Orihuela.”

EXIT AT JUNCTION 523 AND TAKE THE SLIP ROAD AFTER THE SECOND ROUNDABOUT

Spanish population peaks

Spain is now home to more inhabitants than ever before. Census data published recently by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), puts the number of people registered as resident in Spain on 1stJanuary 2022 at 47,475,420, a historical high, and 90,313 more inhabitants compared to the previous year (a 0.19 percent increase).

This figure, according to the INE, represents a recovery from the decline recorded in 2020, a year marked by deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the recovery is mainly due to a rise in the foreign population, which increased by 102,784 people to 5,542,932 people and now accounts for 11.7 percent of the total, a trend that has not been recorded since 2013.

A decade ago, the percentage of foreigners registered as resident was 12.1 percent, a figure that then fell to 9.8 percent in 2017, the lowest figure in the last decade. The remaining population, 41,932,488, all has Spanish nationality, a number that has dropped by 12,471 people compared to the previous year.

The average age of the population registered in the census is 44.1 years. The average age of Spaniards is 45 years and that of foreigners overall is 37.1 years. The average age of residents from other European Union countries is 39.6 years.

The highest average ages among the predominant nationalities are found among citizens of the United Kingdom (54.1 years), Germany (50.0) and France (43). On the other hand, the lowest ones correspond to citizens of Honduras (30.4 years), Pakistan (31.1) and Morocco (32).

The regions with the highest number of foreigners are Andalusia (741,378), Aragon (164,762) and Asturias (45,630); those with the lowest presence of non-Spanish nationals are La Rioja (41,755), Melilla (11,675) and Ceuta (4,910).

Residents from other European Union countries account for a total of 1,617,911 people out of the almost 5.5 million non-Spaniards. Of these, the most numerous are Romanians (623,097), followed by Italians (273,889) and

Germans (115,099).

Of the remaining foreigners registered, the following nationalities stand out as having a high representation: Moroccans (883,243), Colombians (314,679) and Britons (293,171).As a result of the war with Russia, the number of Ukrainian residents increased considerably in 2022 and they are now among the 20 predominant foreign nationalities in Spain (111,443).

With respect to the most populated regions, those with the most inhabitants registered on 1st January 2022 are Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid. Those at the bottom of the list are La Rioja, Cantabria and Navarra.Of the 8,131 total municipalities in Spain, 4,991 have a population of less than one thousand inhabitants: more than 2,000 of those can be found in Castilla y León, around 630 in Castilla-La Mancha and 620 in Aragón.In terms of larger municipalities, there are 64 municipalities in Spain with more than 100,000 inhabitants: 13 in Andalusia, 11 in Catalonia and 10 in the Community of Madrid.

Planting of trees begins in the Natural Park for the Tree Day 2023

More than 600 students from all schools participate in this environmental reforestation activity today and tomorrow Wednesday

The mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolon, along with the councilman of Environment, Antonio Vidal, the mayor of Education, Ricardo Recuero, the director-conservator of the Natural Park of the Lagunas de La MataTorrevieja, Francisco Martinez, and the deputy manager of AGAMED, Gemma Cruz, participated in a planting and regeneration of trees in the Natural Park of the Lagunas de La Mata and Torrevieja, which is being developed on the occasion of the celebration of

Arbol Day 2023. Some actions that were carried out throughout Tuesday, January 31, and Wednesday, February 1, for schoolchildren from 14 schools in Torrevieja, will become one of the most participatory and important plantations in recent years in the Valencian Community.

More than 600 schoolchildren participating in this plantation have received various informative talks during the past week to raise awareness of the importance of ecological regeneration and planting criteria to be used during the days.

Likewise, the educators of the

Natural Park have given these sessions prior to the planting and, at the time of regeneration, the students are following the technical instructions given by the park workers.

A total of 800 plants for 2.5 hectares will be planted by the students of the 14 schools in a very important area of the Natural Park with native species such as kermes oak, mastic, taray, lavender, juniper, black hawthorn, palmetto, santolina, Aleppo pine, aladern, rosemary and carob.

For the realization of this activity, AGAMED has developed the work of preparation and adaptation of the planting space, located in the upper area of the Park, as well as emergency irrigation and plant protectors.

Also, Leroy Merlin has participated in this action of environmental regeneration with the delivery to all students participating shovels, buckets and gloves for planting trees.

Finally, the mayor, Eduardo Dolon, stressed the importance of such activities for young people, to raise awareness and know the environmental values that should have the new generations and see firsthand how to reforest spaces and green areas of the municipality. The mayor has indicated that these actions with all schools in Torrevieja will have a continuity for every year are made and our children have the opportunity to plant at least one tree.

Mabs New shop

MABS in San Javier have moved to bigger and better premises. We are now based at CALLE ROMA 2, SAN JAVIER, 30730 (Tel No. 968 191300). We will be stocking more furniture such as sofas, dining tables and beds. There will be more electrical equipment and lots of bric-a-brac, clothes, shoes, handbags, jewellery etc.

MABS was formed on 7 June 1999 by five ladies from the Javea/Marina Alta area of Spain who had all experienced and beaten breast cancer. The group name, MABS, stands for Marina Alta Breast Cancer Support.

When MABS was first established there was little, if any, information available for anyone who had been diagnosed with breast cancer or the treatment they could expect to receive here in Spain, and there was absolutely no support available to foreigners who had received the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer.

It was clear that there was a need for a support group that could support everyone regardless of the form of cancer they were fighting. At this time, the group name was changed to indicate cancer support for anyone,

regardless of their nationality or religion and MABS CANCER SUPPORT GROUP was born.

Late 2017 we became MABS Cancer Support Fundación. This was a significant step up from the previous status and it recognises that we have become a highly important support organisation in Spain. This new status allows us to have assets and made it possible for us to purchase a property in Campasol which was adapted into our Respite Home in Spring 2018.

Although MABS is a registered

charity, it does not receive any local or government funding and all the work undertaken is paid for from our shops, fundraising efforts and donations. A vast sum of money has been spent on medical equipment. MABS can provide wheelchairs, hospital beds, ripple mattresses, walking aids, bathing equipment, toilet aids etc. If we do not have something that is required, we will look at sourcing it. We can also help with Drivers and Translators for hospital appointments etc.

If you, or someone you know, has

been diagnosed with cancer and in need of support, come into our Centre/Shop and register.

If you have spare time, we would be grateful of more volunteers. We need van drivers, shop volunteers, stock sorters, admin staff and patient drivers.

MABS in Costa Calida work in 3 areas; San Javier, Mazarron/Totana and Calasparra.

Our name may have changed over the years but our mission remains the same to care, comfort and counsel people affected by cancer.

Have you lost contact with £9,500?

With the number of lost pots on the rise, now is the time to pay your forgotten pension pot some attention.

My personal financial admin is often a Sunday task that is almost always deferred for other mundane tasks, such as laundry or bathroom cleaning, and I work in finance.

This financial procrastination, or unawareness, is evidenced by the new lost pots figures published by Pensions Policy Institute.

The value of lost pension pots now stands at £26.6bn. What’s even worse is the increase in the number of lost pots, which is nearly 75% higher than in 2018.

• Who are losing their pots? Primarily those under 55, which accounts for 65% of the total number of pots lost, but over half a million are still lost in the crucial pre-retirement period of 55-65.

• Why are pots being lost? Contact is typically lost because people move home and do not tell their provider they’ve moved. People have moved jobs and home more frequently since 2018, which has predominantly led to this increase. Recent research found that only 4% of people instinctively think to contact their pension provider about a change in address; in comparison 66% tell their bank.

• How much are they losing contact with? You would assume that a lost pot would be a smaller one, because surely any materially-sized

pot would have been, if not cherished, at least tracked by their owner. But these pots are not insubstantial. The average size pot which is lost amongst the 55–75-year-old range, is £16,004. The average across all ages, is £9,474.

If you worked in the UK and now reside here in Spain, there is every possibility that your money is waiting for you to make a claim.

I urge you to think about your past jobs and contact us to see if your retirement could be made that much more comfortable.

Call us on 965 704 338 to arrange a free noobligation chat, or just pop into our Benijofar office, next to the Citroen garage on the main street.

Torrevieja Pride 2023

The LGBT+ Costa Calida/ Blanca group and Torrevieja Alternative Events are planning to host the first Pride event ever in Torrevieja on Saturday 3 June 2023. This event will be hosted at the Los Angeles bar in Torrevieja. It will start in the afternoon at 1400 hrs with live music acts, DJs, Drag bingo and food and drink available from the venue. The afternoon is a family event and everyone, regardless of their orientation, will be welcome. The evening will continue with more first class live singers, Drag acts and DJs. We are currently seeking individuals or companies to sponsor the event, this could be a simple donation of any amount, OR, by taking a stall on the day selling your products or services. The stalls will only cost €25.

All sponsors will have their name or company logo on our promotional materials and our website (currently under construction). Moving forward, links will be created on our webpage for sponsors for future advertising for them. There are limited stalls available so please make contact with us as soon as possible. We also seeking

any othere artists such as face painters, magicians, balloon artists etc. Please contact

Kerry by email at kcb1969@ icloud.com or Marc at marc. archer@me.com

GBP

The Bank of England delivered another 50bps rate hike this week, raising UK rates to a 15-year high of 4% in the process. In doing so, the BoE also delivered what we in markets might refer to as a ‘dovish hike’, which may sound like a gymnasticsmove, but really only suggests that the BoE may be readying for a pause, at the same time as just raising rates. In their accompanying guidance, the BoE dropped the need to act ‘forcefully’, even if Andrew Bailey highlighted in his post-match conflab the ongoing need to battle inflation. There was also a slight tweak in the voting pattern, with the 7-2 vote in favour of the hike, and those two dissenters calling for no change.

Interestingly enough, the BoE’s Mann also reduced her previous vote from 75bps to 50bps.

We have suggested in our daily commentaries this week that the BoE may not be in the position to hike UK rates after this meeting, given the weakening UK economy and gloomy outlook. The good folk at the IMF also predicted that the UK will be the only major economy to contract through 2023, with their latest guesstimates suggesting a 0.6% contraction, beating the likes of Russia to the bottom spot, although the BoE now think that a recession is likely to be much shallower than previously expected. In the meantime, given that there has been amyriad of different public sector workers striking over pay and conditions over the winter, it is no surprise that productivity has been diminishing.

On the data front, the latest update from the Nationwide highlighted the further decline in house prices, which declined by 0.6% throughout January, which is the worst run since 2009. Of course, these figures are likely to deteriorate further once the latest rate hike from the BoE eats into borrowing appetites. Next week will be dominated by the latest growth figures, which are expected to rebound after the previous month’s decline of 0.3%. As for the pound, well GBP/USD had held up pretty well through the past week, until the BoE meeting put paid to that, with the pair slipping back below 1.2250. However, the broader dollar moves will still have a big say on directional bias. As for the broader pound, well there has been emerging weakness, highlighted by the decline in GBP/EUR, which dipped under 1.1175 yesterday (Thursday)

GBP / EUR UPDATE

afternoon.

EURO

The ECB followed the BoE, and raised Euro area rates by 50bps to 2.5% yesterday afternoon. In total, the ECB have now raised rates by 3% since last July, as they intensify their battle to fight inflation in the region, even if the numbers have been softening of late.In her press conference, ECB president Christine Lagarde also confirmed that the ECB would be raising rates a further 50bps at their next meeting in March. Beyond that meeting, the outlook has clouded a tad, with Lagarde suggesting that the ECB would ‘evaluate the subsequent path of its monetary policy’, which is central bank speak for checking that the wheels have not fallen off, before making their next move.

That last bit led some analysts to predict that the ECB are likely to pause rate hikes beyond March, which seems to have been the conclusion from the bond market, with yields rapidly evaporating amongst key Euro area government bonds.By way of example, yields on the 10-year Italian government bond slipped over 40bps on the day, which is quite some move in bond-land. The collective news of potential pauses on the horizon from all 3 of the Fed, ECB and BoE soon enough spurred a big rally in risk assets, with the interest ratesensitive Nasdaq, posting another + 4% jump at one point on the day.

Whilst most of the recent data in the region has been supportive of further rates hikes, including growth recovering over Q4 (up 0.1%, from -0.1% prior), some of this week’s data has not quite hit the mark. In particular, Retail Sales in Germany slipped 5.3% through December and Spanish Inflation unexpectedly increased, despite regional figures easing further. That may have had an impact on the ECB’s rhetoric.

As for the single currency, EUR/USD broke over 1.1000 for the first time since last April in the immediate aftermath of the Fed (not ECB) meeting, however, Lagarde’s somewhat less hawkish comments led to some profit taking, with the pair slipping back below 1.0900. Next week’s regional Retail Sales look the pick of the bunch.

Emergency 24 hour care enhanced in La Loma and Pilar de la Horadada

The Department of Health of Torrevieja has made an important organizational effort to strengthen the points of continuous care of the health centers of Pilar de la Horadada and La Loma, centers that have the largest number of urgent primary care in the department.

The PAC (Continuous Care Point) of the municipality of Pilar de la Horadada will have a doctor and an additional nurse for 24-hour urgent care. Thus, the center will have two doctors and two nurses for the urgent care of users.

For its part, the health center of La Loma adds an additional physician and an extra nurse at the Continuous Care Point, going from two to three doctors and two to three nurses, responsible for the urgent care of the center.

The increased physical presence of professionals is possible thanks to the efforts of the doctors and nurses of the department, who will come to La Loma from centers in the basic area and, in the case of Pilar de la Horada, from the rest of the department. The increase in the number of shifts guarantees the interconnection of the centers and the networking of the work teams.

The Strategic Plan

implemented during the last months has prioritized the creation of new vacancies with the incorporation of new specialists and the active search for resources.

The new additions make it possible to offer better urgent care to patients and their families, reduce delays in care and favor a better approach to the patient.

In Primary Care, and in a complementary manner, the Management has set up

additional reinforcement modules in the Primary Care teams, arranged and approved according to the organizational requests of the area’s basic zone chiefs.

The manager, José Cano, has highlighted the “important contractual effort that is being made; it is not an easy task to find physicians at a time like this, we are working on a longterm project that will allow us to be attractive to attract new professionals”.

The hospital of Torrevieja starts the bidding process for the installation of a new state-of-the-art magnetic resonance equipment.

The University Hospital of Torrevieja has started the bidding process for the refurbishment of a new room that will house a new state-ofthe-art magnetic resonance equipment, acquired by the Regional Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health through the Investment Plan for High Technology Equipment of the National Health System (INVEAT).

The new equipment, valued at more than 790,000 euros, is expected to see its first patients this year and will replace the current equipment which is obsolete after more than ten years of use. The University Hospital of Torrevieja becomes one of the first public hospitals in the Valencian Community to receive and implement a new MRI of the INVEAT plan.

Since yesterday, and during

the execution phase of the works, the University Hospital of Torrevieja will continue to have MRI equipment, thanks to the provision of an additional portable equipment installed in the rear area of the hospital. Until the start of the works, the two pieces of equipment will coexist at the service of the department’s patients. In this way, the center will maintain one unit at full capacity while the works are being carried out without hindering the provision of this service.

The Radiology Department works from Monday to Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., performing MRI scans, including weekends and holidays.

The refurbishment works will cost approximately 150,000 euros and will include the preparation and refurbishment

of the room.

The Regional Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health has already awarded the 29 MRI scanners included in the Investment Plan for High Technology Equipment of the National Health System (Plan Inveat) and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union-Next Generation EU. The 29 pieces of equipment awarded in the Community of Valencia, for a total amount of 22,935,484.72 euros, reinforces the return to direct public management of the service for carrying out radiodiagnostic imaging techniques using magnetic resonance equipment.

This is a latest generation equipment, Magnetom Sola 1.5 Tesla of the commercial house Siemens.

Most of Africa, Asia and South America

The City Council of Benejúzar presents Ximo Puig with the Book of Prestige of the Fiestas and Pilgrimage of El Pilar

All my life, I have never got any praise or admiration from my siblings. I am now in my 60s and every time my family turn up, I am subjected to criticism. My husband used to point it out years ago; I agreed with him but used to put up with it to keep the peace with my parents, who asked me to not make a fuss, but also did nothing about it. He says that my family have always purposely tried to demoralise me, and it’s got worse since my mother and father died. Now their children, (my nieces and nephews) have started to do it. Why can’t I get their approval?

The mayor of Benejúzar, Rosa García, along with the councilman of Tourism, Manuel Parra, last Thursday presented a copy of the book of Prestige of the Fiestas and Pilgrimage of Pilar, entitled ‘A promise turned into tradition’, to the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig. It is a commemorative publication and elaborated in high quality that collects the past and present of this deeprooted tradition.

The first mayor, also responsible for the area of

Festivities, said that “it seemed appropriate that the president of the Generalitat has, as an advance, with the first printed copy of this prestigious book to know our tradition and our own idiosyncrasies as benejucenses”.

Garcia has also stressed that from the Consistory “we are putting all our efforts to bring our Pilarica and our pilgrimage to the top”. This Prestige Book is one of the actions, along with the audio guide and the signage of the path of the Pilar, which will be launched this year 2023. The

objective is to provide content to the Pilarica throughout the year and to achieve the declaration of the festival as of Autonomous Tourist Interest.

The Book of Prestige of the Fiestas and Pilgrimage of the Pilar, ‘A promise turned into tradition’, will be officially presented next Friday, February 10 from 20:00 hours in the auditorium Eloy García López de Benejúzar, with a visit to the permanent photographic exhibition of ‘Recuerdos Pilaricos’.

be challenged, and this can have benefits. In your longer letter you tell me that you are moving away to retire from where you all live, so, that will undoubtedly help as you will not be seeing so much of them. When you do see them, talk about them and not

yourself, and if they ask about you, say ‘there’s nothing to tell really’. You ask why you cannot gain the approval of your family. I think the key here is to stop looking for it. And remember that those who matter don’t mind; and those who mind don’t matter. Who cares what they think.

If you can’t change their behaviour, it might be wise to look at your own; is it possible you come across as needy and your looking for approval is too obvious? Also, try and view things from a different perspective; are you talking too much about your achievements etc? Being conservative and humble in the way you live your life, and keeping your own counsel means you can rarely WRITE TO SARA IN CONFIDENCE. A PSEUDONYM WILL BE USED IF YOU WISH. SARA READS ALL LETTERS AND CAN GIVE A PERSONAL REPLY. EMAIL YOUR QUESTION TO SARA@ COSTABLANCAPEOPLE.COM OR SARA IS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, TELEPHONE 650 054 467.

We’re often asked by our customers if it’s easier to buy an ex Spanish vehicle rather than import a foreign registered one. If you’d like to know more then do read on but our answer may just surprise you!

HOW EASY IS IT?

If you’ve seen an ex Spanish vehicle for sale in the UK or another European country, then at first glance, it may appear to be both cheaper and more convenient, but do be careful as there are lots of things to consider.

FIRST STEP

In the first instance it’s absolutely essential to find out if the vehicle is still live on the Spanish traffic system (de alta) or if it’s been properly taken off the Spanish system (de baja), especially if it’s now registered in another European country. This can be done with a vehicle check, using either of the following links:

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/ vehiculos/informe-de-vehiculo/ https://www.car-registrationsspain.com/vehicle-search.html

The vehicle check will determine what documentation you will need and more importantly, tell you if the vehicle has any administrative issues that would prevent it being registered in your name such as outstanding road tax, embargoes, finance markers or similar.

CORRECTLY DEREGISTERED

If the vehicle has been properly de-registered in Spain then it’s necessary to apply to the DGT to rehabilitate the vehicle and once permission is granted the vehicle can be tested. However you must have a full year’s insurance policy in place on the old Spanish registration number at the time of test and the vehicle needs to be tested on the old Spanish plates. You should also bear in mind that the ITV station will need to order paperwork in advance of the ITV test.

Once the vehicle has been tested the number plates will need to be swapped back to the number plates that correspond with the country of current registration, whilst the vehicle is pending registration with DGT.

STILL REGISTERED IN SPAIN

It’s quite often the case that an ex Spanish vehicle that has been registered in another country hasn’t been properly de-registered in Spain. If this is the case with your vehicle you will need the ID docs of the previous owner to be able to register the vehicle in your name.

For this reason we recommend

that you carry out a full vehicle check before you make a purchase and speak to a professional company that can help you avoid any pitfalls.

Car Registrations Spain S.L. is the leading vehicle registration service of pre-registered foreign vehicles in Spain. If you have a foreign registered vehicle that you would like to register on to Spanish plates

or think we can be of service, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team.

info@car-registrations-spain.com

+34 868 990 576

+44 (0)2380 200 706

https://www.facebook.com/ carregistrationsspain/ https://quote.car-registrationsspain.com

New initiative in Benejuzar to celebrate Valentine s Day

The Department of Commerce of Benejúzar and the Association of Traders and Entrepreneurs of the municipality (ACE) launch a new initiative to promote consumption in local trade on the occasion of the feast of Valentine’s Day. As explained by the Councillor for Trade, Manuel Parra, this campaign, called ‘This Valentine’s Day you fall in love with their gifts’, aims to “support our establishments and make our purchases to trade proximity, taking advantage of the increase in customers looking for a gift for the celebration of this February 14”.

Consumers interested in participating will only have to make their usual purchases from today until February 25 in any of the 41 establishments that are part of ACE Benejúzar. In this way, “will enter the draw, which will be held in the establishment on the same day 25, a gift for trade,” explained the councilman. The prizes will be related to the sector in which the establishment develops its activity, so you can choose both a box of shrimp or paella for five people, as a jewel or two tickets to the Warner amusement park, as well as different lots of products or services.

The businesses participating

in the campaign are Diego Pescadería, Ana Nicolás Esteticista, Encarnita parapharmacy, Optical Benejúzar, Eurobazar La Botigueta, Quinut Clinic, tobacconist Francisco Ruiz, store El Murciano, beauty center Alba Grau, Jewelryoptical Mora, the stationery bookstore José-Loli, butcher Francisco García Cases, Autentic beauty salon, bakery Alicia, bar Mamalú, rotisserie chicken Eva, Córpore, bar Mora, calzados La Primica, chuches Benejúzar, fruits El Tirriquito, Paredes Mobiliario, ferretería Benejúzar, Deportes Lider-Sport, Modas Glamour, ADIS Home, Modas Jofran, Fotos Larrosa, bar Estela, Óptica-joyería Pina, Foot Clinic Loudes Perez, Donna, hairdressing salon Carmen Garcia, Travel Salcedo, Lottery

Administration, Lovasan, El Paseo pharmacy, hairdresser Cristina Box, Pollos Mila, Mª Elena Albaladejo beautician and Maci-Vega.

The mayor of Commerce has highlighted the close collaboration between the City Council and the association of entrepreneurs and traders Benejúzar, since “it is through regular campaigns like the one we have developed that we can help them to achieve an increase in sales and economic activity. Also, Parra wanted to encourage the population to participate in this campaign and encourage consumption in the stores of the municipality, since “supporting our establishments and traders, we also bet for Benejúzar and, at the same time, we boost its economic development”.

If you have a question or problem with any household technology needing my help or want to join the Technology Help Group please email Brian at cbtechnology.help@gmail. com.

As a group member, you would have access to the group website which contains previous session notes, and handouts and access to previous Costa Blanca People published articles.

Scan the QR for a reminder of what the Costa Blanca Technology Help Group offers.

“I have Google Photos on my phone, but I don’t see the same photos when I access Google Photos on my computer. What can I do?” Each Google account is created with your email address and a Google account password (not your email address password). Note that your Google account does not need to have an associated Gmail address. You can use other email providers.

Your tech questions answered by Brian Hoile of the Costa Blanca Technology Help Group, helping over 320 members with their PCs , smartphones and more. Group members can attend meetings in person or online using Zoom or Teams.

With each Google account, you have access to many Google Apps including Google Photos. Every photo taken by a device linked to that Google account is uploaded to Google Photos as well as stored in the device’s “Gallery”. You can use the same Google account on multiple devices. If you have not exceeded Google’s 15 G Bytes of free storage your photos and videos are automatically stored on your device’s “Gallery” and Google Photos.

If you cannot see the same photos and videos on Google Photos from your computer, as you see on your phone, then you must be using a different account on the computer that you are using on your phone. You can use multiple Google accounts on all your devices but need to remember that to see the same Google Photos, as have you on the device that took the photo, they all need to be using the same Google account.

Remember that you can have numerous Google accounts each with a different email

address and access to all the Google Apps and the 15 G Bytes of free storage shared between Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos.

“I want to create a website for my family to share experiences and photos. Can I create and publish a website for free?”

Yes, you can. Google Sites is a structured web page creation tool included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google. The service also includes Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, and Google Keep. Google Sites is only available as a web application. The app allows users to create and edit files online while collaborating with other users in real time. The default structure of the website address starts with https://sites,google.com/view followed by the name you choose for the website. You can use a custom domainfor your site, that you own,and that is registered elsewhere.

Brian Hoile Technology Help Group

This Week´s Movie Picks

Sherlock Gnomes

Saturday 11th February – ITV2, 1.25pm

Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and his assistant, Dr. Gnome Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), storm into London’s natural history museum, where their nemesis, a pie mascot named Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou), is holding gnomes hostage, planning to smash them. After a brief battle, Moriarty is defeated by getting seemingly crushed by a dinosaur skeleton. Meanwhile, Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt), as well as the other gnomes, are moving to London. While there, Gnomeo and Juliet are declared the new leaders of the garden. Noticing that Juliet has cast him aside to improve the garden, Gnomeo leaves to find a flower as a centerpiece, but nearly gets caught in a shop, forcing Juliet to rescue him. Gnomeo and Juliet return to the garden, but then find out that all of the other gnomes have gone missing. Sherlock and Watson show up at the scene to investigate, and after Gnomeo and Juliet help them escape from a sewer flood, Sherlock agrees for them to team up.

Back to the Future II

Sunday 12th February – ITV2, 6.50pm

Marty McFly has only just gotten back from the past, when he is once again picked up by Dr. Emmett Brown and sent through time to the future. Marty’s job in the future is to pose as his own son to prevent him from being thrown in prison. Unfortunately, things get worse when the future changes the present.

Driving in Spain with

You have possibly heard of stories of drivers being fined for having their shopping on the back seat of the car, or for having a dog incorrectly secured, and other similar reasons, and the question always arises as to why.

We can explain the most common reason for these fines being education through enforcement to raise awareness of a very serious problem, and like all traffic law it is because it is unsafe, as you will see when we explain a phenomenon known as the “elephant effect”.

The Elephant Effect is the result of the laws of physics that cause an object thrown at high speed to multiply its weight compared to if it were stationary. This means that any loose object inside the vehicle becomes a dangerous projectile that puts the safety of the occupants of the vehicle at risk in case of harsh braking or a sudden stop in the event of a collision. To explain it another way, even though your vehicle may slow down or stop

abruptly, loose objects will continue to move in the direction of travel driven by the momentum and will weigh more than if they were sat still.

When we talk about loose objects, we don´t only mean shopping, or animals, the same applies to people who are not secured, such as rear seat passengers, which is where the “Elephant Effect” becomes more apparent, as if a passenger in the back seat is thrown forward through a collision their weight may multiply to around 4,000 kilos, the weight of an elephant.

Let us talk about the science bit. A loose object inside the car can multiply its weight by between 30 and 50 times in a crash at 50 kilometres per hour.

Here we have some examples of what that means:

A box of bottles weighing 18 kilos will impact the windshield with the same force as if a cow of 540 kilos.

A suitcase of only five kilos, will hit the driver with the same force that a 150 kilos lion would.

A beach umbrella, weighing three kilos, would be propelled and hit with the same force as a 90-kilo wild boar.

An umbrella that only weighs 415 grams would weigh five kilos

And what many vehicle occupants have loose in the car, the mobile phone, weighing in at around 150 grams, but if it were propelled forward in a collision the Elephant Effect would turn it into a projectile capable of hitting with a force of 1.5 kilos.

Avoiding the Elephant Effect is easier than you might think. Firstly, ensure that groceries, luggage, bags etc are carried securely in the boot.

Secondly, for other loose items such as sunglasses, chargers, mints etc, use the glove box or the side pockets in the doors. Many vehicles have pockets in

the seats for rear-seated passengers to use, and so use them.

As for your mobile, make sure that is also securely stowed, out of sight and harm´s way if you are not using it for mapping services but if you are then make sure it is in a secure location, using an approved cradle, and where it also doesn’t interfere with your primary

field of vision.

We invite you to read other interesting articles at the following link; https://www.coysrent-a-car.com/ blog https://www.facebook.com/ coysrentacar http://www.coysrent-a-car.com

BBC

one BBC two ITV Channel 4Channel 5ITV2 ITV3

Tuesday 7th February

8th February

Alannia camping Catral January

31st raising 855 euros for ECCH

Pat Milligan organized an event for Elche Childrens Care Home which was held on Tuesday 31 January 2023 at Alannia Camping in Catrl, raising 855 euros for Elche Childrens Care Home. Roberto The Voice entertained kept the crowd entertainmed with his amazing performance.

Dawn Evans Abbott and Pat sold tickets at the event.

Sue Scott Holden & Mati Cuthbert did the raffle with John Holden calling the numbers. Raffle prizes were generously donated by Paul Micheal hairdressers, Belmonte’s, The Bombay, Food & Drink and friends of Pat. The next event will be on Tuesday 21st February to raise money for a

difribulator for Alannia Camping Catrl. Danny ( Elvis ) Fisher will be singing. It will be chicken & chips included in the

10 euro ticket price. Doors will open at 1pm. Meal 1.30pm and Danny singing 2pm.

Thursday 9th February

Friday 10th February

Saturday 11th February

BBC one BBC two ITV Channel 4Channel 5ITV2 ITV3

Sunday 12th February

Monday 13th February

Donation by Age Concern Costa Blanca

Twenty plus boxes of aid were donated by Age Concern Costa Banca and is now on its way to help Ukraine.

Age Concern are always looking for volunteers to join our friendly teams in our Day Centre and our Charity Shops. Contact us on 966786887

Tickets now on sale for the inal of the Rising MediaMarkt Intel of Torrevieja

Since 21:00 hours on Monday, January 30, fans of the VALORANT competition can get one of the 650 tickets from the Municipal Theatre of Torrevieja, the stage chosen by LVP (GRUP MEDIAPRO) with the support of the City Council of Torrevieja for the dispute of the match that will decide the title and will be played on March 11. Subscribers to the LVP Twitch channel will have early access and will be able to buy tickets from 17:00 hours, when the eleventh day of the regular season gets underway.

Having passed the halfway point of the season, the competition leaves us with two outstanding teams at the top of the standings, KPI Gaming (8-2) and Team Queso (8-2), and four other teams with serious chances of making the playoff cut: Rebels Gaming (73), Falcons (7-3), UCAM Tokiers (6-4) and CASE Esports (6-4). Behind them, only ZETA (4-6) is holding on and aspires to reach the final stretch with a chance to enter the playoffs, which kick

off on February 28. Ramboot (2-8), Movistar Riders (1-9) and AYM Esports (1-9) seem far from the goal of reaching Torrevieja.

“The Rising MediaMarkt Intel Rising final aspires to become the great VALORANT party in our country, just as the Superliga is for League of Legends. In that sense, Torrevieja offers us an ideal setting to make a great final between the two best teams of the moment, as well as a unique space to carry out activities, meet and greets and other surprises throughout the day,” explains Jordi Soler, CEO of LVP.

VALORANT’s Rising MediaMarkt Intel is broadcasted every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, from 5:00 pm, on LVP’s Twitch channel. The playoffs begin on February 28 with the two quarterfinal crossings (best-ofthree), from which two teams will qualify for the semifinals, to be played on March 6 and 7. Both the semifinals and the grand final on March 11 in Torrevieja will be played in

best-of-five maps.

About LVP: LVP (Liga de Videojuegos Profesional) is one of the largest operators of video game competitions in the world and the largest eSports organization in the Spanish language. Through its headquarters in Barcelona, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Bogota and Mexico, LVP has a presence in more than 30 countries. It organizes the most prestigious national competitions (such as the Superliga in Spain or the Master Flow League in Argentina) and major international tournaments, has online competition platforms (ArenaGG), manages events for third parties (such as the eLaLiga Santander for LaLiga and Electronic Arts) and distributes worldwide events such as the League of Legends European Championship (c) in Spanish. Part of GRUP MEDIAPRO, LVP also provides event production, advertising and audiovisual production services, covering all aspects of the eSports ecosystem.

Rojales Pantomime Group chairty gifts

From the money raised at their pantomime in December 2022, Treasure Island, the Group are pleased to be able to donate €2000 to the very worthy cause, the Stroke Association. The Group’s President, John Fagg presented the money to the Stroke Association President/Physio, Paul Owen and Maria a member of the Association who said the charity was highly delighted with the gift which would be put to good use within the community. €500 has also been gifted to Help Vega Baja, a charity which helps lots of different people, with still more worthy donations yet to be given out.

GOOD NEWS this year’s pantomime

has been chosen which is going to be the very funny Snow White and The Seven Christmas Elves, with auditions being held early April. WE WANT YOU, yes the Group are looking for new members for all areas within the theatre, either performing or helping backstage with props and costumes, but most of all to have some fun. Also members of the Group can enjoy an organised monthly social for them and their partners. An AGM will be held on the 8th March so, if you are interested in joining the Group, looking to audition for this year’s fun production or just want to be a social member contact us by email on rojalespanto@yahoo.com

Valentine Day fun facts!

Valentines Day is on 14th February every year.

Valentines Day falls on 14th February every year. It is also known as Saint Valentine’s Day!

It is thought that Valentines Day is on this day because a priest called Valentine was performing secret marriages behind the back of Emperor Claudius II of Rome.

He banned marriage because he thought that unmarried soldiers fought much better.

It’s a day to show your love!

Valentines Day is a day to show your love.

This can be to a girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife.

Or why not show your love to the people who are important to you? Such as your family and friends!

Valentines Day comes from Saint Valentine.

As you learnt above, Valentines Day comes from the man Valentine from the Roman times.

He was a priest and was actually made a Saint after his death!

The first ever Valentines Day was in 496!

Previously there was a Roman festival called Lupercalia which was in the middle of February.

During this festival, the boys would select a girls name out of a box. They would stay with

whoever they picked during the festival.

Sometimes they would even get married.

Later on, it was decided by the church that they wanted to change this festival into a Christian celebration.

This was the start of Valentines Day.

Cupid is often on Valentines Cards and gifts.

Cupid is always seen on lots of Valentines cards and presents… but who is he?

Cupid, who was also known as Eros, was actually a Roman God.

He was the God of Love.

Legend has it that Cupid would shoot his arrow into people’s hearts… which would

make them fall in love!

Around 85% of Valentines Day cards are bought by women. Women seem to prefer buying a card for their loved ones.

Around 85% of cards are bought by women on Valentines Day.

Around 73% of flowers are bought by men!

Flowers are one of the main gifts given by men on Valentines Day.

Around 73% of flowers are bought by them!

The oldest love poem was said to have been 4,000 years ago!

The oldest love poem was written around 4,000 years ago.

It is called ‘The Love Song for Shu-Sin’ and was written by a Sumerian.

Sumerians came up with one of the first writing forms.

They lived where Iraq is today.

The poem was carved into a clay tablet.

Valentines Day is said to be the second most popular day to send cards, after Christmas! Christmas keeps Royal Mail busy.. but so does Valentines Day.

Valentines Day is said to be the second most popular day to send a card, after Christmas.

Will you be receiving one?

broadcasts of the show

Susanna Reid is said to have stormed off the Good Morning Britain set this week following a string of bust-ups with the show’s production team.

The broadcaster, 52, allegedly ‘made her feelings very clear’ as she reportedly ‘angrily shouted’ at production staff after they made a series of errors.

Spelling mistakes, wrong dates and graphic mis-designs have all slipped through during live broadcasts of the show in recent weeks, leaving the host allegedly embarrassed.

Among the errors was one incident in which News Correspondent Ben Chapman’s name was spelt incorrectly during his live broadcast from Romania.

As Ranvir Singh presented the segment, she introduced Ben for his section - with his name appearing on the screen as ‘Ben Champan’.

[Susanna] made her feelings very clear, angrily shouting that the mistakes made her and the whole show look stupid - as she stormed off camera and confronted production staff.

‘Susanna is totally professional and just wants high standards — as Piers [Morgan] or any other presenter would have done. The last thing anyone wants is her walking away in anger,’ they added.

The broadcaster hosted the show alongside Piers Morgan before his departure in 2021.

And since then, she has been joined by a collection of co-hosts - including Richard Madeley and Robert Rinder. Susanna doesn’t appear to be the only one aggravated by the gaffes, as some viewers took to Twitter during the live morning shows to highlight GMB’s mistakes.

Jonnie Irwin has bravely thrown himself into a huge house renovation to set his family up for life.

The TV presenter, 49, has ripped out his bathroom and has taken on extra work to help fund the project - with fans hailing his ‘strength and determination’ as he battles terminal cancer.

Jonnie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020 but only revealed his diagnosis to online followers on his social media in November, saying it had spread to his brain, giving him just months to live.

The Escape To The Country host, who moved up to Newcastle so his wife Jessica, 40, can be nearer her family, has been documenting his renovation project on social media and been offering tips on redecorating.

Libbey has revealed that she was rushed to hospital after suffering a haemorrhage.

Taking to Instagram to share an update on the Made In Chelsea star, Ryan explained that he and Louise were forced to cancel their holiday to St Lucia after she required emergency surgery and ‘close monitoring.’

Louise previously took to Instagram to share that she had an ‘unexpected medical situation’ but didn’t elaborate further.

‘I didn’t think about how embarrassing it would be’: Pamela Anderson reveals how her Playboy career impacted her sons and they were left in tears after being teased about her sex tape.

‘She made her feelings very clear’: Susanna Reid ‘storms off Good Morning Britain set as she fumes at staff over string of embarrassing errors’

The presenter was left furious about spelling mistakes, incorrect dates and graphic mis-designs slipped into live

Another incident saw GMB air a segment paying tribute to the death of Lisa Marie Presley, with the word ‘remembering’ also spelt wrong on screen, as the graphic read: ‘Remebering’.

And that wasn’t all, as the wrong date was shown while Susanna was presenting the show one morning.

A source allegedly told The Sun: ‘She

Calling out a poster it had made for rugby player Levi Simeon Davis, who went missing in October 2022, many noticed that the wrong year was printed on the graphic.

A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin bravely throws himself into huge home renovation project to set his family up for life as he battles terminal cancer

Father-of-three Jonnie has been busy picking out marble worktops and paint colours for the bathroom and told his fans how to go about picking the right shade.

Louise Thompson’s fiancé Ryan Libbey reveals why she was rushed into hospital for emergency surgery as he shares update on the star

Louise Thompson’s fiancé Ryan

Pamela Anderson has revealed how her glamour model career impacted her sons Brandon and Dylan.

Speaking in her new Netflix documentary, Pamela: A Love Story, the 55-year-old TV personality confessed that she wasn’t thinking about having children when she posed for Playboy.

After welcoming her sons she’d hoped that she would be able to speak to them about it before they found out on their own.

Health & Beauty

SAMM Golf New Years Honours

Monday 31st January 2023

Roda Golf was the venue for this first game of 2023. Another joint venture with the Royal Oak golfers. From a chilly early morning 1st Tee, SAMM Captain for the day, Bob Lagden, led us off. Bob Threader won the longest drive while Rosalind Smith won both nearest the pin on the 13th and the Stableford with 35 points. Congratulations both.

Roda’s restaurant with its elevated

views over the island green par 3 7th and of the 18th green, played host to the after-game refreshments with much forensic discussions of the days highs and lows. Just remember one thing: a bad day on the golf course is still better than a good day in the office.

Thank you all for another great day out.

Next SAMM Society venue is La Torre on 4th April. If you would like to join this

game please mail sammgolfsociety@ gmail.com.

Following Covid and Brexit we are looking for new members. If you would like to know more about us, go to our Facebook pages, web site or email: membership@ sailingmarmenor.com SAMM – Sailing Association Mar Menor. SAMM encompasses dinghy to catamaran sailing, cruising and motorboat groups. Following Covid

and Brexit we are looking for new members. If you like sailing and want to know more email sammgolfsociety@gmail.com or follow us on our new Facebook Page Sailing Association Mar Menor Golf Society.

The Royal Oak Golf Society, courtesy Royal Oak pub, ctra/ San Miguel de Salinas, Dehesa de Campo Amor

Dealing with Snow

Despite seemingly long, hot summers, just like any other country, Spain can get a covering in snow during winter, and over the last couple of weeks or so, we have seen wintery conditions in various parts of the country. If there is a risk that you will be driving in snow, you really need to consider purchasing snow chains for your vehicle.

Carrying snow chains is not a mandatory requirement, but in some areas, where snow packs the road, it becomes compulsory to use them, and so having them ready is advisable.

The Guardia Civil, police or other authorities responsible for the road can impose a restriction without warning, placing signs on the roads indicating that the use of snow chains compulsory, and if you don´t have them with you, you have just one option, to wait until the road has been cleared by a snowplough or naturally, wait until the restriction is lifted, or turn back, if

that route remains open.

Failure to adhere to the mandatory use is not only extremely dangerous, you risk a fine. If you see the “cadenasobligatorias”, or variant thereof, you must stop driving if you don´t have snow chains on your vehicle.

It might also be wise to take additional equipment with you, such as warm blankets, emergency food and drink, and always advise somebody of your journey and route, as mobile phone signals are not always as reliable as we might hope.

If you do find yourself driving in snow, either whilst it is falling, or just on the ground, please slow down and take extra care, making no sudden movements, in any direction.

Another tip, strange though it might seem, is to carry a bag of cat litter in your boot. This is not in case you stumble across a cat desperate to use the toilet, but rather the gravelly texture can be used to provide temporary traction on

a slippery road, and can get you out of an emergency situation.

It is also advisable to check the route of your journey before you west off. The DGT provides information on road conditions, including those affected by the weather, in their interactive, national map. You can see this map on their website, https:// www.dgt.es/inicio/, where you can also see pages of information about traffic status and restrictions.

Completing an Accident Report Form

The European Accident Report Form, or “parteamistoso”, la DeclaraciónAmistosa de Accidente (DAA) in Spanish, is a form you can obtain from your insurance company, and should be completed in the event of a collision on the road.

One of the key benefits of this form is that it is a European recognised document, available in multiple languages, but it set out exactly the same in each, so drivers of different languages can compare and complete the form.

The idea of the form is to make it easier to explain and determine how an incident occurred and to resolve the culpability. It is only valid when there are two or more vehicles involved, something that happens in 85% of incidents.

In addition, it is the document that best informs the insurance company of what happened.Therefore, it is very important to fill out the accident report correctly.

Here are some tips for filling out the accident report form:

1) If another driver involved in the incident does not agree to complete the report, and/or if there are injuries, if alcohol is suspected of being involved, or if a driver does not have a licence or insurance, we must call the police. Additionally, in the case of being injured, do not forget to apply the so-called PAS behaviour: Protect, Warn and Help.

2) Write in UPPERCASE to facilitate understanding.

3) Fill in all the fields without skimping on information.

4) Draw the sketch in the central space and try to reproduce what happened well. For example, arrows indicating the direction of each vehicle, marking the area of the vehicle where the damage occurred, etc.

5) If in the “circumstances” section none of the 17 matches what happened, explain how it happened in the “observations” section.

6) If you have suffered injuries as a result of the incident, state it in the observations section.

7) Take photographs that can help to understand how the incident happened.

8) You have 7 days to deliver the report to the company.

9) Once the form has been signed, by both parties, nothing can be added to it, so take your time when filling

in the part.

10) Give a copy of the form to the other driver and keep one for yourself. Of course, you can complete more than one form, one for each driver, but each form is carbonated and creates two copies automatically.

Remember, the form can be used in case of incidents that cause only material damage, by drivers whose vehicles have at least the mandatory civil liability insurance. In addition, in order to apply it, the damage to the vehicles must have been caused by a direct collision, that is, it cannot be used in cases of multiple collisions or more than one vehicle.

The report cannot be used either in incidents with victims or injuries. In these cases, it is necessary to resort to the authorities (Guardia Civil or Police) to report the incident.

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TAlES FRoM THE ToP FlIGHT

n CHRIS DARWEN chris@costablancapeople.com

The last seven days of football saw Chelsea’s abacus run out of beads whilst spending more than German, Italian, Spanish and French clubs combined, various fax machines get blamed for last-minute deals not happening, Forest bringing in their 43rd player since last season and Everton strengthening their squad by selling their one saleable asset.

Mind you, Everton didn’t get everything wrong last week - they announced Sean Dyche as Frank’s replacement, gave him a clipboard and a tape recording of the oldfashioned bleep test and boom, the club has been sorted out.

I mean, if football is back to being as simple as filling out a questionnaire and running from one side of the gym to the other before you hear the bleep then you can count me in. Dyche gave the Toffees the first three pages of his ‘back-to-basics’ manual and the next thing you know, they’re beating the Premier League leaders 1-0 (obviously) from a set-piece (obviously).

The thing is, if the Ginger Mourinho could play Arsenal every single week then I would 100% back Everton to stay up with ease. Dyche has the wood over Mikel Arteta and although this is a great start, I’m looking forward to seeing him get that kind of performance away from home when all the emotion has died down.

As for Arsenal, it’s not just a chink of light for Man City as the torch being whacked on full beam and Pep screaming “boys, I’ve found a gap we can get through - and don’t worry, I’ve got a plan so cunning you could put it in a Leicester kit and call it a fox”. But more on that plan later. Suddenly, does a window that ended with Jorginho being brought in because Chelsea have signed six better options than him feel as good as it did on Wednesday?

Arteta won’t be panicking though and Arsenal will most likely bounce back with a win next time out. The same cannot be said for Old King Kloppo, however.

Liverpool went to Wolves and lost the game within 12 minutes

- Joel Matip putting in the kind of performance that sees you shipped out on loan to Serie A if only the window was still open.

Klopp took it well though, refusing to answer a question from journo James Pearce - “you know why”. The thing is, Pearcey didn’t have a clue “why” because Jurgen had picked on the wrong guy, literally. He’s had better Saturdays.

In another case of mistaken identity, Liverpool seem to think that the ageing N’Golo Kante is the guy to come in and fix their very broken ageing midfield. Kante is 31 and injured quite frequently nowadays.

Mind you, they ain’t getting Jude Bellingham or Declan Rice if they finish 8th, are they?

So, here’s a question - when the ref sent Casemiro off did he spell his name correctly? It turns out the multiple Champions League winner’s name is actually Casimiro but because he played well on his Sao Paulo debut back in the day and it was spelt wrong on his shirt then he’s never bothered correcting it. Fair enough.

United beat Palace 2-1 even with their Brazilian midfielder taking an early bath - where he was joined by trouble child Alejandro Garnacho, subbed off after being subbed on. I’m liking Erik ten Hag more every single week.

Insert your own Graham Potter can’t buy a win gag here - most have already been covered elsewhere. In a shock realisation, you can’t just spend another 300m+ on another six players and see them become a great team overnight. Fulham probably got away with a 0-0 on Friday night, but Chelsea still spent all that money and have Kai Havertz leading their line. Go figure. And imagine how Yo-Pierre feels right now. Requested by Tommy T back in the summer, brought back from Barcelona only to see Tuchel out

the door days later and now not even named in their Champions League 25man squad. Mind you, is he better or worse off than Hakim Ziyech who was in Paris doing his medical when he learned that Chelsea hadn’t emailed over a signed copy of the paperwork - no PSG deal for him then!

So City had a chance to close the gap to Arsenal meaning all eyes would be on Peppy G and his team. And we know how much Pep loves all eyes on him and his big tactical brain. Why on Earth would you keep Oleksandr Zinchenko or Joao Cancelo at the club when you can play an 18-year-old right-back at left-back and ask him to spend half the time wandering into central midfield?

It’s a fine line between tactical genius and tinkering more than the tinker man original Claudio Ranieri. Not content with his weird back four/back three hybrid thing, Guardiola also felt the best way of breaking down a team content sitting in and defending for the whole game was to start the most creative Premier League midfielder of this generation on the bench. I rarely agree with Richard Keys - in fact, I make a point of trying to agree with everything he says for sport - but even he was right about City’s manager complicating things for complication’s sake in this one.

And so, Arsenal got away with it - like Champions have a habit of doing. Harry Kane scored his 267th goal in all competitions which takes him past Jimmy Greaves’ 266 in all competitions except the Charity Shield. Yeah, I’m not applauding Kane until he gets another two now, to be honest. They’ve done Greavsey over there.

Up in Newcastle, they seem to have a bit of a disconnect when it comes to the Highway Code. Rule #1 - don’t drink and drive, Joelinton. Rule #2 - don’t drive when already banned. New 40m signing Anthony Gordon was seen clearly behind the wheel 48 hours after losing his license - it was just a shame he couldn’t drive them to victory over the ‘Ammers, eh? Eh? West Ham left the North East with a

point and some belief that they can get themselves out of the relegation battle.

Leicester haven’t had many better weeks than this for a while - their chairman cleared 150m or so of debt, got Brentan some shiny new toys to play with in the shape of a giant centre-back, a left-back who might not get injured every time he plays and that new right-winger they’ve been wanting considering Marc Albrighton should have retired four years ago. Rodgers’ new-look team ran out 4-2 winners against the Villa and Kelechi Iheanacho was the difference maker - maybe someone told him it was the FA Cup.

Brentford had a pretty good one too - Ivan Toney still isn’t banned and they beat Southampton 3-0. Nathan Jones claimed that it wasn’t “his team” out there and that there weren’t many better managers than him at Luton. Now, I like Jones - but even I struggle to believe he didn’t pick the players on Saturday (if I am to take him oh so literally and ignore the fact that he’s trying to suggest he has compromised some of his Championship beliefs to meet the Premier League egos halfway or so). And as for the Luton thing, you can be the best manager in the local Wetherspoons and that doesn’t mean you’ll do a great job at the overpriced Fox and Hounds down the country lane, does it?

If you are Nottingham Forest, the obvious solution to losing Dean Henderson for a couple of weeks is to go out and recruit a guy who has won the Champions League more times than you’ve won the old European Cup. Kaylor Navas arrived on loan from PSG and nobody seems to have been told what Hendo thinks about all that - but Navas kept a clean sheet as Leeds United found various new ways not to score, despite bringing in some decent players themselves in January.

Stating the obvious, that Mitoma can play a bit. Brighton’s best result of the week was not beating Bournemouth 1-0 but managing to get through Tuesday without Chelsea offering them another 200m for him and Moises Caicedo.

SOLUTIONS

Mazda CX3 2019, Manual, Diesel, 122,005 kms, 4x2, 2.0L, ABS, PAS, Radio, Central locking, A/C, Parking sensors, Multifunctional steering wheel, Navigation, Bluetooth. 18,995€

Ford Focus Titanium 2019, Manual, Diesel, 139,927 kms, Hatchback/Saloon, 1.5L. ABS, PAS, Parking sensors, Radio, USB, A/C, Climate control, Bluetooth, Multifunctional steering wheel, Navigation. 15,995€

Ford Focus Estate ST LINE 2018, Automatic, Diesel, 185,000 kms, Estate, 1.5L, ABS, PAS, Radio/CD, Central locking, Climate control, Electric windows, Sat Nav, Handsfree, Multifunctional steering wheel. 14,995€

Volkswagen Beetle 2013, Manual, Diesel, 130,166 kms, Hatchback/Saloon,2.0L. ABS, PAS, Central locking, Radio/CD, Climate control, Electric windows, Bluetooth, Parking sensors. 13,995€

Audi Q2 2018, Automatic, Diesel, 176,983 kms, 4x2. ABS, PAS, Climate control, Cruise control, Radio/CD, AUX/USB, Bluetooth, Parking sensors, Electric boot, Apple Car Play. 20,995€

Jaguar E-Pace 2019, Automatic, Petrol, 123,100 kms, 4X4, 2.0L. ABS, PAS, Central locking, Radio, AUX/USB, Climate control, Bluetooth, Reverse camera, Multifunctional steering wheel. 26,995€

London Taxi LTI TX4 LHD 2010, Diesel, Manual, 190,000 kms, MPV 7 seater, 2.5L. 7,995€

Renault Clio Estate 2016, Manual, Diesel, 152,302 kms, Estate, 1.5L, ABS, PAS, Radio, USB/AUX, A/C, Parking sensors, Bluetooth, Navigation, Multifunctional steering wheel. 9,495€

Mini Clubman Cooper S 2014, Automatic, Diesel, 116,612 kms, Hatchback/Saloon, 1.6L, PAS, ABS, Radio, Climate control, Bluetooth, Navigation, Multifunctional steering wheel, Leather seats, Sunroof. 17,995€

Opel Zafira Automatic 7 Seater 2018, Automatic, Diesel, 133,000 kms, MPV 7 seater, 2.0L. ABS, PAS, Central locking, Radio, Navigation, Climate control, Cruise control, Electric windows. 17,995€

Opel Grandland X 2019, Manual, Petrol, 82,519 kms, 4x2, 1.2L, ABS, PAS, Cruise control, Climate control, Bluetooth, Electric windows, Multifunctional steering wheel, Navigation. 17,995€

Volvo V90 D4 MOMENTUM 2018, Automatic, Diesel, 2017,172,749 kms, Estate, 2.0 L, ABS, PAS, Radio, climate control, Cruise control, Bluetooth, parking sensors, Electric boot, Multifunctional steering wheel. 21,995€

Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2020, Automatic, Diesel, 169,065 kms, 4x2, 2.2L, ABS, PAS, Radio/ USB, Central locking, Climate control, Parking sensors, Navigation, Bluetooth, Multifunctional steering wheel. 25,995€

Peugeot 207 CC 2010, Petrol, Manual, 144,085 kms, Cabrio,1.6L. ABS, PAS, Central locking, Radio/CD, USB/AUX, A/C, Climate control, Electric windows. 6,995€

BMW Z4 2010, Automatic, Petrol, 90,222 kms, Cabrio, 2.5L. ABS, PAS, Central locking, Radio/CD, AUX/USB, Climate control, Parking sensors , Bluetooth, Navigation, Multifunctional steering wheel. 19,995€

LandRover Range Rover Sport 7 Seater 2014, Automatic, Diesel, 141,000 kms, 4X4, 3.0L. 32,995€

SEAT Leon Estate 2016, Manual, Petrol, 171,636 kms, Estate, 1.2L. ABS, PAS, Central locking, Radio/CD, Touch screen, Aux/USB, Climate control, Bluetooth, Multifunctional steering wheel 10,995€

BMW X1, 2017, Manual, Diesel, 172,888 kms, 4x2, 1.6L, ABS, PAS, Radio, USB, Climate control, Cruise control, Navigation, Bluetooth, Parking sensors, Multifunctional steering wheel. 16,995€

BMW 320d GT 2014, Manual, Diesel, 110,168 kms, Hatchback/Saloon, 2.0L. 15,995€

Opel Grandland X 2019, Automatic, Diesel, 132,759 kms, 4x2, 2.0L, ABS, PAS, Climate control, Parking sensors, Navigation, Multifunctional steering wheel, Bluetooth, Reverse camera. 20,995€

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2013, Automatic, Diesel, 121,258 kms, 4X4, 3.0L. ABS, PAS, Radio, Climate control, Cruise control, Reverse camera, Bluetooth, Leather seats, Heated seats, Parking sensors, Navigation, Sunroof 18,995€

Renault Kadjar 2017, Manual, Diesel, 131,000 kms, 4x2, 1.5L, ABS, PAS, Radio, USB, Climate control, Electric windows, Bluetooth Multifunctional steering wheel, Navigation, Heated seats. 14,995€

Jaguar XF Supercharged 2015, Automatic, Petrol, 147,807 kms, Hatchback/Saloon, 3.0L, ABS, PAS, Radio, Cruise control, Climate control, Parking sensors, Navigation, Bluetooth, Multifunctional steering wheel, Navigation, Reverse camera. 22,995€

Volkswagen GOLF GTI CABRIO 2014, Automatic, Petrol, 99,039 kms, Cabrio, 2.0L. ABS, PAS, Radio, Aux, A/C, Parking sensors, Climate control, Electric windows, Handsfree, Multifunctional steering wheel, Electric soft top roof. 19,995€

BMW 118D 2015, Diesel, Manual , Hatchback/ Saloon, 142,148 kms, 2.0L. 12,995€