Costa de Almeria 29 September - 5 October 2022 Issue 1943

HUGE SUCCESS

Linda Hall

LUCKILY, although it was windy, the rain held off for PAWS‐PATAS’ first Autumn Fete on September 18.

“All week we were watch ing the forecast,” Claire Grif fiths from the Los Gallardos‐based animal shelter admitted afterwards.

“Stallholders selling ev erything from jewellery to incense, together with household items and gifts, all helped draw the crowds,” she said.

With music from a range of local amateur musicians who provided a soundtrack for the afternoon, there was also an opportunity to meet and adopt some of the shel ter’s kittens and puppies.

“We raised a massive €1,000 which we shall use to make improvements and carry out repairs to our in take block,” Claire an nounced.

“Thanks go to Kevin Bar

ber and the staff at the Oa sis Pool Bar for allowing us to use his bar and for pro viding drinks and the barbe cue,” she said. “And another huge thank you must go to everyone who came along and supported our first fete.”

PAWS‐PATAS now hope to organise another fete in the spring, Clair added.

Readers who would like more information about the coming fete as well as the work at PAWS‐PATAS should visit the www.paws‐patas.org website.

AUTUMN FETE: Stalls helped to draw the crowds.

Photo credit: PAWS-PATAS

Condolences

Tamsin Brown

THE Mojacar Town Hall has concluded the memorial services which were held in the town following the death of Queen Eliza beth II.

As soon as the news was announced, the mayor of Mojacar, Rosa María Cano, published a statement in Spanish and English in which she expressed her sorrow and condolences to the entire British popula tion of the municipality in the name of the local government.

The three official flags that are flown over the town hall ‐ of Spain, An dalucia and the Euro pean Community ‐ were lowered to half‐mast as a symbol of mourning and respect.

The mayor, Rosa María Cano, the council lor for Security, María Luisa Pérez, and the heads of the Local Po lice attended a solemn mass officiated by the li censed lay reader of the Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Calida, Margie Gall.

A book of condo lences was also placed in the municipal offices in Marina de la Torre for anyone who wanted to express their condo lences to the Royal Fam ily and the British popu lation, and the book had more than 300 en tries.

Geoda promotion

Linda Hall

PULPI’S crystal cave, the Geoda, was discovered by chance in 1999.

Now, thanks to collabo ration between Pulpi Town Hall and the Diputa cion provincial council, this tourist attraction will have a visitors’ and tourist information cen tre.

Work on the project’s first phase, which will in clude a shop, toilets and

reception area, has now begun and Fernando Gimenez, who heads the Diputacion’s Tourism de partment and Pulpi’s mayor Juan Pedro Garcia, recently visited the site.

Gimenez emphasised that the Geoda, was one of the province’s principal jewels.

“Almeria Province has the largest visitable geode in the world and all the town hall’s work in pro

moting and maintaining it means that thousands of tourists come here each year to see this impres sive monument,” he said.

Juan Pedro Garcia ex pressed his thanks for the much‐needed collabora tion from the institutions, referring to the Diputa cion’s unconditional back ing and the Junta’s sup port in declaring the Geoda a Natural Monu ment of Andalucia.

Spectacular views of Almeria

THE new pedestrian walkway that will run along the upper part of the Cable In glés, otherwise known as the English Pier, will offer spectacular views of Almeria City and the bay.

According to a statement from the Port Authority of Almeria released on Thursday September 22, the walkway will be almost 700 metres in length and will run from Par que de la Estación to the sea. The restora tion work on the pier is nearly complete, with the last planks of iroko wood being laid on the future promenade.

Once the work is complete, the old mineral loading dock will become one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the city, allowing people to admire views of the ships coming and going from the port, the waterfront, the city of Almeria and the whole bay.

The restoration of the Cable Inglés, which was commissioned by the Port Au thority of Almeria and had a budget of €2,115,000, is expected to be completed in approximately two months, by the end of November.

SOLEMN MASS: The memorial service held for Queen Elizabeth II in Mojacar.

Credit: Mojacar Town Hall

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY: The view from the English Pier in Almeria.

Credit: Port Authority of Almeria

PULPI’S GEODA: Juan Pedro Garcia and Fernando Gimenez with Pulpi councillors.

Photo credit: Diputacion de Almeria

Top awardsSmoother ride

CARBONERAS Town Hall launched a €25,000 operation to fill potholes and re‐asphalt 50 streets, focusing on those adjoining the covered market, schools, the health centre and Calle Castillo. The municipal programme also includes a €500,000 project to renew water mains and drainage in the Molino de Viento area.

Canal rescue

GUARDIA CIVIL officers, alerted at 11pm on Thursday September 22, rescued a trapped driver whose car was practically submerged in the canal at the Cuevas del Almanzora reservoir. Wading into the water, they finally roused the semi‐conscious driver and, assisted by Cuevas’ Local Police officers, carried him to safety.

Move along

THE Junta fined more than 400 motorhome owners as result of the close watch kept in summer to prevent wild camping in the Cabo de Gata‐Nijar national park. According to regional government records, 115 fines were related to overnight stays and another 112 to parking in prohibited areas.

Forest project

RAMON FFERNANDEZ‐

PACHECO, former Almeria City mayor who now heads the Junta’s Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy, announced that the regional government was investing more than €3 million in maintaining the province’s forest areas, paying particular attention to removing deadfalls and self‐seeded saplings while regenerating fire‐damaged areas.

Rest needed

ANTONIO GOMEZ CANTERO, bishop of Almeria, was ordered to cancel all public appearances for at least a week after visiting Torrecardenas hospital’s A and E for vision problems. When an examination revealed the risk of a detached retina, doctors prescribed rest to prevent the condition from deteriorating further.

New outpatients building

Linda Hall

IF all goes according to plan, Torrecardenas hospital will have a new Outpatients block by late 2024.

The contract to construct the building on a plot of land adjoining the Mother and Child section has now been signed, successfully conclud ing a project first discussed in 2009.

The Junta contract had been put out to tender on three different occasions by both the PSOE socialists and the Partido Popular. No bids were received for the penul timate contract owing to the increase in construction cost, but a temporary joint ven ture between Puentes y Calzadas Infraestructuras and Lirola Ingenieria y Obras has now been awarded the €16.4 million contract.

Torrecardenas currently at tends to more than 500,000 outpatients and Diego Vargas, managing director of Andalu cia’s Health service, the SAS,

said the new building would solve one of the hospital’s weak points.

“Outpatients’ activity is cur rently dispersed throughout the hospital, with imprecise routes and insufficient space,” Vargas said.

Instead, the new building will free up space in the main hospital, making it safer for patients and more convenient for medical staff.

“This project is also a fur ther example of the Junta’s commitment to improving healthcare for Almeria Province’s population,” Var gas said.

Municipal band trip

THE Mojacar Municipal Band visited the beautiful village of Alcala de Jucar in Albacete to participate in a programme of sporting and leisure activities. It was one of the annual trips which the town hall organises for the band’s members, who have travelled all over Spain.

The trip allowed the mem bers of the Municipal Band to enjoy a few days off as a re ward for their collaboration in all the official events, festivals and concerts held throughout the year in the municipality.

The young musicians were accompanied by their conduc tor, Miguel Ángel Miranda,

and the Mojacar councillors Pedro Torres and Francisco García Cerdá.

The band will begin the new season in October. The first date on their calendar is Octo ber 9, when they will be partic ipating in the festivities of the patron saint of Mojacar, the Virgen del Rosario.

The Municipal Music School has extended its registration period until the end of September so that anyone, re gardless of their age or their musical instrument of choice, can begin the wonderful ad venture of entering the world of music.

New film school opens

CARBONERAS has opened a new film school, the first of its kind in the Levante region of Almeria. The mayor of the municipality, José Luis Améri go Fernández, and the coun cillor for Culture, Vanesa Fuentes, welcomed the 20 students enrolled in the intro ductory course on Friday September 23.

The mayor highlighted the importance of the new school, which “will generate more interest in the cinematic world in the town of Carbon eras” and which will allow students to learn from experi

enced professionals without having to leave the municipal ity. “Cinema is a cultural in dustry with strong ties to the municipality, which still has great potential to develop in this area,” he said.

The mayor of Culture thanked the students for their enthusiasm and positive re sponse to the new proposal. He also highlighted how the initiative “naturally had to arise as part of our role in the history of cinema,” with im portant films such as Lawrence of Arabia having been filmed in Carboneras.

Diputacion goes further

THE presidents of Andalu cia’s eight provincial councils recently confirmed their com mitment to the Agricultural Employment Promotion Pro gramme (PFEA) in Cordoba.

Together with his counter parts, Javier Aureliano Gar cia Molina - president of the Almeria’s Diputacionsigned the PFEA agreement with Jose Antonio Nieto, who heads the Junta’s De partment of Justice, Admin istration Local and Public Bodies.

The PFEA programme is co-financed by the central government which, via Spain’s State Employment Service (SEPE) finances the wages for PFEA workers.

Meanwhile, the Junta pays 75 per cent of the cost of ma terials used, while the provin cial councils contribute 25 per cent.

The Junta has allocated €63.6 million to the PFEA this year, of which Almeria re ceived €3.5 million.

Garcia Molina pointed out

that Almeria’s provincial council had a “one window” system for the 89 municipali ties belonging to the Diputa cion’s Plan de Fomento.

Thanks to this, as well as the supplying materials used, the Diputacion attended to the paperwork and red tape involved in engaging person nel, overseeing projects and workplace safety.

THREE of the top names in Almeria’s tourism in dustry received awards for their work at the An dalucia Tourism Awards, held in Granada on Friday September 23.

The first award went to Pepe Martínez Balles teros, a highly experi enced radio broadcaster. He is the creator and pre senter of Espacio de Tur ismo, a travel magazine broadcast on Onda Cero Almeria, Roquetas de Mar and Velez-Rubio that encourages people to vis it the different municipal ities of the province.

Fernando Alonso Martín received an award for his long professional career in the tourism sec tor. He formed the J.126 Group, which seeks to promote sustainable tourism in Cabo de Gata, where he set up the infor mation centre. He is also the founder of ASEM PARNA and Infoturismo.

The third award went to José María Rossell Re casens, the founder and president of the Senator Hotels & Resorts Group, the largest hotel chain in Andalucia.

The chain has a strong presence in the provinces of Almeria, Cadiz, Grana da, Huelva, Malaga and Sevilla and can also be found in other parts of Spain and abroad.

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TORRECARDENAS VISIT: Diego Vargas with hospital staff.

Photo credit: Junta de Andalucia

CORDOBA MEETING: Javier Aureliano Garcia signs the PFEA agreement.

Photo credit: Diputacion de Almeria

Better conditions protest

A TOTAL of 1,500 people travelled from Almeria to Madrid on Saturday September 24 to participate in a mass protest organ ised by the Central Independent and Civil Servants’ Trade Union, CSIF. Of the 80,000 people who gathered from all over Spain to call for fair wages, a decent retirement and quality public services, 20,000 were from Andalucia.

The march was attended by workers from the eight Andalucian provinces. The Almeria delegation was led by the provin cial president of CSIF, Juan Fernández Cabezas, who considered the protest “a great success in terms of participation.”

The union organised the protest as a means of channelling the public’s growing discontentment with the rising prices of

everyday items, the excessive cost of ener gy and the risk of recession. CSIF also con demned “a progressive deterioration of public services in fundamental areas such as health and education,” as well as unsat isfactory working conditions and salaries of public employees.

Growing numbers of hotels

WHEN Almeria began its journey as a tourist destina tion in the early 60s, the province had only six hotels (Hotel Goya, Fátima resi dence, Pensión Andalucía and Hotel Simón in the capi tal; Hotel Abdera in Adra and Pensión Calipso in Pulpi) which together did not have even 300 rooms. Today, there are 306 hotel estab

lishments offering a total of 35,252 beds, the largest offer in the history of the province.

According to the Andalu cian Tourism Register, hotel establishments in the province of Almeria offered 19,237 beds in 2002, 30,599 in 2007 and 35,239 in 2019.

In September 2022, figures are similar to those from be

fore the pandemic, with 306 hotel establishments (34 more than a decade ago) and 35,252 beds.

Significant progress is be ing made in the sector de spite the pandemic and new trends in tourism, with many visitors to the province now choosing to rent a flat or a rural property rather than stay in a hotel.

The CSIF protest in Madrid.

Credit: CSIF

Imserso thumbs-down

THE Senator Hotels chain will not be participating in this year’s state‐sub sidised Imserso low season holidays for pensioners. Andalucia’s largest chain, which owns several hotels in Almeria Province, joined others in the sector in considering that €23 per per son per day was insufficient to guar antee a minimum profit margin, me dia sources reported.

That was the accommodation price specified in the tenders for the central government’s contract to organise the holidays which for years have al lowed hotels to remain open instead

of closing in the winter.

Hoteliers in Almeria Province have been joined by their counterparts along the Mediterranean Costas by pointing out that by complying with the requirement to provide full board including water or wine with lunch and dinner for €23 per person it would lead to losses. Nor has the of fered amount taken into account the increase in prices and overheads, they said.

Different groups and collectives representing hoteliers lodged appeals with Spain’s Administrative Tribunal, all of which have been rejected.

Much-needed installation

CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA’S new wastewater treatment plant (EDAR) will serve 10 independent municipal sub‐divisions as well as Cuevas itself.

Cuevas’ Urban Development, Agriculture and Environment councillor, Antonio Marquez, accompanied the Junta’s territorial delegate for Agriculture Water and Rural Development, Antonio Mena, to show him how work is going ahead on the €7.6 million project. Construction is expected to take 18 months to complete and will require another six to start up, Marquez explained. This installation will substitute the existing treatment plants that currently serve Cuevas, Villaricos‐Palomares and Las Herreras, whose wastewater will in future be channelled to the new EDAR.

Marquez also expressed his satisfaction at seeing the progress made at the new plant. “This is much‐needed and much‐ requested by the local population,” he said. The Cuevas councillor also passed on to Mena Cuevas’ hopes that the wastewater would receive the tertiary treatment permitting its use for irrigation purposes.

Roman glass on show

Tamsin Brown

ONE of the key topics of the Interna tional Congress on Geological and Mining Heritage, which will take place in Cuevas del Almanzora be tween September 29 and October 2, will be lapis specularis, also known as selenite gypsum.

This was the most exploited min eral in Roman times in what is cur rently the province of Cuenca, and there were also significant deposits in Almeria City, Arboleas, Sorbas and Cuevas del Almanzora.

Before the inauguration of the

congress, there will be a guided visit to the Espejuelo mine in Arboleas and an exhibit on the different lapis specularis deposits in Almeria today, Thursday September 29.

The greater the transparency of the lapis specularis, the more valu able it was. This is because its pur pose was to insulate dwellings while allowing light to pass through, similar to the glass of today.

The Espejuelo lapis specularsis will soon be open to the public following several years of restoration work car ried out by the Arboleas Town Hall.

Proposal

THE central government is re viewing an application for a new offshore windfarm in front of the Cabo de Gata‐Nijar national park.

The Alwind windfarm envis ages 21 turbines located be tween the Isleta del Moro and Aguamarga, which the pro ject’s promoters maintained would not interfere with the presence of ‘sensitive habitats or protected natural spaces’.

Documentation presented to the Environment Ministry nevertheless acknowledges ‘potential impacts’ that would need to be avoided in coastal communities. According to the provincial Spanish media, the report admits that 21 wind generators, each 260 metres high, could cause a ‘visual in trusion’ on the seascape and would be visible at a distance of several kilometres. The doc uments submitted to the Min istry also mention a ‘significant’ risk of seabirds colliding with the turbines and the possibility that deep‐sea marine life could be affected by the electromag netic field created by the elec tricity cables.

Linda Hall

RESTORED: The lapis specularis mine in Arboleas.

Credit: Cuevas del Almanzora Town Hall

World Alzheimer’s Day

TO mark the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day, the Almeria Federation of Associations of People with Disabilities (FAAM) held a con ference titled ‘Alzheimer’s today: where we come from and where we are going’. The aim was to highlight the need for greater co ordination between the social and health ser vices to provide better care for the 10,000 sufferers in the province and their families.

FAAM currently manages two senior citi zens’ centres specialising in the care of Alzheimer’s sufferers, with one in Almeria City and another in Los Gallardos. However, in order to meet the growing demand, the organisation has opened a new seafront cen tre in the capital.

The opening day was attended by the new delegate for Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality of the Junta de Andalucia, Fran cisco González, who said: “We want to em pathise with these families and those who suffer from it, which is why the Junta is con tinually working to improve their quality of life.”

Mysterious goat tied up

RESIDENTS of Adra were sur prised on the morning of Sat urday September 22 when they woke to find a male goat inexplicably tied to a sign on one of the town’s streets. Per haps intentionally, the animal had been tied to a sign for au thorised vehicles.

When asked about the mysterious appearance of the

goat, none of the locals knew where it had come from or why it was there, although some people said that it had been wandering the streets on its own over the past few days.

Perhaps some charitable soul saw that the goat may have been in danger and de cided to tie it up so that its

rightful owners could pick it up before anything happened to it.

Shortly afterwards, it was discovered that the animal had wandered away from a well­known local shepherd, who proceeded to untie it and lead it away, much to the be musement of curious onlook ers.

QUALITY OF LIFE: The conference held for World Alzheimer’s Day.

Credit: Provincial Council of Almeria

Online appointments

ONLINE medical consultations are be coming increasingly popular which is changing the face of healthcare for the elderly. The pandemic forced many of our daily activities online, including medical appointments.

Many patients turned to the internet to get advice from their doctor. But the internet has become the unexpected pi oneer of healthcare in the elderly popu lation.

Medical organisation, Top Doctors, conducted research for the Internation al Day for the Elderly on October 1, one in five online or telephone consulta tions are with patients over 64. Top Doctors found that online appoint ments were particularly requested by patients in regions with a large elderly population which lacked specialist med ical care.

Patients can receive medical care from the comfort of their own homes. Limiting vulnerable patients’ contact with other patients reduces the risk of additional infections dramatically. Pa tients can also access specialists who may not ordinarily work in their area and second opinions on original diag noses.

Advances like this could boost elderly care in Spain, which currently sits at 38 out of 44 countries for elderly care analysed in the study.

Catalonia’s smoking ban

AS announced on Friday, September 23, by Josep Maria Argimon, Catalo nia’s Minister of Health, the govern ment is to implement ‘smoke‐free’ spaces. New regulations will be intro duced to convert terraces, entrances and exits of schools, and bus stops, in to places where smoking is prohibited. He explained that there must be a ‘transition period’ and that the mea sure responds to reduction in smokers.

Argimon also revealed that from January 2023 the Generalitat will offer free nicotine substitutes to people

who want to quit smoking and who have incomes of less than €18,000. This will be offered because these peo ple have practically ‘double or more’ chances of quitting the consumption of tobacco, which he has described as small.

Smoking has “a social ingredient” he continued, since people with a lower income level are the ones who smoke the most. He estimated that there are between 600,000 and 700,000 smok ers with an income of less than €18,000.

Best research

A SPANISH doctor named the best re searcher in the world when it comes to blood cancer myeloma has been honoured by the In ternational Myeloma So ciety (IMS).

Doctor María Victoria Mateos, who is head of the innovative therapy unit at the Salamanca University Assistance Complex and chair of the Spanish Society of Hema

tology and Hemotherapy, was given the award on Friday, September 23 at the IMS annual general meeting in Los Angeles.

Speaking about the award, she said that she had been working on myeloma since complet ing her doctoral thesis on the subject in 2000.

Myeloma is the second most common cancer af ter lymphoma affecting millions annually.

Myeloma affects one in 100,000 inhabitants ev ery year and is detected in about 2,000 cases an nually in Spain. Early di agnoses is making it pos sible to treat patients sooner with ‘premalig nant situations on the rise’.

In receiving the award Mateos said more money was needed and praised Spain’s healthcare sys tem.

ONLINE CONSULTATIONS: Protect elderly people from disease.

Photo credit: Rido / shutterstock.com

Vets in support

A PETITION demanding a new animal protection law that will not exclude hunting dogs from protection has got more than 200,000 signatures and sup port from more than 600 vets.

The National Platform for the Protec tion of Animals which is made up of more than 165 animal rights associa tions, announced its backing for the pe tition. The petition demands change to the current animal rights law proposed by the PSOE which excludes hunting dogs from animal rights protection.

The new law would introduce distinc

THE Electoral Census Of fice in Spain has an nounced that British resi dents are now able to vote in Spanish local elec tions.

On May 28, 2023 munic ipal elections will be held in Spain. In these elec tions, nationals of Euro pean Union countries and countries that have signed a reciprocity agreement with Spain for voting in

tions between the rights dogs are enti tled to depending on if they are a pet or a hunting dog. Current laws give all dogs the same rights.

Animal rights organisations are launching their ‘same dogs, same law’ campaign to demand expanding of the criteria for protections.

María González dismissed the PSOE legislation calling it a “setback for ani mal rights which plays into the hands of abusive hunters.” She said all dogs should be entitled to the same rights protections.

Brits voting rights

municipal elections will be able to vote.

In what is good news for British residents living in Spain, the Ministerial Or der amending the previ ous Order to include the UK in the group of coun tries which now have a “reciprocal arrangement for Voting in the Local

Spanish Elections” makes this possible.

Upon completion of the amendments there will be various options for regis tering to vote including online. To be eligible, Brits must have been resident in Spain for three years or more and must be regis tered on the Padron.

Burgos bones

ACCORDING to scientists in volved in the landmark find, facial bones discovered in Burgos, northern Spain, date back 1.4 million years and could end up changing the book of human prehistory. They are the oldest human fossils ever unearthed on the European continent.

Speaking with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, Aurora Martin, the archaeologist who is the general coordina tor of the Museum of Hu

A RECENT study revealed that almost 70 per cent of tourists coming to Spain come to party! Research by travel company Jetcost found that 69 per cent of tourists listed ‘partying’ as a key purpose of their trip.

The survey found that 64 per cent of those asked planned to go out every night of their holiday.

The idea of Spain as a ‘par ty destination’ was most popular among British, Ger

man Evolution in Burgos, said: “We don’t yet know which first human species the fragments found be longed to.”

They were unearthed on an excavation site near Bur gos, at the caves of the Sier ra de Atapuerca at the end of June. Martin described the bones as “a break through that will help rewrite the history of hu man evolution.”

She emphasised: “Until

1994, it was known that there were no ancient hu man species in Europe until 500,000 years ago. Now we’re talking about 1.4 mil lion years ago. In other words, we pushed back the evolution of humans in Eu rope one million years.”

The Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos is where all the Stone Age fossils are on display that have been found at the famous World Heritage Site.

Party central!

man, Italian, French and Dutch tourists. The research found that equally, many tourists cited cultural experi ences as their main purpose for a holiday in Spain. The top three aims of tourists on holiday to Spain were to en joy beaches, enjoy Spanish cuisine and visit tourist at tractions.

Jetcost completed the sur vey over the summer holiday season and the Managing Di rector, Ignazio Ciarmoli, ex plained that the survey sought to prove that some tourists consider Spain a par ty destination. He said “like with everything, if done in moderation, with respect for others, it is fine.”

TikTok careers

TO equal an average salary, Spanish TikTok users need over 72 million views on their videos!

As household bills spiral, more and more people are seeking another income, a side hustle. One of the most popular avenues young peo ple choose to earn some extra cash is social media apps like TikTok or YouTube.

TikTok allows people to monetise their content with adverts, but it is difficult to generate enough views for adverts to make money.

Analytical company, Re boot, commissioned a study

in September to see where in Europe becoming a social me dia star is a viable career op tion. Spain ranked 15th out of 40 European countries.

To equal average salaries of around €22,000, Spanish Tik Tokers need to generate 72 million views on the app. Switzerland topped the list, with users needing 218 mil lion views on TikTok content to make a salary.

And if you really want to make it on TikTok, consider heading to Turkey. Turkish TikTok users need just 11 mil lion views per year to become a professional social media star.

Anger over tolls

SPAIN’S mandatory toll roads return in 2024 as part of the agreement with the EU which provided aid of €70 billion as part of the pandemic re covery plans.

Pere Navarro, Head of the General Direc torate of Traffic ( DGT) told news out lets on Friday, September 23 that not everyone will have to pay the toll fees.

That has caused an outcry with many

people likely to see the cost of their travel jump. While some will benefit from the re vised system of toll fees, others will have to pay for the same journey and that they say is grossly unfair.

You will benefit if you are travelling to and from a place of work, this will be ex empt as will students of any driving age and those travelling by private transfer to health centres for their appointments.

What is not clear at the moment is how the DGT will adminis ter these differences, although there is plenty of time to pre pare for the change. What also isn’t clear is where the manda tory toll roads will re turn with many booths having been removed, while some towns and villages face the prospect of traffic returning to their roads should tolls become payable once again.

coin

A COMMEMORATIVE €40 coin will be released in Spain this au tumn to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s historic voy age around the world. Magellan set sail from Spain on August 10, 1519, with 237 men in five ships.

Their quest was to discover a new route to the spice­rich Moluc cas Islands off Indonesia. After Magellan was killed during the Bat tle of Mactan, in what is the pre sent­day Philippines, Juan Sebas tian Elcano took over the expedition. He returned to Sevilla in September 1522.

This special coin will be circulated by the National Currency and Stamp Factory (FNMT). The coin will be issued between October and November and can be pur chased at the Bank of Spain. It will be made of silver with a purity of 925 and with a diameter of 33mm, weighing 18 grams. Collecting coins is a trend that is on the rise and for some it is for an innate passion or need and for others the purchase of a coin is a simple investment as an exclusive coin that has a low cir culation can be of significant value.

Image Tikta Alik / Shutterstock.com

Betty Henderson

TOLL ROADS: Not everyone will have to pay the fees.

TikTok users in Spain need a whopping 72 million views to make an average salary.

IMAGE: Shutterstock.com/Kasparsgrinvalds

THE Queen’s final resting place in Windsor Castle will be open for visitors to view from today Thursday, September 29. The announcement on Wednes day, September 21 means that those who did not get the chance to visit Westminster Hall and pay their respects, will now get the chance to do so.

Final resting place open

St George’s Chapel will be open to visitors to Windsor Castle where they will be able to see the ledger stone, where the late Queen Elizabeth has been laid alongside Prince Philip and her father and mother.

NINE out of 10 UK households are to take measures to manage ener gy price rises.

The ledger stone bears the names of those that are buried there along with their dates of birth and death. The new stone is inscribed with ‘George VI 1895‐1952’ and

‘Elizabeth 1900‐2002’ fol lowed by a metal Garter Star and then ‘Elizabeth II 1926‐2022’ and ‘Philip 1921‐2021’.

Those who wish to visit the chapel will be able to do so any time of the week except

Energy price rises

With energy bills set to almost double from the same time last winter, even with the announced government support, a third of households (32 per cent) agree that rising energy prices will have the greatest impact on their household budget.

As a result, all but one in 10 households (11 per cent) are tak ing action to mitigate the effect, according to new research from KPMG UK.

The most likely measure being

considered among respondents is to reduce or switch off the main heating supply, with a third of households (32 per cent) consider ing this.

Similarly, a quarter (26 per cent) are looking to reduce their electric

Sundays. The Queen’s final resting place is expected to be a popular attraction and a place of annual pilgrimage, with many locally and from abroad not having had the chance to pay their respects.

ity use by using fewer appliances.

Upgrading light bulbs is the most likely investment in energy effi ciency, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of households expecting to do this.

Following this, upgrading glazing (21 per cent), and draught‐proof ing (19 per cent) are popular op tions.

RSPB attacks

A TWEET posted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) on Saturday, September 24 held no punches as it accused the Tory government of attacking the island’s nature.

The UK’s mini‐budget is a full attack on the country’s nature and natural spaces accord ing to the (RSPB) and accuses the govern ment of abandoning habitat regulations in troduced by the EU with the sole intention of protecting wildlife.

Abandoning these rules and going for growth anywhere and at all costs, the organi sation says will further endanger an already declining and under threat wildlife. In par ticular, they have lev elled criticism at the government’s plans to use protected and sen sitive areas for further development including enterprise zones (EPZ’s) that allow businesses to trade free of taxes.

The RSPB is not the only organisation to criticise the budget for its unashamed support of the wealthy and big business.

NI increase u-turn

THE 1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance will be reversed from Novem ber 6, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng an nounced on Thursday September 22.

Delivering on the Prime Minister’s pledge to slash taxes to help drive growth, scrapping the rise will reduce tax for 920,000 businesses by nearly £10,000 (€11,500) on average next year as they will no longer pay a higher level of em ployer National Insurance.

The government will also cancel the planned Health and Social Care Levy, a separate tax which was coming into force

in April 2023 to replace this year’s Nation al Insurance rise.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: “Taxing our way to pros perity has never worked. To raise living standards for all, we need to be unapolo getic about growing our economy.

“Cutting tax is crucial to this and whether businesses reinvest freed­up cash into new machinery, lower prices on shop floors or increased staff wages, the reversal of the Levy will help them grow, whilst also allowing the British public to keep more of what they earn.”

New Brexit Freedoms Bill

THE UK government has announced that all re tained EU laws will end on December 31 2023, en abling it to create tailormade regulations.

All EU legislation will be amended, repealed, or re placed under the new Brexit Freedoms Bill intro duced to Parliament on Thursday, September 22, the UK government has

confirmed. Many EU laws kept on after Brexit were agreed upon as part of a complex compromise be tween 28 different EU member states and were simply duplicated into the UK’s statute books, often not considering the UK’s own priorities or objec tives.

The Brexit Freedoms Bill will enable the UK govern

ment to remove years of burdensome EU regula tion in favour of a more agile, home­grown regula tory approach which ben efits people and business es across the UK. By removing these restraints and replacing them with what works for the UK, businesses and economy can innovate and grow to new levels.

Nevenka sculpture

THE Vera Town Hall has expressed its support for the impressive sculpture exhibition currently be ing held by the British artist Nevenka when the councillor for Culture, María Manuela Caparrós, attended the inauguration on September 16.

Nevenka is a visual artist based in the Andalu cian village of Vera. She started her impressive career working as a stylist in the wardrobe de partment for film and theatre before setting up her own couture studio and moving on to sculp ture.

This exhibition showcases ceramic creations and assemblage sculptures: some in vibrant colour, and others with an absence of colour, to maximise the impact on the viewer.

The exhibition can be visited until September 30 (Monday to Saturday, 10am to 1.30pm) at Mola Mola Homes (Ronda de las Buganvillas Lo cal 24, Vera Playa). For more information, email info@molamolahomes.com

Rule the World

TAKE THAT tribute band Rule the World, will be performing at Miraflores at Los Gallardos Leisure from 8pm to 11.30pm on Wednesday, October 12. They have been recognised as the Number 1 Take That tribute act and have appeared on many UK TV shows.

Tickets cost €20. It is not possible to enter Mi raflores without a ticket on the night, so book now, please call 950 528 324 after 1pm. Food is not included, but a full menu will be available to order on the night for those who want to eat.

Charitable Lions

Tamsin Brown

THE Vera and District Lions are holding two fundraising events over the coming weeks, Rock toberfest at the New Bar Inter national in Arboleas on Octo ber 9 (tickets cost €10 and are available from the bar) and the Jingle Bell Ball at the Irish Rover in Mojacar on Decem ber 10, both of which will have fantastic line­ups.

Just some of the organisa tions supported by the Lions include local food banks; the Red Cross; the Asprodalba cen tre for the disabled in Vera and many more. The Lions also provide support to all kinds of individuals in need, doing the small, unnoticed things that can make a huge difference in people’s lives.

One way for people to sup port the Lions is by attending their fundraising events. Vol unteers are also needed for the shop in Turre, which is open from 10am to 2pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Satur days. Others may prefer to help out from time to time by

volunteering at an event or donating a raffle prize. Dona tions can also be small, regular amounts by standing order, which helps enormously.

Also, the food bank urgently

needs a reliable large van for picking up collections from Almeria. Anyone who can help is asked to kindly get in touch via https://www.facebook. com/veralionsclub/.

Lawn Bowls Inter-Provincial Championships

THE bi­annual Lawn Bowls In ter­Provincial Championships will be taking place from 10am on October 1 and 2 at Indalo Bowls Club, with Team Almeria facing Team Malaga. Spectators are welcome to come along to support the lo cal provincial bowls team, Team Almeria.

Situated just off the A6111 between Los Gallardos and Turre, Indalo Bowls Club af fords wonderful views of the Cabrera Mountains, Mojacar Pueblo and the sea.

The friendly club is competi tive and holds regular competi tions in addition to club morn ings three times a week. Light­hearted seasonal fun bowls and non­bowling social events are arranged during the year. They are also delighted to welcome visiting groups from anywhere in the world.

For more information about the Lawn Bowls Inter­Provin cial Championships and other upcoming competitions, visit https://indalobowlingclub.org/

Volunteer with Puppy Rescue

SINCE 2005, more than 2,000 dogs have been res cued and rehomed with loving families thanks to Puppy Rescue. Their chari ty shop in Albox is an im portant source of funding that allows them to con tinue taking care of dogs in need.

Puppy Rescue is desper ately looking for volun teers to help at the charity shop, and those who have the energy and time are encouraged to get in touch. The shop’s lovely staff is doing a great job raising funds for the pups but they would appreciate a helping hand.

Anyone who would like to join Puppy Rescue, even if only for one morn ing a week, would be greatly appreciated. Vol

unteering in the shop is a big part of raising muchneeded funds for rescuing and rehoming puppies in need.

Volunteers will work with some lovely people who all love pups. Those who could volunteer any day from Monday to Friday between 10am and 2pm should get in touch via https://www.facebook.com /puppyrescueinspain / or visit their shop in Albox (Avenida Lepanto, beside Mercadona) and ask for the shop manager, Jill.

The Lions recently presented the Arboleas Community Food Bank with a donation of €500.

Credit: Lions Club

RAISING FUNDS: The Puppy Rescue charity shop in Albox.

Credit: Puppy Rescue

Meat advertising banned

Tamsin Brown THE city of Haarlem in the Netherlands will be the first in the world to ban meat ad vertising in public spaces, such as on buses and bill boards, with the aim of re ducing meat consumption and greenhouse gas emis sions. Although the an nouncement was made in early September, the mea sure is set to come into ef fect in 2024 and many of the details of the ban are still be ing discussed.

A Dutch city has banned meat advertising.

Credit: Pixabay

products considered to be contributing to the current climate crisis.

Research has found that as much as a third of all greenhouse gas emissions come from global food pro duction, and animals kept for meat produce twice as much pollution as crops.

The local government of Haarlem, which is located to the west of Amsterdam, made the decision after meat was put on a list of

The decision has sparked criticism from the meat sec tor, which has suggested that it is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them.”

French app prevents crime

THE application ‘My Security’ (Ma Sécu rité) helps to guarantee the safety of users of public transport in France and seeks to prevent theft and violence by allowing people to communicate with a police offi cer at any time of day or night.

Although the app was launched in May, a series of new features were added to mark the occasion of European Mobility Week, held from September 16 to 22.

Features of the app include the option to report crime and file complaints online;

access to all emergency numbers; local se curity news and notifications; a 24/7 chat service with a police officer; safety advice regarding topics such as prevention of sex ual and gender‐based violence on public transport; and a map of nearby police sta tions.

The application, launched by the French Ministry of the Interior, is available free of charge and makes it possible to alert near by security forces of any problems much more quickly.

Pop sensation Trevis

HOT off an electrifying performance at Puente Romano supporting Craig David, LA‐based up and comer Trevis Brendmoe sat down with the Euro Weekly News to discuss music, fame, and his love for Europe.

Originally from Norway, Trevis is now one of the biggest emerging names on the US pop scene, also getting regular airtime on BBC’s Radio 1. Speaking about his journey from Eu rope to LA, Trevis told the Euro Weekly News : “It wasn’t always music for me. From age five I reli giously trained to be a pro fessional football player in hopes of one day playing for the Norwegian nation al team.

“By the time I was 15 I started training with the

Manchester United soccer school and academy pro gramme, but my career came to an abrupt halt and I was pretty lost in life after several problematic trips to the ER due to patellar injuries and dislo cation. Right there and then everything I ever loved, I had to give up.

“My mom relocated me to Los Angeles after a dark year of depression. When I was in LA I immediately formed a deep connection and purpose with music. I went from being in such a dark place to developing a deep relationship with my artistry.”

The star turned his ex perience into success quickly, releasing multiple singles and quickly gaining press attention thanks to his heartthrob looks and

Speaking about his mu sic, he explained: “I like to say I dabble in genres. My sound is pop music with a heavy influence of R&B.”

He added: “I love Chris Brown. Cocaine 80s and Kanye West are some of my influences from song writing to producing. R&B is also a major part of who I am as an artist and I also need to give a shout to Jeremih, Partynextdoor and Bill Withers.”

Now in Europe, Trevis told the EWN what it was like to perform on the same stage as Craig David.

He said: “It was an abso lutely surreal feeling standing on stage in front of 2,500 people in Spain. The energy in the crowd was amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better reception.

“I was in Marbella shooting a music video this summer as well as performing at Puente Ro mano and at the famous

hotspot Olivia Valere nightclub. I got the call to warm up for Craig David’s TS5 show shortly after and it was a dream come true.”

Explaining what’s next, the star ex plained: “I just released my debut EP ‘Floor Plan’ and it received so much love in the UK.

“My music has been played on BBC Radio 1Xtra all summer and I just got put on BBC Radio 1’s Fu ture Artists. I’m going to London to work with UK producers and keep pro moting the EP. With every thing going on, hopefully I’ll be able to tour and play my music at venues across the UK.”

The songwriter said he has plenty more music planned for the future too.

He explained: “I was producing and writing so much music during the Covid lockdown and we have multiple EPs worth of music we’re getting ready to share with the world!

“As we keep pushing my new project and my indus try friend circle grows, I’m talking to a lot of estab lished artists and DJs in Eu rope, Nigeria, and the US on features, remixes, and collaborations. There are so many exciting things to come!”

TREVIS: The star has been in Europe this summer.

PRESSEUROPEAN

DENMARK

Singled out

BAD news for singletons as Copenhagen only came in at number 26 as the best city in Europe for singles on a list compiled by Big Seven Travel, although it appears that it is much higher in the list for use of dating apps.

THE NETHERLANDS

Twitter swiped

SINCE 2020 there have been claims on social media that Bodegraven is a centre of Satanic Rites and the local council has prosecuted those spreading the malicious rumours, but it has now gone a step further and is suing Twitter for not removing the stories.

BELGIUM

Foal play

SENSING something special in a young foal named Das Machine EQ Z, an American buyer paid a record €360,000 for a Belgian bred horse which was more than double the previous record in an auction that raked in more than €2 million for breeders

GERMANY

Ageing badly

WHILST it is no longer politically or factually correct to say that elderly Germans could claim Alzheimer’s caused them to forget they were Nazis, the fact, according to the German government's statistics office, is that hospitalisation or death have doubled in the last 20 years.

FRANCE

Pass mustard

AS the world goes through economic turmoil, one of the main topics of debate in France has been the shortage of Dijon Mustard, but French farmers are planting seeds in the Burgundy region and thanks to ideal weather the crop should help fill the gap.

NORWAY

Blown away

THE whole point of installing wind turbines is to create electricity as the winds turn the sails, but for the past two years, bits of the wind turbines placed above Ånstadblåheia in Sortland have been falling off as they can’t cope with the strong winds.

FINLAND

System error

THERE was no need for hackers to work out how to penetrate the security of S Bank’s online service as a number of teenagers discovered a system error which allowed them to syphon money for nearly four months before being caught.

IRELAND

Ploughing on

ON September 20 and 21, more than 200,000 people including the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and other senior politicians passed through the turnstiles at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska in Co Laois which equates to 4 per cent of the entire population of Ireland.

ITALY

Supporting Vox

IN the run up to Italy’s next General Election, leader of the front running centre right wing party FDL, Giorgio Meloni told Spanish reporters that she hoped her success would act as a springboard to help Spain’s Vox to power in the near future.

PORTUGAL

Matrix star

NOT quite a scene from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but actor Keanu Reeves was spotted in the Algarve for a few days after attending a motorcycling event in Spain’s Jerez. According to a Twitter post from his hotel, he enjoyed Bloody Marys and ham.

UKRAINE

UK support

IN 2015 the Belgian Army sold 28 howitzers to arms dealers at €15,000 each, but when they wanted to buy them back to send to Ukraine the government shied away from the price of €150,000, but Britain has purchased them and sent them to Kyiv.

SWEDEN

Doh!

IT’S not just Homer Simpson who can cause nuclear problems as a member of staff misunderstood instructions when one of the plants at Ringhals nuclear power station was closed for maintenance and their mistake means that it will probably be out of service until January.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Selfridges plans

NOW that the Central Group Europe has taken over operating Selfridges, it has two pressing plans, firstly to update the flagship store in London’s Oxford Street, including the refurbishing of the former hotel and also look to increase the number of stores in British cities from the current four.

Wooing investors

SPANISH President Pedro Sánchez who spent several days in New York taking part in the latest United Nations General Assembly managed to find time to meet with the heads of several large US investment funds to discuss the Spanish economy and promote investment opportunities.

No more cards

ACCORDING to a report by the Financial Times, the CEO of massive US bank J P Morgan Jamie Dimon has instructed senior executives to create an alternative payment option in order to keep ahead of online operations such as Bizum and to phase out credit cards.

Going down

THE impending bankruptcy of Spanish industrial group Abengoa which has literally run out of money and couldn’t find new backing means that the National Securities Market Commission (CMNV) will be delisting the company’s shares from the Madrid and Barcelona Stock Exchanges by the end of September.

Home work

PERHAPS logical, as many people like working from home and even though some employers believe that they are less productive, law firm Stephenson Harwood has indicated to many of its staff that they can work remotely full time, but must take a drop in salary of 20 per cent.

STAT OF WEEK

UK bank rate increased

Helping power Europe FINANCE

THE Bank of England in creased bank rate to 2.25 per cent on Thursday September 22, as it sees Britain floundering into recession, just one day before new Prime Minis ter Liz Truss and Chancel lor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng unveil their plans to save the economy.

There is little doubt that the currently inde pendent Bank of England and the new government will quickly be at daggers drawn as they simply don’t agree on a policy for the country’s way for ward.

At the same time as raising the interest rate by 0.5 per cent, the Mon etary Policy Committee (MPC) also voted unani mously to reduce the stock of purchased UK government bonds, fi nanced by the issuance of central bank reserves,

by £80 billion over the next 12 months, to a to tal of £758 billion.

Effectively whilst the government needs more money to finance its plans, not only will the Bank be making less money available, it will also make borrowing from the commercial market more expensive

for the government.

Inflation fell slightly in August to 9.9 per cent but the Bank of England has a target set at 2 per cent which it seems to believe can only be reached by limiting the money available to both consumers and business es.

Mortgage rates will

continue to increase and it is debateable whether companies will be com fortable in spending more money in invest ments when they are fac ing huge increases in prices, even with promise of caps on ener gy costs which are at best, short term mea sures.

No fiscal restraints

SPAIN will not implement European Union fiscal restraints for another year and this decision was approved by the Congress of Deputies on Thursday September 22.

One of the major problems that the government of Partido Popular leader Mariano Rajoy faced was the repeated inability of the Spanish economy to comply with the EU de mand for the reduction of debt and to balance imports and exports.

The current coalition has for the last three years been able to argue that the effects of the pandemic and now the backlash from the Russian invasion of Ukraine were unforesee able.

Whilst confirming that it will en deavour to maintain fiscal responsi bility, the Spanish government will not be restrained by strict ‘guide lines’ from the European Union, but will be able to plot its own course in planning the 2023 budget.

This means that it may once again

suspend the stability and debt objec tives, as well as the spending rule, in the case of ‘extraordinary emergen cy situations that considerably harm the financial situation or the eco nomic or social sustainability of the State’.

According to a statement from the government, “The objective of this initiative is to be able to continue de ploying the necessary measures to mitigate the impact of rising prices

on families and the productive fabric, as the Executive has already been adopting in the last year.”

Minister of Finance and Public Function, María Jesús Montero, made it clear in a speech to Congress that the suspension of fiscal rules does not mean abandoning fiscal re sponsibility as Spain’s deficit was re duced from 10.3 per cent in 2020 to 6.9 per cent in 2021, for 2022 it is forecast to drop to 5 per cent.

IN a bid to assist partners dur ing the winter, Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition, announced on September 22, that from November 1, the Euskadour Compression Plant, will in crease the supply of natural gas to Europe by 18 per cent.

This will mean that Spain will also supply France with 6 per cent of its annual needs, subject to Spain continuing to receive gas from neighbour and largest supplier Algeria.

As part of the strategy to re duce dependence on Russian gas, the government has ac celerated the operation of the El Musel regasification plant in Gijon. Ribera also announced that three more projects have been approved that will max imise the connection with Italy.

Heatwave surprise

ACCORDING to a report pub lished by the ZEW Mannheim and Frankfurt School of Fi nance and Management, ex treme heat causes labour productivity to fall.

This study shows for the first time that substantial parts of the trade­related economic damage from heatwaves occur in countries that are not directly exposed to the temperature shocks.

Supply shortfalls caused by this have an impact on global trade: Less is exported and importers have to accept the losses of affected exporters or switch to other exporters, which causes additional costs.

The researchers showed that in months when a coun try’s average temperature is at least 30°C, exports fall by an average of 3.4 per cent.

The Bank Governor and Chancellor of the Exchequer meet.

Keeping a firm grip on Spain’s money (Minister Montero in centre).

Credit: HM Treasury Twitter

Credit: María Jesús Montero

is the amount that Spanish energy company Iberdrola intends to invest in the USA by way of acquisition and growth over the period 2022 to 2025.

3I Group 1.080,50 1.114,50 1.074,50 357,19K

Abrdn 137,45 142,5 136,8 1,12M

Admiral Group 2.066,00 2.133,00 2.059,00 121,80K

Anglo American 2.708,00 2.860,00 2.686,00 603,57K

Antofagasta 1.053,74 1.106,88 1.048,35 91,07K

Ashtead Group 3.746,50 3.940,50 3.743,50 25,73K

Associated British Foods 1.297,80 1.350,00 1.296,20 24,69K

AstraZeneca 9.814,60 10.053,20 9.787,90 31,55K

Auto Trader Group Plc 580,6 600,4 579,92 29,44K

Aveva 3.149,70 3.150,00 3.130,80 87,67K

Aviva 424,95 435,65 424,55 720,88K

B&M European Value Retail SA324,68 332,8 323,4 529,89K

BAE Systems 791 812,4 788,93 352,10K

Barclays 161,89 167,42 161,81 2,80M

Barratt Developments 405,4 425,3 404,6 594,01K

Berkeley 3.470,00 3.643,00 3.469,00 16,45K

BHP Group Ltd 2.210,00 2.263,50 2.201,50 130,28K

BP 442,04 456 438,54 10,26M

British American Tobacco 3.418,00 3.492,50 3.407,00 68,17K

British Land Company 358,4 379,2 358,1 156,96K

BT Group 130,85 135,79 130,67 1,03M

Bunzl 2.635,00 2.703,00 2.621,00 1,25M

Burberry Group 1.650,00 1.721,00 1.642,20 67,74K

Carnival 715 749,4 712,3 48,37K

Centrica 78,08 81,04 77,74 1,35M

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.883,70 1.936,60 1.873,00 27,00K

Compass 1.787,50 1.820,00 1.778,20 59,94K

CRH 2.900,00 2.968,00 2.893,00 204,70K

Croda Intl 6.270,00 6.486,00 6.244,00 16,85K

DCC 4.574,00 4.701,00 4.551,00 136,48K

Diageo 3.725,00 3.773,50 3.707,70 48,73K

DS Smith 255,37 264,1 254,72 337,21K

EasyJet 311,65 327,58 310,75 649,00K

Experian 2.555,80 2.600,00 2.545,80 24,36K

Ferguson 9.383,00 9.692,10 9.362,00 5,84K

Flutter Entertainment 9.700,00 9.793,20 9.636,10 366,31K

Fresnillo 687,2 736,6 686,4 426,67K

Glencore 470,22 491,75 466 8,56M

GSK plc 1.289,56 1.327,80 1.283,23 225,55K

Halma 2.015,00 2.059,00 2.006,60 17,65K

Hargreaves Lansdown 814 835,6 809,8 39,70K

Hikma Pharma 1.183,31 1.223,66 1.182,98 25,82K

HSBC 508,5 521,5 507,23 761,60K IAG 100,54 104,6 100,3 3,40M

Imperial Brands 1.878,08 1.911,50 1.867,00 1,66M

521,6 533

Intermediate Capital 1.026,50 1.090,50 1.024,50 829,86K

Intertek 3.683,00 3.763,00 3.671,00 77,34K

ITV 61 63,3 61,09 1,29M

J Sainsbury 193 198,05 192,29 295,57K

Johnson Matthey 1.852,60 1.900,50 1.852,10 5,33K

Land Securities 537,1 569,8 536,2 148,54K

Legal & General 246,8 256,85 246,2 1,86M

Lloyds Banking 46,49 48,3 46,46 20,28M

London Stock Exchange 7.344,60 7.478,00 7.300,00 102,17K

Melrose Industries 99 103,4 99,38 1,34M

Mondi 1.361,98 1.408,00 1.359,32 12,61K

National Grid 995 1.034,00 989,09 343,78K

NatWest Group 247,5 256,86 247,3 12,87M

Next 5.540,00 5.824,00 5.528,00 22,74K

Norilskiy Nikel ADR 9,1 9,1 9,1 0

Ocado 549 566,5 548,16 90,63K

Persimmon 1.350,00 1.431,80 1.336,00 355,74K

Phoenix 583 603,6 582,51 343,68K

Prudential 926,6 963,9 923,2 176,74K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.977,00 6.144,50 5.958,00 20,76K

Relx 2.162,04 2.185,00 2.151,22 60,69K

Rentokil 491,3 504,1 489,3 47,27K

Rightmove 584,2 600,6 584 379,39K

Rio Tinto PLC 4.645,00 4.833,00 4.636,80 136,90K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 72,18 75,28 72 4,22M

Rosneft DRC 0,2 0,2 0,2 0

Sage 692,8 710,2 690,6 334,92K

Samsung Electronics DRC 951,2 963 950,6 3,64K

Schroders 413,8 429,8 412,7 621,49K

Scottish Mortgage 782 794,4 779,31 452,92K

Segro 757,5 811,6 755,1 129,43K

Severn Trent 2.530,00 2.594,90 2.520,00 16,15K

Shell 2.260,00 2.321,00 2.240,00 405,85K

Smith & Nephew 994,31 1.011,00 992,31 108,45K

Smiths Group 1.496,50 1.553,80 1.482,17 22,10K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 9.448,00 9.974,00 9.448,00 1,97K

SSE 1.680,50 1.738,00 1.672,82 164,80K

St. James’s Place 1.057,00 1.067,00 1.046,25 31,03K

Standard Chartered 578,6 598,6 578,4 156,23K

Taylor Wimpey 102,88 109,82 102,74 1,70M

Tesco 224,1 228,3 223,3 767,21K

Tui 132,1 135,35 131,35 2,29M

Unilever 4.003,90 4.059,50 3.966,50 58,61K

United Utilities 976,6 1.001,00 972 66,98K

Vodafone Group PLC 107,69 109,9 107,56 1,51M

Whitbread 2.454,00 2.504,00 2.442,80 25,53K

54,88K

3M 114,14 115,05 3,66M

American Express 143,03 148,89 142,46 3,20M

Amgen 227,75 229,37 223,3 2,05M

Apple 152,74 154,47 150,91 85,87M

Boeing 138,71 143,7 138,29 6,26M

Caterpillar 170,55 174,62 170,29 2,50M

Chevron 154,89 158,28 154,74 6,34M

Cisco 41,15 41,55 41,14 16,54M

Coca-Cola 59,26 59,73 59,2 11,38M

Dow 44,77 45,55 44,75 4,62M

Goldman Sachs 312,92 323,39 311,2 2,20M

Home Depot 269,14 271,22 267,85 3,50M

Honeywell 173,25 174,75 172,02 2,18M

IBM 125,31 126,51 124,41 4,04M

Intel 28,07 28,5 28,04 35,52M

J&J 166,18 167,16 162,83 7,33M

JPMorgan 111,21 113,6 111,07 11,52M

McDonald’s 247,94 250,43 247,65 2,29M

Merck&Co 87,51 88,15 84,55 11,44M

Microsoft 240,98 243,86 237,57 30,79M

Nike 98,55 100,21 97,83 9,60M

Procter&Gamble 136,21 137,07 135,24 5,04M

Salesforce Inc 150,15 152,86 149,15 12,39M

The Travelers 157 158,14 155,54 1,13M

UnitedHealth 517,46 520,97 506,11 2,28M

Verizon 39,93 40,4 39,26 19,77M

Visa A 185,79 187,21 184,66 6,59M

Walgreens Boots 33,32 33,53 32,92 4,87M

Walmart 133,39 134,72 132,84 5,49M

Walt Disney 102,16 104,66 102,02 10,55M

-42.72%

-33.11%

-29.05%

-28.80%

-27.62%

-26.97% 477.39K

Motorsport Gaming Us LLC -25.85% 103.85K

Pine Island Acquisition -25.15% 34.31K

Wavedancer -23.46% 188.44K

Mediwound -22.86% 884.82K

EXTRA

N26 improvements

AFTER receiving com plaints from Spanish cus tomers of German online bank N26 that they were finding it impossible to make payments via Bizum, which is owned by a con sortium of Spanish banks, a solution has been reached.

N26 has announced that users who possess a Span ish IBAN number will be enabled to use instant pay ment system Bizum which connects mobile phones to bank accounts free of charge and not only should this benefit its 900,000 plus customers, but should en courage new clients to sign up for the service.

Inflation down

THE final August inflation details for Spain have been confirmed by the National Statistics Institute as slight ly higher than originally forecast at 10.5 per cent on a year‐to‐year basis but still show a definite decline from July’s 10.8 per cent figure with an expectation that it will continue to drop.

Moonpiggy bank

POPULAR greetings card and gift supplier Moonpig which operates out of Guernsey and London has advised that despite fears of recession its overall trading performance has been in line with its expec tations to date and is con fident that greetings cards will continue to be in de mand from customers.

Another scam

A PONZI scheme is basical ly a kind of fraud whereby investors are promised high returns but the inter est comes from using funds from new investors. Now a Spanish court is in vestigating a Dutch medici nal cannabis investment platform after it all went up in smoke!

Mobile phone charges

THE UK government has capped mobile roaming charges to benefit a small number of Brits abroad by signing an agreement to limit charges for using data and making calls and texts in Norway and Ice land.

The news was released to mark the first meeting of the UK‐EEA Eu ropean Free Trade Association (EF TA) Joint Committee which saw the signing of the agreement.

The cap is a world‐first in a Free Trade Agreement, keeping costs low for holidaymakers and busi ness travellers to Norway and Ice land.

International Trade Minister Conor Burns MP said: “This news builds on the landmark trade agree ment between the UK and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and is the first of its kind worldwide showing how the innovative trade deals we negotiate are bringing real benefits to British travellers.

Doesn’t come cheap

DEF LEPPARD bass guitarist Rick Savage has launched luxury clothing line Overnight Angels Crew which he has created with son Scott.

It seems that rock musi cians, no matter how suc cessful are always looking to become involved in new projects and despite set ting off on a US and UK Stadium Tour with other vintage metal bands Möt ley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Savage is launching his clothing range.

Speaking about the launch which took place on Thursday September 22, Savage said: “The collec tion has been developed from a place of nostalgia, inspired by the title track of Ian Hunter’s 1977 album Overnight Angels.

“I had just been released from Sheffield United Foot ball Club and was at a cross roads in my life. It was that summer of ’77 that Def Lep pard formed and so I really wanted to pay homage to such a pivotal moment in my life. And to be able work

on this alongside my son, Scott, means so much more.”

The pair recruited Fash ion Designer, Nick Holland (who had previously launched successful fash ion brand, Pretty Green, with Oasis’ Liam Gallagher) to advise and assist and blend Savage’s vision to fuse the inspirations from music and fashion to cre

ate clothing that is disrup tive, evocative and con temporary in spirit.

It’s a style ideal for both young and old, male and female but if you check the brand website at https://overnight‐angels‐crew.com / you will see that it is aimed at lovers of metal with prices that might just be more shock than rock!

“I look forward to working with businesses across the UK to take ad vantage of deals that banish barri ers, boost jobs and save money.

Credit:

“Our trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein signed last year aims to boost critical sec tors like digital, financial, and pro fessional business services, slash tariffs on top‐quality British ex ports and support jobs in every cor ner of the UK.

“The new FTA allows UK mobile operators to offer their customers surcharge‐free mobile roaming in Norway and Iceland by creating a mechanism to cap the rates opera tors charge each other.”

With horror stories of British mo bile phone owners being charged significant amounts for using their phones throughout the European Union, many hope that something will be done to help those visiting or living in larger EU states such as Spain.

Glovo fine

THE popular Spanish home delivery service Glovo which was taken over by German company Delivery Hero last year has been fined a whopping €79 mil lion in respect of breach of Spanish labour laws con cerning some 10,000 riders in Barcelona and Valen cia.

According to the Spanish government, Glovo clas sified these workers as being self‐employed (autónomos) when in fact recent laws made it clear that they should have been given contracts and treated as employees with all of the benefits that would have entailed.

The company has indicated that it will dispute the decision based on the fact that part of the fine cov ers a period prior to the introduction of what is known as the ‘Riders Law’.

Tax the rich

ALREADY preparing for the 2023 budget, Span ish Minister of Finance Maria Jesus Montero ex plained in an interview on the laSexta television channel on Thursday September 22 that she is looking to introduce a temporary wealth tax in 2023 and 2024.

Whilst details are not yet totally formulated and need to be thrashed out with coalition part ners Podemos and then get through the Spanish parliament, she has her eyes set on millionaires and the top 1 per cent of the richest in Spain.

The government considers this to be similar in principle to the planned additional windfall tax es on energy companies.

SMALL STEP: Trying to keep costs low for holidaymakers and travellers.

NOT CHEAP: Scott and Rick modelling some of the clothes.

WHAT on earth is the BBC up to? On Friday I watched the Chancellor an nounce his ‘mini budget’ to the house.

It wasn’t exactly a mini, it was in fact a far­reaching considerable growth plan to change and improve problematic situations that, due to a whole host of international difficulties and antiquated tax problems, have arisen over the past few years.

With their usual left wing bias the BBC, petrified that the right wing gov ernment they obviously hate, may have come up with possible answers, they contrived to attack the chancel lor’s new objectives with utter frenzy.

Ninety per cent of the business lead ers or politicians they interviewed or included in discussions were against the new directives.

What was even more distressing, and typically BBC, was the fact that all of the concerned ‘ordinary’ citizens they picked to be interviewed on camera, consisted of despairing peo ple living in run down accommoda tion or claiming benefits, and almost unbelievably all white! At the same

Distressing viewing

time they were showing vast num bers of black actors in their adverts, depicting most of them living in luxu rious homes and all participants of contentedly functioning prosperous families.

Just what is going on? This was al most the same anti­capitalist fanciful rhetoric presented by the Nazi party in the 30s. What these woke leftie traitorous operatives are actually do ing is attempting to make the white majority of UK citizens feel vastly infe rior or substandard. No doubt they are hoping that coupled with all their other two­ timing efforts, they will be able to convince the majority of UK citizens to vote for the left in the next election.

They are anticipating that when it comes to choosing the next govern ment, the black citizens will vote Labour because it supports them and offers a wonderful and successful fu ture and the white will vote left be cause things are becoming so tough and difficult to cope with they have to elect a different government. It’s ac tually quite clever ­ they think. What is in fact happening is that 35 million white British citizens are not happy at

all, basically because those who make up the 15 per cent of citizens they have actually welcomed into the country since the 60s, all appear to be receiving more consideration than they are.

Those who are the British majority, with ancestors going back 1,000 years, are purposely being made to feel depressed and despondent about the future. Well I have news for the woke infested lefties, it simply won’t work! The British public is becoming sicker of it by the day.

After your scheming newscasters have piled on even more detrimental adversative right wing ideology over the next couple of years, you will find your left wing politicians will probably come up with the same number of votes as Corbyn and Diane Abbott did in the last election debacle, and my God ­ you truly do deserve it.

Keep the faith

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

Plan your life like your vacation DISCOVERING EMOTIONS WITH

BETINA VON HOHENDORFF

I WANT you to think about your life. Do you have or have you had a plan for your entire life? Most of us don’t.

Why not? Good question. Everyone will give an answer. Most of them will be excuses. I don’t need to plan, or I don’t have the time.

The biggest excuse is always: I don’t have time.

My question: Do you really not have time for the most important person in your life, YOU!!!!

You all plan our vacations in detail. You decide very carefully on the vacation location, the flight, the ho tel, renting a car, and book addition al excursions.

You know exactly what clothes to wear, what shoes to take, what first aid medicines to take, etc... Camera for the best memories, battery charger. Everything is very well planned. And before the trip ap pointments for, haircut, manicure,

pedicure etc...

So why not do the same some times for your life?

My advice:

Take time for yourself every morn ing and evening, a minimum 10 min utes before you start your day and finish your day, and be grateful for who you are, for what you achieved in your life until now.

Take time and write down what are your goals, that you want to achieve and put a deadline, when you want to achieve the goal.

Love Betina www.mindovers.com 0034­699 327 363

Plan your vacations in detail.

Autumn wellness

WITH cooler months ahead, experts recommend making some adjustments to your di et and lifestyle during autumn to prepare your body and mind for the new season.

Boosting your vitamin in take can reduce your risk of catching seasonal colds. Con sider taking a vitamin C sup plement to strengthen your immune system or increasing your intake of foods such as oranges, peppers, cauliflower and broccoli. Vitamin A is also considered particularly valu able during autumn to strengthen the immune sys tem’s defence against season al infections. Eat raw carrots, parsley and dried apricots to naturally increase your body’s vitamin A supply.

Activity is just as important as diet, make the most of temperate Spanish autumn and maintain an active lifestyle. Persisting warm weather makes for pleasant days spent outdoors at this time of year. Surrounding

ourselves with nature increas es exposure to sunlight and has been proven to reduce stress levels, reduce feelings of loneliness and boost selfesteem. Spending time out doors can boost serotonin levels, crucial for maintaining good mental health through out the year.

Although temperatures are dropping, continue to wear products with SPF protection. Skincare choices are impor tant wherever you are in the world, but especially in Spain where sunny days can make up 320 of 365 days. The sun’s

UV rays remain strong well in to October, and applying sun cream and protective prod ucts can reduce your risk of skin cancer or aged, weath ered looking skin.

Maintain social connec tions, particularly since we tend to spend more time in doors during cooler months. Meet up with friends, partici pate in social events and make plans throughout the autumn. Keeping your mind and body active can help to stave away loneliness and boost productivity in our daily routines.

Autumn in Spain is the ideal time to take care of your physical and mental well-being.

Photo credit: sunok/ shutterstock.com

Property of the week

Villa de Vida in the Zurgena area for

EXCLUSIVE TO VOSS HOMES ­ A pristine condition, recently dec orated and larger than average, two bed, two bath Villa with H&C air con, garage, 8m x 4m swimming pool and great views on a fenced and& gated garden of 701m2. Four minutes drive to popular restaurant / bar.

Seven minutes drive to La Alfo quia and Zurgena village. Ten mins to Arboleas, 12 mins drive to Huercal­Overa town. Thirty mins drive to the coast at Mojacar, Vera and Garrucha.

A double metal sliding gate leads onto the gravelled driveway with room for two cars plus there is a single garage with up and over and pedestrian door, electricity and wa ter. There is also plenty of safe on road parking.

Walking around the garage on ei ther side takes you to the rear main garden with swimming pool and a vari ety of plants and trees. Next to the pool is a shaded seating area and to

the other side of the villa is a further gravelled garden which then leads back to the front of the house.

Separating the garage from the villa is a private tiled terrace area with at tractive archway with bougainvilla and

looks over the pool.

eurosThe front door leads in to the spa cious, light and airy living room with log burning fire, H&C aircon, two ceil ing fans plus glazed double doors leading out to the pool area. To the right of the living room an archway takes you into the large fitted kitchen.

Also from the living room is a pas sageway leading to the large bed rooms and bathrooms. The very large main bedroom has a ceiling fan, H&C air con plus glazed double doors leading out to the side garden and an ensuite shower room.

Next is the double guest bedroom also with H&C air con and ceiling fan and finally the separate family show er room.

Voss Homes is a British family­run business with offices in the nearby thriving, market town of HuercalOvera and village of La Alfoquia. We specialise in selling properties around Huercal­Overa, Zurgena, La Alfoquia and Taberno.

EVER felt that September ­ and not Jan uary ­ is the real start of the New Year when, after the long summer break, kids are back at school and adults at work?

And when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I always make mine in September. There’s less pressure on the diet that never happens, the Jan uary that’s rarely dry and at least the weather’s much nicer!

September always feels like a new beginning because of the change in routine. A time of fresh starts, self­evaluation and, for travel operators, the inevitable post­holi day complaints.

Complaints from British tourists about Spain are particularly telling. “Topless

sunbathing should be banned!” moaned one angry wife, “my husband spent all day ogling women.” “The street signs weren’t in English. How can anyone get around?” “The beach was too sandy.” “Local shopkeepers shouldn’t be lazy and close in the afternoons because I of ten needed to buy things during ‘siesta’ time.”

Good grief! What’s up with these guys? I’d be more than happy to wait for shops to open late for some re gional pastries to eat on that sandy beach. Be cause it would mean I WAS having a holiday! (Handsome hunks, an extra bonus!)

Nora Johnson’s criti cally acclaimed psycho logical crime thrillers (www.nora­johnson.net) all available online in cluding eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, au diobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer

TONY NOBLE PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

ONLY a few days ago we lost our beloved Queen Elizabeth, for some it was a shock, for others perhaps not so much. I think we all thought that she would go on forever because she has always been so active and we tended to forget her age. The Queen had been with many of us for our whole lives and now it sounds strange to be singing God save the King.

The Queen was a very devout Chris tian and as head of the Church of Eng land led by example, she like all Chris tians believed that there is life after death.

Our earthly bodies are just a tent, a shell which covers us until we lose that shell in death and gain our heav enly body as we join all those who have gone before. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and life, he that be lieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live and whoever be lieveth in me shall never die.”

Now I know that sceptics will say

that there is no such thing as life after death, it remains one of life’s myster ies but that belief is the corner stone of Christians.

The Queen not only believed but defended it with vigour. In the Gospel of St John Jesus it says, “All that the father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will not cast out.

“For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me, and this is the father’s will which has sent me, that all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

“This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have ever lasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” God bless your Majesty, rest well in the arms of your heavenly fa ther. Amen.

Tony

VILLA DE VIDA: In pristine condition with a swimming pool and gravelled garden.

Nora’s

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: euroweeklynews.com

Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

NOT WORTH IT

YOU say in Our View (Issue 1942) that some argue that Putin has been pushed into supporting a referendum by NATO. I would go further and say that the leader of the ter rorist state that is Russia was handed a good excuse for its invasion when Zelensky re fused to renounce his ambi tion of leading his country into NATO and when that organi sation undertook to give him its full support...

Now Sweden and Finland, want to join NATO. If we wish to avert a nuclear war these three countries should revert to their neutral status as buffer states between East and West… It’s just not worth it for either side.

George Tunnell

Spot on Nora

I’M a regular visitor to Spain and I’m emailing you to say that I always enjoy reading your Breaking Views articles in the EWN whenever I’m here. They really cheer me up in these uncertain times. Thanks, Nora ‐ well done and keep it up!

Sam Wallace

A royal credit

I WOULD just like to write about the impeccable behav ior of the young royals during recent weeks and how well they have conducted them selves during such an upset ting time in their lives. The whole world watching and they did themselves, their family and the UK proud. Par ents raising spoilt little brats please take note.

S Barry

Refused cash

I AM a retired professor from Cork, Ireland. Each September from 2017, I spend my vacation at Playa Vera. This year I was more than surprised when the new cash machine from Bank inter refused to give me cash

from my euro account with Bank of Ireland. I tried on differ ent days with no results. I could check my bank account but not get cash. Local people with cards had no problem. It seems very stupid to exclude from ser vicing foreign tourists.

D N

OUR VIEW

EXCHANGE RATE SNAGS

THERE used to be a British slang term for 2/6d (12.5p to day) as half a dollar because for decades, the exchange rate between sterling and the US dollar was consistently four to the pound.

Now as sterling has plunged to a record low of almost one to one, imports from the USA will be more expensive although conversely, exports will become cheaper which may benefit the UK economy.

More to the point however is that even though the euro is also suffering against the dollar, it is still relatively strong against sterling and in the past week or so, the ex change rate has dropped from €1.19 or thereabouts to €1.11 to the pound.

Many British pensioners who have chosen to live in Spain will be receiving their state and private pensions in sterling and few have seen any advantage following British government support for energy bills as Spain is not consid ered cold enough to warrant the winter allowance.

With times of inflation, British pensioners are being hit twice as they are having to pay more for food and energy than ever before, but they are receiving less in the way of euros as they convert their pensions.

Add to this, the decision by some UK banks to close ac counts of some of those no longer resident in Britain and the situation gets worse, although many, provided that they are comfortable with the internet, are moving to on line banking with the new companies such as Revolut and others.

Those who still keep UK accounts would be well advised not to transfer funds direct but to use one of the many trust ed international payment companies as they offer much better rates of exchange than the banks.

YEARS OF DECLINE

IN the last 80 years, human achieve ment has exceeded the wildest imagi nation of the post‐war era. Pioneers have discovered and developed inno vations that offer humanity greater op portunities, conveniences and com forts than ever before. In Europe we benefit from advances in technology, science, communications and flexible travel. From personal finance to in stant news, from organ transplants to digital photography, life is easier and more adventurous. So, with all this progress, why are we currently facing so many problems of utmost gravity?

The decline started gradually. The in creasing use of drugs in the 60s, rising crime in the noughties, abuse of social media in the teens.

In recent years, along with climate change, the decline has accelerated alarmingly. In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU. In 2017, Trump became US President. In 2018, Bolsonaro stepped up the destruction of the rain forests and hence the planet. In 2019, China suppressed Hong Kong. In 2020 the world was hit by Covid; and 2021

saw a rapid increase in cyberattacks. But, in 2022, everything has come to gether. Russia invaded Ukraine, precip itating universal energy, food and dis tribution crises. China threatens Taiwan.

World economies are hit by rampant inflation. Unprecedented heatwaves and floods cause environmental havoc and human tragedy.

In Spain, as in other countries, de cline in standards is accelerating. Limit ed resources and lack of pride in one’s job result in trying to get by with mini mum care and effort. Response from public services, utility companies and even health authorities, already slow,

is getting worse. Incompetence, cor ruption and errors everywhere have in creased with nobody held accountable.

We have declining quality of goods in shops, ranging from sub‐standard food (both fresh and packaged) to poor packaging, lacklustre clothing and un reliable appliances. The service in many shops and bars in Axarquia is al most hostile. A general failure to keep appointments, often with no warning or apology, is utterly selfish.

In the UK, waiting times for ambu lances reached levels ranging from un acceptable to unbelievable.

There are crucial delays in urgent medical and dental treatment, police

reaction, passport and driving test ap plications, response to telephone calls; in airport departures and access to the port of Dover; in the payment of bene fits, compensation and tax refunds.

There also are strikes in numerous sec tors. It is frightening to see people struggling for financial survival and heartbreaking to imagine the hopeless predicament and suffering of people in the absence of a reliable health ser vice.

Such setbacks have always gone in cycles but, after considerable human inconvenience and suffering, the old order has eventually returned.

It has always been the same with na ture ‐ but, no longer. Owing to human interference, the blazing forest fires, the loss of flora and fauna, the barren plantations, dried up rivers and reser voirs all over Europe are symptomatic of a permanent, irreversible danger, that will almost certainly lead to the demise of our planet.

THERE is a fairly new TV station called GB News. The man who seems to front it is a guy called Dan Wootton and I remember him from the Sun newspaper, not that I read it, but things he said used to come up on my Twitter feed and, to put it mildly, he was like a bitchy old washerwoman, like Les Dawson used to play back in the 70s and 80s. When he doesn’t like somebody or something he goes on and on about it trying to destroy careers and relationships.

He hates Meghan and attacks her at ev ery opportunity. But the one that gets me is how he is going on relentlessly about Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby com mitting the cardinal sin of allegedly jumping the queue to see the Queen lying in State.

To be honest I couldn’t give a monkeys if they did or didn’t but, according to Woot ton they should be fired and never be seen on TV again. This is the same reporter that wrote how the treatment of Caroline Flack was disgraceful, but thinks it’s OK to go on about these two presenters who actually have done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law. Just leave them alone and report what’s really important, like how the UK is going down the toilet at a rate of knots.

I like cash. I don’t want a cashless soci ety. I don’t want to have to use my card to buy a bar of chocolate. We need cash.

Cashless might be OK for some, but affects a simple thing like tipping. I’ve seen people on social media saying it will stop dodgy deals but it won’t - you have to get rid of crypto currency to do that. Millionaires don’t need cash to do dodgy deals.

They have accountants to help them avoid paying too much tax, legally saving them millions. But God forbid your hair dresser doesn’t declare their €2 tip that helps feeds the kids, all hell will break loose and the world’s economy will crash. I’m al ways suspect of adding a tip to a credit card payment as I don’t think it’s always paid to staff. At least with cash they have half a chance.

If you ask if I want to do something and hear me say ‘yeah could do’, ‘we will see’, ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’, ‘I’ll see how I feel’what I’m actually saying is No, absolutely not!

Drug abuse leads to an increase in crime and to a declining way of life.

David Worboys’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors

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DAVID

ALOUD

Photo credits: graphic.com and esure (Daily

SO this week I have returned to work af ter the summer break. Arising at stupid o’clock once again has been a shock to the system. I am surrounded by similar zom bielike creatures, pale of face and stiff of limb, jerking in and out of offices nodding in recognition of a shared lack of sleep. Thankfully there is no rending of flesh or baring of teeth but the old refrain of “Who ate my lunch” once again smites the air with its tone of accusation.

Like Old Pavlov’s puppies we all slot once more into habits much ingrained by years of repetition or like those poor rats running mazes all day we navigate the narrow channels of work that enable us to appear competent. The bus is full of folk who to a man would all rather still be in bed or lazing by the pool with a Straw berry Daiquiri and a juicy Stephen King.

In the Dark Ages the world of work was one of survival. Peasants would emerge from thawing shelters sometime in spring to begin the job of tilling and hunt ing (only if the king didn’t catch them), preserving and foraging and generally preparing once more for the frozen

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s Off to Work I Go

months of winter when their time was spent trying to keep warm and telling stories of Olaf and his goats. Industriali sation turned the lives of peasants into one of work. Work became an activity to benefit the lord of the manor or the king.

Tilling was done in service to a landlord and the peasant was given a pittance on which to supplement their foraged bits and pieces. Work was still about survival but no longer led by the peasant and the seasons but dictated by an overseer and done to enrich him. The wage appeared and bartering disappeared. No longer slaves but wage slaves, no longer reliant on the vagaries of the weather but on the whims of their master/overseer/ boss.

However, I am lucky, I love my job and am glad to be back in the midst of it and yet I am still wistful for those fabulous lazy days of summer.

Strawberry Daiquiri anyone?

BACK TO WORK: Yet I am still wistful for those fabulous lazy days of summer.

Suzanne Manners’ opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

Camping is for all the family

A CAMPING holiday can be enjoyed by all of the family, especially children who jump at the chance to spend time out doors. Camping holidays in Spain ap peal to all of the family, especially with a wide offering of sites which cater for all the family needs imaginable.

With a dependable climate, camp ing holidays in Spain can seem more like a luxury getaway. Many camp sites provide organised activities for children if parents want a break dur ing the long summer holidays, and many more provide family fun activi ties that all the family can get in volved with.

The diverse Spanish landscape also contributes to a wide variety of activi ties being available at campsites. From tree climbing courses and climb ing walls in the forest to inflatable beach obstacle courses at seafront campsites, there is something for ev ery child to challenge themselves.

Many campsites also offer nature‐based fun including pony riding and petting zoos as well as indoor activi ties if children would rather relax with an arts and crafts or painting ac

tivity.

The warm climate means that campsites also typically have swim ming pools, particularly in the south and coastal areas. In terms of accom modation, pre‐assembled tents and caravans are becoming more popular if parents would prefer to relax than put up a tent while looking after chil dren. Most campsites accommodate for traditional tents which can be an enjoyable experience in the dry cli mate, especially if there are kids will ing to pitch in and get the tent set up.

Families can find and book camping experiences online or by contacting a local tourist information point.

‘Glamping’is glamorous

CAMPING holidays in Spain can already seem a much more luxurious experience thanks to almost guaranteed sunshine and dry conditions, meaning campers won’t have to battle their tents to put them up or deal with soggy clothes.

However, ‘glamping’ sites which combine glamour and camping are becoming more and more popular across Spain. Some of Spain’s most rich cultural heritage is locat ed outside of cities in moun tain ranges and valleys.

‘Glamping’ brings these re mote yet idyllic landscapes to campers who are not com fortable sleeping in basic tent accommodation. The ‘glamp ing’ market has been expand ing rapidly in recent years and now offers something for ev eryone, from eco‐camping to yoga retreats to hiking mas terclasses.

Camping is no longer re duced to just the traditional tent, in fact across the coun try ‘glamping’ accommoda tion has expanded to include

safari tents, yurts, treehouses and even caves!

Campers can show up to sites without the pressure of having to bring their own gear that might never be used again and pitch up from scratch, trying to follow un fathomable instructions.

‘Glamping’ sites provide luxury facilities so guests don’t need to ‘rough’ it like with traditional camping. Lux ury facilities include comfort able beds, hot tubs, access to private beach areas, fully‐equipped gyms and outdoor kitchens. Often, ‘glamping’

sites also provide a special programme of activities for guests too, including yoga classes, cooking classes in the local cuisine, wine tastings, art classes and even work shops to bring couples closer together.

Wannabe ‘glampers’ can discover unique stays throughout Spain using the internet, many specialist sites have been set up to cater to an audience seeking luxuri ous stays, without the grit of basic camping experiences.

What are you waiting for, get ‘glamping’!

GO LOCAL

WHEN YOU GO SHOPPINGGO LOCAL!

BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.

Betty Henderson

Spanish ‘glamping’ sites combine comfortable stays with idyllic rural beauty.

Photo credit: iammattdoran: shutterstock.com

Camping in Spain appeals to all of the family!

Photo credit: JGA: shutterstock.com

Prepare your pet for autumn

Betty Henderson

ADJUSTING to new sea sons can be tricky for hu mans, let alone for our pets. Research has shown that pets suffer from seasonal changes in a similar way to humans. The transition from hot summer months to cool er autumn weather can bring health problems for pets such as joint aches and psychological changes. We share some advice from profession als to keep pets comfort able into the autumn.

1. Prevent fur loss

Cooler temperatures can dry out our pets’ skin in the same way ours does! Dry skin can lead to excess fur shedding and dandruff in your pet. Keeping your pet’s skin moisturised can be as simple as feeding it a bal anced diet with enough healthy fats.

2. Make diet adjust ments

If you have a cat, it may leave the house less during rainier or cooler weather. Adapt your pet’s diet according to

changes in its exercise habits to avoid excess weight gain. However, temperature changes can require more energy to heat the body, so ex pect your pet to eat more food.

3. Paw protection!

Rainy weather and ex posure to chemicals used in street cleaning can cause cracks in your cat or dog’s paws. Vet, Cathy Madson, suggests wash ing your pet’s paws be fore and after autumn walks and investing in a specialist paw moisturis er.

4. Keep exercising

Despite shorter days and darker mornings and evenings, pets still need exercise. Ensure that you still walk your pet, or find a dog walker if you are unable to do so.

5. Bug alert!

Vets see an increase in parasite and bug prob lems during autumn as insects seek warmth. Check your pet’s fur or paws for ticks and bugs regularly to avoid health issues.

Settling a dog into your life in Spain

BRINGING your dog with you to live in Spain is an ex citing experience and can represent home comfort for new expats. But prop erly settling your pet into your new life and main taining its well‐being is cru cial to avoid long‐term health problems.

Here we list five top rec ommendations on how to adjust to life with your pooch in Spain!

1. Create a homely en vironment

Our number one tip for an easy transition to life with a dog in Spain is to create a cosy space for your dog. Keep hold of a familiar dog bed or blanket to get your dog settled quickly to a new environ ment. Temperature control is also important to avoid overheating.

2. Develop a routine

Creating a routine can help dogs to adjust to a new home and avoid dis orientation. In Spain, dog walkers are blessed with a lengthy coastline and mountain trails to establish a regular walking route.

3. Get walking!

There are many reasons you may be unable to walk your dog such as work com mitments or mobility issues. You can find a pet sitter or

Take advantage of Spain’s beaches for long dog walks!

walker in your area using the internet to guarantee regular, substantial exercise for your dog.

Photo credit: amfroey: shutterstock.com

settle your pet into a new life and to be socially ful filled. Social media groups can match pet owners up to walk dogs together or mind each other’s pets during holidays.

5. Clean up!

4. Make like‐minded friends

Having friends with pets can make it a lot easier to

Council fines are becom ing increasingly common for dog‐walkers who don’t clean up after their four‐legged friends. Carry sup plies and take advantage of council schemes such as one in Torrevieja issuing pick up bags for free.

Tips for travelling by train

NEWS of a pilot project allowing large dogs to travel on Renfe’s national rail network has pet owners across Spain excited about an easier way to transport their pets. Travelling with a dog can be a stressful experience, but fear not! Here we share some top tips from ex perts in the pet field on how to make journeys with your four‐legged companion as smooth as possible.

1. Hydration is key!

Taking a thirsty dog on a busy train is a recipe for disaster. Bring a container with enough water for your journey to avoid issues such as dehydration and irritability in your pet.

2. Use space effectively

If your dog has a fear of unfamiliar people, you should avoid crowded areas on the train. Spanish train operator, Renfe, requires you to book seats and spaces on the train which can

help to avoid overcrowding. Book well in ad vance for peace of mind.

3. Exercise where you can Travelling long distances by train can make even the most seasoned traveller restless. En sure that you give your dog a walk before catching the train or afterwards. If you have connections between journey, even walking your dog up and down the platform can stave off restlessness.

4. Be considerate of others

Even if you have a sociable dog, pet charity, Blue Cross, advises that you keep away from other dogs and other passengers given the un familiar circumstances.

5. Get comfy!

If you have a long journey ahead, bring sup plies such as a blanket for your pooch to sit on or a small treat. A little familiarity can keep dogs from feeling overwhelmed.

CLASSIFIEDS

TURRE EVANGELICAL CHURCH We meet every Sunday at 10.30. For worship. We believe you’ll find us ‘re laxed’, welcoming’ and ‘infor mal’. Find us on Turre’s main street, towards the motorway at the far end on the left. To know more contact 617 914 156 (10021)

meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at Bar Trinidad, Arboleas, for further details please email zurgenarblchair man@gmail.com - (253989)

ESTATE AGENT

ALMERIA BUILDERS : Fully Legal, Fully Insured, All Work Guaranteed. 659 685 133 www.almeriabuilders.com (253556)

PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONWhy not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficia ries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvi sits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in con trol. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical is sue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your near est one at, www.britishle gion.org.uk/counties/spain -north ZURGENA Branch

ELECTRICAL

ABBOTT ELECTRICS . From a Light Fitting to a Full Rewire. Tel: 950 137 208 / 638 010 691 (294388)

VOSS HOMES are a pro fessional, British family-run Estate Agents with an office in Huercal-Overa town. They specialise in selling and renting properties in the Huercal-Overa, La Alfo quia, Zurgena & Taberno area. Andy, Anna, Jess, Adele, Hannah, Amy & Karen look forward to help ing you buy, sell or rent your ideal property. Please call 678 002 006 for more information (283824)

FOR SALE

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

INSURANCE

MOTOR INSURANCE . For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your exist ing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate In surance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbey gateinsure.com

INSURANCE

LOCAL ANGLICAN (C of E) church services at Mo jacar Los Llanos Del Per al and Alhambra. Com munion every Sunday in Mojacar at 11am. Com munion at Los Llanos ev ery Sunday except the last Sunday in the month when there will be Prayer and Praise all at 11am. The services that were being held in the South American church Albox have now returned to the chapel and Com munion is held on the second Thursday of the month at 11am. Priest in charge rev canon Alan Bennet telephone num ber 680 243 436. For fur ther information, please go to The Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Calida web page. Or contact Tony Noble 950 069 103. (10002)

started out in 1995, our phi losophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most com petitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in En glish and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (301294)

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

MISCELLANEOUS MOTORING

FOR SALE

WE ARE currently the mar ket leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motor bike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we

LAND FOR SALE

LANGUAGE CLASSES

THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs €7.75, medium dogs €8.50, big dogs €9.25, cats from €7.00 a day. 630 234 556 / the5bonehotel turre@gmail.com fiveboneho tel.com (296266)

PLUMBERS

KNOWLES PLUMBING No 1 for all plumbing jobs big or small. Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 606 807 797 or 684 143 560

PROP FOR RENT WANTED

SOLAR WIND POWER SOLUTIONS. Over 20 years installation experience. Esta blished 17 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email info@sunergyalmeria.com

RELAXATION

Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section. Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing.

READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISE MENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.

Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com

REMOVALS & STORAGE

UPHOLSTERY - UPHOLSTERERS

Honda Civic e:HEV Hybrid - a clean start

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

HONDA’S Civic has been celebrating its 50th year and 11th generation as one of the Japanese car makers most iconic models. As with most cars, from all man ufacturers, the rise of the SUV means that hatchbacks are not as popular as they once were, but the Civic remains a clever and different choice.

In its newest form, and with hybrid power, it still possesses the quality build for which Honda has become renowned. The car maker has taken an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach to evolving the Civic’s design.

Externally it’s a cleaner and more svelte, less fussy looking

car, while inside there is a clear and simple dash layout that in volves buttons in addition to the now seemingly obligatory digitisation.

Prices start from €33,750/ £29,595 and peak at €37,627 /£32,995, and the entry level model comes with a plethora of standard equipment rang ing from heated front seats and keyless start and go

through to intelli gent cruise control and high beam headlight assist. It’s a ful some list!

Three trim levels are all powered by a single engine choice of a 2.0­litre petrol unit that comes with hybrid power to deliver 184PS with the benchmark 62 mph passed in under eight seconds and 60mpg, along with low emis

sions. The unit is mated to an e­CVT automatic gearbox and this type of transmission has a characteristic of the en gine revs rising significantly while you wait for your speed to catch up. It’s down to a cer tain way of driving to get a less vocal performance, but the new Civic has a clever gearbox that’s primed to drop the revs as would happen in a normal

Facts at a Glance

Model: Honda Civic e:HEV Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol/electric hybrid – 184PS Gears: e-CVT automatic Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) Petrol 7.8

Maximum Speed Petrol 210 kph (111 mph)

Economy: Petrol 4.7 l/100km (60.1 mpg) WLTP

Emissions: 108g/km WLTP Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

gear change. This leads to a more refined performance on the transmission front.

On the road the aforemen tioned gearbox is a huge im provement on not just Hon da’s previous efforts but on most other examples of this kind of gearbox. It handles well, as you might expect from a Civic, and has super smooth transitions between petrol and electric power. Being a self­

charging hybrid it alleviates any range or charging worries and for this writer the best way to dip your tyres into the world of EV motoring.

If you need your motoring to offer space and practicality to ferry the family, but want something more interesting, a bit of a different and a more in telligent choice, then the Civic Hybrid could well be the trans port for you.

MOTORING to read more MOTORING scan this QR Code

HONDA CIVIC: Could be the transport for you.

‘Spirit of Carrera RS’ exhibition

FIFTY years after its world premiere, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is still unique and unforgettable and an undisputed icon of automo tive history. In its honour, a special exhibition ‘Spirit of Carrera RS’ will be held at the Porsche museum from Tuesday September 20.

When the RS was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show on October 5, 1972, it was the first series­production car in the world with front and rear spoilers. The require ments for the 911 base vehi cle for racing and rallying were clearly defined: light and fast were the watch

words.

To achieve the objectives, Hans Mezger and Valentin Schaffer developed the 2.7litre six­cylinder boxer en gine with fuel injection from the ground up. In the Sport version, the 210­PS, 960­kilo gram Coupe went from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and topped out at almost 245 km/h. The precise aerody namics designed back then with racing cars in mind still make the RS unique today.

The Porsche Museum tells the story of the RS and its racing cousin, the RSR, not only through the cars and anecdotes but also with

films, photos, racing posters, and interactive features. Visi tors can, for example, put to gether their own custom RS by turning the model, detail and colour wheel of a kalei doscope. At the centre of the special exhibition is a bright yellow 911 Carrera RS 2.7 in Touring spec, as well as a rare metallic green proto type.

The Porsche Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 6pm. The current health and hygiene regulations can be found on the website: www.porsche.com/germany/ aboutporsche/porschemuse um.

PORSCHE CARRERA: Unique and unforgettable

Credit: Twitter@PorscheNewsroom

Spain’s home defeat

SWITZERLAND dealt a massive blow to Spain’s bid to qualify for next year’s Nations League fi nals after inflicting a home defeat on Luis Enrique’s side in Zaragoza on Satur day, September 24. This was the men’s national side’s first home loss since 2018 when they lost 3‐2 to England in the same com petition.

Portugal now top Group A2 after a resounding 4‐0 away win against the Czech Republic. Losing to the Swiss turned the match in Portugal be tween the two Iberian na tions which was played on Tuesday, September 27, into a critical affair for the Spanish. Only one of the teams can progress from the group.

A header from Manuel Akanji put the Swiss in front after 21 minutes. Jor

di Alba levelled the scores in the 55th minute, offer ing the possibility of a comeback. Their hopes were squashed only three minutes later when Eric Garcia, under pressure from Breel Embolo at a corner, turned the ball into his own net to hand the

Swiss a famous victory.

Spain had not lost a competitive match in 22 outings across all competi tions at the national level until Saturday. Remark ably, it was only their sec ond home loss since 2003.

Luis Enrique now has just a few days to lift the spirits

of his players for the Por tugal game, where only three points will suffice for the 2021 Nations League runners‐up.

Switzerland will face the Czech Republic in the group’s other game, but neither side could over take Portugal either way.

Third diagnosis for Bundesliga

TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Hertha Berlin star Jean‐Paul Boetius has become the third Bun desliga player to be diagnosed with a testicular tumour in the last three months.

Following his teammate Marco Richter and Borussia Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller, Jean‐Paul Boetius worryingly became the third Bundesliga player to be diagnosed with a testicular tumour in the last three months.

The German side said on Thursday, September 22: “Jean‐Paul Boetius has been diagnosed with a testicular tumour following the results of a urological test.

“He will be out for the foreseeable future.

“The club will provide further information on Boetius’ recovery in due course. Until then we ask that everyone respects Jean‐Paul’s privacy during his recovery.”

Hertha sporting director Fredi Bobic added: “As tough as it is to hear at first, we are full of hope that Jean‐Paul will be able to recover and return to us as soon as possible.

“He will receive our full support until he re turns. The Hertha family are by his side, and wish him all the best.”

Credit: Twitter@SEFutbol

CRITICAL AFFAIR: Spanish national men’s football manager Luis Enrique.