Costa Blanca North 6 - 12 October 2022 Issue 1944

NEW REGULATION BRINGS CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

With Funeral Plans now falling under the jurisdiction of the UK regulatory body, the Financial Conduct Authority, there have been widespread changes for plan providers to navigate, both in the UK and in Spain.

But as regulation has arrived at the same time as a cost­of­living crisis, has this made matters easier or more difficult for planning companies and consumers?

Barry Floyd – Golden Leaves CEO commented:

“To be quite blunt, the arrival of this regulation should be hugely welcomed by both planning companies and consumers alike. It has now become evidently clear which funeral planning companies people should avoid and these are essentially any who are NOT FCA registered now. This is the clearest indicator of which companies consumers should consider. Some businesses in Spain and elsewhere will (and have) risen from the ashes of their failed companies in the UK, to trade again in Spain. Consumers should not be fooled and should not take the risk with what is a singular, once in a lifetime purchase.

It has never been simpler, buy from an FCA regulated and authorised company or run the risk of potentially losing your money (If you purchase from an FCA regulated company your funds are covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme)) – The collapse of Safehands in the UK has clearly demonstrated what could happen if the company you purchase from failed and that company ISN’T FCA regulated.

Make no mistake, there are companies in Spain that could pose a significant threat to consumers. If you are deciding which company to purchase a funeral plan from – do your homework, research the company and ensure that you are comfortable that they are FCA regulated and credible. If they are not, and you purchase from them anyway, at least you will have made that decision knowing the potential risks involved.”

Golden Leaves’s Incredible “unattended cremation” plan coupled with a new “Immediate cover” instalment plan option!

In times of inflationary pressures and rising costs, funeral plans products that combat rising funeral costs are even more valued than ever before. In light of this, Golden Leaves have taken additional steps to help consumers by launching a new more economical “unattended funeral” plan type and a payment instalment option that covers you immediately (with NO outstanding balance to pay, should you die in the repayment term) even though you can pay for it over a period of up to 8 years!

Barry Floyd – Golden Leaves CEO commented:

“It was extremely important to recognise that people want to be covered but many are finding money incredibly tight due to inflationary issues. We wanted to do what we could to help potential buyers at this difficult time and seeing that this type of plan of ours has been gaining attraction in the UK, we believed that now was the right time to launch it Internationally.

We have also launched a totally new and ground­breaking credit financed option that will allow a consumer to purchase our plans over instalments of up to 8 years duration, but they are covered immediately with no more to pay should they pass away in the payment term. This will help not only make monthly payment options more affordable, but will remove the considerable concern surrounding remaining balances, removing those from the next of kin at such a difficult time.”

With quality FCA regulated businesses now easily recognisable from those which are not, consumers should be able to make clearer and more informed choices surrounding the brands that they purchase funeral plan products from and the brands they will not buy from.

Combined with more affordable products and faster coverage payment options available, some brands like FCA regulated and authorised Golden Leaves, are leading the way in making these buying decisions far easier for consumers at this difficult time.

How to choose a funeral planning company that is right for you

Do background checks on the funeral planning company, owners, how long have they been in the industry, etc

Make sure the funeral planning company are regulated by the FCA

How does the funeral planning company invest the money

What services are covered in the suite of plans

Can the plans be changed, upgraded, or downgraded after purchase

Does the funeral planning company provide dual cover with the UK or international cover

Search the company’s details on the FCA’s funeral plans

HOW TO CHOOSE A PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU

you speak to a funeral planning company

of what you would like for

family and

Contact the funeral planning company

a funeral planning appointment, this can be conducted by, phone, video or a facetoface

to their office or your home.

company works differently, however in general there is a short overview presentation

conversation into your needs and

suite of plans and payment options will be presented to you for your

you decide to take a plan, the funeral planning company will take you through this

you with an

with

Barry Floyd Golden Leaves CEO.

WHEN THE MUSIC DIED

AN outpouring of trib utes have been made to an incredible musician, Frank Abrams, who sadly died in hospital on Mon day, October 3, after a sudden illness.

Frank, a very talented saxophonist originally from Swindon, England, made a great name for himself in the local bars and restaurants on the Costa Blanca.

As an incredibly popu lar member of the com munity, Frank will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Jody and Franco Pear son who run the Oceana Club in Benissa where Frank was often enter taining the crowds re member him fondly. “Frank had a great sense of humour. He was a very, very funny man and you would never tire of his jokes even if you had heard them before,” they commented.

“He was a very unique gentleman, totally irre placeable.

“Frank was the very first musician to play at Oceana Club. He wan dered through to the ter race overlooking the Mediterranean views and

joked that he had played in some dives, but Oceana took the biscuit.

Frank had no filter but he made everyone laugh and he will be sorely missed,” they added.

In honour of Frank, on Sunday, October 23, sev

eral musicians will get to gether at Oceana Club to celebrate his life.

The Euro Weekly News family are saddened to hear of Frank’s death and offers his friends and family our thoughts and prayers.

Credit: –La Oceana Club

Credit –Frank Abrams/Facebook

FRANK ABRAMS: A unique gentleman, totally irreplaceable.

An incredibly talented musician.

No parking problems

Linda Hall

WITH 10 free car parks in the town centre, Benitachell’s 5,000 population has no park ing problems.

Most of the car parks were created within the last two years to cover future needs and provide a basic service, said Benitachell’s mayor Miguel Angel Garcia, pointing out that in the medium term, town hall projects would make the municipality more pedestrian‐friendly.

“Aware that some projects will occupy land used for park ing, we are ensuring that there is no lack of spaces,” Garcia added.

Along with the remodelled Capelletes parking spot and those in Calle Pou, Calle Mol la, covered market, cemetery and the former schools, more spaces have been added at the school, Avenida de Valen cia, Calle dels Furs and the football pitch, with another car park planned for the town’s Javea access once the Cumbre del Sol roundabout is finished.

In most cases, as these car parks occupy private land, the town hall has renewed or signed new contracts with the owners. Continuity has also been guaranteed for the own ers of older car parks by ex tending existing agreements

between seven and 10 years.

The town hall pays an aver age six cents per square me tre for land used for parking under agreements inherited from the previous local gov ernment, a payment that also applies to new contracts.

New headquarters

FINESTRAT Town Hall will provide land and €300,000 for a new Guardia Civil post in the L’Alcasser district.

Under its agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, Finestrat will also carry out the necessary drafts on the understanding that work begins within two years.

The Ministry also con firmed its commitment to increasing the number of Finestrat’s Guardia Civil offi cers to 20, announced local mayor Juanfran Perez Llor ca. “Nevertheless, in pro portion to the town’s popu lation, this ought to be

BUILDING PLANS: Juanfra Perez Llorca at the site of the new Guardia Civil post.

more,” he pointed out.

The agreement between Finestrat and the Ministry was prompted by the state of the municipality’s Guardia Civil building which no longer meets the needs of the local force, which al so covers Sella and Relleu.

Photo credit: Finestrat town hall

New wheels

BENIDORM’S Local Police added five state­of­the­art scooters costing €38,000 to their motorcycle fleet, two of which incorporate defibrilla tors. Presenting the new mo tor scooters, Public Safety councillor Lorenzo Martinez said they would provide ver satility as well as improved mobility and a greater police presence on Benidorm’s streets.

Zero debt

CALPE’S Partido Popular councillors voted in favour of using the town hall’s 2021 cash surplus to pay off its €7.8 million bank debt before this year’s December 31 dead line. This has made it possible for the town hall to meet its debt­free target while saving €192,911 in interest.

Test case

CURRENTLY 13,977 people in side the Valencian Communi ty are waiting for at least three months to take a driv ing test for cars, motorcycles or heavy vehicles. The holdup is due to the lack of the Traffic General Directorate’s exam iners, who currently number 750 compared with 1,100 in the past.

Ferry nice

DENIA­based shipping line Balearia launched Spain’s first all­electric ferry, Cap de Barbaria, built in Vigo and now being fitted out for pas sengers and cargo. The new ferry, which is also designed to incorporate the experi mental use of hydrogen, will be Balearia’s most sustain able vessel, said owner Adol fo Utor.

Good as new

VILLAJOYOSA’S Sant Argil bridge over the River Amado rio has been repaired and re opened to traffic. The bridge, whose structure was affected by two months of incessant rain during the spring, was originally built in the 15th century, but had been re paired and modified on sev eral occasions, historians said.

Thoroughly enjoyable experience

Linda Hall

ARTS SOCIETY MARINA ALTA’S Arts Fair 2022 on Wednesday September 28 was a thorough ly enjoyable experience in a re laxed and friendly atmosphere.

Fifty­three independent artists from three art groups, Lady Elizabeth School students and adopted Ukrainian, Georgie Poulariani, provided the backdrop for 350 visitors on a day celebrating the talent of Marina Alta artists.

Exhibits ranged from por traits in oils, mixed media can vases and ceramics to vintage jewellery.

“Fair 2022’s success has set a very high bar for the Arts Fair

2023,” said the Arts Society chair, David Glover.

Arts Society Marina Alta’s first presentation on Frida Kahlo and Diego River by Chloe Sayer will be held at their usual venue of Salones Canor in Teu lada today, Thursday October

6.

medal in 2016 by the Mexican government for her longstanding commitment to their culture.

The event is open to mem bers and guests and doors open at 10am for registration. Coffee will be available before the meeting opens at 11am.

No dry nets

THE Teulada­Moraira Fish ing Club visited Section A2 on the River Jucar for their latest Winter League match.

Chloe is a freelance specialist in Latin American art and cul ture of Latin, creating exhibi tions and producing documen taries for TV. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1978 and the prestigious Ohtli

This presentation is spon sored by Blevins Franks. For their guide to Living in Spain contact javea@blevins franks.com.

For details of Arts Society Marina Alta membership con tact Maggie Clifford­Eales at the mb.marinaalta@ theartssociety.org email ad dress.

Free activities for senior citizens

ALFAZ’S Social Welfare department has drawn up a programme of free activities for pensioners registered on the munici pal Padron.

“These range from dog­assisted thera py and workshops to dancing, adapted physical activities and Nordic Walking,” announced Social Welfare councillor Marisa Cortes.

Dog­assisted therapy, in collaboration with the Associacion Humanymal, be gins this month, Cortes said.

“The town hall has been working with

therapy dogs for some years, but this is the first time that we have organised sessions for the elderly,” she explained.

There will also be dancing each Tues day between 5.30pm and 6.30pm at the Hogar del Pensionista, with collabora tion from Club Costa Blanca Balla.

Dancing strengthens the heart, com bats stress, while improving stamina and flexibility,” Cortes said. “It even helps to assist the memory.”

Adapted physical activities are held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9.30am in

Breast Cancer Awareness

A SUBJECT close to many people’s hearts, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Founded in 1985, the international health community marks the month of October with campaigns, charity fundrais ers and educational events to raise global aware ness of breast cancer and seek a cure for the dis ease.

Raising awareness is particularly important postpandemic due to many people missing routine healthcare appointments.

Campaigns are organised throughout the month with the goal of improving early breast cancer de tection, such as educational initiatives encouraging regular check­ups and breast examinations. Breast cancer groups also fundraise for their support pro grammes which include financial, emotional and practical support through treatment and afterwards for sufferers and their families, as well as raising money for research into the disease and for a cure. Organisations also raise awareness about breast cancer in men.

A variety of events are held throughout the month internationally including in­person and virtu al challenges, charity walks and runs, bake sales and talks with oncologists and survivors.

the Pau Gasol sports stadium and on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Paseo del las Estrellas and Eucalyptus park in Albir at 9am.

Pensioners’ Nordic Walking classes are held at the Alfaz Polideportivo complex on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9.30am and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.45pm.

More information about these and other activities is available from the Hog ar del Pensionista or by ringing 965 887 328.

Tough line on squatters

CAMPELLO councillors ap proved a motion recom mending a tougher line on squatters, particularly those allied to organised ‘mafias’.

The proposal was backed by the Partido Popular, Ciudadanos, Vox and the non­aligned councillor Eva Segura. All agreed that prison sentences of be tween three and five years for breaking into and occu pying properties should be incorporated into Spain’s Penal Code.

This, the councillors agreed, would provide im proved protection for owners ­ individuals or companies ­ trying to re gain possession of a prop erty that had been occu pied without their permission.

The motion also proposed that immediate eviction of squatters should be possible in cases of a ‘flagrant’ offence or within 24 hours in other cases.

“Although the water temperature was still warm, air temperature started at a mere 16 de grees at 9am, but got warmer as the day went on, eventually reaching 24 degrees,” the club’s secre tary Jeff Richards said.

“The water was very cloudy and the river had risen quite considerably af ter previous weekend’s rain.”

“There were no dry nets and everybody caught a fish, although fishing was not easy on this section of the Jucar,” Jeff added.

The anglers landed 31 fish of which 19 were carp, weighing in at a total of 32.5 kilos.

There were only seven contestants with the best total weight of the day, 10.6 kilos on peg 21 ­ also the end peg ­ going to Pe ter Shephard. Second place went to Frank Povey (5.8 kilos), followed by Gra ham Sewell (5.3 kilos) in third place. Jeff Richards was fourth (4.6 kilos), with Jack Janssen in fifth place (four kilos).

“We are a very friendly club,” Jeff said. “For further information contact Frank Povey on 966 490 338 or at frankpovey1@gmail. com.”

ARTS FAIR: Visitors to the Arts Society Marina Alta’s 2022 event.

Photo credit: Arts Society Marina Alta

Where will

Linda Hall

BENIDORM residents have until one minute before midnight on November 2 to suggest ideas for 2023’s Participatory Budget.

All over­18s registered on the municipal Padron may submit proposals.

“This very effective instrument gives a voice and decision­making power to resi dents,” said Citizens’ Participation councillor Ana Pellicer.

“As we have done since 2016, we shall al locate at least 5 per cent of the amount which Benidorm Town Hall’s Budget sets aside for investments to projects or opera tions proposed by the local population.”

These should be submitted on the form which can be downloaded from the https://benidorm.org/es/ayuntamiento/con cejalias/participacion­ciudadana website. Each resident may make as many proposals as they wish.

Completed forms should be taken to the Registro General registry office on the ground floor at the town hall between 9am and

2pm. They may also be uploaded to the https://sede.benidorm.org website or emailed to consejovecinal@benidorm.org for the attention of the Concejalia de Participa cion Ciudadana (Citizens’ Participation de partment).

Following the November 2 deadline, all proposals will be put to the vote both telem atically between November 4 and 28 and at a public meeting whose date and location will be announced. A technical committee will list the proposals in order of popularity, after which town hall experts will assess their via bility, beginning with the most­voted.

Palace spectacular

SAVE MY LIFE 8 is a charity that focuses on the rescuing of animals. This year they hosted a fundraising spectac ular once again at Benidorm Palace on Sunday, October 2.

The show offered up many well­known local artists and some of Benidorm Palace’s own acts. Ruby Rox was the host, bringing laughter, an amazing voice, and entertain ment that lasted the entire event. While hosting, Ruby broke into song with ‘Ain’t no Mountain High Enough’ and got everybody in the mood for a good show.

Next was Heidi who is a lo cal singer, well­known throughout Benidorm. Her set began with ‘Cry To Me’,

followed by ‘You To Me Are Everything’, ‘Stuck in the Mid dle with You’, and lastly ‘Proud Mary’.

Ben Alexander performed next, bringing a more upbeat sound to the event. He per formed a number of crowd Neil Diamond favoyrites such

as ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flow ers Anymore’ and ‘Cracklin Rosie’.

Sharon Moon is a resident act in Benidorm Palace and next showed us her amazing talents by dancing inside a see­through ball hanging from the ceiling. Benidorm staple, Matthew Fisher was next to take the stage while also providing some comedy and crowd engagement. He performed well­known songs such as ‘Human’ and ‘Penny Arcade’. To much surprise, Matt Fisher Jr was next to take the stage, bringing us his amazing singing talents along with some great hits like ‘Dance Monkey’ and ‘We Are the Champions’.

Spectacular tribute acts in cluding Simon Ruston as Meatloaf also raised the roof at this sparkling event.

Between ticket sales, an auction, raffle tickets, and a very generous donation of €1,000, the event has so far raised an amazing around €20,000.

All proceeds will be donat ed to the help and care of ani mals.

Lauryn Hulston

CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION: Opportunity to decide part of the Benidorm Town Hall’s 2023 Budget.

Benidorm town hall

SOUL MAGIC: The trio raised the roof.

MATT FISHER JNR: Performed after his father. Performed as Meatloaf.

ALICANTE has become Spain’s headquarters to attract Nordic tourism.

Travel agents and tourism com panies from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland have spent time getting to know what the city has to offer.

From taking trips and going to

Nordic tourism

events the group also visited Benidorm on Saturday, October 1.

The deputy mayor and head of the Tourist Board Alicante City & Beach, Mari Carmen Sanchez, stressed that “the Nordic market is

the second in the overall computa tion of tourism we receive in Ali cante.

“The Nordic market is of special interest due to its high purchasing power and in the business and in

Benidorm parking

BENIDORM has offered free parking in its Blue Zones from October 1.

Since 2022 new colours and regulations have been introduced in Benidorm.

Visitors are not allowed to park in any of the 1,694 orange spaces. These spaces are reserved exclu sively for residents and registered with the coun cil. If you park here a per mit card needs to be on display.Before the lines were white.

You will find the orange areas mainly in Foietes‐Colonia Madrid, Els Tolls, Rincon de Loix, El Campo and La Cala.

Tourists need to pay for green spaces which are free for residents. In total there are 1,586 spaces.

The green areas are lo cated mainly in Mercasa, El Campo, Levante and Rincon de Loix.

The blue zone is charged for in the summer months and free in win ter. In the high season

months you can park in one of the 1,400 blue spaces for a maximum of two hours and on week ends and holidays it is free. Most of the blue zones are concentrated in the Levante area.

centive travel segment, as well as in the organisation of events, it has great potential, so it is an opportu nity for its operators to get to know our offer first hand,” she added.

As part of their tour of Alicante, the travel agents and tourism companies visited the Santa Bar bara Castle. They visited the Ali cante Royal Yacht Club where they were able to learn about what the nautical side had to offer and they also attended a workshop on how to prepare an Alicante rice dish.

ALICANTE firefighters and po lice canine units have been training their dogs in La Nucia.

Twenty members and their canine units from different law enforcement agencies were trained at ‘Campo Mu nicipal de Entrenamiento Per ros de Rescate’ in La Nucia.

The training, carried out over five days, was based on locating and rescuing victims in collapsed structures in an urban setting. It also involved performing exercises to direct the dog according to meteoro logical phenomena such as wind. The Municipal Rescue Dog Training Camp of La Nucia tries to reproduce a catas trophic earthquake zone with

Dog training

Calpe U3A

THE gentlemen of the Calpe U3A enjoyed anoth er wonderful event on Thursday, September 29, when 23 of them descend ed upon the restaurant ‘Agua Marina’ for lunch.

small holes where people hide for the training of rescue dogs and rescuers.

Beams and pillars from de molished buildings, stones and other materials have been used so that the dogs and their handlers can get

ACTOR and filmmaker Juan Diego Botto now has a seat bearing his name in Villena’s Chapi Theatre.

Botto, who performed at the theatre on Saturday, October 1, in the play ‘The Night without a Moon’ has since received the trib ute in recognition of his professional career.

Juan Diego Botto, National Theatre Award 2021, represents a generation of making cine ma and theatre from the commitment to the viewer and with social values of defending freedoms, social progress, justice and equality between people.

used to the environment of the earthquake catastrophe.

The Municipal Rescue Dog Training Camp in La Nucia is lo cated on a plot of land belong ing to the town hall in the Rotes district, next to the Ani mal Shelter.

Actor’s seat

Botto has been nominated for the Goya Awards in four different editions, thanks to his performances in films such as ‘Historia del Kronen’, ‘Plenilunio’, ‘Vete de mí’ and ‘Is mael’.

In addition, for his long career on stage in theatres all over Spain, he has won the Fo tograma de Plata award for best theatre actor in 2008, a Cosmopolitan Award and two Max Awards.

Time was not of the essence; it was more about a social gathering and one way or another the group found remedies for all the world’s ills. It was a time to meet friends old and new. Due to the seis mic shift in the way things are done post‐Brexit, some friends only get together occasionally but the meet ings are always conducted with enthusiasm. The next gathering at the ‘Punjabi’ in Calpe is on October 27.

All U3A members are in vited and guests are al ways well received. If you are not a member go along anyway and get to know the group, you might even like it and join!

For more information email: arthurandfreda @yahoo.com.

COLLAPSED STRUCTURES: Dogs receive training.

Image: La Nucia Town Hall

Time to shine!

PROUDLY sponsored by the Euro Weekly News, Spotlight Productions is presenting its next show, ‘A Time To Shine’ on November 27.

Dance and performing arts schools from along the Costa Blanca and beyond will join together at the world­renowned Benidorm Palace, for a dance spectacular, a show not to be missed!

This fabulous showcase gives young perform ers their time to shine on Europe’s largest stage. The show always proves to be a dynamic perfor mance, including classical ballet, street dance, Fla menco, high energy tap, contemporary/lyrical jazz, musical theatre and much, much more.

With fabulous costumes, music and profession al sound and lighting, it’s an evening for all the family.

Spotlight Productions said: “We specialise in providing young amateurs with the opportunity to perform on world­class stages in a fun, noncompetitive environment.

Our dance and musical theatre spectaculars are of the highest quality, so that performers of any ability can relish their moment in the spotlight. Now more than ever, it is so important to get our youngsters back on the stage and to provide con fidence and to nurture their passions and dreams.

“We know that the youngsters are so excited and will provide an electric performance, it’s going to be a very special night!”

Tickets available from the box office on 965 851 660. For more information, visit www.spotlight productionsspain.com

Day of the Valencian Community

ON Sunday, October 9, Castalla will join its neigh bours in celebrating the Day of the Valencian Community.

The traditional paella cookoff will be held in the munici pal park. Those interested should sign up at the Tourist

Office and bring the neces sary items to make the pael las. The sand and firewood will be provided by the town hall.

The day will end with a concert by ‘El Sogall’ at 7.00pm in the Auditorium.

Children will be able to en joy activities and inflatables from 10.00pm until 2.00pm.

Valencian Day celebrations will coincide with Castalla’s three days of exhibitions, raf fles and music celebrating the art of patchwork.

Mediterranean Faces of Science

A SPECIAL exhibition opened in Villajoyosa on October 3. The ‘Mediterranean Faces of Science’ exhibition aims to promote science and technol ogy as career paths for wom en and girls.

The exhibition forms part of celebrations for the Euro pean Night of Research on Friday September 30 and the accompanying scientific out reach programme organised by Villajoyosa Council. The exhibition is being displayed outside the Chalet Centella building.

The exhibition was de signed by the Seneca Founda tion at the University of Mur cia and brought to Villajoyosa by local organisation El Calei doscopio for the European Night of Research and science projects. It is hoped that by exhibiting Mediterranean women in broad scientific fields, young women and girls can see a place for them

Creative Cities collaboration

A LANDMARK agreement was signed in Denia on Friday September 30, inte grating the town and four other Spanish towns and cities into UNESCO’s Creative Cities network. Council representatives from other creative cities, Burgos, LLíria and Manises came together with Denia Council to form the Spanish Association of Creative Cities and join the UNESCO network.

Denia hosted representatives from eight cities across UNESCO’s interna tional Creative Cities network for a spe cial conference to discuss protections for creative cities and events to protect and promote their heritage. José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, the perma nent Spanish delegate to UNESCO chaired the meeting.

Each city represented in the organisa

tion has a different creative speciality such as cuisine in Burgos and Denia, music in Llíria and handicrafts in Manis es. The Spanish Association of Creative Cities will be headed by Burgos.

Further events are planned including collaborating with other international creative cities not yet integrated into the UNESCO Creative Cities network, Tangier in Morocco and Tours in France.

An exhibition encourages Mediterranean women to develop vocations within scientific fields.

selves in science.

Expert women scientists from all over the Mediter ranean make up the exhibi tion, including Albanian com puter scientist Ornela Bardhi, Egyptian geneticist Nagwa Meguid, Moroccan nuclear physicist Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, Spanish biologist

María Blasco, Maltese math ematician Irene Sciriha Aquili na and Croatian linguist Snježana Kordi.

If you aren’t able to get there physically, there is a link to enjoy the exhibition online: https://mednight.eu/mediter ranean­faces­of­science/ ?lang=es

Image: Ajuntament La Vila Joiosa

Life expectancy extension

Betty Henderson

A NEW initiative was launched in L’Alfas del Pi on Tuesday Oc tober 3 with the goal of raising life expectancy in the town. Au thorities aim to raise life ex pectancy by two years by 2030 with the ‘Missió l’Alfàs del Pi

2030’ programme. The initiative seeks to coordi nate health policies within the public and private sector in the region to extend life expectan cy by two years. The project will have three key branches; promote physical activity, nutri

tion and wellness in the region, improve the natural environ ment and outdoor spaces to al low outdoor physical activity and healthy leisure activities and improve economic activi ties in the region, using technol ogy and innovation.

The actions aim to improve quality of life for residents, thought to be crucial in extend ing overall life expectancy.

Local councillor for Inclusion, Rocio Guijarro explained the project aims saying, “We are going to work to make l’Alfàs a regional benchmark for our high quality of life and healthy

A three-strand plan aims to extend life expectancy by two years in L’Alfas del Pi.

living model. Health is our pri ority.”

The project will be part of a larger scheme, ‘Missions 2030’ funded by the Valencian Com munity which aims to take ad vantage of technology to im prove lifestyle.

Calpe bono campaign

THE Calpe City Council, with the collaboration of AEMCO, is launching the BonoCome 2022 cam paign.

The initiative is aimed at boosting consumption in hotel establishments in the municipality and pro moting the reactivation of

the hotel and restaurant fabric of Calpe.

The campaign has a bud get of €250,000 and bonuses will be limited to €50 per applicant. People of legal age, registered in the municipality, may par ticipate in the programme.

Vouchers have a value

Energy bill relief

TEULADA Moraira Coun cil has announced relief measures to help busi nesses to deal with the cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills. An nouncing the policy on September 29, the coun cil said it wanted to “min imise the economic con sequences of the energy crisis on local business.”

The council announced measures directed to help small businesses, en trepreneurs and self­em ployed people based in the area. Eligible busi nesses will receive a sub sidy of up to €1,000 from the council to pay energy bills.

Local businesses can claim financial aid retro spectively on bills from

of €20, €50 and €100 that can be applied as a dis count on drinks of at least the value of the voucher. Only one voucher can be redeemed per purchase. The maximum amount

earlier this year and last year. Businesses can claim the grant for elec tricity bills between April 2021 and June 2022, gas bills during the same peri od and other fuel bills be tween January and June 2022.

The council has re leased more than €75,000 to fund the grants in response to the ongoing energy crisis in Europe partially due to Russia cutting off gas to Europe during its invasion of Ukraine.

Local businesses should apply for the grant online at: www.teuladamoraira. com.es. Businesses will have 10 days to apply for the grant once the council opens applications.

that a beneficiary can ac quire for the campaign as a whole amount to €100 in vouchers.

The campaign will run from today, Thursday Oc tober 6 until November 8.

Warm welcome

TREVOR and Maggie Ramsey look forward to welcoming residents and visitors alike to the English Church, Torre Principado, in the Rincon area, Benidorm.

Trevor and Maggie, originally from Northern Ireland, have been in Spain for over a year and enjoy living and working in Benidorm and meeting a rich variety of people, though they admit they are still acclimatising to the lovely costa weather ­ quite a contrast to the chilly winds which blow off the sea and swirl often around Belfast. The church has a very busy weekly programme of Christian teaching and outreach. It is Non­denominational, Interna tional and Evangelical and welcomes a number of different nationalities through the doors each week. The focus is on Bible teaching for

ON Sunday, October 2, local Freemason’s Lodge, Arenal Deportiva 65, held their annu al late summer garden party.

This took the form of a very enjoyable barbecue organised by the Worshipful Master, WBro Peter Johnson along with his wife Florence.

It was held at the home of WBro Ian and Eileen Brown, both of whom aided and abetted the organisation.

the discipleship of believers and outreach into the area. Full details of the church’s pro gramme can be found on their website www.englishchurchbenidorm.com or any of their social media platforms.

Freemasons charity BBQ

Over 50 Freemasons and their wives and partners at tended the party which con sisted of a wide variety of food and live entertain ment.

A grand charity raffle raised over €420. Later there were more games which raised an other €50, making a total of €471.

This will be donated to the Worshipful Masters’ chosen charity for the year which is the Raquel Paya Special Needs School in Denia. This will be presented at a later date.

If you should have an inter est in joining Freemasonry, please email sec@glpvalen cia.com.

Broadway calling

STUDIO 32 are well into rehearsals for the most challenging production that they have done so far.

‘A Night on Broad way’ will consist of nine mini produc tions with 27 musi cal numbers from shows that they have put on over the past 13 years. In that time Studio32 has donated over €40,000 to local charities.

A great cast has been assembled to bring you an extrav aganza of musical numbers and dance.

Pictured are Katy Pearl, Rae Daniel and Jean Durham who will be per forming numbers from Oklahoma. You will not be disap pointed.

The show will run at the Cardenal Bel uga Theatre, San Ful gencio, between November 10, 11 and 12. We are al ways looking for people to join our group (especially men) who can, or have aspirations to sing, dance and act, or who have experi ence working in the theatre backstage, in lighting, sound and costume etc.

If you would like further information on our theatre com pany and rehearsal times, or you would like to book tickets for our show please visit our website www.studiothirty two.org to book tickets online, email tickets@studiothir tytwo.org or call 679

BUSY PROGRAMME: Trevor and Maggie.

Ambassador summoned

ON September 28 the Span ish government summoned the Iranian ambassador in Madrid to condemn the state violence in the coun try against demonstrators protesting the death of 22year­old Mahsa Amini.

Mahsa Amini died on Fri day September 16 in Tehran under suspicious cir cumstances after being ar rested by ‘morality police’ for not covering her hair.

MULTIPLE warnings from British expats in Spain sug gest that Sabadell has al legedly put up its banking prices.

“After promising not to charge for using their bank if your pension insurance and savings are paid into your account, this is what Sabadell have decided to do to their loyal cus tomers,” one of the Span ish bank’s British expats told Euro Weekly News.

Upon sharing a copy of a

Protests that have fol lowed in the country have seen women uncover their hair and cut off their hair to demand their right to body autonomy and freedom of expression. Up to 60 people have reportedly been killed during the crackdown on protestors.

The Spanish government also released a statement on September 27 in which it expressed ‘strong’ condem

nation for the use of dispro portionate force against peaceful demonstrators, particularly that against women calling it “repul sive.” The government also referred to the death of Amini in its statement say ing the Iranian government must undertake an “inde pendent investigation and to assign responsibility in a transparent, objective and complete manner.”

Bank warning

letter he received from the bank, Geoffrey S said: “Along with rising food prices and petrol costs, Sabadell has decided to im part more costs on their customers.”

He added: “Unbeliev able. I have tried to discuss this with the bank but have been passed from pillar to post or ignored.”

The letter shows that in order for the commission to be 0 euros, customers need to meet four require ments, including having taken out three free or combined insurance poli cies.

However, it appears that if customers do not meet these needs, then prices do in fact go up.

New wealth tax

ON Thursday September 29, new measures were an nounced by the PSOE left­wing coalition government to tax wealth in excess of €3 million.

The country’s Finance Min ister, María Jesús Montero, announced the measure as a “movement of solidarity” dur

ing the economic crisis. The tax is a temporary measure to combat rocketing energy bills and inflation.

The tax will affect around 21,000 Spanish taxpayers. The measure will tax in incre ments, starting at 1.7 per cent for people with €3­5 million,

Baltic connections

THE Spanish tourism industry will receive a boost as a Baltic airline (AirBaltic) has announced 18 new routes connecting travellers from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with southern Europe. The airline published a new schedule for the 2023 season on Thursday September 29.

Three Spanish airports are included in the plans; Bilbao, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca with direct flights from Vil nius in Lithuania and Riga in Latvia, with two weekly flights offered to each destination.

The airline’s President, Martin Gauss, highlighted the pur pose of the increase in routes, saying the company is “de lighted to be expanding existing leisure and city break routes.”

The addition of the three Spanish destinations is likely to be popular, particularly as a new route to Palma de Mallorca recently became a top American airlines’ most popular des tination after only a couple of months. Spain is a top choice destination for travellers from the north of Europe seeking warmer weather and distinct cultural opportunities.

2.1 per cent for those with €510 million and 3.5 per cent for individuals with more than €10 million.

Income tax is also likely to rise from 26 to 27 per cent for those earning more than €200,000.

The agreed package of eco nomic measures will raise €3.1 billion during the next two years. Montero de scribed the measures as aim ing to make the economy “more progressive, efficient and fair.”

Opposing regional govern ments with devolved power are likely to introduce mea sures including tax relief.

Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE plans to fund social secu rity programmes through an increased wealth tax.

Photo credit: zixia / shutterstock.com

Spain’s oldest man

ANTONIO ALVARADO

LARGO, officially Spain’s oldest man, has died in a nursing home in Vegaque mada, Leon, at the grand age of 110. He had been a resident of the home for several years.

Earlier this year, on Jan uary 18, Antonio officially gained the title of the old est man in Spain after the death of Saturnino de la Fuente, also from Leon, who passed away at the age of 112. Fuente was recognised as the oldest man in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records after Puerto Rican Emilio Flores died on Au

gust 12, 2021, at the same age.

Born on July 8, 1912, in the Leon town of Remolina, in the municipality of Cremenes, Antonio was

Science goes wrong

AN explosion caused by a scientific experiment going badly wrong in Girona’s Casa de Cultura building hospitalised five people and left at least another 12 injured on Friday, September 30.

A total of two adults and three children were hospitalised suffering from injuries after the ex plosion.

Seventeen people were injured when a drum of liquid nitrogen exploded during a scientific outreach event, which mixed magic and sci ence, designed to bring science closer to chil dren.

Video footage that was uploaded onto social media showed the exact moment that the mas sive explosion occurred.

Multiple emergency services were immedi ately deployed to the location, including six fire crews from Girona, along with units from the Mossos d’Esquadra and ambulances from the Emergency Medical System (SEM).

Credit: Pixabaysabinevanerp

Satisfaction guaranteed

SPAIN has a satisfaction level of 96 per cent among tourists to the country this summer, ac cording to the latest Visi tor Satisfaction Survey.

The country’s leisure facilities were its most highly rated aspect (94 per cent), followed by its infrastructure (92 per cent).

part of a large family, with 15 brothers. He was chris tened El Patriarca in the Leonese wrestling circles for his longevity and is now the patriarch of Spain.

Best in class

ALMOST half of Spaniards aged 25‐34 have a university degree or equivalent, beating the European average.

The figure has risen by more than eight points in a decade, to 48.7 per cent. The da ta was published in ‘Education at a Glance: The Organisation for Economic Coopera tion and Development (OECD) Indicators 2022’.

The report was presented by the Secre tary of State for Education, Jose Manuel Bar, to the Spanish Government on Mon day, October 3.

In total, 48.7 per cent of young people in the age group will have a higher education qualification in 2021, 8.4 points more than in 2011 and almost 15 points more than in 2000 (34 per cent). This figure is above the average for OECD countries (46.9 per cent) and for the 22 EU countries (45.9 per cent).

North Americans, Latin Americans, British and Irish tourists were the most satisfied and more than half (55 per cent) plan to return in the next 12 months, the Spanish government confirmed on Monday, October 3.

The Minister of Indus try, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said: “Lis tening to the opinion of our international visitors is an essential exercise in order to continue improv ing.

“The high level of satis faction shown by tourists who come to Spain is proof of the high level of professionalism and qual ity of our tourism sector, and should serve as a cat alyst for us to continue improving tourism and progressing towards ex cellence.”

Spain receives a satis faction level of 96 per cent from summer tourists.

OLDEST MAN: Has died in Spain at the grand age of 110.

A NEW report released on September 29 has found that Spain is one of the cheap est countries in Europe for learner drivers.

The study found that Spaniards spend an average of €1,191 learning to drive. Only Polish, Portuguese and Maltese drivers pay less to get their licence. By per centage of yearly income, Spain remains a cheap country to learn to drive. At 8 per

Cheap licence fees

cent of an average yearly income, Spain ranks as 10th cheapest in Europe.

The report crowned Malta as the cheap est country in Europe to learn how to drive, costing just 5 per cent of an annual

Record-breaking siblings

THE Guinness World Records confirmed the new holders of a special record on Thursday September 29. The Hernández‐Pérez siblings broke the record for the highest combined age of 12 living siblings, with a mega total age of 1,058 years, 249 days.

The seven sons and five daughters of Modesto Hernández and Martina Pérez were all born in Moya, Gran Canaria between 1924 and 1946, meaning they are now between 98 and 76.

The siblings were recognised by the local council this summer in a ceremony attended by a notary who recorded their age in preparation for their record attempt. The family said in a statement that the record‐breaking bid began as a joke when the family was gathered in June.

Having their record recognised has helped the

A PROBABLE impact crater has been discov ered in Almeria Province, which would be the first of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula.

Scientists believe a four‐kilometre wide crater in Betic Corrillera was created by a colli sion because of the rock composition in the area. There are around 200 impact craters in the world, but none have been confirmed on the Iberian Peninsula until now.

Project lead, Professor Juan Antonio Sánchez Garrido announced the exciting dis covery at Europlanet Science Congress on Fri day September 23 saying that they believe

siblings to develop an even closer bond, with them hoping to bring recognition to their com munity and heritage.

After confirming the siblings’ age, the Guin ness World Records said that the new record holders surpass the previous Pakistani D’Cruz family’s record by 16 years.

Impact crater found

that an impact event happened around eight million years ago.

The discovery is the culmination of 15 years of research by an international working group of scientists from Spanish universities in Alme ria and Madrid and Danish universities in Copenhagen and Lund.

Sánchez Garrido also highlighted the positive impacts that the discovery could have on the surrounding area, contributing to the scientific and tourism attractions Almeria has to offer.

income. The most expensive country is Sweden, costing more than 13 per cent of an annual salary.

The report investigated the total cost of learning to drive, considering the costs of

lessons, tests, provisional licences and full licence costs, assuming a driver passes the test on the first attempt.

Car insurance company, confused.com conducted the research to investigate learner driving trends in Europe. The full report as well as tips for passing driving tests the first time is available online from confused.com.

New record holders confirmed.

Credit Shutterstock/360b.

THE inheritance tax is usually at the centre of debate. De spite being a state‐owned tax, it is transferred to the au tonomous communities, so that each region is free to es tablish its own deductions and reductions. That way, in identi cal cases, it is not the same to inherit in Madrid, Valencia or Extremadura. In today’s article we will analyse the main inher

We analyse the main Inheritance Tax Reductions in the Community of Valencia. Expert legal advice.

itance tax reductions in the Va lencia Community. To do so, we will refer to Law 13/1997 of 23 December 1997.

Reduction for degree of kin ship

Depending on the relation ship of kinship between the deceased and the heirs, the re ductions to apply differ:

‐ Descendants under 21 years of age will have a reduc tion of €100,000 plus an addi tional €8,000 for each year un der 21. However, there is a limit of €156,000. Meaning that a child of 17 years old would have a reduction of €132,000. The initial €100,000 plus another €32,000.

‐ Sons or daughters over 21 and other descendants, the spouse, and parents (and oth er ascendants) will have a re duction of a maximum of €100,000.

Reduction for disability

People with some type of physical or sensory disability will also be eligible for a reduc tion, depending on the degree of their disability. When it is higher than 33 per cent, the re duction will be up to €120,000. In cases where it is greater than 65 per cent (or the dis

ability is of a mental nature, and higher than 33 per cent), the reduction will be up to €240,000.

This reduction is, at the same time, compatible with the reduction for degree of kinship reduction analysed above.

Reduction for the acquisi tion of companies or shares in certain entities

When inheriting an individu al company, family business, shares in certain entities or agricultural holdings, a reduc tion of 99 per cent can be ap plied. For this to happen, the heirs need to be the spouse, children (or descendants), par ents (or ascendants), siblings, uncles/aunts or nephews/nieces. Also, it is es sential that the business is

maintained during the five years following the inheri tance.

Please note that, depending on the type of company (fami ly business, agricultural ex ploitations, individual compa ny) it will be necessary to fulfil specific additional require ments for each one of them.

Reduction for the purchase of a habitual residence

This is one of the most ap plied reductions in inheri tances. When the habitual res idence of the deceased is inherited, a reduction of 95 per cent of its value can be applied by each heir. However, a limit of €150,000 is set. This means that, for example, if the value of the property is €300,000, the maximum that can be de ducted per heir would be €150,000. This reduction ap plies to widows or widowers, children, parents (ascendants and descendants), or siblings over 65 years of age who have lived with the deceased during

the two years prior to their death.

It is very important to bear in mind that this reduction is conditional on the heirs main taining the home for the fol lowing five years, and not pass ing it on to a third party.

Reduction for the transfer of Valencian cultural heritage assets

If a series of requirements are met, a reduction of up to 95 per cent can be applied when inheriting assets regis tered in the General Register of Assets of Cultural Interest or in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage, etc.

Conclusions

At White‐Baos we are ex perts in inheritance matters. If a relative has passed away, do not hesitate to contact us be fore submitting you tax decla ration to the Tax Agency. We will study your case and offer you expert advice on the main inheritance tax reductions ap plicable in each case.

The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, it simply conveys information related to legal is sues.

‘Megadron’ unveiled

SPAIN’S National Police force has unveiled their new super drone, the largest unmanned aircraft available, nicknamed the ‘Megadron’.

The Megadron went through a testing period

after its acquisition in 2021 and has now passed.

Made in China, it weighs 600 kilos, is powered by electricity, and is capable of reaching 130kph in flight. The drone has the capacity to transport two people inside. Its maxi mum load is 220 kilos and this will be the first time it has been used in Europe by police forces.

Police say it will most likely be used in areas where a helicopter cannot reach due to lack of space. Although it is the largest police drone, it is at the same time a very small air craft with a 5.6‐metre wingspan and standing 1.85m tall.

Officers say the drone may also be used for in vestigating possible nucle ar or chemical spills. Its makers say it can also be used for transportation and could even be com bined with technology which would help it avoid accidents.

Migration deal success

ON Tuesday September 20, the Spanish Min istry for Migration held talks with the Moroc can Ministry for Labour and Migration in Tangi er, with Spanish authorities securing 5,000 more workers than expected. Though the fig ure remains below the numbers requested by employers, the total number of almost 16,000 Moroccan agricultural workers represents a near‐return to pre‐pandemic figures in the mi grant employment sector.

The majority of the workers will be em ployed by strawberry‐growing companies in Huelva Province during the upcoming 2022/23 season. Around 1,000 migrant workers will also be employed in agriculture in Albacete and Segovia.

Head of the Spanish Ministry for Migration, Santiago Yerga said the deal was a success and

highlighted the importance of cooperation be tween Spain and Morocco. He said “investing in mutually beneficial migration deals helps to guarantee a future for the migrants and to stop illegal immigration routes.”

Moroccan authorities will now begin a pre liminary selection process to find eligible candi dates for the work. The positions are typically filled by young women.

118% food hike

SPAIN’S food prices have risen at record rates according to the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), who said that sunflower oil had risen the most at 118 per cent.

They add that in general terms prices have risen far quicker than consumers are used to, with items like cleaning products rising 15.3 per cent, the fastest in 34 years.

But it is those products worst affected by the war in Ukraine that have seen the biggest jump,

led by the extraordinary rise in sunflower oil prices. Other products that have seen big jumps include muffins (75 per cent), margarine (75 per cent), bananas (64 per cent), pasta (56 per cent), olive oil (53 per cent), flour (50 per cent) and eggs (47 per cent).

The OCU says there has never been a better time to shop around with the average consumer able to save as much as €994 a year just by changing their shopping habits.

YOUNG WOMEN: Typically fill the positions.

Photo credit: Rido / shutterstock.com

Short working week

A TRIAL being carried out in the UK into the effectiveness of a four‐day working week appears to be proving a success for the companies involved.

The largest pilot scheme towards bring ing in a four‐day working week was launched in the United Kingdom in June. It is a six‐month trial that more than 70 companies signed up for.

At the halfway point of the trial, the or ganisers have conducted a survey of the companies participating in the experi ment.

Of the total surveyed, 88 per cent of re

spondents said that the four‐day week is working ‘well’ for their business at this stage of the test. Another 46 per cent of respondents said their business productiv ity had ‘remained at the same level’, while 34 per cent reported that it had ‘improved slightly’, while 15 per cent said that it had ‘improved significantly’.

When it was asked if they would, at this point of the trial, consider maintaining the four‐day week, 86 per cent of respon dents said that they would be ‘extremely likely’ or ‘likely’ to do that after the trial period concluded.

Heathrow plane crash

AN emergency was de clared at Heathrow Air port on Wednesday, September 28 after two planes taxiing on the apron collided.

Footage on social me dia suggests the two air liners collided around 8pm resulting in emer gency crews being scram bled to the scene.

The airport confirmed the incident saying that the two planes were not involved in a head‐on collision but that one air craft scraped the side of the other.

Passengers on the plane told one publica tion that the wing of one plane hit the other, but that the damage

was not serious.

According to passen gers, it appears one plane passed by the oth er too close resulting in the wing being hit. One said: “I was watching out the window thinking we were awful close to the tail for a parked plane.

“And then it looked like we grazed it.”

New price highs

THE British Retail Con sortium (BRC) reported on Wednesday Septem ber 28 that price rises in shops and supermarkets had risen to their highest level since records began back in 2005, increasing to 5.7 per cent from Au gust’s 5.1 per cent.

Speaking on behalf of the industry, the BRC said that the increase had been led by food prices which had risen by 10.6 per cent on the back of the war in Ukraine.

Inflated costs of key raw materials such as fertiliser, animal feed and vegetable oils had the BRC said, pushed the cost of food production upwards.

The consumer price in dex produced by the Of fice for National Statis tics (ONS) covers a broader range of prod ucts than the BRC sur vey.

By its measure infla

tion hit a 40‐year high of 10.1 per cent in July be fore easing back to 9.9 per cent in August.

The mini‐budget with its tax cuts and high bor rowings pushed the

pound down by nearly 8 per cent, which will fur ther add to the import element of inflation.

That could see UK shop prices race to even more new highs in October.

Movie star Terry Stone

WITH not one but two films premiering at this year’s Marbella International Film Festival, the Euro Weekly News sat down to talk to actor and producer Terry Stone.

Stone, whose life’s story takes in music, movies and some seriously sharp business moves, explained his road to success was not an obvious one, leaving school with no qualifi cations to start out in a fast food chain. As the actor joked to the EWN, “Ronald McDonald gave me my start in life.”

He quickly wanted more however, moving into sales with a lucrative income until the re cession hit in the 80s, which he said left him with nothing. “For a year it felt like the world had ended,” said Stone.

Still in his 20s, Terry was determined to en joy life however and found himself joining the rave scene. At a time when a night out tradi tionally meant, “a club with a sticky carpet, some bad music and then a kebab,” Terry said he found the music and culture of the emerg ing rave movement a breath of fresh air.

He explained: “There were no fights, every one was friendly and there was a great vibe.”

Getting involved, first as a leaflet tout and then as a promoter and organiser, Stone turned raves into a multi­million pound busi

ness, founding the brand One Nation and lat er Rave Nation and Garage Nation.

Now well­known in the UK for his raves, Terry said was tiring of the non­stop hours and increasingly different vibe when he met his now wife, who said that at nearly 30 it was time to get out.

Having sold the business, Terry was now in a position to do what he wanted and em barked on a career in acting, finding himself an agent and acting classes. Within his first year he had two appearances in EastEnders as well as several other mainstream TV gigs un der his belt.

Realising he had only made €8,000 in that year however, Terry turned his business mind to the problem and after a friend pointed out he’d spent years successfully attracting in vestors and promoting One Nation, Terry re alised he could make his own movies.

Starting with One Man and His Dog, which he says, “was like going to film school,” Terry continued creating his own work until one day he was reading the book Rise of the Foot soldier, and realised it would make a great film.

Buying the rights, Terry launched the huge ly successful Rise of the Footsoldier franchise

which has now spread to five films. This en during series has starred Vinny Jones, Craig Fairbrass, and of course Terry himself.

Speaking about his life now, Terry said: “I still get offered plenty of roles but I like having control over what I choose to work on or not.

“I get the best of both worlds really now and there is plenty more coming in 2023, so stay tuned.”

uing to create his own films as well as ex ploring his musical roots with two films at this year’s Marbella International Film Festi val.

The Last Heist will premiere at Red Dog Cin emas in Puerto Banus on Friday, October 7, while 25 Years of Garage premieres at the same venue on Saturday, October 8.

For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.co.uk

Credit: Terry Stone

TERRY STONE: The actor created the successful Rise of the Footsoldier franchise.

TONY TUCKER: Stone as his memorable Rise of a Footsoldier character.

Credit: Terry Stone

Feeling the pinch Mortgage products pulled

Betty Henderson

A REPORT into the cost of living crisis has found that 94 per cent of British people will be forced to make changes to their household financial management this winter. SellCell released a report on September 28, in which 3,000 UK residents were asked about their spending to learn more about supporting people to save money.

The survey asked partici

pants to name measures they would take to save money. The results showed that over 70 per cent will be reducing household heating or turning it off, 62 per cent will be reducing electricity use. Other spending mea sures were mentioned in cluding cutting out social spending, stopping clothes shopping, stopping sub scription services, and sell ing possessions including cars.

Almost a quarter of re spondents said they were extremely worried about spending pressures at Christmas time with a huge 71 per cent saying they would cut Christmas spend ing this year.

The survey also found that almost 75 per cent of respondents did not feel the government is doing enough to support people through the cost of living cri sis.

Mortimer health update

Peter McLaren­Kennedy COMEDIAN Bob Mortimer has given an update on his health after he was hospi talised over the weekend of September 24 and 25.

Speaking at a Leicester Square podcast, Mortimer, who underwent a triple heart bypass in 2015, explained he had been overdoing it with work when he fell ill.

While shooting his popular Gone Fish ing show alongside Paul Whitehouse,

Mortimer said that filming Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday had proved too much.

The star is also reportedly suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which he was initally diagnosed with 40 years ago.

He said that had returned recently after living for decades without it.

The condition is believed to have re turned in September, affecting his joints, hands and feet.

A RECORD 935 mortgage products were pulled in the last week of September as UK finan cial markets remained in turmoil.

Experts claim banks had been pushed into making the unprece dented move after the chancellor’s mini­bud get sent the markets in to a tailspin.

The Bank of England responding to the col lapse in the pound had said it would do what ever it needed to do to protect the pound and to keep the inflation rate within the target 2 per cent. That led to fears of sharp rate in creases.

Government bonds which influence the cost lenders pay to borrow money have risen quick ly as a result of the Bank’s intervention. That has made it diffi cult for bankers to price mortgages.

Experts say this could now have an effect on house prices with aver ages expected to fall by around 10 per cent.

The record number of mortgage products

pulled surpasses the 80s financial crisis which saw borrowing costs rise to unprecedented levels and a massive slump in the housing market.

Labour’s poll surge

Good news for Keir Starmer.

€16,000 golden find

A METAL detectorist who unearthed an old gold coin was over the moon when it sold for £16,000 at an auction in London on Friday, September 30.

The old gold coin he unearthed on a muddy field was initially expected to go for around £30,000 at Noonan’s auction house in London.

Mick Edwards was enjoying a trip away on his 35th wedding anniversary when he decided to take a morning stroll with his metal detector around the fields of the farm they were staying at in Etchilhampton, near the town of Devizes in Wiltshire.

Mick has already agreed to split the proceeds with the Wilt shire landowner.

His discovery dates to between 1495 and 1521 and is believed to be the first of its kind ever dug up in Britain. A Latin inscription on the gold coin translates as: ‘In this sign shall we conquer’. It weighs around 30 grams and has a diameter of 36mm. The Por tuguese coin was buried in about 10 inches of mud when Mick located it.

Peter McLaren­Kennedy RESULTS from the latest YouGov Times poll on Fri day, September 30 put the Labour Party 33 points ahead, the biggest lead en joyed by the party since 1998 during the early Tony Blair years. Interestingly the poll found that 17 per cent of those who had voted for Boris Johnson said they would now vote Labour.

A Survation poll put the Labour lead at 21 points, the biggest Labour lead the poll sters have ever recorded with 49 per cent saying that would vote for Labour against 28 per cent for the Tories. Similar results came from a Deltapoll / Mirror poll.

Worryingly for the Liberal Democrats, the YouGov / Times poll found that up to 50 per cent of those who voted for the party in 2019 said they would now vote Labour.

It also found that 26 per cent of Tory voters did not know who to vote for.

A NEW admission by the British Home Office on Mon day September 26 has cast doubt over claims made by Priti Patel during her tenure as home secretary. Patel claimed to have made a deal with Albanian authorities to immediately deport Albanian asylum seekers who had made ‘spurious’ asylum claims.

Lawyers from NGO Care4Calais asked the Home Office to review the policy

PASSENGERS travelling to the USA from Gatwick Airport can now book flights to New York JFK with Delta Air Lines after the operator announced its return to the London air port from next April.

Delta will be operating a daily service out of New York on Monday April 10, 2023, with the first return flight de parting from London Gatwick the following day.

Delta last operated from Gatwick in 2012, flying to At

Deportation confusion

and received a concession in response, that it does not have the power to fast‐track deportations of Albanian refugees. The Home Office also confirmed that immi grants arriving by boat can not be classified as ‘illegal im migrants’.

Figures showed that 53 per cent of asylum claims made

by Albanians in the UK were accepted, revealing that the Home Office does consider Albania unsafe for many ap plicants. The policy u‐turn means that the UK does ac cept asylum applications from Albanian refugees.

As Home Secretary, Patel advocated for increasingly draconian policies to combat

Gatwick to JFK

lanta, Georgia and has a rich history with Gatwick ‐ the first destination of its inaugural transatlantic flights back in 1978. JFK is Delta’s primary transatlantic gateway hub, providing passengers with the opportunity not only to ex plore the dynamic, vibrant city of New York, but also for onwards travel to many transcontinental destinations,

including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Stewart Wingate, CEO, of Gatwick Airport said: “We are thrilled to welcome Delta Air Lines back to Gatwick.

“Delta is a huge name in the transatlantic market and being able to offer passengers the opportunity to travel with them between Gatwick and New York City is fantastic.”

Health check-up warning

BRITS are likely to ignore health problems to avoid ‘causing a fuss’ according to a report re leased on Wednesday September 28.

Brits are being urged to check on their health after a report found that nearly a third of British adults have ignored a symptom of a potential condition to avoid ‘making a fuss’. It also re vealed that only a third of British adults regular ly check for health problems.

Research conducted by Benenden Health asked 2,000 British adults about their health to develop understanding about healthcare use and encourage individuals to check out poten

tially dangerous symptoms.

The survey investigated the reasons for ig noring concerning symptoms, finding that 30 per cent did so due to lack of GP appointments and 28 per cent for being ‘too British’ and not wanting a fuss. The survey also found that the symptom Brits were most likely to seek medi cal advice for was chest pain, with 59 per cent saying they would visit a doctor for this.

The report has been released in partnership with Channel 4’s new ‘Time for a check in’ cam paign, encouraging British people to check on their health.

immigration to the UK, in cluding wave machines to push back migrant boats, off shore processing and deten tion facilities. The controver sial proposal to deport refugees to Rwanda is still being challenged.

REFUGEES: Outgoing Home Secretary’s Albanian deportation policy facing questions.

Photo credit: Malcolm P Chapman / shutterstock.com

Bourbon Street Stompers

AUDITORI Teulada Moraira is happy to present The Bour bon Street Stompers, who will be performing on Sunday, Oc tober 16 at 7.00pm.

The Bourbon Street Stompers, who are based in Ger many, are recognised as one of the most prestigious septets of traditional jazz in Europe.

With 28 years of experience behind them, they always de liver great New Orleans Jazz and swing.

Their repertoire has systematically returned to the roots of another era in the chronology of Jazz: the true source of clas sic New Orleans music of the 1920s and 1930s ­ Hot Jazz.

The live performances of the band are not only convincing but also add to the street style of Old New Orleans with cos tumes and history.

Tickets are available from the box office or online at: https://entradas.instanticket.es.

Soul songs

TICKETS are now available for ‘Soul Songs’ in Denia.

Multidisciplinary Spanish artist Teresa Juan Lopez performs her new show in English entitled ‘Soul Songs’.

Showing at the Teatro Auditorio in Denia on Wednesday, October 12 at 8.00pm.

The ‘Soul Songs’ show started from Teresa Juan

Lopez’s bilingual book ‘Can tos del alma/Soul Songs’ which honours women and has been described as: “A great poetic script that uni fies differences between gender and praises the beauty of the soul.”

An audiobook with mu sic goes with this publica tion and has been record ed by the author in the studio.

Gamer World Festival

GAMER WORLD FESTIVAL and Calpe join forces to pre sent its luxurious LAN Party.

The magic kicks off on November 10 until November 13 at the Hotel AR Diamante, Calpe.

Gamer World Festival, the esports and video games festi val is pleased to announce that the Local Area Network (LAN) Party will host more than 100 booths for gaming fans.

The VALORANT Amazon tournament promises to bring the most prominent figures in Riot Games’ shooter content creation. The tournament al so has a charitable purpose

which will raise funds for the fight against cancer.

The festival doesn’t stop with esports, on the same stage, there will also be a League of Legends competi tion, led by one of the most famous faces of MOBA, elde labarradepan (UncleBarry).

During the LAN Party at the

AR Diamante Hotel (Calpe), there will also be a Meet & Greet with the most impor tant figures of both tourna ments, contests and some other surprises that can’t be revealed yet.

For further information or tickets go to: https://gwfesti val.com/entradas.

Celebrate Valencia Day

THE celebration is presented with a pro gramme centred on Valencian identity and tra dition on Sunday, October 9.

Denia Town Hall, in collaboration with local and regional entities, has organised different activities with the enjoyment and participation of people of all ages in mind.

Music, children’s games, a series of confer

ences and guided tours through the heritage and a giant paella to share in the street are some of the proposals attendees will find.

The programme will be completed with the offer of lectures and guided tours around De nia. All guided tours with open­air lectures re quire prior registration. This can be done by calling (+34) 966 420 260.

Celebrations in Polop

SUNDAY O ctober 9 is the day of the Va lencian Community and Polop City Coun cil has some activi ties planned to cele brate.

This year the event will start on Satur day, October 8, in the afternoon with a performance by Pep Gimeno.

On Sunday, Octo ber 9, festivities will begin at 1.00pm with the civic pa rade from the town hall to the Plaza de la Purísima.

At 2.00pm local food such as typical rice with beans and turnips will be avail able.

In the afternoon from 4.30pm, a per formance of the TOIX Group can be enjoyed.

Celebrations taking place in Polop.

Image: Rizar el pixel/Shutterstock.com

Image: Gamer World Festival

LAN PARTY: The esports and video games festival.

‘Expoart Patchwork’

THE sewing event will take place on October 7, 8 and 9.

Castalla Town Council has programmed three days dedi cated to the art of patchwork, a form of sewing which con sists of sewing pieces of fabric together to create a larger de sign.

On October 7, 8 and 9, the town will host exhibitions, raf fles and music related to this discipline in the Casa de Cul tura.

The councillor for Culture responsible for Castalla, Maite Gimeno, confirmed that “we invite the whole population to participate in the activities we have programmed.

“It would be great if you were to attend the exhibi tions of ‘ExpoArt Patchwork’

to know the work behind these creations made by the women of Castalla.”

On Friday, October 7 from 7.30pm until 9.30pm. The ex hibition can be visited in the Casa de Cultura.

The Santa Cecilia concert is also scheduled to take place on Friday, October 7, at 8.30

in the Municipal Auditorium.

Throughout the weekend there will also be an exhibi tion of lithophany lamps in ‘la pecera’ (the fishbowl) in the municipal park.

Finally, on Sunday, the exhi bition can be visited in the morning, between 10.00am and 2.00pm.

‘Avant-garde Context’

THE exhibition ‘Avant­garde Context’ from the IVAM Collection in Valencia.

Alicante’s Museum of Contemporary Arts will present three works by the artist Joaquín Torres­García, belonging to the avant­garde period from the IVAM collection in Valencia.

The collection will be on display from Fri day, September 30, until Thursday, Novem ber 10, with free entry.

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Ali cante (MACA) is located at Pl. Sta. María 3, 03002 Alicante.

The IVAM has one of the most unique col lections in Spain from the historical period of the avant­garde from 1914 to 1945. It has an

important presence of international artists who advocated abstract experimentation as a creative practice to situate art in modernity while Paris once again became the centre of the international avant­garde.

At the MACA, the presence of avant­garde works is limited to a small number of pieces by artists of great importance and quality, brought together by Eusebio Sempere with great effort.

However, due to their small number, the historical and aesthetic vision is very fragmen tary and does not allow for in­depth knowl edge of the languages and proposals of the avant­garde.

Mutxatapa returns

THE TAPAS Route will return to Muchamiel until October 16. Mutxatapa is a gastro nomic tourism product that over time has established it self as one of the main attrac tions in the events calendar of Muchamiel.

In selected bars and restau rants you will be able to enjoy a tapa and drink price of €3. Mutxatapa 2022 will have 20 establishments divided in to two groups by geographi cal location. These are:

TOWN CENTRE AREA: Pub Essen, Bar Simon, Cafetería la Llagrima, Bar Rosa, Cafetería La Iglesia, Les Tapes de la Iaia, Molimar I, Molimar II, Moli mar Plaza, L'Esquineta, Rip mar, Cervecería Mutxamel,

Ca Pinto, Bon Profit, El Canyar de les Portelles, Cafeteria Molí and Bruno Carusso.

URBANISATION AREA: Pizzería Belladona, Restau rante Bonalba Golf and Restaurante Aeroclub.

Given the success of previ ous editions, the Tourist Train will be running again on Fri

days and Saturdays, from 8.00pm until 10.00pm, with the aim of bringing visitors to the participating establish ments and showing them the old quarter of the town.

All the information related to Mutxatapa 2022 can be found at www.ayto.mutxam el.org.

PATCHWORK: Pieces

fabric

TAPAS

Magnum Concert Productions present ‘Queen Forever’ featuring ‘Chess’

MAGNUM CONCERT Productions are very pleased to once again present Queen Forever featuring ‘Chess’ on Tuesday November 8 at 8pm.

Chess are renowned for their amazing trib ute to the Super Group ‘Queen’ and perform all the classic hits that earned Queen the rep utation of being the Champions!

This magnificent show will be staged in a new venue which is the Teatre Auditorio in Beniarbeig. (Please note, this is in Beniarbeig not Benidoleig) This is a new venture for us, and is a very exciting project.

The theatre is brand new and is a fabulous auditorium, it is located literally five minutes from the Ondara shopping centre and has a capacity of 300 in lovely air conditioned com

fort. It has fabulous acoustics and is located near bars and restaurants, with plenty of free parking. Profits will go to local charities includ ing the Teulada Alzheimer’s Centre.

Tickets are priced at €20. For information and to book your seats email: magnum.con certs@gmail.com

Or call 618 017 201.

So come along and see a great show, in a lovely theatre.

Many thanks for your support and I hope to see you soon. You can join our mailing list which will give you prior notification of all our future events by emailing: magnum.con certs@gmail.com

Peter Johnson

CEO Magnum Concert Productions.

Painting alfresco

AN outdoor painting contest will be held at the Historic Cen tre of Calpe Department of Culture in Calpe Town Hall. En try is free but registration is compulsory before Friday, Oc tober 14.

Attendees must arrive for the contest on Saturday, Oc tober 15, bewteen 9.00am and 10.00am.

Outdoor painting contest.

There will be three different entry categories with prize money for the winners.

If you are a budding artist and would like more informa tion or to register your entry, email: infocultura@ajcalp.es

The winning art from the contest can be viewed at cul tura.calp.es.

A gastronomic journey for lovers of great food

TRAVEL through a gastronomic journey of different culinary tradi tions and flavours, surprising your senses and delighting your palate, at No­Mad in the heart of Albir. Their innovative dishes are accom panied by an amazing selection of wines, many of them from the Cos ta Blanca region, made with grapes and processes as innovative as their dishes!

Serving up fresh international snacks, tapas, breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, No­Mad Albir is a hub of innovation and incredible tastes close to the beautiful and bustling promenade of Alfaz del Pi.

With a new terrace to enjoy the brilliant Costa Blanca sunshine, NoMad is the perfect place to enjoy mouth­watering cocktails, fresh poke bowls and salads, juicy meats and perfectly cooked fish in an un beatable atmosphere.

No­Mad loves great food and this is obvious when you try their

dishes! Taste their poke bowls of Hawaiian origin, a fresh and healthy dish that contains rice and marinated raw fish including tuna and salmon or vegetarian falafel, accompanied by fresh vegetables and wakame seaweed. Or try their colourful meat or veggie salads pre pared with the freshest and most local ingredients, designed to satis fy all tastes. All options offer the possibility of opting for a vegetarian

version and cre ating your own perfect meal.

For carnivores, the talented chefs at NoMad prepare the meat with all the dedication and time necessary on the grill to offer you an unforget table experience, including burgers and fajitas. Choose from juicy mari nated chicken or steak cooked to your taste, and sauces such as pep

percorn, creamy mushroom, classic Roquefort or smooth and flavourful béarnaise.

More of a lover of fish? At NoMad you will find the fish that best suits your taste, from seared red tu na tataki with toasted black and white sesame to the classic Meu nière sole. Not to mention their

amazing tapas selection including croquettes, tempura prawns, Mexi can tacos and an unusual offering of great Dutch croquettes and bit tergarnituur (Dutch tapas).

Got a sweet tooth? Finish your meal with No­Mad’s decadent desserts including Dutch apple pie, cheesecake with berries and vanilla ice cream dipped in warm choco late syrup.

No­Mad also has great live music performances, where you can en joy your meal or some drinks with their singer providing you with an unforgettable show!

At No­Mad, you can celebrate birthdays, company dinners or spe cial parties in their restaurant or on their terrace, with personalised menus according to your prefer ences.

Due to its popularity, we recom mend booking your table at NoMad. Take your palate on a journey that fills the senses!

Tamsin Brown

CELEBRATED on Monday September 26, the Euro pean Day of Languages is a means of promoting awareness among the general public of the im portance of language learning and protecting the linguistic heritage of Europe.

According to a recently released Eurostat report with data from 2020, the majority of pupils in pri mary, lower secondary and upper secondary edu cation in the EU study at least one foreign lan guage, with 96.1 per cent,

English language most commonly studied.

98.4 per cent and 90.3 per cent, respectively.

In 2020, 60 per cent of pupils in upper secondary

English in the lead World Heart Day

school in the EU studied two or more foreign lan guages as compulsory sub jects. This was 100 per cent in Luxembourg and France, 99 per cent in Ro mania, Finland and Czechia and 98 per cent in Slovakia and Estonia.

English was the most commonly studied foreign language at this level, with 96 per cent of students learning it. Spanish ranked second (27 per cent), Rus sian was the non‐EU lan guage most commonly learned (3 per cent).

Humanitarian solutions

THE EU unites the hu manitarian community ahead of the winter and concerns about the fall out of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

A meeting between key EU crisis manage ment figures opened on September 26 to discuss EU strategy to deal with the crisis and its humani tarian issues.

Betty Henderson

WORLD HEART DAY takes place every year on Septem ber 29, putting the spotlight on heart conditions which are currently the leading cause of death in the EU and in many countries globally. This year the EU is marking the day by telling residents to ‘Listen to your heart’.

The EU’s Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides spoke this week to raise awareness about cardiovascu lar conditions and the importance of good heart health. She called heart conditions “one of the greatest health challenges of our time”, saying that six million more cases are diagnosed each year, with 1.8 million yearly deaths from cardiovascular diseases.

Kyriakides highlighted the importance of heart health in the context of the pandemic saying that cardiovascu lar illnesses increased people’s chances of dying of Covid‐19. She encouraged people to take care of their heart health in their daily lives to avoid increased risk of other conditions.

Heart health is a crucial part of the EU’s Beating Can cer Plan and the body regularly conducts research into cardiovascular conditions.

The European Com missioner for Crisis Man agement, Janez Lenarčič will work with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Olha Stefanishyna to dis cuss and coordinate re sponses to the conflict. The delegation will dis cuss likely challenges and ways to overcome them.

Organisations partici pating include the Red Cross, the World Bank, EU funded organisations and other individual or ganisations.

Lenarčič highlighted the challenges ahead saying, “The upcoming winter will be one of the harshest Ukrainians are ever going to face, they will be threatened by freezing temperatures due to damaged housing and heating systems and the Commission hopes to create a “continue supporting Ukraine through the hardships.”

Classical music award

SPANISH musical sym phony project is one of the winners of the Euro pean Union’s biggest cultural heritage prizes.

Spanish musical pro ject ‘Symphony’ was awarded a top prize at the European Cultural Heritage award ceremo ny held at the iconic Prague State Opera on September 27.

The musical project won the ‘Grand Prix’ prize for Digital Transfor mation. ‘Symphony’ was a project offering immersive audio‐visual experiences to bring tra ditional classical music to life for modern audi ences. Prizegivers praised the ‘cutting‐edge technology’ devel opers used in the pro ject.

Other projects award ed in the ceremony were an international team’s computer sys tem to improve re search into European silk heritage, a Bulgarian project which opened Sofia’s riverbed to the public, and an Italian team who hiked and documented the 8,000km‐long Sentiero.

Prize winners receive a cash prize of €10,000 after being selected by a judging panel.

Europe’s busiest airport

ISTANBUL Airport was named the busiest air port in Europe once again during the week between September 19 to Septem ber 25. The airport served thousands of pas sengers operating a daily average of 1,286 flights.

Second on the list was Amsterdam Schipol with 1,272 flights, followed by Paris’ Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt Airport and London Heathrow.

Airport CEO, Kadri Sam

sunlu, stated that the air port has now served more than 47 million pas sengers in 2022.

Turkish Airlines is the largest flight operator at the airport and is a popu lar choice with tourists, coming within 1 per cent of its pre‐pandemic oper ations.

The airline was also re cently awarded a prize as Europe’s best carrier at the World Airline Awards recently.

This comes at the end of a busy summer season for the airport. Turkey is a top choice holiday des tination, particularly with tourists hoping for a last minute getaway as the weather remains reliably sunny and warm in many parts of the country.

Istanbul is a destina tion of choice for many tourists given its rich his tory, vibrant culture and proximity to beautiful beaches.

Royal grandchildren lose titles

QUEEN MARGRETHE of Denmark has taken four of her eight grandchil dren’s royal titles away from them so that they can “shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being lim ited by the special consid erations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution in volves.”

A statement released by the Danish royal family on Wednesday September 28 said: “As of January 1 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Mon pezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of

Denmark ceasing to ex ist.”

Nikolai (aged 23), Felix (20), Henrik (13) and Athena (10) are the chil dren of Queen Mar grethe’s youngest son, Prince Joachim, from two different marriages.

The mother of Prince

Joachim’s two eldest sons, Countess Alexandra, told local media she was “shocked” at the news. “This came from out of the blue. The children feel excluded. They can’t un derstand why their identi ty is being taken from them,” she said.

Queen Margrethe and three of her grandsons in 2010.

Wildlife warning

ANIMAL welfare leaders have issued a warning that EU coun tries remain top destinations for stolen wildlife, urging govern ments to close loopholes that allow exploitative practices to con tinue.

A report released on Tuesday September 27 stated that the European Union is a “main hub” for the trade of stolen wildlife and exposed EU countries as “complicit” in the smuggling of na tionally protected species. The report is based on case studies in cluding wildlife trafficked from Cuba, the Philippines, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco. Three animal welfare organisations produced and commissioned the report; the Humane Society In ternational/Europe, IFAW and Pro Wildlife. They argue that cur rent legislation is allowing the import and onward trade of ille gally bred and traded animals into the EU.

The phenomenon is particularly notable in the exotic pet trade where wealthy owners take drastic measures that ulti mately drive wildlife trafficking.

The report demands the EU prohibits the import, sales, pur chase and possession of wildlife that has been illegally sourced in the country of origin. The European Parliament have proposed several motions in support of the EU adopting such a policy in law.

New round of strikes

Betty Henderson

A NATIONAL strike has been called in France over ongoing dis putes about pay for teaching and transport staff. Primary school teachers, train and bus workers and nuclear power industry work ers walked out of the workplace on Thursday September 29 to de mand a pay rise.

The strike is the largest walk‐out since President Emmanuel Macron won re‐election in April and is being seen as a test to gauge union strength. Teachers and transport workers demand that the government addresses concerns related to the cost of liv

Macron’s previous administration was repeatedly tested with strikes.

ing crisis and sky‐high energy bills by increasing pay.

Striking workers marched on

the streets with posters calling on the government to increase wages in line with inflation. One in 10 schools in Paris were closed on Thursday while 300 in the Mar seille region were closed.

Unions are also protesting a proposed government bill to push back the retirement age from 62 to 65. Phillipe Martinez, head of the CGT union, said that it was an outrage to raise the retirement age while unemployment remains rife.

It remains unclear how Macron’s government will deal with a fresh round of strike ac tion.

Cancer screening

THE European Health Union is ramping up its efforts to prevent deaths from cancer with a screening policy.

The European Commis sion proposed a new policy ‘Screening more and screen ing better’ as part of its Eu rope’s Beating Cancer plan. The plan aims to identify cancer cases at the earliest stage possible to stop deaths and replace its current 20 year old strategy from Friday September 20.

Under the new proposal, 90 per cent of people eligible for cancer screening will be offered screening appoint ments by 2025. Targeted screening will be expanded

to look for prostate, gastric and lung cancers. Age groups offered screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal can cer will be broadened ac cording to latest medical re search. Screening will also be expanded for lung, prostate and gastric cancer based on lifestyle or other risk factors identified by doctors.

The plans will make use of €38.5 million from the EU4Health fund and €60 mil lion from Horizon Europe to implement increased screen ing. The European Commis sion also pledged its commit ment to equality of access to treatment in a timely fashion as well as aftercare.

Photo

PRESSEUROPEAN

DENMARK

Drone power

RUDOLPH may soon be out of a job as the Danish Post Office is currently testing the delivery of small parcels by fixed wing drones which can travel at more than 100 kmh and if successful, they may be scaled up to allow for the delivery of much heavier parcels.

THE NETHERLANDS

Menthol cigarettes

THE May 2020 European Union ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes saw many menthol smokers in Holland giving up according to research undertaken by scientific journal Tobacco Control, which involved 1,300 Dutch smokers. Those with a craving for menthol can however still purchase them in Gibraltar.

BELGIUM

Winter Wonders

DESPITE the fact that Covid figures are starting to increase, Brussels is already looking forward to its 21st Winter Wonders festivities which will run from November 25 to January 1 to include the light show, cultural activities and ice rink as well as markets.

GERMANY

Difficult future

AS German politicians make it clear that they are in favour of offering asylum to Russians who want to escape being called up to Putin’s reserve armies, the large number of Ukrainians who have already found refuge in that country are worried about their future safety.

FRANCE

Bullfighting

WITH the main focus being on stopping bullfighting in Spain, not many people realise that there are a number of regular bullfights across much of France which are supported financially by the French government. Now one MP is tabling a bill to see the practice abolished.

NORWAY

Crab is King

ONE benefit of the rising prices in shops is that Norway’s King Crab fisherman have not only seen demand rise but also the income they obtain from netting this popular delicacy and by the end of September they had earned more than they did during 2021.

FINLAND Chinese cards

SAVVY Russians who have been unable to use their MasterCard and Visa credit cards due to sanctions have discovered that if they possess a Chinese card UnionPay, they can pop across the border with Finland and use it to download money from cash machines there.

IRELAND

United Ireland

NOW that the 2021 census figures have revealed that for the first time since partition, Catholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called for a poll to give Ulster residents the chance to decide on the possibility of a unified island.

ITALY

AstroSam

ITALIAN astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti known by the nickname AstroSam has become the first European woman to command the International Space Station (ISS) with effect from September 28, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced as she assumed control in a televised ceremony beamed back to Earth.

PORTUGAL

Moroccan deal

WITH a continued shortage of labour especially in the agricultural sector, the Portuguese and Moroccan governments have launched a pilot project whereby 400 Moroccans will be granted admission to Portugal to work, after receiving necessary training and will be given help to learn the language.

UKRAINE

Water tax

A DRAFT bill going through Lithuania’s Parliament to slap a 1c tax on water which would have raised €4,000 a day to assist the reconstruction of the Ukraine has been dropped as it was decided that it would be too complicated to implement.

SWEDEN

Sabotage

SWEDISH Foreign Minister Ann Linde has announced that three leaks on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines were due to explosions and whilst police have been instructed to investigate, the Swedish government has not ruled out the possibility of sabotage by persons as yet unknown.

BUSINESS EXTRA The Break FINANCE

Tax cuts

IN a statement made on Thursday September 29, the Spanish Minister of Finance Maria Jesus Montero confirmed that from next year, the government will reduce income tax for those earning up to €21,000 per year which should benefit some 50 per cent of all those employed and there will be changes for the self‐employed.

Food banks

AS food prices continue to rise, more Spanish families are finding it difficult to afford to feed themselves and are turning to food banks for assistance but in a ‘Catch 22’ situation, there are less donations although the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund has committed to supply 50.7 million kilos of food.

EV problem

A STUDY by researchers at Stanford University in the USA has come to the conclusion that with the expected growth of sale of electric vehicles over the next decade, there will be a problem with a huge surge in demand as owners recharge at night once home, possibly overloading the grids.

VAT reduction

BOWING to a long‐standing wish by Podemos, the Spanish Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz announced on her Twitter account that the next budget will include a decision to reduce VAT on feminine hygiene products from 10 per cent to 4 per cent (known as the ‘pink rate’).

Windfall tax

THE European Union has agreed in principle to allow members to introduce short term emergency measures to charge energy firms on their record profits. The plan is to raise funds from taxation to allow countries to increase their support for those most affected by the cost‐of‐living increases and to reduce energy consumption.

King Charles III coin

THE first of the new King Charles III coins have been revealed by the Royal Mint, which will start to enter circulation from December this year.

Announced on Friday September 30, the Royal Mint said that the first to bear the new King’s like ness will be a new 50p coin.

In keeping with tradi tion, the image will show the King looking to the left and in the opposite direction to those bear ing an image of Queen Elizabeth II.

The reverse of the coin features a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown and includes the four quarters of the Roy al Arms depicted within a shield. It depicts the four nations with a rose, a

thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

A commemorative £5 coin is also to be released which features two new portraits of the late Queen on the reverse side, a younger and an older picture.

According to Nicola Howell, Chief Commer cial Officer at the Royal

Mint, King Charles worked closely with the sculptor Martin Jennings to design the new coins. He is also said to have personally approved the designs and the effigy.

Inscribed with the Latin: “CHARLES III: D: G: REX: F: D: 5 POUNDS: 2022” this translates to: “King Charles III, by the

Grace of God, Defender of the Faith.”

Ms Howell said: “We expect customers will start to be able to receive the commemorative range from October and then we expect the 50p memorial circulating coin to be appearing in peo ple’s change probably from December.”

THE Ministry of Industry, Com merce and Tourism, through the Foundation of the School of Indus trial Organisation (EOI) and the col laboration of Impact Hub Madrid, has launched a programme to at tract Female Entrepreneurship in Spain.

The objectives of ‘The Break’ are to contribute to reducing the gen der gap in entrepreneurship, learn ing and improving the projects of the participating women en trepreneurs and the creation of a European network of women en trepreneurs known as the breaker community, to create business and opportunities.

After sharing experiences in their innovation projects, the en trepreneurs will develop them in 12 local communities and the pro gramme, financed by Next Gener ation EU funds, is part of the Gov ernment’s Recovery and Resilience Plan with a budget of €10 million.

Inflation fall

SPAIN’S Consumer Price Index for September is currently at 9 per cent according to an initial forecast released on Thursday September 29 by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This compares to the final August figure of 10.5 per cent and whilst still high is heading in the right direction.

ON October 1, crucial changes to the UK’s Right to Work legislation became law and this could have a major impact on the already diffi cult process of employing new staff.

According to government‐certi fied digital identity provider Xydus many businesses don’t appreciate the requirements of the new law and could find themselves in consid erable difficulty.

Prior to the pandemic, the majori ty of Right to Work checks were conducted in person as required un der Home Office rules and prospec tive employees showed documents providing evidence of their right to work to employers who stored a copy.

During the pandemic, temporary adjustments were made to these requirements in order for remote work to be facilitated, and help businesses continue to hire in lock down.

For the first time ever, in‐person checks were permitted to be carried

out over video calls, and job appli cants were able to send a photo of their documents to employers via email.

Now all UK businesses must use government certified Identity Ser vice Providers (IDSPs) to complete digital Right to Work checks.

Digital checks require the submis sion of images of personal docu ments using certified ID validation technology to verify the employees

right to work. Any other method is non‐compliant.

Failing to comply can result in a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per non‐compliant check with those found guilty losing the ability to sponsor work visa applications for foreign nationals and even criminal convictions in serious cases.

In addition, records need to be kept for up to two years after an employee leaves the business.

The reduction is mainly due to the fall in electricity prices, which rose in September 2021 whilst the fall in fuel prices, compared with the rise in the previous year, and the fall in transport also played a role, albeit to a lesser extent.

The annual rate of the leading indicator of core inflation de creased by two 10ths of a percent age point to 6.2 per cent.

A STUDY commissioned by lin gerie brand Pour Moi, showed most UK men admit they don’t have a clue when it comes to buy ing new underwear for their part ner.

The lingerie brand conducted the survey after analysing sales and search data that revealed a trend in the rise of men purchas ing underwear for their partners which has been on the up for the last five consecutive years.

COMMEMORATIVE: The new Royal effigy.

FURTHER CHECKS: Job interview is no longer enough.

Credit: The Royal Mint

3I Group 1.077,00 1.091,97 1.072,00 24,21K

Abrdn 135,73 138,48 135,38 238,05K

Admiral Group 1.883,0 1.901,7 1.876,8 6,27K

Anglo American 2.704,5 2.723,5 2.657,0 29,62K

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AstraZeneca 9.720,0 9.824,0 9.673,1 29,78K

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Aviva 384,60 391,40 380,56 537,40K

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BAE Systems 783,55 793,60 779,13 233,89K

Barclays 142,02 144,50 141,34 2,75M

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Berkeley 3.351,0 3.374,0 3.252,0 84,37K

BHP Group Ltd 2.236,00 2.249,93 2.223,50 27,76K

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British American Tobacco 3.221,5 3.231,4 3.153,0 66,45K

British Land Company 351,40 354,90 345,59 44,46K

BT Group 122,00 123,45 120,67 663,93K

Bunzl 2.739,0 2.748,0 2.721,0 96,80K

Burberry Group 1.793,0 1.810,0 1.773,0 157,71K

Carnival 532,6 558,5 531,9 320,20K

Centrica 70,74 71,89 69,60 791,65K

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.837,1 1.864,7 1.823,0 31,70K

Compass 1.768,50 1.788,00 1.765,00 349,78K

CRH 2.880,0 2.884,0 2.855,0 2,18K

Croda Intl 6.325,0 6.436,0 6.316,0 11,46K

DCC 4.673,0 4.675,0 4.619,0 36,70K

Diageo 3.703,4 3.766,0 3.695,0 46,27K

DS Smith 254,73 257,61 251,46 230,96K

EasyJet 282,10 288,80 280,70 524,44K

Experian 2.584,6 2.635,7 2.572,0 12,24K

Ferguson 9.182,0 9.342,0 9.170,0 1,30K

Flutter Entertainment 9.821,5 9.884,0 9.688,0 2,35K

Fresnillo 765,00 773,22 753,32 18,77K

Glencore 477,44 480,39 469,19 739,77K

GSK plc 1.301,00 1.304,15 1.286,20 112,39K

Halma 1.978,5 2.042,0 1.978,1 23,12K

Hargreaves Lansdown 834,60 879,40 833,60 287,80K

Hikma Pharma 1.343,00 1.360,00 1.330,00 96,68K

HSBC 454,96 462,25 454,75 278,86K

IAG 91,54 95,68 91,52 2,57M

Imperial Brands 1.836,56 1.850,00 1.831,79 45,09K

Informa 508,60 516,40 506,40 150,55K

InterContinental

Intermediate Capital 975,80 998,40 964,20 313,53K

Intertek 3.591,0 3.694,4 3.591,0 2,07K

ITV 57,00 58,18 56,09 394,45K

J Sainsbury 173,90 175,55 171,40 359,16K

Johnson Matthey 1.846,5 1.854,0 1.807,5 4,54K

Land Securities 521,60 524,40 513,40 16,15K

Legal & General 212,00 218,20 211,44 1,86M

Lloyds Banking 40,63 42,20 40,59 21,15M

London Stock Exchange 7.548,0 7.560,0 7.464,0 4,51K

Melrose Industries 98,33 101,27 98,30 257,83K

Mondi 1.377,05 1.395,50 1.367,50 132,78K

National Grid 925,60 933,80 916,40 159,38K

NatWest Group 221,03 225,90 220,93 425,33K

Next 4.708,4 4.810,0 4.648,0 86,58K

Norilskiy Nikel ADR 9,10 9,10 9,10 0

Ocado 455,40 474,35 455,00 49,81K

Persimmon 1.260,0 1.269,5 1.221,5 78,16K

Phoenix 516,00 526,80 514,30 156,88K

Prudential 864,20 884,40 859,80 71,15K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.930,0 5.946,8 5.884,0 36,73K

Relx 2.160,34 2.192,00 2.159,00 34,26K

Rentokil 465,61 473,30 465,60 24,04K

Rightmove 465,12 480,80 465,12 34,07K

Rio Tinto PLC 4.830,0 4.882,3 4.787,5 24,16K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 68,21 70,01 67,98 1,95M

Rosneft DRC 0,20 0,20 0,20 0

Sage 683,00 694,00 682,00 10,34K

Samsung Electronics DRC 903,00 913,20 903,00 2,38K

Schroders 386,0 389,2 382,0 341,53K

Scottish Mortgage 749,19 765,97 745,26 539,18K

Segro 747,40 759,40 737,36 151,53K

Severn Trent 2.321,0 2.365,0 2.295,8 12,49K

Shell 2.273,5 2.289,9 2.247,5 133,81K Smith & Nephew 1.024,32 1.054,95 1.020,72 44,71K

Smiths Group 1.479,00 1.499,50 1.475,00 69,91K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.070,0 10.255,0 10.005,0 0,48K SSE 1.565,00 1.574,50 1.516,50 80,16K

St. James’s Place 995,30 1.023,50 994,80 18,25K

Standard Chartered 552,20 559,60 549,70 228,07K Taylor Wimpey 89,56 90,52 86,76 1,81M

Tesco 204,40 206,30 201,70 783,28K

Tui 102,65 107,65 101,91 576,73K

Unilever 3.904,0 3.924,5 3.893,3 42,41K United Utilities 869,98 888,60 860,00 83,13K

Vodafone Group PLC 100,24 100,92 99,64 2,12M Whitbread 2.259,6 2.298,0 2.248,0 83,27K

WPP 728,87 742,60 727,40 58,74K

DOW JONES

3M 110,50 113,15 3,10M

American Express 134,91 138,67 134,62 3,71M

Amgen 225,40 230,00 225,17 2,54M

Apple 138,20 143,10 138,00 123,56M

Boeing 121,08 125,47 120,99 8,28M

Caterpillar 164,08 167,78 163,89 2,95M

Chevron 143,67 145,13 142,49 9,38M

Cisco 40,00 41,04 39,96 27,88M

Coca-Cola 56,02 57,13 56,00 15,89M

Dow 43,93 44,84 43,80 5,72M

Goldman Sachs 293,05 301,09 292,70 1,93M

Home Depot 275,94 281,79 274,76 4,77M

Honeywell 166,97 171,20 166,63 3,76M

IBM 118,81 122,43 118,61 5,33M

Intel 25,77 26,57 25,74 43,37M

J&J 163,36 165,74 163,32 8,96M

JPMorgan 104,50 107,62 104,40 15,86M

McDonald’s 230,74 234,83 230,58 3,61M

Merck&Co 86,12 87,62 86,10 9,01M

Microsoft 232,90 240,54 232,73 35,48M

Nike 83,12 86,20 82,50 47,92M

Procter&Gamble 126,25 129,04 126,21 9,39M

Salesforce Inc 143,84 148,63 143,75 7,54M

The Travelers 153,20 156,45 152,94 1,40M

UnitedHealth 505,04 516,55 504,84 3,10M

Verizon 37,97 38,79 37,95 23,40M

Visa A 177,65 182,92 177,60 9,44M

Walgreens Boots 31,40 31,79 31,34 7,99M

Walmart 129,70 132,36 129,70 6,48M

Walt Disney 94,33 97,48 94,28 12,01M

Most Advanced

FingerMotion +82.16% 31.73M

Golden Falcon Acquisition +56.32% 6.60K

SAITECH Global +43.36% 5.34M

F45 Training Holdings +41.10% 37.04M

Avenue Therapeutics +39.03% 27.39M

Sobr Safe +38.86% 27.50M

Ainos +36.96% 35.10M

Alset Ehome International +30.85% 3.64M

O2Micro +30.15% 1.79M

Gold Royalty Wnt +29.64% 10.00K

Polarityte +27.94% 909.44K

Most Declined

Natural Order Acquisition -50.00% 113.31K

Laser Photonics Unt -48.40% 7.08M

Atlis Motor Vehicles -39.91% 315.92K

Aterian -37.06% 15.38M

Edesa Biotech -35.12% 7.47M

American Virtual Cloud -32.41% 10.89M

Antelope Enterprise Holdings -32.00% 669.15K

Fednat Holding Co -27.63% 2.09M

5E Advanced Materials -27.58% 676.18K

Epiphany Technology Acquisition -24.81% 7.64K

Panbela Therapeutics -24.71% 1.81M

Currency outlook: Euro rocked by energy price volatility, US dollar storms to new multi-year highs

Euro EUR/GBP: Up from £0.84 to £0.87

EUR/USD: Down from $0.99 to $0.98

The euro traded in a wide range over the past month, with the single currency initially coming under pressure at the end of August following a sharp surge in European energy prices.

EUR exchange rates then rebounded at the start of September. Supported by the EU’s promise to intervene in energy markets and rein in prices, in additional to a stronger-than-expect ed Eurozone inflation print as it bolstered expec tations for a 75bps rate hike from the European Central Bank (ECB)

While the ECB delivered a 75bps increase as hoped, this was overshadowed by the bank’s bleak forecasts and concerns over the indefinite closure of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.

EUR exchange rates then then recouped some ground following reports of Ukraine’s suc cessful counteroffensive against Russian forces.

However, the euro then faced another set back after Vladimir Putin announced a ‘partial mobilisation’ of Russian forces. EUR investors fear this could prolong the conflict in Ukraine and place even more pressure on the Eurozone economy.

Looking ahead, the immediate focus for EUR investors will be the Eurozone’s next inflation re lease as another record jump in prices is likely to increase the chances of another 75bps hike from the ECB.

Pound GBP/EUR: Down from €1.18 to €1.14

GBP/USD: Down from $1.18 to $1.13

The pound found itself on the defensive through much of the past month amid an in creasingly gloomy outlook for the UK economy.

GBP investors were spooked by reports sug gesting domestic inflation could climb as high as 22% in 2023 and warnings that the UK is already in recession.

Sterling then found some brief respite after Liz Truss was confirmed as the UK’s new Prime Minister and promptly announced a plan to freeze household energy prices for two years.

Some mixed UK economic releases then re sulted in some volatility in mid-September, be fore the pound came under renewed pressure as the Bank of England (BoE) delivered its latest interest rate decision.

The BoE’s 50bps hike came as a blow to GBP investors hoping for a 75bps increase, although its hints that further hikes could be more ‘force ful’ help to keep a lid on Sterling’s losses.

With GBP investors fearing the UK faces sig nificant economic hardship in the coming

months, we may see may see this gloomy out look continue to limit interest in the pound over the next few weeks.

US Dollar

USD/GBP: Up from $0.84 to $0.88

USD/EUR: Up from €1.00 to €1.01

The US dollar trended broadly higher over the past month, with demand for the currency being underpinned by risk-off flows and Federal Reserve interest rate speculation.

The prevailing risk-off mood came amid growing global recession fears, in addition to re newed uncertainty over the situation in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Fed rate hike expectations were turbocharged after August’s US inflation print beat forecasts, with the US dollar skyrocketing as some investors went so far as to suggest the Fed might pursue a 100bps hike.

The Fed ultimately delivered a 75bps hike, with the US dollar striking a new multi-year high shortly thereafter.

Looking ahead, the increasingly uncertain out look for the global economy is likely to see the US dollar maintain its upward trajectory through the coming month. Especially amid the prospect of US interest rates rising to 4% before the end of 2022.

Currencies Direct have helped over 325,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your currency transfers.

EXTRA

Turning off

A SURVEY conducted by re search platform quantilope has revealed 23 per cent of all British households indi cated that they intended to cancel contracts with video streaming companies in or der to try to save money.

Air Miles

SPANISH Minister of Indus try, Reyes Maroto, travelled to Australia to inaugurate the first Queanbeyan bat tery energy storage system built by Naturgy, whilst Min ister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez flew to Quebec to inspect an Airbus facility.

Water wars

AFTER entering into an agreement to allow rivers to flow undisturbed between Spain and Portugal in 1998, the Spanish government re portedly plans to cut the amount of water to Portugal in the River Duero.

Tax cuts warning

THE IMF has warned Britain that tax cuts could be damaging to the economy in an almost unprecedented criticism of the monetary policy of a G7 nation.

Some observers suggest the tax cuts amounting to £45 bil lion announced by new Chan cellor Kwasi Kwarteng as part of his Growth Plan on Friday September 23 are more akin to a gambler placing all of their money on black in the hopes of winning.

As the government reduces the amount of tax it will be able to collect and continues to promise aid during this time of worldwide economic crisis, the only solution will be to borrow even more money.

The actual statement from the International Monetary Fund which was issued on September 27 included the ob servation: “We understand that the sizeable fiscal package an nounced aims at helping fami lies and businesses deal with the energy shock and at boost ing growth via tax cuts and sup ply measures.

“However, given elevated in

Chancellor Kwarteng leaves No 11 to deliver his Growth Plan.

flation pressures in many coun tries, including the UK, we do not recommend large and un targeted fiscal packages at this juncture, as it is important that fiscal policy does not work at cross purposes to monetary policy.”

The Chancellor reportedly chose not to take note of any advice from the Office for Bud get Responsibility which is a non­departmental public body funded by the UK Treasury, that the UK government established to provide independent eco nomic forecasts and indepen

dent analysis of the public fi nances.

It is expected the Bank of England will urgently consider increasing bank rate yet again as both sterling and the FTSE share index tumbled and rat ings agency Moody’s warned it may cut Britain’s credit rating.

Clearly the increasing criti cism of the decision to reduce income tax top rate to 40 per cent from 45 per cent hit home as on Monday October 3, Chan cellor Kwasi Kwarteng con firmed his first u­turn so that will no longer take place.

Supermarket sweep

THE annual survey of the cheapest supermarkets in Spain was published by the Organisation of Con sumers and Users on Tuesday September 27 after visiting more than 1,100 stores in 65 cities across the country.

Overall, the cost of products from supermarkets has increased by 15.2 per cent when comparing May 2021 to May 2022 and that will have increased since the survey was compiled.

Although some individual Alcampo stores gave best value for money, the two cheapest chains were Tifer located in Castilla y Leon and Dani found in An dalucia.

None of the big names such as Aldi or Lidl featured in the top 10 cheapest, whilst prices at Dia and Mer cadona had risen the most.

Mass demonstration

EXPECT a number of ral lies across Spain on Octo ber 7, 14 and 28 by mem bers of the country’s largest trade union CCOO union followed by a mass demonstration in Madrid on November 3.

The union which repre sents workers at numer ous supermarkets and stores believes that with the ever­increasing rise

of the cost of living, ne gotiations starting in Jan uary should be based on inflation plus an agreed 18 per cent increase in wages over the next four years.

Working with the UGT union, the CCOO believes that big business should already be making signifi cant offers rather than ig noring the situation.

Credit: HM Treasury flickr

AT the time of writing, I am truly not too happy with the UK’s Conservative government. However, one thing I am satisfied with is that in no way would I ever consider actually replacing them with a Labour regime. The lefty’s con ference this week was absolutely de plorable. They had no true ideas of how to actually rescue the UK from the turmoil it finds itself in. The singing of God Save the King instead of the Red Flag rather summed up one of the pa thetic ways they consider drumming up support.

Nothing they came up with was a true answer to any real problems, merely ways of making the public think they would be financially better off if they voted them in. Of course the BBC absolutely revelled in it. In complete league with the Labour party’s enrap tured anti conservative attitude; their presentations were completely crammed with derogatory reports, opinions and concerns of a beleaguered public, many afraid they could be con fined to the workhouse this winter.

Once again of course, every single member of the dissenting public they

No Labour fan

interviewed was white! They obviously have no intention whatsoever of show ing other cultures who could be facing financial or personal hardship over the ensuing months. Why not? I can only assume it’s because over the next two years they will be promoting left wing ideals to non­white residents, purely because they want to paint a glowing picture of everything in the garden looking lovely ­ as long as they vote Labour!

As further proof of the conspiracy now taking place in the UK, I have just observed three British TV commercials, each advertising fairly important com panies and products. The first advert featured a number of young, obviously gay black men, all partying and enjoying themselves in a carefree brightly coloured environment.

The next presented two attractive mixed race ladies enjoying a kiss and sharing a romantic moment. The third introduced a mixed race family sharing a splendid meal at the table of their pretty luxurious abode. Nothing wrong with any of that. I personally enjoy dif ferent cultures and the varied points of view of fellow human beings; but who

are these companies actually trying to sell their commodities too? Three per cent of the population? Of course they are not, that would be ridiculous.

Thousands of illegal immigrants have now entered the country. According to records, none have been sent to Rwan da (the first plane was cancelled in June). These people are still costing the country millions of pounds a week; money which funnelled into the correct resources could help thousands of struggling British residents in these troubled times.

Believe me, somewhere up there in the anonymous high echelons of televi sion, businesses and Leftie politics there is a heavy conspiracy to change the face of the UK into an easy to manage, mixed race of citizens, all voting for a left wing society. And they’re gonna take some stopping!

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com.

For more from our columnists please

this

Modular furniture at Harris Furnishings

AT Harris Furnishings, owners Jayne and David are experts in their field; they have both been in the trade for over 30 years, so have seen many trends come and go.

Nowadays, with the popularity of modular furniture increasing, whether that is a corner unit, chaise sofa or cor ner unit with a terminal‐end etc, buy ing a sofa is not always as straightfor ward as it used to be. So, with no pressure, but just the right amount of help and advice, Jayne or David will happily guide you through the process, in your own language, to ensure you make the correct decision when mak ing your selection, from the right size for your living space to the right fabric choice.

Fabric choices nowadays are much vaster and more varied than ever be fore also. There are often different price ranges for new furniture, de pending on the quality of the fabric and/or whether it has any stain pro

MODULAR FURNITURE: Is becoming more popular nowadays.

tection properties.

An interesting concept nowadays is the availability of AQUACLEAN fab rics. As the name indicates, it’s fabric you clean with ‘water only’, to re

move all stains.

There are even pet‐friendly fabrics within the AQUACLEAN range, so when customers ask, usually tongue in cheek, if there’s such a thing as cat‐proof fab

ric, the answer nowadays is YES!! Say goodbye once and for all to CLAWED SOFA SIDES!

So, with so many decisions to make when buying your new lounge furni ture, furniture that you will live with for many years, it’s important to take your time to ensure you don’t get it wrong. You can even take advantage of loaning the sample books to be sure the fabric you have selected works in your home environment.

Call in to see the amazing collection on show in their large showroom in Pedreguer – see their advert for more details.

Love is not only words

BETINA VON HOHENDORFF

MOST people think that to love someone is always to say, “I love you”.

Love is not only words…

Words are like a summer breeze… you feel something, you remember, but with the time you forget.

Love is to know when is the time to speak, time to listen or time to be silent.

To love is to give your time, to give an un derstanding of your opinion without forcing the other to accept yours.

To share good and bad times, to accept the strengths and the weaknesses.

To cry without showing a tear, to fight without showing the fear…

To be sometimes the shadow, even when you know you are the light.

To help in silence.

To accept the edges and imperfections.

To love is not to change someone to fit

idealisation.

To love is to give without expecting any

in return.

To love is to surprise with small actions…

To love someone is priceless, a diamond

never be a substitute of a hearty cuddle or kiss.

To love is not only to share moments.

also, to create memories.

advice:

your heart

By Clinica Britannia

Prevention better than cure

love

OUR feet are extremely important to us

should be treated with the utmost re

after all we rely on them without thinking, often putting them under ex treme pressure, making them susceptible to many issues. So, for this reason it is es sential to see a Podiatrist, Podiatrists, however, do not only treat feet and lower limbs when they have a health issue, they specialise in the recogni tion, assessment, treatment, and ongoing care of the foot, diagnose, and treat all con ditions of the feet and lower limbs howev er minor, such as an ingrown toenail,

cracks on the soles of the feet or suffering from foot or heel pain. Tailor­made insoles can be made for footwear to help realign the foot, correct posture, and relieve pain and pressure on the foot if necessary. Elderly or a Diabetic? Then it is essential for you to see a Podiatrist who can keep an up­to­date check on your foot hygiene, trimming the nails, relieving calluses and any pressure points. Foot problems such as infections, warts, nail fungus, verrucae, and injuries not only limit mobility, but can detrimentally affect the knees, hips, and other parts of the body.

Do not underestimate the importance of healthy feet, book an appointment with your Podiatrist now. “Prevention is always better than Cure”.

Our feet are extremely important.

Preventing sore feet

BUNIONS are bony lumps that form on the side of the feet.

Surgery is the only way to get rid of them, but there are things you can do to ease the pain they

cause.

Symptoms of bunions in clude hard lumps on the sides of your feet, by your big toes, your big toe pointing towards your oth er toes and/or hard or

swollen skin.

The bunion may look red or darker than the sur rounding skin.

You may also have pain along the side or bottom of your feet. This is usually worse when wearing shoes and walking.

You cannot get rid of bunions or stop them from getting worse yourself, but there are things you can do to relieve any pain such as wearing wide shoes with a low heel and soft sole.

Bunion pads which are soft pads you put in shoes to stop them rubbing on a bunion can help, and can be bought from most pharmacies.

An ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel) to the bunion for up to five minutes can also help ease the pain.

The cause of bunions is unknown. It’s not clear if you can do anything to prevent them.

By Clinica Britannia

Looking after your bones

MY mum suffered with Osteoporosis from her mid­40s, does that mean that I have the disease but don’t know it?

Osteoporosis is a ‘silent disease’ that causes bones to weaken and be come more susceptible to fracture, even from minimal impact and occur gradually over many years without your knowledge. So, the only way to know how strong your bones are is to have a scan known as a bone densit ometry scan as until about the age of 30, we produce bone faster than we lose it but around the age of 40 it tends to plateau. After this time, the reverse is true and bone mass de clines and for women this bone loss is particularly accelerated during the menopause.

The Achilles Bone density test is a non­invasive test that offers a quick and affordable way for an initial os teoporosis assessment and the risk of

Osteoporosis is a ‘silent disease’.

bone fractures. The exam is quick and comfortable and is performed with the patient seated with one foot placed on the Footplate. The ma chine uses high frequency sound waves to evaluate the os calcis (bone status in the heel). The patient will receive the results immediately from the specialist performing the test.

Remember it is never too early to start looking after your bones so book your Achilles Bone density test as soon as possible.

Have you been connedyet by scammers?

EVERY day, millions of people get bo gus ‘419’ emails (so‐called after a sec tion of Nigeria’s legal code) promising millions. Police estimate the average loss in the UK alone is £35,000+.

The sender poses as a banker, official, royal toadie (even fleeing Ukrainian refugee) want ing to move huge sums your way. There’s no money to be moved ‐ ex cept yours!

from a random number purporting to be a son/daughter who’s lost their phone. Once parents are convinced they’re speaking to their child and save the number onto their phone, scam mers ask them to send money claiming it’s needed to pay off debts.

Call me a cynic but this got me think ing about all the other internet scams so cutthroat they make a Siberian gulag look like a Swiss Finishing School.

It’s often said a fool and his money are soon parted. Hardly! At this cost‐of‐living‐crisis time, a fool and his money are lucky to get together in the first place…

Additionally, fraud sters have taken advan tage of the summer holi days to swindle parents out of thousands of pounds, using a ‘Hi Mum’ text scam posing as their children who’ve ‘lost their phone’.

Basically, victims receive a message

Nora Johnson’s criti cally acclaimed psycho logical crime thrillers (www.nora‐johnson. net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, au diobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity. NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological

Nora’s latest thriller.

DIY versus pro

WHEN considering hiring a professional painter we mainly take two things into account, firstly if we can we do the job ourselves and sec ondly how much will it cost to hire a painter and decorator.

Many of us like to try our hand at DIY, especially paint ing as it can be therapeutic and also fun. Therefore, rather than calling on profes sional painters, painting is a task that most of us look for ward to and think we will en joy. So, we embark on the DIY painting path even though we have no qualifica tions or sometimes experi ence.

However we are not pro fessionals and although the colour looks great and there are no streaks in sight, as time goes by, you may notice that flecks of paint are peeling off or the colour is starting to fade. An experienced paint ing professional understands different paints and how they work on varying surfaces and

in different conditions.

At the end of the day, most painter and decorators will offer a competitive price and you will have peace of mind that you will get the job done right and have the outcome you wanted.

Protecting little ones

CHILDREN are curious by nature and tend to explore their home and surroundings, unaware of the risks that lurk. Sur veys show that the kitchen, bathroom and living room can be the most dangerous rooms in the house for children, and the majority of visits to A&E are caused in the home.

A few easy steps can child proof your home keeping your children safe. Safety bars and gates can help avoid falls and should be placed on stairs, balconies, windows, doors, etc. Electrical sockets tend to be at a height which can attract lit tle fingers.

Various types of protectors that either insert into the sock ets or screw or fit over the top, can be found online and on the high street.

Also specific child­proof products can be found to make sure little hands cannot get into cupboards and drawers holding potentially dangerous items such as cleaning prod ucts or medicines. Non­slip mats or stickers for baths and showers are a must for slippery surfaces and colour changing bath toys are a fun way to see if the water is too hot.

PAINTING: Heaven or hell.

Shutterstock.com/Sebastian Duda

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.

TOTAL MADNESS

GIVEN the unrest in the UK and Spain’s economy, it is fair to predict that a sum mer holiday for 2023/2024 will be the very last thing on people’s minds .

There are an estimated 800,000 British home own ers in Spain, does it not make sense to allow these home owners (those that can afford to) to visit their properties and help boost the Spanish economy.

This 190‐day rule is abso lute madness with people selling up in their droves be cause of it and is a very well‐ known fact that the Brits spend the most when abroad. If your tourism is going to be hit hard (you don’t need a degree in eco nomics to know it will) then do something about it AND LET THE HOME OWNERS USE THEIR HOMES !

Susan Hannah

Good work

Even though I am only here for a couple of months at a time, being non‐resi dent, I thoroughly enjoy your newspaper comments. Keep up the good work, especially the anti woke, politically correct and snowflake comments. You only have to watch the BBC programmes like Strictly Come Dancing and Channel 4 Bake Off to see how woke the TV programmes have become!

Paul Slaughter.

Unhinged

Having just read the Leapy Lee rant I believe you should contact a medical

specialist of a specific race acceptable to the obviously unhinged Lee.

The BBC are blamed for all the self inflicted disasters of a government able to successfully find a worse re placement than the previ ous incumbent. All the peo

ple who contributed are now neo fascists because they don’t agree with his opinion. Then it’s the fault of the BBC that people in adverts are black… adverts do not appear on the BBC!

Stephen Hunt

FACT OR FICTION OUR VIEW

SOCIAL MEDIA and even the comments section of the Euro Weekly News website appear to be full of observations concerning the reasons for the unex pected and often unexplained death of people young and old around the world.

The general opinion expressed by those who both er to comment is that all of those who died were vic tims of the vaccines introduced by the various gov ernments around the world and some people go further and suggest that this is part of a global con spiracy to hoodwink the public and manipulate them for some, as yet unexplained long-term end.

This seems to be a popular trend with the infer ence that the major pharmaceutical firms were in cahoots with governments to ensure that their prof its were greatly inflated to the detriment of individu als at large.

Moving on, there is a groundswell of opinion that there was no serious illness caused by coronavirus and that if the governments hadn’t over reacted the majority of those who caught whatever the virus might have been would found their anti-bodies fighting it off.

Looking back to before the pandemic it seems that although unexplained deaths were taking place, there was less inclination by the media at large to report the fact except locally and the fact that for ex ample a 10-year-old in Belgium had died unexpect edly whilst playing soccer, it was unlikely that it would have been mentioned in the media outside of Belgium.

Nowadays however any unexplained death espe cially of a young person or someone involved in sports is regularly picked up by the media around the world and it is possible that this coverage is in turn fuelling the social media observations.

Trendy interiors

Betty Henderson TRENDS are always changing in the interior design world.

Making changes to your home decor doesn’t need to be expensive. You can use sec ond‐hand apps or websites to find furniture and decorations to keep up with interior design fashion on a budget.

Nature inspired decor is here and it’s here to stay. Bring the outside in this autumn by decorating your living spaces with potted house plants or ar tificial plants. Plenty of housing shops offer low maintenance house plants that can spruce up your home as well as realis tic looking artificial plants.

Bold patterns are also mak ing a comeback. One search engine reported a 217 per cent increase in searches for the term at the start of this season.

Simply adding new cushion covers or a statement pair of curtains with a bold pattern can give your living areas a fresh feel and brighten up darker spaces on cloudy au

Follow trends by making temporary changes such as adding plants.

tumnal days. Retro patterns are particularly popular this season as well as bright colours.

Also upgrading your table ware can change the look of your dining room without al tering the whole character of your home.

Seasonal changes

SPANISH homes are generally built to keep heat out during sweltering summers, but can be poorly equipped to deal with winter. Take advantage of comfortable temperatures during October to prepare your home for the cooler months ahead.

Invest in a rug ‐ A rug is an affordable and stylish way to add some warmth and can be rolled up during the spring and summer.

Weather‐proof your doors ‐ Placing weather strips or a draught excluder around window and door frames can pre vents chilly draughts from entering without needing to install double‐glazing.

Add curtains ‐ Adding a pair of curtains to windows in stead of summer blinds can help keep warm air inside.

Service artificial heat sources ‐ If you are lucky enough to have radiators in your property, bleed them of excess water during autumn, this can prevent damage to pipes and ser vice air conditioning units annually.

AUTUMN is the ideal sea son to prepare your gar den to be a glorious space in the spring. We compiled a list of top suggestions on how to get the most out of autumn in your Spanish garden.

Decorate your space­ In vesting in a fire pit or some cosy outdoor furni ture allows you to contin ue hosting friends into the autumn and makes sitting outside much more enjoy

able. Simply adding some fairy lights can give an out door space a classy touch, as well as practical light ing.

Do your planting nowPlant bulbs and vegetable seeds at this time of year. You can access planting calendars on the internet or in hardware stores. Seeds are often available from markets selling fresh produce.

Stay on top of mainte

nance ­ Keep trees pruned and hydrated to ensure growth, this tip is particu larly important if you want to increase shaded areas in your garden.

Add a birdbath or bird feeder ­ Millions of migra tory birds travel across Spain from the north of Europe to Africa in prepa ration for winter. Installing a birdbath or feeder could allow you to see fascinat ing species up close!

Glorious gardens Autumn dining rooms

DAYS are set to get shorter, meaning we spend more time indoors. Here are some tips on how to decorate your din ing room by combining your own style with original features.

Choose the right table ­This is the centrepiece of the room and the place where people congregate to eat. Some designers suggest a rectangular table in larger dining spaces, while round ta bles work better in smaller spaces.

Retain original features­ Spanish fea

tures such as arched doorways, white walls and furnitiure made of dark wood can create a beautiful authentic and traditional style.

Make lighting central ­ A central light fixture will brighten up any room al though for larger, traditional dining rooms that tend to be darker, consider placing lights in a straight, central line. Adding photographs, favourite orna ments and decorations will also make your dining room more welcoming.

BASIC ECONOMICS

IF I had opened a pub called the ‘Moose and Banjo’ in early 2019, I would proba bly be gnashing my teeth by now. It seemed that all I had to do was provide food and drinks, be prepared to make people welcome and to work hard.

Of course I would need to sell to cus tomers at a price to allow a profit mar gin ‐ and that’s it. And let’s assume that, for almost a year, there were plenty of happy customers, many of them regulars and the profits were more than acceptable. I had a good re lationship with suppliers and two en thusiastic employees, so what could go wrong?

When Covid came and suddenly there were no customers, all these con ditions would immediately have be come irrelevant. No need for suppliers, no need for employees. The decisions would now be when to close the Moose, for how long, when to release the staff and how to survive financially. Furlough may cushion the blow for a while but for how long? Would the pub ever open again or would it cease to ex ist? For months, nobody had any idea

when lockdown would end or if Covid would go away.

Eventually things returned to normal, customers came out again and many businesses reopened. But thousands more were gone forever.

The situation now is different, thanks to rampant inflation. If the Moose and Banjo had reopened in early 2022, it may have had some success for a month or two. Things seemed almost back to normal, despite the dark clouds of inflation already heading for Europe. Again, what could go wrong?

Well, Putin decided to put the boot in

by invading Ukraine, thereby exacer bating a growing global economic crisis. Billions of euros, pounds and dollars were diverted in support of Ukraine and the preservation of democracy in Europe. And then, gradually, Putin’s Gazprom cut off supplies of oil and gas to Europe, precipitating a disastrous cri sis in energy and the cost of living.

The pub now faces different prob lems, encapsulating the global situa tion. Customers are not in lockdown but have lost their spending power. Therefore, not many customers. Sup plies are not only unreliable but also far

more expensive. The costs of running the pub, especially energy, have leapt off the scale. Employees need higher wages to cover their basic needs. And to cover the huge increase in outgoings for the business, selling prices have to be raised for customers ‐ who can hard ly afford to go out at all.

Once again, decisions. When and if to close the Moose and release the staff? And will it ever open again?

Recession causes enormous depriva tion and suffering. We know that cli mate tragedies from Pakistan’s floods to Somalia’s droughts are on a totally different scale. Likewise, war in Ukraine and Yemen, genocide in Congo, China and Myanmar and oppression in Gaza. Nevertheless, simple economic hard ship is a terrible misfortune.

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MY bathroom scales are lying to me. I can’t possibly have put on that much weight. Can I? OK so I stopped swimming and I now walk sporadically only when the humidity drops. I eat chocolate, drink Cava and enjoy a full English now and then, but don’t the cherry tomatoes and Rucula make up for that? Doesn’t lettuce cancel the calories in bread? So I lie to myself and say that it must be water weight, not the sausages or the bacon butties.

But where does the water come from I ask? As I once again neglect to drink a litre of the stuff. My clothes feel tighter surely because the humidity has shrunk them, not because I’ve sprawled on the sofa watching Netflix all day (again!) thrusting sweaty claws into bags of low fat crisps (baked so therefore good for you) and sipping Cava (made from grapes so one of my five a day).

When I get really depressed about weight gain I stop weighing myself, ‘out of sight out of mind’ as they say, unfortunately waist bands do not play along. I like food.

Good food, good company and a lovely restaurant are among the greatest plea sures in life. The thought of having to curtail those pleasures because my bathroom

weight

scales shakes its supercilious head, rolls its eyes and tuts at me, makes me sad and conversely hungry. It is a known fact that di ets make you hungry and that’s even be fore starting one. Just the thought of dieting makes me reach for the Walkers. The an noying thing is that I know exactly what to do and whose fault it is. I try blaming the thyroid medication or the stress or heat but ultimately I am fat because I eat too much and too much of the wrong foods. Full stop.

So on a bloody diet I will hop. I will re duce portion size, cut back on the carbs and munch lettuce and cruciferous vegetables until I resemble an angry farting goat.

Wish me luck and a following wind.

Suzanne Manners

Credit: Shutterstock/Oleg Krugliak

Pubs like the Moose and Banjo are once again fighting a battle for survival.

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

Photo

Prince Philip’s caravan

Towcar of the year

THE Skoda Karoq Sportline 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG 4x4 SCR has won this year’s overall trophy and also triumphed in the Caravan Weight 1400kg ­ 1500kg Category and the Family Towcar Cate gory.

BROADWAY CARAVAN AND MOTORHOME CLUB CAMPSITE, situated on the edge of one of the loveliest of the Cotswolds golden­stone villages in England, is home to a historic caravan.

The Goods Shed at Broadway Club Campsite was built in 1904 for the Great Western Rail way (GWR), according to the Caravan and Mo torhome Club. Today this historic building is home to the world’s first purpose­built leisure touring caravan, the Wanderer, and the cara van owned by the Club’s former Patron, HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.

The seemingly normal 1993 Fleetwood Gar land caravan owned by HRH Prince Philip was purchased second­hand in 1998 for use when Prince Philip was competing in carriage driving events, a sport which he pioneered.

As the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Pa tron since 1952, Prince Philip had regularly at tended Club campsites and events, reportedly exploring members’ caravans enthusiastically and assessing them for their practicality.

After taking up the sport of carriage driving in 1973, caravans offered a private space for The Duke and his team to prepare and relax during competitions.

Originally built in 1993, the Fleetwood Gar land contained the luxuries expected of a 1990’s caravan. Powered by gas and electric, it included a shower room with a cassette toilet, a hot and cold­water system plus a kitchen fit ted with a hob, grill, oven and refrigerator.

The Duke’s caravan was collected from Windsor Castle in 2018 and entered into the care of the Club.

Nick Lomas, Director Gen eral of the Caravan and Mo torhome Club said, “This year’s Caravan and Mo torhome Club Towcar of the Year Competition was no table for the number of elec tric vehicles competing, and the EVs performed well against established petrol and diesel offerings.

“Leisure vehicle holidays are more popular than ever, it’s important that the Club continues to provide quali fied and unbiased informa tion to help all those who plan to tow to find the right tow car for their needs,” he added.

Each car was put through its paces at the UTAC Mill brook Proving Ground near Bedford, England, which pro

vides a variety of testing driving environments.

Manufacturers were invit ed to submit for testing any vehicle that was capable of towing a trailer over 750kg and on sale on October 1, 2022.

Camping in Peniscola

WITH an eclectic range of camping and caravan sites to choose from in Peniscola, there is something to suit ev eryone.

The town of Peniscola, in the north of Valencia, has a privileged location on the Spanish Mediterranean. The municipality measures some 79km2, 17km of which stretch along the coast. The territory is given over in equal parts to the forest and warm­weather Mediter ranean crops, including the emblematic oranges, olives and almonds.

The old town ­ crowned by a 14th­century castlefortress that was once the home of Pope Benedict XIIIstands on an imposing rock that rises 64m above the azure seas. It is connected to the mainland by a thin sandbar that waves used to wash over during storms, turning the town into an ephemeral island.

Contrasting with the old town are the modern streets and avenues of the tourist area.

In summer and autumn, warm waters bathe the ex tensive, fine sandy beaches to the north of the citadel and the pretty coves flanked by steep cliffs to the south.

Home to a historic caravan.

Image: Caravan and Motorhome Club

This year’s overall winner.

Image: Caravan and Motorhome Club

Origin of the Spanish Water Dog

THE Spanish Water Dog (Perro De Agua Español) is a dog breed originally from Andalucia, used tra ditionally as a sheep dog and on hunting excur sions.

The breed was recog nised by the Real Canine Society of Spain in 1985.

It is believed that the Spanish Water Dog has strong genetic links with other water breeds, such

as the Portuguese water dog, the French water dog, the Irish water dog and the poodle.

There exists various theories about this dog’s origin but the most gen

erally accepted is that this archaic breed was in troduced to Europe dur ing the Islamic invasion of the Iberian peninsula in 711.

Naturally, this meant the dogs entered Spain

from the South and were established in Andalucia as a result.

Despite being one of the oldest breeds of dog in Spain, little interest was shown in the Spanish Water Dog until the early

1980s.

In 1982, through its presentation at the World Canine Exhibition in Valencia, the Spanish Water Dog was recog nised as an official dog breed.

Arthritis in cats

DOGS commonly suffer from arthritis and both owners and vets easily recognise the clinical signs. However, arthritis in cats is not commonly diagnosed or treated. This may be due in part to the cats’ survival instinct to conceal signs of pain.

In a study, it was found that 90 per cent of cats over 12 years of age had radiographic signs of suffering from osteoarthritis.

Some factors increase the risk of arthritis in cats:

Obesity.

Joint that has suffered trauma.

Hip Dysplasia, abnormal development of the hip seen more frequently in Main Coon but also in the breeds.

Patella luxation, more frequently in Abyssinian and Devon Rex cats.

Acromegaly, is an unusual condition of older cats where a tumour in the pituitary gland secretes too much growth hormone.

How can I detect that my cat suffers from os teoarthritis?

Sometimes it is not easy, since the cat hides its dis comfort very well, but if your cat no longer jumps on the furniture when before it jumped, no longer goes up and down stairs, plays less, sleeps more, grooms less, more irritable you have to visit the veterinarian, comments José Rial, veterinary traumatologist at the Anicura Marina Baixa Veterinary Hospital.

vet may suggest taking X­rays of the joints.

Many options should be considered when manag ing a cat with arthritis, not only medications but also modifying the environment in many ways can greatly help to maintain

of

WINDOW TINTING

CLASSIFIEDS

Service in English at 10.00 am and a Spanish Service at 11.45am. C / San Bartolomé 35 bajo, No.6 campe llocc@gmail.com www.elcampellochris tiancommunity.org For more informa tion call Juan Zuniga – 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 639 426 (English)

THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10.30 am Followed by a time of Fellowship Everyone is wel come. Come as you are! For more in formation: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmerer@ hotmail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008)

www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, par ticularly Spanish speakers for inter preter service, and car owners. Tel President 607 387 040, Welfare 607 386 964, Interpreters 607 385 842, Equipment 663 495 396. We are an English speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationali ties in times of crisis, we also organise social events for members. We meet every Thursday at 10.30 in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm. It is opposite the Foietes Car Park where there is a Wednesday market. Everyone welcome. It is 400m from Benidorm tram station and on bus routes 1 and 8. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxy gen concentrators on a short-term ba sis. (288658)

MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical re pair. Iberdrola paperwork. Af fordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mbelectrics.es (286325)

SALE/WANTED

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

GOLD WANTED

CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TOO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuran ceinspain.com or email tracey@sosinsuranceinspain.com

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Fu neral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & ser vice. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) in fo@beneficialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote. (301135)

MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Lin ea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing 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!

HEALTH & BEAUTY

CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST , Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307

WIGS

WWW.WIGS-R—US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm. Monday-Saturday 10-3. We also have Scrunchies, Extensions, Ponytails. Cat alogue orders. Private appointments after 3pm. 681 049 502 (294518)

INSURANCE

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR IN SURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS.

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure.com

METALWORKS

MISCELLANEOUS

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

Peter Zwaan Motorbikes, A+ Occa sions showroom, BMW R1150 GS, 1150 cc, yr. 2002, 67.000 kms, E 4.900,- www.CostaBlancaMotor bikes.com (296460)

MOTORBIKES MOTORING

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (294205)

WE are currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Lin ea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (295673)

MAN & VAN for hire, cheap & reli able. Jalon Valley & surrounding area. Call/Whatsapp 636 100 873

ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com (293808)

READERS OF A SENSITIVE DIS POSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.

SOPHIE naughty, slim, elegant, sexy French lady. 3 languages spoken. Visit all areas, also private apartment in Villamartin. 693 357 526 (295411)

NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF?

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HOUSE SHARE

HOUSE SHARE available Llieber, ideal for a single person over 50yrs. Call on Whatsapp 618 499 889 or mrtnsylv@gmail.com (301439)

MARK PADDON BSc Hons. MCIOB, CAAT – for buyer’s survey & defects advice. Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasurveyors.com

SPANISH INTERPRETER for all your appointment needs, has car. Ef fective, Friendly & Affordable service. Call 609 679 808 (290313)

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MENMario qualified masseur in Ali cante - Special Massage for Men - 7 days 10AM to 10PMAPPOINTMENTS visit: www.masajeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (296490)

BI-MAN in Denia, for men, couples, discretion & completely private. Also, home visits, speak English. All wishes & more, bookable day and night. No taboo! Phone 641 938 338 (301281)

RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa

prefer two beds. Needed

Jan ice on 0044 7736

(279523)

BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 622 658 992 (294208)

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 pub lication and printing.

VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS COV ERED. TEL: PETER 644 139 274 (301419)

MALE/FEMALE viagra, cialis, kama gra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com

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Suzuki Vitara - lots to like!

THE colour palette of cars seems to consist of largely black, grey or silver with little variation unless you start tick ing the extra cost option box es. With all the differing colours available you might wonder why a potential buyer would pick Suzuki’s solar yel low and pay an addi tional €959/£835 for the privilege. It’s very bright! Thankfully for those without the need for a look at me car there’s a range of less vi brant paint finishes.

Luminescent paint apart, the Vitara is a delight and comes with lots of standard equipment, even on the leadin version, and offers an ad mirable absence of digitisa tion except for the sensible things you might expect to be placed on a touchscreen.

Buttons are easier to use than having to dive into nu merous sub menus on a

the case these days.

Power comes from 1.4 or 1.5­litre, four­cylinder petrol engines, manual or automatic gears, two or four­wheeldrive, mild or full hybrid pow er and two trim levels, with prices starting at a very com petitive €24,195/£20,999.

comes with adaptive cruise, smart phone integration, au tomatic air conditioning, auto lights and wipers,

My test model was the SZ5 full hybrid priced at €28,514/ £24,749 and adds a superb panoramic opening roof as standard along with keyless

parking sensors and a rear parking camera to name but a few of the standard features.

The SZ5 test model also came with all­wheel­drive and Suzuki’s automatic gear box, which is actually an auto mated manual transmission.

Rather like the CVT automatic

gearboxes this system is fine unless you are under hard ac celeration when the engine revs rise, with a delay before the transmission effec tively catches up and changes the gear. Your ears end up being des perate for the next ratio.

The other issue is that were you to buy the mild hybrid Vitara in the same trim level, still with allwheel­drive but a six­speed manual gearbox, the compari son is interesting. Instead of the 1.5­litre engine you get

the 1.4­litre Boosterjet unit. It provides 62 mph some three seconds faster, the same level of Co2 emissions and 0.3 mpg less. In my view it’s also a nicer drive.

All told the Vitara is an im mensely likeable SUV, practi cal, plenty of equipment and nicely bolted together, along with sensible and competitive pricing. My advice would be to opt for the manual version unless you need an automat ic. It’s a nicer engine, nicer drive and handles surprisingly well.

Facts at a Glance

Model: Suzuki Vitara SZ5 AllGrip Hybrid AGS

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Gears: automated manual gearbox

Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 12.7 seconds/Maximum Speed 178 kmh (111 mph)

Economy: 5.3l/100km (53 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP)

Emissions: 121 g/km (WLTP)

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

VITARA: With plenty of equipment and sensible pricing.

Bond car goes to auction

A STUNT car used in the latest James Bond film raised more than €3.3 million at auction on Thursday September 29. The Aston Martin DB5 is one of eight replicas made especial ly for the film’s exhila rating opening se quence which sees 007 engaged in a car chase and shoot­out in wind ing Italian streets.

Being 007’s vehicle of choice, the car is not without exclusive fea tures worthy of an MI6 agent. This particular model features rotating number plates, pop­out prop machine guns, prop bomblets and re tractable headlights.

The car went to auc tion at a special edition ’60 Years of Bond’ memorabilia auction at Christie’s in London. The event also saw a classic V8 Vantage, a new DBS Superleggera 007 Edition and 25 pieces of iconic Bond memorabilia sold to the highest bidder for chari ty.

Aston Martin donated the replica for the auc tion with Marek Reich man, Executive Vice President saying, “We are incredibly proud to be part of James Bond’s DNA and are delighted to celebrate this 60th anniversary with the sale of a truly unique Aston Martin.”

Experts speculated that the high selling price may be due to the film being the last Daniel Craig Bond film as well as the car’s rav ishing design and excit ing on­screen feature.

BOND CAR: The Aston Martin DB5 featured in the thrilling chase that opened ‘No Time to Die’.

Photo credit: wjarek

Testimonials

We got in touch over the phone and the helpful representa ve thoroughly explained everything in a clear and informa ve manner. We both chose a plan, and it was such a relief to know we were covered for when the me came.”

Julian Taylor

My thanks to Golden Leaves Interna onal for the wonderful service they gave following the death of my dear husband. They came to the rescue and rushed the paperwork through, so that I could use the funeral plan rather than have the awful business of sor ng it out myself.

Mrs Anne Relf, San Pedro Del Pinatar, Murcia