Costa Blanca North 17 - 23 November 2022 Issue 1950

BUSY FUNDRAISING

THE Javea Royal British Legion Branch has been busy this week with vari ous fundraising activities and two Remembrance Services.

The RBL hosted a Tombola table at a chari ty coffee morning held at Heaven Boutique, Javea on Wednesday November 9. The whole event raised €733 for the Poppy Ap peal.

Later that evening, RBL held a quiz, raffle and auction at Bar Ole, Denia and Louise had her head shaved and donated her hair to a local cancer charity to make a wig. The evening raised €603 and an additional €800 has been donated so far for the head shave.

On November 11, Pam

Small had her monthly Charity Event for the ben efit of the Poppy Appeal and she handed over €1,150 to the Branch Vice Chairman.

The Armistice Day ser vice on Friday November 11 was held at Moraira Church and was well at tended by Branch Mem bers and the local com munity. Standards from the Royal British Legion, Aircrew Association and Royal Air Force Associa tion were paraded and the Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir performed during the service.

On Sunday November 13 the Remembrance ser vice was held at The Fish erman’s Church in Javea Port which was also well attended by Branch

Members, local communi ty and The Lady Elizabeth School Choir. Standards from the Royal British Le gion, Naval Association, Aircrew Association and Royal Air Force Associa tion were paraded.

If you would like to join your local branch, please get in touch via our Face book page: Royal British Legion ­ Javea Branch or via our web page: https://branches.british legion.org.uk/branches/j avea/

RBL Javea Branch.

Louise donated her hair to a cancer charity.

Photo credits: Louise Hunt, Debbie Brettle, Teulada Council, Mike Clarke

Albir remembers

ALONG with all the Churches in the Chap laincy, the fallen were remembered on Sun day November 13. The Albir Anglican church service started with a Collect for re membrance, the laying of the wreath fol lowed by a two­minute silence which con cluded with the Last Post and Reveille.

A service of Holy Communion is held in Albir every Sunday at 9.30am. PLEASE NOTE: On Advent Sunday (27) only, the ser vice will be at the Forum Mare Nostrum, Al faz del Pi in the auditorium, at the same time of 9.30. Regular weekday services are

every Thursday at 11am at the Forum Mare Nostrum, Alfaz del Pi. with a healing service on the second Thursday of each month.

If you need any further information please telephone the secretary, Elaine Mitchell on 636 164 467. Albir is one of sev en churches in the Chaplaincy, from Gandia to El Campello. Costa Blanca Anglican Chap laincy (the Church of England in Spain). You can find all the other service times, locations and contacts and much more on the web site www.costablanca­anglicanchaplain cy.org.

A sell-out success

‘QUEEN Forever’, a charity event organised by Magnum Concert Productions on November 8 and featuring ‘Chess’ ­ was a sell­out success. The band had the audi ence up on their feet and dancing in the aisles from the first bar to the last encore!

Charlie Joss and the boys from the band Chess treated the audience to first­class renditions of all of Queen’s famous hits and with help and support from the Mayor’s Office and local authority, it was a night to remember. Profits from the show will be donated to the Alzheimer’s centre in Teulada and local families in need in the region, including Beniarbeig.

Magnum Concert Production’s next show ­ another tribute starring ‘The Spanish Bee Gees’ ­ will take place on January 21, 2023 in the Teatre Auditorio in Beniarbeig. For more details email: magnum.concerts@gmail.com , call 618 017 201 , or visit www.magnumconcerts.com.

Calpe Christmas

CALPE has kicked off the Christmas season by in stalling a seven­metre tree in Plaza Gabriel Miró created by a fallas artist from Elche. The tree is made with materials usually used to create the fal las statues and cost almost €7,000.

Music video

VALENCIANO singer­song writer Simón Cortés has filmed his latest video in Teu lada­Moraira and Beni tachell, showcasing the coastline to perfection. To see the video, search for Simón Cortés ­ La Flamenqui ta Videoclip Oficial on YouTube.

Taxes scrapped

JAVEA Council is helping fami lies and small companies to deal with inflation by scrap ping waste collection taxes next year, a saving of €125 per home. The council is also waiving kindergarten fees and road tax on some vehicles.

Altea goes spicy

ALTEA’S primary schoolchil dren got a taste of the UK’s favourite food at an interna tional cookery workshop or ganised by the chef from the Indian Crow restaurant, who demonstrated how to make chicken korma at an event to promote equality.

In it for money?

THE Tax Ministry published the salaries paid to mayors in 2021. The position is volun tary in some towns and full or part­time in others, but the highest earner in the Ma rina Alta was the full­time mayor of Pego, who received €47,357.

Ready to roll

THE 8Plus shopping trolley made with 100 per cent recy cled materials by Pedreguer firm Rolser is part of the ‘From Spain with Design, Identity and Territory’ travel ling exhibition now in Valen cia as an example of an excel lent product that benefits society and the environment.

Jumping with joy

THE Moftag Ladies are jump ing for joy at the results of their Christmas Fayre held on Satur day November 12. On a rain free day the amount of €2,793 was raised.

Tensions were mounting the day before when a terrific thunder and lightning storm hit Calpe, but the sun shone for us on Saturday! All the money raised will be used to support local charities in Calpe, for ex ample Cruz Roja, Cancer Care Lynwen Nurses, Caritas and Maite Boronat Day Centre.

The club would like to thank Pub Delfin for hosting the event once again and also to all

the members and loyal sup porters who come to the Fayres twice a year.

MOFTAG stands for Mighty Oaks from Tiny Acorns Grow and the small club has proven that motto year after year with the fundraising amount con tinually increasing. Moftag is the oldest English­speaking ladies club in Calpe, having been founded in 1978. Apart from fundraising they organise social events every Wednes day for their members.

New members are always welcome, please contact the group president ­ Jenny God frey on 639 139 518.

Gastronomy vouchers

IN a bid to garner support for Alicante’s hotel and catering establishments, Gastronomy Vouchers went on sale on Monday, November 14.

Each voucher has a val ue of €50 for which the us er pays €25 and can apply for a maximum of 15 vouchers in total.

The Tourist Board has increased the subsidy to

€500,000, which means a minimum return of €1 mil lion for the participating establishments.

Bright lights, big city

WITH Christmas just around the corner, Alicante City Council will switch their Christmas lights on in the city on Friday, November 18.

This year the lights will reach many more neigh bourhoods and rural areas with a greater number of garlands and arches in the streets and squares. As a novelty, a giant ball of 12 metres and 8,116 LEDs has been installed on the Esplanade and will feature a light and sound show.

The switch­on coincides with the Black Friday Christmas shopping campaign as a measure to sup port local commerce and as an incentive to attract the public and as a tourist attraction.

The official switch­on will take place at 7.00pm, by the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, who will be ac companied by the deputy mayor, Mari Carmen Sanchez. The location of the conical Christmas tree, 18 metres high, has been changed and it will once again be in the town hall square.

The giant ball on the Esplanade will have a light and sound show three times a day.

A total of 20,000 vouch ers will be on sale on the bonogastronomicoali cante.es website.

The deputy mayor and head of the Alicante City & Beach Tourist Board, Mari Carmen Sanchez, explained that “we are reissuing the Bono Gas tronomico which was created to compensate for the loss­making

Watch in style

WITH the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, Grupo Fan Park Alicante is preparing to host the event that cele brates the World Cup Football Champi onship. From November 20 until De cember 18, fans and visitors will be able to enjoy all the matches of the competi tion in the Ocean Race area on Pier 12 of the port of Alicante.

The World Cup Football Champi onship celebration offers a unique ex perience, where visitors can enjoy all the football matches of the champi onship in a space consisting of a large two­storey tent with multiple large screen televsions. This space offers great food, a music area with entertain ment and various areas where visitors can enjoy watching this incredible foot ball tournament.

months for the hotel and catering industry during the pandemic, but this time with a higher amount.

“With this voucher, we all win. The hotel and catering industry wins be cause it can continue to recover and the public win because they can enjoy the best of our hotel and catering industry at a low er cost.”

She added, “The Tourist Board will continue to support the sector in diffi cult times.”

British tourists top

THE National Institute of Statistics has released new data showing that British tourists account for the majority of holidaymakers in 17 of the 27 towns in the Marina Alta area.

UK tourists still account for the majority of foreign ers who come to North Costa Blanca, although the area ­ particularly Calpe and Benissa, fol lowed by Javea and Moraira ­ is also popular with French holidaymak ers in August

The top choice for the British is Javea, where the large resident British com munity, followed by Moraira, with one of the highest percentages of British visitors in the re gion, account for a mas sive 42 per cent. They are also in the majority in Calpe, Benissa and Beni tachell. British travellers al so accounted for the ma jority of tourism during the summer season in most inland towns, includ ing Pego.

But there is diversity. Calpe is popular with Bel gians, ranking second in July and September, while Dutch tourists favour Javea during these months. Belgian and Dutch visitors are also im portant to Moraira and Benissa. Lastly, all four towns welcomed more Germans in September.

MOFTAG LADIES: A very happy bunch.

Photos accredited to MOFTAG

Lights put out

NUMEROUS restaurants and bars in De nia turned out the lights at 7pm on Tues day November 8 as a symbolic protest against the extremely serious impact of rising gas and electricity prices. The protest, which lasted five minutes, left cus tomers eating and drinking in the dark, but they understood it was necessary. The initiative was organised by the Ma rina Alta catering sector association Aeht ma. The idea was to draw attention to these sector’s precarious situation and propose a set of initiatives to address the problem to save companies and jobs. The association said that energy costs account for between 6 per cent and 5 per cent of the running costs of bars and restaurants.

In some cases, bills have tripled in com parison to last year. Business owners are also angry about the lack of government support to adapt their facilities and equip ment to the new situation to reduce their bills.

Hard days fishing

TEMPERATURES were cooler when the fishing club set up on Wednes day November 9, start ing at a mere 14 degrees at 09.00am. The condi tions got warmer as the day went on reaching 20 degrees, a very nice temperature for fishing. The water was a little clearer and the flow had eased with just one dry net on the day.

There were nine con testants competing with the best total weight of the day being 11.45 kg on peg B1/ 14 by Jack Janssen. With the water temperature still warm, a total of 31 fish (22 carp and nine caraseo) were caught weighing 51 kg.

A hard day’s fishing.

The next match will be on November 23 fishing section C.

The Teulada­Moraira Fishing Club are a very friendly club and are al

ways happy to welcome new members.

For further information please contact Frank Povey on 966 490 338 or email frankpovey1@ gmail.com.

Puppy love

ACCORDING to the Information Register of the Valencian Community (RIVIA), there are more dogs than children in the Valencia region.

In 2021, a total of 35,627 babies were born in the region, compared to 108,040 cats and dogs.

Experts say that the pet ownership trend is due to modern life with uncer tainty about the future leading many peo ple to adopt animals rather than take on the responsibility of becoming a parent. Pets also play an important role in today’s society because among other benefits, they reduce loneliness.

One in three seniors live alone with a pet in this region.

That’s why all towns in the Valencia re gion need to prepare and plan for this so cial trend by creating areas where dogs can run about without causing a nuisance to other residents so humans and their fur babies can live in peace and harmony.

BEST WEIGHT: Caught by Jack Janssen on the day.

Regatta enrolment now open

CLUB NAÚTICO MORAIRA has announced that the reg istration period for the 23rd 300 Miles of Moraira is now open. The course, with an approximate distance of 300 miles, will be decided by the Race Committee based on the weather con ditions on the dates of the race.

This classic and hard re gatta is open to boats over nine metres in length. The action starts in Moraira, but continues in Murcia (Isla Grosa), Formentera, Ibiza, Castellon and Valencia. This important event will kick off on Wednesday January 25, 2023, at midday.

There must be three members in each crew, one of whom must be qualified, and participants must be Spanish or legally resident in Spain. There is a fee of €300 per yacht to partici pate and applications must be completed before Jan uary 22, 2023.

This April, almost 25 boats set off on this chal lenging and almost difficult high­level feat. It is one of the only regattas in Spain with a cash prize. This year there were three top prizes of €3,000, €2,000 and €1,000, with trophies for all three winners.

Fangtastic care

THE Herpetology depart ment at Terra Natura Benidorm is caring for a rare snake whose life has been saved by extracting five of its teeth. The Mangshan pit viper (origi nally from China) survived the operation and is now having regular oral hy giene sessions to ensure it recovers completely.

The vipers were brought to Terra Natura Benidorm seven years ago as part of the European Stud­book conservation programme, which is managed and co ordinated by the Euro pean Association of Zoos and Aquaria. This nonprofit organisation saves species through collabora tion with zoos and aquari ums in education, re search and conservation.

The herpetologists no ticed an area of inflamma tion in the bottom of the viper’s mouth, initially ad ministering antibiotics. This is a dangerous pro cess whereby the snake is inserted into a tube to protect the handlers from bites, but the antibiotics worked, and the abscess was cured, after which five teeth were extracted.

Terra Natura Benidorm is a nature and animal park which is home to more than 1,500 animals, 98 of them protected or in danger of extinction.

Tech upgrade

OUR interactions with local authorities and other gov ernment agencies have moved online, requiring us to enter large amounts of sensitive information. To protect our precious personal data from hackers and identity thieves, local authorities are required to install state­ofthe­art firewalls and integrated, automated protection against sophisticated cyber attacks.

All these measures are being rolled out in Benitachell’s public buildings, updating the municipality’s cyber secu rity measures to comply with the National Security Scheme that applies to all public administrations.

Procedures at the Municipal Library, which provides free Wi­Fi to users, has also been updated to comply with the legal requirement for documentary registra tion, meaning that anyone wanting to use the town council’s internet services will have to register first.

Alicante regional government is helping with these modernisation efforts by providing more sophisticated IT equipment, a system for recording plenary meetings and a projector. Another improvement is the LED screen on the outside of the municipal market to be used to ad vertise its traders, show promotional videos and an nounce information of interest to the businesses.

LIFE SAVED: The snake is having regular check ups.

Credit: Shutterstock.com/ Michael Fitzsimmons

Legalise your Valencia home

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

A SPOKESPERSON for the Generalitat Valenciana, John Kirby, told Euro Weekly News on Monday, November 14 that MIT licences had been set up to enable the legalisation of properties that were built illegally on rural land prior to the introduction of the new planning laws on August 20, 2014.

In an effort to bring an end to the sit uation where homes have been built without the required planning permis sion, a separate agency has also been established with the sole purpose of instilling town planning discipline (AVPT).

The setting up of the Impact Minimi sation licence (MIT) is a game changer that will bring to an end the limbo situ ation in which some 350,000 home

THERE has been tourism industry ac claim for El Campello, as it gears up to host the national Tourism and Security Conference on Friday December 2.

Industry experts and academics will gather in the town to discuss security, ar tificial intelligence and health at the fourth edition of the conference next month.

The main topic of discussion will be

owners find themselves. Importantly the change allows for ECUVs (informa tion available on gva.es ) as well as councils to issue these licences. Al though ECUVs charge and council’s don’t, the service is far quicker and is available in the language of your choice.

A new channel has also been set up to help homeowners understand how the new licence works and how to go

about making an application to legalise the property. Information is available in all the main languages.

A public event is also being held in Alfaz del Pi at the town hall on Novem ber 21 at 11am, at which Vicente Gar cia Nebot, Director General of Town Planning for the Valencian govern ment and Manuel Civera Director Gen eral of the AVPT will introduce the new planning arrangement. Their staff will also be on hand to provide full infor mation on licensing issues and to an swer all questions.

Kirby has urged everyone who needs to legalise their Valencia home, to visit the site and take action now. He said “this is a once in a lifetime op portunity to make your home legal” and you should act now.

Security central

about adapting and modernising the tourism industry, particularly considering the impact of the pandemic and the ef fect it had on the industry. They will also discuss how crucial security is for an econ omy that is dependent on tourism.

Hosting the event places the town at

the vanguard of national security innova tion in regards to one of Spain’s most im portant industries, tourism. The event aims to bring together experts from a va riety of security fields who will make six presentations to audiences which will then be debated.

Homeowners should take action now.

Shutterstock.com/Andrew Linscott

Importance of eye tests Project Fish

A FASCINATING arts project will celebrate the Costa Blan ca’s maritime heritage while teaching locals interesting art techniques. Marina Alta Arts Society launched its ‘Project Fish’ on November 16, an artistic collaboration with special educational needs centre, CEE Gargasindi.

As part of the project, the society is providing the school with raw clay to make be tween 60 and 100 fish shapes from a basic template. The fish will then be taken to be fired at a local kiln and re turned to the students for them to paint. The complet

ed fish will be organised in frames to look as though they are swimming and presented to each of the classes on a display board.

Kind volunteers from the arts society will provide mate rials for the students includ ing paints and brushes, but need some more practical and financial support. Those interested in providing sup port or materials for the pro ject can contact the society by email at: info@arte44calp. com.

The society has pledged to continue supporting CEE Gar gasindi after creating a hugely successful exhibition in the Casa de Cultura in Calpe. The exhibition using everyday items is still on display at the museum.

FOR World Diabetes Day, Spec savers Ópticas highlighted the im portance of regular eye tests to protect your vision from the ef fects of diabetic retinopathy. Many people with diabetes do not get any symptoms, however, if it is left untreated it can cause damage to the eyes, heart, kidneys, and feet.

Around one in three people with diabetes develop some form of eye health complication, according to the International Diabetes Founda tion (IDF) .

However, a recent Specsavers Ópticas survey, revealed a quarter of the respondents were not aware that diabetes can affect your eye health.

Ladies who lunch Expansion plans

TO see industry and business growth is a sure sign that things are heading in the right direc tion and, fortunately, Alicante appears to be do ing just that!

Chantelle Hayward from Spec savers Ópticas in Calpe explained: “14.8 per cent of adults in Spain are living with diabetes and almost a third (30.3 per cent) are undiag nosed and at risk of developing se rious eye health complications, or even sight loss.

Eye tests with digital retinal pho tography help to detect any signs of diabetes that might be present by taking a detailed picture of the back of your eye allowing the blood vessels to be monitored more closely. Make sure you get your eyes tested regularly to pro tect your vision.’

Book an eye test at www.spec savers.es.

CHICAS AMIGAS is a group of ladies who meet monthly for lunch to support the restaurants in their communi ty. El Nido, near the es planade in Moraira, was cho sen for their November get together. Luckily it was still warm and sunny so they were able to move around and chat, with a glass of cava in

hand of course, to catch up with friends, always a pleas ant start to a lunch. Starters were all delicious, though the sauce with the fish was not to everyone’s taste. The staff were all very pleasant and at tentive, and as always, the company was good.

Thank you once again to Lynn our organiser.

The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, has pre sented a proposal to expand the industrial land in ‘Atalayas ­ Ciudad Empresarial’ by 650,000 square metres. This space will be added to the 1,200,000 square metres already existing, mak ing this complex a spearhead and model for de veloping and modernising the industrial belt of the capital of the province, made up of 11 busi ness areas.

The aim of this expansion, , explained Luis Barcala, is “to offer ‘premium’ quality land in order to meet the growth needs of companies already established and to attract new ones.”

Atalayas currently has more than 250 regis tered companies, which employ more than 7,000 workers and generate an overall turnover of around €1,700 million.

• Diagnostic imaging and ultrasound Rx

• Clinical tests and serological tests, internal medicine, parasitology

• Soft Tissue Surgery and Traumatology

• Ethology, behavioural disorders and animal behaviour

• Physiotherapy, acupuncture, custom recovery and Healing touch

• Ophthalmology

• Dentistry and dental surgery & more

• Import - Export

The Arts Society’s last collaboration with CEE Gargasindi resulted in a kaleidoscopic display that is still being exhibited.

Photo credit: Marina Alta Arts Society (via email)

Chicas Amigas

THE Valencian government is taking emergency action to restore Vall d’Ebo, a beautiful natural area, much of which was destroyed by a forest fire during the summer. The work carried out on this, and other

areas affected by fire usually takes place during the year af ter the fire with a view to restoring some normality, preventing trees from falling and soil erosion. The latter is important to support the re

newal of plant coverage, bringing back wildlife and lo cal flora, and reduces the flow of surface water to avoid damage in areas outside the mountain.

Dead trees will be felled on both sides of roads, paths and forest tracks, and fire breaks will be installed. This year, the

Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and the Ecological Transition will spend more money than ever before on fire prevention, €38 million and 42 per cent more than last year to preserve and pro tect the forests and environ ment in the Valencia region.

Prevention and restoration Caterpillar cull

THE ghastly and sometimes deadly critter known as the Pine Processionary Caterpillar (Thaumetopoea Pity ocampa) were targetted while they were in their growth form in Denia last week.

Unlike the vast majority of caterpillars, this particular species can be harmful to young children and some times fatal to dogs and cats. In early spring, the proces sionary caterpillars leave their nests high up in the Mediterranean pine trees and head to the ground to pu pate.

The pine processionary moth hatches around May to July and only lives for about a day.

Actua Servicios y Medio Ambiente SL, the new con cessionaire company for the clearing, maintenance and conditioning of municipal public areas, began the work of cleaning up the wooded areas of the castle of Denia and clearing away the little blighters.

No more bumps

LOOKING out for potholes will soon be a thing of the past in Calpe as the second phase of the Asphalting Plan is set to be completed by the end of November.

Work has begun on phase two which affects a large part of the municipal ity.

These works, with a budget of €336,488, cover 21 streets (La Pinta, La Sta. Maria, Blasco Ibanez, Pin tor Sorolla, La Pau, Joan de Garay, Doctor Fleming, Corbeta, Maestro Serrano, Málaga, Jazmines, Isaac Peral, Almond, Lemon, Ship, Goleta, Av. Valencia,

Huelva, Benidorm, Madrid and Balandro).

Before Christmas phase three will be carried out which will include the as phalting and repair of the road on Avenida Ejercitos Espanoles, which is one of the main roads in the mu nicipality from which the port and beaches are ac cessed. This represents an investment of €311,647.

In September, work on phase one of the old town was completed with the asphalting of a total of 16 streets in the town centre with a cost of €375,281.

POTHOLES GONE: The streets have been repaired.

Image: Calp City Council

Sporting celebrations Fantastic turnout

KNOWN for its commitment to sport, La Nucia has once again been chosen to host the Nation al Sports Gala next year on March 27.

The best sportsmen, women and clubs in Spain from 2022 will head to La Nucia to re ceive their awards which will be broadcast live on the Spanish TV channel Teledeporte. This Gala is organised by the Spanish Sports Press Association (AEPDE) and brings together the best sportspeople in Spain every year.

At the Gala, a total of 25 awards will be pre sented to the best, many of them are the best in the world in their different sports and spe cialities. It will be the third time that the Munici pal Pavilion Camilo Cano of La Nucia will host the most important national sports Gala, after

THE Guardia Civil have charged 17 men aged be tween 15 and 55 for al legedly stealing carob beans from farms in Altea, Benigembla, Gata de Gor gos and Jalón for release on the black market.

A team of specialised offi cers was assigned to catch the thieves who were caus ing great anxiety among lo cal farmers, worried about losing their crops.

Most of the crimes were

hosting it in 2015 and 2019.

One day after the Gala, on Tuesday, March 28, the 59th National Congress of the Sports Press will be held at the Auditori de la Mediter rània in La Nucia. A congress that will bring to gether more than 100 sports journalists from all over Spain.

Stolen beans

committed in the heat of the day when there are usually no staff working on the farms because they stop to eat and rest.

The thieves helped themselves to the carobs straight from the trees, loaded them in sacks and drove away. Several Span ish, Moroccan and Romani

an have been charged on 12 counts of theft.

In collaboration with the Public Health Department, the Guardia Civil has iden tified stores selling the stolen goods, where own ers were unable to prove the traceability of the carobs, and therefore, their legal origin.

MORE than 300 people participat ed in the Culinary Space on the cen tenary of Ali cante’s Central Market on Wednesday, November 9. The aim was to pro mote the local area’s hotel and gastronomy busi nesses.

The councillor for Markets, Lidia Lopez, was very satisfied with the success of the tast ing area, highlight ing that “it has been possible to bring the gastron omy and products of the Central Market closer and many people have participated in the show cooking with Alicante’s best chefs. They have been lucky enough to learn cooking techniques and skills with the masterclass.

“The aim of the show cooking has been to showcase the great treasures of our land and sea, offered by the stalls of the Cen tral Market, as well as to promote the exceptional professionals of the hotel and catering industry and our gastrono my, which is a key differentiating ele ment and the flag ship of our city and a tourist at traction,” the councillor con firmed.

Sporting celebrations

Image: La Nucia City Council

Treasures of the land and sea.

Image: Alicante City Council

THE Euro Weekly News is still championing the Blue Badge petition, with the is sue being as important as ever as we begin to enter the winter months and looking after the vulnera ble members of our society becomes even more cru cial.

The My Blue Badge = My Freedom campaign aims to push the UK and Spanish governments to work to

My Blue Badge Free train fares

gether to allow disabled UK tourists to be able to use their Blue Badges while on holiday in Spain.

The campaign is also pushing for a compassion ate solution to help UK resi dents in Spain who may have left it too late to apply for their Spanish disabled

No exotic pets

THE ban on keeping and breeding certain animals in Spain is nothing new. The list of Invasive Exotic Species passed in 2013 banned raccoons, Argentine parrots, Vietnamese pigs, peninsular tortoises, and hedgehogs, among other animals. However, the new animal well­being bill making its way through Parliament has a longer list of prohibited animals.

When the law is approved, only animals on the list or which may be approved in the future will be allowed. To start with, it must be scientifically certified that they can live in captivity, that they do not present a risk to humans because they are aggressive, poisonous or too large, and there is no risk that they will escape and breed, harming local animals and causing environmental damage.

This would mean banning rats, hamsters, cobayas, chin chillas, rabbits, tortoises, budgerigars, parrots, lovebirds, snakes, spiders, iguanas, chameleons, geckos, and birds from other countries.

badge and are now unable to park accessibly after many areas of Spain stopped recognising UK badges last year.

Spain is one of the few EU countries to not allow UK Blue Badges, making getting around harder for disabled UK nationals living in Spain for up to 180 days a year, for those who did not apply for the Spanish disabled badge in time be fore Brexit, and those visit ing the country.

We are still campaigning for this important cause, sign the petition via this link: https://euroweekly news.com/2022/06/16/blu e­badges / or use the QR code.

FREE medium distance (Media Distancia) tickets that will provide two mil lion free tickets to users of the RENFE train service, can now be purchased on line.

The facility to purchase tickets went live on Satur day, November 12, al though they are yet to be come available in Catalonia.

Those that purchase the ticket will be required to make 16 journeys over the next four months for the tickets to be free, with anyone who makes less than the required number losing their ‘deposit’.

The deposit of €20 is payable on purchase of the ticket and are now available on the Renfe website. It can be com

bined with the purchase of other tickets for use on the High Speed, AVE and Long­Distance season tick ets.

According to Renfe, cus tomers must register in advance on the website or by using the Renfe app.

Full information on the Free Media Distancia sea son tickets is available on the Renfe website.

Road safety app

THE DGT, has just launched an innovative system to reduce accidents, injuries and deaths around road works. Its new ‘con nected cones’, which are fitted with red and green lights, and will be connected to an app called DGT 3.0, accessible by the entire mobility ecosystem to control traffic re motely in real time to improve safety on the roads.

There are more than 10,000 road works on the Spanish roads each year, which cause more than 100,000 traffic management inci

dents such as temporary road and lane clo sures and diversions. All these road and maintenance works must be signposted properly to allow drivers to drive appropri ately and keep road workers safe. In this case, the flashing cones are geolocated and send signals to the authority’s traffic man agement centre with real­time information.

According to the National Register of Road Traffic Accident Victims, in 2021 there were 158 traffic accidents related to road works and maintenance.

TRIBUTES have flooded in for an Iberian lynx named Aura, who passed away in the south of Spain at the record­breaking age of 20. The iron­willed ani mal helped to bring the species back from the brink of extinc tion, birthing a whopping 14 kittens.

Aura was born in 2002 when there were just 94 lynxes left on the entire Iberian Peninsu

ON Thursday, November 10, Spain’s Minister of De fence, Margarita Robles, confirmed that: “Since February 24, Spain has not stopped helping Ukraine for a single minute. The Spanish Armed Forces have and are working tirelessly

Feline matriarch remembered

la. By her death, the species has had an unbelievable trans formation with more than 1,350 lynxes now roaming the peninsula.

Aura was brought into cap tivity as part of a comprehen sive conservation programme that has also been crucial in

Constant support

in a peace mission. By de fending Ukraine, we are de fending peace.”

The Minister emphasised that “everyone is well

aware of Spain’s commit ment in its support for Ukraine in a war in which Putin is the only one to blame. It is a war in which Ukraine is exercising its le gitimate right to defence, protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Robles reiterated her gratitude to the Spanish Armed Forces for all the humanitarian aid and de fence material they have provided (a total of 50 lo gistical and humanitarian transport operations) and for the training pro gramme for the Ukraini an military.

Finally, she added: “It is a harsh winter that the Ukrainians are fac ing. With power cuts and lack of heating, it’s going to be a dark country, especially for the civilian popula tion to whom we feel very close.”

the survival of the species.

Breeding expert, Antonio Ri vas, who is head of the El Ace buche conservation centre in Huelva where Aura previously lived praised her “phenomenal legacy,” saying “she did a good job.”

The incredible dynasty creat

HOP on the bus for free! The buses of the Empresa Munici pal de Transportes (EMT) will once again be free on Novem ber 25, 26 and 27.

From midnight on Friday, November 25, until 23.59pm on Sunday, November 27, travel on any of Madrid’s bus es will be free for passengers.

As on previous occasions, passengers must validate their ticket and, if they do not have one, the driver will pro vide them with a single ticket

superstar, Eva Longoria received an in credible honour in Oviedo on Saturday November 5. The American actress re ceived the Dama del Re al Cuerpo de la Nobleza de Asturias medal of

ed by Aura means that her genes live on in more than 900 lynxes. As well as repopulating the peninsula, Aura’s life is also notable for its length. Lynxes generally live for around 15 years, so Aura’s nearly 21 years means she was the oldest Iberian lynx ever recorded.

Free travel

free of charge. The promotion of the bus is key to the pro motion of sustainable mobili ty in the city of Madrid on days when a high number of journeys are expected due to the lure of commercial dis counts in the capital and for events such as the switching on of Christmas lights.

By activating this measure,

the city council is once again seeking to promote public transport as an alternative to private vehicles.

The free travel has already been activated on nine occa sions, has benefited more than 5.3 million passengers and has managed to signifi cantly increase demand on municipal buses.

Dame Eva Longoria

nobility. She received the award as a tribute to her an cestors from the region and to honour her heritage.

Though Eva’s father couldn’t be with her to see her receive the prestigious medal, her husband, José Bastón and her friend, María Bravo were there to share the special moment. Eva dressed to impress for the occasion in a stunning nude dress cov ered with a cape feature.

Reports suggested that the American actress could have been sponsored in receiving the honour by a distant cousin of King Felipe VI.

The actress couldn’t contain her delight at the ceremony and took to Instagram saying “My dad couldn’t be here but he would have been a very proud LLongoria! (That’s how it used to be spelled here)

Congrats to all the honorees from this region tonight.”

Betty Henderson

An Iberian lynx helped to bring back the species from extinction,

Photo credit: Ramon Carretero / shutterstock.com

Eva Longoria received a royal honour recog nising her family heritage in Oviedo.

Photo credit: Featureflash Photo Agency shutterstock.com

Singles spike

THE number of singletons has soared in Spain accord ing to a new study released in time for Singles’ Day cele brated on November 11. The study found more than 14 million people, or 36 per cent of the population in the country are single.

This report revealed that the average age of single people is also increasing. The average single person in Spain is now over 40 years old. It also showed that the areas of the country with most single, separated, or di vorced people are Las Ca narias, Murcia and Madrid.

Explaining the trend, soci ologists say that changing so cial habits are driving the phenomenon. With increas ingly demanding jobs, peo ple don’t have time for a re lationship, while technology is also encouraging people to spend more time alone.

Relationship experts say dating apps are a cause of in creasing numbers of single people. Spain is the third biggest user of dating apps.

A FASCINATING weather phenomenon is making ground in Spain, bringing an end to unseasonably warm temperatures seen through out the months of Septem ber and October. After the hottest start to autumn on record, weather agencies say that the current drop in tem peratures is set to continue.

The country’s leading me teorological agency, AEMET, announced a ‘DANA’, an un stable weather phe

Rainy relief

nomenon where a mass of cool air hits hot air on the earth’s service. The DANA can cause sudden torrential downpours that have al ready been seen in vast ar eas of the country.

AEMET said that torrential showers could be prolonged and will be accompanied by a drop in temperatures. Spokesperson for the weath

er agency, Rubén del Campo, said the area most likely to be affected by heavy rain showers was Valencia, where more than 40 litres of water could fall per hour.

The rainfall will bring much­needed nutrition for crops across the country as many regions have suffered drought conditions earlier in the year.

Protecting consumers Colossal collaboration

SPAIN has moved to protect con sumers from the effects of the lorry driver’s strike, which could result in dis tribution shortages and factory shut downs.

From Monday, November 14 special police units will be deployed to strate gic locations to ensure the continued flow of goods. Where necessary the po lice working in partnership with the De partment of Transport, will escort de livery lorries to their destination.

The strategic points include facili ties such as the transport centre in Coslada, the MercaMadrid and the

port of Barcelona.

Points that are considered strategic are based “on security forecasts and analyses to guarantee the free move ment of goods and prevent incidents,” according to a spokesperson for the de partment.

The situation will also be monitored closely with regular follow ups by the government to ensure that the striking drivers do not inhibit the flow of goods.

In addition, the police have said they will not tolerate the violent acts and public disorder that accompanied the strike earlier this year.

A MAJOR moment for wom en’s rights in Spain as the Unit ed Nations launched a com mittee based in the country, joining a pioneering group of just 13 nations participating in the initiative.

The UN announced the launch on November 11. The move has been praised as a monumental step in women’s rights in the country by wom en’s organisations internation ally. The President of the new Spanish United Nations Wom en’s Committee, Ewa Widlak praised the decision as a suc

cess saying “It is a very impor tant step to strengthen action campaigning for the rights of women and girls in Spain and throughout the world.”

Widlak said “Spain is a de fender of global human rights and we hold strong feminist val ues. It is about time this agency had representation here.”

Spain has a long history of involvement with the United Nations’ Women’s organisa tion, dating back two decades, when it was the first country to contribute funds for the cre ation of the agency.

RAIN FORECAST: The DANA weather phenomenon is likely to bring an end to drought conditions nationally.

Photo credit: Laiotz / shutterstock.com

IN today’s article we will discuss the ownership claim and a recent court success. Our firm repre sented the owners of a property against whom a claim was filed. The plain tiff argued that his neigh bour was in possession of some metres that corre sponded to his property. For this reason, he filed an

New Court Success. Ownership Claim. Property Rights. Spanish Civil Code. Requirements. Property and Possession. Jurisprudence. Legal Advice.

ownership claim against our clients, which the court eventually rejected. The judge ruled in our favour, and our clients will be able to continue enjoying their property as they had been

doing until now.

• What exactly does an Ownership claim consist of? Where is it regulated?

The ownership claim is regulated in article 348 of the Spanish Civil Code. Along with the declaratory action of ownership and the action to delimit, it is one of the main actions to defend the ownership of a property. It is designed so that a non­possessing own er demands the restitution of the thing from the nonowning possessor. In in simpler terms: It is the right of individuals to go before a judge and demand the return of what they consider to be theirs and that is currently in the hands of another person.

• What requirements must fulfil an Ownership claim to be successful?

According to the case law of the Spanish courts, it is essential that the fol

lowing conditions are met: 1. The plaintiff must prove his right to own the thing. This can be proved by showing a ‘just title’, such as a deed of sale. However, there are excep tions. For example, the usucaption (that we have discussed in the past).

2. The defendant, logical ly, must be in possession of the thing claimed. And, fur thermore, he or she must possess it without any title whatsoever. Or with a title, but of a ‘minor nature’.

3. Finally, we reach one of the most important ele ments: the identity of the thing. It is essential that what is claimed is perfectly identified and there is no doubt as to its situation,

extension and limits. For this purpose, it is usual to resort to topographical ex pert reports.

• Let us analyse the real case: Chronology of the facts and evidence

In 1978, a property was divided in two, creating two independent plots of land. These plots were sep arated by a wall and sold to different owners.

Through an expert topo graphical report, the plain tiff argues that its plot of land has fewer real metres than the ones registered in the Land Registry. On the other hand, the defen dants’ plot happens to have more metres than it should. The plaintiff’s premise is that the missing metres of one plot corre spond to the extra metres in the other one.

During the trial it was es tablished that the require ments for the ownership

claim to succeed were not met. First, because the me tres claimed were not clearly and unequivocally identified. And, further more, since no measure ments were taken of the other adjoining plots, it could not be ruled out whether these missing me tres could be on another neighbour’s plot. The judge ruled in favour of our clients and the plaintiff was ordered to pay the court costs.

Conclusion.

At White­Baos Abogados we are specialists in legal claims and civil law. Do not hesitate to contact us, we will study your case and of fer you expert advice on the subject.

The information provid ed in this article is not in tended to be legal advice, but merely conveys infor mation relating to legal is sues.

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) - White&Baos Tel: +34 966 426 185 • info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2022 - All Rights Reserved.

Electrifying news

AN important moment as a deal between the Spanish Ministry of Industry and the Volkswagen group advances to the next stage. The car manufacturer reached a his toric agreement with Spanish authorities to support its tran sition to electric vehicles on Wednesday November 9.

An intense stalemate had developed as the President of Volkswagen associated com pany, Seat, Wayne Griffiths, demanded a larger subsidy from the government in its

€10 billion plan to convert its car manufacturing plants for production of electric cars and construction of a €3 billion factory in Valencia, which the government will now pro vide.

Griffiths described Wednes day’s deal as “historic for all of us,” adding “Our ambitious plan will make electric vehi cles more accessible across Europe, using cars made in Spain.

Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez also celebrated the announcement, describing it as “extraordinary news,” cele brating the “commitment of Volkswagen Seat to providing jobs in Spain and securing our place in the future of the mo toring industry.”

Tribe release tourists

Betty Henderson

A HOSTAGE group freed in Peru includes Span ish nationals. The release was made after a standoff between Peruvian authorities and an indigenous group. Around 70 riverboat passen gers were released on Sunday November 6 af ter being held for more than a day. Spanish nationals were on board the boat alongside an international group including Americans, British, and French people. Among the detained were also children and people with disabilities.

Local media explained that the tourists on an Amazon river cruise had been held by activists from the Cuninico indigenous group due to anger about government failure to act on envi ronmental issues including oil spills.

Chief of the Cuminico group, Watson Trujillo said they will continue to block the passage of tourist boats until the government takes action.

Repeated oil spills in the region including a spill of more than 6,000 barrels by Spanish oil company, Repsol in January have been blamed for various environmental problems.

A DEDICATED delegation from Spain are committed to fighting climate change at the COP27 Leader’s Summit which began on November 6 in Sharm el­Sheik, in Egypt.

President, Pedro Sánchez asked Spanish representatives to give their maximum commitment to fight climate change, say ing that the energy crisis from the war in Ukraine could not be a distraction from critical climate issues facing the world.

Sánchez attended the conference for one day, highlighting the need for legisla

Climate commitment Getting all digital

Betty Henderson

tion changes “because our lives depend on it,” saying all leaders present at the confer ence have “a moral duty to act with deter mination.”

Spain is set to contribute an additional €20 million to the Adaptation Fund ecolog ical project that is fighting climate change internationally. The country will also give €5 million to the International Drought Re silience Alliance, an accord between more than 30 countries to fight drought globally.

The climate summit is set to conclude on Friday November 18.

THE Minister of Agricul ture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, participated in the Forum for the Promotion of Digital Transformation in the Agri­Food Sector on Thursday, November 10.

He stressed that the application of digital technologies is essential for the economic and

environmental competi tiveness of the agri­food sector, not just in the fu ture, but now.

The minister assured that: “Innovation and digitalisation are funda mental for the develop ment of the agri­food sector, a sector that is already a leader in terms of the quantity

and quality of its prod ucts and is recognised for this in world mar kets.”

He expressed his “pride and recognition for the workers of this sector” and stressed the need to continue work ing together to consoli date its growth in the interests of all .

Seat reached a deal to tran sition to electric vehicles.

Photo credit: Jenson shutterstock.com

Top Gear loss

TRIBUTES flooded social media on Monday, November 14 following the news that former Top Gear pre senter Sue Baker had passed away.

The former Top Gear presenter passed away ‘at home this morning (Monday, November 14) with family around her’ following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Sue Baker joined Top Gear from Series 4 in 1980 before her depar ture in 1991 (Series 25). She ap peared in over 107 episodes.

At the time of her leaving the popular British motoring pro gramme, Baker was the longestserving host of the show in terms of

the number of episodes, and was the longest in terms of longevity, having presented the show for 11 years.

The news of Sue Baker’s death was first shared by the Guild of Mo toring Writers on Twitter, of which Baker was the vice president.

The GoMW wrote: “We are deeply saddened to learn our vice­presi dent and former chair, @carscribe Sue Baker, passed away this morn ing following a long illness.

“Sue was a pioneer for women in automotive journalism and a former presenter of @BBC_TopGear. A full tribute will be published later.”

Broke councils

THE Tory run Kent and Hampshire County Coun cils are facing an unprece dented financial crisis that could see both declare bankruptcy within months.

The leaders of the two councils published a letter on Tuesday, November 15 which they sent to the prime minister warning of the impending financial disaster.

In the letter they say that “drastic cuts” to cur rent services would not be enough to patch up the huge holes in their bud gets. These they say have been created by slow

growth in income and ris ing costs, particularly in adult and children’s social care.

Kent leader, Roger Gough, and Hampshire leader, Rob Humby, said in the letter the government

had a choice. Either fund councils properly or repeal outdated laws that force councils to provide uneco nomic services like libraries or sit by and watch “two great counties sleepwalk into a financial disaster.”

Both councils have said that if the situation contin ues, they will seek section 114 bankruptcy protection. That won’t stop the coun cils from operating, but it would oblige them to make drastic cuts to ser vices, to cut staff and sell off assets such as social housing, development sites and office buildings.

Winter’s coming

THE UK is going to feel a lot more like winter as the mild weather that sig nalled the start of Novem ber comes to an end.

According to the MetOf fice on Sunday, November 13 the country will begin to see a change as low cloud and fog begins to move in ahead of a cold front.

Although sunny spells will be enjoyed through out most of the country and in particular the south, rain will begin to move in from the east and across to parts of the west.

Tropical air brought to the UK by Storm Nicole will meet the very cold air that is being brought in by the jet stream, creating unsettled weather.

Alex Deakin, a forecast er with the MetOfficetold a national news outlet: “A strong jet stream often leads to an unsettled, usu ally wet and windy theme with low pressures ap proaching the UK.

“These low pressures have the potential to be come quite volatile bring ing some very windy weather to the UK throughout next week so it’s important to keep up to date with the forecast over the coming days.”

The UK has like most of

Pensions pledge

PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak has hinted that he will honour the triple lock despite the massive financial deficit the country is facing.

According to a report by a national news outlet on Tuesday, November 15, Sunak said that he “cares very much” about pensioners.

Sunak was speaking on his way to the G20 meeting effectively reversing his earlier statements that fol lowed his appointment, when he admitted he was thinking about ditching the pledge.

Ditching the pledge would see more than 12 million people up to £470 a year worse off, a move that would according to many analysts be a suicidal move for the party.

With the autumn statement due today, Thursday, pensioners and the rest of the country will hear how the government is to balance the books. That may or may not include a statement on pensions, with the in crease only due to come into force in spring.

That may see the chancellor hold off on a pension increase to see what impact the autumn statement has on the country’s finances.

Europe, experienced a mild autumn, but it will begin to feel more like winter this week.

AUTUMN WEATHER: Cloud and fog is set to move in.

Credit Ariel Krysztofiak Shutterstock

Council refuse collection.

Profits before ethics Batman tributes Eggless breakfast

KEVIN CONROY , the actor who brought us the iconic voice of DC Comics superhero Bat man in the television animated series, ‘Bat man: The Animated Se ries’, passed away on Friday, November 11, aged 66.

In 1992, Keith voiced Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader in his first episode of ‘Batman: The Animated Series’. This led to his subse quent involvement throughout the 90s in various video games, in cluding Arkham Knight and Arkham City.

He also starred in films, and of course, as the Dark Knight in the animated series. In 2019, Keith Conroy’s most recent appearance was in the CW’s Bat woman series, as re ported by a national news outlet.

UK councils and financiers have come under criti cism after an investiga tion by a national news paper found many were investing in the Qatar Na tional Bank despite its, and the country’s human rights record.

The report on Saturday, November 12 found that at least 28 councils across Britain, all of whom have expressed solidarity with the LGBT+ community and who have supported amongst others gay pride events, are investors with the same institution.

As much as £1 billion of taxpayers’ money is said to be invested with the bank, even though the country bans homosexu ality, treats woman and foreign workers as sec ond­class citizens.

Human rights cam paigner Peter Tatchell said it’s “shocking that councils continue to in vest their money in the

country. Likewise, he said investment firms like Hal ifax and Hargreaves Lans down, who openly flaunt their credentials on diver sity, have poured cash in to accounts with the lender.

Whether the councils and financiers will change their strategy based on the human rights record of the coun try is highly unlikely with the returns offered by the bank substantially higher than those avail able in the UK.

William Barton Shutterstock.com

WETHERSPOONS have been hit by more shortages as supply issues continue to affect the restaurant and pub sectors.

This time the bird flu epidemic has caused a shortage of eggs according to a national newspaper on Sunday, November 13.

The company has said that there is a temporary issue which means breakfasts may not be available with eggs.

Discussions are said to be taking place between suppliers, su permarkets and the industry to find a solution to the problem that has already seen the price of chickens rise sharply.

Wetherspoons is offering alternatives to diners, but no eggs at present.

Although avian flu is said to be the primary cause of the short age, the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs had said earlier that they were “deeply concerned” about the scale of chicken mortalities in industrial chicken sheds over the summer.

Protestors cover statue

THOUSANDS of Albanians took to the streets of London on Saturday, November 12, to protest against the recent statements made by the Home Secretary, Suella Braver man. Reaching Parliament Square, they draped a double­headed eagle national flag over the statue of Winston Churchill that stands there.

The demonstrators started their march on Westminster Bridge and continued to wards the Palace of Westminster. They were arguing the point that not all Albani

ans should be considered to be criminals while asking the British government to re spect their human rights and general exis tence as human beings.

Following her remarks made earlier this month in the House of Commons, Braver man came under fire not only from Labour but also from her own Conservative Party members. The Home Secretary had sug gested at the time that it was only the Tory Party that was ‘serious about stopping the invasion on our southern coast’.

Credit

INVESTMENTS: Being made in the Qatar National Bank.

THOMAS MARSH, the 60year­old British astronomer who had been missing since September 16, was discov ered dead on Thursday, November 10, in northern Chile. He had been reported missing after visiting La Silla Observatory, which is locat ed on the outskirts of the Atacama Desert during a re search trip.

British astronomer found

According to reports, his body was found by local au thorities about three miles away from the observatory after they had launched an extensive search operation.

The family of the Warwick

Worst again

A WHICH? guide to the UK’s best and worst hotel chains was published on Wednesday November 9, with the Britannia topping the latter for the 10th year in a row.

The consumer group’s research takes into account the opinion of thousands of guests, who have rated their stays to reveal the brands still offering value for money, and those not cheap enough.

UK hotel guests are paying £22 (€25) more for a night’s stay, on average, compared with a year ago ­ a 21 per cent hike.

A total of 4,447 people were asked about their experiences with large and small hotel chains in the UK, rating everything from cleanliness to bed comfort, as well as food and customer service.

Guests complained about ‘dire, drab and smelly’ stays, giv ing the Britannia chain just two out of five stars in every cate gory, including cleanliness.

The UK’s best large hotel chain was awarded to Premier Inn and the UK’s best smallest hotel chain to Warner Hotels.

University professor are cur rently in Chile after travel ling from the UK to help look for him.

Christine Ennew, the provost at the Midlands uni versity commented: “I

know what a terrible time this is for the colleagues who knew Tom and count ed him as a close friend, as well as an inspirational aca demic and mentor.”

Professor March’s family

20 poond fake

A CONMAN from Newcas tle was rumbled after being caught with counterfeit notes that said ‘Twenty POOND’ instead of ‘Twenty pounds’.

Geordie William Hickson had £820 (€940) in fake notes that gave him away due to the rather apt typo.

They appeared genuine at first glance - they also had images of economist Adam Smith and pin factory work ers featured on the reverse side.

But at a closer look, pic tures of the money show the wording of ‘twenty

pounds’ has been substitut ed with the geordie slang ‘twenty poond’, reports a national news outlet.

Hickson’s 41 fake notes were found in his sock when he was searched at Forth Banks Police station in New castle following an unrelat ed arrest 18 months ago.

Hickson, 33, of Gateshead, admitted pos sessing counterfeit currency and was sentenced to 23 months imprisonment, sus pended for 18 months, with rehabilitation requirements and a year-long curfew be tween 8pm and 6am.

is being offered support re ported a Foreign Office spokesperson, who added that they are in contact with the local authorities, as re ported by a national news outlet.

Professor Thomas Marsh.

Credit: Twitter@warkspolice

Deal doubts

A DEAL signed with France has been criticised by both MPs and refugee groups.

In an unusual agreement both groups agree that the deal, which will see an agreed €72.2 million pay ment to France to fund a 40 per cent increase in security officers patrolling the coun try’s northern beaches, is more of the same and will do little to deal with the problem of people traffick ing or to save lives.

Addressing the Home Secretary, Tim Loughton, a senior home affairs select committee member asked: “Can you confirm that

there is nothing in this agreement which obliges the French police to detain and arrest anybody they in tercept, so that they are free to come back the fol lowing night and try again, in which case are we not throwing good money after bad?” Home Secretary Suella Braverman disagrees saying that the deal will go a long way in stemming the tide of migrants.

To make matters worse, Prime Minster Rishi Sunak said that he could not guar antee that the new deal would deliver results this or next year.

STRIKE action by UK fire fighters moved one step closer on Monday, November 14, after the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said its members voted overwhelmingly to reject the 5 per cent pay in crease that was on offer to them.

Labelling the offer as ‘disgusting’, with a 78 per cent turnout, 79 per cent of firefighters voted against it. They argued that the pay rise would barely help support their

Unfair pay rise

families, with some re ported to be relying on

handouts from food banks.

Hard cheese

A BRITISH cheesemaker has had to sell his firm to a rival after he lost more than £600,000 worth of sales due to Brexit as reported on Tuesday, November 15, by a national news outlet.

Macclesfield­based Cheshire Cheese Company owner Simon Spurell had warned at the time, that the Brexit deal agreed with the

European Union was not sustainable for small busi nesses.

Spurrell said the costs as sociated with exporting to Europe were now too high for small businesses, as a re sult of which he has sold out to the much larger Joseph Heler Cheese who have a hub and a distribution base in the Netherlands.

Following the deal he said he hoped that it would al low him to recover his mar ket on the continent and that he was thrilled at the prospect of being able to re turn.

Two years on he said he was still surprised that the government could go for a hard Brexit knowing the damage it would do.

Matt Wrack, the FBU general secretary said “We have firefighters us ing food banks. Our mem bers worked through the pandemic to help protect their communities, taking on extra duties to do so. A further real­terms pay cut is an absolutely dis gusting way to thank them. Whilst strike action is always a last resort, our members simply can’t go on like this.”

It is expected that the next step by the FBU’s ex ecutive will be a ballot among members on po tential strike action.

Title lost

IN a sign of the worsening times in the UK, the coun try has lost its title as Eu rope’s largest stock mar ket.

A report by a financial news outlet on Monday, November 14 said that a combination of a lower pound and concerns over the economy had led to the country losing its place on the stock market lead ership board.

The French stock market is now worth US$2.823 trillion, slightly higher than the UK at US$2.821 trillion, the gap having narrowed from pre­Brexit times. Back in 2016, British stocks were collectively worth US$1.5 trillion more than those in France.

Michael Saunders, a for mer Bank of England poli cymaker, said: “The need for tax rises and spending cuts wouldn’t be there if Brexit hadn’t reduced the economy’s potential out put so much.”

But it is not just Brexit that has impacted on Britain’s standing, with the political turmoil having done its bit to reduce the value of the stock market.

The UK losing its largest European stock market ti tle is more about the UK’s fall rather than France’s rise with currency fluctua tions playing a significant role.

FIREFIGHTERS: Have called for strike action.

Shutterstock.com/ Tupungato

TWO new contestants livened up the camp on Wednesday November 9. Comedian Sean Walsh and former Health Sec retary, Matt Hancock MP were welcomed into the jungle with a Beastly Burrow trial consist ing of cockroaches and sludge and after a slow start the duo managed to bag six stars.

A frosty reception was wait ing for Matt in the camp with the celebrities questioning the former Health Secretary on his behaviour during the pandem ic, with mixed views to his re sponses.

The public shared the celebrities’ angst and voted for Matt to do more trials consist ing of the Tentacles of Terror and La Cucaracha Café, the lat ter being an eating trial and

Jungle round up

due to Boy George being vege tarian, he was given ferment ed plums, sticky beans and a fermented duck egg, while Hancock had to swallow a camel penis, sheep vagina and cow anus.

Saturday night saw Matt and Owen take on the trial ‘Who Wants To Look Silly on Air’, being asked questions in the same format as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, while brown sauce, custard and other slimy substances poured down on them. After stars being deducted for cheat

ing and then help from phone a friend Sue Cleaver, the celebrities won five stars.

It was more or less a fore gone conclusion that Matt would be chosen to do more trials and after taking on each challenge in a cool and collect ed manner and bagging more stars, his fellow camp mates have started to warm to him.

On Sunday, the battle for camp leader began with Matt winning the title, he then quipped that this win made up for his loss against Boris John son in the 2019 Conservative

leader election. Matt quickly recruited journalist Charlene White to be his second in com mand and they went about their duties assigning the daily chores to each camp mate.

SPEAKING to the national news press on Sunday, November 13, Jeremy Hunt the Chancellor of the Exche quer said that he “will be asking everyone for sacri fices” but recognises there is “only so much we can ask.”

He added: “Fairness will be reflected in the decisions that I take, that’s important because Britain is a decent, fair and compassionate country.

“We’re all going to be pay ing a bit more tax, I’m afraid.”

But he promised, the au tumn statement will “not just be bad news” adding that his plan will be about both the short and the longterm.

He said he believes the public recognises “if you

On the up

want to give people confi dence about the future you have to be honest about the present.”

Hunt has vowed to bring down inflation, to control high energy prices and to put the economy back on a growth path.

Jeremy Hunt has worked hard to forewarn the elec torate that the autumn statement will contain some pain, but whether higher taxes are on the cards for Britain remains to be seen, as many within the party are still anti the idea.

2022 LINE-UP: The stars taking part in the jungle.

Credit: ITV

MORE TAXES: Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt.

Credit: Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street flickr

• November 20, 10pm Ched Kolted, Stray Sod Irish Bar, Centro Commercial La Fuente

• November 21, 10pm, Kenny Rodgers tribute, Peter Warke, The Pub, Benidorm

• November 21, 11:45pm, Kenny Rodgers tribute, Peter Warke, Tommy’s Bar

• November 26, 9pm, duo act Vic and Chloe bring you songs we all know and love with a sprinkle of Moonshine acoustic sparkle, Grand Cafe Marin, Denia

• December 1, 7pm – 1:30am, Stevie Spit, cabaret show, Benidorm Palace

• December 14, 7pm Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir, Christmas Carol Con cert, Benitachell Church Free entry –collection on exit

Talented youngsters perform

IT’S nearly time for the cur tain to go up at the Benidorm Palace, for ‘Its Time to Shine’ with Spot light Production. Spon sored by Euro Weekly News and The Lady Eliza beth School.

A total of 270 talented youngsters, from eight dif ferent performing arts

schools across the region, will be showcasing their talents on Sunday Novem ber 27, in a fabulous pro duction full of colour and flair.

With all genres of dance from classical ballet to street dance, flamenco to tap, the show promises to be a breathtaking experi

La Bohème

CONCERTS COSTA BLANCA is organising a trip to Valencia to see La Bohème, by Giacomo Puccin, one of the world’s most popular operas, at the city’s iconic concert hall.

The opera takes the audience on a nostalgic journey back to the early 19th century and to hear a legend of indi vidualism, freedom, rebellion and amorality of the Parisian nights. Puccini’s masterpiece tells a story of life between anonymity and success, life for art and the art of living and is a celebration of life and death.

The cast features Saimir Pirgu as Rodolfo, Federica Lom bardi as Mimi and Mattia Olivieri as Marcelo, the Choir and the Orchestra of the Valencia Region, in this successful pro duction designed by Davide Livermore in 2012.

Tickets (including coach transport with pick­ups in Alfaz, Moraira, Javea and Gata) cost €110. To purchase, contact willyhardee@gmail.com

ence, with amazing cos tumes, exquisite choreog raphy and powerful music.

Star Studios in Javea are presenting two musical theatre pieces from We Will Rock You and The Ad dams Family Musical, which will be the first time for any school to perform with live vocals. Lucy Glis ter and Michael Watson (West End super star) direc tors and tutors at Star Stu dios, are delighted to showcase their students’ talents.

Michael said “The energy and enthusiasm our stu dents have shown for this performance is incredible, we are so proud of them!”

This is a show for the whole family to enjoy and is always a night to remem ber. So don’t miss out and get your tickets now! Get your tickets from the events page of the Benidorm Palace website www.Benidormpalace.com or www.spotlightproduc tionspain.com.

A SEASONAL showcase is set to wow after two years of re duced Christmas events due to the pandemic. Phillip Ash ley is set to direct three fes tive performances by differ ent musical groups during December on the Costa Blan ca.

The musical director and composer is set to showcase his versatile abilities by direct ing three groups, Cantãmus, Canto Mundial and Adagio, in performances next month.

Ashley will kick off Christ mas celebrations with a per formance by Cantãmus on Saturday December 3. The ‘Advent of Christmas’ is packed with uplifting and in spiring songs as well as select ed Christmas pieces to get all guests into the festive spirit. The concert costs €10, and will begin at 3.30pm at the Er mita de San Josep, La Fustera in Benissa.

Two groups will perform a concert on Thursday Decem ber 15 at 7.30pm in Centro Social Playa del Albir. Canto Mundial and harmony group

Adagio will join forces for the charity concert in aid of local foodbanks. Tickets cost just €5. The concert will cover a variety of styles including film

Furry festivities

SNAP up some bargains, meet fellow dog lovers and raise money to look after our furry friends at the APASA Christmas market. There will be stalls packed with secondhand deals, a barbecue, as well as tapas and cakes.

music and top Christmas songs.

Tickets for both events are available by calling: 965 581 483.

The Entertainers will entertain

THERE’S still time to get your ticket for a fabulous con cert courtesy of The Entertainers presented by the Teula da Moraira Lions. The performance will start at 6pm on Saturday, November 19, but why not come along early and have a drink and get some raffle tickets? There are plenty of great prizes to be won!

Email lion.richard1943@outlook.com or phone 634 371 298 to reserve your ticket and start looking forward to a great night out.

All funds raised by TM Lions go to causes in our local area with our current focus on defibrillators to save lives.

There will even be a live DJ playing great music and singing his own covers to give everything a party atmo sphere. Better still, you will be able to drink your first mulled wine of the season.

Staff and friends of APASA,

Raising money for the local shelter.

the San Antonio Animal Pro tection Association, look for ward to seeing you at the dog

Christmas concerts Seasonal sounds

shelter, Cami de les Sorts 27, in Javea from 12.00 to 4.30pm on November 18.

MONTGÓ CHORALE will be presenting their traditional Christmas concert at the Loreto Church (also known as the Fishermen’s Church) in Javea Port at 5.00 pm on Saturday December 10.

Directed by Aileen Lightfoot, the choir will perform a programme of Christmas music, in cluding well­loved carols with audience partici pation, pieces by the ever­popular John Rutter and an arrangement of the beautiful ‘Mary’s

Boychild’ by the choir’s Founder and former Di rector Gordon Lawson.

Doors open at 4.30 pm. Entry is free.

There will be a retiring collection in aid of Car itas, the church’s charity that does such impor tant and worthwhile work supporting local families in need.

For further information, please contact Sally Merrett by email at montgochorale@ gmail.com.

Image: Shutterstock.com/ OlgaOvcharenko

Local choirs will take to the stage for some festive fun under the skilful direction of Phil Ashley.

Photo credit: Phillip Ashley (by email)

Festive flowers

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, when all through the house, not a crea ture was stirring, not even a mouse, however, there will be lots of stirring on Thursday November 24, at the Salon de Actos, La Senieta, Moraira, when the Marina Alta Costa Blanca Floral club presents their Christmas Floral Extrava ganza with Christine Brazier. There will be bling, baubles, and bows, along with some glitter and gold, and of course lots of gorgeous flowers.

As always the flowers will be provided by PAICHI Garden Centre. Doors open at 2.15 for a 3pm start. The entrance fee for visitors is €10 and members €7. All are welcome.

The Christmas hamper raf fle will also be drawn on the day with the first of many prizes being a hamper, with proceeds raised going to char ity, raffle tickets can be pur chased on the day.

For information contact Pat: 622 921 812 or Christine: 602 246 546, or www.mari naaltafloralclub.com.

AS part of its month­long celebration of World Chil dren’s Day 2022, Teulada has organised a host of ac tivities, including road safe ty workshops and plays for children. The highlights for the children are planned for November 19 and 20.

On November 19 from 10.30 to 1.30pm in Teula da, there will be a parade with Disney characters, stilt walkers and music, as well as face­painting, crafts and tattoos and a mini­dis

Child’s play

co. Children are encour aged to dress up as their favourite characters.

On November 20 from 10.30 to 1.30pm the action will move to Moraira, with fun activities such as gymkhana warriors ­ a fun inflatable obstacle course, and more face painting and crafts. There will be a children’s show in the Es pai la Senieta building at 7pm.

Ugly day rocks Vintage goodies

GET ready to rock and roll! In the wake of last year’s suc cess, the Ugly Day rock festival will fill the streets of Moraira with music on Sunday, November 20 from 11 am.

Meet your friends in Moraira alongside the l’Ampolla beach for a day of motorbikes, classic cars, food trucks, tons of fun activities and best of all, fantastic live rock music. If last year’s festival is anything to go by, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to let your hair down in a great setting close to the beach.

The festival is free of charge and there is a 1,000­vehi cle free car park just metres away. Wear your sunglasses and leather jacket, and don’t forget to tell your friends!

SATURDAY November 19 at 8.00am will see Gandia’s first twice­monthly vintage market. The market will be held in Plaza del Prado in Gandia on the first and third Saturday of every month, with interesting vintage­style articles to decorate your home, as well as LPs, books and old comics. The market initiative has been or ganised by the Economic Policy and Commerce Department in Gandia in line with the current trend for upcycling and reusing vintage objects. This will be Gandia’s fifth weekly market.

XMAS FLOWERS: Christine Brazier, floral genius.

Crafts for children.

Credit: Pat Bramah Marina Alta Costa Blanca Floral Club

Shutterstock.com/

EricBery

A Soul Empowerment Coach

DUTCH Soul Empower ment Coach Birgitta Viss er lives in the UK and has a new book released enti tled ‘BE­com­ing Authen tically Me.’

In today’s world, there are coaches for almost every aspect of life, but for those who don’t know what a Soul Empower ment Coach is, Birgitta ex plained the concept to Euro Weekly News.

“My role is to help align the inner spiritual

essence of life with the outer life.”

In Birgitta’s case, her outer life has seen diffi cult days and has often been a turbulent journey, having served as a steep learning curve. She’s been a model, bartender, promo girl, dog walker, healer, web designer, cre ated her own organic soap line, designed jew ellery, taught holistic workshops and worked many jobs in the corpo

rate world.

“Being a nomad and a seeker, I have travelled the globe extensively, leaving an indelible im pression on all those I met, while making a home wherever I roamed.”

In her new book, ‘BEcom­ing Authentically Me’, Birgitta hopes that by sharing her many life experiences she may pro vide a guiding light to those who’ve had their

own challenges in life.

“I keep telling anyone who’ll listen, the most im portant ingredient to suc cess is to always be you, not what the world wants you to be.

“Life is really about be ing your authentic self, and not being led by the opinions and the judge ment of others. Society conditions us and labels us that we are supposed to be a certain type of person.

“I’m here to tell you, you can be the person you want to be despite what society might be telling you. It doesn’t matter what people think of you or if they even un derstand you. It matters what you think of you. It matters that you under stand you.

“We’re in this dot.com world,” she said, “and people don’t even under stand what ‘dot.com’ means. Believe it or not, ‘dot.com’ is actually de rived from Latin, meaning ‘being together’.

“The idea of ‘being’ in turn leads back to becom ing the person you truly are. It’s not easy for most of us to be true to our selves. But I’m hoping I can inspire people to take

a breath and re­examine the person they are, and give them the tools to be come the person they want to be.”

Birgitta has trans formed her own life expe riences of being abused, both as a child and as an adult, to become a better version of herself. And rather than let it destroy her life, she wrote ‘BEcom­ing Authentically Me’, to help educate peo ple on how to deal with life’s traumas.

“I hope my book helps people. There’s no better feeling than when you're

able to give inspiration and guidance to someone and it actually helps them improve their lives. And it all begins with loving yourself. Your ‘authentic’ self. And then you need to live life to the fullest. And not just exist. And you need to live NOW.

“Life is like the sound of music,” she has conclud ed.

“You’ve got to dance before the music stops.”

If you want to make a New Year resolution to be true to yourself, search out her new book on Amazon.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF: Birgitta with her new book.

Credit: Power Soul Healing Facebook

A SHOW of solidarity as the Ukrainian Ortho dox Church announced that it will allow wor shippers to celebrate Christmas on December 25. The unusual decision was announced on November 7 and has been interpreted as a move to distance the church from the Russian Orthodox Church and towards the west.

For the first time, congregations in Ukraine will be permitted to celebrate Christmas on

Religious resistance

the western date of December 25, as opposed to the date of Jesus’ birth in the Julian Calen dar, January 7. Christmas celebration dates in Ukraine have long divided opinion in the coun try, with December 25 being made a public holiday in 2017 and the church allowing

Solar-panelled car parks

Betty Henderson A DAZZLING environmen tal upgrade in France as authorities will now re quire all large car parks to install solar panels. The sustainable measure was approved by the country’s senate on November 9.

The measure is set to affect thousands of car parks across the country, since all car parks with more than 80 spaces must comply with the leg islation. Large car parks with more than 400 spaces have an extra task,

TREMORS were felt across Italy and in parts of the Balkans as a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday November 9.

The quake was felt in parts of Italy including Rome and Bologna and was also felt in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.

Scientists said the earth quake was eight kilome tres deep and started off in the resort town of Rimini at around 7.07am.

After the first tremor, several smaller aftershocks

as more than half of the car park space must be filled with solar panels.

Taking this step could generate more than 110 gigawatts of power for the country, according to

government estimates.

Car park operators can build shades topped with solar panels above park ing spaces to comply with the legislation. The ener gy generated can be used to charge electric cars. Operators have five years to install solar panels be fore it becomes law.

The initiative forms part of Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron’s re newable energy drive, to more the country away from fossil fuel sources of energy.

Seismic shock

were reported.

Despite properties shak ing for several seconds in areas along the Adriatic Coast, only minor damage was recorded, including trains being suspended in Ancora due to potential track damage. Social media images showed fallen stonework at Ancora train station. Local schools in the Marche region were also closed pending structural reviews.

Battle of the brands

COMPETITION has intensi fied between two huge names in the sportswear in dustry, Adidas and Puma. A fierce rivalry between the brands was reignited as the former CEO of Puma, Norwe gian Bjorn Gulden was chosen as the new CEO of Adidas on Tuesday November 8.

The brands were created by two brothers, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, during the late 1940s, creating a decadeslong rivalry. The sportswear companies remain based in the German town of Herzoge

naurach, where they were founded by the brothers after a disagreement.

Adidas’ decision to hire Gulden, who has worked as the CEO of Puma since 2013, has been seen as the latest development in the heated competition between the two global sports companies.

Explaining the decision to hire Gulden, Adidas cited his lengthy, 30 year experience in the sports clothing industry.

The 57­year­old is set to take over as Adidas CEO from 2023.

Fire brigades said they had not received any re quests for help, despite the alarm caused by the earth quake.

Central Italy is one of the most active seismic areas in Europe, but has not seen major tectonic activity for several years.

prayers to be said on the day. Full­scale Christ mas services have not however been allowed on December 25 until now. Prior to the Rus sian invasion in February, one third of worship pers wanted to switch to a western Christmas. The figure is thought to be higher now.

Solar panels will generate energy in France.

Photo credit: Juan Enrique del Barrio/ shutterstock.com

Ukrainian Orthodox Church is moving towards western traditions to distance itself from Russia

Photo credit: Mikheyev Viktor / shutterstock.com

Transport backlash

A SHARP hike in a German public transport pass has caused backlash across the country amid rising infla tion rates. The controver sial move to change the cost of a popular public transport pass was an nounced on November 3.

Since then, commuters have been voicing their anger and concern about travelling in the media and online. The public transport pass, which previously cost €9 per month was upped to an eye­watering €49 per month.

The scheme had been in troduced on a temporary basis during the summer to encourage public transport use and to help combat ris ing inflation rates, but the increase was a shock to travellers.

Charities and social or ganisations have also criti cised the move saying that the hefty price tag is out of reach for millions of ordi nary commuters and pub lic transport users. Climate activists also said the move is a step in the wrong direc tion.

Partying PM cleared

THE F innish Prime Minister was cleared by an official inquiry on Friday Novem ber 4 after a video of her partying pro voked controversy in the country and beyond. Sanna Marin was accused of compromising her abilities to govern af ter the video went viral globally.

The report concluded that there was “no reason to suspect the Prime Minis ter of unlawful conduct in the perfor mance of her duties, or of any neglect of her official responsibilities,” clearing her of any misconduct.

Justice Minister, Tuomas Pöysti, said his job was to judge the legality of the video and would not comment on moral decisions.

The video leaked in August, showed the Prime Minister drinking and dancing with friends. Critics said that the videos showed inappropriate behaviour for a Prime Minister, threatening national se curity.

Marin previously defended her right to a social life in a tearful statement saying “I am human,” before the inquiry got un

derway. She said she was “upset” that the private videos had been made pub lic.

The Prime Minister also voluntarily took a drugs test which came back nega tive after unsubstantiated claims sug gested she had taken party drugs.

Changing priorities

FRANCE has pulled out of a decade­long op eration against Islamic fighters in the Sahel region of North Africa. President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement during a visit to a naval base in Toulon on Wednes day November 9.

Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane, due to changing priorities for the French military. These were described as the war in Ukraine, and changing perceptions of security threats to France in its ‘National Strategic Review’.

Operation Barkhane was launched more than 10 years ago in the Sahel to

fight insurgents from radical Islamic mili tary groups. During the operation’s peak, around 5,500 French soldiers were sta tioned in the region, but it has largely been paused since a coup in Mali in 2020. France has already pulled out of Mali, but had remained active in other countries in the region including Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

Although the operation had some suc cesses in limiting radicalisation, the French government had been repeatedly criticised for its involvement in the region, which was described as ‘interference’.

No duty

A NORWEGIAN princess has quit royal duties to pursue a business with her self­proclaimed shaman fiancé. Fifty­one year­old Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has gave up her duties for the royal family in a statement released on Tuesday November 8.

Princess Märtha Louise and her spiritual guru fiancé, Durek Ver rett, have split opinion in the Scandinavian nation for their alternative, and sometimes controversial opinions.

Verett claims to be a sixth­generation shaman and has sparked contro versy repeatedly with claims including that cancer is a choice. Mean while, Princess Märtha Louise says she can speak with angels and formerly lost the ‘Her Royal Highness’ title in 2002 for working as a clairvoyant.

The couple will now focus on their alternative medicine business which sells products including a ‘Spirit Optimizer’ that Verett claims cured his symptoms of Covid­19. The Princess explained that now she hoped her personal views will be viewed separately from her royal status.

Finland’s youngest ever Prime Minister was cleared of wrongdoing in an official inquiry into a video of her partying.

Photo credit: photocosmos1 shutterstock.com

Community with heart Banksy in Ukraine

THE community’s paper, the Euro Weekly News, has always at its heart been about serving its English­speaking readers in Spain.

Now, the EWN has teamed up with another communityfocused organisation, the British Benevolent Fund (BBF), to bring some of the issues most important to expats into sharp focus and spread aware ness about this amazing group in their new column every week.

The EWN sat down with the British Benevolent Fund’s chair, Olaf Clayton, to discuss their upcoming column, what they do, and how they can help British expats in Spain.

Olaf explained: “The BBF has been going for at least 100 years. We originally thought we had started in the 1930s but we’ve discovered it was earlier and we’ve been helping Britons in Spain since then.”

The organisation, entirely funded by donations, gives one­off payments to Britons in need in Spain to help with is

sues like those who are be tween jobs or other hardship.

Olaf said: “We don’t and can’t provide regular stipends as we’re not a government or ganisation.

“What we do is provide funding when people desper ately need it. We do it because it’s important that there is somebody there as a last re sort when people have ex hausted all options, including family or friends.”

He added: “We look at things impartially and sympa thetically as these are often is sues that could happen to any one. With Brexit there are a large number of people who were caught in a difficult posi tion and we want to help.”

In the BBF’s upcoming col

umn, Olaf will be dis cussing how some of the most common is sues facing Brits in Spain arise, how to pre vent them, and how the BBF can help when needed.

Olaf will also be discussing some of the difficult decisions the organisation has to make when it comes to funding dif ferent issues.

The chair is also encouraging members of the community to get involved to spread the word about the BFF and help those in need. He said: “We are looking for people with great British common sense and time to dedicate to this.

“We need volunteers, dona tions, members, and we’re looking for people who are happy to host and organise events.”

The first column will be pub lished in the EWN on Thurs day, November 24. To learn more about the BBF visit britishbenevolentfund.org or contact olaf.clayton@british benevolentfund.org

BANKSY works of art un veiled on his Instagram page appear to confirm that the artist is or has been in Ukraine.

Speculation was rife on Fri day November 11, that he had indeed been in the town

of Borodyanka, near Kyiv, af ter paintings began to appear on war torn buildings.

That speculation has since been confirmed after Banksy posted images of his latest artwork on his Insta gram account on Saturday,

Explosive power

POLICE in the Netherlands have seized 750 fireworks, each one said to be as powerful as a hand grenade after an anonymous tip. Last week’s seizure was reported on Sun day, November 13 by a Dutch news agency.

The Cobra 6 fireworks are illegal as well as being lethal and could in the wrong hands easily kill someone. Accord ing to the police involved in the raid on a home in Win schoten, the fireworks are: Life­threatening, especially in large quantities.

“The fireworks each have the same explosive power as a small hand grenade."

Police have arrested a 22­year­old man in connection with the fireworks, which were being kept in a box in a garage.

He will now be charged with possession and trafficking in professional fireworks.

The police who seized the fireworks, have asked any one who comes across these and other illegal fireworks to report them immediately, as they do pose a danger to life.

November 12. The murals appear to poke fun at Russian President Vladimir Putin all being based around judo, which Putin claims to be an afi cionado in.

All in all, he has posted three images, all with the simple caption ‘Borodyanka, Ukraine’.

Quite what will happen to the Banksys remains to be seen given that they are all on the walls of derelict build ings and as such are not easy to move or to retain as part of renovations.

The Banksy works of art will, however, give towns’ folk renewed hope that there is life after the war.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Banksy posted images.

Credit Instagram.com@Banksy

A RECORD­BREAKING railway service is set to return for a second winter season after a successful inaugural ski season last year. Eu rope’s longest railway service will transport skiing lovers all the way from Malmo in Swe den to renowned ski sites in the Austrian Alps.

Railway service operator Snälltåget an nounced the return of its popular service on Thursday November 10, with a route cover ing a whopping 1,720 kilometres during 22­

The scenic route

hour journeys. The service will only be avail able once per week and makes its lengthy journey through popular stations in Europe, including many cities in Germany.

The route aims to offer avid skiers an alter native to flying to the Alps, with a longer, but scenic journey through Europe. The train boasts admirable sustainability features, run

ning on wind, water and solar energy. A re port found that the train emits around 1.2kg of carbon dioxide per passenger, compared with 276kg per flight passenger or 128kg per car passenger.

The service is set to return from December 22 and will run throughout the ski season un til March 11, 2023.

Unacceptable error

Betty Henderson

AN appalling advertisement by the German wing of fast food giant, KFC, caused out rage across the country. A dis tasteful advertisement on November 9 encouraged Ger mans to mark the anniversary of the antisemitic Kristallnacht with a fast food feast.

The outrageous message posted to the brand’s app read ‘Commemoration of Kristallnacht ­ Treat yourself to more soft cheese and crispy

chicken. Now at KFCheese!’

The blunder appears to have been made by the brand’s semi­automated con tent creation system which is linked to calendars that in clude national observances.

In an apology message posted to the brand’s social media it said “We are very sorry. We will check our inter nal processes immediately so that this does not happen again.” It described the mes sage as “unplanned, insensi

OBSTACLES have been removed for Croat ia’s admission to the Schengen zone as the European Parliament voted over whelmingly in favour of the Balkan nation joining the world’s largest visa free zone.

The vote was passed by Members of the European Parliament on Thursday November 10, leaving the decision in the hands of the leaders of the European gov ernment. The vote passed with a landslide majority of 543 votes in favour to 53 against lifting border controls between Croatia and the Schengen zone.

The president of the European Parlia

tive and unacceptable,” say ing it will now be investigated.

Kristallnacht was a 1938 persecution against Jews car ried out in vast swathes of Germany and Austria, killing nearly 100 Jewish people. The term refers to the broken glass from more than 7,500 Jewish­owned businesses that were ransacked during the discriminatory attack, which foreshadowed the Holocaust later perpetrated by the Nazis.

Clear path

ment, Roberta Metsola took to Twitter to announce the result saying “Croatia’s place is in Schengen. Criteria has been met. The European Parliament has given its green light. Now the EU Council must deliver.”

The Schengen area currently allows passport­free movement between 26 countries. It was last expanded in 2008, with the admission of micro­state Liecht enstein.

Rail operator is offering an impressive sustain able route for skiers heading to Austrian Alps.

Photo credit: Trygve Finkelsen / shutterstock.com

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Safe roads

A REPORT from the International Drivers Association classes Denmark as the fourth best European country to drive in behind Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium thanks to good quality roads, few deaths in accidents and car density, but it lost out with high cost of fuel.

THE NETHERLANDS

Sparks fly

MUCH of Holland goes up in flames at midnight every New Year’s Eve, but there will be fewer fireworks available for celebrations or blowing up cash machines this year as German and Dutch police have seized the biggest haul of illegal fireworks in their history.

BELGIUM

Fair cop

A BRUSSELS police chief was rather surprised to see an advert from a man offering his sexual services to women and couples who he recognised as a police inspector and although officers are allowed jobs on the side, they must have them approved in advance.

GERMANY

Digital Red Cross

RESEARCHERS in Germany have been recruited by the International Red Cross to identify whether a digital red cross image might deter hackers from attacking their sites in the same way that the red cross flag on vehicles and hospitals offers some form of protection during wartime.

FRANCE

Building site

THE most famous street in Paris, the ChampsElysées, which attracts millions of visitors every year is currently a shambles as there is a huge amount of building work to lay granite paving stones and create new gardens in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics.

NORWAY

Cash is king

WORRIED that the headlong rush towards a cashless society could leave consumers and banks vulnerable to hackers out to disrupt the economy, the Norwegian government intends to promote the use of bank notes in shops and hospitality outlets rather than demand payment by card.

FINLAND

Russian uranium

ALTHOUGH 42 per cent of electricity is created from renewable sources, Finland relies on nuclear power and despite sanctions on Russia is committed to obtaining its uranium from TVEL, a subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom and will not be able to change for several years.

IRELAND

McPaper

FAST food chain McDonald’s has announced that it is replacing all plastic cutlery with a new paper-based material in all of its restaurants across Ireland. It says that the new cutlery is made from FSC-certified pressed paper that is strong, renewable and can be recycled or composted.

ITALY

In the soup

AFTER one group threw tomato soup at a Van Gogh painting in London, a second group of climate protestors chose another painting by the same artist, but this time threw vegetable soup over The Sower, doing no damage as the painting was under glass.

PORTUGAL

Going down

WHILST Spain appears likely to reintroduce tolls on some motorways, Portugal is looking the other way and plans next year to reduce some tolls, as it admits that public transport in some parts of the interior is almost nonexistent and driving is the only viable alternative.

UKRAINE

Oscar winner

VISITING Ukraine for the third time, actor and director Sean Penn gave President Vladimir Zelenskyy one of his Oscars as a symbol of support and asked him to hold onto it until his country defeats Russia, at which time he should return it in Malibu.

SWEDEN

Treasure trove

ARCHAEOLOGISTS digging at a known Viking settlement north of Stockholm were amazed to uncover a small pot buried under preserved wooden floors which contained a large amount of jewellery including torques, rings and coins made into pendants in almost perfect condition dating back around 1,000 years.

FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Whopper truck

LOOKING to outdo competi tors, Burger King Spain has created the Whopper Truck, which is staffed by 20 people and can offer a whole range of food at open air festivals. Its first outing was at the Co ca­Cola Music Experience festival where it reportedly earned €30,000.

Inflation stable

WITH just six weeks left until the end of the year, Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calviño has indicated that she expects the country’s in flation rate to continue at around 9 per cent, adding that fourth quarter econom ic growth is relatively good.

WH Smith

BACK to travel, back to profit is the mantra for ‘newsagent’ WH Smith which has reported a head line pre­tax profit of £61 mil lion for the year to the end of August compared to last year’s loss of £104 million, thanks to the freedom to travel.

Sustainable Xmas

FIVE sustainable stuffed hedgehogs known as Los Grinpins will be an ideal Xmas gift for the very young. On sale at El Corte Inglés, for every one sold, the depart ment store will add €1 to its existing commitment to plant 2,500 trees near the town of Ejulve (Teruel).

Trade deal

DESPITE the fact that the US government has indicated that a trade agreement with the UK is unlikely until the Northern Ireland border situ ation is resolved, Trade Sec retary Kemi Badenoch left for Washington DC on Mon day November 14 to try to promote UK­US trade.

STAT OF WEEK €3.7 million

Microchip design centre

CHIP manufacturer Cisco is to create a new design centre in Spain following a meeting be tween Pressident Pedro Sánchez and Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins in Madrid on Thursday November 10.

The digital revolution cannot proceed without chips and the European Union Chips Act lays the foundation for an innovation ecosystem in the EU, connecting world­class research, design and testing capacities, creating knowledge jobs and fostering economic growth.

As part of its global strategy to enable a reliable, scalable and sustainable global semiconduc tor supply chain, Cisco plans to set up an engineering design centre to design and prototype next generation semiconductor devices in its existing Barcelona facility.

The commitment has been made following a number of ear lier meetings between the two parties, both in Madrid and at the last Davos Forum in May of this year.

“Spain is on the way to be come a key player in achieving

the EU objective of reaching 20 per cent of the world chip mar ket by 2030.

“We have approved the pro gram PERTE Microchip and have the roadmap, reforms and incen tives in place to attract talent and strengthen the current Span ish ecosystem,” said Sánchez.

“Technology has the ability to help countries further their social and economic development and move even closer to an inclusive

future for all. Today’s announce ment reinforces Cisco’s commit ment to support the digital ecosys tem in Spain and across Europe,” observed Chuck Robbins.

The Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Trans formation (PERTE) of microelec tronics and semiconductors will have access to more than €12 billion from European funds made available as part of the Spanish Recovery Plan.

Windfall tax expanded

UNIMPRESSED by ECB criti cism of planned bank wind fall tax, Spain not only in tends to proceed with it, but is actually amending the draft bill in order to in clude more organisations.

The government hopes to earn some €3 billion from charging those Span ish banks which have made more than €800 million profit a special 4.8 per cent tax and this is planned to run for two years.

There is little doubt that the merger of some Span ish banks has created very profitable organisations which have been able to reduce operating costs by closing branches and

shedding staff.

Many have also benefit ed from access to very gen erous loans from official or ganisations such as the European Development Bank as well as having ac cess to cheap Spanish gov ernment funds during the pandemic.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has issued a non­binding opinion that the decision to introduce such a windfall tax could be damaging to the banks’ long term liquidity and could also discourage them from granting loans.

The government re

sponse is that the larger banks are making record profits so can easily afford the temporary tax which will be used to benefit those suffering from the cost­of­living crisis.

Also, since the ECB itself is raising interest rates in order to slow down infla tion as fewer loans will be affordable, the windfall tax would support the ECB if its observations are correct.

Prior to pushing the bill through parliament, the government has realised that it only applied to Span ish banks, so the amend ment will include local units of foreign lenders super vised by the ECB.

Deal scuppered

IN early October, one prime minis ter ago, the British government an nounced that it was planning to strike a 20­year long­term bulk buy deal for gas.

The plan was to ensure that the country secured a safe, reliable and reasonably priced supply from Norway which creates most of its electricity through renewable sources and has North Sea gas ga lore.

Now just over a month later it seems the deal has been cancelled, reportedly due to the proposed fixed price which has shot up and Treasury analysts believe open market gas could become much cheaper in the foreseeable future.

New revenue

IN its Autumn Financial Stability Re port issued on November 11, the Bank of Spain is encouraging Span ish banks to make provisions to en sure that they have sufficient funds to face a possibly uncertain future. Whilst acknowledging that many banks have seen high profits and will benefit in the short term from the increase in interest rates, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the spi ralling cost of living could see many countries continue to suffer from recession with defaults on loans.

The Bank also considers that the Spanish windfall tax on those banks which have made the greatest profits could reduce the sector’s ability to generate new revenue.

Oxfam funding

FOR more than a year, the British government refused to allow char ity Oxfam the right to bid for UK funding as an external investiga tion was carried out into safe guarding allegations in the Demo cratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Minister for Development An drew Mitchell finally announced on Thursday November 10 that this pause had now been reversed and the charity may once again bid for UK aid funding to carry out life saving work around the world.

This follows confirmation that Oxfam has made significant im provements to its safeguarding systems in DRC, although why the DRC problem stopped it from ob taining funds to assist in other countries is obscure.

is the threshold that must be reached before Spain’s richest residents will have to pay the temporary wealth tax at the end of this year.

Credit: Pedro Sánchez twitter

COMMITMENT: Meeting between the two in Madrid on November 10.

Credit: Creative Commons

3I Group 1.267,00 1.308,50 1.262,00 128,82K

Abrdn 204,90 207,10 203,00 1,45M

Admiral Group 2.070,1 2.075,0 2.037,0 58,04K

Anglo American 3.351,0 3.414,5 3.334,5 479,81K

Antofagasta 1.435,00 1.451,00 1.430,50 140,30K

Ashtead Group 4.966,0 5.114,0 4.962,0 80,01K

Associated British Foods 1.547,0 1.569,0 1.543,5 69,85K

AstraZeneca 10.776,0 10.860,0 10.542,0 251,92K

Auto Trader Group Plc 572,80 576,80 570,40 333,86K

Aveva 3.173,0 3.203,0 3.170,0 1,07M

Aviva 437,48 441,53 436,40 87,77K

B&M European Value Retail SA389,60 394,30 381,30 403,63K

BAE Systems 729,70 731,20 702,20 1,53M

Barclays 156,28 158,74 155,22 4,52M

Barratt Developments 403,60 413,40 402,10 709,71K

Berkeley 3.775,0 3.900,0 3.768,0 40,33K

BHP Group Ltd 2.493,50 2.510,00 2.483,00 280,03K

BP 477,80 483,20 476,50 4,44M

British American Tobacco 3.249,0 3.261,5 3.207,0 291,64K

British Land Company 399,10 405,10 397,90 137,82K

BT Group 122,15 122,20 120,30 1,76M

Bunzl 2.936,0 2.954,0 2.930,0 43,90K

Burberry Group 2.009,0 2.025,0 2.004,0 70,85K

Carnival 776,8 792,8 777,6 167,69K

Centrica 82,82 82,86 81,30 901,31K

Coca Cola HBC AG 2.011,0 2.032,0 2.007,0 36,15K

Compass 1.795,50 1.818,00 1.785,50 284,13K

CRH 3.343,5 3.399,0 3.342,0 93,35K

Croda Intl 7.118,0 7.200,0 7.084,0 53,32K

DCC 4.474,0 4.512,0 4.462,0 14,42K

Diageo 3.640,0 3.660,5 3.608,5 199,04K

DS Smith 316,40 320,30 314,50 364,04K

EasyJet 411,90 414,89 407,20 192,98K

Experian 2.861,0 2.885,0 2.835,0 168,72K

Ferguson 10.245,0 10.325,0 10.195,0 40,97K

Flutter Entertainment 11.595,0 11.775,0 11.580,0 60,87K

Fresnillo 866,60 878,20 863,20 95,99K

Glencore 510,30 515,22 506,70 964,73K

GSK plc 1.340,20 1.343,20 1.315,20 157,91K

Halma 2.361,0 2.382,0 2.347,0 66,72K

Hargreaves Lansdown 935,60 945,60 930,00 171,40K

Hikma Pharma 1.399,00 1.404,00 1.375,50 80,21K

HSBC 474,80 476,70 471,30 2,30M

IAG 135,98 138,26 135,42 3,39M

Imperial Brands 2.047,00 2.052,00 1.993,00 366,48K

Informa 581,20 601,00 563,60 898,19K

InterContinental 4.753,0 4.805,0 4.745,0 30,31K

Intermediate Capital 1.255,00 1.298,00 1.254,50 132,00K

Intertek 4.042,0 4.068,0 4.023,0 27,04K

ITV 76,91 78,16 76,38 550,67K

J Sainsbury 218,75 220,00 217,70 449,64K

Johnson Matthey 2.132,0 2.199,0 2.121,0 23,46K

Land Securities 623,60 630,60 620,80 84,35K

Legal & General 247,00 251,40 246,60 1,18M

Lloyds Banking 43,27 43,97 42,97 10,97M

London Stock Exchange 8.204,0 8.266,0 8.186,0 25,49K

Melrose Industries 124,95 127,70 124,50 419,06K

Mondi 1.577,00 1.598,00 1.571,00 107,20K

National Grid 1.001,50 1.010,00 992,60 470,52K

NatWest Group 247,60 251,60 246,10 986,78K

Next 5.684,0 5.752,0 5.668,0 27,01K

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

Ocado 808,60 824,40 771,80 581,77K

Persimmon 1.325,5 1.365,0 1.324,0 143,73K

Phoenix 564,60 570,60 563,50 42,47K

Prudential 998,40 1.012,00 996,40 426,02K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.640,0 5.642,0 5.544,0 154,10K

Relx 2.243,00 2.264,00 2.230,00 322,36K

Rentokil 535,80 542,80 535,00 428,24K

Rightmove 552,60 563,00 550,80 249,78K

Rio Tinto PLC 5.366,0 5.453,0 5.354,0 230,36K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 89,48 90,72 88,97 4,65M

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

Sage 754,00 762,60 753,90 8,85K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.165,00 1.171,50 1.162,00 2,68K

Schroders 469,4 479,2 468,3 201,32K

Scottish Mortgage 804,00 827,80 803,28 219,73K

Segro 838,40 861,40 835,80 348,59K

Severn Trent 2.690,4 2.728,0 2.670,0 54,38K

Shell 2.354,5 2.368,5 2.344,5 873,51K

Smith & Nephew 1.066,00 1.069,00 1.059,00 195,73K

Smiths Group 1.581,50 1.593,00 1.573,50 38,26K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.765,0 11.945,0 11.750,0 6,25K SSE 1.625,50 1.633,00 1.618,50 507,69K

St. James’s Place 1.185,00 1.215,00 1.183,50 37,10K

Standard Chartered 568,00 574,00 564,20 640,25K

Taylor Wimpey 102,00 104,80 101,80 2,11M

Tesco 227,80 230,10 227,50 867,46K

Tui 151,45 158,50 151,40 588,89K

Unilever 4.001,5 4.011,0 3.963,5 777,99K

United Utilities 1.012,50 1.015,00 1.003,00 82,03K

Vodafone Group PLC 105,26 105,28 103,72 6,82M

Whitbread 2.551,0 2.594,0 2.549,0 26,01K WPP 868,40 877,20 865,40 487,35K

3M 132,98 133,49 3,42M

American Express 154,89 158,88 154,70 3,71M

Amgen 285,02 289,36 279,62 3,25M

Apple 149,70 150,01 144,37 93,63M

Boeing 177,49 178,03 172,99 8,87M

Caterpillar 236,49 238,40 232,00 3,58M

Chevron 186,46 187,10 183,89 8,41M

Cisco 44,79 45,32 43,92 25,95M

Coca-Cola 61,32 61,45 60,21 18,93M

Dow 53,14 53,44 50,90 9,00M

Goldman Sachs 385,17 387,00 378,75 3,39M

Home Depot 314,94 317,68 310,24 4,92M

Honeywell 212,73 214,96 211,45 4,22M

IBM 143,17 144,13 140,96 5,85M

Intel 30,43 30,63 28,87 49,22M

J&J 169,25 173,11 166,82 11,06M

JPMorgan 135,30 136,17 133,78 10,64M

McDonald’s 271,39 277,00 269,18 4,74M

Merck&Co 97,96 100,81 97,33 13,34M

Microsoft 247,11 247,99 241,93 33,80M

Nike 106,09 107,21 100,14 12,37M

Procter&Gamble 140,97 141,63 139,11 7,17M

Salesforce Inc 157,73 159,92 155,58 6,44M

The Travelers 181,73 185,58 180,21 1,39M

UnitedHealth 522,08 546,28 509,65 7,00M

Verizon 38,30 38,69 37,81 22,91M

Visa A 205,00 206,43 202,15 8,74M

Walgreens Boots 41,26 41,56 39,40 13,06M

Walmart 142,58 143,12 139,99 6,42M

Walt Disney 95,01 95,58 91,10 22,01M

Most Advanced

Most Declined

12.655M

Duolingo, Inc. -13.36% 1.093M

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. -10.89% 465,835

Cricut, Inc. -9.67% 256,765

ShockWave Medical, Inc. -8.81% 731,361

Flowers Foods, Inc. -8.53% 3.555M

Udemy, Inc. -8.39% 601,297

Teleperformance SE -8.07% 26,783

Luckin Coffee Inc. -7.99% 2.416M

Global Business Travel Group, Inc. -7.46% 380,852

BUSINESS EXTRA

Dominoooos

DESPITE the rather irritating Domino’s Pizza Group yo delling adverts in the UK, the company expects to have a strong fourth quar ter especially as sporting events such as the World Cup Finals which takes place in the latter part of November always see a spike in home deliveries.

Sluggish sales

THE latest report from retail association Acotex reveals that the October sale of clothing items in Spain whilst 4.2 per cent up when compared to 2021, shows a slow down following a 7.9 per cent growth in Septem ber due to the rising cost of living.

Taxi charity

FREE NOW is a mobility ser vice provider which decid ed to match any tips given to black cab drivers through its app in the UK on Re membrance Sunday, November 13 with all such funds being donated to The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.

Closer ties

SPAIN and the Latin Ameri can development bank CAF will host a meeting be tween the 27 European Union Ministers of Finance and their 33 counterparts from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in Santia go de Compostela next year.

As Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union it aims to align interests and strengthen trade relations between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.

CAF has set itself the goal of becoming the green bank in the region, promot ing green growth through greater financing of envi ronmental, forestry, ener gy, agricultural, climate and water projects with an ini tial budget of US$25 billion.

Brexit champion unhappy

‘NOT the Brexit I wanted’, according to Brexi teer Lord Wolfson the Chairman of Next in an interview with the BBC about immigration.

He believes that the UK’s current immigra tion policy was a major deterrent to econom ic growth as there are simply insufficient workers available to undertake a number of different jobs and employers are desperate for staff.

Whilst recognising that one of the strong arguments for Brexit was to ensure that British workers were able to find employ ment, he can see that there is shortage of staff in some important areas.

In the interview he told the BBC: “We have got people queuing up to come to this coun try to pick crops that are rotting in fields, to

Aldi buys British

work in warehouses that otherwise wouldn’t be operable, and we’re not letting them in.

“And we have to take a different approach to economically productive migration.”

In order to grow the economy, he believes that Britain’s leaders need to decide whether the UK believed and practised free trade or wanted to become ‘fortress Britain,’ allowing only professionals such as doctors and nurses into the country.

Lord Wolfson’s suggestion is that that busi nesses who need foreign workers should be able to pay a tax of 10 per cent to the gov ernment on foreign workers’ salaries to en sure that only the businesses that really couldn’t find UK workers would recruit over seas.

AN Aldi

4’s Next Big Thing and

Charlie Fermor, 35, and his wife Laurie, 34, landed the contract of a lifetime and their dried fruit snacks for kids named Freddie’s Farm made with only British produce, as much as possible from their own or chards and fields in Kent, are now in stores nation wide.

Hearts melted as the na tion was given an insight in to Charlie and Laurie’s life

at Bramley Mount Farm and their son Freddie, six, after whom the snacks are named and his sister, Ottie aged three.

Freddie’s Farm fought off tough competition from manufacturers of fava bean snacks, kimchi, and even camel milk, to secure a space on Aldi’s UK store shelves.

Co­founder, Laurie Fer mor explained how the healthy snacks came about: “When Freddie was little, we didn’t like the snacks that were out there in the market so we came up with Freddie’s Farm. The drying

process has been perfected over a long time so it’s quite special.

“We try to keep the flavours you get in raw fruit and veg. As a result, we have lower free sugars, which help prevent kids getting sugar highs and crashes, which we certainly like to avoid with our two at all costs.”

With everything grown, dried and packed within metres of the couple’s home, the carbon footprint also appealed to Aldi, which has tough sustainability tar gets and has been a carbon neutral business since 2019.

THE Spanish subsidiary of businesses insurer His cox has introduced a new form of cyber insur ance aimed at small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

According to its research, some 44 per cent of Spanish SMEs suffered at least one cyberattack last year, so they say it is essential that compa nies also take measures both for its prevention and for better management if it occurs.

The same report highlights that only one in four SMEs plan to increase their investment in the coming years, despite the cost that a cyberattack may entail, with an average of around €16,300 for an SME with up to between 49 em ployees and €22,950 for companies employing between 50 and 249 staff.

New cyber insurance Green shoots

GREEN energy is an integral part of Spain’s re covery plan using funds from the European Union and President Pedro Sánchez takes ev ery opportunity to be seen to promote the con cept.

On Wednesday November 9, he was in Grana da Province inaugurating the Caparace­Baza electrical axis which is to be built at a cost of €3 billion, creating some 8,700 jobs and ensuring a reliable power supply in an area which has suf fered from depopulation.

He claims that not only will the power pro duced be renewable as part of the government’s green programme but will have the added bene fit of encouraging industry to invest in the area.

TV show looked for fledgling suppliers to stock their shelves through Chan nel

received hundreds of en tries.

BREXITEER: Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise.

Credit: Next Media Centre

FREDDIE’S FARM: The winning products comprise dred fruit snacks.

Credit: Freddie’s Farm

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

SOME of the things that render me deeply suspicious of the UK politicians and media programmes are because their decisions and reports often com pletely disagree with thousands of so cial media followers. The latest is a glaring example.

The opinions the left and media have conveyed to the public regarding the recent statement of the Home Sec retary, are probably one of the biggest examples of their anti­right wing rhetoric ever. Ms Braverman stated in the House that the UK was ‘under an invasion from mass immigration’. The dictionary tells us that the word inva sion, describes ‘the arrival of large numbers of people or things at one time’. Sounds about right to me; not however to those trying to use the statement to damage their rivals!

The outcry that issued from the am bitious leftie majority was a positive disgrace; yet another attempt to dis rupt the opposition in their endeav ours to find answers. On social outlets, thousands of people have agreed with the Home Secretary’s description and views. The majority of the country are

Sad state of affairs

becoming desperate to find a solution to something they are fully aware can destroy everything they have ever val ued or stood for. The left and media are using it as a weapon to win the next election.

Even Fiona Bruce recently caused a vast number of viewers to clamour for her dismissal because of her ‘continu ing Conservative biases on the BBC’s Question Time. Over 40,000 immi grants have now arrived, many from Albania of all places. Does that mean that residents from any country not achieving too much success, can send their citizens for succour in the UK? Probably. It’s costing a financially be leaguered UK a fortune. Its people are dreading the winter. Britain is hurtling into recession. Large numbers are living on the streets and obtaining food from charity organ isations. Thousands of immigrants however, are obtaining money, food and hotel accommodation from gov ernment sources ­ and still complain ing! The left love it. The despairing vot ers, desperate to solve the predicament, will they hope vote in another party to take care of their

grievances and problems. They don’t want the present government to solve the crisis in any way, it’s one of the greatest weapons they hold for the next election. The dilemma is, that if immigrants keep arriving before it takes place, it will be impossible for any party to fix.

Recently I read a letter written to a colleague. It described their whole street being taken over by a ‘different culture’. Residents were now littering up the place with cans and bottles and even peeing by their dustbins. The price of their house had plummeted and they can’t even find a buyer from the indigenous population. So if the authorities manage to rehouse these thousands of immigrants, the demise of UK society, once held near and dear, is ultimately relegated to the dustbin. Good luck.

Keep the Faith. Leapy Lee.

Leapylee2002@gmail.com

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

Kiss and tell

LINDA HALL

WHEN I came to Spain at the end of the 60s, I tried to avoid all the love less kissing that went on.

I would murmur “Encantada” while sticking out my hand to be shaken instead, but the hand would be taken and shaken and I’d still be presented with a cheek and the kiss­kiss routine.

Meeting an older man was differ ent. He took your hand, swooped upon it as though about to plant a kiss and then ­ a centimetre before touch­down ­ stopped short as if he’d suddenly changed his mind.

Decades later, there’s still a lot of kissing going on.

Expats of all nationalities kiss one another repeatedly and although you could once pick out Brits who hadn’t been out here long because they retained the one­cheek tech nique, they are now dedicated dou ble­kissers on arrival.

No doubt this is because they are

at it even on UK television. Not long ago I saw two kisses bestowed in a series set in the late 50s. Kisses on meeting? Two kisses?

If I see someone perhaps once ev ery six weeks, and usually only in the supermarket, it doesn’t warrant a kiss, let alone two. It’s okay for my friend’s carer to kiss her when she arrives if that’s what they both want, but why include me in the kiss­in?

Then I saw something that put this kissing business into sensible perspective. A very young man was talking to a very young woman in the street. He was just about to roar off on his motor scooter and bent to kiss her goodbye, somewhat imped ed by his crash helmet but where there’s a will there’s a kiss.

So he kissed her again. And again. She giggled and kissed him back.

I politely looked the other way as I drew level with them but had to smile. That’s the way to do it and that’s what kissing should be ­ not foreplay to social intercourse.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

SALLY UNDERWOOD

POLITICAL ANIMAL

WELL in the ever­surprising world of politics, I can honestly say last week was a first for me; watching my former employer eat a camel’s penis on national television (‘just the tip!’).

Yes, Matt Hancock is in the I’m a Celebrity jungle and the wider world seems thrilled about it. Err, perhaps not.

Despite being in the camp with an ex­con vict pop star and a comedian whose ex­girl friend has publicly accused him of toxic ‘daily pain’, judging by his seemingly endless stream of publicly­voted trials, Matt still seems to be far and away the least popular member of camp.

A large part of that anger, understandably, comes from the overall UK government’s handling ­ or at least perceived handling ­ of the pandemic. Those who were unable to see dying loved ones in hospital or hug griev ing relatives at funerals will also doubtless have felt a visceral pain at seeing Hancock locked in embrace with a woman he later left his wife for during Covid restrictions.

The adultery and taking time off while the House is sitting probably haven’t helped ei ther.

So yes, overall there’s a lot, as the politician accepted in the camp, that he wants ‘forgive ness’ for.

Jungle cry

But yet even the most hardened member of the Matt Hancock hate club may over the last week have been forced to admit the tini est respect for the person he is in the camp; quite a distance apart from the public per ception of him.

Amid scorpion stings, snake attacks and animal genitalia, Matt seems to maintain a cheerful enthusiasm. Even Boy George seems to be growing a grudging respect for him.

Which sort of begs the question; how close is our perception of politicians to their reality? Is Hancock the person the public saw him as during and after the pandemic, or is the alto gether more human person we’re now see ing the real him?

Certainly, the Matt I remember from my stint working for him eight years ago is closer to the one the public are now seeing.

And if it turns out our elected figures really are just average, occasionally even likeable, people, why doesn’t it translate to the elec torate more often?

Perhaps the answer is just to send all po tential political candidates to the other side of the world surrounded by poisonous beasties and televise the whole thing.

At a minimum it would be compulsive viewing.

Sallysopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Nutritional tips

ACCORDING to scientists, what we eat at different stages of life can affect our well­being and later development. Ageing is a natural and inevitable fact of life, but taking a few simpler steps can re duce your risk of danger ous diseases and extend your healthy years.

Here we share a few ex pert nutritional tips to help you in the healthy ageing process.

1. Increase your protein consumption

Try to up your protein intake as you hit 50 and later. Protein helps to build and maintain lean muscle mass, which helps us in daily activities and makes us feel more ener getic. Foods with lots of protein include lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products and nuts.

Making some changes to your diet such as adding protein can help to kick start the healthy ageing process.

2. Supplement your cal cium intake

Calcium is an essential mineral in the ageing pro cess. Calcium is key to keeping bones healthy and strong, as well as main taining nerve and organ function. Make sure you are consuming enough cal cium from dairy products and leafy greens.

3. Boost your omega­3 consumption

Studies have found

links between omega­3 consumption and lower rates of neurological problems and mental de cline.

Consider boosting your intake of omega­3 by con suming foods with high levels of omega­3 fats such as fatty fish, nuts, seeds and oils.

A healthy diet must be supplemented with exer cise to maintain physical well­being and strength.

By Clinica Britannia

How to smile with confidence

IF you have a great smile; chances are you don’t think much of it. However, having an imperfect one can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. People often feel the need to hide their smiles when missing teeth, stains, or crooked teeth are apparent. Research has shown that having a beautiful smile is not only linked to your self­confidence but can also increase your happiness in life. People who have their best smile are more confident, less anxious, and enjoy life more.

Sadly, people tend to associate those with imperfect teeth, including everything from an incorrect bite, tooth decay, crookedness, discoloura tion, and missing teeth with those peo ple who lead an unhealthy lifestyle, which is not the case.

That is why keeping your mouth in tip­top condition is a vital part of per sonal care and a key component in in creasing your confidence and self­es

Book

teem. Cracking a confident smile can go a long way in making you feel good on the outside, as well as on the in side.

Start now to claim that confident smile you are looking for, book a free dental check­up today. The Dentist will give their professional opinion on what would be the best treatment plan for you at an affordable price, having you smiling confidently in no time at all.

Appointments Landline: 965 837 553 / 965 837 851 • 24H/365D Emergency Number: (+34) 607 255 755 • Opening Times: Mon - Fri: 9:00am / 5:00pm Clinica Britannia Calpe Av. Ejercitos Españoles 16 BIS, 1st Floor, Calpe

Age-defying make-up tips

BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder and there is un doubtedly beauty in every stage of life, but if you would like to step up your look from time to time, make­up can

make you feel even more glamorous. We consulted some expert make­up artist advice to find the best age­de fying make­up techniques.

1. Primer first

A primer helps to prepare the skin so that any make­up you put on top goes on smoothly. Applying a great primer can reduce the ap pearance of wrinkles and make your skin look flawless. Primers for eye make­up and lips can also stop eyeshadow from creasing and lipstick from bleeding into your skin.

2. Switch to BB cream While foundation offers lots of coverage, it can be dry ing on mature skin. BB creams offer a lighter alternative that still leaves your skin glowing. They also moisturise the skin, giving it a more hydrated ap pearance.

3. Fight dark circles Applying a concealer after a BB cream under your eyes can reduce dark circles and still looks natural.

4. Eye make­up Eye shadow can elevate your look to the next level. Choose fawn or golden tones to complement your skin tone, while remaining classy.

a free dental check-up today.

Photo credit: margouillat

photo / shutterstock.com

How I find my inner pathway

DISCOVERING EMOTIONS WITH

BETINA VON HOHENDORFF

TODAY I have been inspired to write about our inner pathway.

The social media is full of people who want to tell you how to live your life bet ter... but they’re not you, they’re just talk ing about their own life experiences.

We think we find our pathway, in philosophies, religions, sects, books, shamanic rituals etc...

But there you won’t find the answers, and you won’t know what is right for you.

Because what is good for someone else may not be good for you.

You will have an improvement, but with the passing of time you will return to your comfort zone.

Sometimes we force a change of path, but without knowing where we want to go.

Sometimes life forces us to change, and we are paralysed.

The key is consciousness and love for yourself.

It is a path to inner harmony, where in ner chaos has to be fought.

There is no magic formula.

Happiness and love start in you and come your way when you are ready to ac cept it and live it.

My advice:

Search within yourself, what you really yearn for, reinforce in yourself what you believe you deserve.

Living a better life is to set a GPS for which direction and destination we are looking for.

Love Betina www.mindovers.com 0034­699 327 363

Seasonal foot care

LIKE with many aspects of our health, changing weather and changing seasonal habits can affect our feet. Keep your feet in tip­top condition with this advice from podiatrists.

1. Keep your feet dry and warm

While it’s important to wear warmer shoes and thicker socks during the winter, they can also cause our feet to sweat more. Damp feet are more vulnerable to infections, so change out of shoes when

By Clinica Britannia

you get home and ensure you dry your feet thoroughly after getting them wet.

2. Wear comfortable shoes

Rainy and colder weather, even in Spain, means switch ing summer footwear for cov ered shoes, including boots. Make sure your shoes fit your feet correctly, without rubbing or pinching anywhere.

3. Skincare is crucial

We are more prone to spells of dry skin during the winter as there is less humidi

ty in the air, meaning less moisture for our skin. Prepare for dry skin ahead of time by using a moisturiser on your feet daily, and not just when it looks like they need it. Mois turise your feet after a shower or bath, when the skin can ab sorb most moisture.

4. Wear socks indoors

Avoid walking on cold floors barefoot to protect your feet against painful conditions. In stead wear warm socks or slip pers.

Looking amazing

AFTER a very busy year, I have no ticed the lines around my eyes and lips have become more prominent. With Christmas around the corner, I want to sort this out so I can look and feel confident when I look in the mir ror again. Any advice?

Aesthetic treatments are non­surgi cal procedures designed to combat signs of ageing, treat acne, pigmenta tion, rejuvenate, and refresh your skin, they can be used on almost any part of the body, but most often on the face, neck, and décolletage area.

Treatment with both Dermal fillers and Botox reduce the appearance of wrinkles, with each working in a dif ferent way. Fillers are placed under the surface of the skin literally to ‘fill’ the wrinkle, Botox however when in jected relaxes the muscles which are causing the wrinkles and is used on the forehead, brow, and eye area.

Fillers can be used in many ways, to enhance the cheeks, remove lines around the mouth and lips to give you a perfect pout or simply to make

Try a non-surgical procedure.

the skin look more radiant and youth ful.

Thread Lifts can also be used to lift any part of the face, including the forehead, cheeks, jawline, and neck area for a smooth look, like a mini face lift.

Contact an Aesthetic specialist who can give advice on how to make you look amazing for the upcoming festive season.

Sometimes we force a change of path.

Keeping your feet covered, even at home, is crucial to keeping them in good condition over the winter.

Photo credit: Antonio Guillem / shutterstock.com

Take your pick

CASSANDRA NASH

SOME time next May, Spain will hold municipal elections and British resi dents will still be able to vote, despite Brexit.

Who to vote for? For those who don’t have an earthly, here is a very brief rundown of who and what they can expect to choose from.

Socialist ­ the currently governing Partido Socialista Obrero Español or Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party, usual ly written and referred to as PSOE (pro nounce it Paysoee).

Middle­of­the road socialism that sometimes veers to the left owing to the demands of the government’s coalition party, Unidas­Podemos.

Founded in 1879, the fist clenched round a red rose has been erased from the party logo and the Internationale is no longer sung at meetings.

Conservative Partido Popular or Peo ple’s Party (pronounce it Paypay) can be traced back to 1989 and was the re sult of rebranding Alianza Popular, founded in 1977, ready to stand in Spain’s first democratic general elec

tions. Middle­of­the­road conservatism that sometimes veers to the right ow ing to eruption on the scene of the farright party, Vox, which is leaching some of its votes.

Its seagull logo is, naturally, blue.

Further Left Unidas Podemos, a com bination of Izquierda Unida, the former Communist Party and Podemos, creat ed in 2019. They are the junior partners in the Spanish government’s increas ingly fractious coalition but as the two parties are practically divorced, there is some doubt as to whether they will stand separately or together in next May’s elections

Further Right Vox has existed as a party since 2013 but did not enter the Spanish parliament until 2018. It is oldschool right­wing in the Spanish sense and worries the Left for obvious rea sons. It is well­known for its anti­immi gration, anti­LGTB, anti­abortion and anti­EU policies.

Virtually extinct Ciudadanos or Citi zens politicians are still present at some town halls and in a regional gov ernment or too, but unless it switches to phoenix­mode very soon, the party’s days are numbered.

Winter ready

CAMPING in the winter in Spain can be an enjoyable experience, if you bring the right things and go to the right place. Having the right equipment and a great setup is crucial to your experi ence. Here we round up some top tips from camping lovers on how to have the best winter camping set­up!

• Bring the right gear

Depending on where you are going camping, consider taking a four season tent, which has heavier fabrics and more sturdy poles, for a better chance of staying warm and dry. Colder

SHELTERED AREA: Where you pitch your

Photo credit: simoly

more comfortable, particu larly in windier coastal or mountainous regions. This is important for your cook ing space, camping in a shel tered area means you won’t be fighting the wind to keep your stove lit.

• Interior design

weather might also mean switching up your regular lightweight sleeping bag to a more heavy duty, winter version.

• Wind protection Setting up camp using a natural wind block such as a hill or a few trees can make your whole experience a lot

IN the past, campers would arrive at Spanish campsites with little or no prior notice, including the international market. But like with many things, the pandemic has changed international tourists’ and campers’ behaviour.

So, what’s changed?

Online campsite bookings have been around for years now, but are experiencing a new surge. A new report by a national camping body found that the option to book online is becoming a cru cial factor in international campers’ choice of

Pay extra attention to the inside of your tent when camping in winter. Save some space inside for camping gear you don’t want to leave out during the night. Position your sleeping mats further from the walls of your tent to stay dry.

Getting techie

where to stay. At the same time, campsites that exclusively use in­person, phone and email booking systems have registered a decline in in ternational bookings.

With economic instability in many parts of Eu rope, it seems more international campers are aiming to book in advance to guarantee their holiday.

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.

POLICING APPLAUDED

I REFER to the article in issue 1947, Oct 27 to Nov 2, headed ‘fined for feed ing’.

Three cheers for Benidorm police who will fine people for feeding stray cats.

I wish Teulada Moraira police would do the same! I have lived here for 26 years and am heartily sick ened by so­called animal lovers who visit Spain for a short while, feed any stray cats they can find and then b****r off back to the UK

By so doing, my nights are ruined by squealing cats and my garden be comes a cat toilet.

Before I am labelled a misery, I have spent many years working with animal charities and have respon sibly had pets.

Ken Langridge

Grumpy old man missed

A FEW weeks ago I read of Mike Senker’s piece saying he was retiring his column and I must have missed any editorial comment on his decision.

His Grumpy Old Man col umn was a great respite from the usual news and his view on life very re freshing. The dry sense of humour shone through.

I miss turning to his col umn. Have a well earned rest Mike.

Adrian Woodward

Utter rubbish

I HAVE never heard such rubbish uttered from any

one ­ why do you give Leapy such space in your paper ­ surely there should be someone to counter his party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative party which is ill­informed, narrow minded ­ and sometimes

racist ­ I often wonder why some people like him who probably voted for Brexit and do not want to remain in Europe. wish to remain in this lovely area of Spain?

D Debbage

OUR VIEW

LIVING in Spain, many British passport holders might be uninterested in what is going on in British politics but today, Thursday November 17 may well be one that affects us all in one form or another.

Having seen the fiasco of the short-lived Truss government and the incredible naivety of the planned tax cuts which brought her down, reality is going to hit with a bang as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presents his own mini budget with promises that everyone in the UK will have to pay more tax.

Supposedly he will be making cuts in expenditure and has indicated that he is looking to plug loop holes rather than raise income tax directly, but looking back to the 1970s, Labour Chancellor Denis Healy said about taxation that he would ‘squeeze the pips until they squeak’ and this could well be the mantra behind the current Chancellor’s think ing.

So how does that affect us here in Spain?

Firstly, many of us receive UK state pensions and having lost out on the triple lock promise because of the pandemic, it could well be that he will decide that he can only afford the minimum pension in crease of 2.5 per cent rather than the 10 per cent that the triple lock promises.

Secondly, some 3.5 million female pensioners, many of whom are living in Spain, continue to fight for recompense for the losses incurred with the rise in pension age, so they are an easy target to ig nore.

Thirdly, the Spanish hospitality industry relies on tourism to a great extent and if money is even tighter in the UK, then fewer Brits will be able to af ford to take holidays here thus hurting the economy.

NORAJOHNSON

BREAKINGVIEWS

WITH $4,000­a­night hotels opening to much fanfare in Manhattan, and Mayfair restaurants serving £3,000 steaks wrapped in gold leaf re porting record profits, it’s safe to say the super­rich are weather ing the current economic storm just fine.

But should we get worked up about this sort of thing? There are countless ridiculously over priced restaurants intended to separate the super­rich from their money, just as there are countless ridiculously overpriced

cars, yachts, clothes etc. But as long as the staff and suppli ers get paid, should we concern ourselves how obscenely willing id iots get ripped off?

Just think how those hugely expensive tasting menus with ‘pear poached in sap’ and ‘frag ments of yeast’ would keep you hostage for hours, offering end less edible gold leaf and inter minable pauses, and leaving you hungrier when you leave than when you arrived.

So, why can’t I take this seri ously? It certainly puts the Ukraine war, cost­of­living crisis and NHS waiting lists into per spective. Does it have anything to do with the current levels of

inflation and people trying hard to balance eating (and drinking) with heating this winter? Pon dering this, though, will at least be a distraction from talk of in creased interest rates and reces sion...

Nora Johnson’s 11 critically ac claimed psychological crime thrillers (www.nora­johnson.net) are all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

PHYSIOTHERAPY can help a variety of problems includ ing spine and other neuro logic problems, arthritis, strains and sprains and postoperative rehabilitation.

The life expectancy of ani mals is increasing a lot, which mainly leads to more os teoarthritis and joint and mo bility problems.

Osteoarthritis is the most frequent cause of lameness in dogs, estimating that 20 per cent of dogs older than one year are affected. Physio therapy, included in a multi disciplinary programme, is where it can bring us the greatest benefit.

A variety of soft tissue techniques (eg massage), Joint techniques (eg mobilisa tions and stretching), and electrotherapy treatments (eg TENS) , lasertherapy, Ul trasound, hydrotherapy and

Shockwaves are incorporat ed into animal physiotherapy treatments. Exercise rehabili tation is also a very important part.

Keep your dog safe

• Keeping close HAVING a dog as a pet can be a joyful experience for all in volved, but if your pet has a tendency to run away, the joy can rapidly turn into fear. Dogs can run away for many reasons including boredom, being scared, experiencing a shock or even just being on the hunt.

• Entertain your dog Make sure your dog is get ting enough exercise, some dogs need more than an hour of exercise per day to be happy, and without it, they may be escaping to run around. If your dog is alone in the house, offer it a chew toy to stay entertained when you can’t do the entertain ing.

• Improve your fencing

If your dog escapes from your garden to chase small animals, it could be time to check on your fencing to en sure that it is safe in a familiar environment.

• Comfort your dog

If you move house or your dog is in a new environment, giving your dog some com fort and familiarity can help it adjust and to combat the in stinctive ‘fight or flight’ reac tion, which might see your dog run off. Simply bringing a familiar toy, or spending time to show your dog where its new bed is can be valuable tools in stopping runaway behaviour.

THE SALVATION ARMY English

Speaking Church of Denia Wor ship Service. Sunday 10.30am fol lowed by a time of Fellowship. Ev eryone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmerer@hot mail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008)

www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly Spanish speakers for in terpreter 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 organ ise social events for members. We meet every Thursday at 10.30 in Jose Llorca Social Centre C.

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. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TOO) OR VISIT www.sosinsu ranceinspain.com or email tracey@sosinsuranceinspain. com (302024)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SER VICES. Car, Home, Business, Trav el, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuranceinspain. com for online quote. (301438)

MOTOR INSURANCE . For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your 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! (200726)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure.com

GOLD & SILVER

&

RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa - pre fer two beds. Needed urgently - call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800

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RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MENMario qualified masseur in Ali cante - Special Massage for Men - 7 days 10am to 10pm - AP POINTMENTS visit: www.masa jeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (296490)

RELAX CENTRE in BENIDORM - Ex cellent atmosphere. Expert Masseuses. 24/7 Outcalls - Tel: 603 324 564 (302452)

MAN IN DENIA 49yrs give sensual massage for men, women or cou ples. Private premises Tel 641 938 338 (302481)

Rolex & Patek

Watches Tel678 716 693 (288662)

Peter Zwaan Motorbikes, A+ Oc casions showroom, Harley Davidson Roadking Police, 1700 cc, yr 2009, 53.000 kms, Euro 13.500. CostaBlancaMotorbikes.com (302078)

VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS CO VERED. TEL: PETER 644 139 274

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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BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 678 067 163

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)

DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (294743)

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 Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Al tea (294597)

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)

Bought

Sold,

Philippe

OTHERS

Toyota Yaris GR Sport - sporting looks with comfort bonuses

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

THERE was a time when if presented with a small car and an automatic gearbox you would probably opt for a taxi. They were pretty terrible, a few still are to day, but many small auto matics have moved on much more than people realise. One of the most fun and best small automat ics is Toyota’s Yaris GR Sport.

Priced from €24,549/ £21,460 there is a single powertrain across the lineup, except for the rally in spired GR, a 1.5 litre, threecylinder turbocharged petrol engine and drives through an e­CVT automatic transmis sion. There is the Yaris Hybrid five­door hatch range, the Yaris Cross pseudo SUV and a rally inspired GR.

The focus of my attention is the Yaris GR Sport, which has the standard powertrain

but a more sporting look in spired by the rally bred GR. Three other trim levels are on offer and the GR Sport shares top billing in the range at €27,936/£24,420, and comes with an enviously generous range of standard equipment.

Privacy glass, dual zone air conditioning, smart entry

and start, auto lights and wipers, powered and heated door mirrors, adaptive cruise control, LED lights including high beam assist and particu larly comfortable front sports seats. Fitted with 18­inch al loy wheels and in my test car’s case extra cost, but looked wonderful, pearles cent Scarlet Flare

maroon/red paintwork.

The new Yaris has a pres ence! It doesn’t look like your average small urban hatch but on the other hand hasn’t adopted that overly aggres sive look which, in many peo ple’s eyes blights so many otherwise good cars. With GR badging and a sporting stance the GR Sport rides on 40 profile tyres, so although the ride is firm it’s not un comfortably firm.

There is a higher than ex pected level of road noise but it’s not such that it would impede your aural comfort on longer journeys.

It may not be a hot hatch, but it is dynamical ly well sorted and great fun on twisty roads.

The CVT transmission is actually very good, not always the case with e­CVTs, and even under enthusiastic ac celeration makes tidy

progress. Super comfortable seats make this a really good long distance car if needed, and returning an average 59 mpg it’s not going to cost ei ther.

This is a terrific little car and combines the best of sporting looks with economic and comfort bonuses. Per haps surprisingly, as a fan of large engine luxury barges, this Yaris is one I would be very, very happy to have gracing my driveway.

Facts at a Glance

Model: Toyota Yaris GR Sport

Price: €27,936/£24.420

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged hybrid petrol developing 116bhp

Gears: e-CVT Automatic Performance: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) 9.7 seconds/Maximum Speed 173 km/h (108 mph)

Economy: 4.4l/100km (64.2 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP)

Emissions: 99 g/km (WLTP)

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

GR SPORT: A terrific little car with great sporting looks.

The future’s electric

WITH the news that the European Union will ban sales of new fossil fuel burning cars from 2035, people are increasingly considering alternatives, such as electric vehicles. With this in mind, we bring you some of the most interesting electric vehicles that will be hit ting the Spanish market in 2023.

Low emission zones are coming in across the country from next year, which means that 2023 could be the biggest year yet for electric vehicles in Spain.

BMW Already trailblazing in the electric vehicle mar ket, the German car­man ufacturing giant is set to bring out two brand­new striking models next year, the sedan­style i7 and the ix1, its SUV shaped offer ing.

Volkswagen

As the brand seeks to redefine itself as a sus tainable pioneer, it has al

so rebranded its iconic ‘hippie van’ to a mod ernised, electric model. The electric version has a range of more than 400 kilometres and its eyecatching looks are sure to get everybody talking!

MG

A big surprise for the motoring industry came in the form of the MG 4 Elec tric, which, with its mod est price tag of €28,280 became a late entry to the affordable electric car cat egory. The Chineseowned brand also offers a second more powerful model with a stunning range of around 350 kilo metres per charge.

Volkswagen

As the brand seeks to redefine itself as a sus tainable pioneer, it has al so rebranded its iconic ‘hippie van’ to a mod ernised, electric model. The electric version has a range of more than 400 kilometres and its eyecatching looks are sure to get everybody talking!

Photo credit: meowKa / shutterstock.com

BMW continues on its trajectory to pioneer the electric vehicle industry with two new vehicles to hit the Spanish market in 2023.

BORIS BECKER , the dis graced former tennis star is to be deported from the UK to Germany, according to an ex clusive report on Saturday, November 12. The 54­yearold is currently seven months into a two­and­a­half­year sentence that he has been serving in Huntercomb prison, Oxon since April.

A prison source told the publication: “He’s been signed up to a scheme that means he’ll be home in time for Christmas.” This early re lease scheme apparently al lows: “any foreign national serving a fixed sentence who

Going home

is liable for removal from the UK, to be removed from prison and deported up to 12 months before the earliest re lease point of their sentence.”

Becker was found guilty of hiding £2.5million in assets while declared bankrupt but signing up for the scheme means he will probably be home in Germany for Christ mas. By agreeing to be de ported, foreign offenders can have up to 135 days cut from

MERCEDES driver George Russell claimed his first­ever F1 victory on Sunday, November 13, as he took the chequered flag in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Remarkably, after a pret ty dour season, Lewis Hamilton took second place to give the Silver Ar rows a magnificent one­two.

“Woahhh! Come on team, come on! 1­2 unbelievable. This is just the beginning guys! I knew we could do this! I knew it! I need some tissues!,” exclaimed the elated Russell.

“Congratulations to the team,

their sentences.

“Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity,” said a spokesman for the Home Office.

“We are pleased for Boris that he may qualify for an early release and be able to travel to Germany, albeit Eng land has been his home for many, many years. I’m sure it

F1 Victory

thank you so much for your consis tent efforts, this is an amazing result, and congratulations to George,” a ju bilant Hamilton said over the team radio after crossing the finishing line. The 71­lap race was not without its share of drama though. Both Mer cedes cars started from the front of the grid. Hamilton was in danger of going out when he was once again

will mean a lot to him and his family to be reunited for Christmas,” commented Boris’ former spokesperson.

involved in an incident with his old rival and reigning world champion, Max Verstappen.

Fortunately for the Brit, his car was unscathed, while the Dutchman had to pit and have a new wing fit ted. Verstappen was also hot with a five­second time penalty which more or less ended his challenge for the day.

Their collision occurred at the restart after Kevin Magnussen had driven into the back of Daniel Ricciar do, with both cars ultimately retiring.

Cricket legend tributes

DAVID ENGLISH CBE, the cricket legend who was also a former manager of the pop group The Bee Gees, passed away on Saturday evening, November 12, aged 76. He died as the result of a major heart attack he suffered on November 1, according to a national news outlet.

Since 1986, his famous Bunbury cricket charity raised in excess of £17 million. Piers Morgan is a massive cricket fan and was among the first to pay tribute to English. “Had many of the funniest days of my life with this wonderfully ebullient and bril liantly entertaining character,” he tweeted.

A famous tournament held annually by Bunbury Cricket for the best boys aged under 15 in England has resulted in the discovery of more than 100 Eng land cricketers. Among those to have played are Ben Stokes and Joe Root.

“So sad to hear the news of David English passing away,” tweeted Jos Buttler, the England T20 cap tain. “One of life’s great characters, so fun to spend time with and producer of some of the best English cricketers through his wonderful Bunbury Festivals. RIP,” he added.

Bunbury Cricket posted on their official Twitter page today to inform fans that after reporting ‘no brain activity’, David’s life support had been re moved on Thursday November 10. They explained that he was ‘not going to survive’, but was “in no pain and will pass peacefully when his body is ready to do so.”

Credit: WikipediaBy Sven MandelOwn work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tennis player Boris Becker.