Costa Blanca South 17 - 23 November 2022 Issue 1950

THE 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is the time we set aside to re member all those who have fought and died for us to defend our freedom and democracy.

In order to mark this very important time of Remem brance, Campoverde Church in the Community held two events for the people of Campoverde to come together as a com munity to remember and give thanks for these sacri fices.

On Saturday November 12 a concert was held in Campoverde Church, enti tled ‘O Soldier. Soldier’. Mike and Pip Shail put to gether a programme of readings and songs about the sacrifices made by all those who fought and for their loved ones who suf fered the grief of loss. Around 20 people came to the church to share in this very moving tribute. The donations made at the end of the concert will all be do nated to the Royal British Legion.

On Sunday November 13, at 6pm Campoverdians came together in the Church Garden to remem ber and give thanks.

We started with an intro duction by James McAllis ter who reminded us that we were there to remem ber real people ­ sons, brothers, fathers, uncleswho were prepared to fight and die to preserve the freedom and democracy

that were under imminent threat of being taken away. This fight involved unimag inable pain, suffering and often certain death, but these brave people were prepared to suffer all that so that their families, their country and us today could be free.

The Act of Remembrance included the playing of the Last Post and the Reveille and the laying of the wreath under the cross in the Church Garden. One of the younger members of the community, Josh Sharp, recited the Exhortation and Mike Shail, ex­services, re cited the Kohima Epitaph.

Some of those present wrote the names of their loved ones on special little crosses and placed them under the cross. Everyone present felt they had re membered and honoured all those who had given their lives for us in the best way they could.

Mike and Pip Shail.

Images: Campoverde church

CREVILLENT Town Hall is organising the first edition of the Crevillent Adopta animal adoption fair on Fri day November 18.

Beginning at 10.30am, the event will be held in the car park at the Casa de Cultura’s Auditorium.

Participants in Crevillent Adopta, a joint initiative by the town hall’s Youth and

Animal Welfare depart ments, include nine animal shelters and associations from Crevillent, Elche, Al batera, Novelda and Torre vieja.

“This puts our area’s ani mal welfare and adoption in the spotlight, working to gether with the associations and shelters in a fun event for everybody,” said Ana

Give a dog a home

Vanessa Mas, the town hall’s Animal Protection councillor.

Stands representing the different shelters and asso ciations will be providing details of the work that they carry out, stressing the im

portance of adoption and giving out information on looking after pets.

At 12.30pm and again at 5.30pm, there will be a pa rade introducing members of the public to the animals that are currently looking

for a forever home.

There will also be live mu

sic, workshops for children and a photocall.

Singing senoritas Flying high

AFTER struggling through the pandemic it looks like the aviation industry is picking up as Alicante­Elche airport saw a whopping 1,355,308 passengers walk through its doors in October 2022.

AENA (the airport management group) closed October 2022 with 23,981,550 passengers. This figure is 2.9 percentage points from pre­pandemic levels, meaning that 97.1 per cent of the traf fic recorded in October 2019 has already been recovered.

In addition, 208,817 aircraft were in operation, which is equiv alent to a recovery of 99.3 per cent compared to 2019, while 90,517 tonnes of cargo were transported, representing a de crease of 14.5 per cent compared to the same month of 2019.

Of the total number of travellers recorded in October, 23,923,292 were commercial passengers, of which 16,229,021 travelled on international flights, 6.1 per cent less than in October 2019. Meanwhile, 7,694,271 passengers travelled on domestic flights, which is 4.5 per cent more than before the pandemic.

In the cumulative period up to the 10th month of 2022, a re covery of 87.2 per cent of passenger traffic was reached com pared to the same period of 2019.

HALLOWEEN celebrations at Sonrisas Harmony re hearsal was a great suc cess. Members took spooks to the next level with costumes so good that in some cases it was difficult to identify each other.

The multinational ladies chorus group regularly have functions for mem bers and their partners to attend offering a great op portunity to meet on a so cial basis as well as for ful filling Sonrisas Harmony members passion for singing.

Many functions are al ready booked in the com ing weeks, for the Christ mas festivities, so go along and see them perform.

We welcome new mem bers and have an exciting new repertoire for 2023. You can contact Lynda on 672 192 222 or email son risasharmony@outlook.co .uk

Singing is proven to re duce stress and gives you the feel good factor. Why not give it a try. Look for us on Facebook too, where you can support our page!

ADOPT A DOG: There will be a parade to intro duce the animals. Shutterstock.com/ Bogdan Sonjachnyj

Oklahoma.

NIBS EXTRA

THE regional government has rejected an injunction from Elche’s Miguel Hernan dez University (UMH) that called for the annulment of Alicante University’s recent authorisation to offer a de gree course in Medicine. The university, which can now provide places for 75 stu dents, fulfilled all the neces sary requirements, the Gen eralitat said.

School plans

PREFAB classrooms are being installed at Torrevieja’s In maculada school, ready for the start of the next school term. Education councillor Ricardo Recuero and Schools Infrastructure director, Victor Garcia, said they soon hoped to know the date when work could start on the new school at the same site.

Under arrest

A UKRAINIAN who visited the National Police station in Alicante City to deal with his residence permit was arrest ed after the police computer revealed that he was wanted for an Odessa bank robbery. He and others allegedly ran sacked 16 safety deposit boxes, taking jewellery and €81,000 in currency.

Happy camping

ELCHE City Hall approved a €368,556 campsite in La Ma rina with 193 plots, 25 bun galows, a cafeteria, restau rant, sports facilities and all the usual services. The camp site would provide a social and economic boost for the area and also for Elche tourism, city hall spokesman Hector Diez predicted

Sweet victory

SAN JAVIER resident Rober to Verdu, who makes and sells artisan ice­cream, won a national competition for creating the best ice­cream using Jijona turron. Congrat ulated by local mayor Jose Miguel Luengo, Roberto ex plained that his family was originally from Jijona, but had lived for many years in San Javier.

ON Thursday, November 10 to Saturday, November 12, members of the Studio32 group performed A Night on Broadway in San Fulgen cio’s Cardenal Belluga The atre.

Rave review

Bright lights, big city Bitter pill

More than 30 talented people giving their all be fore an audience, some thing to truly make your heart sing out.

All in all it was a top notch performance that the likes of Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland would all have been proud of.

With one or two late withdrawals due to illness, the show opened powerful ly with the very first musical written by the duo of Rogers and Hammerstein,

Fine state of affairs

DRIVERS caught speeding by a fixed N-332 speed trap in Cam poamor have been let off the hook.

Amongst others, they have Jose Miguel Sanchez Flores, an Orihuela Costa taxi driver, to thank for appealing against five €100 fines which he received in September.

In its reply, the General Traffic Directorate (DGT) withdrew the fines “without any declaration of liability.”

The DGT nevertheless said that the absence of sufficient proof of an infringement “had determined the need to finalise” the process.

Nor was Sanchez Flores the only driver to have his fines set aside. Other cabbies and Orihuela Costa residents who were fined after detection by the Campoamar speed trap have also had the sanctions annulled.

Road signs state a 100 kilometre per hour speed limit, but the fines were imposed for driving at more than 80. Further on, a sign announces the end of the 70 kilometre per hour speed lim it, although this is not preceded by another enforcing it.

In fact, as the N-332 is dual carriageway at this point with a 1.5-metre hard shoulder, the limit is legally set at 100 kilome tres per hour.

Drivers who have already paid the fine are entitled to claim a refund.

TO keep Orihuela shiny and clean more staff are to be em ployed in the municipality.

Carolina Gracia, the mayor of Orihuela, announced a sig nificant increase in service staff. She confirmed that: “34 new staff will be added to the team.

“In just six months that we have been in government, the staff figure will go from a previ ous count of 103 workers to 137. In high season it will in crease again by 32 more work ers, thereby reaching 169 workers, which is 64 more than those that exist now.”

The mayor added: “This

government team is going to achieve this in six months, and it is much more than what the government of the Popular Party political group did in its seven years in charge. All the citizens of Orihuela will bene fit.”

The councillor for Urban Sol id Waste and Street Cleaning, Guillermo Canovas, confirmed that: “We are now putting in place lasting solutions, not patches, in order to improve the situation of Street Cleaning and the collection of Urban Solid Waste. The next chal lenge will be the approval of the Local Waste Plan.”

TORREVIEJA is creating its very own Camino de Santia go walk with a pilot which will take place in two stages on November 19 and 26. The route will go through the municipalities of Los Montesinos, Benejuzar, Jacarilla and Orihuela.

The project was born with the aim of becoming a permanent route so that pilgrims can walk it at any time of the year and there by consolidate it as an offi cial route certified by the Association of Pilgrims of Alicante for its inclusion in the Camino del Sureste.

The starting point of the first stage on November 19 will be the church of the Sa cred Heart of Jesus in Torre vieja, with a total distance of 25 kilometres ending in Benejuzar, passing through the neighbouring town of Los Montesinos.

The second stage will take place on November 26

There was an excellent tap performance by Geral dine Dore and choreogra pher Justine Cook and with additional choreography from Lindsay Walker the dancers and ensemble were able to provide tremendous support to a musical selec tion that fitted the mood and tone of the evening.

As members of the audi ence left the theatre at the end of each of the three performances, I am sure that they had all rediscov ered a little twinkle and the spark, once again, to musi cal theatre.

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

This year the lights will reach many more neighbourhoods and ru ral 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 Es planade and will feature a light and sound show.

The switch­on coin cides with the Black Fri day Christmas shopping campaign as a measure to support local com merce and as an incen tive to attract the public and as a tourist attrac tion.

with departure from Bene juzar (a bus will leave from Torrevieja to the starting point of Benejuzar) with ar rival in Orihuela passing through the municipality of Jacarilla covering a total dis tance of 17 kilometres.

For more information contact the town hall on (+34) 965 710 250.

The official switch­on will take place at 7.00pm, by the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, who will be accompa nied by the deputy may or, 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.

GREAT SUCCESS: Members of Studio32 performed Oklahoma in San Fulgencio.

Credit: Kevin Reardon

PILOT PROJECT: The walk will take place in two stages.

THE Royal British Legion in collabo ration with Torrevieja City Council celebrated Poppy Day in a solemn act on Friday, November 11.

The commemoration was held in the Archpriest Parish of the Immac ulate Conception and was attended by the mayor of Torrevieja, Eduar do Dolon, the councillor for Inter national Residents, Gitte Lund, and the deputy mayor and councillor for Tourism, Rosario Martinez.

This solemn and patriotic act of the British colony residing in the town is celebrated annually on the 11th day of the 11th month, at 11.00am.

The commemorative mass for

ANOTHER morning of sun shine but light wind greeted the SAMM sailors as they arrived at CTD on the Mar Menor for the seventh and eighth race of the autumn season on November 6.

Race 1 got off to a great start. In the steady westerly breeze of 4-5 knots, all

Never forget

the important event was officiated by the pastor of the Anglican Church in Torrevieja, Father Richard Seabrook, who later made an emotional floral offering in the Plaza de la Constitucion.

During the First World War, the countryside was blasted, bombed and fought over repeatedly. Previ ously beautiful landscapes turned to mud; bleak and barren scenes where little or nothing could grow. There was a notable and striking exception to the bleakness - the bright red Flanders poppies. These resilient flowers flourished in the middle of so much chaos and de struction.

SAMMs race day

boats sailed the course well until the first incident when Sirocco fouled the very long mooring line of a ferry boat.

The second incident was when a calculation error re

sulted in the wrong boat be ing declared the winner, but this was subsequently cor rected.

Race 2, again a great start. The wind had veered

to the south and increased to 6.5 knots enabling faster lap times, but then the day’s third incident, Omega’s forestay snapped and down came the mast. Steve managed to stay dry but Fiona took a dip. A sec ond job for the support

boat towing them back to shore. Nothing was injured but pride.

A great finish in a very tight race.

To learn more about the sailing opportunities within SAMM go to www.sailing marmenor.com.

Get pedalling

REGIONAL govern ment, the Generali tat, allocated €2.1 million to help Vega Baja municipalities implement Sustain able Mobility Plans (PMUS).

Grants will go to 19 of the 21 towns that made applications, with Torrevieja elimi nated for putting in its request after the deadline, while San Fulgencio decided not to produce a PMUS according to the Gen eralitat Valenciana’s Official Bulletin (DOGV).

Amounts range from the €150,000 maximum assigned to Bigastro, Albatera, Formentera del Segu ra, Cox, Benejuzar, Almoradi, Los Mon tesinos, Granja de Ro camora, Algorfa, Guardamar, San Isidro, Benijofar and Dolores, plus €149,984 for Catral.

Lesser amounts ranging from €66,543 to €7,165 went to Callosa, Rafal, Benfer ri, Daya Nueva and Daya Vieja.

The cash is to be used for building or improving bicycle lanes as well as pedes trianising streets and adding safe spaces for cyclists.

These grants, classed as ‘high priori ty’, are included in the Generalitat’s overall strategy to provide more ‘resilience’ for the area via the Plan Vega Renhace, which includes analysing mo torised traffic and adapting roads to en courage sustainable transport.

RACE DAY: The autumn season continues.

POPPY DAY: Celebrated on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11am.

Image: SAMMs

Image: Torrevieja City Council

Pesky mosquitoes

PESKY little biting mosquitos appear from nowhere and before you know it you have been bitten a dozen times!

Mosquito victims in Torrevieja have been given good news as the councillor for Health and Pest Control, Diana Box Alon so, confirmed that after the heavy rains on Friday, November 11, Torrevieja had car ried out treatments in a bid to avoid the massive hatching of adult mosquitoes.

Given the proximity of the floodable salt marsh areas to the houses of Torrevieja neighbours, their intensive treatment was prioritised using biological biocides with larvicidal action that prevents the appear ance of adult mosquitoes.

However, adulticide treatments have been carried out and will continue in areas where levels have been detected that jus tify it.

Vinalopo facelift

ELCHE, the beautiful city of palm trees, has been hold ing employment work shops which have im proved the training and employability of 460 peo ple. The workshops have also enabled the regenera tion of three kilometres of the Vinalopo hillside.

The mayor of Elche, Car los Gonzalez, confirmed: “This is a very important project from the point of view of the environmental

regeneration of this great green recreational­sports corridor that is the Vinalopo hillside.

This is a very important project from an urban point of view, but also be cause of what it represents for the employability of the students who attend these workshops.”

The mayor emphasised that these programmes, which are developed joint ly with the Generalitat, are

mixed workshops that pro vide training and work ex perience for unemployed people, helping them to enter the job market.

The mayor highlighted that “since 2016, these workshops have provided training to a total of 460 people, and it is important to highlight that 40 per cent of the participants have achieved their inser tion into the labour mar ket.”

Raising the flag

SANTA POLA has been recognised for its commit ment to the environment and the circular economy by being awarded the Ecovidrio Green Flag.

Ecovidrio, the non­profit organisation responsible for the management of glass packaging waste recycling in Spain, has recognised Santa Pola as one of the Spanish coastal municipalities most

committed to sustainability.

Thanks to the commit ment of the Santa Pola Town Council and all Santa Pola residents, this summer 339,934 kg of glass contain ers have been collected in the municipality, which is 23.7 per cent more than last summer.

Santa Pola has exceeded the target set by Ecovidrio, significantly increasing the

selective collection of glass containers during the sum mer season. The town has counted on the collabora tion of the 204 hotel and catering establishments that joined the campaign.

In total, 39 Valencian mu nicipalities competed for the Ecovidrio green flag this year, with the collaboration of 4,414 catering establish ments.

PINOSO has launched a Land Bank for owners and farmers interested in cultivating plots of land, as abandoned and semicultivated agricultural land represents about 24 per cent of the surface area of the municipality.

The project will be de veloped in several phases, the first of which is to as certain the exact current state of the area, espe cially the cultivated plots

Land Bank

and those that are aban doned.

Data currently shows Pinoso has 1,872 aban doned plots (20 per cent, 2,018.08 hectares) and 327 semi-cultivated plots in the process of aban donment (3 per cent, 725.41 hectares). This is

an important percentage of agricultural land that has been wasted for vari ous reasons and which can be recovered for agri cultural production.

The main function of the Land Bank is to medi ate between landowners and those who need land.

More police for Elche

ELCHE’S Local Police will soon have more officers, Public Safety council lor Ramon Abad announced.

Accompanied by the force’s chief commissioner, Cesar Zaragoza, Abad said that his department was aiming to reach the full complement of 400 officers that the Federation of Munic ipalities and Provinces (FEMP) rec ommended for a city of Elche’s size.

Abad explained that there are cur

rently 350 officers, but another 22 are due to arrive once they have completed their training course at the Valencian Institute of Public Safe ty and Emergencies (IVASPE).

The councillor also revealed that city hall’s Local Government Board would soon approve a selection pro cess for a further 28 officers, eventu ally bringing a total of 400.

Together with more officers, city

Old makes way for new

THE old Generalitat building at Torrevieja’s port has been pulled down, making way for the future Paseo del Mar leisure zone.

Razing the 1935 building, which originally belonged to the State Ports Authority, on November 11 was followed on Tues day November 15 by the demolition of the Maritime Authori ty premises as work goes ahead on the joint private­public €19 million project.

This will eventually convert a large section of the port area into a commercial and leisure zone after finally removing the existing barriers that separate the town centre from the port.

The Generalitat’s Port Authority employees, together with the Maritime Authority personnel will now move into the Ad uanas (Customs) building. This has been completely renovat ed, while conserving the listed building’s original layout and façade.

The same building will also house the Agencia Tributaria (Tax Office) and Guardia Civil officers.

The Lonja harbourside fish market, which occupied two buildings, moved to new premises in October. Operatives have begun demolishing interior walls and will soon be re moving both of the fibrocement roofs, which contain healththreatening asbestos.

hall intended to acquire more vehi cles in response to requests for im proved working conditions, Abad re vealed.

“On August 11 we presented 11 new vehicles and, some months ear lier, a van for the Canine Unit,” he said.

“Now we are about to put out to tender a leasing contract for another 20 vehicles.”

Importance of eye tests

FOR World Diabetes Day, Specsavers Ópticas high lighted the importance of regular eye tests to protect your vision from the effects of diabetic retinopathy. Many people with diabetes do not get any symptoms, however, if it is left untreat ed it can cause damage to the eyes, heart, kidneys, and feet.

Around one in three peo ple with diabetes develop some form of eye health complication, according to the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF). However, a recent Specsavers Ópticas survey, revealed a quarter of the respondents were not aware that diabetes

can affect your eye health.

Lisa James from Spec savers Ópticas in Guardamar explained: “14.8 per cent of adults in Spain are living with dia betes and almost a third (30.3 per cent) are undiag nosed and at risk of devel oping serious eye health complications, or even sight loss. Eye tests with digital retinal photography help to detect any signs of diabetes that might be present by taking a detailed picture of the back of your eye allow ing the blood vessels to be monitored more closely.

Make sure you get your eyes tested regularly to protect your vision.’

GRAB your trainers and join in the fun run for char ity in Elche. The sporting event will start at 10.00 on the Paseo de la Estacion on Sunday, November 27.

The run in aid of the As sociation of Women Af fected by Breast Cancer of Elche and Region (AMACMEC) returns after a two-year break due to the pandemic and the councillor for Sports, Vi cente Alberola, hopes the turnout will “exceed 13,000 participants.”

“This is a third more than the 10,000 partici pants of the last fun run held in 2019. We need as many participants as possi ble to help the associa tion,” the councillor added.

The president of AMACMEC, Manuela Ag ullo, said that “all the members of the associa tion are doubly excited to bring back a race after two years and to be able to raise awareness of breast

cancer again. I am hoping it will be a great pink tide.”

The big novelty this year will be a t-shirt commemo rating the 125th anniver sary of the discovery of the Dama d’Elx, which will be worn by participants in a march that will also in clude Zumba classes and a children’s version of the

event.

Running for charity French support

To register in person call in to the AMACMEC head quarters, Gimnasio Curves, Pikolinos, Electrodomesti cos La Nave, Ortopedia Ronda Sur Crevillente or Boutique Mia.

Online registrations can be done at chiplevante. com.

TOULOUSE, the world capital of aeronautics and space, has confirmed it supports Elche’s candidacy to host the Spanish Space Agency.

The mayor of the French municipality, Jean LucMoudenc, sent a letter to the councillor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez, expressing his support for the aspirations of the City of Palms. He mentioned the close ties between the two cities who have been twinned since 1982.

In his letter, Moudenc evoked the early days of com mercial aviation in the 1920s. The General Aeropostal Company ­ popularly known as the ‘Aeropostale’ and which later became Air France ­ was the first regular air and transatlantic mail line, linking Toulouse with Africa and South America with several stopovers, one of them in Elche.

An ongoing problem Hunting in safety

Linda Hall

NEIL COTTON, who lives in Avileses, a Murcia City sub­dis trict 10 kilometres from San Javier, contacted the Euro Weekly News last August.

Each week residents had to put up with the aftermath of the Sunday flea market, which left the communal bins full to overflowing, prompting the appearance of rats, he said.

Although the municipal street cleaners emptied the bins, they did nothing to collect the rubbish that was scattered around, explained Neil, who is president of the local Resi dents’Association.

Efforts to use Murcia City Hall’s Linea Verde app to re

port the situation were unsuc cessful, Neil said.

He also explained that Avile ses Town Hall merely advised them, “Tell Murcia.” So that is what the EWN did, speaking to a helpful person who said she would report the issue.

She apparently did so but, as Neil recently told EWN, “The rubbish pickup was a one­off, as now it’s worse than ever.”

We have given Neil the number to call, but if he fails to get results, he will let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

Pet lovers

PICKING up after your doggy poo when you are on a walk isn’t much fun, but standing in it is even less so!

San Javier City Council has set up a campaign Pee­Pee Destroys to remind pet owners of their responsibilities. The councillor for Community Services and Parks and Gar dens, Maria Dolores Ruiz, has stressed the importance of raising awareness among pet owners about their obliga tions.

The council are offering explanatory leaflets and boneshaped containers for the bags in which to collect the ex crement. They are also offering a small plastic bottle in which water and vinegar can be dissolved, the use of which is obligatory when the animal urinates on the pub lic highway “to avoid dirt and possible infections,” the councillor confirmed.

“The animals have no conscience, it is their owners who must be responsible. At present, there is a municipal ordi nance on the keeping of domestic animals which, among other things, classifies this type of action as an offence, with fines of up to €700,” she added.

SANTA POLA Town Hall has introduced measures to pro tect the rights of both the public and hunters in its rural areas.

“All aspects conform to strict safety measures and obey offi cial guidelines,” explained Sant Pola’s Environment councillor Angel Piedecausa.

A new plan, adapted both to hunting regulations and the safety of the public, de marcates hunting areas, some of which occupy urban zones, explained Piedecausa and Santa Pola’s mayor, Loreto Serrano.

“The local government in herited a hunting plan that was obsolete, illegal and im possible to apply in the present day,” Serrano said. “What’s more, it included protected plots in areas where hunting is not permitted.”

As the plan needs to comply scrupulously with safety regu lations and the Hunting Laws, the Environment councillor is also in constant contact with local hunting groups

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

The facility to purchase tickets went live on Saturday, November 12, al though they are yet to become avail able in Catalonia.

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 look ing after the vulnerable members of our society be comes even more crucial.

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

Free train fares

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

My Blue Badge

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 compassionate solution to help UK resi dents in Spain who may have left it too late to apply

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.

for their Spanish disabled 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 before Brexit, and those visiting the country.

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

‘deposit’.

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

other tickets for use on the High Speed, AVE and Long­Distance season tickets.

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

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

Dame Eva Longoria

REALITY superstar, Eva Lon goria received an incredible honour in Oviedo on Saturday November 5. The American actress received the Dama del Real Cuerpo de la Nobleza de Asturias medal of nobility. She received the award as a trib ute to her ancestors from the region and to honour her her itage.

Though Eva’s father couldn’t be with her to see her receive the prestigious medal, her husband, José Bastón and

HOP on the bus for free! The buses of the Empresa Munic ipal de Transportes (EMT) will once again be free on November 25, 26 and 27.

From midnight on Friday, November 25, until 23.59pm on Sunday, November 27, travel on any of Madrid’s buses will be free for passen gers.

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

her friend, María Bravo were there to share the special mo ment. Eva dressed to impress for the occasion in a stunning nude dress covered 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 re gion tonight.”

Free travel

free of charge. The promo tion of the bus is key to the promotion of sustainable mobility 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.

Photo credit: Featureflash Photo Agency shutterstock.com

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

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

Electrifying news

Seat reached a deal to transition to electric vehicles.

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 Wednesday’s deal as “historic for all of us,” adding “Our am bitious plan will make electric vehicles 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.”

Climate commitment

Betty Henderson

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 commit ment to fight climate change, saying that the energy crisis from the war in Ukraine could not be a distraction from critical cli mate issues facing the world.

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

legislation changes “be cause our lives depend on it,” saying all leaders pre sent at the conference have “a moral duty to act with determination.”

Spain is set to con tribute an additional €20 million to the Adaptation Fund ecological project that is fighting climate change internationally. The country will also give €5 million to the Interna tional Drought Resilience Alliance, an accord be tween more than 30 countries to fight drought globally.

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

Tribe release tourists

A HOSTAGE group freed in Peru includes Spanish nationals. The release was made af ter a standoff between Peruvian authorities and an indigenous group. Around 70 river boat passengers were released on Sunday November 6 after 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 ac

tivists from the Cuninico indigenous group due to anger about government failure to act on environmental issues including oil spills.

Chief of the Cuminico group, Watson Tru jillo said they will continue to block the pas sage 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 prob lems.

including dead wildlife. Respol later com mitted to a clean­up operation but concerns persist.

Betty Henderson

Photo credit: Jenson / shutterstock.com

Eggless breakfast

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

This time the bird flu epi demic 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 suppli ers, supermarkets and the in dustry 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 shortage, the Department of Environment, Farming and

Rural Affairs had said earlier that they were “deeply con cerned” about the scale of chicken mortalities in industri al chicken sheds over the summer.

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin who actively promot ed BREXIT has complained that major changes have af fected the industry including labour shortages and in creased labour, food and en ergy costs.

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’.

20 poond fake

A CONMAN from Newcas tle was rumbled after be ing caught with counterfeit notes that said ‘Twenty POOND’ instead of ‘Twen ty 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 facto ry workers featured on the reverse side.

But at a closer look, pic tures of the money show the wording of ‘twenty pounds’ has been substi tuted with the geordie slang ‘twenty poond’, re ports a national news out let.

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

Hickson, 33, of Gateshead, admitted pos sessing counterfeit curren cy and was sentenced to 23 months imprisonment,

suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation re quirements and a yearlong curfew between 8pm and 6am.

Worst again

A WHICH? guide to the UK’s best and worst hotel chains was published on Wednesday November 9, with the Bri tannia 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 experi ences 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, giving the Britannia chain just two out of five stars in every category, including cleanliness.

The UK’s best large hotel chain was awarded to Pre mier Inn and the UK’s best smallest hotel chain to Warn er Hotels.

Jungle round up

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 jun gle with a Beastly Burrow trial consisting of cockroaches and sludge and after a slow start the duo managed to bag six stars.

A frosty reception was waiting for Matt in the camp with the celebrities question ing the former Health Secre tary on his behaviour during the pandemic, with mixed views to his responses.

The public shared the celebrities’ angst and voted for Matt to do more trials con sisting of the Tentacles of Ter ror and La Cucaracha Café, the latter being an eating trial and due to Boy George being veg etarian, he was given fer mented plums, sticky beans and a fermented duck egg, while Hancock had to swal low a camel penis, sheep vagi na 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 cheating 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 Johnson in the 2019 Conser vative leader election. Matt quickly recruited journalist Charlene White to be his sec ond in command and they went about their duties as signing the daily chores to each camp mate.

There is peace in the camp for the moment though how long it will last is left to be seen.

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

Credit: ITV

• November 18, 8pm, Francis Symons, De Barra's, Irish Bar, El Galan

• November 20, 3pm – 6pm, Azu and Dari, International Music, Pub San Fransico, Orihuela

• November 20, 8pm – 11pm, Paul Schrager, Music Through the Decades, Aurora Bar & Lounge, Dona Pepa, Quesada

• December 7, 12am, Dan Maines, Gary Barlow tribute act, hi- Life Via park, Orihuela Costa

• December 22, 4pm, Cilla, Christmas with Cilla, At De Barra Irish Bar, El Galan, Orihuela Costa

A busy December

THE lead up to Christmas is always a busy time for Span gles and this year is no ex ception. They’ve chosen ‘The Grinch’ as their 2022 theme, which should prove popular with the youngsters and adults alike.

If you’d like to catch a per formance, here’s a list of when and where they will be singing this year:

1 December ­ 8pm, Christ mas Lights Switch On, Span glish, Balsicas

4 December ­ 11.30 and 1.30, Pink Ladies Christmas Fun Run, La Zenia Boulevard

8 December ­ 11.00, Christmas at Unica Garden

Centro, San Javier

14 December ­ 6pm, Christmas at Zarco’s Cocktail Bar, Avda Rio Nalón, Los Al cázares

15 December ­ from 2pm, Rio Nalón Christmas Sing!, Tipsy Thistle, Boochies and Le Petit Bistrot

So, why not pop along and get in the festive mood at these events?

Spangles is a ladies’ a cap pella chorus. They rehearse

every Thursday, from 10.30am to 1.00pm at Cen tro Municipal Las Claras, Calle Helena, Los Narejos, Los Alcázares and visitors are always welcome.

If you’d like to book the chorus for an event or you are thinking about joining them, you can find out more on their website: www.spangleschorus.com or email info@spanglescho rus.com

Christmas giving

GET in the Christmas spirit while helping out our furry four legged friends. Bar Arianaz warmly invites you to the Big Reds Animals Charity Christmas Fair.

The Fair is on Saturday, December 10, from midday until 4.00pm.

Why not pop in and sit on Santa’s knee? Guaranteed fun for all. Stalls include a cake stall, a jewellery stall, a gift stall and much much more.

There will be live entertainment, raffles and a tombol la.

For more information call into Bar Arianaz, C. Escorpio, 6, 03189 Orihuela, Alicante or call (+34) 602 520 424.

Unfair pay rise

STRIKE action by UK firefighters 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 increase that was on offer to them.

Labelling the offer as ‘disgusting’, with a 78 per cent turnout, 79 per cent of fire fighters voted against it. They argued that the pay rise would barely help sup port their families, with some reported to be relying on handouts from food banks.

Matt Wrack, the FBU general secretary said “We have firefighters using food banks. Our members worked through the pandemic to help protect their com munities, taking on extra duties to do so. A further real­terms pay cut is an abso lutely disgusting way to thank them. Whilst strike action is always a last re sort, our members simply can’t go on like this.”

It is expected that the next step by the FBU’s executive will be a ballot among members on potential strike action.

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.

The scenic route

A RECORD­BREAKING railway service is set to return for a second winter season after a successful inaugural ski sea son last year. Europe’s longest railway service will transport skiing lovers all the way from Malmo in Sweden to renowned ski sites in the Aus trian Alps.

Railway service operator Snälltåget announced the re turn of its popular service on Thursday November 10, with a route covering a whopping 1,720 kilometres during 22hour journeys. The service will

only be available once per week and makes its lengthy journey through popular sta tions in Europe, including many cities in Germany.

The route aims to offer avid

OBSTACLES have been removed for Croat ia’s admission to the Schengen zone as the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly 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 Novem ber 10, leaving the decision in the hands of the leaders of the European government. The vote passed with a landslide majority of 543 votes in favour to 53 against lifting bor der controls between Croatia and the Schen gen zone.

skiers an alternative to flying to the Alps, with a longer, but scenic journey through Eu rope. The train boasts ad mirable sustainability fea tures, running on wind, water and solar energy. A report found that the train emits around 1.2kg of carbon diox ide per passenger, compared with 276kg per flight passen ger or 128kg per car passen ger.

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

Clear path

The president of the European Parlia 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 pass port­free movement between 26 countries. It was last expanded in 2008, with the ad mission of micro­state Liechtenstein.

Rail operator is offering an im pressive sustainable route for skiers heading to Austrian Alps.

Photo credit: Trygve Finkelsen shutterstock.com

Community with heart

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

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Religious resistance

A SHOW of solidarity as the Ukrainian Or thodox Church announced that it will allow worshippers to celebrate Christmas on De cember 25. The unusual decision was an nounced on November 7 and has been inter preted as a move to distance the church from the Russian Orthodox Church and to wards the west.

For the first time, congregations in Ukraine will be permitted to celebrate Christmas on the western date of December 25, as op posed to the date of Jesus’ birth in the Julian Calendar, January 7. Christmas celebration dates in Ukraine have long divided opinion in the country, with December 25 being made a public holiday in 2017 and the church allow

TREMORS were felt across Italy and in parts of the Balka ns as a 5.5 magnitude earth quake struck on Wednesday November 9. The quake was felt in parts of Italy including Rome and Bologna and was also felt in Bosnia and Herze govina, Croatia and Serbia. Scientists said the earth quake was eight kilometres deep and started off in the re sort town of Rimini at around 7.07am. After the first tremor,

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

Seismic shock

several smaller aftershocks were reported. Despite prop erties shaking for several sec onds in areas along the Adri atic Coast, only minor damage was recorded, including trains being suspended in Ancora due to potential track dam age. Social media images showed fallen stonework at Ancora train station. Local

schools in the Marche region were also closed pending structural reviews. Fire brigades said they had not re ceived any requests for help, despite the alarm caused by the earthquake. Central Italy is one of the most active seis mic areas in Europe, but has not seen major tectonic activi ty for several years.

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

Photo credit: Mikheyev Viktor / shutterstock.com

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 af fect thousands of car parks across the country, since all car parks with more than 80 spaces must com ply with the legislation. Large car parks with more than 400 spaces have an extra task, as more than

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

Taking this step could generate more than 110 gi gawatts of power for the

country, according to gov ernment estimates.

Car park operators can build shades topped with solar panels above parking spaces to comply with the legislation. The energy generated can be used to charge electric cars. Opera tors have five years to in stall solar panels before it becomes law.

The initiative forms part of Prime Minister, Em manuel Macron’s renew able energy drive, to more the country away from fos sil fuel sources of energy.

Battle of the brands

COMPETITION has intensified between two huge names in the sportswear industry, Adidas and Puma. A fierce rivalry between the brands was reignited as the former CEO of Puma, Nor wegian 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 Herzogenaurach, 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, Adi das cited his lengthy, 30 year experience in the sports clothing industry.

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

Solar panels will generate energy in France.

Photo credit: Juan Enrique del Barrio/ 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

Advertising Feature

What is a virtual viewing?

REBECCA SERWOTKA ­ “We sell houses! It’s what we do, it’s ALL we do!” Your favourite local resale prop erty expert, of Inmobiliaria Real Es tate Agents in Ciudad Quesada.

Published author of ‘Moving Forward ­ 25 Essential Rules For Buying & Selling Real Estate Without Going Crazy’. Re quest your FREE copy! Fea tured on Best Buy Spain. Prestige Award Winner for ‘Real Estate Agency Of The Year 2021/22 & 2022/23’.

The marketplace has certainly changed since 2020 and if you’re not moving forward with technology, you and your prop erty could get left behind while others are selling around you.

Whether you’re buying or selling a

property, you’re bound to hear the terminology of a ‘virtual viewing’ crop up. But what does it exactly mean?

It actually means that the showing of a home can take place with out having to step one foot in side the property in person. The viewing appointment can be done ‘virtually’. This method is definitely the way forward and con tinues to be in high de mand, especially when buyers aren’t able to visit a property in person.

Although a regu lar style video can show a property throughout each and every room, you can’t beat a 3D interactive tour. These are extremely detailed and can show case a home to its abso lute best.

Rebecca Serwotka.

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

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

How I find my inner pathway

DISCOVERING EMOTIONS WITH

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.

Sometimes we force a change of path.

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 win ter, they can also cause our feet to sweat more. Damp feet are more vulnerable to infections, so change out of shoes when 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.

BETINA VON HOHENDORFF

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.

Kiss and tell

LINDA HALL

WHEN I came to Spain at the end of the 60s, I tried to avoid all the loveless 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 al though you could once pick out Brits who hadn’t been out here long because they retained the one­cheek technique, they are now dedicated double­kissers 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 every six weeks, and usually only in the supermarket, it doesn’t war rant 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 impeded 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.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

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.

Advertising Feature

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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

Treating problems.

Shockwaves are incorporat ed into animal physiotherapy treatments. Exercise rehabili tation is also a very important part.

MOTORING

GLASS CURTAINS & SCREENS

J & J PAINTERS. Insideoutside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding ar eas. Tel: 650 363 159 (294244)

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into ev ery other aspect of your lifedamaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to at tend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem con tact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablan ca.org (93323)

online at www.helpvegaba ja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegaba ja.com. We also have a 24hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-mem bers on 966 723 733 (95456)

INTERNATIONAL CHRIS TIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Beniajan 16, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11.00am. All nationalities wel come - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorre vieja.org (95476)

guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branches.britishlegion.o rg.uk/branches/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granala cant.secretary@rbl.commu nity

THE SPIRITUALIST CEN TRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton’s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178. We hold a Sunday Sevrice at 11.30am. For further information: www.spiritualistcentre-benijo far.com . Telephone 711 060 171. Email martindroute66 @hotmail.com . Fiscal G547 13789

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

CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC As sociation Español Contra Can cer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please con tact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail. com (95475)

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462)

CHURCH SERVICE IN EN GLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006)

FREEMASONRY . Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meeting up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemason ry in Spain please contact sec@glpvalencia. com Tel 600 841 064 (95477)

LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English-speaking church. For more information, including details of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005)

PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further in formation. (95459)

PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMU NITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further informa tion, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463)

ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Mem bers Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring peo ple and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Con tact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org. uk Tel:0044 800 018 2361. (238593)

ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIA TION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service per sonnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further de tails contact Hon Sec P S Wilkins Tel: 966 194 158 email: inkinspain@yahoo. co.uk (10004)

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION

For information please contact Chairman Anthony Jenk ins +34 693 866 709, Vice Chairman Dusty Miller +34 711 006 670, Secretary Mike Cockman +34 670 224 822, Treasurer Carl Louden +34 678 518 202, email rnatorre vieja@aol.com (95455)

STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke sur vivors and their carers, with rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 653 588 475 English and 620 907 474 Spanish or email strokesupportgroup@ hotmail.com , website: torre viejastrokesupport.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowl edge to support. (95473)

MOVERS AND SHAKERS We are a non-profit organisation that supports people and their families with neurological dis eases such as; HUNTING TON’S, ATAXIA, MOTOR NEU RONE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS and PARKINSON’S. Our MOVERS AND SHAKERS CLUB held every Friday @ 1pm –3pm, is a chance for members to meet up socially, for a drink and a chat on a full range of topics and to exchange ideas and information. The club is held at O’Briens Bar in El Ra so, Guardamar del Segura (ex cept July and August). For more details, contact Marion Smith on 711 008 250, or email: marion.smith@amscb. org.es, or you can find us on Facebook : fb@movers and shakers www.amscb.org.e s (295976)

PERSONAL TRAINER, WEIGHT LOSS, TONING, RESULTS GUARANTEED. CERTIFIED WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE. FORMER US KICKBOX CHAM PION. CALL 747 438 225

BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434.

MOBILE homes & static car avans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@hotmail.com (294686)

CARE home in Torrevieja, full care, full board from €800 per month. Call 747 438 225 (295552)

HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports any one, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our of fices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are

ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONWhy not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a case worker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We al so visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medi cal issue, we help with sign posting if we cannot help di rectly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIA TION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465)

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: con tact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461)

THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Fla menca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foun dation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458)

THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further infor mation. (253807)

MR FIXIT . For all your elec trical, plumbing, general & ap pliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290228)

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSUR ANCE. WE CAN EVEN IN SURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuranceinspain. com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (302024)

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel678 716 693 (288662)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Busi ness, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialin suranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote.

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

FRENCH, ELÉGANTE , slim, Sophie, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villa martin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526 (295405)

EXPERIENCE the best with a 1hr unique massage with Veronica. Shaving or perma nent hair removal available. For appointments call 679 292 678 (295446)

CLASSIC SPANISH LADY , Playa Flamenca area, private premises, all massage services from 40€. Ana 657 603 495 (302112)

ATTRACTIVE, Girlfriend, Pro fessional Masseuse relaxing and therapeutic Masseuse. Tel: 693 357 526 (295448)

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MEN - Mario qualified masseur in Alicante - Spe cial Massage for Men - 7 days 10am to 10pmAPPOINTMENTS visit : www.masajeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (296490)

LA ZENIA AREA English Masseuse offering therapeutic one to one massage. Also En glish Masseuse/Masseuser available for Men/Women. Ap pointments at nice apartment or visits within 20kms of La Zenia. Call 711 059 849 (302322)

TORREVIEJA Miriam. Gives relaxing body massage. Speaks English. Call 604 382 799 (302487)

MOTORHOME / Campervan wanted. Left or right hand drive. Cash waiting for right van. Tlf 650 722 905

TAILOR-MADE in durable canvas, pergola covers, sails, umbrella, spa and CAR COV ERS. 10% off Cushions. Mazarron to Costa Blanca. RE TIRING SOON DON’T MISS OUT Google: Kruger Canopies.com WhatsApp: 667 879 399 krugercanopies@ yahoo.co.uk (293646)

SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue regis tered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting rehoming. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spa ma-safor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

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

PIANO , Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (294805)

EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorse care.net www.easyhorse care.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)

MR FIXIT. For all your elec trical, plumbing, general & ap pliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290228)

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet in surance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excel lent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

KAMAGRA Gold 100mg plus Kamagra Jellies. Collection or Delivery. ROY HAS A NEW TEL. - 613 584 915 (295447) tp

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

GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, deflead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709)

P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more in formation browse our web site: www.pepaspain.com (95708)

POOL MAINTENANCE Re pairs, Spares and Leak Test ing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain. com (289147)

ORIHUELA COSTA Long Term Rent - Villa. Chalet on a 1,000m2 plot & House 250m2 - 4 bed, 3 baths. Pri vate garden, Private pool, Garage. Only 3 minutes walk to the beach and close to shops, restaurants and Golf Course. For more informa tion email carobrlo@yahoo. es (392460)

FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CON TACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MO BILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTH LY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TELEPHONE: 902 889 070 (2001)

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 next big trend The future’s electric

OWNING a car can be impractical for a number of reasons, including cost, limited space, or environmental con cerns. Subscription services have be come popular in a range of industries including apps on our phones, televi sion and film, and now motoring in dustry giants are increasingly looking towards car subscription services as a viable option.

What is the difference between sub scription services and leasing?

Car leases have been popular for years now, but tend to focus on pro fessional contracts, lasting around two years. Subscription services work on an individual rate, hiring cars for a month at a time.

How do subscription services work?

Subscription services offer users ac cess to vehicles in their catalogue for a set monthly fee which tends to be around €400. Users choose one car that they want to use for the month and pay a flat rate, based on the mod el, which they can then change after one month. For example, with one large subscription site, a Fiat 500 Hy brid would cost €229 per month, while a Jeep Renegade costs €663.

With car subscription services, users can ‘hire’ a car for a month at a time without having to pay the extra costs of ownership.

Why is it becoming more popular?

Car subscription services are becom ing popular in Spain, particularly in cities, where users can save on expen sive parking fees, choose from a wide variety of vehicles and be free from the burden of annual car costs such as yearly insurance rates.

WITH the news that the Euro pean Union will ban sales of new fossil fuel burning cars from 2035, people are increas ingly considering alternatives, such as electric vehicles. Below are some of the most interest ing electric vehicles that will hit the Spanish market in 2023.

BMW

Already trailblazing in the electric vehicle market, the German car­manufacturing gi ant is to bring out two brandnew striking models next year, the sedan­style i7 and the ix1, its SUV shaped offering.

Volkswagen

As the brand seeks to rede fine itself as a sustainable pio neer, it has also 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 motor ing industry came in the form of the MG 4 Electric, which, with its modest price tag of €28,280 became a late entry to

the affordable electric car cate gory. The Chinese­owned brand also offers a second more powerful model with a stunning range of around 350 kilometres per charge.

Volkswagen

As the brand seeks to rede

fine itself as a sustainable pio neer, it has also 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

WALKING FOOTBALL - PORTOBELLO GO TOP

PORTOBELLO finally got their Costa Blanca Walking Football League campaign underway with fixtures against the Red Lions of Fortuna and Portobello Shamrocks in a ‘local derby’ on Monday, November 7.

Unfortunately the ‘Shamrocks’ failed to raise a team and the match was awarded to Portobello Campov erde WFC with three points and a 30 score.

Portobello Campo Verde travelled over to Fortuna in Murcia to play new club Red Lions.

Red Lions were first to press be fore PCV got into their stride with a quick corner in five minutes putting them 1­0 up. Two minutes later they were 2­0 up through a well taken goal by Webb.

A penalty awarded against the PCV keeper for picking up a back pass allowed the Red Lions back into the match before PCV quickly re sumed their lead to 3­1 at the first break.

The second quarter saw PCV con tinue to dominate play although sev eral of their players were warned by the referee for arguing with him and

continually questioning his decisions.

It did not affect their play however and they went in at half time leading 5­1.

After the break Portobello took up where they left off going 6­1 ahead before the Red Lions snatched a goal back reducing the lead to 6­2. It didn’t take long though for the re

lentless PCV pressure to see them add a further five goals with goal number eight being the goal of the match scored by Webb, his fourth, as PCV went on to win the match 112. Alan Pluckrose also scored four. So Portobello Campoverde top the CBWFL taking up from where they left off last season while saying

thanks for the support of their main sponsors, Johhny and Louise Glen non of the Portobello bar and restau rant, Pinar de Campoverde.

Formentera WFC will be looking forward to their League match against Portobello Shamrocks as a win would take them level with PCV at the top of the league going into the winter break.

While it was the Red Lions heavi est defeat they are not despondent and will use the break to improve for when the League resumes in Febru ary.

CD Thader played their fourth friendly match since recently starting

up and emerged 14­1 winners against ‘part time’ club Entre Naran jos at Los Montesinos. Both teams played crisp passing football but Thader’s experience and growing confidence were too much for Naranjos.

Both teams retired to the Laguna Tavern afterwards and enjoyed splendid food and drinks provided by the Tavern.

For more information on Walking Football make sure you get YOUR copy of the Euro Weekly News. Sup porters of Walking Football.

Or contact cbwfl@gmail.com or the club’s Facebook pages.

CD THADER: Played their fourth friendly match since starting up.