Costa Blanca South 24 - 30 November 2022 Issue 1951

HOMES SAVED

Peter McLaren­Kennedyl ACCORDING to the Direc tor General of Town Plan ning for the Valencian Com munity, Vicente Garcia Nebot, there are roughly 350,000 rural homes that were sold to expats and other foreign nationals that were illegally built before August 20, 2014.

The majority of those people bought the homes in good faith having used a solicitor and even had the sale notarised, only to find the home wasn’t legal leav ing them unable to access all council services or get a habitation certificate in some cases.

Many have gone to great expense and trouble trying to resolve the issue to no avail, but now Vicente and has team have a legal solu tion. But, he said, you need to act quickly and start the ball rolling as regional elec tions in May 2023 could see the scheme withdrawn if

the current government isn’t re­elected.

Home owners well know the problems associated with a home that isn’t legal, with everything from its saleability and value affect ed to the ability to get on the padron.

The regional government has created a new permit specifically for these prop erties known as a Territorial Impact Minimisation Li

cence (MIT), which still has to be issued by your coun cil. Full details of the licence and how to apply is avail able through the QR code on this page.

Vicente has urged every one to consider licensed town planners who can as sist you through the pro cess and in your own lan guage. There is a cost but that will vary according to the complexity of the case,

but most importantly it will speed up the process signif icantly. Details of the nine companies appointed to handle this process are available online at https://ecuv.eqa.es/ or you can call 960 613 587.

RURAL HOMES: There are roughly 350,000 which are illegal.

Goals galore

FOOTBALL fans of all na tionalities in Pinoso turned out to watch a football tournament held between English teams.

During the morning of Monday, November 14, the Ruben Ferrer Boj foot ball pitch was the setting for the Alicante Dream Homes Trophy Football Tournament, with four teams taking part, all made up of English players.

The host team Pinoso won, the other participat

Pinoso won the tournament.

ing teams were the Red Lions from Fortuna, Voladores from Hondon and the Portobello Sham rocks. The matches were played over two 15­

THE town hall of San Fulgencio is pleased to be hosting one of a series of ‘Information Talks’ organised by the Diputación de Ali cante to fully explain, in English, the process for registering to vote for the May 2023 local elections which has changed due to Brexit.

The meeting is being held at the Cardenal Belluga Theatre in Calle Rojales 16, San Ful gencio on Friday November 25 beginning at 10am.

San Fulgencio’s councillor for International Relations, Darren Parmenter, said: “The talk is one of the many ways we’re trying to spread this important information and to en

minute halves.

The presentation of the trophies was attended by the mayor of International Residents, Cesar Perez and the first deputy mayor, Sil via Verdu.

The Sports Department, chaired by the councillor, Ivan Perez, expressed his satisfaction with the cele bration of this tournament which he said: “Represents a greater integration of cit izens from other coun tries.”

Voting rights

sure that UK nationals with the right to vote are fully aware of what they need to do. Sad ly, the registration time is short (between De cember 1, 2022 and January 15, 2023) and so the more people that know the process, the better.”

For those unable to attend in person, full details will be published on the Facebook page of the San Fulgencio Town Hall after the presentation. The event will also be recorded and published on Facebook too.

Image: Pinoso City Council

NIBS EXTRA

Lighting up

CREVILLENT switches on its Christmas lights on Friday De cember 2, although the Crib will be inaugurated on De cember 8 as usual. Fiestas councillor Josep Candela em phasised that “adapting to cir cumstances,” the town hall would save a daily 20 per cent on electricity bills by switching off earlier at night.

Happy families

PSOE party headquarters in Madrid once again postponed the primaries scheduled to se lect its candidate for Torrevie ja mayor in next May’s elec tions. No alternative date has been set and insiders attribute the delay to bad feeling be tween the party’s municipal spokesman, Andres Navarro, and Organisation secretary Andres Anton.

Class war

ALICANTE Province’s nine Offi cial Language Schools (EOIs), which have still 4,058 in­per son vacancies for English and 327 for Valenciano, have ex tended the enrolment date until Thursday December 15. In contrast, its website crashed last summer and all the places for online EOI class es were snapped up within three minutes.

Windy city

HIGH winds in the early after noon on Saturday November 19 wrenched the crown and fronds from a palm tree in Ori huela’s Gabriel Miro park, al though the trunk remained in tact. No­one was injured in the incident but the Local Po lice cordoned off the area while firefighters removed the fallen branches.

Court makeover

THE Generalitat will spend €1.4 million on overhauling the air­conditioning and light ing on all floors at Torrevieja’s Palacio de Justicia complex of 12 courts and their offices. The project includes improv ing energy­efficiency and in stalling solar panels on the roof of the building, which was originally constructed in 1999.

Torrejon got there first

TORREJON DE ARDOZ in Madrid

robbed Alicante City of its ambition of being the first Spanish city to turn on its Christmas lights.

The Madrid town, named European Capital of Christmas, did so by the narrow margin of an hour, switching on at 6pm on Friday November 18, compared with Alicante’s 7pm.

City mayor Luis Barcala had ex plained beforehand that the November 18 date for inaugurating the lights was chosen deliberately to attract residents and tourists to

local shops and business in the runup to the November 25 Black Fri

Voting in elections

A MEETING was held on November 11 in the the Cul tural Centre in Quesada to discuss the voting rights in the local elections in May 2023, however the meeting was poorly attended due to a lack of local publicity.

The main points addressed were who can vote and how to register your intent to vote. The most impor tant being if you wish to vote you must register your in tent at the town hall in Quesada or Rojales from De cember 1 up to January 15, 2023. You will need to take your TIE card and up-to-date Padron with you.

To be eligible to vote you will need to have lived in Spain for a minimum of three years. The Electoral Roll Office will cross check data with the National Police in order to determine the actual date of residency in Spain, due to the many British citizens who became residents in Spain before Brexit, and therefore, the date specified on their new TIE cards may not be appli cable. If you need any further information visit www.rojales.es or email: cmcquesada@rojales.es.

day shopping offers.

A giant 12­metre sphere imitating a Christmas bauble with 8,116 LED lights has been installed on the Es planade. Big enough to enter, it incor porates a sound and light display and is one of 2022’s innovations in a year when the illuminations budget in creased by €200,000 to €1.29 million.

The Christmas decorations are reaching more city districts and rural neighbourhoods than in previous years, the mayor said, although elec tricity consumption has been cut by 30 per cent.

Scratch and win

ORIHUELA shoppers, al ready out in force for Black Friday bargains, can win up to €50 with virtual scratch cards.

“All the shops will have special offers that people can make the most of as they start their Christmas shopping,” said city hall’s Commerce councillor Maria Garcia .

Accompanied by Pablo Estruch, vice­president of the ACMO shop owners’ association, she ex plained that on Novem ber 24 and 25, shoppers spending more than €10 will be able to “scratch” a virtual card via a mobile phone app available in participating businesses.

In all, €4,000 will be handed out in €20 and €50 cheques that winners can later collect at the AC MO office.

“These can then be spent in Orihuela shops,” Garcia said, adding that shoppers could also put the cheques towards the cost of items exceeding their value.

THE Pinoso Town Council Health Department thanked the public for their response to the lat est blood drive at the Health Centre in Pinoso.

THE Healthcare Team from the British Embassy will be joining the Torrevieja North Residents Neighbourhood Watch meeting on Monday, November 28.

Starting at 4.30pm at Oa sis San Luis, the Healthcare team will be telling the group what services and support the healthcare team provide to UK Nationals, covering services such as the S1 sys tem, GHICs, what to do when visiting the UK and need treatment or prescrip tions etc.

There will follow a ques

tion and answer session. People will be able to ask personal questions of the team after the meeting or make an appointment to talk to the team in private.

Because of the wider scope of having the health care team at this meeting, non­residents will be wel come to attend. Torrevieja North residents will also be advised at this meeting that the chairman will be stand ing down and unless a new chairman volunteers there will be no future neighbour hood watch meetings.

A total of 36 people vol unteered to donate with 27 people able to donate blood, two of them for the first time.

The town council has requested that anyone who is eligible to give blood attend the next col lection at the Health Cen tre on Tuesday, Decem ber 27.

Blood or the compo nents of blood are used to treat patients with medical conditions such as anaemia, cancer blood disorders, and those hav ing surgery.

Blood is made up of a number of components, including red blood cells,

platelets and plasma. Each of these can be used to treat many different condi tions. This makes the most of every blood donation, as the components in one unit of blood (or one dona tion) can be used to treat different patients.

“This is very important for local commerce,” Es truch said. “We hope it will encourage people to spend more and shop here instead of visiting the big shopping centres or buying online.”

Linda Hall

2022 INNOVATION: Giant sphere in stalled on the Esplanade

Photo credit: Alicante city hall

GIVING BLOOD: Can be used to treat different patients.

ON Wednesday, November 23, the Care for Victims of Gender Violence hall (Sala de Atencion de Víctimas de Violencia) opened which will also include a space for children who come with the victims of gender vio lence.

At the time when the police are attending to a victim, social care staff will meet with the children in a room next door with games suitably adapted, so that they can neither see nor hear what their parent is saying at a difficult time.

Victim care

WITH prices going up, some local councils are struggling to cope with the effects of inflation.

The mayor of Elche, Car los Gonzalez, attended the Valencian Alliance against Inflation conference or ganised by the Generalitat Valenciana.

The mayor requested

It is the first in the region and the third in the province, and Aspe City Council said that it is one of the few in the Valencian Community.

It is integrated into the new Emergency Centre and Local Police premises that were re cently opened. The government now have a new resource for the police department to at tend to victims of gender vio lence working together with the municipal social services. It is also available for work with the Guardia Civil.

Fight against inflation

that an extraordinary fund be set up by the regional councils, the Generalitat and the Spanish govern ment so that local councils can deal with the conse quences of inflation and

gain more room for ma noeuvre to intervene in the economy.

He also highlighted, among other measures implemented in Elche, the reduction in the price of

IBI (council tax) for hous es valued at less than €70,000, aid for the pay ment of rent as a social measure, consumer

vouchers and the tax freeze.

Carlos confirmed: “Infla tion is having a strong im pact on our business and on families, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that it is also having an impact on local government.”

Ahead of expectations

ALICANTE’S air port is flying high and is expecting the pre-Covid-19 traffic recovery to happen sooner than anticipated.

The Spanish Air ports and Air Nav igation group (AE NA) expect to recover the prepandemic traffic levels in 2024 (about 275 million passengers), ahead of the ini tial estimate. The number of trav ellers in its net work in Spain is expected to be a whopping 300 mil lion by the end of the period cov ered by the Plan.

This recovery is already underway and is taking place across the AENA network without the operational problems severely impacting other European airports where the recov ery figures are lower.

AENA’s CEO, Maurici Lucena, confirmed: “This growing traffic will be managed at the quality lev els that have suc cessfully been delivered throughout the challenging sum mer of 2022.

“Spain’s recov ery has been more robust than at our European peers’ airports. Any dis ruption we have suffered has par tially been driven by the operational problems suffered in the European sector.”

ATTENDED CONFERENCE: Mayor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez.

A space for children.

Image: Elche City Council

Image: Aspe City Council

Christmas fair fun

IF you are free on Saturday, December 3, be tween 11.00am and 2.00pm, why not take a wander down to Orange bar, Cavanaghs, La guna Tavern, and Cafe Albert around Entre Naranjos/VistaBella Golf urbanisation where you will find them bursting with crafts, cakes, preserves, cards, clothes, tombola, jewellery, a raffle and much much more!

This year due to the dire need of animal charities, funds will go to Osaka animal organ isation in Orihuela as well as the Little Pod As

sociation which rescues abandoned and mis treated animals.

You can find the Little Pod Association charity shop on the first floor of the La Zenia II commercial centre, adjacent to Lidl and above the Mercadona supermarket. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 10.00am un til 3.00pm (except Wednesdays when the shop closes an hour earlier at 2.00pm).

For further information call (+34) 616 463 087.

Walks and more

THE humanists of Murcia have been enjoying an other get­together taking part in the seven bridges walk. With a quick drive to the start and off up the track, several people looked for bridges to count. It was a lovely walk with great views.

Several bridges were spotted and after a bit of a scramble down to the canal and then back

along the road it was time for lunch at El Jarro.

The next event was the Remembrance Day cele bration at the Humanist tree at the Camposol Garden of Remembrance on Friday, November 11. The one minute silence was very moving and the Last Post a pleasant addi tion.

Join the Humanists of Murcia for walks, garden

ing outings, games evenings and lots of lunches. To get in touch: see the Facebook page, call 603 205 649 or email: humanistsofmurcia@gm ail.com or darwiniangar deners@gmail.com.

Weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies: for personalised cere monies without religion, contact the celebrant on 634 025 711.

All together now!

Linda Hall

ALL political parties and the unions took part in the Alicante City demonstration calling for fair er funding on Friday November 18.

They united ­ temporarily ­ as the Plataforma per un Finançament Just, calling on the central government for more investment in Alicante Province. The parties, unions and the public agree that this is currently not proportionate to Alicante’s size or its contribution to the national economy.

Carlos Mazon, president of the Diputacion provincial council and regional president of the Partido Popular emphasised his support for

SANTA POLA T own Hall called on Telefonica to fin ish installing the mast pro viding mobile coverage for Gran Alacant.

“Telefonica must re spond to the needs of the area, where 8,000 people are affected,” said Oscar Valenzuela, councillor re sponsible for Gran Alacant.

“The town completed its part five months ago, and it is now up to the company to finish in

“any demand that favours our territory and our defence.”

Mazon stressed the need for unity, which provided him with the opportunity of drawing attention to the absence of the regional presi dent Ximo Puig who had returned to Valencia for a meeting with Yolanda Diaz, one of the Spanish government’s three vice­presidents.

The Consell ­ the regional government’s equivalent to a Cabinet ­ was nevertheless out in force, including Ana Barcelo, who headed the Health department during the pandemic and is the PSOE’s candidate for Alicante City mayor in next May’s local elections.

Mast is a must

stalling the antenna.”

The councillor explained that although the mast was erected on April 28, the town hall did not receive Telefonica’s request to in stall fibre optics and equip ment until July 23.

“A town hall by-law bans construction work in July and August and this would have meant closing Aveni

da de Noruega,” Valen zuela said.

“Nevertheless we are in November and nothing has been done.”

“Many Gran Alacant families were affected,” the councillor added.

“They are at a serious dis advantage, with difficulties at work or in a medical emergency,” he said.

FESTIVE fun has already begun in Orihuela, with not just one but two nativ ity scenes.

The councillor for Festiv ities, Antonio Sanchez, has announced that Orihuela will have two nativity scenes. The municipal na tivity scene will once again be installed, as it was in the early 80s, in the Plaza Nueva, while the Neapoli tan nativity scene from the Pedrera­Martinez collec tion will occupy the clois ter of the Diocesan Muse

Nativity scenes

um of Sacred Art, located in the Episcopal Palace.

The councillor con firmed: “We intend to re vitalise the centre of Ori huela by installing these two nativity scenes in two strategic points, especially commercially, and creating a Christmas route full of activities around both na tivity scene exhibitions.”

The Neapolitan nativity

scene is on temporary loan to the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art. It is a price less work that has figures made from the 18th cen tury to the present day and which was on display in 2015 when it was visited by more than 60,000 peo ple. It is a fact that there are very few nativity scenes of this type in Spain.

A grape success

WHETHER you are a lover of regional wine or just like eat ing grapes, it’s good to hear that this year’s grape harvest has been a success!

Despite being an atypical year, with periods of heavy rain in the spring and no rain for several months, the 2022 harvest campaign at Bode gas Pinoso has been de scribed as positive.

During nearly two months

of the campaign, from Au gust 22 until October 19, Pinoso farmers have de posited a total of 5,400,000 kilograms of grapes from more than 10 different vari eties, with the largest being Monastrell, which account ed for 60 per cent of the har vest. Javier Garcia, a techni cian at Bodegas Pinoso, highlighted “the good health of the grapes,” which will

contribute to the production of quality wines.

Javier also confirmed that due to the difficulties finding qualified labour, mechanisa tion is becoming more and more common. During early November, the technical de partment carried out the first tasting of the wines with more than 100 bottles, with excellent results, especially the rosés.

Healthy smiles

A CAMPAIGN has been launched named Healthy Smiles in a bid to collect dental hygiene products such as toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Sa harawi refugee camps. The campaign has been organised by the Associa tion of Families of Aid to Sahrawi Children (FANS).

The campaign will be carried out in the educa tional centres of Torrevie ja and the collection points will be established in the Cultural Centre, Virgen del Carmen, and in the Palacio de la Musica. Donations can be made until December 20 so that, in January, the Asso ciation can send all the material to its destina tion.

A member of the FANS association will be in charge of taking all the products collected and delivering them to these people who need so much help.

Both the Department of NGOs and the FANS asso ciation will continue to work closely together to help such a vulnerable group as the Saharawi people.

New charity campaign.

Image: Maksimov Andrey 1984/Shutterstock.com

SANTA POLA aims to have their feral cat colonies under control by using the CES (Catch-Neuter-Release) method.

CES involves trapping all or most of the cats in a colony, neutering them and returning them to their territory. It is therefore the method used by Santa Pola Council for the ethical management of the municipality’s cat popula tions.

The capture of the animals is carried out by the volun teers of the cat colony man agement project using tech niques that are not aggressive to the animals. The animal is then transferred to the veteri

Cat control

nary centre where they are sterilised and dewormed.

The cats are then returned to where they were caught once they have recovered

from the procedures.

Before the end of the year, Santa Pola Council plans to reach the figure of 68 cats (50 females and 18 males).

Going green

IN a bid to brighten up cities, green areas have been popping up all over Spain.

The mayor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez, visited the work being carried out in the regeneration area of San Anton Urban where a garden will be created.

It is a green area of more than 1,000 square metres in Calle Obispo Cubero

with an investment of €160,000.

There will be petanque courts with perimeter fences, a children’s play area and outdoor gymnastics space surround ed by paved walkways and landscaped ar eas planted with aromatic plants and cit rus trees. A lovely space for the whole family to enjoy.

New cyber kiosks

MANY people do not have access to a personal com puter, so in a bid to reduce the digital divide, Alicante is in the process of in stalling 15 new digital cy ber-kiosks.

These devices will be in stalled in community cen tres in the city’s neighbour hoods and in different municipal services with the aim of facilitating proce dures and certificates for citizens who do not have access to a personal com puter.

The new devices will have touch screens, facial and conversation recogni tion technology with the possibility of integrating a virtual assistant (AI), docu ment scanner and printer for issuing paper certifi cates, and obtaining offi cial documents.

These digital cyberkiosks will also be accessi ble by incorporating a dou ble touch screen to facilitate access for people

with reduced mobility.

The councillor for Mod ernisation and New Tech nologies, Antonio Peral, explained that: “These de vices are available in three

languages: Spanish, Valen cian and English. They are also adapted for use by the visually and hearing im paired, the cyber-kiosk will also be assisted by staff.”

Saving lives

SANTA POLA City Council is continuing with its plan to install defibrillators in all municipal build ings following on from last May when five defib rillators were installed in all municipal sports fa cilities.

In addition to these, there are now another five defibrillators installed in municipal centres such as the Casa de Cultura, Civic Centre, La Senia, Santa Pola Town Hall and the Local Police build ing.

In addition, two patrol cars of the Local Police have two portable defibrillators as have all beaches with lifeguard services.

The councillor for Social Welfare, Gela Roche said: “Creating cardio­protected spaces in Santa Pola was one of the priorities of this government team. Now we have them in all these municipal centres which are visited daily by many people and we have trained staff on how to use them.”

FERAL CATS: Are neutered and returned to their colony.

Image: Shutterstock.com/ Oxana Oliferovskaya

The cost of living longer

BY making the lifestyle choice to retire in Spain, you’ll want to make the most of what the coun try has to offer, hopefully well in to the future. This may be longer than you expect. Thanks to medi cal advances and a better quality of life, people are generally living longer than before.

Living to a ripe old age does sound appealing, provided we are healthy enough. There are, howev er, implications at both personal and government levels, with the key issue being: can we afford it?

The longer we live, the longer we need our savings to last. For peace of mind, assess whether your re sources are on track to last through out your lifetime.

Income and inflation

The inflation levels we have seen this year are certainly an eye-opener on how it can impact our monthly living costs, but even low levels, compounded year after year, will re duce how far a fixed income will

By Jon Pemberton, Partner, Blevins Franks

stretch in the future.

Say, for example, you spend €5,000 a month. Assuming an in flation rate of 3% a year, in 10 years’ time you could need €6,720 a month to maintain the same spending, and €9,030 in 20 years. Your capital and income would need to grow by the same amount to maintain the same standard of living.

Making your savings and in vestments last

Many retirees favour safer invest ments like bank deposits in their later years. But with a potential 30 years or more to fund in retirement, this can be a risky strategy.

British expatriates also need to factor in exchange rate risk. If you receive income in pounds while spending euros daily, depending on currency movements you may find your money does not go as far.

By following some key invest ment principles and taking special ist guidance you can invest your capital to give it the opportunity to keep pace with inflation, while keeping risk to a comfortable level. Start by establishing your risk pro file then carefully build a well-diver sified portfolio to suit your circum stances, needs and objectives.

A taxing problem – not just for governments

Rising life expectancy is expen sive for governments. The higher

the proportion of older people, the greater the costs of services like state pensions and healthcare – and with fewer taxpayers to fund it. The solution usually lies in pen sion or healthcare reforms and tax increases to finance these escalating expenses.

Higher taxation can be a threat to your financial security in retirement as it also erodes income. Person alised tax planning is vital to make use of available opportunities so you do not pay more tax than nec essary.

With many arrangements you can combine your tax and invest ment planning in one exercise, al lowing you to tackle the twin threats of tax and inflation.

Getting the most from your pensions

Pensions are often the key to fi nancial security in retirement. Care fully weigh the pros and cons of all your options. Consider your in come needs, investment options

and risk, currency risk, tax implica tions and what happens on death.

There may be ways to make pen sion funds go further, but take reg ulated advice to avoid pension scams and establish the best ap proach for your objectives and cir cumstances.

Leaving wealth behind

Estate planning is complex –more so for expatriates who have to consider the inheritance regime of two countries and how they inter act, and navigate foreign inheri tance taxes and succession laws. Spain, for example, imposes forced heirship. If your family includes children from previous marriages, be particularly careful to ensure ev eryone benefits in accordance with your wishes.

Whatever your stage of life, good financial planning can help you af ford the lifestyle you want, for as long as you need, so you can focus on enjoying your retirement in Spain.

THREE lavatories graced Elche’s Plaza de Baix on Friday November 18, ready to celebrate the UN’s World Toilet Day on

Saturday November 19.

The loos were given pride of place by Elche City Hall to bring home the fact that 45 million people worldwide have no

access to running water and lack a sewage system.

The moment that any one sits on one of the Elche toilets, they hear a series of messages, telling

them amongst other things, “This lavatory means health, education and safety.”

Elche’s Cooperation councillor Mariola Galiana, who was one of the first people to try out the loos, stressed the im portance of main drainage. Its lack was still responsible for serious ill nesses that could result in death she said.

Galiana also quoted mu

nicipal records which re vealed that until the 1960s there were still many Elche homes without an indoor toilet.

The three loos have now

Spend a penny Licence required

been moved to Plaza de las Chimeneas, near the offices of city hall’s Coop eration department, and will remain there until Tuesday November 29.

IN Spain, due to the hot and dry climate, it is obligatory to obtain a fire licence from your local town hall if you want to have a bonfire or burn garden waste. Folks living in Hon don de las Frailes will be pleased to know that the town council has established an ex tended period of two years for burning so their permits are now available (subject to the restrictions indicated on the application form).

If you are not the owner of the plot, you will need to get authorisation from the town hall (for the first time, the owner and the person who is going to carry out the burning must head to the town hall togeth er). The council have confirmed that hours for burning in Hondon are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 7.00am until 1.30pm (the fire must be com pletely extinguished by 1.30pm).

Linda Hall

MARIOLA GALIANA: Elche’s Cooperation councillor visited the World Toilet Day installation.

Photo credit: Elche city hall

Thankful for Thanksgiving

POPULAR American holiday Thanksgiving is becoming increasingly fashionable across Europe too, both with US expats and those who just want to get involved in the festive fun.

This year it is celebrated on Thursday, November 24 and the day has a fascinat ing history.

In the United States, Thanksgiving his tory is almost always traced back to 1621 and the event is commonly known as the First Thanksgiving. It was cele brated by the Pilgrim Fathers, a group of European settlers of the Plymouth Colony, which is today part of the state of Massachusetts.

The Pilgrims were celebrating their first har vest in the New World and marked the occa sion with a lavish three­day feast, which was attended by both Pilgrims and Native Ameri cans. It is believed that the Pilgrims were influ enced by similar practices in Europe.

In the aftermath, many other colonies set aside specific days for giving thanks to God for their blessings. A proclamation from George Washington in 1789 led to Thanksgiving be coming a national celebration and it was made into a federal holiday, on the fourth Thursday of November, by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Today, in the United States, the Thanksgiv ing celebration largely centres around eating a large meal, which almost always includes

turkey. Other traditional foods eaten on Thanksgiving include pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Typically, Americans will spend the day with their family or a group of friends and give thanks for the things they feel fortunate to have in their lives.

This sometimes has a religious element, with many people attending religious services or saying a prayer before eating their meal.

While Spain itself does not celebrate Thanksgiving, there are an incredible 38,812 American expats living in the country, spark ing a rise in the number of businesses and in dividuals finding their own way to mark this special day.

Roast turkey is traditional for the meal.

Anti-corruption agency

Betty Henderson

A MAJOR international organisation hosted its General Assembly in Madrid from November 15 to 17.

The GLOBE network (Global Operational Net work of Anti­Corruption Law Enforcement Au thorities) brought to gether more than 120 professionals in the field for the crucial interna tional event.

Madrid played host as the conference was held

outside of Vienna for the first time in its history. Spain also currently holds presidency of the organisation through its Guardia Civil, National Police and Antifraud Ser vice, and will hold this role for the next three years.

The GLOBE network was created in 2021 by a United Nations agency to fight the scourge of cor ruption, as a network of corruption experts that investigate possible cas

es of corruption and fraud. To date, 125 agen cies from 69 countries have signed up to the network.

During the conference, a Plenary meeting was attended by more than 170 experts, discussing current and future cor ruption threats faced by member states.

THE Spanish Data Protec tion Agency (Agencia Es pañola de Protección de Datos), on November 19, has fined a courier firm €70,000 for delivering a parcel to a neighbour of the addressee, absent from his home, without his consent.

The claimant had placed an order over the Internet which, due to his absence, was delivered to one of his neighbours,

No one home

without prior notice and, therefore, without his ex press consent.

The owner of the pack age originally filed a claim against the online seller, which the court rejected, and so he lodged an ap peal, accusing the deliv ery company of breaching his personal data rights.

Finding in his favour,

Licence agreement

HUGH ELLIOTT , British Ambas sador to Spain, announced some positive news for British expats in Spain and the Balearics affected by the driving licence headache, which left many Spanish residents from the UK unable to drive in the country, unless they sat a driving test.

The ambassador said on Friday, November 18: “Today we have made a significant step forward. You may recall that we have been in discussions with the Spanish for

some weeks over two outstand ing, complex issues.

“I’m pleased to be able to tell you that we have now reached an agreement on those two points.

“So we will now take forward the remaining steps including le gal checks, securing ministerial approval on both sides, and the necessary treaty processes and formal exchanges.”

While no exact time frame has been given, it appears that it is just bureaucracy that stands in

the AEPD held that the courier company had transferred the com plainant’s data to a third party without his con sent, which entails a breach of the principles of integrity and confidential ity in the General Data Protection Act and fined the courier a total of €70,000.

A significant step forward.

the way of licences being ex changed.

Once sorted, British residents in Spain will have another six­month grace period to exchange their li cence for a Spanish one, in which time they can continue to use a valid UK licence.

Shutterstock.com/mundissima

More than 170 experts in anti-corruption attended the GLOBE network’s Plenary in Madrid.

Photo credit: GLOBE network (by email)

A HUGE protest in Madrid saw at least 200,000 people take to the streets to demand improvements to the public healthcare system and defend it against privatisation.

The protest on Sunday November 13 was organised by health unions and workers, community groups and leftwing political parties.

ON Thursday November 17

the Spanish Supreme court found a Facebook user liable for failing to delete offensive comments published by third parties on his public profile, since he had the tools and con trol to enable him to do so.

The Court of Appeal had found that the comments were not sufficiently offensive or serious to infringe the sub ject’s ‘right to honour’.

However, the Supreme Court decided that the owner of the profile, despite not hav ing made the comments him self, could not simply disre gard what is published on his

Powerful protest

Protestors expressed their concerns at increasing privatisation of the public healthcare system and its restructuring by the regional government. Some medical professionals in the region are

Facebook fine

This means that if some one posts offensive com ments on your page, you are now under a duty of reactive diligence and care that obliges you to delete them immediately, otherwise you will be held liable for the damage caused.

already on strike over the new model for healthcare, with 5,000 GPs expect ed to join them.

The restructuring of the public health system in Madrid has been criticised

for the heavy workload it gives doctors, and lack of patient­oriented care it gives.

Madrid’s regional right­wing govern ment dismissed the protest calling it ‘a resounding failure’, also accusing leftwing political parties of taking advan tage of fears about changes to the sys tem.

profile by other users be cause, according to the judges, he was responsible for not deleting the comments from his public profile once he saw them.

The Supreme Court found that the user should have taken action to protect the victims of the comments and ordered the Facebook user to pay compensation of €3,000.

Train operator launches

THE red­coloured Iryo passenger trains belong ing to Spain’s third high­speed train network company will begin their commercial operation on Friday, November 25.

With an investment of €800 million made in this new enterprise, they join Renfe’s AVE and Ouigo convoys, along with the low­cost brand operator AVLO, in offering competitive rail trav el to passengers in Spain, according to a nation al news outlet. Unlike AVLO and Ouigo, which took eight and 17 months, respectively, to reach their second destination of Valencia, Iryo will do so almost immediately on December

16. They then plan to continue inaugurating more connections throughout the country in 2023. Iryo plans to arrive in the Andalucian cities of Sevilla, Malaga, Antequera, and Cordo ba, on March 31. Alicante is scheduled for June 2, 2023.

Spain’s newest train operator stressed that it comes with a proposal that is complementary to the current one: “of high quality, with com petitive prices, and with a sufficient number of frequencies, to try to be one of the favourite companies for both leisure and business trav ellers.”

Account holder responsible for undeleted comments.

Shutterstock.com/ Chinnapong

Everyone needs a Marie Carmen

BUYING a home in Spain is different from the US. Here, it is nor mal for the house to come completely fur nished. Great, if you are moving from overseas and have nothing but suitcases.

Not so great if you have lived here and fur nished an apartment before buying your for ever home.

When we moved to our house, we were un aware that when our moving vans arrived from our apartment in Valencia that they would be unloading our personal furniture into a fully furnished home.

Surprise! There was no room for it in the house. Luckily, a superhero would arrive at the

scene in the nick of time.

Our new neighbour, Marie Carmen, popped over to welcome us with a wheelbarrow full of vegetables from her garden.

She swiftly diagnosed the problem and got on her mobile phone. A man arrived in a lorry pulling a trailer. Then she worked magic, or ganising the movers, the trailer guy, and me.

Via sign language, Google translate and my broken español, Marie Carmen, with whom we had been acquainted for less than an hour, whipped us all into shape, extracting the furniture we didn’t want into the trailer, while marshalling the movers to unload our furniture into the house

and the overflow into the barn.

It took a few hours. Afterwards, Marie Car men smiled then left. As we sat on our sofa, Jeff shook his head.

“How did all that just happen?” he asked, amazed.

I had no answer. All I know is that everyone needs a Marie Carmen.

Do you know a Marie Carmen?

Has someone in Spain done you a good turn?

Say thank you by nominating them for Age in Spain’s Good Neighbour Award.

The winner will re ceive a formal letter of recognition from the UK Ambassador to Spain... and enjoy a celebration dinner for two. To nomi nate someone, click on www.ageinspain.org

Age in Spain. www.ageinspain.org Email: info@ageinspain.org - Tel: +34 932 209 741

Joint effort

Peter McLaren­Kennedy A SPANISH and British ship building consortium has won a £1.6 billion contract to build three supply vessels for the UK Navy.

Announced by Ben Wallace the Minister of Defence on Wednesday, Novem ber 16, the contract has special signifi cance given Brexit and the sensitivity of defence contracts.

Navantia’s British subsidiary will com plete the work in partnership with Har land & Wolff and BMT, and is said to include the technolo gy transfer of the lat est in digital equip ment.

The ships will be second only to the aircraft carriers in length measuring some 216 metres each and will be built in the Harland & Wolff shipyards in Belfast (Northern Ire land) and those of Appledore (west of the United Kingdom).

Key work will also be undertaken in the Navantia shipyard in Puerto Real in Cadiz, however the integra tion of the ships and their systems will take place entirely in Belfast.

The three ships, on which work will begin in 2025, will supply supplies and ammuni tion to Royal Navy ships deployed on missions.

DESTROYER: Three new vessels are to be built for the UK Navy.

Credit Navantia website

Off the menu

GORDON RAMSAY’S threestar Michelin restaurant in Chelsea, London, was occu pied on, Saturday, November 19, by a group of climate change activists. At around 6pm, members of Animal Re bellion entered Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and sat at re served tables and produced mock menus. Their aim was to highlight the environmen tal cost of dishes like veal and steak that were listed on the

Hospital Road restaurant’s menu, as reported by a na tional news outlet.

“This restaurant is the per fect example of the inequality we face in the UK right now. Whilst Gordon Ramsay serves food costing a minimum of £155 per person, more than two million people are relying on food banks in this cost­ofliving crisis,” said one of the activists, 39­year­old Lucia Alexander, in a statement

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

BORIS JOHNSON has a new and very lucrative career according to a filing of MP additional income published on Fri day, November 18.

The former prime minister has joined the speaking circuit with his first paid appearance netting him a cool £276,000. That’s more than £30,000 an hour for what was a little over a day’s work.

Johnson who is in the USA at present on a trip paid for by news mogul, Ru pert Murdoch, gave a speech at an as sociation of insurance agents and bro

from the group.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs,” commented a restaurant spokesperson. “However, to force your way into a restau rant, disturbing hard­working staff and ruining the evening of guests is incredibly inappro priate and deeply disrespect ful.”

The police arrived on the scene, but no arrests were made.

Top earner

kers in Colorado Springs.

The visit paid for by Murdoch cost around £11,600, the total value of which far exceeds a similar invitation by Theresa May, who was paid less than £100,000.

The excessive fee comes at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet, further highlighting the gap between those at the top end of the earning spectrum and those at the bottom.

Changes needed Eggs rationed

THE UK’s biggest supermarket chain, Tesco, has become the latest to ration eggs.

On November 22, the retail chain as sured customers it has supplies of eggs but said that it was rationing them to en sure that they did not run out and that everyone would be able to buy them.

Last week ASDA and Lidl both ra tioned the supply of eggs, the former lim iting to two boxes and the latter three.

Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consor tium (BRC), said: “While avian flu has dis rupted the supply of some egg ranges, re tailers are experts at managing supply chains and are working hard to minimise impact on customers.

“Some stores have introduced tempo rary limits on the number of boxes cus tomers can buy to ensure availability for everyone.”

Seat belt tax

ACCORDING to a report by Top Gear on Tuesday November 22, all new cars sold with seatbelts are to be taxed from 2023 following an announcement by the Chancellor during his autumn state ment. Apparently new cars have been exempt from taxes on life-saving and fundamental safety technology, but treasury officials pointed out that they will always need to get from one place to another, so it made no sense to have a temporary waiver.

The change comes as part of the gov ernment’s decision to plan for the fu ture by removing the road tax exemp tion on electric cars. In doing so the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said it would be “fairer” if motorists began paying for their continual safety on an annual ba sis.

“Because forecasts point to con sumers needing to travel safely from A to B and arrive unharmed in the decades to come, I’ve decided that any car fitted with a seatbelt will be subject to an additional levy.”

With most saying that the financial crisis was caused by the government it is wrong to make the electorate pay for their mistakes through odd decisions like introducing taxes on seatbelts.

THE new chief of the Met Police who has been tasked with pulling the force into shape, has urged for changes to be made that will make it easier to sack serving officers.

Speaking on Saturday, November 19 to a national news outlet Sir Mark Rowley said greater powers to sack racist, sexist and failing officers are needed.

He added that one in 10 cannot do their jobs prop erly due to problems with health and performance, around 3,000 officers that are not fully employed. A further 500 are either suspended or on restricted du ties whilst accusations of serious misconduct are in vestigated.

Criticising the bureaucratic environment in which police forces operate he said that it was making it difficult to dismiss officers who were falling short of expectations.

Sir Rowley said that the government need to make urgent changes if they want the police force to be ef fective and capable of meeting their targets.

NOT EXEMPT: Additional levy on new cars with seat belts.

Shutterstock.com/ gunsan gimbanjang

A WARNING has been is sued to all British passen gers flying to Spain ahead of the Christmas getaway.

London Stansted air port has informed pas sengers that if anyone is deemed unfit to fly, they may be denied boarding.

In particular, this re lates to those who drink too much before or dur ing their flight ­ disrupting a flight is an offence that can lead to a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Additionally, those who delay a flight from taking off due to how much they have had to drink could be slapped with a £5,000 (€5,770) fine.

More serious offences include an £80,000 diver sion fee if you cause a

Fit to fly

mid­air incident, and an outright airline ban if you cause the flight to be can celled.

These warnings form part of the One Too Many campaign, which urges all

passengers to fly respon sibly or pay the price.

All passengers from any airport are urged to fol low the rules relating to alcohol consumption ­ not just from Stansted.

Unsettling event

POLICE in Northern Ireland are investigating the attempt ed murder of two officers in Strabane in County Tyrone.

The attack happened late on Thursday November 17, however, according to a po lice spokesperson neither of the officers were injured in an explosion that damaged their vehicle.

Local residents told a na tional news outlet on Friday,

November 18 that they heard a loud bang at around 11pm in the Mount Carmel Heights area.

According to a statement issued by the police they are treating the incident as an at tempted murder, with suspi cion falling on dissident re publicans.

The new IRA who have never given up their arms are known to have a small base of

support in the area.

Liam Kelly, Chair of the Po lice Federation for Northern Ireland said: “The terrorist goal was to cause heartache and misery and return North ern Ireland to the dark ages.

Dissident republicans re jected the peace process and the Good Friday agreement, continuing their attacks at the same time calling the Provi sional IRA ‘sell­outs’.

Blackmail plot Help yourself

A

By Saturday, November 19 more than 1.3 million had liked his post with many commenting that the post is probably the most publicity the store will ever get.

Others suggested that maybe it is a ploy by the artist and the company to raise awareness of the brand, whilst other said they did not think he would stoop that low.

The situation arose after the Guess store used his image in their shop window with the tagline: ‘Guess x Brandalised with graffiti by Banksy’.

In response Banksy said that the com pany did not have his approval to use the image or his name.

The post said: “Attention all Shoplifters: Please go to Guess on Regent Street.

“They helped themselves to my art work without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”

PAEDOPHILE millionaire Jeffrey Epstein planned to extort money from the Queen by blackmailing Prince Andrew, claimed Sarah Fer guson’s former lover John Bryan.

According to claims made by the American businessman and financier, John Bryan, the late Jeffrey Epstein had planned to use his relation ship with Prince Andrew to extort money from the Queen.

Bryan made his shocking claim during an ex clusive interview with a national newspaper which appeared on, Sunday, November 20. “People always ask how Epstein made his mon ey. He was supposed to be this tax wizard. But it was all a con,” he told the publication.

“He blackmailed rich men and then made them pay to avoid scandal. He made hundreds of millions of dollars this way.”

He added: “I believe Andrew is innocent. If he genuinely was involved in ‘orgies’ as has been al leged, then Epstein would have used that to try and bribe the Queen into paying out millions to protect her family.”

LONDON Guess store is on alert after the famed artist Banksy suggested on In stagram that people should shoplift there.

DRINK SENSIBLY: Or you may be banned from boarding.

• November 27, 12pm, The Cave Jam, Rojales

• November 27, 3pm - 6pm, Azu and Dari, International Music, Pub San Fransico, Orihuela

• 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

• December 24, 9pm, Jim McMail, Cabaret Show, Jax Bar, Orihuela Costa

• December 31, 8pm, Cuddles Disco, Aurora Bar & Lounge, Dona Pepa, Quesada

Oh yes he did!

LAST chance to get your ticket for the Ro jales Pantomime Group’s production of Trea sure Island.

Be entertained by Long John Silver and his dastardly pirates, along with Seadog Sam and Seaweed Willy when they sail on the good ship Hispaniola from Bristol Docks to find treasure in the Caribbean.

Rip­roaring songs, slapstick comedy, lots of laughter and dancing with the Crazy Ladies, it’s all there for you to enjoy at the Cardinal Belluga Theatre in San Fulgencio on Decem ber 1 and 2 at 7.15pm and December 3 at 2.15pm.

Tickets are only €10 for adults and €5 for children and can be purchased at the follow ing ticket outlets: Card Place, Benimar, Post Room, Benijofar; Post Box, Dona Pepa; Post Box, Entre Naranjos; Cards and More, La Ma rina; Carpet Heaven, Los Montesinos; Bar gain Books, San Miguel; Help Vega Baja, San Miguel; Quesada Computers, Quesada.

CRESCENDO International Choir are going to be busy over the festive period with several concerts planned, in cluding two concerts with the Royal British Legion. The first will be held on Friday, December 9 at the Cardinal Belluga Theatre in San Ful gencio at 7.30pm.

The second concert is on Friday, December 16, where both groups will perform Christmas music together in the evening at the main plaza in Torrevieja.

Long John Silver will entertain you.

For further information email voreilly 16@googlemail.com

Donations from ticket sales will go to vari ous local charities.

Name that tune

In addition, Crescendo In ternational Choir has plans for three free concerts of its own, mixing a variety of pop ular songs like The Rose made famous by Bette Mi dler, and Hallelujah by Leon Cohen. To get you feeling festive there will also be a few Christmas favourites like Jingle Bell Rock and White Christmas. The first concert will take place at Salt Church

Charity fair

AAN (the Association of Aid for the Needy) is holding their charity fair or Christmas Fair on Friday, November 25, between 10.00am and 2.00pm.

Why not join the fun, grab a few stocking fillers and find a bargain? There will be lots of Christmas stalls including jew

ellery, plants, raffles, a tombo la and much much more.

The Fair will be held at Sier ra Castilla 42, 03177 in San Fulgencio, (near Jason’s card shop).

For more details call Brenda on (+34 634 301 070).

The charity raises money to buy food for the needy of La Marina and San Fulgencio. They work from a list given to them from Social Services each month.

in Los Montesinos on Satur day, November 26, at 6.00pm. Crescendo concerts are also planned for Satur day, December 10, in Benijo far’s Catholic Church at 8.00pm as well as Saturday, December 17, at 6.00pm at La Siesta Church in Torrevie ja. If interested in joining Crescendo, take a look at the Crescendo website: crescen do­choir.com.

Bollywood dancing

LEARN to dance Bollywood style with Madhavi.

Bollywood dance is an ex citing blend of elements from various Indian dance styles (classical Indian dance, folk dance and more current popular moves). Beautiful rhythms, moves and expres sions as well as ornamental hand gestures to captivating tunes are waiting for you.

Madhavi is an enthusiastic Bollywood dancer and in structor. She is an Indiatrained international dancer, performer, choreographer and dance teacher. Classes are on Wednesdays 6.00pm until 7.00pm at Jo Jo’s Fit ness and Health Studio, Plaza La Figuera 2, 28, El Ra so, Guardamar del Segura.

Image: Rojales Pantomime Group

Celebrity round up

AFTER two weeks in the jungle the contestants are just coming to terms with their new way of life, and as things settle down the evic tions start with the viewers deciding who they want to stay in camp. Three celebri ties have already been evict ed with Loose Women pre senter and journalist Charlene White the first to go. It came to light that se cretly, the campmates were all terrified of being the first to leave. This was not be cause of the shame of going first, but due to the fact that nobody could stand the hu miliation of leaving before Matt Hancock.

The public had voted Matt to do six consecutive trials as the show entered its second week. He was so successful though that even tually the viewers stopped choosing him.

The prize for the biggest failure so far must surely go to DJ Chris Moyles. He came

out of the ‘Boiling Point’ trial with only one star, although he had collected two but dropped one of them and lost it.

Mike and Jill totally smashed the show’s famous disgusting drinking chal lenge, collecting all the stars by downing everything that was served to them. Mike even said one of the mix tures tasted nice!

Sleeping in the comfort able beds inside the RV has caused a lot of headaches.

Firstly, Charlene refused to share with Matt, claiming that a big spider had scared

her. It was later revealed that she felt it went against her principles to sleep in the same space as the politician.

Sue and Mike were next to be given the luxury ac commodation. After one night, Sue could not stand Mike’s snoring and chose to sleep outside instead.

Television presenter Scar lette was the second celeb to be evicted from the jun gle. She was followed out on Monday, November 21, by Coronation Street actress Sue. When Ant and Dec in formed her that she was leaving, she was delighted.

MPs can now claim Christmas parties on their expenses fol lowing new guidance from the Independent Parliamen tary Standards Authority (IP SA). The advice issued on Tuesday, November 22 said that MPs can cover the cost of food and drink on their ex penses for the first time, but that they cannot claim the cost of any alcohol.

The cost of festive decora tions can also be claimed for both parliamentary and con

Xmas paid

stituency offices.

IPSA also said that MPs should be mindful of the cost of living crises and that claims: “should represent value for money, especially in the cur rent economic climate.”

Speaking on behalf of the the Taxpayers Alliance, John O’Connell said: “MPs who want Christmas bashes

should foot the bill them selves.”

The news that MPs’ Christ mas parties can be claimed on expenses will not go down well with the country’s elec torate who have all had to tighten their belts and scale down their Christmas festivi ties under the current govern ment.

Local skill base

IMMIGRATION Minister

Robert Jenrick has told UK business that they should be training locals and not look ing to foreign talent to plug skills gaps.

Speaking at the Confeder ation of British Industry (CBI) on Monday, November 21, Jenrick said that there are more than five million un employed people in the UK and that businesses should be looking to provide them

with the skills rather than im porting people who already have them.

Tony Danker, the CBI Di rector General, had called on government to allow for businesses to attract the tal ent they need to grow their businesses, making refer ence to the more than one million vacancies currently advertised.

But Jenrick said the gov ernment did not agree with

the need to attract skills from abroad and that they are committed to reducing net migration and that busi ness needed to do more to build the local skills base.

In principal businesses agreed with the immigration minister, however many will say that either a lack of more fundamental skills and moti vation amongst the unem ployed make the task easier said than done.

I’M A CELEBRITY: At the ‘Speak Uneasy Trial’.

Credit: ITV

Made the list

LONELY PLANET has se lected only one UK city for its list of must­visit destinations in 2023.

The annual Best in Travel list features 30 destinations in five trav el categories that offer guidance to those bitten by the wanderlust bug.

According to the trav el expert, the list offers a “comprehensive set of itineraries to help you explore the world.”

For the first time, the list is ordered by trip type, which includes five categories ­ eat, journey, connect, learn, and un wind.

The list for 2023 offers up just one UK city in its ‘learn’ category ­ and it may or may not surprise you that it is Manch ester, lovingly called the Second City by locals due to its economic growth.

The only other UK destination ­ not a cityto make the list was southern Scotland.

Not on the cards UK has many faults

RISHI SUNAK said that a Swiss­style Brexit trade agreement is not on the cards in response to a ques tion from ITV’s Harry Hor ton.

countries to abide by certain rules, most of which are sup ported in the UK.

It also comes as the Con servative Party hits its low

est support levels in decades and polls showing that the majority of the population think leaving the EU was a mistake.

BRITISH expats have re vealed a list of surprising things they hate most about living in the UK.

Perhaps the most surpris ing outcome of the InterNa tions Expat Insider survey is that the UK’s famous lousy weather is not always the biggest bugbear.

According to UK Abroad, there are more than 5.5 mil lion British expats currently living outside of the United Kingdom.

The survey asked expats around the world to rank their homes based on a number of key factors.

The UK ranked particularly

badly when it came to hous ing and 60 per cent of expats thought Britain was unaf fordable, reports a national news outlet.

A further issue that Brits had with the UK is its Nation al Healthcare Service, with almost a quarter of expats telling the survey it was diffi cult to access the health ser vices they needed in the UK and were unhappy with the availability of healthcare.

Elsewhere, almost 20 per cent of expats said that they felt the UK population was unfriendly ­ although this is not far off the global aver age.

Speaking on Monday, November 21, Sunak gave his strongest response yet to the idea of a Swiss­style agreement that would give UK business better access to the EU.

He said: “On trade, let me be unequivocal about this. Under my leadership, the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on align ment with EU laws.

“Now I voted for Brexit. I believe in Brexit and I know that Brexit can deliver, and is already delivering, enor mous benefits and opportu nities for the country.”

The statement is signifi cant in that it effectively rules out any beneficial deal for British business with its largest market. All the EU’s trade agreements require

Flight tragedy

A PASSENGER tragically passed away on Thurs day, November 17, while travelling on an easyJet flight from Cyprus to London Gatwick Airport. At tempts by cabin crew to resuscitate the man with a defibrillator sadly failed.

The flight departed from Paphos at 2.20pm lo cal time and at around 3.40 GMT concerns were raised when it appeared that a passenger, be lieved to be flying unaccompanied, in his 50s was not waking up.

As the aircraft was passing over Paris at around 4.28 GMT, a message from the pilot informed ev erybody of a ‘medical incident’ that had occurred. He asked for dignity to be shown towards the dead man. On arrival at Gatwick, paramedics boarded the plane and pronounced the man’s death.

A spokesperson from easyJet confirmed “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the customer and we are offering support and assis tance at this difficult time.”

UK LIVING: What are the Brits not happy about?

Shutterstock.com/Melinda Nagy

Floating supply

Betty Henderson

GAS supply issues are set to be eased as Ger many finished construction of its first floating terminal to receive liquified natural gas. Au thorities announced the completion of the ter minal at Wilhelmshaven on November 15, which will become operational early next year.

The floating terminal will be crucial in easing the gas supply crisis and ensuring a constant flow of energy for use throughout the winter. The terminal in Wilhelmshaven is the first of five floating terminals planned for the country. It will help to ease the backlog of LNG tankers which remain at sea unable to unload their car go.

The country’s Minister for Economy, Robert Habeck explained that the floating terminals were a temporary solution to gas supply issues.

MEHRAN KARIMI NASSERI, the inspiration behind iconic 2004 Spielberg film ‘The Termi nal’ has passed away at Charles de Gaulle airport. The Iranian man who claimed to be British, died of a heart attack in the airport on Saturday November 12 after previously living there for 18 years.

Nasseri was stranded there from 1988 un til 2006 due to residency issues. After spend ing time in a homeless shelter, he recently returned to the airport, where he died.

Nasseri lived a fascinating life, born to a doctor father who worked at the Anglo­Ira nian Oil Company in the Iranian province of

The first tanker carrying gas, the Esperanza could arrive within one month with a full load at Wilhelmshaven.

Habeck also highlighted the “tremendous speed” the construction was completed at, say ing it is evidence of the country’s ability to “progress infrastructure projects quickly and with a high degree of decisiveness.”

Sad news

Khuzestan. Upon his father’s death, Nasseri was informed that his real mother was Scot tish.

He travelled to Britain where he studied a degree at the University of Bradford, partici pating in a protest against the Shah, causing his Iranian citizenship to be revoked.

After throwing away his citizenship pa pers, he became stuck in limbo at the Parisian airport until 2006. His plight inspired a multitude of artwork.

Airspace support

AN agreement was reached on Monday, November 21, that the German Air Force would provide Eurofighter jets to patrol Polish airspace. The deal was announced by Christine Lambrecht, the head of the German De fence Ministry, on its official Twitter profile.

She pointed out that Poland is a friend and ally, and, as a neighbour of Ukraine: “is not particularly protected. Together with my Polish colleague Mariusz Blaszczak, we agreed to send Patriot missile systems to Poland and support the de fence of the Polish airspace with Eurofighter fighters.”

On Tuesday November 15, two rockets fell on the Polish village of Przewodow in the Lublin Voivodeship, as a result of which, two peo ple were killed.

Kiev immediately blamed Russia for what happened, although it subsequently came to light that the mis

siles that fell on Polish soil were in fact fired at incom ing Russian missiles by the Ukrainian defence forces.

The incident was allegedly written off as an ‘accident’ by the US and its western al lies.

Golden jubilee

QUEEN MARGRETHE II of Denmark marked 50 years on the throne with a special programme of celebrations starting with a ceremony at the capital’s city hall on Sat urday November 12.

The 82­year­old stood on the city hall balcony to greet a crowd of around 1,500 who had gathered to enjoy the joyous celebrations, de spite the recent contro versy which has divided the family.

The Queen’s Septem ber decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles from

2023 was widely seen as a snub towards her 53year­old son, Prince Joachim and his four chil dren. The unprecedented decision led to bitterness and hurt, including the Prince and his family tak ing to the press to air their views.

The family appeared to put their recent divisions behind them during the weekend’s celebrations however, putting on a united front. Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie were both in attendance at the pa rade suggesting an end to the public rift.

PROGRESS: The German port of Wilhelmshaven has become the first to rapidly assemble a terminal to receive liquified natural gas.

Photo credit: Marc Venema / shutterstock.com

THE latest episode in a spate of attacks on famous art work by climate activists saw protestors throw an oily black liquid at a Gustav Klimt painting. Climate activists threw the black liquid over Klimt’s Death and Life paint ing at the Leopold Museum in Vienna on November 15.

After throwing the liquid on the painting, one activist glued himself to the glass covering the painting. Ac tivists were purportedly part of the Letzte Generation Österreich, Last Generation Austria group. The group is sued a statement via Twitter

Oily objection

use of fossil fuels.

The painting was not damaged due to the glass covering the frame, but members of the art commu nity were outraged by the action.

after the protest saying that they targeted the painting to raise awareness about the Austrian government’s

Austrian Minister for Cul ture expressed concern for the planet, but criticised the form of protest saying, “From my point of view, ac cepting the risk of irrevoca ble damage to works of art is the wrong way to go.”

Anger in Albania

PROTESTORS in Albania clashed with police during demonstrations on Saturday November 12. Demonstrators protested peacefully for around three hours before breaking a police cordon and throwing paint.

Protestors demanded an end to corruption and increasing poverty in the country. They gathered outside Prime Minister, Edi Rama’s office in the country’s capital of Tirana to make their demands. As the protests became heated, one arrest was made by police on the scene.

Other peaceful protestors held a vigil for two men that reportedly died while in police cus tody earlier this year. Outrage has been sparked in the country due to the spiralling in flation rate which has seen an 8 per cent price rise in essential products this year alone. The war in Ukraine has been blamed for the price hike, while the government has been ac cused of mismanagement and corruption. Young people are also increasingly leaving the country for better chances.

Climate protestors threw an oily liquid at Klimt’s Death and Life painting at the Leopold Museum in Austria.

Photo credit: Letzte Generation Österreich (via Twitter)

Explosive rupture

TRACES of explosives were found at the site where the Nord Stream pipeline was ruptured according to the Swedish prosecutor leading the investigation.

In a statement posted on Friday, November 18, Mats Ljungqvist said: “During the crime scene investigations that were carried out on site in the Baltic Sea, extensive seizures were made, and the area has been carefully docu mented. He added “Analysis that has now been carried out

shows traces of explosives on several of the foreign objects that were found.”

The statement confirmed that no suspects have yet been named and that no fur ther information will be pro

vided at this time.

The pipeline rupture which disrupted supplies from Rus sia to Germany and beyond was said to have been caused by an explosion, which au thorities in Moscow blamed on the British Navy. That was strongly refuted by the Navy who said they had nothing to gain from doing so.

The only information pro vided for now by the prosecu tor is that traces of explosives were found at the site of the Nord Stream pipeline rupture.

Controversial comments

THE Italian deputy health minister Marcello Gemmato sparked controversy following a televised interview with a state broadcaster on Tuesday, November 15, when Gemmato, questioned whether Covid vaccines actually worked.

The Deputy Health Minister is a pharmacist by profession and was handed the position of deputy health minister in Italy’s newlyformed government by the country’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He was asked by the interviewer whether he believed more

deaths would have been recorded in the country had it not been for the introduction of vaccines.

His response was: “We do not have the re verse burden of proof.” However, he quickly stressed: “But I’m not falling into the trap of taking sides for or against vaccines.”

Approximately 180,000 people have died with Covid in Italy up until November 10. Fol lowing his television appearance, Gemmato was immediately hit with calls for his resigna tion.

Generous gift

Betty Henderson

A PIONEERING plan an nounced by the German gov ernment will offer Germans turning 18 a ‘cultural pass’ to stimulate the country’s arts industry. Young people will be encouraged to visit cultur al attractions using a €200 voucher.

The scheme which was an nounced on Monday Novem ber 14 is set to provide much

needed support for the arts industry which suffered dur ing the pandemic. A total of 750,000 young people will turn 18 during 2023, so the scheme could bring droves of people back to the theatre, galleries, concerts, and other cultural attractions.

Announcing the scheme, German Minister for Culture, Claudia Roth, described the pass as “equivalent of a birth

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

TEAM EUROPE is taking the lead in helping Africa to adapt to climate change as it announces a new aid package that will take its investment in the continent over €1 billion.

Announced on Wednesday, Novem ber 16 at COP27 and launched by the European Commission along with Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands, their efforts will focus on helping African partners to further respond to their adaptation needs and mitigate disaster risks.

The initiative has been taken by the Commission in response to the un

day present.”

The country’s minister for Finance, Christian Lindner, explained that the pass can be used at any point during a two­year window. In addi tion to live arts, the voucher can be used to purchase books and music. The scheme also aims to stimu late local business so vouch ers exclude sales on Amazon and Spotify.

Aid for Africa

precedented climate events in the course of this century which have rav aged the continent of Africa. The Commission estimates that by 2050, climate impacts could cost African countries $50 billion annually.

With the situation in Africa expect ed to worsen, Europe has taken the lead in helping the continent to adapt to climate change, particularly at a time when other major investors are focused on other problems.

The British Navy strongly refute any involvement.

Shutterstock.com/Ksanawo

Caught after 20 years

A PROLIFIC mafia member was arrested at a Rome airport on Tuesday November 15 after almost 20 years on the run. Bruno Carbone was arrested by Europol forces at Rome Ciampino Airport on charges of international drug trafficking. The exact details of the arrest remain unclear with conflicting reports from the United Arab Emirates and Syria claiming to have deported the mafia man.

The 45­year­old has been evading po lice for nearly two decades for his crimes as the right­hand man of Raffaele Impe riale, a drug lord from the Naples mafia group, the Camorra. Carbone was want ed by officials in Sicily for a 20­year prison sentence for international drug trafficking.

Reports from Europol state that Car bone was a crucial point of contact in

distributing vast quantities of cocaine throughout Europe, as well as importing drugs from Colombia and the Nether lands. Police have also issued warrants for 28 more members of the Camorra.

First female president

A RECORD­BREAKING re sult in Slovenia as the coun try elected its first ever fe male President. After taking to the polls on Sun day November 13 in a runoff vote, Liberal candidate, Natasa Pirc Musar beat her conservative opponent, Anze Logar by 54 points to 46.

Speaking after the elec

EUROPE is too dependent on China for technologies claimed Finland’s Prime Min ister Sanna Marin insisting that investment should be made in new fields to combat this situation.

tion win, Pirc Musar ex pressed her priorities saying “My first task will be to open a dialogue among all Slovenians.” Pirc Musar hopes to find middle ground in the country which has a deep left­right divide.

Pirc Musar added “All my life I’ve advocated the same values: democracy, human rights, tolerance.

It’s time to stop dealing with the past. Many things have to be done in the fu ture.”

The 54­year­old is an ac claimed lawyer who has worked on high profile cas es including representing Melania Trump. She will be Slovenia’s first female Pres ident since it became inde pendent from Yugoslavia.

Too dependent

Speaking on, Thursday, November 17, Sanna Marin expressed her belief that Eu rope should be more aware

Combat ready

ANOTHER European country has raised its combat readiness level after the ‘missile strike’ which occurred in Poland on Tues day, November 15. Following the deadly explosion in Poland, which is believed to be the result of a Ukrainian defence missile that killed two people, the Lithuanian army has raised its com bat readiness level. The Lithuanian army’s air defence units were raised to a higher combat readiness level following the missile attack in Poland, as announced late on Wednesday, November 16. “In accordance with army procedures, the com bat readiness level in army units has been raised,” the Lithuani an Armed Forces told a Lithuanian media outlet.

Captain Ruta Montvilė, a spokeswoman for the army com mander, said that the decision shortened the response time of military units “to respond to potential threats and fulfil their assigned tasks.” As noted, Lithuania is not the only coun try to make this type of announcement.

On October 31, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced it was increasing the readiness of the Norwegian Armed Forces.

that it is currently too reliant on China for modern tech nologies.

Marin was attending Slush, an annual startup event in the country’s capital of Helsinki. Talking on stage with Sluch CEO Eerika Savolainen, Marin said: “Let’s be honest, we have vulnerabilities already. We see it when we look at chips or semiconductors, we are too dependent,” she in sisted. The Finnish PM point ed to the problems experi enced during the coronavirus pandemic where medical sup plies ­ which came mainly from China ­ were suddenly found to be in short supply.

“We have to make sure that we have the capabilities and the knowledge to build these technologies and not be dependent on China and oth er authoritarian countries that have a different logic than democratic countries have,” stressed Marin.

A joint force from Europol arrested an Italian drug lord who was on the run for 20 years.

Photo credit: DCStockPhotography shutterstock.com

INTERVIEW with aspiring comedian Lucy Amans who arrived on the Costa del Sol just six years ago.

Having decided that she needed a fresh start, Lucy was persuaded by a friend to spend Christmas and the New Year on the Costa del Sol and literally within a matter of days, she found herself a job in Gibraltar and a place to live.

She is still in the same job but has lived in a number of different towns along the coast be fore finally settling on Es tepona.

Lucy said “Whilst I en joy working in Gibraltar, I don’t think I want to live there as it is a bit confin ing and I just love living in Spain and enjoying the way of life.”

When asked what made her decide that she wanted to become a co median, Lucy explained that she had always been a bit of a joker at school and made people laugh, but had some problems with self­confidence so

Raising a laugh

Their first event took place at the Louie Louie club in Estepona and was a sell out which encour aged them to keep going and they ran a total of four shows in 2019 before the pandemic brought ev erything to a halt.

Not daunted however as soon as it was consid ered safe and comedians could travel over from the UK, it was ‘game on’ again and Lucy even joined in for number of shows.

the Rock has welcomed Alan Carr, Jimmy Carr, Russell Kane and Sara Millican and Lucy went to all four shows not only to have a laugh, but to study the comedian’s different techniques.

As she has become more confident, she has travelled back to the UK to take part in stand­up shows and plans to take part in the Brighton and Edinburgh fringe next year.

never saw herself getting up in front of an audi ence.

That all changed how ever when she attended a one­off comedy event in Torremolinos before the pandemic and started chatting to British come dian Nik Coppin who was also running a special

course to help people be come stand­up comedi ans.

“The comedy course with Nik was absolutely fantastic. In just two days I went from a quivering anxious on­stage mess to a confident new stand­up at the final showcase. Some people even

laughed!

“Nik and I became great friends and I sug gested to him that there was a definite hunger for regular English comedy here on the coast and if he could organise the co medians, I would find venues and cover front of house.”

By now they have ex panded to take in differ ent parts of the Costa del Sol and are holding shows every three months at three or four Spanish venues as well as Gibral tar.

There seems to be a re al hunger for British com edy in Gibraltar as apart from their regular shows,

“My comedy is based on my life, it’s rather selfdeprecating but not in a sad way and so far, it has been well­received and because the audience at the shows tend to return regularly, I’ve not had to cope with any heckling, although I have a few put downs ready just in case.”

Although Lucy won’t be performing in the Decem ber shows, she will be there on the door ready to meet and greet so visit https://www.facebook.co m/standupcomedyspain / for details of the forth coming shows.

Lucy Amans on stage at Louie Louie Estepona.

Credit: Lucy Amans

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

World Cup

EVEN though Denmark is taking part in the World Cup Finals in Qatar, there will be no official Danish presence as the politicians are still trying to form a government and the Royal Family has decided to watch the matches at home.

THE NETHERLANDS

Not funny

LAUGHING GAS (Nitrous Oxide) has become the high of choice of young Dutch partygoers, but it will become much more difficult to obtain from the start of 2023 as possession, trade and production of the drug (except for medical reasons) will become illegal.

BELGIUM

Robot treatment

STUDENTS at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels have designed a prototype robot to help treat patients who need physiotherapy. With a shortage of technicians and a tireless robot that can adjust to patients’ needs, this could be a major breakthrough in recovery treatment.

GERMANY

Gassed up

THE European gas storage association GIE said that natural gas storage facilities in Germany have reached full capacity as the country has been building its reserves in order to ensure that there is sufficient to see it through the winter after Russia cut deliveries.

FRANCE

Bullfighting ban

SPAIN is not the only European country that allows fatal bullfighting and on Thursday November 24, French MPs will for the first time consider a total ban on bullfighting, although followers and young matadors in the south are campaigning against any ban.

NORWAY

Rainy days

HEAVY rain is heralding good news for Norwegian consumers and business as reservoirs are filling up much more quickly than expected and as the bulk of Norway’s electricity comes from hydro-electric plants, prices this winter are likely to be much lower than expected.

FINLAND

No entry

A GERMAN man riding a bicycle and without a passport or visa was stopped trying to cycle into Russia by Finnish border officials, but he was so determined that he jettisoned his bike and tried to walk though a forest before being caught and arrested.

IRELAND

Trade deal

THE much-heralded trade deal between the European Union and Canada may not be ratified as the Republic’s Supreme Court has ruled in support of Green Party politician Patrick Costello that it breaches the Irish constitution, although there may be a loophole to allow it.

ITALY

Tree saved

A 200-YEAR-OLD tree which was due to be sent to the Vatican for Christmas had a reprieve as no environmental impact study had been carried out and it wasn’t actually situated within the boundary of the council that wanted to chop it down.

PORTUGAL

Cheap gas

WITH Spain about to cut the cost of bottled gas, there will be even more reason for Portuguese residents who live near the border to cross over to buy their gas, which is currently approximately half the price of that charged in Portugal.

UKRAINE

Banksy surprise

SECRETATIVE Street Artist Banksy who is believed to originate from Bristol has not only never revealed his identity, and rarely admits to where he is working, has now admitted that seven murals in Ukraine are his work with one possibly showing Putin.

SWEDEN

Grammy awards

THE decision by Sweden’s most successful pop group ABBA to reform and release a set of songs, 40 years after their last studio album, has not only topped up their bank balances, but has seen them nominated for three Grammy Awards including Best Single and Album.

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Zara strike FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

Exchange approved

EVEN though there has been something of a hiatus in the val ue and trading in cryptocurren cy recently, Bitstamp, a Luxem bourg­based cryptocurrency exchange, has gained a virtual asset service provider registra tion in Spain and can now offer crypto­to­fiat and electronic wallet custody services here.

Great value

TRAVEL website Omio has ranked the hundred best desti nations in Europe for travellers on a budget based on number of free attractions, affordability of local transport, food and drink prices, free WiFi and even water fountains. The city of Granada with its large student population was Spain’s winner.

Excise duty

CAR manufacturers were disap pointed with the announce ment that with effect from 2025, British drivers who pur chase electric vehicles will have to pay vehicle excise duty which they believe will discourage drivers to go electric, even though the government wants to phase out petrol and diesel.

Football benefit

THE Spanish economy could re ceive a massive boost if the na tional football team does well at the World Cup Finals in Qatar. Reports suggest that many Spaniards, male and fe male, who support the team enjoy doing this in company, so bars and restaurants will bene fit.

Retail sales

ACCORDING to the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes in the UK are estimat ed to have risen by 0.6 per cent in October 2022 following a fall of 1.5 per cent in September, but are still lower than both last year and 2019 pre pandemic.

STAT OF WEEK £1.8 billion

In sports money talks

THE British government recog nises in sports money talks and is therefore taking action to try to protect fans’ access to the biggest global attractions.

As technology expands, so it is having to review its policy con cerning free­to­air ‘listed events’ rules as they affect public ser vice broadcasters (PSBs), includ ing the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

They are currently protected as far as broadcast TV is con cerned, so that viewers may have access to the biggest sport ing events which include 13 dif ferent tournaments including Football, Olympics, Paralympics, Horse Racing, Wimbledon and Rugby.

As more people tune in via catch­up and streaming services to watch sport, the review will assess whether including digital rights can ensure as many peo ple as possible can continue to access events.

Currently if, for example, the Olympic 100m final was broad cast live in the middle of the

night on the BBC, but all stream ing and catch­up rights were sold to a different broadcaster and kept behind a paywall, a wide audience may not be able to watch this important event.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “As we saw during the Women’s Euros and with the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, we know that enjoying blockbuster sporting events together means

so much to many people.

“Everyone should be able to watch these incredible moments of national unity, no matter how they choose to tune in.

“As viewing habits shift on line, it is right that we review our rules and consider whether updates are needed to ensure our brilliant public service broadcasters can continue to bring major events to the public at no extra cost.”

South Korea charm offensive

SPANISH President Pe dro Sánchez held a sec ond meeting this year with Samsung execu tives, this time during his official visit to South Ko rea on Thursday Novem ber 17.

This follows a meeting held in Madrid on August 31 as Sánchez wants help to grow the new tech in dustry in Spain, whilst Samsung has not only the technology, but looks to receive a sizeable chunk of the European Recov ery Funds allocated to technology.

After visiting the facto ry in Pyeongtaek with Minister for Industry and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, he held a meeting with

Samsung executives be fore getting ready for an other meeting the fol lowing day, this time with the CEO of the com pany, Lee Jae­Yong.

During the meeting, Sánchez highlighted the government’s “ambitious strategy” to turn Spain into a relevant player in

the semiconductor value chain through: a wide range of incentives and aid, attractive financing mechanisms, an ecosys tem in rapid growth, and the ability to attract tal ent and highly qualified personnel.

He dangled the carrot that Spain is going to al

locate €12 billion which includes €9 billion of pub lic money for manufac turing facilities and re minded his hosts that some large companies such as Cisco have al ready announced their investment plans in Spain, with new chip de sign centres.

Later during his first day in South Korea he paid a visit to the facili ties of the future Cer vantes Institute in Seoul, which is intended to facil itate closer links between the two countries and closed the 14th meeting of the Spain­Korea Tri bune, an event organised by Casa Asia and the Ko rea Foundation.

FOR years Spain’s international fashion giant Inditex appears to have had good industrial relations with its employees, but this is likely to change, with one union calling for a Black Friday strike.

There are actually three unions in negotiations over pay and all want to see shop workers gain substantial increases in order to bring them on par with those working in Inditex’s offices and dis tribution centres.

On November 17, the unions confirmed no agreement had been reached, and the smallest, the CIG which represents the 1,000 shop assistants who work in A Coruna is calling for the Black Friday strike.

No Deliveroo

THE sudden closure of Deliveroo in Australia saw around 120 staff and 15,000 riders out of work and an estimated 12,000 restaurants unable to make deliveries.

Although one of the reasons for closure was due to new federal laws concerning the rights of workers, many fear that the cur rent financial crisis worldwide will see other food and grocery deliv ery companies closing down in Europe.

In addition, as competition re duces, so global organisations such as Uber Eats may be tempt ed to up their prices which will in turn have a financial impact upon restaurants and consumers.

Prison dragons

SEVERAL local entrepreneurs and ex­offenders with their own busi nesses stood in as ‘Dragons’ at HMP Thorn Cross, in Cheshire where prisoners were invited to pitch for start ­up funding once re leased.

Proposals that were put before the attendees included a graphic design consultancy and personal fitness business and the en trepreneurs chose which business should receive the first prize of £400, with runners up receiving £300.

The money will be transferred to the prisoners by Entrepreneurs Unlocked, an organisation that is dedicated to help prisoners to stay on the straight and narrow following release.

is the amount that 27 million households in the UK shared in October in the first month of the government’s reduction of energy bills.

Credit: Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street flickr

WATCHING SPORT: The thrill of international football.

Credit: Pedro Sánchez Twitter

NEW TECH: A less than informal meeting with Samsung.

3I Group 1.308,50 1.313,00 1.299,50 117,96K

Abrdn 204,20 204,50 201,20 1,46M

Admiral Group 2.059,0 2.077,0 2.055,0 97,17K

Anglo American 3.124,5 3.132,0 3.078,0 338,15K

Antofagasta 1.306,00 1.309,50 1.288,50 134,58K

Ashtead Group 4.969,0 5.004,0 4.930,0 64,75K

Associated British Foods 1.500,0 1.525,0 1.495,5 29,14K

AstraZeneca 11.038,0 11.078,0 10.938,0 204,65K

Auto Trader Group Plc 564,80 566,60 560,20 303,43K

Aveva 3.167,0 3.169,0 3.162,0 628,62K

Aviva 454,80 455,10 452,40 883,79K

B&M European Value Retail SA403,60 411,30 400,80 531,73K

BAE Systems 783,94 785,60 771,40 743,71K

Barclays 158,40 158,46 157,32 3,40M

Barratt Developments 400,10 401,90 395,90 535,54K

Berkeley 3.751,0 3.751,0 3.692,0 17,64K

BHP Group Ltd 2.418,50 2.435,00 2.395,50 259,71K

BP 469,95 477,60 468,85 8,07M

British American Tobacco 3.342,0 3.343,5 3.296,0 185,42K

British Land Company 412,80 412,90 405,20 406,46K

BT Group 122,91 123,20 120,70 1,38M

Bunzl 3.045,0 3.048,0 3.007,0 182,45K

Burberry Group 2.099,0 2.113,0 2.075,0 48,46K

Carnival 700,8 711,6 697,6 132,46K

Centrica 94,20 94,52 93,12 2,12M

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.990,0 1.990,0 1.974,0 37,99K

Compass 1.824,00 1.831,00 1.769,00 546,35K

CRH 3.302,0 3.325,5 3.283,0 57,08K

Croda Intl 6.810,0 6.916,0 6.768,0 32,07K

DCC 4.315,0 4.339,0 4.299,0 16,29K

Diageo 3.690,5 3.692,0 3.669,5 267,00K

DS Smith 303,40 307,70 301,70 583,99K

EasyJet 375,20 385,30 371,40 871,22K

Experian 2.880,0 2.890,2 2.859,0 17,97K

Ferguson 9.684,0 9.794,0 9.630,0 85,02K

Flutter Entertainment 11.450,0 11.535,0 11.350,0 0,56K

Fresnillo 867,80 871,00 857,20 113,90K

Glencore 499,95 500,40 491,80 7,52M

GSK plc 1.386,40 1.387,20 1.368,60 668,75K

Halma 2.185,0 2.207,0 2.162,0 114,33K

Hargreaves Lansdown 826,80 837,80 814,60 234,69K

Hikma Pharma 1.428,00 1.438,00 1.427,00 4,07K

HSBC 485,40 485,55 478,10 2,65M

IAG 129,62 130,84 129,22 3,02M

Imperial Brands 2.149,50 2.151,00 2.116,00 271,53K

Informa 593,60 595,40 591,40 264,15K

InterContinental 4.763,0 4.787,0 4.685,0 65,36K

Intermediate Capital 1.191,00 1.206,00 1.177,00 225,58K

Intertek 3.894,0 3.911,0 3.863,0 28,97K

ITV 73,80 74,40 73,10 1,31M

J Sainsbury 215,80 217,10 215,10 507,49K

Johnson Matthey 2.001,0 2.052,0 1.996,5 32,23K

Land Securities 630,40 631,60 619,60 173,05K

Legal & General 260,80 261,30 258,50 1,91M

Lloyds Banking 45,66 45,81 45,32 17,72M

London Stock Exchange 8.056,0 8.108,0 8.048,0 43,29K

Melrose Industries 127,00 130,40 127,40 187,72K

Mondi 1.554,50 1.568,50 1.541,50 101,03K

National Grid 1.025,00 1.030,00 1.015,00 558,97K

NatWest Group 258,40 259,40 257,50 1,38M

Next 5.654,0 5.676,0 5.622,0 41,45K

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

Ocado 623,78 671,40 620,20 555,74K

Persimmon 1.295,5 1.306,5 1.283,0 184,13K

Phoenix 598,20 598,40 590,40 250,13K

Prudential 957,60 967,00 947,80 674,60K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.846,7 5.852,5 5.824,9 17,29K

Relx 2.309,82 2.310,00 2.272,00 421,16K

Rentokil 538,40 538,80 531,40 338,50K

Rightmove 539,20 543,20 534,60 369,60K

Rio Tinto PLC 5.319,0 5.328,0 5.263,0 342,12K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 84,39 85,90 83,45 5,17M

Sage 808,20 809,00 796,80 345,62K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.120,50 1.128,00 1.115,00 2,73K

Schroders 458,9 462,0 455,3 293,22K

Scottish Mortgage 782,18 792,20 782,40 439,68K

Segro 831,40 835,80 822,80 378,96K

Severn Trent 2.738,0 2.756,0 2.721,0 85,04K

Shell 2.328,0 2.351,0 2.310,5 1,43M

Smith & Nephew 1.065,50 1.067,50 1.061,00 139,61K

Smiths Group 1.584,50 1.584,50 1.567,50 196,32K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.315,0 11.400,0 11.165,0 14,10K SSE 1.691,50 1.717,24 1.681,50 45,22K

St. James’s Place 1.180,50 1.186,00 1.169,50 76,71K

Standard Chartered 583,00 584,40 577,60 511,42K

Taylor Wimpey 103,55 104,05 102,40 2,77M

Tesco 230,60 231,60 229,70 1,27M

Tui 139,25 142,50 138,00 941,88K

Unilever 4.085,0 4.085,0 4.034,0 362,18K

United Utilities 1.030,50 1.035,00 1.014,00 167,56K

Vodafone Group PLC 97,43 97,98 96,88 12,47M

Whitbread 2.514,0 2.524,0 2.483,0 48,35K WPP 864,60 868,40 861,60 627,10K

3M 126,76 128,34 3,15M

American Express 152,50 153,76 150,94 2,63M

Amgen 287,29 288,73 284,43 2,37M

Apple 151,29 152,70 149,97 74,33M

Boeing 173,89 175,19 171,53 4,68M

Caterpillar 231,43 231,84 227,63 2,80M

Chevron 182,99 183,41 179,65 7,64M

Cisco 47,79 48,04 46,86 30,76M

Coca-Cola 61,14 61,37 60,80 10,38M

Dow 50,07 50,52 49,36 3,75M

Goldman Sachs 379,20 382,83 377,39 2,37M

Home Depot 313,18 316,00 310,26 3,55M

Honeywell 214,53 217,35 213,16 2,97M

IBM 147,64 148,31 145,94 4,66M

Intel 29,87 30,26 29,61 26,84M

J&J 176,20 176,64 174,62 6,47M

JPMorgan 133,84 134,67 132,28 9,42M

McDonald’s 273,37 275,10 272,12 2,69M

Merck&Co 104,23 104,60 102,63 11,55M

Microsoft 241,22 243,74 239,03 27,49M

Nike 105,42 107,72 104,17 5,37M

Procter&Gamble 142,57 142,76 141,27 5,63M

Salesforce Inc 148,04 152,32 145,65 7,50M

The Travelers 184,56 185,87 183,24 1,47M

UnitedHealth 530,00 532,99 519,46 3,52M

Verizon 38,55 38,77 38,29 17,55M

Visa A 210,80 214,17 209,74 5,52M

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Walmart 150,23 150,24 148,77 6,30M

Walt Disney 91,80 93,16 90,91 9,82M

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360 DigiTech, Inc. -8.74% 1.224M

Trupanion, Inc. -8.41% 818,062

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Recovery Fund

THE Spanish government has formally requested the third tranche of the Recov ery and Resilience Fund to talling €6 billion from the European Union thanks, it says, to the fact that it has fulfilled 23 milestones and six objectives set by the EU earlier this year.

Arena saved

FOLLOWING the collapse of the WASPS Rugby Union Club which moved to Coventry in 2014, the via bility of the Coventry Build ing Society Arena which is also home to Coventry City Football Club came into question, but it has now been purchased by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group.

Bulgaria beckons

SOME 80 Spanish compa nies have created bases in Bulgaria, investing €800 million and employing 3,000 staff according to Economy and Industry Minister Nikola Stoyanov, who chaired a special breakfast meeting and briefing for Spanish fi nanciers in Bulgarian capi tal Sofia on November 17.

No Saturday delivery

HAVING recorded a £219 million operating loss in the first six months of 2022, the Royal Mail which created the concept of the penny post with almost same day delivery, now wants to save money by stopping Saturday postal deliveries. It still intends to deliver parcels six days a week, but has to obtain government permission to change its delivery sched ules. With strikes on the horizon and likely opposi tion to the change from publishers who aim to have many of their maga zine subscriptions arriving on a Saturday, the priva tised Royal Mail may find losses increasing.

UK autumn statement

JEREMY HUNT is going to hit the British public in the pocket as he announced his cuts and increases in tax for many, on Thursday November 17.

As first glance, it doesn’t seem to be quite as drastic as first anticipated and for pension ers the good news is that the triple lock will remain in place for next year, meaning that state pensions will rise by 10.1 per cent in April 2023.

He admitted that the UK has entered into recession and vows that his actions will help to make this as short and painless as possible, although many will still find themselves hit where it hurts most, in their pockets.

He announced a freeze on income tax thresholds, meaning millions of people will pay more in tax as their wages rise and Labour declared this a stealth tax as it doesn’t hurt immediately, but will affect tax payers in the coming years.

Unlike the previous, short­lived Chancellor, he is not going to protect the general public completely from rises in energy bills although there will still be some support, but expect to pay an additional £500 per year from April.

Highest earners who had earlier this year expected the 45 per cent top rate of tax to be scrapped, will not only have pay it, but at a new threshold of £125,140 rather than £150,000, although bankers will be able to benefit from big bonusses.

Benefits and tax credits will stay in line with inflation at 10.1 per cent and there will

be extra payments of £900 for those on means­tested benefits, £300 for pensioner households and £150 for those on disability benefits.

The windfall tax on the big energy compa nies will increase from 25 to 35 per cent, al though it seems likely that if they plough their profits back in to new energy or new ex ploration, they will be able to avoid some or all of that tax.

Generally speaking, the majority of budgets previously agreed with government depart ments will remain, but as inflation will dra matically increase their costs, there is effec tively a reduction in the value of the budgets and in the case of overseas aid, this will re

Raising prices

TELEFONICA has announced that it will increase Movistar prices with effect from Jan uary 1 following an earlier announcement by Avatel and Vodafone.

There will be no change in the special offer rates that consumers may have been signed up for until the agreed period ends, nor will there be an increase on O2 tariffs.

Basically, it is using the op portunity allowed to in crease prices due to the cost­of­living crisis which has meant that overall operat ing costs have risen sharply, so its action are not in breach of any Spanish regu lations.

Indeed, it argues that the average price increase of 6.8 per cent is less than the cur rent inflation rate and de spite the fact that clients will not be receiving any addi

tional benefits on services to offset the cost, the company insists that it offers good val ue for money.

Each package will poten tially see a different rise, with some as low as 5.6 per cent and some will be much higher than the average, so the company has undertak en to contact each customer over the coming weeks to outline the new charges.

Many customers of the

two largest internet and mo bile telephony suppliers be lieve that a price rise would be much more acceptable if the companies involved of fered a better service and as communications companies made it easier, especially for expats, to communicate.

As technology takes great leaps and bounds forwards, these giant organisations still seem unable to cut through their endemic bureaucracy.

main reduced until such time as the country can afford to pay more.

One area that he continues to support, (against the wishes of some members of the Tory Party) is the HS2 high speed rail project which has already cost £100 billion and con tinues to be a drain on the country’s re sources with an estimated £7 billion a year until the end of the decade being spent on it.

Following his statement, the Office for Bud get Responsibility (OBR) (which had been ig nored under the Truss administration) re leased its latest forecasts for the UK economy and government spending.

It believes that continued soaring prices will reduce consumer’s disposable income and taking into account inflation it will be the most significant drop since official records be gan.

In summary, the OBR expects hard times ahead, suggesting that GDP will continue to shrink by around 1.4 per cent next year which will see the national debt climbing by an un expected £400 billion boosted by the need to support up to 500,000 newly unemployed.

Things are expected to get worse before they get better with increased reduction in GDP in 2024 and 2025.

Only time will tell how effective the Chancel lor’s plans may be, but all could change dra matically if the Russian invasion of Ukraine ei ther intensifies and brings in NATO or if an acceptable settlement is found which helps to bring down energy and basic food prices.

Clucked off

CAUSED in part by Avian Flu and also because some farmers are finding it too expensive to continue, there appears to be a short age of fresh eggs in the UK.

Already Asda and Lidl are said to be rationing the number of boxes of eggs customers can buy and Sainsbury’s which normal ly only sells British eggs has confirmed that it is currently import ing some from Italy and they are labelled as such.

Therese Coffey, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told the BBC that some supply chains get eggs from particular farmers, “But across the country we still have nearly 40 million roosting hens. As a consequence, I’m not concerned about the overall supply.”

Buyoyant tourism

THE

Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said on Thursday November 17 “this data is very positive, since one in three new jobs in October was generated in the tourism sector, which demonstrates the decisive contribution of this in dustry to the recovery of the economy and employment in our country.”

In addition, there are 22,441 more foreign workers than the previous month, bringing the increase in this group across all industries to 155,445 and the total to 2,462,109.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt leaves for Parliament.

Credit: HM Treasury flickr

Spanish tourism sector closed October with 2,543,749 workers registered with the government which was the best month ever and almost 110,000 more than in October 2019 before the pandemic caused lockdowns.

NEW CHARGES: Supporting sport at customer cost.

Credit: Movistar Spain Twitter

Advertising Feature

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LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

SOMETIMES I think I’ve lost track of the plot. (I can hear a number of readers chortling with glee!) Most of you will know only too well what my opinions are regarding the face less committee of individuals who in my opinion run the planet from their secret domains of power.

What I actually fail to understand is why they are allowing a minority in the UK to run slipshod over the public arena under allegations that they are not given the same impor tance as the majority, a ridiculous summation.

All the power happy leaders re quire, is to keep the citizens perma nently worried and on edge. This of course maintains them rushing about and fearful as to their actual survival, which categorically holds them under control.

I have always actually maintained the Saudis are very highly placed in the world hierarchy scheme of things.

The eight years I spent there was certainly an eye opener in my opin ions as to who actually runs world

On the edge

affairs. One rumour that abounded was that when slavery was out lawed in 1962 they built a large town in the middle of the desert to accommodate the relinquished slaves. A few years later they bombed it out of existence; prob lem solved.

Could never prove it of course, but I was very friendly with a Saudi pilot who enjoyed a drink!

I was also proven exactly correct when I wrote that the murder of Ja mal Khashoggi in Turkey’s Saudi embassy would result in so­called perpetrators standing private trial and disappearing into a mid­east haze; which is precisely what oc curred.

It was publically announced that five were sentenced to death (later pardoned of course) the Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, professed to know nothing about it (ha).

All the so­called perps were im prisoned and, when all the scandal died down, were secretly released and now live lives of luxury with

the promised millions they subse quently discovered in their bank ac counts.

And that my friends is how our world is governed today. Those who have more money than they ever dreamed of have won that race. The only success left for them to achieve is power and the faceless mob knows exactly how to attain it.

If anyone gets too close, assassi nation awaits, even if it doesn’t look like it. Dr Kelly, Stephen Ward are cases in point.

Even I occasionaly glance over my shoulder!

Keep the Faith. Love bLeapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com. Expatradioscotland.com Mon Fri. 1pm till 4.

NOT SO BEAUTIFUL OUR VIEW

ALTHOUGH football is probably the most popular sport in the world, not everyone will be glued to the TV over the next few weeks as the World Cup Finals unfold in Qatar.

What used to be referred to as the ‘beautiful game’ has be come tarnished over the past couple of decades with money gushing into the sport and top officials accused of either giv ing or taking bribes.

Rather than alternate between Europe and South America as was the case in the past, it makes sense to ensure that the finals do take place in different parts of the world and the suc cess of South Africa as well as Japan and South Korea speak for themselves.

There is a real interest in football in the Middle East as well as huge amounts of money from there sunk into clubs around Europe, but the decision to choose Qatar for this year’s finals is questionable. It is already clear that the country just can’t cope physically or emotionally with the World Cup and is already breaking its agreements with, for example, the decision to ban sponsor Budweiser from selling beer at matches. Accommodation for fans in overpriced, noisy con tainers is also not helping to highlight the positive aspect of attending the matches.

Whilst figures such as David Beckham and Robbie Williams are criticised for taking Qatari money, it should be noted that organisations such as the BBC and Sky have no obvious com punction about sending teams of commentators there and broadcasting the matches.

Hopefully England, Spain and Wales do well as the hospi tality industry in particular will benefit from showing their team’s matches.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Run rabbit run rabbit

LINDA HALL

I CAN’T eat rabbit, and not only because we once had a rabbit called Harry whose full name was Harry Houdini because he was an escape artist.

As it happens, Harry, whom we loved dearly, turned out to be Harriet. But Harry or Harriet ­ he or she ­ is only one of the reasons I don’t eat rabbit.

The other is that it doesn’t taste of much.

My grandmother made us in credible rabbit stew that tasted of a lot of things and since the Span ish ate, and still eat, a lot of rab bit I was looking forward to ‘cone jo con tomate frito’.

It arrived, heavy with fried tomato sauce and industrial quan tities of garlic, plus half a severed head, still with its poor little buckteeth.

After that introduction, rabbit was usually off the menu and once we had Harry, eating it was unthinkable.

To tell the truth Harry eventual ly caused us a great deal of trou ble because we lived in an apart ment at the time.

He (we still believed she was a he) had the run of the terrace but soon became bored and started to shimmy under the partition to go next door and eat Maria Luisa’s plants. She was a good friend, but over the year and a half that Har ry lived with us she became less affable and more frosty.

A solution was soon found. An other neighbour, Lucia, had a smallholding up in Callosa.

Harry, she promised would have fresh air, wide open spaces and a natural death.

So off to Callosa he went, where he soon revealed himself as a she, ruling the roost in the corral, liv ing happily ever after with many suitors and lots of babies.

We won’t go into details about the offspring though, as I’m well aware that they probably ended up at the table, no doubt accom panied by lots of garlic and to mate frito.

SALLY UNDERWOOD POLITICAL ANIMAL

OF all the jobs around, being an MP may eas ily be the one most likely to prompt the ques tion, “why in the name of god would anyone do it?”

Of the top reasons why this is an odd, frus trating and ultimately often futile job (most political careers don’t end because some thing’s gone right after all) the first has got to be that of its very nature, it’s a job where every four years you have to beseech roughly 30,000 people simply to let you stick around.

Apart from that, being an MP presents you with the somewhat unique opportunity to be hated simultaneously by the press, the general public, your opponents, everyone living within a five­mile radius of your home, and even your own colleagues. Add to that the fact that if you do ever climb the greasy pole to a ministerial position you’re often thrust, from the first mo ment of appointment, into leading the gov ernment on a topic you know almost nothing about ­ and then having to repeatedly talk about that very topic, in detail, live on TV with someone with the approximate sympathy of a rottweiler (this is of course unfair to rottweil ers, which are very affectionate animals). All this while, inevitably, a number of your col leagues will be trying to grab your job.

Why do it?

Yes, it’s difficult to work out why anyone would actually want to be an MP even if it was handed to them; let alone spend years actively campaigning to do it.

But yet.

Despite its inarguable weirdness, it’s also dif ficult to imagine another career that presents quite the same level of genuinely awe­inspir ing opportunity.

The chance to help people on both a local level as well as on a national or international level by changing a law that improves thou sands of lives (the Clean Air Act, National Mini mum Wage Act and NHS spring most obvi ously to mind). The chance to be a part of the tipping point that moves the world forward (the 1967 law to decriminalise homosexuality, for example, was only narrowly voted in by 57 votes). The chance to be a tiny part of history.

That’s got to take some beating.

Perhaps occasionally then, instead of spending so much energy trying to trip each other up, our elected representatives would like to remind us of this very unique privilege.

It certainly couldn’t hurt bridging the (cur rently vast) gap between the electorate and politicians in an increasingly cynical world. And you never know ­ it might even inspire the very next person to do something truly great.

Sally’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Luscious lips Staying active

shutterstock.com

WINTER is right around the corner which means some changes to our health and beauty routines. The winter months can cause problems for our lips including dry and flaky skin and painful cuts. Our lips are the softest parts of our faces, which also means they are vulnerable to damage from colder weather. Here we share some of our top tips on how to keep your lips in good condition during winter.

1. Stay hydrated

The first tip for glossy, hy drated lips is taking care of your own hydration. It is cru cial to drink enough water during the winter to avoid dry, chapped lips.

2. Ditch matte lipsticks

Matte lipsticks are perfect for adding a splash of colour in a classy way, but during the winter they can dry out our lips and draw attention to flaky skin. Switch your matte lipstick for a lip balm

or lip gloss that can still add colour while keeping mois ture locked in.

3. Treat damage imme diately

If you notice damage to your lips from weather such as dryness or cuts, don’t ig nore it. Treat lip issues im mediately by visiting the pharmacy or treating them at home. If you leave lips damaged they can become even more painful and cause bleeding.

Betty Henderson

WITH the approach of winter, it can be tempting to curl up inside in front of the TV, but it is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even when it is colder. Here we share three top tips from health experts on how you can stay active, even when you feel like staying in.

1.

Take walks

In Spain we are fortunate enough to be surrounded with natural beauty spots in many parts of the country. With 16 national parks and more than 8,000 kilometres of

coastline, there are plenty of beauty spots where you can take a walk.

2. Plan for the season

If you plan your exercise ahead of time, you may find it more motivating to actually get out there and go! Plan to exercise during light, warm hours, and dress appropriately.

3.

Try indoor exercise

If exercising outdoors doesn’t appeal to you at this time of year, try an indoor exer cise class at a gym or an online workout to stay motivated and healthy throughout the winter, while staying cosy indoors.

Defining mature eyes

THE beauty industry often talks about antiageing products for your face and skin, but what about your eyes? After eye creams, not much is said about how we can define our eyes using skincare products and makeup. But fear no more! We consulted some expert advice from a make­up artist special ising in mature make­up styles.

As we get older, our eyes can sometimes seem more sunken with darker circles or wrinkles as well as weaker eyelashes, which means you may need to adjust your make­

up style to highlight your natural beauty.

Firstly, experts recommend choosing a creamier product as a base for eye make­up. This way product won’t settle in wrinkles or stick to thinner patches of skin, which can make it look cakey. Secondly, blending is your best friend! While sharp eyeliner lines can look stunning, using a pencil and blend ing the eyeliner along your eye line high lights mature eyes. Skin loses some of its colour over time, so using a bold colour from time to time can really make your eyes pop!

Winter hair woes

WINTER affords our hair some respite from summer humidity and beach trips, but that doesn’t mean that

this season is without its own hair troubles. Here we walk you through some of the most common hair problems during winter and how to combat them.

• Dry scalp

During winter there tends to be less moisture in the air, which can translate to dry and flaky skin on your scalp. Combat it by switch ing to a moisturising sham poo or trying a deep condi tioning treatment. A creamier shampoo can keep your scalp moisturised and also keep dandruff at bay.

• Static hair

The lack of moisture in the air combined with win ter clothing like woolly jack ets, scarves, collars can make hairs stand up on end.

Hairdressers recommend using moisturising products throughout your hair to fight fly­aways. Use a condi tioner on the ends of your

hair, but also on the middle section.

• Hat hair

Hats are needed during the winter to stop heat es caping from our heads. But they can crush your hairstyle and sap the mois ture from your hair. Experts recommend waiting until your hair is completely cool from blow­drying before putting on your hat. You can also flip your hair upside down when you take off your hat to revive it.

DRY LIPS: Keep your lips hydrated during the winter by using a moisturising lip balm.

Photo credit: Alliance Images /

HAIR PROBLEMS: Don’t let winter hair woes get the best of you, follow these tips.

Photo credit: Andrey_Popov / shutterstock.com

Boost energy levels

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables in winter to keep your energy levels high.

THE winter can bring a drop in our usual energy levels. Lower temperatures and shorter days can affect our daily rou tine, making us feel more tired than at other times of the year. Here we consulted some expert advice to find out how you can boost your energy during the winter.

1. Eat a balanced diet

The busy Christmas season with lots of parties can some

times cause us to abandon our healthy diets, but it is crucial to eat a balanced diet to give our bodies the energy they need.

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are especially important during this season.

2. Boost your vitamin intake

Vitamins are crucial for our well­being. Try to boost your intake of vitamins, particularly Vitamin C which is essential for the immune system and warding away winter colds. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables

to naturally increase your vita min intake, or take a supple ment if necessary, after con sulting with a doctor.

3. Exercise in the morning

Take advantage of natural light during the morning to get your body moving, this can wake up your system naturally, helping you stay in a routine. Maintaining your usual exercise routine throughout winter can also help you to prevent a dip in energy levels.

Betty Henderson

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.

GOD HELP US

TROUBLED , confused, clueless are just three words associated with dis orientated. Has your columnist Loopy Lee com pletely lost the plot? The current chaos in the UK that everyone knows is down to the mismanage ment of the Tory Party over 12 years of austerity with no economic growth, not to mention the dam age done by Johnson’s dis astrous Brexit deal and the recent Truss bombshell, yet his misguided ideology it is all the fault of the Labour Party and just re cently according to his lat est rants it is also down to the BBC, god help us.

Ramon Osborne Los Alcazares

Spot on

Just read your article in this week’s EWN which was abso lutely spot on as usual .

Best wishes, Brian

Supporter speaks out

You should be ashamed of yourselves for printing the ar ticle about Celtic supporters. They have a fantastic reputa tion throughout the world. Ask the city of Sevilla, 80,000 fans were there for the UEFA Cup final. Yes they left trash but not one arrest. I am not condoning leaving rubbish, but come on it is hardly trash ing the place. Celtic fans have an amazing reputation!

G McPhillips

Blue badge petition

Thank you Euro Weekly News for your petition relating to the issue of blue badges. I appreciate that this is another tan gled mess relating to Brexit and it may not be simple to resolve, but once again it is the UK expat community suffer ing. Many people with poor mobility are living a restricted life, parking close to hospitals and shops can be near on im possible. The beach is a no go, especially on weekends as it is so busy all the parking spaces are taken, although there al ways seems to be blue badge bays available and when you cannot walk far, the idea of a day at the beach is just a dream. I totally under stand why expats are moving back to the UK.

B Byrnes

Still ranting

Having picked up your paper whilst staying here for a month, I was im pressed to see how infor mative and interesting it was and the insight it af fords into the local expat culture. And then I read the rant by Loopy, sorry, Leapy Lee. I found his ar ticle chilling and it made me question what type of narrow­minded bigots live here. Please remove such politically extreme

commentary from your paper. He is clearly uned ucated and taints your otherwise useful and helpful paper, which should surely aim to be inclusive to unite all ex pats.

Diana Harrington

Voicing how I feel

I am 75 years young and have been coming to the Costa del Sol for over 30 years. I have read your newspaper for sev eral years while visiting Spain and online and I cannot help but agree with the comments made by Mr Lee. I live in Bat tersea and have seen my community change so much over the last few years, unfortunately not in a good way. The Na tional Health system is totally overstretched, my wife has been waiting for knee surgery for over 15 months and after having a fall waited for an am bulance for eight hours.

The police take hours, if not days, to respond when you report a crime and when they do come they make you feel like you are wasting their time. Our community is growing with immigrants who stretch the re sources, which I have paid into the system for over 50 years for. Thank you Leapy for voicing how I feel.

N Harman

Efficient, effective and economical

OVER many years Neater Heaters have be come the first choice of many expats living in Spain.

Behind our stylish Scandinavian designs are a modern state­of­the­art convector heater that can match any on the market for econo my and efficiency, and beats all the serious competition hands down on price.

The real secret of these heaters is the com puter­age technology in the form of extruded aluminium in the construction of the heating element. This material and the design creates a huge surface area for heat transfer, which means more air can be heated for less cost.

Neater Heaters use convection principles and are designed so that the electricity you put into the heater is converted to heat as cheaply as possible. When you turn on the heater the element warms up rapidly and heats the air around it, this air rises and draws more cold air into the heater. Be cause the element is extremely efficient and is designed to have a huge surface area, a

large quantity of air is heated very quickly. If your room has the correct sized heater it will take about 20 minutes to warm up from cold, after which the heater eases off and works at about two thirds capacity, (de

God speed

THE British Benevolent Fund receives many applications for financial help from British na tionals in Spain. Many in des perate situations.

A life in the sun for some, be comes a nightmare trap with seemingly no way out for all too many. This is particularly so for the many Britons who retire to Spain in the hope of exchanging the damp cold north for the warm balms of the Med.

For those who come unpre pared for the many hidden as pects of day to day living this can be a rude awakening.

We were alerted to a couple in their early 70s. He had worked in the Post Office and she in a school. They had known Spain from many family holidays over the years and had decided that this would be the perfect place to settle down af ter a long life of daily grind ­ in addition their children and grandchildren could visit in the holidays ­ it all made sense.

They sold their house and with the proceeds bought a property in Alicante Province and planned to live off their

modest pension and some savings.

On arrival in 2017 they did their paper work and registered for both NIE and padron.

Within a short time however things started to go wrongwith the first heavy rain they discovered the roof was unfit for purpose and had to re placed.

In 2019 she slipped and broke her hip. The replacement surgery caused additional trau ma in addition to the expense.

Both their medical situations deteriorated and they entered lockdown in March 2020 in an overwhelming sense of isola tion and vulnerability.

Their electricity was cut off in June 2021.

A house in the sun was now a house without light to see, nor warmth in the winter or cool air in the summer ­ and no hot food.

One day he went to the bank to draw some money.

To his horror his bank had without his knowledge paid the

year’s house insurance causing the account to be overdrawn and demands for repayment.

Neither utilities nor bank lis tened to plea for a repayment plan.

In June of this year, they made the decision to leavehowever difficult that would be ­ and that’s when the BBF got involved.

We were able to put them in touch with a partner charity, one of many that are listed in https://www.supportinspain.in fo/ a vital resource supported the British Embassy.

We cleared their utility ar rears. The lights went back on in June ­ one year in the dark.

They are in the process of selling their house and return ing to the UK.

God speed.

For more information about the British Benevolent Fund contact olaf.clayton@british benevolentfund.org

that will suit anyone, from the BEHA, (Blue tooth option or Wi­Fi option) and the NEO Wi­Fi, so that you can control your heaters easily via a Wi­Fi app but still being able to control them manually if preferred, or the trendy original style Neo with digital controls and a choice of colours and if you are limited for wall space, then available for purchase are factory designed feet to enable the heater to be freestanding.

However, a few years ago we went one stage further and added the Turkish made Vi go heater. This heater shares the design tech nology and ethos of the current Neater Heaters, but it has two differences: The Vigo comes with a carrying handle, wall bracket, and feet included in the price; The larger Vigo models take up less wall space and go up to 2.5kw. They also have a digital display that in dicates the reduced wattage that the heater regulates once the room has reached desired temperature, thus saving more money through reduced running costs.

Leaving sedition behind

CASSANDRA NASH

SPAIN’S government, headed by Pe dro Sanchez, intends to eliminate sedition from the country’s Penal Code.

Instead it will be redefined as ‘ag gravated public disorder’ carrying a maximum sentence of between five and 15 years.

We all know about sedition: think Guy Fawkes. Nevertheless, more than five centuries later sedition earned prison terms of between nine and 13 years for the men and women respon sible for declaring Catalonia’s ex tremely short­lived republic on Octo ber 27 in 2017.

That it was a farce doomed to end in tears was obvious from the shell shocked faces of the regional presi dent, Carles Puigmont and vice­presi dent Oriol Junqueras. The independent republic never did get off the ground, and Puigdemont made a run for it a couple of days later, selfexiling himself in Waterloo (Belgium), of all places.

Junqueras and eight others who re mained received prison sentences of between nine and 13 years.

They were pardoned in June 2021, a move not to everybody’s liking, espe cially the Partido Popular and Vox. As opposition parties, they oppose on principle any legislation not their own, but their mistrust of eradicating sedi tion is ideological and visceral.

Sanchez has insisted that with or without sedition, his government is no more receptive to Catalan indepen dence than previously, but did say that he hoped this would herald dia logue and understanding.

That won’t be out of the question with Pere Aragones, Catalonia’s re gional president whose party, Esquer ra Republicana de Catalunya (Republi can Left of Catalonia), is less radical than it sounds and has eased up on in dependence demands.

The same can’t be said of Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), re motely controlled from Waterloo by Carles Puigdemont.

Will he return to Spain to face the music once he can’t be accused of sedition but will still face gaol? Proba bly not. He dismissed the modification as a publicity stunt, doubtless because he prefers a comfy billet bankrolled by wealthy separatists. Even if it’s called Waterloo.

and economical, but as you would expect from a Scandinavian product, they are ex tremely stylish and practical. There is a model

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Rentals Costa Blanca: Relax

ARE you looking for someone to take care of your property or holiday home? Do you need someone to get your property ready for guests and the Christmas season? With more than 15 years of experience in the property management business, you can be sure that everything will be taken care of down to the finest details with Costa Blanca Rentals, leaving you free of stress and worry.

Covering the Costa Blanca areas, specifically Orihuela Costa and Vega Baja, Rentals Costa Blanca will take you back to basics with their rental management and mainte nance service.

Whether you have the prop erty purely for your own use, or you wish to rent it out to holidaymakers, Costa Blanca

The good, the bad and the bonkers

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

sectors including the NHS, HMRC, DWP, local government, banks etc, where the failure to do your job results in a very poor or non­existent service to the public.

leave the worrying to someone else!

Rentals will treat your proper ty individually as a valued in vestment, so you can have the peace of mind that your prop erty is in the safest hands. Not only this, in their inten tion to provide their clients with the best services, Rentals Costa Blanca have now signed with real estate network Re Max to provide and extend their services to property own ers.

Sometimes, properties that are not occupied for long peri ods of time could have an un detected problem or issue that would quickly be fixed if the house was visited on a regular basis, Costa Blanca Rentals can visit your property and keep it up to scratch for when you or your renters arrive.

The friendly and profession al team use their experience

and wealth of knowledge of the industry to offer their clients a wide range of trusted services including property maintenance such as key hold ing, security, cleaning, paint ing, construction, and insur ance services, as well as the management of your rental property.

Should you need someone to care for your villa, apart ment or holiday home while you are away, get it ready for the holiday season (Christmas is just around the corner!) or take care of any construction issues, Rentals Costa Blanca are the people to contact.

It’s time to relax and leave the worrying to someone else ­ get in touch with Costa Blan ca Rentals today for a free no obligation quote and to find out how they can help you.

THE latest social media trend is ‘quiet quitting’, or doing the bare minimum in your job.

Two different view points seem to exist: those who believe quiet quitting is taking a step back from burnout (in which case it’s a positive thing) and those who think it’s checking out from your employment responsibilities (in which case, it’s, well, skiving).

Nothing new. There’s always been a mix of hard workers and shirk ers. Only now we have social media to make it a ‘trend’.

I get it completely when you’re in market ing or similar roles. How ever, the consequences of quiet quit ting are much more profound in

When your failure to do a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay has a signifi cant impact on others, that’s unfair on colleagues and makes life even harder for those needing those services. Little wonder things are so bad in the UK.

Everything is blamed on understaffing and underfunding (which both exist) but nobody accepts the creeping lack of application which also affects those services...

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Keeping snug

WINTER is nearly upon us, and that means making some changes for our pets too, to keep them warm. Pets feel the cold too, and it is crucial to keep them feel ing comfortable as your home is their home too. Here we share some advice from pet lovers on how to keep your pets cosy during the winter.

• Blankets

Blankets are an excellent option to keep your dog or cat warm during the colder months. Lots of pet compa nies offer blankets in plenty of shapes and sizes, so you’re sure to find some thing that is perfect for your dog or cat’s size. Blankets can protect your upholstery from claw marks and fur as well as keeping your fourlegged friend cosy.

• Sleeping arrangements

If your pet normally sleeps outdoors, or if you have a pet like a rabbit, en

credit: Prystai / shutterstock.com

sure that its pen is protect ed from wind and has extra bedding to keep their paws warm. During the coldest weather, bringing your pet’s enclosure into a con servatory or porch could be perfect to keep them warm.

• Insulation

Check for draughts in the area where your pet sleeps. It is easy to miss draughts from the bottom of door frames and windows in the rooms we don’t sleep in. Protect your pet by keeping them away from cold draughts.

Friends with benefits

WE often hear that having a pet has lots of benefits for owners. It is certainly true that pets are an immediate source of joy in our lives, making us laugh, cheering us up when we are upset, and always being there for us. Here we share some scientifically proven ways that pets improve our lives.

• Mental health

Pets, particularly cats and dogs are known to boost our mood and well­be ing. Having a furry friend to cuddle can ease feelings of stress. Research has found that playing with a dog or cat rais es levels of dopamine and serotonin, helping to reduce stress.

• Pets and children

Growing up with pets also has several benefits for children. Pets are great companions for children to play with and talk to. Having a pet can also en courage children to get outside and en joy the great outdoors. Having a pet can also give children more responsibility to care for its wellbeing and essential needs.

• Health benefits

Having a pet can also keep us healthy. A pet like a dog needs lots of exercise and walks, while even the most domes tic pets enjoy time outside, which gets us outdoors. Taking your dog for a walk can also help you to take a break from a busy lifestyle.

Advertising Feature

Kidney disease

FIRST of all, it is very impor tant to distinguish acute from chronic renal failure.

The acute ones are usually due to intoxication or infec tion while in the chronic ones a gradual failure occurs and is related to chronic dis eases and old age.

Dogs with severe acute renal disease often produce less urine than normal and as the condition progresses, may ultimately produce none at all. Producing large amounts of dilute urine is one of the first signs of chronic renal disease in dogs and makes it necessary to urinate very frequently.

Dogs with chronic renal disease try to compensate by drinking more water, but they can’t drink enough to replace what is being lost and become dehydrated.

They lose energy and may want to rest rather than take part in the activi ties they used to love.

Compromised kidney function results in increased blood levels of metabolic waste products like blood urea nitrogen and creati nine and makes dogs feel sick. Erythropoietin is a hor mone produced by the kid neys that stimulate the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. In cases of chronic renal disease, the kidneys no longer produce enough Erythropoietin causing anaemia and wors ening of lethargy. They can lose their appetite and weight.

Dogs with advancing re nal disease will often start to vomit and have diar rhoea.

When a dog has severe advanced renal failure, they can have dementia, breath ing problems, collapse, bleeding and seizures.

At any sign, see your vet. The sooner they receive treatment the better.

In Costa Blanca Sur: www.resonanciaveterinaria.es Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante C/Los Arcos 23 Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Tel: 609 779 109

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

POLICE/FIRE/AMBULANCE: 112 24 HOUR PHARMACY FARMACIA ALICANTE - 965 910 220 FARMACIA PLAYA DEL CURA966 706 880 24 HOUR VETS

HOSPITAL VETERINARIA SANT VICENTE - 965 668 582

Photo

STAY WARM: Stock up on extra blankets to keep your pet cosy during winter nights.

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 attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact 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; Flem ish: 635 047 053; and Scandi navian: 659 779 222. www. aa-costablanca.org (93323)

www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emer gency helpline which is available to both members and non-members 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.icatorrevie ja.org (95476)

branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branch es.britishlegion.org.uk/branch es/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.ori huelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.secre tary@rbl.community

03178. We hold a Sunday Sevrice at 11.30am. For fur ther information: www.spiritu alistcentre-benijofar.com Telephone 711 060 171. Email martindroute66@hot mail.com. Fiscal G54713789

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

CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Asso ciation Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Can cer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact 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 Va lencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemason ry in Spain please contact sec@glpva lencia.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 infor mation. (95459)

PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNI TY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, 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 8 00 018 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@hot mail.com , website: torrevieja strokesupport.org. We are al ways 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 Raso, Guardamar del Segura (except July and August). For more de tails, contact Marion Smith on 711 008 250, or email: mari on.smith@amscb.org.es, or you can find us on Facebook : fb@movers and shakers www.amscb.org.es (295976)

PERSONAL TRAINER, WEIGHT LOSS, TONING, RESULTS GUARANTEED. CERTIFIED WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE. FORMER US KICKBOX CHAM PION. CALL 747 438 225 (301319)

BATHROOM & KITCHEN Con versions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (291660)

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 IN SURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHAT SAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsurancein spain.com or email tracey@sosinsurancein spain.com (302024)

MR FIXIT. For all your electri cal, plumbing, general & appli ance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290228)

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. (301438)

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

MOBILE homes & static cara vans bought, sold and trans ported. +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 offices 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 online at

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 also 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 con tact 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 guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIA TION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving air crews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly or ganisation, 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: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461)

THE BAKER Foundation Spiri tual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Fla menca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual cen tre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more de tails (95458)

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

THE SPIRITUALIST CEN TRE, Benijofar meets at Hamil ton’s Bake House, 62 Calle Vi cente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar

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 (302161)

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)

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: KrugerCanopies. com WhatsApp: 667 879 399 krugercanopies@yahoo.co.uk (293646)

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

MATURE straight Male & BiFemale partner, looking to meet like-minded people for fun. +44 7892 304675 (302471)

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 electri cal, plumbing, general & appli ance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (290228)

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

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

Male/Female viagra, cialis, ka magra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail or der. 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 Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (289653)

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 information email carobrlo@yahoo.es (392460)

FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE IN CLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (2001)

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 al ways been to offer an excel lent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in En glish, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

WITH so many marques owned by single corporate entities it’s perhaps no surprise that eco nomics dictate a cer tain commonality.

So Skoda’s Enyaq shares it’s under pinnings with the VW ID range and in particular the ID.4. Howev er, there are some subtle but noticeable differ ences that set the two apart on the style front.

The all­electric Enyaq is big, very big, so one of the first proper all­electric, allconsuming family vehicles. With even the entry level model claiming up to 246 miles of range, and from my week it’s pretty close to achievable given the right circumstances, this is one of the most useable EVs I have tried. It’s also one of the more affordable, albeit elec

Skoda Enyaq - a star EV

and Wi­Fi hotspot through to keyless stop/start, cruise control, dual zone climate control and both light and rain sensors.

Facts at a Glance

Model: Skoda Enyaq iV60 Loft

tric cars are still expensive compared to petrol pow ered equivalents.

With five trim levels, two power options and allwheel­drive on offer, there’s no shortage of choice. Prices start from €44,819/£38,970, other battery options and trims can push the final price

north of €56k/£50k for the vRS Coupe model that is eye catching without the usual aggressive style that seems to abound these days.

The entry level Loft spec comes with 58kwh battery, that 246­mile range and a decent array of standard kit from Bluetooth, navigation

The Enyaq is an imposing vehicle that lacks some of the styling oddities that have previously beset EV de signs. It also has an impressive interior, with my test car having swathes of cloth across the facia rather than the usual plastic. Quite how durable this would prove I don’t know but it makes an im pact. One of the first things you notice about the interi or is the space, the sheer amount of it, from legroom to height to load area.

On the road the Enyaq is typically EV quiet with wind and tyre noise very well in

Engine: 58 kwh electric developing 179PS

Gears: Automatic Price: €44,819/£38,970

Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 8.4 seconds/Maxi mum Speed 159 kph (99 mph)

Economy: 395km/246 miles combined range6.4km/4 miles per kwh - WLTP

Emissions: 0 g/km

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

sulated. It’s comfortable too and on a 200 mile journey we emerged with range to spare (no charging re quired), quite comfortable and relaxed. It also rides well, soaking up the worst excesses of our potholed tarmac, and the handling is decent rather than excep

tional. To be fair it’s not the type of car you would buy for excitement.

The Enyaq is genuinely useable in range terms alone, as a whole package it’s a winning EV choice. It’s only let down only by the still poor EV infrastructure in the UK.

THE ENYAQ: As a package, it’s a winning EV choice.

Leading the way

Betty Henderson

SPAIN is set to be the biggest manufacturer of electric cars in Europe by 2030. The country cur rently takes second place, after Germany, but leads over other manufacturing hubs including France and the UK. A new report by Inonvev made the re markable projection alongside some other predictions for the indus try.

Spain will become a pi oneer in the electric car industry thanks to mega investments from electric car manufacturers, such as the Stellantis group. The company currently has three electric plants in the country for the pro duction of Citroën, Peu geot, and Toyota cars. Mercedes­Benz, Ford and Volkswagen are other motoring giants whose investment in the country

will propel Spain to first place in European figures.

Spain’s production of electric vehicles is set to reach 1,640,000 units by 2030. The factors driving this trend include the low costs of labour and wide availability of energy from renewable sources.

The transition will make Spain a leader in electric vehicle produc tion in time for the Euro pean Union’s require

ment for all new vehicles sold to be electric in 2035.

In the statistics, Spain will be followed by Ger many with 1,208,000 units produced and France with 827,000 units produced per year. How ever, Tesla is yet to an nounce the extent of its plans to expand its Ger man plant, which could affect the rest of the standings.

Micro motoring

A FASCINATING electric car that doesn’t require a typical driving licence is set to arrive in Spain.

The miniature Italian car, Microlino will be avail able from next year thanks to a deal with one of Spain’s largest im porters.

Sustainable urban mo bility is a market that car brands are increasingly trying to capture and the Microlino represents an attempt by an Italian manufacturer to do just that.

The Microlino is a miniature urban vehicle designed for use in nar row European streets.

The small car can be driven by anyone over the age of 16 with a spe cial licence. The model will rival other microcars already released by brands including Dacia and Citroën.

The car sports an amusing exterior, includ

ing a front door that opens vertically and cov ers the entire front of the car. Described as a ‘bubble car’, the unique vehicle features two seats for a driver and

one passenger. The car also has an im pressive electric range of 230km on one charge, which allows drivers to commute between cities where desired.

Photo credit: Basilico Studio Stock / shutterstock.com

PIONEERING: Spain could become Europe’s largest producer of electric vehicles by 2030.