ON Wednesday December 7, with the scent of delicious chocolate in the air, Mayan Monkey Mijas welcomed 37 orphaned Ukrainian child
refugees with open arms for their very own magical day of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style fun.
Each child was invited to
make their own chocolate bar, custom decorate it with sweet treats and specially de sign their own boxes to take back with them at the end of the day, giving them a vital break and festive fun after fleeing their homes in Ukraine this year.
Working with Ukrainian Gen Camp, Mayan Monkey Mijas put together the day to play a part helping those most affected by the war in Ukraine.
Jason Godwin founder of Mayan Monkey Mijas said, “Today isn’t about Mayan Monkey, but it is about the children and giving them a re ally great experience. You can only imagine what these chil dren are going through and to be able to help and support the Ukranian Gen Camp is something we’re really proud to do, everything is on us, and they’ll be receiving this experi ence free. It is the least we could do. We want to show
them that the community of Spain is doing what it can to help.” Vik towia, a vol unteer at Ukrainian Gen Camp, said: “This is therapy for the kids. It is help ing them to not think about the war, how to com municate, have fun again, and have happy positive emotions. They are en joying this workshop so much and the fact that they can eat the chocolate after, there’s a sparkle in their eyes.”
She added: “Today is a break for the children, each day they talk to therapists and psychologists to help them
deal with the trau ma they have experienced over the last year. Today is a day of meet ing people and having fun. We are so lucky and very grateful to Mayan Monkey and to the consulate of Ukraine in Mala ga for putting us in touch with people and to help organise
The children had fun making a chocolate treat.
events like these.”
After a fun filled after noon at Mayan Monkey Mi jas, the children were then kindly offered the chance to attend Bar Porras for a com plimentary paella. The perfect way to end the perfect day for children who are most in need of it.
Ukrainian Gen Camp is a non governmental organisa tion to help children who have been exposed to the horrors of war overcome psychologi cal trauma, providing child psychotherapy and educa tional workshops.
FUEL made from olive pits and other vegetable waste from the olive sector will soon be used to power 220 planes from Sevilla. The air craft will travel a total of 400,000 kilometres using this fuel. That’s the equivalent of 10 times around the world!
CHRISTMAS festivities were were thoroughly enjoyed at St George’s Anglican Church Christmas fair on Sunday, De cember 4. A truly internation al crowd ignored the weath er forecast to support the event and were also able to visit the English cemetery.
A METRE-HIGH rabbit figure who had been missing since November 12, when Parauta village celebrated its rabbit festival is home. Despite a re ward for its safe return the town hall had no clues as to its whereabouts until two men travelling on a road near the town spotted him.
ALHAURIN DE LA TORRE police finally track down graf fiti artists suspected of causing €16,000 worth of damage. Officers had been on the trail of a gang of youths who had painted slogans onto walls, ur ban furniture, traffic signs and the facades of buildings.
MIJAS Town Hall is set to tackle its car parking shortage with an underground extension to the central car park. The extension will create up to 350 new parking spaces. The budget for the drafting of the project is €102,000.
FUENGIROLA train station is now fully accessible after a complete remodel. Renfe has declared the €1.2 million pro ject, which has included the installation of three new lifts and the renovation of the es calators, to make the station accessible for users with mo bility problems, a success.
Lucy Chamberlaine
LOCAL businesses in Benal madena will have the oppor tunity to compete for the best decorated store front or best in house decorations, with the Malaga Chamber of Commerce offering several cash prizes for the winners.
Organised by the Associa tion of Merchants and En trepreneurs of Benalmadena (Asociacion de Comerciantes y Empresarios de Benalmade na) in conjunction with the Open Shopping Centre Asso ciation (Asociacion Centro Comercial Abierto de Benal madena), the contest will run
IT really doesn’t feel like Christ mas until the weather turns colder, the scent of roasting chestnuts fills the air and, of course, Christmas lights illumi nate the streets while we go about our holiday shopping.
Towns across the Costa del Sol have come to life over the past two weeks with the inau guration of Christmas lights to kick off the festive season.
until January 7. The contest is divided into two categories: best store
front decorations and best in house decorations, and there is a total of €1,000 up for
grabs for the lucky winners.
Prizes have been allocated as €250, €150, and €100 for first, second, and third place, re spectively.
Participating businesses must email comercial@ acebbenalmadena.es a pho tograph of their submission, which will then be published on the Facebook page of the ACEB.
Though the final decision will be made by a panel of judges, submissions which re ceive more than 100 likes on the social media platform will automatically receive five ad ditional points.
HOTEL occupancy rates for November on the Costa del Sol closed at an excellent 64.8 per cent, only 1 per cent less than predicted by the Executive Committee of the Association of hotels and entrepreneurs in the Costa del Sol (Asociacion de empresarios hoteleros de la Costa del Sol AEHCOS) Malaga and Mijas stand out as the most visited des tinations in November, while international tourists accounted for 65 per cent of the total occupancy rate, suggesting the recovery of global tourism.
In Malaga City, a host of an gels illuminated the sky above Calle Larios in late November, followed by a spectacular drone show.
Opera singer Ainhoa Arteta accompanied the switching on of the lights in Torremolinos on
Friday December 2 in the Plaza Costa del Sol, one day after the opening of the nativity scene in the town hall.
Not one to be overshad owed, the municipality of Mi jas also switched on the Christ mas lights on December 2 at
the Las Lagunas feria ground where there is also an ice rink.
Finally, in Marbella, Mariah Carey’s iconic tune All I want for Christmas blasted out while Mayor Angeles Munoz switched on the lights on Fri day December 2.
SUBMISSIONS for the public participation budget in Benalmadena are now open, allowing locals to have a say in the allocation of part of the town council budget.
Participatory budgets take place twice a year and are designed to encourage citizen participation in local government spending. The process opened on Tuesday November 29, and will remain open until the end of January.
Councillor for Citizen Participation, Pablo Centella, has highlight ed that the town council “has already executed almost 100 per cent of the previous budget, and today we are launching the new edition with the same amount, €600,000.”
Information on locations, times and dates of the various discus sion forums will be distributed through posters and brochures.
We hope you never need it, but this Christmas the Euro Weekly News would like to remind all readers of Spain’s emergency services number for police, fire, ambulance and coastguard.
THE mayor of Alhaurin de la Torre, Joaquin Villanova, has announced that the town hall will create ap proximately 320 free park ing spaces in three different areas in the Las Americas in dustrial park.
Three lots will be devel oped to enable access to the parking spaces, one of which will be located on Calle Santa Maria. The re maining two lots will be de veloped on each end of Calle Dona Ana.
Mayor Villanova high lighted that the increase in free parking spaces aims to meet the needs of business es, employees, customers and any other visitors to the industrial park by providing more alternatives for park ing in the vicinity.
President of the associa tion, Jose Luque explained that “figures for the close of November this year are very similar to those reached in 2019,” but also noted, “profit concerns re main due to the rise in in terest rates, inflation and fluctuations in energy prices.”
Predictions for Decem ber are lower than Novem ber, as the association ex pects the year to close with 48.73 per cent occupancy.
However, the bank holi days on Tuesday December 6 (Day of the Constitution) and Thursday December 8 (the Immaculate Concep tion ) made predictions more difficult and figures could prove higher when December’s figures are lat er revealed.
OFFICERS speak English, as well as many other European languages, and are your first port of call in an emergency.
Having been given the goahead to start the project by the mayor, the Department of Work and Operational Services (Concejalia de Obras y Servicios Opera tivos), under the direction of Prudencio J Ruiz, has al ready begun working in the hopes of ensuring the spaces are operational as soon as possible.
ON Saturday, December 2, hundreds gath ered at Puente Romano for a glamourous red carpet Cirque Du Triple A, a charity gala event, celebrating Triple A’s 30th anniver sary.
Guests were dressed in their best attire, with top hats, ringmaster costumes, dazzling gowns, and fine suits. It was a glorious evening had by all, enjoying the best enter tainment on offer with live singers, dancers, and a Swing band, for a charity so special.
Triple A began its journey in 1992 and has been taking in animals such as dogs and cats without a home, caring, loving, and feeding these animals until Triple A is able to find them their forever home.
John Thomson of Puente Romano said, “We have been supporting the charity for years and the volunteers do such a fantastic job.”
Talking exclusively to Euro Weekly News the President of Triple A, Elise Emanuelle Dunweber said,:
“This is a special evening to celebrate every
thing and the opportunity and time to give back to all the volunteers and those who help while raising necessary funds for the shelter. Volunteering is so wholesome, and it makes the animal’s day, and we would so love to have more. We have so many exciting things coming in the new year with the renovation of our old shelter, PP dogs’ programme, fundraising projects, dog for a day, in shelter grooming salon and much more, 2023 will be a very exciting year.”
If you would like to volunteer or donate head over to tripleamarbella.org and regis ter your interest.
AGE CONCERN Marbella San Pedro has come a long way in the past seven years since it’s coming into being. They have raised significant awareness and funds to of fer the elderly and more vul nerable members of the community the companion ship and support they need.
FANS of British pop star Rob bie Williams will be excited to hear that the iconic artist will perform his one and only concert in Andalucia next year at the Marenostrum Fuengirola.
The former member of the pop group Take That, and well established solo artist will be performing his top hits from the last two decades, including Angels, Feels, and She’s All That, at the event, which will take place on June 15, 2023.
The Marenostrum Fuen girola, with a capacity for 18,000 people and located just minutes from the beach, has been described as ‘one
of the best’ outdoor venues in Europe by Fuengirola mayor Ana Mula, who an nounced the news of the up coming concert on Face book.
A pop legend, Williams has had an impressive career spanning 25 years, including more than 85 million albums sold worldwide, three num ber one albums in the Unit ed Kingdom, 14 number one singles and the highest num ber of concert tickets sold in one day (1.6 million tickets sold on November 19 in 2005).
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by vis iting https://marenostrum fuengirola.com/eventos.
Each year they are provid ing more activities and get togethers and although their new Social & Activity Centre in San Pedro will be closed from December 23, 2022 to January 9, 2023, the support offered and the coffee morn ings will continue.
Everyone is welcome to these coffee mornings; the vitality of younger genera tions joining in the meet ups is always appreciated and encouraged. All Coffee Mornings start at 11am and take place on Wednesday, December 14 at Restaurante
Juan D’Maria, behind Venta Los Pacos and Tuesday, De cember 20 at Urban Chai, Las Petunias, San Pedro.
For more information, contact the Age Concern Helpline on 689 355 198 Email info@ageconcernmar bella.com.
LOOKING for like minded campers to share tips and have fun?
If you have a motorhome, caravan or tent and enjoy meeting new friends, you
may be interested in joining the ACE group.
Dotted about Spain, the group is made up of mostly British expatriates, but all na tionalities are welcomed
with open arms.
The best part is that there are no joining or membership fees whatsoever and to join the group all you have to do is attend a rally, which they try to have on a monthly basis. After being with the group for a year it is requested that you volunteer to host a rally, which can be done jointly with other members.
If you are interested in re ceiving more details about the group, please contact Pauline by email on acerallies@ gmail.com or by mobile / WhatsApp on (+34) 617 114 933.
Lucy Chamberlaine
THE festive season started with a bang on Tues day, December 6 when the British Benevolent Fund held the first of its awareness raising events in Mijas after the organisation expanded into Andalucia earlier this year.
Attracting crowds from across the Costa del Sol, the Christmas market at the Sierra Restaurant at the Cerrado del Aguila Golf Club brought together local businesses, raised funds for charity, and helped introduce the local community to the amazing work of the British Benevolent Fund.
A sea of Santa hats and the aroma of mulled wine and mince pies greeted guests, while two choirs performed festive numbers throughout the event to get everyone in the festive spirit.
To raise funds, an exciting raffle took place with a glorious large hamper of Christmas goodies do nated by the Euro Weekly News, a one night stay up for grabs, and vouchers from El Corte Ingles. Santa added to the joy, handing out chocolates.
Euro Weekly News’ publisher Michel Euesden presented the raffle prizes, with Steven Euesden auctioning off the bottle of cava he won for an in credible extra €95 for charity. Ian Giles and the Classic Car Club were great sports for bidding so highly for the bottle and their generosity came back to them tenfold when their table won not one, but two hampers on the cold, dark winter evening which was warmed by the festive cheer of everyone in the room.
The British Benevolent Fund was founded over 100 years ago and has been providing British na tionals with support and financial aid when peo
ple need it most.
Talking exclusively to Euro Weekly News Clayton, Chairman of the British Benevolent Fund said: “I want to say a massive thank you to the Eu ro Weekly News and to everyone that came out tonight and we wanted to highlight the many cas es on the Costa and those who are living in hidden destitution, many are suffering with the cost of liv ing and inflation and there are a great number of people looking for help.
“Things are different now and it isn’t as easy as it once was, there are limitations. We function on ly on the generosity of others, and we encourage and need more volunteers and fundraising!”
Jenny Kaka, organiser of the night, added: “We help those that are coming to us as their last re sort. We don’t just hand out aid to everyone and there are criteria that need to be met and to go through three people to be approved. We will al ways do what is best for people however and ev ery penny goes to charity.”
To continue their awareness raising drive, the British Benevolent Fund is next bag packing at Ice land in Mijas until 5.30pm on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10.
So if you are getting your Christmas food shop ping together, come out, meet their team and find out a little more about the vital work of this organisation.
If you need support or would like to volunteer, email: olaf@britishbenevolentfund.org. For more photos from this event, please visit our website euroweeklynews.com.
A BRITISH grandfather got all his Christmases in one as he bagged a £2 million luxury Spanish vil la in Marbella, along with £250,000 in cash for just £25 in a charity prize draw.
The stunning property, a three-storey, four-bed room luxury villa in the popular holiday destina tion, was the main prize in a charity draw.
It comes mortgage-free and has had all its stamp duty and legal fees cov ered.
When Mark, a legal consultant, was delivered the news via video call, he said: “My wife doesn’t even know I entered the draw.”
The 57-year-old, from Wigan, Greater Manch ester, had previously en tered Omaze’s Million Pound House Draws nine times before but didn’t have any luck.
Mark told one publica tion: “I couldn’t believe it when Omaze called me to say I’d won the grand prize, I was out of the country with work so
marvellous, I’m not sure what we’ll do with it yetwe’ll probably keep it for a couple of years so we can enjoy family holidays there, I’ll be dusting off my trunks as soon as I’m back.
“I went to Spain 20 years ago for work but I have never been to Mar bella - it looks lovely - I’ll
have to brush up on my Spanish, but I do know how to order a beer.”
James Oakes, Chief In ternational Officer at Omaze said: “We’re de lighted that Mark has won his dream home and was able to contribute to this fantastic £800,000 raised for Teenage Can cer Trust in the process.”
called my wife straight away - she was even more flabbergasted than I was as she had no idea I’d even entered.”
As if the villa wasn’t enough, Mark and his
wife Deborah, aged 55, have also been given £250,000 in cash.
The couple, who have resided in their current home in Devon since 2019, will be swapping
the south coast for the Spanish riviera for family holidays while they de cide what to do longterm.
Mark continued: “The villa looks absolutely
ONCE again a great turnout for the big Christmas lights switch on was made in Tor remolinos on Friday Decem ber 2. Thousands of people gathered in the Plaza Costa del Sol and Calle San Miguel to witness the inauguration of Christmas, starring the fa mous singer Ainhoa Arteta.
The parade of the Christ mas Star and hundreds of children dressed as angels started from the Plaza San Miguel and went along the most ce ntral street of the town to reach the Plaza Cos ta del Sol where the Christ mas lights were switched on.
Prior to the lighting, the students of the Centro de Danza de Torremolinos per
formed a dance show in the square itself, directed and choreographed by Carmen Crespo.
The famous carol group, Raya Real, put the finishing touch to a brilliant night.
Those present were also able to enjoy this year’s nov
elty, a Giant Ball with a light, colour and music show. This show can be seen until Jan uary 6 at three different times, at 7.00pm, 8.00pm and 9.00pm. With these re duced hours, the city council aims to contribute to energy efficiency.
THERE was fabulous festivi ties in Estepona for ADANA’s Christmas Fair which was held on November 22 in Es tepona. Dedicated volun teers worked tirelessly to en sure the day was a roaring success, raising funds for the animal shelter’s rescue work and getting guests into the festive spirit.
The event had taken months of careful planning but came together perfectly with something for every
EN POINTE Academy of Dance in Mijas are hold ing a Christmas perfor mance on Saturday De cember 17 for family and friends (not open to the public), at which time a raffle will be held with all proceeds going towards the ‘DEBRA piel de mari
one, from face painting to an exciting tombola, and lots of stalls offering Christmas goodies.
‘Santa Paws’ even made an appearance, alongside some other dog helpers, to the delight of all animal lov ing guests! ADANA President, Susie thanked all volunteers for their hard work saying, “We have the most amazing people working for us and I am so proud of you all.”
Christmas fun is not over
posa’ charity.
They are however still in need of any raffle prizes if anyone has a prize to do nate. To donate please WhatsApp +34 603 766 323 or email en pointe.co.uk.
AGE CONCERN know this can be a very expen sive time of year, so they have come up with some ways to help.
All the quality pre loved clothing in their Los Boliches shop is now half price.
There are bargains galore for everyone so do pop in and check out their fabulous ranges.
On Wednesday December 7 they began their Christmas Hamper Raffle and the draw will be on Monday December 19 at 12 noon.
The two hampers brimming with festive goodies will be on display in their shop win dow.
at the shelter however, ADANA still have festive ad vent calendars on sale from their charity shop as well as the shelter itself.
The shelter has also put out a call for volunteers, needed to help with cleaning on Christmas Day and Box ing Day, for any period of time possible. Anyone wish ing to volunteer can send an email to: adanapresident1 @gmail.com or call: 669 930 624.
If you would like some more information please look at their website www.en pointe.co.uk and you can also find us on Google maps!
For further information relating to this wonderful charity please go to www.pieldemariposa.es.
Tickets are just €1 and available from their shop and Yorkshire Linen (Mijas).
On Wednesday December 14 it is their ‘open house’ at their shop from 2pm to 8pm.
They are here to help, so ask all the ques tions you wish and see what they have to of fer. Enjoy a coffee and cupcake with friendly and knowledgeable volunteers on hand to help.
THE Euro Weekly News is mark ing the end of another busy year with a sparkling business event in collaboration with the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain at Puente Romano, Marbella, on Friday December 16.
Bringing together their clients from across Spain, the Andalu cia business event will see guests served canapes and cock tails alongside live entertain ment, a rare moment for the business community to come together and simply celebrate the year’s achievements.
The Euro Weekly News is a proud member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain, an organisation which works tirelessly to promote vital trade links between Spain and the UK.
Founded in 1908 as an initia tive of the British Embassy, the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain is one of the largest chambers of commerce in the world.
It is the only independent British Spanish business organi sation in Spain, and still works
with the British Embassy, hold ing regular meetings with British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott, as well as British commercial services (UK Trade and Investment) and Spanish comercial abroad (ICEX).
The chamber has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Marbella, and most recently Bilbao, and a total of 300 members, including
multinational companies as well as SMEs.
Its work includes organising business events, publishing re search studies,creating commit tees to support the interests of members, and promoting the business activity of its members through media platforms and communication channels.
British Chamber of Commerce Regional Vice President Derek A Langley said: “We greatly look forward to welcoming you to our very enjoyable event, where you can meet old and new business contacts and friends from across the Costa del Sol business community, and have a chance to mingle, network, and celebrate the end of a successful business year at one of Spain’s most glamorous locations.”
THE Cudeca Foundation has received a donation of 428 ki los of clothing from the MacArthurGlen Designer Out let in Malaga, which is being distributed throughout Cude ca charity shops throughout the province this week.
The generous donation is part of the Recycle Your Fashion campaign championed by the designer outlet, which invites customers to return their used clothing to be recycled or do nated rather than discarded.
“We are delighted to col
laborate with the Cudeca Foundation, to give support, and help the patients and their families,” said Javier
THE tourism industry in Marbella is set to receive an incredible investment of €10 million to improve the competitiveness of the city as a desirable destination for visitors.
On Wednesday, November 30, Mayor Angeles Muñoz and councillor for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Junta de An dalucia, Arturo Bernal, signed the Plan Turistico de Grandes Ciudades (Tourist plan for large cities) in Sevilla, which will see the sizeable investment put towards boosting the sector.
Described as “stupendous news for our city,” by Councillor Bernal, the investment is expected to breathe new life into the tourism industry in Marbella, consolidating its edge as a renowned tourist destination.
A boost in tourism is likely to have benefits for locals too. “The initiative aims to invest and innovate in one of our prima ry industries, creating wealth and employment,” according to Mayor Muñoz.
The plan’s ratification follows two years of work by the Mar bella Town Hall and the Junta de Andalucia and includes initia tives designed to adapt and expand natural spaces to promote sustainable tourism in the city.
Other initiatives include promoting cultural and sporting events, increasing the quality of tourist services, and improving infrastructure and equipment across the many beaches in the area.
Mendizabal, manager of the MacArthurGlen Outlet, who also commended the gen erosity of the public for donat
ing so many items.
The Cudeca Foundation was founded in 2003 by British woman Joan Hunt, who estab lished the first hospice on the Costa del Sol to provide spe cialised palliative care for those with cancer or other terminal illnesses.
Sadly, Hunt passed away in 2021, but her legacy lives on in the continued work of the Cudeca Foundation, which ear lier this year opened the Yusuf Hamied Centre in Benalmade na, dedicated to research and training in palliative care.
SAN PEDRO’S Christmas market is set to return on Sat urday, December 10, from 10am until 8pm on Calle Marques del Duero, Calle Lagasca and Calle Cordoba.
Visitors can enjoy musical performances and meet Santa Claus while sampling tasty local cuisine and browsing the stalls of more than 50 participating busi nesses.
In fact, the event, organised by the Deputy Mayor’s Office of Commerce in collaboration with the Small and Medium Business Association of San Pedro (Asociación de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa de San Pedro APYMESPA) and the Tus Tiendas Amigas Collective, aims to encourage buying local to support the economy.
Indeed, Deputy Mayor Javier Garcia has said, “we want to fill our streets with lights” and “incentivise shop ping in local establishments.”
Similarly, vice president of APYMESPA, Piedad del Rio, has thanked the Deputy Mayor’s office for their collabo ration, remarking that this year’s market “wants to em phasise the message that buying in San Pedro supports the economic fabric of the town.”
AN incredible 1,000 meals will be given out by the Marbella Town Hall to people in need this Christmas Eve, an initiative which started during the pandemic, in solidarity with those suf fering financially or otherwise.
Announcing the news, Mayor Angeles Muñoz explained that “the meals will be given out on December 24 at the Agru pacion Musical de Marbella, located in the basement of the football pitch” and thanked participating associations and es tablishments, including Caritas and the Red Cross, for their con tinued support.
With the help of volunteers, the initiative aims to deliver a “traditional menu of good quality,” said Muñoz, including “seafood soup, shrimp with mushrooms and prawns, chicken, baked potatoes, chocolate cake and Christmas sweets.”
Tickets worth one meal are priced at €10 and can be pur chased through participating entities or at the Tourist Office. All proceeds will be put towards the cost of the event.
Encouraging residents of Marbella to get involved, Mayor Muñoz urged people to “show another year of solidarity by buying a meal for those in need so that all families can enjoy this Christmas as much as possible.”
THERE was a robust response from local authorities after a mini tornado caused alarm in Marbella on Monday December 5. The city council sent out more than 100 police officers and 30 vehi cles to assess the situation and mitigate against damage.
The mini tornado followed by heavy rainfall damaged some property and infrastructure and felled several trees in the region. Members of the response team also included firefighters, parks and maintenance workers and municipal cleaning workers who removed fallen trees and damaged street signs.
Strong winds mainly affected trees on Avenida Doctor Maíz Viñals, Avenida Arias Maldonado, Calle San Vicente, Calle Jed dah, and Calle Juan XXIII. As well as damage to trees, six cars, a bus shelter at Puente Romano, and parts of the roof at Costa del Sol Hospital were also damaged.
The council also deployed several cleaning teams and electri cians to deal with other small amounts of debris and outages.
Councillor for Parks and Gardens, Diego López explained that more work will be carried out in the next few days, “Our emergency response focused on removing immediate hazards for the public.”
THE 39th edition of Be nalmadena’s Turkey Race (Carrera del Pavo) will take place on Sunday De cember 18, at 11am, and all are welcome to apply.
Registration for the race will remain open until Saturday December 17, according to the councillor for Sports Joaquin Villazon, who has encouraged people to get involved.
“The toughest years of the pandemic have passed; it’s time to get out again and share good times,” said the council lor, who also thanked the support of sponsors and the collaboration of the Local Police and Civil Protection.
The race runs for 4.5 kilometres, beginning and ending at the Poligono Deportivo in Ar royo de la Miel and is adapted for all ages and abilities in the spirit of having fun.
Given the time of year, the event also has a charitable cause and contestants are encour aged to bring at least two kilos of non perish able food to donate to Caritas.
Registration can be done from the city coun cil Sports Area website.
THE La Cala de Mijas Lions pre sented TRBL Mijas Costa with €1,000 at the beginning of De cember.
This British charity was founded in 1921 and helps many men and women who have actively served in the United Kingdom Armed Forces, as well as helping their families too.
The Royal British Legion has branches both in the United Kingdom and in various parts of the world, raising money for their beneficiaries. All the mon ey raised in Spain is used to help those who live here now.
Every year in November their members, as well as oth er interested parties are busy offering poppies and holding remembrance services to hon
our those who have died whilst serving.
Here on the Costa del Sol, they try to help those in need who require assistance through lack of mobility, essen tial help to buy staple food stuffs, support in times of grief, help with domestic items, counselling for mental health and much more.
There are branches in Alhau rin el Grande, Coin, Duquesa, Marbella, Mijas Costa, Torre molinos and across the border in Gibraltar as well as parts of Axarquia.
If you feel they could help you or simply want to become a member even if you haven’t served in the Forces, contact one of the branches above to find out more.
THE Youth Council of Fuengirola has an nounced a free Christ mas baking workshop for children to take place in the Edificio Colores on Friday De cember 16.
The workshop will run from 5pm until 7pm and is open to children from the age of six to 12 years old. Parents or teachers can sign their children up from Wednesday December 7 from 9am in Edificio Colores.
“This is a completely free workshop for chil dren and there is a lot of demand” explained Jose Manuel Martin of the Youth Council, who urged people to sign up as soon as pos sible due to limited spaces.
The thieves allegedly posed as users of the sports facilities looking to take advantage of any careless mistake by the players to snatch the belongings they left in their buggies.
In total, four people two men and two women between the ages of 33 and 37 have been arrested for their alleged involve ment with these incidents.
The investigation began in mid September following a com plaint from a foreign tourist. She reported to the Provincial Police Station in Malaga that she had been the victim of a careless theft of her bag, at a golf course.
She explained that among the effects stolen were several bank cards which somebody had used to made up to 24 charges in different establishments. A total of €3,000 was made to her cards.
A fun and unique ini tiative, the workshop aims to teach children about baking, playing with flavours and tex tures.
“The most impor tant things is that the kids have a good time while creating typical tasty treats, learning techniques they can then practise in their own homes,” said Martin.
CHRISTMAS just wouldn’t be as magical with out at least having the option to see a perfor mance ‘on ice’. Thanks to the latest vision from Cirque du Soleil, Malaga will be welcom ing this company’s 42nd original production, ‘Crystal’.
We can undoubtedly expect spectacular aerial work and flawless stunts, but with the added attraction of the performance being on ice, the pace will be even faster and more daring.
The storyline is loosely based on ‘Alice in Wonderland’ but with the protagonist falling through the frozen ice on a pond and em barking on an adventure lead by her imagina tion.
You can buy your tickets online at www.cirquedusoleil.com/es and there is now a 25 per cent discount on the remaining tick ets. The first performance in the capital city is on December 10 until December 18, at the Palacio Martin Carpena, Malaga.
Lucy Chamberlaine
WRAPPING Christmas gifts isn’t every one’s cup of tea. Still, if you are look ing for a way to lend a helping hand over the holidays and maybe make some new friends along the way, the Butterfly Children Charity has the per fect opportunity to make a difference during this festive period.
The Butterfly Children Charity, part of DEBRA Spain, is a non governmen tal organisation dedicated to helping people diagnosed with Epidermolysis Bullosa, a genetic skin condition known as butterfly skin in Spain due to how it presents itself. Although rare, the disease can severely impact the quality of life of sufferers and their families.
In their fight against EB, the Butter fly Children Charity annually organises a wrapping stand for Christmas gifts with the help of the electronics store FNAC in the La Cañada Shopping Cen tre in Marbella to raise much needed funds for the charity.
This year, Butterfly Children Charity
has appealed for volunteers to donate just four hours of their time to help wrap Christmas gifts and show soli darity with those suffering from this often debilitating condition.
Shifts run from 10am 2pm, 2pm 6pm and 6pm 10pm every day until January 5.
Please contact 622 574 428 (Mencia) or 613 068 695 (Begoña) to get in volved.
IF you’re in the Mijas area on Friday, De cember 9 and Saturday, December 10 come down to Iceland to support charity as the British Benevolent Fund are bag packing to raise funds.
The ‘BBF’ or ‘Brits Best Friend’ as some remember it, is one of Spain’s oldest En glish speaking non profit organisations, with records dating back more than a cen tury.
With HM Ambassador Hugh Elliott serv ing as their honorary patron
and close collaboration with the British Consulate system, the BBF’s mission is to offer financial assistance to British nation als who have exhausted all other options, whether they are residents or visitors.
It’s for this reason they have decided to promote their presence in Malaga; as they have realised that many of the people who lost their source of income during Covid are living in this area, requiring assis tance to aid with bills, housing, and other essentials.
ON Saturday 10 and Sunday December 11 only, come and enjoy three Costa Choirs and soloists as they get into the Spirit of Christmas with you!
The International Music Society TIMS Choir, TAPAS and Coro LGTBI de Torre molinos bring you traditional and mod ern choral music, plus soloists Elsa Rose, Violet Wetherall, Nathan Wom an, Owain Griffiths and Sarah Coombes all compiled and much ac companied by James Burns.
Plus, there is a singalong section for the audience!
SAY your goodbyes to 2022 and welcome in 2023 in style at Puente Romano Beach Resort with an unforgettable stay at our Mediterranean playground by booking an indulgent suite at our beachside resort and celebrate the last night of the year with a fabulous evening of fun and festivities.
Take the opportunity when staying in one of our stunning suites of ringing in the New Year in unique Puente Romano style, with sumptuous gourmet dining at Salón Andalucía accompanied by live entertainment from a nine-piece band that performs at the UK’s top events, including Royal weddings.
The evening begins with exquisite canapés, followed by a five-course dinner including caviar, lobster, and beef tenderloin, as well as delicious vegan dishes, all accompanied by fine wines and Bollinger Champagne, is the ultimate way to welcome 2023 in the most glamorous way. Alternatively, you can book one of our other venues, such as the iconic Sea Grill.
For the big countdown to midnight there will be a direct link to the Plaza España in Madrid, followed by celebrations with live DJs in the unrivalled party atmosphere of La Plaza. And in the morning, you can then get your 2023 off to a flying start with your nearest and dearest by enjoying the best breakfast on the Mediterranean coast.
FEARLESS granny, 55 year old Kat, builds Land Rovers and drives them around the world.
As well as finding time to build Land Rovers, Kat and 60 year old friend, Nicole, are heading over land from Spain, shipping to Egypt and then contin uing their journey over land to South Africa all for a good cause.
Some 20,000 plus miles, 16 plus countries and a whole continent will be covered over the period of six to seven months raising funds for The Little Angels of Uganda.
The Little Angels Pro ject cares for over 480 needy children with the aim of preserving life and promoting the well being of orphans and needy children in the Bufuka area of the Kabale Dis trict, Uganda.
Kat is visiting the or phanage en route, volun teering her services and purchasing some well needed goods for the chil dren.
This will include food, girls’ hygiene products, bedding, clothes, etc.
The orphanage is not state funded and the liv ing conditions of the chil dren are really bad. No mattresses, three to four to a bunk bed, and basic
Lucy ChamberlaineENJOY delicious home made cakes and treat yourself to a sneaky mulled wine this Christmas season while help ing out animals in need on Sunday December 11.
In collaboration with the Mijas Town Hall and the De partment of Foreigners, local charity PAD will be holding
food cooked over an open fire on the floor (no kitchen), both bedding and clothing are sparse and education is difficult if not non existent.
Kat is also holding a charity event on February 4, at Molies Roadhouse in Coin. With performances throughout the day from singers and entertainers, it promises to be a fun filled day with all pro ceeds going to the Little Angels Charity.
Tickets are due to go on sale shortly in several bars around town includ ing Molies Roadhouse.
For more information, or if you would like to be involved, whether to en tertain or donate raffle or auction prizes, drop an email to Kat at katrina.smith@live.co.uk.
SANTA is coming to town and La Sala Puerto Banus is the place to go to this festive season. With the return of the Ski Lodge, private ski pod, twinkling lights, and glorious decorations welcoming you as soon as you walk through the door. You’ll think that you’re in Lapland!
Every Saturday, from 11am, La Sala offers a scrumptious break fast with Santa. Only €15 per per son including your breakfast and drink, under two’s go free!
Give back this merry season and take part in the Triple A Christmas Luncheon! At only €39 per person starting from 1.30pm on Thursday December 15, with a delicious two course lunch and free flowing Cava, live music, and a charity raf fle, be prepared for the most joy ous afternoon.
With the most luxurious Christ
their Christmas Fair in the square by the town hall in La Cala de Mijas from 11am un til 3pm. PAD, the Proteccion de Animales Domesticos (Protection of Domestic Ani mals), is a small animal shel ter in Mijas Costa dedicated
to rescuing abandoned ani mals and caring for them un til they can be rehomed.
As with most charities, PAD relies on donations and fundraising events to raise money to continue its noble work. The Christmas Fair in La Cala de Mijas is one such event. Visitors are invited to browse the books and clothing stalls, purchase Christmas decorations and enjoy those tasty home made treats and warming wine.
For more information on PAD’s work, please visit their Facebook page at www.https://www.face book.com/PADmijas.
mas Party menu and flexibility on numbers. Bring your team and treat them at this marvellous time of year, only €29 per person with two courses, get dancing around the Christmas tree at La Sala’s, the most festive venue in Marbel la!
Offering you an exquisite three course meal, on Christmas Day with magnificent live music and yuletide cheer, you will be thanking yourself later when feasting on your mouthwatering Christmas dinner at only €100 per person.
Continue the festivities on Boxing Day for only €35 per person,
with live music, two course meal, and Champagne on arrival, there is no better way to celebrate.
Bring in the New Year with cheers and great times at La Sala, offering bar tickets for €99 per person or enjoy an exclusive New Year’s sit down meal with live music, dancing festivities, and more for €250 per person! Bring in the New Year with style and glamour at La Sala.
Offering live music from tribute acts such as Michael Bublé, Abba and more!
Get down to La Sala to enjoy the festive and jolly season in the best way imaginable.
MORE than 2,000 retirees registered in the municipality of Mijas can now apply for free excursions offered by Mijas Town Hall.
Starting on Tuesday December 13, and taking place throughout the month, suc cessful applicants will enjoy free trips to various locations across Andalucia. A total of seven excursions, with a maximum of 300 participants each, will be organised.
Destinations include Alcala la Real in Jaen, Puerto de Santa Maria in Cadiz, Cor doba, Granada, Ronda, Sevilla and Jerez. There will be three points of departure: Mijas Town Hall in Mijas Pueblo, La Cala de Mijas fairground, and Las Lagunas wa ter park.
Announcing the initiative, Mayor Josele Gonzalez of Mijas, said: “These excursions are free for our retired residents and will
Applications opened on Monday November 28 and will close tomorrow, Fri day December 9.
THE Department of Foreign ers in Mijas has announced this year’s Christmas calen dar, packed with fun filled ac tivities for all to enjoy throughout December.
Those looking for a bit of theatrical entertainment to kick off the festive season are invited to enjoy a perfor mance of Christmas classic
The Nutcracker at the Teatro La Cala de Mijas on Sunday December 11. This will be performed by Pop Academy Fama, a performing arts school for children founded by Manuela Veronese.
The show will start promptly at 5pm, and en trance is free until the venue is filled, so arriving early or booking in advance is recom mended.
Other activities announced as part of the programme in clude the Second Internation al Christmas Fair to be held at the Las Lagunas Theatre on Wednesday December 14, the Solidarity Stalls in La Cala de Mijas and the PAD Christ mas Fair also in La Cala.
IF you are looking for a charity night to remember the perfect evening awaits you as Sandro Morelli, owner of Villa Tiberio Restaurant in Marbella, is reuniting with the Cudeca Foundation for its 12th Christ mas Charity Gala Dinner in aid of the hos pice at his Villa Tiberio Restau rant.
A Cham pagne drinks reception will be held on the terrace on Sunday, December, 11, at 7.30pm followed by a deli cious three course dinner served with wine.
The evening will be filled with live musical en tertainment from renowned artists such as Frank Valentine, Vicky Jaye, John Luce, Michael Harding and Stelvis with
the hosting of the voice of the coast, Giles Brown.
Fireworks, courtesy of Sandro Morelli will be dis played.
Remembering it is a fundraising Christmas Par ty in aid of Cudeca there will also be a raffle, an auction and a silent auc tion to raise much needed funds.
If anyone wishes to do nate a prize, please con tact Esther Raez with the Communication & Fundraising department of the Cudeca Hospice at pr@cudeca.org or (+34) 697 146 987.
The fully inclusive tick ets are €75 each and €25 out of each ticket will be donated directly to Cude ca.
Reservations can be made directly through Sandro Morelli, by tele phone (+34) 952 771 799.
THE Andalucian Rescue Cen tre for Horses (ARCH), based in Alhaurin el Grande, has postponed its annual pre Christmas fundraiser from Sunday December 4, until Sunday December 11, due to predictions of rain and in clement weather.
The Festive Fiesta, which will take place at the shelter and run from 11am until 4pm, will feature the same planned activities, including visits to Santa’s Grotto and Christmas songs performed by local choir group TAPAS and singer Jens Malling.
Visitors will also be able to sample a variety of home made soups and
stews, with vegan options available, and enjoy a tipple of mulled wine while browsing Christmas decora tions and gifts crafted by volunteers from the shelter.
The Festive Fiesta will take place at ARCH horse rescue, Hacienda Moreno, Viña Borrego, Alhaurin el Grande, Coin off A404. En trance is free, although do nations are appreciated, and there will be a raffle for a Christmas hamper and a €50 shopping voucher.
Founded in 2009, ARCH is a non profit organisation committed to rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned or abused horses and donkeys.
• December 8, 3pm, Jam Session CJ’s
Karaoke Bar, Benalmadena
• December 9, 8.15pm, Jingle Belles, Drag Show, Minnelli’s, Benalmadena
• December 10, 8.15pm, Jingle Belles, Drag Show, Minnelli’s, Benalmadena
• December 11, 8.15pm, Spice Juke Box Bingo, Drag Show, Minnelli’s, Benalmadena
• December 13, 3pm, Jam Session CJ’s
Karaoke Bar, Benalmadena
• December 15, Ladies Christmas Night, The Cazbah Live Lounge, Las Lagunas de Mijas
• December 16, Happy Go Loco, Molly’s Roadhouse, Coin
• December 17, Mels Beach Band, Sala Premiere Marbella
• December 24, 10pm, Ed Sheeran Tribute and Xmas Show, Bonanza Bar Benalmadena
• December 25, 10pm, Soul Note and Xmas Show, Bonanza Bar Benalmadena
CHRISTMAS is almost up on us, and what better way to celebrate the up coming festivities than the International Christ mas Show organised by the Mijas Town Hall?
Running for its second year, the much anticipat ed Christmas spectacle will be performed in the Las Lagunas Theatre at 6pm on Wednesday De cember 14.
Tickets for the show are free, and organisers have arranged two free coaches to facilitate trav el to and from the the atre, although seats must be booked in advance by emailing frd@mijas.es.
Katya Thirion from the Department of Foreigners in Mijas has also an nounced a complimenta ry Christmas cocktail for members of the audience following the show, as
CHRISTMAS SHOW: Running for the second year.
well as some tasty treats from around the world.
The Christmas show forms part of the Decem ber cultural events pro gramme developed by the Foreigner Depart ment in Mijas, which in cludes various free, fun and festive activities for all ages throughout the month.
“It is a programme in
which both Spanish resi dents and foreign resi dents of any nationality can participate,” said Councillor for Foreigners, Arancha Lopez.
For more information, contact the Foreigners Department in Mijas or visit their website https://www.mijas.es/po rtal/en/extranjeros.
CHRISTMAS shopping is officially underway, and what better place to get your festive fix than a Christmas market. A new list has revealed the best
Christmas markets in Eu rope to visit this winter.
• Vienna, Austria
A stunning Christmas scene awaits shoppers in the Austrian capital. The city
has several Christmas mar kets, running until Decem ber 26, set against the de lightful backdrop of the city’s Belvedere Palace. En joy unmissable festive treats including mulled wine and tasty sweet treats.
• Strasbourg, France Strasbourg Christmas market is also known as the ‘Capital of Christmas’. With this impressive reputation, it’s fitting that it is the oldest Christmas market in France. Take in the beautiful lights which line the streets
while marvelling at the great 30 metre tall Christmas tree!
• Heidelberg, Germany Germany is often thought of as the home of Christ mas markets, and what bet ter place to experience the essence of a German Christmas than the fairytale setting of Heidelberg. Breathe in the festive scents of freshly cut pine wood, mulled wine and candied sweets as you peruse the artisan handicraft on sale and traditional carousel.
THE pudding we know today began life as a pottage. This was a kind of broth, including raisins and other dried fruit, spices and wine. It was thickened with breadcrumbs or ground almonds. Not dissimilar to the mince pies of yesteryear, it often included meat or at least meat stock.
It was not until the end of the 17th century the pottage took on a more solid appearance. It was served like a porridge or cooked inside a skin. Even then, it was more likely to have been served alongside the main meal, not as a pudding.
A CHRISTMAS dinner table isn’t com plete unless you can pull a cracker containing a corny Christmas joke.
Crackers were first made in 1845-1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith. He had seen the French ‘bon bon’ sweets (almonds wrapped in pretty paper) on a visit to Paris in 1840 and when he got back to London he tried selling similar sweets which included a small motto or rid dle but sadly, they didn’t sell well.
In 1861, Tom Smith launched his new range of what he called ‘Bangs of Expectation’!
Legend says that one night, while he was sitting in front of his log fire, he became very interested in the sparks and cracks coming from the fire. Sud denly, he thought what a fun idea it would be if his sweets and toys could be opened with a crack when their fancy wrappers were pulled in half.
When Tom died, his expanding cracker business was taken over by his three sons, Tom, Walter and Henry, who introduced the hats into crackers.
Christmas with a bang.
CHRISTMAS is the perfect time to get snuggled on the sofa with some of your favourite snacks and loved ones to watch a Christmas film. The next time you’re strug gling to choose a film to watch, check out this list of the most popular Christmas films to truly get into the spirit!
This Christmas comedy is an entertaining story about an oversized elf, Buddy, when he washes up in New York after spending his life in
the North Pole
2. Home Alone (1990)
This hilarious movie tells the tale of 10-year-old Kevin McCallister and how he holds up over the Christmas period in his house alone, af
ter mistakenly being left be hind from a holi day.
3. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
This American clas sic depicts George Bai ley on his quest to help others in his community, a kind soul who aban dons his personal dreams to care for oth ers.
4. Love Actually (2003) This famed Christmas film follows 10 separate love stories in the run-up to the most wonderful time of the year, showing various different aspects of love and romance.
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
In this laugh-out-loud Christmas movie, a Santa working in a department store convinces New York ers he is the real deal, spreading a heart-warming message about belief and hope at Christmas.
THE season of giving is upon us! As you make a start on your Christmas shopping, we share some top tips on how to wrap your gifts.
While simple wrapping can do the trick, why not take your wrapping up game to the next level by adding some decorations such as ribbon, a rosette or some seasonal foliage. You can coordinate your flourishes with the colour of your wrapping paper for an added festive touch!
Make a gift tower - If you’re giving multiple gifts to the same person, make an even bigger impression by stacking your gifts up and embellishing with a beautiful ribbon. Start with the biggest presents and put a little tape between each gift to se cure your tower.
Christmas is only once a year, so pour yourself a glass of wine, crank up the Xmas tunes and give to the people you love!
FOR many of us, snow is synonymous with Christmas. Bing Crosby famously dreamt of it, while movies, advent calen dars and Christmas cards are all decorated with snow-filled scenes of a white Christmas.
The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25 somewhere in the UK.
Traditionally a single location in the country was used to define a white Christmas, which was the Met Office building in London. However, with the increase in betting on where will see a white Christmas, the number of locations has in creased including Buckingham Palace, Belfast (Aldergrove Airport), Aberdeen (Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen FC), Edin burgh (Castle), Coronation Street in Manchester and the Mil lennium Stadium in Cardiff.
We are more likely to see snow between January and March than in December, with snow or sleet falling an aver age 3.9 days in December, compared to 5.3 days in January, 5.6 days in February and 4.2 days in March.
Photo credit: Africa Studio / shutterstock.com
CHRISTMAS carols are a true staple of the fes tive season, but which are the greatest Christ mas carols of all time? This is our top five con tenders.
Silent Night - Originally written in German in 1818, this carol is so iconic it was declared an intangi ble cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.
In the Bleak MidwinterThis famed Christmas carol was originally creat ed as a poem by Christina Rossetti. Since being put
Christmas carols are popular across the globe.
to music in 1906, it has become an essential on carol sheets across the world.
O Holy Night - This fes tive hit was originally writ ten by a French priest to
THERE'S one thing related to the Belgian capital that is a veritable British favourite, for some! Brussels sprouts often occupy a very special place on the dining tables of British homes at Christmas.
A bit like marmite, people tend to either love or hate the tiny round cabbages and with good reason. A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemi cal, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a varia
inaugurate a new organ, but is now a worldwide Christmas essential.
Hark! The Herald An gels Sing - Another En glish carol, this unmis takeable hit dates back to 1739 and has been adapted many times throughout the centuries.
O Come All Ye FaithfulThe origins of this carol are ambiguous attributed to figures including Por tuguese King John IV and George Frideric Handel. It is now instantly recognis able by carol lovers.
tion of a certain gene. The research found that around 50 per cent of the world’s popu lation have a mutation on this gene and don’t taste their bitterness.
Because sprouts became so popular in 13th century Belgium, these little veggies were named after the capital, Brussels.
Peter McLaren Kennedy BROADWAY is for many people the pinnacle of a ca reer in theatre, but to master that when you come from a disadvantaged background is quite an achievement.
Sheldon Epps, speaking ex clusively to Euro Weekly News about his new book, said that the theatre business had and was continuing to evolve both in the USA and abroad. This he said was in large part being driven by money with the cost of stag ing a production having risen dramatically, running into millions on Broadway and in London’s West End.
That he said meant bene factors were increasingly dif ficult to find and those that are still willing to fund pro ductions, need and want to know that their investment is safe and will bring a return. In that respect he said the atre had become like cinema, but maybe more worrying is
that the high costs are push ing top theatre out of the reach of the average person, as ticket prices rise along with costs.
Sheldon is, however, not daunted by the challenge. As a black man in an elite world, he has risen to the top and
has many awards and suc cesses to his name, including three Tony Award nomina tions.
Speaking about his own career, he said it has taken a
desire to succeed, hard work, creativity and perfection. But he said it has all been worth while with the industry now fully integrated and providing more and more opportunities for people from all back grounds.
Although staging main stream theatre had become more costly and risk averse, he said there remained many opportunities for other forms of theatre and for exploring new topics. Speaking about the future he said he will be bringing new, previously uncovered stories to theatres, an area that he said is bursting with opportu nity as audiences evolve.
Sheldon’s book ‘My own
directions A black man’s journey in American theatre’ is a must read for its insight into American culture and for what it takes to be successful
in the creative world of the atre and film.
The book is out now and available online, you won’t be disappointed.
SHELDON EPPS: Spoke exclusively to Euro Weekly News.
THE first documented in stance of a migrant accessing Melilla from Morocco using a paraglider has been recorded.
On Thursday, December 1, a migrant managed to bypass the double fence that sepa rates Melilla from Morocco by using a paraglider. It might have happened previously, but this is the first document ed incident where a migrant has accessed the North African Spanish enclave utilis ing such a method.
According to a spokesper son for the Government Del egation, the incident oc curred: “around 6.15pm in the afternoon. Two citizens who were driving along the ring road notified the security operations centre (COS) of the Guardia Civil Command of the entry of a paragliding migrant in the vicinity of the Nano River.”
Guardia Civil patrols were immediately deployed to the area: “but they have not been able to locate the migrant,” the same source admitted to a national news outlet.
THREE more suspicious let ters containing animal eyes were intercepted in Spain on Monday, December 5. Police sources confirmed that they were detected by the security systems of Post Offices, who subsequently informed the National Po lice.
The shipments were re portedly addressed to the Ukrainian Consulate in Malaga, along with the Ukrainian embassies in the cities of Barcelona and Madrid.
It was verified by the po lice that each envelope con tained animal eyes, but they ruled out the presence of explosive or explosive substances. These packages bore similar characteristics to those received on Friday December 2 they added.
Other envelopes inter cepted and containing gun powder and small shrapnel balls were sent to Pedro Sanchez, the president of the government; Margarita Robles, the Defence Minis
ter; the embassies of Ukraine and the US, Torre
jon de Ardoz air base, and to the arms manufacturing company in Zaragoza Insta laza.
Sources indicated at the weekend that these six en velopes came from Val ladolid and from the same author, although he has not yet been identified, as re ported by the Spanish news.
ENVIRONMENTAL advance from beer manufacturer Heineken as the firm announced its latest venture to con vert its Valencia factory to use solar power. The brand launched the project on December 1, saying that the facto ry will build a solar plant that will be operational from June 2023.
The solar plant means that the brand’s factory at Quart de Poblet will transition to become completely self-sus taining, thanks to Feder Funds which are being used to fi nance the project. As part of the deal, Heineken will pay for the solar energy used for the next 15 years.
The solar energy generated at the plant will be used in the heating and packaging processes used to create beer in the factory.
The decision comes as the brand aims to become carbon neutral by 2025 and has a multi-pronged strategy in place to achieve the ambitious goal.
BREXIT had repercussions for all Brits in Spain, from holidaymak ers to residents and business owners to snow birds.
This is why Anne Hernandez MBE, founder of Brexpats in Spain (now Brexpats in Spain Interna tional) wanted to create a place to tackle some of that misinforma tion and help those whose lives and livelihoods had been affected by Brexit.
The Euro Weekly News sat down with Anne to discuss the inspira tion behind the group which now has more than 40,000 members what it does, and its plans for the future.
Anne explained: “I came here in 1999 with my mum and daughter.
“My mum used to go to a local social group in Mijas and over time she would pass queries people had in the group about living in Spain on to me. I ended up with so many I created a Facebook group to help people.
“After my mum died, Brexit hap pened. I was never political, but I wanted to do something to help and I went to speak to former Mi jas mayor Juan Carlos Maldonado, who said we should set up a local
group, which became Brexpats in Mijas. Within a month, we had 1,000 enquiries from across the country, so we made it Brexpats in Spain.
“When we first started, we sought experts in different fields including taxation, insurance, med ical, legal, education, to help tackle misinformation and give people the help they needed.”
After helping expats with issues with everything from driving li cences to residencia, Brexpats has for the last year been campaigning
hard on local voting rights for for eigners.
She explained: “For many of us, if we’ve been out of the country for 15 years we can’t vote in UK, EU, Spanish national elections. For many this will be the only election they can vote in.”
While British residents in Spain will now be able to vote in next year’s local elections, Anne warned: “You had to have proof of residency at the time of register ing. If you don’t, we know that some people are being sent away
and told to go to the National Po lice station to get extra documen tation. We have forms to prove you are a permanent resident.
“The problem is the window to register is only until January 15. Keep an eye on the group for up dates as the window is short.”
The group is also now joining to gether with other international ex pat groups to push to get the UK’s Votes for Life bill through to secure life long voting rights for expats.
Alongside voting rights, Brexpats is continually innovating and find
ing ways to bring the expat com munity together; as well as to tack le some of the biggest issues facing Britons in Spain.
She told the EWN: “Many peo ple can find themselves isolated here, which is why we now have seven groups overall for all sorts of different issues, including a sup port group.”
The organisation also now has Brexpats Buddies following the tragic death of an elderly expat who was not found for several days.
The WhatsApp group asks mem bers to check in every day before 12pm just with a simple emoji or hello. If not, a local represenata tive will be sent to check if they are in need of help. The initiative has even spawned an offshoot group in Nerja, where locals are now meeting regularly as a social group.
Speaking about the work of Br expats in Spain, Anne said: “There are groups to help with all kinds of things. We’re also in regular con tact with the British Embassy and can pass on your concerns for you.
“If you’re looking for support or information, join us.”
FOLLOWING almost a year of hard negotiation, Netflix has reached an agreement with Danish film and TV producers which will ensure that the global giant will purchase Danish produced productions again after a dispute over payment which has cost the industry some €200 million.
WOLVES are a protected species in Holland and a court has ruled that a plan by authorities to use paintballs to try to frighten an apparently tame juvenile wolf from approaching humans in the Veluwe national park is unacceptable following an appeal by conservationists.
THE Magical Music of Harry Potter tour came to Liège late November and was well received thanks to an exceptional performance by the Ukrainian Khmelnitsky Orchestra and actor Chris Rankin (who played Percy Weasley in the films), who was the presenter and host.
GERMANY is likely to become a more expensive destination for tourists from nonEU countries if they book holidays from local travel agents, as from January 1, those operators will have to charge VAT on their invoice and make tax returns in Germany.
AS French as a man on a bicycle with a string of onions, the baguette, the Eiffel Tower of French bread has gained UNESCO recognition after being named on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage for ‘artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread’.
THE aptly named Richard Wood, British Ambassador to Norway has taken to Twitter to say that this year’s Christmas tree sent to Trafalgar Square was perfect when it left the country in response to criticism by other Twitter users, including Larry the Cat, calling it tatty.
INTERNET supplier Valokuitunen Oy commissioned a poll of internet users to see how aware they were of the environmental effects of using the internet and some 70 per cent of those contacted admitted that they hadn’t even thought about it, let alone reduced usage.
A WHISTLEBLOWER who revealed information about Irish Rail eight years ago is still employed by the rail company at a salary of €121,000-a-year, but complains that because his work load has been reduced so much, he spends most of his time reading and eating sandwiches.
THE iconic landmark in Tuscany, the Leaning Tower of Pisa isn’t leaning as much as it used to according to a new report from the local heritage protection agency. Its tilt was last corrected in 2001 and since then has straightened by four centimetres.
LISBON has been named the second happiest city in the world for expats according to the latest German organisation Internations Expat City Ranking 2022. It came fourth overall when compared to 49 other cities around the world thanks to the welcoming locals, weather, culture and nightlife.
THE UK and Ukraine have entered into a groundbreaking new Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) that will help Ukraine rebuild its economy. This deal is the second such agreement and follows a decision to cut tariffs on all goods from Ukraine to zero.
TEENAGE Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg intentionally chose Black Friday to join with more than 600 young environmentalists to bring a class action against the government of Sweden alleging that it has failed in its Constitutional duty to take positive action to tackle climate change.
SPAIN’S unemployment fell by 33,512 people in Novem ber to 2,881,380, the lowest figure in a month of Novem ber since 2007 and the main beneficiaries of the drop have been women and young peo ple who have been the two sectors most affected by un employment.
THE news that Germany, Spain and Belgium reported that inflation in November appeared to be slowing down could be good news for con sumers in the eurozone as apart from anything else, it may well encourage the Euro pean Central Bank to recon sider new interest rate hikes.
THE Spanish Ministry of Transport has approved the National Road Transport In spection Plan for 2023, which confirms that carriers work at a fair price, that the driver does not carry out, in general, the loading and unloading of merchandise and receive prompt payment.
EUROPE’S largest bank by as sets, HSBC, has announced that it will close another 114 branches in the UK starting next April, as customers using them have fallen significantly since the pandemic and whilst it will try to redeploy staff, some 100 will lose their jobs.
DIGITAL restaurant Vicio, which was founded in Barcelona by a former Mas terChef winner during the pandemic, offers a range of gourmet burgers with side dishes delivered to cus tomer’s doors and in its first year has generated a turnover of €4 million.
BREXIT cost UK households an extra £5.8 billion for food ac cording to a report issued by the Centre for Economic Perfor mance (CEP) at the London School of Economics on Thurs day December 1.
This only covers the period from January 1, 2020 until the end of 2021 and according to the report, this was the equiva lent of £210 per British house hold.
It goes on to say that because low income households spend a greater share of their finances on food than richer families, these Brexit driven price rises had a proportionately greater impact on the poorest people.
The latest study confirms that food prices increased by 6 per cent and finds that for the poor est households, this equates to a Brexit induced rise in the overall cost of living of 1.1 per cent, which is 52 per cent more than the 0.7 per cent rise felt in the top 10 per cent of house holds.
While the Trade and Coopera
tion Agreement, which came in to force in January 2021, en sures that trade between the UK and the EU remains tariff free, post Brexit, there are more non tariff barriers (NTBs) be tween the UK and the EU which include new comprehensive cus toms checks, rules of origin re quirements and sanitary and phytosanitary measures for trade in animals and plants.
The study concludes that it is
these NTBs that have affected prices. The rise in consumer prices was driven only by prod ucts with high NTBs and there was no significant rise in prices for products with low NTBs.
The changes have benefited domestic producers of food, who now have less competition from European imports, but un like regular tariffs, NTBs do not generate any revenue for the government.
WATCH out Amazon, Mi ravia is out to beat you in Spain as the Alibaba sub sidiary opened its website on Thursday December 1.
The unveiling ceremony took place in the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid the pre vious day and was a mix ture of hard sell and musical entertainment.
Alibaba is one of China’s biggest online presences and was set up in 1999 to offer a huge range of goods initially to the Chinese mar ket.
Since then, it has gone from strength to strength and is now said to be one of the largest companies in China, but it has fallen foul of US regulations and in or
der to operate in Europe, it needed to be more trans parent and also offer an effi cient speedy service.
Thus, Miravia was born and chose Spain as the first country in which it will oper ate and CEO Yann Fontaine, when speaking at the launch (according to Mar
keting4Commerce), said “Spain is one of the Euro pean markets with the greatest potential in the e commerce sector.
“It has great penetration on the internet and in mo bile technology, which means enormous potential for a platform like Miravia.
“We hope to cover all the needs of Spanish con sumers, while offering local and international brands greater tools to sell and en gage with their customers.”
Apparently, what makes it different to Amazon and other online shopping out lets, is that Miravia will not only be working closely with influencers and Artificial In telligence to create exclu sive content, but will also al low brands to design their own virtual stores and even operate affiliate pro grammes.
Time will tell, but to en courage customers to visit the new site, there will be introductory discounts for new clients.
THE John Lewis Partnership has agreed a £500 million multi decade joint venture with global investment company abrdn to de liver around 1,000 new homes across three UK communities.
It will use part of its existing port folio of properties which are no longer in use to provide 1,000 new homes in Bromley and West Ealing where stores will be redeveloped to allow for housing and in Reading it will convert a disused ware house. The build to rent sector has a key role to play in addressing the shortfall in rental homes, which is set to increase further with the government’s help to buy scheme now coming to end and in London alone there is a shortfall of 75,000 rental properties.
WITH consumers around the world gearing up for Christmas and other holidays, Apple Inc continues to appeal to many looking to either buy phones as gifts or hoping to use money given to them to make a purchase. It rather looks howev er that there will be a shortage of iPhones this year as workers at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhouin, China who produce these products have been protesting about their conditions and walking out.
Whilst they have now reported ly been offered a better deal, there is still likely to be a holiday shortfall which consulting firm UBS suggests could total 16 million phones.
ITALIAN energy company Plenti tude is looking to invest €1 billion in Spanish renewable projects over the next four years, according to recently appointed CEO Stefano Goberti.
The first step has been to ac quire 100 per cent of PLT (PLT Ener gia Srl and SEF Srl), another Italian company subject to approval from the relevant authorities which is al ready installing wind farms on the Spanish mainland.
The existence of the European Recovery Fund has seen both Italy and Spain receiving the lion’s share of funding either as direct grants or low cost loans which is allowing ac celerated investment in renewable energy in both countries.
3I Group 1.320,50 1.324,50 1.306,50 112,65K
Abrdn 205,31 206,20 201,40 1,97M
Admiral Group 2.031,0 2.037,0 2.018,0 66,12K
Anglo American 3.396,5 3.401,7 3.313,5 81,64K
Antofagasta 1.456,50 1.463,50 1.439,00 177,14K
Ashtead Group 5.034,0 5.044,0 5.006,0 51,38K
Associated British Foods 1.660,0 1.676,0 1.650,5 155,72K
AstraZeneca 11.174,0 11.232,0 11.162,0 190,67K
Auto Trader Group Plc 581,00 581,60 574,00 268,63K
Aveva 3.185,0 3.188,0 3.183,0 50,32K
Aviva 446,25 448,80 442,30 467,68K
B&M European Value Retail SA420,90 422,90 418,30 216,21K
BAE Systems 812,00 815,40 806,00 673,07K
Barclays 158,38 158,42 156,06 4,71M
Barratt Developments 411,80 413,20 405,80 374,45K
Berkeley 3.858,0 3.864,0 3.832,0 41,01K
BHP Group Ltd 2.611,00 2.619,00 2.577,50 340,30K
BP 481,85 482,00 477,40 5,51M
British American Tobacco 3.414,4 3.434,5 3.401,5 257,58K
British Land Company 405,40 406,30 399,00 171,21K
BT Group 121,38 121,65 120,60 1,43M
Bunzl 3.044,0 3.050,0 3.022,0 25,63K
Burberry Group 2.141,0 2.161,0 2.135,0 188,88K
Carnival 713,4 714,2 701,2 210,97K
Centrica 95,58 95,84 94,70 1,36M
Coca Cola HBC AG 1.997,7 2.035,0 1.996,5 77,48K
Compass 1.870,00 1.877,50 1.854,00 223,24K
CRH 3.295,5 3.299,0 3.260,5 65,63K
Croda Intl 6.920,0 6.998,0 6.910,0 15,56K
DCC 4.413,0 4.421,0 4.376,0 14,12K
Diageo 3.810,0 3.850,5 3.809,5 214,13K
DS Smith 308,60 309,20 305,70 386,64K
EasyJet 392,30 399,40 391,50 290,16K
Experian 2.960,0 2.966,7 2.944,0 22,63K
Ferguson 9.590,0 9.620,0 9.501,5 10,24K
Flutter Entertainment 12.105,0 12.125,0 11.985,0 52,23K
Fresnillo 931,47 933,20 900,80 245,39K
Glencore 570,20 571,80 561,70 7,20M
GSK plc 1.405,94 1.413,80 1.403,80 109,63K
Halma 2.244,0 2.258,0 2.221,0 81,56K
Hargreaves Lansdown 867,20 871,20 858,00 216,07K
Hikma Pharma 1.542,00 1.543,00 1.518,00 78,32K
HSBC 499,79 500,49 494,85 328,57K
IAG 133,22 134,30 132,78 1,59M
Imperial Brands 2.108,00 2.117,00 2.090,00 220,19K
Informa 621,60 623,40 619,80 247,52K
InterContinental 4.767,0 4.783,0 4.744,0 35,04K
Intermediate Capital 1.255,50 1.262,50 1.240,00 80,30K
Intertek 4.131,0 4.152,0 4.109,0 42,65K
ITV 77,50 77,58 75,66 1,75M
J Sainsbury 224,40 224,60 220,80 370,25K
Johnson Matthey 2.130,8 2.134,0 2.097,0 30,55K
Land Securities 630,00 630,20 620,00 109,51K
Legal & General 258,70 259,20 253,60 1,34M
Lloyds Banking 46,72 46,84 46,31 8,20M
London Stock Exchange 8.122,0 8.268,0 8.120,0 94,37K
Melrose Industries 126,95 128,55 126,05 1,71M
Mondi 1.555,50 1.560,00 1.542,50 110,28K
National Grid 1.025,27 1.025,50 1.018,00 632,70K
NatWest Group 262,30 262,70 260,30 2,24M
Next 5.877,6 5.886,0 5.824,0 13,16K
Norilskiy Nikel ADR 9,10 9,10 9,10 0
Ocado 683,80 685,60 663,40 231,25K
Persimmon 1.289,0 1.293,0 1.245,0 229,44K
Phoenix 602,00 602,60 593,40 218,63K
Prudential 1.099,50 1.109,50 1.048,50 2,88M
Reckitt Benckiser 5.976,0 6.040,0 5.970,0 116,68K
Relx 2.329,00 2.335,00 2.313,00 385,77K
Rentokil 540,20 543,40 539,40 570,64K
Rightmove 568,00 568,60 560,74 23,19K
Rio Tinto PLC 5.784,0 5.790,0 5.651,0 497,75K
Rolls-Royce Holdings 89,24 91,07 89,22 4,10M
Sage 796,20 800,40 793,40 168,76K
Samsung Electronics DRC 1.158,00 1.163,50 1.154,00 3,28K Schroders 466,2 467,9 459,9 163,09K
Scottish Mortgage 792,79 796,60 786,00 340,85K
Segro 831,00 832,20 817,00 381,72K
Severn Trent 2.745,0 2.748,0 2.720,0 30,27K
Shell 2.377,0 2.378,5 2.344,0 1,50M
Smith & Nephew 1.086,23 1.093,50 1.079,00 234,07K
Smiths Group 1.592,00 1.594,00 1.582,00 97,58K
Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.420,0 11.435,9 11.357,8 1,21K SSE 1.729,00 1.730,50 1.718,75 25,74K
St. James’s Place 1.183,50 1.194,00 1.181,00 84,06K
Standard Chartered 596,60 597,20 588,40 545,37K
Taylor Wimpey 105,75 105,90 104,20 1,38M
Tesco 229,95 230,00 227,00 280,77K
Tui 145,51 146,75 144,95 431,47K
Unilever 4.138,0 4.177,0 4.138,0 423,73K
United Utilities 1.053,00 1.053,50 1.048,50 203,67K
Vodafone Group PLC 91,68 93,18 91,04 17,06M Whitbread 2.608,0 2.622,0 2.599,0 47,96K WPP 877,80 879,40 869,40 345,82K
3M 126,99 127,25 1,82M
American Express 156,75 157,28 155,00 2,28M
Amgen 285,51 286,12 283,19 2,25M
Apple 147,81 148,00 145,65 65,30M
Boeing 182,87 183,45 172,85 10,50M
Caterpillar 236,13 238,47 233,59 2,21M
Chevron 181,03 183,63 179,93 6,78M
Cisco 49,70 49,84 48,92 12,31M
Coca-Cola 64,35 64,52 63,40 13,56M
Dow 51,55 51,70 50,43 4,85M
Goldman Sachs 380,58 382,52 378,40 1,92M
Home Depot 327,99 328,48 320,33 3,63M
Honeywell 219,08 219,86 214,72 2,18M
IBM 148,67 149,16 147,73 2,87M
Intel 29,41 29,43 28,71 31,49M
J&J 178,88 178,96 176,96 5,79M
JPMorgan 135,16 135,35 133,34 8,92M
McDonald’s 273,40 273,45 269,62 2,79M
Merck&Co 110,04 110,09 108,71 6,89M
Microsoft 255,02 256,06 249,69 21,33M
Nike 112,20 112,71 108,34 5,87M
Procter&Gamble 150,61 150,77 148,08 4,90M
Salesforce Inc 144,56 145,21 142,78 15,04M
The Travelers 189,54 189,94 187,79 1,28M
UnitedHealth 536,16 538,61 532,44 2,33M
Verizon 38,18 38,30 37,70 21,57M
Visa A 217,66 218,48 214,24 5,13M
Walgreens Boots 41,48 41,63 40,85 4,85M
Walmart 153,22 153,24 151,48 6,88M
Walt Disney 99,43 99,69 97,01 12,60M
Cracker
CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. -11.58% 915,309
Zscaler, Inc. -10.73% 9.665M
Asana, Inc. -10.45% 12.786M
Veeva Systems Inc. -8.63% 2.551M
HF Sinclair Corporation -7.26% 4.431M
PBF Energy Inc. -7.08% 5.982M
CVR Energy, Inc. -7.00% 868,001
CyberArk Software Ltd. -6.96% 446,395
Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC -6.51% 4.155M
Graham Holdings Company -6.42% 73,694
WELSH leeks have become the latest addition to the UK Geographical Indication (GI) Scheme, which protects the name, authenticity and characteristics of regional products. Shoppers will be able to clearly see a logo on the label showing they are buying the real thing,
ALTHOUGH the Spanish government has indicated that it will make the cost of mortgages affordable, de spite increase in base rates, CaixaBank has raised the in terest rate on its 30 year fixed mortgage from 4.31 per cent to 4.79 per cent making it the most expen sive Spanish lender.
MONEY from fines handed out to water companies in the UK that pollute rivers and seas will now be re in vested in schemes that ben efit the natural environ ment. Since 2015, the Environment Agency has concluded 56 prosecutions against companies, gener ating fines of over £141 mil lion.
PRIMARK, the international fashion retailer, has con firmed its commitment to Spain by announcing a capi tal investment of €100 mil lion in its Spanish business. The investment includes €80 million in eight new stores and one store exten sion and €20 million invest ment in upgrades and refur bishments in stores.
Over 1,000 jobs will be created over the next two years as part of the compa ny’s ambitious growth plans in the market.
Primark opened its first store in Spain 16 years ago in May 2006, in Plenilunio, Madrid and today has 56 stores across the country which makes it the second largest market for the Irish group.
THE Spanish State Deficit contin ues to head in the right direction after being a major bone of con tention with the European Union for many years.
In essence, prudent fiscal poli cy should see a country earn more than it spends on an annu al basis, but this has been a real problem for successive Spanish governments since the 2008 eco nomic crisis.
Clearly the pandemic didn’t help the current position as so much money was spent on sup porting business and families in need, but since 2021, Spain has seen a downwards turn as indus try started to recover after strict lockdown and isolation rules were relaxed.
According to Minister of Fi nance Maria Jesus Montero, in October 2021, the deficit stood at 4.93 per cent of Gross Domes tic Product (GDP) and totalled €59.468 billion, but at the end of October 2022 this had dropped
INFLATION, Covid 19, and the Ukraine war have affected consumer behaviour in Eu rope, according to new data.
But there’s good news for people living in Spain, where people are spending less, and saving more, despite record inflation.
To mark World Savings Day, online bank N26 sur veyed customers to find out how Europeans are dealing with the impact of inflation.
The data shows which countries are still spending big on vacations and restau rants, whose incomes are growing, and the changes to spending habits.
Spending data and saving data of over 380,000 con sumers in five European mar kets (Spain, Germany, Aus tria, France, and Italy) were surveyed between January and August 2022.
Despite record inflation, customers in Spain saved the
most between March and August this year. Of all the countries studied, Spain ex perienced the highest infla tion rates overall.
Despite this, customers in Spain increased their savings, on average, from 4.6 per cent (of their average income) in January and February to 7.2 per cent from March on wards a relative increase of 57.2 per cent.
Following the overall EU trend, Spanish users were al so able to save the most in March 11.1 per cent of their
income, or €177.89 on aver age.
Of all the markets studied, customers in Spain have the highest savings ratio overall, setting aside, on average, 6.6 per cent of their income be tween January and August.
Elsewhere in Europe, signs of inflation were especially noticeable in the ‘food and groceries’ and ‘transport and cars’ categories but Spain saw a downward trend with Spaniards spending 1 per cent less of their average in come in this category.
by a significant 69.7 per cent to a much healthier €18.016 billion, equivalent to 1.37 per cent of GDP.
This has mainly been achieved by a combination of a 25 per cent increase in sales of non fi nancial products and a much smaller growth in expenditure of just under 2 per cent.
Tax collections on both pro duction and imports have helped considerably with VAT collec tions rising by 18 per cent in the period under review and Income Tax for both residents and non residents shooting up with tax on dividends making a big contri bution.
As companies earn more, so they pay more and the sale of shares and other assets has added to the amount of Capital Gains Tax being collected as well.
The payments to Spain from the European Recovery Fund have also helped the country to invest for the future.
IN 2020, the Spanish government undertook a study into the way that children’s toys were advertised and whether they promoted gender stereotypes.
The conclusion was sufficient for the government to introduce strict new rules, effective December 1 this year, in time for Christmas and Three Kings.
The intention is that adverts should not target girls with traditional toys such as dolls, make up and cook ing, whilst there should be little use of the colour pink which is also associated with young females.
Equally, blue should not be used when promoting traditional boy’s toys, such as cars and similar ‘ma cho’ goods, as the intention is to ensure that young sters feel equal and not directed down one particular road.
TUC figures show that nearly a third of people (29 per cent) in the UK believe that they have been bullied at work, with more than one in three (36 per cent) leaving their job because of it.
Research by employment and partnership law spe cialists Fox & Partners, reveals the number of cases heard by the Employment Tribunal which contain alle gations of bullying has increased 44 per cent from 581 in 2020/21 to a record high of 835 in 2021/22.
Some of those who claim to have suffered from such bullying are now lobbying MPs and Parliament to have workplace bullying recognised as a crime in UK law as is the case in countries such as Sweden.
DELIGHTED to not be mentioned in the recent Diana Dors TV documen tary. I knew her extremely well for many years, probably better than anyone. We were very close during her difficult times, when she was struggling to keep her financial head above water, including the upkeep of her two young sons she had organ ised for her ex husband Richard Dawson; also an out of regular work actor, to look after in America.
This was of course later rectified, when in 1965 he obtained a starring role in the highly successful series Hogan’s Heroes, but his was also a terrible struggle before he clinched the role. She had engaged a new, fairly low key agent who began to book her in cabaret dates, mainly in the north of England.
This was some years before this ol’ boy cracked it with Little Arrows, so I was free to accompany her to many of these venues, which were spring ing up all over the country. After she had completed the appearance, we would leave for the hotel which she always booked for one! I would sub
sequently then sneak in and share the room for the night. She was earning £100 to £150 an appearance, out of which my share would be around 15 quid. Although that does n’t sound particularly copious, in those far off days it meant I could at least provide my own family with some security.
As a struggling actor myself, I was also discovering showbiz optimisms fraught with difficulty. She would then send most of what she could af ford to her husband in America. This went on for a number of years, dur ing which she occasionally managed to pick up a cameo role in a movie or TV appearance.
We shared some great times, until one day she told me she had been offered a starring role in a new West End play entitled ‘Three months Gone.’ Apparently, she wasn’t sure whether to accept it as she hadn’t been offered a wage, but only a per centage of the door. It was only after I had almost twisted her arm up her back with the insistence that she simply had to take on the role due to
the amount of publicity that could ensue, that she finally accepted.
The show was a resounding suc cess and suddenly she was back, earning really well. Life was good again and our friendship and social life grew even stronger. One day she told me she had met a ‘wonderful man’ named Alan Lake, who was al so appearing in the production, and thought she could be falling in love. She introduced me and frankly, I did n’t like him at all.
A few years later she conspired with him in an injustice, which ulti mately cost me my freedom and al most my career. It’s all in the books. Available on Amazon.
Keep the Faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon, Wed, Fri. 1pm.
IN order to combat climate change, the perceived view is that the world should ban diesel and petrol engines and re ly on electricity. In theory this seems like a sensible idea, but there are a few problems with this, the foremost currently being the West’s ability to generate electricity and the prob lems that may occur in creating and later disposing of bat teries that will be strong enough to power vehicles.
With the European Union and other countries deciding to place a cap on the value of Russian oil that can be import ed and Russia’s indication that it just won’t supply those countries that implement such a ban, it immediately focus es our attention on how it will affect us.
The USA still has huge underground reserves and allows fracking which rightly or wrongly means it can generate even more oil so it won’t be hurt by the ban.
Some Scandinavian countries generate huge amounts of power using hydroelectrics and Norway of course has both oil and natural gas in abundance, but what of the others?
Already Switzerland has indicated that if it is short of elec tricity then it will seriously consider banning electric vehicles from its roads and other countries are advising owners of electric cars to stagger charging for fear of overloading their electric grids. This is hardly an encouraging start to the ush ering in of a new age of transport, especially when currently the costs of electric cars are higher than petrol or diesel and the vehicles themselves still don’t have the same range and take longer to charge.
At the moment, it seems that the safest way to proceed is with a hybrid vehicle which hopefully gives the best of both worlds.
ANYONE who knows me, knows that I am probably the least political politician that you will ever meet. However, Mijas has been my home of choice for the last 20 years and I consider it my home, not just because I have a house here, but because here, I am surrounded by people I like, respect, and consider my clos est friends.
I think it is interesting that in the more than 40 years of democratic local government in Spain, I am the first foreign er to hold the post of council lor. Interesting, why? Because one third of the population is ‘Foreign’, yet until Angel Nozal decided to include me on his list in 2019, no foreigner had been presented by any of the major parties and at a number on the list that would likely present the possibility of being installed as a Mijas Councillor.
If Mijas Council were to be truly representative of the
community we would have eight councillors from the In ternational Community and not just one out of 25.
As with many institutions, Spain wants to keep politics to itself and it depends on the apathy of the International Community to make this hap pen. If you have been follow
ing my work page, you will know that the Voters’ Roll reg istration had not been as sim ple and straightforward as it should have been. Many months ago, I asked a ques tion of the Foreigners’ Council lor in a council meeting as to whether Mijas would mount a campaign to encourage and in
form the International Com munity about registering. The Foreigners’ Councillor replied that they would not be having a campaign as everyone al ready knew what to do. Oh, really!!
Just this week, our neigh bours in Fuengirola all re ceived a letter from the Coun cil explaining how to register and encouraging them to do so. In Mijas: NOTHING!
Frankly, I am fed up playing the game: pretending that we are seen as valuable members of the community because they turn up from time to time for a photo with us. Mijas doesn’t give a damn about the International Community as long as they keep coming, keep paying their taxes, and don’t make any demands on them.
You need to decide whether having an International resi dent on the council has been beneficial or not. That refers to me by the way! But make
no mistake, the Mijas govern ment team is not interested in you registering and even if you are registered they are confi dent that only 10 per cent of you will actually turn up to vote in any case.
We ‘guiris’ make up one third of the Mijas population and contribute disproportion ately to the Mijas coffers, so I am indignant that we don’t even warrant the effort to en courage us to participate. They are so arrogant that they consider us a dripping roast.
They are counting on your apathy to keep Mijas Council all Spanish and will continue to treat you as second class citizens.
You might not be interested in getting into Spanish politics, but if you think it has been beneficial to have had a coun cillor who speaks your lan guage and understands your needs, you need to get off your couches and get down to the town hall to register.
SADLY, suicide is one of the biggest causes of death in Spain and since overtaking road traffic accidents as the most common violent cause of death, suicides have been increasing. Winter can in crease feelings of depression, with springtime being the most dangerous time for sui cide.
While it is crucial to be aware that suicide can happen at any point of the year, some mental health conditions such as seasonal affective disorder can increase in winter, increas ing the risk of suicide. Here we share some top recommenda tions from experts on how you can boost mental health.
Exercise
Boost your mental health over the Christmas period by making time to exercise or simply to get outside. Nature and exercise can both reduce feelings of stress or anger and reduce symptoms of anger
and depression.
Know when to get help If you are feeling depressed, don’t leave it too late. The Spanish free suicide helpline is 024 and is manned by Red Cross workers 24 hours per day. There are also lots of on line resources to help you or others through difficult times and therapists working online internationally can help with suicidal thoughts.
Data in Spain shows that men die by suicide at three times the rate of women dy ing by suicide. Mental health professionals highlight the need to reach out to people who might be struggling, par ticularly men, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Making hu man connections can signifi cantly reduce feelings of de pression.
OVER the holiday season we are sure to eat a lot more sweet treats than normal, with parties and seasonal sweets everywhere we look! Indulging in some extra treats is perfectly ac ceptable, but it can take a toll on our dental health. Here we share some expert advice to look after your teeth for a pearly white Christmas!
1. Brush your teeth more The length of time sugar spends on your teeth is the factor that does the damage, so dentists recommend brushing your teeth once more than normal during the festive period when sweets are all around us.
2. Choose sweets carefully If you have a choice of sweet treats, it is better to go for soft sweets rather than chewy sweets like toffee or boiled sweets that can chip your teeth and are much more difficult to get out of your teeth later on.
3. Keep up your routine
Dental health is even more important than usual over the festive period when we are surrounded by sugary treats.
With lots of Christmas parties and more drinks than usual, it is easy to slip up on your dental hygiene some times during the festive period. Al though forgetting to brush your teeth won’t do much damage, repeatedly abandoning your routine means your teeth are much more vulnerable to cavities and increases your risk of gum diseases.
Photo credit: AVC Photo Studio / shutterstock.com
Spending time outdoors over the festive period can significantly reduce feelings of depression and anxiety that can contribute to suicidal feelings.
Try some aromatherapy with candles or essential oils with these beneficial scents to boost your wellbeing over winter.
DECEMBER is now upon us, and with it comes cold weather and seasonal colds and flus. It’s easy to get under the weather dur ing this month with every thing that goes round, but it is more important than ever to keep your fitness levels up. Here we share some top tips on how to build exercise into your daily routine, even when your schedule is packed!
AS we spend more time in doors during the winter, take this opportunity to invest some time in your health and wellness. Aromatherapy is one excellent way you can un wind at home and take a break from all of the seasonal activity. Practise some winter wellness with these seasonal aromatherapy scents by light ing a candle or burning some essential oil and feel your best over the holiday period!
•
ing you the perfect energy boost when you might be feel ing a little run down. Pepper mint can also be soothing, re ducing inflammation and stress.
• Cinnamon
This scent is well known for its invigorating properties, giv
This essential holiday scent can also improve our well be ing by improving circulation. Scientific research also sug gests that cinnamon can help cognitive function and memo ry, all while bringing a cosy, Christmas scent into our homes.
• Frankincense
DECEMBER can wreak havoc with our skin. Sugary and fatty diets combined with lots of alcohol at Christmas parties and forgetting to keep up with normal skincare routines can have nasty effects on our skin. But there are a few quick fixes that can help you to get a natural Christmas glow in your skin.
• Stay hydrated Hydration is the bottom line for fresh looking skin. Start on the inside and make sure you build in a few glasses of
Another seasonal scent is al so known to have relaxing ef fects when used in our homes, reducing stress while improv ing concentration. Frankin cense also helps to strengthen the respiratory system giving it a needed boost against colds and seasonal sicknesses.
• Lemon
Aromatherapy blends using this citrus fruit can help to clear congestion and colds. They also create a cosy, com forting atmosphere in your home, perfect for winter warmth.
water between all the festive alcoholic drinks and sugary drinks that come with the season. Skin is the last organ to receive nutrients, so help your body out by boosting your water intake.
• Get your beauty sleep
Take advantage of any extra holidays you might have to get a full eight hours of sleep. Skin gets restored during
• Online classes
Platforms like YouTube offer thousands of fitness videos of varying lengths and styles, so whatever time you have and whatev er type of exercise inter ests you, you can try it from the comfort of your home. And the best part, it’s free!
• Aim to do something
Even if you don’t have time for your usual fitness routine, aim to do at least 50 to 75 per cent of it. Re member, any exercise is
better than no exercise, so take opportunities when they arise.
• Adapt your activities
You can still enjoy all your seasonal plans, while staying fit! Activities like Christmas shopping are
great ways to get your steps in, while Christmas parties are great opportu nities to dance and stay ac tive. Where possible, you can also opt to take a walk rather than getting a taxi or driving.
sleep, and skipping on too much sleep can lead to a plethora of nightmare skin issues including dark circles and in flammation.
• Be wary of sugar
Sugary treats are everywhere over Christmas and everyone deserves to in dulge themselves a little. But be mind ful of eating too much sugar and choco late as this can be detrimental for the skin, giving red patches and blotchy skin.
If you’re struggling for time to exercise, try an online fitness video, there are plenty of options and even Christmas themed workouts!WITH this festive season not being so festive for too many people I thought it appropri ate to share some of Mirjana Stefanovic’s brainstorming ideas combining an educa
tional campaign on suicide prevention and schoolchildren. Mirjana has extensive experience dealing with University students and has very coherent thoughts on how this can be broached.
The following are just her notes, but an example of the feedback that comes out of our United Nationalities sum mits and the potential of us collaborating. #bettertogether
1. Develop a school wide suicide prevention assembly featuring student speakers who have experienced suicidal thoughts and are now in re covery.
2. Create a peer led support group for students struggling with mental health issues, such as depression and anxi ety.
3. Launch an online cam paign that encourages stu dents to reach out for help if they or someone they know is considering suicide.
4. Offer free mental health screenings to all middle and high schoolers at least once a year
5. Establish special ‘safe zones’ in the hallways of schools where students can go
however long the hours, however diffi cult the boss or however weird the work (and some of it was pretty weird), I never had a bad day in that extraordinary building.
if they need emotional sup port or just some time away from class.
6. Implement curriculums focused on understanding and managing emotions in the classroom setting especially related to trauma, grief, and loss.
7. Organise student forums where young people can openly discuss their feelings about suicide without judge ment or stigma.
8. Train school staff and fac ulty on how to recognise the signs of suicide risk in students.
9. Distribute informational pamphlets about suicide pre vention throughout the school, including locker rooms, bathrooms, and other high traffic areas.
10. Create a buddy system where older students mentor younger ones who may be struggling with mental health issues.
11. Create after school clubs
centred on mental health, such as yoga, meditation, or art therapy.
12. Host community events to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
13. Establish an anonymous hotline that students can call if they need help with their mental well being.
14. Work with local organi sations to provide free coun selling services at schools for those struggling with depres sion or other issues related to suicide risk.
15. Incorporate topics relat ed to suicide prevention into school curriculums, including literature classes and health education courses.
16.Provide educational ma terials on how to recognise signs of suicidal ideation among friends and family members.
17. Design campaigns that encourage students to look out for each other’s emotional well being.
18. Offer special workshops focused on teaching coping skills for dealing with stress, sadness, and anxiety.
19. Invest in additional re sources for counsellors so they can better support students facing tough times.
We are already in contact with schools on this very topic, who are very keen to address this situation, which is heart warming, and a big relief. Please join in our efforts and encourage your local schools to get involved. Obviously this campaign would benefit peo ple of all ages. If you would like to present your suggestions and / or support let me know.
THE first time I ever visited the Houses of Parliament I was going to see my dad in court in the House of Lords (back when it was England and Wales’s highest court and before the Supreme Court we have now).
I bought a pack of colouring pencils with teeny portcullises on before immedi ately leaving them in the chamber, caus ing a minor bomb scare.
There were men in long wigs (“daddy, why’s that man dressed as a spaniel?”), the place seemed mystical and ancient, and everything just felt as if I was part of something… well, big. The half day off school didn’t hurt either.
In short, I fell in love with parliament that day.
Fast forward 14 years and I was once again in the same building for my very first job interview for a researcher posi tion, starting a career that lasted several years.
In that time I can genuinely say that
From the very spot where the trial of Charles I took place (one for republicans) to the robing room where every monarch since Queen Victoria has donned the crown we see at the state opening of par liament, every corner of the Houses of Parliament is steeped in awe inspiring history. They also serve some of the best sausage sandwiches around (in one of their approximately 57,000 cafes).
Yes, parliament really is one of the most remarkable buildings in the world.
And better still, it’s all ours.
House of Commons debates are open to members of the public for free and you don’t even need tickets for most of them in advance. You can also book tours.
If you still have UK voting rights and write to your MP, they may even invite you for tea on the terrace.
So whenever you’re next in the UK, please go. You’re unlikely to regret it.
Oh and if you do visit, enjoy a sausage sandwich for me.
Sally’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.
‘VLEATHER, we’re told, is still one of the hottest trends. In other words, ve gan clothes made of oil industry plas tics, with PVC the world’s third most wide ly produced synthetic plastic polymer. Great! That’ll help the climate and the oceans. The irony! No animal died making these clothes, but many will when the clothes are discarded. Plastic particles are killing animals that are choking on the stuff.
Virtue signalling clothes made by people jetting across the world, made in sweat shops by children, like most of the fashion industry prod ucts. And inevitably, VLeather’s found its way into all the major fast fashion stores. Plastic
shoes? Just call them vegan and they’ll be fashionable! Just don’t ask about the Greta Footprint...
But let’s get to the meat (sorry, couldn’t resist) of the issue. The prob lem with veganism (and vegetarianism) is that it seems to turn what sim ply amounts to a food choice into, basically, a religion. One which appar ently requires its adher ents to try to make con verts of the rest of us in a humour free, hector ing fashion with about as much warmth and brio as a dinner party jointly hosted by (poli tics aside) Nicola Stur geon, Keir Starmer and Theresa May.
Nora Johnson’s 11 critically acclaimed psy chological crime thrillers (www.nora johnson.net) all avail able online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audio books, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.
A ROAD trip is an amazing way to see new places, but how do you go about planning one? Here we share some advice from road trip experts on how to build your ideal camping road trip.
1. Decide on a format
How do you want to travel on your road trip? Do you want to travel in a linear way, going from point A to point B? Or will you travel on a circu lar route, ending up where you be gan? Will you break up the journey by stopping for long periods, or sleep in a different place each night? These questions are a great starting point.
Photo credit: Air Images/ shutterstock.com
2. Transport Decide on a method of transport. Will you use a car, a caravan, a van, or even active travel like cycling? Your
ONE of the best things about camping is getting to enjoy a meal surrounded by nature. But it isn’t always easy to know what to cook once you arrive. If you love cooking but aren’t sure of how you can transfer your skills to a camp ing trip, we have some top tips for you. Here we bring you a list of three camping staples, so you can have your tastiest trip yet!
• Smoky beans
Take advantage of the rustic camping atmosphere by cook ing with smoky barbecue flavours like paprika. Simple
choice of vehicle will depend on how far you want to travel, your budget, how many passengers you have and the weather.
It can be helpful to draw up a list of places you want to visit on your trip such as national parks, beaches or cul tural attractions. This can help you to book into campsites or plan connec tions if necessary, like a ferry or train tickets for a day trip.
• Halloumi
Camping is a great excuse to whip out your favourite barbe cue recipes. Soak up the deli cious barbecue flavours by cooking halloumi on the grill. Serve up with burgers or in a salad.
• Chorizo
breakfast or jazz it up with some eggs, sausages and tomatoes for a filling and com forting one pot dinner.
THE British Benevolent Fund tries to help British nationals in Spain who have found themselves in very difficult financial situations.
Often this is compound ed by difficulties with a challenging social security and health system.
One such case was John.
John lives in rural Spain. He moved there af ter his wife died and en joyed the tranquillity.
He quickly settled in, made friends, learned the language and found part time work.
He also registered as an official resident and had a modest income freelanc ing.
On a routine medical check up, they discovered a suspected tumour and needed to do more tests.
As a legal resident he was covered, but he had n’t reckoned with the bu reaucracy and the long
waiting list.
The doc tors ad vised surgery to re move a malignant tumour close to his spine.
Within weeks the dam age caused to the spine left him with debilitating back pain and mobility is sues. He was soon finding it very difficult to walk.
As an official Spanish resident, he was entitled to healthcare and disabili ty payments.
However, he had to wait nearly six months for the surgery and was un able to work.
His savings were soon depleted.
Local social services contacted the local British Consulate who referred the case to us.
The BBF was able to pay for mobility and a
As this Spanish sausage is al ready cured, it is the perfect camping staple. Cut it into slices for a snack or add pieces to an omelette.
modest sum to cover liv ing and travel expenses to and from the hospital.
The surgery was a suc cess and John was able to receive disability pay ments.
He wrote to us after ward to say he was back to living a full life and to thank us.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the help you have offered me. After having fallen ill with cancer I was in a very dark place. I now have help from social se curity after a long wait. The BBF lifted a heavy weight.”
John is now working again and, in every sense back on his feet.
WHENEVER Spain wins an important footballing event, the Spanish say, “We knew all along we were going to win.”
If they lose they say, “We knew all along they were going to lose” be cause football fans are demanding and fickle lovers.
Whichever way you look at it, though, football is Spain’s national sport in a way that bullfighting rarely was and never will be again.
That doesn’t mean that every Span ish man is or was football crazy, but although my husband can take foot ball or leave it, he still remembers that two Real Madrid players, Jose Santamaria and Hector Rial, lived just round the corner from them in the La Properidad district in the early 1960s.
Fabulously rich Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid players now live in exclusive urbanisations on the out skirts of the city, the same way that fabulously rich Manchester United and Manchester City stars generally live in Cheshire mansions.
In contrast, Santamaria and Rial lived in unremarkable apartments, al though they earned a great deal more than a labourer like my late father in law.
Some Madrid districts had devel oped on rather eccentric lines, so it was not unheard of for a working class family like the one I married into to live in a modest house next door to the modestly opulent residence of a Borbon duke.
And in those undemocratic times, it was considered quite normal for said duke’s grandchildren to play in the street with my future husband and his hordes of brothers and sisters.
That was when they were pre ado lescent, of course.
Once they began to grow up, class reared its head and off they went to school, never to be seen or socialised with again.
Ironic to think that if Santamaria and Rial were around now they would be earning salaries that resem bled telephone numbers. They would also be members of the new aristoc racy, giving much more tone to a neighbourhood than any number of Borbon dukes.
PEDRO SANCHEZ, president of the Spanish government, is riding high on the crest of a wave that has swept him to reassuringly shal low waters and the safe shores of a voted through 2023 Budget.
Sanchez has now heaved and strained to pass three Budgets on the trot since June 2018 when he first entered the Moncloa palace following a vote of no confidence in his beleaguered Partido Popular predecessor, Mariano Rajoy.
Budget approval came at a price, as always happens with political arm twisting, and re quired the support of MPs from 11 different parties.
This gave the PP leader Alberto Nuñez Fei joo, the opportunity of dragging up Basque party Bildu’s past as the political arm of the now extinct, disbanded and decommis sioned ETA terrorist group.
As for the Catalans, the government con cessions were just a few steps short granting them independence, according to the oppo sition, with extreme right wing Vox galloping at their head.
Feijoo, the former, and very successful,
president of the Junta de Galicia, accused Sanchez of giving in to separatist demands. If he had said “nationalist” he would have been nearer the truth, and he was also choosing to forget that those MPs’ 11 parties represented 12 million voters.
And they will come in handy after Sanchez goes to the country in December 2023.
EQUALITY minister Irene Montero is not having much luck with her hobby horse laws.
First the Sexual Liberty law has retroac tively reduced the sentences of sexual abusers and now the PSOE socialists are re fusing to back her Trans Law unless there are legal safeguards for under 16s who want to transition.
Montero, who represents Podemos in the Unidas Podemos alliance that governs Spain, the PSOE, refuses to budge.
In fact, with an average fortnight’s wait for a primary care appointment in some re gions, many of those gender questioning teenagers will probably be in their 20s and could have changed their minds by the time they actually manage to see a consultant.
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.
I WAS stopped on the week end by the police for walking my dog along the beach. They said that they could see that I was a responsible dog owner as I had my bottle filled with water and washing up liquid and poo bags so I was sent on my way without any penalty. I do not have a problem with this and applaud them, it is just a shame that there aren’t more areas along the beach which are dog friendly.
David, Costa Blanca
I’M a long time reader and lover of your column and have emailed you in the past. Might I suggest a commen tary about the fraud that is the man made global warm ing con? Please see https://cli matediscussionnexus.com / for some down to earth facts. Either way, keep up the great work!!
Your fan
SO Lee is not a supporter of the Conservative party but would support any others apart from Labour. I find this very strange that anyone who is not a supporter of a Tory government chooses to attack week after week the only credible opposition and not the party he purports not to support who are in government, and has never once condemned them.
try is drowning in, these anti Labour rants should be aimed in a different direc tion.
Kite
His obsession of hate for the left is currently very much in the minority as Labour are miles ahead in the polls. His latest pathetic comment that their new idea of scrapping the House of Lords is a bumbling effort to gain popularity shows how completely out of touch he is as Labour promised this proposal 12 years ago if they ever got back into govern ment. Perhaps as he says the swamp of despair the coun
FULL marks to your newspa per for giving Leapy Lee the freedom to express opinions with which, I believe, most open minded people would agree. It takes courage these days of woke to tell it as it is when, according to the so called rules of today, you should avoid upsetting any one at all costs! Reading the bleeding heart criticism from some of your respondents, I truly wonder which fairy tale planet they presently occupy! Please keep telling it as it re ally is, and is likely to be come, Leapy.
Ken, San Fulgencio Max Ramon Osborne, Los Alcázares
THE Conservative Party in England is very unpopular at present, but let me digress. Living in London in the early 60s I had to travel every weekday between Maida Vale and Lambeth. That meant using the Baker loo line in the rush hour. This stretch of the line served several of London’s busiest un derground stations Paddington, Baker Street, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Char ing Cross and Waterloo. Hence, the passen gers were packed into the coaches like sar dines. Our bodies were forcibly pressed against our fellow passengers. No fresh air, no room to move.
Meanwhile, the legacy of this Conserva tive government is disastrous. Brexiteers were promised by Boris Johnson £350 mil lion for the NHS. In fact, owing to under funding, the very future of the NHS is now under threat, not least because its EU per sonnel have left in droves, resulting in the loss of 165,000 staff. The remaining doctors, nurses and medical workers are now forced into a strike.
Furthermore, Brexit is the cause of severe job shortages in education, policing and agriculture. We were also offered a better economic future with special trading rela tionships with the USA, India and other non European countries. This has not hap pened and consequently the economy is in a precarious state, with millions unable to afford to enjoy normal lives.
Many Brexiteers voted for more effective control over our borders. Immigrants con tinue to arrive in their thousands every week. The handling of Immigration and the treatment of immigrants are out of control.
Others voted for independence from Brussels legislation. The success of this move depends on the degree of compe tence and judgement of the respective courts and politicians. The Conservatives have not displayed these qualities during or since Johnson’s premiership.
As far as I am concerned the continuation of Tory government from 2024 is about as welcome as a fart on the Bakerloo line.
BITA and Kevin from Team Kroh Dental joined me to talk about all things teeth and also facial aesthetics. Bi ta came to Spain by a very circuitous route. Born in Teheran in Iran, her family moved to Sweden when she was small which is where her dental studies began. Once she qualified, she moved to England.
Kevin is a retired police of ficer from England and now runs the dental practice. They took over an existing dental practice based in Nue va Andalucia. Bita has spent years adding to her studies and also has a Masters in Im plantology.
Kevin talks about the steep learning curve in begin ning to manage the front end of the service, under standing the services on of fer. They talk about the im portance of creating a relaxing environment for pa tients. Dentistry has changed a great deal over the last decades and implant tech nology has transformed treatment.
Being a dentist is more than just learning about teeth, and Bita explains how their first two years of train ing is done alongside medical students as understanding other illnesses, conditions and medication can be vital in providing appropriate treatment to patients.
Unlike 30 years ago when extraction was the solution to many dental problems, there are many alternatives including implants, but bet ter dental hygiene has also helped. Even when den tures are still needed, im plants can help secure them and create a much more
comfortable experience.
Dentists are also perfectly placed to undertake cosmet ic procedures as they under stand better than most, how the nervous system in the face is organised.
Bita also talks about the advances in veneers which no longer destroy the under lying teeth but give an im pressive appearance and in many cases promotes self confidence.
Team Kroh Dental can be contacted via their website: teamkrohdental.es.
The full interview is avail able on YouTube. Billander son Mijas Expat Radio
Betty Henderson
CATS are independent, and less demanding and easier to care for, but they can be cold towards peo ple. Dogs are intelligent, affectionate and playful, but they require a lot of at tention and time.
Ever wondered how people around the world choose between the popu lar pets? A new study has revealed the popularity of cats and dogs as pets in each European country, and had some fascinating results.
Cat loving countries: Cats are more popular in more European countries than dogs, with 27 coun tries choosing cats as their favourite pet. Top Euro pean countries for cats in clude Italy, Portugal, Ger many, Switzerland, Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, Greece and,
Romania.
Dog loving countries: Dogs were the pet of choice in 11 European countries including Spain, the UK, Ireland, France, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, and the Czech Republic.
So, it looks like cats have
the popularity vote in Eu rope. Reasons for the re sults include factors such as people living in apart ments without space to exercise a dog, or working long hours, making cats smarter choices for a pet. Global data similarly re
vealed that cats were more popular pets than dogs in 91 countries, with dogs more popular pets in 76 countries. But trends are changing all the time and the debate over which pet is our favourite is far from over!
THE winter brings particular challenges for pet owners thanks to wet weather and muddy puddles. Keeping your pet clean and well groomed is crucial to its overall well being and happiness. Follow these tips to keep your pet clean and healthy.
A bath can help your pet to feel refreshed, just as we do after taking a bath or shower. Not all breeds love bathing but it is still important for your pet’s hygiene and to prevent parasites.
Paws are particularly sensitive to cold weather, wet surfaces, and fallen leaves. Tending to your pet’s paws with a cloth and some warm water can help you to catch dried or cracked skin, which could end up being painful for your pet if left untreated.
3.
As well as giving your pet regular baths, brushing their fur is a quick and easy way to keep your pet feeling fresh and clean. A quick daily brush of the fur can keep it looking glossy.
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RAINBOW Pinturas . English Painters & decorators. All as pects. Interior/exterior, private residential, commercial & com munities. Spraying: door, kitchens & furniture. Light con struction. Call/WhatsApp: Daniel: 628 066 308 www.rain bowpinturas.com (301113)
BLOCKED DRAINS? Leak de tection, CCTV survey, root re moval, Tel 952 568 414 / 661 910 772 / drainspain.com (292976)
CLEARFLOW – Unblocking, CCTV inspection, repair and in stallation. Tel: 630 200 600 / 952 885 661. www. desatorosclearflow Facebook: DesatorosClearflow (301154)
BENALMADENA Elim Family Fel lowship. Elimfamilyfellowship.com or call 951 912 525 or 952 446 627. (10011)
CALAHONDA: Encounter Church (Elim), Family church with kids’ activities, Iglesia San Miguel, Sundays 4.30pm, Rev. David Hodgson, 695 115 496 (10012)
ATD DECOR. British Painter. 30 Years’ Experience. Punctual. Great Rates. Call for free quote. 603 132 783 Facebook: @ATD DecorMalaga (302412)
SIGNS all type of 3D letters and light boxes, full CNC cutting ser vices, large and small format
LIT ELECTRICIANS for all your Electrical & maintenance needs, no job too small for a FREE Quote. Call Craig on 604 106 414 or Ben 711 004 350 (301214)
ELECTRICAL TYPES of work undertaken Malaga to Mar bella & Inland Frank Tel. or Whatsapp 650 561 629 (302309)
MARBLE POLISHING, CRYS TALLISING, LASTING, HIGH SHINE. REGRINDING, RESTORATION OF SALTY, DEAD FLOORS. 27YRS EXPERI ENCE. RELIABLE. REFS AVAI LABLE. CYRIL. 645 840 199
ARTICLES WANTED SIDE BOARD SCANDINAVIAN STYLE, 50s 60s OR EVEN MODERN CALL ANTHONY 609 529 633 (296440)
ANTHONY’S ANTIQUES JEW ELLERS AND PAWNBROKERS IS NOW BUYING ALL TYPES OF WATCHES AND JEW ELLERY IN ANY CONDITION, ALSO, SILVER, ANTIQUES AND THE UNUSUAL. WE BUY, WE PAY MORE, WE PAY CASH. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL ANTHONY ON +34 609 529 633 (296440)
WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)
GUTTERING: Protect your property from rain damage. Quality guaranteed. 26 years installation history in Spain. Envirocare. All areas cov ered 952 663 141/670 409 759 info@envirocarespain. com www.envirocarespain. com (301178)
HOUSE CLEARANCE. After Clearance Cleaning, 24/7 Costa del Sol. Whatsapp: 624 370 721 (301478)
THE
FURNITURE wanted, same day collection, also house clearance and removals. Also buy cars, campervans, boats & bikes. 697 511 071 (301381)
HANDYMAN: General Masonry work, painting, wall/roof water proofing & other jobs. Call Michael 622 755 666 (302455)
FUENGIROLA, Myofascial Re lease. J Schaegen, specialised in treating neck, back & ex tremity disorders, 30 years in practice. 652 291 224 www.bodywork.es (301414)
MOTOR INSURANCE . For the most competitive quotes in En glish call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)
STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insur ance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure. com (291234)
VIOLENT NIGHT EVERY DAY 21:40 SAT, SUN 15:30
PROFESSIONAL garden services from Fuengirola to Estepona. All aspects of gardening and full maintenance and landscaping, free quotes, competitive prices. Contact Andrew 600 259 981 Andrew@garden -professionals.com (295350)
IRIS-IRRIGATION and land scapes. TRENCHLESS NO DIG Irrigation installation, Cables, Fibre Optic, Electric & Lighting Cables. New Installations & problem-solving. Turf (supply and laying). Garden construc tions. Tree surgeon. Clearing. Astro Turf (Free Quotation) 676 747 521 (301097)
BE PROACTIVE: Electric/Gas fires, Wood Burning Stoves. Quality guaranteed. Enviro Care. All areas covered. 952 663 141/670 409 759. info@envirocarespain.com www.envirocarespain.com (301178)
LOCKSMITH emergency / ap pointment. Doors opened without damage, locks changed, patio doors and windows secured, 24 hour honest, fast and reliable ser vice. Call Paul 657 466 803 (288129)
ENGLISH LOCKSMITHS, SE CURITY & SHADE EXPERTS. FREE HOME SECURITY SUR VEY. 636 770 865 / 952 660 233 WWW.SECURITYOF SPAIN.COM CONTACT DAREN (294126)
VINYL SOLUTIONS WHY RE PLACE WHEN YOU CAN RENO VATE? Modern adhesive vinyl cov erings in hundreds of styles and designs can renovate
SAN PEDRO. Sandra. Profes sional relaxing, tantric massage. Young, slim, work alone, unforget table moments. Nueva Andalucia. 641 346 278
MATURE elegant lady. Offers tantric and other massage. Per sonal home visits. 687 387 680 (286295)tp3
DOOR automation repaired. Free, no obligation quotation. Call Colin - 636 394 641
RELAXING Massage for Men & Couples. Feel free from ten sion & stress. Call Dany 603 202 758 (302483)
PURE RELAXATION in Nueva Andalucia with attractive indepen dent masseuse. Tantric and other special massages in private apart ment. For gentlemen and couples, with no rush attention to your needs 656 350 401
ENGLISH ELEGANT passionate lady in late 40s, gives a sensu al massage in private apart ment. Satisfaction guaran teed. Call 680 177 569 (302312)
ASIAN masseur mature, sweet, independent. Marbella. 602 415 351 (MI 543)
ASIAN masseur, affectionate unique, complete massage. Elviria. 604 143 788 (MI 542)
CASSIE. Mature English lady. Dis creet and clean. 667 914 732 (FU 2794)
MASSAGE! Outcalls everywhere in Costa del Sol! Gentlemen, ladies, couples are welcome! 604 256 336 (FU 2830)
PHILIPINA, Thai, indulge relax ing massage. Private Elviria 679 126 231 (MI 541)
ORIENTAL masseur tantric, mas sage relieving service, villa. Elviria, Marbella. 604 428 812 (MI 545)
ASIAN authentic therapist re lieves pain stress, satisfaction guaranteed. Villa luxury atmo phere. Elviria. 633 705 558 (MI 544)
MARBELLA Experienced mobile Masseuse. Therapeutic & Relax ing massage for your body and mind. Call Monik 686 740 661 (302461)
IT’S TIME to try something dif ferent and very relaxed. Sara, ele gant masseuse, I offer massage, tantric, sensitive, prostatic, au thentic relaxation that will leave you floating on the cloud. . believe me spectacular! Very clean. I give and demand total hygiene! Let yourself go and you will discover the most hidden pleasures. Only by appointment. 650237145 (302347)
RIVIERA DEL SOL . Treat your self to an Excellent Massage! Irina, Cuban masseuse, fun and sponta neous. Only when a massage is something more than a massage, and becomes a unique experi ence, with a mixture of smells, sounds, sensations, only then is when you enjoy the perfection of the exclusive massage. Ask for more information without obliga tion 951274723, 650237145 (302347)
TANTRIC masseuse in Calahon da. Cristal, expert in the art of se duction and tantric massage. Au thentic masseuse who manages to transmit the physical and emotion al pleasure with the 5 senses. Sensual tantric massage or body to body to perfection. Make an ap pointment. 650237145 (302347)
BUTTERFLY - Massage, is a space designed for people with high sensitivity, with a taste for body to body interaction, who en joy the sensuality and magical trantric, to feel the warm hands of an attractive masseuse running through your body. Our masseuses have been chosen not only for their physical attractive ness, but also for their sensuality and massage skills. Only by ap pointment 951274723, 650237145 (302347)
CALA DE MIJAS. Excellent pro fessional masseuse with exclusive attention for people who want to change their routine and want to relax and live a relaxing experi ence. If you are looking for discre tion and good treatment, here I am. I’m Noa and I hope you make your appointment as soon as pos sible because I am very request ed. 650237145 (302347)
MY HANDS can transmit a very important message and make us feel connected. I will create a suit able atmosphere for relaxation and sensuality without noise, can dlelight, soft music, nothing should disturb that moment. Be fore we start, all you have to do is relax, breathe slowly to free your body and mind... I’ll take care of the rest. Irina, qualified masseuse with many years of experience. Book your appoint ment. 650237145 (302347)
RIVIERA DEL SOL. I am Noa a simple and natural girl who hides among her shy appearance the best kept secrets of relaxing, de scontracturante and stimulating massage. I am a specialist in elim inating your worries, muscular tension thanks to a depurative massage technique that I combine with a sensory capacity out of the ordinary. I massage both men and couples. 650237145. by appoint ment only (302347)
CALAHONDA . I am your ideal masseuse if you want to enjoy a massage, relaxing and sensual and want to try the sensations that this generates. I will use my hands and body with techniques of relaxation and mutual connection. Carla650237145 (302347)
THE BEST RELAXING MAS SAGE CLOSE TO ELVIRIA Tantric massages. Come and en joy today with us. Latin masseuses for men. Come and re lax. Outcall, too 650237145 (302347)
NEAR ELVIRIA. Masseuse, ele gant with a high dose of implica tion. Very special tantric sensory massages. I will make you feel very relaxed with a good mas sage. 951274723, 650237145 (302347)
MARBELLA CENTRE - the ideal place for relaxing massage in the city centre. Available 24h and prices from €50. For reservations and information call 620 366 817. (295192)
PROFESSIONAL MALE muscled masseur. Full-body relaxing, deep tissue and therapeutic massage. In/outcalls. WhatsApp me 607 595 906 (301288)
FUENGIROLA - Johanna Brazil ian Mature Masseur. Relaxing Mas sages. Best relax guaranteed. Tel: 617.818.615 (302421)
ASIAN MASSEUR Massage re laxing & therapeutic, to release tension and stress. Fuengirola. Call 634 103 607 (301171)
LOS BOLICHES - Carolina Pretty Masseur, Relaxing Massage, Guar anteed relax - 634.703.111
BENALMADENA lovely lady, of fering you a very relaxing body massage. Call for an appointment 634 209 427 (301476)
FUENGIROLA. Japanese Shiat su & Zen Ki relaxing and ther apeutic massage. Excellent service guaranteed. Home Vis its. WhatsApp for appoint ment 693 988 340 (302511)
WWW.LAILALYNCH1.COM Heated pool, Jacuzzi and private bar. Inland private retreat with a full massage service. 662 913 428 (FU 2810)
FUENGIROLA. Amazing full body massage by spectacular blonde la dy. 657 697 397 (FU 2776)
ESTEPONA . Susana, Latin Girl sculptural body, trained for deep relaxing massage. 697 705 304 (FU 2786)
FUENGIROLA. Amazing full body massage by spectacular blonde la dy. 657 697 397 (FU 2790)
BENALMADENA Costa by the windmill roundabout. Massage if you feel low, massage to make you feel young and strong. Call for info at 658 336 295 Sabrina. 50% off Seniors. Done in a heated room and professional massage table (FU 2827)
FUENGIROLA . Centre Private place, 5 young beautiful masseuses. 603 366 841 ( FU 2823)
SAN PEDRO BEACH. RELAXING AND SENSITIVE MASSEUSES WELCOME YOU IN A PRIVATE AND DISCREET PLACE. YOUNG
AND PLEASANT. WITH APPOINT MENT. EASY, PRIVATE PARKING. TEL. 674 679 757 - 666 194 079 (302345)
ASIAN wellness massage Nice area west Marbella. Guaran teed results. 623 554 233 or 623 594 698 (301500)
JESSICA 28, Estepona. Full tantric massage. High class ser vice. Private apartment. 711 030 670 (302323)
NEW FUENGIROLA. Isabela 19 years, beautiful masseuse. 603 366 841 ( FU 2823)
THAI Benalmádena Costa. Bodybody full massages. Hotels. Visits. Whatsapp 689 387 448 (MI 546)
ESTEPONA next to Cancelada, Kannika, Asian masseuse, com plete relaxation, makes you con tented and more. 602 427 095 (FU 2824)
VANESSA Benalmadena excel lent massage services. Relaxing & theraputic. Home premises. Call me 624 811 098 (302489)
LAURA , RELAXING, TANTRIC, MASSAGE, PROFESSIONAL, 30, WORKS ALONE, DISCREET. SAN PEDRO - NUEVA ANDALUCIA. 641 346 278 (303005)
SAN PEDRO , TANTRIC MASSEUSES. DISCREET, PRIVATE VILLA, 24HRS AVAILABILITY 635 024 765 (303006)
PROFESSIONAL UK TANTRIC MASSAGE specialist. Easy access & parking Mijas Open Mon-Fri 9am-7pm Call for appointment 711 063 797 (302490)
ESTEPONA . Laura majestic masseuse, very friendly, Deep body massage and stress relieve. 600 213 967 (FU 2829)
FUENGIROLA Paula 30 years old beautiful, soft sensitive massages, deep body relaxation techniques 641 244 707 (FU 2908)
FUENGIROLA. Relaxing massage made by alternative gender masseuse. Violeta Chiropractor. 660 867 374 (FU 2828)
BEAUTIFUL Ukrainian, slim, tall pasionate sensual massage luxury. Elviria. Marbella. 618 229 769 (MI 547)
FUENGIROLA . Russian blonde lady, professional Tantric massage. Contact by whatsapp 613 818 042 (2831)
ORIENTAL attractive relaxing massues tantric, balines, thai, hilot. Villa Elviria. 679 126 231 (MI 548)
JADE BRITISH lady relaxing massage service for gentlmen & couples. Private premises. Es tepona area. Call 665 896 519 (302548)
LATINA masseuse, brunette, ex pert in stress relieve, unwind with deep massage relaxing tech niques. 631 925 759 (2832)
GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)
ACE OF SHADES - Don’t let the bugs get you! Available in en rollable, slider and pleated. Large choice of colours includ ing wood effect. Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades.design (101730)
MOSQUITO Screens for win dows, doors and a high-quali ty sliding patio door screen. All finishes available. Quick service. All areas covered. Call Julian 655 825 931 (301104)
MOSQUITO screens, sliding, pulldown, pleated, colours, call Mosquito Nick 647 072 861 www.mosquitonick.ws (295855)
ROBERTSON CARS ...would like to thank all of my past, present & future clients for their continued support over the last 35 years here in Spain. Stay safe and out drive everyone. If contacting Samantha in the afternoons, please only Whatsapp on 608 658 785 or Email therobert sonclan@gmail.com as I am driv ing mostly & unable to take your calls.
ROVER SPORT 4X4 DIESEL
/AUTOMATIC 2011.Looks right in White, only 130,000 kms (ap prox 80,000miles) Private Lady Owner, parking sensors, reverse camera, sat nav, ITV till June 2023. turns heads good looks and quality. A gift at 18,995€....Saman tha. See photos on my web page – robertsoncars-spain.com text or whats app. 608 658 785. email therobertsonclan@gmail.com
CAR…..ISMAS IS COMING ROBERTSON CARS AUTOMAT IC / DIESEL MERCEDES B200 2015. My Golfing Girlfriends car, Rich Wine Red, 5 door, always garaged and low kilometres, ev erything you want. Outdrive ev eryone in this beauty. Low KMS. Low Price .. Ask Santa €17,995. See photos on my web page –www.robertsoncars-spain,com or whats app me 608 658 785 email. therobertsonclan@ gmail.com
CAR…..ISMAS IS COMING ROBERTSON CARS AUTOMAT IC / CABRIO MERCEDES SLK 2006 Stunning Silver only used as holiday car with 55,000KMS (Approx 35,000miles) 2 Seater Convertible have fun in the sun. New ITV. Just Passed July till 2023 Electric Roof folds into boot. Sell ing Under Book Price. Classy Great Shape Mercedes Cracker of a Cabrio 11,500€ See photos on my web page – www.robertsoncar s-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785 Email: therobertson clan@gmail.com
CAR…..ISMAS
CABRIO FORD FOCUS 2007 ONLY 32,000kms approx 20,000miles. Manual, great 4 Seater convert ible, striking sea blue, air-condi tion, CD player, electric hood folds into the boot. Private gentleman owner returning to UK. Excellent condition The ideal Christmas Gift...7,995€. See photos on my web page – www.robertsoncar s-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785 Email: therobertson clan@gmail.com
AYGO AUTOMATIC 2015 Small easy to drive & park. ONLY 17,000KMS. Looks pretty in White. Lady Owner leaving Spain. Always garaged, air-condition, electric locking. Condition like NEW. AR
RIVES THIS WEEK. SANTA SPE
CIAL .. 9,995€. See photos on my web page – www.robertsoncar s-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785 Email: therobertson clan@gmail.com
WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philoso phy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)
MOBILE MECHANIC will come to your home or work. Servicing, repairs, ITVs & di agnostics. Call Mick on 617 553 072 (301275)
ENGLISH bodyshop, fully equipped, Mijas Costa. No Job Too Small. 952 667 074 (302028)
ALL CARS / Commercials wanted, runners or non-runners. Cash. Buyer collects. Transfer included. 605 109 796 (301158)
WANTED, wanted, wanted!! All cars, all years, all models… from exotic to classic. Spanish, En glish, Dutch plated. Call us on 951 977 329 or 606 647 597. (301127)
LADY with fractured right arm looking for someone to help walk Yorkshire Terrier and shopping. Tel: 951 698 013 (302545)
PROFESSIONAL picture framing. Original Christmas gift is a collage of your family photos with titles, Whatsapp photos to us, we do therest. Contact us to see sam ples: 606 561 581. All proceeds support our charity, People in Need Gambia (301477)
ANIMEX Foundation offers free will upgrading when leaving some thing for abandoned animals. Con tact animexfoundation@gmail.com or call 692 166 434 now for this absolutely free service (288287)
ARCH - The Andalucian Rescue Centre for Horses, registered char ity 8448, the Centre is open to vis itors every Sunday from 9am until 2pm. Working closely with the Spanish authorities, we rescue, re habilitate and rehome abused and abandoned horses and donkeys. Come and meet our current res cues, learn about our work and how you may be able to help. Run solely by a small team of dedicat ed volunteers, the Centre is locat ed between Alhaurin el Grande and Coin in Comm. de Viña Bor rego behind Venta Miralmonte. For more information and directions see our website www.horsere scuespain.org, our Facebook page Centro Andalusi de Rescate de Ca ballos or tel. 610 845 491 or 656 935 613 (93322)
COCKROACHES, ANTS, insects, fleas, mice, rats, wasps, termite specialists. Fumigations, bars, restaurants, houses, etc. Sanitary department officially registered certificates. Serving the coast since 1985. Only legal English owned pest control company on the coast. If you want the best then phone N.P.S. Paul 676 700 370 (1296213)
WELL-established and thriving pet transport business for sale For more info, please contact rsim7445@yahoo.es (302308)
CAT & DOG World Kennels and Cattery. 952 112 978 / 630 197 435. www.catanddogworld.com (302318)
SEPE the horse and donkey chari ty is open to the public at week ends from 10.00 to 5.00. Volun teers are much needed in all departments and are welcome at any time. For our riding for the disabled classes, we are also in need of extra helpers. We are na tionally registered by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior (164640) but only with your support can we give the equine a voice. If you can just commit to 2 or 3 euros a month it will really help make a difference. You can find us at Lau ro Golf Equestrian Centre, Alque ria, Alhaurin de la Torre. Tel. 608 258 950 info@sepeonline.net www.sepeonline.net (93321)
THINKING of selling your property or interested in a current valuation? We have clients actively looking for properties from Torremolinos to Calahonda. List with us and let us sell your property. Call Joe 626 864 683 (301427)
WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM Costa del Sol Property Sales & Long term rentals wanted. All ar eas / All budgets / All types. Spain +34 951 708 422. UK +44 208 144 5008. Email info@intermar bella.com (295509)
15 CUBIC metre van returning to the UK 23rd December 2022. Space available each way. Tel. 639 928 090
MAN & VAN, 20€ ph. Removals, Rubbish & House Clearances. Paul 634 112 677 (291430)
2 MEN, Van €30 p hour. House Clearances & Storage. 651 081 610 (301134)
moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (293101)
STORAGE, Storage, Storage. Man & Van Services. Call/Whatsapp 690 155 340 (302418)
PROFESSIONAL LOCAL RE MOVALS AT AFFORDABLE RATES. 1/2 DAY FROM €90. FULL DAY FROM €175. WE AL SO PROVIDE A FORTNIGHTLY DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE TO UK AND EUROPE (INCL SCOT LAND). WORLDWIDE SHIP PING TO USA, AUSTRALIA, ETC AND FULL STORAGE FA CILITIES. TEL (0034) 952 578 507 OR (0034) 637 892 278 / EMAIL garymoveit@yahoo. co.uk (301295)
JDS EURO TRANSPORT & RE MOVALS - Regular trips throughout Europe. Call or WhatsApp Julian 0044 7884 908 929. See Facebook Page for recommendations (301271)
SOLAR BLINDS ES Ideal for Large Glazed Areas to Reflect Heat / Glare And Stop Furniture Fading And Still Keep The View. Save Heat in The Winter to Im prove Your Living Environment. ian@solarshadetinting.com Tel Ian 958 496 571 / 644 546 176 (292919)
CURTAINS, blinds, cushions and much more. Free estimates and home visits. Tel 657 369 343 or rosan nacarmella8@gmail.com (301301)
POOL MAINTENANCE , & Re pairs, including heaters & re grouts. Friendly & reliable ser vice. Malaga to Estepona & inland areas. 678 791 495 / 951 536 389 www.sparklenripple.net (291440)
SWIMMING Pool Heating Pumps, Pool Covers, Rollers, Filtration Systems. 26 years installation history in Spain. Envirocare. All areas cov ered. Quality Guaran teed. 952 663 141/ 670 409 759 info@envirocarespain. com www.envirocarespain. com (301178)
INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LI CENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 636 444 929 (301483)
MALE/Female Viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly all areas. Mixed trial packs available. Delivery or mail order available 604 385 476. viagra4you19@ gmail.com
PAINTERS / Decorators - Mar bella, Estepona, Coin Area. Please call Albert 663 681 012 (302057)
SOLUCIONES RAPIDAS - We will Paint your apartment in maxi mum 2 days. 640 350 479 (301298)
ACE CHARITY ‘El Refugio’ in La Cala de Mijas is a registered charity. We have on average 275 dogs in our care and we receive no help from the town hall or the Andalucian government. We desperately need foster homes and adoptants for our many dogs, especially the small ones and puppies who do not do well in a big shelter. We are grateful for any help offered, including donations of food and blankets. Visiting times are from 13.00 to 15.00 and you can always turn up or make an appointment by calling Denise on 669 018 736. Our website is www.ace-chari ty.org where you can view all the dogs in our care. (93320)
SOS ANIMAL REFUGE we have dogs, young and old looking for homes. Some of our dogs have been with us for some time and would love to find a cosy spot to curl up in and a knee on which to rest their heads. If you have room in your heart and home we would love to hear from you. We do not put our dogs to sleep - no matter how old, they are safe with us. For day to day needs and to pay for veterinary care, we much appreci ate the support we receive. We desperately need items to sell on our market stall to help raise funds and are happy to come and col lect. So, if you are having a clearout, please contact us on 605 227 155. If you would like to know more about rehoming, please call 653 257 875. Visit our website www.sos-animals.org or please phone Sandy on 952 385 923 or 666 814 056 if you would like to make a donation or help in any way. (93317)
WWW.INMOANDALUZ.COM. Bargain inland properties for all budgets, fincas, village homes, apartments and vi llas. Legal building plots. 952 491 609 / 685 514 835 (295954)
WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM
Costa del Sol Property for sale. All areas / all budgets / all types. Spain +34 951 708 422. UK +44 208 144 5008 Email info@inter marbella.com (295509)
moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (293101)
moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (293101)
OFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS All Languages. 952 789 204 Mobile 654 613 094 sanpedrotransla tions@gmail.com (301426)
UK & IRISH Passport re newals including photos. Com plete Service. Cath’s Cards. 952 885 759. www.cath scards.es (295683)
ADANA THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN ESTEPONA. We always need volunteers to walk and socialise with our dogs and help with clean ing. We also need good homes for our animals that you can see on www.adana.es. Kennels open every day 10-1.30, Camino de Casares, near Parque de los Pe dregales, Estepona. (5 minutes from the Poligono) For more infor mation call 952 113 467, available from 10.00am until 2.00pm. (93319)
PLUMBING . Leak detection & blocked drains. Tel 952 568 414 / 661 910 772 / drainspain.com
STARLIGHT PROPERTY. All Ar eas. Residential & Holiday Lets. 689 819 592 www.starlight -spain.com (301262)
ACE OF SHADES - PERSIANA (security shutter) electric and manual, various colours avail able including wood effect, we also offer a repair service. Make your home more secure! Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades. design (101730)
ROLLER shutter repairs, 7 days a week, conversion from manual to motorised, new in stallations. All areas covered. Coast and inland. 655 825 931
CARPETS AND SOFAS cleaned. Reliable, fast service. Family run. Cleansol 952 930 861 / 607 610 578. 10am10pm 7 days, all areas Dis count Code: EWN 1 CLEAN (206437)
Electric & Gas Water Heaters. Quality Installations. 26 years installation history in Spain. EnviroCare. All Areas Cov ered. 952 663 141/670 409 759 info@envirocarespain. com www.envirocarespain. com (301178)
LONG TERM RENTALS AVAIL ABLE and also wanted. Super prices. Apartments, town houses, villas, fincas, shops, offices, bars, restaurants. Coast & inland. Tlf 679 111 522 (301480)
WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM
Costa del Sol Property Long Term Rentals All areas / All budgets / All types. Spain +34 951 708 422 UK +44 208 144 5008. Email info@ intermarbella.com (295509)
FRENCH POLISHING RE PAIRS , restoration etc. restore your valuable furniture to its for mer glory. Tel 647 579 519 / 952 499 944 (285318)
DREAM Windows & Building Services UPVC windows & doors. High quality at great prices 15yrs on the coast. All work guaranteed. Also offer Alumini um windows, Mosquito screens, Persianas, Glass replacements, shower screens & much more. Call us on 619 604 562 dreamwindow1@outlook.com (301215)
SOLAR Hot Water heating: FREE HOT WATER. 26 years installation history in Spain. Envirocare. All areas covered. Quality guaranteed. 952 663 141/ 670 409 759 info@envi rocarespain.com www.enviro carespain.com (301178)
MOBILE SERVICE. ITV Legal. Solar Reflective tint for glass curtains, balconies, yachts. Stop fading, heat & glare. 958 496 571 - 644 546 176 ian@solar shadetinting.com (292919)
AS marques go, few can match Sir William Lyon’s Jaguar, especially when you consider he began building side cars in Blackpool. In its modern incarna tion Jaguar is now one of the companies that’s leading the charge to electrification. Their range already en compasses pure electric, plug in hybrid and mild hy brid models, including a mild hybrid diesel power unit.
The lead in XF is the R Dynamic S which is priced from €40,909/£35,100 with a 2.0 litre, four cylin der, mild hybrid diesel power unit. Even in this entry level model Jaguar don’t stint on the standard equipment with adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking and rear cam era, LED lights, auto lights and wipers, auto dimming rear view mirror, powered front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,
heated and powered door mirrors and more. Of course consult the options list to say it’s big is some what of an understate ment and the price can escalate dramatically.
Although only a 2.0 litre, four cylinder mild hybrid diesel propels the XF past the benchmark 60 mph in 7.1 seconds and returns very decent fuel economy. The XF can also be speci fied with all wheel drive rather than the standard rear wheel drive along
with a range of petrol en gines. All the XF range has an eight speed automatic transmission.
I’m a fan of more tradi tional, lighter and arguably more British interior style rather than the dark hues of many modern cars. Much to their credit Jaguar offer a range of both light and dark interi ors at no extra cost.
I criticised the original XE and XF for what I saw as a drop in quality. That has certainly been recti
fied and the XF feels like it is back where it belongs on that side of the quality equation. There’s also a lesson for digitisation obsessives in car de sign, it doesn’t have to be com plicated and can be intuitive, as the XF demon strates perfectly.
On the road the XF doesn’t disappoint and despite a mere four cylinders retains a com mendably refined air. With ride options ranging from sport to waft mode it’s a delight and still re tains a special feel that some German marques lack..
On the debit side the XF isn’t that spacious consid ering its size. There are al so still traces of cheaper plastics that should never be allowed inside a Jaguar! Overall though this is a car that acquits itself with considerable aplomb and which can happily park on my drive anytime.
NEXT year’s Chinese Grand Prix has been can celled due to continuing strict Covid measures imposed in the country.
The Formula 1 race was due to return to the country’s most populous city of Shanghai in April next year for the first time since 2019, in the fourth round of a record 24 race season.
But Chinese President Xi Jinping’s continu ing zero Covid policy, which has seen the country in perpetual lockdowns since the be ginning of the pandemic, has caused F1 to de cide the race will no longer go ahead.
In a statement released on Friday Decem
ber 2, a spokesperson for Formula 1 said: “Formula 1 can confirm, following dialogue with the promoter and relevant authorities, that the 2023 Chinese Grand Prix will not take place due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the Covid 19 situation.
The cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, held at the Shanghai International Circuit, re duces next season’s schedule to 23 races still a record number for F1. Meanwhile, the up coming season will also see the debut of a race on the strip in Las Vegas, in the western state of Nevada in the United States.
SPAIN’S National Police force launched the second phase of the ‘Coniferous’ operation at the end of November, which was originally launched to in vestigate allegations of match fixing in football leagues in Spain and Gibraltar to facilitate illegal betting.
The indictment of about 20 people is scheduled to be added to the 27 that were already be
ing investigated by the Sanlucar de Barrameda’s No4 court in Cadiz Province. The individuals face charges of belonging to a criminal organisation and cor ruption.
It is believed the network could have manipulated the re sults of more than 30 first, sec ond and third division RFEF matches, as well as games in the Gibraltar National League. A to
tal of €500,000 is estimated to have been profited.
The main focus was report edly placed on active players who could have executed the fixes on the pitch. Various other individuals who sold their per sonal data to the leaders of the group so they could open ac counts with no prior records in different betting operators were also placed under investigation.
AFTER an impressive perfor mance against Senegal, Eng land set up a mouthwater ing clash against current world champions France.
On Saturday, December 10 at 8pm on ITV, Gareth Southgate’s England square up against a French side led by arguably the star of the World Cup so far, Kylian Mbappe.
With highly sought after midfielder Jude Bellingham powering the Three Lions with his lung busting dis plays and goals flowing freely among an impressive attacking front line, the clash with France is a must see.
If England can beat the French, their next match would be on Wednesday,
December 14, where they will face either Spain, Mo rocco, Portugal or Switzer land.
On the other side of the draw, Argentina and Brazil are one match away from setting up a potential ‘clash of the titans’. However, Netherlands and Croatia will be looking to prevent this.
In fact, the Netherlands have been one of the sur prises of the tournament and will be hoping to cause an upset against Messi’s Ar gentina on Friday, Decem ber 9 at 8pm.
Prior to the Netherlands vs Argentina match, Brazil take on a Croatia side fresh
win over Japan.
Brazil strolled past South Korea and established themselves as the team to beat.
Croatia will aim to stop Neymar and co when the two sides meet on Friday, December 9 at 4pm.
A semi final between two of the aforementioned four teams will take place on Tuesday, December 13 at 8pm.
The Qatar World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, De cember 18 at 4pm.
