Axarquia 15 - 21 December 2022 Issue 1954

CHRISTMAS ALIVE

NERJA’S live nativity scene is set to return to the town’s Plaza de Andalucia, bringing the Christmas magic to life. The ‘living nativity’ scene sees local people interpret the traditional nativity scene in a fascinating performance that engages all of the senses for visitors.

The event was launched at a ceremony on Sunday, December 11, where this year’s poster was presented to the public.

The poster features unusual artwork by local artist, David Navas, and was presented by organisers including local parish priest, Francisco Javier Velasco, before a perfor ­

mance by the Alminares de Nerja choir.

Various scenes carefully decorated with intricate details will bring ancient Bethlehem to life on the streets of Nerja. Live nativities are traditional cultural events in Andalucia, and Nerja’s event has been recognised as an event of tourist interest by Malaga Council since 2020.

This year’s live nativity will be held on Sunday, December 18 in the town’s Plaza de Andalucia from 4pm until 8pm. Visitors can view the scenes on a walking tour from Calle María Muñoz la Pulga to the Plaza de Andalucia during the event.

Welcome wheels

AN inspiring collaborative effort from local organisations from Nerja and Frigiliana has helped the regional delegation of the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC) to purchase a new vehicle, with a generous donation of €5,000.

The seven seater car will enable the association to transport cancer patients to and from hospital and health centre appointments in Nerja and Frigiliana and surrounding areas.

The move will boost the quality of the organisation’s services, allowing patients to travel in comfort to vital healthcare appointments to receive treatment.

Nerja’s mayor, José Alberto Armijo, thanked the association saying “Our

council has always stood in solidarity with the AECC, and we will continue to support them in any way we can.”

He also thanked local volunteers whose dedication improves many local cancer

patients’ quality of life.

Frigiliana’s mayor also added his thanks to the AECC for their local work in providing customised care for local cancer patients. He described funding the new vehicle as “our duty and a

much­needed resource.”

Those interested in volunteering for the AECC or using their services can contact the organisation by calling 619 539 737 to get more information about local services.

Culinary classes

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THE Red Cross in Nerja is set to provide free online food safety classes for local job seekers in a pioneering project to fight unemployment.

The local delegation of the international health and social organisation announced the initiative at a meeting with Nerja’s councillor for Human Resources, Angela Diaz, on Monday, December 12.

The online course aims to give people in Nerja and Maro food handling skills, useful for their personal lives and future employment prospects.

Local Red Cross representative, Damian Toboso, explained the objectives of the programme, saying the course aims to provide participants with training on food hygiene and handling, to prevent contamination. The course is valuable experience for people with an interest in working in the hospitality sector, or those seeking to expand their culinary knowledge and experience.

Anyone interested in taking the course can register by visiting the local Red Cross headquarters in the Nerja Town Hall or by sending an email to: elena.cerezo@cruzroja.es.

RED CROSS: Are offering a free online food prepara

tion and safety course.

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/ Shift Drive

BIBLE STORY: Scenes from Nerja’s ‘living nativity’ last year, which is set to return to the town this weekend.

Photo credit: Belén Viviente de Las Protegidas, Nerja (Via Facebook)

GENEROUS DONATION: Cancer patients in Nerja will be able to travel in comfort to hospital appointments thanks to the AECC’s new vehicle.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Nerja

Winter wonderland

ALMUÑECAR is in for a festive treat this month with a Christmas village offering a range of themed activities and shopping opportunities for locals and visitors.

The Christmas village is set to take place at the Feria de Día, near to the Río Verde children’s park on the outskirts of the town.

The Poblado Navideño

Christmas village opens on Friday, December 16, and will be open for the entire festive period until Sunday, January 8, offering three weeks of fun.

Attractions at the event include fairground rides, bouncy castles, and game stalls. The fair will also offer delicious seasonal food and drinks for visitors to try.

Almuñecar’s Christmas village is just one of more than 40 activities scheduled to take place in the town over the festive period. It follows on from the town’s Christmas lights switch ­ on which took place last week on Wednesday, December 7, launching the exciting and varied cultural programme.

Councillor for Culture, Alberto García Gilabert, encouraged all locals to get involved, “to experience a Christmas full of happiness.”

New Year in Nerja

APPLICATIONS have opened for contractors to run three temporary bars in Nerja town centre on New Year’s Eve. Council representative, Elena Gálvez, opened the registrations on Friday, December 9, announcing that they would remain open for one week.

The contracts are expected to be particularly lucrative given their prime location in the Balcón de Europa square on one of the biggest party nights of the year.

Opening the registrations, Gálvez reminded bidders that only bars registered in Nerja are eligible for the contracts and of additional requirements including licensing rules.

Bar applications must be completed online through the town hall website and will remain open until Friday, December 16 at

HEALTHY living will be the focus of a pioneering pilot project in Rincon de La Victoria this week. The town is set to host its first ever ‘well­being’ weekend in Plaza Al­Ándalus from Friday, December 16 until Sunday, December 18.

The event will offer an exciting variety of activities focusing not only on physical health, but also mental, social, environmental, and spiritual health. The programme is designed to be accessible to all with workshops such as candle making, head massage, and yoga, as well as musical performances.

12pm. The council will then award the contract by lottery, selecting three of the contractors to run bars in the square on New Year’s Eve. Huge crowds of locals and visitors gather in the town’s largest square on New Year to watch the clock on the town hall strike midnight before celebrations continue into the night with fireworks and musical performances.

Health hotspot

Mindfulness is a key focus of the three­day event, which aims to promote relaxation and ‘balanced lifestyles’ according to local councillor for Social Welfare, Elena Aguilar who added that locals can discover alternative lifestyles at the event.

Conference organisers have also put together a programme of entertainment for children, to provide childcare for parents wishing to participate.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Nerja

Crowds of revellers gather in Balcón de Europa to welcome in the new year.

NIBS EXTRA

Welcome water

RECENT downpours might have wreaked havoc with lots of plans during the last week, but it’s good news for local reservoirs. Across Axarquía, reservoirs have been replenished to 34 per cent of capacity, beating records from last December.

Relaxing retreat

A TOWN in Axarquia was highlighted by travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler as one of the ‘Most Beautiful Towns in Andalucia’. Frigiliana was selected for its rich gastronomy, beautiful natural landscapes and a sense of tranquility for visitors.

Culinary festival

LOCAL organisations are gearing up to host the most important food festival on Torrox’s calendar. The Migas Festival is set for Sunday, December 18, celebrating the town’s quintessential dish and local musical and agricultural traditions.

Agri aggressors

LOCAL POLICE arrested eight people on suspicion of plundering crops in Axarquia. The suspects, aged between 19 and 42, are accused of stealing olives from farms. Police recovered more than 1,000kg of olives.

Footie field

LOCAL sports got a boost in Velez­Malaga with a brand new football pitch at the La Ermita de Almayate stadium.

RUNNERS in Nerja can’t hang up their shoes for the festive period just yet! The ‘Memorial Miguel y Cecilio Prados’ mile race is set to take place in the town on Saturday, December 17, giving athletics fans their fix of festive competition.

The running event marks its 38th edition this weekend and is likely to see runners of all ages and abilities challenging themselves in the medium distance race.

The competition is open to runners of all ages with several age categories from the age of six to over 65s.

Christmas cardio Generous gifts

able event on the regional athletics calendar, and invited all athletics fans from Nerja and Maro to participate in the race, or come along and watch.

Rivas highlighted the popularity of the event, saying organisers expect to see a huge turnout this year after two years of the pandemic.

The race is set to get underway from 4.30pm in the town, with epic prizes up for grabs for top finishers, including Christmas hams from the local Lions organisation, as well as cash prizes.

Get voting

COUNCILS across Axarquia are launching campaigns to help every eligible voter to get registered ahead of local elections which are due to take place in Spain on May 23 2023. Nerja and Almuñecar councils have issued guidance to help foreign residents to get registered ahead of the deadline.

FOLLOWING on from their success at a junior sports day in Almuñecar, the local Caritas association held a successful Christmas food bank drive at supermarkets in the town on Saturday, December 10.

Dedicated volunteers stood outside 10 local supermarkets all day on Saturday, asking shoppers to pick up an extra item or two for their Christmas food donation drive. The food collected during the drive will be collected and organised by volunteers in a ‘solidarity pantry’ food bank format, to ensure those in

need do not go without food at Christmas. Volunteers took to Facebook to thank generous members of the public for their donations as they started Christmas food shopping, and received an outpouring of support from locals. Caritas also thanked locals saying “Every food and cash donation is greatly appreciated.” Caritas in Almuñecar also

has another Christmas campaign, to ensure that no child spends Christmas without a gift. Locals can get involved by donating toys and games to the organisation before Sunday, January 1.

Food donations can also still be made at Caritas’ headquarters at the Iglesia Del Salvador church in the P4 neighbourhood.

Roman revival

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA is poised for a major cultural moment as a Roman villa in the town is set to be opened to the public for the first time on Monday, December 19. The new attraction is the product of a refurbishment project to allow visitors to discover the town’s Roman history.

Villa Antiopa is located in the Torre de Bengalbon area of the town and offers an immersive experience for visitors.

The historic attraction aims to cater to a range of visitors with accessibility options for disabled visitors, activities for children and older visitors, and tourist information available in a variety of languages.

Local residents will be able to enjoy free entry for the first four days after it opens. After­

wards, tickets will be priced between €4 and €6 from: www.turismoenrincon.es or in­person by visiting the site.

Almuñecar Council launched its campaign on Tuesday, December 13 with the goal of giving the expat community a voice in local and regional affairs. The town has a large expat population of more than 7,000 foreign nationals. Almuñecar mayor, Juan José Ruiz Joya expressed his support for the scheme saying “We want our large international community to have a say in crucial local matters.”

First time voters must register online before the deadline on Friday, January 30, through the cl@ve system at: https://sede.ine.gob.es/m anifestacionVotoPer.../pre sentacion or in­person by visiting the town hall. Residents can also check their eligibility to vote online.

Residents from EU countries are eligible to vote in the local elections as well as non­EU residents from countries including the UK, Norway, Iceland an South Korea.

Councillor for Sports, Daniel Rivas, expressed his excitement for the event, describing it as an unmiss­

NERJA RUNNERS: Can soak up the festive spirit while enjoying a competitive atmosphere at the Urban Mile race.

Photo credit: Alex Tihonovs / shutterstock.com

Big Christmas market

THE Big Christmas Market is being held on Sunday, December 18 at 12.00 until 5pm at the Scirocco Intercultural Centre, C. VentaBaja 10, Puente de DonManuel, 29713 Alcaucin.

Everyone is welcome to come along and be enchanted by the beautifully decorated Christmas magic. Stalls will sell home­made chocolates, jams, cakes, biscuits, spices, dried fruits and much more as well as essential oils, home­made soaps and wellness products, incense, wood crafts, flowers and wreaths, dog accessories and much more...

There will also be stalls offering food and drink, a raffle or visit Santa’s Grotto. The Castillo choir will start at 2pm, followed by the Children’s and Youth Choir at 3pm.

Father Christmas will also come along with a surprise for the little ones. The festivities continue with the Jingle Belles choir at 4pm and the raffle will be drawn at 4.30pm.

Abandoned vehicles achievement

Betty Henderson

A SAFETY initiative by police in Rincon de La Victoria has had significant success in the last year, with nearly 150 abandoned vehicles removed from the roads.

Announcing this year’s figures on Wednesday, December 7, local councillor for Security, Borja Ortiz, thanked the community for their cooperation in the matter. The Local Police offer the service to remove abandoned and decaying vehicles from the road which could pose safety threats to other vehicles or cause a nuisance to the community.

Police remove abandoned cars for free after contacting owners and move them to private land or to be scrapped if necessary. This year’s service saw 147 cars removed from public roads, 92 of which were taken to private land by owners and the remaining 55 were scrapped.

Anyone wanting to report an abandoned car, including car owners can contact the police for the free removal service by calling: 951 212 223.

Vehicles reported by the public receive a sticker warning owners of a 16­day notice period to remove the vehicle from public roads or face compulsory removal by the police.

Shutterstock.com/Tijana Moraca Come and visit Santa.

EU travel requirements

Peter McLaren­Kennedy

ALL travellers to the EU from the UK will require to make use of the ETIAS authorisation system, which comes into force at the end

of the year.

ETIAS is not a visa, but is rather more akin to the American system, but an electronic system that will allow Schengen member countries to better control movement in and out of the EU.

The system is being introduced primarily to allow the EU to better control its borders, but will also bring about the consistent application of the rules:

• Reduce procedures and application times

• Improve the management of EU country borders

• Assist in detecting and decreasing crime and terrorism

• Impede irregular migration

• Reinforce the visa liberalisation policy of the EU

But most of all the EU believes that the new system will make travelling to the EU less of a hassle and a much safer experience for everyone.

ETIAS Requirements for UK Citizens

Currently UK citizens do not require any prior approval or visa to visit the EU, however, ETIAS changes that with a quick application required prior to travel. The application will take only a few minutes to complete, will cost the equivalent of €7.00 and will be valid for three years.

The fee will only apply to

those aged between 18 and 70.

Duration of stay and moving around Europe

The ETIAS system does not change the current policy that restricts the visit of non­EU residents to 90 days in any 180­day period.

Once approval has been given you will be free to enter and move around Europe for business, tourism and medical reasons. It will also allow you to use Europe for transit whilst travelling.

Please note it does not give you the right to work, to live or to overstay the 90 days.

If you do overstay you could be fined, deported or refused entry in the future even if you broke the law unintentionally.

Applying for an ETIAS?

You will need to visit the official website or make use of the mobile application once it becomes available. There you will you need to complete the

application, which asks for basic information such as name, address and passport details.

The process, which should take less than 10 minutes to complete, should result in your receiving authority to enter the EU within a few minutes of submitting your application. Please remember that your application could be denied if you have a criminal record, pose a danger to society, have provided fraudulent information or pose a threat.

Entering the EU

As before you will need to be able to show a valid passport on entry (issue for no more than 10 years and have three months remaining at the time of your intended departure) and your ETIAS authorisation.

You may also be asked why you are travelling to the EU and whether you have the financial means to support yourself.

BORDER CONTROL: New system will allow better control of movement in and out of the EU.

Registering for Spanish Local Elections - A Simple Guide

WHO can vote in Spanish local elections?

NB. there is no automatic right to vote in Spanish local elections for non­Spanish residents. You need to register your intention.

EU citizens: Simply go to your local town hall with your passport and ask to register. You should be on the Padrón to do this. They will give you the form and do the registration on the spot.

Non­EU citizens: Only countries which have a reciprocal arrangement with Spain can stand and vote in Local Elections. IF you come from a country which has a reciprocal agreement with Spain for its citizens. These countries are currently: Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, United Kingdom, and Trinidad and Tobago.

There are conditions:

1. You need to be on the Padrón (Municipal Register)

2. You must have had legal residence in Spain for at least three years

3. You need to complete the form to register on the voters’ roll (available at your Council Offices)

4. You need to register before January

15, 2023.

Remember to take your TIE/Residencia document, and your passport with you. If your TIE is Temporary ie for five years, please try to bring with you something that will demonstrate that you have been resident for at least three years: maybe a photocopy of your original Green Paper Residencia.

Forms can also be downloaded from my website, complete at home and taken to our local town hall for registration. https://billandersonmijas.es/vote­inspanish­local­elections/

You may receive an invitation to register from the Oficina del Censo Electoral. If you do, you can simply tick the ‘Yes’ box and post it back, Freepost.

If you don’t receive this, you must register in person at your local town hall. A form must be completed for each person who wishes to register.

You have the right to vote in these elections. Don’t let others decide who will spend your money from May 2023. Get registered and you make the decision.

The above information has been provided by Mijas councillor Bill Anderson.

Quality of life

A SPANISH city has attracted global acclaim as it was named the world’s best city to live in for expats. The annual report revealed Valencia pipped Dubai and Mexico City to the post to take top place on the list.

The report was created by global expat network, InterNations and is based on several different indicators, including the quality of life, happiness of residents, beauty, and amount of green spaces. The platform selects and ranks the top 50 cities each year for foreigners to live or work in. Evidently, there is no shortage of

beautiful places in Spain, and this year’s list reflected that, with three Spanish cities making it to the top 20. Madrid came in at fifth place, while Barcelona was ranked the 14th best city in the world to live in. This year’s top 10 was made up by Dubai, Mexico City, Lisbon, Madrid, Bangkok, Basel, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore.

Interestingly, American cities did not make an appearance until the 12th position on the list with Miami, and no British cities made it to the top 20.

A White Christmas?

Betty Henderson CHRISTMAS is nearly here, but what are the chances of a white Christmas this year? And where are the coldest places in the country?

The first snow recently fell in several Spanish National Parks and mountainous regions, and experts from Aemet weather agency announced on Thursday, December 8 that they believe

snow could return to low altitudes this year. Heavy rains across the country in recent days could turn into frost in some areas of the country including the Pyrenees where temperatures are expected to drop to a cool ­6ºC to ­8ºC.

Snow could then fall in inland regions including Asturias, Palencia, northern Madrid, southern Cantabria, La Rioja, Huesca, Ávila,

Cáceres, Navarra, and Lleida.

The coldest places in Spain have also been named and include La Torre de Capdella, in Lleida, Reinosa in Cantabria, Vega de Liordes in León, and Calamocha in Teruel.

In Vega de Liordes, temperatures in the past have dropped to a staggering low of up to ­35.9ºC, while the other towns have recorded lows colder than ­24ºC.

Unconventional entry

A PARAGLIDER has perplexed authorities in Melilla after entering the Spanish enclave by air and seemingly disappearing. A person crossed the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish overseas

territory by paragliding over it at the beginning of December.

By ­ standers saw the paraglider enter over a fence while driving on a ring road on the outskirts of Melilla in the evening at

Humanitarian hoax

A DRUG smuggling operation was busted by Spanish Guardia Civil officers with traffickers disguising marihuana as aid for Ukraine in an attempt to transport it around Europe. Police made various arrests in the Andalucia region after receiving a tip­off about Ukrainians storing marihuana in an apartment in Fuengirola, on the Costa del Sol.

The discovery led to a string of international arrests including Ukrainian, Spanish, German and Moroccan nationals.

During Operation Marlin, police officers made 11 arrests for various crimes including drug trafficking, electricity misuse, possession of weapons and belonging to an organised criminal gang. They also seized more than 109kg of vacuum packaged marihuana at the address.

The operation had seen the gang package drugs in cardboard boxes and use vans registered in Ukraine to carry the drugs towards the north of the continent. The Ukrainian vans travelled in convoy, posing as aid workers carrying humanitarian supplies for Ukraine to avoid scrutiny at border controls.

around 6.15pm and notified police. Melilla’s representative to the Spanish government released a statement saying, “Police forces were immediately deployed to the area but were unable to locate the migrant.” A short video was released on social media showing a paraglider with a white parachute crossing the two parallel border fences and apparently landing in a forested area nearby. The limited description means that police were unable to identify the migrant’s nationality.

If successful, the event would be the first time a migrant entered the territory using the unusual method of transport. Melilla has been at the centre of migration controversy in recent years with the Spanish Foreign Ministry recording arrivals of at least 1,155 undocumented migrants between the start of the year and Saturday, October 15.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Museum first

THE Workers Museum in Copenhagen which has been documenting working conditions of Danish employees over the past 150 years is the first Danish museum to ever be awarded The Council of Europe Museum Prize for its chronicling of the development of the Danish labour movement.

THE NETHERLANDS

Crafty idea

IN order to meet Dutch requirements to reduce the amount of nitrogen emissions at Schiphol airport and to do this without reducing the number of flights taking off and landing, the owners have purchased several local cattle farms which will be closed and cows removed.

BELGIUM

Nouveau decree

IN order to ensure that tourists are able to take photographs of heritage buildings during 2023 which has been declared Brussels Art Nouveau Year, no vehicle will be allowed to park in front of any of the nominated buildings in the capital.

GERMANY

Sweet Santa

WITH the celebration of St Nicholas in Germany on December 6, chocolate manufacturers had been working flat out to produce chocolates and miniature Santas with a total of 169 million going on sale (5.6 per cent up on 2021) according to manufacturers association BDSI.

FRANCE

Emily in Paris

HUGELY successful Netflix series Emily in Paris returns for a third series and Lily Collins, daughter of musician Phil Collins travelled to Paris to join other cast members for the unveiling of the series which is due to hit screens worldwide from December 21.

NORWAY

Big Brother

IN order to combat the threat of terrorism, the Norwegian government will allow the police intelligence agency PST to store all comments written on public platforms such as social media for at least five years even though this has attracted considerable criticism from human rights groups.

FINLAND

Independence Day

FOR the first time since 2019, Finns were able to gather to celebrate Finland’s Independence Day on December 6, although events were smaller than usual in order to try to ensure that there was no sudden increase in the number of cases of Covid-19.

IRELAND

Special honour

IRISH rock band U2 were invited to Washington DC on December 4 to receive an award from the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for lifetime artistic achievements and although Bono was almost unrecognisable, the Edge wore his trademark beanie hat.

ITALY

Xmas favourite

FOR the first time, Rome has been named as the number one European city that travellers from the UK want to visit over the Christmas season according to The Mirror reporting a survey conducted by easyJet airline thanks to the religious events, street lights and romance.

PORTUGAL

Not feasible

PLANS for the construction of a revolutionary naval platform which would be almost completely unmanned but using AI and robots to launch drones, submarines and missiles have fallen flat as despite a €100 million budget, no company has been able to offer a viable proposal.

UKRAINE

Goose cooked

POACHERS in the UK in the Middle Ages received some very drastic punishments but a video on social media showing Russian troops shooting geese for their meal also shows the Ukrainian response which involved heavy shelling of the house that the Russians were occupying.

SWEDEN

EU Presidency

MOST countries are pleased to have the opportunity to act as EU president for six months and try to promote their concerns, but when Sweden takes over on January 1, it is more likely to have to be a mediator whilst the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

BUSINESS EXTRA Price pledge FINANCE

Gloompig

GREETINGS CARD supplier Moonpig which allows people to order cards online which are then dispatched by post, often from Guernsey, is having to reduce its 2023 sales forecast down by £30 million to £320 million due to the cost­of­living crisis and Royal Mail strike.

Foreign workers

ALTHOUGH Spain continues to have significant numbers of unemployed, there are still shortages of skilled workers in some industrial sectors so, in a change of government policy, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, José Luis Escrivá has said that employers may recruit from abroad.

Merchant bankers

FLEXING its post Brexit muscles the UK government is rescinding many of the restrictions introduced through the EU following the banking crash of 2008 in order to allow Britain’s financial market to be more competitive and banker’s bonuses are now uncapped as an added incentive.

El Gordo

THIS year’s El Gordo Christmas lottery in Spain will have more numbers than last year with 180 distributed throughout Spain rather than last year’s 172 and according to one mathematician quoted in Espansion.com, chances of winning the top prize are one in 100,000.

Coal power

WITH the current very cold weather in the UK, demand for electricity has increased dramatically and in case it is greater than available supply, the National Grid has instructed power station operator Drax to put two coal fired plants on standby.

STAT OF WEEK €2.85 billion

UK mortgage support

THE UK government turned to Martin Lewis for advice as he was invited to a high ­ level meeting which included major mortgage lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority on December 7.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is obviously very worried about the impact that the cost­of­living crisis and subsequent increase in base rates by the Bank of England will have on consumers, especially those with mortgages.

Generally speaking, for home owners, their largest monthly outlay involves repayment of mortgages and any increase coupled with the inexorable rise in the price of energy could potentially be crippling for the average family.

At the meeting, lenders committed to help all their customers by:

a) enabling customers who are up­to­date with payments to switch to a new competitive, mortgage deal without another affordability test.

b) providing well­timed information to help customers plan ahead should their current rate

be due to end.

c) offering tailored support to those who start to struggle with payments which will vary by lender, but may include extending the term of the mortgage to make monthly payments lower, a short­term reduction in monthly payments or accepting interestonly payments for a period where appropriate.

d) ensuring highly trained and experienced staff are on hand to help where needed.

The government said that it would make support for mortgage interest easier to access and those receiving universal credit may be able to receive help with their mortgage interest payments after three months.

Mortgage lenders, the FCA and the government will continue working closely together to ensure that the mortgage market works well for all homeowners, in particular those facing financial difficulty.

Wholesale digital currency

THE Bank of Spain is considering the launch of digital currency and has invited involvement in a feasibility study by financial institutions and technology solution providers.

Since before the pandemic, the Governor of the Bank has warned individual investors of the danger of investing in cryptocurrency and whilst some made significant fortunes, especially when profits were untaxed, others have made considerable losses.

The bank does however recognise that there may be a distinct advantage for a Central Bank to be able to make digital transfers of its own created currency.

It has decided, separate to any research being undertaken by the European Central Bank for the creation of a digital euro, that it wants to investigate the possibility of improving the efficiency, speed and security of whole­

sale transactions using its own digital currency.

In addition, this study can help quantify to what extent Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) can contribute to adapting these channels to the needs and demands of a

growing digital society.

This study is therefore focused on three main areas: (i) simulating transactions involving CBDCs funds transfers; (ii) trialling the integration of a CBDC with the settlement of financial assets; and, in addition, (iii) analysing the potential advantages and disadvantages of a CBDC vis­a­vis traditional processes, procedures and infrastructures.

Those organisations who wish to cooperate with the Bank will have until January 31, 2023 to submit their proposals and apart from being able to show their ability to take part, must also agree to treat all of their work as completely confidential.

SPEAKING at a PSOE rally in Barcelona on Sunday December 11, where he was supporting the candidature of Jaume Collboni in next year’s Barcelona City elections, Presidenr Pedro Sánchez made one important pledge.

He said that he plans in 2023 to combat the real consequences of the war in Ukraine as they affect the ordinary people of Spain and one area that he intends to concentrate on is ways in which to combat the rise in food prices.

He said, “At the end of this year, when we approve the new aid package for people, the middle class and workers, we are going to incorporate mechanisms to contain the evolution of food prices.”

Santander fined

ON December 9, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced it has fined Santander UK Plc (Santander) £107,793,300 after it found serious and persistent gaps in its anti­money laundering (AML) controls, affecting its Business Banking customers.

It explained that between December 31, 2012 and October 18, 2017, Santander failed to properly oversee and manage its AML systems, which significantly impacted the account oversight of more than 560,000 business customers.

Santander had ineffective systems to adequately verify information provided by customers about the business they would be doing.

Ukraine aid

WITH Hungary consistently vetoing plans for the European Union to give financial support to Ukraine the other members had to be creative in pushing through this aid.

On Saturday December 10, it was agreed that aid amounting to €18 billion would be given to Ukraine during 2023 by circumventing the need for the funds to be guaranteed by the EU as each of the 26 states would give their own individual guarantees.

This has all come about because the EU won’t approve Hungary’s recovery plan and has threatened to freeze €7.5 billion that Hungary needs if it doesn’t rescind some of its allegedly undemocratic internal decisions.

is the cost to be shared by the European Union, France, Portugal and Spain to create the green hydrogen corridor (H2MED) which will eventually supply 10 per cent of the EU’s hydrogen needs.

COST-OF-LIVING: Martin Lewis offered his advice.

Digital currency attracts Bank of Spain.

3I Group 1.338,00 1.348,00 1.330,00 244,57K

Abrdn 186,00 193,30 185,88 408,77K

Admiral Group 1.994,0 2.004,0 1.975,0 72,87K

Anglo American 3.238,5 3.346,5 3.238,0 609,65K

Antofagasta 1.434,00 1.460,50 1.429,00 114,49K

Ashtead Group 4.916,0 4.971,0 4.915,0 65,97K

Associated British Foods 1.644,0 1.658,5 1.637,0 258,32K

AstraZeneca 11.346,0 11.388,0 11.266,0 212,78K

Auto Trader Group Plc 563,00 563,40 557,20 390,73K

Aveva 3.200,0 3.204,0 3.199,0 57,39K

Aviva 443,60 446,30 443,00 634,73K

B&M European Value Retail SA408,00 411,50 406,50 705,07K

BAE Systems 823,20 832,40 820,00 695,01K

Barclays 157,50 158,20 156,64 3,88M

Barratt Developments 406,70 408,50 403,60 613,04K

Berkeley 3.807,5 3.841,0 3.782,0 52,75K

BHP Group Ltd 2.612,00 2.626,50 2.596,00 282,84K

BP 456,95 463,45 455,05 9,76M

British American Tobacco 3.288,5 3.334,0 3.284,0 526,07K

British Land Company 395,60 398,90 393,70 366,76K

BT Group 113,00 113,80 112,50 2,88M

Bunzl 3.014,0 3.025,0 2.985,0 54,08K

Burberry Group 2.142,0 2.147,0 2.120,0 93,57K

Carnival 659,3 661,0 651,6 54,82K

Centrica 92,02 93,46 91,96 1,81M

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.986,5 1.993,5 1.970,5 51,53K

Compass 1.914,00 1.925,00 1.900,00 379,94K

CRH 3.232,0 3.245,0 3.207,0 176,02K

Croda Intl 6.830,0 6.838,0 6.722,0 3,68K

DCC 4.291,0 4.313,0 4.246,0 58,95K

Diageo 3.754,5 3.781,5 3.729,0 535,40K

DS Smith 325,30 327,30 313,00 1,43M

EasyJet 377,30 380,70 376,60 318,56K

Experian 2.914,0 2.926,0 2.881,0 100,37K

Ferguson 10.300,0 10.320,0 10.165,0 4,63K

Flutter Entertainment 11.985,0 12.055,0 11.950,0 29,76K

Fresnillo 864,80 893,00 860,20 130,14K

Glencore 542,20 556,00 539,80 8,43M

GSK plc 1.462,40 1.484,20 1.456,40 989,95K

Halma 2.092,0 2.094,0 2.069,8 12,30K

Hargreaves Lansdown 853,80 861,80 853,20 156,73K

Hikma Pharma 1.511,50 1.530,00 1.505,00 64,95K

HSBC 494,12 497,50 494,65 1,83M

IAG 132,94 136,00 132,88 1,63M

Imperial Brands 2.059,00 2.071,00 2.049,00 541,34K

Informa 628,00 631,00 622,20 423,96K

InterContinental 4.938,0 4.948,0 4.863,0 67,25K

Intermediate Capital 1.175,00 1.182,00 1.163,00 126,08K

Intertek 4.100,0 4.113,0 4.057,0 30,51K

ITV 74,46 75,30 74,28 1,41M

J Sainsbury 226,60 227,70 225,30 1,03M

Johnson Matthey 2.069,0 2.079,0 2.047,0 16,05K

Land Securities 622,00 627,00 614,80 193,31K

Legal & General 253,30 254,20 252,50 1,19M

Lloyds Banking 46,00 46,40 45,99 16,82M

London Stock Exchange 7.366,0 7.432,0 7.336,0 117,18K

Melrose Industries 127,60 129,05 125,90 1,70M

Mondi 1.492,00 1.497,00 1.471,00 254,04K

National Grid 1.022,00 1.026,00 1.020,00 865,74K

NatWest Group 261,80 262,90 259,80 2,42M

Next 5.882,0 5.908,0 5.810,0 43,11K

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

Ocado 695,20 698,80 681,00 293,27K

Persimmon 1.281,5 1.285,0 1.267,5 116,41K

Phoenix 602,00 605,60 601,80 141,32K

Prudential 1.078,50 1.082,50 1.061,50 971,35K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.866,0 5.892,0 5.846,0 156,09K

Relx 2.343,00 2.362,00 2.319,00 490,26K

Rentokil 536,40 539,00 532,00 265,19K

Rightmove 550,80 552,80 546,40 228,19K

Rio Tinto PLC 5.810,0 5.895,0 5.768,0 527,43K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 93,65 93,71 90,82 7,68M

Sage 781,40 785,00 779,40 229,38K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.155,50 1.160,00 1.154,00 2,21K

Schroders 453,2 454,7 450,0 246,42K

Scottish Mortgage 773,54 784,00 770,60 403,39K

Segro 802,16 806,60 793,40 208,16K

Severn Trent 2.732,0 2.756,0 2.728,0 41,46K

Shell 2.289,0 2.314,5 2.279,5 2,85M

Smith & Nephew 1.105,50 1.108,00 1.100,00 472,99K

Smiths Group 1.621,00 1.625,50 1.604,50 83,64K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.005,0 11.020,0 10.830,0 142,85K

SSE 1.700,50 1.709,50 1.697,00 133,26K

St. James’s Place 1.131,50 1.140,00 1.129,00 220,76K

Standard Chartered 594,40 597,20 590,40 550,90K

Taylor Wimpey 103,65 104,05 102,65 1,57M

Tesco 229,70 231,30 229,30 3,07M

Tui 144,75 146,75 143,35 651,38K

Unilever 4.160,0 4.165,5 4.134,5 95,48K

United Utilities 1.037,39 1.047,37 1.037,00 15,55K

Vodafone Group PLC 86,30 86,55 85,70 15,06M

Whitbread 2.628,0 2.637,0 2.599,0 97,26K WPP 836,10 840,40 833,60 228,59K

3M 126,00 129,44 3,79M

American Express 154,12 156,42 153,45 1,62M

Amgen 285,57 286,59 283,74 1,75M

Apple 142,65 143,52 141,10 61,77M

Boeing 179,08 184,88 178,61 6,63M

Caterpillar 230,92 232,50 229,54 2,18M

Chevron 173,54 176,40 172,03 7,95M

Cisco 48,99 49,20 48,62 15,96M

Coca-Cola 63,81 63,85 63,35 9,88M

Dow 50,56 51,43 50,31 3,81M

Goldman Sachs 358,08 362,59 356,05 1,96M

Home Depot 324,09 324,52 318,55 3,47M

Honeywell 213,35 214,59 212,21 2,17M

IBM 147,78 149,15 147,37 2,66M

Intel 28,44 28,60 28,07 28,36M

J&J 177,20 177,47 176,34 4,79M

JPMorgan 132,88 132,98 131,43 8,85M

McDonald’s 273,39 273,57 270,62 3,02M

Merck&Co 110,85 111,02 110,12 7,17M

Microsoft 247,40 248,74 243,06 22,54M

Nike 111,36 111,49 108,46 6,12M

Procter&Gamble 151,32 151,38 149,01 5,14M

Salesforce Inc 130,13 131,46 127,02 15,07M

The Travelers 187,72 189,21 186,97 848,62K

UnitedHealth 547,92 551,29 543,78 2,26M

Verizon 37,10 37,24 36,87 19,52M

Visa A 209,10 210,30 207,75 4,89M

Walgreens Boots 40,90 40,97 40,40 3,59M

Walmart 148,78 149,27 148,14 4,50M

Walt Disney 92,55 93,43 91,67 9,31M

Most Advanced

Melco International Development Limited +102.28% 17,731

Universal Robina Corporation +32.33% 26,000

DiDi Global Inc. +24.10% 34.704M

Wynn Macau, Limited +23.10% 60,515

Alibaba Health Information Technology Litd +22.55% 23,200

Prometheus Biosciences, Inc. +22.35% 4.447M

Wynn Macau, Limited +21.46% 28,105

Ping An Healthcare and Technology Co. Litd +21.21% 63,600

Ciena Corporation +19.96% 10.71M

GDS Holdings Limited +16.87% 2.466M

FIT Hon Teng Limited +15.95% 29,795

Most Declined

Oi S.A. -50.00% 100,006

Chart Industries, Inc. -12.45% 3.83M

Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. -11.57% 4.69M

Green Thumb Industries Inc. -11.43% 919,108

Lincoln National Corporation -10.86% 8.922M

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. -10.20% 1.067M

Lenovo Group Limited -9.40% 74,870

Trulieve Cannabis Corp. -9.20% 423,019

Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. -6.73% 1.897M

Avery Dennison Corporation -6.54% 1.303M

Embracer Group AB (publ) -6.54% 40,000

BUSINESS EXTRA

Not allowed

FOLLOWING complaints from those receiving an email promoting a fruit beer created by Scottish Company Brewdog which claimed ‘One of your five a day’, the UK Advertising Standards Authority has banned this wording, even if it was supposed to be ‘tongue in cheek’ as Brewdog claims.

Low rates

A REPORT by American investment company Morgan Stanley suggests Spanish banks are unlikely to increase interest on deposits for individual account holders as they appear to have plenty of cash available to lend and are increasing rates to generate profits.

Prices down

WHILST the cost of living keeps rising, UK house prices saw their biggest drop in 14 years in November, falling 2.3 per cent according to Halifax which is considered one of the most accurate pointers to the market.

Oil shortage

IT’S not just fuel oil that is seeing price hikes but due to a particularly poor harvest in 2022, the price Spanish olive oil in all its qualities has reached record highs and due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sunflower oil prices have also risen.

West Africa

CONTINUING its ‘love affair with Africa, the Agency for International Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) worth €1,496,000 with ECOWAS on December 6. The Economic Community of West African States is a regional political and economic union of 15 countries located in West Africa with a combined population of almost 350 million. This MOU is intended to help support Gender, Agriculture and Sustainable Energy in the Region.

Second hand temptation

BEWARE temptation to buy second­hand electrical goods online as Christmas during a cost­ of­ living­crisis is the ideal time for unscrupulous traders.

This advice from James Farmer, director of the Appliance Recycling Group in the UK is just as relevant to those of us living in Spain.

“Appliance poverty is a real issue, and the cost ­ of ­ living crisis means people are being forced to find new ways to save money,” he said. “When their washing machine or fridge breaks, they have no choice but to look for a quick and cheap replacement online.

James said sites like eBay had systems in place to protect buyers, but others were not so robust.

Facebook Marketplace in particular is a huge draw for people looking for bargains. It does have measures in place for users

First UK Freeports

GOVERNMENT approves first UK Freeports in a bid to generate business as few significant trade deals have been signed since Brexit.

The Freeports becoming fully operational on December 7, is according to the government, a major milestone in its mission to level up communities across the country and will help spread opportunity and drive economic growth.

Each of these Freeports in Plymouth, Solent, and Teesside will now receive up to £25 million seed funding and potentially tens of millions of pounds in locally retained business rates to upgrade local infrastructure and stimulate regeneration.

Freeports are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply and they essentially exist outside its borders for tax purposes.

They are not a new idea and the famous Cinque Ports created in medieval time were effectively Freeports and Britain still had a number until they

were abolished in 2012, although one still exists in the Isle of Man.

Businesses in Freeports can take advantage of tax incentives, unlocking muchneeded investment and bringing high quality jobs in industries of the future to some of the nation’s most overlooked communities.

The Levelling Up Ministry says that combined, the first three Freeports are expected to bring millions of pounds in investment and thousands of highly skilled

jobs, turbocharging local economies and benefiting the whole of the UK.

Parliamentary Under­Secretary of State Dehenna Davison said when announcing the formal approval:

“We are taking full advantage of the freedoms of leaving the EU and these Freeports will generate prosperity and spread opportunity throughout the UK by driving innovation and throwing open our doors to trade with the world.”

to report scammers and fraudulent posts, but people are still falling victims to unscrupulous sellers.

Always look for a picture of the item in situ ­ if it’s a fridge or washing machine it should be pictured in a kitchen or utility room. Pictures of the item outside or in a garage should ring alarm bells.

Don’t buy an appliance based on a photo; ask to see the appliance on a video call. A photo cannot indicate whether that appliance is capable of working.

Don’t fall for an offer of free delivery. Ask to collect the item, even if you are unable to. By engaging the seller, you have an address. When engaged, scammers will often tell you that the item is sold once you press for more details.

Don’t pay cash ­ a credit or debit card, bank transfer or PayPal is best.

Corruption crackdown

FOR a territory with a similar population to the town of Perth in Scotland, Gibraltar does, without doubt, enjoy an extraordinary influx of money from various quarters.

For decades there have been rumours and often unproven accusations, of corruption and there is no doubt that many have, over the years, managed to build impressive property portfolios.

Now, the government has decided to set up an independent Anti ­ Corruption Authority with apparently sweeping powers of investigation and protection for whistle blowers and this will be debated in Parliament with the opposition being promised the possibility of having the bill strengthened if appropriate.

It will be retrospective so there may be some sweaty palms although sometimes, in a small community, it’s not what you know, but who you know.

Legal loophole

ALTHOUGH Spain is one of its busiest European markets, according to El Periódico de España, holiday rental organisation Airbnb paid just €286,337 tax in Spain in 2021 and in the past 10 years total tax paid amounts to €1.15 million.

Much has been made over the years that certain countries such as Ireland offer special tax rebates to international companies locating their headquarters in such countries and this has been the legal loophole that Airbnb took advantage of.

Its Spanish subsidiary is only responsible for marketing and advertising so that the bulk of profits made end up in Ireland, although it is anticipated that new European wide rules will soon close this option.

PROTECTING BUYERS: Take note of where the appliance is.

Credit: Carlos Lindner Unsplash

TRADE DEALS: New Solent Freeport.

Credit: Solent Freeport Twitter

LEAPY LEE SAYS

OTHERS THINK IT

WITHOUT question, the news media from most major TV channels is absolutely running riot with derogatory and depreciating reports attacking the Conservative government.

Headlines are positively bursting with accounts of strikes that are causing chaos; people’s homes dripping with leaks and mould, thousand waiting for NHS treatment and attention, derogatory reporting on cost of living crisis and finance, and never ending plans of rescue from a future Labour government.

It’s all quite unbelievably left wing strategy to depict the country and its society falling apart under the present government.

Recently a report dropped into the anti ­ government media like an early Christmas present.

A black woman calling herself Ngozi Fulani complained that she had been racially insulted at a Buckingham Palace function by an elderly member of the Royal staff. Apparently she had been asked

It never ends

‘where she really came from’.

This could have meant nothing more than where her ancestors originated.

To this woman however the remark was slam dunk, and didn’t the media love it. Every TV news channel, particularly the BBC, screamed headlines concerning this ‘poor woman’ who headed an African domestic abuse charity organisation being racially insulted by one of the royal household.

No doubt by the time you read this article you will have learned her original name was Marlene Headley. The charity she represented was paying her £65,000 a year. She was a supporter of Meghan Markle and Black Lives Matter.

The next day social media, including Nigel Farage and even a number of black correspondents, ran a complete rampage over her allegations and accused her of plotting every move.

This second day of emerging news should have been plastered

over every news report on national TV. But was it? Of course not. Obviously under instruction from ‘upstairs’ the British media dropped the story of her name change like a ton of bricks. After all it didn’t run akin to their woke propaganda and leftie equivalence at all.

Rather than inform their viewers of something that simply didn’t adhere to their media narrative; they quickly reverted to pumping out their whole package of infested antigovernment rhetoric, all contrived to win Labour the next election. Never ends.

Keep the faith Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon and Fri. 1pm.

BE ALERT OUR VIEW

ALTHOUGH Christmas is the ‘Season of Goodwill’, it’s also the time when scammers and crooks can take advantage of people buying for Christmas and Three Kings.

Whilst children (and quite a few adults) love the thought of Christmas trees surrounded for days by wrapped presents, there are also plenty of burglars around the world who are dreaming of the same thing.

There will be a lot more value in your property over the Christmas period than any other time of the year so it is worth while checking your home insurance policy to ensure that in the unfortunate event of a break­in that the loss of your goods is covered and keep receipts to prove what you have spent.

In addition, if you have locks, shutters or burglar alarms make sure that they are in use as if your property is obviously well protected, the burglar could well decide to give it a miss. This is not to say that you are likely to be a target, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

The same goes for online scammers and Amazon has issued a general warning about the ways in which these scammers will try to trick you into giving them financial information, often purporting to be sending information from major companies.

Again, be alert in case you receive an unexpected email or call from a company regarding an order that you have supposedly placed and never give bank or credit card details in response and you can always check your orders separately with the company that the scammers claim to represent.

Have a great and safe Christmas and New Year.

HAS your life become unmanageable?

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Phoenix Programmes now offers a unique course of treatment for alcohol, drug and behavioural problems. The programme will provide a 360º change in your ways of thinking, your behaviours and a new way of life.

The course is delivered over 15 working days ­ three weeks using a day care model.

We are happy to provide options for local accommodation (to suit

your budget) if needed.

Here at Phoenix Programmes, we don’t believe that any two individuals have exactly the same problem and so, therefore, the courses that we offer are tailored to suit each of our client’s specific needs.

The courses are delivered in our private San Pedro treatment centre in an easy, casual environment. Using a mixture of lectures, group discussion and practical activities to deliver the message that change is possible. Each course is structured

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1. An introduction for our clients to identify the exact nature of behavioural problems

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Our Senior Addiction Therapist, Chris Spencer, has 30 years of experience in delivering courses across the world to people from all walks of life, and is an internationally qualified alcohol and drug addiction therapist.

“Here at Phoenix Programmes we believe that recovery is to be enjoyed, not endured.”

Chris Spencer, Senior Addiction Therapist

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

RABBIT LOVER

LEAPY, always love your articles. You seem to know everything that is going on. What about this strange idea of the Spanish to ban keeping pets that have been kept by children for many years. Rabbits and guinea pigs are amongst them. I have never heard of an invasion of guinea pigs, obviously turfed out by their owners when bored with them. They wouldn’t last five minutes what with all the feral cats about. And tame rabbits don’t get on well if they escape.

What is the government going to do, knock on every door and demand the children hand over their beloved pets for slaughter? I hope this is not the case. Are they foreseeing dangerous mad rabbits taking over Spain.

When you see all the abandoned dogs in shelters and useless owners that allow them to crap all over pavements and park areas, surely cutting down on dog ownership would be more useful. Rabbits do not usually maul their owners or attack strangers ­ only in Monty Python of course.

Do you know the truth of this?

Veggie view

their new lives but still feel the need to stir the pot about the past.

Andrea, Alicante

Different tone

Leapy, I always enjoy reading your columns, I find them so refreshing however controversial. Must say though that I found the tone of last week’s column about Diana Dors rather sad, for such a wonderful friendship to turn so sour and to then have to deal with the loss of a friendship and at the same time deal with anger at the betrayal.

H Moore

Bleak sales

Sylvia

I love reading your column Nora, I find you write with such open sincerity and I enjoyed reading your latest column ‘Dinner parties from hell.’ I am vegetarian and have been for over 30 years and it was simply a food choice, yes I may be reducing my carbon footprint and alleviating my part in animal cruelty, which is obviously an added bonus, I will not however force my choices on other people or make anyone feel bad about the choices they make. Thank you.

G Farran

Royal fuss

I have been hearing about the release of the new Netflix series re Harry and Meghan and I am just wondering if I am the only one who couldn’t give a hoot for either of them and certainly wouldn’t want to waste several hours of my life watching them portray themselves as victims. I don’t understand why people proclaim to be so happy with

The Black Friday/week sales were more like the bleak sales, it was either overpriced goods reduced to an average price or goods reduced in price that nobody would want to buy or would only fit a size 50 (UK 141/5) feet.

All the hype about the sales weeks before to be sorely disappointed, and to top it off you get stuck in traffic on the way to the shopping centre, then there is nowhere to park and when you do eventually finish your shopping, all the restaurants are full so there is nowhere to have a coffee or a bite to eat. Only winners here are the shops.

Fed up consumer

Giving time

Following the sacking of Eddie Jones I can’t believe anyone would be thinking of getting rid of Gareth Southgate after England’s impressive performance in the World Cup.

In an age of social media, we’re far too quick to judge people based on their latest result instead of their overall work.

We need to give professionals more time to be good at their jobs and show what they can really do.

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.

Mr E Jenkins

TAME RABBITS: Wouldn’t last five minutes outside on their own.

ODDS AND ENDS

DAVID WORBOYS

THINKING ALOUD

I’M jumping around this week.

We have all seen people strutting around with t­shirts bearing names of places, such as New York when they have never been there. Why? Others prefer to sport negative messages such as ‘It’s me against the system’ or ‘I never forget to drink; I drink to forget’. They may think it’s simply amusing or may possibly believe in their chosen slogan.

But, many years ago, I entered the house of a family in London who appeared not yet to have read ‘The power of positive thinking’. There were no pictures or photos on the walls but, centrestage, over the fireplace in the living room, a huge framed poster proudly proclaiming ‘We hate everybody’. In the kitchen was a smaller one exhorting us to ‘F**k the world’. An interesting debate could have ensued but I decided to leave hastily.

It’s a fallacy that the UK electorate

votes for a constituency candidate rather than a party leader. The name of the local MP or candidate appears on the voting slip, but in a majority of cases is meaningless to the punter who is most probably voting on a critical national issue (such as the NHS), for a high profile senior politician or for the party leader. Or, more likely, for the party that he, like his ancestors, has always voted for, regardless.

An auctioneer and charity leader from Sheffield is named Lucy Crapper. Well, we are all crappers at heart but we tend to be discreet about it.

But Gloucestershire and England cricketer and umpire Jack Crapp went further. We are asked to believe that his name derives from Cropp, meaning to cut, and applied to field labourers or grass cutters. If so, a simple change of names would have deprived generations from numerous lavatorially­inspired guffaws.

The ways of domestic abuse

SARAH was a 23 ­ year ­ old girl who had moved to Spain to be with her Spanish partner who she had met on a girls trip away a year earlier. She was sure this was far more than a holiday romance, but the real thing.

She was looking forward to a life with him.

Very soon she realised that something was wrong.

The reality did not match the life story he had told her but she persevered sure that this would soon right itself.

They lived in a family apartment far from anywhere she could relate to. She knew no one, spoke no Spanish and soon found herself isolated and lonely.

The only people in her environment were her partner and his family.

She wanted to go out, she wanted to meet other people, but there were always reasons why she couldn’t.

He became jealous and possessive, checked her

phone daily and closed all her social media accounts claiming they were “harmful to their relationship”she relented, but wanted out.

He insisted on being there for any calls to her parents who were by this stage very concerned.

The break point came when he took her phone.

She packed her bags and prepared to leave. She wasn’t sure how or when but one afternoon when the apartment was empty she took her chance and did just that.

She took a bus to another town and flagged down a passing police car. The officers took her to a shelter

and were able to contact her family and contacted the British Consulate who referred the case to the BBF.

The family were desperate for their daughter home and safe but had no money.

The BBF was able to arrange a grant to provide her with essential items, bus ticket to the airport and flight back home.

Her parents were waiting at the airport ­ a family reunited.

Sarah is now back on her feet. She wrote to say thank you. She feels she had a lucky escape.

DavidWorboys’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

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AFTER a mediocre start to the season, Malaga WFC faced league leaders the Walking Dead at el Cañadon last week in the Baha Irish Whiskey Cup. Both sides played some slick walking football, showing why they both dominated the league and cup last year.

Malaga were their old self and ran out deserved winners 3­2 after player coach Mark Coleman reduced the deficit in the final minute with a penalty awarded for running.

Other recent results saw Nerja united beating Torrox Tornadoes 7 ­ 2. The cup is shaping up well with a semi finals looming, and the final to be played again between the winners of those in both east and west Costa del Sol.

Back to league action, Malaga 50 and 60 play the Walking Dead 50 and 60 in a double header at el Cañadon this week. This should as always, be an interesting evening, with both Malaga teams hoping to prove their

credentials against this season’s most consistent club.

All teams are still recruiting and offering one free taster session for new players.

With the winter break looming and Christmas, the

next series of games will determine who has the bragging rights over the Christmas period.

For all walking football news in Spain, go to walking footy.com on Facebook.

BAHA CUP LEAGUE: A double header is due to be played.

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