Costa del Sol 9 – 15 February 2023 Issue 1962

BRAVE GRANNY

NOT ONLY has fearless granny, 55­year­old Kat, built her own Land Rover she has also set off around the world all for a good cause.

On February 6, Kat and her 60­year­old friend, Nicole, left Spain. The plan is to drive to the UK and then ship to Egypt to continue their journey to South Africa.

They will cover a whopping 20,000 plus miles. SIxteen plus countries and a whole continent will be covered over the period ofsix to seven months whilst raising funds for The Little Angels of Uganda.

When she isn’t off gallivanting, Kat, originally from Kent in the UK shares her time between Malaga and her home town.

Kat confirmed the inspiration behind the trip:

“Eleven years ago I rode a quad bike to Timbuktu after my grandma died and it became a sort of memorial for her and also a big charity event for the Macmillan cancer charity, but it’s always grated on me a bit that the money we raised went into Europe.”

Turn to page 2

Off around the world.

Image: Katrina Smith

Sending help

THREE contingents of the Provincial Consortium of Firefighters (CPB) of Malaga left for Turkey on Monday, February 6, to help with the rescue work after the earthquake that occurred in the southeast of the country and northern Syria, where the number of victims exceeds 3,400 people.

The first team, consisting of three firefighters from the Estepona and Ronda fire stations with four dogs, left on Monday afternoon for Istanbul.

The other two teams left on Tuesday, February 7, with the remaining five firefighters from the Coin, Manilva and Alhaurin de la Torre fire stations. As well as dogs, they are travelling with sound equipment and tools.

Upcycling for Cudeca

A UNIQUE collaboration has seen students from Marbella Design Academy take on a upcycling design challenge in aid of local cancer support charity, Cudeca, while caring for the environment.

Students embarked on the challenge on Tuesday, January 31, when Cudeca flung open their central warehouse doors, allowing students to have a look for pieces with potential. The first and second year students from Marbella Design Academy were then tasked with creating new, upcycled designs from the items taken from Cudeca’s warehouse.

Once the students have created new outfits from the pieces they chose, they will be awarded marks by their tutors for their design

The Little Angels

flair in the new creations. Once completed, the new fashion forward pieces will be sold in Cudeca charity shops and vintage shop in Malaga to raise funds for their vital work.

Cudeca works across the Costa del Sol to provide support to cancer patients and their families, offering specialised, caring help, customised to their personal needs at every stage of their journey.

Marbella Design Academy is a leading higher education provider offering tuition in English language to students from all over the world since 1995.

“I always intended to do something for Africa itself, and that’s when I decided while planning a trip to South Africa that I would go out of my way to start looking at orphanages and I found an unsponsored orphanage called the Little Angels in Uganda.”

The Little Angels Project cares for over 480 needy children with the aim of preserving life and promoting the well­being of orphans and disadvantaged children in the Bufuka area of the Kabale District, Uganda.

For more information about the charity head to/www.littleangelsuganda.org/

Image: Katrina Smith

Students from Marbella Design Academy are

A very happy 20th birthday wish from Steven & Michel and the EWN family to Peter Loveday of Currencies Direct Looking forward to the NEXT 20 years!

NIBS EXTRA

Adios N340

THE old National 340 road has disappeared as it passes through Estepona. The four lanes of Avenida Espana have been transformed into a wide space for strolling with dozens of trees, palm trees and thousands of plants, a cycle lane and space to walk along the beach.

Bell of dreams

THE sound of hope against cancer is already ringing at HC Marbella after the inauguration of its ‘Bell of Dreams’, which has been installed in the Oncology Unit of the hospital. The hospital believes it will give encouragement to sufferers when a patient gets the all­clear and rings the bell.

Ecological wealth

SEA LIFE Benalmadena and Planeta Explora are collaborating to highlight the natural heritage and ecological wealth of the seabed. The programme which has been running since October has seen more than 600 students from all over the province of Malaga and has 3,000 more bookings.

New flight

THE British airline Jet2.com has announced another new flight between the UK and the Costa del Sol. The airline will now fly between Bristol and Malaga four times a week. The service ix expected to start this summer.

Top snack

A SANDWICH prepared in Marbella has been voted the best in Spain at the Madrid Fusion gastronomy summit. The sandwich made from beer bread included pickled partridge, ham, mustard seeds, red wine, leeks mushrooms and seasoning. The chef from El Parque de la Milla restaurant won €1,500 for his invention.

FUENGIROLA’S green lung area is set to become a reality.

The facility will be located on a municipal plot of almost 30,000 square metres and will have sports, leisure and rest areas for all tastes and ages.

“It will be the largest green space in the city, a different and modern park. With an innovative design, integrated into the surroundings and in keeping with the image of the New Fuengirola,” explained the mayor, Ana Mula.

The project envisages the provision of the following sports facilities: a climbing

Green dream

other cycle lane exclusively for children.

The new park will also have places for relaxation and socialising. Of the 30,000 square metres of the plot, more than half, 16,000 square metres, will be landscaped, with some 337 trees and more than 11,000 shrubs to be planted.

Floral fun

wall, seven­a­side football pitch, handball and volleyball courts, pump track (BMX ­

type obstacle course for bicycles), running lanes, a cycle lane for adults, as well as an­

In addition an area with tables and a grandstand will be installed to organise open­air shows and events. There will also be an area of almost 800 square metres for parking.

Pantomime, play and AGM

THIRTY-ONE people enjoyed Thespa’s January Pantomime as well as a great meal from new chef John. The evening showed a real feeling of friendship and it’s so good to have so many people still supporting us.

This month we are planning to perform a play called ‘Frog’ written by Beth Hayward which was first performed in Salford during the

Greater Manchester Fringe event a few years ago. It is a drama with three characters ... a policewoman SO Rose Karlan, Mrs Reus and her son, Cameron.

As well as the play, we will be renewing Memberships this month (still only €10), as in March it will be our AGM when only paid ­ up members can be involved in any voting.

Five-stars

FANS of pure luxury will be pleased to hear that Melia Hotels is getting geared up to open a five ­ star hotel in the centre of Malaga.

The hotel is scheduled to open at the end of 2024, becoming a benchmark hotel for modernity and avantgarde luxury in Malaga.

Melia Hotels International continues to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels, which is scheduled to increase by more than 40 per cent over the next three years, after announcing a new hotel for its luxury lifestyle ME by Melia brand in the historic centre of Malaga.

The hotel will be located on the Calle Victoria, next to the Plaza de

la Merced, with views of the sea and the monuments of the Alcazaba. It will also be located near the Roman Theatre, the Picasso Museum and the Museum of Malaga.

This prime location near all the most important and attractive cultural and dining options in the city is the ideal setting for the hotel which is inspired by the most contemporary and innovative European lifestyle experiences.

Please think about whether you can help in any way. Perhaps you could consider being on the Board or help out with other tasks.

We also need some more people willing to take on acting roles... Perhaps you could take part in a play or the next pantomime! Oh YES you can!!

More news to follow shortly!

Infinite Summer

TORREMOLINOS participated in the tourism fair Salon des Vacances in Brussels, Belgium, which ran from February 2 until February 5.

Spain is the second international destination for holidays of more than four nights for tourists from Belgium, being also the first choice in the sun and beach segment.

Torremolinos received 33,955 Belgian tourists in 2022, representing an increase of 18.9 per cent over the figure for 2019, the year before the pandemic. The overnight stays of these tourists last year were 232,902, also experiencing a growth of 18.8 per cent compared to 2019.

Under the slogan ‘An Infinite Summer’, Torremolinos participated in the fair where professional meetings were held and the public were shown numerous materials about the various campaigns launched as ‘10 Leisure Plans

for the Family in Torremolinos’. The new brochure ‘Torremolinos, a paradise for sport’ was also taken to Brussels with detailed information about the sports on offer in the town which, thanks to its climate, allows the enjoyment of leisure and outdoor sports all year round.

THE first meeting of 2023 for the Estepona Floral Art Club was an unqualified success. Thirty ­ six members and visitors enjoyed Penelope Harrison’s ‘Nature’s Bounty’ floral arrangements.

February’s demonstration will take place on Tuesday, February 21, at 3.00pm at the El Paraiso Golf Club, Urb El Paraiso, Ctra de Cadiz km 167 Estepona.

The demonstration will be given by Kathleen who is a keen gardener and a Northwest Area demonstrator in the UK, her demonstration is entitled ‘Old Friends and New trends’.

The meeting will start promptly at 3.00pm.

Visitors will only be charged €15 so why not head down to the Floral Art Club demonstration and bring your friends to support the club and Kathleen.

For more information, please email esteponaflo ralartclub@hotmail.com.

and in print is FREE and we promise to always keep it that way.

A REALITY: Fuengirola to have a different and modern park.

Image: Fuengirola City Council

Scheduled for end 2024.

Image: Melia Hotels International

Valentine’s Day campaign

UNTIL F ebruary 15 a campaign to reward customers who make their purchases in the shops and establishments of the Open Commercial Centre in Torremolinos will be running. This campaign serves as support and promotion for the traditional commerce of the municipality, and an incentive for neighbours and visitors.

This Valentine’s Day campaign proved so successful in its previous two years that the Trader’s Association and Torremolinos Town Hall decided to collaborate and make the

campaign a reality once again. For each purchase or consumption made in an establishment in the Centre in Torremolinos, customers will be given a free ticket for an hour

PROVERBOFTHEWEEK

of free parking (for each purchase made) and will also be entered in a prize draw.

On February 14, 1.000 balloons will be distributed among the customers and the establishments of the Centre in Torremolinos.

On February 16, a raffle will be held among all customers who redeem their tickets during the campaign. Three lucky customers will win a prize from the following raffled gifts: A hotel night with a jacuzzi, a romantic dinner and a basket of romantic products.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

WILL you measure your footprint?

Malaga City Council is the driving force behind the initiative ‘enjoy without leaving a trace’.

This initiative has provided tourists with a calculator that allows them to estimate the emissions made during their trip.

The operation depends on five variables: number of visitors, country and city of origin, means of transport used in their journey and nights spent, as well as the vehicle they will use at their destination.

The tool is now available in four languages - Spanish, English, German and French - on the website www.costadelsolmalaga.org

A tourist couple from Amsterdam who spend a week on the Costa del Sol and drive 400 kilometres in a rental car leave a footprint of 1,141 kilos of carbon dioxide. In the same period, a family of four arriving from Marseille in their car and driving a further 1,000 kilometres along the Malaga coastline emits 1,557 kilos.

THE University of Malaga (UMA) is immersed in the study and analysis of the reality of tourism in Mijas. This comes in readiness for the renewal of the ‘Strategic Plan for Tourism in Mijas’ covering the

trace

The tourist destination is now going to compensate for these emissions by planting trees.

In the second stage of the project starting in the summer, it will give travellers the option of paying for the pollution generated during their holidays.

Mijas tourism

period from 2023 to 2027.

The university has drawn up a guide for the promotion of the destination of the coastal town, managing its offer and defining ways of financing and projecting products and promotions that, in the case of Mijas, added to the three main sectors (sun and beach, Mediterranean white village and golf).

There are also four other potential segments (gastronomy,

Judokas in Torremolinos

TORREMOLINOS is expecting to be busy this weekend as more than 300 judo players will be present on Saturday, February 11, for the Andalucian Judo Children’s and Cadet competition.

It is expected that the competition will also be attended by a large number of parents and family members.

The Palacio San Miguel will host a tournament that will bring together the most promising judo players in Andalucia.

The children’s category, boys and girls born in 2009 and 2010 will be the first to compete, starting at 11.00am, with bouts lasting three minutes. A total of 156 competitors will be present in Torremolinos.

In the afternoon, from 3.00pm, the cadet category competition will take place, with the presence of judokas born in 2006, 2007 and 2008, with bouts lasting four minutes. A total of 182 cadets will compete.

In addition, reference should be made to the participation of Carlos Romero in the European Cadet Championships to be held this weekend in Fuengirola, where the athlete from Club Judo Torremolinos will participate in the category of -90 kilos with the best judoka on the continent.

crafts, nature and sport) that the department has been exploiting over the years.

The tourism plan that began in 2018 is now coming to an end and has produced important results over the years, but, as Mijas mayor, Jose Carlos Martin, pointed out, “it needs to be updated to put into context its lines of action for the coming years.

“The world situation has changed after the arrival of the Covid pandemic and the priorities are now different or, at least, are more nuanced.”

Age Concern

THIS Friday Age Concern will be hosting their 10year anniversary gala to celebrate all their tremendously hard work and fantastic volunteers. As proud sponsors of the evening we cannot wait to celebrate and cover the event for you all. The focus of the night is to raise funds for a new Patient Lift. Tickets are now sold out, however, all raffle prize and auction prize donations would be very gratefully received.

If you would like to donate or learn more about Age Concern, visit their Facebook pages or contact Michelle on 0034 619 792 738.

Image: Guas / Shutterstock.com

€36 billion is how much Shell Oil company has made in profits in 2022.

Meaning you must begin something if you hope to finish it; something that takes a long time to finish begins with one step. The origin comes from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, the quotation is from Chapter 64 of the Dao De Jing ascribed to Laozi, written around 700 BC.

Will you measure your footprint?

Image: Tijana Moraca / Shutterstock.com

SINGER, Ricky Martin, has now added a second date to perform at the Starlite Catalana Occidente in Marbella.

After the success of the announcement of his concert on Friday, July 14, he has now added July 15; those being his only two dates in Spain this summer.

Beloved by fans around the world for his instinctive understanding of rhythm and performance, his unique voice and his passionate activism, the international artist returns to the boutique festival with the greatest hits of his career.

Starlite Catalana Occidente will once again host the music icon, awarded with 95 Platinum records, 40 Gold records, multiple Grammy

Ricky Martin

and Latin Grammy Awards including Person of the Year, and 14 Billboard Awards, among many others, to perform live ‘Ricky Martin Sinfónico’, a powerful and sublime show filled with songs that track and make Latin mu­

sic’s history, accompanied by classical musicians.

Starlite Catalana Occidente is the best boutique festival in the world. After 11 editions, it is the longest­lasting festival with more than 60 days of concerts.

Parking progress

MARBELLA City Council and the regional government of Andalucia have launched a joint project to assess a new car parking site in the Albergue África area.

Authorities announced they would start the process with the goal of creating a car park with 800­1,000 spaces at a meeting on Tuesday, February 7. City mayor, Ángeles Muñoz showed the council’s determination to see the project through, saying, “When this

team says that we want to develop essential pieces of infrastructure for our city, we work hard to make it a reality.”

Speaking with the Minister for Infrastructure, Diego López and the Minister for Transport, Enrique Rodríguez, Muñoz said that a technical team could be authorised to arrive on site on Friday, February 10 to begin an initial assessment of the space.

Experts will need to take

Fundraising fun at the flea market

A LOCAL charity enjoyed a fabulous day of fundraising fun in Marbella’s Parque de la Alameda on Sunday, February 5. Horizonte Proyecto Hombre, a charity that helps individuals struggling with addiction and homelessness held their regular flea market, selling a variety of exciting products in a magical community atmosphere.

Members of the community enjoyed browsing stalls and chatting with volunteers at the project while contributing to their life­saving work.

The ‘rastrillo’ flea market takes place every two months, offering visitors a chance to pick up a range of novelty and practical household items, from clothing and home decor items to books and toys. Proyecto Hombre holds the market to raise money for their vital work in supporting homeless people, people with addictions and those who are affected by loved ones’ addictions.

Speaking on the radio ahead of the event, Director of Marbella Horizonte Proyecto Hombre, Jaime Álvarez explained that the fairs are, “very important in raising money for the charity. There is always work to be done and in our 41st year, we are seeing lots of cases of people needing emotional support and help in confronting drug and other addictions.”

samples of soil on the proposed site to give more detailed estimates about how many floors the car park can have and vehicle capacity figures.

Regional government representatives, José Repiso and Ruth Sarabio shared their delight at the collaboration with Marbella authorities saying they want to improve local residents’ quality of life.

Comeand join in the fun

ON Sunday, February 12, Marbella Arena welcomes back the return of the market at the Bulls Sqaure of Puerto Banus. The Street Market Arena will be taking on new stalls, focusing on local artists, environmentally friendly products and eco ­ conscious businesses and producers. The market will have live music, food stalls and bars where you can taste some of the best locally sourced food on the Costa del Sol. With the weather looking to pick up on Sunday, come and join in on the fun. Celebrate local vendors and support the community by visiting The Street Market Arena.

Starting at 11am and finishing at 5pm, visit The Street Market Arena’s Facebook page for more information.

Image: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com

SECOND DATE: To appear in Spain over the summer.

ON Thursday February 2, 66 people from eight branches of the Royal British Legion in southern Spain assembled at Molly’s Roadhouse in Coin for their annual conference. The guests of honour were Jason Coward, the National Chairman of the RBL, Bob Cham-

RBL hold annual conference

bers, the Overseas Representative on the Membership Council, and Fiona Hedges, the Overseas Membership Engagement Officer.

This year the

Leading currency provider celebrates special anniversary

CURRENCIES DIRECT have been helping people save time and money on their currency transfers since 1996, making them one of the longest ­ standing currency providers in Europe.

This month they would like to celebrate one of their longest ­ standing employees, Peter Loveday, Managing Director ­ Southern Europe.

In the 20 years Peter has been with the company he has been instrumental in overseeing and supporting its growth across Southern Europe.

Under his leadership Currencies Direct has opened 20 branches across Spain, and now employs over 100 people and that expansion is set to continue.

Conference had a different format from usual with a morning and afternoon session. The formal part of the proceedings was completed before lunch. It began with the Parading of Standards and featured a very interesting speech from Jason Coward. There was also time for some questions from the floor for the visitors from London.

After a fabulous three course lunch there were two presentations. The first was

PEEK, the male Bornean orangutan of BIOPARC Fuengirola has now passed away.

In the world of conservation, there is no better news than the recovery of a species in danger of extinction or the announcement of new births that guarantee their existence. But there are also other sadder realities that animal protection teams have to face, such as deaths.

On this occasion, the BIOPARC Fuengirola team has had to face the harsh reality of the death of Peek, the male Bornean orangutan that it has

the award of the Mary Le Corney Trophy, donated by Neal Toplis, which was won by Duquesa Branch for collecting the most amount of money per head for the 2022 Poppy Appeal. The second presentation was a perpetual trophy for the Annual Photographic Competition. It was won by Martyn Higgin from Los Romanes for his photograph entitled ‘The Three Amigos’.

The sum of €220 was raised for the 2023 Poppy Appeal.

Sad news

housed since 2002.

This unexpected event took place over the weekend of February 4 and 5. The apparent normality of Peek’s behaviour did not lead the staff to suspect any problems.

“Peek’s death came as a surprise to everyone. He did not show any symptoms that would lead us to suspect he was suffering from the heart failure the post­mortem revealed,” said Jesus Recuero, the vet at BIOPARC Fuengirola.

THE Euro Weekly News’ latest columnist, Emma McGrath, has had a gift for insight since birth and has been providing professional readings for the past seven years. Here, she talks to the EWN about angel readings, tarot, and how she now plans to help our readers.

Known as The Angelic Medium, Emma, 40, told the EWN she first noticed her gift at a young age: “When I was little, I started crying once and saying my twin sister had been hurt. About 20 minutes later she fell and hurt herself in the garden while I was still upstairs. Lots of things like that happened when I was younger.”

It wasn’t all plain sailing though. Emma explained: “I was born with this gift and was in and out of using it for a while. In my 20s I started using it again and it became overwhelming.

“About seven years ago I woke up one day and I felt ready though.

“First I started doing readings for friends and family members. All their readings came

true and they started recommending me.

“I then started an Instagram account and it went from there really.”

For the past seven years, Emma has been helping clients around the world, even predicting public events, including Bianca Gascoigne’s pregnancy, when she would give birth and the baby’s gender. She also predicted she would do a dancing show in Italy and the position she would come in at.

“I’m sometimes asked for things like lottery numbers but this is a gift for the greater good so I don’t use it in those ways,” she added.

Instead, Emma says she’s most often asked about love and work. She explained: “I am a medium and do readings, angel readings and tarot.

“In my column I want to talk about how to work the law of attraction, gratitude, and moon cycles. I want to get a lot of positivity in there ­ you may be going through a tough time but there are the reasons for it and

ways you can improve things.

“It’s important to go back to basics and be positive.”

She added: “I’ll be doing a different card pull every week. I will sit with my cards and tune in to what people are feeling and what they can do with those emotions.

“If I reach just one person I will have done my job.”

Emma will also be encouraging readers to get in touch. She explained: “I will do a reach out at some point so readers can write in and then I’ll do a reading with them and publish the results.”

The medium, who is based in the UK, but often does readings in Marbella and the Canaries, is also planning live events in the Canary Islands later this year.

You can read Emma’s column every Thursday in EWN

Credit: Emma McGrath

Lifetime gift

Good neighbours rewarded

A LANGUAGE school that does more than teach language, a help line for vulnerable women, and a support group for new arrivals in Spain have earned their organisers accolades in the Good Neighbour award scheme, launched recently by Age in Spain.

The scheme is designed to acknowledge the often­unsung heroes who go beyond the call of duty to help in their community. The awards were judged by an international panel and endorsed by the UK Ambassador to Spain, HMA Hugh Elliott.

Outright winner of the award was Lucia Miguel Bores who lives in Carrion de los Condes. Lucia was nominated for the Good Neighbour Award because the language school she started, Forum Idiomas, has become a portal for newcomers to Spain. As well as teaching them language skills, she helps her students with the challenges of everyday life in a new country.

There was a special com­

mendation for Kay Rowbottom in Mojacar whose action during lockdown to help local women who felt isolated or vulnerable led to the setting up of an online support groupKay Frances SturdygirlsRus. Beginning as a local group for Spanish women and incomers, it now has more than 1,500 members throughout the world offering mutual support.

Pat Love, one half of the ‘Love Team’ in the Loja area of Granada won special commendation for the group she started for English­speaking migrants to Spain. With her husband, Peter, who passed away recently, Pat co­ordinated with UK Consular services in Granada and Malaga to help newcomers navigate their way through unfamiliar aspects of a

new country.

The winners have received certificates from Age in Spain and commendation from HMA Hugh Elliott, who said:

“These awards are a great recognition of the difference that so many people make to their communities and I was truly delighted to see the number of English speaking­nationals nominating their Spanish neighbours and vice versa. The variety of ways in which people have, generously and compassionately, supported those around them is the very definition of neighbourliness. Congratulations to all of them.”

ON Thursday, February 2, the Castilla y Leon branch of the Spanish consumer’s association FACUA, denounced the Segovian restaurant La Olma de Pedraza for charging its customers

€4.50 for a glass of tap water.

In the ‘Our menu’ section of the website of this Segovian establishment, there is a segment that reads: ‘tap water service (per person), we will give you free water’. The owner of the restaurant insisted that the charge is not for the water, but for the service.

The association sent a letter to La Olma de Pedraza on January 16 urging it to withdraw the aforementioned charge for serving tap water to customers from its online publicity.

According to a statement released by FACUA, it understands that the fact of stating

in the online menu that ‘we give you the water’ means that what is charged relates to filling the glass and bringing it to the table, is a tortious interpretation of the norm by the company. FACUA highlighted that catering establishments cannot charge consumers for tap water.

However, in practice, it often happens in many Spanish establishments that bottled water is offered by default and it is the diner who has to specify that they want it free and from the tap.

Kay Frances.

Lucia Miguel Bores.

Pat and Peter Love.

€4.50 for ‘free water’

€66 million is how much the unclaimed lottery ticket in Malaga is worth.

Important congress

BARCELONA is set to host the International Social Housing Festival ( ISHF), the most important international social housing congress in Europe

On June 7, 8 and 9, the fourth edition of the ISHF will be held at the Palau de Congressos de Barcelona, which expects to bring together between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees from all over the world. While habitat systems around the world have experienced a decline in the role of the public sector in the regulation and direct provision of habitat in recent decades, in some cities - including Barcelonainnovative habitat policies are being implemented to respond to the social emergency, as a result of the financialisation of habitat, the lack of affordability, inequalities, and the increase in sentiment or migratory flows, among other phenomena.

In addition to the main events at the Palau de Congressos, the ISHF will feature around 100 activities, including parallel sessions and visits, and is expected to attract between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors.

Spain and Morocco

SPAIN’s President, Pedro Sanchez has confirmed that: “The High-Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco consolidates the new stage of bilateral relations.”

The meeting was held on Thursday February 2, in which 11 Spanish ministers and 13 Moroccan ministers took part.

Sanchez highlighted achievements in four areas: “First, monitoring mechanisms have been adopted for the effective implementation of the agreements. Second, Spain and Morocco have agreed to move forward on migration issues from a constructive perspective, seeking to open up new channels for regular migration.

“Third, Spain highlighted the impetus that both countries have given at this High-Level Meeting to a new advanced economic partnership. Spain wants to be a benchmark investor in Morocco. To this end, a financial protocol has

Best Villages

THE United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has included three Spanish villages in a list of 32 worldwide destinations of ‘Best Tourism Villages 2022’

been announced, endowed with up to €800 million, to promote investments in sectors such as railways, water, agri-food and tourism.

“Finally, the two countries are strengthening their cooperation in the fields of culture, education and vocational training and higher education. Several agreements have been signed to allow the opening of bilingual teaching centres.”

Passage to Portugal

Betty Henderson

WITH the return of international travel and a focus on sustainable transport, Spanish train company Iryo’s plans for a new link between Spanish cities and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon seem to have

charmed the European Union.

The European Commission announced its endorsement for a rail link between A Coruña and Lisbon, placing it on their top 10 list of rail projects to be carried out in the near future.

The train company expressed their delight at being selected but said that “obstacles” remain in their path to creating the rail link, particularly in the lack of infrastructure agreements between Portugal and Spain.

This figure is more than any other country worldwide.

The list recognises villages which are excellent examples of rural tourism with accredited cultural and natural assets, that preserve and promote rural and communitybased values, products, and lifestyle. Included destinations must have a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects: economic, social and environmental.

The three villages in Spain included in the list: Alquezar in Aragon; Rupit in Catalonia; and Guadalupe in Extremadura, all meet the criteria.

Manuel Butler, the Director of the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, confirmed: “We are delighted that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has placed Spain as the country with the most appearances in their list of Best Tourism Villages around the world.”

“We aim to promote community-led tourism across Spain and are thrilled at the international recognition of Spanish sustainable tourism in all aspects.”

€220

President Sanchez, met with the Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Image: Government of Spain.

has been charged to thousands of self-employed people in Spain accidentally.

Valentine’s choice

THE Spanish company, eBooking, a leader in offering online tourist accommodation bookings, has analysed the national destinations preferred by couples to spend the night of Saint Valentine’s and the following weekend. In 2023, Madrid is the city with the highest number of bookings by couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day, followed by Granada, Cordoba, Barcelona and Cadiz.

The company eBooking, which operates in 205 countries and has more than 380,000 accommodation references, places the Spanish capital in first place, with 7.8 per cent of the bookings registered by eBooking are for accommodation in Madrid.

“The incredible gastronomy of the city, its good connection with the rest of the territory and the wide cultural offer, together with the multitude of romantic plans available:

Tourism triumph

IN 2022, 71.6 million international tourists visited Spain, spending €87.061 billion, up 86 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively, compared to 2019.

MADRID: City with the most bookings.

watching the sunset in the temple of Debod, a boat ride on the Retiro pond, a picnic in Casa de Campo, etc. have made Madrid this year the preferred destination for Valentine’s Day for many Spanish couples,” confirmed Toni Raurich, Director of eBooking.

As for international destinations, Paris (3.1 per cent), London (1.9 per cent) and Venice (1.6 per cent) are the cities that have registered the most bookings.

WITH reference to a recent statistic in the newspaper, there have been some enquiries as to what a tin shop is.

The tin workshop is in in the town of Pedraza, in Segovia Province. The workshop itself has been running for over 55 years and was once a booming business with over 14 artisans. The Estaños de Pedraza workshop now only has three, who are all set to retire this year.

Founded by Paco Muñoz in the 1950s, he came to the town of Pedraza and fell in love with it,

This means that Spain outperforms pre-pandemic data in terms of average spending and length of stay by international travellers.

The average stay of these travellers was 7.5 days in 2022, exceeding 7.1 days in 2019. The average spend of international tourists in Spain in 2022 was 10.5 per cent higher than in 2019. This

Last tin workshop

buying dilapidated real estate and began renovations.

Due to his investment both monetarily and physically, the mayor years later asked that he help prevent the brain drain of the town and to help build something that would make Pedraza worth visiting and living in again.

With only one restaurant in the area, Muñoz

is reflected in the data from the surveys on Tourist Movements at Borders (Frontur) and Tourist Expenditure (Egatur), published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

On Thursday, January 2, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes

took on the challenge. He and a few apprentices went to Portugal to learn the true art and crafting of tin. Afterwards, they set up a workshop where they created over 400 original pieces, such as bowls, jugs, candlesticks and more.

Tin is a metal that is constantly fluctuating in price and because of that there were times when profit wasn’t made after the man hours and labour put behind it and is one of the contributing factors as to why Estaños de Pedraza is one of the last tin workshops in Spain.

Maroto, confirmed: “The data we know today confirms the strong recovery of the tourism sector in 2022. The expectations we had of recovering the majority of international tourists from before the pandemic have been fulfilled, but the most important thing is that spending and the average length of stay are growing, and this means an improvement in the quality and profitability of our sector.

“According to our forecasts, tourism will complete its recovery in 2023.”

Image: Catarina Belova / Shutterstock.com

Tourism recovery in 2023.

Image: Balasioiu Sorin Ionut / Shutterstock.com

£220,000

is the cost to the public of Boris Johnson’s Partygate defence.

Creative Writing

HAVE you ever dreamt of becoming an author or testing out your creative writing talents? Look no further than here. Benalmadena are offering a new Creative Writing Workshop in English in the Centro de Exposiciones de Benalmadena.

The workshop coincides with the current exhibit, Made in Benalmadena, and will consist of creative writing sessions in English throughout the month of February. The workshops will focus on the exhibit by local artist Sebastian Garcia Garrido, taking inspiration from his beautiful pieces for writing prompts and exercises.

The sessions will be two hours long and participants can attend as many or as little workshops as they like. The workshops themselves are free and open to the public, but prior registration is advised. Perfect for writers that are just starting out or that are on an in­

Theatre Festival

ON February 17 to March 10, the Padre Manuel Cultural Centre in Estepona will be hosting the Andalucian Theatre Festival, also known as Festival Andaluz de Teatro (FAT).

During the festival there will be three plays take place by Andalucian writer, actor and director Jesús García Amezcua. The festival will act as a groundbreaking and innovative proposal

around the performing arts. The first play will take place on February 17 at 8pm, with Something about me, something about you. The following two plays will be Lilith (special Women’s Day), on March 2, and Boabdil, the last King, on March 10.

Each of the plays conveys a different moment of reflection. Whether it be love, lack of communication, selfish attitudes and so on, the

plays are an emotive door to the arts proactively allowing to experience something new.

To find out more information or to buy tickets visit www.taquilla.com.

termediate level. Led by local writers Janet Floyer and Amy Young, come along and discover your talents.

The times and dates are as follows:

Wednesday February 15, 5pm to 7pm

Wednesday February 22, 10am to 12pm

Saturday February 25, 5pm to 7pm.

Live music in Torremolinos

THERE is no better feeling than enjoying a nice meal, pint or evening with live music. Torremolinos has a great selection of live music sessions this week. Enjoy yourself and have fun with these upcoming shows.

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• The Guitar Man

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• Jazz Jam Session

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• ���������� : Barracuda

Rooftop

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• ����������: Le Grand Cafe

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• SKA, MOD, Northern Soul

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• Live Jazz

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��������������: Tete Leal Quartet

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• Piano Jazz Session

Special ­ Dedicated to Cole

Porter

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ISE Charity Disco

ON February 17, the International School Estepona will be hosting an exciting school disco! The afternoon will include fun all around with refreshments and special guest Richie Rich from Spectrum FM to get the children into the disco spirit.

The school are encouraging their students to wear the Ukranian colours and make a voluntary donation to attend the fun ­ filled event. With hopes for the disco to be an annual event to help charities, the International School of Estepona can’t wait to see the outcome.

The year six class will be donating all funds raised to the Ukrainian Embassy on the anniversary of the invasion, to provide supplies from local and dependable partners to all those in need.

If you would like to donate or to find out more information, contact daniela@marbellaschool. com.

IF you are wondering where to take your better half for Valentine’s Day for a quality threecourse evening meal with live entertainment then Triple A has the answer.

The Triple A animal charity invites you to a special Valentine’s dinner at the beautiful BoBanus restaurant in Marbella. All profits will go to support the 500 animals of the Triple A Animal Shelter.

For more information or to book your 8.00pm table email: events@ tripleamarbella.or g, in fo@bo ­ banus.com or call (+34) 666 162 999 or (+34) 622 910 214

The Bo­Banus restaurant is located at Avda Jose Banus, Puerto Banus, Edif Gray D’Albion, 1st floor (next to the port entrance).

Asociacion de Amigos de Animales Abandonados Triple A is an officially registered, non ­ profit animal charity association with number 02604 in Registro de Asociaciones de Junta de Andalucia.

The charity is supported by the Marbella Town Hall, which provides the site their refuge is built on, electricity, and an annual financial contribution.

However, the charity mainly survives through membership fees, donations, sponsors and fundraising events, etc.

Images: Townhall/Benalmadena

Made in Benalmadena.

Janet Floyer.

Amy Young.

Chase the sun and live the suite life

ESCAPE the winter blues and feel embraced by the warmth of our Mediterranean resort. Live life to the full! Enjoy a complimentary upgrade to one of our dreamy beachfront suites. We’ll also welcome you with a fabulous Six Senses Spa in-room amenity.

Prepared for you at the spa’s Alchemy Bar, is perfect for enjoying some sensuous inroom pampering. Start each day with our legendary breakfast overlooking the sea and during your stay we also invite you to indulge in a complimentary gastronomic lunch at our signature Sea Grill restaurant.

Here you can sip a cocktail by our heated pools, enjoy the privacy and seclusion of your suite and private terrace, and feel the vibrancy of our destination with our culinary landmark restaurants, bars, and refined nightlife.

If what you need is to reset and revitalise, we’ve got winter wellness covered too, with our Health & Fitness centre, beach yoga, as well as our unique Jungle Gym. This new open-air training area secluded in our lush, Mediterranean gardens, will inspire, and motivate with specially curated training circuits.

Raise your game with a complimentary round of golf or feel the adrenalin on our championship tennis courts. For the ultimate in rejuvenation and relaxation, then call upon the talented experts at our Six Senses Spa. Indulge your spontaneity - in a few hours you and your loved ones could be under the Andalucian sun, living the suite life. Chase the sun this winter and experience the Mediterranean lifestyle at Puente Romano Beach Resort. We’ll even give you late check-out so you can make every moment count.

Your stay includes:

• SUITE VIEWS – Stay in one of our dreamy sea view suites.

• EXTENDED STAY – Enjoy every moment with late check out.

• SPA GIFT – Natural, handmade in-room well-being amenity by Six Senses Spa.

• KIDS CLUB – Complimentary morning for your youngsters at La Casita Club.

• BREAKFAST – Start each day with our legendary beachside breakfast.

• LUNCH – Relish a complimentary lunch at our signature Sea Grill restaurant.

• GOLF – Raise your game with a complimentary round of golf.

• WELLNESS – Health and Fitness Centre, Jungle Gym, and beach yoga.

• PRIVILEGES – Preferential bookings at our restaurants, Tennis Club and Six Senses Spa.

To book: reservas@puenteromano.com +34 952 82 09 00

Home-made Asian Fusion food at Fuengirola Port

ARE you craving some oriental cuisine in Fuengirola? Are you looking for a restaurant that serves some of the best and most authentic sushi, Thai and Chinese food? Bing Asian Fusion, perfectly located near Fuengirola Port, creates the freshest homemade Asian food in the area, where you can enjoy your meal while overlooking the stunning Mediterranean sea.

Established six years ago, this restaurant has become one of the most popular restaurants in Fuengirola, offering the best home-made Asian food including colourful poke bowls, delicious rice and noodle dishes, a huge range of tasty sushi and sharing platters, and incredible value for money set menus.

If you love trying different types of sushi, you’ll love the variety at Bing Asian! Choose from Maki, California and fusion special rolls, including classics like salmon or crab, mango California rolls, and spicy tuna rolls. They also have a great range of vegetarian rolls with seaweed, mango, avocado and cucum ber. And if you can’t decide which rolls you’d like to order, Bing Asian has large mixed combo plates (16 or 24), fea turing all of your favourites to share with your party. Make your own healthy poke bowls and choose from salmon, crispy chick-

ing rice, avocado, edamame, wakame, and sesame - all tailored to your tastes. A perfect fresh and crunchy lunch dish to

Here you’ll find all of your favourite noodle and rice dishes, including Pad Thai, chow mein, Singa -

pore Vermicelli, and egg fried rice with juicy shrimp. Turn up the heat and tuck into their Thai curries or soups that pack a punch, or crispy beef and chicken dishes. Not to forget the classic Chinese dishes like sweet and sour chicken, salt and pepper dishes, nam prik pao stir fry with peppers and lemongrass, or crispy duck with pancakes.

For the vegetarians in your group, they’ll be spoilt for choice.

Bing Asian has amazing tofu dishes, in addi tion to vegetable red Thai curry, mixed vegetables in a spicy chilli or oys ter sauce, and typical Chinese pak toi veg etables.

Carnival begins

FEBRUARY marks the beginning of Carnival and it is set to get underway this weekend.

Saturday, February 11, is the official start of the Malaga carnival extravaganza, with the celebrations commencing at 8pm there will be a selection of Carnival gods and goddesses, and events on the main stage that will take place at the Plaza de la Constitucion.

On Sunday, there will be various events to take part in such as the children’s fancy dress competition that starts at noon.

The official Carnival parade starts in Pasillo de Santo Domingo at 5.30pm and will include colourful floats and performers with fantastic costumes throughout.

Concerts will also be taking place throughout the early evening until 8pm!

The Children’s carnival will be the perfect activity to do this weekend with family.

The children’s parade is from noon onwards with fun and games taking place from 12pm ­ 2pm and 5 ­ 7pm.

They also have an extensive list of drinks including cold beers, mouth-watering cocktails and fabulous wines to enjoy with your dishes.

For a flavour explosion of fresh spices and tastes, Bing Asian Fusion offers guests the most authentic dishes using fresh produce, and one of the best views in Fuengirola to enjoy.

And, if you fancy enjoying your food from the comfort of your own home, they also offer a delivery and pick-up service.

BE MINE

TOPS singers come together to celebrate Valentine’s with a spectacular concert, sweeping you off your feet on Saturday, February 11, in Alhaurin el Grande.

Making our hearts skip a beat, the fabulous group of five will be taking stage at the Alhaurin Golf Clubhouse. With support acts, Tres Delicias, On The Road Rocks and TAPAS Choir it will only be sweet melodies making their way throughout the Clubhouse.

Performing the best love hits and more, guests will be serenaded and have the ‘time of their lives’. The concert is due to begin at 8pm, so arrive early for drinks beforehand and some delicious food to start.

Tickets are still available and can be found online by emailing the box office group topsboxoffice@ya hoo.com or from the Papeleria Cristina in Alhaurin El Grande. Tickets start at €10 for TOPS members and non­members €12. All proceeds go to charity.

ON January 20 last year, Carly Lesley’s beautiful little boy, Reggie, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at eight years old. Carly confirmed: “As a parent, there is nothing that can ever prepare you to hear the words that your child has cancer, it’s heartbreaking, to say the least. Reggie was transferred from our local hospital to Great Ormand Street within 48 hours where he is currently receiving treatment.

“There will never be enough words to express our gratitude to GOSH they truly are amazing, the doctors and nurses go above and beyond every day for Reggie and the children going through this awful illness, but to continue the work they do saving many

Can you help?

children lives and making the huge difference they make every day to families they need as much support as possible.”

Carly never thought she’d need the help of Great Or ­

mand Street and as parents, we hope and pray we never need to call on them.

But we are lucky to have such a pioneering children’s hospital in the UK. Even a

1.5% to 3%

spare £1 can help keep this fabulous facility going.

To donate head to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Carly­Lesley.

Flybe slots

Report from French economist proposes a progressive rate for tax fortunes over $100 million.

Rail links

EARLIER this month, the UK and Welsh governments announced a new study to improve transport connectivity between south­east Wales and the west of England.

The study, which is backed by £2.7 million of UK government funding, will look at options for new railway stations and rail services on the South Wales Main Line.

This project will focus on relieving congestion on the M4, a vital connector between south Wales and the rest of the UK UK Transport Minister,

Richard Holden, confirmed: “Delivering better transport links is a vital part of how we transform opportunities for people from across the United Kingdom.

“That’s why I am so delighted that, working with the Welsh government, we are getting the ball rolling on in­depth work to boost connectivity and drive growth.”

The Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies, said: “Good transport connections between south Wales and western England are essential for the economy in Wales.”

LUFTHANSA and Air France / KLM are said to be competing to buy Flybe which went out of business last week.

According to a news source on Monday, February 6 the two companies are not bidding to reinstate the airline but to acquire their landing rights in the UK. In particular, the companies are said to be after Flybe’s landing slots at Heathrow airport.

Flybe also had landing slots at Schiphol in Amsterdam adding to the value of the defunct company and the interest of the two leading European airlines.

For both Lufthansa and Air France / KLM the landing slots are vital to their ability to grow their transit offering, as the Dutch government has restricted the number of flights that can operate from Schiphol.

GOSH: Even a spare £1 can keep this fabulous facility going.

Image: Carly Lesley / Just Giving

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy

THE backlash against Jeremy Clarkson following his trashing of Meghan Markle is growing with at least three stars due to appear on a celebrity ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ refusing to appear with the host.

According to a news source on Saturday, February 4, ITV has had to shelve plans for the

show as a result of the refusal by the three unnamed stars to appear with Clarkson. They are said to have made their opposition to appearing with him, “very loud and very clear.”

Filming of the show was postponed earlier this month

due to “scheduling issues” but it is now apparent that was not the reason.

A source said: “ITV were left with no choice but to postpone the show.

“The feelings were made loud and clear that they didn’t

want to share a platform with Clarkson and, in doing so, risk being seen to legitimise his misogynistic comments.

“They were appearing on the show to raise money for charity, and were acutely aware they didn’t want causes special to their heart to be caught up in any backlash. They just had to walk away.”

A NEW online tour gives the public ‘virtual’ access to beavers for the first time.

The National Trust has launched a virtual tour of its beaver closure on the Holnicote estate on Exmoor in Somerset, three years after beavers were first introduced. A first for the UK, the new tour can be accessed on the charity’s website and uses cutting­edge technology to provide users with virtual access to the 2.7­acre enclosure where beavers were released by the Trust in January 2020. The footage was captured using professional, high­resolution 360° video equipment. The

Beaver access

immersive experience features trail camera footage of the beavers’ everyday lives, drone footage of the enclosure and wider estate with links to other National Trust projects and a ‘question and answer’ session with the charity’s beaver expert, Ben Eardley.

Other wildlife captured on the 360° video and trail cameras include kingfishers, stoats, roe deer and bullfinch. The tour will add additional footage as the site develops.

Clarkson backlash grows Firefighters strike looms

FOR the first time since 2003, members of the Fire Brigades Union in Britain on Monday, January 30, voted in favour of industrial action. According to a union spokesperson, with a 73 per cent turnout, 88 per cent of its 32,000 members chose to down tools. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, on a turnout of 68 per cent, 94 per cent of firefighters voted to strike.

The union bosses offered the government one last chance to improve its offer by giving them another 10 days to think about it. A 5 per cent increased pay offer was declined by the union last November.

It claimed one in five jobs has been cut since 2010, with firefighters’ real­terms earnings also dropping by 12 per cent.

“Firefighters have faced a

sustained attack on pay for more than a decade, with average pay falling by about £4,000 in real terms. Our members face hazardous situations every day and sometimes risk their health to do the job,” stated FBU general secretary Matt Wrack.

According to reports, office and cleaning staff have been undergoing emergency training in anticipation of any industrial action occurring.

JEREMY CLARKSON: Facing backlash.

Photovoltaic complex

Credit: Iberdrola.com

By Peter McLaren-Kennedy

LIDL is reported to have said that it will drastically reduce its meat offerings in the coming years and that it will ramp up its ‘veggie’ offerings.

Christoph Graf, Chief Buyer for Germany, told a news source at the end of ‘Green Week’ on Saturday, February 4 that the need for climate protection was dictating the change.

Echoing the words of climate protesters he said that there is “no alternative” because there is no second

IBERDROLA announced on Monday, February 6, that it obtained an environmental permit to build the largest photovoltaic project in Europe. With 1,200 megawatts (MV) of installed power, it will be located in the municipality of Santiago de Cacem (near Sines, a logistics hub in southern Europe), in Portugal. The plant will be called ‘Fernando Pessoa’ in homage to the Portuguese poet and is expected to be operational in 2025. It will be capable of supplying clean energy be capable of supplying the annual needs of 430,000 homes. Its network connection will be contracted with the Portuguese operator REN. The new plant will avoid the con ­

sumption annually of 370 million cubic metres of gas and act as an example of the coexistence of new renewable developments.

Portugal recently announced a regulatory programme to promote and expedite the deployment of clean energy, attract investor confidence, achieve climate targets, and accelerate the response to the double challenge of the climate and energy crisis in Europe.

Iberdrola affirmed an investment of an “additional €3,000 million in wind and solar energy” in the country for the next few years. As a result, it will operate more than 92 MW of wind power distributed over various parks.

No more meat

planet. He continued by saying that we must learn to eat in a way that takes into account the limits of the planet with the world only able to sustain 10 billion people if we reduce our meat consumption.

Asked whether he was concerned about what the change meant for the chain he said that he hoped it would improve Lidl’s image in the market, especially

among younger people. Referring to the wider population he said it was about motivating people to eat products other than meat. As a result, Lidl would be holding more themed weeks to promote meatless products.

Timing is perhaps good for Lidl to announce the change with the cost of meat soaring and becoming less affordable for many.

Couple abandon baby

A COUPLE who had not bought a travel ticket for their baby abandoned it at the Ryanair check-in at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

The couple, who were travelling on Belgian passports, were detained by police according to the UK press on Wednesday, February 1.

The baby’s parents when they realised they did not have a ticket for the baby simply strolled across to passport

control, put the baby who was in a car seat down and tried to leave. A shift manager is said to have taken the couple ‘back to the flight counters and called the police and a security guard.

The couple were taken for questioning. According to the Israel Airports Authority, the couple had arrived late for their flight with the counter having already closed.

The Ryanair desk manager

said: “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”

£200,000 in banknotes discovered in boot of vehicle in central Madrid.

PROPOSED PARK: Will be the largest photovoltaic project in Europe.

POPE FRANCIS condemned ‘economic colonialism’ in a message directed towards western and European powers in a speech given in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday, January 31.

In the speech, given in Italian at the capital, Kinshasa’s presidential palace, the Pope said that “terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity” are responsible for the ongoing conflict in the country.

The Pope added, “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered”.

Natural resource wealth has led to decades of economic and political turmoil after the Democratic Republic of the Congo won its independence from Belgium in 1960. In the country of 100 million people, it is estimated that 26 million face severe hunger problems.

The Pontiff is in the central African country for the first visit by a leader of the Catholic church since Pope

Hands off Africa

John Paul II’s visit to Zaire as it was formerly known in 1985.

Art theft trial

A UKRAINIAN man accused of directing the theft of a €1.5 million piece of artwork went on trial in Paris on Monday, January 30. The anonymous suspect allegedly masterminded the raid on the Musée de Beaux­Arts in Nancy, France in 2018.

The suspect was arrested in Kyiv one year later by police who had been searching for a murder suspect, when they came across the century ­ old painting that had seemingly disappeared without trace.

The valuable painting by Paul Signac, ‘Le Port de La Rochelle’ was stolen from the gallery by three people. Museum staff review­

ing the footage were shocked by the thieves’ brazen attitude which saw them enter the museum with only head coverings and their faces visible before removing the painting from its frame with a box cutter.

The thieves supposedly rolled up the canvas and carried it out of the museum under one of their coats, all in broad daylight. The man on trial has repeatedly accused fellow Ukrainian, Vadym Huzhva of coordinating the attack. Huzhva has denied any link to the robbery, and was himself serving time in an Austrian prison for another art robbery at the time.

Doppelganger

PROSECUTORS in a murder case in Germany believe the suspect got in contact with a lookalike online in order to fake her own death. Police issued arrest warrants

death

for the suspect and an alleged accomplice at the end of January.

The body of a young woman discovered in August 2022 was originally identified as ‘Sharaban K’ a 23 ­ year ­ old Iraqi­ German beautician. Members of the woman’s family assisted police in identifying the body, but the next day it was identified as another person, ‘Khadidja O’, a 23­yearold Algerian beauty blogger in a post­mortem report.

Police believe ‘Sharaban K’ and an accomplice reached out to ‘Khadidja O’ via Instagram message and lured her to an address where they stabbed her and feigned ‘Sharaban K’’s own death.

German police described the women as looking “strikingly similar” due to make­up, complexion and hair styles, leading the cases to be referred to as the “doppelganger murder.”

Pope Francis arrives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the first papal visit since Pope John Paul’s visit.

Photo credit: Franciscus (via Instagram)

21

Doctor Phil is to stop talk show after his 21st season.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Best place

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL’S annual report on 180 countries pronounced Denmark as the world’s least corrupt country in 2022, awarding it 90 points, followed by Finland and New Zealand in second place with 87. Somalia in Africa, embroiled in ongoing conflict, was ranked last with 12 points.

THE NETHERLANDS

Coffee joint

CANNABIS sellers in The Netherlands are developing a national quality certificate for coffee shops to assist in improving relationships with local governments and the law. The PCN shop-owners’ union explained to members that obtaining the certificate would involve training for coffee shop employees and introduce product quality control.

BELGIUM

Powered down

BELGIUM shut down its Tihange 2 reactor on January 31 as the country winds down its reliance on nuclear power. The 40-year-old installation near to the German border was also a source of friction with its neighbour, who cited security concerns after cracks were found in the reactor’s pressure vessels.

GERMANY

Old-timers

ARCHEOLOGISTS believe Neanderthals lived in larger groups than previously thought, hunting elephants that tripled the size of today’s. After studying 125-year-old skeletons of straight-tusked elephants found near Halle in central German where Neanderthals once lived, researchers found these were clearly hunted by “large social units.”

FRANCE

Beetling off

A FACTORY in Dole (France) is the world’s largest vertical insect farm, accommodating approximately three trillion mealworm beetles which are raised from larvae to adults. When mature, they are humanely dispatched before being harvested for oil and fertiliser as well as protein for animal feed.

NORWAY

All alone

SINGLE men were likely to have lower quality of life than single women and were less satisfied with their social relationships, a survey by Statistics Norway, the country’s official data agency, discovered. It also found that men without a spouse or partner usually had poorer living conditions.

FINLAND

Cold comfort

JANUARY was “unusually and exceptionally mild” in much of Finland, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) said. Average temperatures in some regions ranged between a benign two and five degrees while Rovaniemi City in Finnish Lapland saw its warmest January since monthly records began in the late 1950s.

IRELAND

Another patron

IRELAND observed a public holiday honouring St Brigid of Kildare who is steadily gaining a following in Ireland and abroad rivalling the country’s traditional patron, St Patrick. Devotees see Brigid, and the ancient Irish goddess whose name and attributes she shares, as personifying feminine spirituality and empowerment.

ITALY

Home truths

ITALY’S Supreme Appeals Court ruled that children need not see their grandparents unless they wished. The decision followed an appeal by the parents of two children after lower courts backed the grandparents’ complaints that they never saw the children, who allegedly did not enjoy the visits.

PORTUGAL Deadly bug

THE Xylella fastidiosa bacterium which has attacked trees in some parts of Spain is spreading fast in Portugal. Unlike Spain where the infestation has been largely limited to almonds, vines as well as trees bearing citrus fruit, cherries, peaches and olives have been affected in the Oporto area.

UKRAINE

Clean sweep

UKRAINE launched a far-reaching anti-corruption drive that included raids on high-profile persons following increasing pressure from its Western partners, notably the EU, to tackle corruption. When voted into power in 2019, Ukraine’s president Volodymir Zelensky cited the fight against corruption as a principal priority.

SWEDEN

Hard task

SWEDEN’S Climate minister, 27-year-old Romina Pourmokhtari, said she would resign if the country’s ambitious climate and environment goals cannot be reached. This could prove difficult as the coalition government elected in October 2021 includes the Sweden Democrats party which regards climate change as ‘a myth’.

BUSINESS EXTRA Drink up FINANCE

Pastures new

DE LA RUE’S chief financial officer Rob Harding will be leaving the banknote printer to join retail payments business PayPoint, the company announced. Harding will remain for up to six months to assist with an orderly transition, sources said.

Helping out

SPANISH companies working with plastics have “serious doubts” about applying the new tax on non­recyclable containers as well as paying it. The government is offering a six­month moratorium and tax authority Hacienda is operating an online service to answer queries.

Wage gap

BANKERS’ pay rises have tripled those of nurses since the 2008 financial crisis, found a TUC study. Pay and bonuses in finance and the insurance sector rose by an average 6 per cent compared to 2 per cent for nurses.

Turn-off

BRITONS cancelled approximately two million subscriptions to services like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ in 2022 as they cut down on non­essentials. Households with at least one paid­for subscription fell from 17.12 million in 2021 to last year’s 16.24 million.

Sunny outlook

ENERGY COMPANY Iberdrola received the go­ahead to build Europe’s biggest solar power plant in Santiago de Cacem (Portugal). As well as providing 2,500 jobs the installation will produce enough electricity for 430,000 homes, equivalent to double the population of Oporto.

Hacked off

SOME customers of car retailer

Arnold Clark learnt their personal information could have been stolen in a cyber­attack. The car retailer, which sells more than 300,000 cars each year, said the stolen data included bank details as well as ID documents.

STAT OF WEEK €87 billion

129.5 per cent more than in 2021, was the amount spent by the 71.6 million tourists who visited Spain last year according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Record year for BBVA

Linda Hall

BBVA bank reported a record year with its biggest­ever net profit of €6.42 billion, up 38 per cent on 2021.

Outstripping both the €6.12 billion that the bank posted in 2007 and 2018’s €5.32 billion, this year’s showing was aided by a double­digit increase in lending income and a strong performance in Mexico.

Thanks to these results, BBVA announced its largest cash dividend for 14 years, paying out 31 cents per share, and also revealed a share repurchase plan of €422 million. In all, the bank is assigning €3 billion to shareholder distribution, 47 per cent of the bank’s 2022 net profit.

ALMOST 13,000 offshore companies which hold UK property have not declared their ultimate owners.

They now face fines and a ban on selling their land, the government said, as Martin Callanan, minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility, commended the new register listing the overseas owners of UK properties.

This was “invaluable” for tax and revenue services, Callanan declared, as it brought transparency to opaque offshore trusts.

Nevertheless, as only 19,510 of 32,440 registered overseas organisations have disclosed the identities of their beneficial owners, this

Renting out

BUYING a garage space with a view to renting it out could be an enticing option for modest investors.

Acquiring one ranges from €20,256 in the Basque Region in northern Spain to €7,170 in Murcia, according to the online property portal, Fotocasa.

On average, this will bring a return of 7.5 per cent nationwide, while another real estate website, Idealista, put it at 7.1 per cent.

Fotocasa’s Maria Matas also pointed out that both garage and house or apartment rentals were at present more profitable than any other financial product.

“2022 was a year of growth for BBVA,” said the bank’s chairman Carlos Torres Vila. “We had the highest profit in our history, with significant growth in lending and major advances in our strategy, focused on digitisation, innovation and sustain­

ability.” Torres Vila added that looking ahead, and despite world uncertainty, BBVA would continue to create opportunities and contribute to the economic and social growth of the countries where it had a presence. Mexico accounted for more than 60 per cent of BBVA’s net earnings in 2022, with a net profit rising 64 per cent and income from lending increasing by 44 per cent. This year the bank has predicted mid­teens growth in lending income and double­digit growth in loans there.

At the same time, some analysts have cited risks from BBVA’s exposure to Turkey where the bank has started to implement hyper­inflationary accounting.

No hiding place

Guernsey and Luxembourg.

ALCOHOLIC drinks brand Diageo exceeded first­half predictions as prices rose and people drank more spirits.

Organic net sales rose by 9.4 per cent instead of a predicted 7.9 per cent in the six months to December 31 for the Londonbased multinational which makes Tanqueray gin, Captain Morgan rum and Ketel One vodka. Net sales during the same period rose 18.4 per cent to £9.4 billion (€10.6 billion).

The group will return approximately £500 million (€563 million) to shareholders in addition to this financial year’s buyback commitment.

Athlete first

PABLO FERNANDEZ from Madrid entered the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest swimmer to cover five kilometres in the open sea with shackled feet.

indicates that 12,930 did not.

Roughly 75 per cent of those registering their ultimate owners are based in the British Virgin Islands, Jersey, the Isle of Man,

Callanan said that Companies House and the Insolvency Service would receive more investigatory powers, along with approximately £20 million (€23,632 million) to spend on dealing with money laundering via companies that own UK property. Callanan warned there was no hiding place for “criminals and corrupt elites” now that the January 31 deadline for registering had passed.

“We will be using all the tools at our disposal, including fines and restrictions, to

A family affair

BARCLAYS and Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) face questions about their links to Roman Abramovich. The Oligarch files, leaked documents seen by the Guardian newspaper, reveal that the banks held at least $940 million (€860.5 million) on Abramovich’s behalf before the Ukraine war.

Shortly before Moscow entered Ukraine, much of Abramovich’s vast assets had been transferred to his children.

The Guardian files suggest that in the last week of February 2022, once the reorganisation had been completed, Barclays and UBS were told that Abramovich’s children were now the ultimate beneficial owners.

Following the UK and EU’s sanctions, Barclays and UBS will almost certainly be asked to explain how they responded to the modifications and whether the children have benefited from assets that belonged to their father.

crack down on foreign companies who have not complied,” he said.

Unregistered overseas companies are now automatically rejected from registering ownership of new land by HM Land Registry, while UK buyers cannot transfer their title to the deed of any property acquired from non­compliant organisations.

“If you ignored warnings and failed to register before the deadline, you will face consequences,” Louise Smyth, CEO of Companies House, said.

Recycling plan

FASHION label Ralph Lauren is collaborating with a recycling programme for no longer wearable cashmere.

Consumers living in Britain, the European Union and the US can obtain a printable, postage­paid label from the Ralph Lauren website to send unwanted 100 per cent cashmere items from any brand for reprocessing.

The discarded woollies go to ReVerso in Tuscany (Italy) which recycles yarns and fabrics for fashion companies that include Stella McCartney.

Some fast­fashion companies offer textile recycling, although there is uncertainty regarding the clothes’ destination, and they increasingly use recycled materials but this is the first time that a designer label has embraced large­scale recycling efforts.

The 42­year­old is also a businessman who in 2016 founded online car sales company Clicars which he sold in 2022 for more than €100 million. Despite his entrepreneurial success, he recently told an El Pais interviewer that he views himself principally as an athlete.

“Businesses come and go but swimming is constant,” he said.

Fernandez also swims 15 kilometres in a counter ­ current swimming pool installed in the Clicar’s repair shop which he visits each day.

Streamlining

APPROXIMATELY half of the staff at a Hanley (Stoke­on­Trent) government call centre which closed in January are relocating or will be redeployed.

Shutting down 13 sites by June is expected to bring savings of between £80 and £90 million (€90,514 and €101,857 million) annually from 2028 onwards, government sources said.

Seventy­four Hanley employees agreed to the changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed, with others preferring to take voluntary redundancy.

The DWP said the closure, which formed part of wider plans to modernise and streamline its estate, involved only back office staff and would not impact public­facing roles.

Photo credit: BBVA

BBVA: Chairman Carlos Torres Vila announced best-ever year.

Photo credit: CC/Chris McAndrew

MARTIN CALLANAN: Business minister welcomed register of the overseas owners of UK properties.

DOW JONES

BUSINESS EXTRA

Record year

SANTANDER, like BBVA, Sabadell and Bankinter, has had a record year, with profits of €9.6 billion, 18 per cent more than in 2021. The bank will distribute 40 per cent of this, more than €3.8 billion, amongst shareholders split evenly between dividends and share buy­backs.

Job choice

UK supermarket chain Tesco is cutting 1,750 shop manager and team leader jobs, offering staff the option of moving to lowerpaid shift leader roles or redundancy. Those staying can take a lump sum to compensate the shortfall or receive the same pay for two years.

Slowdown

UK car production fell by 10 per cent last year in its worst performance since 1956, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. The struggle to obtain parts during the pandemic and semiconductor shortages hit the sector worldwide, but Britain was also affected by factory closures.

Rare minerals

SUSANA TIMON, who heads Spain’s Geology and Mining Institute, said that Spain is geologically complex with “great mineral wealth.” As a leading producer of copper, strontium and wolfram, she said evidence suggested it would be “interesting” to exploit Spain’s lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths.

Iceland record

CHRISTMAS sales broke records for £4 billion (€4.5 billion) family firm Iceland whose share of frozen food spending now rivals Tesco. Chairman Richard Walker, who has taken over from his father Malcolm, also plans to enter politics but insisted this would not be a distraction.

All change at Orange

LUDOVIC PECH, currently Orange Middle East and Africa’s chief financial officer, takes over as the telecom giant’s CEO in Spain next April.

He will replace Jean­François Fallacher who in turn substitutes Fabienne Dulac, head of the French operation for the last eight years.

Fallacher will retain his links with Orange Spain on the board of directors while supervising the ongoing merger with rival MasMovil, the company announced.

Pech joined Orange in 1998 and since then has worked in Romania, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain. Insiders at Orange explained that he was more than familiar with the

ORANGE: Change of posts at French telecoms company.

Spanish market where he held the position of financial director between 2000 and 2010 with internet service provider Wanadoo and former mobile operator Amena.

Water on tap

Announcing the changes, the company emphasised that the new appointments underlined Spain’s importance within the group, coinciding with the MasMovil merger which was signed last July.

Once completed, this will put Orange at the head of Spain’s telecoms sector, with more telephone clients and broadband users than any other company, accounting for 31 million lines.

The combined joint venture controlled equally by Orange and MasMovil will be worth €18.6 billion, compared with the €19.6 billion originally announced when the agreement was first made known in March 2022.

UK is on the right track

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) in its latest World Economic Outlook update.

This would contract by 0.6 per cent instead of growing by 0.3 per cent as predicted last October. The UK was also expected to perform worse than other high­income economies, including Russia, as the cost of living continued to affect households, the IMF said.

Nevertheless the IMF update added that it believed the UK was on the right track despite high energy prices, increased mortgage costs and raised taxes, together with worker shortages.

The IMF report on January 31 arrived three years on from the day that the UK left the European Union although it forbore to name Brexit as an element in the country’s failure to perform as well as others.

Only days before the IMF’s pronouncement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt had disparaged gloomy interpretations of the UK economy, taking on the “declinists” whom he described as “permanently pessimistic” regarding Britain’s future.

Responding to the IMF update, Hunt also maintained that the UK was

JEREMY HUNT: The UK is strong, Chancellor declared

strong and had outperformed many forecasts in 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman pointed out that the UK was predicted to grow faster than Germany and Japan in coming years while adding that the IMF itself had said that the UK was on the right track.

Iberdrola rumours

IBERDROLA reportedly intends to sell some of its renewable assets in Spain.

Three different sources told news agency Reuters that Iberdrola was working with Deutsche Bank on selling the portfolio, which could raise more than $700 million (€637.3 million).

The bank is said to have begun the sale process and is contacting potential buyers who include infrastructure investors, fund managers and industrial groups.

The portfolio includes a 1.6 gigawatt combined cycle power plant (CCGT) and 300 megawatts of onshore wind capacity, together with projects for developing 500 megawatts of solar plants that would integrate with the gas plant.

The sale is still at an early stage and Iberdrola could delay or even abandon plans to sell them, the sources said. Meanwhile both parties have declined to comment on the issue.

Back to the office

COMPANIES introduced remote and flexible working during the Covid pandemic and many employees are reluctant to lose their newfound freedom.

Tony Danker, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said recently that most bosses wanted to end work­from­home.

“The whole world of work has gone crazy since the coronavirus pandemic,” Danker told the BBC.

“This led to a shift to working from

WATER bills in England and Wales will rise by 7.5 per cent in April, their biggest increase in 20 years.

A normal household’s annual bill could set them back around £448 (€502), with customers paying an average £31 (€34.7) more than in 2021.

Consumer groups warned that the increase would adversely affect households when one in five already found it difficult to pay bills.

Water UK argued that the rise for most customers would still be below inflation, maintaining that in real terms, bills were lower than 10 years ago.

It’ll cost you!

SPANISH shoppers who buy online from Zara must now pay if they want to return a purchase.

“Returns after February 1 will cost €1.95, deducted from the amount reimbursed,” the Zara web page explained. This applies only to postal returns, as no charge is made for items bought online if they are taken to a Zara outlet in the same region or country.

Referring to the returns policy, Oscar Garcia Maceiras, CEO of parent company Inditex, said that this had been “wellreceived” in other countries, with “absolutely no impact on sales.”

A no show

DAME ALISON ROSE, NatWest’s CEO, was accused of avoiding scrutiny by failing to appear before the Treasury select committee on January 21

The UK’s four biggest bank chiefs were called to explain savings rates, as politicians believe that lenders are procrastinating over an increase but pass on higher mortgage and other costs.

home for many people who used to work solely from the office.

“You ask most bosses, everybody secretly wants everyone to come back to the office,” added Danker, who represents the interests of 190,000 UK businesses.

“I just don’t think that is going to happen overnight,” he admitted.

“I think we are all coping with this but we’re going to be talking about it for a few years. We have no idea where it will end.”

Lloyds CEO Charlie Nunn and HSBC head Ian Stuart agreed to attend, while Barclays will send Matt Hammerstein, CEO of Barclays UK, since Vencat, the group’s chief executive is receiving cancer treatment.

The taxpayer owns 46 per cent of NatWest, but Rose claimed she was too busy to attend although insiders predict she will finally appear to silence her critics.

NOT only is Vladimir Putin a gangster, he is actually your classic gangster. I think the facts speak for themselves. He is undoubtedly an ego maniac and a bully. He is surrounded by thugs, hit men and bent politicians. He rubs out or ‘subdues’ any opposition. As a warning to others, those he considers ‘ratfinks’ are ruthlessly hunted down and ‘eliminated’. Both he and his henchmen are worth billions, and the general public of his domain consider him a hero. You don’t get more classic than that. Of course, that is where the resemblance ends.

His operation makes the Capone, Gambinos and Mafia Dons of yore look like *******. However, in my opinion, through all this worrying new ‘subzero war’ era, I believe we can all console ourselves with one fact; Putin won’t attack the West, certainly not nuclear. Why would he? He still earns a big chunk of his ill­gotten gains from the West. He’s not involved in his skullduggery operation from a view of patriotism, or the old communistic idealsheaven forbid. He’s in it purely for the power and the money. To take out Boris, which would presumably include London, would be like Al Capone destroying Chicago. He definitely doesn’t want to terminate a future golden egg layer of our magnitude.

All that aside, with the advent of the

Kremlin

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

Ukrainian war I do truly believe that at this moment in time we are nearer to the ultimate holocaust than we have ever been ­ even during the Cuban missile crisis. At least in those days the USA and the USSR pulled most of the strings. Both of these powers were fairly stable and had reasonably sane leaders. Now they are all at it, and in my opinion a number are nowhere near stability.

North Korea, still run by a man/boy who thinks he’s playing video games. Iran, who probably have a few tucked away by now, is run by a fanatical regime who have vowed to destroy Israel, also a nuclear power. India is still in an uneasy extremely precarious ‘truce’ with fellow nuclear power Pakistan. Saudi Arabia, threatening to develop nuclear weapons if Iran doesn’t halt its own programme (some chance), France mmm! The ever­unpre­

UNFORGIVEABLE OUR VIEW

dictable China. And, top o’ the bill, two megalomaniacs in the shape of Biden and Putin, who both think they are infallible. Sounds pretty volatile to me.

Oh, I forgot about the good ol’ UK. Well I wouldn’t worry too much about us. If Starmer gets elected we’ll probably all be sheltering behind our Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament badges. Perhaps that means they’ll leave the UK alone? Ha ha! Good luck all!

As most of you know, I have always believed in free speech. Thank the Lord I write for a publication that, although it may not always agree with my views also considers free speech a ‘uman right!’ Have a woke free week y’all.

Keep the faith

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland. Mon. & Fri. !pm till 4.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

THE week that Gary Glitter was released from prison after serving around half of his sentence for child sex crimes has raised the general question; are some crimes just too awful to ever allow the perpetrator to be released?

The prison system ­ developed by the Victorians ­ is based broadly on three basics principles. It is there to punish criminals, to keep members of the public safe from them, and to rehabilitate them.

But are some people simply beyond rehabilitation?

Glitter had already been convicted twice previously for child sex crimes before his most recent stint at a prison in the UK. Does that suggest that mindset of someone who has been reformed and is safe to be among the general public, or the pattern of someone who will offend again?

Beyond the danger to the public that some convicts pose, there is the cost involved in then keeping them safe once they are outside of prison. In Glitter’s case, there was a disturbance outside his bail hostel a day after he was released.

Taxpayer money will now need to be used to protect Glitter from the general public, not the other way around should there be any threats to his safety. This hardly seems to serve as either vengeance to his victims or as any form of common sense, particularly at a time when the UK is going through a cost of living crisis.

Of course, keeping him in prison is expensive too. But at least that way, the disgraced pop star’s victims could have slept a little sounder.

THE International School Estepona are embarking on a new fitness initiative. All children from the EYFS up to Year 6 have started the Daily Mile challenge.

The Daily Mile, was set up in Scotland, UK, after universities found that 15 minutes of selfpaced exercise is beneficial for pupils’ cognition, health and general well­being.

It’s a social activity where the children can run or jog at their own pace for 15 minutes; enabling every child, including those with specific needs, to be active every day.

It is a simple, yet effective initiative which improves the physical and mental health of children. Subsequently, it makes the children fitter, healthier and happier, and has a positive impact on their behaviour and concentration levels (BMC Medicine).

It is important to note; that

- New Start

childhood obesity is a major public health problem. Worldwide, around one in five children aged five to 19 years are either overweight or living with obesity (WHO, 2022).

In response to this global epidemic, the World Health Assembly adopted the ‘WHO global action plan for prevention and control of non ­ communicable diseases’ including halting childhood obesity rates by 2025.

The WHO global action plan for obesity guides action at the national, regional and local level and as children spend a large proportion of their waking time in school, this has been cited as an appropriate setting to deliver childhood

marbellaschool.com

obesity prevention interventions.

ISE has built a heathy school culture, allowing the children to take ownership of the daily snacks they bring in, being rewarded weekly certificates for their healthy choices.

The children at ISE have been learning all about how important it is to have a balanced diet and what this consists of. They have also been learning how to check their pulse rates and are keeping a log, to look back on, as they get fitter. Not only do the children understand the importance of a healthy physical lifestyle, but the value of a healthy mind too.

Everyone has fun taking part

in the Daily Mile whilst building relationships, confidence and resilience.

The moto is; Fun, Fresh air, Friends, Fitness and Focuswith the children enjoying a sense of Freedom.

For any enquiries please contact +34 951 742 736 marbellaschool.com

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

BILL ANDERSON A PUBLIC SERVANT

AS this article goes way beyond the reaches of Mijas, this is not a political post and I am not touting for votes. But, I do find it strange that so many people ask me whom they should vote for in the upcoming local elections in Spain. I am a politician, after all, and I will be standing in the next elections. I am not sure what is going through their heads when they ask me this. But it shows what a crap politician I am when I tell them that they need to decide.

I had a conversation recently with a Spanish friend who said quite simply, “Yo soy de la izquierda” (I am from the left). I am not even sure what that means: that whomever the left presents, be it a dancing monkey wearing a red t ­ shirt, they would still vote for them? I have never seen life in monochrome, let alone in red/blue colours.

Sure, I am technically a conservative councillor (PP), but I don’t wear blue underpants. My commitment was never primarily to a party but to a person. My personal political leanings whilst living in the UK had always fluctuated depending on who was standing and whether I trusted them or not to do a good job. I

WHO(M) SHOULD I VOTE FOR?

various politicians? Have you been here long enough to have seen a variety of parties in government? Which do you think did a good job? And of course, what experience do the individuals on the list bring with them?

Do you like the performance of the party/parties currently in government?

Have they done a good job over the past four years in caring for your community and managing your money?

Has the current government carried out its election promises from 2019?

Which councillors have you found to be accessible and which of them answer your calls for help? Which ones ignore you unless of course it’s election time?

could never state unequivocally, “I’m from the left,” or “I’m from the right.” Maybe that’s why I never went into politics before.

So, how can I answer that question, “Who(m) should I vote for?” Sorry, I can’t resist the grammatical dogmatism there.

Local politics and National politics are different animals with similar names: I guess a bit like a Giant Panda and a Griz­

No apologies

NORMALLY when someone is ousted from a job amid epic failure that caused massive economic unrest, you might expect an apology. Not in the case of Liz Truss though, who seems to now be blaming almost everyone but herself for her stint as the UK’s shortest ­ ever serving prime minister.

With many in the UK on their knees with rising credit rates, electric and bills alongside wages that are seeing very little sign of growth, Truss decided this would be her time to publicly complain about her treatment while prime minister in a lengthy essay in The Telegraph.

The main problem she has of course is that many see the economic agenda her own chancellor announced during her (very) short tenure last year is part of the cause of the economic difficulties the country is facing now.

But even if she was somehow the victim of some elaborate scheme on the part of her own party ­ who had literally just elected her as leader ­ it wouldn’t really matter. Because

(and this is the important bit for any fledgling politicians reading this) no one likes a politician who complains about how hard they have it.

It does seem odd that someone who felt suited to managing an entire country of people might not have learned that lesson about the electorate somewhere along the way.

And perhaps that in itself is the clue to Truss’s ultimate downfall as prime minister.

While as a cabinet member the public seemed to at least find some fun in her awkward one ­ liners about cheese exports and pig farms, as prime minister her dogged outof ­ touchness just didn’t work.

What she seemed to think of as a Thatcherite steeliness just looked like someone who refused to accept when they were wrong. And with the markets plummeting under her, boy was she wrong.

Is there a way back into politics now for her then? Anything’s possible but one thing’s for sure ­ she’ll need to learn a lot more about reading the room before she does.

zly Bear. Both are technically bears, but I know which I would rather meet on a walk in the forest.

We need to remember that in Spain you don’t vote for an individual but for a party list. So what advice can I give?

First of all, is there anyone on any list that you know and trust? It’s a good starting point.

What experience do you have of the

You can look at track records of the various parties, approachability, concern for you as an international resident. There are so many criteria we could use to make decisions, but it will often come down to a gut feeling. I know whom I will be voting for and not because of the party, but it is up to everyone to make their own decisions.

The only plea I would make is not to define yourself randomly by ‘left or right’, but to use your head wherever it takes you.

The downsizing trap

THE British Benevolent Fund tries to help those Britons in Spain who face extreme financial hardship. Many people seek help in difficult circumstances such as following the death of a loved one.

In mourning for their loss, they often also seek closure so they can continue with their lives. Sometimes this involves facing up to the harsh reality of the partner’s death meaning a drop in income whilst having ongoing mortgage or rent for a property that is now too big for one. Which might sound relatively easy, but in a recent case of a widower with an ongoing health condition and poor mobility who did not have the finances to downside.

His income was no longer adequate for the large property he had lived in when his wife was alive, and he knew that he would have to move out to a smaller and more affordable property or eventually face eviction. He decided to act but realised that this was not as straightforward as he had thought. He was physically

unable to move large household items, nor did he have the recourses for the upfront deposit and rental of a new property while he was still paying the old one and the added uncertainty of not knowing if the old landlord would be difficult in repaying his original deposit. He contacted the British Benevolent Fund to see if they would be able to help. To us it was a clear yes. A man in emotionally difficult circumstances who was trying to move on and was taking the decisions to do so but didn’t have the resources. He needed a helping hand. Working with a local partner ­ one of many that can be found at the British Embassy supported resource www.supportinspain.info ­ we were able to help him pack a lifetime of shared memories

and pay the removals firm to his new apartment where he lives to this day. We receive hundreds of requests from people that find that a relatively small amount can go a long way. We can only do so with your support. If you would like to make a donation please visit our website www.british benevolentfund.org or contact me olaf.clayton@britishbenev olentfund.org ­ Thank you on behalf of our recipients.

VOTING IN SPAIN: It is up to everyone to make their own decisions.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

DON’T CALL 999 AND PUT YOUR FOOT IN IT!

ing most of the calls.” Many of the calls led to clinicians responding and sometimes ambulances were even dispatched.

“MY boyfriend won’t kiss me!” ­ this is just one of the weirdest 999 calls revealed by police who urge a sensible use of the emergency number as people use it to discover train times and dentists’ contact details. Last year a woman even called 999 because she’d been refused entry to a nightclub for being ‘past it’. Good grief!

Or how about a woman complaining that she’d been sent three saveloy and chips from the chip shop instead of one? Or a man asking for the time, and another complaining about a packet of biscuits being out of date?

But top prize goes to the man who admitted making hundreds of nuisance calls to the NHS 111 line in order to indulge a ‘sexual foot fetish’. The offender from Worthing, West Sussex, made over 1,000 calls, costing the NHS £21,000.

Pretending to be an elderly woman and using ‘false personal details, false telephone numbers and false ailments’, he’d

ask call handlers about their feet according to Sussex Police who stated he “had a sexual foot fetish which he indulged dur­

Heck, if crime writers like myself came up with motives as weak as these for calling out the cops or calling the NHS 111 line in our thrillers, we’d be nicked for wasting readers’ time...

And that’d be a fair cop!

Now, tourists may think exorbitant London prices are daylight robbery, but police see things differently. A woman called 999 because she was outraged that a clown was selling balloons for £5 each, which was ‘much more than other clowns were charging’. She was one of the 10 worst offenders for time­wasting revealed by the Metropolitan Police in an urgent appeal not to make unnecessary calls.

Others to call 999 in London included people complaining about being served a cold kebab, being kept awake by noisy foxes and asking where to get a bacon sandwich. One of my favourites has to be the woman who said there were ‘men’ in her house trying to take her away. The ‘men’ were in fact police officers who had come to arrest her!

Avon and Somerset Police received a

call from someone enquiring about their application to Avon the cosmetics company. They also received a call from a man who reported criminal damage had been done to his noodles, another claiming a badger was chasing him, and yet another to say a seagull had stolen and eaten his sandwich.

Police Scotland’s emergency call handlers were amazed when a woman reported the theft of her snowman. Other calls included a request to check a woman’s height, another reported a ‘dirty look’ from a neighbour and a woman asked for help with a large spider in her home.

You couldn’t make all this up, could you? Well, let’s finish where we began: on a low note, and the poster recently seen in a maternity ward. “The first three minutes of life are the most dangerous,” it read. Underneath someone had scribbled: “The last three can be pretty dodgy too.”

Nora Johnson’s 11 critically acclaimed psychological crime thrillers (www.norajohnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

Nora Johnson’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

Nora’s latest thriller.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

Help with your hearing every step of the way

HEARING is an essential part of everyone’s life and at Sontec it is vitally important that your hearing care is best looked after and catered for. Recent studies have shown that hearing and balance go hand in hand. You might not think it, but the ear is a vital organ that produces sound waves and plays an important role in your vestibular system. Your vestibular system is a sensory system that oversees and is accountable for providing your brain with information about motion, spinal orientation and even head position. Involved in our motor functions, allowing us to keep balance, stabilise our bodies and heads during movement. While also helping us maintain our posture. Being such a vital function for us all, it is important that we take care of our Otology and the best place to do that is with Sontec. Don’t let your loved ones drift off into silence due to hearing fatigue or become hurt because of their lack of balance. Come in and get checked out by the best in the business.

SONTEC: Contact us at one of our offices and improve your hearing today.

Any change in health can be a frustrating experience, especially with hearing loss and all that comes with it. You might not know it, but symptoms of hearing loss are fatigue, muffled speech, trouble in hearing doorbells or phones ­ things that would be known as high pitch sounds, repetition of asking others to speak slowly or louder. As well as, ringing in ears, high volume while

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watching TV and hypersensitivity to particular sounds.

Having been based in Fuengirola for the past 21 years, Sontec understands the community and cares for their health. With their new offices opening as recently as September 2022, Sontec do all that they can to provide the best expert care along the Costa del Sol in all aspects of hearing health.

Fuengirola Office

aid manufacturing brands including Phonak, Bernafon, GN Resound, Oticon, Widex and Coselgi, the highly qualified and licensed Hearing Care Professionals will listen to your needs and provide tailor­made solutions for everyone.

So, if your balance has been off or you know that someone’s hearing might be amiss contact or visit one of Sontec’s offices in La Cala or Fuengirola to improve their hearing today.

Opening hours: 10am to 8pm

Address: Edificio Florida II Calle Hermanos Pinzón, 4 Local, 9ºa, Fuengirola, 29640

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Vital vitamins

WINTER woollies are all very well, but vitamins can help to keep colds and flu at bay.

For the immune system to do its job, it needs four big hitters: Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and

Shellacking for UV lamps

PROFESSIONAL manicurists questioned scientists’ claims that ultraviolet lamps used to harden shellac nail lacquers are a skin cancer risk.

Doug Schoon, a chemist from the Nail Manufacturing Council, said the findings were “biased and unfair” as the researchers used high­powered UV lamps and exposed cultured skin cells 20 minutes a day for three consecutive days.

He added a customer typically puts a hand under a lamp for three minutes each session and most go only two or three times a month.

“Millions have regularly used these lamps for more than 20 years and the bulk of scientific evidence shows that UV nail lamps are safe, when used properly,” Schoon said.

Vitamin K.

As well as meat and blue fish, don’t forget potatoes and bananas as a Vitamin B6 source.

Vitamin C is present in fruit and greens, but it’s there in potatoes, too.

For Vitamin D take cod liver oil, eat sardines and calves’ liver while soaking up Spanish sun.

BANANAS: A great source of Vitamin B6.

And for Vitamin E, feast on avocado and reach for the olive oil.

Three tips

MARGARETA MAGNUSSON, author of The Swedish Art of Ageing Exuberantly, agreed that ageing is hard.

No ­ one can stop the march of time but there was nothing to you from keeping a clear and positive mind, the 86­year­old explained from her Stockholm home.

“You can be young upstairs in your head even if your joints creak,” she said.

Magnusson passed on three tips for making life worth living.

First off, she recommended regarding each obligation or irritation as something to appreciate, like resenting having to

pay a bill, but being glad you have the wherewithal.

Secondly, surround yourself with the young, who supply fresh ideas and perspective. Thirdly, say “yes” whenever possible. “Give it a try, whatever it is,” she urged.

AGEING EXUBERANTLY: Remain young in your head.

5.51 million estimated gym memberships in Spain.

My card pull of the week is Trust your Path

What the universe has in store

NOW we have come to the end of January that brought a lot of us challenges, changes and fear. You may be feeling a sense of why is this happening to me? I don’t understand or I feel alone? The answer is the universe puts us in a position in our life path that removes any negative energies that may include, relationships, family, friendships and work opportunities, to clear your path for your true purpose in life.

Now at this time you may be feeling on a low vibration and loss of faith however, if it was that easy to get to your main goal in life you would never learn the lessons that we are all here to learn. Each of us has a purpose, a gift that we are given at birth and it is our job to work out what that is,

this all starts with our mind set. If we wake up in the morning and feel like every day is the same or you are not happy with the way your life is going then you have the power to change it. This all starts with you. It’s the little goal settings that will help you lift you.

When you go to bed at the end of each day and you start counting the things in your head what you haven’t done, this causes the reaction of over thinking and this starts of anxiety if you go to bed and start counting the things you have done even if it is the smallest thing then you have a win. Count the things you have achieved and be grateful, the more gratitude you have the more you will receive.

So, let’s start with goal setting. I find it really helpful to physically write down my goals for the year. then gradually start to break down how I am going to achieve them. I find doing this on

a weekly bases is manageable. Every Sunday I think of three things I want to achieve this week whether it’s making the beds every morning (my house is so busy in the morning trying to get three boys ready and off to school. On time) or making sure I have time for myself even if it just 15 minutes in the morning to do my affirmation.

Once I have achieved my weekly goals it resets my mindset in to a positive state which attracts positive vibrations in to my life which will help me achieve my bigger goals and start ticking off my goals for the year.

Right, back to the card, ‘trust your path’ the universe always has your back, keep on going you will always get to where you are meant to be and keep the faith. If you knew you would be supported what would you do? I’m going to leave you with that question, set goals and count your little wins!

If you would like to know more or have a reading please go to my website to book your very own session with myself, you can find me on Instagram @theangelic.medium or visit my website.

https://www.theangelicpsychicmedium.com sending lots of love your friend Emma.

IGUANA CAUGHT

WHAT is it these days and people having extraordinary but unconventional pets. The closest thing we got to majestic back in my day was a tortoise or a parakeet. Now people have Iguanas as pets! How and why I, I will never understand and them getting out on the loose is becoming extremely common too. Does anyone else remember about the big cat that ended up in somebody’s garden a few weeks ago. It is shocking.

More needs to be done to make sure that these animals don’t get out of their enclosures or owners’ homes. It is so unsafe; these things could attack anyone or anything and who would be responsible then? I hope I don’t find some majestic animal in my back garden anytime soon. I can’t even deal with the mosquitos, never mind a big cat or something that resembles a dragon making their appearance known around me.

Yours faithfully, Joan

Fixing football

FIXING football games and over 23 people involved in the process, how sick. It took a lot in my day and it takes a lot now to become a professional athlete and to get yourself to a certain level and schemes like this aggravate me. I will say I don’t agree with how much footballers are paid. However, I do think you should give credit where credit is due and respect the sport. So many young kids look up to these sports men and women. They are inspirational. Especially from some of the stories that you hear from the players that came from nothing. It is just sad that something so special for so many people can just be taken advantage of, just to make sure somebody else’s pockets are nicely lined up with money. I hope more is done to prevent this and catch this out sooner in the future. It is so hard to know what is real and what is not anymore.

Annoyed, Jett

The ‘ole boy’

DEAR Sirs,

Reading Leapy over the past couple of weeks, I cannot but wonder if a little bit of ‘wokery’ is subduing the ‘ole boy’.

I guess the freedom of speech we used to have as expats has been curtailed by the omnipresent agents of the increasingly dystopian world around us.

As an aside it can get a little silly, Leapy often refers to himself as an ole boy, I recently got an email from my old school ‘advertising’ forthcoming old boys’ events. I was surprised to notice the inaugural LGBT dinner (tickets 40 quid!), it seems the promoters are also puzzled as it would surely be non pc to call it an old boys dinner.

Nonetheless as it is a boys’ school there can be little doubt that the attendees, at least at the age of 11 had grown a *****. (column 2­8 Feb).

Keeping up the good fight!

JD cyber attack... you’re never going to get me

THESE days the internet is a wonderful but mischievous place, and I can’t believe that things such as cyber ­ attacks are a thing. My grandson first told me about this and then I came across it in the newspaper. I think sometimes the less you have the better it is, and I will tell you now that these attackers won’t be getting me. I keep it simple, no Facebook, no Instagram, no social media. Just a phone and a phone book and if you need me or if I need you well you will have my number and I will have yours. The old way of thinking works and people do need to be more cautious!

Don’t leave or put just anything on the internet. It has such an impact and I enjoy having my diary, I think more young ones need one these days.

Best, Harry

Sir Paul McCartney

IF there had been another disaster of a Beatles member I don’t know if I would have been able to take it. They were and are my youth.

They have given me my best memories and continue to do so today. I have grandchildren and with all this earache that is called ‘music’ today it is funny to see what way they react when I put on my old tunes. I think the older style of music breathes a bit of fresh air in comparison to all those drums and bass. Yesterday is Julie, my eldest granddaughter’s favourite while Kylie loves Norwegian Wood. They both take after me with their impeccable taste in Beatles songs. I think they didn’t believe me when I told them the Beatles had a song called Octopus’ Garden or Yellow Submarine.

These days I wish sometimes I could just go deep dive in the yellow submarine and get some peace and quiet. But duty calls when you’re a grandmother.

Dancing in strawberry fields, Martha

Wrapping up

WHOEVER oversees the pictures that go into the paper ­ thank you for the tremendous laugh you gave me when I saw the Dachshund with a bright yellow jacket on, in page 45.

That has made my day and is now living on my fridge cut out.

The simplest things in life make it the best and I can tell you this, that has made my day.

The Flying Hypnotist

STUART ASHING ­ The Flying Hypnotist originates from Northumberland and moved to Spain in 2005, initially to the coast, and then a little further inland to Alhaurin el Grande.

A fascination with reading introduced him to the concept of hypnotism. Initially, he applied this to himself to help him break with the social conditioning and expectations.

After seeing stage hypnotist Tony Sands in person, whose powerful personality and charisma made an impression on him, he decided that this may be the kind of world he would like to inhabit.

He eventually moved into the field of comedy hypnosis and travelled around the UK doing stage shows. Having broken away from the traditional commercial way of life, he found himself earning good money “for very little work.”

When he first moved to Spain he continued doing stage hypnotism. At a personal level, his quest for inner peace was discovered though meditation even when not in the relaxed hypnotic state.

On speaking about hypnotism, Stuart explains that many people spend most of their lives in a kind of trance brought about by habitual programming and patterned thinking.

On arriving in Spain he decided that the possibilities of earning his living with his show were limited, Stuart decided to shift

his focus from comedy hypnotism to therapeutic hypnotism and he trained as an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) practitioner. He describes NLP as hypnosis without the eyes closed allowing people to make substantial changes in their lives and their thinking. It also works well on phobias and breaking the fear response based on past experiences.

Stuart can be contacted via his website: https://www.stuart ashing.com or via https://www.luxtherapy clinic.com.

I remain, Yours faithfully Barry Morgan

Just waiting for the missus to notice and see what she thinks. Let’s hope she lets me keep the wee doggo up.... going to need a name for it now.

Let’s hope I don’t get a woof time, David

MARBELLA MOMENTS

BY NICOLE KING

OBVIOUSLY being English the rain doesn’t bother me but in Spain it’s different. The roads and drainage systems aren’t prepared for copious amounts of water and the locals aren’t used to driving in the rain, hence extra precaution needs to be taken and I recommend

Marbella Now

rescheduling anything that can easily be postponed if it involves driving.

Whilst on the subject of driving and having worked in road traffic safety for over 20 years, may I also take this moment to advise that coats should be removed before putting on your seat belt. This is a must for

children particularly. The amount of force exerted on the body if colliding with another vehicle at just 50 kms/h is equivalent to some 3.5 tonnes.

Any distance between the seat belt and the body will increase the force of impact. Every millimetre counts so thick coats and jackets that increase the space between belt and body pro rata increase the intensity of impact. Once in the car, get the heater on and then remove jackets before putting on your seat belts and setting off.

Please also ensure that children are in the appropriate car seats or booster seats for their age and that these fixtures are correctly installed, apart from the safety reasons for doing so you can get

big fines too if you don’t.

Anyway, back to the rain. My first guest on tonight’s new Marbella Now (#MN384 at 11pm on RTV Marbella) is Lily van Tongeren, Vice President of Triple A Marbella animal rescue centre.

With all this ‘weather’ going on she makes an urgent plea for donations of blankets, towels and sheets. Dog walking is now daily from 10am1.30 ­ when it’s not raining ­ and there are many other innovative ways you can get involved, such as taking a dog out for a day or popping in to groom and play.

Tune in tonight or on catch ­ up to find out more, with further details on their website.

This week’s show also brings some highlights and scrummaging from

the rugby match last Sunday be tween Malaga and Marbella. The more I go the Marbella Rugby Club the more I like it; the people are so down to earth and friendly that it makes for a fun but relaxing day and the food is really delicious.

My CIT Marbella guest of the week is Bernardo Retana of Otium Group. Bernardo works together with his wife on several projects that include their beauty salons, medical supplies distribution and real estate and makes for a very interesting interview.

I also take you with me to ‘El Lago’, a Michelin Star Restaurant at the Green Life Golf Club. I

can’t believe that I’d never heard of either place but El Lago has had a Michelin star for 18 years consecutively, so obviously worthy of recognition. This is a family run business and I had an opportunity to chat with Roberta Panelli and their head Chef, Fernando Villasclaras.

Thank you for watching.

IT’S A GOOD JOB

I OFTEN notice surly waiters and shopkeepers giving the impression that customers are a nuisance. They must surely realise that their jobs or their businesses would rapidly cease to exist if it were not for the paying customer. The truth is that they are not happy with what they are doing. Customers are therefore not welcome.

Here in Nerja, businesses are opening and closing all the time as people give it a try but soon fail for a variety of reasons. Bad planning, bad budgeting, bad research, bad location, bad luck… Or bad service?

There are some jobs I could never do. As I suffer from hemophobia I could never work anywhere near a hospital. And how about spending eight hours every day inflicting fear and discomfort while peering down people’s throats and prodding their teeth and gums

with instruments of torture? No wonder dentists are well paid.

Driving a bus in a major city is rather different from driving an open BMW along the scenic, sunny motorway up to Granada. Apart from the daunting responsibility for the passengers and the sheer size of the bus, it must require enormous patience to cope with other road

users, traffic lights, zebra crossings, congestion and the pressures of a schedule at bus stops. Let alone rowdy passengers.

And the seemingly more pleasant occupations? The life of a top professional tennis player or footballer is glamorous and undisputedly lucrative for doing something they presumably enjoy. But behind

the scenes it cannot be an easy life. Fitness training and practice every day, added to the pressures of adapting tactics to changing circumstances and of somehow winning or keeping their place in the team, is not often visible to the fans. Social life is always in the spotlight and constantly disrupted by travel. In principle this applies to some extent to film directors, actors and pop stars.

Journalism sounds an attractive career if you can handle pressure, deadlines, competition and can take criticism. The life of a novelist is more relaxed. No deadlines and last minute editing but a more introverted life, dreaming up new ideas of plot and characters and conducting the research for background details in their own time.

Most careers have a certain amount of pressure and stress.

Farmers and fisherman have fresh air and freedom of movement but also challenges with unsocial hours and dependence on nature.

Female models enjoy good pay and celebrity status. But they usually look haughty and miserable at the same time. Are they taught that the public prefers a scowl to a smile as they parade the catwalk or pose for photos? Ah, photos!

It seems to me the successful professional freelance photographer, being master of his own destiny, has the ideal career. He is making a living from a hobby; he can take his time and is accountable only to himselfand the demand for his work.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

In this week’s show.

David Worboys’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors

Dentists may enjoy the power they have over their victims, but catwalk models don’t appear to enjoy their work.

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

Photo Credits: David Shankbone and glowsly.com

PETS

Purrfect pet nutrition

WE hear a lot about how to adapt our own diets during the winter to make sure we get all the right vitamins and minerals to deal with temperature drops, but how can we do the same for our pets?

Size matters

The first thing to have in mind when feeding your pet over the winter is its size and age. Some pet owners increase their pets’ meal sizes during the winter to keep them warm, but vets advise against this, particularly in cats as overfeeding can lead to health issues and obesity.

Plush fur

Vets also recommend increasing oily foods, particularly in dogs’ diets over the winter. This can give their fur an outward

shine and also build fur strength, essential to keep their bodies warm. Hydration is also crucial.

Active lifestyle

It is important to keep

Need pet-sitters for your trip?

WE’RE delighted to be back in the Euro Weekly News once again, and keen to introduce you to our new house and pet­sitters. If you are planning a trip later this year please register now to find pet­sitters in time. Even if it’s just a short trip, you’ll know that sometimes you just have to leave pets at home. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying in their own home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Let us help. Choose Housesitmatch. com for affordable travel, home and petcare. These are the steps to take:

your pet active during the winter. If you want to stay in, or have a cat, play with your pet to keep their body and mind active.

Rub-a-dub pup

LOVE it or loathe it, bath time is a key part of having a dog, and in the winter it can be a little harder to get your pet into the bath. Today we’re bringing you some vet ­ approved tips on how to get your dog squeaky clean

despite the cooler temperatures!

How often?

While your dog might love to splash around in the summer to cool off, the bath is less appealing in the winter. Experts recommend bathing your dog

Epileptic attacks

EPILEPSY is a problem suffered frequently by dogs under the age of five, which usually causes convulsions or epileptic attacks.

Canine epilepsy has a genetic factor and there are breeds, including Beagles, St Bernards and German Shepherds which are more likely to suffer.

The first epileptic attack usually happens between the ages of six months and five years and comes completely unexpectedly in the form of convulsions, peddling movements of the legs, excessive salivation, uncontrolled urination and loss of conscience.

Although the attacks in themselves don’t put a dog’s life at risk, they are in danger of biting their tongues, falling or bumping into things and injuring themselves. Knowing how to react during an attack will help you remain calm and help your dog.

First, lay it down on a soft surface. Avoid high places like the sofa to avoid the risk of a fall. It’s important not to try to pull your dog’s tongue out as it could end up biting it. Attacks usually last two minutes at the most. When over, let the dog rest in a quiet place as they are usually tired and confused after an attack.

no more than once a month during winter, but it’s important to brush your dog more often.

Gently does it

If bathing isn’t your dog’s favourite activity, introduce it to the water slowly. Start by wetting your hand and running it through its fur. Next try a water ­ soaked sponge before moving into the bathtub. Experts also recommend talking to your dog in a gentle voice throughout.

The aftermath

Reward your dog for good behaviour with a treat afterwards and make sure you have a warm, dry towel on hand to dry it off quickly.

1. Register as a Homeowner on HouseSitMatch. com.

2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to en­

Leave your pets in the safe hands of a checked Housesitmatch sitter.

sure you can help online when needed.

3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house.

4. Post a house­sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters.

Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­

4.9 / 5 Excellent

“Housesit Match found us a perfect house­sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house­sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person.”

Ros Morris ­ Dog owner

How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com.

Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20% discount using coupon code 20EWN - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

GETTING away and travelling to new places is one of life’s great pleasures, and can be even fun if you take the family’s faithful companion along too.

There are many destinations in Spain which pet owners can enjoy in the company of their canine friends, from rural mountain retreats to the country’s extensive and varied coastline; these days there are even beaches with dedicated dog­friendly areas.

Cities too can be an option for travellers with their pets by their side, as a growing number of hotels and hostels do now admit dogs.

Planning ahead and checking out accommodation with a pets welcome policy is a good idea: some establishments

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Pet-friendly travels

have certain limits, perhaps on the size of dog they admit.

Even if a hotel is pet­friendly, dog owners should use their common sense during their stay. Most establishments do not want dogs to be left on their own in rooms. Keep them on a lead in communal

areas, not only so they won’t run off, but to prevent altercations with other four­legged guests.

Also recommended is dogs wearing collars with name tabs, just in case they do manage to wander off on their own.

A diet rich in protein, carbohydrates and washed down with plenty of water is recommended to keep your pet active through the winter.

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FILMS

PLAZA MAYOR CINEMA

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RED DOG CINEMA

Puerto Banus

THE AMAZING MAURICE

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AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER 3D

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AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER 2D

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KNOCK AT THE CABIN

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THE WHALE

EVERY DAY 19:20

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PLANE

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SAT AND SUN: 15:00

MARBLE FLOOR (2.50€/m2) WHY PAY MORE. WE CLEAN, CRYSTALLISE, SEAL THEN POLISH YOUR MARBLE TO HIGH GLOSS, NON-SLIP. PROFESSIONAL GUARANTEED, FAST SERVICE. 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE. ALSO REPAIRS DAMAGES TO MARBLE, CLEAN AND SEAL TERRACOTTA TERRACES, CO VERS ALL COSTA DEL SOL. TEL: 671 244 683 (295522)

MARBLE FLOORS polished high shine non-slip. Fast Service Reliable, family-run business. TERRACOTTA CLEANED and sealed. No job too small. Cleansol 10am – 10pm 7 days all areas. 952 930 861 / 607 610 578 Discount code: EWN 1 CLEAN (206437)

MARBLE POLISHING, CRYSTALLISING, LASTING, HIGH SHINE. REGRINDING, RESTORATION OF SALTY, DEAD FLOORS. 27YRS EXPERIENCE. RELIABLE. REFS AVAILABLE. CYRIL. 645 840 199 (302550)

FLOOR POLISHING FOR SALE/WANTED

ANTHONY’S ANTIQUES JEWELLERS AND PAWNBROKERS IS NOW BUYING ALL TYPES OF WATCHES AND JEWELLERY 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)

FURNITURE

FURNITURE wanted, same day collection, also house clearance and removals. Also buy cars, campervans, boats & bikes. 697 511 071 (302036)

GARDENING

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)

IRRIGATION

IRIS-IRRIGATION and landscapes. TRENCHLESS NO DIG Irrigation installation, Cables, Fibre Optic, Electric & Lighting Cables. New Installations & problem-solving. Turf (supply and laying). Garden constructions. Tree surgeon. Clearing. Astro Turf (Free Quotation) 676 747 521 (301097)

GATE REPAIRS

ELECTRIC GATE/GARAGE DOOR automation repaired. Free, no obligation quotation. Call Colin - 636 394 641 (302074)

GATES

ELECTRIC GATES/Garage Doors. Intercoms/access control systems and replacement remotes. New installs and repairs. For all your electric gate and garage door requirements call us on 605 356 469/952 786 178. The Garage Door Co & 2 Way Gates. tgdc@hotmail.co.uk www.2way gates.com (294202)

GLASS CURTAINS

GLASS CURTAIN repairs, specialist in replacement of discoloured plastic strips that act as a seal between the glass panels. Call Julian 655 825 931 (301104)

HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN: General Masonry work, painting, wall/roof waterproofing & other jobs. Call Michael 622 755 666 (302732)

HEALTH & BEAUTY

CHIROPRACTOR

FUENGIROLA, Myofascial Release. J Schaegen, specialised in treating neck, back & extremity disorders, 30 years in practice. 652 291 224 www.bodywork.es (301414)

HEATING

BE PROACTIVE: Electric/Gas fires, Wood Burning Stoves. Quality guaranteed. EnviroCare. All areas covered. 952 663 141/670 409 759. info@enviro carespain.com www.envirocare spain.com (301178)

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

VINYL WRAP

VINYL SOLUTIONS WHY REPLACE WHEN YOU CAN RENOVATE?

Modern adhesive vinyl coverings in hundreds of styles and designs can renovate a tired kitchen, bathroom, wall panels, bedroom wardrobes, fridge doors. Turn a tired looking wood designed kitchen into a modern solid colour or metallic look without painting or replacing. Work carried out on site with 10 year warranties Contact Ian 644 546 176 for design brochure and samples. (293467)

HOT TUBS AND SPAS

HOT TUBS new used, bought, sold, hired. Also move & repairs. Used good Hot Tubs for sale. 691 973 131 / +44 7836 379122 (302313)

HOUSE CLEARANCES

ALHAURIN FURNITURE EMPORIUM furniture wanted, same day collection, also house clearance and removals. Also buy cars, campervans, boats & bikes. 697 511 071 (302036)

INSURANCE

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure.com (291234)

MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

LOCKSMITHS

LOCKSMITH emergency / appointment. Doors opened without damage, locks changed, patio doors and windows secured, 24 hour honest, fast and reliable service. Call Paul 657 466 803 (288129)

ENGLISH LOCKSMITHS, SECURITY & SHADE EXPERTS. FREE HOME SECURITY SURVEY. 636 770 865 / 952 660 233

WWW.SECURITYOFSPAIN.COM CONTACT DAREN (302670)

MASSAGE

SAN PEDRO. Sandra. Professional relaxing, tantric massage. Young, slim, work alone, unforgettable moments. Nueva Andalucia. 641 346 278

MATURE elegant lady. Offers tantric and other massage. Personal home visits. 687 387 680 (286295)tp3

RELAXING Massage for Men & Couples. Feel free from tension & stress. Call Dany 603 202 758 (302579)

PURE RELAXATION in Nueva Andalucia with attractive independent masseuse. Tantric and other special massages in private apartment. For gentlemen and couples, with no rush attention to your needs 656 350 401

ENGLISH ELEGANT passionate lady in late 40s, gives a sensual massage in private apartment. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call 680 177 569 (302492)

CASSIE. Mature English lady. Discreet and clean. 667 914 732 (FU 2884)

MASSAGE! Outcalls everywhere in Costa del Sol! Gentlemen, ladies, couples are welcome! 604 256 336 (FU 2875)

IT’S TIME to try something different and very relaxed. Sara, elegant masseuse, I offer massage, tantric,

INSURANCE

sensitive, prostatic, authentic 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. 650 237 145 (302347)

RIVIERA DEL SOL . Treat yourself to an Excellent Massage! Irina, Cuban masseuse, fun and spontaneous. Only when a massage is something more than a massage, and becomes a unique experience, with a mixture of smells, sounds, sensations, only then is when you enjoy the perfection of the exclusive massage. Ask for more information without obligation 951 274 723, 650 237 145 (302347)

TANTRIC masseuse in Calahonda. Cristal, expert in the art of seduction and tantric massage. Authentic masseuse who manages to transmit the physical and emotional pleasure with the 5 senses. Sensual tantric massage or body to body to perfection. Make an appointment. 650 237 145 (302347)

BUTTERFLY - Massage, is a space designed for people with high sensitivity, with a taste for body to body interaction, who enjoy 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 attractiveness, but also for their sensuality and massage skills. Only by appointment 951 274 723, 650 237 145 (302347)

CALA DE MIJAS. Excellent professional masseuse with exclusive attention for people who want to change their routine and want to relax and live a relaxing experience. If you are looking for discretion and good treatment, here I am. I’m Noa and I hope you make your appointment as soon as possible because I am very requested. 650 237 145 (302347)

MY HANDS can transmit a very important message and make us feel connected. I will create a suitable atmosphere for relaxation and sensuality without noise, candlelight, soft music, nothing should disturb that moment. Before 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 appointment. 650 237 145 (302347)

RIVIERA DEL SOL. I am Noa a simple and natural girl who hides among her shy appearance the best kept secrets of relaxing, decontracting and stimulating massage. I am a specialist in eliminating 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. 650 237 145. by appointment only (302347)

THE FILMS SHOWING IN ENGLISH ARE FROM 10/02 TO 16/02

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. Carla – 650 237 145 (302347)

THE BEST RELAXING MASSAGE

CLOSE TO ELVIRIA. Tantric massages. Come and enjoy today with us. Latin masseuses for men. Come and relax. Outcall, too 650 237 145

NEAR ELVIRIA. Masseuse, elegant with a high dose of implication. Very special tantric sensory massages. I will make you feel very relaxed with a good massage. 951 274 723, 650 237 145 (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)

ASIAN TOUCH unique deep massage excellent relieve pain stress luxury service guaranteed. Elviria. 633 705 558 (MI 551)

FUENGIROLA - Johanna Brazilian Mature Masseur. Relaxing Massages. Best relax guaranteed. Tel: 617.818.615 (302421)

ASIAN MASSEUR Massage relaxing & therapeutic, to release tension and stress. Fuengirola. Call 634 103 607 (301171)

LOS BOLICHES - Carolina Pretty Masseur, Relaxing Massage, Guaranteed relax - 634.703.111 (302421)

BENALMADENA lovely lady, offering you a very relaxing body massage. Call for an appointment 634 209 427 (302733)

FUENGIROLA. Japanese Shiatsu & Zen Ki relaxing and therapeutic massage. Excellent service guaranteed. Home Visits. WhatsApp for appointment 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 2849)

FUENGIROLA. Amazing full body massage by spectacular blonde lady. 657 697 397 (FU 2776)

ESTEPONA. Susana, Latin Girl sculptural body, trained for deep relaxing massage. 697 705 304 (FU 2786)

BENALMADENA Costa by the windmill roundabout, Ikigai Japanese massage done Sabrina in a heated room. 50% off seniors, pensioners, retired. 658 336 295 (2900)

LAWYERS

ASIAN wellness massage Nice area west Marbella. Guaranteed results. 623 554 233 or 623 594 698 (301500)

ESTEPONA near Cancelada. Asian Kannika gives full relaxation and more. Complete fulfillment. WhatsApp me 602 427 095 (FU 2891)

FILIPINO MASSAGE CENTER MARBELLA, where hearts of professional massage, open daily. 660 578 171 (MI 558)

FUENGIROLA Paula 30 years old beautiful, soft sensitive massages, deep body relaxation techniques 641 244 707 (FU 2908)

TWO filipina, simpathic excellent unique relaxing massage authentic oriental massage, exclusive. Elviria. 679 126 231 (MI 558)

ESTEPONA. Laura majestic masseuse, very friendly, Deep body massage and stress relieve. 600 213 967 (FU 2898)

FUENGIROLA. Russian blonde lady, professional Tantric massage. Whatsapp and Viber 613 818 042 (2869)

FUENGIROLA. Relaxing massage made by alternative gender masseuse. Violeta Chiropractor. 660 867 374 (FU 2896)

UKRAINIAN slim, friendly, beautiful hands european massage. Marbella. 604 428 812 (MI 558)

FUENGIROLA. Marisa, 38 years old, mature, all kinds of massages. Only WhatsApp. 631 659 408 (FU 2895)

BOLICHES CELINA independent loving lady, kind, beautiful affectionate only for educated discreet respectable gentleman! Enjoy deep sensitive exciting relaxing massages in private discreet apartment, quite cosy atmosphere high satisfaction! Excellent calm treatments! Demanding excellent hygiene! Appointments 11am/6pm 622 210 797 (FU 2887)

ORIENTAL slim professional massage anti stress hard, soft massage relieving Marbella 603 257 690 (MI 556)

BEAUTIFUL Asian lady offer exclusive, sensitive, prostatic, deep, soft massage pleasure to body and mind pleasure, good clean atmosphere, Marbella. Elviria. 603 257 690 (MI 558)

SAN PEDRO BEACH. RELAXING AND SENSITIVE MASSEUSES WELCOME YOU IN A PRIVATE AND DISCREET PLACE. YOUNG AND PLEASANT. WITH APPOINTMENT. EASY, PRIVATE PARKING. TEl.. 666 194 079674 679 757 (302631)

ASIAN touch www.asianmassage marbella.com combination oriental/ european massage. Elviria. 633 705 558 (MI 558)

BENALMADENA. Villa with 7 masseurs, jacuzi, room rentals, massage from 50€. Street Imperio Argentina Nº1 in Benalmadena - Tel 666 29 43 26 (302798)

CANDI Spanish Student Masseur 20yrs, Ask for pictures. At Masseur centre or I can come to visit. Tel 662 527 815 (302798)

ORIENTAL lady, tantric sensory generate body to body, technique, deep, soft massage. Marbella 603 208 080 (MI 558)

BENALMADENA. 2 young masseurs 19 & 22 for individual massage or couples. Hotel or home service. Tel 679 267 197(302798)

MARBELLA. Karina ts, 29, Brazilian masseuse feminine blonde. Whatsapp 667 846 464 (FU 2897)

ESTEPONA Lady, Full Body Massage. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Private apartment. 686 792 992 (301469)

MARBELLA Experienced mobile Masseuse. Therapeutic, & Relaxing massage for your body and mind. Call Monik 686 740 661 (302625)

SAN PEDRO DE ALCANTARACamilla Masseur 33 - private apartment - 603 804 443 (302661)

FUENGIROLA. Thai body massage. Hawaiian, Balinese, Sonia 40, independent 657 697 397 (fu 2878)

RELAXING massages are given to soothe body and mind in the Duquesa area. 687 585 342 (302747)

THAI Benalmádena Costa. Body-body full massages. Visits. Whatsapp 689 387 448, 632 092 619 (MI 557)

VANESSA Benalmadena excellent massage services. Relaxing & therapeutic. Home premises. Call me 624 811 098 (302736)

NEW Salome 19 years old beautiful Arab masseuse, massage and relaxation 631 862 272. ((FU 2899)

JAPANESE massage. Marbella. Relaxing, less stress. 664 177 216 (MI 559)

FUENGIROLA Paseo maritimo 61, private individual full massage service available 639 072 591 (302748)

DEEP relaxing Tantra Yoni/ lingam massage sessions warm eastern oils. Genuine trained Masseur. Marbella. 602 098 606 (FU 2894)

NEW Jazmin 19 years old Dominican mulatto, beautiful masseuse, massage and relaxation 631 862 272 (FU 2899)

BENALMADENA. FRIENDLY attractive masseuse, relieve muscle tension. From 50€. 612 503 055 (FU 2889)

OLGA Mature Masseure relaxing & sensitive. Outcalls & Incalls. 24 hrs. Marbella – Tel: 632 467 580 (302726)

FUENGIROLA Centre. We are 5 beautiful friends, masseuses, discreet. Treat yourself. 631 862 272 (FU 2899)

JESSICA 28, Estepona. Full tantric massage. High class service. Private apartment. 711 030 670 (302663)

MISCELLANEOUS

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel678 716 693 (288662)

MOSQUITO SCREENS

ACE OF SHADES - Don’t let the bugs get you! Available in enrollable, slider and pleated. Large choice of colours including wood effect. Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades. design (101730)

MOSQUITO Screens for windows, doors and a high-quality 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)

MOTORING

– www.robertsoncars-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785

Email: therobertsonclan@gmail.com

ROBERTSON CARS SALE SALE

SALE: CABRIO FORD FOCUS WAS €7,995 NOW €6,995 2007 ONLY 33,000kms approx 20,000miles. Manual, great 4 Seater convertible, striking sea blue, air-condition, cd player, electric hood folds into the boot. Private gentleman owner returning to UK. Excellent condition. See photos on my web page – www.robertsoncars -spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785 Email: therobertsonclan@ gmail.com

ROBERTSON CARS NEW YEAR.. LIKE A NEW GOLF? - AUTOMATIC VOLKSWAGEN GOLF TSI EVO ADVANCE 2019 only 30,000kms, sliver, 5 door hatchback. Condition like New, super to drive, it’s VW Golf enough said! ONLY €22,500 See photos on my web page –www.robertsoncars-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785 Email: therobertsonclan@gmail.com

JAGUAR XK 4.2 Coupe, 07 Auto + Paddles, RHD, Spanish registration, Silver – Black leather, Titanium Trim, 20-inch Split Rym Alloys, Cruise Control with radar, Satnav, Hands-free, Key Log Entry, Service History, 160Kkm. This car is in beautiful condition and drives like new. Private Sale.

Price 14,995€. Tel – 602 533 508

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

CAR SERVICES

MOBILE MECHANIC will come to your home or work. Servicing, repairs, ITVs & diagnostics. Call Mick on 617 553 072 (301482)

FOR SALE

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 outdrive everyone. If contacting Samantha in the afternoons, please only Whatsapp on 608 658 785 or Email therobertson clan@gmail.com as I am driving mostly & unable to take your calls.

ROBERTSON CARS SALE SALE

SALE: RANGE ROVER SPORT 4X4 DIESEL /AUTOMATIC WAS €18,995 NOW €17,995 2011.Looks right in White, only 130,000 kms (approx 80,000miles) Private Lady Owner, parking sensors, reverse camera, sat nav, ITV till June 2023. turns heads good looks and quality. Samantha. See photos on my web page – robertsoncars-spain.com text or whats app. 608 658 785. email therobertsonclan@gmail.com

ROBERTSON CARS SALE SALE

SALE: AUTOMATIC / CABRIO MERCEDES SLK WAS €11,500 NOW €10,995 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. Selling Under Book Price. Classy Great Shape Mercedes Cracker of a Cabrio. See photos on my web page

WANTED CARS AND VANS, FREE COLLECTION, SAME DAY 685 524 921

IMPORT/TRANSFERS

CARS transferred, history checks, Imports and Embargo problems. Change of use and lost papers. Change your car to Spanish plates, simple efficient service. Cars bought and sold. Please call 678 808 837 Or email carsinspain@live.co.uk

ENGLISH bodyshop, fully equipped, Mijas Costa. No Job Too Small. 952 667 074 (302028)

WANTED

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, English, Dutch plated. Call us on 951 977 329 or 606 647 597. (301127)

CAMPER VANS, CARAVANS, MOBILE HOMES, BOATS AND ALL PLANT, DIGGERS, DUMPERS, MOTORBIKES, CARS AND COMMERCIALS WANTED. BEST PRICE PAID, CASH TODAY, ANY REGISTRATION WITH OR WITHOUT PAPERS. PLEASE CALL 678 808 837 (290739)

CAR, VANS BOUGHT WITH/WITHOUT PAPERS. CASH WAITING 678 808 837 (290739)

CARS, VANS UK OR SPANISH BOUGHT FOR CASH. FREE COLLECTION IN SPAIN/UK. PLEASE CALL 678 808 837 OR 952 669 701

CARS, VANS, ANY REGISTRATION, INSTANT CASH, FINANCE/EMBARGO UK OR SPANISH 685 524 921 (290739)

NAUTICAL OTHERS

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (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

SOLUCIONES RAPIDAS - We will Paint your apartment in maximum 2 days. 640 350 479 (301298)

PASSPORT RENEWALS

UK & IRISH Passport renewals including photos. Complete Service. Cath’s Cards. 952 885 759. www.cathscards.es (295683)

PAWNBROKERS

PEST CONTROL

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)

PETS

WELL-established and thriving pet transport business for sale. For more info, please contact info@ petchauffeur.eu (302737)

EXPRIENCED AND DEVOTED DOGSITTER. Urb. el Faro, Mijas CostaSmall-Medium dogs. References available.Charlotte 639 07 00 43 dogotel@outlook.es (302746)

KENNELS

CAT & DOG World Kennels and Cattery. 952 112 978 / 630 197 435. www.catanddog world.com (302565)

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-charity.org where you can view all the dogs in our care.

ADANA THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN ESTEPONA. We always need volunteers to walk and socialise with our dogs and help with cleaning. 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 Pedregales, Estepona. (5 minutes from the Poligono) For more information call 952 113 467, available from 10.00am until 2.00pm. (93319)

ANIMEX Foundation offers free will upgrading when leaving something for abandoned animals. Contact animexfoundation@gmail.com or call 692 166 434 now for this absolutely free service (288287)

ARCH - The Andalucian Rescue Centre for Horses, registered charity 8448, the Centre is open to visitors every Sunday from 9am until 2pm. Working closely with the Spanish authorities, we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abused and abandoned

SITUATIONS VACANT

horses and donkeys. Come and meet our current rescues, learn about our work and how you may be able to help. Run solely by a small team of dedicated volunteers, the Centre is located between Alhaurin el Grande and Coin in Comm. de Viña Borrego behind Venta Miralmonte. For more information and directions see our website www.horserescuespain.org, our Facebook page Centro Andalusi de Rescate de Caballos or tel. 610 845 491 or 656 935 613 (93322)

SEPE the horse and donkey charity is open to the public at weekends from 10.00 to 5.00. Volunteers 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 nationally 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 Lauro Golf Equestrian Centre, Alqueria, Alhaurin de la Torre. Tel. 608 258 950 info@sepeonline.net www. sepeonline.net

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 appreciate the support we receive. We desperately need items to sell on our market stall to help raise funds and are happy to come and collect. So, if you are having a clear-out, 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.

PLUMBING

PLUMBING. Leak detection & blocked drains. Tel 952 568 414 / 661 910 772 / drainspain.com (292976)

POOLS

WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM

Costa del Sol Property Sales & Long term rentals wanted. All areas / All budgets / All types. Spain +34 951 708 422. UK +44 208 144 5008. Email info@intermar bella.com

PROPERTY

moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (293486)

STORAGE, Storage, Storage. Man & Van Services. Call/Whatsapp 690 155 340 (302418)

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL

PROFESSIONAL LOCAL REMOVALS AT AFFORDABLE RATES. 1/2 DAY FROM €90. FULL DAY FROM €175. WE ALSO PROVIDE A FORTNIGHTLY DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE TO UK AND EUROPE (INCL SCOTLAND). WORLDWIDE SHIPPING TO USA, AUSTRALIA, ETC AND FULL STORAGE FACILITIES. TEL (0034) 952 578 507 OR (0034) 637 892 278 / EMAIL garymoveit@yahoo.co.uk (301295)

JDS EURO TRANSPORT & REMOVALS - Regular trips throughout Europe. Call or WhatsApp Julian 0044 7884 908 929. See Facebook Page for recommendations

moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (293486)

STORAGE

SWIMMING Pool Heating Pumps, Pool Covers, Rollers, Filtration Systems. 26 years installation history in Spain. Envirocare. All areas covered. Quality Guaranteed. 952 663 141/ 670 409 759 info@envirocarespain. com www.envirocarespain.com

WESTARPOOLS. Pool construction, renovation, repairs and heating. 619 246 372 / www.westarpools.com

TAROT

POWERFUL MAGIC MAN 30 years experience in voodoo dolls, black & wihte magic. ring back love? remove all negativity & bad spirits? etc.result in 24h. 626 502 803 (302700)

PROPERTY WANTED

SELLING UP?? Why not give us a call and let us give you an honest and realistic valuation of your property. List with us and let us take the stress out of selling your home. No sale no fee!! English agent on the ball with clients waiting. Please call 685 524 921.

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 pro perty. Call Joe 626 864 683

PRIOPERTY FOR SALE

WWW.INMOANDALUZ.COM.

Bargain inland properties for all budgets, fincas, village homes, apartments and villas. 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

PROP MAINTENANCE

STARLIGHT PROPERTY. All Areas. Residential & Holiday Lets. 689 819 592 www.starlight-spain.com

PROPERTY TO LET

LONG TERM RENTALS AVAILABLE and also wanted. Super prices. Apartments, townhouses, 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)

LOS ARQUEROS GOLF: In villa, 100m2 1 twin bedroom apartment 2 bathrooms kitchenette. 800€ plus 300€ for electricity/water 644 132 738

REMOVALS & STORAGE

15 CUBIC metre van returning to the UK 24th February 2023. Space available each way. Tel. 639 928 090 (295249)

MAN AND VAN

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 (302401)

moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (293486)

ROLLER SHUTTERS

ACE OF SHADES - PERSIANA (security shutter) electric and manual, various colours available including wood effect, we also offer a repair service. Make your home more secure! Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades.design

ROLLER shutter repairs, 7 days a week, conversion from manual to motorised, new installations. All areas covered. Coast and inland. 655 825 931 (294242)

SITUATIONS VACANT

WE ARE a Marketing Company looking for fluent English speakers for Telemarketing. Great opportunity to grow within the company. Basic Salary + commission. Please send your CV to vic.oreilly@aol.com or through Whatsapp on +34603 285 963

SOLAR

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@envirocarespain. com www.envirocarespain.com

SOLAR ENERGY

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 Improve Your Living Environment. ian@solarshadetinting. com Tel Ian 958 496 571 / 644 546 176

SOFT FURNISHINGS

CURTAINS, blinds, cushions and much more. Free estimates and home visits. Tel 657 369 343 or rosannacarmella8@gmail.com

SWIMMING POOLS

POOL MAINTENANCE, & Repairs, including heaters & regrouts. Friendly & reliable service. Malaga to Estepona & inland areas. 678 791 495 / 951 536 389 www.sparklenripple.net

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ADVANCED Cleaning Services. Professional carpet and upholstery cleaning, 28 years’ experience, wet/dry clean. Honest, reliable. 678 808 837 / 952 669 701 acservs@outlook.com

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WATER HEATERS

Electric & Gas Water Heaters. Quality Installations. 26 years installation history in Spain. EnviroCare. All Areas Covered. 952 663 141/670 409 759 info@ envirocarespain.com www.envi rocarespain.com (301178)

WINDOWS

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WINDOW TINTING

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Mazda 3 - an attractive package

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

TWO quick glances

and out ­ might well be enough to put this Mazda high on your list of desir able medium sized hatchbacks. The Mazda 3 line ­ up offers both hatchback and saloon priced from €25,963/ £23,265 and €29,307/ £26,265 respectively.

All engine options are based on a 2.0­ litre, four cylinder, naturally aspi rated petrol unit with mild hybrid assistance and mated to either a manual or automatic transmission.

Six trim levels, five in the saloon models, offer an excellent standard features list and in the GT Sport Tech on my driveway the list is extremely comprehensive.

Powered and heated door mirrors, auto dim ­

ming mirrors, adaptive LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors with 360 ­ degree camera, auto lights and wipers, power sunroof, privacy glass, dual zone climate, head­up display, heated front seats and steering wheel, intelligent cruise control and a comprehensive sound system that incorporates nav­

igation and Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

My test model was finished in Soul Red, a particularly head­turning colour and for the right reasons even if it does add €972/£870 to the final bill. However, this latest Mazda 3, priced at €33,992/ £30,465, has more than colour on its side.

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Mazda 3 2.0 GT Sport Tech 33,992/£30,465

• Engine: 2.0-Litre, 186PS, naturally aspirated 4-cylinder petrol with mild hybrid assistance

• Gears: 6-Speed manual

• Manual Performance: 0-100kph (62 mph) 8.1 seconds

• Maximum Speed 215 kph (134 mph)

• Economy: 5.3l/100km (53.3 mpg) Combined driving WLTP

• Emissions: 121 g/km WLTP

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets

The GT Sport Tech has a clever 2.0 ­ litre petrol engine that comes with what Mazda calls spark controlled compression ignition which mixes conventional petrol engine technology with a touch of diesel cleverness to produce better economy and emissions.

Developing 186PS and

mated to a six­speed manual gearbox the car returns 5.3l/100 km (53.3 mpg). There is also mild hybrid assistance courtesy of a 24 ­ volt battery to further improve economy, performance and help reduce emissions.

The rest of the car is more typically old school Mazda, which is nearly all a positive. You will find a

cockpit that’s well put together but veers (correctly) on the side of simpler usability, with switches and knobs rather than taking the full touch screen route that looks sexy but is simply annoying to use. Add the sharp styling package and the Mazda makes for a competitive and attractive motoring package.

MAZDA 3: Makes for a competitive and attractive motoring package with sharp styling.

Seatbelt anniversary

UK fuel prices have fallen for the third month in a row but lower prices at the pumps may be at an end.

After three consecutive months of falls the average price of petrol bottomed out at 148.35p towards the end of January and has now started to slowly rise again, data from RAC Fuel Watch reveals.

Lower prices

for both fuels, with the average price of petrol at their sites finishing January at 145.71p (down 2.25p) and diesel at

SEVEN out of 10 UK motorists think responsibility for passengers to ‘belt up’ should lie with the driver.

More than two ­ thirds of motorists (68 per cent) believe drivers should be responsible for ensuring all their passengers wear seatbelts, according to new RAC research released to coincide with the 40­year seatbelt law anniversary on Tuesday, January 31.

Currently, drivers only have a responsibility to ensure they and any children in their vehicles are buckled up properly: with the latter potentially needing to be in a child car

seat or booster seat depending on their age or height.

The RAC’s research suggests this responsibility should be broadened to include all passengers, with a third of respondents (33 per cent) also believing that drivers should be penalised in the event anyone they’re travelling with is caught not wearing a seatbelt and putting themselves at risk.

The RAC’s research also found that a quarter of motorists (24 per cent) believe the current law ­ where a driver can be fined up to £500 for not buckling up ­ is too lenient.

Having at one point been as much as 3.5p lower than at the start of the month, unleaded closed January at 148.89p, 3p lower than it began (151.85p). The last time drivers filled up at this price was in mid­February 2022 before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Filling up at one of the big four supermarkets was around 3p a litre cheaper

Decarbonising roads

167.49p (down 2.79p).

RAC fuel spokesman, Simon Williams, said: “Although January saw fuel prices fall for the third

month in a row, there is now more cause for concern than celebration as petrol has already begun to creep back up very slightly.”

Electric minis for the UK

IF a government grant said to be worth around a £75 million is agreed by the British government, then BMW will go ahead and build electric minis at its Oxfordshire plant.

According to a news source on Saturday, February 4 the company is in talks to secure funding from Whitehall’s Automotive Transformation Fund.

THE UK is set to spend £30 million of government funding for innovative projects to decarbonise UK highways.

Seven projects spread across the UK, from Lanarkshire to Devon, have been awarded funding through the Decarbonising Local Roads competition.

The programme supports projects led by local highways authorities focused on tackling the long­term decarbonisation of highways infrastructure, such as street­lights, and transform­

ing local authorities’ approach to decarbonising roads.

Other projects plan to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance of typical UK highway construction, as well as plans to develop a first­ofits­kind system approach to creating a net carbon­negative model for green infrastructure delivery.

Roads Minister, Richard Holden, confirmed: “The UK is a world leader in technology and innovation and we must use that strength

to drive decarbonisation and the next generation of high ­ tech jobs that go alongside it.

“We are supporting this vital agenda to help level up through £30 million funding for ground­breaking projects and boosting regional connections to support growth.”

The minister added: “The government is determined to create good, well­paid jobs ­ via innovation and investment across the UK as we accelerate the road to net zero.”

The application is said to have the support of both the business secretary and the chancellor, with talks possibly being finalised within weeks.

What isn’t clear is how the funding will be used and when it would be used, but it would provide a major boost for an industry that has just experienced its worst output since the 50s.

Production in 2022 dropped nearly 10 per cent falling to around 775,000 vehicles according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and

Traders (SMMT).

Supply chain issues and BREXIT have all impacted on the industry, which is struggling to return to prepandemic levels of production. To make matters worse Britishvolt, the electric vehicle battery manufacturer that hoped to supply the local industry has collapsed.

BMW, which employs 4,000 people at the plant,

is said to be committed to the UK although it had indicated in 2021 that it would produce the electric mini elsewhere.

Then it said the electric mini would be built in China, however, with the world a different place it is thought the company has revisited its plans. Neither the government nor BMW would however comment on the talks.

Seven UK projects.

ELECTRIC MINIS: Could be built at the Oxfordshire plant.

Image: kckate16 / Shutterstock.com

FUEL PRICES: Petrol costs have already begun to creep back up slightly.

BUCKLE UP: Drivers can be fined for not wearing a seatbelt.

Image: Matej Kastelic Shutterstock.com

300,000 learner drivers are waiting to sit their driving test in Spain

Messi to return to Barcelona Calling time on his career

LIONEL MESSI, 35, has confirmed in an interview with a Spanish newspaper that he will return to Barcelona, however, it won’t be to play football.

In the interview on Saturday, February 4, Messi describes Barcelona as his home saying that’s where he will return once his football career is over. But he has also not ruled out a return to the club where he won so many trophies.

He said: “When I end my career, I will re turn to Barcelona, it’s my home.”

Asked whether he would once again play for Barcelona, he said “that is still open.”

It is known that the club’s Chair Joan La porta is keen to bring the Argentine interna tional back to the club, sparking spec ulation about his return.

The Barca legend, who scored an incredible 672 goals in 778 competitive games, is contracted to Paris Saint­Germain (PSG) until the summer of this year. After that he will be a free agent, perhaps opening the door to his return. Messi left Barca on a free transfer in 2021.

PSG are said to be keen to keep Messi

and is said to want talks as soon as possible to extend his contract. There has been talk of a one ­ year contract but the club have neither confirmed nor denied the speculation.

A WORLD CUP winner with Germany, Mesut Özil, is reported to be calling time on his career and with immediate effect.

A reporter with the newspaper ‘Fanatki’, Yakup Sycamore, revealed the news on Twitter on Friday, February 3.

It is understood that his contract with Istanbul Basaksehir is also coming to an end, with the 34­year­old apparently not turning up for training this week.

The source of the information was not revealed by the journalist, however, there were said to be reports that the former German interna­

PFC Malaga wins again

ON Sunday February 5 PFC

Malaga Women FC travelled to take on fourth ranked Puerto de la Torre Los Morales.

This match had more yellow and red cards then we normally see and it’s understandable as it was a big match with playoff qualifications on the line. The question was always who would make the first mistake and possibly give the match away?

Brisa Sasson was given the first of what would become two red cards and automatic ejections from the match. But Puerto de la Torre was not able to convert PFC Malaga’s opportunity into points. However, in min 15 Sonia Fernandez was awarded a penalty shot putting PFC Malaga up 1­0 after a yellow was issued to Puerto de la Torre’s Noelia Salgado.

Following another yellow card to Jasmina Chamarro in min 35, there followed a second red card for PFC Malaga in min 38 when Leire Beitia was accused by the referee David Urbano of trying to stop Puerto de la Torre from scoring a goal, by using her hands. It became

even bigger when the PFC Malaga Coach confronted Referee Urbano regarding him issuing a Red Card to Beitia and Referee Urbano issued Coach Martin a yellow card.

So PFC Málaga had to continue to play with only eight players for the rest of the match.

Urbano was not done and handed Puerto de La Torre’s Eva Rodriguez a yellow in min 75.

The goalie for PFC Malaga, Marina Jimenez became the hero of the match as Puerto de la Torre lined up to take a penalty shot that would have tied the match. Jimenez blocked the shot and every player from PFC Malaga jumped on Jimenez in celebration.

PFC Malaga returns home to Guadalmar on Sunday February 12 against UD Algarrobo.

tional has said that he wanted to quit football.

Neither Özil nor his club has issued statements regarding his future.

Özil, who was born in Gelsenkirchen, enjoyed a very successful career in Germany, Spain and England playing for Werder Bremen, Real Madrid and Arsenal.

In total, he collected six league and cup trophies. He played for Germany 92 times and in 2014 was instrumental in helping the team to World Cup glory. Özil, whose recent form hasn’t matched his high standards of the past and has as a result become another World Cup winner to call time on his career.

PFC MALAGA: Have been enjoying a winning streak.

Barcelona is Messi’s home.

Mesut Özil.

€450,000

Alessia Russo has been paid and makes her the most expensive player in women’s football.

Leagues and Cup all hotting up!

BAHA Whiskey Cup

Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, El Canadon were forced to forfeit their midweek Cup game against the Walking Dead, resulting in the latter going through to the last four of the competition.

The semi ­ final matches to be played are as follows:

Malaga v Nerja Utd

Competa Boca Seniors v Walking Dead

These games will be played before the end of March and the final in April.

Over 50s League

Competa Boca Seniors

50s 3 v 1 Nerja Utd 50s

On a cold Monday

evening, Boca Seniors welcomed Nerja in what was somewhat of a local derby.

After a frenetic start, the game settled down into a very competitive but sporting affair, played at such

speed that David Coverdale, the referee, was forced to award four penalties in total for running offences, the games biggest enemy, two to each team.

Although both sides scored a fine goal each from open play, the result was decided by these penalties, Boca Seniors converting both while Nerja missed their two opportunities. Although the visitors tried valiantly to make

were unsuccessful, leaving Boca Seniors 3 ­1 winners.

Over 60s League

AC Benahavis 60s 5 v 3

Walking Dead 60s

Last weekend, a fine overall team performance saw Benahavis score another well ­ earned victory over one of the league’s strongest teams in this exciting clash. Indeed, such was the positive effect of manager Gary Smith’s development of the team setup that they quickly raced into a 4 ­ 0 lead, leaving Walking Dead somewhat shell ­ shocked. However, the visitors fought back well and made the scoreline look rather more respectable, but Benahavis were able to control the latter part of the game and held on for a 5 ­ 3 victory and three valuable points.

Remember

You can access more news concerning our Walking Football Clubs by accessing Facebook walking

keeps focused

MAX VERSTAPPEN, the Red Bull World Champion, is reported to have installed a F1 simulator in a private jet to enable him to train whilst travelling between racing venues.

A Dutch sports site reported on Monday, February 6 that Verstappen had the simulator installed so that he could make good use of travelling time to brush up on his knowledge of individual racecourses.

Verstappen, a competitive individual, is apparently very happy with the addition to his Dassault Falcon 900EX believing that it will help to keep him focused and give him some competitive advantage.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko said: “Verstappen has had his private jet converted so that he can fly around with a simulator in the future.

“That’s a good thing, because Max needs this distraction. In any case, it didn’t do him any favours when you look at his two world championships.”

Formula 1 drivers are pushed to the limit of endurance. But they also spend as much time in the air as they do on the track.

This Marko suggested, could give Verstappen up to 240 more hours of practice time in comparison to the competition.

D rivers p ushed

Benahavis over 60s held on for a 5-3 victory.