Costa Blanca North 23 Feb – 1 March 2023 Issue 1964

BIG BUSINESS

VALENTIN E’S DAY and the Benidorm Fest gave the sector a boost this month, allowing it to face spring with good prospects. Forecasts for the second fortnight are already above 65 per cent in almost the entire Valencian region.

Spring is just around the corner, and the pleasant, stable, sunny weather we are enjoying is leading to a significant increase in hotel reservations in all destinations in the Valencian Community, both nationally and internationally.

More than half of the tourists in the Valencian Community who stay in ho­

tels come from abroad, up to 60 per cent in the case of the Costa Blanca. Even in Castellón, international tourism is also taking off and already accounts for a 25 per cent market share.

Among the strengths, there is expansion of the markets of origin. Although the British are still important in the Benidorm area (36 per cent), there is an additional 15 per cent dis ­

tributed among other nationalities that are gradually growing. This expanded portfolio of markets is very significant both in Alicante and on the Costa Blanca and Valencia

Airport recovery

IT is good news for Spain and tourism as AENA network of airports has confirmed that it has exceeded pre­pandemic data for the first time since Covid, reaching a whopping 16,930,100 passengers in January 2023.

It looks as though things are really starting to pick up as AENA (the airport management group which includes AlicanteElche Miguel Hernandez Airport) closed the first month of the year 2.1 per cent up on the same month of 2019 and 62.7 per cent more than in 2022.

Alicante­Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport saw 795,148 passengers through its doors in January (+1.3 per cent more than the same month of 2019 and +68.1 per cent more than January 2022).

Of the total number of travellers recorded in January, 6,133,222 travelled on domestic flights.

BENIDORM: Business is already booming with spring just around the corner.

Carnival fun in La Vila

CHILDREN in Villajoyosa had a fantastic time during the weekend at this year’s carnival celebrations. The town is renowned for its love of festivals and celebrations of all kinds, and after years of precautions, this year the council laid on music, inflatables and entertainment galore to make this a treat for the boys and girls. There was a fancy dress parade accompanied by local musicians, with fun and games for all.

Older children had their

chance on Saturday, with a stage, carnival entertainment and the ever­important photocall. The jury decided on the best costumes, and there were plenty of

IF you enjoy a wander around Alicante and a visit to Santa Barbara Castle you are not alone. The Castle has registered a total of 690,245 visits in its first year of tourist promotion.

games and dancing until late into the night.

Some lucky participants walked away with cash prizes of up to €300 for the best costumes.

Castle success

reached almost 700,000.

ON February 16, boarding a flight from Istanbul to Valencia when returning from a trip to India, we were pleased to find that we were sharing our homeward journey with the brave men and dogs of Spain’s rescue team. The members of the rescue team certainly stood out from the crowd with their uniforms and high­resolution luggage. At the same time, their extremely well­behaved dogs attracted much attention from the other passengers.

Once on board, when everyone had taken their seats, the head of the crew of the Turkish Airlines flight said how delighted and honoured

Heroes on board

they were to have these heroes on board and thanked them warmly for using their expertise and bravery to help the people devastated by the terrible natural disaster. As soon as he had finished, everyone on the aircraft gave them an enormous round of applause.

It was an emotional moment, and the dogs received a lot of tummy tickles and attention during the flight without a bark or whimper to be heard.

This figure is almost double the expectations for the first year that the Alicante City & Beach Tourist Board had in mind.

The service contractor, Esatur, took over the promotion of the Castle on January 24 2022 and the best forecasts were to reach 400,000 visitors in one year. By the end of January 2023, the number of visits had

The Head of the Alicante City & Beach Board, Mari Carmen Sanchez, celebrated “the success of this initiative with which we have managed to bring the Castle back to life. This is thanks to the guided tours and cultural and leisure activities designed for all ages which had been programmed throughout the year.

“This was our goal, that both locals and tourists could enjoy one of our heritage jewels and learn more about the history of our city,” she added.

THURSDAY February 9 was a night to remember when two local boxing clubs joined forces and began working together as a team. The Ariel Leon Academia de Boxeo and the Chapman Boxing and Fitness Club joined together at the Oasis Gym in Denia for a collaborative fitness and training session. The event was hosted by Boxing Promoter Paddy Brennan and Marcello Camargo together with their team of professional fitness trainers including Mladen Garcevic.

History was in the making when the two clubs merged together as one. This merger will see both clubs grow especially with plans to take Boxercise classes into schools and universities. The club’s ethos is

Joining of forces

to grow, offering education programmes on fitness and health and well­being. They would like to hear from any schools or universities that would like to participate.

The level of focus required in

boxing forces your mind to concentrate on the moment. Muscle and mind are challenged at the same time ­ unlike other sports. You have to focus and tune out stressful thoughts which reduces anxiety in the brain and provides a fresh perspective and sense of positive energy afterwards. So next time you feel overwhelmed and stressed, glove up and show up at the Ariel Leon boxing academy where a safe environment with first class trainers are ready to support you through this fitness journey!

Contact: Oasis Boxing and Fitness Gym in Denia or WhatsApp Paddy Brennan on +44 7904 396465 or visit www.Facebook/gymurban.

Villajoyosa Town Council.

Children had a fantastic time.

BOXING CLUBS: Working together as a team.

NIBS EXTRA

Fatal crash

AN 80­year­old man crashed into a tree while driving through Benissa on the CV745 towards Calpe on Friday, February 17. Emergency workers found the man trapped in the vehicle unconscious and despite their best efforts, he died at the scene.

War memory

ON February 24, Ukrainians living in Denia, 3,700kms from home, will commemorate one year since the war began. There are almost 600 Ukrainian nations living in the town, more than 90 per cent of whom are refugees, mainly mothers and children.

Mini recycling

ONDARA will improve its recycling rates by installing mini­selective waste containers in the town. There will be specific containers for items like small electrical appliances and batteries, cables, low consumption and LED bulbs and coffee capsules.

Local fish

CALPE Town Council has published a recipe book with some of the many dishes to be made with its locally caught fish. There are four sections: rice and pasta dishes, starters, soups and stews and main courses. The idea is to promote local products.

Wonsan Beach

KIM JONG-UN’S ‘replica’ of Benidorm, Wonsan Beach Resort, with more than 150 skyscrapers and private homes has been abandoned and is now occupied by desperate, homeless people. Kim ordered the building of the resort in 2017.

Clean energy

THE Tourism Ministry is spending 13.8 million on energy efficient projects in hotels in the Valencia Region. The grants will go to destinations that fulfil the requirements of energy saving, the circular economy and an understanding of the current challenges.

THE Department of Tourism at Teulada Town Council has analysed tourism in the town between July and October 2022. The main objective was to analyse the offer, demand, loyalty, satisfaction, valuation, duration of the stay, frequency of visit and seasonality of the people who visit Teulada Moraira. The study compares the results of surveys on tourists and day trippers, analysing nationality, accommodation, age, sex, education, spending power, daily expenditure, composition and size of the group, as well as the duration of the stay.

Home from home

food. Their average age is 47 years, while that of tourists is 44 years old.

Not surprisingly, 95.3 per cent of visitors stay in rental properties. Tourists spend an average of 13 nights in Teulada Moraira; and one in four say they have visited the town with some regularity.

YOUR

146

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Safety first

TOURISM STUDY: Carried out in Teulada

Sixty­five per cent of day trippers surveyed are tourists from municipalities near Teu­

BENIDORM’S buses are being fitted with GPS to tell users the exact waiting time for the bus to arrive at a stop. The first phase of installing smart screens at the main bus stops is complete, and 11 are now in shelters for the convenience of residents and visitors. These screens improve the service provided to urban bus users by providing passengers with real­time information about the arrival at the vehicle stop of the different lines.

lada Moraira and 27.9 per cent come from Benidorm and their main spend is on

Benidorm bus improvement

It is a very precise system, thanks to the GPS devices installed in the vehicles themselves that continuously update the data displayed.

The software used has a time prediction system that feeds back from the GPS positions of the buses

Bilingual Burns Night

AS they do each year, members of Bilingue el Campello (BEC) celebrated Burns Night.

The haggis, specially brought in from Scotland, was piped in and addressed as tradition demands during the dinner at Campello’s Club Nautico at the end of January. This was attended by 70 BEC members from 10 different countries, BEC secretary Beatriz Lenis later told the Euro Weekly News

The association aims, through its activities and events, for its members to achieve an improved knowledge, understanding and command of each other’s language while developing a better understanding and appreciation of their cultures.

Members meet to practise their Spanish and English and socialise each Thursday at 7.45pm in the Kahlo Gastrobar in Avenida Generalitat 50, El Campello.

BEC also organises weekly walks as well as parties, picnics and sporting events.

There is a BEC Facebook page with information and photos about their events, although this can only be accessed by paying members.

For more information about group visit their https://bilinguecampello.w eebly.com website.

Teulada Moraira welcomes more foreign than domestic tourists, particularly from the United Kingdom, which accounts for 12.5 per cent.

and adjusts the data for each journey.

The most popular stops have been chosen to roll out the scheme; however, the intention is to extend this system to the rest of the stops.

Passengers at stops without smart screens or digital information posts can obtain the information by scanning the QR codes installed at each stop by the urban transport company Grupo Avanza.

New animal law threatens pet stores

YOUR local pet shop is under threat from the new Animal Welfare Law approved by Congress, which contains measures prohibiting the sale of animals in retail establishments and bans their display for business purposes.

As well as threatening the survival of around 400 pet stores, the changes are expected to affect veterinarians and other sector professionals since certain types of pets will be banned. When the law comes into force, animals will only be available from breeders or animal protection organisations, and transfers between individuals must be free of charge and subject to a contract.

To discourage birds and reptiles from being bought ‘on a whim’ they will no longer be displayed in pet shops. The new law also establishes what can be considered a pet and bans species

not considered native. It will be prohibited to have mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas or rabbits in the homes; or birds, parakeets, parrots, and anaphors from other countries. As for reptiles, there will be no more snakes, iguanas, chameleons, geckos, turtles, or spiders.

BENITACHELL has taken steps to improve pedestrian safety at the dangerous junction between Capelletes and the Moraira­Benitachell road. New pedestrian crossings have been installed, the pavement has been widened to 1.5 metres and safety railings have been fitted.

Both roads are very busy and these additional safety features will make it easier to cross the road at this intersection. Three extra pedestrian crossings will be installed, one of them opposite the car park.

This is an area with a lot of shops and services, as well as a great deal of traffic of cars and heavy vehicles, so the changes should make life easier for both pedestrians and motorists.

The previous pavements were too narrow for even a pushchair, but now there is enough space for everyone. The measure should also attract locals to the banks and stores in the street previously put off by the inconvenient, dangerous conditions.

Moraira.

BURNS NIGHT: BEC secretary Beatriz Lenis with one of the association’s members.

Weed treatment in Teulada Foreign exchange opportunities

A TOTAL of 52 French secondary students have arrived in Benidorm under a new Erasmus project. The fourth-year second students will spend a week in Benidorm and will attend classes at the Bernat de Sarrià Secondary School while staying in the homes of local families.

During a presentation in the Assembly Hall of the school, the mayor welcomed

everyone and wished them “the best of experiences” while encouraging them to “enjoy the town during the

days that they are here.” The event was also an opportunity for the French students to introduce themselves to their new classmates.

The IES Bernat de Sarrià has been awarded an Erasmus KA 120 accreditation under a new system that will facilitate the application for subsidies by potential beneficiaries within the framework of the new programme for the period 2021-2027, which will allow students from the centre to travel abroad in the coming years. The students from Bernat de Sarrià will travel to France next May.

DOG owners and walkers should note that the countryside roads and paths in rural parts of the Teulada-Moraira will be treated with herbicide from February 20 until March 3.

The work is essential to keep plant life on the roadsides under control and prevent fires during the summer. It will be carried out following Royal Decree 1311/2012, of September 14, which establishes the framework for making sustainable use of phytosanitary products.

It should be noted that the products used are registered

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

and authorised for use on roadsides by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, however, if you are exposed, your eyes, skin, nose or throat may get irritated.

When walking your dog, the general rule of thumb is to keep pets away from land treated with chemicals for at least 48 hours, because weedkillers can cause nausea, diarrhoea, dehydration, dermatitis and breathing problems.

If you believe your dog has been in contact with weedkiller, wash the belly and leg areas and ask your vet.

‘‘A Chain is Only as Strong as Its Weakest Link’’

This means that a group or organisation can only be as successful as its least successful or powerful person. The first form of this proverb appeared in Thomas Reid’s ‘Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man’, which was published in 1786.

Old not stupid

THE man behind the ‘I’m old, not stupid’ campaign will be visiting Javea to talk about his campaign to demand that banks give senior customers who find it hard to deal with new technologies the personal attention they need. The councillor for Social Services and Senior Services in Javea has scheduled a talk by Valencian activist Carlos San Juan de Laorden on Friday, March 3 in the Duanes Library.

San Juan de Laorden is collecting signatures to force bank branches to provide their customers with face­to­face assistance.

• Diagnostic imaging and ultrasound Rx

• Clinical tests and serological tests, internal medicine, parasitology

• Soft Tissue Surgery and Traumatology

• Ethology, behavioural disorders and animal behaviour

• Physiotherapy, acupuncture, custom recovery and Healing touch

• Ophthalmology

• Dentistry and dental surgery & more

• Import - Export

San Juan, a retired doctor, is drawing attention to the difficulties experienced by elderly people in a new digital society and has sparked a movement to force banks to give more human, decent services to the elderly, who are being excluded from the fast­paced digital revolution. This doctor’s campaign forced the signature of a protocol by the Ministry of the Economy with the bank and quickly crossed boundaries, resonating around the world and being taken up by major international newspapers that published long articles on the subject

New Erasmus project.

Bright ideas

GENT DE DÉNIA wants to know young people’s ideas to change and improve the town to involve them in their future.

The third Ideas Competition, organised by Gent de Dénia has two categories: Children (10 to 14 years) and youth (14 to 18).

The two best suggestions will be included in the party’s electoral programme, and if they take power, they will implement them.

The result of the contest will be announced on April 21. The prizes are a tablet and a laptop for each category.

Youngsters registered in Dénia can submit up to three ideas per person in Valencian or Spanish on a minimum of one page and a maximum of three in paper or digital format with photographs, videos or drawings if desired.

Entries must go to the headquarters of Gent de Dénia in Paseo Saladar, 69, on April 14 between 5pm and 6pm or by email until 6pm to gentdede nia@gmail. com.

The personal data of the participant that appears in the DNI and the contact telephone number of the parents or guardians must be included.

For the love of Jaguars

THE Jaguar Enthusiast Club JEC CostaBlanca held their St Valentine’s event on Tuesday February 14.

Some members met at the motorway services in Elche, before making their way to Villajoyosa services where Mike Brook was waiting for their arrival.

Their destination was to the Jalon Valley to the restaurant ARO­MAS in Lliber.

This was a refreshment stop where more Jaguars from the north of Alicante were joining the group.

After a coffee and chat the next stop was at the Bodega XALO in the village of Jalon where they have wine tasting so you can try before you

buy.

Then it was back on the road to the restaurant La Solana in Alcalali where lunch was booked for 55 people for 2pm.

Once lunch was over it was time to party when Susie Q sang a melody of romantic songs for St Valentine’s Day.

Meanwhile the Jaguar big

Cats were making a wonderful display in the car park.

Once again it turned out to be a fantastic event and a fun packed day to remember as members danced, sang or chatted the afternoon away .

If you would like to join us on one of our monthly meetings tel Mike Brook 640 866 711 Facebook. JEC ­ COSTA BLANCA or email mikebike jec@gmail.com.

Back to the future

SINCE December 23, 2001, the Millennium Ark, a wooden box, has been waiting patiently in Teulada City Hall. For the last 22 years, this striking wooden box has been protecting items and testimonies of life in the municipality of Teulada. The chest is under lock and key, awaiting the moment to reveal everything that was kept inside.

If you are curious about what is inside, it contains evidence of a historical moment in Teulada: from press cuttings and photos of the town, sound files, coins, everyday items, testimonies and also wine and the local mistelle wine. All this is accompanied by a certificate from the Justice of the Peace attesting to the desires of the residents of the mu ­

nicipality, making sure the ark has become a witness of an era.

Like the ancient ark with its three keys, the box will stay closed until the end of December 2026, 25 years after the project began. It will be a special moment for remembering what life was like in the town e at the end of the second millennium.

A romantic day out for the big cars and their owners.

Teulada-Moraira Fishing Club

ON Wednesday February 15, we fished section B2. I was on peg B2/4 which was the best peg last time we fished B2, normally a very good peg but not this day. Temperatures got to around 12 degrees. Water temperature was down to 14 degrees. No dry nets out of five competitors. Best total weight of the day 5.2 kgs on peg B2/9 by Ray Turvey. A total weight of 14.5 kg and seven fish. The morning started calm with a light breeze starting at midday. Average temp was 12 degrees.

Results for the day were as follows:

1 Ray Turvey, 2 fish, 5.2 kgs

2 Jack Janssen, 2 fish, 3.8 kgs

MONTGO Golf Society recently played for the Santana Shield at Oliva Nova Golf Course. Our sponsor this week was Steve Crossan alias Richard Turpin, thanks Steve you were great company.

The winner this week was that old veteran John Day with a fine score of 39 stableford points. In second place was Dirk Knappe with 38 stableford points and taking third place on count back was Franz Budnik with 36 stableford points. Well done to you all.

We had two nearest the pin prizes on the fifth in two and the 16th and taking home the

WHO doesn’t know this famous song and the 20+ other catchy tunes from Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver!

We go into London’s dark underworld of theft and violence, following orphan Oliver, as he searches for a safety and love.

The Artful Dodger welcomes him into a gang of pickpockets led by the conniving Fagin. Falsely accused

Stay

cautious

3 Peter Shephard, 1 fish, 3.5 kgs

4 Malcom Delooze, 1 fish, 1.5 kgs

This was the final week for the winter league. The summer league will start on March 15 on F2.

Winter league final results:­

1st Graham Sewell 76 pts

2nd Frank Povey 63 pts

3rd Jeff Richards 52 pts

Next match is on Wednesday March 15 on F2 section.

We are a very friendly club and always happy to welcome new members.

For further information please contact Frank Povey on 966 490 338 or email frankpovey1@gmail.com.

Santana Shield

spoils was Gerian van Ooijen and John Macritchie.

We only had one Two on the 16th, with Francien Knoops taking home a coveted Montgo Ball.

Next week’s competition Is a stableford competition sponsored by Gerian van Ooijen and Francien Knoops. So book in early to join in the fun.

Reminder to members to book­in for the away day on April 17 at El Plantio .

Food, Glorious Food!

of theft, Oliver finds a temporary safe haven, but Fagin isn’t happy about losing a source of income, and his ragamuffins try to find him.

Director, Cherry Cabban, has found talented children, aged nine­15: boy can they sing!

The show runs from March 27 ­ April 1 at the Unión Musical de Gata, at 7.30pm except for the matinée on Saturday 1st which is at 4pm. There’s a splendid Gala night on March 27 which costs €25. All other performances are €18. Box Office opens on February 24. More information at: https://javeaplayers.com/jp /coming­soon/

SADLY not everyone is living the dream when they move to Spain.

On Saturday, February 11, a 77­year­old lady who lives in Montgo was home alone when she was burgled.

At approximately 10.15pm four masked men broke into her house. With one man standing by her bedroom window and one standing at the patio door, two other men then smashed their way into the property using bars.

After gaining access, one man took the terrified lady by the arm and lead her through the house emptying drawers and cupboards.

The front door was very strong and it took the thugs quite a while to beat it down, there was obviously a lot of noise but nobody saw or heard anything.

The property is one of about 30 detached properties which are all quite close together.

This is not the only house that has been pinpointed in the area, in August last year a property opposite was also the target of a similar attack.

There are street­lights along the roadway on both sides of the houses but these are never switched on making it easy to conceal a crime.

DAY’S FISHING: No dry nets out of five competitors.

Taxi! Javea Branch Awards 2023

D ENIA Town Hall and the taxi associations have agreed on measures to be rolled out in 2023 to deal with a shortage of vehicles and enhance the quality of the service provided to users. The measures still need official approval but are expected to get the green light on February 23.

The two local taxi associations ­ Radio Taxi and Cooperativa Taxis Déniahave come up with ways to work together to provide a more acceptable service by having vehicles permanently on duty during holidays, summer and events, and a request will be made to the Ministry of Transport to authorise bringing in backups from neighbouring towns El Verger, Els Poblets, Ondara, Pedreguer and Javea between July 1 and August 31. There will be more opportunities for drivers to get qualified, which should attract more people to the profession. The group has also committed to creating a mobile app for the taxi service in Denia with information about the geolocation of vehicles, vehicle assignment, waiting times, and an option to make complaints and suggestions.

TUESDAY February 14 may have been Valentine’s Day, however, love was also in the air for members of the Royal British Legion Javea Branch, as numerous awards were presented at their monthly meeting.

The Fallen Hero Award is a District Award which is presented to the Branch with the highest percentage increase of

Numerous awards given.

Poppy Appeal funds, raised per member, compared to the previous year. The Javea Branch have now won this award for the second year running.

Broadening your horizons

LOOKING to broaden your horizons or just make new friends? Then why not come along to the next General Meeting of U3A Marina Baixa on Monday February 27 at 11.00am in the Casa de Cultura, Alfaz del Pi.

The Association is now in its 17th year and during that time it has been providing a variety of group activities and social events for expats. Another group JUGS (Just us Guys) meet once a month for a meal and a chat. Their next meeting is on March 8 at Santorini in Albir. For a subscription of just €10 per year you can partake in any of the

groups on offer.

On March 10 there will be a coach trip to La Nueva Condomina and IKEA near Murcia. At the beginning of April the Association will be taking part in La Nucía International Day. U3A Marina Baixa has so much to offer and if you go along to the meeting on Monday February 27 you can find out more. After the meeting there will be a meal at the Oasis Restaurant in La Nucía.

U3A Marina Baixa has a Facebook page or contact their Secretary by email u3ambsec@gmail.com or by phone 965 845 803 / mobile 615 745 366.

District Certificate of Appreciation Awards: in recognition to service and support to the Javea

Branch were presented to: Roger Dawes, Pamela Dawes, Hilda and Richard Morley and Debbie Brettle.

service and support to the Javea Branch were also presented to: Sara Victoria Richardson, Steve Wall MBE, Tony Edmunds, Louise Hunt and Chris Hunt.

THE pine processionary moth is a type of moth native to the Mediterranean that appears at this time of year in mountain areas and can pose a health problem for people or pets. That’s why Calpe Council has taken measures to protect animals and citizens by administering a treatment in November and then reinforcing them in February.

Despite the actions carried out by the town council’s environmental technical department, it is always recommended to be careful in areas where there are pine trees.

This is particularly vital in the case of minors and dogs, avoiding contact with the

Caterpillar danger

caterpillar at all times.

Thaumetopoea pitycampa is a moth that, in its caterpillar phase, is known as the pine processionary and is common in the Mediterranean.

It is important to know the biological cycle of this larva since when they are in the maturation phase, they come down from the pine tree to bury themselves in the ground and pupate and become a butterfly.

Their descent from the tree in a row in February and March is why they are called processionary caterpillars.

BENITACHELL has invested in its historic centre and church, a locally listed building, to encourage people to use and enjoy them. New benches, planters and bins with three recycling fractions have already been installed, and traffic to some streets has been diverted to enhance what the council calls an “architectural jewel”.

To avoid inconveniencing local residents, the council has installed remotely controlled bollards and provided them with remote controls. An

A prettier village

added advantage is that by banning parked cars, emergency services will now have unrestricted access to the area. Without traffic, it will also become a much more attractive place for weddings and baptisms, concerts, and cultural events.

According to Mayor García, there are two car parks less than 30 metres away and 150 parking spaces within

a radius of 200 metres. “We are convinced that this is the way to achieve an attractive, friendly town with greater well-being for people. Perhaps these small actions will attract people to live in the old town or encourage the creation of new businesses that help revitalise this increasingly depopulated area,” added García.

BIOLOGICAL CYCLE: They come down from the pine trees.

Singing the dream

ORIGINALLY from the UK, singer ­ songwriter Debbie James has now settled in

Calahonda in Malaga spending her time making people’s dreams come

true.

As well as being a phenomenal performer, Deb ­

bie is also an A&R (artistes and repertoire) Manager for the AMG media company.

Having been involved in showbiz since a young age Debbie confirmed: “I have always been involved with music, either performing or producing.

“I am currently working on a project with Loris Holland; he is a legend and I am really excited because he is so utterly talented. My first official cut will be on an album that he has produced.”

Lori Holland is a Grammy/Emmy Award ­ winning performer/producer/composer/arranger and conductor who has developed a clientele of greats including Mariah Carey, George Clinton, Whitney Houston, Billy Ocean and Aretha Franklin, to name a few.

In between living the dream, Debbie has somehow found the time to create a global songwriting network and is also the co ­ founder of the Jud Friedman Workshops.

The singer said: “We have already completed very successful workshops worldwide, in the UK, Canada, Italy and also

in Los Angeles. We are delighted to be able to add Spain to the list as we are bringing a songwriting retreat and workshop to Fort Ingles in Malaga from March 4 until March 7.”

Debbie added: “The workshops are great and we encourage all levels of experience from experienced songwriters/ artists/producers to those who are just starting out! Teamwork really does make the dream work!

“Jud is amazing, he is a six ­ time Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe­nominated, award ­ winning, Billboard No.1 Hit songwriter and producer and is now offering workshops to share his wealth of knowledge.” For more information or to book your place head to www.globalsongwrit ersnetwork.com

Debbie added: “Anyone based in Spain is lucky enough to receive a 30 per cent discount. Just input the code SPAIN at the checkout.”

Debbie James.

Image: Debbie James

EXPLAINER: What is the ‘Only yes is yes’ law and why was it needed? Hacker sent packing

THE introduction of the ‘Only yes is yes’ law in Spain has received significant negative publicity after it led to the reduction in the sentences of many of those convicted of sex crimes.

Although Spain signed up to the Istanbul Convention agreed in 2012 by the 34 member states of the European Union, significant opposition in the House of Deputies meant that concessions were made in trying to get an agreement on changes to existing laws.

But it also meant revising existing laws to meet the wording of the convention, which recognised the need to protect women from violence, to end discrimination and to ensure equal rights. In terms of Article 1 of the convention Spain is required to:

1. Protect women against all forms of violence.

2. Contribute to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and pro­

mote substantive equality between women and men.

3. Implement policies and measures for the protection of and assistance for all victims of women affected by violence.

4. Promote international cooperation with a view to eliminating violence against women and domestic violence.

5. Support and assist organisations and law enforcement agencies to cooperate and adopt an integrated approach to eliminating violence against women and domestic violence.

But in making concessions and in adopting the wording

from the final agreement, it opened the door to challenges by convicted sex offenders looking to have their sentences reduced.

The law came into force in August 2022 after narrowly making it through the House of Deputies with 205 votes in favour, 141 against and 3 abstentions.

Broadly speaking the law was intended to take away the assumption of consent, which could not be provided through silence or by default. Essentially the law was intended to make consent only if it is explicitly given, hence ‘Only yes is yes’.

The problem is that sexual abuse was removed from the penal code and is instead deemed to be assault. Under the changed law, sexual violence will be considered assault, harassment, exhibitionism, street stalking or harassment, sexual provocation, prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, corruption of minors, female genius mutilation, forced marriage, sexual femicide and, in the digital sphere, sexual violence transmitted by technological means, sexual extortion and non­consensual pornography.

Some of these crimes come with shorter sentences and it is this redefining of the law under which criminals may have been convicted that has led to a reduction in their sentence.

It must be stressed, however, that only around half of those who applied to have their sentences reduced have been successful with their application.

A SPANISH court ruled in favour of deporting a suspected hacker to the United States in a ruling announced on Friday, February 17. The suspect is accused of hacking public figures including Bill Gates, Joe Biden, Barack Obama’s Twitter accounts.

The suspect identified by his initials J.J.O or alias Plugwalk Joe is a British citizen who was arrested in Estepona in Malaga province back in 2021 on 14 different criminal charges related with hacking.

The charges include belonging to a criminal organisation, fraud, extortion, illegal hacking, money laundering and propagation of confidential information. The individual is also accused of hacking hundreds of Twitter accounts including those of important public figures, robbing and blackmailing people through the internet.

The Spanish court ruled in favour of the suspect being extradited to the US, rejecting the defence’s arguments that a sentence given in the US would likely be harsher and therefore disproportionate to the crimes committed. The court said that an American court would be in a better position to judge the facts since the events had a greater impact there.

Law changed.

Image Rommel Canlas / Shutterstock.com

A suspect accused of committing multiple internet crimes could be deported to the USA after a Spanish judge ruled extradition was necessary.

The Sofa Saga

WHEN we moved to Spain in 2018, we sold everything. But there were things I couldn’t let go of. Mostly my Louboutins and some expensive handbags. But there were a few other things that were coming with us. My husband, Jeff, moved his motorcycle over. And I moved my sofa in a container ship through the Panama Canal and the Atlantic. Did people in Spain think I was crazy to move a sofa? Yes. Did I care? Nope.

The sofa took five months to arrive. So, in the meantime, I bought a filler sofa. Jeff just rolled his eyes. When my fabulous American sofa arrived, I was ecstatic,

nearly jumping up and down when the lorry pulled up. But my euphoria would be short­lived. When they went to get it into the lift, it wouldn’t fit. Fine. The two strong men carried it up seven flights of stairs to our apartment. And it was then that we learned it wouldn’t fit through the door. I was horrified.

But the men had an idea. We could crane it in through the window. So, we put the sofa in our parking spot, and they left. I called a crane company, and they came out two weeks later.

In the meantime, our Valencian neighbours gave us weird looks. Likely wondering if all Americans store their sofa in the parking garage of

their homes.

The day came, and the furniture crane arrived. We then discovered, as it was dangling above the street, our sofa was ½ inch too large for the window. No amount of pushing or pulling would make it budge. My American sofa was dead on arrival.

The moral of this story is that when you move to Spain, get rid of everything. And I mean everything, including the Louboutins. Don’t remind Jeff, but I haven’t worn them once in five years.

Coming soon: Age in Spain’s Guide to Moving to Spain, a free ­ e ­ book for you to download. Reserve a copy at www.ageinspain.org

Futuristic glasses

RESEARCH carried out on behalf of Specsavers Ópticas by Curated Digital, revealed that futuristic styles are here for 2023. The London ­ based digital consultancy spe cialising in data driven and insight­led marketing found that there was a 3,250 per cent increase in searches in Spain for the term ‘futuristic glasses’ from January 3 to February 3. This reflects a similar trend in the UK, where searches on Pinterest for futuristic glasses were up 70 per cent and searches for dystopian outfits and avant ­ garde outfits were up 215 per cent and 225 per cent respectively.

The trend was identified as part of the informative report State of Eyewear 2023, reviewing both search data and trends being seen on the catwalk and on the high street. The report explains that they expect sci­fi and cyber eyewear to take centre

stage in 2023, inspired by cinematic epics such as Avatar and Dune. The dystopian ­ core of this trend and the dark and daring aesthetic was reflected on the catwalks in shows by Givenchy, Celine and Dior and searches peaked during Paris Fashion Week.

The report highlighted a number of trends and commented, “Over recent years, eyewear fashions have been dominated by decade nostalgia with retro nods to the oversized 70s square shapes, cat eye revivals and the 2000s comeback. And, although we still predict some of this homage to continue such as the persistence of Y2K and oval styles this year ­ the past truly will be the past with a new wave of futuregrade glasses. Taking centre stage will be space ­ themed, alien ­ like shapes and chunky maximalist ­ esque frames.”

Visit www.specsavers.es to search for fashionable frames or find your nearest store.

Digital Nomad Visa in Spain. Everything you need to know.

ON December 22, 2022, Law 28/2022 (also known as the ‘Startups Law’) was passed in Spain. In today’s article we analyse one of the major innovations of this Law. The ‘Digital Nomad Visa’. In a short Q&A format, we will analyse its main features, requirements and the

tax benefits offered by this new visa.

What exactly does the Digital Nomad Visa consist of?

In short, it is a ‘residence permit’ for non­EU teleworkers that allows them to reside and work in Spain, remotely (teleworking) with a series of

tax benefits.

What type of workers can apply for this Visa?

On the one hand, self­employed workers who work for foreign clients and can do so remotely. On the other hand, ‘ordinary’ employees are also eligible. That is, those who are linked to a single company, through an employment contract.

Are workers required to have any qualifications?

Yes, the ultimate goal of the law is to attract foreign talent to Spain. Therefore, the worker must have a university degree or postgraduate studies, professional training, or at least three years of professional experience.

Can I apply for this VISA and also work for Spanish companies?

Yes, but there is a limit. The international teleworker who resides and works in Spain, as a self­employed person, can only work for Spanish companies when the income obtained from them does not exceed 20 per cent of his/her annual invoicing.

Are there any other special requirements related to the worker and the companies he/she works for?

Yes, proof that the company or companies for which the applicant works have been in business for at least one year must be provided. In addition, it will be necessary to demonstrate that the work can be carried out remotely. Finally, it should not be forgotten that the employment or professional relationship between the worker and the company must exist at least three months before the application is submitted.

What other documentation is required to apply for the Digital Nomad Visa?

You will need to provide a copy of your valid passport. Proof that you do not have a

criminal record in Spain (nor in the country where you have lived for the last two years).

Take out a private health insurance etc. Documents issued abroad must be translated and apostilled.

What financial means must be accredited in order to apply for this Visa?

In principle, the worker must prove that he/she has a monthly amount equivalent to 200 per cent of the Minimum Interprofessional Salary. That is, approximately €2,160 per month.

How long does the visa for digital nomads last?

When the visa is requested from Spain, the initial authorisation will have a maximum duration of three years. At the end of this period, you can ask for it to be renewed for periods of two years. This time also counts for the purposes of permanent residence (five years) and Spanish nationality (10 years).

Is it possible to group family members of digital nomads

together?

Yes, either from the initial moment, or later on, it will be possible to group direct family members (spouse, commonlaw partner, children, ascendants, etc).

What are the tax benefits of the visa for digital nomads?

The tax regime for digital nomads is particularly beneficial.

Up to €600,000, the applicable rate to income is set at 24 per cent. In addition, it will not be necessary to file the 720 Tax Form, or the Wealth Tax. However, it will be necessary that worker has not been resident in Spain for the previous five years. At White­Baos we are specialists in Immigration Law. If you wish to be informed, in detail, of the requirements and complete procedure to obtain the Digital Nomad Visa, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will study your case and offer you expert advice on the subject.

The information provided in this article is not intended as legal advice, but simply conveys information related to legal issues.

Betty Henderson

THE only pyramid in Spain is reportedly set to be demolished under the country’s democratic memory law. The decision to knock down the ‘Pirámide de los Italianos’, near Burgos, was announced early in February.

The 20 ­ metre stone pyramid was erected 83 years ago by Francoist troops to pay homage to the nearly 400 Italian soldiers who died fighting Republican forces during the Battle of Santander during the Spanish Civil War.

Franco, used slave labour from Republican prisoners to build the mausoleum in Puerto del Escudo, which was constructed

Pyramid toppled

The Italian government also shared concern “Why erase history with the stroke of a brush, wouldn’t it be better to remember this war so that it is never repeated?”

over a mass grave of the buried Italian soldiers.

The pyramid is now dividing public opinion with some saying the structure

is no longer a symbol of fascism, especially since the Italian soldiers’ remains were removed in the 1970s.

100,000 cruise passengers expected in port of

Optimistic study

RESEARCHERS at the Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra have given prostate cancer patients in Spain a reason to feel optimistic. The results of their recent study showed that 85 per cent of patients treated with irreversible electroporation saw their tumours controlled.

Of these patients, 100 per cent retained their urinary continence capacity and 91.8 per cent retained their sexual potency prior to the intervention.

According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), cancer contin­

ues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. In Spain, it is estimated that new cancer diagnoses will reach 279,260 cases in 2023. Of these, prostate cancer is the most common among men.

In fact, the Cancer Centre of the Clinica Universidad de Navarra has been the first in Spain to offer the entire diagnostic and therapeutic arsenal for the management of benign and malignant prostate pathology, as reported by a national news outlet on Tuesday, February 14.

Spain’s Pirámide de los Italianos is now to be demolished.

Photo credit: Basotxerri / shutterstock.com

Malaga this summer.

Fatal incident

THE 19­year­old Spanish procyclist Estela Dominguez of the Sopela Women’s team has died in a hit­and­run incident while out training in Salamanca.

Her death was confirmed by her team on Friday, February 10 with a local news outlet saying that the accident happened at the junction of the A­62 with the N­620 as you leave Villares Polygon. It is understood that she died at the scene after paramedics were called

No baby boom

at around 6.32pm on the Thursday evening.

The daughter of former pro ­ cyclist Juan Carlos Dominguez who had a successful career in the 90s, Dominguez had a promising cycling career ahead of her having recently signed up with Sopela. She had also finished seventh in the Spanish Cyclocross Championship and had been called up by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC), to participate in the Cyclocross World Cup.

SPAIN’S National Police have arrested a French fugitive wanted for the theft of 11 million Swiss francs, as reported on Thursday, February 16.

The French fugitive, who had a European Arrest Warrant issued by France for a robbery which dated back to August 2019 in Switzerland when two armoured vans were held up by 10 hooded and heavily armed individuals who made off with 11 million Swiss francs.

Subsequently, a police investigation into the crime was set up and in October 2020, officers managed to track one of the thieves

Dominguez, the 19­yearold Spanish pro­cyclist killed in the hit­and­run incident, was attending Salamanca University where she was studying Labour Relations and Human Resource Management.

Man caught

to Spain. The man had been living in a small isolated rural property on the outskirts of Girona’s Llers.

Inside the property, officers found a marihuana drying shed, as well as narcotic substances in different quantities with a total weight of approximately 7.83 kilograms.

They also found an illegal firearm, a magazine with 12 cartridges, €2,625 in cash, a French identity card and a French passport with a fake name.

SPAIN has recorded a more than 80­year low in births registered in 2022. The report by Spain’s National Office of Statistics (INE), released on Wednesday, February 15, re­

17%

vealed that the country has the second lowest birth rate in Europe.

The data collected states that just 330,000 babies were born in the country last year, the lowest rate recorded since the agency opened in 1941. The country’s birth rate began to decline in 2016 and has continued to drop every year since.

The low birth rate of just above 329,000 babies means that Spain’s population is declining as less babies are born than people die in each year.

Experts say that there are

THE weather experts at Meteored warned allergy sufferers in Spain on Thursday, February 16, to be aware that many trees begin their flowering processes in February. This can lead to the onset of symptoms such as itchy nose and eyes, runny nose, throat irritation, sneezing and tiredness. Although allergies are more associated with springtime, weather conditions such as high environmental humidity and abundant rainfall are favourable for trees such as alders and cupressaceae to flourish and release their contents.

Alder pollen is usually released at the end of

Spain’s birth rate has been on a downward spiral since 2016.

numerous causes for this decline in births, including that Spanish women typically opt to have children later than in other countries.

The ageing population, social and economic issues and pandemic uncertainty were also cited as causes.

Allergy alert

January, with a maximum peak in March. Other similar pollens would be those of birch and hazelnut, so it could affect people who are allergic to these as well.

When flaring up in the winter weather, these first allergies of the year are often difficult to differentiate from the start of a possible cold or flu. Allergies last as long as the pollen is in suspension, while flu and colds usually last four to seven days Meteored pointed out.

Shuttertsock.com/ Evgeny Atamanenko

is the amount food CPI would have gone up without the VAT reduction.

Estela Dominguez.

Image Twitter tonimuntanerho2

No scripts for Dame Judi

By Peter McLaren­Kennedy SPEAKING on the

Graham Norton Show, Dame Judi Dench said that she was no longer able to read scripts as her eye condition has worsened.

Appearing on the show, which was aired overnight on Friday, February 17, the James Bond star said: “It’s become impossible to read scripts.”

The 88­year­old continued saying that reading scripts in the past was very easy for her as she has a photographic memory, but she now had to make use of a machine to help her learn her lines.” Dench was diagnosed with age­related macular degen­

eration (AMD) in 2012, a condition that affects the central part of the retina. Although it doesn’t lead to blindness it takes away the central part of your vision according to

the NHS.

The exact cause is unknown but it has been linked to smoking, high blood pressure, being overweight and having a family

history of AMD.

Although Dame Judi Dench is no longer able to read scripts she said she has no plans to give up her career just yet.

Sir Lloyd Webber’s anthem

SIR ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER announced on Sunday, February 19, that he has been bestowed the great honour of composing a new anthem for King Charles’ Coronation. On May 6, Charles will be officially crowned as the King of England in a spectacular ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

Posting on his official Twitter profile, the legendary British musician wrote: “I am incredibly honoured to have been asked to compose a new anthem for the Coronation. My anthem includes words adapted from Psalm 98. I have

scored it for the Westminster Abbey choir and organ, the ceremonial brass and orchestra. I hope my anthem reflects this joyful occasion.”

The ceremony will be followed the next day, May 7, by a massive Coronation concert at Windsor Castle. Its organisers are hoping to attract some of the biggest stars of the entertainment world to perform in this unique event to be broadcast by BBC. But two stars have confirmed they are unable to attend.

Ed Sheeran has a prior engagement in Texas while there was no explanation offered on Adele’s part. It is believed The Spice Girls and Lionel Richie are close to confirming their participation in the event.

Blackmail uncovered

GAVIN BURROWS, the leader of a team of private investigator looking into the disappearance of Levi Davis have uncovered a network of blackmailers associated with the X­Factor TV series. Burrows told a news source on Tuesday, February 14: “We have received valuable information from a number of former contestants on the X­Factor show.” He continued saying they have spoken to people involved in or have

been part of the show adding “they have confirmed that the claims of blackmail made in Davis’ video appear to be true and verified by third parties.” He added: “We believe these people remain hidden because they fear for their safety.” Burrows had said people connected with the show had taken extraordinary interest in their investigations, but had been less interested in finding Davis.

Credit: Twitter@OfficialALW

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with King Charles.

One year later

ONE year ago, on February 24 in 2022, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, launched an invasion of Ukraine from the north, east and south.

At the time Putin explained that the “special military operation was aimed at demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine in a bid to protect ethnic Russians, prevent Kyiv’s NATO membership and to keep it in Russia’s sphere of influence."

As of February 12, 2023, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) tragically verified a total of 7,199 civilian deaths during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Of them, 438 were chil ­

End of the road

AMERICAN carmaker Ford announced it will cut almost 4,000 jobs across Europe as it grapples with the increasing cost of manufacture and changes to the motoring industry in an announcement made on Wednesday, February 15.

UKRAINE: One year since an invasion was launched.

dren.

Furthermore, 11,756 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher.

Innocent civilians have been cruelly caught up in the conflict and over 5.9 million

Flight delays

AN IT fault left thousands of passengers stranded on Lufthansa flights across Europe on Wednesday, February 15.

Flights across the German carrier and its associated groups were grounded for much of the day after construction work damaged glass­fibre cables in Frankfurt.

The technological fault caused disruption to the company’s digital systems which forced airport staff to check in passengers using pen and paper and disrupted luggage check in services. The fault also caused delays and cancellations to flights affecting thousands of passengers.

Lufthansa took to Twitter to apologise for the fault, acknowledging that it was causing flight delays and cancellations.

The disruption caused shares in Germany’s flagship airline to drop by 1.5 per cent on Wednesday morning. The company also owns several other European airlines including Brussels Airlines, Swiss, and Eurowings.

people have been internally displaced.

There has also been catastrophic damage to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools.

And now? It has been a year since Russian forces rolled into Ukraine and there does not appear to be any real signs of a way out of this terrible conflict. Neither Ukraine nor Russia, Zelensky or Putin appear primed for an outright military victory, and progress at the negotiating table is highly improbable.

879,997 hectares of land has been lost to soil erosion this year (ha).

The majority of the positions cut will be in Germany with 2,300 redundancies expected. Another 1,300 of the positions cut will be in the UK, with the rest of the jobs cut in other European countries.

The Detroit ­ based manufacturer said it made the decision as it tries to transition to a greener model and moves away from petrol and diesel engine production. The majority of jobs cut in the announcement are in engineering positions, which account for around 2,800 of the jobs cut, while a further 1,000 will be cut in administrative roles.

Martin Sander, the head of electric operations in Europe explained the changes saying “We are moving into a world with less global platforms where less engineering work is necessary.”

The Art of Stagecraft - A Workshop

WHAT

does a director require?

What do actors expect from the director? You may already be an actor/director, but you can always learn new acting techniques, how to interpret a script and many other facets of stagecraft.

Interested? This is a sevenweek course, costing only €15, starting April 5 and culminating in a public performance on May 22 with max 12 per class. Previous experience not a pre ­ requisite, enthusiasm is!

Subjects include how does a character move the plot, what’s

THE Arts Society Marina Alta will host a fascinating lecture (Barcelona 1900: Explosion of Creativity) by Dr Helen Sijsling MA (Australia, Netherlands, Spain) about creativity in Barcelona around 1900 at Salones Canor on Thursday, March at 11.00. Admission is free for members and €15 for guests. Doors will open at 10.00 for registration and coffee and the presentation will be from 11.00 to 12.30 followed by complimentary refreshments.

your body doing? There will be filmed short scenes with video feedback. Of course, acting isn’t just about the person on stage: lighting, sound, props and transitions are all important.

Join Claire Schoonover and Paul Hunter as you explore all aspects of the Art of Stagecraft.

Classes will be held in the Jávea Players’ Studio theatre twice a week in April and May. Register for either Wednesday OR Friday nights at 7 ­ 9.30pm, not both.

For further information, please contact Claire on brow schoon@gmail.com.

JOAN BRYAN of the U3A has created a new group called ‘Games are Us’. The group meets every Monday afternoon from 2pm to 4.30pm at the Galetamar Hotel in Calpe.

To start with, the available games are Rummikub, Mexican Train, Uno Extreme and Dominos. There is currently one game of Rummikub for four players, but more games will be acquired with demand. Members are also invited to bring along their own games or copies of those mentioned above.

There is a vending machine available at the venue. Members wanting to join the Group must give their name, membership number and contact to the leader. Contact Joan for more information by writing to jobty56@yahoo.com or phone 652 638 974

If you are more of an outdoor type, you might like to check out the new Walking Group created by Group Leader Claudia, whose first walk was on February 9 along the Sendero Ecológico toward Cala Baladrar. I

f you would like to join the walking group, please contact Claudia by writing to chocolatecontrol@hotmail.com. Walkers must read and accept the conditions and safety notes and meet other requirements before joining.

New U3A Calpe groups Arts Society Marina Alta

The effervescent, fashionable character of modern Barcelona has its origins in the period around 1900, when music, architecture, painting, sculpture, and literature flourished as never before.

Between 1880 and 1910 the city underwent an impressive transformation, with

the Eixample, the revolutionary city development expansion by Ildefons Cerda, highly imaginative urban architecture by Gaudi, Lluis Domenech I Montaner and Josep Puig I Cadafalch, and elegant interiors in the modernista style, Barcelona’s version of Art Nouveau.

But this blossoming of art and culture went hand in hand with far­reaching industrialisation and serious social and political tensions. Attendees will meet the rich and innovative families who commissioned this stunning art and the innovative artists.

Dr Sijsling is presently Chairman to the Arts Society Nerja, and has lectured for many years to the Arts Societies in Europe.

CLAIRE: Holding a 7-week course.

CREDIT: Claire Schoonover

U3A Valentine’s Dinner

Roll up for the Book Fair

RUNNING out of good reading materials? Or perhaps your home is full of books you have read that other readers would love to get their hands on? If either of these situations applies to you, don’t miss the Book Fair at the Inn on the Green.

Contrary to what some people think, the Inn on the Green is open to the general public, not just bowlers, and this book fair, in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society in Teulada, is just one of the many events scheduled for 2023. If you would

The Grand Tour

THERE will be a free concert in the Valencian gothic St Bartholomew Church­Fortress (Plaça de l’Església, 03730 Javea) on February 24 at 9pm.

Entitled ‘The Colours of Music, The Grand Tour’, the concert’s theme is the practice at the end of the 17th century of sending children on a journey around Europe ­ the Old Continent ­ to supplement their education. This tradition became fashionable among the European

aristocracy, especially the British. The objective was to get to know other countries, to come into contact with the great cultures of the past and to provide a necessary requirement for their cultural and social education before entering adulthood. With this programme, the organisers aim to present a sample of the music that the students who were doing the Grand Tour would have been able to listen to.

LOVE and fun were in the air when over 70 diners enjoyed a fabulous night’s Dinner at Satari’s. Still, sadly without the ever­constant face and organiser of all U3A Social Events, Tony Old, supported by Jan, who were both cuddled up in bed that night …. with Covid…!

A delicious meal was followed by the romance of Duo Intermezzo. Hector unveiled his new swing style Dean Martin and other Rat Pack songs, showing he is an excellent crooner.

Abi congratulated his supporters in the kitchen and front of house and introduced his partners for his new venture.

like to dispose of some of your own books, tables cost just €10 (all of which will go to charity); otherwise, come along for a browse.

The Inn on the Green Book Fair will take place on Saturday, March 4, from 10am to 4pm, so make a note in your diary. The address is Travaserra Cansalades, 103, Javea, 03730, but for more information or to book a stall, please write to iogevents586@gmail.com or call 690 035 824.

Magnum Productions present ABBA Elite

MAGNUM PRODUCTIONS are very pleased to once again present ABBA Elite on Saturday March 11 at 8pm.

ABBA Elite are a fantastic tribute to the iconic group ABBA, and we will be presenting a full theatre show featuring all the classic hits by the famous Super Group ABBA.

This magnificent show will be staged in the Teatre Auditorio in Beniarbeig.

The theatre is brand new and is a fabulous auditorium, it is located literally five minutes from the Ondara shopping centre and has a capacity of 300 in lovely air­conditioned comfort. It has fabulous acoustics and is located near bars and restaurants, with plenty of free parking.

Tickets are priced at €20 and can be purchased online at www.magnumconcerts.com.

For information or reservations email: magnum.concerts@gmail.com.

Or call 618 017 201. Profits go to local Charities including the Alzheimer’s Centre in Teulada.

So come along and see a great show, in a lovely theatre,

Many thanks for your support and I hope to see you soon. You can join our mailing list which will give you prior notification of all our future events by emailing: magnum.concerts@gmail.com

DUO INTERMEZZO: Excellent crooner.

Photos by David Haxon

More than 70 diners enjoyed the evening.

Photos by David Haxon

Active weekends Rock in La Nucia

POP and rock lovers in La Nucia are getting ready to get together for a great night of rock with OBK, a Spanish electronic music group formed in 19912 by Jordi Sánchez and Miguel Ángel Arjona.

The name ‘OBK’ is short for ‘Oberkorn (It’s a small town)’, an instrumental song by Depeche Mode and B ­ side of the single ‘The Meaning of Love’. By 2018 they had released 12 albums and four compilations in addition to several dozen singles.

The concert will take place in the Auditori de la Nucia in Plaza Almàssera 103530, 03530 La Nucia (Alicante) on Saturday, February 25 at 8pm.

To get your tickets, go to https://www.entradas.com/e vent/obk­la­nucia­auditori­lanucia­16026174/?affiliate= ALN.

Tickets for people with reduced mobility and their escorts are available by calling 902 488 488 or by sending an email to movilidad ­ reduci da@entradas.com

PEGO I LES VALLES is surrounded by incredible natural scenery and the local council have designed a programme to help residents and visitors take advantage of their surroundings this February.

After several interesting hiking events last weekend, the action continued on Saturday, February 18, with the Pels carrers de la memoria walk around the town of La Vall de Gallinera where a museum also opened on the same day. Walkers met at the stone cross in La Vall de Gallinera at 10am before the guided walk began. Information on the tour is offered in Spanish or Valencian.

The following day, on Sunday, February 19 walkers enjoyed a scenic route around the town of La Vall d’Ebo. This. weekend on Saturday, February 25, there is also an opportunity to venture into the mountains at La Vall d’Ebo on another guided walk.

Walkers offered a scenic hike and several other outdoor activities in the Vall d’Ebo.

Participating in each of the activities is free, but prior registration is required in some cases.

More information about outdoor activities on offer in Pego i les Valles and a detailed programme can be viewed online at:

https://www.pegoilesvalls.e s/en/agenda/450­senderismo­en­la­vall­d­039ebo

Limited tickets available

GRAB your dancing shoes and enjoy a night that will bring back memories of the good old days. Careline Theatre in Alcalali is holding a school disco on Saturday, March, 4, in a bid to raise funds to perform some much­needed painting and building maintenance.

This event is perfect for the big kids as well as the little ones, so dig out those old school uniforms from your past. You can come as a student or teacher, but note that uniforms are compulsory or detentions will be handed out!

Enjoy the fiestas bar, school dinner, dancing, bike sheds, tuck shop and prizes for the best head boy and girl. This will be a night to remember that you really don’t want to miss.

The fabulous entertainment is provided by Dougie Mack from Bay Radio with the assistance of the resident Careline DJ, Ian Bennett.

For more information or to book head to thelittlebox office.com/carelinetheatre

OBK: A great night of rock awaits you.

Photo credit: David Barber Mas / shutterstock.com

Restaurant Claudia

ARE you looking for a new, stylish, modern and mouth ­ watering place to eat? Look no further than to that of Restaurant Claudia, set to make its opening debut on February 23!

Restaurant Claudia will be something that will captivate you from the moment you walk in, having over 16 year’s in the restaurant trade and multiple bars throughout Spain, Europe and the Caribbean, Adrian and Claudia welcome you to a stylish, new interior and spectacularly delicious and flavoursome international menu.

Restaurant Claudia

are offering only the best and most highquality service and gastronomy, using local suppliers and produce to ensure that only the freshest and succulent explosion of flavours.

In the mood for tapas? Claudia’s Food Bar is set to open very soon and will be all under one roof! Offering you new food specials every day and Instagramable cocktails, this will be perfect for those who are looking for a light bite.

Restaurant Claudia creates an ambiance and experience not found anywhere else on the Costa Blanca North.

Open mixed triples

Here you will have the opportunity to make the best use out of the soon to be four terraces and capacity for parties, weddings and more, with their 400 person capacity.

Taking inspiration from their roots in the Caribbean, expect only the best parties, live music, gastronomy and drinks menu surrounded by stunning views and spectacular ambiance that they have created. Restaurant Claudia is set to have some spectacular events coming this spring and summer with Après de ski, Christmas and July and more!

CALPE Promenade Bowls Club has announced its Open Mixed Triples event that will take place on March 5. The one ­ day event will kick off at 9am. The entry fee is €21 per team, and there will be prizes for the winners, runners up and second runners­up.

There will also be a spider event for both groups, with a €1 per person entry fee. If you would like to enter this bowls tournament, please contact the competition organiser, Pat Vaughan, by email at patriciav 94@gmail.com.

The organisers ask you to note that only entries from actual teams (via

email) will be considered and that after the first 16 teams are registered, a re­

serve list will start, with no preferences or priorities given.

Canor Antique Fair

ON Sunday, February 26, from 9am to 3pm, the Canor Antique and Collectors Fair will take place at the elegant Salones Canor in Cami Assagador de Canor, s/n, 03725 Teulada. As usual, there will be many stalls staffed by sellers from numerous European countries (Germany, the United Kingdom, and of course, Spain) selling a whole range of items from art deco treasures to costume jewellery and a couple of charity stalls, too. There will also be plants at interesting prices from a local garden centre.

This is a great place to find gifts or to furnish or decorate your house with furniture, exquisite ornaments and much more. There is an enormous range of prices from inexpensive to very costly.

Canor will lay on coffee and light refreshments throughout the event.

BOWLS EVENT: There will be several prizes up for grabs.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Old-timer

INVESTIGATORS examining dead hedgehogs brought in by members of the Danish Hedgehog Project discovered that Thorvald, who died in a Silkeborg rehab centre, was later found to be 16, making him Europe’s oldest ever. The record was previously held by an Irish hedgehog aged nine.

THE NETHERLANDS

War wounds

THE NETHERLANDS’ 32-million page war archive will become available without restrictions in 2025, announced the War in Court (Oorlog voor de Rechter) group. The descendants of Second World War collaborators now fear the reopening of old wounds as data protection laws do not cover the dead.

BELGIUM

Hacker deal

BELGIUM’S Cyber Security Centre (CCB) has promised protection from prosecution for hackers or organisations reporting security vulnerabilities affecting systems, networks, or applications located in Belgium. Protection would depend on meeting “strict” conditions, the CCB said.

GERMANY

Wrong turning

A WOMAN of 82 inadvertently drove into a Munich shopping centre, breaking through its side entrance and crashing into an escalator. The driver escaped with minor injuries, but was taken to hospital as a precaution while an 18-year-old on the damaged escalator was able to jump to safety.

FRANCE

Lynx warning

FRANCE’S lynx population, reintroduced in the 1970s, is at risk of disappearing and requires special measures to increase numbers, experts said. A recent study found that around 150 adult lynxes currently inhabited the mountains of north-eastern France, separated from healthier groups in Germany and Switzerland.

NORWAY

All alone

EXPERTS completed the reconstruction based on the skull of a teenage boy who lived 8,300 years ago in modern Norway. Nicknamed Vistegutten, ‘the boy from Viste’ his skull was deformed and he apparently died alone, as his remains were found as though resting against the wall of a cave.

FINLAND

Fell swoop

FOREST MOVEMENT activists disrupted treefelling operations for the fourth time in Aalistunturi in Finland, an area which is likely to become a national park. Loggers, who must stop work whenever anyone enters the area near their machinery, said the protests were costing them €15,000 a day.

IRELAND

Gold reserve

IRELAND has cancelled ‘golden visas’ for nonEU nationals worth at least €2 million who invest in the country. Ireland's Minister for Justice, Simon Harris, said that the scheme, established in 2012 in return for creating jobs had had been under review for “quite a period of time.”

ITALY

Electric shock

ITALY intensified its opposition to EU plans to ban the sale of all petrol and diesel cars after 2035 to achieve 100 per cent zero-emissions for new vehicles. Transport minister Matteo Salvini condemned a rapid switch to electric mobility as “suicide” and a “gift” to Chinese industry.

PORTUGAL

New airlink

ETIHAD AIRWAYS are expanding their European network this summer with a new direct route between Abu Dhabi and the Portuguese capital Lisbon, starting in July. The new service, the Middle Eastern airline’s first route into Portugal, will operate weekly flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays.

UKRAINE

Look ahead

BUSINESSES worldwide are jockeying for position for multibillion reconstruction contracts in Ukraine once the war ends. Tymofiy Mylovanov, former Economy minister and now president of the Kyiv School of Economics, said with funding from all over the world “businesses want to be part of rebuilding.”

SWEDEN

Shut out

A CYBERATTACK temporarily prevented access to the website of Sweden’s national broadcaster SVT on February 14. The attack was not unexpected as the hacker group Anonymous Sudan called for cyberattacks against Swedish authorities and banks following the Koran burning in Stockholm.

BUSINESS EXTRA All at sea FINANCE

Shrinkflation

CHOCOLATE makers Cadbury have reduced the sizes of their medium and large Easter eggs while their prices remain the same, shoppers found. Amongst other scaleddown products, a Twirl egg now weighs 198 grammes compared with 237 grammes in 2022, but still costs £3 (€3.40).

Women’s work

SPAIN’S gender wage gap fell to 20.9 per cent in 2021, almost six percentage points below 2018 thanks to a higher minimum salary, a Comisiones Obreras survey found. Differences persisted for carers’ posts as well as part­time jobs and the lower­paid traditional “women’s jobs”, the union said.

Closing time

A TOTAL of 512 UK pubs and bars went into administration last year owing to higher overheads and falling sales, revealed accountancy company UHY Hacker Young. The government could alleviate pressure by extending the energy bill relief scheme to the hospitality sector, the company suggested.

Sail away

THE Italian­Swiss cruise company MSC expects a record 2023 following last summer’s good results and increased sales for cruises this winter. The company plans to make 500 stopovers in Spanish ports this year, a 23 per cent increase on last year’s 407, announced director general Fernando Pacheco.

Big money

CARLOS TORRES VILA, president of BBVA, which made €6.42 billion profits in 2022, earned €8.29 million last year, 5.8 per cent more than the €7.83 million he was paid in 2021. Onur Genç, BBVA’s CEO, earned €7.15 million, 4.9 per cent more than the €6.81 million he received last year.

STAT OF WEEK €125 million

in compensation and a six-year prison sentence await Pescanova’s former president, Manuel Fernandez de Sousa-Faro, for irregular financial practices while he headed the company between 1985 and 2013.

Good inflation news

Linda Hall

UK inflation fell for a third consecutive month in January, but remained in double digits.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the annual inflation rate measured by the consumer prices index fell to 10.1 per cent last month, following December’s 10.5 per cent and October’s 11.1 per cent peak. City economists had forecast a more modest drop to 10.3 per cent.

The latest fall was assisted by the ongoing fall in petrol and diesel prices for motorists earlier in the year, as well as reductions in air and coach travel after their hefty rise last December.

Restaurant, cafe and takeaway prices also fell, with the cost of furni­

ture dropping during the January sales.

Nevertheless, food and drink inflation remained close to their highest rates since the 1970s as milk, bread and the cost of other essentials soared by almost 17 per cent in a year.

The ONS figures came as the Bank of England contemplated another interest rate rise to tackle the highest inflation levels since the early 1980s.

UK inflation is still higher than in the European Union’s 20 eurozone countries or the US, which some forecasters attributed to the UK’s chronic worker shortages and constraints including Brexit that have added to inflationary pressure.

“While any fall in inflation is welcome, the fight is far from over,” Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said.

“High inflation strangles growth and causes pain for families and businesses. That’s why we must stick to the plan to halve inflation this year, reduce debt and grow the economy.”

Spain’s Top Three

INDITEX, Mercadona and El Corte Ingles have been listed amongst the world’s 120 largest family­owned firms.

Multinational auditors

EY and Switzerland­based St Gallen University, who publish their Family Business Index every two years, placed the three Spanish companies high on their list.

Inditex, which owns Zara, Pull & Bear and other labels, was ranked in 51st place in the 2023 edition, followed by supermarket chain Mercadona (54) and

On the hunt

HUNTER BOOT whose £125 (€140.7) wellingtons are worn by royalty and rained­on festival goers, is seeking a buyer.

The company, which was founded in 1856 and holds two royal warrants, is seeking potential acquirers amid a postCovid boom. Sales plummeted during the pandemic but demand surged during the summer festivals once restrictions were lifted. The Edinburgh company is nearing completion of a £7 million (€7.8m) cash injection, in addition to separate sale discussions. Its most recent accounts revealed a £5.1 million (€5.7m) loss on £10.8 million (€12.1m) sales in the year to January 2022.

the El Corte Ingles department stores (117).

Eight other Spanish companies, Acciona, Gestamp, Ferrovial, Grifols, Catalana Occidente, Antolin ­ Irausa, Prosegur y Tecnicas Reunidas were named in the Index’s 500strong list.

Between them, these 11 companies, all of them family ­ owned, had a turnover of €120 billion, and employed a total of 445,000 people. Worldwide, family businesses earned more than €8 trillion and provided jobs for 24.5 million people, a 10 per cent increase on the 2021 index.

“According to the International Monetary Fund, the global economy grew by 6 per cent in 2021 and is forecast to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2023,” said EY’s Global Family Enterprise

FCA gets tough

BARCLAYS is allegedly under investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regarding possible flaws in compliance and anti­money laundering measures.

The FCA requested an independent review of the bank’s systems last year after noticing a high volume of money­laundering and “know your customer” incidents, the Financial Times said.

“Know your customer” checks, which focus on a new client’s identity and risk factors, are aimed at preventing the concealment of funds obtained from criminal activity.

The Financial Times stated that the FCA had written to Barclays’ requesting a “skilled persons review” by an outside party like a legal or accounting firm.

The financial regulator has brought several high­profile money laundering and compliance cases in recent years as it attempts to lose its reputation for being over­lenient when dealing with financial offences.

EXTENDING Barcelona­El Prat airport could involve a 3,400­runway, one nautical mile (1.8 kilometres) out to sea.

A private consultancy firm has sent details of the €2.1 billion project to Catalonia’s regional government, where sources said all options should be studied and it was “positive” that experts were working on the issue.

The chosen location would lessen the environmental impact on the area, the scheme’s supporters maintained, although Barcelona city mayor Ada Colau immediately criticised the project.

It would be very expensive and the money would be better spent on the Mediterranean Corridor rail link between Catalonia and Valencia, she said.

No problem

leader, Helena Robertsson.

“This shows that family enterprises have been growing at nearly twice the rate of advanced economies and at around one and a half times the rate of emerging market and developing economies.

“In fact, their contribution is so significant that if they were a national economy, they would be the third largest among the club of 19 ‘trillion­dollar economies’ that exist in the world, after the US and China,” she said.

Top earners

SPAIN has 11,113 taxpayers who earn €601,000 a year or more.

Almost half live in the Madrid Community, the only region in the country which charges no Wealth Tax at all although those who would be liable to pay it elsewhere must make a yearly declaration.

This strategy has clearly paid off, as 5,176 (47 per cent) of the country’s biggest earners live in the Madrid Community, Tax Authority Hacienda revealed.

Next comes Catalonia which has 2,334 taxpayers earning an annual €601,000 or more (21 per cent) followed by the Valencian Community’s 887 (7.9 per cent) and Andalucia with 799 top earners (7.2 per cent).

THE European Banking Authority’s president said he did not believe that Spain’s bank windfall tax would have a negative impact on banking or limit credit.

Referring to the 4.8 per cent tax on a bank’s net income and net commissions above €800 million, introduced to subsidise inflationbusting measures, Jose Manuel Campa told an El Pais interviewer that the tax was valid.

It had been proposed by the government and approved by parliament, the Oviedo ­ born economist and former politician pointed out. “It is legitimate. There’s nothing more to be said,” he declared.

Spy game

COURIER firm DX Group admitted that rival Tuffnell Parcels Express was taking legal action against the company following accusations of corporate espionage. The admission followed a Sunday Times report which revealed that three DX staff members, all former Tuffnell employees, had conspired to obtain daily customer service reports.

A DX employee allegedly offered a Tuffnell traffic clerk a £50 (€56) payment in exchange for the confidential information.

Sheffield­based DX declined to comment further, “as matters are now subject to legal proceedings,” a company statement added.

JEREMY HUNT: Welcome inflation fall but said fight not over.

INDITEX: Headquarters in Arteixo (Galicia)

Photo: Simon Walker/Downing Street

Photo credit: CC/Nemigo

DOW JONES

BUSINESS EXTRA

Six-year deal

DEFENCE and aerospace

heavyweight Babcock secured a £400 million (€449.3m) contract to operate the UK Ministry of Defence’s military satellite communications system. The company has signed a six­year deal to manage the Skynet 6 programme, which provides work for 400 in south­west England.

Grifols cuts

BARCELONA­based multinational, Grifols, announced plans to let go 2,300 employees as part of a cost­cutting plan aimed at saving an annual €400 million. Most of the workforce cuts will be in the US, but 100 of the 300 administrative job losses correspond to Spanish staff.

Long wait

SECOND­HAND car sales fell last year with fewer used models reaching the market, according to figures from the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). A shortage of parts during the pandemic meant fewer new cars were produced, prompting people to keep their cars longer.

Mask gloom

FREEDOM from maskwearing on public transport earlier this month was welcomed by Spain’s population but greeted with less enthusiasm by manufacturers. Having spent €1 million on equipment, one factory owner said that she was now in a position where she saw no possibility of recouping her investment.

Cough up

SPAIN, together with Portugal, Canada and New Zealand was another of the countries affected by the new Netflix limit on password sharing. Customers are being asked to pay an extra fee if they want friends and family not living with them to be able to share their subscription.

Mum and Dad contribute

Linda Hall

PARENTS in the UK are gifting or informally lending millions to their adult children.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimated that this year they would help out with around £17 billion (€19.13 billion) on marriage or buying a house.

Around 30 per cent of young adults in their late 20s and early 30s can expect to receive at least one substantial transfer of £500 (€563) or more over any eight­year period from their parents, the IFS revealed.

“These transfers are very unequally spread,” IFS inves­

PARENTS: Increasingly likely to provide financial assistance.

tigators said, as the children of university ­ educated, home­owning parents received up to six times more in their 20s and 30s than those who families rented.

White young adults were

also three times more likely to receive a substantial gift than Pakistani or Bangladeshi young adults, the IFS said.

The report found that children in the highest­income

Five-day week

fifth of society received 26 times more than their peers in the lowest fifth during early adulthood. Help amounted to £6,300 (€7,094) on average for the wealthiest, compared with £240 (€270) for the poorest.

People were more likely to receive a large gift on marrying but were unlikely to receive transfers when facing adverse events like losing their job.

Those in the least­wealthy third also tended to use gifts to purchase a new car, to pay off debts or for educational expenses, the IFS added.

Spending big in Navarra

VOLKSWAGEN intends to spend more than €1 billion on electric vehicle production at its Landaben (Navarra) plant.

The future Volkswagen ID.2 and a Skoda urban crossover will be built there, thanks to what the regional president Maria Chivite described as the region’s greatest­ever investment.

Visiting the VW headquarters in Wolfsburg (Germany) on February 14, Chivite met Christian Vollemer, who heads the Production and Logistics department, and Michael Hobusch, president of Volkswagen Navarra.

All coincided during the meeting on their desire to maintain the present “very good” level of cooperation between Volkswagen and Navarra regarding transformation, training and environmental measures.

“It’s crucial that we all row in the same direction, especially in a time of change,” Hobusch said, while Chivite stressed Volkswagen’s importance to the region of Navarra.

The regional president also drew attention to the need to work together on the electrification project, while both underlined the group’s “positive evolution” in the region, which confirmed that the “future was assured.”

Addressing the regional parliament on her return,

ELIMINATING Saturday letter deliveries would save Royal Mail hundreds of millions of pounds in its battle to curb soaring losses. The Universal Service Obligation (USO) requires Royal Mail to deliver letters six days a week although a 2020 Ofcom report found that five­day letter deliveries would meet the needs of 97 per cent of users.

The group could save £250 million (€282.1 million) annually by abandoning Saturday deliveries, helping to slash projected losses of between £350 million and £450 million (€506.2 million and €393.7 million) by more than half.

Good news

ORGANIC pearl company Majorica, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020, has emerged from administration.

Chivite said Volkswagen’s investment was a vote of confidence in Navarra’s worth, capacities and potential, together with guaranteed future employment and activity.

“This is great news for the community, the company, its employees and the automotive industry,” she said.

Waiting for permission

ORANGE and MasMovil have given the European Commission (EC) formal notification of their merger plans.

The EU’s antitrust regulators now have until March 20 to decide whether to approve the €18.6 billion deal between the French company and its Spanish rival.

If they have serious concerns regarding the merger they could also decide to launch a further, more extended investigation.

Last July MasMovil and Orange signed an agreement which, if allowed to go ahead, would create a forceful mobile and broadband offer to challenge Telefonica. Analysts predicted at the time that this could open the door to similar agreements in the UK, Italy and Portugal. If the EC says ‘yes’ to the deal it would leave third­ranked Vodafone stranded, although insiders point out that it enjoys a more consolidated market.

Farm subsidy chaos

FARMS risk going out of business after receiving a minimal amount of the government fund that was created to replace European Union subsidies.

To compensate for losing the Brussels’ Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which provided financial support for agriculture, the UK government introduced its own scheme.

This commenced with the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) that pays farmers for looking after their soil.

With each passing year, the UK government has reduced the payments that farmers received under the old system, cutting them by an average 22 per cent in 2022.

Last year £10.7 million (€12.05 million) was paid out under the SFI scheme from a budget of £2.4 billion (€ 2.7 billion).

Only 0.44 per cent was assigned to them under this new system, raising the question not only of where the money has gone, but how farmers can survive.

Now the property of Gregoire Bontoux Halley, a member of the family that founded Carrefour, the company foresees a turnover of approximately €22 million this year with sales equalling those of the pre­pandemic years.

The company, which has 120 employees, announced plans for expansion in markets which include Germany, the US and Mexico where the brand is already well­known. There will also be an increased presence in Asia, where the fifth Majorica outlet opened recently.

All right for Aldi

NO­FRILLS supermarket chain Aldi will open 40 new stores this year in locations that include Norwich, Newcastle, Huddersfield and Shrewsbury.

Plans involve an additional 6,000 employees, the Germanowned company revealed.

Like Lidl, Aldi’s brisk trading over Christmas has continued through 2023 as the cost of living crisis prompts shoppers to forsake pricier rivals and choose their lower­priced options.

Both increased their share of the UK’s grocery market by one percentage point over the past 12 months, data company Kantar said.

Aldi’s 9.2 per cent share of the UK market makes it the country’s fourth­biggest chain ahead of Morrisons and behind only Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.

Photo credit: Pixabay/J Henning

WOLFSBURG MEETING: Christian Vollmer, María Chivite and Michael Hobusch.

Photo credit: Volkswagen Navarra

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

IN the light of the left bending over backward to portray the UK citizens as grovelers at the bottom of the Conservative catastrophe barrel, I have decided to run in the next British election. I hereby present my manifesto for The Leapy Loopy Party. (I thought this title would meet with the approval of a few readers!) As follows.

1. All legal British citizenship applicants required to pass more stringent entrance examinations, including basic English, oral and written and knowledge of British history and culture. Examinations to be set and overseen by a committee of British nationals who have resided in the UK for at least three generations.

2. No free NHS for unregistered non­European nationals, except in dire emergencies.

3. Genuine asylum seekers grants capped at 6,000 per year. Only exceptional circumstances considered after this figure reached.

4. A restriction on numbers of specific religious buildings allowed per capita.

5. Rigorous inspections of schools suspected of disproportionate religious curriculums. With no gender or major sex ed­

My manifesto

ucation for pupils under the age of eight.

6. ‘Young’ and ‘Juvenile’, offender ages reduced.

7. A reintroduction of two years National Service for male and females at age 16. (Bona fide students exempt)

8. Strict boot camps for young offenders, to be run on army lines by the military.

9. Immigrant boats and/or occupants immediately returned to country of embarkation.

10. Working camps for illegal immigrants and those without papers or proof of nationality.

11. All lawyers’ dealing with immigrants and immigration matters, to have legal fees capped.

12. ‘Stop and search’ immune from all charges of racism or discrimination.

13. A total ban on full face masking of any description in public places.

14. Solitary confinement prisons built specifically to house serious terrorist offenders.

15. All overseas aid to be examined in depth and cut by at least two­thirds.

16. A court of frivolity. Selected judges to hear appeals from those who feel they have been accused for frivolous reasons, ie political correctness, health and safety is­

sues, racism etc. Heavy punishments for claims considered to have contained malicious or irresponsible content.

17. Numbers of non­white media performers restricted to population percentages.

18. The hierarchy of the BBC dismantled, dismissed and replaced.

19. All historical criminal accusations against service men and women dropped.

20. MPs to attend the house for at least three full days a week except during canvassing periods

21. A force of highly trained specialised, armed rapid response police/army units to be assigned to reported trouble spots.

22. Verbal abuse of police officers treated as seriously as physical attacks and heavy punishments for similar attacks on all medical workers.

23. Proven fake news in any form treated severely, ie falsified derogatory statements appearing to issue from the mouths of politicians or leading figures, to result in heavy fines and/or suspensions of media licences.

24. Legal gender decided by genital type. Chance would be a fine thing! Keep the faith Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

ONE YEAR ON OUR VIEW

ON Friday, February 24 it has been exactly one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, targeting some of its most populated areas, including the capital Kyiv.

Since then, tens of thousands on both sides have lost their lives, cities have been destroyed, and communities changed forever.

In that year, several things have become clear. First on that list is how fragile peace is, and how quickly life as we currently understand it can change.

In that year, we’ve also learned more about the astonishing courage and ingenuity of human nature when it is pushed to its limit.

Even more heart ­ warmingly though, we’ve also seen the kindness of ordinary people all around the globe who, touched by what they have seen in Ukraine, have donated, fundraised and even given their lives to help people they have never met. Many of those people are here in Spain.

While the war has also given us plenty of insight into the darker parts of the human experience ­ its irrationality, its cruelty, and its unfairness ­ it is that light in the dark that we must focus on.

Because it’s only through doing this that we will see an end to this conflict.

Get stinging

GWYNETH PALTROW’S

fame as an actress has since been eclipsed by the wacky wellness products touted by her Goop brand.

Known for promoting a goat ­ milk cleanse and vaginal steam, the 50year ­ old also recommends being stung by bees.

Paltrow believes that the bee stings, which have been described as an organic alternative to Botox, eradicate inflammation and scarring, leaving radiantly­transformed skin.

“I’ve been stung by bees,” she told an interviewer. “It’s a treatments that’s thousands of years old, called apitherapy.”

The actress and apitherapy’s other devotees maintain that the bee stings stimulate blood flow and collagen in the face, which smooths out wrinkles. All admit, however, that the process “is painful.”

Spring into action

Eat less, live longer

CUTTING calories helps to lose kilos but investigators found that it also halted ageing in those not overweight.

within the body to gauge the degree of ageing that was present in the final blood test.

SPRING: Season of allergies and colds.

Linda Hall

SPRING, almost here, is an in ­ between time with some sunny days and others when we freeze again.

As the weather changes, we require extra vitamins and minerals, so start with Omega 3 to promote brain and heart health, while protecting against chronic conditions.

Severe allergies require medical treatment, but people reacting to the burgeoning blossom and blooms can benefit from a zinc supplement to boost

the immune system.

Magnesium also makes a big difference to spring allergies, helping to relax airways and lungs while reducing congestion.

Spring, when we shed our winter woollies and spend more time out of doors, calls for multivitamins, with special emphasis on Vitamins B and C.

Finally, ever­important and immune­boosting Vitamin D compensates for reduced sunlight exposure on those chilly days when winter temporarily returns.

Researchers worked with 220 volunteers living in New Zealand aged between 26 and 45, one third of whom reduced their calories by 25 per cent for two years. The remaining two­thirds ate normally.

OWNING a domestic animal brings health benefits. Scientific studies have shown that interaction with a pet can have a powerful impact on mental, physical and social health. Pets are recognised as helping to buffer stress and address social isolation. Medical research also

Testing for higher blood pressure and cholesterol was matched with genetic activity

Get a pet

demonstrates that pet owners generally have lower blood pressure. Dog­owners in particular were more likely to achieve recommended levels of daily exercise and less likely to be obese.

Wet hair warning

ANYBODY who has ever been tempted to go to bed with wet hair should think twice. It will do more than leave you with damp pillows, a top haircare expert warned. Hair is at its most fragile when it is wet, she explained and the friction between wet hair and the pillow will cause serious breakage and frizz.

By Clinica Britannia

Investigators found that those on fewer calories appeared to age up to three percent more slowly.

“This study is very exciting,” said Dr Daniel Belsky, who led the study. “Slowing down biological aging means living longer and getting ill later.”

Stay seated

THERE are still February days when it is more inviting to remain indoors than venture outside. But that’s no reason not to enjoy simple chair exercises that will ensure muscles and bones remain strong, reduce pain resulting from arthritis and assist in controlling blood pressure.

Begin with ankle rolls, before continuing with seated marching accompanied by some vigorous arm­swinging. Finish by stretching the chest muscles five or six times.

Want to get that perfect smile?

DIGITAL SMILE DESIGN: A new unique treatment for that perfect dazzling smile.

WE all have things we would like to change about our bodies, and for many of us this includes our smile, especially if we have teeth that are crooked, yellow, misshapen, or missing altogether. Many of us may find ourselves in need of restorative treatment due to injury, illness, or other issues that can impact our oral health and the appearance of our teeth.

Digital Smile Design (DSD) is a new unique digital dental treatment planning tool that could help give you a perfect dazzling smile within weeks at a more economical cost than you would imagine. DSD strengthens a dentist’s diagnostic vision, enhances pre­

dictability, and improves communication between dentist and patient. A treatment plan is completely based on a thorough analysis of the patient’s dental and facial proportions. Using videos, photographs, and teeth models, DSD dental teams can get a better sense of the relationship between the lips, gums, and teeth, as well as how they work together to create the perfect smile.

One of the biggest advantages of this amazing technology is that patients can see the smile preview before they begin the procedure. They can work with the dentist to modify colour, shape, and even the length of the teeth to create their ideal smile.

Make an appointment now with your Dentist to start on the road to achieving the smile of your dreams.

Cutting calories by a third also cuts ageing.

Photo credit: Pixabay/Jesshoots

By Clinica Britannia

New Express Service

AT Clinica Britannia we are happy to offer our existing and new patients an Express Service for the repair of any type of Dental prosthesis ( denture ) within as little as one hour, due to our onsite laboratory and technicians.

If you already have existing dentures and want them to look like new again, then why not have them cleaned and polished, we can make that happen whilst you wait.

Did you know that a completely new set of dentures can now be made within four days, allowing you to enjoy your NEW smile within

record time, you could even have them made without interrupting your vacation.

Now available is a new flexible denture, which is made of a material known as Nylon. This semi ­ flexible highquality material is almost transparent and can be made to mimic the natural colour of the gums, giving a completely natural look.

Thanks to the technological advances in the world of dentistry, the materials used for the creation of dental prostheses has improved immensely, making them last longer, much more comfortable and easier to use.

For further information contact our Dental Team at Clinica Britannia who will be happy to answer all your questions.

Appointments Landline: 965 837 553 / 965 837 851 • 24H/365D Emergency Number: (+34) 607 255 755 •

Linda Hall

LEEDS UNIVERSITY investigators concluded that more protein, plus regular tea or coffee, could reduce hip fracture in women.

An extra 25 grammes of protein a day reduced the risk by 14 per cent, they found, but unexpectedly discovered that each additional cup of tea or coffee slashed it by a further 4 per cent.

“This is interesting, given that tea and coffee are the UK’s favourite drinks,” said Professor Janet Cade, who

Have a cuppa Stressed out

RESEARCH that was carried out on behalf of Rescue Remedy has identified the most stressful time of the day for Britons.

Answers provided by 2,000 adults in the UK were averaged out, arriving at 7.23am as the most

stressful time of their day.

The same survey found that the top causes of stress included tiredness, mentioned by 46 per cent of participants, followed by an interrupted night’s sleep ( 36 per cent ) and a busy day at work ( 33 per cent)

Heartbroken

A BROKEN heart is usually understood as a figure of speech that describes the grief when a relationship ends.

That very misery can in fact trigger cardiac issues, according to the NHS, since “broken heart syndrome” ­ known to the medical profession as takotsubo cardiomyopathy ­ occurs when the heart suddenly becomes weakened or “stunned.”

The symptoms imitate some of those of a heart attack, with sufferers experiencing sudden, intense chest pain, shortness of breath and abnormal heart rhythms.

Meal switch

A NUTRITIONAL therapist said recently that many people did not get enough protein in the morning, affecting energy levels for exercising and their food choices throughout the day.

“The more tired you feel, the more likely you are to reach for a choco ­

supervised the Leeds research.

“It might be promoting the amount of calcium present in our bones,” she suggested.

Not a solution

CALAMINE lotion, an old­fashioned but effective treatment for chicken pox in children, is hard to find at present.

The culprit is a TikTok influencer who recommended using it as a make­up base for skins prone to spottiness.

Doctors warned that calamine lotion is a medicine, not a cosmetic. “Using it every day not only strips the skin of moisture, but thanks to its phenol content, it can worsen rosacea, eczema and spots,” health professionals said.

Well hydrated

late bar for an instant hit,”

Thalia Pellegrini said.

Eat roast chicken, potatoes and spinach or fresh salmon, eggs, and green vegetables for breakfast instead, Pellegrini suggested.

“It will set you up better for the day,” she promised.

AS the winter temperature drops, humidity falls and the skin, which needs hydration, grows dryer, more irritated and tighter. As everyone is different, there is no one solution that works for all, but it makes sense to shift to a gentler facial cleanser, to heavier moisturisers and to exfoliate only very gently. And don’t forget that hand creams and body butters are a comforting solution for elbows, ankles and knees that are prone to dryness and exposed to the elements.

DENTURE REPAIRS: Within as little as one hour.

TEA-DRINKING: Reduces hip fracture in women.

Photo credit: Pixabay/StockSnap

16% growth is what is estimated for the global cosmetics industry in 2023

NOT SATISFACTORY

ON visiting San Javier Health Centre, I was handed a paper. For over three months I have been attempting to obtain an appointment at the Social Security Office, Cartagena to register a form S1 to obtain access to the Spanish healthcare system.

Every time I attempt to obtain an appointment, by phone or online, I am told ­ no appointments available. I am aware many other people, including translators/solicitors are having the same problem ­ no appointments available.

It appears the Murcia healthcare system is not functioning as it should.

Linda Rogers

Dangerous dogs

WAS reading your thoughts on dangerous dog breeds and the amount of recorded bites, but you don’t count the bites reported by other breeds. I have had both big and very small dogs in my life time. I have had rottweilers, German shepherds, mastiffs and pitbulls and out of all these never once have I had any that where aggressive, even my last dog which was a rescued ex fighting dog who turned out to be the softest thing on four legs and I have vets who can confirm all my dogs were no danger to anyone. But what is the problem is HUMANS who get the dog they want not the dog they need, why get a high maintenance dog if you don't plan on putting in the work and what I suggest you do is tell people to study the breeds of dogs and what requirements they need to be a calm submissive pet, not a dog that you leave in a garden when it actually needs to be kept very active and a job given for it to focus. There are no bad breeds but bad humans, so many dogs are already put to sleep because of their breed.

Paulle Milner

Busy times

NO shortage of people in Barcelona. Barcelona has got its population back? Whoever thought it would have been low! The amount of times I have gone down Las Ramblas and all you could see was quite literally a sea of people. When the kids were young, we always had them dressed in brightly coloured clothes so we could easily find them if they somehow got lost. It is crazy to think that the population was low. Ok the areas I was in were quite touristy but even in the not so touristy parts it was always filled with so much fun and people just enjoying life. Life really is sweet when you get the chance to live it.

Thanks, Barbra

Reign of Spain

REIGN reign go away never come back again. I don’t know why in this day and age there are such things as royalty, kings and queens or princes and princesses. The real age of royalty and true royalty is gone, all it is these days is tabloid this and tabloid that. They aren’t doing anything for us but giving us TMI, especially with Harry’s book. I did not need to know about Elizabeth Arden cream. The royals haven’t seemed to bring along any happiness in the longest time. Even the Spanish royals. It all just seems dreer and drab. The real royalty left when the Queen and Prince Phillip sadly passed.

Yours, Anthony

Burning issues

IF cleaning really does help you burn the calories Tommy will be in for a shock tomorrow! I am restyling the living room and it is going to be cleaned from head to toe. You know one of my most favourite things about all this new technology nowadays is the fact that you can have the world at our fingertips and even our wrist with all these fitness watches. I got one with my Easter egg last year from Tommy, I don’t really know what he was trying to say doing that... But I will be wearing it tomorrow when I am doing the cleaning to see just how many calories I do burn. Hopefully it is enough to make up for all the chocolate I’ll be eating on Pancake Day.

Love Glen

Sleeping helps!

HA turns out I wasn’t such an idiot at school and sleeping actually does help, 10 minutes does you the world of good. Ok I don’t think I should have been sleeping in class, but if I had to hear another second of Shakespeare, I think I would have jumped out the window (this is when we were all studying in mobiles, I’m not that dramatic). Some subjects were good, but some were just blatantly awful. The only good subject for me was Home Economics where you got to eat what you made, the girls used to take pity on Patrick and I. We would just sit there like the numptys we were and still get the truffles out of it. Ah how I miss the good old days of school and then they would just slide over the bowl for us to lick the spoons. Of course, the teacher always kicked up a fuss but how could you know you weren’t supposed to lick the spoon and how unhygienic it was... always took the fun out of everything. We still did it though and I still do it now.

Joe

What the universe has in store

HELLO my Angels, how we all feeling this week? The card I have pulled for this week is boundaries, so this is for anyone that is a yes person! You know who you are the people pleasers of the world! I know because I am one myself, I find it very difficult to say no to anyone and if I do say the word no, well I start to feel a little bit weird like I have done something wrong.

I start to sweat a little and overthink things like oh my goodness what have I done, this person really needed my help and I have said the word no. It just doesn’t sit right, however this is not okay within itself, because how can I give from an empty cup? This meaning there is a reason why I have said the word no to whatever it is I couldn’t give it, because who is there to support me when I have nothing left to give? Yes I have family and friends, but as I am the people pleaser I am often the giver not receiv­

er, so when I do need something from others I tended not to ask because again it makes me feel all of those things I felt before when I have said no to someone.

Now the universe is always preparing you for your future so it is time to make a change, get confutable being unconfutable, let’s start making some boundaries. You see when you have boundaries everyone will start to respect you and appreciate you in every way, if you keep doing things for people how are they going to learn their own lessons in life, if you are there to keep picking up the pieces every time they ask? And they are only asking you because you have set the boundary at a very low level because your own vibration is low. If you gave time to do everything that everybody asked you to do before giving some time to your elf, it’s because you still have the lid on and we need to take the lid off. You see the universe has a plan for you, each one of us has been born with a gift but to many people because they

refuse to sign the lease on their gift, you keep looking outside of your self, stop!! What is it you do at the absolute best with the lest amount of effort? This is your gift but if you keep looking outside and you don’t start from within you will never find your purpose and every one of us has this. So just start taking time for yourself even if it’s early in the morning start using the word no if it is putting you out and you have to rearrange your day to please other people, start pleasing yourself. I am not saying start to be unkind or saying no to everyone, just set some clear boundaries with the small things and watch your life become better so you can get to the goals you have set for yourself.

Right back to the card ‘Boundaries’. Every morning when you wake up you need to power up get your mind going in the right direction say to yourself, I am strong, I am confident, I am excited at the start of the day. Set your victory, remember every little win counts.

If you would like to know more or have a reading please go to my website to book your own personal privet reading with myself you can find me on Instagram @theangelic.medium or visit my website. https://www.theangelicpsychicmedium.com sending lots of love yours Emma.

My tarot card I have pulled of this week is ‘Boundaries’

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

COST-OF-LIVING crisis, fuel poverty, soaring inflation. Can things get any worse? Yes! Because step forward the sophisticated chatbot, ChatGPT, that can write essays, stories and even makes a pretty good stab at newspaper columns. But it’s not perfect, our jobs are safe for now.

But let’s get something clear straightaway. I write this column and all my psychological crime novels. Me! The one with my photo above. Not Metal Mickey Mouse. Just see him handle all the psychological curve balls and plot twists of crime writing!

Readers tell me I have a good sense of humour (I regularly get great comments about it to my website!). So I asked ChatGPT to write jokes, but not one was funny. They had the form, but not the content of a joke. It’s like any other technology: a tool with certain uses we humans can put it to, and many things it can’t do.

Nonetheless, it’s the chatbot that helped Jeremy Hunt write his speech on the economy and helps millions of others with homework, computer code, essays, poems and business presentations.

While it has been banned from universi­

I’M NO CHATBOT!

co­host a podcast. And has passed US medical licensing, MBA and Bar exams.

Indeed, a professor from the Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania put it to work on its MBA final exam. It did an ‘amazing job’ answering basic business questions on case studies but less so on basic maths and advanced analysis, according to the study’s author, Christian Terwiesch. Final grade? B or B minus.

It also makes for a passable lawyer, having earned a C+ from the University of Minnesota on its Bar exam, although that would have led to a real student being placed on academic probation. Like any good polymath, it also passed the US medical licensing exam.

a lot of inaccurate information, requiring several questions to arrive at some semblance of the truth.

Its source material is the internet ­ the place where you can find every loony idea, conspiracy theory, oversimplification, common misconception etc. Great, you’d think, on what Jeremy Clarkson would probably call a cellular level. On another level ­ the bit with the brain ­ you might wonder whether this wasn’t just smoke and mirrors.

ties and even a machine­learning conference, it has spawned versions that can give you bespoke recipes, build apps and even

Basically, ChatGPT is an AI programme called a large language model, trained on billions of words from the internet and then refined by humans. Its power comes from being able to write sentences because it can accurately predict the next word to write, like auto­complete but on a huge scale. Users can ask it questions in a prompt box and it returns the answer almost instantly.

However, ChatGPT can also deliver quite

Even if what it finds is right, there’ll be no originality, surely the most important output of ‘real’ intelligence. However, this first test does at least show it’s supremely suitable for the output of practically every politician out there.

So, couldn’t we use ChatGPT to replace our own useless politicians who make up policy on the hoof with no reference to reality or facts? It couldn’t do a worse job...

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.

Helping you navigate the circle of strife

THEY do say that life comes round in cycles, and the team at Neater Heater are inclined to repeat a phrase that Derrick Trotter might say: “It’s Deja­vu all over again, Rodney.”

NEATER HEATER started life in the last cost of living crisis after the world’s economies were crashed by the banks in 2008. Primarily looking for ways to heat their kids’ bedrooms, Richard and Tony had both decided separately on electric heaters. However, when shopping around they had discovered that the ones on offer were either very expensive to buy, but not too expensive to run, or were very cheap to buy but cost a small fortune to run.

One thing they all had in common was that they were not very efficient. This story is told in detail on their website www.neatrheater.es but the gist is that through luck they discovered a Norwegian Convector heater that they could import at a reasonable cost and was cost effective to

run. It enabled them to heat a room for less money. It is not a magic solution, it is a solu tion borne of efficiency and effectiveness. It is like buying a more efficient car when petrol prices go through the roof.

Lean Lenten days

LINDA HALL

SPAIN lustily embraces any excuse for a fiesta, including those not traditionally their own, like Halloween and the commercialised version of St Valentine’s Day.

Now the hearts and red roses have all been sold, and the next big date on the calendar is Easter, although the welcome for chocolate eggs is still on the lukewarm side.

The Spanish continue to prefer an Easter mona, a sort of round fruit loaf without the dried fruit, topped with an unshelled egg. Even so, an international vibe has crept in because the smaller ones omit the egg but come in all shapes including cute animals with sprinkles for children.

Lent comes first of course, preceded by a noisy and colourful Carnival instead of Shrove Tuesday pancakes although both are based on one final blowout and a good time before Ash Wednesday descends, heralding Lent.

In pious times this involved eating less meat and more fish, which inland meant salt cod and even in these im ­

pious and well ­ communicated times it currently features in a display in my local Consum.

By the end of the 60s, Lent was less grim than those my husband remembered as a small child although his non ­ churchgoing family ignored doctrine anyway. They’d had enough of short commons immediately after the Civil War when fasting was not a devout choice but the outcome of fighting for the wrong side.

Showbusiness came to a halt in Holy Week but was compensated by God business and processions. Spanish television, nothing special at the time, was even worse during the days preceding Easter and the radio was dominated by sombre music. Except once.

Between one dirge and another I was stunned and delighted to hear Dionne Warwick singing ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose’.

I imagine whoever compiled the playlist saw San Jose and deemed it suitable listening for Holy Week. Or were they as numbed with worthy piety as I was and slipped it in deliberately?

They had a customer ­ let’s call him Geoff. Now Geoff had bought a couple of small oil

CASSANDRA NASH

YOLANDA DIAZ is Spain’s Minister of Labour and Social Economy.

She is also its Number Two vice­president (there are currently four) and opinion polls consistently name her the country’s most respected minister. The last one placed her in front of Pedro Sanchez, who heads Spain’s government, with a 41.4 per cent approval rating compared with his 36.7 per cent.

Third in the popularity rankings on 32.6 per cent, came Iñigo Errejon who occupies no position at all apart from leading the Mas Pais party.

They are all left ­ wing but only Sanchez belongs to the long ­ established PSOE party. Diaz represents Unidas­Podemos, a loveless marriage of convenience between Izquierda Unida, which incorporates what remains of the Spain’s Communist Party, and Podemos founded in 2014,.

The party emerged from the Indignados movement which occupied the Madrid’s Puerta de Sol in 2011 before the municipal elections in May, claiming that the PSOE and Partido Popular

filled heaters from the ferreteria near him, but he wasn’t happy with them. He thought they were defective as his electrics frequently tripped when he was using them. He then called NEATER HEATER and told them the size of the rooms he wanted heating. Both small bedrooms at 9sqm. He was provided with two 600Watt heaters.

When fitting these heaters Tony and Richard looked at the small ferreteriabought heaters and saw that they were each 2,200 Watts. In total 4.4 kilowatts. Geoff said that they just about took the edge off the cold. (He also only had a 5kW allowance, so when he put the kettle on the electrics tripped). Anyway, his bedrooms are warmer now, his electrics no longer trip, and he is saving 3.2 kilowatts every hour! In fact, possibly more as NEATER HEATERS have thermostats to further reduce consumption.

NEATER HEATER ­ Letting your money go further.

no longer represented their interests. Meanwhile Errejon’s Mas Pais party is a breakaway from Podemos, of which he was a founder member.

Looked at dispassionately, Spain’s far ­ Left is a fragmented mess of old wounds and new ambitions.

With municipal and regional elections in May and a general election before the end of December, Diaz wants to unite all the parties that lie beyond the PSOE in a new alliance called Sumar.

The PSOE would probably like to see Diaz on its own list of candidates, which is unlikely if not impossible. Meanwhile the socialists suspect that if the far ­ Left parties decide to go it alone, they will not get enough votes between them to shore up the PSOE regionally in May or nationally in December.

The PSOE is consistently the mostvoted party although it cannot be denied that those votes have dwindled with each election under Pedro Sanchez. He needs Diaz to succeed in uniting Sumar, aware that if she does not, or cannot, he could be returning the keys to the Moncloa come January.

Neater HeatersA solution borne of efficiency and effectiveness.

PEOPLE rely on their garden tools to help them achieve the precise trim, proper watering or loosened soil they need. Once the temperatures start to drop, it is time to give the tools attention in the form of cleaning, maintenance and repairs where necessary.

Gardeners should set aside some time to give their pruners, shovels, rakes and other hand­held tools a proper once­over before they put them away for the winter.

The first step is to clean them up with warm water and a brush. Spades may still be covered in the soil left over from the summer, and there

Trusty tools

may still be sap to wipe from the pruners. Once they are clean and dry, it is time to get them ready for their wellearned rest. Metal parts

should be sprayed with a special spray to stop them from rusting and blades should be checked over to see if they need sharpening.

Guilty free flying

THE UK government and industry are investing £113 million in hydrogen and all­electric flight technologies to unlock guilt­free flight and support green jobs across the UK.

The investment includes a project by Bristolbased electric aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace to develop high­end, lightweight batteries, as well as projects led by Rolls­Royce to develop the building blocks of a liquid hydrogen combusting jet engine.

From Belfast to Derby, these successful projects will help secure thousands of jobs across the supply chain and hundreds of millions in private investment across the UK, growing the country’s economy and putting us at the forefront of reducing global aviation emissions.

The ATI Programme continues to deliver practical successes, the most recent being the maiden flight of ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel cell­powered 19­seater aircraft in January.

GARDEN TOOLS: Cleaning and maintenance is important.

NATURE CAN BE SO CRUEL

A PACK of a dozen or more wolves can eventually separate a bison from its herd and kill it. This means biting, tugging and tearing at it as it stumbles along until it weakens, the agony intensifies and it is eventually brought down for the kill. This unimaginable suffering can last up to eight hours!

Animals have no perception of the distress and suffering of their victims. They don’t hold back and ask themselves how they would like to be treated this way ­ slowly torn apart while still alive. They need food and are responding to nature’s way of providing for them.

Eagles swoop in the high Andes and seize goats or deer in their massive claws. Their prey is then carried through the air, terrified and helpless, towards the eagle’s nest of chicks. On the way, the ‘lucky’ ones who struggle too much may be deliberately dropped hundreds of metres to their (hopefully) instant death on

the rocks below before being retrieved for the rest of the flight.

Cats play with mice instead of killing them outright and often don’t even eat them. Is this nature’s way of providing them with ‘amusement’?

But, cruel as all this is, there is no malice. Animals are not answerable for their cruel deeds, as they have no conscience ­ except self­conscience. Some pets can be punished for ‘misbehaving’ and

trained to desist, but they don’t understand the difference between right and wrong. Cruelty is defined as behaviour which causes physical or mental harm to another, whether it is intentional or not. So, what about human nature?

Too frequently, when a person is tried and proven guilty of a gruesome murder, torture or extreme cruelty to a child or other fellow being, he (or she) will show

no remorse and probably feels none. If they cannot ask themselves how they would like to be treated this way, how do they differ from the wolves or the eagles? There are several distinctions.

Human cruelty is not nature’s solution to anything, but a purposeless act born of pure malice. Most of us cannot fathom ‘how one human being can do this to another’. From the throwing of Christians to the lions to medieval

public hanging­drawing­quartering shows and from African slavery to Josef Mengele, it is humans who inflict inexcusable cruelty.

And, likewise, human cruelty to defenceless animals is disgraceful. A tiger or a crocodile may certainly charge unprovoked and kill a human. However, they are unable to reason whether their action is justified or whether it is cruel. A rhino may do the same if it feels threatened, but the brutal hacking off of its horn for commercial gain is unforgiveable.

And so are the conditions in the ‘factories’ of intensive ‘farming’. How would humans feel being imprisoned in this way? Perhaps North Koreans know.

Foie gras or frogs’ legs, anybody?

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

Staying at the top

genuinely does take its toll.

Certainly New Zealand’s prime minister until just weeks ago, Jacinda Ardern, gave similar reasons.

IT’S often been said that political careers almost never end well. They do after all generally finish with someone losing an election (and that’s when they don’t end in a call girl scandal/expenses probe/ tabloid expose).

And the reason for that is perhaps one of the most human of all; hope. Which of us, after all, ever quits while we’re ahead?

But ­ like her or loathe her ­ that’s what Nicola Sturgeon appears to have done.

Yes, there are whispers that her abrupt resignation as Scotland’s first Minister had more to do with avoiding a campaign funds investigation than simply a change of career. But let’s assume ­ both for legal reasons as well as for the sake of not being cynical ­ that she genuinely walked away while broadly still at the top of her career.

Let’s also assume that the exact reasons she gave for resigning were sincere ­ that the ‘brutal’ (her words) world of politics

If they are both telling the truth then, does this say more about the state of modern politics or about them as individuals?

If true, it does at least show an element of self­awareness that you would presumably like to see from anyone within sniffing distance of nuclear codes.

If their jobs really were so tough though, does this tell us what grit both had for sticking it out for so long, or that they ultimately weren’t the right people for the job?

The latter is a much easier issue to resolve; there are already plenty of people waiting in the wings to battle it out for Sturgeon’s role.

But if the issue is the political atmosphere itself then we have a much bigger problem.

After all, if the pressures of 24­hour rolling news cycles, constant public scrutiny and an increasingly volatile global backdrop mean we ultimately lose our best candidates, then who are we left with?

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

An eagle does not relate to its victim’s suffering. What about Mengele and his experiments on Jewish twins.

Photo Credits: buzzghana.com and csmwooddesigns.blogstop.com

Campervan conflict

Betty Henderson

A HOSPITALITY Association in Almeria is calling on regional authorities to control illegal motorhome and campervan sites, saying they pose a ‘security threat’ as campers are not subject to the same regulations as those staying in accommodation such as hotels.

The Provincial Association of Hospitality Entrepreneurs of Almeria (ASHAL), sent a letter to the mayor of Almeria, asking her to act in response to illegal campervan settlements on Monday, February 13. ASHAL said the illegal encampments “have invaded dozens of areas in the community and continue to grow.”

In the past, authorities have argued that campervan travellers are subject to the same security controls as people staying in other types of accommodation, saying they are re­

quired to submit the same documentation during their stay.

ASHAL said that in reality, people staying on illegal campervan sites are breaking rules including ecological regulations on waste, damaging the environment with sewerage, and disrupting the peace for local residents. ASHAL also says that these sites are damaging the camping sector’s economy.

ASHAL is asking the regional government to step in by providing police powers to disband illegal encampments.

Camping with your dog

CAMPING with your dog can be so rewarding, although living in a small space can bring some challenges, here are some tips to happy camping with your canine companion.

• Have a test run

Do some practice sessions in your backyard or during the off season when there are fewer people camping to teach your dog how to behave when camping.

• Sleeping arrangements

Most of the time dogs sleep in the tent with you.

Though some dogs are more comfortable sleeping outside on a blanket, while others may prefer to have their own tent or sleep in the car for a secure, quiet space. Keep your dogs’ nails trimmed regularly. Try not to let them on top of your sleeping pad without the sleeping bag on top. Don’t let your dog play on your bed. If they get excited, take them outside to play with a toy.

• Keeping a secure camp

You can use a hands­free leash or secure line to con­

Spring weather

Betty Henderson

SPRING is in the air! And that means a return to camping trips as we put the winter weather behind us. But camping at this time of year can have its own challenges.

• Be prepared

nect your dog’s collar to a stable structure like a tree. Sometimes it’s best to keep the high energy dogs attached to the owner.

• Leaving the dog alone

This really depends on your dog. Well behaved dogs in cooler temperatures are just fine in a tent alone. Puppies or dogs that are easily stimulated can easily tear a hole in a tent.

Ensure that you know the campsites rules and regulations relating to dogs and be prepared for all weathers.

Unlike summer, camping in the spring can mean unexpected showers, even in Spain. Weather in the spring can be unpredictable, so be sure to check the forecast before heading out and pack some waterproofs and clothing that you can layer easily if it’s unexpectedly warm.

• Book ahead

As the tourist season isn’t completely underway, some sites and attractions may not be open yet. Book ahead to avoid disappointment.

• Kit picks

When camping in the spring, the best equipment to take differs a bit from other seasons. A pop­up canopy is an excellent choice if you have one or can hire one as it provides shade during sunny spells and shelter during rain, especially for meal preparation or eating.

One of the illegal campervan sites in Almeria. HAPPY SLEEPING: Camping can be even more rewarding with your dog.

Picture purr-fect

CAPTURING that magic moment of your family pet to share with your family and friends or post on social media can be a tricky task, not least because many of them refuse to sit

still for any length of time. Here are a few tips on how to get that perfect picture.

Pets all have their own distinct personality, whether you own a sleepy house cat or a cocker spaniel that can’t stand

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

still, try to photograph your pet in a situation that best sums up their personality, also try and set your focus point on the pet’s eyes or head, just as you would when photographing a person.

Sometimes putting a person in the shot can give scale and extra meaning to a photo. Zoom in tight, so that you fill most of the frame with them, otherwise they might get lost in the background.

Because pets are generally much smaller than humans it’s a lot easier to play around with interesting angles rather than just shooting side­ on or headon.

A prop can also change the mood of a photo, maybe a large pair of sunglasses or a hat, so long as it doesn’t cause your pet discomfort, anything goes.

The most important thing is to be patient, the best shots nearly always come to those that wait.

Brain tumour in dogs and cats

CANCER that affects the brain is not uncommon in old dogs and cats. The problem of the need for advanced diagnostic imaging techniques such as High Field Magnetic Resonance (MRI) to detect a tumour in the brain means that it is often not diagnosed. Although it occurs more frequently in advanced ages, there are breeds in which it occurs in young dogs, such as the Boxer and Boston Terrier.

The diagnosis of a brain tumour involves a coordinated effort between the vet who usually cares for the patient, the neurologist, the radiologist, the oncologist and the surgeon. Given this situation, it is necessary to advise the owners of the affected pets in the best way.

Signs of brain tumours are: seizures, abnormal behaviour, loss of vision, head tilt, wobbly gait, etc.

They vary widely in their degree of malignancy hence the importance of advanced diagnostic techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging or, failing that, Computerised Tomography (CT). There are three ways of treating brain tumours: neurosurgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Feline facts

CATS are caring and funny creatures with quirky and mysterious personalities that become a part of our family and steal a place in our hearts. But, how much do you really know about your cat? We have put together some fun facts that you may not know!

In terms of development, the first year of a cat’s life is equal to the first 15 years of a human life! After its second year, a cat is 25 in human years. And after that, each year of a cat’s life is equal to about seven human years.

Domestic cats spend around 70 per cent of the day sleeping and 15 per cent of the day grooming, leaving only 15 per cent for other activities.

The hearing of the average cat is at least five times more advanced than that of a human

adult and cats can rotate their ears 180 degrees and can hear much higher pitches than we can, and their range goes even above that of dogs!

A cat cannot see di ­

rectly under its nose and most cats have no eyelashes. Meowing evolved in order for cats to communicate with humanscats don’t meow to each other, only to humans!

Age-related care

AGE can creep up slowly on our pets and every pet ages different, so changes can happen at anytime. What’s more, age­related changes can be easy to miss because they appear so gradually.

Being aware and proactive is the best thing pet owners can do to help their pets stay healthy as they age and it’s recommended that pets have a full ‘MOT’ at about age six or seven. This allows the vet to address any current concerns or potential health risks, including nutritional considerations.

When selecting your pet’s diet ensure food includes key nutrients important for older pets such as, high­quality protein, balanced levels of phosphorus and sodium, essential amino acids, Vitamins E and C, and L­carnitine.

In addition to making nutritional adjustments it is essential to provide regular exercise and interaction with family members which will help keep older pets in shape and their minds actively engaged.

Regular veterinary check­ups are so important for diagnosing and or monitoring any health issues your pet may have.

Say cheese please.

Shutterstock.com/ Rita_Kochmarjova

WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call Bluesky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (WhatsApp) (303019)

MOBILE homes & static caravans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7 @hotmail.com (302142)

DOGGY DIGS MORAIRA. By the day or week. Large secure garden. No cages/kennels. 677 828 577 / 689 489 794 (295261)

MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mbelectrics.es (286325)

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel - 678 716 693 (288662)

INSURANCE

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

MOBILE WELDER , all repairs. All metalwork. +447787 585 414 (302745)

MISCELLANEOUS

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

MOTORBIKES

PROPERTY TO LET

DOGS & ALL PETS VERY WELCOME - 500 year old beamed cottage set in beautiful valley of the charming Jesus Pobre village, Javea. Beautiful pool & garden. www.littlehousein spain.com (302023)

PROPERTY WANTED

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

I BUY RECORDS 50s to the 90s. Best prices for good records. Tel: 622 750 117 / 962 851 809 (302022)

El Campello Christian CommunityLife and Family Sunday Service at 11am Bilingual (English and Spanish) at C/ San Bartolome, 35 (Bajo No. 6), El Campello. For more information visit www.elcampellochris tiancommunity.org, email campe llocc@gmail.com or call Juan Zúñiga - 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 639 426 (English) (233602)

THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10.30am followed by a time of Fellowship. Everyone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer

+34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmerer@hotmail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008)

www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly if you speak Spanish, and have a car (although this is not essential). Tel President 607 387 040. We are an English-speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis. We meet every Thursday at 11am in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis. (288658)

BEDDING

FOR SALE: INVACARE LYNX 4 WHEEL MOBILITY SCOOTER DISASSEMBLES INTO 5 PARTS €250 (295259)

ELECTRIC OIL FILLED RADIATOR 2000W PORTABLE DE LONGHI DRAGON €100 (295259)

ELECTRIC 2 BAR HEATER €15 BENIDORM 965 014 016 (295259)

GOLD

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

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)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance

Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure.com

Peter Zwaan Motorbikes, A+ Occasions showroom, Yamaha FZ1 Fazer, 1000cc, yr 2009, 33.000 kms, Euro 3.750. CostaBlancaMotor bikes.com (302078)

MOTORING

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (295111)

RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa - prefer two beds. Needed urgently - call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800 (279523)

REMOVALS/STORAGE

BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 622 658 992 (295658)

MAN & VAN for hire, cheap & reliable. Jalon Valley & surrounding area. Call/Whatsapp 636 100 873 (302625)

ROLLER SHUTTERS

HEALTH

CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307 (287331)

WIGS

WWW.WIGS-R-US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm. Monday-Saturday 10-3. We also have Scrunchies, Extensions, Ponytails. Catalogue orders. Private appointments after 3pm. 681 049 502 (302420)

If

PROPERTY FOR SALE CAMPING

FRENCH, ELÉGANTE, SLIM SOPHIE, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villamartin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MENMario qualified masseur in Alicante - Special Massage for Men7 days 10am to 10pm - APPOINTMENTS visit: www.masa jeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607

RELAX CENTRE in BENIDORMExcellent atmosphere. Expert Masseuses. 24/7 Outcalls - Tel: 603 324 564 (302452)

NATURIST male gives relaxing massage. Half price 1st time offer €25. For men and women. Private premises in Jávea, WhatsApp Rob on 613 831 380 (302704)

MASSAGE METALWORK

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)

NURSING

ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com (1296178)

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS

MARK PADDON BSc Hons. MCIOB, CAAT – for buyer’s survey & defects advice. Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasur veyors.com (292966)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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

TRANSLATIONS

OTHERS

VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS CO VERED. TEL: PETER 644 139 274 (302482)

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

PAINTERS/DECORATOR

DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR.

Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (301307)

PETS

NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (294597)

SPANISH INTERPRETER for all your appointment needs, has car. Effective, Friendly & Affor dable service. Call 609 679 808 (290313)

VAN SERVICES

STEVE’S MAN WITH A VAN. DELIVERIES, REMOVAL OF RUBBISH. BENIDORM, SURROUNDING AREAS. 633 930 477 (295260)

Are coachbuilt cars making a return?

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

FROM the earliest days of motoring, cars were built on a rolling chassis to which a body could be added by a coachbuilder. Some of the best known proponents of this art were, and are starting to be again, Rolls­Royce.

Names such as Mulliners, Hooper, Park Ward and Thrupp and Maberly produced bodies that adorned the likes of Rolls ­ Royce, Bentley, Alvis and Daim ler. In the 1960s

Vanden

Plas featured on models such as the Vanden Plas Princess R pow ered by a Rolls gine. More ignominiously

it also appeared on much later BL models such as the Allegro! Another coachbuilder was Swallow, based in Blackpool, which started life as Swallow Sidecars and ultimately became Jaguar.

Coachbuilt cars were still not uncommon in the early 1960s, but as monocoque construction took hold it reduced production

sounded the death knell for the coachbuilding industry and if names survived they were reduced to little more than a badge on a posh version of a mass produced model.

A couple of years ago Rolls ­ Royce produced three coachbuilt Boat Tail models that at the time were rumoured to be the most expensive cars in

each. Many luxury car makers use a spaceframe sub ­ structure which allows for more design and manufacturing freedom. However the costs of such cars will always be beyond normal motoring folk.

Inadvertently though we may have already witnessed the birth of a new generation of effectively coachbuilt

Many car makers have amalgamated, for example Stellantis owns Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel, Vauxhall plus a slew of other brands.

Volkswagen Audi Group is another example with the Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda brands amongst their particular garage.

mation, automotive coalescences have taken place. The reportedly less than harmonious RenaultNissan alliance has survived for over two decades, and Toyota has a small interest in Suzuki.

All these couplings allow manufacturers to share underpinnings of body and mechanical components. Toyota’s Supra and BMW’s Z4 share the same underpinnings despite one being a roadster and the other a coupe.

Skoda’s Octavia, SEAT’s Leon and Audi’s A3 all share the same platform under their bodies. So even those of us that drive more humble vehicles may have inadvertently become the owners of a new generation of coachbuilt cars.

ROLLS ROYCE: One of the most expensive in the world.

Motoring misery

Speedy Gonzalez

ARE you a bit of a speedy driver when you get behind the wheel? Apparently, there has been a significant rise in the proportion of drivers who admit to speeding on 60mph rural roads in the UK.

est figure ever seen by the RAC in 2016.

In 2021, 514 people were killed in a total of 11,827 collisions on 60mph non­builtup roads, a fatality rate of 4 per cent, which is higher

than on motorways.

On motorways and highspeed dual carriageways, the UK’s fastest roads, as many as 60 per cent of drivers say they have broken the 70mph limit, either on most journeys (16

per cent) or on up to half of their trips (43 per cent) in the last 12 months. This is up by five percentage points compared to 2021 when 55 per cent admitted to having exceeded the limit.

LONDON motorists are set to suffer as households face a shortage of cheap car options to avoid ULEZ bills. There are only 5,150 affordable ULEZcompliant cars below £5,000 on sale in London despite 200,000 impacted vehicles.

Lower­income households looking to beat the August extension of London’s ultra­low emissions zone (ULEZ) face a dearth of cheaper options to stay on the road despite the launch of mayor Sadiq Khan’s £110m scrappage scheme, Auto Trader research shows.

Transport for London estimates more than 200,000 drivers of non­compliant vehi­

cles will be impacted by the extension of the ULEZ to London’s outer boroughs on August 29, forcing them to buy a car or van which follows the rules or pay £12.50 to drive in the zone.

But according to data from online marketplace Auto Trader which includes 900,000 daily prices from across the whole retail market ­ the average cost of a used diesel car complying with ULEZ regulations is now £19,991 – with the equivalent petrol engine costing £15,000.

The average cost of a used electric vehicle is even higher at £36,102.

These are roads where more deaths occur than on any other road type, new RAC data has found.

Nearly half (48 per cent) of the 3,102 drivers questioned for the RAC Report say they have driven faster than the limit in the past year on these roads, up from 44 per cent in 2021 and matching the high­

Used car market

Vibrant Volvo sales

VOLVO bring good news to the motoring industry as it has reported that with sales of 48,520 in January, it means figures are up 2 per cent compared with the same month last year.

US sales reached 7,693 cars, up 8.2 per cent compared with January last year. The share of Recharge models accounted for 30.8 per cent of the total sales for the month.

LATEST FIGURES: UK used car transactions for the fourth quarter of 2022.

IT’S good news for the UK motoring industry as the results for UK used car transactions for the fourth quarter of 2022 have now been released.

“Against an uncertain economic and political backdrop, the used car market remains in good health,” confirmed Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Auto Trader.

“The ongoing dearth in

supply caused a softening on 2021’s exceptional performance, but the market closed 2022 in a strong position, and critically, carried some great momentum with it into the new year.”

Ian added: “January 2023 saw a record 80 million visits to our marketplace ­ nearly 10 million more than a year ago ­ and according to our data, a

circa 8 per cent year ­ onyear increase in used car sales across the market.

“2022’s EV boom is however at risk as our data shows demand for used electric vehicles has been dampened by high energy prices in the last few months. A surge in supply over the last year has resulted in five consecutive months of decline in used EV values.”

Sales of Volvo Cars’ Recharge models of fully electric and plug­in hybrid cars increased by 31 per cent in January year ­ onyear, accounting for 40.7 per cent of all Volvo cars sold globally during the month. The share of fully electric cars stood at 16.2 per cent.

European sales for January reached 21,436 cars, up 14.7 per cent compared with the same period last year. The increase was led by markets such as the UK, Italy and Belgium. Recharge sales, which in addition to fully electric cars also includes plug ­ in hybrids, accounted for 59.8 per cent of the total sales in the region during the month.

Image: RAC

RURAL ROADS: Many drivers admit to breaking the speed limit.

Low emissions.

Image: Claudio Divizia / Shutterstock

Good news.

Image: Volvo

€944 is the average yearly cost for a car in Spain.

VAR referee leaves after blunders

PREMIER League VAR referee Lee Mason will no longer officiate in any matches after the PGMOL confirmed he was to leave by “mutual consent.”

The announcement confirmed on Saturday, February 18 follows a meeting of officials earlier in the week following two poor decisions taken by VAR referees over the weekend, one of these involving Mason. He allowed an equaliser

Goalkeeper collapses and dies

A GOALKEEPER playing for Belgian side Winkel Sport B died on the pitch moments after saving a penalty.

Arne Espeel was reported by a news source on Tuesday, February 14 to have been in action against Westrozebeke at Winkel Sport’s home ground in Sint­Eloois­Winkel, West Flanders Province when the incident occurred. Espeel’s team were up 2­1 in the second half when Westrozebeke were awarded a penalty.

Much to his team’s relief, he pulled off a great stop, but moments later he collapsed onto the pitch. The team’s management tried to revive the player using a defibrillator and an ambulance was called. Sadly the 25­year­old was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

The club issued a statement saying: “Winkel Sport is in very deep mourning at the sudden passing of goalkeeper Arne Espeel.

“We wish Arne’s family and friends our heartfelt condolences at this heavy loss. Football is taking a back seat for some time.”

that cost Arsenal the full points against Brentford after failing to check whether a player was offside. That blunder left the club fuming as it could prove costly in their bid to win the title.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta told a news source that: “I will only be satisfied if they give the two points back.

“I appreciate the sincere, genuine apologies, but it doesn’t take away the fact we have two points fewer. Everyone makes mistakes but that was something else.”

Howard Webb, the man in charge of all referees was clearly unhappy as well with the Brighton v Crystal Palace game also ending in a stalemate due to a similar poor VAR decision.

Mason is a highly experienced referee with more than 15 years in the top flight, having overseen more than 280 games and more than 500 in professional football.

Rafal Nadal injured

THE injuries that have plagued Rafa Nadal mean he will now miss the MGM Grand Exhibition due to take place in Las Vegas on March 5.

As reported on Saturday, February 18 the injury sustained by the player during the Australian Open has not healed.

Nadal injured his iliopsoas muscle, which is the major flexor of the hip joint.

According to Very Well Health, “it is made up of three muscles: the iliacus, the psoas major, and the psoas minor.

“These muscles work together to flex your hip, as well as stabilise your hip and lower back during activities like walking, running, and rising from a chair.”

That means Nadal will not be able to face Carlos Alcaraz, but it also could mean a longer layoff for the Grand Slam champion than originally thought.

INJURED: The hard-working Spanish has vowed to be back.

Bad news for Rafa Nadal.

The Spaniard, still struggling with the injury, will not participate in the exhibition at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that would have seen him face

Carlos Alcaraz on March 5.

Rafa Nadal has suffered injury after injury resulting in limited success recently, but the hard ­ working Spaniard has vowed to be back.

Lee Mason won’t officiate.

Image PGMOL

Image Leonard Sukhovsky / Shutterstock.com

Indian Premier Cricket League

SAUDI TOURISM AUTHORITY (STA) has commenced an official partnership with the world’s pre ­ eminent T20 cricket league, the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL).

An event to inaugurate the partnership was held in Mumbai on Tuesday, February 14.

Cricket is one of the most popular sports around the world. Through this partnership, STA aims to tap into a strong fanbase between the two countries, encourage affinity and increase awareness of Saudi as a leading destination for Indian travellers, especially among young people.

With more than half of its population below the age of 30, India shares a similar demographic profile with Saudi Arabia, where 58 per cent of the local population is in the same age group.

As part of Saudi’s tourism strategy, India represents immense potential as it is expected to be Saudi’s

largest tourism source market by 2030.

The partnership is a strong example of Saudi supporting the country’s sports sector.

Saudi continues to strengthen its competitive advantage in the market, and it will look to welcome more than two million visitors from India this year.

Watch US Open

TENNIS fans may be interested to hear that Warner Bros Discovery has extended its rights to show the US Open in 45 markets across Europe, including exclusive access in 42 territories, after reaching a new five ­ year agreement with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

The deal includes live and highlights rights with every match on every court available in addition to live television coverage during the tournament.

Qatari bid to buy Man Utd

THE £5 million debt ­ free bid by Qatari sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has been confirmed as debt free and will include the free transfer of players.

According to a sports news site on Saturday, February 18, the sheikh has indicated he will provide players for the club at no

involve players from Paris St Germain, a club he already owns.

It is understood that the sheikh is keen to bring Jude Bellingham and Victor Osimhen to the club if he is successful, which will cost around £100 million each. But the sheikh whose family are said to be worth around £280 billion has

ings for Italian side Napoli. Whether they can get him to consider a move or Napoli to sell remains to be seen.

But the acquisition of the club is by no means a foregone conclusion as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the UK’s second wealthiest man is known to have also submitted a bid. The

Markets including the Nordics will also have the option to showcase the best matches on Warner Bros Discovery’s free­to­air channels, expanding the reach of the tournament further.

Trojan Paillot, Vice President, Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndication, Warner Bros. Discovery Europe, said: “As the undisputed ‘home of tennis’, our brand is synonymous with the sport. Over the past 25 years, we have

brought some of the most memorable moments in US Open history to fans while consistently growing tournament viewership across Europe.”

The news comes after Warner Bros Discovery reported record audience engagement in many major markets following the 2022 US Open. This includes the best ­ ever streaming performance on its digital platforms, doubling its audience year­onyear.

TENNIS FANS: Can now watch the US Open across Europe.

£4M

of funding will be put forward for Olympic and Paralympic sports

Image: Warner Bros. Discovery

IN PARTNERSHIP: Indian Premier Cricket League.

Image: Saudi Tourism Authority

Bids for Manchester United.

Image Richard Juliart / Shuitterstock.com

Additional funding Dickie Davies passes at 89

UK Sport has confirmed an additional £4 million of funding for summer Olympic and Paralympic sports as preparations gear up for the Paris 2024 Games.

The increased investment which was confirmed on Monday, February 13, will spread across 33 sports and will support athletes in their preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This includes allowing athletes to attend extra competitions that have been added to the international calendar and are essential to qualification for the Paris Games, in addition to training camps.

DICKIE DAVIES , a giant among sports commentators, passed away on Sunday, February 19. His death was confirmed by fellow broadcasting legend, Jim Rosenthal on his Twitter profile.

Posting on behalf of Dickie’s family, the post read: “With huge sadness, we an­

Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

Following last year’s significant uplifts of £11.2 million of additional investment in summer sports on top of the original Paris cycle awards the latest round of investments prioritised support on activities and requirements that will have a direct impact on Paris 2024 qualification.

Within the additional £4 million of funding, 26 World Class Programmes will benefit from £3.5m of extra investment.

A further half a million pounds of investment will be invested across Progression sports, those with identified longterm medal potential and National Squads Support Fund sports, where funding is designed to support the costs associated with forming and fielding squads for competition on the Olympic and Paralympic qualification pathway.

nounce Dickie Davies passed away this morning. So proud of his 20 years of World of Sport, three Olympic Games and a brilliant career on the telly. He is survived by a loving wife, two adoring sons, four grandkids and two beloved dogs.”

Jim added: “Would appreciate some privacy as we

mourn and celebrate his life. Dickie was a wonderful friend and colleague… RIP DD.”

Dickie’s career in broadcasting is legendary, and he will be remembered as one of the greatest British television sports presenters of all time. Among other things, he

anchored World of Sport from 1968 until 1985. After World of Sport ended in 1985, Davies stayed with ITV, presenting boxing, darts, and snooker, as well as playing a part in their coverage of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He left ITV Sport in August 1989.

Women’s Rugby

RUGBY fans will have seen the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship began with a win for the Netherlands.

On what was a highly emotional day in Amsterdam on Saturday, February 11, the Netherlands kicked off the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship 2023 with a convincing 38­12 win against Sweden.

Playing in their first game since the death of teammate Inge van der Velden from cancer last month, aged 30, the Dutch ran out with a framed number 11 shirt in memory of the former winger whose sis­

ter, Linde van der Velden lined up at number eight.

In the build­up to the match, head coach Sylke Haverkorn had said: “We’ve never had more reasons to win than now, especially after the past intense and emotional weeks. The girls are ready to show what they’re made of.”

Backing up the words of their coach, the Dutch were on it from the get­go and raced into a 33­5 half­time lead.

Spain, ranked in 11th, hosted the Netherlands on Sunday February 19 with Sweden travelling to face Las Leonas on Saturday February 25.

SAD NEWS: Legendary sports commentator Dickie Davies at St Mary’s Southampton in 2012.

Credit: Wikipedia - By Hrse12

Image: UK Sport