Costa del Sol 6 – 12 April 2023 Issue 1970

FANTASTIC FIGURES

THE Costa del Sol has been given a boost just in time for the Easter celebrations as its employment figures have now been released.

According to the data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy on May 4, the Costa del Sol registered one of the biggest drops in unemployment in March for the whole of Spain.

Following the habitual winter spike in unemployment, the labour market has seemingly bounced back bigger, better and stronger.

Hiring in the services sector due to the start of the tourist season has led to a drop of

almost 4,000 unemployed in the province of Malaga, which stands at 137,660 unemployed at the end of the last month.

This figure represents a fall of 14,651 unemployed compared to 2022, making March 2023 the best March in recent years.

By municipalities, Es ­

tepona is the town with the lowest unemployment among the large towns.

The autonomous community of Andalucia led the drop in unemployment in Spain in March, with 15,284 fewer unemployed registered in offices of the public employment services (formerly INEM).

EMPLOYMENT BOOST: Just in time for the Easter celebrations.

87.62 per cent

A RECENT report by the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (AEHCOS) has been welcomed by Benalmadena.

The very favourable report puts the expected hotel occupancy in Benalmadena at 87.62 per cent for Easter Week.

The mayor and councillor of Benalmadena, Víctor Navas, confirmed: “Benalmadena is the second destination in the province of Malaga in overnight stays for Easter, placing us 10 per cent above what was recorded last year during these dates.

“This is a good symptom of the strength of our tourism sector.”

The mayor added: “Benalmadena is a tourist destination with enormous strength: not only are we growing in popu­

‘Costco’ del Sol

Betty Henderson

MALAGA is set for a retail revolution as American retail giant Costco has received the green light for a development in the Malaga Nostrum Retail Park. The project has now been granted a spot in the shopping centre where it will open its doors in 2024.

TOPS are fundraising

TOPS (The Occasional Performance Society) are an am ­ dram group who hold fundraising events throughout the year to raise money for two local charities each year.

lation because many opportunities are generated and everyone wants to come and live here, but tourists choose and repeat our city as a destination to enjoy their holidays.

“It is important to continue working on the renovation and improvement of our public spaces and hotel facilities, to continue making investments to continue improving the tourist destination because Benalmadena cannot be left behind.”

The new Costco shop will be built over two floors and will boast a massive 640 parking spaces according to an announcement made on Monday, April 3. The entire project is set to take a whopping 36 months and will cost an eye­watering €18.4 million.

The arrival of the worldfamous bargain shop in Malaga spells great news

for shoppers though. The mega shops will stock everything from TVs to car parts, and the best part is that everything is affordable.

The American supermarket chain is famous for its ‘price club’ membership system. The Malaga shop will be Costco’s sixth shop

in Spain, on its ambitious challenge to conquer a market that is not accustomed to its unique selling philosophy.

Costco is set to replace the current cinema in the shopping centre, with the cinema moving to offer viewers more choice in a bigger facility.

Sports Mountain

FUENGIROLA has confirmed the new project of ‘Sports Mountain’ which comes with a whopping budget of €5.5 million.

It will have three large areas with different sports facilities, shaded areas, as well as a car park with a capacity for 56 vehicles.

The planning takes advantage of the 27,000 square metres of space in this area, which will become the large recreational area of Los Pacos and the eastern part of the city.

The mayor, Ana Mula, confirmed: “The project is tremendously exciting.

“The people of Fuengirola, and especially

those who live in Los Pacos, are going to have a large park where they can have fun and practise many sports.

“We continue working to provide the city with more and better green areas.”

The mayor added: “There will also be multi­purpose courts, a climbing wall, callisthenics equipment, children’s attractions and bio­health facilities.

“The designer has also extended the shaded and rest areas with vegetation and awnings, walking and leisure areas for families with small children, as well as picnic areas.”

This year our chosen charities are ARCH (The Andalucian Rescue Centre for Horses) and Alhmer (Support & Care for Alzheimer/Dementia patients) both of which are based in Alhaurin el Grande.

We have an upcoming event on Friday April 21 at Venta la Recta starting 8.00pm. It’s an evening with the talented singer Helen Rush who will be entertaining us with songs from the 60s and Motown ... and there may be a suprise guest singer joining her! Food, if required, is available to purchase direct from the Venta before the concert begins.

Everyone welcome to this vibrant evening and tickets are available from Papeleria Cristina in Alhaurin el Grande at a cost of €12. For table bookings please contact Cath on 627 293 609.

American retail giant, Costco is set to open its sixth shop in Spain in Malaga Nostrum Shopping Centre, its second in Andalucía after its flagship shop in Sevilla.

Busy Benalmadena.

Photo credit: Koffermejia / Wikimedia Commons

Image: Benalmadena City Council

Historical highs

MALAGA once again registers the highest increase in the price of housing in Spain and exceeds the values of Barcelona. Idealista says the average price of used housing has increased by 13.9 per cent in the province in the last year and is moving at historical highs of €2,850.

Boars and bins

MARBELLA has installed posters in suburban residential areas of the city, such as Bello Horizonte, Nagueles and Xarblanca, to warn residents about the presence of wild boars. The signs say to deposit rubbish inside the containers to prevent animals from looking for food.

Tarting up

TORREMOLINOS has confirmed it will remodel Plaza San Miguel and Calle Santos Arcangeles. It will invest €580,000 in renovating the pavement, replacing the lighting, improving the sanitation network, installing new furniture and improving the accessibility of the area.

Anabel Conde

FUENGIROLA is renovating Plaza Anabel Conde which will incorporate a large shaded space to cover it in its entirety. The remodelling work should take two months. The works have been awarded to Betico Galaica Ingenieros for €135,918.

I Campus

THE Municipal Stadium El Pozuelo in Torremolinos will host the I Campus de Leyendas España this summer, promoted by Salva Basllesta, a former Malaga CF and Spanish national team player, from June 26 to 30 and from July 3 to 7.

Coin parking

COIN Council confirmed a new parking area will be created in the old Carazony hole. It is planned to build a car park with up to five floors that can house more than 300 cars.

Easter message from the EWN

AS Easter approaches, the Euro Weekly News would like to wish all of our readers a happy and joyous holiday. Easter is a time of deep significance for many residents in Spain, as it represents the triumph of life over death and hope over despair. At the Euro Weekly News, we are proud to be a part of the vibrant and

FOR those with reduced mobility, a day on the beach can be a bit daunting, but Benalmadena hopes to resolve the issue with new equipment for the two beaches adapted for people with mobility issues.

The councillor for Beaches, Encarnacion Cortes, confirmed the new equipment had arrived for the Arroyo de la Miel beach and Torrebermeja beach.

The councillor said: “This is the last of the

diverse community in Spain. We believe that it is important to not only report on the news, but to also engage with the communities that we serve.

As we celebrate Easter, we are reminded of the values that are important to us as a community. We are reminded of the importance of compassion, forgiveness,

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Lovely port

and hope, and we are grateful for the opportunities to celebrate with our loved ones and neighbours.

We wish you all a happy Easter. May this holiday bring you peace, joy, and renewed hope for the future, and may we continue to come together as a community in the spirit of love and unity.

Best adapted beaches

new batches that we have prepared for this summer season: this time we have purchased material for the adapted beaches and, in addition to the usual amphibians for adults and children, as a novelty we have brought two XL amphibians.

“In addition, we have also brought for the first time two snorkels, new accessible sun loungers for the comfort of users of the adapted areas and trolleys for transport to the bathing area,” added the councillor.

Reservoir swap

MIJAS is set to replace the Monteparaiso reservoir with a more efficient 3,000 cubic metre tank.

reservoir is key to the distribution of water in the southern area of Calahonda.”

Gibraltar takes flight

IN an exciting update for travellers looking to fly between Gibraltar and the UK this summer, British Airways have announced an impressive boost in services.

In an announcement made on Monday, April 3, the British flight giant said it will increase their London Heathrow service to Gibraltar on certain weekends throughout the season.

For the first time ever, there will be three flights from the Rock to Heathrow on the same day, which will take place on three Saturdays in April, two in May, two in June, two in July, four in August, five in September, and four in October.

Gibraltar’s Minister for Business and Tourism, Hon Vijay Daryanani, expressed his excitement and gratitude for this development. He explained “This is welcome news for overnight tourism, our hotels, and Gibraltar PLC on the whole. The airline industry is extremely challenging and competitive. I have been asking British Airways to increase flights as they have been busy on most days, so I am glad to see these extra flights materialise. I hope we can continue to convince the operators to increase capacity to Gibraltar in the future.”

The mayor of Mijas, Josele Gonzalez, reported on the work that Acosol is carrying out in different parts of the town, charged to the water canon, to the value of more than €1.8 million. Among them is the replacement of the Monteparaiso reservoir.

The mayor confirmed: “It is one of the oldest urbanisations in Calahonda and its residents have been demanding improvements for many years.

“Thanks to the good harmony that this town hall has with Acosol we have managed to unblock important projects in the last four years and among them is the renovation of the Monteparaiso tank for a more efficient one of 3,000 cubic metres.

“This Monterparaiso

The mayor added: “This tank was originally designed for a small urbanisation, with a capacity of 800 cubic metres, but this area is in full expansion and it is necessary to have a tank that guarantees the water supply.”

ESTEPONA’S town hall has now proudly confirmed that the fishing port has been beautified with a 420 square metre artistic mural.

With the work created by the artist, Curro Leyton, the Route of Artistic Murals now reaches a whopping 65 creations.

The new mural is a tribute to the town’s fishing roots and its seafarers.

For this reason, a very significant place has been chosen for its location, the Fishing Port, specifically the facades of the warehouses used by the fishermen to store their material.

In addition, it is located in front of a stretch of the coastal corridor, which links the Fishing Port with the Paseo Maritimo, making it a stop for people who use the coastal path.

The artist explained the theme of the work is a marine­inspired sunset with the silhouette of the elements of its surroundings, such as the Punta Doncella lighthouse, a trawler entering the port, seagulls and people enjoying the sunset.

always

Gibraltar has the royal charm: Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh and wife Sophie (when Earl of Wessex) arrived in the Rock on a British Airways flight last year.

Photo credit: HM Government of Gibraltar (via Flickr)

THE town hall of Estepona has confirmed that the coastal corridor project is entering its final stretch after linking more than 21 kilometres of coastline.

Shortly, one of the last remaining sections will be put out to tender, specifically, the one to be executed in the area around the Dos Hermanas stream.

The works on this new section will take four months to complete and will consist of the construction of a 220­metrelong, four­metre­wide, printed concrete pedestrian path made of cobblestones, which will start at the access to the beach via Calle Dorada.

In addition, this section will

Final stretch

A Wonderful Black Tie Ball

have a 22.6­metre­long wooden bridge over the Arroyo Dos Hermanas.

The Consistory will also put out to tender the section of the coastal corridor that will link El Saladillo with Benamara.

The town hall has already built more than 21 kilometres

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

of the coastal corridor, being very close to reaching the end of this sustainable project of great impact on the city. This project has meant preserving the coastline, adding value to it and making it possible to create a new tourist attraction.

AGE CONCERN Marbella­San Pedro are delighted to announce that their wonderful Black Tie Ball will be held at the Melia Don Pepe Hotel on Friday May 12. The headline entertainment is the Marbella Big Band and a great fun evening is in prospect with some amazing auction items.

Tickets are €125 for a threecourse dinner with a welcome drink and canapes in a lovely venue. The event starts at 7pm until 1am.

The goal is to provide funds to continue to run their Social and Activity Centre in San Pedro where people can come for just a coffee or free help and advice with all aspects of life in Spain and with smart phones tablets and laptops.

Also activities such as chair exercises and chair yoga, bridge lessons and a bridge club. Learning how to do computer and social media activities.

They also offer volunteers, arrange home visits and take people who are housebound shopping or even just out to one of their coffee mornings or a visit to our Social Centre. One of the biggest problems older people face is the poverty of loneliness, which was highlighted by the pandemic.

They offer a Membership Discount Card scheme for only €20 per year to join. Discounts are offered to members for a variety of services from local companies, includ­

ing their Partners for hearing aids, glasses insurance, home doctor service and many more. They also have various doctors and surgeries giving wonderful discounts when visiting their practices. The list is growing all the time. See their website for full details of what is on and a list of their Partners in Age Concern lends out a variety of mobilty aids, for which they ask only a donation. Call the Helpline 689 355 198 for specific questions.

Please contact by email on tickets@ageconcernmarbel la.com to reserve your place at the Ball. They need your support to help those in the international community who need help most.

Originating from a Chinese proverb meaning that however big the task is, it starts with a small step.

RETIRED people in Torremolinos will now be able to travel around the town by bus without any financial cost thanks to the introduction of a free urban public transport pass for these groups.

The free bus pass also applies to students under 25 years old and those registered in Torremolinos with a disability of 65 per cent or more.

Students, who are not over 25 years of age, must present the registration form at Torre­

Free buses

molinos Town Hall and provide a passport­sized photograph, a photocopy of their ID card and a certificate from the Torremolinos educational centre where they are studying.

415 Brits spend more than £415 million on Easter eggs.

Retirees, who must be over 65 years of age and registered in Torremolinos, must take a passport­size photograph and a photocopy of their ID card.

Also, those who are registered in Torremolinos and have a disability of 65 per cent or more, regardless of their age, will be able to benefit from free bus transport.

To do so, they will have to present a passport­size photograph, a photocopy of their ID card, a certificate of registration and a certificate of the degree of disability from the Department of Equality, Social Policies and Conciliation.

“A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Estepona Town Council

Marbella Fitness Festival

MARBELLA is preparing to get its sweat on for the second edition of Marbella Fitness Festival. The popular event is returning on Sunday, April 29 at the city’s Puente Romano. The event boasts an extravaganza of healthy activities that will leave all participants feeling fantastic.

The festival, which was a huge success last January, is back again, and this year’s event promises to be even better. This year, the festival is taking things to the next level, bringing together a mix of fitness influencers, gyms, sports clubs, and wellness companies for an epic weekend of healthy activities that will blow sports lovers’ minds.

The festival will also feature a wide range of health and wellness activities that are designed to treat the mind, body, and soul.

The event will take place in Puente Romano in the Salón de Andalucia, with the action getting underway from 10.30am and lasting until 5pm.

The festival is also doing its part to give back to the community by raising funds for the Triple A Marbella animal shelter. So not only will guests be getting fit and fabulous, but they'll also be helping furry friends in need.

Modernising works

THE Antonio Banderas Plaza is named after the famous actor, director and Spanish heartthrob.

As a frequent visitor to the area and an important export from the Malaga region, Banderas has earned his own square next to El Corte Ingles, which hosts a fashion market in the summer.

The town hall has now confirmed that it will undertake actions to improve the Square in Puerto Banus to modernise its image and solve the problems of leaks that occur in relation to the existing fountains.

The councillor for Infrastructures, Diego Lopez, confirmed: “The aim of the works is to revitalise this commercial area of the city.”

The councillor pointed out that the fountains, due to their current problems of leaks into the underground car park, will be converted into planters, with the demolition of the interior masonry, rendering of the walls and waterproofing of the same.

“Once the civil works have been completed, the new planters will be provided with 592 square metres of different types of shrubs, including Dianella, Loropetalum, Gaura and Lavandula, and 23 units of palms.”

Plants galore

IN a bid to increase savings, Marbella’s Las Chapas Municipal Nursery is set to produce 60,000 plants a year.

The mayor, Angeles Munoz, confirmed: “A project was carried out where it was estimated that if our annual need was 200,000 plants, we could double that figure and in the end it has been a great success because we are going to triple it.”

The mayor visited the facilities on April 1, following the completion of the work carried out on a 10,000 square metre plot, of which 5,000 have been used in principle

with the aim of continuing to expand, and pointed out that 40 per cent of the plants are shrubs and aromatic species and the rest are seasonal.

The mayor also explained that this public facility will be open to schoolchildren so that they can learn how it works and get to grips with all the systems that are used.

In addition, this nursery will be able to generate up to eight cycles of flower units each year, with between 70,000 and 80,000 in each period.

Last year’s edition of the event featured a whole host of fitness experts offering live classes and equipment demonstrations which is set to return in this year’s Marbella Fitness Festival.

Photo credit: Fitness Festival Marbella 2022 (via Facebook)

Out the red

FINANCES are looking up for Estepona as it reduces municipal debt by 90 per cent.

The town hall aims to bring its debt down to €35 million, thanks to the contribution of €15 million from the municipal budget.

At present, the debt of €304 million recorded in 2011 has fallen to €49 million which is 11 per cent of the total.

Among the first initiatives carried out in 2011 was the elimination of more than 100 corporate mobile phone lines and telephone contracts, which has since led to savings of more than €4 million.

Multi-million makeover

MARBELLA is set to receive a massive natural makeover with the construction of the new Parque del Mediterráneo in El Pinillo. The project, which boasts a whopping 50,000 square metres of space and an incredible investment of €2.4 million, got underway on Monday, April 3 and is already being hailed as one of the biggest natural spaces in the municipality.

sports facilities, walking trails, an auditorium, and 250 parking spaces.

The park will also boast five beach volleyball courts, three football fields, and one handball court, along with yoga areas and a large children’s park. The project will be completed within seven to eight months, opening to the public before the end of the year.

To this must be added the more than €400,000 the Consistory has saved as the mayor has given up travelling in an official vehicle.

Staff costs, which accounted for 110 per cent of municipal income in 2011, now stand at 41 per cent.

Estepona Town Hall has been implementing an energy efficiency plan over the years, with the replacement of all public lighting with LED lights and their implementation in public buildings, which has led to a reduction of more than 30 per cent in the city’s energy consumption.

Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, along with the President of the Mancomunidad de la Costa del Sol Occidental, José Antonio Mena, took a visit to the site to oversee the beginning of the project. The park will feature nine

THE International Theatre Club of Marbella is set to bring back the sensational works of Alan Bennett, with two nights dedicated to Bennett’s award ­ winning series of solo pieces that first aired in 1988. The club is set to take the stage by storm with the performance directed by the brilliant Fiona Poole.

The audience will be taken on a rollercoaster ride of

Muñoz expressed her gratitude to the Mancomunidad for their collaboration, explaining that the park will become a major asset to the city offering a lush natural space that connects to the Paseo Marítimo with stunning sea views.

Alan Bennett masterpieces

emotions as they watch ordinary people deal with extraordinary circumstances through the power of Alan Bennett’s words.

The monologues will be performed by three of the club’s most talented actors, Beverley Stonehewer, Bobbye Aaron, and Hannah Murray.

The event is set to take place on two consecutive nights, Wednesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 20 at the Atalaya Golf and Country Club. The doors will open at 6.30pm, giving guests time to settle into their seats and find a refreshment before the show begins at 7pm sharp.

The tickets for the event are available online now: https://internationalthe atrestudio.org/events/play ­readings.html. Tickets include a freshly made pizza supper, right out of the pizza oven! Tickets cost €14 for members and €16 for non ­ members. Drinks are not included in the ticket.

MUNICIPAL DEBT: Estepona has managed to bring it down.

Marbella’s Parque del Mediterráneo will offer visitors and residents a scenic place for leisure activities.

Image: Zerbor / Shutterstock.com

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Marbella

DEAR all, It is with sadness that I announce my decision to retire today from the Charity that I helped found 10 years ago. I have enjoyed it immensely but all good things come to an end. Recent decisions by the leadership have left me disappointed and disillusioned. A lone voice of sense is effectively no voice at all.

I had offered to continue providing quality Press and Publicity but this will be passed to an inexperienced committee member. I only found this out by reading a copy of the

Minutes of the last Committee meeting this afternoon.

My first reason is that I have battled health issues for half my life and now with my beautiful bride, Sally, my priorities have changed.

The next reason is that I cannot reconcile myself to the changed approach to doing business. We are a ‘people’organisation but unfortunately projects now prevail and tunnel vision is order of the day.

It may appear old fashioned but honesty and integrity underpin all my actions. It has

SIMPLY THRIVING GROUP have donated a pergola to the Mijas Town Hall environmental department. The donation is from the sale of the calendars produced to show appreciation of the work of the firefighters last August who tackled the huge fires in the Mijas hills.

Mijas will have a new bird watching point, located in the upper part of Alcornocal de la Roza del Aguado, in La Cala de Mijas. With this, it will add three areas identified for bird watching. Of these, one is located in the area of the mountains and the other on the coast. The refurbishment works are carried out by the Environment area, which has the collaboration of the association Simply Thriving Group.

served me well and I hope all the people I have met recognise that personal trait.

My word is my bond . However those views clearly differ from others. I am proud of our successes and the difference we have brought about to the lives of many individuals. It’s all been worth it.

My personal thanks to all of you who have supported me over the years and especially to those who have become valued friends.

I look forward now to what the future holds.

BEACHGOERS will be pleased to hear that Benalmadena’s beaches are to remain fully accessible during Easter Week.

Beaching in Benalmadena Age Concern Secretary retires New pergola

“From the Administration we work to value the environmental wealth of the municipality and, therefore, we want to publicise these areas and disseminate the importance they have in our natural environment so citizens enjoy and respect it,” said the mayor of Environment, Arancha López (Cs). The councillor also sent a message of thanks to the group that contributes to the work. “We want to thank Simply Thriving Group for their collaboration with the equipment and for paying special attention to the area of Mijas,"”said López.

The mayor of Benalmadena, Victor Navas, confirmed: “We want to report on two important works that have been ongoing on the beaches of Benalmadena.

“The first is the construction of the semi ­ submerged breakwater, which is now a reality after 25 years of requests to the government.”

He added: “The second is the sand contributions to

compensate for the loss during storms. This is carried out every year after Easter and before June which is the optimum period for the works in the Costas because that is when the eastern and western storms end.

“These two initiatives are in addition to the investment we have made to renew the beach equipment and furniture to offer the best possible service to users this summer.”

The mayor also stressed that any work of this magnitude “generates inconve ­

nience, and for this, we apologise: we are working to minimise the inconvenience, but the general interest and the progress of the whole town must always prevail.”

IMPORTANT WORKS: To offer the best possible service to beachgoers this summer.

Image: Alex Tihonovs / Shutterstock.com

4 Hrs, 15 mins target flight time Europe to Aust. with hydrogen engine.

Nadal’s new sports complex

SPANISH tennis legend Rafa Nadal has chosen Malaga to build one of his big sports clubs. This fantastic news was announced on Friday, March 31 and has been greeted with great excitement in the Costa del Sol capital and throughout the province.

The star from Manacor on Mallorca reached an agreement with the developer Sierra Blanca Estates to make this project a reality. It will be located next to the Palacio de los Deportes Jose Maria

NORDIC walkers in Marbella are warming up for an exciting outdoors event. The Marbella Nordic Walk Weekend is set to bring more than 250 lovers of the sport together for three days at the end of April.

Last year’s march was a massive success, bringing the sport closer to new fans and this year, the city council is proud to be sponsoring the event through the Marca Marbella programme.

Martin Carpena and the Athletics Stadium ‘Ciudad de Malaga’. This is an area of the city with an already clear sporting impact, as the Inacua complex is also very close by.

Malaga’s new complex will be the first Rafa Nadal Club to be established outside the Balearic Islands. It will have 33,000m² of facilities, incorporating a tennis and paddle tennis club and a school.

The centre will also have an underground car park to compensate for the parking

spaces that would be lost in the area with its construction. This is a project that, if carried out definitively, will give a great boost to this area of the capital of Malaga.

“The future Rafa Nadal Club de Malaga planned by Sierra Blanca Estates would incorporate semi­covered clay courts, outdoor hard courts, numerous paddle tennis courts, a central court with stands to host sporting events, an outdoor swimming pool,” said the promoters of the sports complex.

Step up to challenge

Manuel Cardeña, the councillor for Sports, and Juan Prieto, the event organiser excitedly shared some further details about the event at a launch on Monday, April 3. The event will feature a competition that will include a club championship and a national ranking event, with top walking athletes from all over Andalucia competing.

Writing competition

But the walk is open to everyone, with no age restrictions.

The walking weekend will launch with a public walk along the city’s Paseo Marítimo on Saturday, April 29, before the competition gets underway on Sunday, April 30. The following day, organisers are also hosting a walking city tour.

BUDDING writers could be interested in the Ciudad de Estepona Novel Writing Competition.

With a prize of €25,000 and the guarantee of publication of the work by the publishing house Pre­Textos why not put pen to paper and get writing!

According to the competition rules, all unpublished novels written in Spanish that have not previously won a prize in any other literary competition of any kind or place, or are not participating in any other prize, are eligible for the prize.

The work must have a minimum length of 150 pages and a maximum length of

300 pages.

The work must be submitted in digital PDF format only and sent to the e­mail address: premiociudaddeestepona@manuel alcantara.org.

In addition, an attached file with the entrant’s personal and contact details will be required, as well as a signed declaration stating the original and unpublished nature and ownership of the novel submitted.

The deadline for receipt of entries is May 31 and the jury’s decision, which cannot be appealed, will be issued before December 31, 2023.

LITERARY WORKS: Why not put pen to paper and get writing.

Image: PhotoSunnyDays / Shutterstock.com

2030 World Cup

FOOTBALL fans will be pleased to hear that Malaga has hosted the presentation of the remodelling project of La Rosaleda, with a view to it becoming the venue for the candidacy of Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the World Cup 2030.

The city council confirmed that Malaga wants to be one of the cities that make up this proposal and for this, it needs to reform and adapt the stadium in several aspects, such as its capacity.

One of the most striking new features is the expansion of the capacity, which will increase from 30,000 to 45,000, with a complete roof to ensure that all seats are under cover.

For this seating expansion, an upper ring will be created, above which will be a circular covered terrace. It will also have a leisure and restaurant area.

At least, that is the initial idea of the project.

The intention of the owners ­ City Council, Provincial

Council and Junta de Andalucia ­ is that La Rosaleda can host events of all kinds and that it becomes a useful space for the city all year round and not just for football matches.

Taekwondo Championship

MARTIAL art fans in Torremolinos will be in their element as it has been confirmed the Palacio San Miguel will host the Spanish ITF Taekwondo Championship.

The event is set to take place on May 5, 6 and 7 and will bring together more than 500 athletes from all over the country.

The councillor for Sports, Ramon Alcaide, confirmed: “This Spanish ITF Taekwon­do Promotion Championship will be attended by more than 1,500 people.

“This means more than 3,000 overnight stays and an economic impact of more than €200,000.”

The councillor also stressed that “the importance of this type of event is a perfect example of the town’s aspiration to break the seasonal nature of sport.”

The Palacio San Miguel will be the venue for this sporting event, which is expected to attract more than 1,500 people, including athletes, referees and organisers, as well as parents and relatives of the competitors.

The Spanish ITF Taekwon­do Promotion Championship is scheduled to take place in eight competition areas with their respective scoreboards and electronic system, as well as being broadcast via streaming.

Girl injured after bus accident

A 13-YEAR-OLD girl was transferred to the Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital after being hit by the bus on the Gran Vía Escultor Francisco Salzillo , in the municipality of Murcia .

The event occurred around 7.58pm on Tuesday March 28, when the ‘1­1­2’ Emergency Coordination Centre in the Region of Murcia received a number of calls reporting the accident.

A Local Police patrol, a Mobile Emergency Unit of the Emergency and Emergency Management ‘061’, travelled to the scene. The girl was treated “in situ” and then taken by ambulance to hospital where she remained for treatment.

New chapter

Betty Henderson

PEDRO SÁNCHEZ is making waves in China! The Spanish president arrived in the global superpower on Wednesday, March 29 where he participated in the opening of the Boao Economic Forum, also known as the ‘Chinese Davos’.

During his trip, he had the opportunity to meet with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, as well as other key national figures including the Chinese Prime Minister, the President of the National People’s Assembly, and Chinese tour operators who work in the Spanish tourism market.

Sánchez talked about a variety of topics during his visit, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the economic ties between Spain and China.

However, the Spanish government carefully

avoided several sensitive topics including bans on technology companies Huawei and TikTok that several other countries have imposed due to concerns about potential espionage activities.

Despite controversies over technology and China’s international policy, Sánchez has remained op­

Rare dragon

A SPANISH zoo successfully bred five baby Komodo dragons for the first time in 10 years. The species, known as the largest surviving land lizard in the world, is now considered endangered, which makes their hatch in the institute ‘very important’.

“There are approximately 1,500 specimens left in the wild which is why the species maintenance and reproduction in animal institutions is so important,” said Milagros Robledo, Head of Herpetology Department at Bioparc Zoo in Fuengirola, Spain.

Scientists took 12 eggs after they were laid, five eggs were selected for incubation. It took eight months for the lizards to hatch.

“Komodo dragons are difficult to breed for a number of reasons,” said Jesus Recuero, Technical Director and veterinarian.

Taking a shot

Betty Henderson

timistic about the future of economic cooperation between Spain and China. During his visit, he emphasised the importance of continued collaboration between the countries.

Sánchez visited the country as a national representative rather than an EU delegate.

GLOBAL drinks giant Coca­Cola is shaking up the drinks market yet again with its latest venture into the world of alcoholic drinks. The brand announced the development of a mixed drink, combining its famous cola drink with Jack Daniel’s whiskey on Friday, March 31.

The iconic brand made its first foray into the Spanish market with the launch of Topo Chico, a refreshing, fermented beverage with an alcoholic twist that didn’t quite take off. However, the brand has not been put off, and is set to launch its Jack Daniels collaboration in the coming weeks.

The exciting collaboration was made possible by an agreement last year. The drink will come in a regular 330 millilitre can with both brands’ logos and an alcohol content of 7 per cent.

The Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez was welcomed to China on Wednesday, March 27 for a long-awaited summit between the two countries.

Photo credit: Pedro Sánchez (via Instagram)

Renfe free passes on sale

RENFE users can now obtain the free travel cards for Cercanias, Rodalies, and Media Distancia. They will be available for travel between May 1 and August 31, 2023.

After the government approved the extension of the free travel passes during 2023 for recurrent passengers, Renfe is now offering users specific multi­journey tickets valid for each four­month period of the year.

Season tickets can be purchased via the Renfe Cercanias app. In the case of Media Distancia, season tickets are obtainable via www.renfe. com and the usual sales channels. For Avant rail services, the 50 per cent discount on season tickets is maintained.

The Cercanias app allows the purchase of Cercanias and Rodalies recurrent season tickets by generating a QR code that can be downloaded to a mobile phone and subsequently used at station access control.

To purchase the season ticket, although it is free, a deposit of €10 is required for

RENFE USERS: Can once again obtain free travel cards.

Credit: Martyn Jandula/Shutterstock.com

Cercanias and Rodalies, and €20 for each conventional Media Distancia service. Payment by credit card will allow the deposit to be automatically refunded, once the condition of having made 16 journeys during the four months has been confirmed.

First female president?

YOLANDA DIAZ, Spain’s popular Labour Minister, announced on Sunday April 2 that she wants to be the first female president of Spain, at the official launch of her election bid leading the new political movement, ‘Sumar’.

In July 2022 Díaz launched the new political movement called Sumar (meaning ‘to add’) which she hopes will eventually include all parties to the left of Sánchez’s socialists.

In a crowded sports centre in the heart of Madrid with more than 3,000 people inside and another 2,000 who saw her speech through external screens, Diaz presented her project, defined as a new ‘bill of rights’ and a democratic, economic and social ‘contract’ for the Spain of the ‘next decade’.

“Today I am going to take a step forward, I want to be the first president of Spain. Because it is the time of women, because we women want to be the protagonists of history,” the leader of Sumar announced in a speech where she said she was “tired of guardianships.”

Largely unknown three years ago, 51­year­old Díaz moved under the political spotlight in January 2020 when she entered the government as a representative of Podemos.

International Fair

THE International Country Fair will once again project Fuengirola as the world capital of multiculturalism.

From April 27 to May 1 the city will host this well­established event, which will be attended by 32 nations, in the stands of the Fairgrounds, and which is now in its 27th edition.

The councillor for Tourism, Rodrigo Romero, confirmed:

“Fuengirola has acquired over the years a very important international character, thanks to the multiculturalism of its residents and the many municipal initiatives that we have been promoting to give it that projection abroad.

“Fuengirola is home to citizens of more than 130 nationalities and we are going to enjoy a fantastic few days being able to get to know the traditions and culture of 32 countries around the world.

Romero confirmed the following countries will be represented: Germany, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, USA, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Hawaii, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Morocco, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Romania, South Africa, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The opening hours will be from 1.00pm until 4.00pm.

Boutique Festival

THE BOHO PROJECT, the first boutique festival organised by Roc Star Events, will arrive at La Finca La Concepcion in Marbella on Saturday, April 29.

The music festival will kick off at 2.00pm with performances by renowned DJs from Ibiza and Marbella along with a line­up of national and international artists.

They will mark the start of the new season by entertaining you for eight magical hours.

You can enjoy the music of DJs and artists who have made the most famous clubs in the world­famous and bring together the best world ­ class names in the first edition of The BOHO Project.

Finca La Concepcion is the chosen venue for lovers of the world’s most acclaimed sounds who will have the opportunity to

enjoy uninterrupted music produced by great music and lighting talents, all combined with a natural setting, especially at sunset.

In addition to general admission, the organisers have arranged exclusive VIP and Hospitality packages in

Boogie Wonderland

Enjoy a fun evening.

DANCE the night away with the fabulous Boogie Wonderland.

La Cala Lions proudly present a night of fun and music on Friday, April 14, starting at 7.00pm.

Tickets are available from the Lions Charity Shop in La Cala for only €20 and include a two­course meal.

Boogie Wonderland is being held at the Village Inn, Calle Esmerelda 1, Rivera del Sol, Mijas Costa, Malaga 29649.

specific areas with more direct access and proximity to the musicians and artists to take the experience at The BOHO Project to the next level.

More information at www.thebohoproject.com / info@thebohoproject.com / (+34) 626 303 434.

Why not enjoy a night of fun while helping the Lions to help those less welloff in our community?

For more information head to the website www.lacalalions. org or call (+34) 637 185 533.

A portion of your ticket money goes to the La Cala Lions Club who use it to help those in need.

La Cala Lions Club was formed 25 years ago and has since then, worked tirelessly to help the less fortunate locally: feeding families, supporting children needing specialised medical care, paying for equipment to enable children to enjoy many sports played locally, funding educational aids for schools, helping to feed the homeless, animal shelters, and many more associations and charities.

Image: Boogie Wonderland / Facebook

Image: BOHO Project

32 countries taking part.

Image: Fuengirola City Council

Puente Romano Beach Resort hosts International Charity Festival

A sparkling night of sensational cocktails, cuisine, and music, in aid of ‘Uniting the World’ 8pm, Friday, 21 April 2023

Puente Romano Beach Resort continues its programme of charitable gala events, hosting a solidarity festival, supporting the innovative humanitarian project ‘Uniting the World’ aiming to strengthen ties between Spain, India, and Nepal, as well as helping the work of five worthy charities.

Join us for a spectacular night of music and gastronomy. Guests will savour our creative cocktails, canapés, and light bites, accompanied by world-class entertainment.

Aguja Solidaria is a charity which aims to improve the future and quality of life of people in the local community through training workshops for adults and educational scholarship programmes for children of low-income families.

In addition this wonderful gala event will support our local organisations of CUDECA, the cancer hospice in Benalmadena, and the Rotary Club in San Pedro Alcantara as well as DIKSHA ESPANA and HUGGING NEPAL.

This magical night will also include raffles, an auction with exceptional donated gifts, and lots of surprises.

International musician, composer, singer, and much loved artist here in Marbella, Yanela Brooks, will be performing international hits, bring her unique Cuban style to the night. Expect your favourite classical soul, disco, rock, and Latin music. The concert will also feature performances from Julia Shevchnco, West End Singers Lucy Indrisie and Mark Andrew Edmundson, Thomas Bickham, Cello Femme, Orden Definitivo and many more, all hosted by MC Coral Pérez!

‘Uniting the World’ will achieve its aims through a solidarity motorbike trip of Esther and Álvaro, created to connect Spain with India and Nepal by sharing the different cultures of these countries.

This remarkable journey will commence in spring 2024 and last around 50 days, covering more than 12,000kms. Starting from Cudeca in Benalmadena, the couple will pass through India, before finishing the journey in Nepal.

Date: Friday 21.04.23

Time: 20.00 H

Location: Salon Andalucía

Donation price: EUR 125 p/p

Dress code: Smart casual

Payment details:

Beneficiario: Asoc Aguja Solidaria Marbella

IBAN: ES81 2100 3889 1402 0016 9414

BIC: CAIXESBBXXX

Concepto / concept: Name and surname + number of people

Please send us an email with proof of payment to confirm your booking: direccion@agujasolidaria.org

Donations accepted. Donation certificates will not be issued

The best pint of Guinness & golf combined

SITUATED on the Boulevard and with ample parking, The Hogan Stand is a landmark in San Pedro. Opened 20 years ago, the Hogan Stand is a meeting place for many.

Ross and Amy Duggan have worked hard to ensure they tick all the boxes for your visit, and they most certainly do! This bar has a buzzing atmosphere with plenty of great dishes and a huge selection of drinks on offer.

Their staff are friendly and efficient, with Maggie still doing what she does best! The Hogan Stand is open seven days a week from 5pm until late, offering evening events that you can keep updated on via their website.

There is Karaoke Tuesday, Quiz night Thursday, happy

hour Friday, and live entertainment on Friday and Saturday. Hogan Stand also has a very large comfortable outdoor terrace that is perfect for these warm evenings, as well

as multiple screens to watch all sports, “the best pint of Guinness,” according to Ross, a great se lection of wines and spirits, and a new cocktail menu.

And to top it all the Hogan Stand has a delicious food menu. The kitchen is led by Kenny,

casual bar food, sharing platters and home ­ made desserts to die for.

Sunday lunch is available all year round, and the Hogan Stand is a well ­ known spot for GAA supporters. Prices are very reasonable.

menu offers everything from three­course dinner choices to

The Hogan Stand is very proud of its Golf Society ­ the Hogan Hackers. They play every Saturday along with many tournaments organised throughout the year. The pre ­ booking form is available from now until September, check the Hogan Hackers page for more information at thehoganhackers.com.

THE HOGAN STAND: For delicious food and a great selection of drinks.

Charity Gala Two for one

BENALMADENA is paying tribute to two of the biggest bands in history, Depeche Mode and U2.

Expect two great live bands recalling the classics of these legendary groups, a night where the hits of a prodigious era of music will sound.

Two shows on the same night and on the same stage, you can't miss it!

The band extravaganza is being held on April 14 at 9.00om at the Benalmadena Auditorium, Av Rocio Jurado, Benalmadena.

For more information or to book tickets (+34) 952 440

623.

Pioneering English band Depeche Mode took the underground electronic club sounds of the early 80s and expanded them to stadiumsized levels within a decade, becoming one of the bestselling international groups in the process.

U2 is an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. U2’s early sound was rooted in postpunk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music.

STEP back in time to the glamour of the roaring ‘20s at the Great Gatsby Charity Gala event at Tikitano by Besaya, Estepona, organised by Rotary Club MarbellaGuadalmina.

You can enjoy a wonderful evening of fine food, entertainment and dancing on April 22 from 7.00pm.

This is a chance for you to dress up in period costume and dance the night away with the guest performers, the fantastic Vintage Experience.

The cost of €125 includes a major donation to the charity, Dental Mavericks.

Operating in Morocco, this charity makes dental care accessible to vulnerable populations and promotes oral hygiene education and practice.

Get your tickets online at: marbella­guadalmina ­rotary.club/meetingsevents/great­gatsby.

Abnormal temps

AEMET in Spain has forecasted abnormally warm weather for the Easter week along with much lesser rainfall than usual.

According to the European Centre for MediumRange Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), “Unusual warm temperatures for this time of year will prevail in the centre and south of the Peninsula.

“However, thermometers are expected to drop compared to previous days on Friday and Saturday,” the statement added.

The temperatures in the south, east, and centre of the Spanish peninsula, as well as the Canary Islands, will be particularly warm.

Aside from this, the Balearic Islands will also experience high temperatures.

However, temperatures will drop again in the north of the peninsula.

Rainfall is expected, but Easter Week in most of Spain will not see much of it.

AEMET also states that the temperatures are expected to be above 20 de­

Forest fires ravage Asturias

THE Military Emergency Unit (UME) of Spain joined the effort to extinguish more than 60 simultaneous forest fires that are raging across Asturias.

The weather has been unseasonably warm.

grees Celsius in the central and southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula during Easter Week.

Snow is also expected from Saturday onwards in the Pyrenees.

AEMET warns that the “Weather conditions can change and forecasts are not definitive due to the variable nature of the spring season.”

It added, “So uncertainty will never cease to be present in terms of the weather.”

76% of people in the UK associate Easter with chocolate eggs.

According to official reports on Wednesday, March 29, many of the fires were small in size and in areas of scrubland, but others pose a much greater risk and resulted in people having to flee their houses.

The condition was made much worse due to the bad weather conditions, which resulted in strong gusts of winds and high temperatures of up to 29 degrees Celsius.

This, as per a news source, has resulted in the Asturian government requesting the intervention of UME. This has also been done to

raise the level of emergency to phase two.

Local reports stated that more than 500 people are working to extinguish the fires including Firefighters of Asturias, the Brigade of Reinforcement of Forest Fires (BRIF) of Tineo, personnel of forest companies,

the guard of the natural environment, as well as personnel specialised in investigation origin of the fires.

Meanwhile, high ­ velocity wind in some areas prevented the firefighting work and defensive work was carried out.

National Police officer killed

JORDI DUART OLMOS , a 27­year­old National Police officer from Valencia, who was still in training, died on Saturday, April 1 in Madrid. According to police sources, his motorbike was involved in a collision with a Samur­Proteccion Civil ICU ambulance that was driving in the wrong direction in the Retiro district of the capital city.

The young policeman was stationed in the Usera district of Madrid and was on

his way to work when the crash happened. The incident took place at around 7:30am, at the junction of Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona and Calle Cafeto. The young man died on the spot, according to a spokeswoman for Emergencias Madrid. Madrid Municipal Police are carrying out an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. The driver of the ambulance, a 46 ­ year ­ old man, was arrested on suspicion of reckless murder.

FOREST FIRES: More than 60 have started in the region.

Passenger dies on flight

A FLIGHT from Tenerife to Manchester Airport on Sunday night, April 2, issued an alert about three hours after takeoff when a female passenger required medical assistance.

A passenger on the flight told a news source: “A few hours into the flight a man was helping a woman he was with to the bathroom. She looked to be in quite a state and was in distress.

“She seemed to take a sudden turn. The cabin crew put out an announcement for any medical staff on board. Then the plane took a very dramatic veer to the right and it was clear something had changed and we needed to land straight away. Quite a few people were visibly upset by what was going on. She passed out, and they had oxygen and a defibrillator on board and started per­

Prisoner denied parole

forming CPR. They did this for around an hour until we landed at Newquay.

After landing, police talked to Jet2 staff and the plane eventually took off, arriving at Manchester about 10pm. A spokesperson from Jet2 said: “Regrettably, we confirm the customer sadly passed away. Our thoughts are with the customer’s family and friends at this very difficult time.”

Terror alert in Northern Ireland

THE threat level due to a terror attack in Northern Ireland has been raised, as officials warn “attack is considered highly likely.”

The level was raised by the British MI5 after police were targeted by “groups intent on politically­motivated violence.”

The announcement of the change in threat levels comes just a few weeks before a visit by US President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to arrive in the middle of this month.

Tensions have been high in Northern Ireland, especially after an attempt

was made to murder a high­profile police official, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, in Omagh last month.

According to Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton ­ Harris, by a local news source, “The threat level to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism is constantly monitored and is subject to a regular formal review. The threat level review takes into account a range of factors and analysis of recent incidents.”

He also added that “The decision to change the threat level is taken by MI5, independently of Ministers.”

CHARLES BRONSON has been denied parole after he spent nearly half a decade in prison due to ‘risk of future violence’.

The decision regarding his parole was taken by a board during a public hearing which started in March.

Bronson has been in and out of prison since 1974 and was jailed for the first time when he was 22 years old for armed robbery.

He has since admitted to nine rooftop protests and 11 hostage sieges, per a local news source.

The notorious prisoner, who is now 70 years old, will continue to sevre his sentence after the ruling by the board.

BRONSON: Will have to stay in jail.

The decision of his parole was taken after a two­day hearing, which resulted in the board ruling that he “doesn’t have the skills to manage his risk of future violence.”

The most recent parole hearing was the eighth time Bronson has asked for his release.

Yousaf is first minister

AFTER victory in the race to become the new SNP leader, Hamza Yousaf has been elected as Scotland’s new first minister Humza Yousaf was officially elected as the new first minister of Scotland on Tuesday, March 28, after he was backed by a majority of MSPs.

This announcement comes just a day after he won the

race to become the new leader of the Scottish National Party.

Yousaf’s name was then submitted to the King, with a formal swearing in ceremony subsequently taking place at the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh.

While speaking to the MPs, Yousaf, as cited by a news source said, “I will never shy away from tackling the big is­

sues our country faces. I will lead a government that listens carefully and respects the views of all MSPs.”

He added, “My starting point will always be that we all want the best for Scotland and the people that we are so privileged to represent, and I will stand up unequivocally for this parliament and against any attempts to undermine devolution.”

New Finnish government

FINLAND’S PM Sanna Marin’s party has been defeated in extremely tight parliamentary elections held on Sunday April 2. The centre­right National Coalition Party led by Petteri Orpo, 53, received the most votes followed by the right ­ wing Finns Party and the Social Democrats.

“Democracy has spoken. The Finnish people have voted and the party of democracy is always something wonderful,” Marin said when the results were practically closed.

Marin, 37, is very popular but Orpo was successful in arguing that public spending needs to be reduced and that Finland’s debt is too high, according to a news source. Public debt has reached just over 70 per cent of GDP since Marin took office in 2019, according to Al Jazeera.

The National Coalition Party won with 20.7 per cent, (48 seats) followed by the right­wing populist party, the Finns with 20.1 percent (46

seats) while Marin’s Social Democratic Party received 19.9 per cent of the vote (43 seats). The NCP has led in the polls for nearly two years.

youngest Prime Minister in history and was the youngest serving state leader. She has been an MP since 2015 and Prime Minister since 2019.

Credit: Destinus

DESTINUS: Already has two hydrogen prototypes.

Australia in 4 hours

NEW hydrogen engine technology being developed by Destinus could allow an aircraft to fly from Europe to Australia in only 4 hours and 15 minutes.

CDTI, the Spanish Centre for Technological Development and Innovation, has selected Destinus for its Aeronautical Technology Plan (PTA) project. The company has received €12 million to develop the first hydrogen­powered aircraft engine and promote the development of supersonic hydrogenfuelled flights.

The money given for the research and development of the engine comes from the European Commission’s Next Generation funds for the Spanish government, as reported on Thursday, March 30, by a news source.

Destinus already has two hydrogen prototypes ­ Jungfrau and Eiger ­ and is currently working on a gas turbine equipped with a hydrogen afterburner to be tested before the middle of this year.

Specifically, the aid from the Spanish government will be used for the design and construction of a test bench for engines with hydrogen as fuel.

With current planes, the journey from Europe to Australia takes approximately 20 hours.

THE 30 ­ year era of Milo Djukanovic as his country’s leader ended in Montenegro on Sunday, April 2. He had led the republic in various guises since 1991, but for the first time in his political career, Djukanovic suffered a personal defeat in the elections. He lost to a ‘random candidate’ ­ economist Yakov Milatovich, who only entered politics three years ago.

To the main slogan of Djukanovic’s election campaign: ‘Lovely. Who else?’, the people of Montenegro answered: ‘Anyone, but not Milo!’, as reported by

Election era gone

a local news source.

Confirmation that, for the people of Montenegro, Djukanovic’s defeat was long overdue was seen in the massive spontaneous celebratory marches across the country. People launched fireworks and chanted insulting shouts against their former leader.

According to observers, the former Minister of Economic Development in the government of Zdravko Krivokapic, Yakov Milatovic, a representative

of the Europe Now movement, won the Montenegrin presidential election with about 60 per cent of the vote, while Djukanovic won 40 per cent.

However, Milatovich’s victory will not affect the pro­Western foreign policy of Montenegro. While still a minister, Milatovich supported the imposition of sanctions against Russia, and in an interview with Western media he promised to fully implement all international obligations assumed.

2.5% average decline per year in Spain’s wine production industry 20182023.

tO Y T OST B stYour

Strengthening ties

KING CHARLES III arrived in Germany on Wednesday, March 29, ahead of a highly anticipated visit to one of the UK’s closest partners in Europe. The visit was also the monarch’s first official state visit as King due to a cancellation of a scheduled visit to France due to disruption from strikes and protests.

During the three ­ day tour, the King delivered a speech partially in German at a lavish state banquet on his first night. During the speech, King Charles also paid tribute to Germany’s “extraordinary hospitality” towards Ukrainian refugees, who have arrived in the country after being displaced

NESS NESSS d h NESS BBU B USINESS USINESS and much more... USIN

due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. He also emphasised the countries’ shared commitment to protecting democratic values and the fight against climate change, a topic he is passionate about.

Guests at the event, including the country’s former leader, Angela Merkel, enjoyed the speech which also had a sprinkling of jokes throughout. The King was joined by his wife, the Queen Consort, Camilla.

British officials are hoping that the King’s visit will smooth over relations between the two nations following the UK’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union.

Fire-starter behind bars

A FRENCH court sentenced a Rwandan man to four years in prison for starting the 2020 fire in Nantes Cathedral. Emmanuel Abayisenga was judged to be guilty on Thursday, March 30 for starting the blaze which severely dam­

aged the Gothic cathedral. Despite finding that Abayisenga was not mentally sound at the time of the fire, a judge ruled that he will face prison time for his actions, and will also be banned from the region for five years.

The man was a volunteer at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s Cathedral in the city, and prosecutors alleged that he set fire to the building knowingly due to “huge anger and a feeling of revenge linked to his own administrative situation.”

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Levelled off

DENMARK’S cannabis sales fell in 2022 after five years of growth, health authority figures revealed. Sales grew from approximately 30.8 million Danish kroner (€4.12 million) in 2018 to 64.3 million kroner (€8.63 million) in 2021, before falling to 62.5 million kroner (€8.4 million) last year.

THE NETHERLANDS

IT items

DUTCH companies spent €2.5 billion on telecommunications and computer services from India last year, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This accounted for more than 10 per cent of total spending in this sector and made India the country’s fourth-largest supplier after the US, the UK and Ireland.

BELGIUM

In a trap

BELGIUM’S Westmalle beer made by Trappist monks is under threat as all authentic Trappist products must be made inside an abbey and supervised by monks and nuns. Westmalle’s secular director Philippe Van Assche admitted that he doubted whether people would seek to become monks in 10 or 20 years’ time.

GERMANY

Early settlers

ARCHAEOLOGISTS found a large settlement from the early Neolithic era near DobelnGartitz (Saxony) covering an area of more than 10 hectares. The site, which contained dozens of houses, the largest of which was 30 metres long and eight metres wide, was clearly occupied for several hundred years.

FRANCE

Waste not

FRANCE’S president Emmanuel Macron wants to introduce a new pricing system for water that would encourage responsible and penalise waste. The plan is included in national efforts to cut down on water consumption, improve water management and combat the effects of climate change.

NORWAY

Good egg

NORWAY seeks an exemption to European rules on shelf-life for eggs, citing its good salmonella record. A recent directive stipulated 28 days between the date that eggs are laid and consumed, but Norway, which belongs to the European Economic Area (EEA), wants to continue its 35-day system.

FINLAND

Nickel project

BLUEJAY MINING began a short follow-up programme in Enonkoski (Finland) as the London-based company in partnership with Rio Tinto seek nickel-bearing ore. Bluejay explained that their objective is to test the geological model, following “encouraging” results from explorations earlier this year.

IRELAND

Welcome home

BALLINA (Eire) is anxious to greet President Joe Biden when he visits Ireland this month. The small market town, known for salmon fishing, considers Biden a native son as his great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt was born there before emigrating to Scranton, Pennsylvania, to escape the 1840’s famine.

ITALY

Hats off!

LEGENDARY Italian brand Borsalino is back in business again after it was driven into bankruptcy in 2017. Philippe Camperio, a French-Italian financier has put it back on its feet and revived sales of the fedoras worn by Humphrey Bogart and Michael Jackson while retaining traditional manufacturing techniques.

PORTUGAL Gas cash

PORTUGAL intends to auction the rights to sell hydrogen for injection into the national gas grid. Galp Energia will buy the hydrogen mixed with natural gas from producers and resell it to meet demand, a system aimed at boosting investment in production by giving suppliers a guaranteed buyer.

UKRAINE

Staying put

MONKS refused to leave the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, Ukraine’s most revered Orthodox site which is the property of the government, after the deadline to vacate the complex expired. They belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has long been accused of links to Russia.

SWEDEN

False alarm

POWDER enclosed in letters sent to 18 county councils in Sweden was harmless, police said. According to Swedish media reports, employees were evacuated in some places and at least two taken to hospital after the letters arrived although analysis later showed that the powder was not dangerous.

STAT OF WEEK €5.5 billion

will be paid out in dividends to BBVA, CaixaBank and Inditex shareholders in April and May, following record years and profits for both banks and the fashion retail giant.

BUSINESS EXTRA Charged up FINANCE

Booted out

BOOTS could be sold or floated by late 2023 as its US parent company is pressured into breaking up the global pharmacy giant. Owned by the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, its investors and board members want to speed up plans to refocus the business on the US.

Bank ranks

IBERCAJA and Caixabank have higher liquidity ratios (LCRs) than other Spanish banks, management consultants Alvarez & Marsal found. Spain’s banks all exceed EU requirements but Ibercaja’s 306 per cent ratio and Caixabank’s 284.2 per cent mean they have reserves for three months and 2.8 months respectively.

Meters matter

ENERGY companies in the UK used warrants to install 94,000 prepayment meters in 2022, with Scottish Power and British Gas ordering most. The government has now agreed with suppliers to halt forced installations amid concerns that rules to protect vulnerable households were not complied with.

Lucky middle

SPANISH salaries grew in 2022 in all categories, although rises were below the inflation rate of more than 8 per cent. Middle management posts benefited most with an average increase of 6 per cent, compared with 3.4 per cent for executives and 3.71 per cent for employees.

Factory closes

MORE than 100 workers lost their jobs after Kettle Interiors, a Corby (Northamptonshire) furniture business went into administration. The administrator cited “economic challenges” including increasing freight costs for the familyrun firm which sold furniture under different brand names to UK and European retailers.

Next step for Cath Kidston

Linda Hall

NEXT has bought the Cath Kidston brand name for £8.5 million (€9.6 million) after the British retailer fell into administration for the second time in two years.

Cath Kidston, which once had 60 stores in the UK as well as worldwide franchise outlets, was bought by restructuring experts Hilco in July 2020 but put on the market again earlier this year.

Approximately 125 jobs could be lost as PricewaterhouseCoopers’ administrators prepare to close Cath Kidston stores in London, Ashford (Kent), Cheshire Oaks and York once their stock has been sold off.

The Cath Kidston website is also be­

ing licensed back to the administrators for 12 weeks.

Acquiring the vintage­inspired name is Next’s latest step in adding to its brand portfolio, which includes distribution rights to the US chains Gap and Victoria’s Secret in the UK.

Joules and the online furnishings specialists Made.com were also brought out of administration by Next

as the company helps ailing brands maintain a presence in the UK. Next is also using some of these well­known names to fill spaces in high street stores while reaching to a wider audience.

Next anticipates increasing prices more slowly over the next 12 months after better­than­expected annual profits. The retailer saw annual pre­tax profit increase by 5.7 per cent to £870.4 million (€990.1 million) in January, which was higher than the forecast £860 million (€978.2m). Full­price sales rose by 6.9 per cent year­on­year. The group, which raised prices to counteract higher costs, said price inflation was likely to be more benign than previously predicted.

Fishing for investment

ABANCA which owns 97 per cent of Nueva Pescanova,

synonymous with frozen fish in Spain, is reportedly looking for a business partner or a potential sale.

Based in Redondela (Pontevedra) Nueva Pescanova operates in 17 countries on five continents, selling its products in more than 80 countries.

Formerly known as Pescanova, which still appears on retail products, the original company collapsed and was refunded in 2015.

Kind gesture

HSBC is the first UK bank to delay closing a town’s only remaining branch until alternative arrangements are in place.

Banks agreed last year to fund hubs where all branches were closed and the cash machine network Link ­ which connects practically all the country’s ATMs ­ decided that a hub was needed to ensure continued access to cash.

Launching hubs has been slow, taking a year on average owing to difficulties in finding sites. This prompted HSBC to announce that it would suspend closures in Oakham (Rutland) Ripley (Derbyshire) and Colwyn Bay (Conwy) until cash deposit services were established.

Canadian seafood combine Cooke Inc was said to be in negotiations to buy a majority stake in the company in late February. It now has competition from US company Red Chamber

Group, which entered negotiations with Abanca in midMarch according to the Spanish digital newspaper, El Confidencial.

The deadline for paying a €150 million debt to Sabadell, Caixabank and Santander loomed at the same time although Nueva Pescanova announced beforehand that this would be paid “with total normality and full financial independence.”

Nueva Pescanova had total sales of €1.08 billion in the financial year that ended in

Essex freeport

DP WORLD, which owns P&O Ferries, will participate in the Thames Freeport in Essex.

Included in Rishi Sunak’s ports scheme, it will be co­run by DP World, car manufacturer Ford and Forth Ports, with a £25 million (€28.4 million) allocation in government funding. This will go to local authorities, as the government tries to attract another £4.6 billion (€5.2 billion) in public and private investment.

The port is expected to generate more than 21,000 direct and indirect jobs.

DP World dismissed 800 P&O employees without giving them notice in March 2022, replacing them with foreign agency workers paid less than the minimum wage.

The government said at the time that the employees’ treatment was “wholly unacceptable” and two months later cancelled a P&O Ferries contract in response to the sackings.

LOWER energy prices in the UK now mean that the cost of ultra ­ rapid charging for an electric vehicle costs less per mile than filling up with petrol.

The Electric Vehicle Recharge Report published by the Automobile Association found that drivers could save 8p (24 cents) per kilowatt by charging during off ­ peak hours, but emphasised that savings were made only when plugging in at the right time.

Electric vehicle charging was ‘brilliant value for money’ compared to filling up with petrol and diesel, the report said, but warned that different operators had different off ­ peak times, with some available only after 8pm.

March 2022, doubling its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) to €80 million compared with its €39.5 million results in 2020.

Despite these buoyant figures, the La Voz de Galicia predicted that the next fiscal year was likely to be “well below” the 2021 result.

Meanwhile, referring to negotiations with Cooke Inc and Red Chamber Group, Nueva Pescanova’s CEO Ignacio Gonzalez said Nueva Pescanova was not for sale.

Up goes Ale-Hop

GIFT shop chain Ale ­ Hop had a 2022 turnover of €170 million, 70 per cent more than in 2021.

Instantly recognisable because of the trademark black ­ andwhite cow outside the shops, Ale ­ Hop was boosted by increased post­pandemic sales but also expansion plans resulting in 48 new shops during the last financial year.

The company could meet the cost of the 2022 openings as a result of its policy of zero debt and reinvesting profits, said AleHop’s director general, Dario Grimalt.

The company, which now has more than 280 shops in Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Mexico, hopes to increase this to 300 by the end of this year.

Selling brand

RECKITT BENCKISER is selling its Spanish detergents division.

Headquartered in Britain, the €50 billion multinational which owns Durex condoms, Strepsils throat lozenges and Air Wick amongst other brands, will divest itself of Colon detergent and Flor fabric conditioner, two household names in Spain. It acquired both in the 1990s from the Catalan company Camp Hermanos, after fighting off Procter & Gamble in a bidding war, paying more than six billion pesetas (approximately €36 million) at the time.

Now, 30 years later, Reckitt Benckiser expects to sell for around €200 million.

Cutting salary

FLORENTINO PEREZ, president of construction, concessions and services company ACS, has forgone €1.5 million of his salary over the last two years. Owing to the economic slowdown during the pandemic he waived 30 per cent of the variable compensation added to his basic salary at the end of 2021, reducing this from €3.4 to €2.4 million owing to “exceptional circumstances”.

The Real Madrid president waived another €500,000 in 2022 after explaining that despite ACS’s good results, the group had not yet returned to pre­pandemic levels.

QUIRKY DESIGNS: Next has acquired the Cath Kidston brand.

IGNACIO GONZALEZ: CEO of Nueva Pescanova insists that the company is not for sale.

Photo credit: Cath Kidston

Photo credit: nuevapescanova.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

Asda compromise

ASDA is prepared to sell 13 petrol stations with adjoining grocery stores to allay competition concerns over its £600 million (€680.5 million) acquisition of the Co ­ op petrol forecourts. The response came in the wake of a Competitions and Market Authority’s warning made two weeks ago.

Pricey billets

A NEW luxury hotel, JW Marriott, has opened on Madrid’s Golden Mile in front of Four Seasons and the Canalejas Shopping Centre. “Expensive hotels are here to stay,” said AC Hotels president Antonio Catalan during the inauguration. “Tourism has more than enough clients but insufficient prices.”

Vauxhall plans

LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL has approved plans to turn the site of the former Vauxhall engineering and styling centre into warehouses.

The manufacturer announced the end of Luton car production with the loss of 2,000 jobs in December 2000. The company, now owned by General Motors, blamed the decision on “rapidly changing European market conditions” and “over­capacity.”

Development company Prologis UK explained to a re­

Mango joins organisation

SPAIN’S Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) announced that fashion chain Mango has joined the organisation as an associate company.

The move follows the recent incorporation of Spain’s Retail Textile Association (ARTE), to which Mango and other leading clothing chains already belong.

Mango is the second big textile firm to join the CEOE in its own right after Zara owner, Inditex.

Toni Ruiz, Mango’s CEO explained that the incorporation would enable the firm both to put across its business vision and give greater visibility to the one the country’s outstanding brands.

Royal Mail impasse

cent council committee meeting they could boost the local economy with 450 jobs by creating 34,250 square metres of flexible industrial and logistics floorspace at the 18­acre Griffin House site in Osborne Road.

The hybrid plans will first require a favourable response from the Environment Agency.

A restored river channel will be running through the site with a wildflower meadow on one side and pedestrian and cycle access path on the other.

“We have worked hard to open up and celebrate the River Lea as a key feature by providing a linear park through the centre of the site,” Caroline Musker, UK head of planning at Prologis, said.

“This represents a £30 million (€34 million) investment in construction,” she revealed.

AS long ­ running talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) threatened to collapse, another strike looked inevitable.

The postal service, already losing more than a daily £1 million (€1.13 million), is projected to lose more than £350 million (€397.5 million) during the financial year that ends in April.

The board of the 507­yearold company has met in London, trying to find a solution, but warned that further walkouts could eventually see it put into administration.

The board regards the bombshell move to declare Royal Mail insolvent as a last resort, but the drastic measure has already been raised with the CWU.

Hopes of a deal have gradually faded, as obstacles not only include disagreements over pay but also changes to working practices, which Royal Mail maintains are interdependent.

LUTON: Council gives permission to develop former Vauxhall plant.

Photo credit: Flickr/Doyle of London

Euro

EUR/GBP: Unchanged at £0.88

EUR/USD: Down from $1.06 to $1.09

The euro witnessed some dramatic swings over the past month as a crisis in Europe’s banking sector infused volatility into the single currency.

At the start of March the euro was supported by European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate expectations, in response to stronger-than-expected inflation releases from France, Spain and Germany. EUR exchange rates then nosedived in mid-March after a 30% plunge in shares at Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse triggered a wider selloff across the European banking sector.

However, the euro was quick to bounce back. The ECB’s decision to press ahead with a 50bps rate hike helped the single currency to find its feet, before EUR surge after UBS’s acquisition of Credit Suisse stabilised European bank shares.

Going forward, EUR investors are

BUSINESS EXTRA

English fizz

TENTERDEN (Kent) winemaker Chapel Down had record sales of “traditional method” sparkling wine last year, selling 790,000 bottles, up from 522,000 in 2021. Revenue rose 53 per cent to £9.6 million (€10.9 million), offsetting a 45 per cent drop in still wine sales owing to a poor harvest.

Share shareout

FOLLOWING its 2022 results, Naturgy, formerly Gas Natural Fenos, is paying a dividend of €1.2 per share, of which 70 cents was paid out in August and November with the rest due this April. Naturgy will maintain the same dividend level next year, company president Francisco Reynes announced.

Currency outlook: Euro rocked by European banking crisis, Fluctuating Fed bets infuse volatility in US dollar

likely to keep a close eye on the European banking sector. Assuming no more hiccups emerge, the euro may be able to resume its positive trajectory.

Pound

GBP/EUR: Unchanged at €1.12

GBP/USD: Up from $1.20 to $1.23

The pound was initially buoyed as we entered March. Sterling sentiment strengthened as stronger-thanexpected UK PMIs boosted Bank of England (BoE) rate hike expectations.

This upside was reinforced by the announcement of a UK-EU deal to resolve the dispute over the controversial Northern Ireland protocol.

However, these gains were also immediately reversed following comments from BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, in which he suggested UK interest rates may have already peaked. Fears of potential policy divergence between the BoE and Federal Reserve then plunged the GBP/USD exchange to a threemonth low. Before a surprisingly

IN MARCH: The euro was supported by the ECB interest rate expectations.

strong rebound in UK GDP at the start of 2023 helped Sterling to rebound. After fluctuating amid the banking sector jitters, the pound then firmed following the BoE’s March policy meeting after the bank proved more hawkish than expected.

Looking ahead, if UK inflation indicators remain elevated it may boost expectations for additional BoE rate hikes and help to underpin the pound in the coming month.

US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from $0.82 to

$0.81

USD/EUR: Down from €0.93 to €0.91

The past month has been a rollercoaster ride for the US dollar. This started with a softening of the ‘greenback’ amid a bullish market mood in early March.

USD exchange rates then raced to multi-month highs after Fed Chair Jerome Powell stunned markets with a particularly hawkish testimony before Congress. Catapulting USD exchange rates higher as investors be-

Biggest contract ever

IBERDROLA formalised one of its largest-ever contracts on Tuesday March 28.

The Spanish multinational’s subsidiary Scottish Power, one of the UK’s largest green energy developers, formalised a £1.3 billion (€1.48 billion) contract with Siemens Gamesa for 95 wind turbines for the East Anglia Three project.

The offshore windfarm, the world’s second-biggest, will be constructed in the southern North Sea, 69 kilometres off Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Iberdrola president Ignacio Galan visited 10 Downing Street where he met the PM Rishi Sunak and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security.

“The scale and ambition of this investment will support the UK’s commitment to net zero and energy security,” Galan said. “The East Anglia Three offshore windfarm will bring homegrown green electricity to the grid for 1.3 million homes. And, as part of the East Anglia Hub projects, it will deliver billions of pounds in investment and support thousands of jobs

BIG PROJECT: Iberdrola subsidiary Scottish Power will build world’s second-largest windfarm.

in the East of England and across the UK.

“I am delighted that Scottish Power and Iberdrola are investing in the UK, creating thou-

sands of jobs and crucially helping millions of families keep their homes warm with cheaper, renewable energy,” the Prime Minister said.

Calviño answers back

SPARRING continues between Spain and multinational Ferrovial, which is shifting its headquarters to the Netherlands. Economic Affairs minister Nadia Calviño again insisted that there was nothing to prevent a company from listing on both the Spanish and US stock exchanges, as Ferrovial maintains.

“The National Securities Commission (CNMV) and Stock Exchanges and Markets (BME) analysed this in depth, going to the United States to speak to their American counterparts who identified no differences between Spain and any other country that justified Ferrovial’s reasons for relocating to the Netherlands,” Calviño said.

gan to price in a 50bps hike in March.

However, the US dollar’s gain evaporated almost immediately as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank reversed these rate hike bets.

The days leading up to the Fed’s March rate decision saw the ‘greenback’ fluctuate wildly as USD investors repeatedly repriced their Fed rate hike expectations.

The Fed ultimately delivered another 25bps hike. But its dovish forward guidance piled pressure on the US dollar and sent USD exchange rates tumbling to a one-month low.

Turning to April the direction of the US dollar may be dependant on the outlook for the global financial system. Further uncertainty, or fears of a recession could see demand for the safe-haven ‘greenback’ strengthen.

Currencies Direct have helped over 430,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your currency transfers.

From office to store

EL CORTE INGLES is transferring 2,324 office and administrative staff to its stores.

Last February, Spain’s leading department store chain announced that it would be taking this step to provide more support for its stores and shops “while addressing sales growth and improving customer care and service.”

A statement issued by El Corte Ingles explained that its agreement with the unions was based on maintaining employment and at the same time providing “voluntary severance” for the chain’s longest-serving employees.

Measures include an incentivised redundancy scheme for 630 employees who will be over 59 by June 30 this year, 40 more than was originally announced.

The agreement reached with the unions also improved the exit deal for employees who preferred to leave owing to the “substantial change” in their future roles.

That’s the spirit!

ON taking over as chief executive at Diageo, Debra Crew will be one of the few women at the head of an FTSE 100 company. Before her appointment as chief operating officer in October 2022, Crew was previously president of Diageo North America, overseeing the company’s largest market.

She joined Diageo in 2019 after heading tobacco firm Reynolds American, until it was acquired by British American Tobacco (BAT), having previously spent five years at PepsiCo.

Diageo, which makes Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Baileys and is the world’s biggest spirits manufacturer, employs 28,000 people globally and sells more than 200 brands in more than 180 markets.

DOWNING STREET: Rishi Sunak, Grant Shapps and Ignacio Galan.

Photo credit: Iberdrola

CAN anyone please tell me what is actually occurring on this planet of ours? The whole shebang seems to be teetering on some kind of destabilising precipice, with our so­called leaders stumbling through it all in a complete befuddled daze.

Politicians groping through a tangled jungle of confusion and governmental garbage, getting all their priorities wrong and having no knowledge or way of even vaguely coming to grips with it all. Those, who are laughingly under the impression that they can make a difference, are all rushing around, trying to look important and ultimately reversing up their own backsides. I cannot help but think we are yet again all pawns in some devious plan, set in motion by those who truly run our lives.

Shadowy figures, who walk the secret corridors of those who hold the wealth of the world to their electronic bosoms. These individuals instigate, and even rely on worldwide destabilisation, confusion and chaos to put their own

Good luck all

conniving and self ­ gratifying schemes into operation. Dividing and prospering is their specialty.

Another Leapy rant I hear you say? Well I was accused of plenty of those, when I warned 30 or more years ago that if we didn’t come to terms and sort out the immigration problems, it would be too late and our enemies would be everywhere.

So, don’t dismiss the ol’ boy’s ramblings too flippantly. Look at the state we’re all in. Those who pronounced they were ‘offended’ with Christmas celebrations and preferred ‘Happy Holidays’ have managed to cover the whole of London’s West end with Ramadan lights and paraphernalia during the Christian celebration of Lent!

Most of the dissenters originated in the Middle East. They were welcomed into the country by a caring race of people, willing to share the peace and love instigated by their ancestors, who died in their millions to build a society of citizens that due to order and constructive hard work didn’t have to roam the land or exist in chaos.

I would also like to have been a fly on the wall of Putin’s palace when he met the Chinese PM. China isn’t quite ready to take over the world yet (50 years to go!) and its weapons are at the moment still electronic. The criminal elements of Russia are still fighting with the antiquated abilities of the Second World War, which the Chinese will only use when its enemies have been brought to their knees by electronics and nukes.

I just can’t shake off the feeling that the whole operation is some kind of smoke screen, devised by these hidden manipulators to create some form of new world order which will be beneficial to only them. Islamic leaders in Saudi Arabia don’t seem to be experiencing too much turmoil. They are actually building a whole modern city underground. When it all hits the fan, that’s where the Sheiks and all their oily mates will be.

Good luck all.

Keep

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

BRITS BANNED? OUR VIEW

THE news that Amsterdam is trying to deter British stag groups from its famously tempting streets can only be good for other European destinations. After all, the campaign is hardly likely to stop stag groups travelling abroad, but it may just change where they go.

But is singling out particular groups ever really the answer to anything?

If what Amsterdam is hoping to achieve is fewer British men roaming the streets looking for cheap drink, legal drugs, and an availability of women for sale, perhaps they should begin by looking at what caused men to flock there in the first place; Holland’s own laws.

A famously open ­ minded culture though, it would probably go against the Dutch grain to delegalise some of the things the country is best ­ known for. Therefore, why not take the same liberal approach to the types of people who want to visit Amsterdam?

If what their government values highly is a live and let live society therefore perhaps it is unfair after all to single out one type of traveller.

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

LIKE an essential riposte to the continuing waves of appalling global events, crime novels have seen a sales boom, a trend unforeseen even by hard ­ bitten crime fiction detectives. Anxious about volatility in the real world, readers now seek reassurance in stories where baddies get their just deserts.

People face many challenges in life and crime fiction lets readers forget their own struggles. They like a ‘formula’. There’s a death. A detective investigates. The perpetrator is unmasked in a plot involving cunning clues, red herrings and final justice. No mystery at all!

One challenge one family recently faced was the tragic disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley. Coincidentally, my just­published thriller ‘The Couple across the Street’ begins with the disappearance in a river of a woman, Michelle. But that’s where the similarities ­ spoiler alert ­ end!

This novel was started a year ago before any hint of Nicola Bulley’s fate (my books take a year from research, first draft through to final version and publication). And the situation it depicts doesn’t

Know your neighbours?

And, yes, you guessed, the reasons concern a criminal act. Crime fiction, after all, is my passion. Triggered initially by the study of criminal law for a J D (Juris Doctor) law degree decades ago in Los Angeles (winning the Moot Court Prize ­ a surreal Perry Mason­type experience) where I lived for many eventful years. One morning shortly after Finals, for example, a tax law Professor was shot dead right in front of me! I never did discover if he’d upset some former client or just a student with poor grades…

And this latest suspense thriller? Nicola Goodwin never imagines herself as a widow in her mid­30s. Losing her husband to a sudden illness shatters her world, but then she unexpectedly meets up with Matt Collins, her childhood love.

As they reconnect after years apart, Nicola can’t help but fall for him.

DI Barbara Forster seeks answers with the help of Alice Myers, an investigative journalist and creator of an edgy truecrime podcast. As they dig deeper into Michelle’s life, they discover a complex web of secrets and lies that paints a much darker picture, the truth more shocking than anyone imagined.

Throughout it all, Nicola stands by Matt’s side, determined to show he is blameless and salvage their relationship. But with more deaths and the evidence mounting against him, she begins to wonder if she truly knew the man she fell in love with.

In the end, the truth emerges, but at a steep cost. Will Nicola be left alone once again, wondering if it was all worth it...

A story of how a past passion leads to betrayal and a terrible revenge ­ one that still torments the present.

arise just from feelings of sympathy for the bereaved family left behind. But for quite different reasons. Something that’s puzzled and intrigued me for decades and I needed to explore in this latest book.

Their affair is passionate and all­consuming, but just as Matt finally decides to leave Michelle, his wife, Michelle disappears without trace. When a body is found and identified as hers, apparently a suicide, Matt’s infidelity is considered the primary reason by her grieving family.

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense 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.

Easter! Chocolate, parties, and booze…

EASTER is here and the yearly influx of visitors has begun. What is a happy time for most, can instil dread in others. Whilst the children are busy hunting chocolate eggs, the adults can get stuck into the booze. Or is that just you? Do you find every social event is an excuse for a drink? Does it feel like all celebrations end with a hangover?

Maybe you have humiliated yourself, or your partner with your drunken behaviour. Perhaps this has stopped you seeing friends completely, deciding it is just easier to sit at home and drink alone.

Does any of this ring a bell with you? Has your drinking become an issue for you, or those around you?

Is your life out of control and unmanageable? Are you feeling isolated and lonely because of your alcohol use?

Millions of people worldwide have admitted defeat in in trying to control their problem drinking.

They found a solution that works; Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) ­ a 12 Step fellowship group.

Here two members of AA talk about how their drinking led them to ask for help.

“My name is Ava. I always knew there was a problem with the way I drank, other people didn’t hide their drinking. Other people could

stop once they started. I was in denial. I was able to give up alcohol for short periods of time, so I kidded myself, that I was in control.

“There was no single occasion that I would count as my rock bottom. It was more a feeling of being totally broken and hating myself. I was sick of the lies. I had no self­respect. The unmanageability of my

life was getting worse, I knew I needed help.

“I went along to my first AA meeting. Everyone was brighteyed and they were laughing, I wanted some of what they had.”

“My name is Terry. My drinking really took off in my late 20s, when I partied constantly. I was aware of the quantities I was drinking; but I didn’t understand what the consequences would be, or how fast my alcoholism was developing.

“I couldn’t accept the feelings I was experiencing; my self­worth was low; and my dignity was damaged. I would wake most mornings and try to piece together what had happened the night before, call friends to fill in the gaps, and try and laugh it off. But really, I was heading down a very dangerous path.

“I called the AA helpline and there was a calmly spoken gentleman on the other end. He told me

he would take me along to a meeting of AA, which he did.

“All I really remember from that first meeting was the kindness given to me and the complete lack of judgement. To anyone struggling, it is up to you to decide your path. I can wholeheartedly recommend AA. Try a few meetings. It worked for me; it really did give me my life back.”

Are the consequences of your alcohol use getting too much? Is alcohol costing you more than money? If you are ready to stop drinking, or want support to help you try, then don’t wait until it gets any worse, get in touch.

There are meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, with friendly people who understand, held daily throughout the Costa del Sol. Meetings are free to attend, and anyone who thinks they may have a problem with alcohol is welcome.

Nora Johnson’s opinions are her own and are

necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

Nora’s latest thriller.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

TOO MUCH?: Daily AA meetings are held on the Costa del Sol.

BILL ANDERSON A PUBLIC SERVANT

ALTHOUGH I have been away from my home country for over 20 years, I still follow what is happening in Scotland from the corner of my eye, I wouldn’t say it is with interest: more out of curiosity.

I did follow the Kate Forbes/Humza Yousaf leadership battle for the SNP, though. We know that Yousaf won the battle: the first ‘person of colour’, and a practising Muslim, to run Scotland.

I watched a debate recently on this issue and the question, referring to Kate Forbes, was whether a person’s religious beliefs should exclude them from Public Office. The Mainstream Media already decided long before the actual election that in her case that it should. I am not a religious person, far from it in fact, but I have to say that it was refreshing to hear someone (Forbes) standing up for her beliefs and not giving a mealy mouthed answer about her views on gay marriage.

I am sure that if she had smudged her answer or even worse lied about it, she may have won the election. Whether it would have been better or worse for the Scottish Nation, who knows? It was, however, refreshing to catch a glimpse of that rare commodity called integrity

POLITICAL SUICIDE?

the tourists, of whom there are many this year, regardless of their religious beliefs.

So, I ask the question, “Should I be excluded from Office for my lack of religious beliefs?” It is true that I don’t fit into the mould of a typical Spanish local politician. Some accept that, and it bothers others. I have to ask what my motivation would be to participate in these processions. It would not be on religious or faith grounds so presumably it would be for political reasons. I know that church and state in Spain have a long history of being long term bedfellows . I am not comfortable with it, but I do accept it.

within the political circus. I don’t hold her views but I admire her sincerity even if it bordered on political suicide.

The funny thing is that as we are now in Semana Santa, I find myself in a completely reversed position in relation in my role as a local councillor. I finally didn’t get any grief this year for refusing to carry a silver sceptre in the Semana Santa processions. It is accepted that, in

at least this part of Spain, if you are a councillor you should participate in the processions of thrones through the streets, attend masses, and visit the Hermandades (brotherhoods) which are responsible for the Easter processions.

Let me make it clear, I have no objection whatsoever to these events, and I know they mean a lot to some local people, as well as being a great spectacle for

I do find it strange, however, that politicians who heavily criticise the church for its role in the Spanish Civil War, who don’t go to church with any kind of regularity, if at all, proudly march at the front of Semana Santa processions. One can only assume that for many it is an act of a political nature.

I take this as just another sign that I struggle to fit in to the Spanish political mentality where everything is an opportunity to tout for votes even if you don’t believe in it.

SCOTTISH NATION: Recently elected a new leader.

Not so bad after all

Raise a glass

SCIENTIFIC researchers in Canada recently announced that women could safely indulge in a large glass of wine a day.

On average this would not “significantly” increase the risk of death, they said.

Another gender gap

AN A&E doctor who sees roughly 26,000 patients a year said that malecentric medicine put women at a disadvantage.

ULTRA­PROCESSED food bad for us, we all know that.

They are increasingly linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes and are regarded as a cancer risk, but a leading nutritionist recently defended five ultra ­ processed foods.

Talking to the UK media recently, Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an expert in nutrition at the University of Reading, described the ultra­processed food label as

“vague” and pointed out that it painted food that was basically “fine” as “unhealthy.”

Mass­produced supermarket bread, fish fingers, baked beans, breakfast cereal ­ when not sugar­laden ­ and baby formula, are all ultraprocessed as they usually have five or more ingredients and are present in most UK diets.

“There is no reason to assume they are all unhealthy,” Professor Kuhnle said.

For men, this could increase to two large glasses, they said, after reviewing 107 studies that covered more than 4.8 million people.

The investigators compared the odds of dying among non­drinkers to the odds for drinkers with low, medium, high or very high alcohol consumption.

Females who drank moderately and fell into the low alcohol consumption group, were found to have no significant increase in their risk of death compared to female non­drinkers. These women drank less than 25 grammes of alcohol a day, the equivalent of one large glass of wine, or three small measures of gin.

DAILY TIPPLE: Perhaps not so bad as previously thought.

Sun-dried

A STUDY by the Microbiology department at Aston University in Birmingham concentrated on pinpointing locations where bacteria lurk in family homes.

Findings included a warning about leaving wet laundry in the machine for even a short time. As germs can flourish if clothes remain wet for more than 30 minutes, it is best to do another cycle, the investigators recommended.

Alarmed readers belonging to the “eat a peck before you die” generation might find some consolation in the Spanish belief that washing which dries in the sun gets sterilised anyway.

“Female bodies are physiologically different from men’s on every level, from chromosomes and hormones to our bodily systems and structures,” Dr Alyson McGregor wrote in her recently ­ published book. “The medicine that works for men doesn’t always work for, or even apply to, women.”

The assumption that what makes sense in a male body must make sense in a female one was flawed, she maintained.

“Despite this, the current medical model is based on, tailored to, and evaluated according to male models and standards,” Dr McGregor declared.

Photo credit: Pexels/Vlada Karpovich

Photo credit: Pixabay/MabelAmber

SUPERMARKET BREAD: Not necessarily unhealthy.

Ageing gracefully

A SURVEY of 1,000 British women by a collagen brand found that women grew in confidence as they aged.

Those between 60 to 70 were more confident

about their appearance than any other age group, the study found.

Two­thirds in this group said that they felt confident about how they looked, compared with

approximately half of those in their 20s.

Women between 70 and 79 were the secondmost assured, with 57 per cent liking what they saw in the mirror.

Watch your step

ANYONE struggling to walk 10,000 steps each day will be heartened to know that 8,000 still bring significant health benefits.

Reaching the 8,000 target once or twice weekly cut the risk of all­cause and cardiovascular mortality by 15 per cent for 3,000 people participating in a 10­year US study.

Reaching 8,000 steps a day for between three and seven days a week slashed early death risk by 17 percent, doctors noted.

DAILY STEPS: 8,000 acceptable for those unable to reach 10,000.

“Our findings suggest that 8,000 steps on as few as one to two days per week may

be a feasible option for individuals striving to achieve some health benefits.”

No bad hair days

EVERY day can be a good hair day even when yours isn’t at its best.

Brush with a soft bristle brush before washing to break down product build­up, and choose sulphate­free products to avoid dry hair now that sunny days are back on the Costas.

If hair is greasy and there’s no time to shampoo, try refreshing it with a blast of cool air. When it’s beyond help, put long hair up in a topknot and choose a half­up, half­down style for mid­length. For short hair, go for a side parting or tuck it behind your ears. Whatever you do, the secret is to make it look intentional, hairstylists say.

SUNSCREEN should be applied daily, particularly now that the warmer weather has arrived and the sun is harsher.

Even on dull days, ultraviolet radiation can come through clouds and rain and although it has benefits that include creating Vitamin

D, it also poses health risks for the skin.

Sunscreen is vital, but not all go on easily with other creams so it helps to leave a good 15 minutes between using moisturiser and the SPF.

Photo credit: Pixabay/Dietcheese

1 in 5 women changed their skincare routine because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Top class LETTERS

HELLO

I was just sitting down to message you and say congratulations to the team on an outstanding edition of Euro Weekly

The Women in Business section is top notch. These women are deserving of recognition, brilliant.

Apart from that the paper appears to have more interesting features than normal. I feel it’s like a Sunday paper but without the colour supplement.

Really first class. Thank you.

Berni Albrighton, Almeria

Dear Editor

IT is over 100 years since the First World War which lasted from 1914 till 1918 and this trench warfare is now being re­enacted in Bakhmut.

To get an idea of this, just watch ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’.

Absolutely horrific for all men there fighting for their country.

Putin has a lot to answer for!

Brian Johnston, Benalmadena

Delivery service

First of all I would like to thank you on behalf of the community of Caravaning & Camping La Manga for starting to recommence the delivery service of the Euro Weekly News to our site. It’s been long awaited and understand the reasons why due to the impact of the past few years that rocked the nation and the world. Hopefully we can all try and get carefully get back to some kind of normality, but not forget the virus still lingers on.

Anyway, having seen that we have received the first batch of papers. May I request an additional 50 copies be delivered knowing the amount of residents that reside here. The numbers will go up especially during the winter months from September to late March when the snow birds come down for the winter sun. The papers are so informative and would be gratefully received. Hopefully you can supply more now and a further increase later after the summer.

Yours gratefully

Mr S L Tryner (Resident)

Joe’s letter

Whilst I sympathise with him, he admitted living illegally in Spain for 13 years, only returning to the UK when the 90/180 day rule caught up with him. For 10 years of that 13 he would have been on a UK state pension, so if registered here, eligible for S1 free medical cover for him and his wife. He therefore did not ‘need’ two lots of expensive private

health insurance for 10 of the 13 years. He also paid non­resident tax unnecessarily for 13 years.

He said he and his wife did not register in Spain because they wanted access to NHS in UK. That of course was not legal. On returning to the UK he was not able to get a hernia operation on the NHS, so went private. Had they been legal they could have continued living happily in Spain and had free medical treatment for his hernia, gall stones, enlarged prostate, wife’s Parkinson’s, etc.

Lastly; He adversely compared his failure to get an NHS hernia operation with Gary Glitter, who had a knee operation on NHS. However Glitter although convicted, was legally entitled to NHS cover in UK.

Sorry Joe but honesty often is the best policy !

John Carrington

Blue Badge

Like Valerie Neale, I know that getting a Blue Badge is not easy, and it is not issued by one’s GP.

Some years ago I investigated the procedure which involved an appointment with Social Services at the town hall where the procedure is started.

Next, you go to your GP so that they can certify that the applicant, my wife in this case, does indeed qualify for a Blue Badge.

When you have that, back you go to the town hall, and are told you might get your Badge within two years! Because I drive and my wife has a wheelchair, I gave up as we have not met any situation, so far, where a Blue Badge would have helped.

Regards.

Ken Cook, Gata de Gorgos

Breaking point!

Zimbabwe’s economy has been devastated by corruption and more than two decades of sanctions. The latest Al Jazeira four­part documentary has began to completely expose and reveal the illegal mafia type organisation that is ZANU­PF. It is clear that the Zimbabwean president position is unattainable after the exposure of the gold scandal. Gold Smuggler, Ewan Macmillan tells us that another Gold smuggler Simon Rudland has unfettered access to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Mr John Mangudya. It was also revealed that the gospel minister, Ubert Angel, obtains the highest level rank of dimpomacy in Zimbabwe. Angel is heard saying in his own words, “The president will rule until he dies.”

Corruption in Zimbabwe is clearly at an all time high. The world cannot watch such atrocities happen and do nothing.

Michael Tinarwo

THE tourist season is about to burst into action so I think I should just put out a small reminder of some of the snags.

The threat of kidnapping is very real. Criminals flock to where tourists abound. We’re easy prey whether it be for a scam, rental or otherwise, for pick ­ pocketers and people who specifically come to steal our children.

Unfortunately, there have been a few recent incidents which have prompted me to highlight this in particular. Please keep an eye on your children at all times and I

MARBELLA MOMENTS

BY NICOLE KING

mean all times, there are people who are ready to snatch your child even if you just turn your back for a moment.

Having your car stolen is another thing to watch out for. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition at a petrol station at any moment, or leave your car running if you’re not in the car; even for an instant. Don’t leave your child or your handbag in the car whilst loading

your shopping, they are not visible at all times. Don’t leave a child in the car even whilst just popping over to a cashpoint.

Another thing to look out for is the extra tourist traffic, particularly the Brits who may also like to drink and aren’t used to driving on the other side of the road. Visitors to our city are not as aware of their surroundings and will often make false turns and abrupt stops. Please keep this in mind.

Traffic is already overwhelming without the imminent influx of holidaymakers, so we need to make allowances for longer travel time, not faster speeds to compensate our lack of forethought.

Added to this chaos is the daily challenge of

You can make a difference

THE British Benevolent Fund was founded over a century ago to provide help for those Britons in Spain in extreme financial distress.

Over its many years of existence, the BBF has acted as a ‘charity of last resort’ for those who have nowhere else to turn. It has seen more than in its fair share of the worst that life can throw and the resilience of people once they have a lifeline.

Sometimes a small amount makes a big difference.

Barry was a 62, had been living as a resident in Spain for years, lived alone doing seasonal and temporary work.

When the pandemic began, he was an early casualty ­ but there was no work ­ the bars closed, and the streets empty. He applied for state aidwhich was declined ­ had no savings and with no income was forced to go to food banks and charities to survive. He did not have the rent to pay and would soon be on the streets.

And there was no sign of work. One of the charities who were helping Barry was one of

the BBF’s many partner charities found at https://www.sup portinspain.info/ who got in touch with us to see if there was a way to helping him through.

The BBF always looks for a solution and any funds are used in order to find one ­ in this case ­ there was no work and the BBF does not have the resources for ongoing payments.

But a plan was put togetherin the hope that work would come ­ and he would move out of the apartment and move to a room in a shared property.

The lifeline was just enoughwithin a few weeks he had found some part time work and then a few weeks later some more work.

Within a year he was managing a bar on the coast.

It was a long year coming ­

and Barry had many dark days but the lifeline kept him goingfinancially and more importantly that people wanted to help spurred him to every effort to get back on his feet. Where he remains.

The BBF can only help people like Barry with your help ­ if you would like to support our work with a donation please visit our website to see how www.britishbenevolentfund.or g. Thank you. Olaf Clayton, BBF Chair.

dealing with the lorries that trundle through our city at top speed. They have no consideration for our local traffic that potters onto the main road to take perhaps the very next exit to the supermarket. It is completely incongruous to have heavy loaded traffic ignoring our safety whilst often intimidating us by

tailgating. I think they should be made to use the toll road and only allowed down into the city at the nearest point to where they’re headed, with a permit! In the meanwhile, be aware.

On this note all of us should realise that comparably our cars can also be a massive threat to motorcyclists, cyclists and

nowadays motorised scooters, defenceless against our lack of deliberation. Remember to look in the mirrors and signal before making a manoeuvre, even if just changing lanes. Just because we see a parking space or think we’ve taken a wrong turn does not mean we can pull off or onto the road without sufficient warning to those circulating around us.

And finally, dear pedestrians, don’t put blind faith and trust in the zebra crossings. They’re all too frequently placed at the exit of main roads and on roundabouts, leaving little time to react, in a country that doesn’t automatically stop even in the best of circumstances.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

PETS

Five canine behaviours

EVER wonder what your dog is thinking or trying to tell you?

Here are the top five misunderstandings between humans and their dogs.

1. Tail wagging. They don’t always wag their tails when happy, this movement can also show signs of anxiety, stress, tension, or aggressiveness.

2. Yawning, isn’t always a sign that your dog is tired. Dogs yawn when they want to convey their disgust!

3. The play bow. A dog’s position when he wants to play is his head on his paws and bottom in the air. But he can also be claiming possession of something or asking for space.

Petsitters care for Dolly the dog

misunderstood MANY of our pet owners find trusted pet­sitters through our network because the pets love the company. Dolly is a perfect example of that. She loves playing and having a pet­sitter in­house while her owners are away suits her and her owners perfectly. If you are planning a trip later this year, register now to find pet­sitters in time. Even if it’s just a short trip, you’ll know that sometimes you just have to leave pets at home. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying in their own home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Let us help. Choose Housesitmatch.com for affordable travel, home and petcare. These are the steps to take:

4. A playful dog. This can mean they find it difficult to manage their emotions and is linked to nervousness in a dog.

5. Smiling. If you think your dog is smiling unfortunately you are mistaken. In fact, dog experts say this smile­like expression on a dog is more indicative of a stressor.

1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com

2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when

needed

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

4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go away. Sitters apply and you choose. How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you

Children & pets

DO your kids and pets see eye to eye or does skin and hair fly? We know that having a pet can benefit our kids, they can help with learning, provide comfort and company to kids. They have even been known to boost a kid’s self­esteem and keep them healthy. As both children and pets both vie for their parent’s/owner’s attention how can we keep the peace between them? Also how can we help them to play nicely? Here are some top tips to help our furry friends get along with our childen.

choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.9 /

5 Excellent

10 out of 10 for housesit match.com

I have had nothing but good and helpful service from the people who run this site, and my experience has been excellent. Tristram Cosgrave ­ Dog and cat owner, Malaga How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesit match. com.

Do you need a housesitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and petsitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either housesitter or homeowner with a 50% discount using coupon code 20EWN – an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com

Animal Welfare Law Spain

THE new animal welfare law approved by the Spanish Congress of Deputies is now in effect. Here are the 10 new obligations for dog owners.

1. Take out civil liability insurance for damages to third parties, whatever the breed or size of the dog.

2. Take a mandatory course. Everyone must take a course and will have a period of two years to do it. All the details are not clear yet about this but it will be free and online.

3. All dogs must pass a sociability test, those that don’t pass will be required to wear a muzzle and a short leash.

4. A dog may be alone at home for a maximum of 24 hours. They cannot live on bal­

conies or in basements. The fine for this can reach €10,000.

5. Pets must be integrated into the family nucleus and kept clean.

6. Avoid uncontrolled reproduction. Breeding may only be carried out by approved breeders.

7. It is forbidden to leave them at any time inside a closed vehicle.

8. They can not be tied up or wander through public spaces without supervision.

9. They should not deposit their droppings or urine in places of habitual passage. If it happens the owner must clean them.

10. Facilitate veterinary treatments.

1. Supervise the interaction between our children and pets. Our pets, even though they are part of the family, are still animals after all and we cannot eliminate the risk of aggression towards children. Especially as kids are known to pull a tail or an ear every now and again.

2. Assign an area where the pet can retreat to when he needs time alone without interaction with the little ones.

3. It helps to define the different areas in the household so for example a play area and a rest area. The use of security gates can help identify each area.

4. As well as training your pets it is helpful to educate children how to play and interact with animals, respecting them and their space.

5. When bringing a pet into a household or a baby into a household with an existing pet it is helpful to warn the animal or the child beforehand.

Pawsome teachers

IN an effort to help children manage their emotions and improve the relationship between animals and other children some schools in Spain have introduced dogs to the classroom.

They hope this initiative will help combat bullying at schools and stop violence against dogs. It is a programme of Assisted Interventions with Animals (IAA) that is specifically designed to work on empathy and emotions toward them.

With 24.4 per cent of primary and secondary Spanish students observing bullying in their school this is a very important topic. This programme offers emo­

tional intelligence tools and develops social­emotional skills among minors and works on the benefits of mindfulness through this practice. Nuria Máximo, the director of the URJC the Animal and Society Chair spoke about the positive feedback that has been received from this programme and because of this has decided to renew it again for a third year.

Some of this course is taught online but some modules are taught in person with experts in educational psychology and canine educators. They use dogs that have been adopted and already trained.

Dolly loves playing with her petsitter while her owners are away

VINYL WRAP

AIR CONDITIONING by Cool and Cosy. The family company that cares. Installation and repairs. Quality machines. Ecosense movement sensors supplied and fitted from 100 Euros. For other energy-saving products visit www.cooland cosy.es. 952 935 513. We are Junta de Andalucia authorised installers as the new law states (real decreto 115/2017). On the Costa del Sol since 1993

QUALITY Air Conditioning Installations. Economical to use, & silent in operation. 26 Years installation history in Spain. EnviroCare. All Areas

Covered. 952 663 141/670 409 759 info@envirocare spain.com www.envirocare spain.com (301178)

MR COOL – Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, Heating Systems, Sales & Service – Call Christian +34 629 527 587 or Nick +34 618 678 853 –www.mrcool.es (303225)

ACE OF SHADES – All colours available. Urbanisations catered for, electric and manual operation; also recovery service available, largest selection of colours and designs on the coast. Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades. design T1(101730)

SUNSHINE AWNINGS/BLINDS

Awnings, Persiana, Shutter & Rejas Specialist. New & Repairs. 25yrs on the coast. 680 323 969 / 952199 640

ACE OF SHADES - Vertical, Venetian, Roman, Roller, Wooden blinds, various colours available, also black-out blinds. Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades.design

BLINDS, awnings, mosquito screens, curtains, vast choice. All areas covered. Coast and inland. 655 825 931 (294242)

MOSQUITO screens, sliding, pulldown, pleated, colours call Mosquito Nick 647 072 861 www.mosquitonick.ws

SOLAR BLINDS

SOLAR BLINDS ES Ideal for large glazed areas to reflect heat / glare and stop furniture fading and still keep the view. SAVE HEAT IN THE WINTER to improve your living environment. ian@solarshadetinting.com Tel Ian 958 496 571 / 644 546 176

JIM’S HOME IMPROVEMENTS. Bathrooms/kitchen reforms, repairs, plumbing, carpentry, painting, tiling, maintenance. Give us a call no job too small. 692 207 799 / 645 559 423 (302457)

www.handymanservices.es

Electrician, plumbing, construction, painting. Innovation. ROT deduction for Swedish, Sotogrande to Marbella 648 712 530 (302411)

GENERAL BUILDER, Tiling, plastering, painting, electrician, plumber, carpentry. Reasonable prices. 635 913 885 (References available) (302414)

SWINGLES CASAS SL . For all your building needs. Visit www.swinglescasas.com for more details or call 635 999 765 / 666 960 262 (295953)

PLUMBING & GENERAL BUILDING All your plumbing needs. Bathroom, kitchens, tiling & painting. Benalmadena based, travel no problem. Glen 669 073 773 or Paul 642 098 115 (302310)

METALWORK

NEW REJAS, GATES, Carports & Fencing, repairs & alterations. Work Guaranteed. Reliable. 19yrs on Coast. Steve the Welder. Call/WhatsApp 655 040 648 (303060)

VERY profitable turn key classic car business for sale due to family reasons; proven turnover; international clientele; mainly online sales; no technical experience needed; training provided by current owner; 150,000€ all in (cars, parts, website, company, contacts, rented warehouse, training, etc...) 699 545 480 (290200)

ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET? International Business Licences Available. Part Time. Home Based. Discover More. algar83@gmail.com (303148)

HOUSE CLEARANCE SPECIALISTS, FULL OR PART CLEARANCE. ALL FURNITURE WANTED, WE PAY MORE. TEL 634 324 914 OR EMAIL houseclearanceman@hotmail.com (301543)

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

ALHAURIN FURNITURE EMPORIUM Buyers & Sellers of quality furniture. Top prices paid. Also buy cars, campervans, boats & bikes. 697 511 071 (302540)

WE BUY vintage antiques, designer clothing & accessories. Good rates paid. Discretion assured. 613 822 572 / +447778 422 305 (302627)

PAINTINGS for Sale by famous Painters. For more information contact 662 474 089 (290150)

ALH RENT A CAR – SHORT & LONG-TERM RENTALS FROM €15 A DAY. INSURANCE INCLUDED IN OUR PRICES. www.alhrentacar.com - TLF: 638 846 909 or reser vasalhrentacar@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL CARPENTRY Car-Ports, Mobile Home Decking. Concreting and Slabbing. Best Rates, Fully Insured. Tel: 622 647 602 (303113)

Mijas Aquapark) on Sundays at 11.00am. Pastor, Andrew Seale Tlf 682 713 491 www.thearkspain.com (293850)

ADVANCED Cleaning Services. Professional carpet, upholstery cleaning, 27 years experience, wet/dry clean. Honest, reliable service 678 808 837 / 952 669 701 or email acservs@outlook.com (290189)

UPHOLSTERY including leather cleaned also carpets. 685 524 921 (290189)

REYES PROPERTY SERVICES Est. over 25 years. Rental management. Tailor made for your all property needs. Call Wendy 635 630 370 (303017)

STARLIGHT Property Cleaning & Maintenance. All types of cleaning. Any size of property. All Areas. Residential & Holiday Lets. 682 636451 www.starlight-spain.com (302059)

RAINBOW Pinturas . English Painters & decorators. All aspects. Interior/exterior, private residential, commercial & communities. Spraying: door, kitchens & furniture. Light construction. Call/WhatsApp: Daniel: 628 066 308 www.rain bowpinturas.com (302039)

ATD DECOR. British Painter. 30 Years’ Experience. Punctual. Great Rates. Call for free quote. 602 431 968 Facebook: @ATDDecorMalaga (303106)

BESPOKE PAINTER general, mural & restorer, for internal/exterior designs 654 866 393 (303133)

DOMESTIC Appliance repairswashing machines, fridges, cookers, ovens, water heaters, gas / electric, professionally repaired. Christian 608 337 497 (296265)

WASHING MACHINES, Ovens, Boilers etc. All work guaranteed by ex Zanussi technician. Reliable rapid service. Joe 609 345 096 (303048)

BLOCKED DRAINS? Leak detection, CCTV survey, root removal, Tel 952 568 414 / 661 910 772 / drain spain.com (294321)

ALL ELECTRICAL work, rewiring, fault finding 30 years’ experience. Frank Tel. or Whatsapp 650 561 629 (302735)

MARBLE FLOOR (2.50€/m2) WHY PAY MORE. WE CLEAN, CRYSTALLISE, SEAL THEN POLISH YOUR MARBLE TO HIGH GLOSS, NON-SLIP. PROFESSIONAL GUARANTEED, FAST SERVICE. 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE. ALSO REPAIRS DAMAGES TO MARBLE, CLEAN AND SEAL TERRACOTTA TERRACES, COVERS ALL COSTA DEL SOL. TEL: 671 244 683 (303059)

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

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

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

COLLECTIVE CALLING are urgently requesting donations of clothing, homeware & furniture, so if you are having a House Clearance, Please call us for FREE COLLECTION. We sell good quality items, which then supports low-income families and the homeless in the community. These items can be dropped directly to our charity shop Tienda Solidaria: Av. Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 4, San Pedro de Alcantara, alternatively, call us to arrange collection on +34 711 006 961

CHIMNEY SWEEP. Clean reliable professional. All types, special price for more than one. Chris 608 337 497 (296265)

APEX CHIMNEY SERVICES, professional chimney sweeping and smoke testing. NACS Qualified. Clean and efficient Tel: Bob 696 320 202 (302584)

BENALMADENA Elim Family Fellowship. Elimfamilyfellowship.com or call 951 912 525 or 952 446 627.

CALAHONDA: Encounter Church (Elim), Family church with kids’ activities, Iglesia San Miguel, Sundays 4.30pm, Rev. David Hodgson, 695 115 496 (10012)

THE Ark Christian Church. We meet at The Ark Christian School, Calle Río Darro 2 y Plaza Juncal, 29651, Mijas Costa (the road behind the

THE FILMS SHOWING IN ENGLISH ARE FROM 07/04 TO 13/04

FILMS

FURNITURE wanted, same day collection, also house clearance and removals. Also buy cars, campervans, boats & bikes. 697 511 071 (302540)

bedroom wardrobes, fridge doors. Turn a tired looking wood designed kitchen into a modern solid colour or metallic look without painting or replacing. Work carried out on site with 10 year warranties Contact Ian 644 546 176 for design brochure and samples. (293467)

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

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

appointment as soon as possible because I am very requested. 650 237 145 (302727)

SUPER MARIO BROS: LA PELICULA

FRI: 16:30

SAT: 16:30

SUN: 16:30

TUE: 20:00

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

SAT: 13.15

SUN: 13:15

TUE: 17:00

JOHN WICK 4

SAT: 13:10

SUN: 13:10

TUE: 20:30

EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE AND ALL AT ONCE

SAT: 12:05

SUN: 12.05

THE POPE’S EXORCIST

TUE: 22:55

AIR

TUE: 19:35

RED DOG CINEMA EM M

PLAZA MAYOR CINEMA Malaga Puerto Banus

AIR MON, TUE, WED, THU 17:00 and 19:10 FRI, SAT, SUN : 15:15 and 19:30

COCAINE BEAR

MON, TUES, WED, THUR 22:10

FRI, SAT SUN 15:30

JOHN WICK 4

MON, TUES, WED, THUR 18:40 and 20:45

FRI, SAT, SUN 18:20 and 21:20

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH

THUR, FRI, SAT AND SUN: 12:30

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS

MON, TUES, WED, THUR 17:00

FRI, SAT AND SUN: 17:20

THE POPE’S EXORCIST

MON, TUE, WED, THUR 17:00 and 19:30

PROFESSIONAL garden services from Fuengirola to Estepona. All aspects of gardening and full maintenance and landscaping, free quotes, competitive prices. Contact Andrew 600 259 981 Andrew@garden -professionals.com (295350)

I RRIGATION

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

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

ALHAURIN FURNITURE EMPORIUM furniture wanted, same day collection, also house clearance and removals. Also buy cars, campervans, boats & bikes. 697 511 071 (302540)

ENGLISH ELEGANT independent & affectionate lady in late 40s, gives a sensual golfers massage to relieve tension in her discreet private apartment. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call 680 177 569 (303054)

CASSIE. Mature English lady. Discreet and clean. 667 914 732 (FU 2936)

MY HANDS can transmit a very important message and make us feel connected. I will create a suitable atmosphere for relaxation and sensuality without noise, candlelight, soft music, nothing should disturb that moment. Before we start, all you have to do is relax, breathe slowly to free your body and mind... I’ll take care of the rest. Irina, qualified masseuse with many years of experience. Book your appointment. 650 237 145 (302727)

ELECTRIC GATE/GARAGE

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

GATE REPAIRS GATES

ELECTRIC GATES/Garage Doors. Intercoms/access control systems and replacement remotes. New installs and repairs. For all your electric gate and garage door requirements call us on 605 356 469/952 786 178. The Garage Door Co & 2 Way Gates. tgdc@hotmail.co.uk www.2waygates.com (294592)

GLASS CURTAINS

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

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 (291234)

IT’S TIME to try something different and very relaxed. Sara, elegant masseuse, I offer massage, tantric, sensitive, prostatic, authentic relaxation that will leave you floating on the cloud. believe me spectacular! Very clean. I give and demand total hygiene! Let yourself go and you will discover the most hidden pleasures. Only by appointment. 650 237 145 (302727)

RIVIERA DEL SOL. I am Noa a simple and natural girl who hides among her shy appearance the best kept secrets of relaxing, decontracting and stimulating massage. I am a specialist in eliminating your worries, muscular tension thanks to a depurative massage technique that I combine with a sensory capacity out of the ordinary. I massage both men and couples. 650 237 145. by appointment only (302727)

CALAHONDA . I am your ideal masseuse if you want to enjoy a massage, relaxing and sensual and want to try the sensations that this generates. I will use my hands and body with techniques of relaxation and mutual connection. Carla – 650 237 145 (302727)

INTERPRETER LOCKSMITHS

RIVIERA DEL SOL . Treat yourself to an Excellent Massage! Irina, Cuban masseuse, fun and spontaneous. Only when a massage is something more than a massage, and becomes a unique experience, with a mixture of smells, sounds, sensations, only then is when you enjoy the perfection of the exclusive massage. Ask for more information without obligation 951 274 723, 650 237 145 (302727)

THE BEST RELAXING MASSAGE CLOSE TO ELVIRIA. Tantric massages. Come and enjoy today with us. Latin masseuses for men. Come and relax. Outcall, too 650 237 145 (302727)

INTERPRETER: Michael will assist/go with you to any appointment ie Townhall, Doctors etc call 606 809 042 (303058)

ENGLISH LOCKSMITHS, SECURITY & SHADE EXPERTS. FREE HOME SECURITY SURVEY. 636 770 865 / 952 660 233 WWW.SECURITYOFSPAIN.COM CONTACT DAREN (303056) T1

TANTRIC masseuse in Calahonda. Cristal, expert in the art of seduction and tantric massage. Authentic masseuse who manages to transmit the physical and emotional pleasure with the 5 senses. Sensual tantric massage or body to body to perfection. Make an appointment. 650 237 145 (302727)

HANDYMAN HEATING

HANDYMAN: General Masonry work, painting, wall/roof waterproofing & other jobs. Call Michael 622 755 666 (303058)

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

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

VINYL WRAP

VINYL SOLUTIONS WHY REPLACE WHEN YOU CAN RENOVATE? Modern adhesive vinyl coverings in hundreds of styles and designs can renovate a tired kitchen, bathroom, wall panels,

ENGLISH LOCKSMITH emergency & appointment, locks changed, patio doors & windows secured. All locks supplied insurance approved. Fast & reliable service. No hidden extras or nasty surprises. 657 466 803 www.a1locksmiths.es (290138)

MASSAGE

RELAXING Massage for Men & Couples. Feel free from tension & stress Call Dany 603 202 758 (303146)

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

BUTTERFLY - Massage, is a space designed for people with high sensitivity, with a taste for body to body interaction, who enjoy the sensuality and magical trantric, to feel the warm hands of an attractive masseuse running through your body. Our masseuses have been chosen not only for their physical attractiveness, but also for their sensuality and massage skills. Only by appointment 951 274 723, 650 237 145 (302727)

CALA DE MIJAS. Excellent professional masseuse with exclusive attention for people who want to change their routine and want to relax and live a relaxing experience. If you are looking for discretion and good treatment, here I am. I’m Noa and I hope you make your

INSURANCE

NEAR ELVIRIA. Masseuse, elegant with a high dose of implication. Very special tantric sensory massages. I will make you feel very relaxed with a good massage. 951 274 723, 650 237 145 (302727) MARBELLA CENTRE - the ideal place for relaxing massage in the city centre. Available 24h and prices from €50. For reservations and information call 620 366 817. (295192)

PROFESSIONAL MALE muscled masseur. Full-body relaxing, deep tissue and therapeutic massage. In/outcalls. WhatsApp me 607 595 906 (301288)

FUENGIROLA - Johanna Brazilian Mature Masseur. Relaxing Massages. Best relax guaranteed. Tel: 617.818.615 (303203)

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

LOS BOLICHES - Carolina Pretty Masseur, Relaxing Massage, Guaranteed relax - 634.703.111 (303203)

BENALMADENA lovely lady, offering you a very relaxing body massage. Call for an appointment 634 209 427 (303139)

FUENGIROLA. Japanese Shiatsu & Zen Ki relaxing and therapeutic massage. Excellent service guaranteed. Home Visits. WhatsApp for appointment 693 988 340 (290155)

WWW.LAILALYNCH1.COM

Heated pool, Jacuzzi and private bar. Inland private retreat with a full massage service. 662 913 428 (FU 2952)

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

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

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

ESTEPONA area. Kannika sweet Asian masseuse. Various massage. For more service details WhatsApp me 602 427 095 (FU 2891)

FILIPINO MASSAGE CENTRE

MARBELLA, where hearts of professional massage, open daily. 660 578 171 (MI 561)

FUENGIROLA Paula 30 years old beautiful, soft sensitive massages, deep body relaxation techniques

641 244 707 (FU 2908)

TWO filipina, simpathic excellent unique relaxing massage authentic oriental massage, exclusive. Elviria. 679 126 231 (MI 561)

BOLICHES CELINA independent loving lady, kind, beautiful affectionate only for educated discreet respectable gentleman! Enjoy deep sensitive exciting relaxing massages in private discreet apartment, quiet cosy atmosphere high satisfaction! Excellent calm treatments! Demanding excellent hygiene! Appointments 11am/6pm 622 210 797 (FU 2918)

UKRAINIAN / THAI slim, friendly, beautiful hands massage. Marbella. 604 428 812 (MI 561)

BEAUTIFUL Asian lady offer exclusive, sensitive, prostatic, deep, soft massage pleasure to body and mind pleasure, good clean atmosphere, Marbella. Elviria. 603 257 690 (MI 561)

ASIAN touch www.asianmassagemarbella.com combination oriental/ european massage. Elviria. 633 705 558 (MI 561)

OUTCALLS . New elegant masseuse for serious gentleman, good company, unforgettable times. Mijas Costa. 652 440 031 (FU 2942)

LAWYERS

ORIENTAL lady, tantric sensory generate body to body, technique, deep, soft massage. Marbella 603 208 080 (MI 561)

THAI Benalmádena Costa. Bodybody full massages. Visits. Whatsapp 689 387 448, 632 092 619 (MI 560)

VANESSA Benalmadena excellent massage services. Relaxing & therapeutic. Home premises. Call me 624 811 098 (303061)

NEW Salome 19 years old beautiful Arab masseuse, massage and relaxation 631 862 272. (FU 2957)

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

NEW Jazmin 19 years old Dominican mulatto, beautiful masseuse, massage and relaxation 631 862 272 (FU 2957)

MARBELLA Tantric ritual massage with aromatherapy to leave completely renewed. 642 751 070 (2907)

FUENGIROLA Centre. We are 5 beautiful friends, masseuses, discreet. Treat yourself. 631 862 272 (FU 2957)

MASSAGE! Outcalls everywhere in Costa del Sol! Gentlemen, ladies, couples are welcome! 604 256 336 (FU 2920)

SARA Venezuelan, professional relaxing therapeutic & sensitive massage. I can visit you. For more information contact me 632 770 051 (303021)

NEW Fuengirola Emily 19 years old massage and relaxation 603 366 841 (FU 2956)

PROFESSIONAL massage on the table. WhatsApp and Viber. Irina, blonde. 603 426 236 (FU 2919)

FUENGIROLA. Elegant masseuse, tantric, relaxing and sensitive massage. Carolina. 634 797 230 (fu 2930)

DUQUESA area. Relaxing massages are given to soothe body and mind. Call 610 056 299 (303300)

MARBELLA . Hi! I am Agness, beautiful masseuse, spectacular attributes. Relive stress, personalised massage, unforgettable sensations. 642 268 665 (fu 2931)

NUEVA Andalucia: Valery, Portuguese, mature, blond, sweet unique sensual massage. Independent. 685 221 959 (FU 2955)

ESTEPONA TOWN, Simply, sweet, Asian, variety of massages etc. More service details call/ WhatsApp me 678 315 756 (FU 2960)

VILLA MAGNA Benalmadenawith 8 masseurs & room rental –from 50€ - call 666 294 326 (303252)

ISDABE- SAN PEDRO. LOLA. RELAXING & SPORT MASSAGE. PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 670 794 029 (303182)

MASSAGE and fun !!! Genuine trained exotic male tantric masseur. 602 098 606 (FU 2958)

BENALMADENA FRIENDLY attractive masseuse, relieve muscle tension. From 50€. 613 106 153 (FU 2962)

FUENGIROLA. Relaxing massage made by alternative gender masseuse. Violeta Chiropractor. 660 867 374 (FU 2953)

MARBELLA Experienced mobile Masseuse. Therapeutic, & Relaxing massage for your body and mind. Call Monik 686 740 661 (290154)

JADE BRITISH lady offers sensual massage service for gentlemen & couples. Discrete premises. Estepona area. Call 665 896 519 (303143)

FUENGIROLA Paseo maritimo, private full massage service available 639 072 591 (303297)

SULTRY , sensuous, Gorgeous massage available by highly qualified Tai/Tantra professional. Private, discret apartment, Treat your Awesome Self. Telf: 602441700 (303256)

FOR SALE

ROBERTSON CARS ...would like to thank all of my past, present & future clients for their continued support over the last 35 years here in Spain. Stay safe and outdrive everyone. If contacting Samantha in the afternoons, please only Whatsapp on 608 658 785 or Email the robertsonclan@gmail.com as I am driving mostly & unable to take your calls.

AUDI TT QUATTRO convertible in Silver. 1 Lady owner for last 12yrs, used as a second occasional car, hence 98,000. New ITV. €7,500. Tel/Whatsapp: 606 006 222 (303150)

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

CAR SERVICES

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

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

IMPORT/TRANSFER

CARS TRANSFERRED, history checks, Imports and Embargo problems. Change of use and lost papers. Change your car to Spanish plates, simple efficient service. Cars bought and sold. Please call 678808837 or email carsinspain@ live.co.uk (290189)

MALE/Female Viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly all areas. Mixed trial packs available. Delivery or mail order available 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com

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

UK & IRISH Passport renewals including photos. Complete Service. Cath’s Cards. 952 885 759. www.cathscards.es (290153)

COCKROACHES, ANTS, insects, fleas, mice, rats, wasps, termite specialists. Fumigations, bars, restaurants, houses, etc. Sanitary department officially registered certificates. Serving the coast since 1985. Only legal English owned pest control company on the coast. If you want the best then phone N.P.S. Paul 676 700 370 (1296213)

KENNELS

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

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

MOSQUITO Screens for windows, doors and a high-quality sliding patio door screen. All finishes available. Quick service. All areas covered. Call Julian 655 825 931 (301104)

MOSQUITO screens, sliding, pulldown, pleated, colours, call Mosquito Nick 647 072 861 www.mosquitonick.ws

MISCELLANEOUS MOSQUITO SCREENS MOTORING

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

CARS, VANS, ANY RESGISTRATION, INSTANT CASH, FINANCE / EMBARGO UK OR SPANISH 685 524 921 (290189)

CARS, VANS UK OR SPANISH BOUGHT FOR CASH. FREE COLLECTION IN SPAIN / UK. PLEASE CALL 678 808 837 OR 952 669 701 (290189)

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

ROBERTSON CARS EGG-CITING EASTER SALE: AUTOMATIC / CABRIO MERCEDES SLK WAS €11,500 NOW €10,995 2006 Stunning Silver only used as holiday car with 55,000KMS (Approx 35,000miles) 2 Seater Convertible have fun in the sun. New ITV. Just Passed July till 2023 ,Electric Roof folds into boot. Selling Under Book Price. Classy Great Shape Mercedes Cracker of a Cabrio. See photos on my web page –www.robertsoncars-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785 Email: therobertsonclan@gmail. com

ROBERTSON CARS EGGCITING EASTER ARRIVAL: Automatic Ford B Max 2015 1.6 Petrol ONLY 35,000KMS. Silver in Spotless Condition, sliding side door makes parking easier and high seating position great for old legs, 5 DOOR, Hatchback Dog Friendly, One Private Owner, Ill Health Forces Sale , EVERYTHING YOU WANT BUY NOW 10,995€. To Test Drive Samantha Email therobertson clan@gmail.com www.robert soncars-spain,com or text me whatsapp 608 658 785

LEXUS 2.5 300 H Executive Navigation 4wd 197 CV Model Metallic Pearl, Imported, Purchased October 2020, 5090kms Hybrid and Petrol. Condition as new. Offers on 38,000€ Neg. Please Call 689 876 751 (303217)

WANTED

WANTED CARS AND VANS, FREE COLLECTION, SAME DAY 685 524 921 (290189)

CARS, VANS BOUGHT WITH / WITHOUT PAPERS. CASH WAITING 678 808 837 (303115)

ALL CARS / Commercials wanted, runners or non-runners. Cash. Buyer collects. Transfer included. 605 109 796 (302091)

CARS, Vans, Bikes wanted. Any Reg, Anything Considered Call or Whatsapp 687 049 592

WANTED, wanted, wanted!! All cars, all years, all models… from exotic to classic. Spanish, English, Dutch plated. Call us on 951 977 329 or 606 647 597. (302517)

CAT & DOG World Kennels and Cattery. 952 112 978 / 630 197 435. www.catanddogworld.com (302750)

ACE CHARITY ‘El Refugio’ in La Cala de Mijas is a registered charity. We have on average 275 dogs in our care and we receive no help from the town hall or the Andalucian government. We desperately need foster homes and adoptants for our many dogs, especially the small ones and puppies who do not do well in a big shelter. We are grateful for any help offered, including donations of food and blankets. Visiting times are from 13.00 to 15.00 and you can always turn up or make an appointment by calling Denise on 669 018 736. Our website is www.ace-charity.org where you can view all the dogs in our care. (93320)

DAVID CHRISTIAN-CLARK

PLAYS POPULAR SPANISH GUITAR FOR YOUR EVENT. OVER 30 YEARS PRO EXPERIENCE

BACKED BY A DIPLOMA FROM GUILDHALL LONDON. SPECIALISES IN WEDDINGS.ECLECTIC PLAYLIST TAILORED TO YOUR TASTE. REASONABLE RATES BY NEGOTIATION.COVERS GIB TO NERJA.SEE YOU TUBE. ENQUIRIES davechris tianclark@gmail.com (303110)

MUSIC NAUTICAL

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER

LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (303051)

YATCH SKIPPER RETIRED to enhance your boating skills, boat handling, maintenance, navigation, safety. On your own boat, any size of boat. Mike 602 533 508 (303066)

ADANA THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN ESTEPONA. We always need volunteers to walk and socialise with our dogs and help with cleaning. We also need good homes for our animals that you can see on www.adana.es. Kennels open every day 10-1.30, Camino de Casares, near Parque de los Pedregales, Estepona. (5 minutes from the Poligono) For more information call 952 113 467, available from 10.00am until 2.00pm. (93319)

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

If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

ARCH - The Andalucian Rescue Centre for Horses, registered charity 8448, the Centre is open to visitors every Sunday from 9am until 2pm. Working closely with the Spanish authorities, we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abused and abandoned horses and donkeys. Come and meet our current rescues, learn about our work and how you may be able to help. Run solely by a small team of dedicated volunteers, the Centre is located between Alhaurin el Grande and Coin in Comm. de Viña Borrego behind Venta Miralmonte. For more information and directions see our website www.horserescue spain.org, our Facebook page Centro Andalusi de Rescate de Caballos or tel. 610 845 491 or 656 935 613

SEPE the horse and donkey charity is open to the public at weekends from 10.00 to 5.00. Volunteers are much needed in all departments and are welcome at any time. For our riding for the disabled classes, we are also in need of extra helpers. We are nationally registered by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior (164640) but only with your support can we give the equine a voice. If you can just commit to 2 or 3 euros a month it will really help make a difference. You can find us at Lauro Golf Equestrian Centre, Alqueria, Alhaurin de la Torre. Tel. 608 258 950 info@sepe online.net www.sepeonline.net

SOS ANIMAL REFUGE we have dogs, young and old looking for homes. Some of our dogs have been with us for some time and would love to find a cosy spot to curl up in and a knee on which to rest their heads. If you have room in your heart and home we would love to hear from you. We do not put our dogs to sleep - no matter how old, they are safe with us. For day to day needs and to pay for veterinary care, we much appreciate the support we receive. We desperately need items to sell on our market stall to help raise funds and are happy to come and collect. So, if you are having a

SITUATIONS VACANT

clear-out, please contact us on 605 227 155. If you would like to know more about rehoming, please call 653 257 875. Visit our website www.sos-animals.org or please phone Sandy on 952 385 923 or 666 814 056 if you would like to make a donation or help in any way. (93317)

PROPERTY WANTED

MAN AND VAN

SITUATIONS VACANT

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

PLUMBING POOLS

THINKING of selling your property or interested in a current valuation? We have clients actively looking for properties from Torremolinos to Calahonda. List with us and let us sell your property. Call Joe 626 864 683 (302705)

WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM

Costa del Sol Property Sales & Long term rentals wanted. All areas / All budgets / All types. Spain +34 951 708 422. UK +44 208 144 5008. Email info@intermarbella.com (303052)

PROPERTY FOR SALE

WWW.INMOANDALUZ.COM.

Bargain inland properties for all budgets, fincas, village homes, apartments and villas. Legal building plots. 952 491 609 / 685 514 835 (295954)

WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM

PROPERTY

Costa del Sol Property for sale. All areas / all budgets / all types. Spain +34 951 708 422. UK +44 208 144 5008 Email info@intermarbella.com

PROP MAINTENANCE

STARLIGHT Property Cleaning & Maintenance. All Areas. Residential & Holiday Lets. Persiana repairs, Decorating, Electrial & Plumbing repairs. 682 636451 www.starlight-spain.com (302059)

PROPERTY TO LET

LONG TERM RENTALS AVAILABLE and also wanted. Super prices. Apartments, townhouses, villas, fincas, shops, offices, bars, restaurants. Coast & inland. Tlf 679 111 522 (303025)

WWW.INTERMARBELLA.COM

Costa del Sol Property Long Term Rentals All areas / All budgets / All types. Spain +34 951 708 422 UK +44 208 144 5008. Email info@in termarbella.com (303052)

REMOVALS & STORAGE

15 CUBIC metre van returning to the UK 21 April 2023. Space available each way. Tel. 639 928 090 (303227)

SITUATIONS VACANT

MAN & VAN, 20€ ph. Removals, Rubbish & House Clearances. Paul 634 112 677 (291430)

2 MEN, Van €30 p hour. House Clearances & Storage. 651 081 610 (302401)

moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (294207)

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

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL

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

JDS EURO TRANSPORT & REMOVALS - Regular trips throughout Europe. Call or WhatsApp Julian 0044 7884 908 929. See Facebook Page for recommendations (301271)

moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (294207)

STORAGE

moveit-storeit.com Tel David 696 810 618 (294207)

ROLLER SHUTTERS

ACE OF SHADES - PERSIANA (security shutter) electric and manual, various colours available including wood effect, we also offer a repair service. Make your home more secure! Tel: 951 273 254 / 671 732 204 / info@aceofshades.design (101730)

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

SALES, PRODUCTION & CLEANING Vacancies at Mayan Monkey Mijas Chocolate Factory Full-time positions. Year-round employment. Immediate start More info at: info@mayanmonkey.es/ 600 088 542/ 629 466 710 (303103)

SALES PERSON required, high commissions paid in just 48hrs, for the Marbella/Mijas costa region. Call 722 841 000 (303149)

SOLAR

SOLAR Hot Water heating: FREE HOT WATER. 26 years installation history in Spain. Envirocare. All areas covered. Quality guaranteed. 952 663 141/ 670 409 759 info@envirocare spain.com www.envirocare spain.com (301178)

SOLAR ENERGY

SOLAR BLINDS ES Ideal for Large Glazed Areas to Reflect Heat / Glare And Stop Furniture Fading And Still Keep The View. Save Heat in The Winter to Improve Your Living Environment. ian@solarshadet inting.com Tel Ian 958 496 571 / 644 546 176 (292919)

SOFT FURNISHINGS

CURTAINS, blinds, cushions and much more. Free estimates and home visits. Tel 657 369 343 or rosannacarmella8@gmail.com (301301)

SWIMMING POOLS

POOL MAINTENANCE , & Repairs, including heaters & regrouts. Friendly & reliable service. Malaga to Estepona & inland areas. 678 791 495 / 951 536 389 www.sparklenripple.net (303027)

SWIMMING Pool Heating Pumps, Pool Covers, Rollers, Filtration Systems. 26 years installation history in Spain. Envirocare. All areas covered. Quality Guaranteed. 952 663 141/ 670 409 759 info@enviro carespain.com www.enviro carespain.com (301178)

WESTARPOOLS . Pool construction, renovation, repairs and heating. 619 246 372 / www.westarpools.com (302695)

TRANSLATORS

OFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS

All Languages. 952 789 204 Mobile 654 613 094 sanpedro translations@gmail.com (301426)

UPHOLSTERY

ADVANCED Cleaning Services. Professional carpet and upholstery cleaning, 28 years experience, wet/dry clean. Honest, reliable. 678 808 837 / 952 669 701 acservs@outlook.com (290189)

UPHOLSTERY including leather cleaned also carpets. 685 524 921 (290189)

CARPETS AND SOFAS cleaned. Reliable, fast service. Family run. Cleansol 952 930 861 / 607 610 578. 10am10pm 7 days, all areas Discount Code: EWN 1 CLEAN (206437)

WATER HEATERS

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

WINDOW TINTING

MOBILE SERVICE. ITV Legal. Solar Reflective tint for glass curtains, balconies, yachts. Stop fading, heat & glare. 958 496 571 - 644 546 176 ian@ solarshadetinting.com (292919)

WINDOW CLEANING

TRADITIONAL WINDOW CLEANER Give your windows and doors that professional finish at affordable prices. Call Chris 604 871 121/ 952 561 607

Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid - refined capability

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

THERE seems to be more and more SUVs on the road, whether this is entirely personal choice on behalf of the buyers or clever marketing is a very debateable point.

SUVs do get a bad press though and it is unfair as despite being billed as overly large gas guzzlers not all SUVs fall into that category. There are many smaller versions and even the larger ones now come with self­charging or plugin hybrid as part of the power deal.

Suzuki has a long and well ­ deserved reputation for making very capable off ­ roaders but have of recent years moved into SUVs with two wheel drive. Whether you’re looking at the Ignis, Vitara or S ­ Cross they all have the option of two or four­

wheel ­ drive. The S ­ Cross has just been relaunched in new mild or full hybrid form.

Priced from €29,630/ £26,099 even the lead model is bestowed with a particularly generous level of standard equipment. The list includes adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors with rear view camera, LED lights, powered, heated and folding door mirrors along with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Two trim levels and the option of two or fourwheel ­ drive, manual or automatic gears and mild or full hybrid.

My test model was the top ­ line Ultra model in full hybrid form which means a 1.5­litre normally aspirated engine and automatic gears. The standard equipment list is even more generous than

How would you Like to join a Real Car

Tour to Portugal?

THE Classic & Sportscar

Club of Andalu­

cia are putting on a special five­day

Tour d’Algarve starting on Monday April 24 and finishing on Friday April 28.

The start will be from the Marbella area where breakfast is supplied, and will finish at a spectacular restaurant near Ronda.

The event features two nights in a five­star hotel with its own private beach on the Algarve in Portugal. There will be a Gala dinner in Jerez on the first night,

the lead ­ in model, as it should be with

new Suzuki models and the S ­ Cross is no excep ­

come vocal. This is a characteristic of this kind of driving that’s soon second nature. Performance from the 1.5 ­ litre engine isn’t sparkling (go for the manual 1.4 ­ litre boosterjet that’s much quicker) but that said it feels anything but pedestrian.

Suzuki produce some very underrated cars in my view and the S­Cross, despite at this price being up against stiff competition, is certainly one of them.

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Suzuki S-Cross Ultra Hybrid AWD

• Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, normally aspirated petrol

€37,067/£32,649 price tag, and includes a super, full length sliding panoramic glass roof.

There is a distinctly more upmarket feel, the Vitara is well built but uses a lot of not very tactile plastics on the interior, to

out and everything from the auto gear shift lever to the touchscreen works crisply.

On the road it’s smooth, refined and quiet, unless you floor the accelerator when the automated manual gearbox does be ­

• Gears: 6-Speed automated manual.

• Price: €37,067/£32,649

• Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 13.5 seconds/Maximum Speed 175 kmh (108 mph).

• Economy: 5.8l/100km (48.7 mpg) Combined driving.

• Emissions: 132 g/km

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

First acceleration

and a dinner and party on the last night near Sevilla.

Dinners on all but one night are included with all wines, beers etc.

The route takes in spectacular scenery, natural parques and much more, a delight for driver and passengers alike!

Commemorative polo shirts are supplied along with a professional roadbook for easy navigation.

Entries are limited but are €1,250 for two people sharing and is open to nonmembers.

Contact Ian Giles at csccandalucia@gmail.com or ian@iangiles.com

GOOD news for used car sellers as March marked the first acceleration in UK used car price growth in 10 months.

The current average value of a used car is up 2.3 per cent year ­ onyear and 0.7 per cent month ­ on ­ month.

According to the latest data from the Auto Trader Retail Price Index, the current average retail price of a used car in March is £17,720, which is up 2.3 per cent on a year ­ onyear (YoY) and like ­ forlike basis.

Increasing from the 1.3 per cent YoY increase recorded in February, it marks the first acceleration in the rate of YoY price growth in 10 months, having gradually slowed from the all ­ time high of 32.2 per cent YoY in

USED CARS: Prices are at last increasing.

April 2022. At a month ­ on ­ month (MoM) level, March to date is up 0.7 per cent on February’s average prices, marking the third consecutive MoM increase after the typical seasonal slowdown over the festive period.

It’s well ahead of the 0.1 per cent MoM growth recorded in both March 2022 and 2021, as well as the prepandemic average contraction of ­ 0.4 per cent MoM recorded in March between 2011 and 2019.

6 months to build a Rolls Royce, 13 hours to build a Toyota.

SUZUKI S-CROSS: On the road it’s smooth, refined and quiet.

Electric vehicles - the future?

WITH the new Fisker Ocean achieving an official longest range on a single charge, is there a future for electric cars in Spain?

The Fisker Ocean has achieved the highest range of any electric SUV in an official WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test, having achieved 440 miles with its range­topping Extreme specification. That would take you from London to Glasgow on a single charge.

With this emerging innovative technology and the lack of available charges in Spain could this latest news help Spanish residents decide on whether to finally take the plunge and a purchase an electric car?

The Fisker Ocean is being built in Austria and will go on sale at the end of April for around €40,000. With top models also having solar panels on the roof to provide more power in sunny conditions, this could be the ideal car model for Spain.

UK diesel drivers ­ including almost everyone who runs a van for a small business ­ are continuing to suffer from inflated prices at fuel pumps up and down the country and are seeing no benefit from plummeting lower wholesale costs, despite the Chancellor continuing the fuel duty freeze in the latest Budget, the RAC is warning.

Despite both crude oil and wholesale diesel costs (the prices retailers pay for the fuel) reaching their lowest points in 15 months, major

retailers are still refusing to cut pump prices in any meaningful way.

Looking at the last four weeks alone, wholesale prices have come down another 10p yet this has yielded just a 3p cut at the pumps (168.85p to 165.89p on March 22).

What’s more, the gap between the wholesale cost of

Abandoned cars!

How do we now deal with abandoned cars?

A PROBLEM that is faced by many of us, according to the DGT (Direccion General de Trafico), every year, approximately 50,000 vehicles are abandoned by their owners on roads in Spain and around 6,000 in workshops, warehouses and public car parks.

petrol and diesel has been narrowing for many weeks and is currently just over 1.5p. Despite this, the difference drivers pay at the pumps remains stubbornly high at around 19p a litre.

RAC Fuel Watchfigures show that retailers are today taking an average margin of nearly 19p for every litre of diesel they sell.

As well as around another 20,000 ‘forgotten’ vehicles in areas such as shopping centres, neighbourhood communities and the like.

Until recently, those affected, for example, in a private urbanisation where a damaged car is left abandoned for months, had to go to court so the car could be removed. Now the DGT has published an instruction to

manage the destruction and decontamination of abandoned vehicles on public roads. Owners are required to prove the abandonment with photographs and with statements before a notary or with certifications from the property administrator.

Prior to the order to transfer and scrap the abandoned vehicle, the Administration “must require the owner of the vehicle to warn him that, if he does not remove it from where it is parked within a month, it will proceed to the transfer to an authorised vehicle treatment centre,” explained a spokes ­ person for the DGT.

Image:

r.classen

We’re going to fight, said coach

SERGIO PELLICER, the manager of Malaga CF, held a press conference on Friday March 31 at the club’s La Rosaleda Stadium. “We have the challenge of achieving two consecutive victories,” said the Blue and White coach. Speaking about the state of his squad and the approaching Easter period, he explained: “The team has recovered almost everyone, except for Bustinza, who trained partially today, but won’t be there,” he commented initially.

“After the match the other day, that magical moment of the second goal, you have to visualise reality. The situation is still difficult, but the fans believe, the team believes, and we are going to fight. This week I’ve seen some of the best training sessions since I got here,” he stressed.

He pointed out that he was determined to “fight and honour our values with that effort and commitment. We have the challenge of achieving two consecutive victories and getting closer to those teams.”

The coach has ‘many options’ in terms of players and tactics. “The other day we started with a line of three, the team felt comfortable, then we changed, and they also felt comfortable. We see that desire, despite the difficulty. Everyone is there, and we’ll make the best decisions, yet the important thing is that they’re making it difficult for me. If the team improves, we all improve. And that is contagious,” he highlighted.

In regard to their next rival, Pellicer said “Andorra had a stage in which they endured five consecutive defeats, but are now back to the team from the start of the season. They are the most surprising team in the competition.” and the one with the best positional attack".

"They are similar to Las Palmas, but with more nuances. A recently promoted team that doesn't cheat what they play, and we are going to find a match where they work with the rival's anxiety through possession, where they are very powerful", he concluded.

PFC Malaga Powers Atletico Marbella Paraiso, 2-0

PFC MALAGA (20 ­ 1 ­ 1) picked up a hard­fought 20 victory on the road against Marbella Paraiso Women (6­3­3) in the first leg of the RFAF Promotion Playoffs quarter finals on Sunday afternoon.

After both sides took their time to settle into the match. It was Atletico Marbella who looked the more likely to score as the pair of teams settled into the match.

The next few chances in the match fell for Atletico Marbella and it was Ledesma who threatened PFC’s net on numerous occasions. Including a valiant effort in 23’ with a shot from the edge, that hit the post.

PFC Malaga got its first goal just before the break in min 44’, with a shot inside the box by Daniela Martin. Sending them into the locker room with a

1­0 lead.

In the 57th minute, after a corner kick, Lina Bakkali tried to get an equaliser with a header but a defender cleared the ball and sent PFC goalkeeper, Marina Jimenez, full stretch to keep the clean sheet.

Atletico Marbella’s last

Max Verstappen takes the chequered flag

RED BULL driver Max Verstappen won the first Australian Grand Prix of his career today, Sunday, April 2. The reigning Dutch world champion started from pole position and took the chequered flag at Albert Park in Melbourne to extend his lead at the top of the championship to 15 points after three races.

Lewis Hamilton capped a tremendous weekend by bringing his Mercedes home in second place, ahead of Spain’s Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. The former world champion now has three podiums in three races this season.

The race was filled with controversy, with three red flags and finishing under a safety car to fulfil FIA rules after a restart. The final positions though were taken from those that the drivers were in when the last restart occurred.

At that point, Alonso had found himself at the back of the pack after spinning out. Under FIA regulations, the cars had to parade around the

circuit behind the safety car for the last lap.

Carlos Sainz was very upset after being handed a five­second penalty that demoted him to 12th. That meant he was out of the points after the Ferrari driver was deemed responsible for causing the crash that spun Alonso out.

Speaking after the race, the Spaniard called the decision “unacceptable”. “They need to wait until after the race and

discuss it with me. Clearly the penalty is not deserved. It is

too severe,” he added.

Alonso’s teammate achieved his best finish of the season to clinch fourth place.

Mexico’s Sergio Perez took fifth in the second Red Bull. Lando Norris had a brilliant race, moving from 13th on the grid to finish in sixth for McLaren.

The American Haas team found themselves among the points again thanks to Nico Hulkenberg who grabbed an impressive seventh. Oscar Pistri was delighted to score his first points in F1 with a brilliant eighth place in the other McLaren and in front of his home crowd.

Another fantastic finish was that of Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who drove his Aston Martin home in ninth position. The top 10 was rounded out by Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda in the Alpha Tauri.

Today’s unprecedented events in an F1 race will undoubtedly draw comparisons with the Abu Dhabi carnival in 2021 that finished Lewis Hamilton’s chances of another world title.

the 89th minute increased PFC’s advantage to two goals.

Up until this point, the match had been back and forth with both teams possessing the ball well and creating clear­cut chances in front of goal. Both sides were playing at full intensity, and it was certainly a fight out there.

opportunity was once again provided by Grecia Ledesma as the Argentinian received a ball from Natasha Afflick inside the area but the shot was unable to find the back of the net.

The game did not feel like it had been won until Idaira Bautista’s goal in

PFC put on an inspired performance Sunday night that was defined by great character and grit. With everything to play for on the night, PFC simply showed more effort and desire to get the job done, and consequently, the three points were theirs to take.

The two teams will meet again in two weeks time on April 16 as Atletico Marbella travel to Guadalmar Football Field for the second leg of the promotion playoffs.

Another sacking

ENGLISH Premier League club Chelsea FC fired their manager Graham Potter on Sunday, April 2. His departure was announced in a statement released on Twitter by the London club. Potter had only been in charge at Stamford Bridge for six months after replacing Thomas Tuchel.

Potter becomes the second casualty of the day following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers by Leicester City only a few hours ago. When he joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Brighton there was an air of great expectation surrounding him but his side has struggled this season.

Their 2­0 home defeat by Unai Emery’s resurgent Aston Villa side was probably the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. The Blues spent a fortune on new players during the January transfer window but the club is currently languishing in the wrong half of the table with only 10 games remaining this season.

It read: “Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the Club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter­final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid.

“Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future. Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach.”

Co­controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: “On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.”

PFC MALAGA: Picked up a hard fought victory at the weekend in the first leg of the quarter finals.

Max Verstappen winning the Australian GP 2023.

12 worst place held by defending Masters Champion, Scottie Scheffler

TH

Malaga to play Walking Dead in the final!

BAHA Whiskey Cup

Malaga 5 v 1 Nerja Utd.

This long­awaited semi­final finally took place last week. Malaga were quickly into their stride and comfortably 2­0 up by half time, their accurate passing and fluidity of movement putting them firmly in control.

A third, a penalty for Nerja running offences, followed and then a fourth from open play. Nerja refused to give up and, once more through running offences, scored from the penalty spot. However, an unfortunate goal­keeping error and smart reaction and skill from a Malaga attacker resulted in a stunning goal and sent his team into the final against The Walking

Dead.

EWN Over 50s League

Competa Boca Seniors 3 v 10 Benahavis

The away side, teasing the home opposition defence with some fine movement, were already 0­3 ahead by

half time. Competa began the second half more determinedly and pegged the scoreline back to 2­4. This only served to ignite a free­scoring spree from Benahavis, who added six more and ran out convincing winners in a spirited game.

A friendly match played afterwards between the two clubs resulted in a 1­4 win for Benahavis.

EWN Over 60s League

Nerja Utd 3 v 1 Torrox Tornadoes

Both teams attacked from the start, creating several

good chances, with both hitting the crossbar. Nerja scored first from a running offences penalty, which they dutifully put away. Play was still even when a mistake by the Tornadoes’ goalie presented a further chance for Nerja, which they gratefully accepted, 2­0. Another goal from open play put them further into the lead and, although Tornadoes fought back bravely and eventually pulled a goal back, they were unable to make sufficient headway and Nerja held on to bag all three points. Over the season, honours between the two clubs end even with a win, a loss and a draw for each.

Referees

We seem to say it every week, but why not? Our referees performed excellently over these matches and helped create the friendly, competitive atmosphere we strive for!

More info?

Please access Facebook walkingfooty.com.

A massive new entertainment brand

THE exciting news was revealed on Monday, April 3, that the WWE is to merge with the UFC to form one massive entertainment brand in a deal worth an estimated $21 billion (€19.262 billion). Endeavor Group Holdings which owns the UFC mixed martial arts franchise will have a 51 per cent controlling stake with existing shareholders in the WWE taking the other 49 per cent.

Ari Emanuel, the Endeavor CEO will control the as­yetunnamed organisation. Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White will remain in charge of his enterprise. Vince McMahon, the legendary executive chairman of the WWE will be in charge of the wrestling side.

“This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed,” announced Emanuel.

The CEO continued: “For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together.”

Both entities have a huge global fanbase and social media reach across a wide audience of all age groups. At the end of the final quarter of 2022, the WWE had amassed in excess of 16 billion video views on social media platforms. These included more than 20 million TokTok followers and approaching 94 million YouTube subscribers.

Ronda Rousey, the former female UFC fighting star has an incredible following of 36.1 million on her social networks. Five female wrestlers appear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram’s top 15 most­followed female athletes.

BAHA WHISKEY CUP: Malaga won the semi final match.