Costa Blanca South 20 – 26 April 2023 Issue 1972

THEY'RE BACK

IN great news for tourism, Alicante ‐ Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport enjoyed the best March in its history with more than one million trav ‐ellers walking through its doors.

The airport manage ‐ment group AENA has proudly confirmed that Alicante ‐ Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport closed the month of March with 1,045,004 passengers.

This figure represents

an increase of 4.9 per cent compared to the number of passengers in the same month in 2019 and an increase of 25.8 per cent compared to the same period last year 2022.

AENA’s airports record ‐ed nearly 54 million pas ‐sengers in the first quar ‐ter of the year which is 41.6 per cent more than in the same period of 2022.

There were 180,627 air‐

craft movements and 96,566 tonnes of cargo were transported across the network.

In the month of March 2023, AENA reached 20,093,589 passengers,

surpassing by 0.6 per cent the data for the same month of 2019, the year prior to the pandemic. This also represents an increase of 28.9 per cent compared to March 2022.

ALICANTE-ELCHE AIRPORT: More than one million travellers walked through its doors in March.

Image: Alex Stu49 / Shutterstock.com

Cat-astrophe averted

TORREVIEJA has taken ac‐tion to save its natural and urban biodiversity by launching a sterilisation campaign for feral cats.

The campaign, spearhead‐ed by the city’s Animal Pro‐tection Department, aims to control feral cat colonies and prevent damage to the envi‐ronment caused by these colonies.

The initiative, which be‐gan on Tuesday, February 21, had seen 229 cats neutered by Friday, April 14. The campaign is costly, with total investment reaching nearly €54,000, but has been fully funded by Torre‐

vieja Council to maintain biodiversity in the region.

The initial contract signed covered neutering for 350 cats, but this has been ex‐tended to cover 837 addi ‐

Coastal improvements

TORRE DE LA HORADADA, the coastal town of Pilar de la Ho‐radada is undergoing long overdue roadworks to improve the paths and the roads leading to the coast. The work began on Calle Salar and consists of: the renovation of the water supply network, the replacement of the lighting network, the reor‐ganisation of road traffic, the demolition of existing pave‐ments, upgrading the manhole covers, and replacing signage. It affects a stretch of 740 metres and is planned to take four months, with a budget of €692,570.

tional cats. As a result, the number of cats neutered an‐nually is expected to hit 1,187, bringing the city clos‐er to bringing its feral cat population under control.

The campaign has also re‐ceived backing from various animal welfare organisa ‐tions in the region, including Alma de Gato, the CES Pro‐ject, Animalistas Torrevieja, and the newly ‐ formed La Voz de los Gatos.

The city’s Department for Animal Welfare has extend‐ed its thanks to these groups for their invaluable contribu‐tions to the campaign.

TOURISTS from the UK and France are the biggest spenders in the Valencian region.

Big spenders

The news comes as tourism celebrates the figures for 2022, which improve on those of the last year before the pandemic, and pre‐dictions are for an even better result in 2023.

Foreign tourists left the Valencian Com‐munity with more than €6,000 million in its pocket in 2022.

Records confirm the recovery of the sector after the effects of the pandemic surpassed those marked in 2019, the last year of nor‐mality before the outbreak of Covid.

ALICANTE’S Santa Barbara Castle welcomed around a whopping 30,000 visitors over Easter from April 6 until April 10.

Saturday, April 8, was the day when the attendance record was broken, with 9,000 people enjoying the fortress, according to data provided by Esatur.

The international visitors come from the United King‐dom, Italy, France and Ger‐many and the national visi‐tors come from the Valencian Community, Madrid, Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country.

The Head of the Alicante City & Beach Tourist Board,

An experimental study by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reveals that visitors from other coun‐tries spent or withdrew cash with their cred‐it cards for a total amount of €6,750,185,386.

The figure would be even higher if the INE included cash transactions and pocket mon‐ey that tourists bring already changed from their countries of origin. HOSBEC estimates that it would mean more than 55 per cent of the total, which is the percentage of tourist production that corresponds to Alicante within the Valencian Community.

Record-breaking

Mari Carmen Sanchez, con‐firmed: “The Castle of Santa Barbara continues to be one of the most visited monu‐ments in the Valencian Com‐munity and this Easter, in line with the excellent tourist figures recorded in the city, has once again exceeded ex‐pectations.”

Santa Barbara Castle con‐tinues to offer a wide range of cultural and leisure activi‐ties, designed for all audi‐ences so that locals and na‐tional and international visitors can enjoy the monu‐ment and learn about the history and gastronomy of Alicante.

CAMPAIGN: Feral cats are trapped and neutered.

SANTA BARBARA CASTLE: Welcomed 30,000 visitors.

Image: Patryk Kosmider / Shutterstock.com

Alicante brand

ALICANTE forecasts 500,000 people and an income of €40 million from concerts and festivals as the Alicante City & Beach Tourist Board and the Alicante Provincial Asso‐ciation of Music Promoters (APPMA) are preparing a col‐laboration agreement under the brand Alicante Loves Music.

Stone’s throw

ELCHE threw a real party to bring the Altabix neighbour‐hood to life and to promote the Elche date. The date stone spitting/blowing com‐petition took place on April 16 when Tono Lopez was crowned champion as she blew the stone a whopping 8.9 metres.

Sports hall

THE Torrevieja Town Hall government team has ap‐proved the tender for the construction of the indoor sports hall in La Mata for €5.5 million. The initial bud‐get was €3 million in June 2022 when the project was presented.

Taxi trouble

POLICE investigate as taxi drivers from Elche and work‐ers of chauffeur‐driven trans‐port vehicles, known as VTCs, have announced that a real mafia of pirate vehicles operates at Alicante‐Elche airport to attract passengers.

Small plan

A SOLAR plant is being planned next to the town centre of Los Montesinos. It is a relatively small installa‐tion, covering just over 11,000 square metres, with 2,500 solar panels and an in‐vestment of €400,000.

Fibre vehicles

THE head of the Valencian Community, Ximo Puig, visit‐ed the Liux automotive com‐pany in Santa Pola and pub‐licly expressed his desire to support such companies. Li‐ux is creating sustainable ve‐hicles with a bodywork made from plant fibres.

Happy Earth Day

AS we celebrate Earth Day 2023 on Saturday, April 22, we are reminded of the impor‐tance of our collective respon‐sibility in safeguarding our planet.

Earth Day is a global event celebrated annually by more than one billion people to raise awareness about environmen‐tal issues and encourage action to protect the planet. The pur‐pose of Earth Day is simple: to promote a greener, more sus‐tainable future for the planet we call home.

This year, we rally behind the theme of ‘Invest in Our Planet’, which reminds us of the impor‐

tance of dedicating our time, re‐sources, and energy to solving the climate crisis.

The EWN suggest four ways you can make a difference:

1. Plant a tree.

2. Reduce your plastic con‐sumption. Try the plastic calcu‐lator at: www.earthday.org

3. Plan your own event. Organise a community cleanup, march,or workshop using the Earth Day 2023 Action Toolkit and register your event on the official Earth Day Map.

4. Donate. Support envi‐ronmental campaigns.

Happy Earth Day to all our readers!

Sailing success Bishop’s visit

THE Bishop honoured Cam‐poverde with a visit to bring greetings to everyone.

On Sunday, April 16, Cam‐poverde Church in the Com‐munity was greatly honoured when the Bishop of the Epis‐copal Church of Spain, Bishop Carlos Lopez Lozano, visited to thank the church for its work in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in its church and community.

The Episcopal Church of Spain is part of the Anglican Communion. Campoverde Church in the Community joined in 2020 as they felt it was more appropriate to be part of the Church of Spain,

whilst remaining within the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Carlos led the ser‐vice which included the partic‐ipation of members of the congregation who were joined by representatives of a number of other churches, in‐cluding two local Evangelical Churches and its sister church‐es in la Manga and San Ful‐gencio.

It was a truly joyful and ecu‐menical service.

A highlight was the award‐ing of Assistant Lay Reader Li‐cences to four regular worship leaders, Peter Barlow, Pip Shail, James McAllister and Maggie Dew.

ALICANTE is to host the fi‐nal of the Iberdrola Wom‐en’s Sailing League which will be held from October 20 to 22 at the Real Club de Regatas de Alicante.

Deputy mayor, Mari Carmen Sanchez, high ‐lighted the fact that Ali ‐cante has managed to host this great final against the candidacy of major national clubs.

“It is great news that Ali‐cante will host the final of the Iberdrola Women’s Sailing League, which will bring together the best sailors in Spain and will promote our city.”

Elche CF doomed

ELCHE CF suffered yet another defeat away from home against Girona at the Estadio Mu‐nicipal de Montilivi. This was their fifth con‐secutive defeat with no wins registered since they played Mallorca on March 4. They sit bottom of the La Liga table with 13 points, 14 points behind the team above them Espany‐ol. Girona scored just before the half‐time break with the goal coming from their for‐ward Argentinian Taty Castellanos.

Midfielder Oriol Romeu registered the sec‐ond goal for Girona. Girona are comfortable in eighth position and face Valladolid this weekend

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S

Fifty points of interest

BICYCLE riders now have five more cycling routes covering more than 100 kilometres with which to enjoy the Vega Baja.

The itineraries cover 16 municipalities, showing 50 points of interest between azarbes, irrigation channels and waterwheels to discov‐er the traditional irrigation system and the culture of water in the region, as well as the crop fields and the di‐versity of the landscape.

The mayor added: “Ali ‐cante has everything it needs to host this event. Our climate, the comfort of our infrastructures, our ex‐perience in other sailing competitions such as the Ocean Race or the Tabarca a Vela regatta.”

“Alicante is committed to women’s sailing and equality in sport which has made us an excellent host for the best sailors in Spain to play for the title here.”

The Iberdrola League 2023 is the only Spanish circuit dedicated to wom‐en’s one‐design cruiser sail‐ing.

The cycling routes, which have required design, plan‐ning and signposting work, audiovisual information material and a virtual tour for each of the routes with 360º images have been produced, and have re‐quired an investment of around €150,000.

The 120 kilometres that make up the five routes al‐low you to soak up the smells and colours of the fields, observe the diverse landscape of the Vega Baja and its environmental val‐ue and visit around 50 points of interest.

while Elche play at home to strug‐gling Valencia also in the relegation zone.

Millions of people take environmental action on Earth Day.

Photo credit: Elche CF Official Facebook page Elche CF suffered another away defeat.

Return to normality

IN great news for tourism Elche has confirmed it has re‐turned to normality with an upward trend of foreign visi‐tors during Easter Week.

Some 5,000 people visited the Tourist Info Elx over East‐er weekend with a notable increase in national visitors from the Canary Islands (175 per cent), Castilla la Mancha (58.5 per cent), Madrid (23 per cent) and Murcia (49 per cent).

The loyalty of tourists from the Valencian Community itself has also been remarkable, maintaining a significant volume of visits to the tourist office, as in previous years.

In terms of international outbound markets, the in ‐crease in tourists from Germany (120 per cent), Poland (200 per cent), the United Kingdom (90 per cent), as well as a significant increase in the number of local visitors, stand out.

These figures show a very significant increase in foreign tourists (31.4 per cent) which is supported by the increase in air connections (Lodz in Poland and Lisbon) to Alicante Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

Rollercoaster race

LOCAL sailing association, Sail‐ing Association Mar Menor (SAMM) racers were left reel‐ing after a forecast went wrong at the start of the month, but they bounced back at a recent mid‐week race day that was packed with excite‐ment and surprises!

During the first race day, the wind was predicted to drop, but it continued to blow fierce‐ly, causing two novice crews to drop out of the race.

During the first race, sailors faced obstacles, including a faulty horn, boats capsizing, and a near‐collision. Fortunate‐ly, the support boat crew was

on hand to rescue a stranded sailor and keep the race mov‐ing. Ginetta and Dos took the top spots in the race.

In the second race, the winds were less gusty, but one sailor faced engine troubles and lost their boat hook. While they were eventually helped,

IBI grants

ELCHE has now opened up the deadline to ap‐ply for IBI payment grants.

IBI is the property tax which is the tax levied on the value of the ur‐ban, rustic or special property.

they missed a mark and were marked as DNF.

Overall, competition was fierce, but Ginetta, Dos, and Sirocco secured podium places during the clash.

Sailing lovers are welcome to join the racing community: www.sailingmarmenor.com.

Sierra Escalona new regulations

WILL the Sierra Escalona be‐come a natural park? The Generalitat is another step closer to confirming its sta‐tus as a natural park with the regional minister an ‐nouncing the public exhibi‐tion of the future Natural Resources Management Plan of the Sierra Escalona and Dehesa de Cam ‐poamor.

This is the long‐ awaited documentation that should be the prelude to the cre ‐ation of a natural park cov‐ering 10,000 hectares that conservation groups have been demanding for more than two decades. The Sier‐ra Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor is a Special

Protected Area for Birds in the extreme south of the Alicante Province.

Day of Letters

THE town hall of Orihuela Costa is hosting an event on Sunday, April 23 called the ‘Day of Letters’. It will begin at 12pm and finish at 7pm and is being held in the restaurant Los Cucalos on Avenida de Montezenia 1, Orihuela Cos‐ta. Two schools are collabo‐rating in the event, El Limonar International School Villa‐martin and CEIP Playas De Orihuela. There will be live music, an exhibition of the‐matic schoolwork, readings from Cervantes and Shake‐speare, and a book exchange.

This aid is intended to support families in Elche in the payment of hous‐ing ‐ related expenses and in the previous call for applications 8,410 families benefited, hit‐ting €1,348,000.

This year’s allocation is €1.3 million, which can be increased to €1.5 million if necessary. Each beneficiary will re‐ceive €165 in aid.

The basic features of the rules are the same as in the last call.

Therefore, those property owners with a cadastral value of up to €70,000 (which means that 92.78 per cent of the properties in Elche are eligible for this aid), all the requirements re‐lated to the spatial regime of income and special recognitions such as the degree of disability are also main‐tained.

The deadline for sub‐mitting applications is until June 14 and can be made through the Elec‐tronic Headquarters of the city council of Elche or in person at the vari‐ous OMACS.

47% of British holidaymakers use sun cream with a factor higher than 10.

Sirocco flew to first place in the second race.

“Each peddler praises his own needles.”

This is a medieval Spanish saying and is used ironically when someone boasts about his own qualities.

Elx on stage

ELCHE is set for a musical extravaganza during the spring‐summer season thanks to the ‘Elx on stage’ initiative which will bring a range of global performers to the stage in the city’s Parque Rotonda. The city’s Cultural Department has an‐nounced an impressive lineup of events starting from Saturday, April 22 and lasting until Sunday, July 2, with an exciting mix of Jazz and 90s dance music concerts. ‘Elx on stage’ will bring in big names from the in‐ternational music industry, including the American band Creedence Clearwater Re‐visited and the talented Ana Popovic Band.

ALICANTE’S Postiguet beach has been awarded the Ecoplayas 2023 flag in recog‐nition of its services and the way it takes care of the sandy areas with the conser‐vation of the algae up ‐welling during the winter.

The Postiguet beach in Ali‐cante is one of the four new beaches on the peninsular Mediterranean coast that will fly the Ecoplayas flag in 2023. Alicante will join La Cari ‐huela in Torremolinos, El De‐

The four ‐ month long festival also fea ‐tures a tribute to the iconic Spanish pop band Mecano, performed by Mecano Ex‐perience, and a show by the renowned fla‐menco singer, Paco Candela. The Jazz Fes‐tival, in its 13th edition also features performances from Jordi Vilá Sextet, Maria Berasarte, and Sedajazz Kids Band.

The local councillor for Culture, Marga Antón, promises that there’s something for everyone in this musical extravaganza, with performances catering to various age groups and musical tastes with an estimat‐ed 15,000 fans expected to visit during the programme.

Alicante award

do in Malaga and El Cable in Marbella. These beaches join the hundred or so that have renewed the award after winning it in previous years.

Postiguet Beach is the most emblematic beach in the city of Alicante.

It is a very busy urban beach due to its proximity to the city centre and to the main tourist axis between

the seafront and the old town.

The beach is 808 metres long and more than 50 me‐tres wide, it has an estimated surface area of 40,540 square metres and an esti‐mated capacity of 5,930 peo‐ple.

Postiguet Beach has also been awarded the Blue Flag quality label.

Sevillanas Fair Cutting red tape

PILAR DE LA HORADADA is hosting the 10th Sevillanas Fair from April 27 until May 1. It will be held at the Recinto Feri‐al‐Parque Raimundo Benedicto. The fair will kick off at 9.30pm on Thursday April 27 with a fireworks display. Throughout the duration of the fair, there will be live music and of course traditional Spanish dancing Sevillanas and Flamenco.

Many of the Spanish in attendance will be in traditional Sevillana fashion. There will be bars where you can get tapas and drinks to enjoy the festivities, listen to live music, and just enjoy the

atmosphere in general.

Horses and carriages will be paraded during the fair and there will be some horse shows also. They have planned a free lunch for residents over 65 years old on Monday, May 1 but you must enrol prior to the lunch with the town hall.

Activities and workshops with moni ‐tors for the children will take place dur ‐ing the fair. For more information check out the Pilar de la Horadada Town Hall official website where you will find all the details in English, German, and of course Spanish.

ORIHUELA is building a stronger city planning Urbanism department thanks to a new deal. The city hosted an excit ‐ing event on Tuesday, April 18, organised by the Official College of Architects of Alicante to introduce the innovative Urban Collaboration En ‐tity of Valencia (ECUV) system.

The new system was showcased to architects, developers, and munici ‐pal officials in a province ‐ wide series of gatherings. The city is the first in the region to issue licences using an ECUV system.

The ECUV system was designed to streamline and simplify the process of issuing urban devel ‐opment licences and re ‐duce bureaucracy. This was a welcome develop ‐ment, as the urbanism department has been in ‐undated with licence ap ‐plications, with almost 7,700 projects approved between 2009 and 2019, putting a lot of pressure on the system.

The councillor for Ur ‐banism, José Aix, ex ‐plained the pressing need for innovative solu ‐tions to alleviate the pressure on the urban ‐ism department, and he praised the architects’ efforts in creating the ECUV system as a game ‐

changer for urban devel ‐opment in the region.

The event was a re ‐sounding success, with attendees praising the architects’ efforts and hailing the ECUV as a game ‐ changer for urban development in the re ‐gion.

Torrevieja Weekend wonder

PREPARE to be starstruck as the ‘Torrevieja Weekend’ returns its second edition! This year’s event, organised by fashion de‐signer and entrepreneur Eduardo Navarrete and the Torrevie‐ja City Council, promises to be even more spectacular than last year’s, which attracted a whopping 5,000 people.

From Friday, April 21 until Sunday, April 23, the city will be‐come a hub of fashion, high‐end cuisine, and local business, with a healthy sprinkling of celebrity appearances.

Visitors will get to mingle with designers like Maison Mesa and Enneges, but the real star of the show is Juan Carlos Mesa and his amazing designs. The luxury designer used to work for top fashion houses like Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Del Pozo. The event’s highlight will be a runway show, held on Satur‐day, April 22 at 8pm on thePaseo de Vista Alegre. But the weekend is about more than just fashion, guests will get to enjoy delicious culinary creations and rub shoulders with some of the industry’s biggest names.

The event will also promote Torrevieja as a destination with promotional material displaying the city and nearby Las Lagunas de la Mata National Park.

FESTIVITIES: Traditional Spanish dance during a Feria de Sevillanas.

Photo credit: Flickr iagocigala

Stirring up excitement

ELCHE City Council an ‐nounced plans to pay tribute to one of its most beloved dishes, the rice dish, ‘arroz con costra’, with a sculpture in the city according to an an‐nouncement on Tuesday, April 18.

The sculpture will be set on a roundabout, and will depict a giant ‘perol’, cooking pot

which the rice dish is tradi‐tionally cooked in.

The statue was proposed by the Association of Friends of ‘Arroz con Costra’, a group dedicated to promoting the dish and its heritage. The city’s mayor, Carlos Gonzalez, met with representatives of the association, and gave his support for the idea. The

group is part of an effort to raise awareness about the dish and its cultural signifi‐cance.

The sculpture will be creat‐ed by renowned architect Manuel Gomariz, and will be more than two metres tall. It will be created using the tra‐ditional ‘trencadis’ technique, using broken ceramic tiles to

TRAM connection

COMPROMIS electoral alliance propos‐es to connect the northern and south‐ern districts of Alicante by TRAM.

The Valencian party advocates the creation of three new lines that would also link the capital with Sant Joan and Muchamiel.

Compromis has presented its propos‐al for rail mobility, highlighting the cre‐ation of three new lines that would link the city of Alicante and the region of L’Alacanti as a whole, as well as the pro‐motion of a Metropolitan Transport En‐tity with a single card for the whole area.

ON April 14, the Orihuela Council celebrated, albeit a few days late, the International Day of the Gypsy People, which took place the previous Saturday, April 8.

That date coincides with the First World Roma (Gypsy) Congress held in London on April 8, 1971, in which the gyp‐sy flag and anthem were adopted and although last Sat‐

In the company of many of the people at the top of the municipal and regional lists of the Valencianist coalition, the candidate for the presidency of the Gen‐eralitat, Joan Baldovi, has opted for the total backbone of the Alicante region through L’Alacanti.

Joan Baldovi identified three priorities in this region, which has a population of more than half a million inhabitants.

The first of these, he said, would con‐nect Alicante with Sant Joan and Muchamiel via the Hospital de San Juan in a journey time of no more than half an hour.

Celebrating Gypsys

urday, the Gypsy flag flew over the town hall, the commemo‐ration was postponed as April 8 is Holy Saturday.

The gypsy flag was adopted in 1971 at the first Gypsy Congress which marked the awakening of Roma activism.

The flag consists of blue, the

colour of the sky that wel‐comes all people regardless of ethnic origin, green the colour of the freedom of the field and hope whilst the red wheel in the centre establishes that Ro‐mas are a wandering people.

The motto of the people is HOPE and FREEDOM.

create a mosaic effect, and will also feature iron embel‐lishments.

The project is expected to take around six months to complete, and the city council hopes that it will become a landmark attraction.

Photo credit: Ajuntament d’Elx

Elche Council gives its backing for a statue honouring local cuisine.

Archaeology plan

THE president of the Valen‐cian Community, Ximo Puig, has confirmed that: “Our main objective is to have a section of the National Ar‐chaeological Museum in Elche.”

Puig has called for the re‐turn of the ‘Dama de Elche’ (Lady of Elche Iberian bust) to the city of Elche and has focused on the need for part of the National Archaeologi‐cal Museum to move to Elche where not only the Iberian bust is located, but there is a permanent exhibi‐tion of everything that has to do with this time of what was a certain era in Spain.”

Palm Sunday celebrations

Puig confirmed: “The na‐tional museums do not have to be in Madrid, everything does not have to be cen‐tralised, why not locate a section or part of the Nation‐al Museum in Elche?”

Elche’s mayor, Carlos Gonzalez, affirmed his inten‐tion to turn Elche into the capital of Iberian art with the Dama as the maximum ex‐ponent of this exhibition. Gonzalez also recalled that this project aims to ex‐hibit it in the context of Iberi‐an art, surrounded by 50 pieces of great value, cur‐rently housed in the Alcudia Museum.

EASTER Week in Elche 2023 registered an influx of more than 350,000 people which is 16.67 per cent more than last year, making it the most crowded in the last decade.

According to Local Police fig‐ures, 70,000 people accompa‐nied Jesus Triumphant in the Palm Sunday procession, while the afternoon procession at‐tracted 40,000.

Easter Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday brought to‐gether 25,000, 30,000 and 30,000 locals and visitors re‐spectively.

On Maundy Thursday, the Cristo de Zalamea took 40,000 people out onto the streets, while the rest of the proces‐sions attracted 20,000.

On Good Friday, in the gen‐eral procession, there were 30,000 and on Alleluia Sunday, the end of the Easter Week in Elche, 70,000.

From the point of view of hotel occupancy, and accord‐ing to data from the Associa‐tion of Tourist Companies of Elche (AETE), the occupancy rate was 87.6 per cent, exceed‐

ing the 80 per cent recorded last year.

The large number of proces‐sional celebrations, including Palm Sunday with its declara‐tion of International Tourist In‐terest, have become the focus of attraction for a demand that identifies Elche as a reference destination at Easter.

Sterilising success

TORREVIEJA’S Cat Sterili‐sation Campaign has al ‐ready surpassed 200 cas ‐trations.

The total cost of the in ‐vestment of this campaign amounts to €53.949,15 which will be financed en‐tirely by the city council of Torrevieja who hopes to achieve 1,200 castrations per year.

Since February 21, the Department of Animal Protection of the city of Torrevieja has been de ‐veloping a Campaign for

the Sterilisation of Feral Cats.

The campaign aims to control cat colonies and, at the same time, avoid collateral damage that may be generated in the natural and urban biodi ‐versity.

The damage has been mainly caused by existing colonies in the periphery and within the Natural Park of the lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja and in the Municipal Natural Park Molino del Agua.

The councillor for Ani ‐mal Protection, Concha Sala, highlighted the im ‐portance of the campaign and stressed that initially the contract provided for the castration of 350 cats, managing to increase the contract by 837 castra ‐tions.

The figure may rise to 1,187 castrations per year, indicating that the aim is to achieve a statistic that is close to a certain control of feral colonies in the municipality.

DAMA DE ELCHE: President wants it to be returned.

Image: Jose Aldeguer Shutterstock.com

Image: Elche City Council

Costa Community

AMONG the congregation of Campoverde Church in the Community is a family who run the local ‘Orihuela Costa Community Food Bank’.

On Easter morning, the food bank put out an emer‐gency appeal for non‐per‐ishable food, Easter choco‐late, and raffle prizes for their up ‐ coming Charity Fair.

That afternoon, Assistant Lay Reader at Campoverde Church, Pip Shail, happened to be attending a meal at YOLO’s Bar, Cabo Roig. The tables there were decorated with cute, knit‐ted chicks containing Cad‐bury’s creme eggs and, knowing the food bank’s appeal for ‘Easter choco ‐late’, Pip asked her friends at the meal if they would kindly donate their choco‐late eggs.

A total of 31 cream eggs were collected and present‐ed to the food bank at the Campoverde Church Easter service later that day, to ‐gether with a large amount of food donated by other members of the congrega‐tion.

For more information, head to ‘Orihuela Costa Community Food Bank’ on Facebook.

Campoverde Church in the Community has placed a permanent donations box in Celcius Hair and Beauty in Campoverde for people to donate non‐per‐ishable food on an on‐ go ‐ing basis.

Donations can also be dropped off at Campov ‐erde Church on Sundays between 5.15pm and 7.00pm.

Campoverde Easter celebrations

EASTER is the most important time of the year in the Christian Calendar.

This year, as usual, Campoverde Church provided a full programme of events and services, appealing to all parts of our com‐munity and all ages.

The Church started with the making of Palm Crosses in the Church Garden ready for Palm Sunday.

On Monday of Holy Week, they had their Holy Week Procession through Campoverde.

On Maundy Thursday, Campoverde Church gathered in The Shed to remember the events of the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples.

On Easter Saturday an Easter Eggstrava‐

ganza was held for the children of the vil‐lage. Around 25 children and their families turned up and enjoyed an afternoon of East‐er fun.

The Church’s Grand Finale was the cele‐bration of the resurrection of Jesus with a service for the most joyful occasion.

Throughout Lent, the Church had been asking people to donate Easter Eggs for the children of Orihuela Orphanage.

By the time the orphanage came to collect them, over 140 Easter Eggs had been donat‐ed.

The Church would like to thank Iceland for their tremendous efforts to gather dona‐tions and all those who donated.

Humanists of Murcia

THE April event for the gardening group was a vis‐it to the new bedding plant nursery in Atalaya.

The Humanists of Mur‐cia then celebrated the Spring Equinox with a game of Adventure Golf in Los Alcazares.

On Wednesday, March 15, Richard and Hazel led the Humanists of Murcia Walking Group on a walk behind the Country Club. The group met at La Taver‐na for a coffee and then

set off for a beautiful walk on a lovely sunny day.

It is with great sadness that the Humanists an ‐nounce that Martin Rush‐ton died on Tuesday, April 11. He was involved with the Humanists of Mazarron as Secretary for many years and was one of the founder members of the Darwinian Garden‐ing Club. The group offer Anne their sincere condo‐lences.

If you would like to join

the group for walks, out‐ings, games evenings and lots of lunches you can head to their Facebook page.

Alternatively, you can email humanistsofmur cia@gmail.com or dar winiangardeners@gmail.c om.

For personalised wed‐dings, funerals and naming ceremonies without reli‐gion, you can contact the celebrant on (+34) 634 025 711.

KNITTED CHICKS: Contained Cadbury’s creme eggs.

Image: Campoverde Church in the Community

THE elite athlete, mountaineer and climber Beatriz

Flamini exited from a cave in the coastal town of Motril in the province of Granada on Friday morning, April 14. She had completed a ‘Timecave’ marathon 500­day stay living alone, some 70 metres underground. In the process, this amazing woman also set a new world record.

World record completed

Shortly after 9am, with the assistance of members of the Motril Speleological Activities Group, Beatriz emerged from her solitude into the light of day once again. She was reportedly in apparent good health and wearing a beaming smile as she left her home of more than 16 months. Two speleologists and a

Betty Henderson

MULTINATIONAL infrastructure company Ferrovial’s plans to relocate from Spain to the Netherlands are facing immense scrutiny, but the company stands by its decision. The move will have significant implications for the future of the company and its shareholders.

Some 93.3 per cent of the company’s Board of Directors voted in favour of the relocation and have expressed concern over the Spanish government and some media outlets’ negative reaction to their move.

psychologist entered the cave earlier on the day, to prepare Beatriz for her eventual return to the outside world. Waiting outside the cave were her friends, who welcomed the lady who had entered her new home aged 48 and today left it at the age of 50. She did not hesitate to thank and highlight the professionalism of the group of psychologists, speleologists and physical trainers who

A united front

They said at a press conference on Thursday, April 13, that the government’s perceived attacks on the company, “border on illegality”. More than 100 national and international media outlets attended the meeting.

The move to the Netherlands is still expected to go ahead in the second quarter of this year, and Ignacio Del Pino, son of Rafael, will be the le­

gal representative in Spain for the new Ferrovial with its headquarters in the Netherlands.

Despite concerns from some shareholders, advisors and proxies have backed the move, citing increased stability and access to financing in strategic markets such as the US. It is hoped that this decision will have a positive impact on the company’s future and profitability.

had been involved in the project.

During her time underground, a schedule was in place with the speleologists, where food delivery and garbage removal took place without any communication.

Spam in Spain

ARE you fed up of receiving unwanted spam calls?

To avoid receiving advertising from entities or companies in Spain to which you have not given your express consent, you can register on the Robinson list at: https://www.listarobinson.es/

If an entity or business wishes to send you personalised advertising and you have not given your express consent to do so, it is legally obliged to consult the Robinson List and, if you have registered, it will not be able to send you the advertising. The Robinson List Service allows you, easily and free of charge, to avoid advertising from companies to which you have not given your consent to receive advertising. It works for telephone, postal mail, email and SMS/MMS advertising. Anyone may register for the Robinson List service, voluntarily and free of charge. In the case of children under 14 years of age, parents or guardians must register on their behalf.

This service is protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) and allows for quick and free registration with the aim of reducing the reception of commercial communications (calls, SMS, post and e­mail).

Two months after registration, if you continue to receive advertising, you can file a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency.

TIMECAVE: The athlete spent 500 days living underground.

Credit: Pixabay

Nine million sterile males released

THE Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition announced that it will increase the release of male tiger mosquitoes this year to nine million specimens.

This is part of a pilot project of biological control through the Sterile Insect Technique (TIE) that the government department has been promoting since 2017 in the Ribera Baixa region of Valencia.

In previous years, this technique has reportedly managed to reduce the population of tiger mosquitoes by up to 75 per cent.

Eight million insects were released in the Ribera Baixa in 2022. The release of sterile males was resumed at the end of February in this new sea ­

Largest man-made beach

son in order to anticipate the appearance of the first wild individuals, which usually occurs in springtime.

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a method of biological pest control that consists of the mass breeding of male insects of the same species that are intended to be combated. They are sterilised by irradiation and subsequently released in the area of action.

These sterile males mate with wild females, which causes the eggs they produce to be inviable. As a result, no offspring are produced, resulting in reduced levels of the pest.

This is the same technique that the department has used in the past in the fight against the Mediterranean fly in citrus fruits.

THE construction of the largest artificial beach in Europe is nearing completion.

Alovera Beach is being developed in the municipality of Alovera, in the province of Guadalajara, only 50 km along the A­2 from Madrid. It is expected to be open for the summer of 2023.

The project has the initial approval of the government of Castilla­La Mancha.

According to the calculations, between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors are expected to visit the attraction annually. There will be an initial entrance fee of around €10 per person with separate charges inside the facility for the use of its activities.

Grupo Rayet shares the pro­

Construction is nearing completion. Credit Alovera Beach

ject with Crystal Lagoons, a firm specialising in the construction of artificial beaches all over the world.

The complex will include a large car park, areas for water

sports such as sailing and surfing, children’s pools, zip lines, and various restaurants. More than 300 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created in Alovera Beach.

Teenager hit at crossing

A TEENAGER was rushed to hospital after he was run over by a vehicle at a pedestrian crossing in Las Tablas, located in the neighbourhood of Valverde, in the district of Fuencarral­El Pardo, Madrid.

According to official reports, cited by a news source, SamurProtección Civil medics received a call about the incident and rushed to Calle Quintanavides.

Emergency services said that after arriving on the scene, they discovered that the boy had suffered from a traumatic brain injury.

The medical staff intubated the injured boy, and he was rushed to Hospital Niño Jesús in a serious condition.

Meanwhile, an investigation has been started by the Madrid Municipal Police after the incident.

Pensioner holidays

THE Imserso trips for pensioners will soon go on sale again in Spain, some with slightly higher prices but with more choices available than in previous seasons.

There are only a few months left until the application period for the Imserso 2023/2024 trips opens.

Pensioners who opt for one of the 886,269 places on offer (70,000 more than this year) will be able to choose from a wider range of travel options than before.

Prices range from €124 to visit the Spanish provincial capitals for four days, to €436 to travel to the Canary Islands for 10 days.

These prices will be 7.5 per cent more expensive in order to maintain the quality of the programme.

The most expensive option for the mainland

coastal areas of Andalucia, Catalonia, Murcia and Valencia, with transport included, will be the 10 day stay (nine nights) for €290.06.

One per cent of trips are reserved for people with economic resources equal to or less than the amount of non ­ contributory retirement or disability pensions from Social Security.

In these cases, the Imserso will assume 50 per cent of the cost of the place, while in all other cases, the Imserso contributes 22.5 per cent

and the users contribute the remaining 77.5 per cent.

Imserso has appointed several travel agents to promote the holidays and to accept bookings.

1.22%

CANARY ISLANDS: Available for only €436 for 10 days.

of the population of UK are regular golf players.

Border breakdown

Betty Henderson SPANISH authorities held a temporary closure of the Ceuta border with Morocco on Friday, April 14, after observing an attempt by hundreds of individuals from sub ­ Saharan countries to cross the border illegally.

National Police and Guardia Civil forces were deployed to the border crossing between Morocco

and Spain’s enclave in North Africa on Friday morning, where several officers remain. Spanish authorities said they are working with Moroccan authorities to contain movements by illegal immigrants.

Hours later the state of emergency ended and reg­

Mobile marvels

SLOW internet connections are one of the most frustrating problems in the 21st century, but one recent report has shown the best mobile internet providers in Spain. The report, released on Friday, April 14 has analysed Spain’s main mobile providers to determine which ones offer the best connections and performance.

The study, conducted by NPerf, analysed the results of more than 193,350 internet connection tests using iOS and Android mobiles throughout 2022. The research focused on the top five mobile companies: Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, Digi, and MásMovil/Yoigo.

In 2022, Movistar offered the best performance to its users, earning a total of 81,764 points. When it comes to download speed, Movistar is way ahead of the competition, with speeds close to 65 Mb per second, followed by Orange with 49 Mb per second.

When it comes to streaming videos, Movistar also reigns supreme with an impressive 84 per cent efficacy, followed closely by DIGI with 83 per cent.

In terms of request and response time, DIGI takes the top spot with 54.62 milliseconds, followed by MásMovil/Yoigo with 49.91 milliseconds.

ular traffic resumed at the border crossing.

According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, 220 immigrants have entered Ceuta and Melilla illegally so far this year, a significant decrease from the 1,122 entries recorded during the same period last year. Of those 220 entries, 199 were recorded in Ceuta.

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande­Marlaska, said that migration policy is a key focus for his department which has sought to build agreements with partners including Morocco. Spain’s relationship with Morocco has reached several flashpoints during Marlaska’s tenure, but appears to be on the mend.

Inflation up

INFLATION in Las Canaria

is the highest in Spain, reaching a record high of 4.6 per cent on Friday, April 14.

Food and non­alcoholic drinks are thought to be the major culprits driving the rise, with their prices going up by a staggering 17.4 per cent yearon­year, well above the national average. Spiralling inflation is causing issues for residents in Las Canarias.

Prices within the hospitality industry have also increased by 9.4 per cent, while leisure and culture costs have increased by 5.7 per cent. Alcohol and tobacco prices have also gone up by 4 per cent. It’s a grim picture for the locals, who have seen the cost of living rise faster than their wages can keep up with.

However, it’s not all bad news! Housing and transport costs have dropped by a staggering 15.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. The textile and shoe industry has also seen a decrease in costs of 1.3 per cent, while the cost of medicine has fallen by 1.8 per cent.

CEUTA: The border is an area of contention.

Photo credit: Ministerio del Interior (via Facebook)

Roaring into action

Betty Henderson

SPAIN played a pivotal role in pressuring Germany to authorise the delivery of Leopard combat tanks to Ukraine. The revelation was made by the Ukrainian Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov during a press conference held in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart, Margarita Robles, on Wednesday, April 12.

Reznikov revealed he had spoken to Robles privately about the need for the tanks earlier this year. Robles informed him Spain could not authorise the delivery without

Spain’s Defence Minister has met with Ukrainian defence representatives several times in recent months.

Germany’s approval, as they manufactured the tanks. However, Robles offered to allow Ukraine to use the Leopard 2E tanks deployed in

THE former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, is making a surprise return to Spain, without seeking permission from the Zarzuela Palace. Sources close to the monarchs claim that he not only failed to ask for permission to travel, but also did not inform the Royal Palace of his intentions until a date for the visit was announced on Thursday, April 13.

His decision to return has raised eyebrows and has been seen by some as a snub to his son Felipe VI. The pair had a four hour conversation on the subject last year, which led to the cancellation of a previous trip.

Latvia for training Ukrainian soldiers. The German Defence Ministry subsequently authorised the delivery of 18 Leopard tanks to Ukraine, following Spain’s offer.

Spain is currently finalising training for operatives on the first six tanks that will be sent to the front. During the press conference, Reznikov also requested Spain’s help in enhancing Ukraine’s military abilities, including resources like drones and aircraft to support the Ukrainian navy in protecting its national territory and maritime interests.

Royal snub

Despite ongoing legal investigations, there have been no new developments that would warrant further investigations into the former king's finances or evidence of any other tax violations.

Despite his return to Spain, Juan Carlos I is now registered fiscally in the United Arab Emirates, where he has been living for over two years.

THE British embassy in Spain has issued an appeal to search for the most wanted criminals in the UK, who are believed to be living in Spain.

The list includes seven criminals, who are believed to be living in different parts of Spain.

This includes Asim Naveed, who has been accused of supplying “Class A drugs”.

The second fugitive is named

UK’s MOST WANTED

Mark Francis Roberts, who has been accused of “grievous bodily harm”.

The third fugitive is named John James Jones and is wanted for “grievous bodily harm” as well.

Calvin Parris from Cardiff is the fourth fugitive, wanted for “supplying Class A drugs”.

Callum Michael Alan is the fifth fugitive, who is accused of “trafficking in controlled drugs”.

CrimeStoppers stated that

he is wanted for “supply of cocaine and possession with intent to supply heroin”.

Jack Mayle is the sixth fugitive and is wanted for “supply

of MDMA, Methyphenidate (a pharmaceutical drug) and diazepam”, as per CrimeStoppers.

Alex Male is the seventh fugi­

tive, who is wanted for “supply of Class A drugs”.

CrimeStoppers states “anyone with information about any of the men is urged to call anonymously on 0800 555 111, while callers in Spain should call the freephone number 900 926 111, which will be answered by CrimeStoppers in the UK.

Unmanned aircraft patrol

THE Mossos d’Esquadra is to deploy an unmanned aircraft to monitor marihuana plantations, train lines and other critical areas across Catalonia.

The Mossos d’Esquadra will strengthen its Drone Unit with a new device, an unmanned, drone ­ style, fixed­wing aircraft.

This new aircraft will be used to patrol critical areas such as the AVE train lines, the coastline, and also in water areas to prevent marihuana plantations, which are often connected to rivers and ponds, due to the need for constant irrigation.

According to a news source on

Thursday, April 13, this unit, made up of a dozen officers and pilots works throughout the territory of Catalonia, as it’s expected to further expand its operational capacity.

Officials have now started a process to issue tenders in order to purchase this fixed­wing drone.

Police in Spain have decided to start using these drones due to shortcomings in the present multi ­ rotor devices that they use.

Coastal patrols can also be planned to detect and anticipate dangerous situations such weather phenomena or potential waste spills at sea or on the banks of rivers.

Warning of drug shortages

THE Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), which reports to the Ministry of Health, has reported supply problems with medicine used in the treatment of severe hypertension. Specifically, it is the drug ‘Loniten 10 mg tablets, 30 tablets’, from the company Pfizer.

According to the AEMPS, this drug will have until at least July 1, a ‘controlled distribution’ through the Medicines in Special Situations Service due to the fact that there are ‘limited units’ currently available in pharmacies throughout Spain.

Loniten belongs to a group of medicines called

vasodilators. It is used for the treatment of very high blood pressure or severe hypertension.

Although its active substance is minoxidil, it is not indicated to promote scalp hair growth. Only the topical form of minoxidil is recommended for this use.

Currently, the AEMPS lists on its website problems with the shortages of around 750 different medicines.

The AEMPS is the body responsible for taking the necessary measures to ensure that, when such tensions in the supply chain occur, no patient’s treatment is interrupted.

Legendary musician talks to Euro Weekly News

IT was some 60 years ago that a young Paul Jones hit the limelight as the singer for the hugely successful Manfred Mann group and he is still singing today.

Things have changed in one particular way for Paul and his wife of 38 years, singer and actress Fiona Hendley ­ Jones and the pair, who are now committed Christians are travelling to Denia in Costa Blanca to entertain and share their Christian testimony.

Entitled Story and Song ­ Hear how faith in God has changed our lives they will be appearing at 7pm on Saturday April 29 at the Evangelical Church Bautista de Denia, Calle Erminta de Santa Maria 13, Denia Montgo.

The event will see the couple performing a number of songs, some of which are from their album Personal and they will of course speak about how they came to Christianity and how it has guided their way of life.

Paul is not a regular visitor to Spain and was last over when the Manfreds (a band made up of some close friends and former band mates) performed a spectacular concert at Benidorm Palace last year and he received a handwritten note from Brenda Muckley asking him about his faith.

It was after several exchanges that Paul and Fiona agreed to come over and not only entertain but promote their view of Christianity.

Many years ago, the then atheist Paul, who formed the Blues Band (which released some 20 albums) and also became an actor, songwriter and BBC DJ appeared on a TV discussion show with Cliff

Richard who was encouraging people to welcome evangelist Billy Graham to the UK.

In his own words Paul explained “Looking back I was quite unkind to Cliff about his religious beliefs and I wasn’t a fan of his music but he was very generous and never turned his back on me.”

Several years later, Paul received a call

from Cliff asking him and Fiona to attend a presentation at the White City Stadium in London being hosted by Argentine evangelist Luis Palau with the promise of a good meal afterwards if they attended. Attend they did and during the event “we both shed tears of joy at the positivity of the entire evening and it was then that we both gave our lives to Jesus!”

Now 81, Paul who now admits to being a fan of Sir Cliff, doesn’t believe that age should ever be a barrier and said “I intend to live to at least 120.”

His first musical love, the Blues, attracted many young musicians in the 60s because it came from a poor working class African American centre and many saw the Blues as a major artistic achievement.

Whilst not accepting for a moment that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to become a great guitar player, he now recognises that there can be a darker side to some parts of the music which should not be ignored.

Whatever happens, Paul still relishes being a musician and recently played with the Manfreds on a Caribbean Cruise and continues to sing and play his harmonica with the band as regularly as possible.

Paul and Fiona will visit Denia.

Credit: Paul Jones

Never forgotten

THE Hillsborough disaster will never be forgotten, as Liverpool players and staff remembered the 97 supporters who lost their lives that day. Saturday, April 15, was exactly 34 years to the day when the tragedy took place during the FA Cup semi­final against Nottingham Forest. And on Saturday the whole of Liverpool FC held a minute’s silence in respectful memory of the children, women and men who died as a result of the events that happened that day in Hillsborough, as reported by Liverpoolfc.com.

Visits to the Hillsborough Memorial at Anfield were made by club officials, managers and

Royal quiche feast

Arrests at Grand National

players from the men’s, women’s and Academy squads to lay wreaths and pay their respects.

On Sunday, April 9, at Liverpool’s match against Arsenal, the stadium held a minute’s silence before kick­off and the Kop displayed a mosaic showing the Eternal Flames along with the number 97.

Tributes were displayed on LED boards around the pitch, while the team played wearing black armbands as a mark of respect, and fans bought special edition matchday programmes commemorating the tragedy.

Football fan hit by train

A BRITISH football fan who travelled to Belgium to watch his team play was killed when he was hit by a train, in an ‘unfortunate accident’.

At Ghent’s Sint­Pieters station on Thursday, April 13, the 57­year­old man was travelling back home following that night’s match, when he was involved in a fatal accident, according to a news source.

The unnamed West Ham supporter had just watched his team in a 1–1 draw against

Belgian side Ghent, at the KAA Stadium, before travelling back via the train station.

It was an important Europa Conference League fixture for David Moyes’ team, with ardent fans making their way across the channel to see the game.

Following the incident, he was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment but sadly was later pronounced dead.

Ghent’s Sint­Pieters investigators referred to it as an ‘un­

fortunate accident’. Train services were disrupted for several hours.

Betty Henderson KING CHARLES and Camilla have chosen a mouth­watering dish as the signature dish for their upcoming coronation ­ the ‘coronation quiche’! The pair hope the dish will be enjoyed at street parties on Saturday, May 6 to celebrate their big day.

Their regal recipe was published on Royal Family social media on Monday, April 17 and features spinach, broad beans, cheese, and tarragon, and can be served hot or cold.

The delectable dish is perfect for sharing, and suits different dietary requirements.

The King and Queen Con­

sort chose this dish because it’s not too complicated or costly to make, and can be adapted to different tastes. The recipe was created by royal chef, Mark Flanagan, who was even caught on video preparing the dish.

The dish was released as part of the Royal Family’s ‘Big Lunch’ initiative which is a chance for communities to come together and celebrate occasions. Camilla has been a patron of the initiative since 2013, and has attended Big Lunches across the UK and beyond.

This dish follows in the footsteps of other royal signature dishes.

FOLLOWING threats from radical animal rights activists, police arrested three people at the Grand National which was held on Saturday April 15.

The newly named Animal Rising group planned their ‘biggest action yet’ at the Grand National, vowing to ‘end horseracing’ reported a news source.

Well­briefed police arrested two women aged 33 and 25 and a man.

The 33­year­old unnamed London woman was arrested in Greater Manchester and charged with suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance in regard to the planned coordinated protests at Aintree.

Meanwhile at Aintree, a man and a 25­year­old woman from London were detained outside the racecourse also on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

An Animal Rising, volunteer Dora Hargitai, 37, said, “I do believe we can have non­violence on both sides. The race has to stop. Today and forever.”

A coronation quiche is King Charles III’s signature dish.

Photo credit: royal.uk

27% of the potatoes consumed worldwide are consumed in China.

St George’s Day

ON Sunday, April 23, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, invites Londoners and visitors to the capital to enjoy an afternoon of free, family ‐ friendly entertain ‐ment in Trafalgar Square to mark St George’s Day.

There will be a wide range of live music, enter‐tainment and traditional food stalls.

Family‐friendly activities include an all‐day silent dis‐co, face painting, a dragon selfie station, an interactive Horrible Histories work ‐shop, The Bonkers Balloon Science Show, interactive sessions of storytelling and The Knights Training School.

There will be a range of food and drink stalls, while visitors will also have the chance to sample food from kitchen demo sessions tak‐ing place over the course of the day, including crumpet making, banoffee pie, bub‐ble and squeak, and one of Britain’s most favourite dishes, chicken tikka masala.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Our St George’s Day festivities are a wonderful celebration of everything that’s brilliant about England.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming Londoners and visitors to the heart of our nation’s capital for a full day of free, family‐friendly events in Trafalgar Square.”

Let’s be friends

THE official programme for the coronation of King Charles has been released featuring a family photo including contro‐versial royals, Harry and Meghan.

Although invited, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, recent‐ly announced she will remain in California with her children rather than travel to the coronation at Westminster Abbey in London, on Saturday, May 6.

In spite of this, in a reconciliatory gesture, the Royal household has seen fit to include a photo of the warring family all together in the Coronation programme which went on sale on Tuesday, April 18 said a news source.

Harry and Meghan ended months of speculation recently when they announced that Meghan would stay at home with daughter Lilibet, and son Archie, who will celebrate his fourth birthday on the same day.

Within its pages is a full‐page photograph of the whole family. Taken to commemorate the King’s 70th birthday in 2018 it shows a happy Harry and Meghan, Charles and Camilla, and William and Catherine together with their chil‐dren.

Image: Creative Photo Corner / Shutterstock.com

St George’s Day.

Back to his roots

Betty Henderson

THE President of the United States arrived in Dublin on Wednesday, April 12, but it’s his visit to his ancestral roots that stole the headlines.

Joe Biden, a proud Irish‐American, returned to the land of his forefathers, and the Irish rolled out the green car‐pet for him. Crowds lined the streets of Carlingford in Coun‐ty Louth, where Biden’s great‐great‐grandfather Owen Finnegan once lived, to catch a glimpse of the presidential

motorcade. Heavy rain could‐n’t dampen the enthusiasm of the locals, who welcomed their long‐lost relative with

open arms. Biden also met with distant relatives in the Cooley Peninsula, where he visited ancestors’ graves.

But it wasn’t just a personal visit. Biden met with political leaders in Northern Ireland before crossing the border and called for the restoration of the power‐sharing govern‐ment at Stormont.

And he made time for a joke too, telling embassy staff he couldn’t qualify to be a cop, firefighter, or priest, so “here I am.”

Private jet from Portugal

A LUCKY air passenger was left in astonish‐ment when he realised he was the only pas‐senger on board a scheduled Jet2 flight.

As reported in a news outlet, Paul Wilkin‐son, 65, from St Annes, Lancashire arrived at Faro airport in Portugal on March 30, only to be informed that he was the only passen‐ger. Hailed as a ‘king’ by Jet2 staff, Paul was literally treated to a luxury private jet experi‐ence.

On arriving at the airport, Paul’s initial re‐action was panic when he got to the depar‐

ture gate with no queue in sight. Asked if the flight had been delayed or cancelled, air‐port staff told him that he was their VIP guest.

He said "The service was second to none. They did a one‐on‐one safety demonstra‐tion; we took photographs, and the captain came out and spoke to me.

Paul paid £130 for the three‐hour flight, and had three cabin crew at his 'beck and call'. He added, "It was like being on my own private jet.”

President Biden thanked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the welcome.

Photo credit: President Joe Biden (via Facebook)

Bear hunt intensifies Taiwan tensions

THE French President, Emmanuel Macron, caused a stir with his recent comments about Taiwan. Macron declared that France should not be caught in the middle of a conflict between the US and China over the weekend.

He stood by the comments during a press conference in the Netherlands on Wednesday, April 12, insisting that being a US ally did not mean being a “vassal”, and that France had the right to think for itself.

While his comments have been met with criticism from

politicians on both sides of the Atlantic, Macron stands by his words, asserting that nothing has changed in France’s support for the “status quo” in Taiwan. However, his remarks have left some analysts feeling puzzled, as they suggest the US

is to blame for rising tensions over Taiwan, making it difficult for the EU to take a hardline with Beijing.

China, on the other hand, has praised Macron’s comments and shrugged off the criticism, accusing other nations of wanting to coerce other countries into obeying their will.

Meanwhile, self­ruled Taiwan remains resolute, vowing to work with the US and other democracies to combat China’s ‘authoritarian expansionism’.

Flight averts disaster

DUBLIN airport was the scene of a near disaster on Thursday April 13 as a passenger plane was forced into an emergency landing, just minutes into the flight.

En route to Chicago, Aer Lingus Flight EI123, had to make an emergency landing after a flock of pigeons was sucked into the aircraft’s engine, according to a news source.

The aircraft took off from Dublin Airport at around 11.30am but just 15 minutes into the

flight it had no option but to turn around.

The first sign of trouble was when passengers noticed the plane start to vibrate when the right engine was hit by a flock of birds.

Video footage taken by those on board showed the plane, an Airbus A330­300, getting up to speed on the runway, but landing soon after with emergency vehicles rushing toward them. Engineers were later called to assess the damage.

Betty Henderson ITALIAN authorities are still in pursuit of a bear that viciously attacked and killed a 26 ­ year ­ old jogger, Andrea Papi, in Trentino ­ Alto Adige last week. Dubbed JJ4 by experts, the bear was identified through genetic testing as the same one that attacked a father and son in June 2020.

The tragic event has sparked grief and mourning across the region, with hundreds of locals attending Andrea’s funeral on Wednesday, April 12. Andrea was a keen athlete and loved the outdoors, according to his girlfriend who shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram.

The provincial government ordered the killing of the female bear last year, but a court overturned the decision. This time, however, authorities have decided to euthanise the bear. “We are

doing everything we can to locate the bear and ensure the safety of local residents,” said Maurizio Fugatti, the President of Trentino province.

The attack has rekindled the debate about the coexistence of humans and wildlife in the region. Despite being a protected species, bears pose a risk to human safety, especially in residential areas. Locals are also calling for

changes to a plan to reintroduce brown bears in the Alps.

Andrea was an avid runner and loved the great outdoors.

Macron has returned from a state visit to China.

Photo credit: Andrea Papi (via Instagram)

75% of the world population consume meat or by-products.

Drivers’ dream

CAR enthusiasts are in for a treat as Alicante offers three car fairs for the price of one!

The 49th edition of FI ‐RAUTO (the New Car Fair), the 35th edition of the EXPOCAR (the Sec ‐ond ‐ hand Car Show) and the 17th edition of ON 2 WHEELS are being held at IFA, Alicante.

The exhibition will take place from May 5 until May 7 with the opening hours of 10.00am until 9.00pm.

FIRAUTO brings togeth‐er national and interna ‐

tional exhibitors of auto ‐mobiles, commercial ve ‐hicles, motorcycles, new vehicles, cars and used vehicles, etc.

At the event, you will be able to find new and second ‐ hand vehicles, Km. 0, motorbikes, prod ‐ucts and services for drivers, financing ser ‐vices, insurance compa ‐nies, etc.

During the three days, IFA will become the largest showcase for new and second‐hand vehicles in the province.

Visitors will be able to see and compare a wide range of vehicles and ad ‐mire the latest develop ‐ments in the motor mar ‐ket.

IFA is located on the N‐340, km 731 ‐ 03320 Elche (Alicante).

For more information call IFA on: (+34) 966 657 600 or email: info@firalacant.com

Flamenco magic

TORREVIEJA is set to be transformed into romantic and rustic rural Andalucia for an all‐day flamenco festival next month.

The highly anticipated Sali‐nas de Oro de Torrevieja con Aires de Copla Flamenco Festival will be arriving in the city on Sunday, May 7, and it promises to be a day to re‐member!

Guests will have plenty of opportunities to see the tra‐ditional Andalucian art up close at the competition’s ‘Grand Finale’ in the Casa de Andalucia ‘Rafa Alberti’.

Performers will take to the stage from 7pm on the evening, showcasing a range

Soulful songbirds

BIRD fans will be pleased to hear that Aspe is preparing for its Spanish Ornithological Cultural Forestry Federation (FOCSE) Community Champi‐onship.

The race will be held on April 23 at the Municipal Football Field ‘Las Fuentes’.

their protection. Based on this premise and with the aim that the birds compete in the best condi‐tions of animal welfare, for the organisation of the third round of the Valencian Com‐munity Regularity Champi‐onship of Songbirds FOCSE.

of mesmerising and passion‐ate performances by contes‐tants.

The stakes are high for the performers in the competi‐tion! With prizes available up to a staggering €2,000 for the winner and €1,000 for the runner up, the competi‐tion is sure to be fierce.

Tickets are available from the box office as well as on‐line, for just €3: https://cul turatorrevieja.com/even tos/festival‐flamenco‐sali nas‐de‐oro‐de‐torrevieja‐con‐aires‐de‐copla/. Tickets are selling fast, so guests are advised to book in advance for a chance to see this in‐credible art first‐hand.

FOCSE’s priority is to raise awareness around the de‐fence of wild birds and their habitats and will pay special attention to animal welfare and instil the love of birds and

It is expected that approxi‐mately 350 fans will attend eight bird courts with six stakes per court involving 400 fringillid birds and their hy‐brids.

Choir vacancies

DO you like to sing? If so La Siesta Evangelical Church Choir would love to meet you. La Siesta Evangelical Church Choir are looking for new members to join its smallish group of singers.

The choir get together every Wednesday afternoon at 3.00pm. Don’t worry if you haven’t sung in a choir before ‐as long as you love singing, you are welcome!

The group sing at the Church’s 11.15am services, ac‐companying the congregation. If you would like more infor‐mation or are interested in joining, call the Choir Master, Bob Wilson, on (+34) 603 290 553. La Siesta Evangelical Church, is located at Calle Granados in El Chaparral. For more information, head to Facebook, or www.lasies taevangelicalchurch.org.

Photo credit: Eduardo Dolón (via Facebook)

Flamenco performers will take to the stage for passionate performances in Torrevieja’s traditional Salinas de Oro Flamenco Festival.

Betty Henderson

THE European Space Agency (ESA) embarked on an epic mission to Jupiter in one of the organisation’s most ambi‐tious endeavours yet! A satel‐lite named the ‘Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer’ (Juice) blast‐ed off on an eight‐year jour‐ney to assess whether Jupiter’s major moons could sustain life on Thursday, April 13.

The €1.6 billion project will focus on three of the planet’s moons, Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, all of which are believed to contain vast oceans of liquid water. The satellite carries a total of 10

Juice to Jupiter

The UK‐provided magne‐tometer is perhaps the most important tool, providing data on the properties of the moons’ hidden oceans.

The satellite was launched on an Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana.

state‐of‐the‐art instruments, including particle detectors, various cameras, and even a lidar to map the surface of the moons in 3D.

The mission will take the spacecraft on 35 close passes of the moons, and the data will tell us about the depth of the ocean, its salt content, and whether it is in contact with the rocky mantle.

The satellite launched on an Ariane ‐ 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, with arrival in Jupiter’s Jovian sys‐tem expected in July 2031.

State of emergency

ITALY declared a six‐month state of emergency on Thursday, April 13 in response to an in‐crease in boats crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. The move comes as an un‐precedented 3,000 migrants arrived in just three days, with a number of boats landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The coastguard stepped in to rescue over 2,000 people since Friday, April 7. The news comes as the last annual quarter was found to be the ‘deadliest quarter’ for migrants since

2017 in an international report by the United Nations Migration Body. A total of 441 deaths were reported in the Central Mediterranean in the first three months of 2023. The report also warned that delays in government‐led rescues led to at least 127 deaths.

Tunisia has become the largest point of de‐parture for migrant boats in recent months. With migrants arriving at an alarming rate, the state of emergency gives ministers up to €5 mil‐lion to deal with the crisis.

Photo credit: ESA Juice (via Twitter)

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Staying home

QUEEN MARGRETHE of Denmark, 82, who recently underwent major back surgery, will not attend her grandson’s Confirmation in Paris next month. She will also miss the coronation of her distant relative King Charles III on May 6, but will be represented by Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary.

THE NETHERLANDS

Their choice

ACCORDING to Statistics Netherlands, (CBS)

8,720 requests for euthanasia were approved last year, revealing that 5 per cent of recorded deaths were the result of legally assisted dying 2022. Euthanasia in the Netherlands is allowed only when requested by the patient, not their family or friends.

BELGIUM

Flying high

FIVE US paratroopers were stuck in a tree during a training exercise at the Hechtel-Eksel military base in Limburg province. Two were soon freed using a ladder lorry, but three others who were too high up in the tree had to wait for firefighters using specialist treeclimbing equipment.

GERMANY

Shut down

GERMANY has abandoned nuclear power, taking the last three plants off its national grid after the government decided not to keep them operative. Two thirds of the population opposed the shutdown and advocates of nuclear technology argued that abandoning it was “premature.”

FRANCE

On watch

A 2013-2017 survey by France’s public health service found that two-year-olds spent 56 minutes a day in front of a screen, increasing to 80 minutes by the time they were threeand-a-half. The survey also found that 13.7 per cent of parents admitted ignoring recommendations restricting screen time.

NORWAY

On their way

MORE than 30 Norwegian billionaires and multimillionaires left Norway in 2022 after the wealth tax rose by 1.1 per cent, the Dagens Naeringsliv newspaper reported. This was more than the total number of super-rich people who left Norway during the previous 13 years, the newspaper said.

FINLAND

Name-calling

AS in 2021, Olivia and Leo were the first names most often chosen for the country’s Finnish-speaking children in 2022. “There has been little variation in names in recent years, and traditional names continue to be the most popular,” Finland’s Digital and Population Data Services Agency said.

IRELAND

Bard on display

THE only copy in Ireland of the first edition of William Shakespeare’s collected plays has been put on public display, 400 years after it was published, at Trinity College Dublin. The exhibition can be visited in the Long Room of the Old Library at the college until June.

ITALY

Deadly attack

A BEAR that killed 26-year-old Andrea Papi earlier this month while jogging in woods close to his home in Caldes in northern Italy, has been identified as a 17-year-old female that had previously attacked two people. Papi was the first person to die in a bear attack in modern times.

PORTUGAL

Money spinners

A TOTAL of 59,470 Portuguese families declared incomes of more than €100,000 a year in 2021, a 14 per cent increase on 2020, the country’s tax authority (IRS) revealed. These households declared a combined income of €9.4 billion, amounting to approximately 8.8 per cent of the taxman’s gross 2021 income.

UKRAINE

Ikea helps

UKRAINE has received household supplies worth €9 million from Ikea, the Swedish home furnishing chain, and Ingka, the group’s largest retailer. Approximately 200 lorries have now delivered 850,000 items to UN’s Refugee Agency to assist relief efforts in Kyiv and Lviv.

SWEDEN

Wrong choice

SWEDEN’S biggest pension fund, Alecta, sacked chief executive Magnus Billing after his confidence in failed US lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank left the fund with losses of almost $2 billion.(€1.8 billion). Alecta, said on April 11 that these losses had “seriously damaged confidence” in its investment strategy.

Spend big

THE TUC, which represents 48 UK unions, called for a “radical increase” in investment in public transport. More spending on the trains, trams and buses that are needed to cut down on car use could give the economy an annual boost of £50 billion (€58.6 billion) a union report claimed.

Scant interest

SPAIN’S banks save an annual €1.5 billion by paying lower interest on savings accounts than their Eurozone counterparts, according to the European Central Bank (ECB). As a result, Spanish families lose €924.16 million on their savings accounts, while non­ financial bodies lose €548 million, the ECB found.

Never-never

YOUNG Britons and Millennials aged up to 42 are four times more likely to take on debt to meet rising costs this year, credit broker Credit Karma found. Unlike those aged between 59 and 69 who use credit cards, the young tend to choose an overdraft or a pay now, pay later arrangement.

IT blip

COMPUTER sales are at their lowest in 10 years, falling worldwide by 29 per cent to 56.9 million systems during the year’s first quarter. “Demand has slowed but we expect it to overtake pre­ pandemic levels in the second half,” said Alberto Ruano, Lenovo’s director general in Spain.

Co-op hiccup

CUSTOMERS threatened to leave the Co­operative Bank after its mobile app stopped working for three consecutive Fridays recently. After the latest incident a Co ­ operative spokesperson apologised and said the bank “would put right” any problems clients might have encountered when making payments.

Linda

Hall

ACCOUNTANCY firm Ernst & Young (EY), which is London­ based, has abandoned proposals to restructure its global operations.

Plans to separate the consultancy and audit divisions were scuppered by EY’s New York office following disputes over the future structure of the new businesses.

Spadework for what was codenamed Project Everest began last year, as the big four accounting firmsDeloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers

KPMG and EY ­ faced increasing criticism regarding conflicts of interest between their two divisions.

Politicians and regulators, particularly those in the UK, questioned whether EY’s ability to challenge audit clients could be conditioned by the possibility of securing juicy consulting, tax and deal­advisory contracts from

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that the UK would be one of the world’s worst­performing major economies this year.

Popularly known as the G20, these 20 countries include sanctions­hit Russia.

The IMF expects the UK economy to shrink by 0.3 per cent in 2023 and to grow by 1 per cent in 2024, according to the World Economic Outlook report presented on Tuesday April 11 in Washington.

The IMF had already forecast that the UK would experience a downturn in 2023, descending to the bottom of the G7 group of

Padua exit

ANTONIO CATALAN, chairman of AC Hotels by Marriott, continues to reduce commitments in destinations he does not view as priorities.

Sources close to Catalan confirmed to the Spanish media that he is negotiating the sale of a hotel in Padua (Italy).

This will be his second Italian disinvestment following the 2008 sale of an hotel in Rome to the Spanish chain H10.

The same sources emphasised that the AC Hotels by Marriott sale was not linked to asset rotation but to the strategy of relinquish ownership of a hotel while continuing to run it after reaching agreement with the new owner.

STAT OF WEEK €38 billion

is the amount that Europe’s telecommunications companies have recovered via improved business, a series of mergers and, prompting operators to foresee a slight increase in revenue and new dividends.

BUSINESS EXTRA Chain sold FINANCE

No change at EY

and advisory divisions worldwide.

But, bearing in mind the strategic importance of the now­unhappy US member firm to Project Everest, EY halted the project.

FULHAM SHORE, owner of the Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurant chains, is selling them for £93.4 million (€106 million).

the same companies whose books they were scrutinising.

The UK’s accounting and audit regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, said that auditing operations should be isolated from the rest of EY’s businesses. In the event, EY went further still with a restructuring operation that would have separated audit

“The global executive remains committed to moving forward with creating two world­class organisations that further advance audit quality, independence and client choice,” explained a note to staff from EY’s global executive committee.

“We will begin taking actions based on what we have learned from the work done over the past year, actions that will both benefit our businesses today and better prepare us for a new transaction,” the executive committee added.

Ups and downs

ic recovery in 2022.

Despite the sobering outlook for UK economy, this latest prediction is rather better than the IMF’s January prediction of a 0.6 per cent contraction.

Buyer is the Japanese giant Toridoll which is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange, owns 5,500 restaurants and has worldwide sales of £1 billion (€1.13 billion).

Toridoll already runs the Marugame Udon, Shoryu and Wok to Walk chains in the UK and is teaming up with Capdesia, the private equity company behind Wasabi Sushi & Bento, for the Fulham Shore deal.

Shares in Fulham Shore soared by a third to 15p (approximately 16 cents) when the deal was announced.

Shared out

countries regarded as the world’s seven most advanced economies. The UK topped this group, which dominates global trade and the international financial system, during the pandem­

Meanwhile the IMF has raised Spain’s 2023 growth forecast by four­tenths of a percentage point to 1.5 per cent but lowered next year’s prediction by another fourtenths, to 2 per cent.

This year’s improved forecast matches those of other organisations, especially af­

Could do better

LADBIBLE GROUP, part of LBG Media, made light of a disappointing financial performance.

The group, which is based in Manchester, pointed out that it is now the leading news publisher on TikTok, and by December 31 last year the number of its followers had grown by 72 per cent compared with 2021.

LadBible’s global audience grew by 39 per cent year­on­year to 366 million, with 98 billion content views, 56 per cent more than the previous year.

Nevertheless, pre ­ tax profits dropped 10 per cent to £7.3 million (€8.3 million) over the same 12­month period, while a 15 per cent revenue increase to £62.8 million (€71.3 million) missed forecasts.

The year’s adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was also down 6 per cent at £15.7 million (€17.8 million).

ter Spain’s 2022’s strong 5.5 per cent growth. Two months ago the Organisation for Economic Co­operation and Development (OECD) raised its 2023 forecast to 1.7 per cent, while the Bank of Spain upgraded its own from 1.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

Despite these reasonably encouraging figures, they fall short of the Spanish government’s overestimate of a predicted 2.1 per cent growth announced in its Budget.

Stepping stone

MULTINATIONAL natural stone company Cosentino continues to diversify production beyond its Silestone brand.

After launching Dekton in 2013, the company has now opened a new €120 million factory covering 40,000 square metres in Cantoria (Almeria).

This brings up to 140,000 square metres the area allocated to Dekton, with everything in place for a fourth production line in the near future.

Despite announcing plans to float the company in the first quarter of 2023, Cosentino said that its board had not made a firm decision.

“All options are on the table but it is not true that this has delayed until next year,” a statement insisted.

ELEVEN top executives at Inditex received 202,500 shares that are worth more than €6 million. This corresponds to the second and last phase of the company’s 2019­2023 incentive plan, which makes up part of the variable salary for senior executives and other personnel and is linked to meeting specified targets.

The volume of this year’s shares was 21 per cent lower than that distributed during the incentive plan’s first phase which ended in April 2022, although each share is worth €30.39, a 20 per cent increase on their 2022 value.

More to go

BARCLAYS announced that it intends to close 15 more branches across the UK this summer.

The high street bank revealed that it will be pulling down the shutters on two locations in Northern Ireland, one in Wales and 12 in England next July.

These latest closures bring a total of 73 Barclays branches that have closed, or will close, this year.

The industry routinely justifies closures by pointing out that fewer people now use branches after learning how to bank from home during the pandemic.

EY LONDON: Headquarters are located near the Thames.

TOBIAS ADRIAN: IMF’s Financial Counsellor and director of the Monetary and Capital Markets department.

Photo credit: CC/Arpingstone

DOW JONES

Stretching it

DISCOUNT shopping

chain Poundstretcher has reportedly hired advisers to look into the possibility of a stock market float after sales boomed during Covid. The group, created in 1981, now has around 350 outlets and announced in February that it would open another 50 stores across the UK in 2023.

Sea change

BANCA is preparing to sell a majority stake in frozen food company Nueva Pescanova. The financial institution, which owns 97 per cent of the fishing group’s capital, is negotiating the transfer of 80 per cent of its shares to Canadian company Cooke Inc, which also specialises in seafood products.

Simply the best

THE Good Money Guide recently held its annual awards ceremony, celebrating the best in financial service organisations.

This year the UK­based guide to trading, investment and currency accounts, welcomed more than 160 guests at Plaisterers’ Hall in the City of London for a black­tie, 20­table gala dinner.

Currencies Direct won Best Currency Broker in recognition of their commitment to a fivestar experience for all their clients. This includes great rates, exceptional services, and

swift, simple transfer solutions. What are the Good Money Guide Awards?

For the last six years, the Good Money Guide has been running an annual awards

Bank branches lopped

BANKS in Spain’s rural areas are becoming hard to find.

Over the past year, Spain’s high street banks left another 121 municipalities without branches despite agreeing to provide financial inclusion for vulnerable groups.

According to the Bank of Spain, 4,618 of the country’s 8,131 municipalities ­ 57 per cent ­ no longer have a bank branch al ­

though in practice, a few still have banking facilities.

Following the Unicaja­Liberbank merger, the Andalucia­based bank has maintained offices under its own name through a franchise system which did not show up in the Bank of Spain statistics.

Meanwhile, the province of Palencia in Castilla­Leon is Spain’s worst­hit province.

A tough year

event to highlight outstanding firms in the financial services sector.

It its own words, “The Good Money Guide Awards aim to champion financial services firms that excel in innovation, product, and customer service.

“Each year thousands of clients tell us what they think to help others make smarter decisions about who to invest, trade and transfer currency with. They also provide valuable feedback to improve the online investing, trading, and currency transfer industry.”

Deciding the winners is based on professional testing, data and pricing analysis, together with customer feedback survey results. This year, 17,000 votes were cast to pick the final winners from the 62 companies that took part.

Currencies Direct is also up for the Business Moneyfacts Awards in April, where they’ve been shortlisted for two more accolades. Will the winning streak continue?

TESCO’S profits halved to £753 million (€852 million) in 2022.

The year was “incredibly tough for customers,” Tesco admitted as it dealt with “significant operating­cost inflation” and wrote down the value of some properties.

The UK’s biggest retailer said sales rose 7.2 per cent to £65.7 billion (€74.3 billion) in the year to February 25. This included a 3.3 per cent increase at Tesco’s UK supermarkets, although it sold fewer items as shoppers chose their products carefully.

UK food sales rose by 4.6 per cent over the last year, led by the group’s own­label ranges, while sales of its premium Finest products increased by 7 per cent and its cheapest ‘Exclusively at Tesco’ items grew by 6 per cent.

The chain said the volume of items sold had fallen, partly because customers wasted less and used up leftovers but once Covid restrictions were eased, they were visiting restaurants and cafes more often, buying less to eat at home.

GALA EVENING: Award-winning Currencies Direct.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Time to read

WATERSTONES managing director James Daunt, a former JP Morgan banker, said the pandemic was both negative and positive for many retailers although it was “fantastic” for booksellers worldwide. “It made people pick up books again,” said Daunt, who has 1,000 bookshops under his control.

Jobs boost

SPAIN’S Cabinet approved a €2.8 billion allocation for the country’s autonomous regions this year to implement employment policies that promote hiring the long­term unemployed. This would be the largest investment of public funds to improve employability since 2011, said Minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz.

Switchback

ALMOST one million people in the UK switched their current account in 2022, as banks competed to offer the best perks, cashbacks and bonuses. Last year’s 985,000 switches were 20 per cent up on 2021, said the Current Account Switching Service, which simplifies the process of moving to another bank.

Situations vacant

RECORD Easter occupancy accentuated difficulties in finding qualified staff to attend to the needs of Spain’s tourists. The problem, worsened by the pandemic and still unresolved, would become more noticeable as tourists returned en masse, warned Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Melia hotel chain.

Nectar deal

SAINSBURY’S has taken on Tesco’s Clubcard with key changes to its Nectar loyalty card which include discounts on 300 products.

The supermarket chain has introduced ‘Nectar Prices’ in major stores and online although discounts are not available in Sainsbury’s local stores or petrol stations.

SSE goes deep

Linda Hall

THE world’s deepest wind turbine foundation has been installed off the Angus coast.

The Scottish energy company SSE installed the 2,000­ton foundation ­ or jacket to use the industry term ­ that will support Seagreen’s 112th turbine at a depth of more than 58 metres.

The record­breaking turbine is part of SSE’s £3 billion (€3.4 billion) project in partnership with French energy company Total. Due to be completed this summer, the windfarm’s 114 turbines will be able to power the equivalent of 1.6 million homes.

This latest installation was a significant step towards completing a project

The Seagreen windfarm is included in SSE’s plan to invest £12.5 billion (€14.1 billion) by 2026 in projects that have been designed to speed up the UK’s target of becoming a net zero economy.

By the end of the decade, SSE, which is also developing the world’s largest offshore windfarm at Dogger Bank in the North Sea, intends to invest a total of £24 billion (€27.2 billion) in the UK alone.

London plans

BUSINESSMAN and socialite

Bruce Colley, whose family owns multiple McDonald’s franchises in the US, now plans to open luxury hotels and restaurants in London.

The 69 ­ year ­ old who is cochairman of Park Lane, the company that is leading the project, is joining forces with New Zealand financier Rayo Withanage to raise an initial $200 million (€181.6 million).

that demonstrated how the company was able to innovate and push the boundaries of the technology of change in power production, SSE’s chief executive Alistair Phillips­Davies, said.

SSE, one of the UK’s biggest renewable energy producers, has increased its full­year profit forecast for the financial year ending on March 31 on two occasions, thanks to its money­making gas power plants.

Juan Roig lowers prices

MERCADONA, Spain’s largest supermarket chain, is cutting the price of 500 items by 10 cents to ease the cost­ of ­ living crisis.

The initiative should bring an annual saving of €150 for each client, Mercadona said.

The family­owned company would remain faithful to its commitment to lower retail prices as cost prices fell, Mercadona sources added. These were already falling but because it was a slow process, they explained that the company had decided to get ahead by lowering the price of 500 staple products, which would be singled out in the shops.

The chain also plans to take advantage of market opportunities to lower the price of fresh produce.

The initiative will cost the company around €200 million with a 0.6 percentage point effect on its profit margin, which Mercadona calculates has shrunk by 1.1 percentage points since 2020.

Presenting last year’s accounts and announcing net profits of €718 million, Mercadona president Juan Roig admitted that prices had increased “tremendously” but pointed out that these

AMAZON’S proposed takeover of iRobot, makers of Roomba vacuum cleaner, is under scrutiny from the UK’s Competition and Markets authority (CMA).

Amazon is keen to expand its smart home appliances operation, but the CMA is looking into whether the deal could lead to what it described as a “substantial lessening of competition.”

rose by 10 per cent while the company’s overheads increased by 14 per cent. The discounts were not a temporary measure, Mercadona said. Nor were they a “shopping basket” of products with fixed prices like those of French supermarkets but were permanent reductions.

Checking out

Amazon announced that it was buying Massachusetts­based iRobot last August in a $1.7 billion (€1.5 billion) takeover agreement but a month later the US authorities announced that they would review the deal.

In February 2023, the Financial Times revealed that European competition au­

thorities also planned to examine the takeover.

Both Amazon and iRobot said they were “working cooperatively” with the regulators over the merger.

The CMA is also investigating Amazon’s fake online reviews while another probe centres on anti­competitive practices.

Striking a balance

WHEN anti­Covid restrictions were at their strictest in Spain, three million people began working at home.

They accounted for 16.2 per cent of the working population, compared with 4.8 per cent in 2019, according to Eurostat, the European Union’s official statistics office.

By late 2020 the number of teleworkers had decreased and fell to 9.5 per cent throughout 2021, Eurostat said.

At the same time, the digital transforma­

tion brought work­life balance and co­responsibility to the forefront, with the option of remote working creating a new generation gap.

“The younger generation has embraced the idea that teleworking is a must,” Josep Capell, a lecturer in Human Resources at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Reconciling work and family life is now recognised as crucial by employees and recruitment experts alike, he said.

They also intend to raise further funds to finance investments in London and elsewhere worldwide over the next two years. Colley and Withanage have already earmarked two London sites, UK media sources revealed.

“The goal is to capitalise on development and consolidation opportunities in the luxury sector,” Colley said.

Scent success

PZ CUSSONS, which owns the iconic Imperial Leather brand, achieved its sixth successive quarter of revenue growth.

Like­for­like sales rose by 6.2 per cent to £166 million (€188.4 million) for the quarter that ended on March 4, boosted by growth in Europe and the Americas thanks to more demand and higher prices.

Despite higher raw material, labour and logistics costs, turnover rose by 13 per cent thanks to favourable currency movements and sales from Childs Farm, the skincare brand that Cussons bought for £36.8 million (€41.8 million) in March 2022.

Power shock

ITALY’S government announced that Francesco Starace, president of Enel, is to be replaced.

The company will now have Flavio Cattaneo as chief executive, while Paolao Scaroni was named president. Enel is the country’s principal electricity producer and also owns Endesa, which is Spain’s biggest electricity supplier. These substitutions were already being discussed in the sector in a change that is expected to have a direct impact on the Spanish company.

Starace had been in charge since 2014 and Endesa has until now played a significant role in the group’s strategy.

SEAGREEN WINDFARM: Jackets waiting at Dundee harbour’s quayside.

Photo credit: Flick/Tobias Verfuss

MERCADONA: Spain’s largest supermarket chain.

Photo credit: mercadona.es

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

THINK IT

LAST week I had a post removed from my FB pages. The short video was indeed distasteful, but one I felt deserved as much publicity as it could get. The film showed a naked white man being kicked and stoned to death by a number of black youths on a busy street in South Africa. This horrific act was taking place in broad daylight with no assis‐tance whatsoever from any law en‐forcement or indeed passers‐by.

The whole incident made me sick to my stomach and in normal cir ‐cumstances I would never have dreamt of passing it on to friends and pursuers of my Facebook page, but these are not ‘normal’ times, are they?

Not only did the piece make me wonder how the public, particularly the ‘diversity’ brigade, would have reacted had it been a black man be‐ing kicked to death by a gang of whites, but it made me seriously wonder where the priorities of the faceless individuals who control the social media actually lay.

At any given time, on many of

Truly horrified

these outlets you can see women stoned to death and if you delve deep enough the goriest executions imaginable, so why, can anyone en‐lighten me, do they find the murder of a white man by blacks so abhor ‐rent they deem it necessary to take down?

Would it, I wonder have anything to do with the fact that South Africa has been a democratic disaster and a place of danger and injustices for white people for years, far worse in fact than it was for the black resi ‐dents during apartheid? I have regu‐lar contact with a number of friends, who are among the dwindling num‐bers of those whites who still try to exist in this most dangerous and bla‐tantly anti‐white racist country.

Basically, the terrorists are now in charge and, like Saudi Arabia, which is also run by an undemocratic bunch of cruel dictators, control so many of the world’s natural rich re‐sources, they literally get away with murder on a grand scale and are never brought to book.

I am subsequently truly horrified but not too surprised, by the news

GRUMPY OLD MAN OUR VIEW

that the new series of ‘I’m a Celebri‐ty’ is also coming from that disgrace‐fully run country. No doubt the hier‐archy running the TV and advertising will be delighted to show their huge‐ly biased brainwashing diversity pro‐paganda and will gain a wonderful reception from the crooked SA au ‐thorities and the relatively small numbers of the British public who are in agreement with their policies, including participants in a show; which will undoubtedly be crammed with diversity.

Personally I think presenters Ant and Dec should have refused to par‐take at all. Sandy Shaw and I only agreed to an SA tour during apartheid if we could work to mixed audiences. We too were supporting the black citizens, but would never have even contemplated doing so had they been attacking and mur ‐dering the white population! Keep

Leapylee2002@euroweeklynews.

leapylee2002@gmail.com

3 SECRETS TO MAKING AN IRRESISTIBLE

REBECCA SERWOTKA ‐ “We sell houses!

It’s what we do, it’s ALL we do!” Certified API Associate 00493. Your favourite local resale property expert, of Inmobiliaria Real Estate Agents in Ciudad Quesada. Prestige Award Winner for ‘Real Estate Agency Of The Year 2021/ 22 & 2022/23. Luxury Lifestyle Awards Nominee, Alicante Spain 2023’.

You’ve watched hun‐dreds of episodes of A Place In The Sun. You’ve seen how it’s done on TV. But are you ready to make an offer that won’t be re‐fused?

When submitting your offer remember this…

1. The fewer homes

that are available for sale means your offer needs to be pretty close, if not the full asking price.

2. The more homes that are on the market for sale means you can go in with a sensible offer.

3. Use comparable properties for guidance. Compare your of‐fer to other homes that are available. Beware! Go too low and you could offend the sell‐er, then they won’t be open to any negotiation at all. Although property programmes may sug‐gest making a bold of‐fer, it is crucial to take into account the vari‐ability of the real es‐tate market since it can and does fluctu‐ate.

WITH the Coronation of King Charles III just a few days away, it does seem that the new monarch is do‐ing his best not to heal rifts within the family but in‐stead is relying upon protocol to act like a grumpy old man.

First and foremost, whilst Harry has announced that he will be attending his father’s coronation, he will be kept very much on the periphery, is not likely to wear any ceremonial costumes and will be expect‐ed to keep a low profile.

It appears that his wife and children will remain in the USA and he will simply make a token appearance before jetting back for son Archie’s fourth birthday.

Prince Andrew who has made a total fool of him‐self over the past few years (although has not been convicted of any criminal offence) may or may not attend, but if he does, he will be precluded from any official role and although his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie will attend, they may not take part in any of‐ficial capacity as they are non‐working royals.

Sarah Ferguson is not invited although it has been suggested that she, like Prince Andrew was a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

When one considers that apart from Prince Ed‐ward, every other member of the Queen’s immedi‐ate family has been divorced or involved in some scandal or other, surely now would be the time to try to bring the family together and present a united front to the world at large rather than continue to highlight the rifts?

Stoned Age Man

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

BRONZE Age partygoers were getting high on hallucinogenic drugs 3,000 years ago. Scientific analysis of strands of hair from a cave in Menorca give the clearest direct evidence yet of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient civilisations. So, hair today, high tomorrow?

Some may complain that a report about ancient civilisations using hallucinogenic drugs normalises drug use. You may as well say a report about the Trojan horse normalises war! Mind you, one glance at the cave’s eerie stalagmites and even eerier stalactites would convince anyone it wouldn't take much hallucinogen ingestion...

You have to wonder if the plants/sub­

stances involved played a part in the invention and formulation of religions. A person might have a very vivid hallucination of a stick turning into a snake, and then back into a stick, if they were off their head on mushrooms, for instance. (Though doesn’t sound like the start of Methodism...) Trepanned skulls, with holes drilled into the bone, were also found with indications the individuals involved survived for months afterwards. Maybe listening to the Grateful Dead? Trepanation instruments weren’t complex, made out of flint, obsidian or stone. And, hopefully, easy to acquire. With no bank holiday queues at the local B&Q...

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.nora­john son.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Nora’s latest thriller.

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Neck and neck

Laugh it off

A GOOD giggle could help to lower blood glucose levels following an Easter Egg spree.

Insulin is released to bring these levels down, explained hormone expert Dr Nicky Keay, and exercise can assist by restoring them following the sugar rush.

“Active muscles demand glucose for energy,” Dr Keay said. “We use muscles to laugh, and this has a blood glucose ­ lowering effect,” she added.

Linda Hall

NECK skin ages faster than almost anywhere else on the body, dermatology professor Dr Theodora Mauro said.

Poor posture, insufficient skincare, sun exposure and natural weakening and decline of the

neck muscles all combine to accelerate ageing.

“Sun is your neck’s enemy,” Dr Mauro added.

“Once exposed to the sun, ultraviolet A waves can reach the skin’s inner layer, damaging the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin.

“As we grow older, the skin on the neck becomes dull, dry and less smooth,” she explained.

“It is essential to moisturise morning and night, avoiding anything alcohol­based which will only dry your skin out even more.”

Health benefits

RACHEL GARRICK, who is a Monmouthshire county councillor was criticised for knitting during a council meeting.

She began knitting in 2012

to alleviate the pain of osteoarthritis and Ehlers­Danlos Syndrome which affects tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessel, she explained. Making an uncompli­

cated item like a baby blanket also helped her to concentrate during meetings.

“Workplaces should be more accepting of knitting as a way of focusing,” she said.

DON’T spurn the humble potato. Rich in antioxidants, potatoes supply beneficial vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, B6, and potassium, although nutritional content depends on the variety chosen and its preparation.

Studies have linked potatoes to impressive health ben­

A Japanese study carried out by University of Tsukuba’s Dr Keiko Hayashi has also confirmed the importance of laughter.

Volunteers, who included diabetics, ate the same meal. They then watched a 40­minute lecture, after which their blood glucose levels were tested. The process was repeated, but

this time they saw a 40minute comedy.

“Levels were significant­

ly lower for both groups after the comedy show,” Dr Hayashi found.

Happy medium

YOU can have too much of a good thing, including sleep.

University of Galway (Ireland) sleep experts analysed information from 5,000

Spud love

efits which include improved blood sugar control, reduced risk of heart disease and boosted immunity.

They can also improve digestive health and combat signs of ageing.

Listen to this

HEARING aids could reduce the risk of dementia in the hard of hearing, a study published in the Lancet suggested. Analysing the health records of thousands of people with varying levels of deafness, researchers found that those without hearing aids had a 42 per cent higher risk of developing dementia. “Our study provides the best evidence to date that hearing aids could be a minimally invasive, cost­effective treatment to mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia,” the study concluded.

people, half of whom had already experienced a stroke.

They found that the stroke risk doubled for par­

Too much of a good thing

DRINK coffee for a headache.

When your head pounds, blood vessels swell, producing greater blood flow around the brain. This increased blood flow pressures surrounding nerves, which send pain messages to the brain, bringing on the headache.

Caffeine has vaso­constrictive properties so blood vessels narrow to restrict blood flow, alleviating the pain.

Be careful, however, because the body becomes dependent on caffeine and reducing or eliminating consumption triggers withdrawal symptoms.

ticipants sleeping more than nine hours a night, compared with those who were getting between seven and nine.

Results also revealed that people who slept less than five hours were three times more likely to suffer a stroke.

It was not clear why too much or too little sleep increased the risk, admitted Dr Christine McCarthy who led the research, although her team’s findings suggested this could indicate other underlying health issues.

27.5% of revenue generated by beauty and personal care is from online purchases.

Photo credit: Pexels/Karolina Grabowski

NECK CARE: Sun is the enemy.

Photo credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadrio LAUGHTER: Could be the best medicine for blood glucose levels

SHORT SNOOZE: Better for one’s health than a long siesta.

Keep it short

WE live in the country that has enshrined the siesta, but doctors warn that a daily 30­minute nap can cause atrial fibrillation.

This heart condition causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, a condition that affects more than 40,000 million people worldwide and increases the likelihood of having a stroke.

After analysing data obtained from 20,000 people without an irregular heartbeat, doctors found

Fast talking

Linda Hall

SKINCARE fasting has had 205.8 million TikTok views to date.

This involves abandoning all skincare products for periods that can last from 24 hours to a week or even longer.

A cuppa tea

TEA has the potential to benefit 40 different areas of our health, a review of 96 different studies found. The authors of the review, published in the Molecular Nutrition and Food Research Journal, linked drinking two to three cups a day to better gut health and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

that napping for more than half an hour daily more than doubled their risk of developing atrial defibrillation.

There was no increase in people who napped for less than 30 minutes and those who didn’t sleep at all during the day, the investigators found. Meanwhile short daytime naps of between 15 and 30 appeared to improve the body clock, lower blood pressure levels and reduce stress.

Washing your face with water can help to soothe breakouts and eliminate redness, fasting proponents maintain, a pronouncement that has prompted an immediate reaction from dermatologists.

Scrapping skincare would be fine if we never went outside or if we didn’t have blue light from screens or pollution to contend with, skin expert Kate Kerr argued.

“All these things damage our skin if we don’t take steps to protect it,” she said.

“If you see benefits from skin fasting, that’s because the products you were using weren’t working for you.”

Photo credit: Pexels/silviarita SKINCARE PRODUCTS: Eliminate them, skincare fasting proponents say.

Copper copout

CAN a copper bracelet really bring relief from sore muscles, joint pain or carpal tunnel syndrome?

“People think that copper is absorbed through the skin and that this will help arthritis, but there is no strong evidence for it,” Dr Wendy Holden said. A consultant rheumatologist at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, she is also medical adviser for the charity Arthritis Action. “Neither is there any evidence that copper bracelets can help with fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel,” she said. “But wearing a copper bracelet will not cause any harm, so if patients feel better because of it, then that’s good and could have a placebo effect.”

Drinkers of ordinary ‘builders’ tea also appeared to have a reduced risk of certain cancers, and there were additional benefits for bone health and brain power.

It’s allergy time

APPROXIMATELY 30 per cent of Spain’s population have some type of allergy, generally caused by pollen.

Tree and grass pollen are the main culprits, but as well antihistamines and nasal sprays, Vaseline can also help.

“A barrier of petroleum jelly around your nose will help to trap pollen and relieve dry and uncomfortable skin resulting from repetitive nose­blowing,” Dr Nisa Aslam said in the UK.

Photo credit: Pexels/Karolina Grabowski

Wrong context LETTERS

IN your Issue No 1970 (6‐12 April) in Euro‐pean Press, you carried a piece on Ireland, with a caption of Welcome Home, which as an Irishman I was very pleased to see.

However we would never use the Gaelic word, Eíre in this context. Instead we would say, Ballina, situated in County Sligo.

Moreover, most people, particularly Irish would not use Eíre, only because most other nationalities wouldn’t recognise it!

On the other hand the name, Ireland, in the caption is very acceptable.

Always enjoy your paper.

Hi Linda,

Regards

Bernard Butler

Many thanks for your speedy reply.

Actually whilst on the subject of Ireland. In Mijas Pueblo, on the building beside the Council Offices, wall plaques have been erected to acknowledge various nationali‐ties’ presence in the area.

I recall some years ago, Ireland was one of the first countries to be honoured in this way, however on a recent visit to the Peublo I noticed that someone has removed the plaque. Vandalism no doubt?

Perhaps you might consider following up this matter?

Thank you for you time and attention to this matter.

Kind regards Bernard

Dear Leapy

I take objection to the letter printed re Jed‐dah. I worked in the King Fahad Hospital there in those years and found the Saudi people nothing but respectful. Please don’t use that term r s for those people Mr Kite. Have you not been to British beaches over the last 50 years? You can hardly sit down without all the rubbish left by selfish people of all nations.

Carole Burton

Dog park

While it is good to see the Euro Weekly News back, I would like to point out an incor‐rect statement in the news about the dog park. It was not built on waste land, but on a park area that the garden group had spent a lot of time, effort and money to gravel and maintain for the last 20 years. But no one thought fit to liaise with the garden group about where would be the best place for it. Perhaps not near the medical centre and the play park. It will be also interesting to know who is going to maintain it and empty the bins?

Yours sincerely, Marion

Hi Leapy

I am not sure you get to glance through the Sun newspaper where you are situated but I have been following this guy for some time now. His name is Lee Anderson and I am sure what he says in this article (page 16/17 Sunday 16/04/2023) is just what we have been trying to tell people for ages, but do they listen NO!! Because they are all too steeped in woke and human rights etc etc to see the wood for the trees. Now I know you can’t reply because so many people contact you, be it agreeing or disagreeing with your views, but if you can get it up on your screen see what you think. Keep up the good work trying to educate the uneducated.

Joe

Mixed up

Four words used in Loopy Lee’s latest col‐umn but used inappropriately in conflicting ways in the wrong order. Firstly he calls the Johnson partying as Mere Bagatelle words meaning petty triviality and unimportance, does he really think that the charlatan who was eventually ousted from office through his law breaking and continuous lies is petty, trivial and unimportant? Try telling that one to the thousands who stayed at home unable to hold the hand of loved ones suffering in hospitals and care homes. Secondly in his continuous weekly bias towards the opposi‐tion party he calls, simply because they have more female members, an armoury of Schemes and Skullduggery against the Tories, words of course meaning artful and sharp practice, as I have pointed out he has got the words mixed up and used in the wrong order.

Ramon Osborne, Los Alcázares.

No benefit

Brexit, the gift that just keeps on giving. Still no benefits to Brexit. If you voted for it, you’re part of the problem called, Brexit Bro‐ken Britain. The whole world is laughing at the UK!

Andrew Cremona

Big brother

How sad that big brother is bringing such a wonderful historic way of travelling to an end. As for providing education details when travelling ‐ what on EARTH has your educa‐tional history have to do with travelling to an‐other country. It’s time people stood up to this BS and told the so called authorities what they can do with all this unnecessary data harvesting. It’s just spying on people for no good reason.

Naimah Yianni

Transform your home with sparkling floors

MIKE BUTLER of Simply Pro Floor

Care has been restoring and polishing marble and other stone surfaces in Spain for just over 15 years. Working mainly in the Alicante and Murcia regions, Mike has experienced many different problems with stone floors other than just a lack of shine, such as acid etchings, seepage, large cracks and holes. Also, marble tiles that have been left with sharp edges (lippage) can be ground down and fully restored!

Simply Pro Floor Care can clean, repair, polish and restore your marble, limestone, granite, travertine and terrazzo, specialising in:

• Full restoration of all stone floors

• Repairs on floors, bathroom furniture and kitchen worktops

• Cleaning and polishing to an exceptionally high and long­lasting sheen

• Indoor and outdoor ­ no job too small

Simply Pro Floor Care are fully qualified in stone restoration, repairs, cleaning and polishing, and uses only the most up ­ to ­ date machinery, tools and products.

Mike uses the crystallisation system that restores an excellent shine to the marble and then fin­

ishes off with a highspeed buff that leaves your floors with a mirror sheen. The same process is used on marble and composite stairs, furniture, kitchen and bathroom tops, mantles and ledges. If there are deep marks made by acid

burns (chemical or natural) or scratches, these can be ground down and polished; when finished, you wouldn't even know they had been there!

During the crystallisation process, Mike uses a rotary machine equipped with steel wool, and sprays small amounts of crystallising solution on the floor, working the solution with the rotary ma­

This type of work is carried out over small sections of the floor to ensure that the solution works before it dries.

Many people get used to dull marble and forget how amazing this natural stone can look. Take the plunge and give him a call, you have nothing to lose, but could gain amazing shiny floors that you will be proud of.

spun under the machine’s weight and the solution is crystallised due to the friction and the corresponding temperature generated.

Mike is happy to come out and give you a noobligation quote, but you can also have a chat with him and he will give you an idea of costs or is happy to just give you some advice. Transform your home by letting Simply Pro Floor Care restore your floors and other stone wear!

Stone restoration, cleaning and polishing that you can trust.

Stand-up-paddle fun

STAND ‐ UP paddle board ‐ing (SUP) has been grow ‐ing in popularity in re ‐cent years as a fun and effective way of staying fit while enjoying the great outdoors. And Spain, with its beautiful beaches and coastline, is the perfect place to try it out.

First, let’s take a look at what stand up paddle boarding is. This nautical sport involves standing on a large, stable board and using a paddle to propel yourself through the water. It’s a full body workout that engages core, leg, and arm mus ‐cles. And because you’re doing it on the water, the exercise is low ‐ im ‐pact and easy on the joints.

One of the biggest ad ‐vantages of trying SUP in Spain is the beautiful scenery you get to enjoy while you’re out on the water. Spain’s coastline is dotted with stunning

beaches and rugged cliffs, making it an ideal setting for paddle board ‐ing. Plus, the Mediter ‐ranean is generally calm and warm, so you can enjoy working out in comfort.

Many people also find that being near the ocean has a calming ef ‐fect on the mind and body, making it the per ‐fect sport for managing stress and improving mental well‐being.

Many beaches and ma ‐rine areas in Spain offer

rental equipment and lessons for beginners. And because it’s a rela ‐tively easy activity to learn, you can be up and paddling in no time.

PADDLE BOARDING: It’s a full body workout.

15% of the population of UK hold a gym membership card.

We are what we eat - and what we think

PHYSICALLY we are literally what we eat, and mentally we become what we think.

Our bodies are composed of what we eat ­ the fuel necessary to keep us alive. When eaten, an apple or a carrot is ‘miraculously’ converted into a living part of our body. As every kind of plant, fruit or vegetable has a different composition of minerals, vitamins, proteins and energy, each has a different role to play. Nature provides the necessary nutrition for all of us and for every living creature. Each food can prevent or heal specific ailments to our vital organs in all their variety ­ in association with the mind.

The nutritional composition of our food and drink determines the quality of our immune system, the cells in our organs, bones and blood, and thus the health of our bodies. The developing embryo depends on the food consumed by the mother, as does the resulting baby on her milk.

Then it is up to us. Is our food free of chemicals, artificial additives and pollution? Have the fruit and vegetables been sprayed

with insecticide or herbicide? Has the fish been farmed or is it from a polluted river or sea? Is the meat factory­farmed?

Naturally, once the apple has delivered the minerals, vitamins, proteins etc into the cells through the digestive system, its waste will be eliminated (evacuated) and replenishments (perhaps a potato, a kipper or another apple) will be ingested in order to con­

tinue the cycle. The composition of the body changes accordingly, as it does unceasingly throughout life. Our eyes and liver, the skin on our throat and the joints in our knees are not the same as they were a month ago.

‘As a man thinks, so is he’ (Proverbs 23/6). This means that who we are essentially is determined by our thinking ­ and it is why

we potentially have so much control over mind and body ­ over mental and physical health. In most parts of the world, we choose what we eat and what we think.

The way we think is the way we feel and is therefore the way we are. If our minds are cluttered with negative thoughts, depending on the nature of those thoughts, we feel unhappy, worried, afraid, angry or jealous. If we think positively, we become happy, optimistic, confident, relaxed or generous.

This is why our bodies can be controlled by the mind. There are numerous cases of illnesses diagnosed by the medical profession that have been cured not by medicine or surgery but by the mind. We have witnessed a few cases personally. A life­threatening breast tumour mysteriously disappeared without further trace, baffling the oncologists who had proposed treatment.

The mind must, of course, believe the condition will be cured and preferably visualise that it has already been cured.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

Physically we are literally what we eat, and mentally we become what we think.

Springtime trip must-sees

SPRING is a wonderful time to get out and explore the great outdoors with a camping trip. From stunning beaches to rugged mountain ranges, there are countless places to pitch a tent and experience the natural beauty of this country. Today, we’re bringing you some of the best destinations for a spring camping trip.

• Sierra de Guadarrama Parque Nacional

Located just an hour outside of Madrid, Sierra de Guadarrama Parque Nacional offers a perfect countryside escape. The park boasts a diverse range of landscapes, including mountains, forests, and rivers. There are several campsites where you can set up your tent and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. The park is also a great spot for hiking and mountain biking.

• Cabo de Gata­Nijar Parque Nacional

If you’re looking for a coastal camping experience, Cabo de Gata­Nijar Parque

Nacional is the perfect spot. Located in the province of Almeria, this park offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean surrounded by rugged cliffs. There are several campsites within the park, many offering pitches with sea views. The park is also home to several secluded beaches and coves.

Camping health benefits

• Picos de Europa Parque Nacional

Located in the north of Spain, the Picos de Europa National Park is a must­visit destination for nature lovers. The park is home to some of the most stunning mountain landscapes in Spain, with peaks reaching over 2,000 metres.

Alpincamper

THE Opel Vivaro has mainly been known as an all­rounder for businesses seeking a light commercial vehicle that is as flexible as it is efficient. But the Vivaro can do much more, as an ‘Alpincamper’, it is now a practical, comfortable campervan.

The specialists from the Bavarian town of Lenggries, which sits almost directly on the German­Austrian border, are converting the bestselling Opel commercial vehicle into an extensively equipped motorhome, available in two variants.

The Alpincamper Vivaro 2 offers plenty of space for up to two people while the Alpincamper Vivaro 4 can accommodate up to four people.

The Opel Vivaro comes with a wide range of features as standard such as air conditioning, a multimedia system including digital radio reception and numerous assistance systems, cruise control and speed limiter as well as Rear Park Pilot, which makes manoeuvring much easier.

ARE you planning your next trip, trying to convince a loved one to go camping with you, or looking for a new adventure? Whatever the reason let me give you the lowdown on why camping is good for your health.

Spending time in nature is good for you. Scientists believe that our brains respond positively to nature and natural views as it is a natural mood booster. Surrounding yourself in nature combined with exercise, whether it be a stroll around the area or a more intensive hike, will improve heart health, making for a faster metabolism and more resilient joints and muscles.

If that is not enough camping is proven to help you sleep better as we are distanced from

everyday life and technology and surrounded by natural sounds like the crashing of the waves rather than cars honking or neighbours shouting.

And finally, camping helps us live in the moment.

It is a mindful experi ­

ence and keeps us grounded in what is happening right now. Mindfulness keeps us from worrying unnecessarily about things that have not happened and stops us from dwelling on past issues, all of this has a positive impact on our mental health.

NATURAL SURROUNDINGS: Time outdoors is good for you.

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ENGLISH ­ SPEAKERS living in Spain can shop for food in supermarkets without uttering a word of Spanish.

Even so, you might want to try your luck at the fish or meat counter while taking care to avoid both at the weekend or the day before a national holiday. That’s when you run the risk of being stuck behind someone making a mega purchase that involves cutting, chopping, filleting, deboning, descaling and overall tweaking.

It’s also one way of getting exactly what you want and although you can resort to sign language or mime, here are some phrases which will help you get it. Usually you can get away without verbs, too, if you add ‘por favor’.

Thin/thick slices please….. lonchas finas/gruesas, por favor

Thin/thick fillets…..filetes finos/gruesos, por favor…..

Cut up/chopped…..en trozos, por favor

The good thing about meat counters is that they will mince the meat of your choice for you, so you know what you’re eating:

I would like a quarter/half/one kilo of

minced pork/beef….. quiero que me pique un cuarto /medio /un kilo de cerdo/ternera

I’ve omitted lamb ­ cordero which involves buying and boning a leg or shoulder before mincing, although I’ve seen it done. Alternatively, if there’s a halal butcher near you, you’ll get it there.

If you don’t see what you want:

Do you have fillet steak/stewing steak/lamb chops/pork chops/chicken breast/rabbit/panceta?…..¿hay solomillo/carne para guisar/chuletas de cordero/chuletas de cerdo/pechuga de pollo/conejo/pork belly?

Don’t miss out on the fish counter, where they will do everything to a fish bar cook it for you:

Gut it …..límpielo/la, por favor

Without the head….. sin cabeza, por favor…..

Bone it ….. sin la raspa, por favor…..

Butterfly it (use this for fillet steak, too)…..me lo abre, por favor

In fillets…..En filetes, por favor

In (round) slices…..en rodajas, por favor

And, to change the subject as usual, don’t forget that Jubilación isn’t Cliff Richard’s kind of jubilation but retirement, although come to think of it that’s something to be jubilant about too.

It couldn’t happen now

LINDA HALL

I WAS feckless as a young woman, so feckless that I once had a daily who came on Sundays too, an arrangement which suited both of us very well.

I suppose some people had a dishwasher that long ago in Spain, but we didn’t and said cleaner, whose name was Paca, happily washed and scrubbed what I’d overlooked. The non ­ stick frying pan, for instance.

Not long after she began cleaning for us, she cornered me and scolded me for burning the frying ­ pan.

“It’s taken hours and I can’t get that brown stuff off,” she said.

We both looked at the pan and where Paca saw a dirty frying pan, I saw one where half the Teflon had been scratched off.

I explained that the brown stuff stopped things from sticking. She looked thoughtful and impressed.

“Like tortilla?” she asked. “Exactly like tortilla,” I answered.

As anyone who makes a Spanish omelette soon discovers, turning it

in anything other than a non ­ stick pan requires nerves of steel and a large amount of luck, even for dab hands like Paca.

Unsurprisingly, she immediately went out and bought one for herself.

Innovations were slower to spread 50 or so decades ago, but mobiles and their uses still held their mysteries in the late 90s.

I was riding my bicycle into town once when I heard a text message arrive. I stopped, took my phone out of my bag, and hunched over it to read the message.

A car stopped on the other side of the road and the driver stuck her head out of the window.

“Are you all right?” she called. “I thought perhaps you were ill.”

“I’m fine,” I answered. “I was just looking at a message on my phone.”

At which she looked slightly puzzled and drove off.

Now there’s something that could never happen in 2023, not when practically everyone has their nose in their phone, earbuds in their ears and eyes for nothing but their screen.

PETS

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Xylitol poisoning danger to dogs

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Adoption associ ‐ations are really helpful and they help match families to their pets mak ‐ing sure that every‐one will be happy together. You can even ask them if you can foster the pet for a while to make sure you are right for each oth ‐er.

The cost of adopting your pet is much lower and usually just covers the cost of sterilisa‐tion and the vacci ‐nations they have received.

I know puppies are cute but some ‐times an older dog can be the right choice as they are usually toilet trained and calmer and you can teach an old dog new tricks don’t worry!

THE Spanish have shown the world how devoted they are to their animals by creating a law that states animals are not things but sentient beings and your pet should be considered a member of your family. Not only that they have recently re ‐leased a new animal wel ‐fare law, reported in the last edition of the Eu ‐roWeekly News, with strict rules on their care and

heavy fines in place for those who do not comply with the law.

With that in mind let’s have a look at the most popular pets in Spain.

Top of the list are dogs, no surprises there, with the most popular breeds being the Yorkshire Terri ‐er, the Labrador, the Ger ‐man Shepard, and the Bulldog.

Next up are cats, the preferred pet for people

living in apartments. After cats, another good option for apartment living is birds with most Spanish pet owners opting for ca ‐naries and parrots.

Other animals high in the ranking in Spain are turtles, a very popular op‐tion for kids. Notable men‐tions go to hamsters, rab‐bits, and lizards, all great pet choices for children and very popular in Spain also.

By adopting you help to reduce the inhumane pet breeding trade. Usually, mixed ‐breed dogs what people usually re ‐fer to as a mongrel, not designer pug ‐gles or cockapoos, are healthier and less vulnerable to diseases unlike purebred animals or the designer crossbreeds men ‐tioned before.

With pet adop ‐tions down 36 per cent since the pan ‐demic think about adopting a pet from a shelter near you.

Puffin loves playing on the beach, the pet minders take her every day.

Spain’s favourite pet.

Photo Credit: Flickr Jon Sharp

AIR CONDITIONING

ALARMS

AIRPORT TRASNFERS

ARTIFICIAL GRASS

CONSTRUCTION

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

CONSTRUCTION

BALUSTRADES

BLINDS

BUILDERS

BLINDS

PAINTERS/DECORATORS

UPHOLSTERY

ARCHITECT

CHARITY

BUILDING SERVICES

J & J PAINTERS. Insideoutside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (1296232)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

FOR SALE Busy small shop on Campsite. Fantastic investment opportunity. Accommodation available. For more info call 619 003 258 (303214)

BUY & SELL

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

KENWOOD CentriFugal Juicer Excel IE850 €99ono. 628 860 606 (303013)

CARAVANS

MOBILE homes & static caravans bought, sold and transported. +34 630 055 418 or elsyd7@hotmail.com (294686)

CARS FOR SALE

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life - damaging everything that is important to you. English-speaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence.

AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www. aa-costablanca.org (93323)

CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campe llo@hotmail.com (95475)

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR

Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462)

CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH

Tel: 950 617 549 www.giving light.com.(10006)

FREEMASONRY . Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meeting up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glpvalen cia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477)

LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English-speaking church. For more information, including details of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005)

PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459)

PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www. pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009SG/A (95463)

ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Members Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org. uk Tel:0044 800 018 2361. (238593)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION -

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granala cant.secretary@rbl.community

ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIA -

TION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details contact Hon Sec P S Wilkins Tel: 966 194 158 email: inkin spain@yahoo.co.uk (10004)

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION

For information please contact Chairman Anthony Jenkins +34 693 866 709, Vice Chairman Dusty Miller +34 711 006 670, Secretary Mike Cockman +34 670 224 822, Treasurer Carl Louden +34 678 518 202, email rnatorrevieja@aol.com (95455)

We hold a Sunday Sevrice at 11.30am. For further information: www.spiritualistcentre -benijofar.com . Telephone 711 060 171. Email martind route66@hotmail.com . Fiscal G54713789

SAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuranceinspain.c om or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (290139)

CARE HOME

HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456)

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Beniajan 16, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11.00am. All nationalities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476)

Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branches.britishlegion.o rg.uk/branches/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457)

CHARITY

STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers, with rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 653 588 475 English and 620 907 474 Spanish or email strokesupportgroup@ hotmail.com, website: torrevie jastrokesupport.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473)

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablan ca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465)

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461)

THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458)

THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807)

THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton’s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS We are a non-profit organisation that supports people and their families with neurological diseases such as; HUNTINGTON’S, ATAXIA, MOTOR NEURONE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS and PARKINSON’S. Our MOVERS AND SHAKERS CLUB held every Friday @ 1pm – 3pm, is a chance for members to meet up socially, for a drink and a chat on a full range of topics and to exchange ideas and information. The club is held at O’Briens Bar in El Raso, Guardamar del Segura (except July and August). For more details, contact Marion Smith on 711 008 250, or email: marion.smith@amscb.org.es, or you can find us on Facebook : fb@movers and shakers www.amscb.org.es (295976)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com or visit www.ben eficialinsuranceinspain.com for online quote. (303063)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygatein sure.com

MASSAGE

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (291667)

ELECTRICIAN FOR SALE/WANTED

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

GOLD WANTED

FRENCH, ELÉGANTE , slim, Sophie, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villamartin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526 (295405)

EXPERIENCE the best with a 1hr unique massage with Veronica. Shaving or permanent hair removal available. For appointments call 679 292 678 (302232)

CLASSIC SPANISH LADY , Playa Flamenca area, private premises, all massage services from 40€. Ana 657 603 495 (302802)

ATTRACTIVE, Girlfriend, Professional Masseuse relaxing and therapeutic Masseuse. Tel: 693 357 526 (295448)

HEALTH & BEAUTY

PERSONAL TRAINER, WEIGHT LOSS, TONING, RESULTS GUARANTEED. CERTIFIED WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE. FORMER US KICKBOX CHAMPION. CALL 747 438 225 (301319)

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (293273)

INSURANCE

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHAT-

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MEN - Mario qualified masseur in Alicante - Special Massage for Men - 7 days 10am to 10pm - APPOINTMENTS visit: www.masajeyre lax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (302598)

MEETING POINT

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

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)

MOTORHOMES

MOTORHOME / Campervan wanted. Left or right hand drive. Cash waiting for right van. Tlf 650 722 905

PIANO , Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (302201)

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

NAUTICAL OTHERS

KAMAGRA Gold 100mg plus Kamagra Jellies. Collection or Delivery. ROY HAS A NEW TEL. - 613 584 915 (295447) tp

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

TAILOR-MADE in durable canvas, pergola covers, sails, umbrella, spa and CAR COVERS. 10% off Cushions. Mazarron to Costa Blanca. RETIRING SOON

DON’T MISS OUT Google: KrugerCanopies.com WhatsApp: 667 879 399 krugercanopies@ yahoo.co.uk

EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorsecare.net www.easyhorsecare.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)

GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, de-flead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709)

P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com

SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting rehoming. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spama-safor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (291667)

If

POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (290726)

Hyundai i20 a lot of car for not much money

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

WITH the imminent demise of Ford’s Fiesta, the choice of small hatchbacks continues to diminish in favour of an SUV style. Thankfully there are still manufacturers with tempting offers in the sector and Hyundai is one of them.

The diminutive i10 might conceivably be a little small for some, but the larger i20 slots in nicely size‐wise for those wanting maximum space in compact form.

A smart looking car, if com‐ments on my test model are anything to judge, the i20 range starts at €22,270/ £19,725 and encompasses the entry level through to the luxury and sporty and finally the very sporting i20N.

My Ultimate model sits at the top of the normal tree with a €27,633/£24,475 price tag and seven‐speed auto‐matic transmission.

Standard fare across the line‐up is very good with alloy wheels, air conditioning, high beam assist, powered and heated door mirrors, cruise control, rear parking sensors and camera, Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

My Ultimate added climate control, heated seats, privacy glass, rain sensing wipers, wireless charging, navigation, keyless entry and start, pow‐er fold door mirrors and a

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Hyundai i20 Ultimate

Bose sound system.

The range uses a three ‐cylinder, 1.0 ‐ litre tur ‐bocharged petrol developing

speeds and automatics a sev‐en‐speed double clutch type of automatic. It’s a very effec‐tive power delivery

ing a 60/40 split folding rear seat and good rear legroom when the rear seats are in po‐sition. Cer‐

being a second quicker to that benchmark speed and arguably allows you a bit more control. That said the automatic isn’t bad and provides a more re ‐fined change than many pseudo au‐tomatics.

• Engine: 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol electric 48V mild hybrid

• Gears: 7-Speed DCT automatic

• Price: €27,633/£24,475

• Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 11.4 seconds/Maximum Speed 185 kph (115 mph).

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

• Emissions: 122 g/km

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

aided by a 48v battery to make a mild hybrid that ben‐efits emissions, power and economy.

It’s a practical car too with even the lead‐in version hav‐

tainly not a performance model though when 62 mph takes 11.4 seconds, but in normal use the i20 doesn’t feel pedestrian. The manually geared versions fare better

Most i20s will spend their life pottering around towns and cities with the occasion‐al long run. Which is a shame as it handles rather well on cross country roads and especially with the nicely slick manual gearbox that would be my recommendation on the gearbox choice. Overall the i20 is refined, comfort‐able and very well equipped. It offers rather a lot of car for not a lot of money.

HYUNDAI i20: Refined, comfortable and very well equipped.

Future of freight

DRONES will be used to deliver packages on remote Scottish islands as part of nine new in‐novative freight projects which have been awarded £1.2m in UK government funding.

The funding is one part of the govern‐ment’s Future of Freight Plan launched last year, setting a strategy to work closely with in‐dustry to deliver a world‐class freight system.

The system is hoped to support economic growth and build on the measures already taken to tackle the global HGV driver short‐age.

UK Roads Minister, Richard Holden, said: “Whether it’s drones for deliveries on remote

islands or zero emission buggies, we want to invest in future technology that could trans‐form how we move goods around the coun‐try while reducing emissions and traffic and creating skilled jobs.

“The Freight Innovation Fund gives innova‐tors the opportunity to test their ideas and help our freight industry become greener and more efficient unlocking better connectivity and boosting growth across the country,” confirmed the Roads Minister.

The Plan is a three‐year £7 million pro‐gramme designed to make delivering freight across the UK more efficient and cleaner.

NEW smart motorways are to be removed from UK government road ‐building plans

The news comes due to financial pressures and lack of confidence felt by drivers the UK govern ‐ment confirmed on Satur‐day, April 15, delivering on the Prime Minister’s summer campaign pledge.

New smart motorways ‐including the 11 already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy (2020 to 2025) and the three earmarked for con ‐struction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) ‐ will be removed from govern ‐ment road‐building plans, given financial pressures and in recognition of the current lack of public con‐fidence felt by drivers.

Initial estimations sug ‐gest constructing future smart motorway schemes would have cost more than £1 billion and can ‐celling these schemes will allow more time to track public confidence in smart motorways over a

Not so smart

longer period.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “All drivers deserve to have confi ‐dence in the roads they use to get around the country.

“Many people across

the country rely on driv ‐ing to get to work, take their children to school and go about their daily lives and I want them to be able to do so with full confidence that the roads they drive on are safe.”

DRONES: Investing in future technology while reducing emissions and traffic.

Tragic rally accident Laporta attacks Real Madrid

A DRIVER and co ‐ driver were killed when their car hit a tree during the 42nd Rally Villa de Tineo 2023 in Asturias.

Tragedy struck the Rally Villa de Tineo 2023 in Asturias on Saturday, April 15, when a car left the road and crashed in ‐to a tree. Julio César Castrillo and his co ‐ driv ‐er, Francisco Javier Ál ‐varez were killed in the accident.

JOAN LAPORTA ESTRUCH , lawyer, business‐man, politician, and cur ‐rently the president of Barcelona Football Club is back in the headlines af ‐ter his verbal attack on Real Madrid. In his efforts to defend his club that is caught up in the ‘Negreira Case’ he has lashed out at his rivals.

The ‘Negreira Case’ al ‐leges that between the years 2016 and 2018, Barcelona paid Jose María Enriquez Negreira, the vice ‐ president of the

Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), to tell players how to behave with each individual refer‐ee to give them a better chance of favourable treatment.

With reports coming out that Barcelona may be sanctioned by leaving them out of European competitions next season an angry Laporta has lashed out at Real Madrid saying they also received favours from referees.

Laporta said “I think it is worth remembering that

for seven decades, most of the presidents of the CTA have been ex ‐ part ‐ners, ex ‐ players, or ex ‐managers of Real Madrid. In some cases all of them at the same time. This tri‐al will serve to expose them. It is an unprece ‐dented exercise in cyni ‐cism.”

He went on to attack Javier Tebas, the presi ‐dent of La Liga, accusing him of a lack of profes ‐sionalism with regard to the documentation he has reportedly supplied.

Advertising ban on gambling firms

IN a statement released by the English Premier League on Thursday, April 13, it announced a total ban on advertising by gambling companies on the front of foot‐ball shirts on match days.

The statement read: “Premier League clubs have today col lectively agreed to with draw gambling sponsor ‐ship from the front of clubs’ matchday shirts, becoming the first sports league in the UK to take such a measure voluntarily in order to reduce gambling adver ‐tising.”

It continued: “The an nouncement follows an extensive consultation involving the League, its clubs, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as part of the Govern ‐ment’s ongoing review of current gam ‐bling legislation.

“The Premier League is also working

with other sports on the development of a new code for responsible gambling spon‐sorship. To assist clubs with their transi‐tion away from shirt‐front gambling spon‐sorship, the collective agreement will begin at the end of the 2025/26 season,” it concluded.

Advertising on shirts will be allowed until the ban comes into force. Cur ‐rently, a total of eight clubs in England’s top tier have sponsorship contracts with gam ‐bling firms. These deals are reputedly worth an estimated annual income of £60 million. They will still be able to continue with advertis‐ing on the shirtsleeves and advertising hoardings around the grounds.

These eight clubs include Bournemouth, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Southampton, and West Ham United.

The organisers of the 42nd edition of this competition immediate ‐ly took the decision to suspend the race and called for a minute’s si ‐lence in the Town Hall Square at 6.45pm in honour of the two de ‐ceased racers. Saturday saw the drivers compet ‐ing on the second and fi ‐nal day of this year’s ral ‐ly.

Adrián Barbón, the president of the Princi ‐pality, tweeted his dis ‐may at the incident, posting: the socialist Adrián Barbón, has shown on his social net ‐works his sadness at the news and has indicated that he has already con ‐tacted the mayor of Ti ‐neo, José Ramón Feito, to inquire about what happened.

“Very saddened by the news of the death of the driver Julio César Cas ‐trillo and his co ‐ driver, Francisco Javier Álvarez, during the dispute of the penultimate stage of the day Rally Villa de Ti ‐neo. My deepest condo ‐lences to their families and friends,” he posted.

He added: “I have just spoken with the mayor of Tineo, José Ramón Feito. A lot of pain with

this terrible news, which leaves us all sunk. I am really sorry.”

The Principality’s Au ‐tomobile Federation al ‐

so offered its ‘immense support’ to the families and friends of the two drivers who died after the fatal accident.

Nagelsmann on the shortlist

ACCORDING to reports Chelsea has held preliminary talks with ex‐Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann and he is now on the shortlist to take over at the London club. Other names reported to be on the list are Luis En‐rique, Mauricio Pochettino, Luciano Spalletti, and Rúben Amorim.

The word from sources at Stamford Bridge says there is no clear favourite yet. Frank Lampard has been ap‐pointed as the interim coach and some discussed the possibility of him staying on, but with his third defeat in nine days we can guarantee Chelsea will be sticking to the candidates on the shortlist.

Nagelsmann, who many feel should not have been re‐moved as Bayern Munich head coach, has also been mentioned in relation to a vacancy expected at Real Madrid soon and a possible job opening at Paris Saint‐Germain, will the German coach opt for Chelsea if se‐lected?

Chelsea meanwhile must focus on their next fixture, the Champions League quarter‐final second leg against Real Madrid. They trail 2‐0 after their defeat in Madrid last week.

A rally car competing in Rally Villa de Tineo 2022.

Joan Laporta speaking on the charges against Barcelona.

Julian Nagelsmann.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Interedit

Credit: YouTube/AV Racing

83.22% wins is the figure for tennis pro Novak Djokovic.

Paul Ince contract terminated

READING football club announced on Tuesday, April 11, it has terminated the contract of manager Paul Ince. The former Manchester United and England legend will leave the Championship strugglers with immediate effect.

A statement released by the club read: “Reading Football Club can confirm that the contract of firstteam manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect.

“Ince was appointed initially on an interim basis with his assistant Alex Rae in February 2022 and, alongside the likes of Academy Manager Michael Gilkes and Under18s manager Mikele Leigertwood in the dugout, he did an admirable job in helping the club stave off the threat of relegation with four wins from the final 14 fixtures last season.

“Ince took the reins on a permanent basis in the summer and, having to

Favourite wins Grand National

cope with strict transfer embargo restrictions, he helped to piece together a new squad on a much­reduced wage budget ­ and with five wins from our first seven home games, the season began brightly.

“However, without a win in our last eight matches and with a relegation battle to fight following a six­point deduction imposed last week, owner Mr Dai Yongge has decided that a change is needed.

“Assistant Manager Alex Rae has also departed the club. Our Under­21s Manager and former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, has been installed as Interim First Team Manager until the end of the season.”

Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen, said: “I would like to thank Paul and Alex for their efforts through a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours.”

THE 2023 Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool held on Saturday April 15 was won by the 8­1 favourite, Corach Rambler, ridden by Irish jockey Derek Fox.

After a delayed start thanks to animal rights activists staging a protest at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, the Grand National was eventually won by the 8 ­ 1 favourite, Corach Rambler.

The win comes six years after Fox first teamed up with Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell to ride One For Arthur past the finishing post at Aintree.

Last year’s winner, Noble Yeats, had to settle for fourth on this occasion. Second place went to Vanillier while Gaillard Du Mesnil cantered home in third.

The big event was sadly marred by the intrusion of a group of protesters from ‘Animal Rising’ onto the famous track. Merseyside Police finally made a total of 23 arrests, causing the race to start 12 minutes late. Two of the activists went so far as to attach themselves to one of the jumps by applying glue and lock­on devices.

“We are continuing to work with The Jockey Club and other partners to keep people safe during the Grand National Festival,” said Merseyside

Police. They continued: “We are aware of people who planned to protest at today’s event. This has been factored into our plans. We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.”

Peta UK was quick to react and publish a statement after three horses died during this year’s Grand National races. Envoye Special died after an incident on Thursday April 13, followed by Dark Raven during Saturday’s third race. Hill Sixteen also fell at the first hurdle and had to be put down.

HORSE RACING: A race at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool.

Credit: Google maps - David Stoddart