Costa Blanca South 4 – 10 May 2023 Issue 1974

NIGHT RACE

MORE than 2,000 runners from all over Spain have already registered for the Elche Night Race 2023.

The popular five and 10 ­ kilometre night race will be held on May 13 and will take runners through the most emblematic points of the city.

Mayor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez, confirmed: “This second edition has already surpassed the 1,800 registrations of

2022 and the great news is that 40 per cent of the runners who have signed up are women.”

The mayor along with Elche’s councillor for Sports, Vicente Alberola, participated in the prerace jog on April 28 that brought together more than 200 runners.

They were joined by outstanding athletes of the city such as Pedro Esteso, Alejandro Juan, Mayer Adsuar and Jessica

Guerrero (the winner of the 2022 edition).

The preparatory race was five kilometres long and started at the Palacio de Altamira.

It continued along the

Paseo de la Estacion, the Municipal Park and the slope of the river towards the Altamira Bridge until finishing in the Placa de Baix, where all the runners were photographed.

PREPARATORY RACE: All the runners were photographed in the Placa de Baix at the end.

Image: Elche City Council

Anna Ellis AENA (the airport manage‐ment group which includes Alicante‐Elche Miguel Her‐nandez Airport) obtained a net profit of €901.5 million in 2022, compared to losses of €475 million in 2021.

The shareholders of AE‐NA have now approved the return of the dividend pay‐ment, which confirms the solvency of the company.

The remuneration for both private and public shareholders will amount to €4.75 gross per share and the payments will be made today, May 4 in cash.

The CEO of AENA, Mauri‐

ELCHE’S Department for Tourism is proud to present Travel Explore which is a mar‐keting tool with artificial intel‐ligence which will be used in a bid to get to know its visitors better.

The new tool will help to find out data on the flight searches of people who in‐tend to travel to the region, to find out from where, who and how long it takes for visi‐

Dividend payment

nounce the return to the payment of dividends.”

Charity fountain

ci Lucena, expressed his sat‐isfaction with the return of shareholder remuneration confirming: “After the painful decision to suspend the distribution of divi ‐dends in the 2019 financial year, I am pleased to an‐

Maurici also explained that in 2022 the entity achieved the objective an‐nounced at the last General Meeting of reaching a per‐centage of 40 per cent of women sitting among the members of the Board of Directors. This figure was 26.7 per cent in 2021.

In addition, AENA’s Exec‐utive Management Com‐mittee already has 60 per cent of women among its members.

Travel Explore

tors to buy their trip.

The tourism sector requires more and more intelligence, to allow the city to improve on tourism marketing.

The Director of Tourism In‐telligence, Mario Villar, said: “Travel Explore will collect 8.5 million pieces of data that are based on Google searches of

our 10 main European mar‐kets. With artificial intelli‐gence, they will be analysed and provide information.

“It is as simple as it is com‐plex at the same time.”

Mario Villard added: “This tool can predict which tourists may come and when they are looking to travel.”

IF you find yourself wan‐dering through Zenia Boulevard with some loose change in your pocket why not toss the coins into the charity fountain and collabo ‐rate with the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation?

The ONCE Guide Dog Foundation (FOPG) is a foundation created by ONCE with the aim of breeding and training guide dogs for people with blindness or severe visual impairment and thus contributing to im ‐proving their autonomy and the safety of their movements.

It provides its services to visually impaired people throughout Spain, by virtue of the collaboration with ONCE itself, which offers the guide dog as a free so ‐cial service for people affiliated with the or ‐ganisation who are eligi‐

Super mum

THE Mother’s Day Cam ‐paign of the Pinoso Mer ‐chants Association is now underway.

Mum is a Superhero, with this slogan the busi ‐nesses associated with the ACP (Association of Merchants of Pinoso), have launched the cam ‐paign, in order to reward customer loyalty.

ble to receive this mo ‐bility aid.

The Solidarity Foun ‐tain is located in the Plaza del Olivo between the Decimas store and the Santos Ochoa book ‐store.

The money collected during 2023 in the soli ‐darity fountain will help the association to con ‐tinue helping those who need it most.

Until May 7, save your receipt from all purchases made at associated estab‐lishments and send it via WhatsApp to the chatbot 644 280 755, this will en ‐ter you into the draw for three Pinoso gift cards worth €50 each.

The draw will take place on May 11 and the win ‐ners will be notified through the usual chan ‐nels.

You will find the Mum is a Superhero poster in the participating estab ‐lishments’ windows.

Profits have increased.

ONCE guide dogs.

Image: LookerStudio / Shutterstock.com

Image: Zenia Boulevard

Inside the Coronation

THIS first weekend in May will be full of royal celebrations as King Charles is set to be crowned alongside the Queen Consort at a grand ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

The long weekend will be filled with celebrations, from street parties to concerts, as King Charles becomes the oldest new monarch in history. Code­named Operation Golden Orb, plans for the much­anticipated event have been released over the past few months.

Starting on May 6 at 11am, the Coronation Service will kick off a weekend full of events following their Majesties’ crowning in the Abbey in London, in a service that will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The King’s Coronation will include many of the ceremonies that were seen in the late Queen’s service, such as anointing with consecrated oil, the delivery of the orb, the pledge to be “Defender of the Faith”, and the enthroning itself.

It is understood that the anointing will not be shown on television and is set to be hidden from the public, as it was for the late

Queen’s coronation in 1953.

During the ceremony, the King will be asked if he will govern the UK and the Commonwealth with law and justice, and if he will keep Christianity alive in the country.

He will sit in the Coronation Chair, also known as Edward’s Chair, holding the sovereign’s sceptre and rod to symbolise his power over the nation, as well as the sovereign’s orb to represent the Christian world.

After the Archbishop has anointed, blessed, and consecrated Charles, the crown of St Edward will be placed on his head, crowning him as King Charles III.

Countdown to Coronation

FOLLOWING the death of the Queen on September 8, 2022, King Charles became the king of the United Kingdom and the Com monwealth Realms. Born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, he is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Charles attended several schools during his childhood, including Hill House School in London and Gordonstoun School in Scotland. He later

King’s Coronation:

Where to watch

KING CHARLES III and Camilla will be crowned on Saturday, May 6. Before and after the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey in London, there will be ceremonial processions which will be aired live on national television, radio, and online, as well as exhibited on giant screens at locations around the country.

If you are planning on tuning in to the King’s coronation on television, here are all the details you need about channels and timings so you don’t miss a moment of this major historical event!

On Sky News, Coronation day coverage will kick off at 6am on Saturday, May 6. Live coverage will also be available to view on BBC and BBC iPlayer throughout the day, with mirroring coverage also available on ITV.

Although exact timings may change, the official ceremony is set to start at 11am at Westminster Abbey, with broadcasters’ promising live footage from multiple angles to give you a front­row seat, complete with a running live commentary.

Those outside of the UK can watch the events and coverage on CNN, NBC, Fox News and other major US stations, as well as YouTube live streams and live TV subscriptions such as Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV, Sling TV and FuboTV.

studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970 and a Master of Arts degree in 1975.

Charles has been involved in public life for many years and has taken an active interest in a wide range of issues, such as environmental sustainability, architecture, and education.

He has also served as the patron or president of numerous charitable organisations including The Prince’s Wool Project, START, and The Cambrian Mountain Initiative.

In 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who became known as Princess Diana. They had sons William and Harry before their divorce in 1996 and she died in 1997. Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005, and she is now known as the Duchess of Cornwall.

Throughout his life, Charles has been known for his advocacy for environmental sustainability and for his interest in traditional architecture. He has written several books on these subjects, including ‘A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture’ and ‘Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World’.

As king, Charles is expected to continue his advocacy for these causes while carrying out his duties as head of state.

The Coronation Concert

THE day after the King’s Coronation, on Sunday, May 7, viewers can watch the Coronation Concert live on BBC and iPlayer. Taking place on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, exact timings are yet to be announced but the concert is set to start at 8pm and coverage is likely to start earlier in the lead­up to the event.

The star­studded musical show will feature performances from Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and Welsh singer Sir Bryn Terfel, amongst others. There will also be a performance from the Coronation Choir ­ a group of amateur singers and community choirs made up of refugees and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

‘Paddington’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ star, Hugh Bonneville will host the gig.

King Charles set to be crowned.

TAKE THAT: Just one of many performers taking part.

Charles married Camilla in 2005.

Image –Official Take That Facebook page

Image –The Royal Family Facebook page

Valuable assets

Anna Ellis MAYOR, Carlos Gonzalez, joined in the tribute to the Elche Football Club in the year of their centenary.

According to the mayor, “The Elche Football Club fans are the club’s most valuable asset and are the soul of the Club.”

He added: “You are the ones who are there no matter what, through thick and thin, you have been the driving force behind the club and the team every Sunday for the last hundred years.

“I am sure that one of the main reasons why Elche is cele‐

brating its 100th anniversary is due to the strength and sup‐port of the fans.”

The team currently plays in the Spanish second division, holding home matches at Esta‐dio Manuel Martinez Valero, with a capacity of 38,750 seats.

Their stadium is named af‐ter the shoe mogul, Manuel Martinez Valero, who not only

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

Ding dong bell

LA PASCUALA is the name of Pinoso’s Rodriguillo Her ‐mitage Bell which has recovered after being repaired. With the passage of time, bells suffer deterioration which is due to the exposure they suffer to inclement weather. The material ends up wearing out and suffering damage which is what happened to the bell of the Ermita del Rodriguillo that dates back to 1902.

Social Club

transformed the club between 1962 and 1982, but brought the World Cup to Elche shortly before he died.

Elche’s biggest rivals is con‐sidered to be their nearest neighbours, Hercules Alicante. There is also a smaller rivalry with Real Murcia, the biggest team from neighbouring re‐gion of Murcia.

“Not only the bell was in poor condition, but the yoke was also completely destroyed, so the danger of falling was very high,” confirmed the mayor, Cesar Perez.

The yoke is a very important piece, it is the one that holds the bell and connects it to the structure, this has al‐so been restored. The bell has always been the same and for years the ringing was done manually until the 70s when the wooden yoke and motorised turning equipment were placed. The district area has managed the restora‐tion of the bell, which is scheduled to be installed on Fri‐day, May 5, in time for the celebration of the festivities in honour of San Pascual Bailon.

Get clicking

THE third Camp d’Elx photog‐raphy competition to highlight the municipality’s hydraulic heritage has now been con‐firmed.

The prizes will be €150 for the winner, €100 for second place and €50 for third place. In addition, 10 runners‐up prizes will be awarded a diploma and a basket of typical products from the Camp d’Elx.

To enter, send a maximum of 10 photos of infrastruc‐tures and traditional irriga‐tion systems by email to con‐curscam pdelx@gmail.com. The deadline for submitting

material is July 1.

The councillor for Rural De‐velopment, Felip Sanchez, con‐firmed: “The aim of this initia‐tive is to highlight the value of the hydraulic heritage and de‐mand its protection and there‐fore its conservation.

“This competition allows us to understand who we are and where we come from. After all, Elche was an agricultural town throughout its history and this hydraulic heritage has allowed us to have this economic activi‐ty, as well as having El Palmeral and a very powerful agricultur‐al sector.”

ALICANTE Town Plan‐ning Department has promoted a preliminary study for the construc‐tion of a Social Centre in the Plaza Juan Pablo II located in the neigh‐bourhood of the same name.

The future building will be located on a mu‐nicipal plot which is cur‐rently undeveloped and will have a surface area of 1,764 m² divid‐ed over two floors.

The preliminary study will be used to as‐sess the feasibility of the work on the social centre and will analyse the suitability and loca‐tion of the following us‐es: senior citizens’ club, one or more reading rooms, youth associa‐tions and clubs, gymna‐sium areas, social assis‐tance, learning activities, and multiple activities with the possi‐bility of considering other uses appropriate to the social fabric of the centre’s surround‐ings.

The implementation of the building and its integration with the al‐ready urbanised area will be studied, justify‐ing the analysis of the possible arrangements on the plot and the chosen alternative.

The estimated cost of the works amounts to €3,076,428.

53% of British tablet owners use an Apple iPad.

“A fool and his money are soon parted.”

Means that a foolish person spends money too quickly on unimportant things. The phrase was used by poet Thomas Tusser in a poem he wrote called Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry in 1557.

ALICANTE once again be ‐comes a tourist attraction thanks to a new edition of the World Padel Tour Open 500, the second tournament of its kind this season.

The event will be held from May 1 until May 7 at the Pabellon Pedro Ferran‐diz (Centro de Tecnificacion Deportiva Alicante).

Many of the best male and female players in the sport of Padel at the mo ‐ment will be taking part in the tournament. In total, 240 athletes of the highest level, 72 male and 48 female pairs will compete for victo‐

SUBMISSIONS are now be‐ing taken in Torrevieja for applications for aid for the elderly.

The period for submit ‐ting applications for aid for the Third Age (single pay ‐ment aid for vulnerable groups due to age and with scarce economic re ‐sources), will close on May 24.

The application form and all information and docu ‐mentation are available on

Padel Tour

TOURNAMENT: A spectacle not to be missed by padel fans.

ry. The big surprise of this Al‐icante Open will be Coki Ni‐eto, as on this occasion he will be playing with a new partner in this event, Miguel Semmler, the number eight seed.

This is a spectacle not to be missed by fans of the sport of padel.

For more information or to purchase tickets, head to the website https://wpt ‐open500.com/entradas‐3/

Elderly aid

the municipal website of the Torrevieja City Council, and access to the electron‐ic headquarters has been enabled to formulate the application.

The councillor for the El‐derly, Inmaculada Mon ‐tesinos, also confirmed that if computers are not your thing, a special service

will be offered for people to obtain all the informa ‐tion and documentation at the San Pascual Senior Citi‐zens' Home, number 117, from 9.00am until 1.30pm until May 24.

Each aid beneficiary may receive a maximum of €400, counting on a budget of €534,092.50.

Gastro Point

Anna Ellis

FIVE companies are compet‐ing to turn Elche’s old Central Market into a gastronomic and cultural reference point.

The mayor, Carlos Gonza‐lez, confirmed that the par‐ticipation of the companies is a sign of the high level of interest in the project, which

Air raid shelter

will act “as a locomotive for the historic centre of our city.”

The companies aspire to carry out the ambitious ini‐tiative in the heart of the city centre in 15 months for a maximum of €7.2 million.

The project envisages a minimum of 12 catering stalls on the ground floor, which will be converted into an open, diaphanous space.

In addition, it will integrate and musealise the Arab baths and the Civil War shel‐ter, the east façade will be set back and the possibility is open to carry out actions such as removing the central slab of the building or level‐ling the lower floor to facili‐tate pedestrian access to it. Gonzalez reaffirmed that the intervention will not be limited to the Central Mar‐ket. The adjoining streets and the squares will be rede‐veloped to harmonise the area and regenerate com‐mercial activity.

THE entrance to the air raid shelter on Calle Triana from the building of the old courts in Orihuela which has only recently been dis‐covered will be left open to the public once the refurbishment work on the property has been completed.

The construction of the anti‐aircraft shelter was agreed upon in the session of the Munic‐ipal Council on April 28, 1938, in the middle of the Civil War.

The shelter starts on Calle Santa Justa, where the old Local Police checkpoint was lo‐cated, and goes as far as Calle Triana.

It is between two and 2.5 metres high and between 1.5 and 3.6 metres wide.

During the Civil War, it was used as a gro‐cery store. When the war ended it was used as a municipal warehouse until the 1990s

ALICANTE City Council is set to introduce free city bus fares for under‐30s and will maintain the half‐price travel passes al‐ready in force from August 1 until the end of the year.

Alicante City Council has become the first regional gov‐ernment to announce free transport for young people until the end of the year. They will also maintain the 50 per

then it closed and a small niche with a tiled virgin was built at the only preserved en‐trance.

Municipal Architect, Esteban Cacho, con‐firmed: “The location of the entrance means a lot because it is a way of recovering histori‐cal and cultural heritage.”

Half price

cent discount on bus trans‐port until the end of the year.

The government team is implementing this measure to continue helping families to cope with the economic cri‐sis and to alleviate the rise in inflation and the increase in

shopping basket prices. In 2022, Alicante exceeded 15 million city bus passengers, specifically 15,145,301, which is an increase of 23.3 per cent over the previous year. It is hoped to exceed figures from before the pandemic.

TO OPEN: Recovering historical heritage.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela / Facebook

CLASSICAL music fans will be delighted to hear that Alicante Classical Theatre Festival will take place from September 13 until September 24.

The councillor for Cul ‐ture, Antonio Manresa, confirmed. “This event follows the trajectory of previous editions, that is, to place Alicante on the circuit of the most im ‐portant events in Spain.”

Classical Theatre

The councillor empha‐sised that “the city will spend the last four months of the year with a strong focus on the ‐atre, coinciding with oth‐er theatrical events such as the Muestra de Teatro.”

Accompanying the stage programme and in

different cultural facili ‐ties in the city, the festi‐val will present a variety of complementary activi‐ties, such as conferences, talks with professionals and oral storytelling pro‐posals for all audiences.

All these complemen ‐tary activities will be free of charge.

Movers and Shakers

IMANYO’S Bar in Daya Nueva hosted The Question Of Arrows on April 21 in aid of The Association of Movers and Shakers.

Quiz Master, Christine, did a sterling job at the annual quiz.

The Question of Arrows is a quiz with a dif‐ference, whereby each team nominates a dart thrower to aim at designated numbers on the dartboard ‐ e.g. 20 and 1 ‐ if they threw a treble they scored three points and a double two and single one point.

Of course that is only if they got the question correct, otherwise it was offered to the next team for a bonus point.

The evening raised €212 for this much‐needed charity and good fun was had by all.

The Association of Movers and Shakers, help support sufferers and their families with Ataxia Huntington’s Disease, Parkin‐son’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

They rely solely on donations and money raised by charity events in order to support the work they do.

For more details, visit www.amscb.org. es, or contact Marion, the President, on (+34) 711 008 250.

59 shipmates

Anna Ellis

THE recent Royal Naval Association Torrevieja Branch (RNATB) meeting was another resounding success with 59 Ship ‐mates in attendance.

Entertainment came in the form of four fabu‐lous Torrevieja MusiKhome Ukrainian children singers, Andriy Golovnyuk Volosovych, Fedir Vasenko, Kateryna Panasenko and Yelyza ‐veta Bilokon, who were conducted by the moth‐er of Andriy Golovnyuk.

The outstanding per ‐formances were very emotionally moving and included some tradition‐al Ukrainian folk songs along with some modern songs which received a standing ovation.

The RNATB wish them and their families a hap‐py and successful inte ‐gration into either their temporary or permanent

Climate spends

life in the Torrevieja area.

The Royal Naval Asso‐ciation (RNA) offers Free Membership and is a UK Registered Charity num‐ber 266982.

Although primarily founded for serving and retired Royal Naval per‐sonnel with the motto ‘Once Navy Always Navy’, it also welcomes all serving or retired mili‐tary Veterans and civil ‐ians alike.

For more information

contact: Chairman, Tony Jenkins, by email: Chair man.RNATB@mail.com, phone: (+34) 693 866 709 or WhatsApp at (+44) 7576 117222.

Alternatively join in the fun on the first Wednesday of each month at 5.00pm at Lakeview Bar & Restau‐rant, Calle Toledo 16, Ciudad Quesada, 03170, Alicante.

EUROPE has now granted Elche the €8.6 million it re‐quested to continue promot‐ing green mobility and the fight against climate change.

The mayor, Carlos Gonza‐lez, confirmed: “These Euro‐pean funds allow us to contin‐ue to deepen the policies that humanise the city and at the same time advance in eco‐nomic dynamism and job cre‐ation.” Almost €9m comes in addition to the €4m received in the first call for proposals, earmarked, among other things, for the purchase of eight electric buses, the con‐struction of an electro‐lane station, the service that allows bus payment by card and the extension of city bus lines.

“This is very positive news that will allow us to make progress in sustainable mobili‐ty, continue to reduce green‐house gases and make progress in the decarbonisa‐tion of the city, improving wa‐ter quality and making it a healthier city,” confirmed the mayor.

Flying so high

Anna Ellis AENA (the airport management group which includes Alicante‐Elche Miguel Hernandez Air‐port) achieved a net profit of €133.6 million be‐tween January and March 2023, compared to a loss of €41.7 million in the first quarter of 2022. The number of total passengers for the Aena Group (Spain, Luton and airports in Northeast Brazil) recovered 100 per cent of pre‐pandemic levels (100.6 per cent of 2019 traffic).

At the airports in the Aena network in Spain, traffic volume reached 53.6 million in the first three months of the year, which is an increase of 41.6 per cent compared to the same period last year and 1.6 per cent higher compared to the first three months of 2019.

ORIHUELA City Council is in the process of implement‐ing a new security system on the eight doors that ac‐cess the Parque Severo Ochoa. The system consists of the placement of steel cables so that the doors re‐main suspended in the event of falling off, a method that has been studied and decided as the optimum for this type of

The total consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2023 increased to €1,026.7m, which is an increase of 34.3 per cent compared to the first quarter of the previous year. Aeronautical revenue was €523m, 26 per cent higher than in 2022. Commercial revenue, supported by a growth in sales from commercial activities sur‐passing 2019 levels, has reached €337.9m, up 40.1 per cent from the first quarter of 2022.

Severo security

cast iron enclosure.

This will provide more se‐curity to avoid situations that have happened in re‐cent years due to both ex‐cessive oxidation and corro‐sion as well as acts of vandalism or misuse.

One of the doors which fell off last week has now

been reinstalled with a rein‐forced structure.

The Department of In‐frastructures has confirmed it will proceed to review the state of each of the hinges of the rest of the enclosures that the park has and doors of facilities of this type that exist in the city.

Traffic volumes and profits are rising.

Image: ALC Alicante Airport / Facebook

Anna Ellis OUIGO railway company has just inaugurated its new Madrid ‐ Chamartin ‐ Clara Campoamor line with Al‐bacete‐Los Llanos and Ali‐cante‐Terminal, which will al‐low travellers to move comfortably and economical‐ly along the corridor that con‐nects the capital with the Va‐lencian Community.

Tickets for this service will start from just €9, which means a great opportunity for those looking for accessible transport alternatives.

The new Ouigo offer also

includes a special flat rate for children between four and 13 years old, with a price of only €5, while children up to three years old will travel free in the arms of an adult.

This makes the Ouigo travel experience even more attrac‐tive for families looking for convenient and affordable transportation options.

With two daily frequencies and a travel time of less than two and a half hours, Ouigo allows travellers to move

quickly between the cities of Madrid, Albacete and Ali‐cante.

This new offer is added to the three daily frequencies that Ouigo already offers be‐tween Madrid‐Chamartín‐Clara Campoamor and Valen‐cia ‐ Joaquín Sorolla, thus completing the five daily fre‐quencies that the company signed with the infrastructure manager ADIF for the Madrid‐Valencian Community corri‐dor.

Bargain tickets Increased security

ASPE City Council has installed security cameras on the Santa Elena Urbanisation and will continue to install cameras on the rest of the urbanisations, such as San Isidro, Virgen de las Nieves, Montesol and Alcana.

To date, a total of 50 cameras have been installed and distributed through ‐out the urban area and in the III Her ‐manas industrial estates, and the instal‐lation of 30 has now been completed on the Santa Elena Urbanisation. These cameras will be connected to

the Local Police through a centralised da‐ta control point from where the informa‐tion recorded by the cameras will be viewed and managed with the purpose of guaranteeing greater protection for residents.

The mayor of Aspe, Antonio Puerto, has indicated that the installation of se‐curity cameras in the municipality of Aspe is intended to protect and monitor the population of Aspe to increase secu‐rity and avoid crimes especially in resi ‐dential areas and in the countryside.

Popular property

Betty Henderson

SPAIN continues to be a highly sought­after destination for homebuyers, as the country’s housing stock dwindles. According to a study released by European property portal, Idealista, on Friday, April 28, the number of available homes for sale in Spain has decreased by 5 per cent in the last year.

This drop is even greater

than the 3 per cent decline seen in the last quarter of 2022. While this may seem concerning to some, it is a sign of the growing popularity of Spain as a desirable location for homeowners and is also set to boost property value.

Major cities like Barcelona have seen a decline of 11 per cent in homes for sale, while Madrid has experienced an unexpected 4 per cent in ­

crease in supply.

This trend is not limited to major cities, as even smaller towns have seen a decrease in available homes for sale. However, this has not deterred homebuyers, as Spain continues to be a popular destination for those seeking a beautiful and comfortable lifestyle, and property sales have continued to soar.

It is clear that Spain’s property market is thriving.

€163 million for drought

ON Tuesday, April 25, the Governing Council of the Junta de Andalucia approved the third decree against the drought. It entailed the allocation of €163 million in hydraulic works and aid. The measure is forecast to provide some 184 cubic hectometres for supply and irrigation and plans to benefit almost three million Andalucians.

The Andalucian Government revealed that this third decree brings the funding allocated in response to the lack of water suffered by the Community to €300 million. There are also plans for the installation of ir­

rigation pipes, the improvement of the water supply, the search for new water sources, the reduction of water losses, and the digitalisation of water management. It also includes a package of direct and exceptional aid for farmers, ranchers and fishermen, amounting to €43 million.

Among these is direct aid of €10 million, plus €6 million for the expansion of the line of drinking troughs. Subsidies for the construction of rafts, watering holes and connectivity infrastructures will receive €5 million.

Betty Henderson

IN an unprecedented move, the government of the United States announced a plan to send migrants to third coun‐tries including Spain and Cana‐da. The plan was announced on Thursday, April 27, as part of the country’s efforts to man‐age the flow of immigrants in‐to the country.

The migrants’ applications for residency will be processed through legal processing cen‐tres set up in South and Central American countries including Colombia and Guatemala.

The move comes as the US seeks to reduce the number of migrants crossing the border with Mexico, with the suspen‐sion of Title 42, a controversial policy allowing authorities to expel migrants without first

Managing migration

hearing their cases. According to a statement by the Department of State and Homeland Security, the mea‐sures will be implemented in close coordination with region‐al partners including the gov‐

SPANISH authorities sum‐moned the Russian Ambas‐sador to Spain on Friday, April 28 over a controversial tweet. A tweet from the Russian embassy insinuated that Spain has troops deployed in Ukraine, something the Span‐ish government vehemently denies. Just days after pre‐senting his credentials to the Spanish king, the new Rus‐

ernments of Canada, Spain, Colombia and Guatemala.

Under the plan, migrants will be evaluated at processing centres where they will be giv‐en access to legal pathways for migration.

, including refugee status, family reunification pro‐grammes and work permits in the US. Some migrants will be referred to third countries in‐cluding Canada and Spain for resettlement.

Twitter tension

sian ambassador, Yuri Kli‐menko, found himself in hot water with the Spanish gov‐ernment.

The tweet showed individ‐uals wearing military gear speaking in Spanish, followed by a clip of the Spanish Minis‐ter of Defence, Margarita Robles. The montage insinu‐ated that Spain was playing an active role in the Ukrainian conflict, a claim that the Spanish government has de‐nied.

In response, the Spanish Foreign Minister demanded that the embassy remove the post, which they did. The am‐bassador was subsequently summoned where he re ‐

ceived a warning. Despite this incident, Spain continues to play an active role in supporting Ukraine. The country has already pro‐vided tanks, missiles, and oth‐er supplies and plans to train more Ukrainian troops soon.

48% of Britons wouldn’t go to space even if safety was guaranteed.

RICHARD LEWINGTON, Chairman of the Madrid branch of Conservatives

Abroad ‐ the internation ‐al wing of the British Conservative Party, has been confirmed as a can ‐didate in the upcoming municipal elections in Oñati, Guipuzkoa in the Basque Country on Sun ‐

A British first

day, May 28.

This marks a historic moment as Lewington will be the first British citizen to run for office in Spain’s autonomous Basque Country.

The 41 ‐ year ‐ old, origi ‐nally from Southend on Sea, Essex, is a former nurse who moved to Spain in 2007 where he lived in Oñati and worked as a freelance correspondent and En ‐glish teacher.

Lewington’s platform focuses on supporting ru‐ral businesses, enhancing public services for young people, promoting cross ‐cultural understanding, and supporting the

90/180 Days

town’s candidacy for UN ‐ESCO world heritage sta ‐tus.

“I am extremely proud to be part of Ricardo Guisado Balanzategui’s list and to be running for office in Oñati as a candi ‐date for the Partido Pop ‐ular. As someone who has lived and worked in the town, I believe that Oñati has the potential to be a model for other towns in the region,” he said.

A CAMPAIGN called ‘180 Days in Spain’ has been launched with the aim of en‐suring that every British per‐son living in Spain (whether full‐year or part‐year) has their pre‐Brexit rights as an EU Citizen properly protected and ring‐fenced.

In addition, it hopes to im‐prove and equalise the rights of all British visitors to Spain so that they get the same ac‐cess after Brexit that Spanish people do in the UK today.

As explained to Euro Weekly News in a statement from Andrew Hesselden, the Campaign Director and founder, the organisers of ‘180 Days in Spain’ are asking for some very simple require‐ments. Firstly, they want Brits who were living in Spain before Brexit ‐ whether living in the country for all or part of the year ‐ to receive equal treatment. Secondly, they are asking for the equal treat‐ment of British visitors to Spain, in the same way that

Spanish visitors to the UK re‐ceive. There are lots of ways that politicians could achieve these outcomes said Mr Hes‐selden, who hopes that the conversations being generat‐ed by the campaign are prov‐ing beneficial to British and European citizens every‐where. The campaign al‐ready has over 6,000 mem‐bers and continues to grow. Its Campaign Director col‐laborates and coordinates with other similar campaigns in France, Italy, Greece, Ger‐many and Cyprus as well as running a similar Europe‐wide campaign. Together these all account for a further 6,000 members.

“We already know that certain regions of Spain and France want to eliminate the 90‐in‐180‐day problem that Brexit has exacerbated, Mr Hesselden ‐ who has a home in Mallorca ‐ explained. Visit https://www.face book.com/groups/180daysin spain to find out more.

Richard Lewington outside Oñati Town Hall.

Credit: Conservatives Abroad

No masks

FERNANDO SIMÓN , the Director of the Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Centre recently made a statement about the wearing of masks.

He said he believed that the ‘mask’ will soon cease to be mandatory in pharmacies and it won’t be too long afterwards that they won’t be required in health centres either.

However, he did state that people needed to be responsible and said that anyone with a respiratory infection should wear a mask to avoid contagion.

He said in a meeting with journalists, he has vindicated the lessons learned from the pandemic and he stressed that a mask is not a protection against Coronavirus, but rather to protect the rest of the population from respiratory infections.

NATIONAL LIBRARY: Despite the rain, queues formed.

Busy at BNE

Anna Ellis

ALMOST 1,700 visited the National Library of Spain (BNE) on April 22 to join in celebrations of International Book Day which took place on April 23.

From before 8.00am (doors opened at 9.00am), and despite the rain, visitors began to arrive.

Tickets were allocated in order of arrival and, in less than three hours, the 1,500 planned tickets had already been distributed.

This situation led the BNE to expand the groups and organise new routes and guides to meet the expectations of all those people who had been left without a pass.

The library was founded by King Philip V of Spain in 1712 as the Palace Public Library.

The Royal Letters Patent

that he granted, the predecessor of the current legal deposit requirement, made it mandatory for printers to submit a copy of every book printed in Spain to the library.

In 1836, the library’s status as Crown property was revoked and ownership was transferred to the Ministry of Governance, and renamed the Biblioteca Nacional.

93% of people don’t check facts they read on the internet.

AUTHORITIES in Madrid went into uproar on Wednesday, April 27 after a Chilean artist placed a provocative sculpture in the capital’s iconic Puerta del Sol square.

Nicolás Miranda’s sculpture depicted former Spanish King Juan Carlos aiming a rifle at a larger statue of a bear, which is a beloved emblem of Madrid. The artwork is a clear reference to the disgraced monarch’s love of hunting, which has sparked controversy in the past.

Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, has been

heavily criticised for his hunting trips, including one in which he allegedly shot a bear which was tamed using vodka.

The sculpture, made from polyurethane, was placed in the square by artist Nicolás Miranda and remained in place for just 10 minutes before authorities removed it.

However, it has caused a sensation on social

media and in the Spanish press. Miranda said that he studied CCTV footage of the square to choose the perfect moment to place the artwork.

The former king’s visit to Spain last week has also prompted renewed criticism, with prosecutors alleging that there are renewed issues with his finances.

Fierce controversy Capital tourism

TOURISM returned to positive figures in March in the city of Madrid, as reflected in the data from the National Institute of Statistics published on April 24. Tourists increased by 21.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, reaching a total of 819,000 travellers, of whom more than half were foreigners.

This represents an increase in international travellers of 43.3 per cent compared to 2022.

In the accumulated calculation of the 12 months, the total number of travellers in the city was 9.1 million last year,

which means an interannual increase of 55.8 per cent. In this same period, the growth of travellers throughout Spain was 48.6 per cent.

As for overnight stays in hotels, in March they grew by 15.2 per cent and totalled 1.6 million.

In this case, 60 per cent of the total corresponds to overnight stays by foreign travellers, whose increase was 30 per cent.

The recovery of overnight stays in Madrid is now just eight points from 2019 when historic figures for tourism were recorded in the city and in Spain as a whole.

Photo credit: madridenacion (via Instagram)

Juan Carlos I in statue form fires a rifle at Madrid’s iconic bear.

Irritating foreigners

A BIT like wasps around a jam pot, the British me‐dia is buzzing with sto ‐ries about a so‐called se‐cret Spanish word for irritating foreigners which is Guiri.

This writer has owned a property in Spain for more than 20 years and neighbours have been calling him a Guiri for all that time, when they can’t think of anything more appropriate.

To the Spanish it im ‐mediately explains something about the person who may like to think of themselves as ei‐ther an expat or a holi ‐day maker, but in fact is a just a foreigner.

It isn’t always insult ‐ing, just describes who the person is and is prob‐ably less offensive than the British word Dago or Chilean word Godo (and there is another but that

is too rude to repeat in a family newspaper) to a Spaniard.

There are at least two songs which spell out the meaning of the word, Guiris (go home) by La Maquineria del Fango and Guiris by Los Ra ‐tones, but if you are British or Irish, don’t worry, it’s aimed at any foreigner who gets into a Spaniard’s sights.

So emotive is the word

that various Spanish newspapers have picked up on the ‘storm in a tea cup’ as can be seen from an article in La Van ‐guardia.

In this woke atmo ‐sphere we live in today, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ may no longer be the case, but at least we stiff upper lip Guiris can learn to live with it.

A bit of Spanish humour, Banksy it isn’t!

Credit: Dusty Dingo CC

BIRD fans will be pleased to hear that the Hanuman Plover has been reinstated as a species in its own right, after spending almost a century classed as a subspecies.

Plovers are a family of shore‐birds that live all over the world, except for the very poles. They feed on inverte‐brates, but otherwise have a range of different habitats and lifestyle.

In the 1930s, the ‘diminutive Kentish Plover’, Charadrius See‐bohmi, was merged into the Kentish Plover Charadrius Alexandrinus, as both species were considered to be the same.

Now a team of scientists, in‐cluding co‐author of the study and Principal Curator in Charge of Birds at the Natural History Museum, Dr Alex Bond, have

Splendid species

concluded that enough differ‐ences do in fact exist between the two to elevate it back to the status of full species and given it the name of Hanuman plover.

Dr Alex Bond confirmed: “Over a century ago, these

birds were considered to be their own species, so it’s not that these plovers have changed. Instead, it’s our un‐derstanding of what a species is, and how much variation is suitable to differentiate one, that is different.”

The UK in bloom

BLOSSOM Week is inspired by the Japanese tradition of Hanami, the popular custom where people of all ages get together to enjoy the transient beauty of cherry blossom.

Blossom Week has been designed as a natural peak to the campaign when the majority of the country will have some sort of blossom in bloom ‐ from blackthorn and cher‐ry, to apple and pear.

The National Trust hopes to encourage people across the UK to get outside to enjoy the fleeting beauty of this spring phenomenon either in their own gardens or local parks.

Andy Jasper, Head of Gardens and Parklands at the Na‐tional Trust said: “We are at the epicentre of a truly magnifi‐cent show of blossom.”

To encourage the public to visit their local parks and gar‐dens and share their best blossom moments, the conserva‐tion charity is further hosting a blossom picture competi‐tion.

Social media users can share their favourite nature shots using the hashtag #BlossomWatchComp for a chance to win a year’s worth of holidays with the National Trust (worth £6,000). The competition will run until May 12.

13.6% of Spain’s population goes to church every Sunday.

Uber offering coach rides

ALL over the UK people are preparing for the coronation, whether it’s making a King Charles bust or chocolate or decorating the house using red, white, and blue, the British people can always be relied upon to make the most of a royal celebration.

Now Uber have got into the act by offering a ride you might not have much chance of experiencing under normal circumstances.

A special carriage has been designed to look like a royal carriage with plush seats, em‐broided throws and cushions and four white horses to take you on a journey through Dul‐wich Park, London.

General manager at Uber,

Andrew Brem, said “What better way to celebrate one of the most significant events of 2023 by riding like King Charles III in a horse drawn carriage.

“We’re always looking for ways to add a little Under Magic to peoples journeys, so we are over the moon to be

able to bring the Coronation Carriage to Uber.”

The rides can be booked through the Uber App be‐tween May 3 and 5. Uber has also confirmed that for every ride taken a donation will be made to Spana, a UK charity which helps to support the welfare of working animals.

Items to be sold

QUEEN singer, Freddie Mer‐cury, who passed away in November 1991 will have 1,500 items sold at auction.

After his death, his home and contents were left to his best friend, Mary Austin and she has decided to put some of his possessions to auction.

Included in the sale are Fred‐die’s handwritten lyrics to the song ‘We are the champions’, the nine‐page document in‐cludes harmonies and chords and it’s expected to sell for be‐tween £200,000 and £300,000.

Another lyric sheet written

in black biro contains the lyrics to ‘Killer Queen’ and this is ex‐pected to sell for between £50,000 and £70,000.

Mary Austin said “the lyrics were particularly difficult to part with, because they show, for me, the most beautiful side (of Freddie).”

The Queen vocalist and Mary Austin met in 1970. They moved in together and got en‐gaged. But then Freddie admit‐ted he was gay. However, this did not end the close friend‐ship and Mary helped to care for Freddie during his illness.

The collection will be sold by Sotheby’s, London in Septem‐ber, with some proceeds going to charity.

SPECIAL CARRAGE: Has been created for the coronation.

39%

Only two in five men moisturize at all.

Dial up diplomacy

THE Ukrainian President, Volodymr Zelensky held his first wartime phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, April 26. The hour­long call was a bid to end the devastating conflict with Russia.

In their first contact since Russia’s invasion began, Zelensky hailed the call as “long and meaningful,” saying he hopes it will lead to a strong bilateral relationship between the two nations.

China has never condemned Russia’s full­scale invasion of Ukraine, and President Xi’s recent visit to Moscow drew criticism from the West. However, in the call, Xi said China “always stood on the side of peace,” and offered to send a special representative to Kyiv to engage in “indepth communication” on a political settlement.

FRENCH Air Traffic Control (ATC) strikes have taken their toll this year which have affected Ryanair more than any other airline, and now they’ve said enough is enough.

The budget­friendly airline, not to mention its passengers have suffered at the hands of French ATC industrial action, leading the Dublin­based company to mount a petition to keep the skies over France open for business.

This has raised hopes that China’s vast wealth and global influence could swing the outcome of the war. While some doubt the effectiveness of China’s potential mediation, Xi has previously convinced Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties and may have an economic incentive to help end the war, as China’s economy is dependent on export trade.

Join Ryanair petition

In just this year alone French ATC has held 39 days of strikes leading to the cancellation of over 3,500 Ryanair flights mainly overflying France.

Overflights are when aircraft need to fly over a country’s airspace, even though it is not the take­off location or landing destination. This has led to cancelled flights for Ryanair,

but French ATC have kept a minimum service in operation which has meant French flights have been protected.

In a statement on Ryanair’s website, they said, “The EU must act now. Ryanair calls on all passengers to sign our petition.”

So far the petition has 565,354 signatures.

Zelenskiy spoke with Xi Jinping for an hour.

Photo credit: Володимир Зеленський

TORREVIEJA’S Department of International Residents is celebrating Europe Day 2023 with a special gala at the International Auditorium.

The gala will feature a performance by Azucar Moreno, who participated in Eurovision in 1990 with the song Bandido, achieving a meritorious fifth position.

Europe Gala

The gala, which will be held on May 9 at 7.30pm, will feature many surprises.

Tickets are free and can be reserved and downloaded from the culturatorrevieja.com portal.

Torrevieja City Council will run a free bus service from the Torrevieja interchange to the International Auditorium, with the first departure at 6.00pm and the last at 6.30pm.

On May 6, one day before the celebration of Europe Day, from 9.45am to 4.00pm, there will be a Petanque tournament on the slopes of the Rocajuna urbanisation entitled

Cava celebrations

Anna Ellis

Europe Tournament.

The event is sponsored by the EmbassyMyHome company together with the Torrevieja City Council and will have the participation of the following teams: Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Belgium and the rest of Europe.

Spain the winner of the Tlast edition of 2022, will try to defend the title.

Local Art

ART enthusiasts based in the Costa Blanca South will be delighted to hear that in May and June there will be a display of art from local artists.

Expect to see acrylic paintings, watercolours and drawings on a wide range of subject matter. If you are interested in art, why not nip along and take a peek at the artwork and speak to the artists? The display is being held in the Cultural Centre, Calle Pino, Quesada.

The artists involved in the exhibition are a friendly group who meet in the library at the Cultural Centre in Quesada every Wednesday from 10.00am until 12.30pm.

New members are always welcome, everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

For more information about the art display or if you would like to join the group contact Jean Wilkinson on (+34) 633 964 482.

THE Royal Naval Association Torrevieja Branch (RNATB) is hosting a special event with a Cava Reception and High Tea, followed by a unique raffle and a toast to the new King of England on Sunday May 7.

For many, this is a once ­ in ­ a ­ lifetime event and during the Cava Reception, there will be a rendition of the specially choreographed King’s Coronation Dance.

Each High Tea Stand will cater for two people and the round tables are limited to eight people to ensure everyone can enjoy the event for His Majesty.

Please note that this is a ticket ­ only event. The Cava Reception will begin at 4.00pm on May 7 followed by High Tea at 5.00pm.

It will be held at Lake ­

view Bar and Restaurant, Calle Toledo 16, Ciudad Quesada.

Tickets are €25 and payment can be made at the Lakeview Bar and Restaurant.

For more information and for anyone with special dietary requirements, allergies, vegetarian or vegan please confirm at the time of booking, and then contact the RNATB Social Secretary, Sally Miller, by email at SocSec RNATB@mail.com

The Coronation is a once-in-a-lifetime-event.

Betty Henderson

GERMAN political sources ac‐cused the UK of delaying oth‐er European countries’ rescue efforts during the current cri‐sis in Sudan on Thursday, April 27. German sources said that British attempts to evacuate embassy staff caused the Su‐danese army to refuse access to the airfield, which was sup‐posed to be used for the res‐cue of other European nation‐als.

According to the sources, the unannounced presence of British military personnel in Sudan without permission an‐gered the Sudanese army, who then refused access to the airfield.

Negotiations to use the air‐field meant that German res‐cuers ‘lost at least half a day’ during a crucial window of op‐portunity during the country’s ceasefire.

The UK Ministry of Defence denies these allegations, call‐ing them “complete non ‐sense”. The MoD has stated that the UK had permission to land in Sudan and that their efforts did not delay any other country’s rescue mission.

However, German military leaders are still said to be “not

Sudan standoff

amused”, with Defence Min‐ister Boris Pistorius even tak‐ing a dig at the UK govern‐ment’s handling of the crisis.

German forces have ended their evacuation.

The German rescue mission has now ended, having airlift‐ed more than 700 people to safety.

Links controversy

THE Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the most right‐wing government since the Second World War, joined Italians in commemorating National Liberation Day on Tuesday, April 25. The annual event marks the end of fascism and Nazi occupation in 1945, but this year’s celebrations were marked by controversy. The Senate Speaker, Ignazio La Russa, a collector of fascist memorabilia, was criticised for saying there was “no reference to anti‐fascism in the Italian constitution.”

La Russa’s links to Italy’s fascist past, including his home adorned with busts and mini‐statues of Benito Mussolini, have caused controversy in the past. Meloni has refused to condemn him, but tried to distance herself from fascism.

The Prime Minister has sought to brand herself as a credible leader in Europe, but her efforts to display a moderate stance have been challenged by outspoken members of her party, in‐cluding her brother‐in‐law, who was accused of white supremacy.

National Liberation Day is meant to bring Italians together, but Meloni has some way to go to make it a moment of ‘redis‐covered national harmony’, as she said she wishes it to be.

Photo credit: Auswärtiges Amt (via Facebook)

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Viking treasure

METAL detectorists discovered a hoard of Viking silver near the ruins of the Viking castle Fyrkat, in Hobro, North Denmark. Their find contained over 300 items which included Danish, German and Arab coins, dating back to the 900s, when King Harald ‘Bluetooth’ united Denmark and Norway.

THE NETHERLANDS

Flower quandary

THE Netherlands account for 80 per cent of the EU’s flower exports and 60 per cent of global flower production, including those sent to Russia. Dutch growers said that flowers were not affected by sanctions but admitted they were faced with the dilemma of whether to stop exports on moral grounds.

BELGIUM

Fizz fuss

BELGIAN Customs officers crushed 2,352 cans of Miller High Life bearing the ‘Champagne of Beers’ slogan. The US shipment en route to another country was intercepted and destroyed in Antwerp after the French authorities issued a formal complaint regarding the infringement of Champagne’s protected status.

GERMANY

Chips are down

GERMANY could limit the export of the chemicals that are used to manufacture semiconductors as the government attempts to reduce its economic exposure to China, Bloomber said. Chemical companies Merck and BASF, who would be affected if exports were curbed, declined to comment.

FRANCE

Porn rules

FRANCE’S audiovisual and digital communications regulator Arcom could receive new powers to block websites not complying with age verification regulations. Under modified rules, Arcom would not require judicial approval to force telecoms operators and search engines to block access to Pornhub or YouPorn

NORWAY

Oslo fight

ASYLUM-SEEKER Andrey Medvedev, a Wagner mercenary who crossed into Norway from Russia in January, pleaded guilty to fighting outside an Oslo bar and carrying an air gun in public. He felt very ashamed, Medvedev said, but denied assaulting police officers in the Norwegian capital.

FINLAND

Snakes alive

ADDERS, Finland’s only dangerous snakes, will become a protected species in June. In future, people will no longer be permitted to kill them without reasonable cause or disturb them in their natural habitats, although Turku Animal Protection Association’s president, Britt-Marie Juup, foresaw “heated discussions.”

IRELAND

Too good

IRELAND has one of the highest rates of overqualification in the EU, according to newly released Eurostat data. Just under 29 per cent of the country’s employees were working in occupations not requiring a third-level degree despite having one, making the country's workforce the EU’s most educated.

ITALY

Free pill

ITALY will make free contraception medication available to women of all ages, a move applauded by women’s rights activists nationwide but condemned by anti-abortion advocates. The Pricing and Reimbursement Committee of AIFA, the Italian Medicines Agency now awaits approval from the agency’s board of directors.

PORTUGAL

Stony broke

FORMER Banco Espirito Santo (BES) bank boss Ricardo Salgado, out on €3 million bail since 2014, owes more than €30,000 in court costs, which his defence team claims he cannot pay as his assets were impounded by the state. The costs mounted up in unsuccessful appeals to the Constitutional Court.

UKRAINE

Looking ahead

UKRAINE lost a third of its economic output in 2022 as eight million people fell into poverty, creating a 15-year setback in poverty reduction goals. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development pledged that when the time came for reconstruction “people will be there, human capital will be there.”

SWEDEN

New fashion

DRUG busts involving designer drug 3-CMC increased dramatically in Sweden after gaining a foothold during the pandemic, the country’s media said. Between 2019 and 2022 Swedish Customs and the police seized quantities ranging from four to 104 kilos, saying 3-CMC was now more common than cocaine.

FINANCE

STAT OF WEEK €1.164 billion

was the amount of telecom company Orange España’s turnover during the first three months of this year, a 2.8 per increase on the same period in 2021.

BUSINESS EXTRA Telefonica’s Virgin

Coffee break

PRET A MANGER is increasing the cost of its monthly subscription service by a fifth to £30 (€33.9) for a daily five coffees but will give a 10 per cent discount on food and snacks alongside free drinks. The sandwich chain warned that the “inflationary challenge” was ever­present.

Payback time

RENTING state­owned Sareb’s 50,000 properties at affordable prices will repay taxpayers’ money, Spain’s Economy Minister Nadia Calviño, said. She added that after taking control of Spain’s “bad bank” the government’s “good management” was returning to society its contribution to the 2011 bank bailout.

Takeover bid

MEDICA GROUP is the latest London­listed business targeted by private equity buyers following IK Partners’ £269 million (€303.7 million) bid for the teleradiology provider. Medica’s board advised shareholders to vote for the deal, saying this would allow investors to recognise the business’s growth potential.

New post

GERMAN­BORN Miguel Angel Lopez Borrego, who has Spanish nationality, replaces Martina Merz as CEO of the German group ThyssenKrupp on June 1. Lopez Borrego, who is 58, and currently interim CEO of Norma Group, is a former director of Siemens Spain and a member of the Siemens Gamesa board.

Desert song

UMAR KAMANI, former CEO of the PrettyLittleThing fastfashion chain, sold 30,000 square feet (2,787 square metres) of undeveloped sand in Dubai that cost him £6.42 million (€7.3 million) for more than £27 million (€30.5 million). Kamani’s buyer is believed to be a member of the Saudi royal family.

Lifeline needed for landline

Linda Hall

TALKTALK, Virgin Media and SSE have been accused of overcharging landlineonly customers by almost €219 million (approximately €247.3 million).

Almost 600,000 UK landline­only customers were charged ‘excessive’ prices since 2009, maintained Fideres, which specialises in providing industry expertise for financial markets’ disputes.

The consultancy, which also aims to identify corporate wrongdoing, found that TalkTalk ­ and the now­merged Virgin Media and SSE ­ have between them overcharged consumers when their prices were compared with those of their rivals. Fideres pointed out that as well as a pricing abuse that possibly breached competition rules, the three

companies were also infringing equality laws since two­thirds of customers with landline­only deals were aged 65 or older.

In 2017, Ofcom published research showing that landline customers were getting ‘poor value for money’.

Providers had increased line rental charges by 25 and 49 per cent since 2009 even though the underlying wholesale cost of providing a landline service had fallen by 26 per cent.

As a result, BT, which accounts for about 80 per cent of the UK’s 2.9 million landline­only clients, cut charges by around 37 per cent, reversing the increases by returning pricing to 2009 levels in real­terms.

Ofcom said in 2017 that it expected other providers to follow suit as did the Post Office, unlike Virgin Media and TalkTalk. If providers rolled back their prices to match the 2009 levels, TalkTalk’s customers would have saved £103 million (€116.3 million) and Virgin Media and SSE’s customers £48 million (€54.2 millon), Fideres calculated.

Airports group flies high

AENA reported a net profit of €133.6 million for the first quarter of 2023, compared with losses of €41.7 million during the same period in 2022.

The total number of passengers in Spain, Luton and airports in northeast Brazil recovered 100 per cent of their pre­pandemic levels, state­owned Aena announced on April 26.

Traffic volume at Aena’s Spanish airports reached 53.6 million in the first three months of the year, a 41.6

Barça deal

FC BARCELONA finally secured funds for the Espai Barça project which includes renovating the Camp Nou stadium.

The club has now signed a €1.45 billion agreement with 20 investors, although this is €50 million less than it originally hoped for.

It has taken the club almost two months to obtain sufficient financial backing to start work at the Camp Nou ground. Setbacks that coincided with club president Joan Laporta’s funding mission included the scandal over Barça’s payments to football referee José María Enríquez Negreira and the hike in interest rates, followed the Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse banking crises.

per cent increase on the same period last year and 1.6 per cent higher than during the first quarter of 2019.

Commercial sales showed a 12 per cent improvement on their pre­pandemic lev­

els,. Total consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2023 increased to €1.03 billion, 34.3 per cent up on the first quarter of 2022.

Aeronautical revenue of €523 million was 26 per cent

Salmon tax

THE price of Norway’s farmed salmon could rise by up to 10 per cent, industry insiders warned.

Norway produces more than 1.5 million tons of salmon each year and the Oslo government now intends to slap a 35 per cent tax on their profits.

As a result, consumer prices are expected to rise by as much as 10 per cent or even more.

“We all know it is coming,” said Lance Forman, owner of London­based H Forman and Sons, which supplies leading restaurants and Harrods.

After fossil fuels, salmon farming is the country’s largest source of national income. It is also very lucrative, with operating profit margins of around 45 per cent.

Despite the salmon farmers’ efforts, the Norwegian parliament is expected to approve the measure in the coming weeks.

TELEFONICA has strengthened its position in the UK with a partnership between its strategic digital business subsidiary, Tech&I, and Virgin Media 02 Business.

Virgin’s customers can now be supported by Telefonica Tech’s cloud team of professional and managed services. Based in the UK this company currently employs more than 1,000 technology professionals following its takeover of CancomUK&I and Incremental.

This will enable Virgin Media O2 Business to offer enhanced services to medium and large organisations. These will range from local authorities wanting to unify data and processes, healthcare providers migrating sensitive data to the cloud and retailers looking to evolve e­commerce opportunities in the cloud.

higher than in 2022 while commercial revenue ­ again surpassing 2019 levelsreached €337.9 million, 40.1 per cent more than during the first three months of 2022. “The performance of commercial activity in the first quarter of the year is noteworthy, where pre­pandemic activity levels improved markedly,” Aena said. Aena’s gross operating result between January and March of this year rose to €368.6 million, representing growth of 153.2 per cent.

Light fantastic

NATIONAL POWER, owner of the Drax power station in Selby (Yorkshire), reported its highest ever annual profits.

Shareholders in the FTSE 250 company can look forward to a £150 million (€169 million) windfall, thanks to record electricity prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This had helped to increase the group’s annual profits for 2022 to £731 million (€824.7 million), up from £398 million (€499 million) in 2021.

Drax also announced that in the meantime it was putting on hold its much ­ debated £50 million (€56.4 million) carbon capture project, as it awaited details from the government regarding a possible subsidy.

Turned off

NETFLIX lost more than one million Spanish viewers in the first quarter of this year, consultancy company Kantar found.

Vetoing shared accounts was responsible for the plunge and the future looks even bleaker now that 10 per cent of current subscribers plan to leave Netflix within the next three months.

“Losing some users was to be expected,” said Mayte Gonzalez, from Kantar’s Worldpanel division. “But losing more than one million in so little time has major consequences for Netflix and will influence its decision to continue with this measure worldwide.”

Loud and clear

MARSHALL GROUP is more likely to increase its commitment to Britain than leave, its new owners said.

The family­owned amplifiers firm was bought by Swedish company, Zound Industries, which makes Bluetooth speakers, in a deal that valued the combined group at £325 million (€367 million).

All Marshall brands were acquired by Zound, for an undisclosed amount.

“We will preserve and probably enhance our UK presence even more, because it is so important to who we are,” said Jeremy de Maillard, who heads the new business.

LANDLINES: Users tend to be over 65.

AENA HEADQUARTERS: Spain’s airports group makes a profit.

Photo credit: Pexels/Rodnae Productions

Photo credit: CC/Gemmarz

DOW JONES

Family affair

SPAIN’S National High Court in Madrid is investigating Santiago Alarco, the former brother­in­law of ex­Cabinet minister Rodrigo Rato, for hiding money abroad. Alarco has been summonsed to give evidence on May 24 to answer charges of money laundering and creating a financial network to keep cash out of the reach of Spain’s tax authorities.

Deaf ears

HSBC’s biggest shareholder said that it was “extremely disappointed” in the bank’s refusal to consider splitting up and separating its Asia business, criticising its inflexibility towards restructuring proposals. Ping An Asset Management, which has an 8 per cent holding in the banking giant, would prefer to see a separate Honglisted business headquartered in Asia.

PM’S own goal

GERRY MURPHY, chairman of luxury retailer Burberry described axing VAT ­ free shopping for foreign visitors as a “spectacular” own goal.

“It makes the UK the least attractive shopping destination in Europe,” Murphy added.

The criticism came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to a Business Connect meeting in London when he was quizzed about the measure introduced while he was Chancellor.

The Burberry boss told

the prime minister that it appeared “somewhat perverse” that the VAT refund

for tourists was removed on the day the UK left the single market.

Powering up profits

IBERDROLA made a €1.48 billion net profit in the first quarter of 2023.

This was more than 40 per cent up on the same period last year, which coincided with the start of the Ukraine war.

Thanks to improvements in Spain and the UK, the group reported a marked increase in results despite the new 1.2 per cent windfall tax applied to energy com­

panies’ net turnover. This increased the group’s total tax bill by €200 million this quarter compared with the first three months of 2021. It has also been paid in full, announced Iberdrola, although payments have increased by 102.2 per cent to €1.18 billion this quarter, compared to €583 million in 2021.

Ocado relocates

“Leaving the EU has had a significant effect on trade,” Murphy said, claiming that the UK was experiencing “by far” the weakest recovery from the pandemic compared with other major economies.

A group of business leaders has now called for the reintroduction of tax­free shopping for overseas tourists.

In a letter to the UK’s Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, retail, hospitality and tourism chiefs maintained that reinstating the VAT concession would benefit both businesses and the taxpayer.

Tax­free shopping would bring a multi­billion­pound boost to the economy, they argued.

“The cost of 20 per cent VAT refunds would be outweighed by the enormous benefits of encouraging more visitors to Britain,” they said.

IN a move that will affect approximately 2,300 employees, Ocado plans to close its oldest distribution centre in Hatfield (Hertfordshire) later this year.

This centre accounts for a fifth of the online grocer’s weekly customer orders each week, but sources explained that Ocado now intends to shift towards robotic warehouses, transferring to a new state ­ of ­ the ­ art warehouse in Luton.

Logo no-go

LIDL won its legal standoff against Tesco.

A High Court judge found in favour of the German­owned chain which accused Tesco of “riding on its coat tails” by promoting its Clubcard deals with a similar blue and yellow logo.

Mrs Justice Joanna Smith made the ruling late last month after an earlier hearing between the two supermarket giants.

BURBERRY: Chairman Gerry Murphy lamented end of taxfree shopping for tourists.

Euro

EUR/GBP: Unchanged at £0.88

EUR/USD: Up from $1.07 to $1.09

Easing concerns over Europe’s banking sector initially helped the euro to firm at end of March, before these gains were swiftly eased by a weaker-than-expected Eurozone inflation print.

Hawkish comments from a European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker, put a spring back in the single currency’s step at the start of April, before rally sputtered out in the face of fresh tensions between Russia and Europe as Finland formally joined NATO.

The euro continued to waver into mid-April as a disappointing Eurozone retail sales reading was offset and the single currency’s negative correlation with the US dollar infused volatility into EUR exchange rates.

A stronger-than-expected Eurozone services PMI then lent support to the euro toward the end of April.

While the ECB’s next interest rate

BUSINESS EXTRA

Scot-free

P&O Ferries believe that the possibility of a fine arising from the 2022 mass sacking of 786 employees was “remote.”

The Dubai ­ owned ferry operator’s annual report maintained that sacking its entire UK­based crew without the prior consultation required by UK law was a “solution to gaining essential operational flexibility.

Good result

BARCELONA­BASED construction company FCC, controlled by Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, earned €97 million in the first three months of this year, 14 per cent more than 2021’s first quarter. Revenue increased by 21.2 per cent to €2.03 billion thanks to increased activity and double­digit growth in most business areas.

Currency outlook: US dollar slumps amid fading Fed rate hike bets, Euro underpinned by ECB interest rate speculation

decision will undoubtedly be the main focus for EUR investors over the coming month, the potential start of Ukraine’s long-rumoured spring offensive could also inject some volatility into the euro.

Pound

GBP/EUR: Unchanged at €1.13

GBP/USD: Up from $1.22 to $1.24

The pound wavered over the past month as mixed UK economic data and a fluctuating market mood left the currency to trade without a strong directional bias.

At the end of March Sterling zigzagged in response to hawkish comments from Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey and a cautious market mood.

Thin trading conditions due to the long Easter weekend then left the pound trapped in a narrow range at the start of April. Before GBP exchange rates stumbled after UK growth was revised lower in the first quarter.

The pound then spiked on the back of the UK’s latest consumer

sale of Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty to Microsoft.

The CMA halted the $69 billion (€63.2 billion) deal - the biggest deal ever in gaming - on the grounds this would hinder competition in cloud gaming.

The regulator said on April 26 that Microsoft’s pledge to allow leading cloud gaming platforms to access Activision’s multibillion-dollar Call of Duty franchise had not allayed its concerns.

The company remained fully committed to the acquisition and would appeal the decision, Microsoft president Brad Smith announced in a statement. Activision in turn said it would “work aggressively” with Microsoft to reverse the CMA’s decision.

“This was not the news we wanted,” Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick told staff, “but it is far from the final word on this deal,” he added.

“We will reassess our growth plans for the UK,” the company said in a separate statement. “Global innovators large and small will take note that, despite all its rhetoric, the UK is clearly closed for business.”

price index after reporting domestic inflation remained in double digits in March.

The hotter-than-expected inflation print cement expectations for a May rate hike from the BoE, while also prompting some analysts to speculate rates could rise as high as 5 per cent by the end of 2023.

Looking ahead, the BoE’s May policy meeting could trigger a sharp appreciation in the pound if the bank signals it needs to take more action to bring inflation under control.

US Dollar

USD/GBP: Down from $0.81 to $0.80

USD/EUR: Down from €0.92 to €0.91

The US dollar trended broadly lower over the past month as an improving market mood sapped the appeal of the safe-haven currency. USD was supressed as we entered April, as USD investors were split on whether the Federal Reserve would pursue another rate hike in May.

The US dollar continued to be

CMA won’t play

To date this was the biggest deal between technology companies that the CMA has blocked and its stance was interpreted by insiders as proof

that the UK watchdog was ready to take on Big Tech.

It is now up to Brussels to reach a decision by May 22 on the Activision deal.

Tax breaks for all

ALL religions in Spain can now enjoy the same tax breaks.

The government has reached an agreement with the Orthodox Church, the Buddhist Union, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses who between them account for 1.3 million followers. Of these, one million belong to the Orthodox Church, half of whom are Romanian.

They will be exempt from paying IBI rates on properties that are used for worship and will no longer be liable for Corporation Tax. This will put them on an equal footing with the Catholic Church, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities, the Federation of Jewish Communities and the Islamic Commission.

pressured through the first couple of weeks in April, as some upbeat US data releases helped to reinforce the cheery market mood. While a weaker-than-expected core PCE price index saw the odds of a May rate hike fall as low as 40 per cent.

USD exchange rates then struck new multi-month lows in mid-April after a dramatic cooling of US inflation and dovish minutes from the Fed’s last policy meeting further undermined rate hike bets.

However, the US dollar was quick to rebound from its worst levels after a worrying decline in US retail sales spooked markets and revived safehaven demand. While increased confidence in a May rate hike also supported USD.

Looking ahead, the direction of the US dollar over the next month will largely depend on the Fed’s forward ward guidance following its next rate decision. If the US central bank signals it might be done with its current hiking cycle, USD exchange rates may plunge.

Out of pocket

ASSOCIATIONS representing recruitment firms called for changes to existing legislation. The lower end of the supply chain of temporary workers faced unfair financial pressure, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo UK) and APSCo OutSource maintained.

Payment was often required between seven and 28 days of timesheet submissions, while end clients enjoyed payment terms of between 30 and 60 days, they pointed out. This meant the middle-supplier was out of pocket for an increasing length of time which was unsustainable in the current climate, causing undue financial strain on small and medium-sized businesses. They routinely footed the initial bill for large numbers of contractors without rapid reimbursement, Melanie Forbes, APSCo OutSource’s managing director explained.

They are now asking for an extension of Payment Practices and Performance regulations to reduce financial pressures.

Mercadona nears its target

MERCADONA continues to modify its growth strategy inside Spain.

The supermarket chain, with 1,637 stores here, is slowing down acquisition of premises and land for new branches. Instead it is switching to renting.

By the close of the 2022 financial year, it had allocated €76 million - almost 40 per cent less than in 2021 - for new stores, according to Mercadona’s annual accounts submitted to Spain’s Mercantile Registry.

The chain has tripled the number of its supermarkets since 2000, although Mercadona’s president and principal shareholder Juan Roig said when presenting the 2022 results last March, that the company planned to stop at 1,700 inside Spain.

APRIL: Stronger-than expected Eurozone services PMI lent support to the euro.

THE UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has blocked the

ACTIVISION-MICROSOFT: Deal could hinder cloud gaming, CMA said.

Photo credit: Pexels-jeshoots

THINK IT

ONE of the real problems with the social media is that it allows the woke snowflakes and utter ec ‐centrics to seek each other out. Whereas, at one time someone with totally off the wall ideas would hardly come across any like‐minded individuals, they can now contact each other at the touch of a button. It stands to reason if you can air your views to millions, you are go ‐ing to find more supporters than standing on a street corner handing out leaflets.

Although there seems to be a pos‐itive glut of gaggle heads these days, there are in fact no more than they ever were, they are just a bit more linked up that’s all. Solo indi‐viduals have now been turned into ‘minority groups’, a part of the flavour that seems to get all the preferential treatment these days!

These latest ensembles are a glar‐ing example. Drunk with the power of getting national media coverage, they are now advocating that not only wolf whistling, but ANY praise by a male of the species, including

One-track

reference to articles of dress or at ‐tire be classed as a misogynistic hate crime. I suppose praise from a female is ok? We’ll be a bit careful lady, the woman admiring your hat at Ascot could be a gender bender; another load of codswallop dreamed up by these people.

To be honest I’m surprised most of ‘em even have the courage to walk out of their own front doors. They seem to have totally one‐track minds and, because they all appear to share complexes of utter inade ‐quacy, are completely unable to ac‐cept, or even listen to any other points of view.

One example is their ongoing in ‐sistence that babies, and young chil‐dren who show a tendency to play with toys or enjoy dressing up and indulging in the games of their op ‐posite sex, should be immediately and relentlessly encouraged to grow up in that sexual gender.

This was actually shot down by one eminent psychiatrist who, on examination of a young boy who had displayed a great deal of inter‐

FLYING HIGH OUR VIEW

est in feminine toys etc, discovered he had in fact a younger sister, who suffered a debilitating illness. This had led to the parents showing her more attention.

In the little boy’s mind he inter ‐preted this as favouritism toward girls. The lad thought that if he act‐ed more like a girl, he would attract the same attention as his sister. It had nothing to do with his gender whatsoever! This example also ex ‐poses some of the dangers present‐ed to children of same sex parents. Another ‘offspring impression ‐able’ situation I was actually wit ‐nessing as far back as the 60s. Not ‐ting Hill where I spent my youth experienced many progressions, in‐cluding a multitude of gay influence and of course the first of the Win ‐drush immigrants. I actually caught a lot of it many moons ago. And frankly have never been too happy to see how it’s all panned out. Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon. Fri.

BUYING? 3 TIPS TO PREPARE FOR THE DAY OF COMPLETION

REBECCA SERWOTKA ‐ “We sell houses! It’s what we do, it’s ALL we do!” Certified API Associate 00493. Your favourite local re‐sale property expert, of Inmobilaria Es‐tate Agents in Ciudad Quesada. Prestige Award WINNER for Real Estate Agency Of The Year 2021/22 & 2022/23. Luxury Lifestyle Awards WINNER, Ali‐cante Spain 2023.

‘Completion day’, means the day you pay the re‐maining balance, sign the new Title Deeds in front of a Notary, and receive the keys to move into your new home.

Here are three tips to prepare for your day of comple‐tion:

1. Ensure your funds are readily available in your Span‐ish bank account.

2. Request a statement of accounts from your Lawyer showing the exact amount you have outstanding to pay. It’ll also tell you how payment is to be made. Be aware: You’ll be making more than one payment.

Your outstanding amount will be di‐vided between your vendor, the Notary and Land registry fees, Property Transfer Tax and your Lawyer’s fees.

3. Schedule an early ap ‐pointment with your Spanish bank for the day of comple‐tion, in order to collect your requested pay ‐ments, ie Bank Cheques.

Remember you’ll need identification! Passport, TIE and/or NIE certificate.

Selling in the Ciudad Quesada or surrounding urbanisations? We have buyers! Contact me today on 966 718 392.

LAST weekend, we reported on our website, news of a massive fight onboard a plane travelling from Norway to Alicante in Spain. It appears that the fight was fuelled by the drunken behaviour of a number of passengers and when it arrived in Spain, no fewer than 15 people, all said to be Norwegian were arrested.

There was an unprecedented number of views of the stories and almost 100 readers felt that it would be help‐ful to make comments, for which we are grateful.

As often happens, some people simply read the title without taking in the content and rushed to blame boozy Brits abroad but on this occasion, they were completely wrong. It rather looks as if these idiots who are used to paying high prices for alcohol in their home country might have been taking advantage of cheaper in‐flight booze and overdid it!

No excuse and probably 50 per cent of the comments are calling for a ban on alcohol sales on all flights, 25 per cent want to see tougher checks before passengers are allowed on board or automatic travel bans if they are convicted of misbehaving on a flight. Roughly a quarter feel that it’s unfair to stop those who drink in modera‐tion from being allowed a beer or glass of wine to help them relax after the flight takes off but all want to see flight attendants try to refuse sales to drunks.

That may be easier said than done as the attendants themselves could leave themselves open to verbal abuse or physical attack, but it is clear that something needs to be done to ensure that the majority of trav‐ellers can enjoy (subject to leg room) their flight in peace.

LeapyLee’sopinionsarehisownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

BECAUSE we love our pets so much, many of us find it difficult to find a trusted and reputable place where we feel comfortable leaving them while we are busy or on holiday. But at Dirty and Happy, your dog won’t want to come home!

If you are looking for a doggy daycare for your furry best friend while you go to work or run errands, a pet hotel for when you go on vacation, or even training and socialising classes, Dirty and Happy in Alicante is the perfect place. The staff and trainers are genuine animal lovers who treat all of the pets like their own, so you can have the peace of mind that your pet will be very well­cared for, happy, and safe in the hands of experts.

The daycare service at Dirty and Happy begins at 9am until 8.30pm, where your furry friend will play and socialise with other animals under the care and supervision of expert profession­

Dirty and Happy: It’s a dog’s life

counts on multiple boarding as well as their 10 per cent discount on stays over 30 days.

als. They also have ‘rest rooms’ as well as spaces for puppies and small dogs. With over 30,000 square metres for animals, distributed in playgrounds, training tracks, and buildings designed to make them feel safe, your pet will have the best time while you can get on with your chores,

shopping, appointments or work.

At Dirty and Happy Dog Hotel, they have spacious single or double rooms with sunny outdoor and indoor areas for relaxation, in addition to large parks for dogs to play together and separate areas for small dogs and puppies. Dirty and Happy al­

so provides comfortable accommodation specially designed for cats, rabbits and other small pets in modern facilities where they will feel comfortable and safe.

If you have more than one pet that you would like to be cared for by Dirty and Happy, you can also take advantage of their dis­

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am – 1pm and 5pm – 9pm. Sundays 10am – 12pm

The expert team of trainers have over 20 years of experience in training dogs so that you can correct behaviour problems, socialise your pet, and go further with advanced agility training. Dirty and Happy offers basic training in individual sessions or in groups designed for quick learning, as well as training classes for puppies that are expertly designed to teach through fun games, tricks and exercises. Get your first session free so that the team can get to know your pet, evaluate the problem and propose the best solution. Take advantage of Dirty and Happy’s discounts on dog training courses so that you and your pet can feel confident and build a trusting relationship.

Address: Partida La Rafaela, Poligono1 03187 Los Montesinos (Alicante). (On the road from Los Montesinos to Ciudad Quesada, 100 metres from the Zoco market). Facebook: @dirtyandhappy - Instagram: @dirtyandhappy - WhatsApp: +34 617 117 151 - Email: info@dirtyandhappy.com

DIRTY AND HAPPY: Take advantage of discounts on dog training courses so that your pet can feel confident.

We help to find solutions

THE British Benevolent Fund has over a century of providing emergency financial relief for Britons in Spain who have no other recourse ‐ to find solu‐tions for people who are in a desperate situation and who see no way out.

Money can’t by love but it can be an enabler for people who have found themselves in difficulties. Many of these cas‐es are triggered by illnesses, breakdown in relationships, loss of jobs and bereavement.

Into that mix comes Brexit, which for some Britons who have been living in Spain mean that if they are not resident un‐der the terms of the withdraw‐al agreement, they have to face the prospect of being classed as illegally staying in Spain. If that wasn’t enough ‐for vulnerable people ‐ many of whom are advanced in years means that they no longer have the access to Spanish state support and healthcare that they might have been eligible for before. Which means some difficult decisions for those that need

care, housing, and support to return to the UK where many have not lived for years if not decades. Many are under the illusion that they will be auto‐matically entitled to UK bene‐fits including crucially access to housing. The UK’s welcome for returning vulnerable Britons is far from what extends to other nationalities. The Habitual Res‐idency Test means that a re‐turning British national may have to wait for up to three months before they can be eli‐gible. The BBF will help those who have no other resources, and we are increasingly being asked to help them in the UK whilst their applications are processed. These are people who have long lost touch with their networks at home and could face homelessness on ar‐rival without our support.

CORONATION QUICHE DOESN’T DESERVE ITS ONLINE ROASTING

NORAJOHNSON BREAKINGVIEWS

One such is Tom, a 60‐year‐old Briton who left the UK nearly 40 years ago and has been told by his local authority he can only apply for housing and other benefits when he ar‐rives. He has multiple medical issues which need continual treatment as well as aggres‐sive MS which will mean per‐manent disability ‐ he needs to get home for treatment ‐ but the Habitual Residence Test means he will have to over‐come an enormous hurdle with no income, savings or re‐sources.

We can only help people like Tom with your support ‐ if you would like to help him and others with a donation, please visit our website www.british benevolentfund.org. Thank you for any help you can give.

Olaf Clayton, Chair BBF

FOR some, Coronation Quiche with its spinach/broad bean fill‐ing may seem a bit unex‐citing for such a grand oc‐casion this weekend. However, it’s part of the type of nostalgic, com‐fort food that’s currently enjoying a revival.

Or maybe it’s to do with the UK being hit with strikes in multiple areas? Brits struggling daily with the cost of liv‐ing and food price in ‐creases, inflation and in‐terest rates, let alone China flexing its muscles and war in Ukraine still disrupting world trade.

Who doesn’t remember the 70s, say, with nostalgia: a time of relative peace and calmness?

But frankly, I’ve never understood this ‘comeback’ thing. If something is good, it’s good. End of. Do you stop eating a cer‐tain food (like the humble quiche), drink‐ing a certain drink, watching a certain movie or reading a certain book (a sus‐pense or crime thriller, like me?) because some‐body else tells you that’s the thing to do?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with try‐ing new things and being experimental, but it’s good to have the classics locked away too. After all, it’s the classics that are your gold standard for comparing quality.

So, in brief, all I’m say‐ing is: Give Quiche a Chance...

Nora Johnson’s 12 criti‐cally acclaimed psycho‐logical suspense crime thrillers (www.nora‐johnson.net) all avail‐able online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paper‐backs at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

Noraistheauthorofpopularpsychological suspenseandcrimethrillersandafreelancejournalist.

Nora’s latest thriller.

NoraJohnson’sopinionsareherownandarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthoseofthepublishers,advertisersorsponsors.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

Mediterranean diet Mark II

LINDA HALL

SOME years back, a friend who hadn’t been here long grumbled that she’d put on weight thanks to the Mediter‐ranean diet.

Hardly surprising, because eating Mediterranean Spain’s food doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re follow ‐ing its rules. In fact you’ll usually be eating, and doubtless enjoying it very much, a Spanglish diet, which is noto‐rious for adding kilos you’d rather lose.

As I found when living in the rural outskirts of Altea my neighbours ‐ el ‐derly people who knew nothing other than the Mediterranean diet ‐ ate what they produced.

That meant killing it too.

We lived in the bottom half of a rambling house, some of it new, some of it probably a couple of centuries old. Each Friday Marcela, our landlady who lived on the top half, would se ‐lect a rabbit from the corral and kill it in a process that I was careful not to witness, but couldn’t avoid overhear‐ing.

It was brutal but rapid and in no

time at all, she’d skinned and gutted it, ready for the Sunday paella.

Pigeons, chickens, even turkeys at Christmas, met the same fate but who was I to shiver in disgust? Not when I bought the remains of dead animals that had lived in miserable conditions and were bred purely to satisfy the appetites of supermarket customers.

A couple of my neighbours were al‐so directly linked to the fish they ate and one day shortly after we’d moved in, Marcela’s cousin Teresa appeared with some mackerel so fresh that they shone.

Did I want any, Marcela asked me. As it happened, I didn’t as I’d bought fish that morning, which also hap ‐pened to be mackerel. Obviously there’d been a good catch the night before.

“Teresa often brings me some,” she said.

“I suppose she had some left over,” I remarked.

Marcela looked at me sternly. “Oh no. These aren’t leftovers. We share what we have.”

And there spoke someone who knew what the Mediterranean diet really meant.

Shopping spree

EXPAND YOUR SPANISH

SOME things are the same the world over.

That includes never finding a sales assistant in a department store when you want one, al‐though a flock of them descends on you when you want to wander round and look.

At best they make you feel guilty because you’re not buying and at worst they look at you as though you are a potential shoplifter. It’s al‐ways best to say something in these circum‐stances and you use a phrase that’s similar in En‐glish and Spanish:

I’m just looking, thank you….. estoy sólo mi‐rando, gracias

On those occasions when you do find a salesperson you’ll need to explain what you want:

Can I try this on….. ¿puedo probar esto?

I want a small/medium/big size….. quiero la talla pequeña/mediana/grande

Do you have this dress/blouse/shirt/suit/coat in another size?.....¿tiene este vestido/esta blusa/esta camisa/este traje/este abrigo en otra talla?

I’d like to see this dress/blouse/shirt/suit in an‐other colour….. me gustaría este vestido/esta blusa/este tra‐je/estos zapatos en otro color

And because it’s often so difficult to get ex‐actly what you want:

This dress is too small/big/tight/ loose/long/short….. este vestido es demasiado pequeño/grande/ajustado/suelto/largo/corto

These shoes are too small/big/tight/wide… ..estos zapatos son demasiado pequeños/ grandes/apretados/anchos

I take a size 37 ‐ gasto un 37

I’m sorry but I don’t like it/them….. lo siento, pero no me gusta/no me gustan

I’m going to think about it….. me lo voy a pen‐sar

Then there’s the saddest phrases of all:

It’s too expensive….. es demasiado caro/cara

They’re too expensive….. son demasiado caros/caras

Is there something cheaper?….. ¿hay algo más barato?

On those occasions when you can splash out:

Can I pay by debit/credit card…..¿puedo pa‐gar con tarjeta?

Do you want cash?..... ¿lo quiero en efecti‐vo?

And if it really doesn’t suit you:

I’d like to change this.…. quiero cambiar esto, por favor

By the way, the person you look for or evade in a department store (grandes almacenes) is un dependiente/una dependienta but not un asis‐tente, who is an attendee.

Meanwhile una asistenta is the person who cleans for you on a daily basis.

How to report an abandoned car on the street or community

CONSULAR MATTERS

IT is still quite common to see cars, vans, or motorcycles that are completely dete‐riorated, covered in dust, and with de‐flated tyres occupying a parking space. In fact, the Spanish traffic authorities (DGT) estimates that there are about 20,000 abandoned cars in private facilities (abandoned cars in garages, in a commu‐nity of owners, in workshops...) and that around 50,000 vehicles are abandoned each year. This can result in a hefty fine for the owner, as their obligation is to deregister it and remove it from the obli‐gation, as indicated by the Law.

Until now, you could only request the removal of the vehicle if it was on the public road. However, with the Spanish VEH 2022/26 instruction, you can also request it if the vehicle is abandoned in a community of owners, in a shopping centre, in a workshop, in a private zones, etc. In each case, the time to file the

complaint is different. In a private area, it must be proven that the vehicle has been abandoned for a minimum of two months. In a public parking lot, at least six months must elapse to report aban‐donment.

You can report an abandoned car to your town hall by phone, internet, or in person.

It may happen that you go on a trip for a period exceeding one month or any other circumstance that prevents you from moving the car and someone has reported it. To prove that the vehicle is not abandoned, you will have to provide the valid vehicle documentation, with the latest ITV passed, car’s insurance, and payment of taxes. You will also have to pay the fine and the expenses of the crane and deposit before you can take it away.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

Marisa Moreno Castillo Consul for Denmark and Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors. www.justlawsolicitors.com • contact@justlawsolicitors.com

Cooling system

THERE’S no need to stop exercising in hot weath ‐er, especially if you start early before tem ‐peratures start to rise.

Remember, though, that exercise will in ‐crease your own body temperature and if you’re exposed to soar ‐ing temperatures for too long, your natural cooling system can start to fail.

That in turn could re ‐sult in heat exhaustion, the debilitating fatigue that makes you feel that one more step will be your last. At worst, it could develop into heat stroke.

To avoid this and to keep cool, drink plenty of water every 20 min ‐utes while exercising and more when you’ve stopped. At other times of the day, drink when thirsty.

On the other hand,

don’t make the mistake of drinking too much as overhydration can lead to hyponatrem ‐ia or low blood sodi ‐um.

KEEP DRINKING: Hydration essential while exercising in hot weather

Sleep tight

MELATONIN, a hormone which is released by the brain as night falls to makes us sleepy, is a prescrip‐tion medication in the UK.

Nevertheless, although serotonin supplements are available in Spain without a prescription, experts rec‐ommended that people consult their doctor before taking it.

The supplement does not address underlying health problems, like anxiety and sleep apnea, that may disrupt sleep and require treatment. Lifestyle changes including a cut‐down on alcohol and regular exercise are more efficient at helping people to sleep better, they said.

Here comes summer

CHERRIES are a seasonal treat, with Spain’s best grown in Jerte (Extremadura) as well as inland in the provinces of Alicante and Va‐lencia.

Drinking the juice of sour cherries is said to get you get a better night’s sleep and will

also reduce post‐ workout pain. Meanwhile, the tarter varieties should help you to slim down, owing to their an‐thocyanin content which ac‐tivates the molecules that as‐sist in speeding up fat burning and decreasing fat

storage.

The sweeter varieties of cherries have an abundance of potassium, a natural blood‐pressure reducer, and are rich in beta carotene, vi‐tamin C, anthocyanins and quercetin.

CHERRIES: Give you a good night’s sleep and reduce blood pressure

Photo credit: Pexels/Jopwell

66% of British people feel they are in ‘good health’

Insurance help LETTERS

May I suggest that Gwendeline Ott ‐ley contact Staysure Insurance as they have no upper age limit. We have used them for many years and many trips around the World and find them excellent.

Regards

Same problem

Terry and Shirley

In reply to your correspondent Gwen ‐doline Ottley in edition April 27 to May 3, re lack of travel insurance for older expats, can I say that we have the same problem. My partner is almost 90 and is probably fitter than most 60 ‐ year ‐ olds in that there is nothing whatsoever wrong with him. Like Gwendoline, we like to travel, but contact insurance companies and they don’t ask anything about health, just your age. This is not fair, I wish some of them would realise this.

Last Christmas and New Year, we went on a Caribbean cruise, the only way to do this was that we booked through a British travel agent (but their office is in La Zenia) and because there is nothing wrong with us, we were able to take advantage of their insurance for €139 each (+€35 for Covid cover). This compared with the £1,400 wanted by another company. We have never claimed in 50 years of use.

We want to take a Danube cruise next spring, which was cancelled twice due to Covid, but it will depend on whether or not we can get insurance. Companies are missing a trick here.

So no help to the lady, but she has a lot of sympathy. We would like to know if she does eventually manage to get covered.

Kind regards,

Diana Wiltshire and Patrice Satur

Hello Leapy

We look forward to your candid com ‐ments in your column in EWN each week. We mostly tend to be in accord with you, although occasionally not so, but then that makes for good discus ‐sion between ourselves and friends.

Whilst trawling through family photo‐graphic archives and memorabilia this week ‐ end, my wife (Su) came across an amusing, relevant item. In a faded copy of the mag Fabulous’208, dated 21st December 1968 that she had unearthed from the piles of stored stuff, she was featured as a model in an article titled ‘Right Gear for a Rave Up!’. (During the late 60s and 70s she was a DJ on P&O liners and had modelling and promo ‐tion work.)

But, over the page in FabTalk, there was a piece about you ‐ ¡Leapy banked on it¡. Attached is a scanned copy ‐even though it mentions your damaged Cadillac, I thought you might like to see it.

Please keep up your comments and views in your articles ‐ someone’s got to voice it before the wokes take over the world!!

Kind regards ‐ David

M‐S

Bull dies

I read about the fighting bull that plunged to its death from a bridge dur ‐ing the Bou de les Penyes festivities in Ontinyent, Valencia. This is extreme an‐imal cruelty. These people are of no benefit to this planet. They’re relics of a medieval mindset. Pure evil at work here. They bring shame on their coun ‐try. It needs to stop.

Deborah Hall

Housing market

Spain has more space and a diverse landscape, however, one point to high ‐light is if the 90 ‐ day rule is not ad ‐dressed, this will have a significant im ‐pact on tourism and potential home ownership with properties tied to ser ‐vice charges. Time will tell…

Mark

Stars in Barcelona

After seeing that the Obamas, and Steven Spielberg and his wife were spotted in Barcelona, does Spain want these Warmongers in the country? Is Spain a bit white for the Obamas? Just saying, because of Michelle complain ‐ing. Have we forgiven Obama for forc ‐ing USA nuke ships in our harbours? Obama go home.

Michael Fisher

PETS

GEN Z Pets

ACCORDING to a re‐cent study of 2,066 adults from Genera‐tion Z (adults aged between 18 and 26 years old) prioritise their pets over their partners and children when buying a home.

This study showed that Gen Z pet own‐ers would consider moving if their home no longer worked for their pets even if this did not suit their partners.

The study also showed that 60 per cent of Gen Z house hunters are prioritis‐ing fenced ‐ in out ‐door space for their pets whereas before an office or a chil ‐dren’s playroom would have been top of the list.

Fifty‐five per cent of Gen Z pet owners said a pet ‐ friendly home was more im‐portant than a child‐friendly home. Gen Z adults are putting off parenthood choosing to start a family later in life but not pet parenthood. Thirteen per cent even admit‐ted they would pre‐fer to share the mas‐ter bedroom with their pet instead of their partners!

Real Estate agen ‐cies have stated they have already begun to see these deci ‐sions impacting the market with pet ‐friendly properties more in demand.

Dogsitter will mind your pets

A DOG-SITTER is a compan‐ion as well as a pet minder to your pets. It is good to find someone who will play with your pets, as well as look after them. Housesitmatch can help you find such a dog‐sitter and companion at very little cost.

If you’re planning a trip reg‐ister now to find pet‐sitters in time.

Whether your trip is short or long, you’ll know that sometimes you must leave pets at home.

Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying at home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Join our pet and house‐sitting network, and the sitters come for free!

Choose Housesitmatch. com for affordable travel, home and pet care. These are the steps to take:

1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch. com

2. Choose a Premium ac‐count (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed

3. Create a profile with pho‐tos of your pet and the house

4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

away. Sitters apply and you choose.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annu‐al fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your ad‐vert saying when you are go‐ing on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials – 4.9 / 5 Excellent 10 out of 10 for housesit match.com

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

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

Advertising Feature

Shockwaves used in human physiotherapy are now used also in dogs

Helps with tendon pain and other conditions.

SHOCKWAVE THERAPY or extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is an innovative, evidence‐based treat‐ment for tendon pain and other conditions throughout the body.

Shockwaves are acoustic waves which carries high energy to painful spots and myoskeletal tissues with subacute, subchronic and chronic conditions. The ener‐gy promotes regeneration and reparative processes of the bones, tendons and other soft tissues.

Shockwave is beneficial in the following applications in dogs:

• Osteoarthritis

• Joint injuries ‐ hips, elbows, knee and shoulder

• Chronic back pain, lumbosacral disease

• Non‐union or delayed union fractures

• Ligament and tendon injuries

• Chronic soft tissue wounds

Gen Z prioritise pets.

ESWT:

A dogsitter is also a companion to your pets.

AIR CONDITIONING

ALARMS

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PAINTERS/DECORATORS

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METALWORK

LOCKSMITHS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

REPAIRS

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

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)

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

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 lifedamaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking 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-costablan ca.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_campello@hot mail.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

CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.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@glpvalencia. com Tel 600 841 064 (95477)

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 24hour 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.icatorre vieja.org (95476)

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: 2009-SG/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 LEGIONWhy 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)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

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

ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (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: inkinspain@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 rnatorre vieja@aol.com (95455)

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

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.e s (295976)

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

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

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

(290139)

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@benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com for online quote. (303063)

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbey gateinsure.com

ELECTRICIAN FOR SALE/WANTED

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

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel678 716 693 (288662)

GOLD WANTED

NEED HELP WITH SPANISH? British expat with 39 years’ experience offers translation/interpreter/teaching services. Tel: Gary 676 893 572 (302830)

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 (302439)

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

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

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)

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

MEETING

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)

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

MISCELLANEOUS

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

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 (303137)

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 (295010)

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, deflead. 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 (95708)

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

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

Kia comfort

THE Kia EV9 claims to offer superior cabin comfort even in the most extreme conditions.

In the development pro‐cess, Kia vehicles are tested in extreme heat and cold to ensure ‐ among other things ‐ their heating, venti‐lation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are up to the challenge.

The thermal system of the all ‐ new Kia EV9 in ‐cludes a heat pump, cli ‐mate control system, and defrost and de ‐ icing fea ‐tures.

In addition, a new, user‐friendly climate control panel and improved roof vents offer customers max‐imum comfort and conve‐nience.

Engineers tested these features in wide ‐ ranging environments such as northern Sweden and southern Spain to ensure maximum performance and efficiency, even in ex‐

treme ambient tempera ‐tures.

“The all ‐ new Kia EV9

12.1% of total market share of electric vehicles is in Europe

proves customers don’t have to make sacrifices to be sustainable,” said Richard Peiler, Group Man‐ager HVAC & PT Cooling at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre.

“With these high ‐ tech features, the EV9 sets new standards in the e‐SUV seg‐ment, delivering all the comfort and convenience of a modern SUV with none of the emissions at the tailpipe.”

KIA EV9: The vehicles are tested in extreme cold.

Image: Kia

MINI CLUBMAN bows out with FINAL EDITION

ROAD TEST

byMarkSlack

IN 1969, the first Mini Clubman rewrote the rule book. It was an instant hit in the 1970’s automotive market with its long wheelbase, extended shooting‐brake body, and characteristic split doors at the rear.

Reimagined by BMW in 2007, the first modern MI‐NI Clubman delivered a contemporary interpreta‐tion; rear passenger seats were accessed through a rear hinged door, and un fortunately for the UK on ly on the right hand side of the car. With the third gen eration in 2015, the Club man increased in length offering more space and two full ‐ size rear doors. Today, the MINI Clubman Final Edition is a globally limited run of 1,969 units ‐ paying homage to the launch year

of the original car.

Powered by a Cooper S engine that delivers 178 hp the Final Edition has a sin‐gle specification with a choice of three exterior paint colours ‐ Enigmatic Black, Nanuq White or Melting Silver. Shimmer Copper details can be found on the surrounds and upper third of the ra ‐diator grille crossbar, side scuttles and Cooper ‘S’ blade on the rear.

The 18” Final Edition two‐tone alloy wheels are finished in a tinted clear lacquer to give a copper hue, while exclusive ‘Final

rear and ‘1 of 1969’ badge on the C ‐ pillar side com ‐pletes the exterior.

The interior features door sill trims embellished with ‘Final Edition’ lettering which are also found on the lower spoke of the Nappa leather steering wheel. Leather sports seats ‐ finished exclusively in leather ‐ offer sewn‐in edi‐tion‐specific badging, seat heating and adjustable thigh support. Anthracite‐coloured Piquet fabric in ‐serts, and blue contrast stitching further comple ‐

ment the seat design. It’s a well worked mix of materi‐als and design. There’s also a Panoramic Glass Sunroof and rear privacy glass.

A dark dashboard trim is accentuated by trim strips finished in Sage Green and Shimmer Copper. On the passenger side, the trim is decorated with a ‘1 of 1969’ badge which is also found on the floor mats. Graphic lettering on the model’s key cap com ‐pletes the design.

Based on the Exclusive trim, the Clubman Final

Edition offers a high level of specification, including an 8.8” touch display with MINI Navigation System, Apple CarPlay and a Digital Dashboard.

Also offered is Comfort Access, Reversing Camera,

Parking Assistant including Front Park Distance Con ‐trol and Harmon Kardon Surround Sound.

The MINI Clubman Final Edition is available to or ‐der now and is priced at £37,000.

Leeds to sack Gracia

LEEDS UNITED’S problems continued at the week‐end when they lost 4‐1 to Bournemouth. Javi Gra‐cia’s team are without a win since April 4 when they beat Nottingham Forest at home. Leeds are 17th in the Premier League, above the relegation zone on goal difference only, with four games left this season. It won’t come as a surprise that there are reports that they will sack manager Javi Gracia and they are in talks with Sam Allardyce as his re‐placement.

Gracia was appointed in February as Jesse Marsch’s successor but has won only three games out of 11. Leeds are now reportedly looking to the ex ‐ Bolton, West Ham, and Everton manager to work his survival magic for one of the toughest rel‐egation battle run ‐ ins. Leeds are due to face league leaders Manchester City on Saturday, then third‐place Newcastle followed by West Ham and then finally they will face Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road to finish the campaign.

There are also rumours that the Leeds United Director of Football Victor Orta is also set to leave the club. Whatever they do they need to act fast as they need a reaction and the players need a boost with fans tired of the lacklustre perfor ‐mances. Will ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce be the one to re‐vive their fighting spirit?

Perez wins Azerbaijan GP

MAX VERSTAPPEN’S lead at the top of the F1 driver’s table was cut to six points after Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez took the chequered flag in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on Sunday afternoon, April 30. This was the Mexican’s second victory of the season and cuts the gap at the top of the driver’s table to just six points.

His teammate and current champi‐onship leader Max Verstappen had to settle for second place on the podium at the fast street circuit. The Dutch world champion was unable to catch Pérez who stretched his lead to three seconds as the race entered the final laps.

Charles Leclerc started this fourth For‐mula One race of the season in pole posi‐tion but quickly found himself being over‐taken by both Red Bulls.

The Frenchman managed to keep the Ferrari in third place despite constant pressure from Fernando Alonso in the As‐ton Martin who crossed the line just eight‐tenths behind him.

A safety car was deployed on lap 10 af‐ter Nyck de Vries shunted his Alpha Tauri into the wall at Turn 5. This allowed the rest of the field to bunch up with Perez taking advantage of the situation to pit. His decisive move saw the Mexican exit the pits ahead of the pack after the safety

car was removed.

Carlos Sainz brought the second Ferrari over the finishing line in fifth, followed by Lewis Hamilton. The Brit tried his best to pass the Spanish driver but his Mercedes simply could not find the extra power, even under DRS.

Lance Stroll clinched another impres‐sive finish in the Aston Martin to romp home in seventh position. George Rus‐sell failed to capitalise on some excellent qualifying sessions and finished in eighth.

The McLaren of Lando Norris took ninth with Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda

rounding out the Top 10.

An incident in the pit lane on the final lap involving the Alpine of Esteban Ocon could have ended badly. As he headed towards his garage for a tyre change, the Frenchman was confronted by a group of FIA officials and photographers crowded in the pit lane.

They had allegedly been mistakenly al‐lowed into the zone when it was still closed off while the race was still ongoing. An investigation was conducted by race stewards who apparently instructed the officials that this should never happen again.

SECOND VICTORY: Red Bull’s Sergio Perez after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.