Costa de Almeria 25 – 31 May 2023 Issue 1977

FLASH FLOODS

John Ensor

VERA TOWN HALL on Tuesday May 23 activated a Municipal Emergency Plan due to the risk of floods in the area, as a result of the extreme rainfall across Almeria.

Between 3pm and 9pm on Monday, May 22, the extreme rainfall resulted in around 40 incidents, according to the Emergencias de Andalucia.

The affected areas included, Nijar, El Ejido, Purchena, Albox, Carboneras, Huercal ­ Overa, Los Gallardos, Cuevas de Almanzora, Garrucha, Vera, Zurgena, as well as in Almeria capital.

Most of the incidents have been due to debris deposited on roads in different areas of the province. On the AL ­ 6112 in Carboneras, the Guardia Civil reported that the road had been blocked at kilometre 2 by the exit of a ravine.

The municipality of Vera in particular was under severe strain, with homes flooded including five people, three adults and two minors, evacuated from a farmhouse in El Real de Vera.

Thankfully there was no record of injuries. Also in Vera, some warnings were coordinated for vehicles that became stranded on the road.

In the Almeria capital, a postal delivery man was injured when driving on Avenida de Cabo de Gata where he crashed into a sewer overflowing with rain. He was taken by the health services to the Torrecardenas Hospital.

In Tijola, a young woman of 18 and a man of 57

years were evacuated to the hospital of Baza following an accident in which they fell down a ravine.

In Cuevas de Almanzora, firefighters located a man who had not been heard from since the morning on the beach of Quitapellejos, in Villaricos.

The man was later found inside his vehicle, trapped in an area by mud. The man was in good condition and did not require medical assistance.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issued an Orange weather warning, which was put into force in many places until

9am on Wednesday May 24.

Residents were advised to exert extreme caution

and follow some self­protection guidelines to prevent risks and ensure safety.

Credit Ametse Twitter

Credit Antas Council

Image: Ayuntamiento de Vera. / Twitter

Many streets were flooded.

People were advised to exert extreme caution.

MORE than 650 gymnasts took part in the Costa de Almeria Cup on May 14.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that demands talent, hard work and technique and that is what the athletes who participated in the Costa de Almeria Cup trophy demonstrated.

A total of 26 teams from all over the province competed in the Moises Ruiz Pavilion and the mayor of the city, Maria del Mar Vazquez, joined them for the prize-giving ceremony.

The mayor said: “From the city council, through the Municipal Sports

ALMERIA City Council has begun construction work on 32 new niches in the La Canada cemetery.

Board, we are committed to grassroots sport, and this competition is a good example of that.

“We want everyone who participated to continue to enjoy rhythmic gymnastics and to contin-

TROPHY: More than 650 gymnasts took part.

ue with the healthy habit of sport throughout their lives.”

She added: “Congratulations to the organising club, Costaritmica, and to the participants, as you are all champions.”

Almeria Cup New plots

The councillor for Municipal Services, Sacramento Sanchez, confirmed: “This is an action demanded by the residents of the neighbourhood.

“In addition to this action, Almeria City Council will continue to work on an expansion of this cemetery with the provision of the necessary land.”

The councillor added: “Susceptible to this disposition is land attached to the current cemetery. The land includes a plot of municipal ownership that has an area of about 7,700 m² and is currently classified as rustic land for agricultural protection and is pending authorisation.”

La Canada cemetery currently has 1,600 burial units of which, more than 100 of them are unoccupied.

Image: Almeria City Council

300 Trees

HUERCAL-OVERA is planting a total of 200 trees in different areas of the municipality. The majority will be seen on the Via Verde where many residents who practise hiking and sports pass daily. An additional 100 trees will be planted in the forthcoming months.

Hopping mad

THE northern part of Almeria is reportedly being affected by a plague of rabbits that has put farmers on edge. The news hit the media through COAG who claim that “one million hectares (throughout the country) have suffered some damage.”

Fidelity to Spain

THE Rey Alfonso XIII II Brigade of the Legion will hold a Swearing­in of the Flag for civilian personnel on June 25 in Adra. The objective is to show fidelity and loyalty to Spain. Any citizen over 18 in possession of Spanish nationality may participate.

New space

THE Agriculture Interpretation Centre ‘Molino del Lugar’ in Adra has reopened its doors. Visitors can now see the space which, after remodelling and modernisation works, has a total of four rooms full of information, technology and games.

Finance failure

A JUDGE in Almeria has sentenced a man to six months in prison after he used finance of €21,000 to buy a high­end car but failed to pay the instalments. The court states the accused bought an Alfa Romeo in December 2015 in Huercal de Almeria.

Guitar glory

FROM June 9 to 13, Almeria will honour the mentor of the Spanish guitar, Antonio de Torres. The Guitar Museum, which bears his name, is the setting which is sure to bring together hundreds of Almerians and visitors.

ALMERIA City Council has solved a major problem that it has been working on since last year which would have compromised the train and bus service in the capital of Almeria.

There is little time left before the agreement with ADIF for the management of the intermodal station expires, although the solution, already approved, will cover the months of vacuum until the construction of the new station begins.

The plot of land on which the intermodal station was built is owned by Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias, which ceded it to the capital for a period of 30 years.

Once the station was built

Problem solved

Open

by the Consistory, in 1998 ADIF took over its operation through a 20­year concession that expired in July 2018.

For a couple of years, the management of the intermodal station was in an irregular situation until 2020, when the city council over­

came this stumbling block by means of a five­year extension, a possibility provided for in the contract, which expires on July 30.

Local Champ Officially open

THE bridge that connects Calle Galan in Roquetas de Mar is now officially open for road traffic to facilitate the entry and exit of Aguadulce.

The mayor of Roquetas de Mar, Gabriel Amat, made a technical visit on Saturday, May 20, to verify the construction work on the Aguadulce bridge whose degree of execution of the works allows its opening to road traffic.

Amat highlighted the importance of this infrastructure that crosses the Rambla de San Antonio facilitating access to Aguadulce from the A7, and the entrance to this urban centre through Calle Galan.

The mayor explained: “The commissioning of this bridge will allow solving the existing access problem in the northeast area of Aguadulce from the A7.”

He added: “The bridge, which is 17 metres long and 12 metres wide, will decongest more than 50 per cent of the traffic registered in this area."

ALMERIA does not cease in sporting successes and medals as seven ­ year ­ old local boxer, Luka Nicolas Nerghes has been proclaimed Champion Boxer of School Age in Spain.

Luka, known in the world of pugilism as ‘Mini Tyson’, has won three gold medals in the Prebenjami Male Category of the ninth Championship of Spain of Olympic Boxing Forms in School Age.

A Consum welcome

THE residents of Adra will soon be able to do their shopping in a new supermarket that will open its doors in the coming months.

The Valencian ­ based supermarket, Consum, will land in the thousandyear ­ old city in the coming months leading to the creation of 30 jobs.

Its location will be in the premises of the old Mercadona, close to the Cultural Centre, in the heart of the town.

The mayor, Manuel Cortes, expressed his satisfaction with this “good news especially because it brings with it the generation of some 30 jobs in the municipality and contributes to the revitalisation of Adra’s

economy.”

Consum has confirmed that all of the employment opportunities in the supermarket will be aimed at residents of Adra.

Held in Logrono (La Rioja), the little seven ­ yearold boxer competed in three modalities: shadow, combative and manoplas, winning gold in all three and thereby becoming the absolute champion of Spain, adding a fourth gold medal.

The councillor for Sports, Juanjo Segura, congratulated Luka “for his successes and for demonstrating your projection at such a young age, it is a source of pride to see how the youth base of our sport is growing and increasing its medals and titles.”

THE end of the academic year is approaching and with it the need to reflect on all the knowledge acquired during academic courses for the upcoming exams.

This is the reason the Department of Culture and Education of the city council of Almeria, will respond to the demands of students and will open the 24/7 study rooms of the Central Library Jose Maria Artero 24 hours a day, including holidays, until July 13.

The councillor responsible for Culture and Education, Diego Cruz, confirmed: “This is a special reinforcement to respond to the peaks of affluence and demand typical of exam weeks.

“It is programmed according to the academic calendar, as is done in other libraries and which will hopefully soon be extended.”

First for Adra

IT will take place at the CEIP Marenostrum, C. Estero, 3, 04770 Adra, and tickets to enjoy this festival, which will start at 10.30pm, are already on sale at the ticket office www.compralaentrada.com .

Tickets can also be obtained at the Cultural Centre of Adra, at the Blanes Sports shops in Adra and El Ejido and at the Pub La Granja in Adra.

The manager of Indalo Producciones, Juan Ruiz, confirmed: “The first 500 tickets purchased online

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

Mantle restored

will have a special introductory offer at a price of €20. Once this promotional pack is sold out, they will be on sale for €25. If any remaining tickets are available on the day of the event they will be sold at the box office for €30.

Juan added: “This festival, with pop bands and some rock bands, has been born with the intention of having continuity and to be a benchmark in the Mediterranean arc. There will be great live performances with great bands.”

THE Andalucian Institute of Historical Heritage (IPAH) has completed the restoration work on the mantle of the Coronation of the Virgin.

The Director of the IAPH, Aranzazu Martin, has revealed that “thanks to the research and work carried out by Historical Heritage, the origin of the cloak has been determined to the year 1862 or 1863.

“It has also been discovered the mantle was made in Madrid by one of Queen Elizabeth II’s renowned chamber embroiderers in the embroidery workshop of Puerta del Sol.”

Laughter relaxes the whole body, relieving tension and stress. This phrase originates from the Bible -

The work to recover the cloak has focused on cleaning the velvet and the embroideries and the fastening of the metallic threads of

this piece.

For its restoration, the embroidery has been cleaned by combining retention methods, with materials that absorb dirt without leaving traces on the surface, and laser ablation methods, by means of irradiation with light pulses of a certain intensity in those areas affected by this type of dirt.

RESTORATION WORK: Carried out by Historical Heritage.

Image: Vera Town Council

“Laughter is the best medicine.”

Proverbs, Chapter 17, verse 22.

21 nations speak Spanish on a daily basis.

Trees for children

THE Huercal-Overa Town Council is planning to commemorate World Environment Day (June 5), on Sunday, June 4, with the planting of trees that will bear the name of the children of the municipality born in 2022.

A plaque bearing the children’s names will be placed in front of each tree.

Parents who would like their child’s name to be one of those that are part of this plantation can either call in person to the Teatro Villa in Huercal-Overa or ring (+34) 950 616 738.

The requirements for participation are the child must have been born in 2022 and be registered in the municipality.

The registration period ends on Tuesday May 30.

This planting is in addition to those that were already carried out in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 in which more than 200 trees were planted in the Parque del Cal-

vario and the surroundings of the Ermita de la Virgen del Rio.

According to the mayor, Domingo Fernandez: “The project is to instil the values of caring for the environment in children and by extension in their families.”

Ladies football

UNFORTUNATELY, the UD Almeria Women’s Football Team, Rojiblancas, could not achieve their goal of staying up in the second division and will compete in lowertier Primera Nacional next season with the clear objective of achieving promotion.

It has been a really tight half-bottom table in which the Rojiblancas have been fighting to their strengths to escape the drop until the penultimate match day. However, their last defeat to Canarias-based direct rivals, Union Viera, sealed their relegation unluckily.

The Rojiblancas will rise again as they feel confident they will be

heading back to the second division next term. Both the Club and the coaching staff are now planning for the coming season.

The girls have now finished training despite the fact that there is still one more match day to go, they will not play that

More beds

AGE SUPPORT Almanzora are delighted to have received two hospital style beds donated to the charity by Walk For Life. These beds are for use in clients’ homes and are extremely popular items, constantly on loan, so two additional beds are very welcome. Age Sup -

port volunteers are always busy loaning out mobility equipment as well as running a lunch club, bereavement group, providing befrienders and emotional and practical support. Katia was delighted to receive the beds delivered to the Age Support shop recently.

game because opponents Santa Teresa are already out of the competition as a no-show team.

As a result, UD Almeria Women will add three points from that fixture but unfortunately, that will not be enough for them to save the campaign.

TREE PLANTING: Bearing children’s names.

ALMERIA WOMEN: The girls have now finished training.

Katia took delivery.

FOOTBALL fans have their fingers crossed as UD Almeria’s second striker, Leo Baptistao, will be on the treatment table until the end of the current season.

He underwent Achilles tendon repair surgery, taking advantage of the fact that his sprained left ankle does not ensure his availability for the remaining fixtures of the competition.

This operation was meant to take place after the end of the season, but it was

Good luck Leo

brought forward in a bid to start this summer pre­season fully fit.

The 30­year­old Brazilian underwent surgery on Wednesday, May 24, by orthopaedic surgeons Pedro Luis Ripoll and Niek Van Dijk, from the Ripoll and Prado Sport Clinic, at the Quiron Salud Hospital in Murcia.

His recovery period will be approximately six weeks.

Baptistao had been diagnosed with retrocalcaneal bursitis and partial rupture of the secondary Achilles tendon. This injury did not prevent him from playing, but the player felt some discomfort, hence he was planning to have surgery.

Best in history

ALMERIA is delighted to confirm that it experienced its best quarter in history for exports.

Almeria is the third province with the highest increase and the third highest foreign turnover in terms of exports in the first quarter of 2023, with €2,017 million.

This is the highest figure ever achieved in a first quarter by the province, representing 19.4 per cent of Andalucia and a year­on­year growth of 8.2 per cent.

The Andalucian agri­food complex continues to demonstrate its competitiveness

in the world with vegetables being Andalucia’s largest exporter in the first quarter of the year, with 16.6 per cent of the total, representing €1,721 million, and also the fastest growing of the agri ­ food chapters in the Top 10, up 9.5 per cent.

It is accompanied by olive oil, the first product exported by Andalucia, with €672 million, 6.5 per cent of the total, which is growing by 3.8 per cent. This forms part of the chapter of vegetable fats and oils, fourth in sales, which reaches €804 million, with an increase of 4.6 per cent.

WALKING FOOTBALL. FORMENTERA ANNUAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

WITH the Costa del Sol Walking Football League coming to a close, Formentera WFC host their annual tournament this weekend with local teams Pinoso, Hondon Valley Flyers joining visitors Morecambe (England), Walking Lions (Bilbao, Basque Country) and the Walking Nomads (Scotland/England) taking part.

The event commences today, Thursday May 25 when a pre tournament social get together will take place in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Formentera.

The tournament with a Round Robin format gets under way on Friday May 26, kick off 9.30am at the local sports ground.

After the awards ceremo-

HARLEY-DAVIDSON is not just about riding a legendary motorbike, it is a way of being that permeated Almeria as it hosted the annual Harley Davidson Club España rally.

“More than 400 bikers took part which translates into more than 1,000 people who have stayed in the hotels of El Toyo, consumed in bars and restaurants in the city, and have bought in local shops,” said the councillor for Culture, Diego Cruz.

Fans from all over Spain gathered in Almeria from May 11 until May 14 and the

ny club sponsors Rumours Bar will host a BBQ for teams and their supporters.

Saturday May 27 sees Rumours Bar act as hosts once again providing a BBQ with live entertainment for teams and their supporters before they depart on their different ways.

Formentera WFC are grateful to their sponsors Rumours Bar, the town hall

and Formentera Club de Futbol for their invaluable assistance in making the tournament possible.

A warm invitation is extended to anyone wishing to attend and join what should be a fun sports and social occasion tomorrow, Friday May 26.

For further information visit the Formentera WFC page on Facebook.

400 Harleys

municipality welcomed them with an extensive musical programme in the Plaza del Mar.

At the event, Diego Cruz highlighted “the great atmosphere being experienced in the Plaza del Mar which is open to the public who wish to learn more or enjoy the Harley-Davidson lifestyle.

“It’s quite a spectacle.”

The president of the Harley Davidson Club in Spain, John-

ny, confirmed that: “The rally has been a great success. The atmosphere was very good, we enjoyed flamenco and rock.

“The town hall and the city welcomed us with open arms, and we would like to repeat the event next year.”

Imminent upgrade

ALMERIA has now awarded the contract for the refurbishment works of the Municipal Library of Vera with an investment of €1.1 million.

Works will modernise the space for culture, reading, study and learning.

The work on this building will be carried out with the aim of equipping the building with different areas, such as spaces for archiving books and audiovisual material; consultation and study; two children’s areas; toilets and cleaning and an open­air outdoor area for reading.

The total surface area on which the work will be carried out exceeds a whopping 530 m2.

ANNUAL TOURNAMENT: And that`s it.

Photos.

Hosts Formentera WFC /Tournament

Too good to be true?

Are the investments being offered to you a little too good to be true? We look at some past examples where people have lost capital through fraudsters and failed schemes, and reveal some red flags you should look out for.

We’re all familiar with the saying, “If the investment is too good to be true, it probably is”, and there is a good reason for that. There is no shortage of individuals, even companies, that will try to sell you an investment under the false promise of large, guaranteed returns – often within a short period of time.

It’s happened before – it will happen again

You may remember the notorious Barlow Clowes case, where around 15,000 people, many of them retirees, were invested in the

By Jon Pemberton, Partner,

invested in low-risk government gilts but promised returns higher than gilts were paying.

Equitable Life carries another cautionary tale. This was a reputable company which came un -

ers to be caught out when inflation and interest rates dropped, leaving the mutual insurance society struggling to fund its commitments.

In 2009, there was the welldocumented fraud of Bernard Madoff – a ‘Ponzi’ scheme where money from new clients was used to pay older ones. Bernard lured investors through promises of between 10 and 12% annual returns on investment – by the time the US government caught up with him, he had cheated clients out of $65 billion.

These are just a few examples. As long as there are markets, there will be those trying to get rich by selling hope to the less informed. Those taken in by these schemes were intelligent people – victims often of misleading claims by an individual or company they be -

said,

“There are some frauds so well conducted that it would be stupidity not to be deceived by them”.

A statement that describes the cunning, charm and resourcefulness of fraudsters, and the vigilance and discernment we must maintain whenever we are asked to invest our money.

Avoid investments that sound too good to be true

Be wary of promises that guarantee high returns. There aren’t any absolute guarantees with investment, and you’ll likely get a lower return the safer your money is. Compare the yields that have been promised with current returns on well-known stock indexes. If the numbers don’t match up, where could such returns possibly be coming from?

Be wary of anyone pressuring

no reputable professional would push you to make an immediate decision.

To protect the financial security you have built for you and your family, consult the advice of an expert that is regulated by a reputable authority before committing to any investment being sold to you – and focus on the fundamentals.

You have probably worked hard over decades to build your wealth for you and your family – if something seems too good to be true, don’t put that wealth at undue risk.

All advice received from Blevins Franks is personalised and provided in writing. This article, however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation or investment advice.

Keep up to date on the financial

Blevins Franks

THE Torre de los Perdigones is set to become one of the main tourist attractions in Adra.

Mayor, Manuel Cortes, confirmed that the main objective is to beautify the surroundings of the area given that it is the access area to the most emblematic monument of the municipality.

It is also part of the commercial area and part of the tourist­cultural itinerary of the municipality where, in turn, there are Civil War air­raid shelters and the Fishing Interpretation Centre.

The proposal put forward by Cortes emphasises the overall improvement of the

LIFEGUARDS will spend more time watching over the beach of the new promenade in Almeria this summer.

Almeria Council has reorganised the lifeguard and first aid service on the beaches of the municipality in order to extend the timetable and to also incorporate the stretch of coastline corresponding to the extension of the promenade.

Shifts are split into three seasons, the first season which ran from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday added five days to the timetable compared to the timetable in 2022.

Season two which runs

landscaping of the area with the incorporation of new plant species and an irrigation network. It also includes the renovation of the access staircase and the incorporation of new lighting for the whole of the ascent and the complex in general.

TORRE DE LOS PERDIGONES: A photogenic tourist spot for all citizens.

One of the most striking actions within this proposal is the adaptation of the landmark consisting of the ship’s rudder and the Indalo, the plan is to enhance this key point by placing an Adra sign thereby creating a photogenic tourist spot for all citizens.

Main attraction Extended

from May until mid­June will offer the same timetable of midday until 7.00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For 2023 Fridays have now been added as extended weekend cover.

The third season which offers daily cover as per 2022 and runs from mid­June to the end of September will now include an extension to provide for two extra beaches in the capital with permanent posts.

One is on the beach of San Miguel­Las Conchas and the

hours

other is on the beach of the new section of the promenade (Nueva Almeria).

Triathalon Champ

NINETY­TWO participants joined in the brutal 11th MD Cabo de Gata ­ Níjar Triathlon on May 21. Out of the 92 who took part, four were disqualified and three did not finish the race Ramon Ejeda Medina from Madrid completed the race in a time of four hours, 10 minutes and 23 seconds and has now added his name to the list of winners.

The Cabo de Gata Triathlon is a middle­distance race that runs through a privileged natural environment where participants swim for 1,900 metres in the crystal clear waters of the Cabo de Gata maritime park.

The swim is followed by an 80­kilometre bike ride that crosses the mountain range of volcanic origin.

Finally on foot for a further 21 kilometres participants of the race enjoy the wonderful scenery of the beaches of San Jose, Los Genoveses and Monsul.

Anna Ellis

VERA is proud to confirm that it will host the MAPFRE Spanish Beach Tennis Championships for the sixth year. This competition is the most important in the national calendar of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) in this modality of beach tennis.

The highlight of the competition, the Absolute Category, will be held between May 26 and May 28. The individual category will take place on Friday, May 26, and the doubles category will take place over the weekend, with the finals being at noon on Sunday, May 28.

The tournament is expected to have a large participation. Around 160 of the best players on the national scene will come to play for the title of Champion of Spain from practically all the communities.

Among them, we can highlight, of course, Antomi Ramos from the Canary Islands, num­

VELEZ RUBIO is proud to announce a very special exhibition dedicated to remembering the creation of the province of Almeria in 1822.

It is now 200 years since the current provincial map of Spain was formed.

In this exhibition, produced

ber 1 in the international ranking and current World Champion, and the Catalan, Gerard Rodriguez, number 19 in the world.

In addition, on June 10 and 11, before the Spanish Junior and Veterans Championship, one of the MAPFRE Beach Tennis League tournaments will stop in Vera, which proves the season is coming strong.

Tennis Championship Special exhibition

by the Institute of Almeria Studies you will be able to know the reasons that assisted our ancestors to create the provincial map. You will discover, the controversy over the capital status between Baza and Almeria, the main protagonists of that administrative design.

The exhibition shows the transcendental change that meant going from an absolutist administration of ancient kingdoms and diversity of jurisdictions to a liberal, constitutional, rational and

balanced model, the difficulties and setbacks they had to overcome; also, of course, the suspension of the provincial organisation in 1823 as a consequence of the reintroduction of the absolutist monarchy of Fernando VII, and, after a decade of lapses, the definitive creation in 1833.

The exhibition will be on display for at least one month at the Museum Miguel Guirao is located at Carrera del Carmen, 27, 04820 Velez­Rubio, Almeria. For more information, call (+34) 950 412 560.

Indiana Jones

INDIANA JONES fans are in for a treat as the largest Indiana Jones exhibition with more than 100 items from the film saga has arrived at the House of Cinema Casa del Cine, Cam. Romero, 1, 04009, in Almeria.

The exhibition can be visited until September 3 and has been a resounding success in Barcelona, Valencia and Murcia.

The councillor for the Promotion of the City, Jesus Luque, confirmed: “The exhibition is made up of the private collection of Ruben Molins, curator of the exhibition, and has about 100 full­scale objects including elements of the saga, replicas and historical objects that appear in the films.

“The entire collection will be on display in 35 showcases and mannequins with five different areas for each film in the saga: ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘The Temple of Doom’, ‘The Last Crusade’, ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ and ‘The Day of Destiny’,” added the councillor.

In addition, all the pieces will be accompanied by a QR code that will make it possible to visualise on the devices the stills of the films in which the objects appear.

BEACH TENNIS: An important event.

Image: Vera Town Council

ON Saturday June 3, the very popular From the Jam will make their first ever Spanish appearance at the Benalmadena Auditorium.

Prior to their arrival, one of the founding members of The Jam spoke exclusively to Euro Weekly News about his long career and how this band was formed.

It was in 1977 that The Jam obtained their first recording contract and the trio consisting of former Woking schoolboys, Bruce Foxton, Paul Weller and Rick Buckler burst on the scene.

They couldn’t really be categorised as punk but with their Mod image and biting music certainly ruled the record charts until 1982 when they broke up.

During that time, they had 18 consecutive top 40 singles before Paul Weller decided to call it a day in 1982 and they disbanded.

Bruce, the bass player spent 15 years in punk band Stiff Little Fingers and then formed another band Casbah Club with Russell Hastings and more by luck than judgement they

Bruce Foxton is From the Jam

sell for so long and having seen the reaction from fans who enjoyed the music so much, the pair decided to keep on playing the songs that they and their audience loved so much.

They are still going strong with literally hundreds of gigs booked through to 2024 but there was an opportunity to visit Spain for the first time, so the expanded band which has added Andy Fairclough on keyboards and Mike Reddon on drums decided it was time to bring their brand of music to a Spanish audience.

“The closest I’ve been to Spain is when my wife came as part of a hen party” laughed Bruce “but why ignore a chance to bring our music to both an established as well as a hopefully new audience.”

were booked to play a gig with a band which included former Jam drummer Rick Buckler.

Bruce explained, “we had no intention of forming a new band but thought it might be fun to play a couple of old numbers during the sound

check and it sounded and felt really good!

“There were a few more similar sessions and we kept in touch with each other and then in 2007 decided to form From the Jam.”

That lasted a couple of years but in

2009 Bruce said “I received an email from Rick simply saying he was leaving the band with no explanation and I still don’t know what happened, although he appears to have wanted to become a writer.”

Having worked with guitarist Rus­

When asked if he ever got bored with playing the same songs, Bruce said ”Although the set will be pretty much all Jam songs apart from a couple from my album with Russell Butterfly Effect there are so many Jam songs, we can change the set list every time we play.”

Tickets for the June 3 event (where they are supported by veteran British punk band The Wasps) are available at https://www.ticketsource.eu/wag-promotions and let’s hope for viewers of BBC 1’s Have I Got News For You that they play News of the World, a definite Jam favourite. If you can’t make the gig then visit https://www.fromthejamofficial.com/ to get their live album.

FROM THE JAM: The latest line-up on stage.

Credit: Steve White

Breaking the ice

Betty Henderson

IN a remarkable thawing of relations, the new ambassadors of Venezuela and Nicaragua to Spain presented their credentials to King Felipe VI on Wednesday, May 17.

This ceremonial act marks the end of years of political and diplomatic disagreements between Spain and the two Latin American countries. The Venezuelan ambassador to Spain is Coromoto Godoy Calderón, a 57­year­old diplomat and lawyer. The new

head of the Nicaraguan mission is Maurizio Gelli, a 64 year old Italian­born diplomat recently naturalised as Nicaraguan.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry hailed this event as the result of their commitment to reinstate friendly relations and cooperation with Spain, dubbing it ‘Poetry for Peace’ on social media. Godoy has already been serving as the Venezuelan Chargé d’Affaires in Spain for a year.

These diplomatic break­

IN a groundbreaking decision, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled in favour of the exiled President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, on Thursday, May 18. The UNHRC stated that Spain unlawfully stripped him of his parliamentary seat without a valid legal basis.

The committee concluded that Spain violated Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which safeguards every national’s right to participate in public affairs, vote, stand for office, and have access to public service.

The UN has demanded that Spain provide information within 180 days on the measures taken to prevent similar violations from occurring in

throughs come after years of tensions. Spain’s recognition of Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president strained relations with the country, but recent negotiations have prompted a shift toward engaging with Nicolás Maduro’s government. Similarly, Nicaragua’s political repression and human rights violations prompted Spain to withdraw its ambassador, but discussions are underway for normalisation of political and economic relations.

Political foul play

the future.

This landmark decision comes five years after British lawyer Ben Emmerson lodged a complaint with the UN on Puigedemont’s behalf. Emmerson said the blocking of Puigdemont’s candidacy for the presidency of Catalonia after the December 2017 elections and the suspension of his parliamentary mandate were unlawful. The UN committee agrees with Puigdemont’s complaint, but they believe that simply recognising it is enough to make up for what happened and say he is not automatically entitled to become the President.

IN an escalating disagreement over hydrogen production methods, Spain has issued a stern warning to France.

While Spain has been exporting excess electricity to its neighbour to support their domestic needs, it refuses to

Power struggle

continue doing so if the electricity is going to be used for generating nuclear­based hydrogen, also known as ‘pink

Crushing it

Betty Henderson

RIOJA remains a dominant force in Spain’s national wine industry, according to an annual report released by the Rioja Wine Regulatory Council on Thursday, May 18.

Rioja solidified its leadership position in the report as its market share grew by 0.3 per cent in the last year to reach an impressive 27.5 per cent of the total volume sold, surpassing other Spanish denominations and doubling the sales of its closest competitor.

In terms of value, Rioja accounted for 31.7 per cent of all Spanish wines with a designation of origin sold in 2022.

The analysis also confirms Rioja’s continued lead in the hospitality sector, with a market share of 30.7 per cent. Additionally, Rioja holds a strong position in online wine sales, capturing 33 per cent of the market.

Rioja also remains valuable to Spain’s economy internationally, representing 40.5 per cent of the value and 34.7 per cent of the volume of the country’s wine exports.

Despite challenging circumstances, Rioja’s resilience and commitment to excellence have propelled its success. The President of the Rioja Regulatory Council, Fernando Ezquerro, highlighted the region’s ability to adapt.

hydrogen’.

Spain champions renewable green hydrogen derived from sources like wind and solar power, and rejects classifying nuclear hydrogen as green.

France has been successful in advocating for nuclearbased hydrogen, even allowing it to be transported through the Barcelona­Marseille submarine cable as part of the H2Med project. Spain, however, firmly believes that only hydrogen derived from renewable sources should be considered truly green.

Environmental Minister Teresa Ribera emphasised Spain’s position during a meeting in Malta with Mediterranean EU countries on Thursday, May 18. She stressed the importance of transitioning to green hydrogen and investing in offshore wind and solar parks.

Spain has become a major exporter of electricity to France due to the latter’s nuclear plant shutdowns and geopolitical energy disputes.

New rules for holiday lettings

SPAIN’S holiday letting market faces new rules according to information compiled by Spence Clarke & Co.

Whilst there is a continued boom in new builds of all sorts, particularly in popular tourist destinations as well as a glut of abandoned builds handled by ‘bad bank’ Sareb, there never seems to be enough reasonably priced social housing.

A bit like Jekyll and Hyde the current Spanish government welcomes tourists many of whom want holiday lets whilst at the same time is making it more difficult for small home owners to let their properties out.

There are some new requirements to report information to the Spanish government for property owners renting on a holiday basis further to the Spanish Real Decreto 933/2021, of October 26 and in theory these changes are effective from June 2023.

This Royal Decree requires digital platforms and hosts to provide additional information about the reservations (hosts, guests personal details, property details, accommodations, etc.) to the Spanish national authorities (Ministry of the Interior).

This needs to be reported within 24 hours from the booking and the information must be reported on the following website: https://sede.mir.gob.es/opencms/export/sit es/default/es/procedimientos ­ y ­ servi cios/hospedajes­y­alquiler­de­vehiculos/

So far it is only possible to complete this with a Spanish digital certificate (DC) and you have to apply for it in person at an appropriate Government Office, although agents such as Spence Clarke may well be able to assist if you are out of Spain. When complying with this requirement you need to have previously alerted guests to the fact that you are transferring their information to the government in order to observe Data Protection requirements.

It appears that the Spanish government has indicated that it will provide the option of reporting the data without using this online procedure, although the details about this have not yet been released.

Incorrect reporting of guest information can attract a fine of between €100 and €600 whilst failing to appear on the registry is a serious offence and can be punished by a fine of up to €30,000.

Exchanged at birth

TWO men who were swapped at birth at two hospitals in Guadalajara and Barcelona are now demanding compensation for damage. According to a news source, on Tuesday, May 16, the two men were mistakenly exchanged at birth at the General Hospital of Guadalajara and the Val d’Hebrón Hospital in Barcelona during 1971 and 1972.

They are now claiming about €3 million for dam ­

Air Force jet crashes

A SPANISH Air Force F­18 fighter jet aircraft crashed at the Zaragoza airbase on Saturday, May 20. Thankfully, the pilot managed to eject before the plane hit the ground.

As reported by the Air Force, the jet was participating in an aerial exhibition when the incident occurred just after midday.

The plane came down on one of the runways at the airbase in the Aragonese capital.

The pilot was immediately rushed to the Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza. He was said to have suffered trauma and injuries to his legs, hips and arms on impact.

According to a news outlet, the pilot was a veteran captain with more than 1,000 flight

hours experience.

At the time of the crash, he was conducting aerial manoeuvres in preparation for an exhibition that will be staged during an

event at the facility in Garrapinillos on June 10. The F ­ 18 Hornet was completely destroyed after exploding on impact with the ground.

ages from the hospitals where they were swapped.

The announcement about the claims was made by their lawyer José Sáez Morga, who is also handling the case related to one of the girls exchanged in 2002 at the Logroño Hospital.

The case was started after the girl made the discovery about herself in 2021.

The lawyer said that “The claim of €3 million is the maximum established by the Law of Consumers and

Users for damages that are considered irreparable”.

The man from Guadalajara is claiming €2.9 million, while the man from Barcelona is demanding €3 million.

Sáez Morga also said “Last April the courts ordered the insurance company to pay compensation of €850,000 to the young woman who had been switched at birth.” However, so far she has only received €215,000 as compensation.

Brits wanted

IF you would like to get your 15 minutes of fame, have an eye for a bargain and are a British expatriate living in Spain then here is your chance to get on TV.

This opportunity to get your face and story on the small screen is here so if you fit the bill it’s time to apply. The TV company are looking for contestants based in Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

Sofie Hegre Olsen is looking for potential candidates for this Red Sauce TV production with this post on Facebook:

“Hi everyone! If you are interested in joining the next season of Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun please feel free to contact me on the email below or message on Facebook. sofie.hegreolsen@redsaucetv.com

Looking forward to hearing from you!”

F-18 HORNET: The aircraft was completely destroyed.

Credit: Bernardo Fernandez copado/Creative Commons

Bordering on change

GERMANY is grappling with a sizable increase in illegal border crossings, as pressure mounts for Chancellor Olaf Scholz to address the situation with stricter policies.

Authorities reported a significant rise in unauthorised entries since the beginning of the year on Wednesday, May 17, saying approximately 20,000 people entered the country illegally between January and March, a 50 per cent surge on the same period last year.

To combat the issue, Scholz recently unveiled plans to strengthen border controls on all nine borders of Germany. He also urged European Union partners to create asylum centres on the outskirts of the bloc.

However, these measures have faced criticism from a coalition of more than 50 humanitarian organisations. They argue that the proposed asylum processes at the EU border would undermine refugee protection laws and likened the planned centres to prisons. The news comes as leaked

reports from the country’s federal police’s migration analysis for April suggested that migrant arrivals to Germany are likely to rise considerably in the coming months.

The report mentions Turkey’s elections as a factor, with refugees from Syria being directed to Germany via Belarus, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

FOREIGN embassies in Beijing, including European embassies, have been instructed to remove what China’s foreign ministry calls “politicised propaganda” from their buildings according to reports released on Wednesday, May 17.

It is believed that this directive is aimed at the Ukrainian flags proudly displayed by several missions as a show of solidarity following Russia’s invasion. The notice, issued earlier this month, cautioned against placing provocative displays on the exterior walls of embassy buildings that could incite disputes between nations.

The UK, Canadian, US, and EU embassies, along with others, have been exhibiting the Ukrainian flag as a symbol of support. Embassies often display flags or banners to express solidarity with var­

Flag fiasco

ious countries or causes, such as the LGBTQ+ Pride flag.

However, at least one diplomat told Reuters that their mission has no intention of complying with the request.

China’s stance on the Russia­Ukraine conflict has drawn attention. While Western nations have condemned Russia’s actions, China, a staunch ally of Moscow, has remained notably silent.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has attempted to position himself as a mediator in the conflict while openly expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Race against nature

ITALY’S northern Emilia­Romagna region has been plunged into chaos as torrential rains triggered catastrophic flooding, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

The deluge has claimed the lives of nine individuals, with several others still missing. Desperate scenes unfolded as 10,000 residents were forced to evacuate, some desperately clinging to their rooftops until rescue helicopters swooped in on rescue missions.

The flooding caused fourteen rivers to burst their banks, submerging 23 towns in the region. Landslides have severed crucial roads, isolating communities and exacerbating the already dire situation.

The devastation came just days before the Emilia­Romagna F1 Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 20, which had to be cancelled.

With further rain on the horizon, Emilia­Romagna has

braced itself for the possibility of more devastation. Regional President Stefano Bonaccini has spoken out, urging residents to steer clear of rivers and seek shelter on higher ground.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also chaired a crisis meeting and expressed gratitude to the brave rescuers risking their lives to save others. Volunteers have flocked to the region to provide support to overwhelmed emergency services.

BORDER CROSSINGS: The German Chancellor’s immigration plans have caused backlash.

Photo credit: Olaf Scholz (via Facebook)

5th Spain has the fifth largest population in Europe.

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Shook up

SEISMOLOGISTS could not understand why they recorded minor tremors on the Danish island of Bornholm on May 13. They called the recordings “acoustic pressure waves” and after ruling out earthquakes and explosions as the source, now believe that “some unknown atmospheric event” is the only answer.

THE NETHERLANDS

Short read

CHILDREN'S reading skills have deteriorated faster in the Netherlands than other countries, education experts found. They concluded that lessons missed during the pandemic were unlikely to be the only cause and believe the short texts used in Dutch schools do not prepare pupils for longer passages in literacy texts.

BELGIUM

On mute

BELGIAN workers now have the legal right to switch off their work phones outside working hours without fear of complaints from their employer. The new regulations apply only to firms with 20 or more employees and excludes those working in emergency services or the aviation sector.

GERMANY

Print job

HEIDELBERG will boast Europe’s largest 3Dprinted building, which will be 54 metres long, 11 metres wide and nine metres high. The ground-breaking project, which commenced on March 31 this year and should be completed by late July, will eventually house an IT company’s cloud and data centre.

FRANCE

Green scheme

FRANCE is promoting green initiatives and tax credits to attract billions of euros in investment, boosting French industry and countering Biden’s $369 billion (€422.3 billion) Green Plan. Measures include linking subsidies for electric vehicles to environmental restrictions that favour European manufacturers.

NORWAY

Wedded bliss

MORE couples are marrying in Norway and staying together longer than in the past, with approximately 21,000 people formalising their partnerships in 2022, an increase of 4,700 compared to 2021, the Norwegian Statistics Agency said. Although 17,000 spouses separated, this was the lowest number since the 80s.

FINLAND

War-torn

FINLAND awaits news regarding the European Union’s position regarding Russians who fled the country to avoid conscription. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) said 1,109 Russian citizens so far have sought asylum in Finland to avoid being called up to fight in the Ukraine war.

IRELAND

Cool it

JIM CHAMBERS, 62, and Stephen Cole, 40, who operate rival ice cream vans, appeared at Falcarragh District Court (County Donegal), the pair accused of fighting over the same beachside pitch. Both faced breach of the peace charges but were let off after agreeing to put aside hostilities for the summer.

ITALY

Fewer babies

FOR the first time, the number of annual births fell below 400,000 in Italy, averaging 1.25 babies per woman, official figures for 2022 revealed. The replacement rate is now negative, with the number of deaths currently exceeding the number of births, with 12 people dying for every seven babies born.

PORTUGAL

Home again

DOZENS of European Jewish community leaders attended a conference on communal strategies in Porto, whose 1,000-strong Jewish community has tripled in recent years. This was partly thanks to a 2015 law giving Portuguese citizenship to descendants of Jews expelled during the Inquisition, which began in 1536.

UKRAINE

Grain deal

AGREEMENT has been reached on extending by two months the deal allowing grain exports from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. The agreement between Ukraine and Russia, signed last year and brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, would otherwise have expired on May 19.

SWEDEN

Smoke-free

SWEDEN could become one of the world's first ‘smoke-free’ countries, with less than 5 per cent of the adult population smoking. With smoking rates falling from 15 to 5.6 per cent over the past 15 years, it is on course to reach this milestone within months, 17 years ahead of the EU's 2040 target.

STAT OF WEEK €1.4 billion

will go to Spain’s rolling stock manufacturer for supplying a second delivery of 56 trains under the contract it signed with Germany’s rail operator Deutsche Bahn in 2019.

BUSINESS EXTRA Sorry about that

Tasty pasty

GREGGS announced that sales have increased by 17 per cent over the last year, saying its products remained “compelling” to customers in the cost ­ of ­ living crisis. The bakery chain, which first opened in Newcastle in 1951, opened 63 new shops this year and extended some opening hours.

Defence gambit

AEROSPACE, defence and security company, Escribano Mechanical & Engineering, acquired 3 per cent of Indra, Spain’s leading IT and defence systems multinational. The €65 million transaction makes Escribano’s Indra’s second industrial partner and strengthens its presence in the Defence sector.

Winter duels

STRIKES wiped out more than 2.8 million working days in the UK during the ‘winter of discontent’, with 566 lost in March alone, official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed. Industrial action between October 2022 and the end of March was the worst since 1989, the ONS said.

Main concern

DESPITE the cost of living crisis, 30 per cent of Spanish consumers are more concerned about sustainability than price, EY consultants found. The tendency to take environmental factors into consideration before looking at price tags was usually generational, and more common amongst the young, researchers said.

Helping hand

FAMILY members spent £38 billion (€43.76 billion) on assisting relatives over the last five years, according to a survey by insurance firm SunLife. The most common reason amongst the over ­ 50s was helping their children to buy a house, with 26 per cent contributing an average of £26,680 (€30,730).

Linda Hall

THE European Commission (EC) gave the go­ahead to Microsoft’s $69 billion (€63.21 billion) merger with Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.

Brussels made the proviso that Microsoft had to ensure that Activision’s game catalogue was freely available on other cloud gamestreaming providers over the next 10 years.

The decision was announced weeks after the merger was blocked by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), whose chief executive Sarah Cardell defended the watchdog’s earlier decision.

It was not her intention to

Game on, Brussels says

countable” regulator, maintaining the English Channel had never seemed wider for attracting businesses.

“There’s a clear message here, the EU is a more attractive place to start a business than the UK,” Smith declared.

HUW PILL, the Bank of England’s top economist, apologised for suggesting that people should accept they were poorer.

create a hostile environment for businesses in the UK, Cardell told MPs a day after the European Commission approved the merger.

The CMA wanted to “create and support” the best conditions for competition, enabling companies big and small to thrive, she insisted.

REPSOL and Italian energy company Eni could begin importing Venezuelan gas and gas condensates by June.

The news was announced by Pedro Tellechea, president of state­run Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), who confirmed that both companies wanted to increase the volume of their operations inside the Latin American country.

The agreement increases Europe’s supply options in the context of the energy crisis created by the Ukraine war, while bringing investment and royalties to Venezuela’s beleaguered economy.

The deal will allow Repsol and Eni to concentrate on their Perla gas field, a joint project located in the Cardon IV block in the Gulf of Venezuela. Regarded as having ‘enormous potential’, the offshore operation has increased activities reccently, up 30 per cent on 2019.

Apollo backs off

PRIVATE equity firm Apollo abandoned its £1.66 billion (€1.91 billion) takeover of the oil and gas services company, Wood Group.

The Aberdeen­based company said earlier that it would “engage” with Apollo’s final offer of 240p (€2.76) per share, after rejecting four earlier proposals which it said were too low.

Instead the New York firm announced on Monday May 15 that it would not make another offer for the business, two days before the deadline for making a firm bid or turning its back on the deal.

The European regulators said the commitments offered by Microsoft and Activision to maintain competition provided significant benefits for competition and consumers.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s vice­chairman Brad Smith referred to the UK’s “unac­

“Global innovators will take note that, despite all its rhetoric, the UK is clearly closed for business,” Smith had said following the CMA’s decision to block in April.

Microsoft and Activision are currently setting up legal team to challenge the UK ruling.

Gas from Venezuela

stepped up sanctions against Venezuela.

Washington hopes this will encourage Nicolas Maduro’s government ­ regarded as a dictatorship ­ to allow more political freedom inside the country.

“Economic projects like these benefit both Europe and Venezuela,” said EU’s High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

Censured by unions, businesses and the public, Pill’s critics included his own chief, the governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey, who said the economist’s choice of words “was not right.”

“If I had the chance again, I would use somewhat different words to describe the challenges we all face,” Pill said.

“Although we have some difficult messages to bring. I will try to bring them in a way that is perhaps less inflammatory than maybe I managed in the past.”

Google’s Spanish profits

GOOGLE SPAIN made a €44.7 million profit in 2021, a 79.5 per cent increase on 2020.

Income rose to €214 million, 44 per cent more than during the previous year, thanks to increased demand for the company’s services, according to Google Spain’s accounts filed with the Registro Mercantil.

The Venezuela exports also required US State Department authorisation as its oil­for­debt arrangement was halted two years ago when Washington

No quick solution

MARGHERITA DELLA VALLE, Vodafone’s new chief executive, confirmed on May 16 that the company would “strategically review” the future of Vodafone España.

The telecoms company faced stiff competition in a country that was “obviously very complicated,” Della Valle acknowledged on the same day that she announced worldwide staff reductions of 11,000, approximately 10 per cent of Vodafone’s workforce.

She was reluctant to specify whether this review envisaged a sale of Vodafone Spain, as analysts already suspect.

“We cannot jump to conclusions about the steps we will take,” she said, while admitting that there were no quick solutions for Vodafone’s Spanish business.

The company had a turnover of €3.9 billion in its fiscal year that ended on March 31, a 6.5 per cent reduction on the previous fiscal year’s €4.18 billion.

“Venezuela is at present burning gas it cannot use, although its gas is not subject to sanctions, only oil,” he told news source last month. “It is one of the countries that produces the most methane but this is benefiting nobody, while in the EU we need gas,” Borrell said.

Up for sale

THE Center Parcs chain of holiday villages has been put up for sale by its owners, the Canadian private equity firm Brookfield.

The company, which bought the business for approximately £2.4 billion (€2.77 billion) in 2015, expects to raise between £4 and £5 billion (€4.61 and €5.76 billion), the Financial Times said.

Center Parcs real estate was independently valued at £4.1 billion (€4.7 billion) in April and Brookfield has also spent £100 million (€115.19 million) on technology upgrades.

Revenues for the year ending April 21, 2022, reached £503.4 million (€571.9), with £245.6 million (€282.9) profits returning the company to the black following 20202021’s pandemic losses.

As is habitual with US technology multinationals who operate abroad, these figures do not reflect the company’s real business in this country.

Google Spain registers its sales in Ireland and only takes into account earnings from marketing and support services to Google Ireland and research and development services for Google LLC.

Bank offers

SPANISH banks continue to vie with each other to attract new customers.

Banco Santander, for instance, promotes online accounts by paying €50 for each recommendation resulting in a new customer whose salary is paid directly to the bank.

The new customer also receives €150 thanks to this offer which ends on June 12.

Another Santander offer, which continues until June 30, pays €150 to new customers who open an account and pay in a monthly salary of at least €600. This rises to €350 for salaries of more than €2,500.

SARAH CARDELL: Defended CMA’s opposal to MicrosoftActivision Blizzard merger.

VENEZUELA: Huge gas deposits will help to ease Europe’s energy crisis.

Photo credit: CC/British Government

Photo credit: Luis Noguera for PDVSA

DOW JONES

No break

SEAT plans to take on 900 temporary workers between June and September to ensure that production need not be affected during the holiday period. Above all, this should prevent the Martorell (Barcelona) factory from having to close in August and allow the plant to produce an additional 14,000 cars, principally the Cupra Fomentor model.

Going up

CURRYS increased its annual earnings outlook following better­than­anticipated sales across the UK after initially reducing its full­year prediction to £104 million (€120 million). The electrical goods retailer adjusted its forecast and now expects pre­tax profits of between £110 million (€126.8 million) and £120 million (€138 million) for the 12 months ending on April 29.

Royal Mail in red

ROYAL MAIL reported a £1 billion (€1.15 billion) loss for the year ending March 26.

Bosses blamed industrial action by employees and a failure to increase productivity during 12 months in which 10,000 jobs were cut.

International Distributions Services (IDS), Royal Mail’s owner, announced an overall loss of £748 million (€869 million) compared with a £577 million (€861 million) profit a

Home comforts

WORKING from the office should be employees’ default mode, according to the UK’s Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.

Speaking on Wednesday May 17 to business leaders attending the British Chamber of Commerce conference in London, Hunt said that he believed working from home could stifle creativity.

He added that he felt firms were gradually reversing the shift to teleworking that began during the Covid ­

19 pandemic.

Despite the Chancellor’s conviction that employees would return to offices “unless they had a good reason not to,” flexibility was a top reason why employees accepted new jobs, post ­ Covid research confirmed.

In deciding between jobs with similar pay or benefits, the opportunity to work flexibly could become a deciding factor, investigators found.

Wind power

7

year earlier.

IDS said Royal Mail was in the red mainly due to strikes by “unionised staff” over pay and working conditions. This unrest ultimately led to the departure of Royal Mail’s chief executive Simon Thompson who resigned on May 12 after only two years in the post, although he will remain until October as IDS seeks a fourth chief executive in as many years.

Royal Mail’s owners also attributed the postal service’s losses to its “inability to deliver the in ­ year benefits of planned productivity improvements.”

Although the company has finally thrashed out a deal which the union agreed to put to its membership in April, Royal Mail has been affected by the consequences of a drop in demand for Covid test deliveries. There was also a dip in delivering online shopping, which had flourished during the pandemic.

ARDIAN, a leading private investment company, agreed to sell for an undisclosed sum its ASR Wind portfolio of 12 windfarms as well as a hybrid solar energy plant, to Naturgy, the Spanish renewable energy group. The windfarms, which are located in several regions across Spain and have 422MW of installed capacity, were all built between 2005 and 2012.

Boo-hoo!

ONLINE fast fashion retailer Boohoo.com plunged almost £91 million (€105 million) into the red as annual sales dived and the retailer had to cope with higher levels of returned products.

The label aimed at the 16 ­ 30 age group announced that sales fell 11 per cent to £1.8 billion (€2.1 billion) in the year ending on February 28.

POSTAL SERVICE: £1 billion (€1.15 billion) loss for last fiscal year.

BUSINESS EXTRA

All change

BRITISH American Tobacco’s finance director Tadeu Marroco took over immediately after the announcement of his appointment as new chief executive. Marroco, who has worked for the tobacco giant since 1992, replaces boss Jack Bowles, who stepped down after four years as CEO and 20 with the company.

Cloud cover

CAIXABANK and Google

Cloud signed an agreement to speed up the Catalan bank’s digital transformation. Under the deal the bank will use the cloud to boost data analysis technologies in the coming years while creating new products and services by personalising its commercial offer.

Worse off

BRITONS’ overall wealth fell to a 10­year low as a third had to dip into their savings over the last year, taking out an average of £3,500 (€4,033). More than half told LifeSearch insurance firm’s Health, Wealth and Happiness 2023 Index that they were worse off financially than last year.

Cheap labour

WOMEN residents born outside Spain account for 6 per cent of the population but occupy 160,000 ­ 44 per cent ­ of the 368,000 new jobs that were created over the last year. They earn an average €11,800 pre­tax, lower than the minimum wage and less than half the national average.

Course work

OVERHAULING apprenticeships would help to kickstart the economy, Tesco chief Ken Murphy said. Despite a huge increase in the number of courses equivalent to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree between 2014 and 2022, courses equivalent to GCSEs had plummeted by 70 per cent, Murphy pointed out.

Negotiation needed

STELLANTIS, which manufactures Vauxhall and Fiat vehicles in the UK, called on the government to renegotiate Brexit rules.

“The UK must reconsider its trading arrangements with Europe,” Stellantis told a House of Commons enquiry.

Not doing so could mean closing some UK operations and endangering thousands of jobs, said the world’s fourth­biggest carmaker, which also produces Citroën and Peugeot vehicles.

Two years ago, Stellantis declared that the future of its plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton were assured, but it now warns that it can no longer meet Brexit trade deal requirements.

These stipulate that 45 per cent of

the value of a vehicle’s components should be sourced in the UK or the EU by 2024, but the manufacturer can no

Aussie takeover

longer comply with these conditions, owing to an increase in the cost of the raw materials used for electric car batteries.

This means the electric vans made at the Ellesmere Port plant will face 10 per cent tariffs when exported to mainland Europe in 2024 as they will have too few locally­sourced parts.

This would put the future of the plant in question, the company said.

Ellesmere Port, where electric vehicle production is due to start later this year, provides jobs for 1,000 workers, while another 1,200 make Vauxhall and Fiat vans in Luton.

Thousands more work in UK businesses dependent on the plants.

Rafa hits a winner

TENNIS legend Rafael Nadal is as successful off the court as on it.

The Mallorca ­ born sportsman’s investments in several companies made an €11.4 million profit ­ a 104 per cent increase ­ in 2021 via his Aspemir company, according to accounts submitted to Spain’s Registro Mercantil, equivalent to the UK’s Companies House.

Nadal owns, or has invested in, companies in the sports, real estate, hotels, renewable energy and brokerage sectors. He is involved in Netflix series like Soy Georgina and La Marquesa through Mabel Capital, in which he has a 33.3 per cent holding.

This company has also built luxury apartments in Madrid and owns restaurants in Madrid, Ibiza and Valencia as well as six other cities outside Spain, together with projects in the Costa del Sol, Portugal and California.

The holding company’s turnover improved by 15 per cent to €20.75 million, of which €12.6 million originated outside Spain.

The 2021 result also profited from currency fluctuations to the tune of €3.3 million.

THE GMB union wants the government to intervene if Australian banking group Macquarie gains control of a vital section of the UK’s gas grid.

The Macquarie Asset Management­British Columbia Investment Management Corporation consortium acquired 60 per cent of the equity in National Grid’s gas transmission and meter business in a £7.5 billion (€8.6 billion) deal last January. This covers 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometres) of gas pipes.

According to a UK news source, a clause in the deal allows the consortium first refusal to buy the remaining 40 per cent later this year.

Digi digs in

Aspemir’s principal holding is the Centre Esportiu Manacor, which runs the facilities and accommodation linked to the Rafa Nadal Academy. Centre Esportiu Manacor had a turnover of €19.7 million, a 40.9 per cent year­on­year increase, in 2021, and showed a profit of €2.3 million.

Taxed to death

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE, one of Britain’s richest men, warned that the UK government’s windfall tax could destroy the North Sea’s oil and gas industry.

“Taxes are so high that profits no longer fund future investments,” the Ineos chemicals group founder told a UK news

source.

The government resorted to ‘primitive politics’ when Rishi Sunak, who was Chancellor at the time, put an extra 25 per cent tax on industry profits following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This was later raised to 35 per cent by Jeremy Hunt, who took over as Chancellor.

Ratcliffe argued that the levy ­ in effect a 75 per cent tax on North Sea profits which helps to fund government support schemes for household fuel bills ­ jeopardised the energy industry. No thought was given to the long­term consequences of this “tax it to death” concept he said.

Knotty Banco Popular tangle

THE European Central Bank (ECB) had never expressed concerns about the situation of the defunct Banco Popular.

José María Sanz Olmeda, a PwC audit partner who examined the Banco Popular books between 2009 and 2015, told an investigating National High Court judge that he detected “no anomalies” during this period. Meanwhile, the ECB decided on June 6, 2017 that Banco Popular was “failing or likely to fail” and noti­

fied the Single Resolution Board. According to the financial daily, Cinco Dias, legal sources familiar with the proceedings maintained that this was one of the cases “most relevant testimonies.”

This, they say, could clarify contradictions in various reports from expert witnesses regarding whether or not the Banco Popular should have reflected losses before the 2016 capital increase of more than €2.5 billion.

SPAIN’S mobile phone operators announced their first quarter accounts in a period that was dominated by fierce competition from the low­cost segment.

Romania ­ based Digi again demonstrated its strength compared with the bigger companies’ modest growth while the sector is at fever pitch owing to the MasMovil­Orange merger and the Vodafone crisis.

Digi, meanwhile, increased its earnings by 29.4 per cent to €143.3 million, owing to its aggressively low tariffs. At the same time, the company’s commercial aggressiveness also reduced the average spend per client by 4.1 per cent to €9.3.

Kid glove treatment

NEW regulations coming into force on July 31 will ensure that people receive better treatment from companies providing them with financial products.

Banks, building societies, insurers, investment firms and other businesses have been warned to prepare for one of the UK’s biggest­ever consumer­finance upheavals. The Financial Conduct Authority’s new regime will see the introduction of the ‘consumer duty’, which sets higher and clearer standards of protection, while explicitly requiring companies to put customers’ needs first.

The FCA want the initiative to produce ‘good outcomes’ for consumers, with reduced call­waiting times and an end to rip­off fees.

FIAT VANS: Manufactured by Stellantis in Luton.

RAFAEL NADAL: Savvy businessman as well as a tennis champion.

Photo credit: Flickr/Tanya Cicconte

TRULY don’t quite know where to start this week. So much has occurred I would need a couple of pages to achieve some kind of completion.

It actually started out with a number of letters (some obviously not for publication) thanking me for using subject matter that would simply not be allowed in the woke infested PC society that has now impregnated the UK.

One missive from a friend informed me that were my views publicised in a UK national I could be expecting a ‘knock on the door’­ What! Some PC authority knocking on my door presumably to threaten me for doing nothing more than applying my totally lawful freedom of speech?

Don’t scoff; I’m utterly convinced that if Starmer’s lot finishes up in Downing Street there will undoubtedly be an Orwellian department created to impose this devious control. The diversity dealers are already ensconced among the media hierarchy and they are not even in power yet.

The casting and presentation of TV programmes has now gone completely off the non­equality scale. Mixed mar­

Where to start

riage contestants are now being featured in a totally disproportionate number of quiz shows.

These special quizzers must be extremely difficult to find as the majority only actually make up 0.2 per cent of the population. Presentations such as ‘Rip Off Britain and ‘Front Line Fightback’ which are aimed at the seedier side of the UK, predominately feature the white populace appearing as investigators, victims and of course perpetrators.

Programmes displaying run down living accommodation and poorly treated tenants mainly depict nonwhite or immigrant residents. ‘Homes under the Hammer’ now primarily promotes property investors of non UK descent. If a news subject is considered ‘racist and possibly undermines black residents, it is given minimum coverage or ignored altogether.

This was exampled this week by the disgraceful attack on a fairly elderly teacher by a young black student after the teacher had confiscated his phone. Not only was he unassisted by any member of the now utterly brainwashed teenage youngsters that were

MASK SHAMING OUR VIEW

present, but the attack was actually filmed by a number of his classmates. Naturally none of this was featured on the main news media, but a considerable number of disgruntled observations were prominent on social outlets.

Recently I was informed from a very highly placed source that large numbers of immigrant staff employed by hospitals are so low in understanding that they are actually affecting the running of many establishments. As bosses are unable to sack any at the risk of being accused of racism (or the knock on the door!) they are promoting them to different departments, (bit like the civil service!) which is resulting in whole organisations teetering on the brink of disaster.

If you honestly don’t consider the UK in the grip of a conspiracy to reshape the whole of British society, then I truly believe that these faceless people will one day take over the whole shebang. Assuming they haven’t already done so.

AS fewer people are required to wear masks in public places, so at least one Human Resources Department has come up with new advice for employers as how best to deal with those who still want to wear a mask for a variety of reasons.

Employees are to be advised that they should be tolerant of those continuing to wear masks, as to make fun of them or comment about their decision is an example of what is now termed mask shaming!

Indeed, they go as far as to insist that anyone who needs to speak to someone who is wearing a mask should put their own mask on as a mark of respect and understanding.

Whilst it is difficult to see what anyone could gain from teasing or criticising someone who wants to continue to wear a mask, it seems surprising that HR advisors should actually go into print to require this and at least one entity requires individual staff members to confirm in writing that they will comply with the instruction.

There is no doubt that HR guidance in many areas is very useful, especially as far as bullying in the workplace is concerned, but nowadays it almost seems that some of these apparent professionals are creating rules that really aren’t needed just to justify their position.

Interestingly, during times of global depression, HR advisors aren’t particularly needed as staff are generally anxious to keep their jobs or management who can’t see the point of employing them but in times of financial growth, with staff more mobile and difficult to retain, a good HR department is useful for both sides.

YOUR boat has been locked away in storage, and with the sunny weather fast approaching you are itching to get her wet for the first time this season! You get her de­ winterised, antifouled and everything gets checked over thoroughly before you experience the exhilarating feeling of taking her out to your favourite spots. Even though you have taken care of all the physical aspects to make sure your rides will be pleasurable and trouble free, it is easy to forget to take care of any unforeseen and above all unhappy events that might occur whilst taking your prized possession for a spin.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether you own a dinghy, jet ski or a luxury super yacht, taking care of the body work and mechanics is only one aspect that goes towards assuring your safety. Sailing is a sport of variables and the unforeseen can unfortunately happen; however, having the right cover in place with an

It’s plain sailing with Boat Insurance by Liberty Seguros

mandatory liability cover. With added benefits that include voluntary public liability, theft, damage to the vessel itself (as well as auxiliary craft, wreckage removal, special fixtures and personal belongings, amongst others), damage caused by third parties and damage due to pollution risks and coastal regattas, its marine insurance provides comprehensive protection both when moored and out on the seas.

What’s more, should the unimaginable actually happen, its marine policy will cover loss of life, permanent disability and injury to occupants for accidents that take place both on the boat as well as accidents that occur whilst boarding or disembarking.

This policy can also be tailored to individual needs to cover solicitor’s fees, medical bills, loss of wages and other aspects that are important to you.

insurance company that you can trust will go towards preparing you for any eventuality.

LIBERTY SEGUROS has designed a policy with the expat in mind that extends far beyond

LIBERTY SEGUROS can also insure your vessel under the traditional Institute Yacht Clauses (IYC).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROCKY!

my novels ­ and would I like him to record them as audiobooks?

THE Rocky Horror Show, the longest continuous run of a contemporary musical anywhere in the world ­ its influence seen ev erywhere from Halloween costumes to references in movies, TV shows and books ­ is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. Catch the sell­out special anniversary production at London’s Peacock Theatre!

Now, all my books are available in ebook/Apple Book/paperback and audiobook formats. But this wasn’t always so. Imagine my surprise when a well­known, celebrated British actor visiting Spain ­ Rayner Bourton, who in fact created the role of ‘Rocky’ in the original London production ­ contacted me. He enjoyed reading my EWN column ­ especially

With numerous TV/movie credits to his name, Rayner’s produced all my psychological suspense crime thrillers, each one expertly narrated with authentic accents. Listen yourself to free audio samples on Amazon/Audible of ‘Death in Windermere’ etc (my latest, ‘The Couple across the Street’, will soon be available too!).

Additionally, Rayner does considerable ‘voice over’ work, ‘voicing’ The Unseen Elder in ‘Witcher 3’, one of the world’s best­selling computer games. Catch that, plus Rayner’s own audiobook/memoir:’The Rocky Horror Show: As I Remember It’.

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

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

This is where LIBERTY SEGUROS ­ the preferred expat insurer in Spain ­ can help.

BOAT INSURANCE: SAILING IS A SPORT OF VARIABLES.

NORA’S LATEST THRILLER.

Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

Retrain a sweet tooth

SUBSTITUTING sugar with sweeteners does not assist weight loss, according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) findings.

Using them could actually cause health problems, the WHO warned.

Their advice suggested that people should not turn to sweeteners like aspartame ­ routinely used in fizzy diet drinks ­ if they wanted to lose weight or prevent diet ­ related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Other popular sweeteners that were cited included saccharin and stevia, generally regarded as a healthier option.

Too tired

A YOUGOV poll of 2,086 adults in the UK highlighted the obstacles that people face when aspiring to adopt, and stick to, healthy habits.

Many who wanted to exercise more, eat more wisely and lead a healthier lifestyle faced the problem of feeling too tired.

The YouGov survey found that tiredness stopped 35 per cent of people from making the changes to their diet and physical activity levels that would help them close the divide between good intentions and definite action.

Instead, they should consider eating foods with naturally occurring sugars, like fresh fruit, or switch to unsweetened foods and drinks.

The WHO based the new

guidelines on a systematic review of evidence which concluded that non­ sugar sweeteners did not confer any long ­ term benefits in reducing body fat in adults or children.

Heachache help

GINGER is surprisingly successful as a natural remedy for migraines.

A study involving 100 adults gave them either 250 milligrammes of ginger or a triptan ­ routinely used to treat migraine ­ at the first sign of one of the pounding headaches.

Sixty ­ four per cent of those who took ginger reported a 90 per cent or better reduction of their symptoms after 120 minutes, compared with 70 per cent taking triptan.

Ginger was more or less as effective as the triptan when

Avocado advocacy

AVOCADOS are important because they are rich in nutrients, including healthy fats and fibre that are absent from many people’s diets.

They contain anti­inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that can help to reduce the risk of heart disease risk. They bring with them an alphabet of vitamins: Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6, as well as Vitamin B9 (folate) Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.

Half an avocado also contains 10 per cent of the recommended daily amount of potassium, which can help to protect against hypertension and stroke.

AVOCADOS: Rich in vital vitamins

Despite disagreement as to whether they are a fruit or a vegetable, avocados (Persea americana) are actually berries and belong to the Lauraceae plant family, which includes the cinnamon tree.

treating migraine but clearly outperformed the conventional medication as it produced none of its common side effects of dizziness, fatigue or a dry mouth.

39% of adults in the world are overweight.

Wonderful water

HEALTH gurus have always recommend drinking eight glasses of water each day to ensure that the body is hydrated.

But dozens of studies also point to the importance of drinking water when trying to shift extra kilos.

The more hydrated you are, the easier your body will find it to complete activities that range from thinking to burning fat, scientists have found. Drinking water can boost the rate at which your body burns calories, it increases motivation and glassful before a meal will help to suppress the appetite, they said.

WHO ADVICE: Eat foods with naturally occurring sugars.

Slow down

EXPERTS in the Netherlands and Japan have linked fast eating with weight gain.

Researchers at Wageningen University in Holland concluded that volunteers ate more pasta far quicker when it was soft and not al dente.

Receptors in the stomach which respond to being stretched by food, and hormones which tell the brain that partially­digested food has reached the small intestine, take between 15 to 20 minutes to activate.

Fast eating delays this process, as another study of more than 3,000 men and women in Japan confirmed. Those who ate quickly, continued until they felt full, were three times more likely to be overweight than those who ate slowly, investigators said.

Menopause game changer

Linda Hall

A NEW non­hormonal drug will revolutionise menopause treatments.

The drug, fezolinetant, which acts directly on the brain to prevent hot flushes, was licensed in the US earlier this month and could be prescribed in the UK by the end of this year.

Made by Astellas Pharma, the medication could transform the misery that hot flushes cause for hundreds of thousands of women who are unable ­ or do not want ­ to use hormone replacement drugs (HRT).

“This is a completely blockbuster drug,” declared Prof Waljit Dhillo, an en ­

docrinologist at Imperial College London who headed 2017 trials which opened the door for developing the drug.

SEVERAL UK cancer charities want to see VAT removed from sunscreen.

This is classed as a cosmetic product, incurring a 20 per cent tax which adds an average £1.50 (€1.72) to the cost.

High­factor sunscreen should be free of VAT, the charities said. The cost of living crisis meant there are items which people now think twice about buying, and a survey by Melanoma Fo­

Sleep easy

A GOOD night’s sleep could help the elderly ward off memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s.

The results of US research published in the Biomed Central Medicine journal, showed that people with signs of dementia detected via brain scans rather than by their symptoms, could be protected with good­quality, deep sleep.

The news coincided with UK research which examined how boosting sleep quality could assist in improving the symptoms of people diagnosed with the disease.

All involved emphasised that sleep quality could be altered in contrast to the other factors that contributed to dementia, including age.

“It’s like a switch, the flushes go away in a day or two,” he told the UK media. “It’s unbelievable how well these drugs work.”

Sunscreen plea

cus found that 50 per cent believed sunscreen was too expensive.

Most skin cancers are caused by skin damage, the charity said, but few people realised that getting sunburnt just once every two years could triple the risk of skin cancer.

Best not

ALWAYS resist the temptation to spray perfume on your hair, beauty experts say.

If you do this each day, the high alcohol content will dry your hair, which is the last thing you want if you tend to have split ends.

Anybody with a sensi­

tive scalp should also avoid spritzing with perfume, which can irritate and dry out the delicate skin on your scalp, producing itching and flaking.

Use a specific hair mist instead, which will contain less alcohol and is better for hair health.

HOT FLUSHES: Revolutionary non-hormonal treatment.

Dear Leapy LETTERS

Everything you said is absolutely true. Yes, you are totally free to say what you believe to be the case, but at what cost? If you said this in Britain your ability to continue earning a living would be made almost impossible. The direction Britain is heading is very frightening.

Keep up the fight.

Justice

Phillip Walker

Having happily lived in Spain since 2003 my wife suddenly and unexpectedly passed away a little over a year ago.

I need to return to the UK to be close to family but have to realise the equity from the house sale.

This is proving to be a huge problem despite numerous viewings.

The problem is three noisy dogs next door, when would­be buyers hear the dogs they immediately write the property off.

I have spoken to the neighbours on several occasions but they choose not to take action.

Can you please help me with this health threatening predicament.

Paul Greswolde

Good morning Lee

I know you often get flack for your printed views. I would like you to know that I look forward to Thursdays to hear your latest rant. I moved to Mallorca in 1997 and I did meet you a couple of times and have seen you perform several more.

I think it’s a pity you never moved in to politics. You have some great ideas.

Greetings from the Spanish Aragonés Mountains.

Bruce

Mrs Feelgood

Something seriously amiss within the BBC. All part of the conspiracy I sometimes mention. Onward all.

With thanks

Thank you very much indeed, again, for including our article, about Celebrating the Coronation, in last week’s EWN!

It was good of you to have included our article and is much appreciated.

Thank you for your continuing support, also much appreciated.

From a very soggy Moraira.

Warmest regards.

James Bond

who only payed him once. After Roger Moore I gave up, they just didn’t have the authenticity.

Naimah Yianni

Intruder arrested

How can you get arrested when you are on public property, not on private property? you can go and stand in any street anywhere surely? As long as you are not committing a crime then how can you be arrested? No sympathy for these idiots as it goes.

Life of Brian

Symbolic of his struggle against reality. Absolutely says it all. What is going on in our country. Now we have a theatre that wants to put on a play for a black audience, no whites allowed. God help us all and I am not religious.

John Little

Good evening,

It is wonderful to have our own regional newspaper ­ thank you. But, it would be nice to have the two motoring pages which you print in the Costa Blanca South edition.

Best regards Annie Busch

Dog attacks

Far too much of this is going on throughout the UK and Europe. Maltreated, fighting dogs that turn on their owners. I have no sympathy for the victim, only regret that the animal had to be destroyed. From my point of view, a huge crackdown on the breeders/owners of fighting dogs is long overdue.

Bob Saunders

Brexit fail

It must be something in the water, or the food, or the air. Or all three, to produce such brain­dead people. Sadly, though, Brexit was never about making the public more prosperous, only to bring more prosperity to a chosen few. And that doesn’t even appear to have been successful ­ yet.

Stephen Ashley

War on Wagner

Max, Aircrew Association

That makes it sound like Sean Connery only played Bond once, but it was George Lazenby

I as well as my guys were actually digesting the good ideas from your website then at once I had a terrible feeling I never expressed respect to you for those secrets. The men ended up for that reason warmed to read them and have really been enjoying them. Appreciation for actually being quite kind as well as for making a decision on certain amazing subject matter most people are really wanting to be informed on. My sincere regret for not expressing gratitude to you earlier.

Cornwell

NO MORE JOKES ABOUT TEXANS?

I HAVE just heard of yet another tragic mass shooting in Texas; this time eight people gunned to their deaths in a shopping centre in Dallas. This is the city where President Kennedy was assassinated 60 years ago. And yet, the gun lobby enjoys majority support, nowhere more than in this gun­toting state. Explaining to Texans that universal gun ownership equals innocent deaths is like trying to teach a giraffe to play basketball.

An American acquaintance told me that there are proposals in some states to monitor and discourage jokes about Texans. If this is true then political correctness is alive and flourishing.

Jokes have abounded about other groups of people ­ often those of neighbouring nationalities. They have been directed against Dutch, Norwegians and Scots (for perceived meanness) and Americans, Irish, Poles and East Silesians (for alleged stupidity). And, of course, the Texans.

The foreman on a building site in Texas shouted “Hey Chip! Bring me a wheelbarrow.” Five minutes later Chip returned, wheeling a large wheelbarrow with a smaller one inside it. “Chip! I asked for one wheelbarrow, not two.” “Well, did you expect I was gonna carry the darn thing?” OK; this may or may not have happened.

However, I have personally met a Texan who believed that Jesus Christ was an American, and I know he wasn’t joking. Surveys

Advertising Feature Voss Homes

have shown that a disturbing number of Americans think that both Jesus Christ and Christopher Columbus were Americans. And then we had the reaction to Corona virus. In Texas there was a dramatic drop in the sale of Corona Mexican beer for fear that it would pass on the virus.

But we have learned so much from our American friends, as we adopt their culture ­ not just by murdering people in schools. We eat hamburgers, drink beer from

bottles, watch American football, become obese, hold hot gospel church services and address our friends as “you guys”.

We choose an American slavery song for England’s rugby world cup theme (‘Swing low, sweet chariot’). In 1996 Leeds rugby team was renamed Leeds Rhinos in deference to American football teams such as Chicago Bulls. And the once­stoic British now weep during television interviews.

There is a difference between

Property of the week

Villa La Perulera near Huercal-Overa

AN immaculately presented, spacious, light and airy three bed, two bath Villa with H&C air con, 8m x 4m swimming pool, glazed conservatory plus Florida style meshed enclosure, roof terrace and lovely country views on a private 500m2 low maintenance, walled and gated garden. Located in the pretty hamlet of La Perulera between HuercalOvera (10 mins drive) and Taberno towns (eight mins drive). Forty to 45 mins drive to the coast at San Juan del Los Terreros or Mojacar, Vera and Garrucha.

To the front of the villa is a gated, gravelled driveway for one car plus there is plenty of safe on road parking right outside the villa.

From the driveway to the left is the large meshed Florida style enclosure with built in bbq kitchen with sink and views over the pool and countryside. This area makes a fantastic ‘inside/outside’ dining and

relaxing area.

Next is the swimming pool area with plenty of room for sunbathing and entertaining. The garden then follows round the villa to a gated area behind the villa with built in dog kennel, log store and rear door

into the utility room and kitchen. There are also stairs up to the sun terrace with all round views and storage cupboards. The garden is designed for low maintenance with a variety of attractive Mediterranean plants.

Overlooking the pool and with country views is the glazed conservatory with sliding doors and mosquito blinds making another ideal place to relax and dine. From here the front door leads into the welcoming reception hallway.

the evolution and the mutilation of a language. The British have amusing expressions such as “Everton are pants” and “Johnson is toast”. The misuse of a word or the invention of a new one is another matter. A loo or lavatory is not a ‘bathroom’ or ‘restroom’. ‘He sucks’ should not mean he’s unpleasant. ‘Woke’ should not mean socially aware. ‘And stuff’ should not mean etcetera. ‘Cool’ should not mean impressive.

Nevertheless, most of the ‘progress’ in recent years has been in technology. Through computers, smart phones, numerous information and communication platforms and space research, we can achieve so much without the intervention of humans. Here, Americans have been at the forefront.

For more from our columnists please scan this

€199,950 euros

Straight on is the large, quality fitted kitchen with lots of worktop and cupboard space plus an archway looking through to the living / dining room. Also in the kitchen is a door leading to the useful utility room and out to the rear garden.

From the hall turning to the left is the spacious living / dining room with log burning fire, H&C air con, ceiling fans and glazed double doors leading out to the conservatory.

Also from the hall and to the right is a passage way leading to the bed­

rooms and bathrooms. First is the modern family bathroom. Next are the two double guest bedrooms and finally the main bedroom with modern ensuite shower room and door leading out to the Florida style enclosure. All three bedrooms have built in wardrobes, ceiling fans and H&C air con.

Voss Homes is a British family­run business with offices in the nearby, thriving market town of HuercalOvera and the village of La Alfoquia village (Zurgena).

For more information or to arrange a viewing of VH2131 please contact Voss Homes on 0034 950 616 827 or email us atenquiries@vosshomesspain.com

VILLA PERULERA: Light and airy, spacious three bed, two bath villa with swimming pool and attractive garden.

Ref. VH2131

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

Texans are not afraid of guns but are terrified of catching a virus from Mexican beer.

Exclusive Detached Villa

DETACHED villa with lovely views, located on a private plot, in a sought­ after area just a 15 minute walk from the beachfront. A few minute’s walk along the road to the bar, Annies Bistro offers light refreshments and a great array of drinks.

Once you enter the gates of the plot, you will fall in love and want to stay. Set behind private

gates, this well ­ presented two bedroom, two bathroom villa is up­to­date for economic living, with solar panels for water and electricity, a carport, and a private pool. The perfect home for a full­time living, holiday, or rental investment. With secure private parking and an easy­tomaintain, mature garden.

The swimming pool next to the

terrace with a beautiful space to enjoy relaxing and dining. The villa is spacious and full of light, with large windows and a modern feel to this lovely home.

A spacious, fully equipped kitchen with all appliances. A large, bright dining room/lounge leads out to the pool area, terraces and garden. A spacious family bathroom, and a large

WHEN YOU GO

bedroom to the rear of the house. Lots of space to the back of the house with a lovely pergola and outlook to the mountains, very private and peaceful.

Back inside, a staircase leads up to the first floor with a master bedroom and bathroom, a door leads off the stairs out to a wonderful terrace with views of the sea and the area, nice and pri ­

vate, another fabulous place to enjoy bathing, dining, or just daydreaming. The property is being sold unfurnished, allowing the new owners to make this a fabulous home. We have a service offering furniture, individual items, or a package to make life simple. You don’t want to miss this property. Contact us now to organise a viewing 950 466 112.

DETACHED VILLA: This property is sold unfurnished, allowing the new owners to make this a fabulous home for full-time living, holiday or rental investment.

A DOG-SITTER is a companion as well as a pet minder to your pets. The most important thing to note is that they care for your pets in their own home. Tilly is a smart black Labrador who needs entertainment and challenge, not just physical exercise. Her dog­sitter knows she loves playing and they tease each other constantly. With the live­in dog­sitter her routine stays the same, and she is stimulated and entertained.

Find a dog­sitter to care for your pets at home and help to minimise any separation anxiety by keeping them where they feel at home.

If you’re planning a trip register now to find petsitters 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 house­sitting 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 HouseSit Match.com

2. Choose a Standard account (£69 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed

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

PETS Model pups

Dog-sitter entertains Tilly

Pet allergies

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

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. Housesitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.9 / 5 Excellent 10 out of 10 for housesitmatch.com

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

How do you join?

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

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

PETS can suffer from allergies just like you and me, especially dogs and cats. They tend to be determined by their genes and their breed but in the last 20 years, we have seen an increase in pet allergies. This increase is due to an increasingly artificial diet, and a polluted environment. The most common types of allergies in dogs and cats are atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and flea bite dermatitis.

If your dog is scratching more than usual and you notice redness in the folds of their skin, especially around their armpits and neck areas, their paws, and ears it is possible they have an allergy. They may also have conjunctivitis.

Cats tend to have more specific allergic reactions, it is also called Feline Cuta­

COMPLICATIONS: Cats can suffer from asthma.

neous Atopic Syndrome. They can have respiratory complications like asthma, which is rare in dogs, and digestive or food atopic syndrome which basically means they have an intolerance to certain foods.

Some breeds of dogs are more likely to suffer from allergies like the French bulldog, the West Highland

white terrier, the German shepherd, and the golden retriever.

If you suspect your pet has an allergy their vet can help you determine if they do and then take steps to find the cause. They will then look for a treatment that can ease the symptoms like a hypoallergenic diet.

AUSTRALIAN fashion week is making the headlines this week as a new designer collaboration is turning heads.

But it is not the usual designers like Dior or Chanel that everyone is talking about, this time it is Petstock.

That’s right Petstock introduced their new designer collection with Australian designers THE UPSIDE, Romance Was Born, and Double Rainbou. To show off their collection the most adorable dogs strutted their stuff on the runway with models wear­

ing matching outfits.

The collection features doggy jackets, jumpers, bow ties, leashes, collars, and bandannas. You can even purchase matching outfits to step out in style for your next dog walk.

There are three distinctive collections, a sporty athleisure style, a fancy glamourous style, and a beach babe coastal style.

Twenty per cent of the Designer Collection will help pets and people in need with the proceeds of this limited edition collection being donated to the Petspiration Foundation.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

A dog-sitter cares for your pets at home.

AIR CONDITIONING

CARS FOR SALE

TURRE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

We meet every Sunday at 10.30. For worship. We believe you’ll find us ‘relaxed’, welcoming’ and ‘informal’. Find us on Turre’s main street, towards the motorway at the far end on the left. To know more contact 617 914 156 (10021)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION -

BUILDERS

ALMERIA BUILDERS : Fully Legal, Fully Insured, All Work Guaranteed. 659 685 133 www.almeriabuilders.com (253556)

ESTATE AGENT

PETS

SOLAR ENERGY

SOLAR WIND POWER SOLUTIONS. Over 20 years installation experience. Established 17 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email info@sunergyalmeria.com (303112)

BUY & SELL CARAVANS

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

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

CHURCHES

LOCAL ANGLICAN (C of E) church services at Mojacar Los Llanos Del Peral and Alhambra. Communion every Sunday in Mojacar at 11am. Communion at Los Llanos every Sunday except the last Sunday in the month when there will be Prayer and Praise all at 11am. The services that were being held in the South American church Albox have now returned to the chapel and Communion is held on the second Thursday of the month at 11am. Priest in charge Rev Canon Alan Bennet telephone number 680 243 436. For further information, please go to The Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Calida web page. Or contact Tony Noble 950 069 103. (10002)

BEDS

INSURANCE

Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and 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 tbuddyhhvis its@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, www.britishle gion.org.uk/counties/spain -north ZURGENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at La Parrilla Hotel Albox, for further details please email zurgenarblchair man@gmail.com - (253989)

DRAINAGE

VOSS HOMES are a professional, British family-run Estate Agents with an office in Huercal-Overa town. They specialise in selling and renting properties in the HuercalOvera, La Alfoquia, Zurgena & Taberno area. Andy, Anna, Jess, Adele, Hannah, Amy & Karen look forward to helping you buy, sell or rent your ideal property. Please call 678 002 006 for more information

FOR SALE

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

INSURANCE

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

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

LANGUAGE CLASSES

THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs €7.75, medium dogs €8.50, big dogs €9.25, cats from €7.00 a day. 630 234 556 / the5bonehotel turre@gmail.com fiveboneho tel.com (301372)

PLUMBERS

KNOWLES PLUMBING No 1 for all plumbing jobs big or small. Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 606 807 797 or 684 143 560 (302581)

POOLS

ELECTRICAL

950 137 208 / 638 010 691 (303141)

PROP FOR RENT WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693

MOTORING

FOR SALE

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)

OTHERS

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

PROPERTY FOR SALE

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

ABBOTT ELECTRICS . From a Light Fitting to a Full Rewire. Tel:

SEAT Tarraco FR Sport - a touch of style

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack

MOTORISTS of a certain age might recall the days when we had the Morris Oxford and Austin Cambridge. SEAT has taken to the same idea with their Tarraco, the largest of their SUVs. Named after the Spanish city of Tarragona, apparently Tarraco is what it was called when Rome ruled this part of Spain.

The range comprises of six trim levels with both petrol and diesel power along with manual and DSG automatic gearboxes.

The 1.5­litre TSi petrol engine comes with 150PS while the 2.0 ­ litre diesel also develops 150PS and both engines are available with either six­speed manual or seven ­ speed DSG automatic gearboxes.

Standard equipment across the range includes

seven seats, LED lights, powered, folding, heated mirrors, auto wipers, keyless start, trio­zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, auto dimming rear view mirrors, rear parking sensors and Apple Car Play and Android Auto plus Bluetooth.

With the Tarraco there’s a rather different ­ and welcome ­ approach to the usual somewhat brutish, huge ­ grilled look of many SUVs. The sharp styling looks classy and understated, and as ever with VAG products there’s

a feeling of quality throughout, both interior and exterior.

The Tarraco looks smaller and less intimidating

Facts at a Glance

• Model: SEAT Tarraco FR Sport

• Engine: 2.0 Turbocharged diesel developing 150PS

• Gears: 7-Speed DSG Automatic

thanks to that subtle styling but the result is a capacious family hold ­ all that mixes a touch of style to the job of getting on with

things in a world where reaching the school gates in time is more important than playing grand prix wannabe. There’s plenty of space inside the Tarraco

150PS, and riding on 20” ‘Cosmo’ Grey machined alloy wheels. The FR Sport adds rear privacy glass, front fog lights with cornering function, navigation, keyless entry and start, park assist and heated front and rear seats.

With its sporting credentials the performance is pretty decent with 62 mph reached in just under 10 seconds. Considering its size the FR Sport handles remarkably well too, with little body roll thanks to firmer suspension. It’s not at the expense of ride comfort though.

• Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 9.9 seconds/Maximum Speed 196 kph (122 mph)

• Economy: 5.6l/100km (50.4 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP)

• Emissions: 147 g/km (WLTP)

MAY marks the fifth consecutive month ­ onmonth growth as used EV values stabilise. The average used UK EV retail values are down over £4,000 since January and £9,000 since July, but prices are up 0.2 per cent month ­ onmonth as the supply and demand balance

seats are fine for an adult on short journeys.

The range starts at €38,466/£33,415 and my FR Sport was €48,567/ £42,190 with DSG automatic gearbox, 2.0 ­ litre diesel power, developing

Unfortunately, as with most VAG products there is an increasing amount of digitalisation instead of more practical and easier to use switches. That said time would soon bring familiarity and there is much to like in the Tarraco. It’s classy, spacious and generously equipped and makes a fine family holdall.

EV values

improve.

According to the latest data from Auto Trader, the health of the used car market is continuing to build momentum, with growth

recorded in consumer demand, sales and retail prices.

In fact, Auto Trader’s Retail Price Index, which is based on circa 900,000 daily pricing observations across the full retail market, shows the current average price of a used car is £17,946, which equates to a 3.6 per cent yearon ­ year increase on a like ­ for ­ like basis.

Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s Data and Insights Director, confirmed: “This data not only shows the current strength of the used car market, but also how important it is to keep a close eye on live retail prices to drive the most profit out of every sale.

“With trade values not in line with retail, this further strengthening in retail prices is providing robust margin potential.”

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

Porsche & golf

Deceptive advert

TOYOTA has been ordered to withdraw the ‘deceptive’ Corolla Cross Hybrid advert. A complaint that was filed by a consumer to the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has resulted in Toyota having to withdraw the ad.

Toyota was accused of misleading customers by creating the impression that the car is readily available when in fact there is a waiting list of up to 24 months. The phrase that consumers complained about was ‘The Corolla Cross GRSport Hybrid is here!’

Toyota initially denied the claim, then later acknowledged the issue saying the waiting pe­

riod is due to a global hybrid battery shortage that is expected to normalise by 2024. The ARB investigated the claims and came to the conclusion that the advert is in fact misleading. It noted that ‘the absence of disclaimers or limitations contributed to the expectation that the vehicle was generally available to purchase.’

The ARB acknowledged the challenges but advised that companies still have a responsibility to be clear when advertising. Consequently, the ARB ordered Toyota to withdraw or appropriately amend their advert to inform customers about the possibility of a long waiting period.

Anna Ellis

THE 40th staging of the long­standing Porsche European Open tournament will present top international golf and a spectacular fan experience from June 1 to June 4.

To mark the brand’s 75th anniversary, a special Porsche World will be awaiting visitors as Porsche is the title sponsor for the

eighth time this year.

In addition to the famous trophy that has been presented since 1978, a dream car will be on offer on the 17th hole for a dream shot over the water hazard.

Anyone aceing the Par 3 can look forward to a Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo in Mamba Green Metallic. Chances of

achieving the feat this time around are perhaps greater than ever before as the spectacular almost 140 ­ metre 17th will be playing a little shorter this year.

The last ace on the penultimate hole was struck in 2017 by Marcel Siem. It earned the German a Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo.

EUROPEAN OPEN: A special Porsche World will await visitors.

Image: Porsche

Consumer complaints led to investigation.

Photo credit:

Toyota website

Manchester City crush Real Madrid Vinicius Jr racial abuse: Real Madrid call out hate crime

ON Friday, May 17, Manchester City not only went through to the Champions League Final, but they did it in style, beating a dejected Real Madrid 4 ­ 0 at the Emirates Stadium.

It’s a 5 ­ 1 aggregate win for Pep Guradiola’s side, with two goals from Bernardo Silva, one from Julian Alvarez and an own goal from Madrid’s Militao to cement Manchester City’s progression to the Champions League final.

This keeps them on track for a triple trophy haul this season as they lead the Premier League and they play the FA Cup final on June 3 against Manchester United.

But the Champions League is the one that evades them and they will be very hungry to take that trophy under Guardiola. They are now set to take on Inter Milan on June 10, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey.

Mirror Football said on Twitter: “Man City have knocked Real Madrid out of Champions League for a place in the final.”

With a few domestic duties to see to on the way, we look forward to seeing you all for what could be Pep and Manchester City’s crowning glory in Istanbul.

REAL MADRID have filed a legal ‘hate crime’ complaint following abuse to star winger Vinicius Jr as they lost to Valencia on Sunday, May 21.

Racist abuse was hurled at the Brazilian which he highlighted to the referee. As he became more and more infuriated with the abuse he had an altercation with Hugo Duro and was shown a red card.

Luis Miguel Echaegary posted this post­match interview with Carlo Ancelotti on Twitter. The Real Madrid Manager only wanted to talk about the racist incident. Echaegary said:

“Interviewer wants to ask about the game itself. Ancelotti: “You want to talk about the game?” Interviewer: “Well yesI want to ­.” Ancelotti proceeds to use his time to talk about the disgusting racist abuse towards Vinicius Jr.

Ancelotti was quoted as saying in the a local news source:

“La Liga has a problem. For me, Vinicius is the most important player in the world. These episodes of racism have to stop the match.”

“It’s the entire stadium that is insulting a player with racist chants and the match has to stop. I would say the same if we were winning 3­0. There is

no other way.”

Real Madrid released a statement in which they said: “These events constitute a direct attack on the model of coexistence of our social and democratic State under the rule of law.

“Real Madrid considers that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, and has therefore filed the corresponding complaint with the State Attorney General’s Office, specifically with the Prosecutor’s Office against hate crimes and discrimination, so that the facts can be investigated and responsibilities can be established.”

It remains to be seen if the formal complaint will lead to any prosecutions, but it is the continuation of a problem that many footballing nations have suffered over the years. It is a problem that appears to keep rearing its ugly head.

VINICIUS JR: Ended up being shown a red card.