Costa Blanca North 8 – 14 June 2023 Issue 1979

THE RAIN IN SPAIN

THE heavy rains registered throughout Alicante Province in May have enabled the deactivation of the water restrictions planned for the summer in some areas.

What was officially the wettest May since 1984 has saved three essential crop irrigations before the summer and subsoil moisture is currently at 40 centimetres, which is great news just before the summer with regards to the threat of forest fires, while reservoirs including Guadalest are nearly full again after five months of drought.

Average rainfall in the north of

the province, including the Marina Alta and Baixa districts, was above 150 litres per square metre last month.

Agricultural and urban supplies are guaranteed throughout Alicante at least until the end of the ‘water year’ in October, say

experts, when in theory the next rainy season will begin.

In all, the rains have been a blessing for Alicante and, al ­

though it arrived late for cereals and wiped out 90 per cent of the cherry crop in certain areas, it did not cause great damage to infrastructures and has been providential for the rest of the crops and for the forest mass. However, experts are still warning that the good situation at the moment does not mean that the province is in the allclear regarding the drought and are calling on “a prudent and responsible use of water in the agricultural, urban, industrial and leisure sectors,” according to Jorge Olcina, director of the Climatology Laboratory at the University of Alicante.

Image by GVA112 Twitter PRUDENT WATCH: Keeping alert to the possibility of flooding.

Calpe Baywatch

CALPE lifeguard service began summer season last week.

Lifeguards are now on duty at the town’s beaches every day from 11am to 7pm this month and September, while in July and August the service is extended two hours, from 10am until 8pm.

It covers Calalga, Fossa, Raco, Cantal Roig, Morello, Arenal­Bol and Puerto Blanco beaches, with the fixed ambulance station located in Cantal

Roig ­halfway between the town’s two largest beaches.

All aid stations are equipped with a defibrillator and oxygenation equipment.

The lifeguards have at their disposal a fully­equipped rescue boat, a jet ski with a floating stretcher, a VIR (rapid intervention vehicle) equipped with a defibrillator and oxygen equipment, two kayaks located in Raco and Cantal and two rescue boards.

International festival

The town’s two main beaches, La Fossa (Llevant street) and Arenal­Bol (Holanda street), have differentiated bathing areas specially equipped to meet the needs of people with mobility problems, the elderly and the visually impaired.

The accessible points are in service Monday to Sunday 11am to 7pm and there are reserved car parks nearby for people with reduced mobility.

Alfaz improvements

ALFAZ DEL PI mayor Vicente Arques last week presented a project to improve the road connection with Altea and Benidorm.

The project focuses on a 900­metre stretch of the Camí Vell d’Altea on the CV­753 that supports a very important traffic flow, as it links directly with Benidorm and is also the main entrance route to l’Albir through the new alternative access from the N­332. Work will include creating new cycle lanes and building pavements on both sides of the road for pedestrians to access the tourism facilities in Albir, such as the campsite.

“The aim is to improve regional connectivity between Alfaz, Benidorm and Altea and link up the cycle lanes of the three towns, improving safety and promoting a healthier lifestyle,” declared Sr Arques.

The project has been budgeted at €853,160 and will be paid with funds from the EU’s Next Generation scheme under the Tourism Sustainability Plan. It is part of a wider scheme by the council to promote sustainable urban mobility that will also include the modernisation and reconversion of the Paseo de las Estrellas to remedy accessibility issues and reduce traffic.

THE cultural association Festival Internacional de Javea has officially announced the return of the event after a three ­ year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.

The peculiarities of the festival, which is prepared over several months and revolves around gastronomy, led the organisers to rule out scheduling it last year.

The president of the association, Raúl de Lope, explained that the 28th edition of the festival will take place from June 29 to July 1 in its usual location on the Avenida Augusta with free entry and doors opening at 6pm each day.

Up to 19 countries will be taking part including the UK, Holland, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, Chile, Algeria and Brazil, and the Balcón al Mar fire brigade and organisations such as the Red Cross will also be setting up their stalls.

In the central area there will be a stage where different musical, dance and folklore performances will help liven up the atmosphere.

Javea mayor José Chulvi has invited all residents and visitors to take part in an event that is “a reflection of Javea as an example of coexistence between cultures with a census with more than 80 different nationalities.”

FESTIVAL RETURNS: Up to 19 countries will be taking part this year.

Image by Javea Town Hall

Foreign effort

ALFAZ DEL PI mayor Vicente

Arques has reinforced the International and Integration departments of the local council with the incorporation of Belgian residents

Martina Mertens, current councillor of Residents of Other Nationalities, and Patrick de Meirsman in an effort to continue working towards the integration of the large foreign population.

Pest control

TEULADA Council has announced pest control operations for this month. The sewage network will be treated for cockroaches and rats in three sectors ­ Cap Blanc, Cometa, Fanadix and Moravit; Teulada town centre and industrial estate; Moraira town centre. Mosquito treatment takes place on June 13 and 19.

No smoking

MAY 31 was World No Tobacco Day and the Denia Addictive Behaviour Prevention Unit set up stands at colleges to warn students about the dangers of smoking but also of the risks of vaping and hookah use, which they insisted are not healthier alternatives.

Plot protected

CALPE Town Hall has approved a modification of the PGOU town plan to protect the last remaining unspoilt plot on the town’s coast. The land in question is a 10,000 square­metre area in La Manzanera, which has been declassified from ‘suitable for construction’ to ‘green area’.

Out with a bang

VILLAJOYOSA Council has been forced to change the firework display during the Moors and Christians fiestas due to safety reasons. An inspection found that the current display did not guarantee the safety of participants and spectators, so the town hall is currently working on a new one.

Denia and Calpe U3A

U3A Calpe Choir are now rehearsing for their traditional Christmas Concert in aid of charity. If you enjoy singing, why don’t you consider joining them? They are a friendly bunch of people who get together each week to sing for pleasure, not forgetting a convivial drink after rehearsal! Details can be found on the U3A Calpe website.

The Denia Rock Choir will be performing at the Denia U3A coffee morning this month. The meeting on June 15 will be the last one before the summer

break.

We shall be joined by Nicole Sandler, from Chase Buchanan in Javea. This is a follow­up to a very wellreceived talk last year. This time Nicole will be speaking about the 10 most frequently asked questions about living in Spain and moving to Spain that come up in her mailbox.

After her talk, there will be refreshments, when Nicole will be available to speak to members individually.

For further information visit ‘Denia U3A’ on Facebook.

Landslide repairs Lifesaving totem

CALPE Council has installed a lifesaving ‘totem’ on the Paseo Princesa de Asturias. The structure is located in the Rocaplana area, which is particularly dangerous for swimmers due to the strong sea currents.

It is a stainless­steel post with its own solar panel and battery, meaning it is active 24 hours a day, and houses three lifesaving devices that inflate automatically within seconds upon contact with water and are reusable.

Users only need to smash the glass, take out one of the devices and throw it towards the swimmer in trouble.

In addition, when the

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Cleaned up

ALFAZ DEL PI Council has carried out cleaning work around the Soler, Els Arcs and Carbonera aqueducts.

The work consisted of removing vegetation in a three ­ metre strip on each side of the structures as it was damaging the aqueducts and prevented municipal experts from keeping track of their state of repair.

glass is smashed the totem issues an acoustic and visual warning system and there are two buttons that when pushed alert either the Local Police or the 112 emergency helpline.

The totem includes instructions in Spanish and English.

BENIDORM Council will finally repair the Velázquez building on Poniente beach that was affected by a landslide last September. Residents of the block of flats on the Avenida Armada Española have been waiting for a solution for nearly nine months after heavy rainfall brought down the slope at the back of the building.

It also caused damage to the caretaker’s house and the restaurant located in the lower part of the building, which is still closed. Last week the council finally announced the signing of an ‘emer ­

Summer safety campaign

DENIA hospital has launched a summer safety campaign in collaboration with Marina Denia sporting and leisure port.

A new poster has been designed featuring ‘Fundamental Summer Tips’ to prevent accidents, including advice on safe bathing for children, how to deal with jellyfish stings, how to avoid sunstroke and prevent heat stroke, and information on UV ray protection to prevent skin cancer.

In addition, the poster also includes the basic products that should be in ­

cluded in summer first aid kits.

The posters will be available at Marina Denia facilities and at Denia hospital.

The campaign also includes two informative talks on June 19 and 26 at 6pm, given by doctors from the A&E departments of HCB Denia and HCB Calpe. The talks will be held at Marina Denia free of charge and open to everyone. There will be limited seating so it is recommended to book a place by emailing secretaria@marinadedenia. com.

gency works’ contract for €500,000, with workers expected to move in shortly.

Last week’s rains had reignited fears of more landslides in the same area that could make the damage worse and even affect the structure of the building, which was luckily not the case.

Benidorm Town Planning councillor Lourdes Caselles explained that repair work had taken so long due to the “technical complexity” of removing fallen debris without causing further land movements.

These structures date back to the 17th century and are catalogued as Assets of Local Relevance.

Soler aqueduct is particularly noteworthy, a 15 ­ metre ­ long work made of masonry and mortar. It has a double arcade, with a maximum height of 5.85 metres, with a buttress on each side of the structure.

The aqueducts are part of the Reg Major, a historical irrigation system that runs through Polop, la Nucia, Alfaz del Pi and Benidorm and revolutionised the area’s economy.

Even better, our

and in print is FREE and we promise to always keep it that way.

DENIA U3A: After the talk there will be refreshments.

Active 24 hours a day.

Image by Calpe Town Hall

THIS year’s municipal anti­rabies vaccination campaign for pets in La Nucia is taking place until June 15.

Rabies jab campaign

The Animal Protection department of the town hall has reached an agreement with six local veterinary clinics for residents who are registered on the municipal padron town census to vaccinate and deworm their dogs, cats and ferrets for €19.

The participating clinics are Clínica Veterinar­

ia La Nucía (966 895 791), Clínica Veterinaria

QaliVet (966 873 658), Clínica Veterinaria

Mediterráneo (965 873 511), Clínica Veterinaria

La Creu II (966 896 374), Clínica Veterinaria

Garaita (966 873 206) and Clínica Veterinaria 7

AT last women in sport are being accepted as equals.

We have, for example, professional women footballers, cricketers and boxers, and women have gained prominence in other sports too. What is it like for those women? Do they have to be better than their male counterparts to be accepted as equal? Do they have the same sponsorship, quality equipment and professional support?

Here in the Marina Alta we are no different. The European Union of Women Mujeres en

Vidas (673 923 804).

Owners are advised to request an appointment for the vaccination by calling the aforementioned telephone numbers.

The Animal Protection department warns pet owners that the anti­rabies jab is obligatory under regional law.

The council also reminds residents of the obligation to register pets with the RIVIA identification database and to fit them with a microchip ­ failure to do so can result in a fine.

A further agreement has been reached with the six clinics for owners to obtain the microchip, pet passport and vaccination card for €70 per animal.

Women in sport

Igualdad has invited several inspirational sportswomen to share their experiences, struggles and joys.

We will have a triathlete, a boxer and a weightlifter ­ and maybe others ­ ready to tell their stories. Let’s learn and support those great women, so why not come and have a coffee and meet them?

Our meeting will take place

Healthier and safer beaches

MARINA SALUD last week opened its summer clinic on Calpe’s Playa de la Fossa beach.

The Consultorio de Verano is located on the Avenida Juan Carlos I, number 3, and will run until the end of September.

at Javea Golf Club on Wednesday June 14 at 10.30am for 11am. Everyone is welcome. euwmarinaalta@gmail.com

Medical, nursing and administrative staff will be on call from Monday to Fridayincluding bank holidaysfrom 10am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm uninterruptedly.

The main objective of Marina Salud’s Summer Reinforcement Plan is to help cover the Primary Care needs of a population that multiplies in coastal areas

during the summer months.

Meanwhile, Denia Council has launched this year’s lifesaving campaign at the town’s beaches plus a wide range of other services including adapted bathing facilities, toilets, walkways and beach libraries, among others.

For the first time this year, a new surveillance

A BREAK in the bad weather meant a sunny evening on Thursday June 1 for Jalon Valley Help (JVH)’s Jumping for Joy in June BYO picnic at the gardens of Los Arcos in Pedreguer.

point has been set up on l’Almadrava beach in a bid to achieve a new Blue Flag for the area.

The lifeguard service was launched on June 1, one week earlier than last year, and will run every day until October 1 from 11am to 7pm in June and September and from 10.30am to 8pm in July and August.

Jalon Valley Help

Their amazing show finished with a wonderful Beatles medley before Richard Green thanked everyone for coming and announced that €1,510 had been raised by the event.

Meaning an image can tell a story better than words. This was invented by an advertising executive, Fred R Barnard, to promote his agency’s adverts.

This event was a double first for JVH, as it was the first event for the new management team under their new president, Richard Green and it was also The Entertainers’ first event of the new season for JVH.

As the full house of 120 gathered and spread picnics at the tables, the anticipation grew in readiness for the new show from The Entertainers, and they did not disappoint.

Other JVH events to look out for are the photographic competition on the subject Scenes from the Marina Alta (closing date June 16) and OK Band at Los Arcos on Thursday July 6.

For further information about future events please contact eventsjvh@gmail.com and for information about the charity see their website www.jalonvalleyhelp.com

• Diagnostic imaging and ultrasound Rx

• Clinical tests and serological tests, internal medicine, parasitology

• Soft Tissue Surgery and Traumatology

• Ethology, behavioural disorders and animal behaviour

• Physiotherapy, acupuncture, custom recovery and Healing touch

• Ophthalmology

• Dentistry and dental surgery & more

• Import - Export

The summer clinic in Calpe. Image by Marina Salud

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

1840

The year the first postage stamp was created in the UK.

Checking out the tunnel

THREE young cyclists from La Nucia won the regional mountain bike tournament last week.

Well done!

Valeria Chamorro, Ainhoa Cano and Martina Cano from La Nucia Coloma Bike Club all came first in their respective categories in the Valencia Region BTT-Rally 2023 categories following the final in Onda (Castellon) after completing a great season.

In addition, Sofía Barba and Richard Barba from the same club came in seventh and fifth place respectively.

La Nucia Coloma Bike Club is a sports training project

promoted by former professional cyclist Carlos Coloma, bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympics and a reference in the world of mountain biking.

As well as learning everything related to the sport and training and competing, it has an educational and playful approach, seeking to make the practice fun for children.

The Club has programmed its second summer camp from July 24 to 28 aimed at children from six to 16 years old, with limited places available.

For further information visit www.colomabikeclub.com

HUNDREDS of Benidorm residents took part in the official opening of the Beniardá underpass last week.

Led by Mayor Toni Pérez and several members of the local council, the large group walked through the new tunnel that has taken eight months and €5.2 million to complete.

The funding has come entirely from the EU’s Next Generation funds and the initial prevision was for the work to take double the amount of time it finally did.

The group walked to the end of the tunnel and then took a two-storey bus back to check that the underpass is high enough for all kinds of vehicles.

The mayor then signed the official opening of the pass before the first cars began driving through it.

The public act was part of the monthly ‘A pie de calle’ events organised by the town hall to introduce residents to improvement projects around the town.

Sr Pérez expressed his “eternal gratitude to the neighbours for the inconvenience caused by such a large project.”

Freemasons charity donation

THE Members of San Juan de Alicante Freemasons Lodge were recently very pleased to donate €2,000 worth of foodstuffs to Callosa Town Hall to help those less fortunate in their area.

This generous donation is very much in line with the initiative of the Provincial Grand Master to help feed the hungry and homeless in the region, especially in these difficult economic times, and was very much appreciated by the mayor and staff of Callosa Town Hall.

BRITISH Marina Baixa charity CHUMS has donated €600 in products to La Nucia Food Programme.

Charity founders Marilyn and Peter Rogers handed over the full supermarket trolleys to La Nucia Social Welfare councillor Beatriz Pérez-Hickman at Lidl super-

CHUMS give to food bank

market last week.

“We would like to thank this local English association for this new donation. Thank you for helping us to help the most needy families in La Nucia,” declared the councillor.

Since its foundation six years ago, CHUMS Friends of Charity perform several regular yearly donations to La Nucia’s ‘Programa de Alimentos’, and this was the second so far in 2023.

The council has stepped up

the service over the last few months due to increasing demand. For information on obtaining help or to donate, contact the Bienestar Social department on 966 897 330. For further information on the charity visit ‘CHUMS of Charity - Costa Blanca’ on Facebook.

Mayor Toni Pérez (centre) leading the group.

. Image by Benidorm Town Hall

Image by San Juan de Alicante Freemasons Lodge

Montgo Golf Society

MONTGO members played a Pairs Valencian Greensomes competition at Oliva Nova Golf course sponsored by Simon and Stella Fox. The winners of this competition were Steve Blewitt and Alan Lowans with a net score of 68. The runners­up were Mick Farmer and Peter Gardiner with a net score of 69. Nearest the pin prizes went to Heiko Schram on the 3rd and Sue Burman on the 16th, with Sue Burman and Nigel Siddall taking the spoils on the 18th in 2. Well done to all our winners! Next Friday’s competition is a Stableford sponsored by Steve Blewett.

Responsible pet ownership

JAVEA Council has launched a campaign to promote responsible pet ownership.

‘¡No és el lloc!’ (‘This is not the place!’ in Valencian) is the slogan of the project to stress that house fronts and streets are not the place to take pets to perform their physiological needs ­ and that if the animals end up doing so, it is the owner’s obligation to pick up after them and clean up the mess.

The campaign was presented last week with an interactive ‘street marketing’ action at the market with toy dogs to draw attention to the problems that can arise if owners do

not take responsibility for their animals.

According to Javea Services councillor Kika Mata, the campaign will run throughout the year and will encompass various initiatives, from street marketing to online promo ­

MEMBERS of Javea U3A embarked on a unique journey into the distant past on a day trip to Alicante recently.

Led by Travel Group leader Amanda Jordan, the party of 46 visited the international exhibition ‘The Heritage of the Qin and Han Dynasties’.

There they viewed a collection of life ­ size terracotta warriors as well as more than 100 original artefacts unearthed in China in what has been described as the greatest discovery in the history of archaeology.

The exhibits on show are just a small part of the incredible army of 8,000 warriors, 500 horses and 130 battle chariots which have been guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Qin Emperor who ruled ancient China 2,000 years ago.

U3A members clearly enjoyed their

Tribute sea voyage

CALPE will host a tribute to a historic Alicante ­ born scientist and sailor to mark the 250th anniversary of his death.

tion, mobile information points, interactions with pet owners and educational talks with children.

Informative posters will also be installed in public places to remind residents of their responsibilities as pet owners.

U3A

Eight civilian and one Navy sailing ships will depart from the Costa Blanca port on a nautical expedition under the title ‘JJ23, Jorge Juan, Marino Ilustre’ from June 8 to 21.

The voyage is organised by several institutions including the Spanish Armada and Army, the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil and Calpe Town Hall and Yacht Club, as well as a group of sailing and history enthusiasts.

It will consist of four stages of sailing, namely from Calpe to Ibiza, Ibiza to Palma de Mallorca, Palma to Mahon and from Mahon to Santa Pola, and then it will continue by land to Novelda, the birthplace of Jorge Juan y Santacilla, where it will end on June 21 coinciding with the anniversary of his death.

day out visiting the exhibition and exploring the city (and shops!), not least because the sun shone brightly after days of torrential rain.

Participants will cover a total of 500 nautical miles. The opening act takes place today ,Thursday June 8 at Calpe Yacht Club.

Setting up the campaign at the street market.

Image by Javea Town Hall

The group viewed the terracotta warriors.

Javea

Image by Ian Rogerson

Tourism investment

ALICANTE Province has received €2.3 million from the regional government to invest in 20 tourism hotspots.

Benidorm, Finestrat, Villajoyosa, Alfaz del Pi, Altea, Calpe, Denia and Teulada are among the recipients in the north of the Costa Blanca. These towns have accredited the fulfilment of certain requirements regarding tourist population, accommodation, kilometres of beach, tourist

resources and the importance of tourism in the local economy.

They have also assumed the commitments included in the Valencian Tourism Code of Ethics, as well as their contribution to sustainable and inclusive tourism, based on the principle of hospitality.

The funds, which come under the heading Municipal Cooperation Fund, are aimed at compensating local coun-

cils for investments in tourism-related services and infrastructures.

According to regional Tourism secretary Francesc Colomet, who announced the recipients of the funds, the Valencia Region currently has 59 towns and cities classed as Tourist Municipalities, of which 17 come under the sub-heading of Excellence, 18 of Relevance and 24 of Singularity.

Hotel legislation relaxed

THE Spanish government has relaxed the legionella prevention decree following a series of complaints by hoteliers regarding ‘unacceptable’ measures.

Benidorm hotelier association Hosbec had presented allegations to the Royal Decree announced by the national Health ministry, warning that many of the obligations were “unnecessary and disproportionate” and entailed “prohibitive” costs.

These allegations suggested that the ambiguous wording of the regulation could

UP to 40 people from 22 different countries took part in a training course on peace processes and conflict resolution in Alfaz del Pi last week. The course was created in 2003 with the aim of preparing professionals from diverse backgrounds interested in joining the Rapid Expert Assistance and Co-operation Teams (REACT) of the Organization for Security and Co-

mean that they would have to empty swimming pools and jacuzzis with aerosols every six months, face the cost of having to analyse every water supply point in the bathrooms, or empty hot water tanks every three months, which could leave them without hot water for up to three days.

Finally last week the ministry published a new draft of the Royal Decree taking into account several of these allegations, with possibly more to come as the deadline to file appeals remains open until June 13.

Time to REACT

operation in Europe with more than 500 professionals trained so far.

Organised by the Helsinki España Association, the REACT course uses a variety of methodologies, including presentations and lectures, discussions, group work, practical and advanced role-

playing sessions, outdoor activities and simulation exercises.

Helsinki España was founded in 1992 and is a leading organisation in the field of education for peace, human rights and development, both nationally and internationally.

3,000BC

Stonehengeone of the oldest monuments in the world.

Elections affect holidays

THE surprise announcement for the early general elections announced last week by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez for July 23 is affecting national tourism reservations on the Costa Blanca.

The call is reportedly generating uncertainty among those who have scheduled trips due to the possibility of having their holidays changed or being appointed to a polling station.

This is especially the case of civil servants, such as members of the security forces who may be mobilised to cover incidents during election day.

Some officials are already finding that their holidays are suspended until the arrangements for polling day are sort-

ed out.

The draw to determine the composition of the polling stations takes place about four weeks - in this case between June 24 and 28 - before the date of the elections and appointments must be sent out

Brits lead the way

VALENCIA Region

hotelier association

by the administration with sufficient time to allow citizens to present any arguments against the nomination.

The situation is not affecting international reservations, which make up more than half of the total.

Denia Boxing Club

THE Denia Boxing Club has been running for just over a year now and they have excelled in their goals in getting their small Denia Boxing club

onto the world stage.

Their achievements have put them in second place in the Valencia Region and they have produced three boxers who have competed in the Valencian national championships.

The incredible 16-year-old Enrique Dross’ achievements are off the charts and he is the Valencian national champion of 2022, silver medallist in the Spanish championships this year and gold medallist of the open Marvila championships in Portugal 2023.

The club has grown in

strength in terms of its volunteer and paid coaching staff and they are proud to announce that Julian Klykotskyy will retire from competing and transition onto the coaching side and will offer classes to the younger and vulnerable members of Denia and the wider community.

THey are offering their services to any schools out there that would like to bring a class to work with them in teaching the discipline of the sport.

For further information please email martinbrennan 100@yahoo.co.uk

Gastronomy session

STUDENTS from the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts degree at Alicante University met in Denia last week to discuss ideas to revolutionise the food industry and to receive a master class from leading local experts. Among the ideas discussed were proposals to create school canteens that makes children’s diets more appetising and healthier, a gastronomic fashion show, a beer tasting and production workshop and the organisation of an international gastronomy festival in China, among others.

Participants in the ‘Gurmeet’ session also heard about the personal experiences and received advice from Denia-based Michelin star chef José Manuel López and traditional ice cream manufacturer Álvaro Verdú.

Another major topic of debate was the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, its importance from a health and environmental perspective and the fact that many young people are abandoning it in exchange for other less healthy options.

The students, gathered in groups, have developed projects throughout the year with the aim of “learning by doing’ and “showing their research, innovation and creative skills,” according to teacher Rosa Torres.

Hosbec has published the occupation figures for Benidorm and the Costa Blanca for May. Benidorm registered an occupation rate of more than 81.5 per cent during the second fortnight of the month, higher than the first half but slightly below the figures for the same period in 2019.

However, the analysts suggest that the main reason for the figure not being higher is the heavy rain registered over the second half of the month and which discouraged more visitors, especially from other parts of Spain, from booking lastminute stays.

Regarding nationalities, the British market lead the charge representing more than 50 per cent of the total number of visitors, followed by Spanish (35.5 per cent), Belgians (3.2 per cent), Dutch (2.8 per cent), Irish (2.8 per cent) and Portuguese (1.2 per cent).

The rest of the Costa Blanca registered occupation rates of 73.7 per cent during the second fortnight of May - 4.6 per cent higher than the same time in 2019.

Spanish visitors led the ranking followed by British, Belgian, Dutch, Norwegian, French and German.

90 days for a drop of water to travel the entire Mississippi River.

Spanish President Pedro Sánchez.

Image by StockPhotoAstur/Shutterstock

Why retirement planning matters

It is never too early to start thinking about how you will finance your golden years. Even if you are already retired, you should regularly review your arrangements to ensure you continue meeting your retirement goals.

Approaching retirement

Make sure you are on the right track financially by asking yourself the following questions. There may be steps you can take today to help make your retirement goal a reality.

• Will I be able to afford to retire when I want to?

• What is the best strategy for withdrawing from my business or employment?

• What options do I have for my pensions?

• Will I be able to retain my existing wealth and assets?

• Do I want to spend my retirement abroad?

Let’s say that you plan to retire in Spain within the next few years. You

By Mathieu Edwards, Partner, Blevins Franks

ing assets. Perhaps you have a business to sell and are unsure how best to convert your years of hard work into a retirement nest egg. Then there are the complex residence and tax implications of living in a different country.

Here, professional financial ad-

of what you have – your savings, investments, assets, pensions – together with what you want – your timeline, income requirements, legacy wishes – and an objective assessment of who you are – your circumstances, goals, risk appetite – to design a personalised retirement plan for you.

Already retired

Regular reviews allow you to adapt your strategy to suit your changing circumstances and goals, such as incorporating new family members, addressing health issues or relocating. It enables you to keep up with the ever-changing tax and pensions landscape, including new opportunities that could work in your favour.

Your pension options

Pensions are usually the foundations of retirement, so deciding what to do here may be one of life’s most important financial decisions. Pensions are complex and there is more

dating several UK pensions into one to provide a coherent, more cost-effective investment platform for your retirement income.

Britons moving or resident abroad may have the option of transferring UK pensions to a Qualifying Overseas Pension Scheme Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pensions Schemes (QROPS). Be aware, however, that Spanish tax regulations now determine that transfers from the UK (and other third country) pensions into an EEA scheme, including QROPS, makes the fund value liable to local income tax. If you have not yet become tax resident in Spain, you have a limited opportunity to transfer your pension out of the UK without this hefty tax liability.

Take regulated, specialist advice before making pension decisions to protect your benefits and establish the best option for you.

Retiring in Spain

status and cross-border tax implications in a post-Brexit world and adapt your estate planning to suit Spain’s different succession rules.

And when reviewing and weighing up all the options for your pension funds, it’s important to take the local Spain tax implications into account.

Careful planning is the key to minimising taxation and maximising the available opportunities so you can enjoy the retirement you want for as long as you need. For the best results, take specialist, crossborder advice.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; individuals should seek personalised advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins

U3A Marina Baixa

DUE to the recent heavy rains the Sunday Strollers Group had to be postponed for a week, but on Sunday June 4 the walk was able to take place along the lovely beach promenade at La Olla, Altea.

On Monday June 12 the monthly picnic will be held at the entrance to the lighthouse walk in Albir. The group meet at 2pm and many members will no doubt combine the picnic with a walk to El Faro. There is a large free car park adjacent.

On Tuesday the Computer Group meet at the Casa de Cultura, Alfaz del Pi and the Craft group will be at Albir So-

cial Centre on Thursday. The Petanca group also meet on Thursday afternoon in the Eucalyptus Park, Albir.

The next General Meeting will be on Monday June 26 at 11am at the Casa de Cultura, Alfaz del Pi.

Lit up in green

LA NUCIA Town Hall, the Estadi Olímpic, Muixara pavilion and roundabout number three lit up in a green light every night from Thursday June 1 until Monday June 5 to mark the World Day to Fight Myasthenia Gravis.

It was part of a national campaign organised by the Spanish Myasthenia Associa-

Lions Club concert

A GREAT night of musical entertainment awaits you on Saturday June 24 in aid of the Lions International relief fund for the Turkish Syrian earthquake victims.

The concert organised by the Calpe Benissa Lions Club will see the very popular couple Moonshine Duo perform with a cameo performance by the delightful lady’s choir Caprice.

tion and was aimed at giving visibility to the struggle against the disease.

According to the NHS, “Myasthenia gravis is a rare long-term condition that causes muscle weakness.

“It can affect people of any age, typically starting in women under 40 and men over 60.”

The concert will take place in the beautiful gardens of Finca Jacaranda in Beniasnar, near Pedremala, Benissa. Take your own picnic to complement the evening, a bar will be provided.

The concert starts at 7pm and the tickets, which cost €12, can be reserved by calling Malcolm on 711 075 065.

Musical Spring success

THE municipal Santa María Magdalena band of Benitachell closed the Primavera Musical (‘Musical Spring’) concert cycle on Saturday to a full house. A large crowd gathered in Benitachell church square to enjoy the performance led by orchestra director Manu Romero, displaying a great chemistry with the musicians. This was the 17th edition of the Primavera

Musical, which has become one of the main events on the local festive and culture calendar and a reference for the whole area. Performers this year included Tocant i Rodant & Al Vent - a collaboration between traditional Valencian music and a brass band - the Marina Alta Orchestra (OMA) and a joint performance by Valencia Chamber Orchestra and Cantollano choir.

SUNDAY STROLLERS: Had a lovely walk along the beach.

Image by U3A Marina Baixa

Embracing the fun

AMONGST Gen Z and Millennials in America, cosplay is big deal. Dressing up as your favourite character from a comic book or graphic novel is a pastime my generation just doesn’t understand. But then, we moved to Spain, and Seattle Comicon is nothing on the Spanish fiesta.

Last June, my husband, Jeff, and I needed to head into Lugo to visit a local home improvement centre. Our first indication that something different appeared in the form of a small Roman legion about a kilometre from the old city. Lugo’s old city is surrounded by an intact Roman wall, so a Roman legion would seem to fit

right in, if it was the year 30AD. However, this was 2022, and men wandering around in Roman garb carrying swords and shields seemed, well, out of place. And then, the cave people strolled by.

“What is happening?” asked Jeff.

“It’s Spain. It could be anything.”

As we approached the parking garage the streets became crowded with more Romans and cave people (Castros). Walking amongst the hoards, we saw makeshift forts and catapults. Emperors and Empresses. Children sword fighting. It was as if the entire town had joined a theatre group. Or lost their

collective minds. In that moment we saw the poster for Arde Lucas.

The fiesta celebrating Lugo’s Roman past with sieges and violent re­enactments between Romans and Castros. The battle for the old bridge. Incredible. We were the only citizens not dressed appropriately and we felt out of place. But not this year.

Arde Lucas begins on June 24. Jeff and I have our Roman togas and we’re ready to dive in like the locals we are. We will banquet with the best of them and storm the ramparts. Catapulting ourselves into the past and embracing the fun. We can’t wait!

Kelli Field is an American expat writer/blogger living in rural Galicia, and a volunteer for Age in Spain. Some of her other writing about moving to and living in Spain can be found at www.vivaespanamovingtospain.com If you'd like to get in touch with Age In Spain, we can be reached at info@ageinspain.org (+34 932 209 741) www.ageinspain.org

EXCLUSIVE: One musician’s take on fake news

GENERALLY speaking, Euro Weekly News tends to interview musicians and other artists who have a direct link with Spain and wherever possible the areas where we publish.

In the case of American musician and lawyer, Alan Chapell, it was the topic of one of his most recent compositions that caught our attention. With Spin, he sings about the way in which the media, especially cable news in America simply seems to be powerful enough to have people believe whatever Spin they put on the news.

Speaking exclusively to EWN Alan explained “I was in Florida and started watching Fox News and it suddenly dawned on me that this type of station no longer report news but was intent on changing people’s perceptions in an incredible way.

“That’s a lot of power and its frightening as cable news moves so far away from what we were used to viewing.”

The chorus of the song appears influenced by Video Killed the Radio

Star by The Buggles and as Alan acknowledged this, he said “Maybe without realising it, I have transplanted and updated the concept of change within the music scene to

reflect the change in news reporting.”

With the growth of social media of all types and the way in which story headlines are often aimed at

luring readers in (known as clickbait) even if the story is different to what it appears, however at EWN we are always trying to improve the way in which our headlines encourage views honestly.

Alan currently fronts a five­piece band in which he sings and plays keyboards and it includes violinist extraordinaire Lorenza Ponce who has played with such rock luminaries as Bon Jovi, Hall & Oates, Sheryl Crow and many more.

Alan Chapell is a unique character, the product of years of travelling the world, honing his craft and moving seamlessly through musical genres, Chapell’s lush sonic pallet falls somewhere between the progressive pop rock of Bryan Ferry and the jangle rock nuance of 10,000 Maniacs.

During the pandemic and lockdown, he was a prolific writer and composer with a catalogue of some 120 songs, many of which are yet to be released.

Earlier in his career, he became disillusioned with music and after

returning from a retreat in India, he took time out to qualify as an Attorney specialising in Human Rights and European Union Law but whilst he still practices, he couldn’t keep away from performing.

Indeed, after America started to emerge from lockdown, he was able to perform to small audiences on a solo basis which he says was “A real tonic which is why I have started playing keyboards in the band again instead of simply being the singer at the front.”

The first Chapell album The Redhead’s Allegations, produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads fame was released in 2017 with a further five following, the latest Two Fishes compares the fact that he has two children, one who grew up in the aftermath of 9/11 and the second much younger daughter growing up now in the digital age.

There’s a new double album on the way and Alan hopes that one day he will be able to perform in Spain, especially as his partner is Latina.

Credit: Bill McMenemey/Chapell

Alan Chapell and Lorenza Ponce

Everything you need to know about the New Property Law in Spain. Rental contracts. Large landlords. Stressed areas. Legal advice. (Part 1)

ON May 26, 2023, a new Property Law (Law 12/2023) came into force in Spain. Although it is still early to know how it will affect the real estate market (buying and selling, rental agreements, etc) in our next ar­

ticles, we will analyse the main changes introduced by this law. And the fundamental aspects that must be considered from now on.

‘Large landlords’ or ‘Large Owners’

As explained in previous articles, by means of Royal Decree Law 11/2020 and 15/2020, individuals or legal entities that own more than 10 urban properties (excluding garages and storage rooms) or a built surface area of more than 1,500 m2 were labelled as ‘large landlords’. The new housing law has taken a further step forward. From now on, those who have more than five residential properties in the same stressed area can also be considered as large landlords.

Stressed market areas. When, how, why?

The new property law allows the different regions of Spain to classify as ‘stressed residential market areas’ those areas in which one of the following situations occurs:

The average mortgage or rental costs (plus basic expenses and supplies) exceeds 30 per cent of the average income of these households.

That the purchase or rental price has increased in the last five years, three points (or more) above the regional CPI.

The declaration of an area as ‘stressed’ has major consequences for both landlords and tenants. In these areas, the tenant will be entitled to an extraordinary annual extension upon the termination of the contract. Furthermore, when the Landlord signs a contract with new tenants, the rental price will be limited to the rent fixed in the contract of the previous tenant (with exceptions). The Landlord will not be able to pass on to the new tenants any conditions or costs that were not included in the previous lease.

It remains unclear which Autonomous Communities will exercise this faculty and declare parts of their territory to be a

stressed market area. However, several regions have already declared their intention not to make use of this possibility. The declaration of a stressed market zone will have an initial duration of three years and may be renewed annually.

Cap on Rent Increases until 2024

During the year 2023, the rent update was limited to a maximum of 2 per cent. With the new property law, it is confirmed that during the year 2024 the rent update will also be limited: it cannot be higher than 3 per cent. It is expected that before December 31, 2024, a new index will be approved to replace the CPI (Consumer Price Index), which should come into force in 2025.

Property tax surcharges (IBI)

Until now, local councils were able to impose surcharges of up to 50 per cent of the property tax on empty homes. The new

property law opens the door to increase these surcharges to 100 per cent when the property has not been occupied for more than three years (and the owner has four or more properties). In addition, when an owner has two or more empty properties in the same municipality, the town hall will be able to increase the surcharge up to 150 per cent.

Conclusion

The new property law has introduced numerous changes in the real estate market, that will affect the rental contracts in Spain. As we will explain in detail next week, in the second part of this article, this law will also affect eviction proceedings and sales and purchases. At WhiteBaos Lawyers we are experts in real estate law. Do not hesitate to contact us. We will study your case and offer you expert legal advice.

The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys information relating to legal issues.

Driving licence

Anna Ellis

IN view of the proliferation of internet pages offering the chance to obtain a driving licence without the need to take any kind of knowledge test, either theoretical or practical, Spain’s government Department for Traffic (DGT) reminds us that in Spain it is essential to pass a test to obtain a Driving Licence.

Non­EU nationals who already have a licence must exchange it for a Spanish one if they are citizens of countries with which there is an exchange agreement.

In the absence of an ex ­

In Spain it is essential to pass a test to obtain your licence.

change agreement with the country of origin, it is compulsory to pass a theoretical and a practical test.

In recent weeks, Guardia Civil’s Traffic Department has been investigating several

SPAIN’S tourism industry continues its fight back with figures showing record­breaking arrivals three years after the pandemic outbreak. Statistics show that 2019 was a record year for tourism in Spain, but figures just in show that 7.2 million visitors arrived in April, a 1.2 per cent increase from four years ago, an upward trend that the government expects to continue, according to a news source on Friday, June 2.

Salaries revealed

THE recent council elections in Spain have received much publicity, and now all the campaigning and elections are over many people are left wondering, how much exactly does the mayor earn.

ment, Pedro Sanchez earns, according to the General State Budget for 2023.

Another determining factor is their dedication to the post. Normally, municipalities with larger populations have full­

time mayors, where the salary is higher. If they fulfil their role on a part­time basis, they are paid for attending council meetings with the same rules for municipalities with less than 1,000 inhabitants.

web pages of this type where customers are offered the chance to obtain a legal Spanish Driving Licence simply by paying an amount of money and sending photos and information.

Brits lead the way

And this is just the beginning with reliable estimates indicating the summer will also surpass pre­pandemic levels, with the arrival of 54.8 million tourists between May and October.

At the forefront of visitors to Spanish shores is the UK, with 1.35 million Britons arriving in April, closely followed by Germany with one million.

There is no easy answer to the question as it varies depending on the rule of law and what each town council decides. It can range from zero to €108,518 per year.

The full list can be found at Spain’s Ministry of Finance which provides the information to the public. The latest data available is for 2021 and shows the salaries of 7,024 mayors, the remaining 1,104 mayors did not declare their fees or the information was incomplete.

The most important factor in deciding the wage structure is the size of the municipality. Cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants set the salary limit, which is set at €116,160.05 per year. This figure is actually more than the €90,010 that the president of the govern­

Smoke free beaches

IT has been revealed that the Blue Flag network is studying the requirement to be a smoke­free beach in order to be awarded their certification.

Galicia currently has 214 smoke­free beaches and a spokesperson for the Galician Healthcare Service (SERGAS), Julio García Comesaña, has indicated the Blue Flag network may apply the same rules to beaches across Spain, reported a news source on May 31.

Blue flags are awarded to beaches based on the quality of the bathing water, services and facilities for bathers and environmental management.

However, according to sources, the foundation that grants these awards is now studying to add one more requirement: that the beach be declared a tobacco­free zone. SERGAS has a clear plan: to reduce tobacco consumption.

To achieve this aim, the plan includes the expansion of smoke­free outdoor spaces. Galicia currently has 214 smoke­free beaches and 18

parks, but this measure will be extended to squares, football pitches, basketball courts, outdoor swimming pools and even university campuses.

Comesaña went on to say: “We have to denaturalise the idea that you can smoke outdoors,” He also pointed out, “and I don’t know if this is an exclusive or not,” that the network of blue flags awarded in Spain by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac) seriously considers, in part to the Galician experience, that the blue flag implies being a

smoke­free beach.

The anti­smoking drive also includes a Galician No Tobacco Day, on October 31, together with a network to promote a life without tobacco.

BLUE FLAGS: Awarded on quality of the water and facilities.

7,641 The number of islands in the Philippines.

Message to Morocco

Betty Henderson

IN a diplomatic showdown, the Spanish government has officially voiced its anger with Morocco’s assertion that Ceuta and Melilla are Moroccan cities.

Diplomatic sources revealed on Thursday, June 1 that Spain sent a formal letter of complaint, known as a ‘note verbale’, to Morocco, vehemently rejecting the language used in a letter from Morocco addressed to Brussels.

In the note verbale, the Spanish government emphasised that the international community widely recognises Spanish borders, including these two autonomous cities, located in North Africa.

The letter, which targeted Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission, criticised his statements affirming the Spanish identity of these au ­

tonomous cities.

Morocco’s letter, which was revealed by Spanish newspaper El País , cited a series of what it perceived as 10 ‘hostile declarations’ made by Schinas regarding Morocco and ‘the Moroccan cities of Ceuta and Melilla’.

King and Queen in Granada

ON Friday June 2 Motril on the coast of Granada played host to Spain’s Armed Forces Day with more than 2,000 soldiers and a dozen ships, which included paratroopers and helicopters on the beachfront.

On Saturday, June 3, the events continued as King Felipe and Queen Letizia presided over the events of the land and air parade through the centre of Granada.

Also in attendance was the

Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, who witnessed the participation of more than 3,100 soldiers, 150 vehicles and mobile units and 70 aircraft.

Armed Forces Day is a military spectacle which takes place in a different location each year. This was the first time the event had been held in a coastal city since 2011, when Malaga was the chosen city.

The event culminated

with the traditional land and air parade, which covered 1.3 kilometres through the centre of the capital of Granada.

This year also saw a milestone for Armed Forces Day when for the first time a woman, Corporal Carmen Gómez Hurtado, representing the Parachuting Acrobatic Patrol of the Air and Space Army (PAPEA), performed the parachute jump carrying the Spanish flag.

Foreclosure fears fade

IN a welcome turn of events, the number of foreclosures on properties in Spain continues to plummet.

This isn’t the first time Spain has defended the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla. In October last year, a note verbale was sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council to reassert their Spanish identity, responding to Morocco’s previous challenge.

Data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday, June 1 revealed that in the first quarter of this year, less than 3,700 properties were subject to foreclosure proceedings. This marks a significant 31.1 per cent decline compared to the same period last year, and is the third lowest figure since 2014.

Primary residences are holding up well against foreclosures with a 25 per cent decrease in foreclosures. However, experts say this may not fully reflect the impact of increas­

ing interest rates since current laws require property owners to miss a certain number of mortgage payments before foreclosure can begin.

Foreclosures on secondary residences and properties owned by companies have also dropped significantly. There was a 27 per cent decrease in foreclosures on second homes, with 587 cases, and a more than 51 per cent drop in foreclosures on properties owned by companies, totalling 563 cases.

This significant drop in foreclosures on properties brings hope and relief to homeowners.

BETTER TIMES: Pedro Sánchez in Morocco in February.

Job market magic

IN a remarkable display of economic strength, Spain’s job market has shown remarkable resilience. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Inclusion on Friday, June 2, a staggering 200,411 jobs were created in May alone. May’s incredible job creation propels the total number of contributors to Spain’s Social Security system to an all­time high of 20.8 million. Meanwhile, registered unemployment plummeted by 49,260 people.

Employment data from April and May reveal that Spain is enjoying its lowest unemployment rate since 2008 with the country gaining 318,717 new employees in the first four months of the year.

May has traditionally been a fruitful month for employment, bolstered by the arrival of pleasant weather and the revival of the hospitality industry ahead of the summer, and 2023 has been no exception.

In recent history, Spain has always seen unemployment fall in May, with the largest drop occurring in 2021 when a stunning 129,378 jobseekers were removed from the unemployment register.

Restoring faith

Betty Henderson

IN a groundbreaking development, the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) has taken a decisive stand against sexual abuse within the church.

Religious leaders presented a set of comprehensive guidelines aimed at bringing clarity and curbing abuse in the church at a conference on Thursday, June 1.

While the rules were initially approved in April by the CEE’s highest authority, the Plenary Assembly, leaders wanted to clarify and further emphasise them at the ‘Giving light’ conference.

These guidelines are focused on preventing the recurrence of abuse, maintaining church and religious spaces as safe environments for chil ­

dren, and ensuring timely action against offenders while prioritising support for victims.

Addressing the public, Father Francisco César García highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, “Today is not a day for self ­ congratulation; some of our members have caused great harm to individuals.”

He vowed to provide support to those who

Anna Ellis HELICOPTERS, drones, R&D and fieldwork are combined to protect the natural environment that coexists with power lines in the so­called Summer Campaign, in which Endesa is set to invest €58.3 million in 2023.

Jose Manuel Revuelta, Endesa’s General Director of Networks, confirmed: “We work throughout the year to reach the summer season with our homework done.

“The summer plan is leveraged on three axes: felling and pruning around power lines, line inspections to get the most out of preventive maintenance and actions on the network to en­

were abused.

Since the creation of the reporting process, a staggering 927 victims have come forward, sharing their current and historical testimonies against 728 individuals responsible for sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Spain.

The church hopes they can now begin to rid the scourge of sexual abuse.

Summer Campaign

sure continuity of electricity supply and minimise the risk of incidents.”

The cleaning and care of the forest mass that grows around the electrical network, the use of helicopters to carry out thermography and HD videos and visual inspections and exhaustive reviews of all the company’s facilities are carried out continuously and periodically throughout the territory in which Endesa manages.

Endesa’s distribution network totals almost 318,000 kilometres of lines, which is the equivalent of going around the Earth eight times.

Leaders from various Christian denominations attended.

Photo credit: Conferencia Episcopal Española

Betty Henderson

IN a historic moment, new Spanish laws on women’s health and employment came into force on Thursday, June 1. The laws, which have been hailed as some of the most progressive in the world, are set to transform women’s rights in the workplace. Women experiencing debilitating menstrual pain can now request paid leave from work. This is a significant step toward recognising challenges faced by women during their

periods. It acknowledges the significant impact that conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, and other reproductive health issues can have on women’s lives, and enables them to take time off work without financial repercussions. Pregnant women receiving

medical care from the public health service are also now entitled to paid leave from the 39th week of pregnancy onward, giving women the opportunity to prioritise their health and well­being. Women who miscarry or have an abortion are also entitled to receive So­

cial Security support while taking time off. These progressive measures were approved in March and have now come into force. They mark a significant advancement in women’s rights, promoting gender equality and acknowledging women’s health issues.

The policy change is an achievement for Spain’s Equality Minister.

Innovation explosion

THE Spanish government is injecting a mega €48.8 million into 48 cutting­edge projects, positioning Spain at the forefront of 6G research and development (R&D).

The Ministry of Economy and Digital Transformation, in collaboration with the Department for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures unveiled the final resolution of the UNICO I+D 6G 2022 programme on Thursday, June 1. These funds, sourced from the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan, will bolster the nation’s R&D system, focusing on the next wave of mobile technology.

As Spain embraces digital transformation fuelled by the Recovery Plan and Next Generation EU funds, these grants highlight the government’s commitment to innovation and place Spain in a leading role in 6G technology use. Out of 53 projects that applied for support through the programme, evaluators from the Department Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures gave the green light to 48 ventures.

The cash is set to be split between funding research infrastructure and high­tech equipment in universities and research centres, as well as boosting R&D initiatives by Spanish companies.

Breaking the taboo Rafa Nadal Foundation

Anna Ellis SPORT and culture must be within the reach of all people regardless of their starting point.

For this reason, Endesa brought together the Rafa Nadal Foundation and the Real Madrid Foundation on Tuesday May 30 at the Caja Mágica in Madrid for a sports­cultural day in which more than 30 minors participated.

According to Eunate Gomez, Head of Projects at the Rafa Nadal Foundation, “At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we believe in the transformative power of sport and education, which is why we try to promote initiatives so that minors incorporate this type of activities that have a positive impact on their personal development and well­being.”

Ricardo Gallego, ambassador of the Real Madrid Foundation, pointed out that “sport, as we have seen in this activity, is a great tool for inclusion and social integration. Actions like today’s are very important for us and we thank Endesa for bringing us together here today together with the Rafa Nadal Foundation to bring quality educational sport to everyone.”

Photo credit: Ministerio de Igualdad

Dog lets the cat out of bag

A DOG out for a walk with his mistress would not budge from a local pub entrance leading to suspicions that he and his master are in fact regulars.

A hostelry in Exeter had some unexpected publicity when a hilari ous dog was filmed out for a walk with his female owner, who literally had to drag him away from entering The Stand Off pub.

The incident has caused so much interest that the pub has asked the owner to come back to be treat ed to a free meal.

Video footage from inside the bar looks out onto the street where Grenson, an Airedale terrier, suddenly takes a keen interest in going inside, almost like he was popping in for his usual pint, with many joking that the thirsty pooch had given away his master’s walk ­

ing route.

Grenson’s owner, Kate Torney had taken him for a walk around Exeter city centre when the cheeky seven ­ year ­ old pooch tried to make his way inside The Stand Off pub.

Despite efforts to get him to move Grenson resolutely refuses in a standoff that lasts around two minutes, much to every ­

Coastal Code

The clip racked up many views.

one’s amusement.

In the end, Kate picks him up while a crestfallen Grenson reluctantly has to leave tiptoeing on his hind legs. It seems the clip is a hit with everyone who sees it and it has racked up an astonishing 1.9 million views, and 1,454 comments on TikTok.

THE UK government has now launched England’s first­ever national Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code which offers friendly advice and guidance to help people visit the coast responsibly.

Home to around 95 per cent of Europe’s grey seal population and around 25 per cent of Europe’s breeding seabirds, the British coastline supports many iconic species and habitats.

It is also a special place for people to visit, and ongoing work to establish the King Charles III England Coast Path – which when complete will be the longest waymarked coastal path in

the world at over 2,700 miles – is helping more people than ever to access these environments.

However, as visitors to the coastlines rise, it is important to ensure that our precious marine wildlife remains as undisturbed as possible. Young seals, for example, can use up vital energy if startled by people getting too close or being too noisy, meaning young pups struggle to haul out of the water to rest and digest their food. In a bad year of disturbance, only 25 per cent are likely to survive to the age of 18 months.

Shaun the Sheep

THERE is widespread ewephoria in the UK as Shaun the Sheep becomes Countryside Code Champion in a new campaign to encourage young people to “respect, protect and enjoy” the countryside.

A new baa­rilliant campaign with Aardman will see the popular animated character encourage children and young people to “respect, protect and enjoy” the countryside. From

Mossy Bottom farm, Shaun and friends will follow the Countryside Code and show children how to care for nature, follow signs and share the space with others.

It follows research from Natural England’s Children’s People and Nature Survey which revealed that 80 per cent of children and young people agreed that looking after the environment was important to

them, and 83 per cent said they wanted to do more to look after nature and wildlife.

Marian Spain, Chief Executive of Natural England, said:

“Shaun the Sheep and his endearing friends are the perfect illustration for the next generation of explorers on how to respect, protect and enjoy nature, whether in parks in towns and cities, at the seaside or in the countryside.”

99% of gold is found in the Earth’s core.

Court of controversy

Betty Henderson

TENNIS superstar Novak

Djokovic stood by a political statement he made days earlier after his second­round victory in the French Open on Wednesday, May 31.

Djokovic boldly scribbled the words “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence,” on a camera following his first ­ round victory on Monday, May 29.

The phrase Djokovic chose

to display refers to the ongoing tension surrounding Kosovo, a region that declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Despite the declaration, Serbia has staunchly refused to recognise Kosovo as an in­

dependent nation.

The controversy surrounding Djokovic’s act had earlier intensified when France’s sports minister condemned his actions, labelling them as “inappropriate”.

Unphased by the criticism, Djokovic spoke out at a postmatch conference on Wednesday, “Of course, I’m aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is,” Djokovic defiantly stated. “It’s something that I stand for. So that’s all,” he added. The issue is close to home for the athlete whose

father hails from Kosovo.

While the International Tennis Federation clarified that Djokovic’s statement did

not violate any rules within the Grand Slam, the incident has ignited a larger debate about politics in sports.

Cleaning the environment

AS part of an initiative of SEO/BirdLife and Ecoembes to celebrate World Environment Day, more than 17,000 volunteers from all over Spain participated in the ‘1m2 against garbage’ campaign.

As explained in a statement, this clean­up action is designed to bring the public’s attention to the abandonment of waste in natural spaces and raise awareness about this serious environmental problem.

Such littering also creates a potential risk of fires, contaminates the soil and water sources, and endangers the conservation of natural spaces and their biodiversity.

This campaign was carried out in advance of World Environment Day, which was on Monday, June 5. For the seventh consecutive year, thousands of people attended one of the 970 designated collection points with the intention of helping to clean up the environment.

Organised by local entities, town halls and educational centres, the volunteers have re­

moved rubbish from natural terrestrial, fluvial and marine environments throughout Spain.

Some of these places included locations of great ecological value such as the Sanabria Lake Natural Park and the Segundera and Porto mountains in Zamora, Alicante’s Sierra Helada and Faro, Lagunas de Ruidera in Albacete, Ciudad Real, and the Doñana Natural Area in Huelva, Sevilla and Cádiz.

Asunción Ruiz, the executive director of SEO/BirdLife, thanked the society for its commitment to the conservation of nature which, once again, collaborated actively in this action.

“It is a great social movement because we need to change the production and consumption model to reduce our impact from the source,” she explained.

Ruiz continued: “We need to count on nature to guarantee a healthy, safe and resilient planet, that allows us to face the ecological crisis we are experiencing.”

FRENCH OPEN: Djokovic clarified his position after beating Marton Fucsovics.

Photo credit: Novak Djokovic

PRESS EUROPEAN

DENMARK

Spud-slide

A 57-YEAR-OLD lorry driver was arrested in Denmark after potatoes he was transporting littered the bridge linking the Funen and Zealand islands where Odense and Copenhagen are located. He was charged with causing reckless endangerment to life after cars were affected by the slippery surface.

THE NETHERLANDS

Busy drones

ROTTERDAM port announced on June 1 the formal opening of the Netherlands’ first vertiport for non-piloted aerial vehicles, following the landing of a multirotor drone there. The devices will eventually be used for inspections and monitoring transport operations, the Port of Rotterdam authority reported.

BELGIUM

Here we are

SEALS, which had practically disappeared from Belgium before the end of the last century are gradually returning to its beaches and coasts. Numbers are difficult to calculate, although the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences estimates that there are now around 100 grey seals and 200 harbour seals.

GERMANY

Berry bad

A GERMAN consumer campaign called for supermarkets to boycott strawberries grown near Spain's vulnerable Doñana wetlands. Drought and unauthorised irrigation have dried out the wildlife haven in the southwest of the country and the needs of growers were making the problem worse, the association said.

FRANCE

Charge it

FRANCE is opening its first electric car battery factory near Douay. The length of six football pitches, the plant is part of a ‘reindustrialisation’ initiative which the administration and business leaders hope will turn the Hauts-de-France region into ‘Battery Valley’, electric vehicles’ response to Silicon Valley.

NORWAY

Oil change

DESPITE leading using renewable energy domestically, Norway remains committed to its oil and gas operations for exports. The government has now asked energy companies to increase explorations in remote areas, including the Barents Sea, despite pressure from climate activists to curb oil and gas activities.

FINLAND

Fencing match

FINLAND is completing the first section of a €380 million fence along part of the 1,300kilometre border it shares with Russia. Constructing the first three kilometres of the four-metre tall fence topped with barbed wire began in April near Imatra, which is just 200 kilometres from St Petersburg.

IRELAND

Sea change

FISHING has been a way of life for generations along the Irish coast but changes in the industry, including a post-Brexit cut in quotas allied to government plans to scrap boats could see it disappear. This could mean the ‘final death knell’ to their livelihood, fishing professionals warned.

ITALY Green mystery

ENVIRONMENTAL officials in Venice confirmed that the chemical fluorescein was responsible for the bright patch of green water around the Rialto Bridge. Fluorescein, a nontoxic chemical, is chiefly used in underwater construction to identify leaks and in eyedrops to pinpoint lesions and foreign bodies.

PORTUGAL

Not bothered

CHINA is allegedly prepared to ‘exert influence’ on some of Portugal’s largest businesses to pressure the country into reverting a decision that effectively bans Huawei from the burgeoning 5G networks. Portuguese operators were untroubled, they said, as there are already 7,000 5G antennas installed throughout the land.

UKRAINE

No hiding place

WAR-TORN Ukraine has a problem with insufficient or inaccessible air-raid shelters, residents said. Too many of them throughout the country, and not only in Kyiv, were closed or hidden to passers-by, despite countless official warnings and complaints from the local population as well as powerless local officials.

SWEDEN

Moving on

HVALDIMIR, a Beluga whale first spotted in the Arctic four years ago wearing a camera harness and presumably Russian-trained, left the Norwegian fjord where he was last seen and has appeared in Sweden. He is now travelling very quickly “possibly seeking a companion or a mate,” marine biologists said.

Orba Scenic

Arts Exhibition U3A Vall del Pop

THE second edition of the Fora d’Òrbita Scenic Arts Exhibition takes place in Orba from Friday June 9 to Sunday June 11.

Fora d’Òrbita features theatre, music, magic, children’s shows, monologues, circus performances, story­telling and much more.

All events are free and open to everyone, and take place in the streets and squares of the town. Highlights will include Microshakespeare, initially coproduced by the London National Theatre and which has been staged more than 500 times in 15 countries and translated into 10 different languages.

Performers from all over the Marina Alta, from neighbouring districts and from other parts of Spain will meet in Orba for an event whose first edition was a resounding success.

In addition, several bars and restaurants are offering a selection of cut­price tapas for the duration of the festival.

For further information visit ‘Ajuntament d’Orba’ on Facebook.

THE June General Assembly was held on Thursday June 1 and in addition to the usual tea, coffee and biscuits, the Goodwill Team held a cake sale.

The delicious selection on offer proved very popular and raised over €190.

The members were then introduced to Richard Green, the new Jalon Valley Help President who was invited to say a few words about the charity.

Matt Mason from Jalon Valley Arc was presented with their charity award certificate

by Christine Rowland on behalf of the Goodwill Team.

Upcoming TCET day trips include Alicante for the festival of San Juan later this month,

European Union of Women

THE European Union of Women (EUW) have celebrated a very special birthday this year.

“Here we are celebrating 70 years of women seeking fair opportunities and campaigning for equality of opportunities. It was a fabulous celebration with inspirational speeches and cake at Javea Golf Club and simultaneously in Vienna,” said President Margaret Hales.

The European Union of Women Mujeres en Igualdad Marina Alta welcomed all those who were interested in how the position of women has changed in the last 70 years.

The event was superbly channelled with enlightening narrative from women born in Spain, Australia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, Russia and Britain. Go along and join them at their next event on Wednesday June 14 at 10.30am for 11am at Javea Golf Club, to hear stories from Women in Sport and to find out more about the European Union of Women’s role today.

For more information contact euwmarinaalta@ gmail.com.

Meetings are held every month, usually at Javea Golf Club.

the medieval market in Cocentaina and an ELO Encounter at Benidorm Palace in November.

The next Goodwill Team event is a BBQ evening with entertainment later this month and a Neil Diamond tribute evening at Pepe’s in September.

Marian White will be holding another Silks in the Sun next month, with the chance to buy new clothing and accessories whilst enjoying cake and a glass of Cava, with donations going to the Goodwill Team.

For further information visit u3avalldelpop.com

CAKE SALE: The delicious selection raised over €190.

Image by U3A Vall del Pop

The Entertainers say thanks

ON Tuesday May 30 The Entertainers held a Breakfast at Tiffany’s brunch at The Capucinno Bar in Orba for Pam Brooks, who is stepping down from the presidency of

U3A Marina Baixa

Jalon Valley Help (JVH) to make way for new leadership.

Pam, in her role as JVH President, was very helpful to The Entertainers when

New exhibition at ARTE.44

THIS is your last chance to check out the spectacular Lo Espontáneo exhibition at ARTE.44 gallery in Calpe.

Until June 10, ARTE.44 is showing a collection of ceramics, sculptures and paintings by Marga Corsin and Mireille Vetterli.

Marga Corsín is a Spanish artist of great emotional and creative power. She lives and works in Madrid. Throughout her career she has worked in a wide range of techniques and media, including drawing, oil painting, sculpture, watercolour, sumi­e and engraving. Marga has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions and has published an artist’s book on the theme of the Abyssal Worlds.

In the world of ceramics, the Japanese cultivate an aesthetic that is second to none. Japanese ceramists create objects of beauty in perfect harmony. A great inspiration for Mireille Vetterli. Expressive shapes and surfaces are characteristic of her works and sculptures. She acquired her knowledge in Japan, China and Taiwan. Her art has been displayed in Singapore, Taiwan, Croatia, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland. She lives and works in Switzerland and Spain.

For further information visit www.arte44calp.com

they first started performing, by loaning them equipment and booking them for the famous JVH BYO picnic events.

She is now stepping down in order to have time to see family in the UK and to travel to her bucket­list of places before settling down for retirement.

Pam was delighted to receive such a thoughtful invitation and to have been fundamental, in a small part, to the success of The Entertainers in raising funds for Jalon Valley Help and several other local charities.

The Entertainers’ earlysummer diary includes shows on June 15 for SCAN at Los Arcos (Pedreguer), June 17 for Guardian Angels at the Marriot Hotel (La Sella), June 21 at Alcalali fiestas supporting ARC, and June 23 at Benitachell Bowls Club supporting Cancer Care Javea.

For further information visit ‘The Entertainers Marina Alta’ on Facebook.

FOLLOWING the heavy rains experienced recently the trip to the L’Albarda Mediterranean Gardens near Pedreguer was blessed with breaks in the clouds allowing the sun to shine through.

The coach then headed for Portal de la Marina shopping centre in Ondara, where most members disembarked to take advantage of some retail therapy whilst others continued with the coach to visit the caves at Benidoleig.

This was the second trip this year organised by Travel Co­ordinators Margaret and Malcolm Hamer so special thanks to them. Members are already looking forward to the next trips planned for af­

ter the summer break.

On Monday June 12 at 2pm the monthly picnic will be held at El Faro, Albir with an opportunity to enjoy a walk to the lighthouse and the next meeting of U3A Marina Baixa will be at the Casa de Cultura in Alfaz del Pi on Monday June 26 at 11am.

Visitors and new members will be welcome to come along and membership is just €10 for the year.

For further information visit the U3A Marina Baixa Facebook page or contact their Secretary on 965 845 803 or by email at u3ambsec@gmail .com

The English Choir

THE English Choir Coral Inglesa is celebrating the start of the Moraira Moors and Christians festivities with a free concert in Moraira church on Monday June 12 at 8pm.

The English Choir has been established

and performing on the Costa Blanca for over 40 years. It rehearses every week in Teulada and recruits its members from throughout the Costa Blanca.

For further information about the Choir visit www.englishchoir.com.

COACH TRIP: The members enjoyed some retail therapy.

CBMVC supports Ukrainian refugees

THE wonderfully acoustic Cueva de las Calaveras in Benidoleig will be filled once again on June 16 and 17 with the wonderful sound of the Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir (CBMVC).

Profits from this year’s concert will be donated to ‘SOS Ukraine’, a charity based at the DAR Centre in Javea, which is supporting refugees from the continuing conflict in their country.

“The war continues and is still having a devastating hu­

man impact,” said the choir’s Marketing and Publicity Officer Vernon Pearce.

“We decided to adopt ‘SOS Ukraine’ as our chosen charity this year, because they are doing sterling work with refugees who have fled the war, some of them now in their second year in the Javea area.”

Vernon said that the concert will also feature some musical surprises: “The choir have been rehearsing hard during the winter and are hop­

ing to impress the audience with some new, very different songs, and we also have several young guest singers and surprise accompanists lined up.”

This is the sixth year that the choir have performed at the Cave and the two evenings are always sold out weeks in advance for this popular event.

The box office is now open and tickets are priced at €12.50 can be bought online at www.costablancamalevoi cechoir.com

HELP Marina Alta

DON’T miss HELP’s first summer concert night at Restaurant Los Arcos, Pedreguer on Wednesday June 14 at 7.30pm. HEAT The Temperature is Rising! presents songs from the world­famous crooners with the fantastic Luis Manuel Gil, recently seen in his soldout Michael Buble tribute concert Feeling Good in Denia. Tickets cost €12. To book call the HELP Office on 966 427 044 from Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm. For further information please email events@helpmarinaalta.org.

First musical theme cruise

FESTIVAL OF LEGENDS in collaboration with Marina Sun Travel launches to the market the First Musical Theme Cruise in tribute to the legendary band Queen, a musical journey with a great live tribute band that will recall in three scheduled shows the greatest hits of this legendary band and will also feature great tributes direct from the UK that will come aboard our fantastic cruise to pay tribute every night to great legends of the music.

Brought to you by Festival of Legends, get ready to embark on the ultimate musical extravaganza on a cruise ship: ‘Queen & Legends Cruise’! Get ready for an unforgettable musical adventure with none other than THE SHOW MUST GO ON, one of the most sensational tribute bands of our time!.

Departuring on November 21 on the fantastic Cosgta Cruceros , aboard the great ship Costa Diadema , from the vibrant city of Barcelona, this epic six­day, five­night voyage aboard the magnificent Costa Diadema promises non­stop excitement and entertainment.

An all­inclusive cruise so that you enjoy, dance and party during your cruise they offer the all inclusive drink package.

In addition to the electrifying Queen TributeBand, each night will feature spectacular

live performances that pay tribute to music icons.

• Michael Jackson

• Phil Collins

• Ray Charles

• James Brown

• Cher

• U2

• ELVIS

• Little Richards

Join the extraordinary musical cruise that will create memories to last a lifetime.

Prices start from just €699 per person for a double inside cabin with taxes and Premium Drink Pack included.

You will only have to pay on board, €55 per person as gratuity for the whole journey. Book your tickets now and get ready to embark on a journey that will transcend the boundaries of time and space.

www.themecruises.eu

All aboard the great Costa Diadema.

Press

LUIS MANUEL GIL: Feeling good in Denia.

STAT OF WEEK €3.25 billion

is the amount that Spanish banks saved last year by not increasing the amount of interest they paid on deposit accounts, according to a Bank of Spain report.

BUSINESS EXTRA AI mistrust

Rescue op

ONLINE fashion firm Asos is raising £80 million (€93.2 million) from shareholders and borrowing £275 million (€320 million) from Bantry Bay Capital, which recently bailed out Superdry. Following £291million (€339 million) losses, the funding would give it “financial headroom” to return to profitability, Asos said.

Getting lower

SPAIN’S Consumer Price Index (IPC) stood at 3.2 per cent in May, nine­10ths below April’s 4.1 per cent rate, the Institute of National Statistics (INE) announced, the lowest since July 2021’s 2.9 per cent. The reduction was due to the moderation in food prices and lower fuel prices, INE said.

Top earner

ALEX MAHON, chief executive of Channel 4 which narrowly avoided privatisation last year, could receive the channel’s highest­ever annual income. Mahon, who received a total of £1.2 million (€1.4 million) in 2021, could receive approximately £1.4 million (€1.6 million) if she has met 2022’s top performance targets.

New faces

TELEFONICA added another three directors to the board of its Telefonica Audiovisual Digital (TAD) subsidiary, which is responsible for paid television channel Movistar Plus productions and key areas including the purchase of audio­visual rights. This was TAD’s second major renewal in the last two years.

Powering down

ROLLS­ROYCE is planning cuts that could see the loss of around 3,000 jobs as the engineering giant revealed that it intended to transform “several areas” of the business. The announcement followed reports that the company has plans to merge several departments “to improve organisational efficiencies.”

MORE than 99 per cent of products from Australia and New Zealand are now UK duty­free.

UK businesses can sell more easily to Australia and New Zealand thanks to the trade deals, the first negotiated from scratch since Brexit.

Under the deals’ terms, tariffs on all UK goods exported to Australia and New Zealand will be removed.

This unlocks unprecedented access to these markets, slashes red tape for digital trade and work visas while reducing prices for favourites with UK consumers.

The deals will deliver an

Duty-free for Oz and NZ

services trade amounting to AU$4.4 billion (€2.71 billion) in 2021­22.

A SURVEY of 1,000 people by the Prospect union found that 58 per cent wanted AI regulation in the workplace.

economic boost by driving bilateral trade up by 53 per cent with Australia and 59 per cent with New Zealand, the UK government said.

“Businesses up and down the country can now reap the rewards of our status as an independent trading nation,” Business

IBERDROLA recently put the finishing touches to its alliance with Norway’s sovereign fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management.

Iberdrola will hold a majority stake of 51 per cent in an agreement to invest in 1265 MW of new, renewable energy capacity inside Spain, of which 20 per cent will be wind­powered and 80 per cent produced by solar plants.

Both parties have now informed Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) they have complied with all the legal requirements necessary for formalising the agreement.

This will be directed at speeding up decarbonisation in Spain and could be extended to other countries in future.

The portfolio of assets amounts to approximately €1.2 billion, which Iberdrola will control and manage, providing op­

Settling up

MORE than €28 billion has been withdrawn from Spanish banks since the beginning of this year for early repayment of mortgages and loans as interest rates rose. Another €17,000 billion was transferred to investment funds.

Addressing the General Council of Economists on May 31, Alejandra Kindelan, president of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB), emphasised that despite these withdrawals, deposits were double those of 2008.

It was also “too soon” to gauge the effects of rising interest rate, Kindelan said, although Spanish banks were “somewhat more protected from turbulence,” she added.

and Trade secretary Kemi Badenoch said.

“We can seize new opportunities, driving economic growth, innovation and higher wages.”

Trade between the UK and Australia was worth AU$10 billion (€6.077 billion) in 2022, with two­way

The UK is Australia’s 12th­largest trading partner and second ­ largest source of foreign direct investment, amounting to more than AU$1 trillion (approximately €6.098 trillion) in 2022.

New Zealand’s trade with the UK, its seventhlargest trading partner, amounts to an annual NZ$1 billion (€2.98 billion).

The UK estimates that the deal will add £800 million (€926 million) a year to its gross domestic product.

Iberdrola-Norges alliance

than 500 additional MW of renewable energy in the Iberian Peninsula.

Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, has approximately €1.4 trillion of assets currently under management, and holds stakes in more than 9,000 companies. It owns 1.4 per cent of all the world’s listed companies and 2.5 per cent of every listed company in Europe. The bank is also a principal Iberdrola shareholder, with a stake of more than 3 per cent.

The UK government should safeguard jobs from technologies like ChatGPT, they said.

Prospect’s findings coincided with calls from some tech industry figures to restrict the rapid development of AI.

Only 12 per cent of participants believed the government should not interfere because the benefits were likely to outweigh any disadvantages.

Goldman Sachs’ analysts recently predicted that AI could eventually replace 300 million people, affecting roughly 25 per cent of the global workforce, although many lost jobs would be replaced by new posts working alongside AI.

Happy earnings

SPAIN’S tax earnings increased in April, although more slowly than in April 2022.

Higher wages brought tax authority Hacienda an overall 10.8 per cent increase in revenue, including 11.3 per cent more from income tax (IRPF) and 25.6 per cent more corporation tax.

IVA added­value tax and nonfiscal taxes also rose in April.

erational, maintenance and other corporate services.

Meanwhile, Iberdrola and Norges are already working on further plans to expand their strategic alliance by more

Shunning the office

EMPLOYEES in the UK spend less time in the office than their counterparts anywhere else in the world.

According to a new survey of 9,500 workers and 6,650 companies by global workplace experts, Unispace, the former would prefer to reduce their office days still further.

Meanwhile, 74 per cent of firms wanted less working from home.

The Unispace study found that only 34 per cent of UK employees were in the office for four or more days a week and just 21 per cent were happy to spend that much time working outside the home

Seventy ­ five per cent of employers pointed out that career progression including pay rises, promotions and bonuses would be negatively impacted for hybrid workers, a belief that was shared by only 59 per cent of employees.

Owing to this relationship, Norges has decided to make its first direct investment in renewable assets in Spain with Iberdrola, the largest electricity company by capitalisation in Europe.

Duty-free option

AENA has again put out to tender duty­free shops in Madrid and Catalonia.

The company has invited bids from 13 international operators from Europe, Turkey, Bahrein, Korea, China and India ‘who showed interest’ in the first round.

Dufry, which runs the Madrid and three Catalan shops until next October, has already been allocated the Andalucia­Mediterranean duty­frees and controls Canary Islands outlets through Canariensis.

This could put the Swiss­owned company out of the running, as managing four shops in Madrid and Catalonia would give Dufry 90 per cent of Spain’s duty­free trade, when existing rules limit this to 80 per cent.

Tax earnings brought in €90.68 billion so far this year, a rise of 5.5 per cent ­ 6.5 per cent excluding refunds ­ the Agencia Tributaria said.

This was the highest monthly increase to date, but some way short of the government’s 8.8 per cent forecast for 2023.

Alternatives

THE British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) plans to bring together economists and business leaders in an economic advisory council.

“We’re a year away from a general election and this is a pivotal moment for business,” the BCC’s director general Shevaun Haviland said.

“That is why we have set up the council for expert advice and feedback.”

The announcement also comes at a moment when the BCC and other groups are jockeying for position as potential replacements for the scandal­beset Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

SYDNEY: Free trade agreement between UK, Australia and New Zealand.

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Iberdrola and Norway’s sovereign fund invest in decarbonisation.

Photo credit: CC/Sardaca

Photo credit: Flickr/Stephen Mellentine

LONDON - FTSE 100

DOW JONES

Sister act

ASDA is finalising a deal to buy UK and Irish petrol forecourts owned by its sister business, EG Group, in a deal worth £3 billion (€3.5 billion), enabling the supermarket to enter convenience retailing. A formal announcement is expected soon, revealing their plans to create a combined business worth about £10 billion (€11.66 billion).

No chance

A SEVILLA judge rejected an appeal by infrastructure company Urbas and a group of creditors against an earlier decision to accept Cox Energy’s €500 million offer for the now bankrupt engineering company, Abengoa. The company based in Cox (Alicante), and headed by Enrique Riquelmen, made a last­minute bid, pre­empting Urbas which Abengoa’s board preferred.

Skilled immigration needed

LATEST figures on UK immigration have highlighted the need for visa reform, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) maintained.

Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy director at APSCo, the professional recruitment sector’s trade association, conceded there were “clear concerns” on immigration levels.

“But we can’t overlook the fact that the UK does still desperately need skills to support economic growth and these skills must come from international experts,” Bowers said,

Tender tenterhooks

SPANISH company CAF is waiting to learn if it has won the contract to build 117 trains for Portugal’s state ­ run rail operator Comboios de Portugal (CP).

As well as CAF, headquartered in Beasain (Guipuzcoa), Alstom (France) and Stadler (Switzerland) are in the running for the €819 million contract for 55 regional and 62 local trains. Portugal can no longer build its own

after the Bombardier plant closed in 2004 and ­ although not a tender stipulation ­ the three finalists are committed to investing in local production, knowing that CP will take this into account.

Each of the rolling stock manufacturers has a production centre in Spain but none is currently present in Portugal.

No takeover

explaining the government had missed out on an opportunity to introduce short­term business visas for top­level and highly skilled contractors.

“This would alleviate some of the resourcing challenges facing the UK, without impacting immigration on a longerterm basis,” the APSCo director claimed.

Other countries including Denmark and Germany were already adapting to this requirement, and the UK needed to play catch­up in that respect, Bowers pointed out. “Aside from the positive impact that this would have on immigration numbers, it would also strengthen the attractiveness of the county for highly skilled contractors.

“Access to short­term visas appealed to those working in the flexible labour market,” she said. “As other countries introduce more adaptable working routes, the UK will continue to lose its competitive advantage for attracting key skills.”

ROYAL MAIL’S biggest shareholder dismissed rumours of a takeover bid for the UK postal group but warned it should “adapt” to be successful.

Billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who owns 25 per cent of Royal Mail’s parent, International Distributions Services (IDS), also said that the company should remain on the stock market where British citizens could invest in its shares.

Going further

FRENCH hotel group B&B appointed Enrique Francia, former chief executive of Spain’s VIPs fast food chain, as the company’s non­executive president for Spain and Portugal, in a bid to ramp up the company’s expansion in the Iberian Pensinsula. At present B&B owns 45 hotels in Spain and 11 in Portugal which have more than 4,000 rooms between them.

SKILLED IMMIGRANTS: Visa reform required to attract key employees.

Photo credit: Pixabay/jstarj

BUSINESS EXTRA

More shops

CORNWALL fashion brand Seasalt will open new stores following buoyant sales that tripled profits to £6.5 million (€7.56 million) in the year ending January 2022. Turnover rose by more than a third to £96 million (€111.75 million) according to its latest accounts sent to Companies House.

Classy glass

COCA­COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS is expediting plans to supply glass bottles to the 10,000 Spanish bars and restaurants currently offering only cans or plastic bottles. Environmental concerns apart, the company found that 25 per cent of consumers would happily pay 20 cents more for a glass bottle.

Stepping aside

ANNE BODEN, founder of Starling Bank, is bowing out as chief executive in a move that she explained was made to skirt a potential conflict of interest, as she is a major shareholder. Boden, who launched the online bank in 2014, will remain on the board as non­executive director, she said.

Small spender

IN 2022, Spain spent approximately €5.2 billion of the €37 billion it has so far received from Europe. This amounted to 0.4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and 20 per cent of what it had budgeted for, according to official European Commission figures reported in Spanish media.

Pub gloom

ONLY 29 per cent of UK hospitality business owners told a survey by data and analytics company Nielsen that they regarded the coming year with optimism. Energy costs were the biggest worry for the remainder, with overheads including dearer food and higher wages rising by 81 per cent in the past year.

Another Brexit fiasco

A GIANT warehouse for post­Brexit border checks costing £25 million (€29 million) lies empty.

Nearly 12 months after construction was completed, the complex at Portsmouth’s international port ­ the UK’s second­busiest Channel port ­ is unused.

The UK government announced over a year ago that checks on fresh European Union imports would be delayed for the fourth time as ministers discussed how to carry out inspections.

The new border strategy will be revealed this month but meanwhile Portsmouth city council, which owns the port, has bills to pay.

The council received £17.1 million (€19.9 million) of public money but

even after modifications to cut costs, Portsmouth city council, needed a loan to cover the shortfall.

Mike Sellers, director of

Saved its bacon

Portsmouth’s international port, recently told the British media that the facility has cost the city’s taxpayers £5.4 million (€6.3 million), which must be repaid.

As the council was liable for any defects in the building’s first year, it also had to pay to run the facility’s lights and freezers last summer when electricity prices were at their highest. This cost another £500,000 (€581,767).

In all the council must find £10 million (€11.6 million) to cover its debts, maintenance and the government’s changed requirements.

“We built to a design specified by the government, we did what they asked, and we built it in time,” Sellers said. “It’s frustrating.”

Supervisor raps knuckles

THE Bank of Spain homed in on the low interest rates paid on bank customers’ deposits.

In an article in its most recent Financial Stability Review, Spain’s supervisor pointed out that the country’s banks had fallen short of its expectations regarding the effects of the continuallyincreasing interest rates on clients’ savings.

Against what it described as “a backdrop of sharp monetary policy tightening,” the article studied the links between bank deposit costs and the Euribor, referring to the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the European Union interbank market. This is also used as a reference for setting the interest rate on other loans.

In particular, the Financial Stability Review stated that the remuneration on sight deposits ­ accounts where withdrawals can be made without notice, or after a very short period ­ was currently ‘insignificant’.

It went on to point out that of the 352 basis points ­ equivalent to 3.5 per cent ­ that the Euribor increased in 2022, only 0.7 per cent was

DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS: Interest too low, Bank of Spain said.

PROPERTY developer, British Land, which has been hit by rising interest rates. was relegated from the First Division, in other words London’s FTSE 100.

In contrast, online groceries group Ocado managed to hold on during the latest quarterly review of the 100 most highly­capitalised companies. This automatically relegates any falling below 110th position.

Ocado, the worst­performing FTSE 100 company so far this year, was on the brink of ejection until a last­minute recovery of its share price allowed it to retain its position. The company’s shares have plummeted by 85 per cent since September 2020, when demand for home groceries deliveries soared during the pandemic.

Selfsufficient

passed on to customers’ savings.

In the case of time deposits, where withdrawals cannot be made before a set date or for which notice of is required beforehand, banks have only passed on 4 per cent of this increase.

Amazon sweetener

AMAZON will offer termtime working for UK parents and grandparents with children to look after.

The new contract enables them to take six weeks off in the summer and two weeks at Easter and Christmas.

The GMB union, which is fighting to be the first trade

union in Europe to be recognised by the company, said the flexible working offer was welcome, but most Amazon employees would prefer better wages.

“They’re telling us that they can't live on poverty pay,” a GMB spokesman told the BBC.

Workers at Amazon in

Coventry went on strike for 16 days so far this year, calling for their hourly wage to be increased to £15 (€17.46)

The company, which employs more than 70,000 people in the UK, said it does not believe that union recognition “is appropriate” and prefers to “talk directly” to staff.

Cerealto sacrifices Siro

MULTINATIONAL agrifoods group Cerealto Siro Foods announced that it was closing its Venta de Baños (Palencia) biscuit factory after failing to find a buyer.

When Siro, a household name in Spain, was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2022, it was acquired by the Afendis and Kempner investment funds.

The new owners and workers, together with the central and regional governments, signed a Competitiveness Plan for the group

and approximately 1,900 employees.

This guaranteed continuity of employment and production in Venta de Baños, Aguilar de Campo (Palencia) and Toro (Zamora), dependent on finding a buyer for the Venta de Baños factory.

Despite a ‘far­reaching, worldwide search involving 60 potential buyers’, no deal materialised which, under the terms of the agreement, has resulted in shutting down the Venta de Baños plant.

FOR nine hours on May 19 between 10 am and 7pm, Spain generated enough green electricity via solar, wind and hydroelectric power to cover 100 per cent of the mainland’s demand.

Although this has happened before, the supply was not sustained for such a long period, the state­owned Electricity Network of Spain (REE) explained.

Furthermore, this occurred on a normal weekday when consumption was high, not at the weekend or on a national holiday when there was less demand.

The weather was also favourable, with abundant sunshine and moderate wind.

Boots marches on

SEB JAMES, president and managing director of Boots, more than doubled his pay last year.

He took home £3.8 million (€4.4 million) after the pharmacy and beauty chain tripled profits as pandemic restrictions were lifted, reporting a pre­tax profit of £137 million (€159.3 million).

This was £44.5 million (€51.8 million) more than in 2021, a result helped by closing 44 underperforming outlets, according to Boots UK. In all, the company plans to close a total of 200, reducing the number of stores to 2,232 by the end of summer 2023.

PORTSMOUTH: Border checks warehouse still empty.

OUR esteemed politicians are all still well at it; fully on the ‘campaign trail’ that is. Dontcha just wish they were all actually on that ‘Old Chisolm Trail’ and disappearing over the horizon ­ forever?

Told you the Left would continue its assault on the policies of the right until the general election hove into view. The dissent and misery simply keeps on coming. (If I hear ‘it’s going to get even worse’ one more time……) Even if they can’t specifically blame any of the other parties, or indeed suggest any resolutions, they methodically keep delivering reports which depress the populace so much the voters are virtually prepared to do anything to experience a bit of cheer. The leftie union leaders’ latest disturbing efforts not only managed to disrupt the enjoyment of the football final and Derby racing fans, but even long awaited concerts by popular poppers Beyoncé and Elton John.

One truth you can be assured of is that when you hear a politician tell you

Ongoing misery

something has been made ‘absolutely clear,’ you can bet your bottom dollar it’s about as clear as a pea soup’er at midnight. No, the only clarity to emerge from this lot is that they are a bunch of self­indulgent, incompetent con merchants, interested in nothing further than the preservation of their own, often utterly worthless skins and unworthy to even represent a flagpole ­ leave alone the flags that adorn them.

Come back Mr Fawkes, all is forgiven. To think in days of yore we actually looked up to this untrustworthy bunch, believing they were the undisputable champions of our once great country? How blindly we followed their decisions and ‘leadership’ and were utterly convinced that mere mortals like us could never hope to understand the workings of ‘The House’ with its proud history and pomp, which has endured over hundreds of years. Most of our present day politicians are in fact the traitorous and highly dangerous ‘enemy within’. Many of them would rather side with their oppo­

nents than risk losing their privileged positions or a few votes. They are terrified of standing up to the ‘politically correct’, woke inspired cultural threats and the ever increasing denials of freedom of speech, which threaten to stifle today’s ingenious GB citizens. As far as this ol’ boy is concerned, I’d never actually vote for any of them.

Once again the Labour contingency has been ranting on about lowering the voting age to 16. This is of course merely a blatant effort to gain votes from naive youngsters who have never lived under the left, are effortlessly impressed by Starmer and Rayner’s rhetoric and consequently a mite easier to con than many of their adult compatriots.

Ah well, with the continuing encroachment of Artificial Intelligence (coupled with Artificial Insemination!) we’ll probably soon be existing without the pomposity of a single political pillock anyway.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com

Mon. Fri. 1pm till 4.

CALCULATED RISK OUR VIEW

THE decision by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez to call a general election in July rather than December was to say the least unexpected.

He is either very brave, stupid, or highly manipulative as it was clear from the local elections just passed that there is a marked swing towards the right of centre and in some cases even further right.

As his coalition with Podemos is clearly crumbling and deputy PM Yolanda Diaz is forming her own left wing political party, he wants to alert voters to the possible spectre of a PP/Vox coalition and there is a general feeling that the majority who don’t look back on the Franco years with pleasure might worry about Vox gaining any more power.

Many residents of big cities such as Madrid have second homes in coastal ar­

eas of Spain and Sunday July 23 is really in the middle of holiday season so those who can afford to do so (and are most likely to be Partido Popular voters) will almost certainly be away on holiday so will have to be bothered to apply for a postal vote.

Many businesses across the country, both large and small have been adversely affected by the numerous new laws that have been created and the fact that it is now often more beneficial for people to remain unemployed rather than work in lower paid jobs, so in the main, they are keeping their fingers crossed for the return of the PP.

As an aside, the Gibraltar Schengen situation is back on hold and what should have been a done deal has the potential to be dead in the water.

By Clinica Britannia

Restore your smile to its former glory

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Straighten your teeth to give you that perfect smile with adult invisible braces. These discreet solutions can act in as little as 10 weeks.

Now with leading technology, complex procedures such as white fillings, dental crowns, bridges, inlays, and veneers can be done in a single appointment, making treatments quick, effective, and hassle­free.

Professional tooth whitening is one affordable way to transform your smile and release your inner sparkle. Whether you choose the in­house or take­home system you will have a whiter and brighter smile within no time.

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IF you are exercising to assist weight loss, do it in the morning.

Dr Juleen Zierath, professor of Integrative Physiology at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute in Sweden, found that mice exercising on a treadmill in the first three hours after wak ­

ing produced higher levels of the enzymes used to metabolise fat. The same amount of exercise later in the day produced far lower levels of these enzymes.

“If you’re a regular morning exerciser, your body is likely to be more sensitive to

or

breaking down fat and using it as energy,” Dr Zierath said.

“That could mean that one might potentially be able to lose a bit more weight. Exercise also helps with weight maintenance, so morning exercise may prevent weight gain.”

MORNING EXERCISE: Could help to lose

maintain weight.

Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

By Clinica Britannia

Rebalancing the body’s hormones

BHRT: Hormones derived from plant oestrogens.

HORMONES are an important part of our body’s messenger system. These chemicals send signals to almost every part of our body, coordinating everything from appetite, digestion, immune function, libido, and mood. When these hormones become even a fraction out of balance, it has a direct impact on our health and well­being.

Hormone replacement therapies are prescribed to rebalance the body’s hor­

mones. One such, natural therapy is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). These hormones are derived from plant oestrogens and are chemically identical to those produced by the human body. They are designed so our body uses them in the same way it does our own hormones. Oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are among those most replicated and can be administered in various ways. Now avail­

Calories

THE average Briton consumes an annual 75,000 calories in alcohol, the same as 1,700 chicken nuggets, 328 Mars bars or 152 Big Macs.

able are specialised gels and creams that are tailormade specifically for the individual patient’s needs.

BHRT can be used to treat men as well as women, but is most frequently used to ease symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

Common symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, concentration issues, mood swings and lack of libido can all be successfully treated.

Contact us at Clinica Britannia for an appointment with our Specialist who can discuss treatment options available for you.

A berry good idea

Linda Hall

A DIET rich in flavonols can help to prevent memory loss.

Best of all, they are present in the fruit, vegetables and other products that are near at hand here in Spain, especially now.

The results of a study by US researchers published in the PNAS science journal found that over ­ 60s who already consumed sufficient flavanols saw no benefit by adding more to their diet.

In contrast, those with flavonol deficits recorded

memory improvement at an average of 16 per cent in a year, investigators found.

Strawberries, which are abundant and cheap at present, are an excellent source, together with other berries like the blueberries and raspberries which we can buy yearround.

Flavonols don’t stop there and are present in cherries ­ less abundant and more expensive this season ­ peaches, blackcurrants, grapes, apples and citrus fruit.

They are there too in leafy green vegetables and peppers as well as dark chocolate, tea and even red wine.

Complexion lesson

IN excess, refined sugar can accelerate skin ageing through a process called glycation.

Glycation occurs when sugar in the bloodstream attaches to proteins and fats to form harmful compounds called advanced glygcation end products (AGEs).

Over time, these accumulate in the second layer of skin, the dermis, and destroy collagen, said Dr Thivi Maruthap ­

pu, dermatologist, nutritionist and spokeswonan for the British Skin Foundation.

This in turn causes loss of skin elasticity, creating wrinkles.

Instead of sugary snacks, Dr Maruthappu suggested a few squares of dark chocolate, which contains skin ­ loving antioxidants called acanthocyanins and are believed to combat premature skin ageing.

DrinkWell, which sells low­calorie, lowsugar alcoholic drinks online, worked out that the average Briton drinks approximately 18 units of alcohol, the equivalent of nine medium glasses of wine at 83 calories each, or nine pints of beer at 230 per week.

Allergies

TWENTY­FIVE per cent of Europeans suffer from some type of allergy affecting the nose, sinuses or chest.

This will rise to 50 per cent within the next decade owing to climate change, immunologists predict.

Meanwhile, as the hay fever season reaches a peak, antihistamines will allay some of the discomfort but so, on a windy day, can the much reviled face masks we wore in the pandemic.

And red, itchy eyes will be less sore if you put used teabags in the fridge to use as an improvised cold compress.

It’s a puzzle

SCIENTISTS from the Wellcome Sanger Institute (Cambridge), together with research centres including the Zoological Society of London, hope to discover why some species avoid cancer.

Whales generally have low cancer rates, but the disease is a principal cause of death in cats and dogs while foxes are vulnerable but sheep are not.

Cancer causes the death of approximately 10 million people each year.

WHY IS GREAT BRITAIN NO LONGER GREAT?

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

IN a parallel universe, I write about the state of Britain week after week ­ just this, nothing else ­ until everybody’s bored rigid with the mind­numbing monotony of it. Finally it’s just me in an empty room, repeatedly questioning what’s gone wrong until the end of time. Fortunately for everybody’s sanity, you only have to read me ranting on about it all just this once. Now. I promise!

We Brits are good at boasting we’ve got the best in the world: NHS, BBC, police, football, parliamentary democracy, army etc. You name it we’ve got it. But rather than admit that the British army, say, doesn’t have the same resources as its American counterparts, we’ll retort: “OK! But the SAS are the best special forces in the world.” Maybe it’s a coping mechanism for being an ex­global power?

Let’s examine a few of these institutions. First off, the NHS. Its sacred cow status has caused its service and efficiency to decline even further with bureaucrats who are unaccountable and have more commitment to

keeping their jobs and the unwieldy bureaucracy than to improving the patient’s lot. We’ve all heard wonderful stories of people saved by the NHS that can’t be denied. Likewise we’ve heard truly shocking, dreadful sto­

CONSULAR MATTERS

MANY foreigners are thinking of having EU citizenship to avoid the inconveniences of extending their Spanish residency.

There are several possibilities to apply for Spanish nationality, depending on your situation. I will explain to you the options:

Citizenship by legal residence

Obtaining nationality by residence requires the residence of the person in Spain during the required residence period, depending on the case, legally, continuously, and immediately prior to the request, as well as compliance with the requirements of good civic conduct and integration.

The general requirement is a legal and continuous residence in Spain for at least 10 years prior to the application. There are several cases when the residence term can be reduced:

Citizenship by option:

1) Those who are or have been subject to the custody of a Spanish citizen.

2) Those whose father or mother was originally Spanish and born in Spain.

3) Persons for whom the determination of filiation or birth in Spain occurred after the 18th. In this case, the right to citizenship exists for two years since the determination of filiation or birth.

4) Those persons whose adoption by Spanish citizens occurs after the 18th. In this case, the right exists until 20 years old.

The other option is to apply for Spanish citizenship by the law of democratic memory. By this law, the following individuals can apply:

1) Those who were born outside of Spain to a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who were originally Spanish.

2) Those who were born outside of Spain to a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who were originally Spanish and, as a result of experiencing exile due to political, ideological, or belief­related reasons, or due to sexual orientation and identity, have lost or renounced their Spanish nationality, may opt for Spanish nationality.

3) Children born abroad to Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying foreigners before entry into the 1978 Constitution.

4) Adult children of Spanish nationals who are recognised as their original nationality through the right of option.

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

ries of hopeless, abusive, incorrect, lazy care, leading to suffering and death.

As for the BBC, I’m increasingly finding its news broadcasts unwatchable for its gushing presenters with their silly, false hand gestures, simpering pieces to camera, ghastly ‘namechecks’, and delivery as if to a retarded threeyear ­ old. Even more work, then, for my mute/fast­forward button.

And, finally, the police. The recent scathing Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police reminds us yet again of the institutional racism at its core. Commissioned in response to the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, Baroness Casey’s report reconfirms that the Met remains institutionally racist, but goes even further. It also accuses Britain’s biggest police force of being institutionally sexist, misogynistic AND homophobic.

What a sad indictment of these depressing times. But time to get used to the fact Britain is rapidly changing. Uncontrolled immigration. Incompetent politicians (some of whom lie ­ yes, you, Boris). Incompetent police officers. The BBC run by obscenely­overpaid supremos. A health service on life support despite huge increases in ‘managers’ who couldn’t run a village fête, let alone vital NHS Trusts.

Medical staff on strike who prioritise their needs over those they’re supposed to care for such as the gravely ill resulting from lack of treatment during the pandemic. Overpaid, over­pensioned public­sector bosses who couldn’t organise a you­know­what. Where’s it all going to end?

And isn’t this year’s Chelsea Flower Show but a reflection of the current UK? An analogy. Wild, overgrown, out of control, choked with weed, forlorn, a shadow of its former self, impenetrable. Weedkiller, anyone? A general election perhaps?

And a final word on the UK honours system. Tainted by unfairness, cronyism and corruption, it must be made fit for those truly deserving of national recognition. Honours are for courage, selflessness and going above and beyond. Not for back­scratching, time­serving and bungs.

So, why is Great Britain no longer great? Answers on a postcard please.

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.no ra­johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.

Many of our readers have commented on the fact they are missing the Grumpy Old Man articles that were part of EWN for so many years. Unfortunately, Mike Senker hasn’t been very well of late and therefore had to stop writing for a while although he has promised he is still quite grumpy and will submit new articles as and when he can. In the meantime, we have dusted off some of his always amusing observations from past issues for your entertainment.

Why is everything so expensive?

WHY is everything so expensive these days? I saw a book recently called ‘How to find happiness without money'’ - it cost €20! I have grey hair and was advised to use a special shampoo. I looked it up online and it was £30 a bottle. Are they mad?

My first mortgage was less than that a month and I struggled to pay that! Of course you don’t have to pay that much. You can go to the supermarket and get a bottle for a couple of euros but I think there is just a big keg somewhere and they use the same stuff for shampoo, body wash, dishwashing, carpet cleaning, car wash and flea shampoo for dogs!

I was in the airport the other day and had a cheese and tomato baguette which is just a poncey name for a big roll. It was £6.50! I’ve seen more cheese on a mouse trap and the slice of tomato looked like it had been shaved off and was cleverly hanging out the side to make it look full. £3 for a bottle of water! It’s just a liberty. But it’s a

captive audience so we pay it. I remember years ago I was in Dallas and wanted to go out for a steak so I asked the concierge where a good place to go was. “Do you want a $50 steak or a $100 steak?” he asked. “What’s the difference?” I enquired. “$50”, he said, “the steak’s the same but one place has carpet on the floor the other sawdust.” We went with the sawdust! Get my point?

It’s the same here in Spain. I went to a restaurant with some mates and was told it was nouveau cuisine. Not having a clue what that meant at the time, as this was a few years ago, I ordered something with prawns as a starter and up came a lettuce leaf with a prawn on it. I sort of treated it a bit like testing the wine. By the time the waiter had served the other three people I looked up and said, “Very nice, I’ll have a whole portion please.” “That was a whole portion sir.” “Err, no I don’t think so and definitely not at €25 a pop.” Needless to say to say it went downhill from there. The bill came, it was a few hundred euros and I was starving. I told them, in no uncertain terms what I thought of them, and told them there was no way their place would last. Sure enough three months later it was gone and now is a successful ‘eat as much as you can’ wok place. Full every night!

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

NORA’S LATEST THRILLER.

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

If you want to apply for Spanish citizenship, this article is for you

Gardens in full flower

EXPAND YOUR SPANISH

MACHO, a Spanish word meaning male, has entered the English language to describe a man who is assertively masculine, and sexist with it.

So spare a thought for any machista or chauvinist whose parents called him Romero, Jacinto or Narciso. This means he must answer to Rosemary, Hyacinth or Narcissus , although you meet fewer of them now that the custom of naming a child after a parent or grandparent has fallen into disuse.

What hasn’t fallen into disuse is the custom of embellishing balconies and windowboxes with as many plants as they can hold. Given the climate in Mediterranean Spain, gardens can be lush, although not in a way that depends on reliable rainfall or lluvia, but whichever you opt for you will need to acquire plants by asking:

Is there a nursery near here?.....¿hay un vivero cerca de aquí?

I want to buy fertiliser/a trowel/spade/secateurs/a rake//hoe…..quiero compara abono/una palita/una pala/tijeras de podar/un rastrillo/una azada (although it’s only fair to warn you that instead of an Englishspeaker’s laboursaving hoe you could be offered a back­breaking mattock)

I’d like to buy seeds…..quiero comprar

semillas

I’d like to buy some indoor/outdoor plants…..quiero comprar unas plantas de interior/plantas de exterior

Does it need much light/shade?…

..¿necesita mucha luz/sombra?

Does it need watering often/seldom…

..¿necesita mucha/poca agua?

The names of some plants rarely need translating but others do, especially those found in herbaceous borders:

I’m looking for pansies, lupins, snapdragons, nasturtiums, sweet peas, lavender, oleanders, …..busco pensamientos, altramuces, boca de lobo, capuchinos, guisantes de olor, espliego (increasingly referred to as lavanda), adelfas,

If your balcony or terrace can accommodate them:

I’m looking for hollyhocks/sunflowers…..busco malvarosas/girasoles

If you have problems:

I need weedkiller…..necesito herbicida

I need to get rid of aphids/greenfly/whitefly/snails/ants…..necesito eliminar pulgones (for both aphids and greenfly)/mosca blanca/caracoles/hormigas

Meanwhile, the kind of nursery that provides childcare is una guarderia, which sounds suspiciously like a lockup for infants but nevertheless doesn’t keep them behind bars and lets them leave at the end of the day.

Pagan Spain

LINDA HALL

IT’S on June 24, St John’s Day, and its eve that many of Spain’s pagan rituals temporarily resurface.

I saw one of them, the L’Arbret fiesta, in Altea almost half a century ago when all I expected was a drink on a bar terrace.

My husband’s uncle and aunt were staying with us in Benidorm and we were visiting Teresa, one of Tía Margarita’s friends. I suppose I knew at the time, but have now forgotten, how my Madrileña aunt­in­law had a friend in Altea, which was less than a 10th of its present size and light years, not just a few hundred kilometres, away from Madrid.

We drank our wine and ate our tapas overlooking the road up to the church and as the sun went down we heard shouting, cheering and music in the distance. It heralded the arrival of a large number of young men who were half ­ carrying, half ­ dragging a huge tree up the steep street.

They were practically ­ naked, practically ­ drunk, semi ­ exhausted but entirely satisfied with themselves and dizzyingly male.

This was a link with the past that made the Romans look like recent arrivals and the Moors newcomers. It was Pan and the Green Man with a touch of Dionysus thrown in for good measure.

They manhandled the tree which was rapidly losing its foliage past us and Teresa told us it would be erected in front of the church, to bring good luck, good crops and a good number of children in the coming year. A tree is still hauled up to the church square on St John’s night and there’s as much noise, satisfaction and hard drinking as before. There’s a children’s tree too because it’s fun for the children to join in and since there are junior fallas, junior hogueras, junior fiesta queens, why not a junior tree?

So the ritual remains but it’s definitely no longer all about young men, trees, Pan and the Green Man plus a touch of Dionysus too.

Good work LETTERS

Dear Leapy

I would just like to thank you for your column. What you write in the Euro Weekly, it’s a shame our country has gone to the dogs. I spend most of my time in Spain now and I just hate going back. Anyway all the best mate, keep up the good work.

Alex

Religious minority

Thank you Chris King for your article highlighting the plight of these families and persecuted members of our faith. Every voice that stands against oppression and raises awareness is a valued voice that calls for humanity.

Michelle

No understanding

I can’t understand how we love in a world where when you ask for help, as your life and your family are at risk, you get beaten and incarcerated. I really thank this article and I pray everyone in this world has the freedom to live their faith in peace.

Veronica

Spot on

Just wanted to say that this week’s report is spot on again. Hope you can post this on more social media sites where the young may stand a chance of seeing it. (not that they will change in any way !!)

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Best wishes,

Young generation

Tony Wiggins

Mother here of two Gen Z kids ­ the age group Leapy refers to. He is so out of touch. My kids 18 and 22 are anti­designer. They walked to school and looked after themselves after school whilst I worked. They are anti­fast food, can both cook healthy food ­ far better than previous generations.

They are frugal and prefer second­hand clothes which is now the fashion. They change their phones when they break. One of them is a teacher who gets in to work at 7am and is there till 5, going home to do marking. But will still give his seat on a bus to somebody more in need.

What they are is very open to different cultures and different sexual persuasions. Not a bad thing in my book. Incidentally they also read real books and write them. They open the door to people both in real life and metaphorically.

When are older people going to stop demonising this generation that are probably

the kindest, most respectful people alive today . Believe me they could learn a lot.

Fiona

Your job

Come on Leapy I know you have said before you are not interested in standing for Parliament, but let’s face it you are the man for the job.

With you as the new Prime Minister we might just stand a chance of putting the GREAT back in BRITAIN.

Anyway keep up the good work of spreading common sense.

Regards,

It’s obvious

Tony

Re letter from DMP edition June 1, ‘Electric scooters being misused and asking Leapy to write about it’.

Sorry to point out the obvious but the police probably do not read EWN. If people want to bring the misuse to the attention of the police and other authorities, may I suggest they speak directly to them? That way they will know of the problem and can choose whether it’s worth tackling it.

John Carrington

No chance

Hola, thinking how Mental Health is brought up so often now, do you remember a 1966 recording ‘They’re coming to take me away haha’ by Napoleon XIV?

Don’t think he would have got it released in today’s society

Raymond Wilby

The truth

Dear Leapy,

In response to your column in EWN this week, I would say that never were truer words written! While reading it, two descriptive words came to me immediately, ignorance and hypocrisy! As for respect, they wouldn't know how to spell it!

Ken, San Fulgencio

Tourists beware

My understanding is that it is not possible for Spanish police to issue penalty points to drivers driving under a British (or Irish) driving licence.

Apart from all else, the British issue penalty points, whereas, the Spanish system awards every driver with 12 points, then takes them away as punishment for driving related offences. It would be sweet, however, if you already had nine British penalty points, and Spanish Plod came along and took the ning points off you, lol.

Allan Grieve

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

I REMEMBER, over 70 years ago, when I was at school and my young brain was able to learn, understand and retain information so much better than today. Not just knowledge, not just facts, but information. How interesting it was to get to know, at the age of 16, the significance of the year 1848 for European politics, the names of the African countries bordering the Gold Coast and the characters in Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’.

With most of my life ahead of me, it was exciting to explore and understand the world as it was then in the 50s and had been in the past. But so much information absorbed during the last four years at school has never been used since. It’s still stored somewhere in the brain. This includes algebraic formulae and Latin verbs. Being inaccessible, this information is about as useful as a pair of sunglasses in Manchester.

Likewise, the name of my head teacher is stored somewhere in my

WELL, WHADDA YUH KNOW !

It is a fact that people tend to show more patience and tolerance towards physical decline rather than mental decline. This is probably because it is visible. If we have a coughing fit or start dribbling every five minutes, those in our presence patiently look the other way. If we keep falling over, they help us up or provide physical support. But if we go into the bathroom to look for a corkscrew they are neither amused nor sympathetic.

brain. But I have forgotten it, meaning I can’t retrieve it, and may never be able to do so in the future.

So, if somebody asks me a question, do I say “I can’t remember”

(meaning “I used to know”) or “I don’t know” (meaning “I never did know”)? If I can’t answer, then people will assume the latter ­ that I’m a blockhead.

After leaving school, as I ab ­

sorbed more and more information, I soon realised that many of us acquire knowledge in order to impress others by displaying it.

A conversation can thus quickly turn into an ego­boosting pointsscoring exercise, the purpose of which is to make the ‘loser’ look ignorant. And it can be argued that, for this purpose, the inability to access the stored information leaves

the ‘loser’ in the same position as never having acquired it in the first place.

As we age, we slow down physically and mentally. We command less respect and attention from others, especially strangers. And so, unless we have an exceptional energy, charisma or sense of humour, we can become patronised or even ignored.

And, at the moment, I cannot recall where I had breakfast yesterday, although this will probably come back to me. But this is not terribly interesting or useful information. I just wish I could remember to whom I lent my stereo system. Ah, of course! I sold it eight years ago.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

We’re making a contribution

THE British Benevolent Fund was founded over a century ago to help those Britons in Spain in extreme financial distress. Many times, this distress is exasperated or caused by illness ­ mental or physical impairing an individual’s ability to earn an income.

We are presently struggling with a case of Susan, a young mother of two children who came to Spain with her husband. They both worked remotely for UK companies, but were resident in Spain and eligible for health support.

They had been here for a relatively short time when shortly before Christmas the husband took ill and was rushed to hospital where they diagnosed multiple organ failure which included the liver.

He was taken to an emergency ward where he still is receiving 24­hour care and awaiting a liver transplant. He remains in a critical condition.

Neither he nor his wife had any insurance for any such eventuality and with the loss

of income it meant she has had to cut back to the basics for the children. Their respective families have chipped in small amounts, but nobody is able to fund their situation for any length of time.

The doctors have given him a slim chance ­ but a fighting one.

A suitable donor is being awaited and they calculate around two to three months.

In the meantime, bills need to be paid ­ even with her reduced income ends don’t meet. Rent, food, utility, travel to and from the hospital and two children to take care of.

Much depends on the outcome of the operation ­ but in the shorter term we are trying to help Susan get through what must be an unbearable

situation to face every day.

State support is not available to them as they have only been in Spain for a short time and not made the necessary contributions.

We have agreed an amount to cover her immediate needs ­ to make up the shortfall from what she is able to earn and make a contribution to some of the accrued expenses for the children.

And we wait for a better outcome.

We can only help people like Susan with your support, if you would like to make a donation to help her and many others who face the worst that life can throw please visit www.british benevolentfund.org

Thank

you,

Olaf Clayton, Chair, BBF

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

As a teenager, I could remember the names of all the characters in ‘Julius Caesar’. Today I can’t remember which room I am in.

Photo credits: Archaeological Museum, Turin and toompool.com

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

PETS

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It is important to recognise the signs of otitis.

Affected dogs may show signs such as: Head shaking, scratching at the affected ear, dark discharge and odour from the ear, redness and swelling of the ear canal, itchiness and crusting or scabs in the ears. Moisture, which can create a prime growing environment for bacteria and yeast.

Allergies, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, foreign bodies, excessive cleaning, excessive cleaning and use of unsuitable products and ear injuries. If your dog is showing any of the common signs of ear infections, it’s important to visit your veterinarian in Alicante as soon as possible.

Examination with an otoscope, which allows evaluation of the ear canal and eardrum.

Microscopic examination of samples taken by swabbing the ear and culture of samples from the ear are some things which are necessary. If it affects the middle/inner ear, X­rays will be necessary, including CT or MRI.

Dog-sitters for mature pets

DOG-SITTERS can play a vital role for elderly pets. This is Jonti ,he is 16 years old. Still fit and loves to walk around, but there are times when he needs to rest at home. Rather short sighted now and a little deaf, being able to stay at home where all is familiar is a great comfort to both Jonti and his owner.

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 HouseSitMatch.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

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

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.

10 out of 10 for housesit match.com

I have had nothing but good and helpful service from the people who run this site, and my experience has been excellent.

Tristram Cosgrave ­ Dog and cat owner, Malaga

How do you join?

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

Meet Jonti - He has dog-sitters care for him at home.

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

www.helpbenidorm.org

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

email tracey@sosinsur anceinspain.com (290139)

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

MOTOR INSURANCE

MOBILE WELDER: GATES, RAILINGS AND GRILLS. ALL REPAIRS. +44 7787 585 714 / +44 7470 059 469 (302924)

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE : Courses held in English and starts soon. VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (303488)

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

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

VARIOUS music CDs, DVDs and DVD box sets. Job lot €100. Listings available. 604 185 014

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

El Campello Christian Community - Life and Family Sunday Service at 11am Bilingual (English and Spanish) at C/ San Bartolome, 35 (Bajo No. 6), El Campello. For more information visit www.el campellochristiancommuni ty.org, email campellocc@ gmail.com or call Juan Zúñiga - 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop610 639 426 (English) (233602)

THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10.30am followed by a time of Fellowship. Everyone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzim merer@hotmail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008)

MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mb electrics.es (302561)

For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 952 147 834, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 952 147 834 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

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

ALBIR , ALTEA, MORAIRA, 24 HOUR EMERGENCY. 686 513 510 (294632)

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

GUARANTEED MORTGAGE 100%. Acceptance. EX Pat Mortgages. Non Resident Mortgages. Spanish Resident Mortgages. Highest LTV in Spain. Call Damian today on: 655 141 092 (302913)

VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS COVERED. TEL: PETER 644 139 274 (303521)

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

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

WIGS

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

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FRENCH, ELÉGANTE , SLIM SOPHIE, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villamartin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526 (302810)

RELAX CENTRE in BENIDORM - Excellent atmosphere. Expert Masseuses. 24/7 OutcallsTel: 603 324 564 (290194)

NATURIST male gives relaxing massage. Half price 1st time offer €25. For men and women. Private premises in Jávea, WhatsApp Rob on 613 831 380 (303490)

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MASSAGE in Denia. Ritual and deep relaxation. Teya: 692 450 679. (302659)

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DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602

PAINTER & DECORATOR. WINDOW CLEANER / MAINTENANCE. CALL NEIL ON +34 642 577 442 OR +44 753 586 6419 (302909)

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

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (295674)

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)

HOTEL 5 FEATHERS. Holidays for your birds. Call Maria 607 26 25 24. www.papagayos -costablanca.net (302911)

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

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

COSTA BLANCA CASAS - Villa rentals. Do you still want to rent your property this summer?

It’s not too late ! Give us a call 0034 666 327 729 (303580)

REMOVALS/STORAGE

BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 622 658 992 (301136)

MAN & VAN for hire, cheap & reliable. Jalon Valley & surrounding area. Call/Whatsapp 636 100 873 (303571)

ROLLER SHUTTERS

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

SKIP HIRE

JAVEA SKIP HIRE. CALPE TO DENIA. 2.5M AND 3.5M SKIPS. GARDEN OR RUBBLE.TEL:692 588 088. (302905)

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS

MARK PADDON BSc

Hons. MCIOB, CAAT – for buyer’s survey & defects advice. Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costa blancasurveyors.com

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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

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Kuga - a smart and smooth visual presence

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack

WITH ever more new models being launched the demand for SUVs con­

tinues. However, it’s easy to forget that some of the long familiar names in SUV world have also been transformed. Ford’s Kuga has been a familiar sight since 2008, indeed before

that the Kuga name (spelled Cougar) was at tached to a coupe, and you see many older Kugas still looking good.

The very latest Kuga has a refreshingly smart and smooth visual presence compared to many of the overly aggressive looking newer entrants. Think of the Kuga like a grown up Ford Puma, which when I tested it had many people thinking it had stylistic echoes of Porsche’s Cayenne. Praise indeed! Prices for the Kuga start from €37,928/ £32,680 with standard equipment including auto lights, privacy glass, heated door mirrors, air conditioning, heated windscreen, keyless start, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and four drive modes.

The two engine options are a 1.5 ­ litre EcoBoost with six ­ speed manual

the pick of the duo in my book, a 2.5 ­ litre petrol hybrid with CVT automatic transmission. You can have either a self ­ charging or plug ­ in hybrid with 190 PS and 225 PS respectively. In plug ­ in mode the Kuga will cover around 30 ­ 35 miles (in the real world) on pure electric, the full hybrid can utilise electric power automatically, such as at low speed, and assist the petrol engine to avoid using excessive combustion power.

An ST ­ Line X Edition was my test model and

priced at €45,095 / £38,855, in addition to that hybrid power it gains significantly more standard equipment such as LED lights, hands ­ free powered tailgate, power opening panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats plus steering wheel, parking camera, climate control, keyless entry and start along with subtle styling adornments including red brake calipers.

On the road the Kuga is as smooth as it flowing lines, and unless pushed hard the CVT gearbox

FORD KUGA: A refreshingly smart and smooth visual presence.

doesn’t cause much of an audible ruffle ­ it is a trait of these boxes to raise the revs thereby increasing cabin noise ­ and changes smoothly.

For a large SUV the Kuga handles well despite its taller stance and weighty battery pack, thanks to a comfortably stiffened sports suspension and excellent steering feel.

Inside there is rather more ‘scratchy’ hard plastic than one would like, but a welcome presence of buttons and a logical layout with clear displays are big plus points. The driving ‘feel’ just adds further to the Kuga’s already appealing presence.

Alcaraz breezes through French Open

SPANISH tennis star Carlos Alcaraz is through to the last eight of the French Open at Roland Garros.

The 20­year­old from Murcia demolished his Italian opponent Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday afternoon, June 4. An easy 6­3, 6­2, 6­2 victory placed the current world No1 within touching distance of a potential semi­final match­up with Novak Djokovic.

Musetti had only played the Spaniard on clay on one previous occasion. Last July he won 6­4, 6­7(6), 64 on his way to capturing his first­ever ATP title in Hamburg. On Sunday on court, Philippe Chatrier was a different affair though with Alcaraz breezing through.

Alcaraz broke the serve of the 17th seed on seven occasions during the match while firing a total of 42 winning shots. He will now face fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas who overpowered Austria’s 118th­ranked Sebastian Ofn­

er 7­5 6­3 6­0. This will be the young Spanish player’s second consecutive Roland Garros quarter­final while on an undefeated run of 11 Grand Slam matches.

“I think I played such a great level, really high quality of shots. I played a really complete match from the first ball until the last and I’m pretty happy

to get through this tough round,” Alcaraz said after the match.

“I try not to think about the number one ranking, the pressure, winning the tournament. I try to put all those thoughts outside my mind and try just to play tennis, to enjoy it and smile all the time,” he added, as reported by a news source.

Credit: Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock.com

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz in 2022.

Fastest athlete passes away

JIM HINES , the American sprinter who became the first athlete to run 100 metres in less than 10 seconds, has passed away at the age of 76. His death was reported on Monday, June 5, by a news outlet.

In 1968 he crossed the finishing line in the Mexico Olympics 100m final in a blistering world record time of 9.95 seconds. There was a slight controversy over his time, which was first recorded at 9.89, but was later adjusted to 9.95 seconds.

The 9.89 was taken from a light beam across the finish line, while the official photographic process used Polaroid film and took a couple of minutes to process and read.

Hines held the world 100m record for a staggering 15 years, the longest period that any athlete ever held it. His time was eventually broken in July 1983 by fellow American sprinter, Calvin Smith, who ran a 9.93 seconds race.

Later in 1968, he was drafted by the legendary Miami Dolphins American football team. Hines managed 10 appearances for the NFL giants in 1969. He subsequently made just one appearance in 1970 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 1994, Jim Hines was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2016, his talent was recognised by the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.

Kane tops Real Madrid’s wish list

ENGLAND captain Harry Kane is Real Madrid’s top target in the hunt to replace departing Karim Benzema. The news was reported on Monday June 5, by Guillem Balligue, Spanish football writer for the BBC.

Kane tops a list which contains Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Kai Havertz (Chelsea) and Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) and he is known to be very highly regarded by the Spanish club. Daniel Levy at Tottenham could scupper this though as he looks for in excess of £100 million.

With big names like Benzema and Eden Hazard leaving this summer Real Madrid should have some big money to play with but should Levy price Madrid out it would be a big pity for Kane.

With Harry Kane’s reputation of being a goal scorer of the highest level, as well as a leader on the pitch, his trophy cabinet is severely lacking and many hope that Kane is able to take the plunge and go with a club that can offer this, especially as Spurs won’t be playing Champions League football next season.

A news source reported that Tottenham have told Manchester United that

Kane is not for sale, but these are the tactics we expect to see in transfer season and we know that no deal is off the table until the window is closed.

Kane’s loyalty to Spurs has been incredible and he has accumulated 213 Premier League goals in his career. A move away from the Premier League might hamper his chances of sur passing Alan Shearer’s record of 260.

But records are records and certainly a cherry on top for footballers who aspire to great ness, but Kane currently has lit tle cake for his toppings and will no doubt be craving for a top­flight title, a serious shot at a Champions League trophy or even a domestic cup.

It feels like it is time for him to move towards silverware, but with one more campaign left on his contract at Spurs, nothing is definite.

Harry Kane is top of the list.

American 100m sprinter Jim Hines.