Costa Blanca North 2 July – 2 August 2023 Issue 1986

€3,300 FOR CHARITY

HELP Of Marina Alta ‘Summer Nights Shindig’ proved to be a huge success on Thursday, July 20.

The musical fundraiser night took place at Restaurant Los Arcos in Pedreguer. A total of €3,300 was raised towards their latest project for the women’s shelter, the location of which is kept secret.

Together with funds raised from last month’s event and that from the ‘Shindig’, HELP can purchase the new dedicated nursery cabin for children who arrive with their mothers at the ladies refuge shelter.

A 19 ­ square ­ metre free standing resin cabin has been sourced and once a new level cement base can be built then the cabin can be installed along with electricity and water, a toilet and sink. Air conditioning has already kindly been donated.

The charity received a special donation of €500 from one of the evening’s talented musicians, Mick the Flute, also known as Wardy. He donated the money to HELP President Candida Wright on his arrival, which was to help towards the construction of the cabin. Mick works in Benidorm and gave his time and talent to play at the HELP event.

Los Arcos proved to be the perfect venue and the tables full of happy supporters of the charity really did enjoy a very special evening.

The evening was hosted by Ian Bennett and led by Niamh O’Sheehan on stage who organised the musicians for the evening, with Niamh performing excellently herself. With performers like the incredible Adam Daniels on keyboard, the full house was treated to a variety of talent including Alvaro, Oscar, Ros, José Luis, Andrew, Karlee and Wardy.

Los Arcos proved to be the

perfect venue and tables full of happy supporters enjoyed a wonderful evening.

The HELP team of volunteers ­ Julie, Janet and Katydid an amazing job of ensuring the event ran smoothly and HELP thanked them for their efforts.

Credit: HELP of Marina Alta

SUMMER SHINDIG: Generous donations raised €3,300.

Puerto Blanco go ahead

CALPE will finally see the derelict Marina of Puerto Blanco rebuilt, after many years of uncertainty about its future.

The company awarded the concession for Puerto Blanco marina, Marina PortBlanc, in­

formed Ana Sala, the mayor of Calpe on Friday, July 21, that the certificate of delivery of the concession area has already been signed by the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility, so the works will begin in

Shoppers discount

September.

The company is expected to invest €5 million in the project. Marina PortBlanc, as it will be called, will house some 200 moorings from jet skis to boats up to 15 metres in length. There will also be a car park, restaurants and a leisure area.

The mayor, Ana Sala, was pleased with the announcement and said “After more than three years of waiting since the project was awarded, it seems that this emblematic port for Calpe and the province is closer. We also want to carry out the expansion of the access road to Puerto Blanco.”

BENITACHELL has announced a prepaid shopping voucher scheme, where residents are encouraged to support local business. Shoppers can receive money back from the town hall under the Bo Consum campaign.

The vouchers must be obtained from the OAC (office for citizen attention) before going shopping, and will be available from Wednesday, August 16 until Friday, November 10.

For each person over 18 years old and registered in the town as a resident, there are four vouchers in the scheme.

One of €110 for a minimum purchase of €150 (the council pays €110 and the resident pays the rest), one of €70 for a purchase over €100 (the council pays €70) and two vouchers of €20 for a purchase over €30 (the council pays €20).

The scheme is subsidised by Alicante provincial council with a grant of €89,540.

To redeem the vouchers, the consumer must go to the OAC with the invoice from the shop, the voucher to be redeemed and a bank account number to proceed with the refund.

Altea Castle borrowed

THE Moors and Christians festivities in honour of Santa Marta in the Alicante town of Villajoyosa will have to be celebrated this year with a castle lent to them by Altea Council, as the new one commissioned by the town hall of Villajoyosa was not ready for the festivities that began on Monday, July 24.

The neighbouring town of Altea offered to lend the castle to Villajoyosa for its festivities and when the kind offer was accepted, the assembly of the structure began on Thursday, July 20. It was on the beach over the weekend, just in time for the celebrations. Last year, the previous castle was found to be in a state of disrepair following a technical report on the state of the festive structure, which concluded with a recommendation not to use it. A new castle is under construction, but is not yet finished.

Artists impression of the marina

Credit: Calpe Town Hall

DISCOUNT SCHEME: Participating shops display this poster.

Credit: Benitachell town hall

Caught up

A SWIMMER had to be rescued off Baladrar beach, Benissa, on Sunday, July 24, when he became entangled in a line of buoys during an early evening swim. Benissa Local Police responded to reports of the man in difficulty, and rescued the individual without incident.

Drug bust

THE Guardia Civil reported on Monday, July 24, that they dismantled a marihuana plantation located inside a villa located on a luxury urbanisation in Calpe. Some 532 marihuana plants, 56 kilogrammes of buds, €6,000 in cash and a car were seized in the operation in June.

Cystitis advice

PROFESSIONALS at Denia Hospital have detected an increase in cases of cystitis during the summer, due to increased sweating and prolonged exposure to wet swimsuits. Maintaining hygiene, increasing fluids, eating healthily and peeing regularly are advised.

Chopped down

A VALENCIAN lady who visited her holiday home in Javea was shocked to find all the pines trees in her garden had been chopped down without her knowledge. On questioning her neighbours, it seemed nobody had seen anything.

Crisis talks

THE Javea mayor has ordered the convening of a crisis cabinet in order to propose a solution to the pollution episodes that have forced the closure of the Arenal beach for the third time in less than a year.

Easier parking

THE use of the smartphone to make payments is an option increasingly used by drivers, especially when it comes to car parking. A survey showed that almost a third of European drivers currently use an app to pay.

Calpe gets new blue flag

LA FOSSA beach in Calpe is one of only eight in the whole of Spain to have achieved Blue Flag status for 36 consecutive years.

The Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC) ­ in charge of the blue blags programme ­ recognised this feat by awarding the town with a special blue flag which has been hoisted on the promenade.

In Spain there are 8,131 coastal towns, and almost 400 have participated at some point in the Blue Flag programme. Around

Driving test fraud arrests

250 of those receive an award each year.

During the last 36 years, La Fossa beach has complied with the criteria of water quality, legality, information, education and environmental management, accessibility and security required by the blue flag certification.

The blue flag has become the most recognisable and recognised symbol by the millions of users of beaches and ports, in almost 50 countries, as well as being a world standard for tourists to enjoy.

Giving4Giving

THE La Nucia based charity of Giving4Giving have generously donated €3,700 to Busy Bees in Benidorm for sponsorship of their calendars.

They also then made a donation of €1,300 to Corazon Express, €1,000 to the Rainbow animal charity and €1,000 to Red Cross Altea. Their total donations to local charities so far is an enormous €279,000.

YOUR EWN HAS

130 STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Denia to improve park

DENIA Council has revealed plans to improve and expand the public park of Bosc de Diana.

The project was revealed on Tuesday, July 18 and includes the rehabilitation of the park and the inclusion of three extra hectares of land. The project will cost €136,000, a little extra compared to the €123,000 that was forecast when the plan was originally announced at the end of 2022. “We needed to increase the budget where necessary,” stated Denia Council.

THE traffic section of the Guardia Civil of Alicante has uncovered two cases of fraud relating to Spanish driving theory exams.

In the first case, which happened on Friday, July 7, three Moroccan men aged 23, 28 and 32 were caught in Alicante when they tried to cheat in their theory test by using mobile phones and other receiving devices, which they had hidden under their

clothes. The phones allowed them to receive answers to the driving test questions.

The second incident occurred when two Senegalese men, aged 22 and 39, were arrested in Alicante on Monday, July 3, for forgery. The 39­year­old identified himself with an identity document that was not his, trying to impersonate the 22­year­old to take the driving licence theory test.

Giving4Giving raises funds for cancer charities and other charities and associations that serve the community.

The charity has shops in La Nucia, Altea and Villajoyosa as well as Alfaz that sell furniture, clothes, books and other donated items, and are entirely run by volunteers.

Giving4Giving always needs donations and volunteers at all of their shops, and offers a furniture clearance service.

For more information you can call 603 137 697.

Paddle boarders saved

THE Red Cross of Javea rescued two young people on Thursday, July 20, who had gone out on their paddle surf boards and were trapped by the currents at Cala En Calo.

The rescue occurred at around 8pm, when one of the coordinators of the Javea Red Cross surveillance and rescue service received a call from the entity’s operations centre warning of the incident.

Despite being outside service hours, the coordinator did not hes ­

itate for a minute to mobilise the Red Cross team to help the two young people and rescue them.

Two boats with lifeguards went to the En Caló area, where the sea currents were strong, and a strong wind was pushing them towards cliffs.

The two boats remained at a safe distance and the lifeguards reached the two young men by swimming, towed them to the boats and transferred them to the Arenal beach safely.

The expansion of the parkis planned in the area located between Carrer Dels Lladres and Avenida Joan Fuster. The green area will be ‘more cared for’, and will include a barbecue area, picnic area, toilets and a fenced area for children’s sports.

Bosc de Diana is parallel to the TRAM line, so its visibility and its location had made the park a priority in terms of gardens.

PROMENADE: The special flag is flying.

Credit: Calpe Town Hall

The devices used in the fraud.

Credit: Guardia Civil

Beach red flagged again

FOR the third time this year, and the second of the summer season, bathers on the Arenal

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

parted.”

beach in Javea were asked to leave the sea just before midday on Friday, July 21, due to contaminated water. Red flags were raised to prevent swimmers entering the sea.

The incident was confirmed by the town hall in a statement, in which they reported that “The General Directorate of Water

Quality has detected polluting particles in the sea that could be harmful to people who want to bathe.”

Bathers already in the sea were asked to leave by Red Cross volunteers and lifeguards.

The report made by Calidad de Agua produced negative results, which happened at the end of

June when the beach also had to be closed, although that time it was due to the presence of fecal remains. “These results trigger a new episode of pollution of unknown origin. The council is working to detect the origin of this pollution phenomenon which is the third time it has occurred in less than a year,” stated the town hall.

Melon shortage

EATING watermelon and melon has become almost a luxury as prices have started to soar, even tripling in price.

La Mancha will also be ready, which means better supplies until September.

• 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 refreshing summer fruit has seen its price multiply in supermarkets. Melon crops were affected as a result of the effects of hail and heavy rains that fell in the months of May and June.

The lack of supply has seen a soar in prices, which is expected to continue until the end of July, when more crops will be ready.

Some farms saw between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of the melon and watermelon crops that were scheduled to be harvested between the second half of June and the first half of July lost. In the Guadalentín valley, Murcia, one of the most important producing areas, the rain and hail left nearly 4,000 hectares destroyed.

Next week, as harvesting begins again, melons from the central region of Castilla­

176 seats

Needed to control the Spanish parliament

L’Alfas lifesavers

THE councillor for Beaches of l’Alfas del Pi, Luis Morant, has delivered two EPRA devices to the person in charge of the lifeguard service for the beaches, Alan Bernabeu, so that they can be used in rescue situations if necessary. EPRA devices are aquatic rescue elements designed by the Aquatic Activities and Lifesaving Research Group of the University of La Coruna.

They are easily visible devices thanks to their fluorescent colour and have reflective bands on the entire structure. They are placed on the rescuer via a shoulder strap, adaptable to the body of the lifeguard, allowing freedom of movement and have four handles.

The equipment is designed to be placed in different areas of the rescued person’s body, in order to optimally immobilise them, as well as reduce injuries during their transfer.

“A fool and his money are soon

This means that it is easy to persuade someone who is not sensible to spend their money. The phrase was originally used in a rhyme by Thomas Tusser in 1573.

A Love Island connection Benissa holds prize draw

AN author from Albir has expressed her delight when her new romantic comedy novel, The Coach Trip, went straight to number one in the Amazon Kindle charts on Saturday, July 15. Jo Lyons is a local author originally from the north east of England. This is her third book, and it is also based in Albir.

It was at the same time of the release that her niece, Gabby, entered the Mallorcan Love Island villa as a Casa Amor bombshell. “Romance runs strong in our family,” said Jo. “We’re all hoping she finds the man of her dreams. It feels like an

extreme way to go about it, but needs must! She’s a great girl and this is a fantastic opportunity for her to challenge herself. It must be nerve­racking but she’s handling it all so well. I also packed her off with all three

Summer in Javea

THE Association of Javea Historic Merchants has announced its Summer nights event, which begins on Friday, July 28 and repeats again on Friday, August 18.

The event will give people a different shopping experience while taking advantage of shop sales. There will also be games, a family gymkhana and swing and blues music through the streets and squares with the Summer Trio and Música a l'Estiu.

The following activities will be held: 7pm ­ Workshop and board games for all ages in Art Didàctic shop.

7.30pm ­ Family gymkhana, in search of forgotten treasures, meeting point in the Plaza de la Iglesia.

8.30pm ­ Summer Trio. Cellos and piano in Calle Mayor.

Blues in the Plaza Marina Alta (Post Office)

9pm ­ Swing space. Dance at the Placeta del Convent with the Swingouts quartet and the dancers from La Marina Lindy Hop.

10.30 ­ Music for the summer. Dream of a summer night in the Plaza de la Iglesia.

of my novels to get her in the mood. My new book is about a workaholic who finds love unexpectedly, so you never know!”

The Coach Trip, Your Place or Mine? and Benidorm are all available on Amazon.

SHOPPERS in Benissa could win €100 in a prize draw which will take place on Friday, August 11.

‘Enjoy the summer in Benissa and take advantage of the heat of the sales!’ is the motto that has been chosen by the Benissa Business and Commerce Association for this summer’s promotional campaign.

The campaign aims to promote and highlight the importance of shopping locally, while offering customers the opportunity to enjoy a unique shopping experience. It is also a means of highlighting small businesses and making a posi­

tive impact in the local community.

From now until Wednesday, August 9, entering the draw is simple. Each participating shop will have an entry box, and once a purchase has been made, shoppers

will be given an entry ticket to complete with their name and phone number.

All tickets obtained will be put into in the draw that will take place on Friday, August 11, at the centre of excellence.

Gabby (left) with her Aunt, Jo.

Credit: Jo Lyons

CALPE Council has begun an information campaign to eliminate the discarding of cigarette butts on the beaches. The objective is to reduce this type of waste because it is one of the most difficult to treat and one of the most harmful to the environment.

The campaign is being

Ashtrays for Calpe beach smokers Chosen as Smart City

shared on social networks and at entrance points of the beaches, with posters saying ‘The beach is not an ashtray’. The posters explain the consequences of dumping cigarette butts on the beaches, de ­

tailing that each cigarette butt can contaminate between eight and 10 litres of seawater, and they are the main source of waste found in the oceans along with bottles and wrappers.

To reduce the amount of discarded butts, disposable ashtrays are being given away, which can be collected at the tourist information points located on the Arenal ­ Bol and La Fossa beaches, and at

the Las Salinas tourist of ­

fice

Currently, 44 of the 81 beaches in Alicante Province are smoke free zones, including Javea and Marge Roig beach in Denia.

Car parts recovered

THE Guardia Civil has arrested six people who were involved in the theft of catalytic converters throughout the Marina Alta.

The detainees, all of them men between the ages of 23 and 46 and of Romanian and Colombian nationality, are accused of theft, receiving stolen goods and belonging to a criminal group.

The investigation, carried out by the Guardia Civil, began in March after learning of various thefts of car parts from vehicles parked in different towns of the Marina Alta. After intense investigative work, officers found out that those responsible for the robberies were a father and his son, aged 23 and 46, both Romanian and residents of Calpe.

The men went to different locations with the older man’s wife, who they left outside supermarkets to beg and divert attention from the thefts, which were undertaken extremely quickly.

Investigators were able to locate and recover the stolen parts hidden in an underground garage in Teulada.

The 24 catalytic converters were returned to their rightful owners.

BENIDORM has been chosen as one of 64 European cities chosen as a ‘Smart City’ in the Intelligent Cities Challenge initiative.

It was chosen to participate in the 2023­2025 edition of the Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC), an initiative of the European Commission, whose objective is to ‘support and accelerate the double green and digital transition of municipalities’. This was reported on Wednesday, July 19, by the mayor, Toni Perez, who stated that “being in this prestigious programme and competitive market is very important, and one more fruit for the road we have travelled transforming Benidorm.”

In this case, Benidorm will be able to benefit from cooperation with other smart cities and “exchange of knowledge, experiences and solutions,” by adapting projects or initiatives successfully tested in other European municipalities and destinations to the needs of Benidorm.

The European Commission would have taken into account Benidorm’s commitment to sustainable mobility with the creation of 135 kilometres of bike lanes and cycle paths and its commitment to energy and water efficiency.

STOLEN PARTS: The catalytic converters were returned to owners.

Credit: Guardia Civil

Stop trading on the beach

BENIDORM traders have asked that there is a change in the law to stop the ‘mojiteros’. These sellers walk along the beaches with trays of colourful cocktails and other drinks without any permission to trade.

The hotel industry warned on Tuesday, July 18, that it is “unfair competition” but, above all, those who decide

to buy from these street vendors may be putting their health at risk.

They asked for a change in the law so that this activity can be penalised. Seeing ‘mojiteros’ or also called ‘cuberos’ on Levante beach is more common than on Poniente or Mal Pas beaches, but the increase in police presence means that on

some occasions the drinks vendors move to other crowded beach areas.

Although the hotel sector has not specifically accounted for how much the sales of drinks on the beach entails in losses, they do know that they are among the most affected, as each drink bought on the beach is one less for the legal traders.

Caught in Calpe

TWO wanted men were arrested in Calpe on Wednesday, July 19, after Guardia Civil officers noticed them acting suspiciously inside their car.

On Tuesday, June 20, while patrolling a local shopping centre, the officers observed the pair, who appeared to be watching shoppers from their car. Noticing their suspicious activity, the officers asked for identification. The officers found that the Algerian pair, aged 44 and 46, were wanted by the courts for their involvement in a series of robberies, and had long criminal records.

BENIDORM has once again increased aid to its three music schools by giving them a grant of €15,000 each.

“With this new economic injection we have raised the maximum amount that the schools can ask for by €3,000, which will now be €15,000,” said the councillor for Vulture, Jaime Jesus Perez.

The 44-year-old was the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the Belgian authorities for an armed robbery, committed in Belgium in August 2022.

The 44-year-old was subject to an extradition order, while the second individual was being sought by an arrest warrant issued by a Torrevieja court in May 2023. The pair were subsequently arrested.

During the search of their vehicle, officers found several items that could be used to disguise their identities, including hats, caps, and a wig.

Music to their ears

He explained the three music bands are made up of around 600 students.

“These grants, which were created in 2016, contribute to financing the expenses of music schools and students, the acquisition and repair of instru -

ments and computer equipment, and travel related to their activity,” said Perez. “The grants are aimed at music schools and their students, and the amount given to each depends on criteria such as the number of students, staff members and the annual calculation of expenses linked to the school,” he concluded.

LEVANTE BEACH: Drinks are being sold without permission to trade.

Credit: Harry Fabel/PixabayCredit: Harry Fabel/Pixabay

THE Association of Chronic Fatigue and Fybrmyalgia of Calpe received the first prize in a street decoration contest held in the historic centre of Calpe.

‘Art al Carrer’ is a contest aimed at associations registered in Calpe, which this year had the motto ‘The Colours of the Mediterranean’, and was organised

Calpe bathed in colour

by the town hall. The winning association decorated Calle la Font, where they made different crochet tapestries as well as marine figures such as fish, algae and starfish, in order to represent the Mediterranean Sea.

Second prize went to the Nativity Scene Association of Calpe, who has decorated Calle Sant Josep, also with marine motifs and represented some stairs emulating the Bofill buildings and in a mural, Calpe rock.

The Marins Corsaris Association received the third prize. This entity represented the winemaking process on Calle La Font, from the

harvesting of grapes until they are served in a glass.

The sum of €3,000 was awarded to first prize, €2,000 to the second and €1,000 to the third.

The street decoration contest, along with bal ­

conies decorated by 41 local painters, turn the old town of Calpe into an open ­ air museum during the summer months, an extra attraction for visitors and residents to enjoy the town’s historic centre.

More turtle eggs found Toddler rescued from pool

A NEW turtle nest with 89 eggs was found on the Marge Roig beach in Denia on Friday, July 21. Beach cleaners found the nest during their morning duties, and notified the Marine Environmental and Fisheries Service, who in turn contacted Oceanografic in Valencia and the University of Valencia to arrange collection of the eggs.

It is very likely that the eggs were laid by a turtle called Diana, the first turtle that appeared and has spawned twice already on the beaches of Denia. She first laid 80 eggs on June 18 and returned weeks later to lay another clutch of 85 eggs.

It is the fourth nest found on Denia’s beaches this summer.

PARAMEDICS saved the life of a twoyear ­ old boy on Friday, July 21, who was found drowning in a swimming pool campsite in Benidorm.

The incident occurred at around 8.15pm, when the CICU (Emergency Information and Coordination Centre) received notice that a child with symptoms of drowning had been removed from the swimming pool of a public campsite in the town.

Members of the public who were staying at the campsite helped administer first aid to the child until the medical team arrived. They stabilised the toddler and he was later transferred to the Marina Baixa hospital in Villajoyosa.

STREET CONTEST: The winning Association members.

Credit: Calpe Town Hall

ANYONE whose phone doesn’t automatically block spam calls can now breathe a sigh of relief. The new Telecommunications Act came into force in Spain on Thursday, June 29.

According to this, companies that offer goods and services are no longer allowed to make advertising calls (llamadas spam) without the explicit consent of the consumer.

End of spam calls

With English mobile phone numbers, receiving Spanish spam calls were rather rare, but with Spanish numbers they were increasing each month. The law will take up to a year

to take effect, but after that anyone who has a mobile or landline number in Spain should no longer be bothered with the calls.

In addition to explicit consent, ac­

Jalon Valley Help

cording to the legal text there are also exceptional cases in which companies can still contact consumers with spam calls, namely if the “communication can be based on another basis

picnic

of legitimation in accordance with Article 6.1 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the processing of personal data.”

For example, company employees can still call if their concern is necessary to protect vital interests or to carry out a task in the public interest. If a company violates the new law, they could face a fine.

Brain injury centre

THE Fontilles Foundation, a Valencian entity that has worked for the health and well­being of vulnerable groups since its creation in 1902, has adapted the facilities of its San Francisco de Borja Sanatorium, located in the Vall de Laguar, into a dedicated complex to care for the elderly and vulnerable people with functional diversity.

ON Thursday July 6, Jalon Valley Help held their second ‘bring your own’ picnic at Los Arcos in Pedregeur, with the OK Band providing the entertainment.

The OK Band has a new lineup this year with Claire, lead singer, Terry, on rhythm guitar, Tony, on lead guitar, Andrew, on bass guitar, Corrine, on keyboard and Rockit, on drums. They soon had the audience singing along. A truly excellent per­

formance throughout, with the audience enjoying every minute.

Richard Green, JVH President, announced the raffle winners and thanked Pacqui’s team for keeping everyone supplied with cool drinks and to his team for organising the event and the raffle. He advised that over €1000 had been raised. For further information please contact eventsjvh@gmail.com or visit www.jalonvalleyhelp.com.

The renovation was carried out at the Ferrís Hospital, located in the main building, and until the middle of 2022 was dedicated to medium and long­stay hospital care.

It has now been converted into the new Ferrís Centre for Functional Diversity, specialising in caring for people with brain injuries.

When it opened in 1909, Fontilles cared for people affected by leprosy. The complex soon became a centre of reference and during its history treated more than 3,000 people from all over Spain.

In 1998, Fontiilles was converted into a geriatric unit, caring for 84 residents along with a day centre for 12 people, to care for those with different degrees of physical or mental dependence.

THE OK BAND: A truly excellent performance from the new lineup.

Photos by Pete Cleary

Rowing challenge raises €8.6k ITV appointments impossible

THE Gandia councillor for Sports, Jesus Naveiro, accompanied by Nani Vela and Marta Muelas from the CIA Gandia Rowing Club, and the president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer of Gandia, Evelyne Cieslak, announced the proceeds of the third Solidarity Challenge ‘24 hours rowing’ held on July 15 and 16.

“It’s great news for everyone that a figure has been achieved that is double that of last year. In total, it was €8,645.41, which speaks very well of the involvement of all the people who participated,” expressed Naveiro on Friday, July 21, with great pride. “The challenge for next year is to exceed this number, which will certainly not be easy due to the large amount raised,” he added.

Muelas thanked “all the participants, relatives and entities involved, because

everything was perfectly coordinated, especially the rowers who were going out on the water despite the heat.”

“It has been a pleasure for us and we will continue to support the Spanish Association Against Cancer,” said Nani Vela.

Low turnout for medal comp

MONTGO Golf Society played a medal competition recently at Oliva Nova Golf Course, sponsored by the society.

They had a low turnout of members mainly due to the very high temperatures and a medal competition putting off some

members. The winner was Peter Gardiner with a fine net 69, in second place was Helmut Pertier with a net 70 and taking third spot was Alan Lowans with a net 72.

There were two nearest the pin prizes on offer on the 3rd & 16th with

Peter Gardiner and Helmut taking home the spoils.

Again there were no twos so their stock of Montgo coveted golf balls remains intact. Next Friday’s competition is a Bogey Competition sponsored by the society.

CALPE Town Hall has relayed its disappointment at the poor provision of the ITV (Vehicle Technical Inspection) service to the public. In addition, it was unanimously agreed to notify the competent body, in this case, the public company ’The Valencian Vehicle Technical Inspection Society’.

The ITV service was reintroduced after a delay caused by its closure earlier in the year. Ana Sala, the mayor, had met with the director of the

public company to study different locations.

Finally, and with the aim of ensuring that Calpe was without an ITV service, the council found a plot of land close to the municipal vehicle depot, for the installation of the mobile ITV station. The service came into operation in May.

However, since then the service has generated many complaints from car owners about the impossibility of mak ­

ing appointments through the SITVAL website, which is the appointment booking service. The town hall is awaiting a response.

Adopt a police dog

THE National Police are appealing for homes for some of their retired police dogs. The dogs at Adopta K9 are retired canine officers who, during their years of service, have worked hard for the National Police. Police dogs help with rescue tasks, searches for people, detection of drugs, explosives and fake money.

It is hard and risky work, and once the

dogs are retired, some are searching for a cosy bed and relaxation.

Their latest appeal is to find a home for Jota, who is aged 11 and retired after his birthday. He is a black labrador and good with people and other dogs. As with all police dogs, he only understands Spanish. You can find more about Jota on the police dog retirement site, adoptak9.es

GREAT NEWS: Presentation of the donation.

99% Of the votes have been currently tallied

Lions Club Camp

THE sixth international Lions Costa Blanca Camp began on Wednesday, July 19 in Benidorm. It is an international camp, in which 22 young people from 16 countries are taking part.

The camp gives the youths an opportunity to get to know Spain from an internal point of view and to be with young people from all over the world. The organisation has planned an intensive programme of visits to various places of interest in the Valencia Region that stand out for their cultural, historical

and environmental heritage.

The camp, based in Benidorm, includes visits to cities such as Alicante and Valencia and also to the main tourist sites on the Costa Blanca, from destinations that stand out for their natural wealth, such as l’Alfas del Pi with the Serra Gelada Natural Park and the Albir Lighthouse Route, one of the most visited in the region’s network of natural spaces, or Callosa d’en Sarria and the Fonts de l’Algar.

There are also cultural activities, including a visit to the

L’Alfas tunnel closes

TWO new roundabouts have been completed in L’Alfas del Pi, which now means that the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation has proceeded to close the tunnel that connected Rambla de l’Albir and Camí del Sarandó. The decision was taken for safety reasons, as it is a flood zone.

The closure was delayed until the construction works of the two roundabouts on Avenida Europa were completed. The roundabouts were 50 per cent co­financed with government funds. Drivers who used this road to enter or leave Albir must now use the new roundabouts on Avenida Europa.

“These works have been carried out to solve the connectivity problems detected in the l’Albir area, allowing greater fluidity and organisation of road traffic,” explained the councillor for Citizen Security, Mobility and Urban Planning, Toni Such.

Lightning starts fire

A LIGHTNING strike caused a fire in a forested area of Sella, inland of Benidorm on Thursday, July 21. The rapid intervention of firefighters prevented it from spreading throughout the area, which was surrounded by dry vegetation .

castle of Guadalest and entrance to museums such as the Marq or the Villa Romana de l’Albir.

One of the programmed activities was a kayak trip from the beach of Albir to discover the Serra Gelada Natural Park by sea, which took place on Wednesday.

Lions Clubs International is one of the largest service club organisations in the world, with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographic areas around the world.

In addition, and in order to promote sustainable mobility, new sections of bicycle lanes have been built, creating a cycle path which connects the beach and the town centre.

Quick response avoids disaster

FIREFIGHTERS had to act quickly when a car caught fire on the AP7 motorway between Altea and Benidorm on Friday, July 21.

The owner of a people carrier, which was towing a large trailer, noticed smoke coming from the engine of his vehicle at around 4.35pm. He called the emergency services, who sent two engines from the Benidorm fire station.

With their rapid response, firemen were able to contain the engine fire, stopping it from spreading to nearby dry shrubland and avoiding the chance of causing a larger fire.

The motorway was closed for a short period until the Guardia Civil arrived to close one lane and ensure the safety of the fire crews.

The heavy storm, which suddenly arrived on Thursday afternoon, was the cause of the incident when lightning struck in the Aguilar district, said sources from the Alicante Fire Consortium of the Marina Baixa park, located in Benidorm.

The notice was received around 2.30pm and firefighters quickly drove to the scene. The fire was contained and extinguished shortly after. If lightning strikes cause a fire, call 112 immediately. The service is multilingual and free.

Credit: L’Alfas del Pi town council

SUMMER CAMP: Enjoying kayaking in L’Alfas del Pi.

MANY owners of a property in Spain believe that, since they are non­tax residents in Spain, they have hardly any tax obligations in our country. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this week’s article we review the main tax obligations of Non­Residents in Spain. And how failure to meet these obligations can affect them in the future if they decide to sell their home.

Property Tax and Rubbish Collection Tax

Most non­residents who own a property in Spain will probably be familiar with the IBI (Property Tax) and the Rubbish Collection Tax. The IBI is an annual tax levied on the ownership of urban

or rural real estate in Spain, that varies depending on the cadastral value of the property. The Rubbish Collection Tax is paid both for the collection and cleaning of rubbish containers. It is paid quarterly, half­yearly or even annually, depending on the area.

Wealth tax in Spain

This tax is levied on the net wealth of individuals, although the first €700,000 is exempt from payment. For the purposes of its calculation, only assets located in Spanish territory are taken into account.

Non­Resident Income Tax (tax form 210)

As we explained in previous articles, non­residents who own a property in Spain must pay Non­Resident Income Tax (IRNR). This tax is levied on the rental, simple ownership or sale of a property in Spain.

Renting

If you rent your property, you must declare the income received on a quarterly basis, in the

first 20 calendar days of April, July, October and January. Citizens from the EU, Iceland or Norway are taxed at 19 per cent (and can deduct community charges, repairs, IBI, etc). The rest are taxed at 24 per cent and cannot deduct any expenses. In other words, for a rent of €8,400 per year, a British citizen will pay €2,016 in taxes, while a French citizen will pay €1,596 (less, if he/she deducts certain expenses).

Simple tenancy

If the property is not rented and is for your own use, you must file tax form 210 annually (always in the calendar year following the accrual year). The amount payable is calculated by multiplying 1.1 per cent or 2 per cent of the cadastral value of the property by a tax rate that varies

depending on whether the owner is resident in the EU, Iceland or Norway (19 per cent) or not (24 per cent).

Sale of a property

When a non­resident sells his or her property in Spain, any capital gains obtained are taxed at a rate of 19 per cent. There is no discrimination between EU and non­EU nationals. Both will be able to deduct notary, registration, property, real estate, lawyer, etc fees.

The 3 per cent retention in the event of the sale of a property

Whether or not there is a capital gain, when a non­resident sells his/her property in Spain, the buyer is forced by law to withhold 3 per cent of the sale price. In other words, if you sell your property for €300,000, the buyer will retain €9,000, and pay it to the Tax Agency, as an advancement on your possible capital gain as vendor. The deadline for declaring the existence (or

not) of a capital gain is four months from the signing of the public deed.

If there is no capital gain (ie if you have sold for less than what it cost you) you can request a refund of this retention. However, if during the time you were owner, you did not declare annually or quarterly (depending on the case) the Non­Resident Income Tax, you should know that the Tax Agency could force you to catch up with the last four years of this tax.

Conclusions

At White­Baos Lawyers we are specialists in providing legal advice to expatriates for more than 15 years. If you own a property but are not a tax resident in Spain, do not hesitate to contact us. We will offer you expert advice on the tax obligations of non­residents in Spain.

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

Everything you need to know about the tax obligations of Non-Residents in Spain that own a property. IBI. Rubbish. Wealth Tax. Capital gains. Renting.

by Lisa Zeffertt

ON Sunday night, July 23, in a tense and close election race, the results were finally in, but the results are no clearer after its conclusion.

No Clear Winner

The right­wing block made up of Partido Popular (PP), and Vox reached a maximum of 169 votes, while the leftwing bloc made up of the So­

Spanish Elections: What’s Next?

cialist Party (PSOE) and Sumar totalled 153 votes. Neither party obtained results from an absolute majority.

PP won with a higher number of votes in total, but this is not a clear path to victory.

Now, the decision is down to pacts that the parties form, as both leading parties do not have sufficient votes to govern Spain as a single party.

PP Falls Short of 176 Votes

As PP has made clear that it did not want to rule with Vox,

despite the two parties governing several regional governments together after the regional elections in May 2023, Alberto Núñez Feijóo does not have enough votes to be sworn in as Spain’s next leader, falling short of the threshold of 176 seats. In his speech, Feijóo said that he wants to claim his right to become the next leader of Spain since he won with a majority of the popular vote.

PSOE’s Success Relies on Pro­Independence Parties

Meanwhile, the PSOE must form pacts with other parties and can govern with the support of Sumar, Catalan and Basque independence parties, the ERC, Bildu, PNV and BNG (other regional parties) despite not obtaining the highest votes.

The success of PSOE hangs

heavily on the Junts party decision, led by Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan president who fled to Belgium after holding the referendum in October 2022 on Catalan independence, a move that sparked controversy and created fissures in Spain between the left and right. Puidgdemont has already stated that he would neither support the PSOE nor PP and now his decision may have a significant impact.

Pedro Sánchez, the PSOE candidate and current Prime Minister, celebrated a victory, saying, “We have won more votes, more seats and a higher percentage than four years ago.”

Yolanda Diaz of Sumar said, “Many people were worried, and tonight, they will sleep more soundly,” regarding na­

tional and international concerns about a right­wing bloc forming between PP and Vox.

Meanwhile, the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, who lost popularity compared to the 2019 elections, criticised the PP government in his speech and warned that “Pedro Sánchez, even after losing the election, could still block the formation of a government.”

Record Voter Turnout

With a 70.33 per cent voter turnout that was four points higher than the 2019 elections, and despite scorching hot temperatures in the middle of July, in the peak of summer holidays, 24 million people cast their ballots, including by post in one of the record­breaking numbers of mail votes cast in Spain.

With such close results, a likely outcome may be a call for new elections, with Pedro Sánchez remaining in Moncloa as Prime Minister.

PEDRO SANCHEZ: May remain in Moncloa as Prime Minster.

A HEALTH alert was issued on the Canary Island of Tenerife on Friday, July 21, after the detection of giant African snails that can transmit meningitis.

The Network for the Detection and Intervention of Invasive Alien Species in the Canary Islands (RedEXOS) warned of the presence of giant African snails (Lissachatina fulica).

In a tweet, the Canarian government department

Health alert in Tenerife

wrote: ‘First detection in the Canary Islands (TF) of this dangerous invasive species. It can transmit a form of meningitis and attacks our main crops as well as many wild plants. If you see it, don’t touch it and let us know right away by calling: 646 601 457’.

This species can grow to

lengths of up to 30cm, although there is also the possibility of finding smaller specimens. Its shell is cone­shaped and includes brown or yellowish veins. In addition, it usually presents a lighter or white colouration towards the end of the shell.

RedEXOS warned the is­

Europe’s best-preserved castle

A CASTLE that is widely held to be the best preserved throughout all of Europe is ‘hidden’ in Andalucia.

Despite being a hugely impressive castle, and one of the most beautiful in Europe, this Andalucian legacy remains largely forgotten in Spain, according to a news source on Friday, July 21.

According to statistics from the Spanish Association of Friends of Castles there are around 10,000 castles in Spain. Although many believe that the true figure may be in excess of 20,000.

The majority of them are located in the autonomous regions of Aragon, Andalucia, Castile and Leon, Catalonia and Castile­La Mancha.

Some of the more wellknown ones include Butrón Castle, in the northern Basque Country, and Ponferrada Castle in Castile and

León. However, there are others that very few people know about, and one of the best examples exists in Andalucia.

The ‘Castle of the Seven Kings’.

Burgalimar Castle is located in the town of Baños de la Encina, a 40­minute drive from Jaén. It also holds the prestigious title of being the oldest fortress in Spain. Experts agree that a visit is

well recommended, it has very characteristic architecture, adapted to the geography of the terrain. The fortress has two entrances, a 15th ­ century keep, 14 rectangular towers and a parade ground.

It is one of the best­preserved fortresses in Europe and, as it is built on a hill, the views it offers of the surrounding countryside are described as spectacular.

land’s population that in the event of finding a specimen of this species, it should not be touched due to the health risk involved.

They stressed that it is not necessary to consume the creature to become infected. It is enough to simply touch it and then put

your hands to your mouth. Humans can also become infected by eating raw or undercooked vegetables contaminated with the animal’s secretions. For this reason, they warned that in case of finding one of these snails, members of the public should call the above number.

BURGALIMAR CASTLE: Offers spectacular views.

The Giant African snail.

Credit: Charles J. Sharp/Creative Commons

Owl found on beach

AN owl that washed up on a beach in Mijas, Malaga, was rescued from the sea, and after a week or so of recuperation, experts hope the bird will soon be able to fly to freedom.

One of the first visitors to arrive on the beach of Calahonda saw the rare sight of an eagle owl trying to get out of the sea. The bird of prey used its wings and managed to swim to the shore, wrote a news source.

By the time the Environmental rescue team arrived, the owl had reached the sand and was taking refuge under the coastal path along that stretch of the beach. “It was exhausted by the effort,” said Francis Pérez, one of the technicians who rescued the animal.

SPAIN’S tourism industry is on a roll! In June, more than 9.1 million international jetsetters flocked to the country. The figures released by the national government on Tuesday, July 18 revealed that Spain’s June arrivals smashed last year’s numbers by an incredible 10 per cent.

The first half of 2023 also saw the country welcome a whopping 43 million visitors, setting the bar high with an incredible 24.3 per cent surge on last year’s figures.

Brits led the charge, making up a quarter of the June arrivals with a 9.8 per cent increase in tourists. Germans also made up a significant 14.5 per cent of all passenger arrivals. Meanwhile, a notable 37 per cent increase in arrivals from Poland caught officials’ attention.

The Balearic Islands stole hearts as the top destination, attracting sun­seekers like a magnet and accounting for 22 per cent of arrivals. But Catalonia and Madrid didn’t lag behind either, each claiming around 20 per cent of arrivals during the first six months of the year.

In his first assessment, it didn’t look bad, just tired and soaked. So they decided to call the Threatened Species Recovery Centre in Malaga, where it has been since July 11.

For the time being, the owl has been isolated in a four­by­four metre enclosed cage where it is fed by its keepers. As soon as it is able to hunt live prey, it will be able to share space with other birds.

Eagle owls are common in the area. “There is usually a pair per municipality,” confirms CREA. Moreover, they are a sedentary and very faithful species. They can spend up to 20 years with the same pair. It is estimated that there are around 50 pairs of eagle owls in the province of Malaga.

Sky-high figures

Government Minister Héctor Gómez praised the extraordinary growth as he

highlighted the potential for more wealth and jobs in the tourism sector.

Fashion frenzy

A BRAND­new report has unveiled Spain’s fashion powerhouses’ incredible performance in 2022!

Following a steady pandemic rebound starting in 2021, the country’s top 10 fashion distribution groups achieved doubledigit sales growth, totalling over €42 billion, according to figures released on Thursday, July 20.

Fashion fever has apparently taken over, with industry leaders enjoying a 19.4 per cent surge in revenues.

Inditex, under the reign of Marta Ortega, has enjoyed a remarkable record­breaking year, driven by price increases and strategies. The group owns some of the country’s biggest brands including Zara, Pull & Bear, and Stradivarius.

Puig, the beauty and fashion giant, confidently holds its posi­

tion as a runner­up. The Barcelona­based distributor owns brands including Paco Rabanne, and Jean Paul Gaultier in Spain.

Mango came in third place in the report. Mango’s business plan’s fruits have ripened, with exciting expansions, like a flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue, and new brand sponsorships, sparking new interest.

122 seats

Currently held by Pedro Sanchez

OWL RESCUED: The bird was tired but is now recuperating.

TENS of thousands of people gather in Buñol in Valencia once a year to throw tomatoes at each other in a food fight more commonly known as La Tomatina.

This beautiful story began on the last Wednesday of August 1945, when some young people spent time in the Plaza del Pueblo to witness the popular local parade of the giants and big heads.

Some naughty boys decided to knock one of the big heads off, and with its momentum caused a participant to fall.

The participant, filled with anger, began to hit everything that was in his way. By a whim of fate, in the middle of it all was a vegetable stand which was used by the angry crowd to release adrenaline: those present began throwing tomatoes until the public enforcers put an end to this strange fight.

The following year, the young people deliberately repeated the altercation, even taking tomatoes from their homes.

Far from accepting this event as a custom, the police

La Tomatina

The overwhelming success led to La Tomatina of Buñol being declared a Festival of Interest to International Tourists by the General Secretariat of Tourism in 2002.

These days, the food fight takes place on the last Wednesday in August and has now become an official event.

La Tomatina is now so popular that you even have to buy a ticket to participate!

Leading EU growth

SPAIN has emerged as one of the star performers in the European Union in terms of inflation, according to the latest figures released on Wednesday, July 19. Eurostat’s latest data revealed that the overall inflation rate for the EU’s 27 member states dipped to 6.4 per cent in June, significantly lower than May’s 7.1 per cent and marking the lowest since January 2022. Standing tall among EU nations, Spain took the lead with the lowest impact from inflation, second only to Luxembourg. With an impressive 1.6 per cent inflation rate, Spain’s economic success has been attributed to its cautious measures. The nation’s strategic policies have placed it among the top economies, reporting a remarkable 4.2 per cent growth in GDP, the highest economic growth in the Eurozone.

While Spain’s inflation situation improves, other EU countries face challenges. Luxemburg boasts an extraordinary inflation rate of just 1 per cent, but some nations including Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland, are grappling with higher rates above 11 per cent. The President of the European Central Bank vowed to continue monitoring the situation.

prohibited it from being repeated in order to prevent it from taking root as a tradition.

La Tomatina was banned in the early 1950s, a decision that did not dissuade its participants, even though some were arrested.

The people protested and the festival was authorised again, adding more partici­

pants every year and becoming more and more frantic.

Finally, La Tomatina was authorised and institutionalised as a local festival.

Over the years this celebration began to become popular in the rest of Spain.

Since then, year after year the excitement for it and the number of participants has grown.

SPAIN secured a prominent spot in the 2023 Henley Passport Index, updated on Thursday, July 20. The Spanish passport ranked as one of the world’s most powerful passports.

Based on official data from the International Air Transport Association, the index reveals which passports offer visa­free access to the most countries. Surprisingly, Japan, which held the top spot for five years, has now slipped to third place. Singapore claims the new title as the country with the most powerful passport, allowing its citizens visa­free access to an impressive 192 out of 227 recog­

Globetrotter’s dream

nised countries or territories.

Spain shares second place with Germany and Italy, offering visa­free access to 190 destinations. Japan joins six other nations in third place, granting its passport holders access to 189 countries without visas.

Spain’s high ranking reflects the country’s open approach to international travel, providing its citizens with the freedom to explore a wide range of destinations without the need for visas.

Image: Buñol Turismo

OFFICIAL EVENT: You even have to buy a ticket to take part.

LATIN pop sensation Shakira is once again in the news after she faces new allegations of tax offences.

It was announced on Thursday, July 20 that a court near Barcelona will start proceedings following a request from state prosecutors over alleged tax offences in 2018, wrote a news source.

The 46 ­ year ­ old Colombian mother of two, who moved to Miami in April this year after splitting up from her partner Gerard Pique, will have to return to

Shakira faces new investigation

Spain in November for the start of her £12.5 million tax fraud trial.

The singer is currently under investigation after allegations of six counts of tax fraud in 2012, 2013 and 2014. If found guilty she could face up to eight years in prison.

Rather than agreeing to a deal with Spanish prosecutors, Shakira has

The best white wine

RECOGNISED as the Best

Wine of Spain in 2022 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Ramón do Casar winery’s location may come as a surprise.

Riding on the success of last year, the González family, wants to make the leap to the international market and continue to conquer palates around the world with its vintages, according to a news source.

In the middle of the last century, Ramón González emigrated from Galicia to Venezuela to find a better future. Proud of his land and his origins, he always kept the link with the place where he grew up. With the money he saved on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, he invested in farms and land near Galicia’s Miño River that he himself worked when he was younger. The goal: to build a winery near Ourense.

In 2000, Ramón’s three sons, Moncho, Etelvino and Javier González Sabucedo, took the reins of the business with the aim of producing ‘the best possible white wines.’ They grouped all those vineyards together and acquired new ones until they reached a total of 25 hectares to build ‘a good winery’ where they could make ‘a great wine.’

To achieve this, they relied on the experience of the wine expert, Pablo Estévez and the help of the Santander Bank.

Ramón Do Casar proudly, and quite rightly announced their achievement on Facebook: ‘Best in Show en los Decanter World Wine Awards’.

Galicia’s Ribeira Sacra (Sacred River), so named due to the many monasteries which populate the area, has a long and ancient history of wine production going back to Roman times.

The two most prevalent varieties are white wines such as Godello and Albariño; and Mencia, a rich fullbodied red.

claimed she is innocent and has vowed to fight the charges levelled against her in court.

This new probe is in reference to her taxes from 2018 and will be overseen by a judge at a court in Esplugues de Llobregat, the same court responsible for the earlier investigation and which ordered the trial.

Shakira, only registered as a full ­ time Spanish tax resident in 2015, five years after she started her relationship with Pique, a Spanish national. Anyone who spends more than 183 days in Spain during one calendar year is considered a Spanish resident for tax purposes.

Reportedly, Spanish authorities regularly checked Shakira’s social media and even visited her favourite hairdressers in Barcelona in an effort to prove she had spent most of 2012 ­ 2014 in Spain.

WINERY: On farming land near Galicia’s Miño River.

‘Natural’ weather sensation

JOHN ENSOR

A TEENAGE weatherman from Burgos has become an unexpected hit due to his uncanny ability to predict the weather using age­old methods that have left meteorologists hot under the collar.

Despite his critics, Jorge Rey hit back at professional weather experts who have labelled his methods of forecasting the weather as pseudo­science, according to a news source.

Rey has gone head­to­head with official meteorologists

who discredit his methods, based on the observation of nature. And the young man is not one to mince his words. He launched a strong message about the haters who comment on him on social networks and have questioned his methods.

The arrival on the national scene of a meteorology expert, who was still in secondary school, took everyone by surprise and captured the public’s imagination.

Jorge Rey is a young man from a village in Burgos who decided to revive the traditional methods for predicting the weather. For hundreds of years, they have been used to forecast what was about to happen.

He first came to attention with his Filomena forecast, which left everyone in shock. Nobody could have expected that a teenager would be more accurate than all the meteorologists in the country. Rey gives credit to nature and observes the clues it gives us to find out what will happen.

Anna Ellis

THE purchase of own­brand supermarket products has maintained an upward trend in recent years and has continued to gain prominence in 2023. This is according to the third edition of the ALDI Own Brand Study in Spain.

Spanish households spend 43.5 per cent of their total budget on own­brand supermarket products, 1.5 percentage points more than in 2022 and 3.4 points more than in 2021. In other words, own brand already accounts for more than four out of every €10 of purchases of packaged products.

In terms of annual expenditure, Spanish households spend an average of €1,132 per year on own­brand products, 14 per cent more than in 2022 (€141 more). In 2023, 46 per cent of Spaniards claim to have increased their consumption of own­brand products compared to 2022, an increase of 15 percentage points compared to 2022 and 2021.

Among those who recognise that they have increased their consumption of these products in the last 12 months, eight out of 10 say they have

Own-brands

done so to a large or fair extent (84 per cent).

The presence of own­brand products in the shopping basket of Spanish households has grown by more than 3 percentage points in 2023, standing at 53.5 per cent in 2023.

This percentage was close to 50 per cent in 2021.

By categories, own­brand frozen fruit and vegetables have the highest share by category, with 85.3 per cent.

They are followed by eggs (80.4 per cent); chilled beverages (80.1 per cent); cellulose articles (76.8 per cent); and cloths/ wipes (74.3 per cent).

Own­brand has gained market share compared to last year in eight out of 10 product categories, especially in delicatessen, baby products and sparkling wines (cava, Champagne and Lambrusco).

The lower price of ownbrand products is the main reason for the increase in the purchase of own­brand products (66 per cent).

Other aspects which are valued are, better value for money (50 per cent) and the fact there has been a greater number and variety of own­brand products in supermarkets in recent years (41 per cent).

UPWARD TREND: Purchase of supermarket’s own products.

Image: Aldi

Be careful what you say

A SOCIAL media account is less private than people assume, the UK’s Telegraph revealed.

As Ukip founder Nigel Farage discovered when Coutts closed his account, high street banks monitor customers’ social media after incorporating this right in their privacy policies.

Exclusive Coutts, banker to royals, celebrities and the wealthy, now belongs to NatWest. Thirty ­ nine per cent publiclyowned following a 2008 bailout, the bank maintained that it closed Brexiteer Farage’s account as his views “do not align with our values.”

A dossier compiled by the bank justified this stance by including examples of his Twitter posts.

Farage also wants an apology from the BBC for unfounded reports that his account was closed for commercial reasons. These appeared the day after its business editor sat next to Dame Alison Rose, NatWest’s chief executive, implying that Rose had passed on details of Farage’s financial situation.

The same Telegraph article revealed that the Treasury is examining three more banksMetro Bank,Yorkshire Building Society and American Express ­ which appear to have closed customers’ accounts owing to their political views.

The Telegraph disclosed that the ‘specifics’ of the cases now under review have not been made public, although both Reform UK

Gatwick Airport strikes

AIR travellers look set to face delays and disappointment this summer as workers at London’s Gatwick Airport are preparing to take industrial action during the peak getaway period.

Within a matter of weeks, staff at Gatwick Airport will stage eight days of strikes which are likely to hit major holiday airlines such as TUI, easyJet, Ryanair and BA, according to a news source on Monday, July 17.

pute about wages.

Passengers have been advised to check their flight details before they set out to the airport, despite the fact that airlines have the job of notifying their customers of any problems.

The strike dates are as follows: Friday, July 28, Saturday, July 29, Sunday,

July 30, Monday, July 31, Friday, August 4, Saturday, August 5, Sunday, August 6, Monday, August 7.

The strikes appear to have been timed to coincide with some of the busiest travel periods as many UK families take advantage of the school holidays.

and the Brexit Party allegedly had difficulties with their Metro Bank accounts.

The Yorkshire Building Society closed the account of Reverend Richard Fothergill days after he complained to the bank regarding its Pride month messaging.

Reform UK leader, Richard Tice also told the Telegraph that his American Express account had been suspended for some weeks earlier in the year.

Tourists wanting to leave British shores from Gatwick airport on a foreign break could face travel misery as workers are due to go on strike from the end of July until early August.

Disgruntled Gatwick employees numbering almost 1,000, with roles including ground handling and baggage handling operatives as well as checkin representatives, are walking out over a dis ­

Smoother travel for families

THIS summer more families arriving in the UK will benefit from quicker entry when using eGates, thanks to an expansion of the service to 10 and 11­year­olds.

According to a statement published on Saturday, July 22, by the British government, successful trials have been carried out across major ports including Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow Airports this spring.

As a result, from Monday, July 24, more returning families and eligible visitors to the UK over the school summer holiday will now benefit from the use of eGates as a faster way to travel through the UK border.

A recent YouGov poll showed that 42 per cent of the UK public planned to jet abroad over the summer. With passenger volumes expected to return to 2019 levels this summer ­ and some ports exceeding those volumes ­ Border Force expects to see over 34 million air arrivals coming through UK passport control over the coming months.

This new eGate change is expected to benefit thousands of families this summer, with over 400,000 children aged 10 and 11 years old projected to use eGates.

The national rollout of the expansion of eGates to this age group will come into effect across 15 air and rail ports that currently have 293 eGates.

Border Force continues to work closely with port operators and airlines to make sure all passengers can have a safe and hassle­free journey this summer.

24 million Spaniards voted in person, 2.4m opted for mail-in voting

NIGEL FARAGE: Complaints to Coutts and the BBC regarding bank account closure.

Photo credit: CC/Nigel Farage, Gage Skidmore

Alfas coronation ceremony

THE coronation ceremony of Queens and Ladies will be held in front of the Casa de Cultura in L’Alfas del Pi on Saturday, August 5 at 10pm.

The president of the festival committee, Marisa Cortes, invites everybody to attend and accompany the queens and ladies on their special night. “This year marks 50 years of queens in the municipality and, for this reason, we are going to pay them a well­deserved tribute. We have invited the queens of these 50 years and we want them to play a leading role in this coronation gala, a special night we are preparing with great enthusiasm,” said Cortes. Tickets are €10 and can be purchased in advance at Cafetería Royal and Saneamientos Devesa. They can also be bought by calling 638 791 184. On the day, tickets can be bought at the box office.

Moraira Jazz Festival

MORAIRA tourist office has presented the Voramar Street Music Festival in Moraira, with music of different styles (jazz, pop, international, etc) and, as a novelty, the first ‘Jazz Als Porxes’ festival in Teulada, with the aim of revitalising the heart of both urban areas.

From Tuesday, August 1 to Thursday, August 31, residents and visitors to Moraira and Teulada will be able to enjoy a total of 15 concerts by 15 different groups and artists from the Marina Alta. The concert times will be at 8pm in Moraira and at 10pm in Teulada. The planned schedule is as follows:

Moraira

Tuesday 1: Safor Dixiland. Carrer Dr. Calatayud.

Wednesday 2: Purple Pansa. The church square.

Thursday 3: Estela Malonda, Latin Quartet . Carrer de La Mar.

Tuesday 8: Black Tie Trio. Plaza La Sort.

Wednesday 9: Pocoloco Steel Band. The church square.

Thursday 10: Arbsax. Carrer La Mar.

Tuesday 15: Caeli Jazz Club. Plaza La Sort.

Wednesday 16: Route Swing Trio. The church square.

Thursday 17: Moanin Project. Carrer de La Mar.

Tuesday 22: Dièresi Duo. Plaza La Sort.

Wednesday 23: Georgie & The Fire Lights. The church

Video game songs concert

A GOOD evening out for parents and children, or those who love gaming, is a free concert at the Teulada auditorium on Friday, August 18, at 8pm.

G&S Pocket is a small group formed from the Games and Symphonies Symphonic Group, a gigantic show where you can enjoy the best soundtracks of some of the most emblematic video games in history.

square.

Thursday 24: Daisy’s Swing Band. C / Dr. Calatayud.

Teulada

Tuesday 29: Cucumpá Orchestra. Els Porxes Square.

Wednesday 30: The Soulomonics. Els Porxes Square.

Thursday 31st: Quique Ramírez. Els Porxes Square.

The group ‘Pocket’ consists of six musicians, being a versatile formation and with a complete instrumentation that brings colour and authenticity to each of the styles that are interpreted and with which they flow from classical to the most modern songs, including even some jazz pieces, all accompanied by a giant screen.

The concert show contains versions of soundtracks from video games such as Final Fantasy, Cuphead, Hollow Knight or Sonic, among many others.

The experience will return the public to that happy childhood where they enjoyed the digital stories of the most mythical and epic heroes.

Free tickets must be booked in advance at www.auditori teuladamoraira.es.

JAZZ FESTIVAL: Showcasing music of different styles.

Games & Symphonies.

Coldplay sounds

CANDLELIGHT SUMMER

brings the magic of a live musical experience to Javea. On Friday, August 25, you can enjoy a candlelit tribute to Coldplay.

There are two concert times, and they will be held at the church of San Bartolome in Javea. The performances are at either 7pm or 9pm.

The duration is 60 minutes (doors open 45 minutes before, and it will not be possible to access after the start).

Children from eight years are welcome, and children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. The venue is enabled for wheelchair users.

Tickets are €15 from fever.com.

Credit: Fever.com

Castle tours in English

DENIA Town Hall has announced that guided visits of the castle will take place throughout the summer.

The visits will take place in the morning and evening, in Spanish, Valencian and, this year, for the first time, also in English.

The guided visits connect with the ‘Visit the Castle at night’ campaign, the opening hours of which are now from 8pm until midnight.

Benidorm films on the beach

THE Mal Pas beach of Benidorm has started its ‘Cinema on the Beach’ programme, which is launched every summer by the department of Culture.

Aimed at children and families over the age of three, the films will be screened at 9.30pm every Friday, and admission is free for everyone.

The next film screening will take place on Friday, August 4,

with the film ‘Father there is no more than one 3’ directed by Santiago Segura and suitable for all audiences. The films are in Spanish, but for those who don’t speak the language, the atmosphere is still enjoyable.

Image: Enjoy the beach cinema

Visiting hours to the Archaeological Museum have been extended to 10pm.

The longer schedule allows guided tours of the Castle without incurring any additional cost to visitors who have paid the entrance fee.

The schedule for the ‘Discover the Castle’ guided tour in English is from Monday to Friday at 11am.

The meeting point is at the foot of the tower, in front of the ticket kiosk.

CANDLELIGHT SUMMER: A live musical experience

BEACH CINEMA: Admission is free

Denia Jazz Festival

TORRECREMADA park in Denia will once again host the Denia Jazz Festival on Thursday August 3, 10, 17 and 24.

The councillor for Culture, Raúl García de la Reina, and the musician Enric Peidro presented the programme on Tuesday, July 19. The musical event returns with performances by the Thomas Kretzschmar Quartet, Tanja Filipovic, the International Classic Jazz All Stars and Judith Owen & Her Gentlemen Callers.

Peidro, as director of the event, highlighted that the festival “seeks to maintain the intimate air of a concert for people who enjoy jazz music.” He also commented that they are trying to make the festival “as popular as possible” by making it affordable for the general public.

All concerts will take place at 10.30pm. The opening of the venue will be at 8.45pm. Advance tickets will cost €15, while at the box office they will be €17. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.notikumi.com and in person at Ale Hop stores in Denia and Ondara shopping centre and at Denia bookshop.

Each performance will have a capacity of 400 people. In addition, free parking in front of the park will be available, as will food and bar service.

JAZZY NIGHTS: Tickets are now on sale.

Credit: Denia City Council

DENMARK

Vingegaard’s victory

DANISH rider Jonas Vingegaard clinched backto-back Tour de France victories, comfortably securing the title ahead of his main rival Tadej Pogacar. The 26-year-old celebrated with his Jumbo-Visma teammates on the iconic Champs-Elysees, expressing his joy and looking forward to the possibility of a third win.

Rainforest alliance

DENMARK’S Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen showed interest in contributing to Brazil's Amazon Fund during a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The fund, aimed at combating deforestation, faced setbacks when former President Jair Bolsonaro froze it in 2019. With Lula da Silva back in office, Denmark's financial pledge strengthens international preservation efforts.

THE NETHERLANDS

Plan delayed

THE Dutch government has made money available to provide additional insulation to around 2.5 million homes but there’s a problem! Expect considerable delay due to the rules concerning the protection of bats and birds which may be roosting or living in the roofs or walls of these same houses.

Running to Ukraine

A RUNNER from Amsterdam Boas Kragtwijk commenced a sponsored run from Amsterdam to Ukraine on Saturday July 22, planning to complete the 2,500 kilometre journey in 50 days. The aim is to raise money for a medical aid charity for Ukraine, set up by Ukrainian and Belarussian expats living in the Netherlands.

ITALY

Hailstorm hurts

ON Wednesday, July 19, a devastating storm with hail the size of tennis balls and winds that reached 140kph caused damage to property and injured 110 people in northern Italy. Regional president Luca Zaia said: “The hail that fell was absolutely out of the ordinary, with ice grains reaching diameters of over 10 centimetres in some cases.”

Thief strikes

FORMER F1 champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, 76, was a victim to thieves who broke in on July 13. Reportedly, Fittipaldi, who recently was involved in Italian politics, was not at home when the criminals struck. Burglars stole jewellery and luxury Rolex watches worth around €250,000 from his home in Italy which overlooks the western shore of Lake Garda.

PRESS EURO

BELGIUM

Drinking fish

FOR hundreds of years live fish have been drunk in a cup of wine during festivities called the Krakelingenfeest or Pretzel Feast and the Tonnekensbrand or the Barrel Burning in the town of Geraardsbergen. New Belgian laws concerning cruelty could mean this tradition is stopped for next year.

Likely ban on drinking fish in wine.

Germany’s siesta

No fairy tale

THE Pogues’ legendary frontman has been treated in hospital since late June for an unknown illness. Shane MacGowan, the 65year-old iconic singer of The Pogues was taken to hospital and spent several days in intensive care for an unspecified health issue, according to Dublin Live.

Dead unkind

A MAN in Ireland has been jailed after it was discovered that he dragged the lifeless body of his uncle to the post office in order to collect his pension. A court in Ireland heard how 41-year-old Declan Haughney, and Gareth Coakley, 38, both drug addicts at the time dragged the body of 66-year-old Peadar Doyle to the post office to claim his €246 pension.

Lion scare

GERMAN Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and the head of Germany's medical association propose adopting siestas on hot days to improve health and productivity. The practice of resting during the hottest hours helps regulate body temperature and promotes better sleep patterns. Aligning work tasks with cooler hours may optimise performance and overall well-being.

AUTHORITIES in Berlin issued emergency alerts to thousands of residents to stay indoors as a suspected lion was spotted. However, the search was called off when it was determined the animal was actually a wild boar. Earlier, police believed a video and officer sightings pointed to a ‘big cat’ on the loose.

GERMANY FRANCE

Hot air

THE Chambley Planet'Air aerodrome in France is currently hosting the largest international gathering of hot air balloons in the world. Nearly 700 pilots of 60 different nationalities are expected to attend the 10day extravaganza. The 18th Grand Est Mondial Air Ballons event started on Friday, July 21, and runs until Sunday, July 30.

Goalkeeper robbed

SEVERAL men broke into the Parisian home of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, in the early hours of Friday, July 21. The 24year-old Italian international footballer was with his girlfriend when the criminals entered their home. They were forced to strip and then tied up. The perpetrators allegedly escaped with an estimated haul of around €500,000.

Windswept rescue

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line's newest vessel, the Norwegian Prima, experienced a brief mishap in Zeebrugge, Belgium, when strong winds caused it to break free from its moorings, leading to gangways falling into the water. Luckily, no guests or crew were injured. Tugboats promptly assisted in securing the ship, and it continued its scheduled voyage.

Apple watch rescue

A NORWEGIAN trail runner credits his Apple Watch for saving his life as it enabled him to call an ambulance after a fall during a run. Unable to reach his iPhone due to the severity of his injuries, he used his Apple Watch to call for help, and emergency services arrived about 15 minutes later.

NORWAY FINLAND

Dog smuggling

CUSTOMS authorities in Finland have uncovered a smuggling operation that specialised in the illegal importation of dogs from all around Europe including Spain. The suspect behind the illegal trade had gotten round the required rabies vaccinations and checks. Authorities suspect the smugglers raked in profits of around €200,000.

Unisex toilets

THE days of gender neutral toilets in Finland are possibly coming to an end. It seems that whilst men don’t seem to care, more and more women prefer the privacy of a ladies only toilet and several commercial spaces are taking note of their customers’ wishes and whilst leaving some toilets as they are, others are just for women.

New hotel

HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL and Mercan Properties will open a luxurious hotel located in Praia do Vau, Portimão, on Portugal’s Algarve. Construction is set to begin in early 2024 with summer 2026 scheduled for the opening. This venture will feature around 275 luxurious rooms and suites. There will be an additional 150 branded serviced apartments.

Shark spotted

A BASKING SHARK , the second largest species of shark in the world, was recently spotted near the Viana do Castelo offshore wind farm in Portugal. The DirectorateGeneral for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM) said these creatures can: 'reach close to 10 metres in length. It is huge, but not dangerous’.

IRELAND PORTUGAL SWEDEN

No prison

GRETA THUNBERG escaped being sent to prison in Sweden. A judge instead sentenced the Swedish activist to pay a fine of €130 for refusing to obey the police during a protest in June. “It is absurd that those who act in line with science should pay the price for it. Who should be charged and responsible for the legal consequences. While the fossil fuel industry can burn up our present and future,” she said.

Embassy stormed

SEVERAL hundred people stormed Sweden's embassy in Baghdad early on Thursday, July 20, and set it on fire. The incident occurred after the powerful Shia preacher and politician Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to protest over the recent Koran burnings. None of the embassy's staff was injured.

Credit: Geraardsbergen Council

Nun To Rod Stewart

ON July 21, 1972, Rod Stewart released the album ‘Never A Dull Moment’, whilst 51 years later, on the same date he performed to a large crowd at Starlite in Marbella.

Coincidentally, Euro Weekly News spoke to author and scriptwriter Steve Attridge on the same day about his latest book ‘God, Rod Stewart & Me: Years of Mayhem & Madness’ which reveals several stories about his exploits as a teenager.

Not overly successful at school, he had a few jobs but also wanted to learn about life and see the world, so he was delighted when he won a competition to meet Rod Stewart and the Faces, but the meeting was to be during a long weekend in New York.

Steve explained “It was a fantastic opportunity for a teenager who had never flown before but who loved rock music and before I knew it, not only was I there but everyone seemed to take a shine to me and I was offered a job for the rest of the tour.

“It was only when we started on the next leg of the tour that I asked what I was going to do and was told by the band’s manager that I would sit at the side of the stage with ice buckets full of bottles of the then very trendy German Blue Nun wine and serve it to Rod and members of the band during the concert!”

According to Steve it was a fantastic month but because they were often playing in large stadiums and Rod was a massive football fan, there were plenty of ‘pick up’ football matches including members of the band as well as support act Free and crew.

Laughing, he said “There was however an unspoken agreement that Rod was always allowed to score the winning goal.”

When the tour was over, he made his way back to the UK and decided he

needed to explore religion, so joined a monastery where he spent nine months before moving on to become a follower of Hare Krishna and then the Divine Light Mission plus as many cults as he could find.

“Before I ‘settled down’ I took a job working for a local council’s parks and garden division and it was a bit like being in a care in the community operation but with pay.

“Perhaps the strangest discovery was a preserved dead body found in undergrowth that myself and a friend cut down and there he was sitting quite peacefully but long dead!”

He went to a rather rough school in North London and discovered that if he told stories and made people laugh, he was less likely to get beaten up and this was his what got him into writing.

Since then, he has published 26 books, written for TV, spent some time writing scripts for movies in America (“terrible job with so many rewrites and every director wants to be a writer”), was a regular warm up performance poet for John Cooper Clarke who doesn’t even remember him and recently a writer of children’s books.

Now a long term resident of Mijas, Steve loves being in Spain and is lucky enough to be able to do what he loves from the comfort of his own home.

Visit https://steveattridge.com/ to find out about all his work and how to get hold of his latest creations.

Steve playing football with Rod Stewart in America.

The more mature Steve Attridge.

Credit: Steve Attridge

Credit: Steve Attridge

BUSINESS

EXTRA Linda Hall

Pret profit

COFFEE and sandwich chain

Pret a Manger reported profits of £50.6 million (€58.4 million) for 2022 after making losses of £225.9 million (€260.67 million) in 2021 owing to the pandemic. Sales during the first half of 2023 also rose by 20 per cent to £429.9 million (€496 million), the company said.

Lips sealed

A NATIONAL High Court judge in Madrid is keeping open an enquiry into producer and ventriloquist Jose Luis Moreno who allegedly headed a scheme to defraud banks and private investors of at least €50 million. The judge announced a sixmonth extension to examine all documentation seized during the investigation.

Not safe

AN Aberdeen court fined BP £650,000 (€750,075) following the death of a worker who suffered fatal injuries after falling through an open grating on the lower deck of company’s Unity North Sea oil platform in 2014. The oil company had breached health and safety regulations, the court ruled after an eightday trial.

Not going

MEMBERS of Spain’s Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) have voted in favour of removing the existing restriction that limits presidents to serving two consecutive four ­ year terms. This clears the way for its current president, Antonio Garamendi, to continue at the head of the association for a third term.

Argos exit

ARGOS, owned by Sainsbury’s, which is shutting 100 stores between now and 2024, has already closed four stores in England with 34 planned for Ireland. The catalogue retailer confirmed that some will close next month, starting with the Grimsby centre which relocates to Sainsbury’s between August 9 and 10.

BRITAIN’S Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) saved consumers more than £2 billion (€2.3 billion) between April 2022 and March 2023.

According to the CMA’s Annual Report and Accounts, it generated £26 (€29.9) for every £1 (€1.15) it spent, up from the previous year’s £22.50 (€25.9). This was comfortably higher than the UK government’s £10 (€11.52) target and saved consumers around £8 billion (€9.2 bn) over the last three years.

Meanwhile, the watchdog has responded to major issues that included cost of living increases, while launching a project that focused on supermar­

STAT OF WEEK €300 million

Consumer savings

2 and blocking three owing to competition concerns.

The remaining Phase 2 mergers were either cleared after the CMA accepted remedies addressing its concerns or the deals were abandoned by the businesses involved.

SHAREHOLDERS in Avangrid, a leading US energy company which belongs to Iberdrola Group, approved all proposals at the 2023 Shareholders Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

ket food pricing.

The CMA also commenced a new mediumterm strategy supporting people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair practices.

It is now outlining which issues to examine, ensuring

ABERTIS has put in a bid for the concession to run the Attiki Odos bypass and network of roads in metropolitan Athens. Its offer is believed to be in the region of €2 billion.

The Spanish multinational, owned by Italian holding company Mundys and ACS ­ the engineering and construction company chaired by Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid ­ specialises in toll road management.

Abertis has five rivals for the contract, in which the Australian asset manager Macquarie and Fincop Infrastructure consortium is the frontrunner.

The Greek government initially whittled the number of possibles down to eight, although Fininc, an associate of

Onion effect

SPANISH private equity firm Portobello Capital has entered the agri­foods sector.

The firm acquired Nazca’s 45 per cent stake in Eurocebollas, a leader in processed onions, in a €100 million operation.

At the end of last year, venture capital fund Nazca sounded out the possible sale of a minority stake in Eurocebollas or, possibly, the entire company.

In the event, Nazca divested itself of less than half of its holding and Eurocebolla’s founder, Francisco Alberola remains as majority shareholder and continues to head the company.

that it can achieve real impact for the UK public, particularly those people who most need help.

During the 2022­2023 period, the CMA has scrutinised approximately 700 mergers, investigating 43 at an initial Phase 1 stage, 13 at the more in­depth Phase

Actions included £60 million (€69.16 million) in fines for 10 construction firms who illegally colluded to rig bids for public and private sector projects.

There was also an investigation into whether fashion labels owned by ASOS, Boohoo and ASDA were misleading customers with their ‘green’ claims .

Toll road bid

Abertis is going it alone in its proposal to manage the 60­year­old Attiki Odos roads although it is allegedly sounding out possible partners in Greece should its bid be successful.

Addressing Avangrid’s shareholders, Iberdrola chairman Ignacio Galan ­ who also heads the US company ­ reaffirmed the group’s commitment to accelerating the energy transition, while moving towards decarbonisation.

Galan also reported that Avangrid had invested €2.5 billion in its networks and renewables in 2022. The company would continue to support “a stronger and more resilient grid” for its customers, while delivering “a clean energy future for all,” he said.

Outlook cloudy

OCADO’S association with Marks and Spencer has been disappointing, chief executive Tim Steiner confessed.

another Spanish multinational, Sacyr, has since dropped out. So too has a consortium between two French firms and the Dutch company, DIF.

Inflation falling

INFLATION in the UK fell to 7.9 per cent in June, down from 8.7 per cent in May.

This was its lowest since March 2022, when prices first began to rise following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Analysts had predicted a less noticeable reduction in the headline ratecovering fuel and energy prices as well as food ­ to 8.2 per cent. Underlying inflation calculated on items like processed food, clothing, restaurants and communications also eased although food inflation’s 17.3 per cent was higher than in June 2022.

June’s largely unexpected figures were the result of reductions in the price of petrol and diesel, which now cost 20 per cent less than a year ago.

In comparison, Spain’s inflation rate currently stands at 1.9 per cent, its lowest since March 2021.

Other contenders for the motorway contract include the Greek companies Aktor and Avax, which are currently managing the toll road until their contract comes to an end in 2024. On this occasion, they are forming an alliance with the French investment fund Meridiam substituting Ardian.

Big cash injection

TELEFONICA has injected €762 million in its Mexican subsidiary Pegaso via seven capital increases since 2021.

Pegaso belongs to Telefonica Hispanoamerica (Hispam) which underwent recapitalisation in January after Telefonica Peru lost its longstanding battle with the country’s tax authority.

Shareholders agreed at the time to a fully­subscribed capital increase of 2.3 billion Mexican pesos (€113 million), which was paid in cash by Hispam’s own holding company.

The company undertook several capital increases last year totalling two billion pesos (€98.18 million). Prior to that in 2021, Pegaso carried out capital increases in January, June, September and December, for 13.3 billion Mexican pesos, equivalent to €551 million.

When the £750 million (€866.2 million) joint venture was agreed in 2019, replacing a previous Ocado­Waitrose deal, both hailed the opportunity of creating a “profitable, scalable presence in the online grocery market.”

Marks and Spencer should pay Ocado a final instalment of £190.7 million (€220.2 million) by August 2024 if performance targets are met.

Instead, Ocado has reduced the ‘fair value’ of this payment to £78 million (€90 million), suggesting it suspects that there is less than a 50 per cent likelihood of getting the money.

Windfall worries

TWENTY per cent of savers are hoping for a substantial inheritance to maintain their quality of life.

A survey by Lime Solicitors found that many Britons rely on a legacy from their parents to guarantee a comfortable future. An increasing number would struggle in retirement if they were to inherit little, the law firm’s Debra Burton warned.

Even those who were left more would have to contend with inheritance tax, charged at 40 per cent above £325,000 (€375,296) or £500,0000 (€577,367) if a property went to children or grandchildren, she said.

will be spent by Seat on building a plant in Martorell (Barcelona) to assemble the battery cells that are produced for electric vehicles at Volkswagen’s gigafactory in Sagunto (Valencia).

CMA: Headquartered in Canary Wharf.

ATHENS MOTORWAYS: Spanish multinational Abertis bids to manage system.

Photo credit: competitionandmarkets.blog.gov.uk

Photo credit: Attiki Odos

LONDON - FTSE 100

DOW JONES

Off-the-grid

NATIONAL GRID has sold another 20 per cent of its National Gas holding to the existing majority owners, a consortium headed by Australia’s Macquarie Asset Management. National Grid said the sale would be ‘financially equivalent’ to the 60 per cent stake it sold for £9.6 billion (€11.5 billion) to the consortium in January.

Fine stuff

CATALONIA’S regional government, the Generalitat, is exploring the possibility of sanctioning Spain’s electricity supplier Endesa for allegedly infringing the rules that govern energy self­consumption. Using practices that imposed ‘unjustified conditions, difficulties or delays’ which hindered Catalonia residents’ access to individual energy autonomy could now bring a fine of between €600,000 and €6m.

Tata backs Britain

Linda Hall

TATA GROUP has chosen the UK as the location for its first gigafactory outside India.

One of the largest ­ ever investments in the UK automotive industry, which was officially announced on July 19, the plant will create up to 4,000 new direct jobs, and thousands more in the wider supply chain for battery materials and essential raw minerals.

At 40GWh, the £4 billion

(€4.6 billion) plant will be one of the biggest in Europe, while also guaran ­

teeing UK­ produced batteries for another Tata Sons investment, Jaguar

Grain deal apprehension

AS Russia suspended its grain agreement with Ukraine, Spain’s grain­based industrialists began to worry about future supplies.

“Spain is a major importer of cereal grains,” said Jose Manuel Alvarez, director of Spain’s Grains and Oilseeds Trade Association (Accoe).

“As Ukraine is one of our main sources we shall have to keep a close watch on future developments.”

Prices would inevitably rise, he said, although supplies were currently guaranteed, as the sector’s production campaign runs from July to July.

For the first six months of the year, grain comes from Latin America, principally Brazil, Alvarez explained, but during the second half it is imported from Ukraine.

“Problems could start in January next year,” Alvarez predicted.

Best yet

Land Rover cars, as well as other manufacturers throughout the UK and Europe.

“We can be incredibly proud that Britain has been chosen as home to Tata Group’s first gigafactory outside India, securing our place as one of the most attractive places to build electric vehicles,” Britain’s prime minister Rishi Sunak said.

Work on putting up the huge new factory in Bridgwater (Somerset) is likely to begin “very soon” according to local MP Ian Liddell­Grainger, who was quoted in Somerset Live.

“Our multi­billion­pound investment will bring state­of­the­art technology to the country, helping to power the automotive sector’s transition to electric mobility, anchored by our own business, Jaguar Land Rover,” Natajaran Chandrasekaran, Tata Sons chairman, said.

BANKINTER concluded the first half of 2023 with profits of €418 million, a 54 per cent increase on the same period last year and the bank’s best ­ ever figures for the period between January and the end of June.

This result also took into account the €77.5 million ‘windfall tax’ on last year’s profits which fell due in 2023.

Bank note

THE Bank of England paid out £25 million (€28.8 million) in staff bonuses despite warnings from its governor, Andrew Bailey, that employers needed to show ‘restraint’ over wage rises as inflation continued to rise.

The Bank confirmed that 429 employees were given annual bonuses of more than £10,000 (€11,514) in the past year, with some receiving £22,500 (€25,907).

JAGUAR-LANDROVER: Batteries assured for its electric vehicles.

Photo credit: Jaguar Land Rover

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

WILL something ever be done about these ludicrous UK ‘human rights?’ To be honest I hardly know what the phrase actually means. And there of course lies the true problem.

The more obscure and complicated any point of law can be, the more the money grabbing lawyers can exploit them ­ which of course make them the last people on earth who would want them clarified. In fact, complexity and confusion in matters of law is like money in the bank for this unscrupulous bunch of legal parasites.

The Rwanda fiasco poured yet more profits into their ever ambitious currency grabbing vaults. Lawyers (who else) stepped in and declared that a large number of these illegal immigrants shouldn’t be deported because their ‘uman rites’ had been denied.

This legal Mafia, no doubt once again riding high on tax payer’s money; subsequently presented their case and the British courts have now agreed. The whole expensive plan to export asylum seekers to Rwanda has now sunk under a sea of obscure laws and ‘uman rights. Not surprisingly this

Human rights

has created an ocean of opportunity that is now promoting a brand new source of riches for these privateer gannets. Floating accommodation, which will no doubt develop into their next legal piracy campaign. I dread to think of the numbers of them brushing up their life jackets and briefcases to scramble on board for their latest money grabbing cruise.

As usual the thing that once more emerges from the actions of these despicable con merchants is that they yet again find themselves in a win win situation. Lawyers of course never lose. Well it’s about time they were curbed. From their persecution of our brave servicemen, to getting murderers and rapists released back on the streets, most of these people are not interested in justice, all they are concerned with are their own self ­ centered ends ­ and the human rights laws are a licence for them to print (tax payers) money. Well I think that these ‘rights’ should be resolved during trial.

Judges should have the power to decree human rights ‘denied’ or ‘mini­

TAKING A TOLL OUR VIEW

mal’. Lawyers receiving legal aid remuneration from the public purse should also have their fees capped at a reasonable level. Weed out the ambulance chasers and those without any moral conscience whatsoever and their ill­gotten gains could be put toward the branches of law and order that put the law abiding public first. Not as a means for lawyers to buy another villa in the south of France!

Many thanks for all your recent letters. Particularly those of you who have sent such kind and caring messages concerning my recent accident which resulted in a broken shoulder. Wonderful attention from our local hospital services. Thank goodness it didn’t happen in the UK. Mix their NHS problems with their money grabbing union leaders and lawyers and I’d probably still be waiting for treatment.

Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com

Mon. Fri. 1pm till 4.

THERE seems to have been a great deal of confusion and mind changing over the matter of the introduction of charges on certain currently toll free motorways in Spain.

The European Union is determined that every major Spanish motorway will charge drivers for their use by 2024 in a move to try to reduce the number of cars on the road and therefore the amount of pollution.

Euro Weekly News has its headquarters on the Costa del Sol where the main motorway, the AP7, not only charges but is allowed to increase the tolls charged at Easter and the summer.

Currently the inflated summer cost to travel from Fuengirola to Manilva is €17.25 which is a 76­kilometre journey.

You can travel on the A7 which is free and allows you to drive from Malaga City to Algeciras and part of the journey is shared with cars on the AP7.

The fact is many drivers choose not to pay to travel on the AP7 which means that the A7 is constantly backed up with traffic in both directions, with some guaranteed huge traffic jams which add rather than reduce the pollution generated by cars, lorries and of course the annual pilgrimage of workers from Spain, France and Italy heading for the ferries to Morocco and back.

The actual roads themselves are not in a good state of repair and it seems that little of the money generated from the tolls is actually diverted to ensuring that the highway is in good condition.

Regardless of which party or parties triumphed in last Sunday’s General Election, it seems more than likely that there will be an ongoing disagreement with the EU over the need to reintroduce tolls.

Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

Liberty posts a 10.5% first half growth in expatriates

LIBERTY SEGUROS organised a brunch meeting in Malaga with its main brokers engaged in the Expatriates segment along the Costa del Sol, where the excellent results of the first half of the year were applauded and a very positive outlook for the second half of the year was discussed.

This meeting forms part of a round of meetings with its Expatriates insurance brokers throughout Spain, particularly in coastal areas such as Levante, Murcia and Almeria, Costa Brava, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

The Expatriates segment encompasses foreign residents in Spain who are real estate owners, tenants or simply spend long and alternate periods in the country. Expatriates constitute one of the groups in which Liberty has a more solid and differential presence in the market that is not only built on a technology­driven, product and advice­based commercial model, but also sustained by a network of brokers who are consolidat­

ed and highly specialised in the needs of this group.

Liberty’s premium volume in this segment grew by 10.5 per cent between January and June 2023, standing at €42 million in car, home and miscellaneous premiums. This solid performance arose from new customers and renewals of existing policies.

Jesús Núñez, Executive Director of Distribution and Sales at Liberty Seguros in Europe, pointed out that

“this positive performance reflects the long­standing and trusting partnership between Liberty and its brokers” and also “a unique business model that provides brokers with Liberty’s digital and data analytics knowledge and capabilities so they can further develop their businesses.” On this point, Jesús Núñez reiterated his “absolute commitment to brokers,” who “are at the heart of offering customers a policy best suited to their needs.”

Rafael Nadales, Regional Director for the Expatriates segment, hailed the excellent results of the first half of the year, which he views as “proof of just how successful Liberty’s model can be combined with the support we give to brokers so they can respond quickly to customers' needs and develop their business through their knowledge and closeness with their customers.” He also explained

that “the Expatriates segment holds great growth potential, so we expect a second half of the year with plenty of opportunities.”

Specialised advice for Expatriates and digital nomads

Liberty Seguros carries a comprehensive range of flexible and modular insurance policies for foreigners working or temporarily residing in Spain. This group also includes digital nomads, who can work in Spain on temporary visas since the entry came into force last December of the Spanish Startup Ecosystem Promotion Act, known as the Startup Act.

Some of the modular insurance policies Liberty can offer to the Expatriates segment include car, home, life and accident policies, including options such as Europe­wide car insurance coverage, or coverage for theft at home or in a public place.

Liberty is a leading Expatriate insurance provider through the combination of business knowledge, the insurer’s technological capabilities and the experience of a broker network.

If you need more information or would like a personalised quote, you can contact any of their brokers or agents or visit quote.libertyexpatriates.es and fill in a short form for a local agent in your area to contact you as soon as possible.

INSURANCE BROKERS: Celebrated excellent results in the first half year.

By Clinica Britannia

Have your skin checked regularly

LONGING for a lazy, yet effective skincare routine for the weekend?

Start with a gentle cleanser to wash off the week’s stress. Follow with a hydrating mask, your skin’s ideal weekend treat; choose ingredients like hyaluronic acid or aloe vera for a hydration boost. While the mask works its magic, unwind with your favourite book or podcast. Rinse off and apply a rich moisturiser, feeding your skin with much­needed nutrients. Lastly, put on SPF if you’re stepping out. Remember, skincare isn’t just about looking good, it’s a self ­ care ritual. Here’s to radiant skin and relaxing weekends!

Healthy superfoods

SUPERFOODS are nutrient powerhouses that can boost your overall health and beauty. Incorporate foods like berries, leafy greens, and fatty fish into your diet to benefit from their antioxidant properties and essential nutrients. These foods promote healthy skin, strengthen hair and nails, and support overall wellbeing. Don’t forget to hydrate with plenty of water and incorporate healthy fats, such as avocados and nuts, for nourished skin. By including superfoods in your daily meals, you can cultivate a healthier and more vibrant you.

SKIN cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting both men and women, especially when living in a warmer sunnier climate, and if left untreated can be deadly.

It is important to protect your skin from the sun and to get regular check­ups with a dermatologist to detect any potential issues early on. If you have any concerns about your skin or have noticed any changes in moles or other areas of your skin, seek advice im­

mediately as early detection of skin cancer can be lifesaving.

The ABCDE Rule of skin cancer is an easy ­ to ­ remember system for determining whether a mole or growth may be cancerous.

A stands for Asymmetrical. One part of a cancerous spot or mole may not match the other half.

B is for Border. The outline of a cancerous spot or mole may be irregular, pink, or red in colour.

C for Colour. A cancer­

ous spot may show various colours and shades.

D is for Diameter. A mole is suspect if it is a diameter of 6mm or more.

E lastly is for Evolving. A mole that bleeds, changes in size, shape, colour, or texture.

Remember prevention is always a better option than cure, so contact us at Clinica Britannia to make an appointment with our Dermatologist, he can check, diagnose and treat any skin problems.

Perfume application

UNLOCK the secret to smelling divine all day with these perfume application tips. Start with moisturised skin ­ perfume lingers longer on hydrated surfaces. Apply your scent to pulse points like the wrists, neck, and behind the ears; your

body heat will help diffuse it. Avoid rubbing your wrists together as it can crush the scent. Finally, less is more ­ perfume should be discovered, not announced. With these tips, you’ll be a perfume pro in no time!

RADIANT SKIN: Look good at the weekend.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS: Avocados and nuts. Apply perfume

€10-€25

Average

Perfect manicure

YOUR hands are an extension of your personality, and the perfect manicure can elevate your style and boost your confidence. From elegant neutrals to vibrant hues, the choices are endless.

A meticulously manicured set of nails reflects attention to detail and selfcare. Treat yourself to a professional salon experience or channel your creativity with DIY nail art. Experiment with different shapes and lengths to find your signature style. Whether you prefer a classic French manicure or bold statement nails, the perfect manicure is a reflection of your unique taste. So, express yourself and unleash your inner style with nails that make a statement.

Benefits of aromatherapy

AROMATHERAPY , the ancient practice of using essential oils derived from plants, offers a wide range of wellness benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. Lavender oil, known for its calming properties, promotes re laxation and aids in rest ful sleep. Energise your senses with citrus oils like lemon and orange, which uplift and invigorate.

Peppermint

oil is commonly used to alleviate headaches and promote mental clarity.

Tea tree oil, with its natural antibacterial properties, can support skin health. Incorpo ­

them to baths, or using them in massage oils. Embrace the power of these captivating scents to enhance your overall well ­ being and experience the transformative

By Clinica Britannia

THE stress and lifestyle many of us live today, trying to fit in work, family and travel, can have a negative impact on our overall health. But surprisingly for many of us a general health check ­ up is not a PRIORITY, until we are diagnosed with any specific illness or disease. “Surely prevention is better than cure.”

An Annual General Health checkup will help your doctor keep an eye on the well ­ being of your body and give early diagnosis to any underlying problems; they will generally ask for the following tests:

• Height, weight BMI and blood pressure.

• Standard blood test.

• Electrocardiogram.

• Spirometry to check lung function.

• Consultation with Gynaecologist inclusive of ultrasound, smear and breast ultrasound for women.

• Prostate check for men.

BE HEALTHY: Have regular checkups.

• Dental consultation.

With the results, our GP can advise if any further treatment is necessary, for example seeing a Nutritionist if you suffer with diabetes, cholesterol or are over or under weight.

‘Health is Wealth’, and with the rising number of diseases, it always helps to detect them early.

So, do not neglect your health any more! Contact us at Clinica Britannia and book your annual check ­ up, it will for sure bring in a significant difference to your overall health.

Don’t neglect your health any more

ESSENTIAL OILS: Enhance your overall well-being.

The choices are endless.

spend per month on beauty products.

NEATER HEATER WANT ‘SQUIRRELS’ AS CUSTOMERS

RICHARD and Tony from NEATER HEATER are urging all our readers to start preparing for next winter now. “We really want peo ple to imitate SQUIRRELS,” said Tony “As we know; all the other woodland crea tures just laze about in the summer, relaxing. So when the winter comes they have to furiously compete with each other for the scraps left over or hide ­ away and hiber nate, waiting for next summer. But not the squirrels! Squirrels plan for the winter by hoard ing nuts, berries and seeds in the summer, so when winter comes they are well prepared for it, and are able to enjoy themselves on

SQUIRRELS: Are well prepared for the winter during the summer and so should you be.

those nice bright winter days when the sun does come out. They are obviously the wisest creatures in the wood. And that is what we want our customers to be.”

“What Tony is trying to say,” interjected Richard, “is that when winter finally arrives in Spain, Northern Europe has been cold for months. This means that Chilly Czechs, Frozen Fins and Shivering Swedes have been stripping the shelves for months. Every year we have panicking customers calling us in December, des ­

NEATER HEATER DISTRIBUTORS: COSTA BLANCA NORTH MORAIRA: S&W, The Tool Bar. Tel. 965 745 805 • ALTEA: Leo’s Superstore. Tel. 965 844 848 Heaters also available for purchase at our online shop with free home delivery. WWW.NEATERHEATER.ES or Tel. 634 312 171 (WhatsApp available)

HOW TO AVOID HOLIDAY STRESS

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

HOLIDAYS: two weeks of sun, sea, sand and the stress of packing...

Here’s a few tips. Lay out all the clothes and all the money you plan taking, then take half the clothes and twice the money. (A pal did just this: laid out everything for his camping trip on his sleeping bag… then forgot the sleeping bag.)

Take photos of unplugged iron, hairdryer, oven switches etc before leaving. No more turning back before reaching the end of the street or panicking at the airport. This covers some of the bases except, perhaps, realising halfway to the airport in your taxi you’re

still wearing your slippers and your holiday sandals are at the front door... with your passport!

But how can I write about holiday stress without mentioning the stress of the flights, or rather the security theatrics of boarding a plane? Every liquid, gel, cream must fit in a tiny plastic bag. Impossible if you’re packing deodorant, shampoo, face cream, sun cream etc (even mini sizes) for a destination far from shops.

Alternatively, ask ChatGPT to advise on the perfect place to visit. And then enjoy it from the comfort of your own sofa/bed/kitchen sink on a virtual reality headset.

Simples!

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

perate to have heaters supplied and fitted by Christmas. Frequently these customers have to compromise on their choice, or be put at the back of a long queue. Every year we think to ourselves ­ ‘It’s a shame you didn’t order them in the summer when we had loads of them in stock and, equally as important, the time to process the orders’.”

NEATER HEATER is the sole Spanish distributor for BEHA and ADAX NEO convector heaters. We currently have more stock than ever before at various locations, just waiting for the ‘squirrels’. Please feel free to call us on 634 312 171 for more information, or visit our website www.neaterheater.es , or email info@neaterheater.es.

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.

LETTERS

DGT indicates fines are possible

AT last, drivers in Spain can be fined up to €200 for not using their vehicles’ indicators when moving from one lane to another or making a turn.

There are some very good drivers on Spanish roads, but to those of us who learned to drive in other parts of Europe, especially the UK, the use of indicators was drummed in to us if we wanted to gain a licence.

It has taken the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), some time to decide that enough is enough and that there is

Comments

Lorry drivers are the absolute worst, not only do they hit the indicator as they turn the wheel, they just veer out without checking their mirrors! As they have so many blindspots, they should be constantly monitoring the traffic behind them. I’m aware of the blind­spot, so I always signal my intention to overtake, and pull over with plenty of distance so they can see me coming, but the problem is often they aren’t paying attention and just suddenly change lanes carelessly. Unfortunately, I have to drive hundreds of KM a week and many times I’ve almost been taken out by this particular action, or because they’re swerving all over the road, not staying in their lane. They cause so many accidents, deaths and complete chaos when they crash, or catch on fire. A lot more should be done to regulate them and educate them to:­ Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre! Concha

Spanish drivers are a complete law unto themselves. Once cocooned in their little tin box, the roads and all surroundings belong to them and them alone. They have to be the worst drivers in Europe! Of course, when a family member is not allowed to teach them and they have to attend a driving school which costs money, how many actually have a licence?

Ian Hannah

Was expecting a few thousand comments on this one, :):).

Driven in a lot of differing countries, but Spain is the worst for indicator use, or not as per norm. No realisation there is a degree of precognitive thought process required to carry out this action correctly.

DJH

It is time the authorities took this action. I have seen far too many ‘near misses’ because a driver has failed to indicate their intentions.

Spanish drivers are the worst I have encountered for not using their indicators. Do

no charge for using the indicator, but there could be a €200 charge for not using it.

According to the DGT, over the average life of a vehicle, the indicators can be used up to 200,000 times and they are there for a safety reason and need to be used with plenty of advance warning, not just at the last minute.

This thorny subject has been discussed by the readers of Euro Weekly News many times over the years and below, you will find the most recent.

they know what the little stick on the side of their steering column is for?

Mike Brister

Maybe they should show Spanish drivers where the indicators are on the steering column first.

John McLean

Maybe this piece should be in Spanish.

Eleni Lolkema

OMG well the police are going to be rolling in it lol what about using roundabouts correctly as well in fact how to learn to drive lol.

Kim Reilly

In the campo, where we live, the police could have a field day, as no one uses their indicators ­ you have to guess where they are going!!?

Angie Ellacott

Do the fines apply to the police? Can they give themselves tickets as most never use their indicators.

Sheree Ruiz

Funniest thing I’ve read in ages.

Andrew Weller

Should apply to all road users including cyclists and scooter riders.

David King

About time.

Michael Hunka

Yeah right! Let’s see how many take notice.

Lorna Button

Loadsamoney will be coming in not from the Brits. We know the right way to do things.

Gill Stevens

Thought Spanish cars only came with a horn .

Steven Barker

DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

ECCENTRICS add colour to our lives and, if harmless, offer us entertainment and amusement. There seem to be fewer of them around nowadays, possibly as a result of our obsession with political correctness and consequent decline in humour.

I was delighted, last month, therefore, to witness a man in a pool swimming lengths wearing a deerstalker. It reminded me of a scene many years ago of another tourist floating on his back in a calm sea smoking a pipe. He looked at peace with the world until a sudden wave changed all that.

And it’s refreshing to see the humorous way many spectators dress up to enjoy sports events.

These are amusing but transient glimpses of eccentric behaviour. But there are of course characters who are

ECCENTRICS, OBSESSIVES AND FANATICS

simply eccentric through and through. The Belgian Alfred David was one of these. His obsession with penguins gave him recognition far beyond the Brussels suburb where he was known as Monsieur Pingouin. Whenever he left his house he was dressed as a penguin. His home was a ‘penguin museum’ with 3,500 exhibits featuring penguins. There were photos and paintings of penguins everywhere. He had penguin dolls and fig ­

ures made of china, wood, cotton, glass, plastic, metal, cardboard ….

There were cups and plates bearing pictures of penguins and loo paper embossed with their images; lamps and a kettle in the shape and colour of penguins. There were stone penguins mounted on the pillars at his house entrance and a large one in the garden.

Several times a week he would go to the zoo to watch the penguins at feeding time,

Spanish tradition ‘Sobremesa’

Catherine McGeer

I N Spain, eating is not just a necessity but a beloved pastime. The country’s gastronomy holds a special place in its cultural heritage. Central to this culinary tradition is the practice of spending hours around the table after a meal, known as ‘sobremesa’. It is a cherished custom that epitomises the Spanish way of life.

The beauty of sobremesa lies in its ability to bring people together. Whether the conversation revolves around the events of the week, the latest gossip, or even the sometimes­dreaded topic of politics, sobremesa is an integral part of the Spanish heritage. Its magic lies in the way it effortlessly blends the pleasures of good food and lively discussions.

The Romans began the concept, following their lavish feasts, they would enjoy spectacles of artistry, featuring acro ­

bats, dancers, actors, and poets. These post ­ meal entertainments added to the splendour of sobremesa. During medieval times they continued this tradition, it was also during this era that the tradition of spending time before lunch emerged, ultimately influencing the practice of tapas in Spain.

Today, sobremesa remains an integral part of Spanish culture, embodying the values of social

connection, unhurried enjoyment, and appreciation for good food and company. It is a time for families and friends to gather, sharing stories, engaging in spirited discussions, and relishing the simple pleasures of life.

When visiting Spain, immerse yourself in the magic of sobremesa. Embrace the lingering conversations, the laughter, and the joy that comes from taking the time to savour the experience.

where he would be fed whole raw fish in the way that penguins are.

Alfred actually believed he was a penguin. He has requested to be buried in the Antarctic, dressed in his penguin suit with a gravestone in the shape of a penguinpreferably, when he is dead! Then he believes he will be reincarnated as a penguin. Most men accept that they are not penguins, but some do identify as women.

Unlike Alfred David, not all obsessives are eccentric. Many people are obsessed with their practice of veganism, yoga, spiritism and religion ­ all noble concepts. But their obsession often makes them intolerant towards those who don’t embrace these interests. This obsession can lead into fanaticism and as a result, they alienate others from their beliefs. Others are obsessed with dress, punctuality, tidiness, drinking, stalking, gang membership and racism.

Then there are the fanatics. The fan who hates Manchester United so much that he attends all their matches praying for them to lose is more a fanatic than an eccentric. His fanaticism is simply negative. And those whose lives revolve around a pop group, a sports figure, a social cause or a political figure (either positive or negative)? They are a far cry from our precious eccentrics.

I’M getting old. Well actually I am old. I don’t like the ageing process, but of course it’s better than the alternative. All sorts of things start happening to the body and in some cases stop happening. On a recent visit to my doctor she told me that I should stop eating chocolate, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop eating red meat, stop having fried food, cut down on my dairy products, walk four miles a day and stop having sex …. I asked if this would make me live longer and she said ‘No but it will definitely feel like it!!’

The other day I was trying to do something on the computer. By the time I’d logged on I’d completely forgotten what it was I was going to do. What’s that all about? I walk in to rooms, look round and walk out. Not a clue why I went in. I stand there like a doughnut looking around for some inspiration, but nothing. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been driving somewhere then realised that I’ve gone past the turning because in my head I’m going somewhere else! Please tell me it’s not just me.

Today I was looking to hire a car so I went on to Hertz online and all I had to do was put in my username and password and I was all set. Was I heck? Could I remember my password? I thought I did. I tried it three times then got locked out. I got a message saying I now had to change my password. I spent the next hour trying to do that, but it all got too complicated as they wanted my driving licence number and credit card details.

Driving licence was fine but I couldn’t remember what credit card I had on their file. I tried three which were wrong and then I got locked out of that screen! I’ll call them tomorrow if I remember. I have so many pin numbers and passwords it’s impossible to remember them all and you are always told don’t write them down, so I hide them on my phone and code them. Then I forget the code! I have decided to change my password to ‘incorrectpassword’ so if I put it in wrong or forget it at least when that pops up I’ll have half a chance of remembering it.

When you get old, I’ve decided, two things happen to you. One is that your memory starts to go and the second ... err, err, mmm can’t think of it at the moment. I’ll get back to you on that one.

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

Some eccentrics are obsessive, but most obessives are fanatics rather than eccentrics.

SOBREMESA: Unveiling the cherished Spanish tradition.

Photo credit: Pexels/Askar Abayev

Geological wonders

Catherine McGeer

SPAIN’S geological wonders are often overlooked. From the geode of Pulpi to the Gredas de Bolnuevo, here are five geological marvels in Spain that will leave you in awe.

Region of Murcia: Gredas de Bolnuevo (Mazarron). Located near the beach of Bolnuevo, the Gredas de Bolnuevo, also known as the Enchanted City of Bolnuevo, is a fascinating sight. Composed of yellowish sandy loams, sandstones, and micro conglomerates, these rocks have been sculpted by water and wind into shapes resembling gigantic mushrooms.

Extremadura: Los Pilones (Cabezuela del Valle, Cáceres). Nestled in the Jerte Valley, Los Pilones is a unique bathing area and geological marvel. The Garganta de los Infiernos, a granite gorge, features 13 enormous pools that have been sculpted by the flowing water, creating fantastic shapes and tex ­

tures.

The cascading waterfalls and natural pools offer visitors a refreshing escape during the hot summer months.

Region of Valencia: Els Arcs de Castell de Castells (Alicante). In the mountains of Alicante, the Els Arcs de Castell de Castells awaits with its colossal limestone arches. These natural arches frame a landscape that resembles an alpine paradise. The arches stand tall and majestic, offering a spectacular sight for hikers and nature lovers.

Catalonia : Congost de Mont­rebei (Lleida). Located in the Montsec massif, the Congost de Mont­rebei is a dramatic gorge carved by the Noguera Ribagorzana River.

Providing financial assistance

THE British Benevolent Fund was funded over a century ago to provide financial assistance for British nationals in extreme financial distress and who have no other recourse, whether friends or family or state support.

Towering walls of orange limestone rise over 1,000 metres, creating a breathtaking and vertigo ­ inducing spectacle. Visitors can cross a narrow bridle path carved into the rock, pass over suspension bridges, and enjoy panoramic viewpoints that offer glimpses of the local wildlife

Andalucia : Giant geode from Pulpi (Almeria). On the eastern edge of Almeria, the giant geode from Pulpi was discovered in an old mine. This extraordinary geode is a cavern adorned with massive gypsum crystals, reminiscent of the legendary Fortress of Solitude. The sparkling crystals create a mesmerising display of natural beauty, captivating everyone.

The BBF works with partner charities from www.supportin spain.info across the country as well as the UK´s eight consular offices in Spain in order to help those who have no other means.

Recently we were made aware of a young woman who had been living in Spain for some years who had tried to contact with the authorities over a domestic abuse situation.

The lady in question was in fact visited in her home by police officers who found no cause to investigate. The boyfriend was at the home at the time and she didn’t use the opportunity to make the complaint.

But she did the next day contact the British consulate to ask for assistance to return to the UK.

She had no bank accountand the boyfriend was a controlling person who made it difficult for her to leave the house without him ­ they lived in an isolated property requiring a vehicle for any errands or visits.

He had possession of her passport.

Her family in the UK were estranged and it seemed a difficult task for her to leave anywhere ­ let alone get a flight home.

However, she was determined to make the break when the opportunity arose ­ which it did just last week ­ the consulate was able to issue an emergency travel document which the BBF paid for as well as the flight back to the UK and some travel expenses.

She left with one bagwalked 3kms to the bus stop

and prayed he would not see her ­ she made it!

She is now back in the UK staying with a friend while she rebuilds her life.

The BBF can only help people like her with your support ­ if you would like to make a donation to the British Benevolent Fund please visit our website www.britishbenevolentfund.or g ­ thank you on behalf of the many for your help.

NATURE’S MASTERPIECES: Unveiling Spain’s Geological Wonders.

Photo credit: La Geoda de Pulpí Facebook page

Photo credit: Shutterstock/Marisa Estivill

Olaf Clayton, Chair BBF

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

PETS

Dog-sitters care for your pets at home

GILLIAN loves her Westies, and likes for them to be cared for at home when she travels. She chooses HouseSitMatch because sitters are checked, and she is happy to exchange free accommodation for free pet and home care. It’s a win win! Her house­sitters are for free because she is part of the Hous eSitMatch network.

If you’re planning a trip register now as a member of our network to find an affordable home and pet care solution. Whether your trip is short or long, you’ll know that sometimes you must leave pets at home.

Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying at home, so they can follow their routines undisturbed. Join our pet and house­sitting network, and the sitters come for free! Choose Housesitmatch. com for affordable travel, home and pet care. These are the steps to take:

1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSit Match.com

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

3. Create a profile with pho­

tos 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 housesitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and petsitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either housesitter or homeowner with a 20% discount using coupon code 20EWN – Reader exclusive offer.

To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com

Heroes seek homes

THEY’VE served, protected, and now they’re ready to snuggle! Spain’s retired police dogs are trading their badges for comfortable beds in loving homes. After years of rigorous work, these canine heroes are seeking retirement amidst family warmth and affection.

Specially trained to fight crime, find missing persons, and detect drugs or explosives, these dogs have

dedicated their lives to keeping the community safe. Now that their service has ended, they’re ready for the next adventure: becoming family pets.

Various organisations in Spain, such as Fundación ONCE del Perro Guía (FOPG), have taken the initiative to rehome these retired servants. They ensure that these dogs find families who can provide the love and care they’ve earned after years of duty. Officer Miguel Sanchez,

Shepherd named Bruno, said “Bruno has done his duty, and now deserves a peaceful life full of belly rubs and fetch games.”

Welcoming a retired police dog into your home is not just about adopting a pet. It’s an opportunity to show gratitude to these unsung heroes. These dogs, known for their discipline and training, make wonderful pets, offering a unique blend of companionship, loyalty, and courage. Retiring from service doesn’t

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.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Bird ownership - a fluttering delight

860 669

FROM the melodic canary to the chatty African grey parrot, birds are perching themselves into the role of popular pets within UK homes. However, welcoming these airborne companions requires more than just a cage and birdseed.

One of the main draws of birds as pets is their sociability and intelligence. Interaction is essential, from teaching your parrot to mimic human speech to providing your budgerigar with supervised time outside of its cage each day.

Additionally, their environment should be peppered with suitable toys and perches to encourage mental and physical exercise during your absence.

Nutrition is key in maintaining a bird’s health. A balanced diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, and specially designed bird pellets to

ensure your bird receives all essential nutrients.

Some birds, surprisingly, even enjoy a variety of cooked legumes and grains.

Prospective bird owners should consider the longevity of these feathered creatures. Many bird species, particularly parrots, live for several decades, making pet birds a long­term commitment.

Routine vet check ­ ups are crucial for early detection of potential health issues.

In conclusion, while owning a bird requires effort and dedication, it can provide an immensely rewarding experience. Prospective owners should be prepared to meet their avian companions’ needs for diet, social interaction, and healthcare. It’s not just pet ownership; it’s a shared journey in companionship.

Caring for pets in their own home means they are more relaxed.

POLICE DOGS: Make wonderful pets, offering companionship and loyalty.

PLUMBERS

PLUMBING

WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call Bluesky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (WhatsApp) (303487)

I BUY RECORDS 50s to the 90s. Best prices for good records. Tel: 622 750 117 / 962 851 809 (303212)

VARIOUS music CDs, DVDs and DVD box sets. Job lot €100. Listings available. 604 185 014 (302958)

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

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 dieterzimmer er@hotmail.com, www.cen trosaron.com (10008)

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)

WIGS

WWW.WIGS-R-US.ES Iindoor market, Rincon De Loix Benidorm. Monday to Friday 10 -4pm Sat 10 – 3pm scrunchies, ponytails, toppers, fascinators, headwear etc. Private appts after 3 pm 681 049 502 (302420)

RELAX CENTRE in BENIDORM - Excellent atmosphere. Expert Masseuses. 24/7 Outcalls - Tel: 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 (304057)

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)

LOOKING FOR Silent Business Partner for small Private Care Home. Invest 10K and get 20K back in 14 months. 747 438 225 (304048)

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

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

BEDDING CAMPING

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.elcampel lochristiancommunity.org , email campellocc@gmail. com or call Juan Zúñiga - 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 639 426 (English) (233602)

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA This association, formed in 1988, exists to foster comradeship amongst those who, having been awarded an official flying badge, have qualified to operate military aircraft and are serving or have served, as military aircrew in the armed forces of the United Kingdom or those nations which are allies of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS POPULAR ASSOCIATION, CALL the Secretary on 966 495 228. (295990)

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

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

ALL METAL WORK AND MOBILE WELDING. +44 7787 585 714 (302963)

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TOO) OR VISIT www.sosinsur anceinspain.com or email tracey@sosinsurancein spain.com (303525)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@benefi cialinsur anceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote. (303574)

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

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

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, Solicitor, Debt Collections, Bad Tenants. 747 438 225 (304048)

LOCKSMITH/ELECTRICIAN

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

MASSAGE

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)

QUALIFIED MASSAGE THERAPIST, INTUITIVE, RELAXING, HEALING with Teya in beautiful studio Denia Centre. Whatsapp +34 692450679. (302934)

METAL WORK

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

MISCELLANEOUS

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

MORTGAGES

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)

MOTORBIKES

PETER ZWAAN MOTORBIKES, A+ Occasions Showroom, Harley Davidson Wide Glide, yr 2007, 62.000 kms, Euro 9.700,= CostaBlan caMotorbikes.com (290148)

MOTORING

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (301133)

CAR BODY REPAIRS AND MECHANIC. ORBA AND SURROUNDING LOCAL AREAS. CALL TONY: 669 633 257 (302957)

NAUTICAL NURSING

INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE : Courses held in English and starts soon. VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (303717)

OTHERS

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

PAINTERS/DECORATORS

DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (303340)

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

PETS

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

POWER WASHING

M-POWER Commercial and Domestic Pressure Washing Services. Professionally cleaned and restored. 633 061 946 (302966)

Ifyoucanreadit,socan your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

PROPERTY TO LET

LOVELY WINTER RENTAL APARTMENT DENIA. 750€ per month + charges. +34 607 733 998. patriciabuigues@ gmail.com 302962

PROPERTY WANTED

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

REMOVALS/STORAGE

BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 622 658 992 (301436)

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

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

ROLLER SHUTTERS SITUATIONS VACANT

SHEET metal & painting workshop in BENISSA looking for car painter. 965 731 816 / 629 177 068. (302959)

SKIP HIRE

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

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS

MARK PADDON BSc Hons. MCIOB, CAAT – for buyer’s survey & defects advice. Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247

Skoda Kamiq - it’s made style affordable

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack

NAMING your car after a word meaning ‘Something that fits perfectly’ (in the lan­

guage of the Inuit people) is quite a bold move, but not one Skoda needed to fear with their Kamiq. The Kamiq feels classier than its equivalent VAG stablemates. There’s little in the way of cheaper fin­

ishes inside or out and its smoother, more streamlined design makes it a stand out compared to other com pact SUVs.

Four trim levels from a low price starting block of just £22,780 see all mod els having LED lights, cruise control, rear park ing sensors, Bluetooth, air conditioning and powered and heated door mirrors.

There are two engine op tions of 1.0­litre and 1.5 with three power outputs and both manual and automatic gears. Nice, typically Skoda, features include hidden rubber strips that automatically pop out as you open the doors to protect their edges, an umbrella in the door and an ice scraper in the fuel filler cap. Most versions even have a removable, rechargeable torch that lives in the boot.

My particular test model was the top ­ of ­ the ­ range Monte Carlo with 1.5­litre, 150PS engine and six­speed manual gearbox. The finishing

touch was the rather vibrant Phoenix Orange metallic paintwork which in itself was actually quite suited to the Kamiq, although it did clash somewhat with the red flashes on the seats!

Colour clashes apart the Kamiq drew lots of admiring glances, which is quite a feat nowadays when so many modern cars are only different because of the badges they wear.

Standard fare on the Monte Carlo includes every­

thing from navigation and gesture control to a full panoramic glass roof and the most stylish and comfortable sports seats you’re ever likely to find. Priced at €30,099/£26,805 my car’s option list bumped the price to €32,761/£28,370, but that did include over €1.1k/£1k for a detachable tow bar and a similar figure for the vibrant paint finish.

On the road the Monte Carlo’s 1.5­litre TSi power plant is a spirited performer with the

benchmark 62 mph passing by in whisker over eight seconds. It smooths bumps with aplomb and the handling is sharp enough to prove entertaining, possibly helped by the fact it isn’t the highest riding SUV. That said it’s not meant to be a Land Rover substitute, it’s much more of an all­rounder. Skoda have really hit on a styling success with their new models and it’s a look that’s as sharp as it is subtle. With Kamiq it’s made style affordable.

8,690 Motorhomes

SKODA KAMIQ: A look that is as sharp as it is subtle, altogether a styling success.

Football legend dies in Marbella

IT was announced on Monday, July 24, that the history­making football legend, Trevor John Francis has died at the age of 69 in his apartment near Marbella, Spain, according to a news source.

He will be known to many as the first British footballer to be sold for £1 million following his transfer from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in 1979.

During his professional playing career, which spanned an incredible 24 years, he represented Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Sampdoria Rangers, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday. He also scored 12 goals in 52 games played for England.

He made his debut for Birmingham City at the tender age of 16. He seemed destined for great things when at the age of 17 he scored four goals in one match against Bolton Wanderers. In his first season, he had notched up an impressive 15 goals from just 22 games.

In 1979 he joined Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest for the then record ­ breaking fee of £1 million. The actual amount was £1,150,000, at the time this was an astonishing figure, the previous record was less

than half that amount.

Francis proved he was worth the money by scoring the winning goal against Malmo, which secured Nottingham Forest’s back­to­back European Cup victory in 1979.

Later Francis also went into football management and went on succeed Ron Atkinson at Sheffield Wednesday , leading them to third place in the FA’s First Division.

Following Monday’s sad news for­

mer colleagues have shared their memories. Former ITV presenter and friend, Gary Newbon said: “This is obviously a terrible shock for Trevor and his family and friends.

“He was revered throughout football and has his place assured in the history of the game.

“But he was also an incredibly kind and popular man, who will be greatly missed by so, so many people.”

TREVOR FRANCIS: Known to many as the first British footballer sold for £1 million.

Harman wins British Open

AMERICAN golfer Brian Harman picked up a whopping $3 million at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course on Sunday, July 23, after winning the prestigious British Open 2023.

Despite horrendous weather conditions, Harman held onto the lead he entered the final day with to batter the rest of the field. He started with a fiveshot advantage and eventually won the tournament at Hoylake by an incredible six strokes.

As a result, the 36­year­old from Savannah, Georgia, picked up the first Major of his career, the iconic Claret Jug, which is presented annually to the winner of the oldest golf tournament in the world.

Rory McIlroy went into this 151st Open as one of the favourites after his victory last weekend in the Scottish Open. The North ern Irishman was without a Major win in nine years.

After birdies on the third, fourth and fifth holes, he looked to be in with a slight chance of catching Harman but, after spurn ing further opportunities, it was not to be.

Spain’s Jon Rahm started today on 6­under, with England’s Tommy Fleetwood close to him on 5under, but both players failed to capitalise and fell well short of the eventual South Korean’s Tom Kim, Sepp Straka from Austria, Aussie golfer Jason Day, and Argentina’s Emilliano Grillo all put in good rounds but Harman was not in the mood to allow any of them to catch him as he put daylight between him and the rest of his competition.

Cameron Young was Harman’s closet rival as play started but the 26­yearold New Yorker could only manage a final score of 5­under, recording a miserable 2­over for the day. In picking up the famous trophy, Brain Harman becomes only the third lefthanded golfer to win the British Open. He joins New Zealand legend Bob Charles who won back in 1963, and the 2013 winner, America’s Phil Mickelson, in that unique group of players.

Women’s World Cup shock

NEW ZEALAND pulled off the first shock of the Women’s World Cup 2023 in the very first match of the tournament.

The Football Ferns won their first game in 15 World Cup outings, roared on by a record number of 42,137 delirious fans at Auckland’s Eden Park on Thursday morning, July 20.

Not only did they win 1 ­ 0 thanks to a Hannah Wilkinson goal, but they did it against Norway, the 1995 world champions, and the favourites to progress as group winners.

If Ria Percival had converted her penalty in the 89th minute after Tuva Hansen was judged to have handled the ball then the result would have been even more emphatic. Instead, she only smashed her kick against the crossbar.

A goalless first half suddenly turned into a thrilling match after the 48th ­ minute cross from Jacqui Hand was steered into the Norwegian net by Wilkinson.

Eden Park erupted into a cauldron of noise as the 31 ­ year ­ old Melbourne City player celebrated scoring New Zealand’s first goal on home soil since 2015, which incidentally, was scored by the same player.

Frida Maanum had the chance to bring her side level only minutes later, but she spurned a golden opportunity, poking the ball wide of the post.

A diving save by Aurora Mikalsen prevented the home captain Ali Riley from doubling the lead for the home side as they pressed Hege Riise’s surprisingly very lacklustre Norwegian team.

Ten minutes of added time did nothing to help the nerves of the New Zealand players or fans, but as the final whistle blew, they had achieved a famous victory.

Brian Harman winning The Open 2023.

Credit: Twitter@TheOpen