Costa Blanca South 5 – 11 October 2023 Issue 1996

CITY IN TOUCH

TORREVIEJA Council has introduced a gamechanger: the City in Touch mobile application, designed to revolutionise the efficiency of municipal services.

This innovative app covers a wide range of crucial functions, from streamlining street cleaning and waste collection to maintaining the pristine beauty of its coastlines and keeping tabs on public road incidents.

So, what can you do with this user­friendly app? Well, the possibilities are endless.

Residents can now swiftly report any issues they encounter, whether it’s concerning overflowing bins, pothole­ridden roads, or other urban concerns.

It’s absolutely free and compatible with both Android and iOS devices, ensuring accessibility for everyone.

But that’s not all; City in Touch goes the extra mile by letting you report public road incidents that require repair.

REPLETE WITH SUCCESS TOURISM JOURNALISM

THE Alicante City & Beach Tourist Board has unveiled its inaugural Alicante Tourism Journalism Awards, a noteworthy celebration that coincided with World Tourism Day.

Ana Poquet, the councillor for Tourism, had the honour of presenting these awards. She highlighted the significance of the occasion, stating, “Alicante celebrated World Tourism Day by recognising two esteemed figures in our city’s tourism landscape: Gloria Ruso, from Casa Gloria in Tabarca, and the Melia Hotel.”

The launch of these awards is a deliberate effort to encourage and promote the sharing of Alicante’s tourism experiences, both nationally and internationally.

Ana Poquet emphasised the importance of recognising and showcasing the vibrant tourism reality that Alicante has to offer.

ALICANTE’S culinary scene took the spotlight at the Alicante Gastronomic Fair.

The Fair was a spectacular four­day event that left an indelible mark on the palates and hearts of over 3,000 visitors.

Organised by the Alicante City Council in collaboration with leading entities and associations in the hospitality and restaurant sector, this culinary extravaganza showcased the rich tapestry of traditional Alicante cuisine.

With nearly 50 activities, workshops, and tastings, the event transformed the Fair Institution into the ultimate gastronomic hub.

Haute cuisine reigned

supreme, with talented chefs taking centre stage and highlighting the excellence of locally sourced ingredients.

Rice, in particular, emerged as a hallmark of Alicante’s culinary identity, positioning the city as a gastronomic destination and an international tourist magnet.

Lidia Lopez, the councillor for Commerce and Hospitality, threw her support behind the event and celebrated the exceptional professionalism of Alicante’s chefs.

She noted, “The great professionalism of Alicante chefs has been evident once again at our Alicante stand, shining with its rice dishes, local products, and

workshops.

“It has been a resounding success, attracting more than 3,000 visitors and showcasing the best of our region’s cuisine and restaurants.”

The councillor added: “We can all take immense pride in this achievement.”

As ‘Alicante Gastronomic’ drew to a close on October 2, it left a legacy of culinary excellence and a shared passion for the flavours of Alicante.

This event reinforced the city’s reputation as a gastronomic powerhouse and a must ­ visit destination for food enthusiasts from near and far.

GASTRONOMIC FAIR: A spectacular four-day event.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola / Facebook

Wonders of nature

IF you have a passion for nature, an interest in medicinal dishes, and a deep appreciation for the gifts that vegetation bestows upon us, then this is the course for you!

Hondon de las Nieves is delighted to announce an exciting botanical course that will immerse you in the world of plants, their properties, and their di­

verse applications.

The course is divided into two engaging parts: the Winter Workshop and the Spring Workshop.

Each segment promises a unique and enriching experience as you delve into the fascinating realm of botanical wonders.

This course is an invaluable opportunity to enhance your knowledge of

the natural world, connect with like­minded individuals, and develop practical skills that will allow you to harness the power of plants for various purposes.

To learn more about this exciting botanical course and secure your spot, reach out via email at elca bassetnatural@gmail.com or call (+34) 608 622 055

Blue economy

THE Port Authority of Alicante recently delved into the world of the blue economy, shedding light on its challenges and potential.

In a conference featuring prominent companies, various initiatives were showcased, all aimed at promoting the sustainable and efficient use of marine resources, which, in turn, could lead to diversifying Alicante’s economy.

Rafael Abril, representing the Sustainable Innovation Division of the Port Authority of Alicante, shared a visionary outlook for the port’s

future The vision involves transforming the entire port into an intelligent and interconnected hub, facilitating seamless operations.

One significant takeaway from this event is the recognition that the blue economy offers a sustainable source of wealth in which Alicante can and should take a leading role.

This economic model, built on collaboration between the public and private sectors, holds the promise of creating highly skilled job opportunities.

BANK HOLIDAY

AS Thursday October 12 is National Day in Spain, we will not be distributing any of the seven Euro Weekly News editions until the following day, Friday October 13. There will still be the same mix of interesting content, but it will be one day later.

Tech benefits

STUDENTS from Vega Baja are learning how to use technology to benefit their well­being. The director of ELIS Villamartín said, “We must remember that, in a rapidly evolving world, technology is a challenge, but also a great opportunity to promote well­being.”

Big payout

A PAYOUT of €450,000 as compensation for medical malpractice to a patient who underwent surgery on her left shoulder at the Torrevieja University Hospital in January 2021 for a fracturedislocation, but finally the entire limb was amputated has been agreed.

100% electric

ELCHE launched its first 100 per cent electric city bus line on September 3 and did so with a completely free service. Many residents took the opportunity to travel for free on the bus and leave the car at home instead.

Virus blocked

ALICANTE will immunise

13,300 children up to two years of age against bronchiolitis. The respiratory syncytial virus is behind a pathology that causes numerous hospital admissions of minors during the autumn and winter.

Road safety

ALICANTE Council has approved a new works project to renew and improve road safety on Calle Glorieta and Calle Mexico. The new works have an investment of €600,117 and are expected to be executed once tendered within four months.

Tourist bus launch

ALICANTE marked World Tourism Day with the exciting launch of the Turibus, a new addition to the city’s urban transport network.

The Turibus is designed to enhance the tourism experience in Alicante, offering accessibility to people with reduced mobility and guided tours in six languages: Spanish, Valencian, English, French, German, and Italian.

This modern doubledecker bus with an open roof has a seating capacity

of 70 passengers, with two dedicated seats for individuals with reduced mobility.

Green light

THE local government board has given the green light to initiate the bidding process for a crucial construction project in Gran Alacant.

This project involves the development of essential roads leading to the site of the eagerly anticipated second school in the region, strategically situated on Monte de Calle Santa Pola. An estimated investment of €1,147,697 has been earmarked for the project.

The building of the second school in Gran Alacant is already un ­

derway, adjacent to the Montefaro urbanisation, with a substantial budget of €12,500,000 allocated for its construction.

The upcoming school will feature two classrooms designed specifically for two­year­olds, along with nine classrooms for Infants and an impressive 18 classrooms for Primary education. With a total capacity to accommodate around 700 students, this institution promises to be a vibrant hub of learning and growth for the community.

Equipped with cuttingedge technology, it promises an unforgettable tour of Alicante’s top at ­

YOUR

tractions. The Turibus route includes stops at the city’s key tourist destinations, ensuring visitors get a comprehensive tour of Alicante making stops at the Port, Postiguet Beach, Archaeological Museum, Santa Barbara Castle, Old Town, Main Theatre, Bullring, Auditorium and Central Market. Turibus will then take the route of the Plaza de los Luceros, Maisonnave Avenue, Railway Station, Bus Station, Parque de Canalejas and the Esplanada de Espana.

National Police

THE official celebration of the Day of the Patrons of the National Police, the Holy Guardian Angels, commenced in Alicante on Monday, October 2, with a moment of silence to honour the victims of the recent nightclub fire in Murcia.

The event, which took place in Alicante, saw the recognition of nearly 70 police merit crosses and diplomas of recognition.

Manuel Lafuente, the chief commissioner, took the opportunity to extend his congratulations to the entire police

Ecuador facelift

SANTA POLA has confirmed it has finalised the works of replacing the ageing fibre­cement drinking water pipes beneath the thoroughfare of Calle Ecuador, which came to fruition with a budget of €160,657.

Councillor for Infrastructure, Trini Ortiz, confirmed: “Beyond the necessary upgrade of water pipes, the project extended its benefits to the entire street itself. Calle Ecuador has undergone a remarkable transformation, featuring newly laid pavements and expanded pavements.” Trini added: “The widened sections of the street

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STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Patron’s party

ARE you ready to show your pride for the festivities of Pilar de la Horadada’s Patron saint?

The town hall have just the thing for you, an exclusive commemorative t­shirt celebrating the fiestas designed for all members of the public to enjoy!

force.

He also took stock of the outstanding achievements and results of their work throughout the year across various areas within the Provincial Police Station.

Lafuente underscored the significant improvement in coordination and cooperation in security matters, both with the Local Police and the Unit Attached to the Valencian Community.

This collaboration has enhanced overall security efforts, making the community safer and more secure.

This limited­edition tshirt is now available for purchase at select local establishments, all of whom have generously supported this initiative.

You can find the shirts at Atmosphere Sport Future, Campoamor Graphics, Horaprint, Marleando, Olimpo and WitpasSandra.

You can grab your very own Patron’s Party t­shirt for just €10! That’s right, a unique souvenir at an unbeatable price.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of the festivities and proudly wear your Pilar de la Horadada Patron’s Party t­shirt.

now boast the graceful presence of palm trees, adding an element of elegance to the urban landscape.”

Furthermore, Santa Pola has leveraged this opportunity to implement an innovative urban drainage system. This eco­conscious system efficiently manages rainwater while also serving as an ingenious irrigation method for the newly planted trees.

It’s a dual­purpose solution that fosters both ecological responsibility and aesthetic appeal.

NEW ADDITION: To enhance the tourism experience.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante

Orihuela shines

Anna Ellis

FROM the end of September until October 2, the ‘Alicante Gastronomic’ fair illuminated the culinary scene

in the province of Alicante, and Orihuela proudly took centre stage.

The fair was a celebration of gastronomic excellence,

PROVERB OF THE WEEK

showcasing a bountiful array of Orihuela’s finest products.

Visitors had the opportunity to savour the flavours

of the Orihuela garden, delight in salted fish, explore various rice dishes (including the iconic rice and crust and rice with rabbit), savour traditional dishes like a stew with meatballs, and indulge in sweet treats such as the mona de Pascua and convent pastries.

Means when you’re in a difficult situation, laughing can make it easier to get through that situation. This is believed to have originated from the bible. But the power of laughter has long been recognised by medical experts.

What set the Orihuela exhibit apart was its captivating central stand, adorned with imagery depicting the city’s rich history, the lush

INTERNATIONAL Breast Cancer Month was poised to be commemorated with an event organised by The Pink Ladies at Zenia Boulevard on October 6.

GASTRONOMIC FAIR: A bountiful array of the finest products.

Orihuela orchard, and some of the most renowned gastronomic treasures the region has to offer.

Additionally, two counters at the stand were adorned with verses from the celebrated poet Miguel

Hernandez, touching on themes related to gastronomy.

Visitors were transported into the world of his poetry with lines like ‘You threw a lemon at me’ and ‘Your heart, a frozen orange’.

Ever resilient

However, the Boulevard had to cancel this event due to unforeseen repair work required in

the stage area, where the event was originally scheduled to take place. Despite this setback, the spirit of solidarity and support for those affected by breast cancer remains undiminished.

The Pink Ladies, ever resilient, are not giving up. They will still be present at the boulevard by London Square, providing an opportunity for anyone who wishes to show their support or simply say hello.

13.6% the number of people who go to church every Sunday in Spain.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela Facebook

“Laughter is the best medicine.”

Pink Ladies go ahead.

Image: Pink Ladies & Panthers / Facebook

Mamma Mia

GET ready to groove to the irresistible tunes of ABBA as ‘Mamma Mia: A Tribute to the Legends’ descends upon Elda’s Gran Teatro on Saturday, October 7.

This extraordinary spectacle promises an unforgettable fusion of dance, theatre, music, and performance art, all infused with the timeless charm of Sweden’s beloved musical icons, ABBA.

But this isn’t just your typical musical tribute; Mamma Mia brings an uproarious twist to the

stage by paying homage to mothers in a sidesplittingly comedic fashion.

Prepare to be entertained like never before!

For those seeking more details or eager to secure their seats for this unmissable event, reach out to the Gran Teatro team at their venue on C/ Kursaal, 1, 03203 Elx, or give them a call on (+34) 966 658 000.

The Gran Teatro’s booking office is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00am until 1.30pm and then 5.00pm until 8.30pm.

Triumphant September

ALICANT E’S tourism sector is basking in the glow of sunny days, celebrating a triumphant September that has surpassed the record set in 2019.

As they gear up for the upcoming holidays next week, the anticipation is high, and they aim to finish the year on a high note.

Throughout the first half of October, the province of Alicante is ex-

pected to maintain occupancy rates that soar above the 90 per cent mark.

Thanks to the splendid weather, the market remains vibrant, with occupancy rates consistently exceeding 90 per cent, even as we transition into October.

Looking ahead to the long weekend ahead (with Monday, October 9, marking a bank holiday in

the region), many establishments are hopeful that they’ll be able to hang the ‘fully booked’ sign on their doors.

This optimism is fuelled by the fantastic weather that has graced Alicante throughout September.

Last-minute reservations are expected to continue driving this positive trend, which has been the hallmark of 2023 thus far.

Extended Access

RENTAL costs in the province of Alicante continue to soar, with no immediate signs of relief despite recent changes introduced through the Housing Law.

In the last quarter alone, the average rent demanded by property owners in the region has risen by 2.8 per cent, although there was a slight dip of 0.4 per cent in September.

Rental high

to a monthly expense of €768 for an 80­square­metre apartment. When examining specific municipalities, several stand out for their notable year­on­year increases. Orihuela, for instance, has witnessed a staggering 25.7 per cent jump in rental prices, bringing the square metre rate to €9.10.

LA ROMANA has taken a significant step forward in enhancing the accessibility of its municipal gym with the installation of an automatic opening system.

This innovative initiative opens the doors to extended usage of the facility, allowing residents to enjoy the gym’s offerings every day of the week, from Monday to Sunday, from 6.00am until 11.00pm. This convenience is made possible through the

TTLOCK APP, a user­friendly mobile application that grants access to the gym.

To benefit from this service, users need to possess an active gym card or purchase a new bonus. It’s important to note that only annual or quarterly cardholders are eligible for this service, with single ­ use tickets or 10 ­ session bonuses excluded.

The system operates seamlessly through the TTLOCK APP, which must be

installed on a mobile device.

Users can register within the app as per the instructions provided in the attached manual. Once registered, they are required to complete a questionnaire related to gym access.

Within a short span of 24 to 48 hours, user requests will be processed and approved, granting them access to this convenient service.

Comparatively, rents have surged by a staggering 17.3 per cent in the past year, according to data from the Idealista portal.

In concrete terms, renters are now paying an average of €9.60 per square metre, translating

San Vicente del Raspeig follows closely behind with a 19 per cent increase, setting rents at €8.50 per square metre.

Meanwhile, in the city of Alicante, prices have surged by 18.6 per cent, reaching €10.50per square metre equivalent to €840 per month for a standard apartment.

New bus routes

TRANSPORT news is on the horizon for residents and commuters in Elche!

The city has undergone a remarkable transformation in its public transportation system, thanks to the introduction of new bus lines, an ecoconscious low­emission fleet, express services, and significantly improved connections to neighbouring towns like Crevillente, Santa Pola, and Alicante, all courtesy of Elx Rodalia.

The crown jewel of this

transportation overhaul is the lightning­fast connection to Alicante.

In just 25 minutes, you can now reach Alicante without any stops, thanks to the impressive offering of 54 daily services provided by Elx Rodalia.

But the enhancements don’t stop there.

Elche’s public transportation has been reimagined to offer better service, greater efficiency, and a reduced environmental footprint.

The introduction of a lowemission fleet underscores the city’s commitment to ecofriendly practices and sustainable mobility.

Ready to embark on your journey?

Planning your route has never been easier. Simply visit elxrodalia.vectalia.es to map out your trip, explore the new routes, and make the most of these incredible transportation improvements.

Hop on board and enjoy the ride!

MUNICIPAL GYM: Has installed an automatic opening system.

Image: Ayuntamiento de La Romana

Welcome milagro

RIO Safari Park in Elche (RSE) is abuzz with anticipation as they prepare to welcome a new resident, Milagro, a young male jaguar hailing from the European Conservation Programme for this magnificent species.

The European Exsitu Conservation Programme, dedicated to the preservation of jaguars outside their natural habitat, has recommended the transfer of this promising young male to Río Safari

CLAUDIO GUIL -

Elche.

Milagro, born at the Wilhelma Stuttgart Zoological and Botanical Garden in Germany, is two years old and is described by his caretakers and professionals at his home zoo as a friendly, playful, and delightful animal.

Upon his arrival, Milagro is set to become the companion of Pepa, the female jaguar who has already made RSE her home since May 2022.

Feline friends

The introduction process between the two jaguars will be gradual and carefully managed.

This will involve familiarising them with each other’s scents and gradually allowing them to see each other while maintaining a safe distance.

These steps will ensure that when they are eventually brought together, the encounter is neither unexpected nor disconcerting for either of them.

Bikes & cars

ABERT, the councillor of Public Services in Elche, has unveiled HIS exciting vision to promote sustainable mobility and elevate Elche as a shining example of modern infrastructure. His mission? To create four more kilometres of bike lanes.

In the spirit of this ambitious endeavour, one of the proposed bike lanes will serve as a vital link between Calle Orihuela and Calle Sucre, connecting the bustling industrial zone of Nuevo Altabix with the prestigious Avenida de la Universidad.

Meanwhile, the second bike lane will effort­

lessly connect the Altabix Industrial Estate with Calle Mallorca, ensuring a seamless and eco­friendly transportation network across the city.

As part of this initiative, approximately 20 parking spaces on Calle Mallorca will make way for progress.

But fear not, for this loss will be met with an equally exciting gain.

A spacious new parking area, situated behind the San Anton hermitage, is set to double the number of available parking spaces, offering a practical and welcoming solution for residents and visitors alike.

THE Association of Friends of the Southern Alicante Wetlands (AHSA) has raised a red flag by presenting a letter to the Guardamar del Segura City Council, shedding light on a growing concern: the increasing presence of feral cats in the vicinity of the Segura River mouth and the dune pine forest.

This influx of feline inhabitants is having a noticeable impact on the biodiversity of these protected natural spaces.

According to environmentalists, the appearance of cats on the north bank of the river mouth is linked to the utilisation of the old fishermen’s market building, situated on the central breakwater, as a shelter for these animals.

Additionally, they have observed the presence of cat feeders at various points within the designat­

ed wetland areas, providing nourishment and water for these feral felines.

Moreover, various types of equipment have been installed to offer shelter to these animals.

This issue raises complex questions about the coexistence of feral cat populations with the protection of sensitive natural habitats.

Finding a balanced solution that respects the biodiversity of these vital ecosystems while also addressing the welfare of the cats is a challenging endeavour, one that will require careful consideration and collaboration between environmental organisations, local authorities, and animal welfare groups.

FERAL CATS: Are increasingly present in the area.

Mail convenience

GOOD news for residents of several urbanisations in Orihuela Costa!

The National Markets and Competition Commission has initiated a process that will make it more convenient for hundreds of homes and businesses in the area to receive their mail.

Say goodbye to the hassle of collecting letters from multi ­ home letter boxes, as your mail will soon be delivered right to your doorstep.

This development comes as a response to persistent requests from local residents over the years.

Once the formal procedure is completed, urbanisations such as Dehesa de Campoamor, Cabo Roig, La Zenia, La Zenia II, La Regia, and Mil Palmeras will no longer be considered special cases.

Consequently, the centralised multi ­ domicile mailboxes for deliveries will be discontinued,

making way for the convenient delivery of ordinary postal items directly to your home.

Carp-R-Us return

AFTER another short break, Carp ­ R ­ Us resumed their Summer/Autumn Series with Round Five fished at Jacarilla/Bigastro. The river had settled quite well after the rains earlier in the month, but was still fairly high and fast but, on a beautiful autumn day, everyone expected to catch a few fish, and that’s exactly what happened.

As expected, when he drew the upstream end peg, Willy Moons ran out clear winner with 8.12kg caught on his usual method feeder tactics. Willy fishes the venue regularly and it’s thought he now knows all the fish by name. Second from the other end peg was Steve Fell with 5.54kg caught mainly on feeder and maggots. Steve’s catch included six small barbel, which was good to see. Third was Trevor Morrey, fishing the venue for the first time. Trevor had 2.50kg to just pip Richard Crawshaw who weighed in 2.22kg, which also included several small barbel.

Further information about the club can be found on its website www.carp ­ r ­ us.weebly.com or on the Facebook page Carp ­ R ­ Us Fishing Costa Blanca.

THE eagerly awaited replacement of the old artificial turf at the municipal Polideportivo football field has finally kicked off, with a total investment of €28,124.

This ambitious project is expected to span over three months, promising a revamped and safer playing surface for athletes and en­

New turf

thusiasts alike.

Jose Antonio Martinez, the Sports councillor, shed light on the key details of this upgrade.

Studio 32 donate to charity

The new turf boasts topof ­ the ­ line performance characteristics, ensuring an extended lifespan and minimising the risk of injuries that can be attributed to the playing surface.

Martinez proudly announced that the turf has received the coveted FIFA approval, a testament to its quality and suitability for professional play.

But the improvements don’t stop there.

An additional €40,000 will be channelled into enhancing the field’s infrastructure.

This investment will focus on upgrading the irrigation system for the soil, a vital component for maintaining the field’s pristine condition.

Furthermore, perimeter spaces will be adapted to provide a more holistic and enjoyable experience for all who visit the Polideportivo.

STUDIO 32 Musical Theatre Group were delighted to present one of three charity donations from the show, Hello Dolly, performed earlier this year. Lonee Hopwood and Linda Daniel handed over a cheque to Jennifer Welsh, committee member for the Elche Childrens Care Home charity. ECH have 24 children aged between 12 and 17 and the money donated was used to get the children out and about during the long summer holidays. Studio 32 also gave donations to AAN San Fulgencio and SATS.

After a short summer break Studio 32 learned that the Cardinal Beluga Theatre, San Fulgencio would be undergoing major works until the end of the year. This meant a change

to their November show, The Pajama Game, which will now happen at the Cardinal Beluga Theatre San Fulgencio in May 2024. Instead, Studio 32 will perform The Studio 32 West End Party on Saturday 25th, Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday November 30 at the Cultural Centre Benijofar.

You can purchase tickets at the following outlets who have very kindly agreed to sell tickets on their behalf. The Post Room Dona Pepa, Cards and More (Jason) Urbanisation La Marina, The Post Room Benijofar and Q Tech (near Goyas Restaurant) Quesada. Tickets for this show will be priced at €10.

Studio 32 look forward to seeing you in November at the Cultural Centre Benijofar.

Local holidays

PINOSO Council has just made an official announcement that’s sure to put a smile on the faces of its residents and visitors.

Get ready to clear your schedules because two special days have been designated as local holidays for the year 2024.

First up, on April 8, the town will come alive to celebrate the Day of Saint Vincent. It’s a day to honour traditions,

create lasting memories, and bask in the vibrant spirit of Pinoso.

Then, fast forward to August 8, and you’ll find yourself immersed in the festivities of the Day of the Patron Saint of Pinoso.

This occasion promises to be a grand spectacle, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and deep ­ rooted traditions that make Pinoso so unique.

Camino del Cid

ORIHUELA is on a mission to bolster the city’s allure as a historical and cultural destination with the captivating exhibition

‘Camino del Cid’.

This informative exhibition provides a deep dive into the Camino del Cid, offering insights into the historical and mythical figure of El Cid, the renowned ‘Cantar de Mio Cid’ (Song of My Cid), the unique features of the route, and an abundance of maps highlighting the various paths and their key tourist attractions.

Orihuela, situated along this historic route, plays a pivotal role in the final stage known as the ‘Defence of the South’ route.

Unlike its predecessors, this leg places a stronger emphasis on history rather than literature. It retraces the Cid’s journey during the critical period

of his defence against the Almoravid threat from the south.

One notable historical episode highlighted on this route is the Cid’s relationship with Orihuela, dating back to 1090.

After defeating the Catalan Count Ramón Berenguer II at the Battle of Tevar, the Cid established a broad protectorate over the Islamic kingdoms of Al Hayib, encompassing territories

like Lerida, Tortosa, and Denia.

In 1091, this protectorate expanded to include Orihuela.

The exhibition is open for exploration at the Tourist Office until October 8 welcoming visitors from Tuesday to Friday between 10.00am and 2.00pm then 5.00pm until 7.00pm, as well as on Sunday and Monday from 10.00am and 2.00pm.

FOR those with allergies, these are trying times.

Nearly all of Europe finds itself under the siege of high mugwort pollen levels at the moment, and there’s little relief in sight as forecasts predict this will persist for several more days.

Pollen onslaught

In Spain, the regions feeling the brunt of this pollen onslaught include Catalonia, the Basque Country, Aragon, Madrid, Murcia, and the Valencian Community, with a particularly sharp impact registered in the province of Alicante.

Mugwort, a genus of plants belonging to the

IN a recent incident that unfolded at the Alicante­Elche airport, National Police detained a Chinese citizen who attempted to travel to Dublin using the identity document of a Taiwanese individual. The story, marked by intrigue and a case of mismatched identities, began to unravel at the terminal’s Border Post.

National Police officers, ever vigilant, took action and arrested the 32­year­old traveller just moments before he could board the plane.

Suspicion arose when the officers scrutinised the documentation during the preflight checks and discerned a

Asteraceae family, comprises several species.

These hardy plants are found across the globe, gracing regions in Europe, Asia, North America, and even parts of Africa.

While some of these species have historically been prized for their medicinal properties, take Artemisia annua, for instance, their pollen is a prime culprit behind seasonal allergies. As sufferers navigate this challenging period, they can take solace in the fact that they’re not alone in their pollen woes as the invasion of mugwort pollen is a shared experience across Europe.

False identity

glaring disparity, the individual’s appearance did not align with the photograph on the identity document.

The alleged perpetrator was identified and apprehended on charges of document falsification.

ORIHUELA: Situated along the historic route.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela / Facebook

The final frontier

ELCHE is currently hosting a historic event that commenced on October 2 and is making waves in the world of space technology.

The 13th European Space Power Systems Congress has brought together leading international space agencies, including NASA (USA), ESA (Europe), ISRO (India), JAXA (Japan), and CAST (China).

Their collective mission?

To enhance energy technology for missions beyond Earth’s orbit, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the race to return humans to the Moon.

Over the course of several days, Elche has become the epicentre of space innovation, with around 400 engineers and scientists representing these renowned agencies, as well as other global leaders like the French CNES and the German DLR.

They are converging until Friday, October 6, at the Elche Congress Centre, par­

ticipating in three discussion panels and delivering nearly 160 technical presentations.

Experts from 38 countries, all at the cutting edge of aerospace technology, are engaging in lively discussions on the latest developments in this highly specialised field.

A common theme among them is the shared interest in reaching and establishing a presence on

the Moon.

Professor Ausias Garrigos, an expert in Electronic Technology explained that the prospect of returning to the Moon has generated immense interest, especially near the lunar poles.

“Unlike Earth, these regions offer optimal conditions for establishing a base due to milder temperatures and the potential presence of water in certain craters.”

Winning pic

IN a celebration of artistic talent, the jury of the 25th Autonomous Photography Award convened on September 27 in Aspe to bestow recognition upon deserving photographers.

This year, the prestigious first prize, carrying a substantial reward of €2,000, was claimed by Jose Antonio Lopez Rico, hailing from Petrer, for his remarkable collection titled ‘Mediterranean’.

This body of work captivated the jury and stood out as a testament to Lopez Rico’s creative prowess and his ability to encapsulate the essence of the Mediterranean region through his lens.

Renewal deadline

ON Sunday, October 1, the province of Alicante experienced an unusual and scorching day, with temperatures soaring to a staggering 35 degrees Celsius.

This unseasonably hot weather was a result of a warm air mass that engulfed the region, leaving residents and tourists alike reaching for their fans and sun tan lotion.

Thermometers across the province registered temperatures well above 32 degrees Celsius, except in some specific interior areas.

What made this weather phenomenon even more as­

Sizzling start

tonishing was the fact that the skies remained practically cloudless, as if nature itself was trying to set new records.

The extraordinary heatwave in Alicante mirrored the atypical conditions being witnessed across the entire country, with temperatures consistently surpassing the seasonal norms for this time of year.

According to data from the station network of the Valencian Meteorological Associa­

tion (Avamet), Beniarrés experienced the highest temperature in the province, scorching at 34.8 degrees Celsius.

Surrounding towns like l’Orxa, Planes, Alcosser, Gaianes, l’Alqueria d’Asnar, and Muro were not far behind, all recording temperatures above 33 degrees Celsius. This sizzling weather was not confined to just El Comtat, as the Marina Alta and the Vega Baja regions also felt the heat.

International workshop

ATTENTION, young scholars of Elche! The clock is ticking, and November 22 is the date to remember, as it marks the deadline for requesting the renewal of your city bus payment exemption.

This exemption is exclusively available for students under the age of 26 and boasts an impressive annual validity.

To qualify, you must meet a few simple criteria: first,

you should be a resident of Elche and under the age of 26.

Second, ensure that you possess a valid mobility card.

Third, you must be enrolled in official studies or non­regulated studies with a minimum duration of 900 hours per year.

The request process can be conveniently completed either in person at any of the OMAC offices or via the elec­

tronic platform of the Elche City Council. This initiative is a testament to the city’s commitment to supporting its youth in their educational and professional pursuits.

Claudio Guilabert, the dedicated councillor for Public Services, reaffirms the significance of this measure, stating, “This measure will continue to finance our young people’s transit to their study or work centres.”

THE Archaeological Museum of Alicante recently played host to an international workshop that brought together expert archaeologists and scientists for an exploration of the Roman nurseries scattered across the province. Their aim was to delve into these ancient structures, seeking clues and indicators of sea level fluctuations over the past 2,000 years.

Over 70 professionals hailing from various Mediterranean countries eagerly participated in this workshop.

Out of the five ancient fish farms in Spain, four are located in the province of Alicante. They can be found in the Albufera de Alicante,

El Campello, Calpe, and Xabia.

These structures, with origins dating back to the first century BC and the second century AD, were closely linked to the thriving coastal settlements of the time.

They served as symbols of wealth and social status, providing a glimpse into the economic prosperity of these ancient maritime communities. These Roman nurseries also laid the groundwork for the later nurseries discovered along the province’s coastline.

The exception is La Illeta dels Banyets in El Campello, which had a more specific function: the marketing of fish.

Councillor for Public Services, Claudio Guilabert.

Image: Ayuntamiento de Elche

By John Smith

IN the first series of Hold the Front Page, comedians Nish Kumar and Josh Widdicombe travelled around the UK experiencing the life of local news reporters.

They spent a week or so with a number of different publications including the Scotsman, Yorkshire Post and Farming Life, finding themselves reporting from the Edinburgh Fringe and even trying to interview Boris Johnson.

When the series was aired on Sky Max it was well received by viewers and this encouraged the channel to commission a second series but looking further afield and the logical choice was Spain.

Hold the Front Page

Production company CPL did their homework and understandably realised that in order to make the concept work, they had to insert the two ‘cub reporters’ into an English language newspaper and the obvious choice was Euro Weekly News which publishes weekly editions across seven popular Spanish regions.

The choice for the first episode to be shot was Benidorm which is such a popular resort for both local British residents and holidaymakers and after several dis­

cussions concerning how the filming was to proceed, EWN proprietors Michel and Steven Euesden supported by local staff spent a week in Benidorm as the show was created.

There was no guarantee that all, or indeed any of the stories that the pair chose would be used, but the cameras followed their briefing, decision making, on the spot interviews and then their creative process.

Four topics were chosen, first the opening of an exhibition of sculpture by Josh which was a bit too dry to make the paper, followed by a ‘gut busting breakfast’ which Nish fought his way through.

This did make the paper, but the editorial team thought that perhaps full English breakfasts are more popular with visitors than residents and therefore the story was extended to mention the fact that many people may

prefer to sample the Menu del Dia available in numerous restaurants in Benidorm.

Filming is not quick by any stretch of the imagination and although the Costa Blanca North edition normally goes to the printers on Tuesday evening, the deadline was moved back by 24 hours to allow them more time to arrange interviews.

A front page story about Josh and Nish’s visit had already been written and much of the paper laid out but they had two further stories to be filmed, a visit to a psychic dating night and then a journey to Hugo’s Home Farm an animal charity run by Colin whose alter ego is popular drag artist Coco Chanel.

Time was tight and in theory the Coco story missed the deadline and should have been left out but by moving the Psychic Dating nearer the back, we manged to fit both articles into the paper and although printing ran through the night, the paper was produced and distributed around Costa Blanca North as usual on Thursday.

All of those involved from the proprietors, to the editorial team and the designers who handled all changes during the day were delighted with the results.

There was a combination of giggles and near misses but we all look forward to the programme being aired in January or February 2024 and do keep a lookout for more news of the show from your people’s paper, Euro Weekly News.

NISH & JOSH: Spent time filming with the EWN directors.

Migrant smugglers exposed

John Ensor

A REPORT published by National Police on Friday, September 29, revealed how four individuals were apprehended at Adolfo Suarez Madrid­Barajas Airport. They were attempting to bring in

13 migrants from a flight from Bogota. The arrested individuals were part of a criminal organisation. They simulated tourist trips from Colombia, primarily involving Colombian nationals. The real aim was for these people to stay in Spain longer than legally allowed, charging each migrant between €1,500 and €2,000.

Police investigations uncovered that the organisation started its operations in December 2021. The main orchestrator, one of the detainees, promoted the services on social media, fo­

cusing on accompanying children.

With the support of a Colombian travel agency, this individual managed documentation and travel arrangements. The network had collaborators to accompany the migrants, adding credibility to the supposed tourist trip and evading police controls at the airport.

Once in Spain, the organisation members handed over the migrants to waiting relatives or provided directions to their final destination. Shortly after arriving, following the

organisation’s guidance, most migrants registered to justify their extended stay and subsequently sought to regularise their status.

Three arrests occurred at Adolfo Suarez Madrid­Barajas Airport. Another collaborator, arriving on a later flight from Colombia, was also detained. The authorities confiscated around €23,000 in cash, several electronic devices, and relevant documentation.

The police estimate that around 1,000 migrants could have been brought in by this criminal group.

The lost city of Atlantis

A TEAM of divers and archaeologists have made a discovery deep in the sea off the Gulf of Cadiz that they hope could possibly solve an enigma that is thousands of years old.

They uncovered large concentric circular structures that look like artificial walls which are said to bear similarities to Plato’s descriptions of the mysterious lost city of Atlantis.

At a press conference held in the Cádiz municipality of Chipiona on Saturday, September 30, the divers and technicians who carried out a scan of the area, spoke of their findings.

Speaking at the press conference, the historian and archaeologist Mercedes de Caso Bernal indicated the team was not going to reveal the location of these findings: “We have notified the corresponding administrations and it is they who are responsible for maintaining and protecting them,” he explained.

Two of the diving team, explained that 10 years ago, while returning from one of their underwater explorations, they detected ‘some anomalies’ in the area with sonar. “We were going with empty oxygen tanks, so we marked the area and left it for other explorations,” they revealed.

In their subsequent dives, in an area with hardly any visibility, they said they thought they had detected shapes similar to walls, built with stones at right angles, something that was ‘quite special’.

As a result, they contacted two specialists who used technology to carry out bathymetric surveys of the area, with which they detected structures rising from the seabed, with a height of five metres and some of them up to 450 metres long.

The archaeologist indicated that what they found is ‘the first data’ of an investigation that must continue with numerous technologies.

CAUGHT: Police arrest a suspect at Madrid Airport.

Credit: PoliciaNacional/X

October flight record

DESPITE suggestions that Spain was being bypassed by holidaymakers who were looking for cheaper destinations, the latest news from Tourspain via the Spanish government suggests quite the opposite.

Advance bookings for international flights arriving in Spain this October, compared to October 2022 sees a 9.8 per cent increase to just over 10.5 million against 9.6 million. In fact, this figure is even better than the best pre ­ pandemic October, which was 2019, when the number of seats booked was 10.1 million, so things are most certainly looking good!

Although traditional markets continue to be strong, there are three stand out increases against 2022 from less expected countries with Poland up 47.4 per cent, the Czech Republic 26.6 per cent and perhaps

most surprisingly Portugal up 21.2 per cent.

It’s not just Europe though, as Mexican travellers are also homing in on Spain, where they can enjoy a taste of Europe without having to learn a new language and their bookings are up 20.5 per cent.

Although Brexit has undoubtedly put off some British visitors especially those who wanted to spend more than 90 days out of 180 in Spain, there

is no arguing with the fact that British travellers still account for the largest number of those coming to Spain in October as they account for 22.7 per cent of all bookings.

That’s quite a way ahead of the Germans who account for 14.9 per cent and Italians who take third place at 8.9 per cent according to the official figures, whilst with much smaller but still significant numbers come France, Holland and Belgium.

Travellers are still returning to Spain in their droves.

Spanish pensions

THE Spanish government have announced that starting in 2024, the retirement age in Spain will progressively increase until 2027.

Retirement is a very bizarre situation for many people because the longer that you work, it feels as though the official retirement age starts to get further and further away, making it a long and drawn­out process.

For anyone who has worked in Spain and been paying into their ‘Seguridad Social’ Social Security public pension pot, the retirement

age will now be increased over a four ­ year period, starting on January 1, 2024, and running up until 2027.

From January 1, 2024, people who are working and have worked in Spain and have paid their Social Security contributions for more than 37 years and nine months will be able to officially retire when they reach the age of 66 years and six months.

In simpler words, an additional two months will now be added to the minimum retirement age from the start of next year, that is in comparison to what the age has been in 2023.

Those people who are over the age of 65 and have paid Social Security for more than 38 years will be able to access ordinary retirement, while also receiving 100 per cent of their pension, as per the new rules.

There is an alternative for people living in Spain, however, and this is taking voluntary early retirement. This

Controversy over LGTBI book

can be taken up by people when they are up to two years premature to their legal retirement age, so when you are 64 years and six months old.

Retiring early always sounds like a great idea and an ideal way for people to spend their latter years in comfort and relaxation, but it does obviously still have its drawbacks, none more so than you may not be entitled to receive your full pension.

Instead, you will only receive a fraction of the lump sum depending on how early you decide to take this voluntary decision, and also how long you have been contributing toward the Social Security.

As mentioned above, the retirement age is set to progressively get further away for people, so in 2025, 2026 and finally, 2027, it only appears to be bad news for people with one eye on retirement, because in four years time, the legal retirement age will be 67.

For people who own a UK state pension, but find they have gaps in their National Insurance contribution due to the fact they have been residing abroad, then the government has decreed an extension for them to pay and plug those holes and in turn, receive their full UK pension.

ON Wednesday, September, 27, Jesus Albiol, the councillor for Culture of Burriana, to the north of Valencia and a member of the Vox party, confirmed the removal of LGTBIthemed books from the children’s section of the municipal library.

This move was met with strong criticism, particularly from the Compromis municipal group, who labelled it as ‘censorship’, according to a news source.

Albiol defended the decision, stating it was in compliance with article 20 of Law 4/2011, of March 23, on Libraries of the Valencian Community.

This law mandates that books discussing sexual diversity, gender, or sexual development should be placed in a specific adult section, especially in libraries in cities with more than 25,000 inhabitants, like Burriana.

“It is our duty to protect minors, the

most vulnerable, and to keep them away from books with content that could be classified as pornographic and that are not suitable for their age,” Albiol asserted.

The Vox councillor accused left ­ leaning parties of attempting to “pervert minors with scandalous books with explicit sexual content.” He emphasised that such content is not educational and has been infiltrating both school and municipal libraries. “Children are children and childhood must be protected,” he added.

Compromis, a coalition advocating for Valencianist, progressive, and ecological politics, vehemently opposed this move.

This isn’t the first time Albiol’s decisions have stirred controversy. In July, he faced backlash for withdrawing subscriptions to five Valencian or Catalan magazines, leading to public protests and eventual reinstatement of the magazines.

RETIREMENT AGE: Seems to get further and further away.

Wild boar attacks hikers

TWO people have been seriously injured after they were attacked by a wild boar in Navarra’s Ollo Valley region.

As reported by the 112 Emergency Services, the incident occurred at around 12.45pm on Sunday, October 1, in the popular Manantial de Arteta hiking area of Ultzurrun municipality.

The coordinating centre immediately deployed an appliance from the Cordovilla Fire Brigade to the location, according to a statement from the government of Navarra.

They were joined by members of the Fire Technical Rescue Group, a rescue helicopter, a medical helicopter, two medical ambulances and Foral Police patrol vehicles.

The two injured people were evacuated from the scene by firefighters with the help of

the rescue helicopter and then transferred to the University Hospital of Navarra, reported a local news source.

A 66 ­ year ­ old man reportedly suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to the hospital in the medical helicopter. The second victim was a 44 ­ year ­ old woman who also sustained serious injuries and was transferred to the hospital in a medical ambulance.

Both individuals were part of a group of hikers who were said to have been participating in an excursion in the Manantial de Arteta at the time of the wild boar attack.

The incident reportedly took place near the information centre. No other members of the group were injured as they managed to take refuge in some nearby trees.

Following the attack,

the wild boar fled in the direction of the nearby Artazulo ravine.

An investigation into the incident has been launched by the Provincial Police.

In September, a meeting between a cyclist and a wild boar had a different outcome. The two came face ­ to ­ face on a mountain road in Girona with the subsequent stand ­ off recorded by a spectator.

However, the animal did not appear to be aggressive, just curious and the creature simply ran away.

By 2050 over 30% of the Spanish population will be over 60.

DENMARK

Empathy education

DENMARK stands out as a pioneer in the fight against school bullying. Instead of merely reacting to incidents, the nation has embraced a proactive strategy. At the heart of this approach are dedicated empathy classes, fostering a culture of understanding and inclusion among students. This preventative measure offers valuable lessons for schools worldwide.

Pharma reigns

THE popularity of celebrity-backed pharmaceuticals has raised concerns over Denmark's economic stability, drawing parallels with Finland's Nokiadependent downturn. Novo Nordisk, driven by drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, now reigns as Europe's most valuable company, safeguarding Denmark from recession. However, with Novo Nordisk's market cap surpassing Denmark's GDP, experts fear its overreliance on one company is a risk.

Viking treasures

A NORWEGIAN family searching for a lost earring uncovered Viking-era artifacts, including a bowl-shaped buckle, dating back more than 1,000 years in their yard. The discovery, believed to be a woman's grave from AD 800, is the first of its kind on the island of Jomfruland.

Norway’s ban

NORWAY, in solidarity with EU sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine, announced a ban on Russian-registered passenger cars from entering the country. The move, despite Norway's non-EU status, reflects its commitment to international allies. Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt emphasised unity with like-minded nations in opposing the conflict.

Sophia Loren

ITALIAN actress Sophia Loren, 89, suffered a fall at her Swiss home, resulting in multiple fractures, including a serious femur injury. After successful emergency surgery, her upcoming engagements, including a restaurant opening in Italy, were postponed. Sons Carlo and Edoardo are supporting her in hospital.

Voodoo lawyer

AN Italian lawyer, Barbara Raimondo, has been sentenced to five years for embezzling €1 million from an elderly client. The court heard that she sought the services of a sorceress to perform voodoo rites, aiming to speed up the death of the woman whose substantial fortune she managed.

Shock injury

A FOOTBALL match between RKC Waalwijk and Ajas had to be suspended on Saturday September 30 following an accidental clash between Ajax player Brian Brobbey and RKC goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen, who was quickly transferred to hospital with head injuries where he is now said to be recovering.

Goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen.

Russian warning

DMITRY MEDVEDEV, Deputy Head of Russia's Security Council, issued a warning, stating that Russia would view German missile manufacturing plants as ‘legitimate targets’ if Germany provides long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Medvedev called out the German Defence Committee's chair, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann warning that such actions could escalate global tensions toward a third world war.

Inflation declines

IN September 2023, Germany experienced a notable drop in its inflation rate, marking the lowest level since Russia's Ukraine invasion. Preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office reveals a 4.5 per cent increase in prices YoY. This decline from August's 6.1 per cent suggests relief from high inflation, potentially prompting the European Central Bank to reconsider raising key interest rates.

New dinosaur

DINOSAUR footprints said to be 195 million years old were discovered in Alvaiázere, in the Portuguese district of Leiria. According to the CPGP, it is the oldest occurrence of dinosaurs in the Iberian Peninsula. This discovery by a multidisciplinary team of Portuguese researchers made it possible to identify a new species of dinosaur, called 'Moyenisauropus lusitanicus'.

Algarve award

PORTUGAL’s Algarve region was named ‘Europe’s Leading Beach Destination’ in the World Travel Awards 2023, for the fifth consecutive year, and the 10th time in the history of the prestigious awards. André Gomes, President of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) and the Algarve Tourism Association (ATA) commented: “It is an honour to receive this distinction for the 10th time. We remain committed to making travellers aware of the natural beauty of the Algarve.”

Al-Qaeda threat

AFTER a break of 12 years, Al-Qaeda's Sada al-Malahim magazine, published a threat from the AQAP branch of possible attacks on France. It stated it planned to strike not only against France but also Sweden. Based on the Iberian Peninsula, this small Islamist terrorist group is the same one that claimed responsibility for the attack in January 2015 on Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Bed bugs

WITH the 2024 Paris Olympics less than 12 months away, the city's council urged the government to implement an urgent plan of action to eradicate the current bed bugs problem. Clément Beaune, the Minister Delegate for Transport, announced a meeting with transport operators would take place. ‘I will bring together transport operators next week to provide information on the actions undertaken and act more to serve travellers. To reassure and protect', he tweeted.

Town’s inheritance

A SMALL Finnish town, Askola, unexpectedly inherited €1 million from a modest local who passed away. The funds, including land assets, are designated for the welfare and leisure of the town's elderly. The town plans to invest and organise events for its senior residents.

Firms blacklisted

THE US has blacklisted three Finnish firms, Luminor, Siberica, and Evolog, suspected of supplying drone components to the GRU, Russia’s foreign intelligence arm. This move by the US Department of Commerce aims to curb the technological advancement of foreign military capabilities, particularly those of Russia.

Influential degree

SOUTH EAST TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

(SETU) in Ireland has introduced a pioneering Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation and Social Media. The course, starting next September, addresses the booming €16 billion influencer industry, blending media skills with business acumen, content creation, and crisis management.

Boeing delays

RYANAIR has cancelled flights for the winter period of 2023 due to delays in receiving just 14 out of the expected 27 aircraft from Boeing. Dublin and other European hubs will be affected. Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief, assured ongoing talks with Boeing and hoped for no major impact on their annual traffic target.

Beaufort 24

EVERY three years, several Belgian coastal towns work together to create the triannual Beaufort event which turns the sea shore into an art gallery. In 2024, Beaufort will run from March 27 - November 3 and no less than 18 national and international artists will prepare their works for display on the sea fronts of nine different towns.

Speed king

IRELAND PORTUGAL SWEDEN

POLICE officers in the town of Vilvoorde couldn’t believe their eyes when a young man on an electric scooter shot past them at high speed in a busy shopping area. Later, the 16year-old was detained and when his scooter was checked on a roller machine it had a top speed of 99kph, when the legal limit is only 25kph.

Burning condemned

THE burning of an effigy of President Erdogan outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm has been condemned by Turkey. In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the authorised demonstration that had taken place in the strongest possible way. They also expressly pointed out that the Turkish public expected Sweden to prevent such actions that 'systematically insult our elected leaders as well as the ongoing terrorist propaganda'.

Powerful explosion

THREE people were hospitalised after a massive explosion in an apartment block in the Stockholm district of Hässelby Strand. According to witnesses, relatives of an individual who is believed to be involved in a conflict with a criminal network live at the address. “I was sitting with some friends and it felt like the whole house was going to collapse,” said one neighbour.

Credit: RKC Waalwijk X

NORWAY FRANCE

Tuna washed up on shore

BOTH the Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have raised alarms over the mysterious deaths of bluefin tuna on the Murcian coast, according to a local news source.

In September, ANSE’s sailboat Else discovered seven bluefin tuna, each weighing between 150 and 200 kg, near San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia. This incident, coupled with numerous social media reports, has sparked concern among locals and environmentalists.

Both organisations have urgently contacted the General Secretariat of Fisheries and the Department of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries in Murcia. They are demanding an investigation into these unexplained mortality events and seeking accountability from those responsible. There have been instances of individuals cutting up the washed ­ up carcasses for consumption. This practice poses significant health risks and has been strongly discouraged by the authorities.

It’s essential to note that the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna were severely overexploited in the early 2000s. However, a recovery plan initiated in 2007 by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) has led to a significant rebound.

The bluefin tuna fishery operates under a multi ­ annual management plan by IC ­

CAT. This plan mandates a strict control and monitoring regime for all operations involving purse seine vessels (wall of netting) and fattening farms.

Despite these controls, the frequent appearances of bluefin tuna carcasses are concerning. It indicates that some operators might be bypassing these obligations to avoid losing fishing opportunities.

Town councils are bearing the cost of removing carcasses from the beaches through authorised managers. The organisations are emphasising the need for more social and environmental fishing, as many artisanal fishermen are left with insufficient or no quotas.

The unexplained deaths of bluefin tuna on the Murcian coast have raised serious concerns. The call for an investigation and the demand for sustainable fishing practices underscore the need to protect both human and marine life.

BLUEFIN TUNA: Mysterious deaths.

Credit: lunamarina/Shutterstock.com

Dancing queen

Free fun Love Songs

GITTE LUND, the dedicated councillor for International Residents in Torrevieja City, has just unveiled an exciting initiative that promises to make October and November extra special for the international community residing in the area.

Brace yourselves for a series of free weekly activities that will kick off every Tuesday at 11.00am at the Pangea office, located in Plaza Capdepont.

The next event on the calendar is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10, and it’s not to be missed.

This engaging session will delve into the world of digital signatures, offering valuable insights and practical guidance.

But that’s not all; the day will also feature a guided tour of the enchanting La Mata, beginning right at the doorstep of its picturesque town hall, located in the heart of Plaza Gaspar Perelló.

As the weeks unfold, you can look forward to a rich array of activities, from discovering the city’s public transport services to exploring the topnotch sports facilities it has to offer, and much more.

Stay in the loop by keeping an eye on the programme, which will be regularly updated on Facebook at ‘Torrevieja Residentes Internacionales’ and on the official website at www.tor revieja.es

IF you’ve got dancing feet and a desire to groove, mark your calendar for Tuesday evenings starting on October 10!

Hondon de las Nieves’ Polideportivo is the place to be as dance classes in a variety of styles, including waltz, cha ­ cha, quickstep, rock ‘n’ roll, and more, kick­off.

Here’s what you need to know about these exciting dance classes: The

Improvers classes will be held from 7.00pm to 8.00pm and beginners can join the fun from 8.00pm to 9.00pm.

The cost for each class is just €5, and the proceeds will be donated to local associations, making it a wonderful way to enjoy dance while giving back to the community.

To become a part of this lively dance community, registration is a

breeze. Simply reach out by email to lorrainelib dance@tiscali.co.uk or call +(0044) 7951 443 294.

Don’t miss this chance to put on your dancing shoes, meet new people, and have a fantastic time learning and grooving to the rhythms of various dance styles.

It’s your time to shine on the dance floor!

GET ready for a captivating musical journey through the most heartwarming love songs in history!

On Sunday, October 8, at 8.30pm, the Municipal Theatre of Torrevieja invites you to a spellbinding concert entitled ‘Love Songs’.

This enchanting performance promises to serenade you with melodies that celebrate the many facets of love.

Whether you’re a romantic at heart or simply looking for a soul­stirring evening of music, this event is sure to touch your heart.

Tickets for this musical extravaganza are now available at the Theatre box office Tuesday to Thursday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and 5:30.PM to 8:30.PM.

The box office is also open Friday and Saturday from 10:00.AM to 1:00.PM and 6.00pm to 10.00pm.

The Municipal Theatre of Torrevieja is located at Pl. Miguel Hernandez, 3, 03181 Torrevieja.

For additional information, call (+34) 673 931 618.

It’s time to shine on the dance floor.

BOUNCERS

AT RESTAURANTS

GROUCHO MARX once said “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member” and many people feel the same about going to a bar or restaurant that employs a bouncer.

There is obviously a need in certain types of larger bar and restaurant for there to be a greeter who can establish whether the guest has a reservation and then arrange to seat them and in busy clubs it is also recognised that a doorman will be on hand to ensure that the venue is not overcrowded.

However, this is quite different from seeing a normally hulking individual either at the door or even inside the venue who is clearly employed to keep an eye of guests, ready to step in should a fight occur.

The problem is if the venue knows that it needs to be able to stop fights between customers, should it actually be allowed to stay open, as the very appearance of one or more bouncers suggests that the venue is not safe to be in.

It’s one thing for busy clubs and bars in the centre of a city to take precautions, but when it comes to restaurants, whilst security should always be paramount, a number of potential guests, especially and not surprisingly those who are older, could well be discouraged from visiting a restaurant that blatantly has security.

In theory, anywhere that employs a bouncer should ensure that they are ‘fit for purpose’ and this means that there should be a criminal records check to ensure that they don’t have any ‘skeletons’ which suggest that they have violent tendencies or a significant record.

There should be a proper policy and procedure in place in order to ensure that they are able to react in accordance with the law and

their employer’s wishes in the event that a problem, arises.

Training is a must and if they are being hired from an external security company then the venue owners should ensure that they have the same sort of rules in place.

In all fairness, it’s invariably the customers who start the trouble and in many cases, it is the security people who have to try to resolve the problem without causing injury to other customers or indeed themselves, although from time to time, they can get somewhat out of hand.

According to CBS News, a number of the reported 2,000 bouncers in Madrid are being invited to attend a course created by the

Madrid regional government and an association of club owners to learn how to be both kind and tolerant, yet carry out their jobs efficiently.

The voluntary course also teaches about anger management, civil rights, fire safety procedures and dealing with alcohol poisoning and drug overdoses so is a definite

step in the right direction.

On the other hand, there are without doubt a number of bouncers who are part of organised crime rings who are working in order to sell drugs to the many young who visit nightclubs in particular.

Even the Spanish National Association of Professional Doormen

accepts in the same article that “There are thugs. There are mafias and the violence comes from these same people.”

A properly trained bouncer’s strength and commanding presence should not be the first line of defence and if trained properly should remain calm under stress and always stay unemotional and place the safety of their customers in the forefront of all that they do.

The whole concept of security guards has exploded in Spain with a recent article in The Sun suggesting that at least one hotel is now employing guards to protect the sun beds around the pool in order ensure that there are no scuffles between holidaymakers over who is entitled to which bed.

It goes a step further with luxury stores following the lead of other European countries by having designer attired security personnel to keep an eye out for potential shop lifters, whilst some supermarkets operate their own uniformed security forces and in shopping centres it is not unusual to see security personnel armed with long truncheons.

So, what started out as a simple comparison between Bouncers and Greeters has escalated into a much longer observation on the fact that the world of ‘Big Brother’ with its many types of security officer adding to the presence of the Guardia Civil, National Police, Local Police and other government employed security officers as well as the ever­growing CCTV surveillance.

We can all decide whether we want to go to a bar, club or restaurant which employs bouncers, but with the problems currently caused by the cost of living crisis turning more people into potential law breakers, the world of security and observation simply keeps expanding.

Bouncers can be intimidating but also protect.

Credit: Xxinvictus34535 CC

“I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” Groucho Marx

New rules for English schools

John Ensor MOBILE phones are seen by many as one of life’s essentials, but should they be allowed to be used by children at school? On Monday, October 2, at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan unveiled new directives on mobile phone usage in schools, wrote a news source.

The Department for Education in England is pushing for a complete ban on pupils using mobile phones during school hours. This includes both break times and lessons. While many educational institutions already have some form of limitation on phone use, this new directive aims to standardise the approach.

Mobile phones are a distraction and are often used for bullying, Gillian Keegan stated during her address. Although students can carry their phones for commuting purposes, they won’t be permitted to use

them during academic

hours.

The idea of a national restriction on mobile phone school usage isn’t new. Schools minister Nick Gibb had proposed a similar idea in 2019. However, in February 2022, the education department felt that national rules weren’t essential since most schools in England were proactive in this regard.

When asked about pupils using phones, one parent said: “I think that completely depends on the setting, I think children of primary school age definitely not.

Older pupils are encouraged to download apps that are helpful to them in the classroom and are permitted to use their phone.'

This is ‘on the understanding that if they are found to be using it for any other purpose the phone will be confiscated until the teacher decides otherwise’.

The debate on mobile phones isn’t just restricted to children, Heather, a former teacher said: “When I was teaching adults they [phones] were a major distraction. I insisted they were switched off and kept in their bags.”

Lee Mack goes fishing

COMEDIAN Lee Mack had to step in at the last minute to host the BBC Two show, Gone Fishing, as Bob Mortimer fell ill, according to a local news source.

On a scheduled visit to Burgh Island in Devon to film this coming Sunday’s episode, Bob was laid low by shingles, leaving Lee Mack to join Paul Whitehouse, and Ted the terrier. A source reported, “While it was nothing serious, producers thought it might be fun to bring in one of the lads’ friends to give Paul company.” In the episode, Bob communicates with Paul via FaceTime, introducing him to the special guest, Lee, who brings a fresh vibe to Gone Fishing. Lee, eager to explore, joined Paul on a journey to the tidal outcrop of Burgh Island on Devon’s south coast to fish for wrasse. The duo experimented with a novel and unconventional fishing method, providing viewers with an exciting spectacle this Sunday at 9.00pm on BBC Two.

This isn’t Bob’s first health scare relat­

ed to the show, sparking concern among fans. In 2015, he underwent a triple heart bypass after his heart ceased beating for 32 minutes and it was found that 95 per cent of his arteries were blocked. Despite the challenges, the fishing series featuring Bob and Paul has garnered immense popularity, with the sixth series currently airing. The BBC Two show attracted over four million viewers for its recent Christmas Special and has been renewed for a seventh series in 2024.

MOBILE PHONES: Call for them to be banned in school hours.

GONE FISHING: Lee Mack and Ted.

BUSINESS EXTRA

BBB losses

THE state­owned British Business Bank (BBB), reported an annual pre ­ tax loss of more than £147 million (€169.15 million). The economic development bank made £1.6 billion (€1.84 billion) in funding agreements but said “wider economic problems” led to a drop in the value of businesses it invested in.

Freight mate

SPAIN’S rail operator Renfe chose Swiss shipping line MSC to take over 50 per cent of its Renfe Mercancias freight division, whose debts rose to €38 million in 2022. MSC’s logistics division Medlog and its Medway railway company will be responsible for the operation which first needs the Spanish government’s authorisation.

Food not fuel

MORRISONS does not intend to abandon plans to sell off its fuel forecourts despite the UK government’s decision to postpone its ban on new petrol and diesel car sales until 2035. Although the fuel retailing attracted customers, the supermarket chain intends to concentrate on food sales and manufacturing, sources said.

Czech-in

INFRASTRUCTURE multinational Ferrovial, which controversially moved its headquarters from Spain to the Netherlands earlier this year, intends to consolidate its presence in Central Europe. It now hopes to create a consortium to bid for the €1.35 billion contract to build and manage the Czech Republic’s D35 motorway.

Drink up

PROFITS for AG Barr, famous as the Irn Bru manufacturer, reported half ­ year profits between February and July 30 which climbed 12.6 per cent to a pre­tax £27.8 million (€31.9 million). Sales rose thanks to recent takeovers and a rise in the demand for soft drinks, AG Barr sources explained.

STAT OF WEEK €5.1 billion

More UK Airbus jobs

Linda Hall

AIRBUS plans to create another 1,100 jobs in the UK specialising in cyber security, software engineering, cryogenics and robotics.

The world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, its HQ in Leiden (Netherlands), currently employs 134,000 people worldwide. Of these, 11,500 work in the UK where Airbus manufactures wings for all its aircraft. The principal Airbus factories are located in Filton, near Bristol, and Broughton (North Wales) as well as an aerospace plant in Portsmouth.

At present the total UK workforce still has not re­

turned to the 14,000 employed in 2019, before Covid grounded practically all flights and the company had to cut jobs worldwide.

Despite the newly­created UK posts for engineers, graduates and apprentices, staff numbers will remain below

DEOLEO has announced losses of €9.7 million during the first six months of 2023 owing to soaring olive oil prices.

In contrast, the company reported net profits of €5.5 million between January and the end of June in 2022.

Spain produces more than half of the world’s entire olive oil supply and Deoleo, which is the world’s largest branded olive oil company, attributed the dip to their products’ higher prices. Supermarket chains’ own­label oil had eaten into their own market share, sources said.

The company, which owns household names Carbonell and Hojiblanca as well as the Koipe sunflower oil label, saw a 21.9 per cent fall in the sales, compared with the same period last

On-off deal

FROZEN seafood company Nueva Pescanova cut redundances at its Madrid and Chapela (Pontevedra) installations from 100 to 81. The company, 97.8 per cent owned by Abanca, reported €53 million losses for the year ending in March and has been negotiating for months the sale of an 80 per cent stake to the Canadian seafood giant Cooke. Talks have stalled although Nueva Pescanova said these would resume in September. Meanwhile, a spokesman rejected rumours that a large cash shortage and financial mismanagement threatened the deal, which Cooke reduced from €150 to €100 million plus a €200 million capital injection last July.

pre­pandemic levels.

A survey by Oxford Economics, an independent economic advisory firm, has concluded Airbus contributed £7bn (€8.05bn) to the UK economy in 2022, with its helicopter, aerospace and defence sectors providing

79,000 indirect jobs. The company spent £3.9bn (€4.5bn) on obtaining supplies from British companies and made £5.6bn (€6.4 bn) in UK sales last year.

Referring to the Oxford Economics report, Airbus UK’s chairman John Harrison said findings demonstrated Airbus was “good for jobs, good for growth, and good for the UK.”

Harrison pointed out that Airbus had “deep roots” in the UK supply chain and that its investments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were creating long­term regional and local growth.

Carbonell sales slide

Turnover for the company, which has production plants in Italy as well as Spain, grew by 0.6 per cent to €400.95 million thanks to passing on part of the price increase to clients, but margins were still reduced. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) plummeted by 43 per cent between this January and the end of June to €12.7 million.

MARKS & SPENCER will begin selling Adidas and Sweaty Betty products in early October.

The retailer launched Brands at M&S in March 2021 after purchasing Jaeger, its first third ­ party label, in January that year.

The high street favourite will now offer 150 Adidas and Sweaty Betty items on The Sports Edit platform, in which it acquired a stake in 2022.

Expanding the M&S sports ranges was “just one of the ways we continue to become more relevant to clients’ lifestyles,” Brands director Nishi Mahajan said.

Aena grows

SPAIN’S publicly owned airports operator Aena will build a new terminal at Conghas airport in Sao Paulo (Brazil).

The airport, the country’s second busiest, should be completed by 2028, Aena said.

As well as Congonhas, Aena will take over the running of 10 smaller Brazilian airports in October and November after putting in a $479 million (€465 million) bid for the 30­year contract in August 2022.

year, Deoleo announced on September 25.

Shares in Deoleo, which has been 57 per cent owned by private equity firm CVC for the last 10 years, fell five per cent to 23 cents the same day.

Santander-EY split

SANTANDER and consultancy and accounting firm, Ernst & Young (EY), have parted ways in the UK.

This signals the termination of their contract and a multimillion refund following ‘failings’ in EY’s work on preventing financial crime and money­laundering, revealed sources quoted by the Financial Times Santander brought in EY when it found itself under scrutiny from British regulators, the sources added.

The work the company carried out was so allegedly so substandard that it found itself in a position where it had to offer the bank a refund of approximately £15 million (€17.2 million).

EY’s Santander mission, codenamed Project Morgan, “went badly wrong over an extended period” the Financial Times said, adding that it was unclear whether Santander would now carry out the work itself, or call on another firm.

“On the other hand, higher interest rates and the cost of renegotiating the company’s debt have had an impact of €8 million on financial services overheads during this period,” Deoleo said in its first half report.

Nissan ignores Sunak

NISSAN is continuing with plans to sell only electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe by 2030.

Despite PM Rishi Sunak’s intention of moving the UK deadline on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030 to 2035, the Japanese company said that all new models sold in Europe will be 100 per cent electric by the end of this decade.

Nissan, which employs 7,000 people in the UK is on the point of launching two new EVs in Europe. One will be a successor to the Micra, while another vehicle will be built via a £1 billion (€1.15 billion) project at its huge Sunderland plant.

The company, which already operates six airports in Brazil, revealed that in the meantime it has already invested €620 million in the new acquisitions.

Lower bills

WATER companies in England and Wales were ordered to lower bills and return £114 million (€131.2 million) to customers next year.

The annual report on the companies from the Water Services Regulation Authority, Ofwat, said that most water and wastewater firms had underperformed.

Fewer than 50 per cent met targets and progress had been “too slow” on leakages as well as sewage spills.

Thames Water, Southern Water and Welsh Water must return £101 million (€115.2), million), £43 million (€49.5 million) and £24 million (€27.6 million) respectively.

However, Severn Trent and United Utilities were authorised to hike bills after meeting targets.

plans set out by energy infrastructure company Enagas would distribute clean, green hydrogen to Spanish homes via a 3,800kilometre network of pipelines and storage centres.

AIRBUS: Wing Technology Centre in Filton (Bristol).

OLIVE OIL: Spain produces half the world’s supply.

Photo credit: Pixabay/ZTA

Photo credit: airbus.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

DOW JONES

Euro

EUR/GBP: Up from £0.85 to £0.86

EUR/USD: Unchanged at $1.06

The euro faced resistance over the past month, primarily driven by a scaling back of European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate expectations. This was initially linked to comments from ECB policymaker Isabel Schnabel, as despite being one of the most hawkish members of the bank, she was noncommittal regarding future interest rate hikes.

A slew of underwhelming German data releases as well as a downwardly revised Eurozone GDP print kept the euro on the back foot as we entered September.

EUR exchange rates then faced notable losses in the wake of the ECB’s latest rate decision. While the bank’s decision to raise rates came as something of a surprise, the euro tumbled as its policy statement signalled borrowing costs had now peaked. Looking ahead, the euro may come under further pressure in the coming weeks if

CURRENCY OUTLOOK: EUROZONE KNOCKED BY ECB’S ‘DOVISH’ HIKE, US DOLLAR RALLIES TO MULTI-MONTH HIGHS

Eurozone data releases remain broadly downbeat.

Pound

GBP/EUR: Down from €1.16 to €1.15

GBP/USD: Down from $1.24 to $1.22

The Pound fluctuated through the last part of August. Sterling sentiment was initially knocked by a surprise contraction in the UK’s latest PMIs, before recovering thanks to rising Bank of England (BoE) interest rate expectations.

Sterling then faltered again at the start of September in response to comments from BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, in which he suggested UK inflation will fall ‘markedly’ by the end of the year, and that the bank is ‘nearer to the top of the [tightening] cycle’.

Some lacklustre UK data, including a mixed jobs report and a worrying slump in UK GDP keep the pressure on the pound in mid-September as they gave rise to fresh recession fears.

Sterling then slid to multi-month lows in the wake of the BoE’s latest in-

terest rate decision as the bank opted to hit pause for the first time in almost two years.

While the BoE left the door open to raising rates again in the future, it made it clear this will be highly data driven. As a result, GBP investors will be keeping a close on upcoming economic releases. If there is further sign that the UK economy is stalling Sterling will be vulnerable to additional losses.

US Dollar

USD/GBP: Up from $0.80 to $0.81

USD/EUR: Up from €0.93 to €0.94

The US dollar trended broadly higher over the past four weeks, with demand for the currency being underpinned by Federal Reserve interest rate expectations and notable demand for safe-haven assets.

Before this however, the ‘greenback’ suffered a short-lived selloff at the end of August as domestic labour statistics suggested the US job market is slowing. At the start of September USD demand was strengthened by a souring market mood as disappointing Chinese data and a spike in oil prices

rattled investors.

This upside was reinforced in the following week as upbeat US economic releases stoked Fed rate hike bets.

The US dollar was then propelled to new multi-month highs in the wake of the Fed’s latest interest rate decision. While the US central bank kept interest rates on hold it left the door open to one more rate hike in 2023 and signalled it would cut rates at a slower pace than previously expected in 2024.

With the Fed apparently committed to at least one more rate hike this year it’s likely the US dollar will maintain a positive trajectory in the weeks ahead of its next meeting on 1 November. At the same time an increasingly pessimistic outlook for the global economy is also likely to be supportive of USD exchange rates.

Currencies Direct have helped over 430,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your currency transfers.

EURO: Faced resistance over the past month.

I believe in diversity

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

THINK IT

I TRULY do believe in diversity. The peaceful co-existence of different creeds, cultures, colours and religions, is to me a forgone conclusion. One day our planet will simply have no choice but to blend all humans into that great big melting plot Madeline Bell and the glorious Blue Mink sang bout in the peace loving 60s (recording now banned by the media!). But not in the way the woke affiliates of the utterly deluded, or deviously intentioned organisations are trying to attain it.

Their dubious efforts are all much too hurried and belligerent and subsequently having a reverse effect. It stands to reason. If 85 per cent of the population is white, you can’t flood often ridiculous propaganda through the public media proclaiming that all members of the population are living together in a wonderful, equally harmonious integrated existence - It’s simply not true. What is actually transpiring is that even those of the in-

digenous majority, who were earlier full of encouragement and a firm belief that the future lay in the blending of our different nationalities and backgrounds, are now watching these disproportionate activities with increasing incredibility.

More and more ads are being dominated by black actors, often cast in senior positions giving advice to somewhat subservient appearing white performers. Discussion programmes and news sections consistently feature black interviewees and often include a large influx of nonwhite presenters featuring subjects undermining UK activities. And all brought into their living rooms daily.

These viewers are subsequently going out into their real world and realising this is not the true position at all. Consequently derision, and in some cases growing anger, is increasing daily. Asian and black ‘No go’ areas are expanding rapidly. Gangs of armed black youths are out roaming streets. This last outrage, the murder of the 15-year-old, has only hit the headlines because the tragic victim was a young pupil on her way to school; what she did in her spare time we will of course never be told.

AUTUMN LOOKING GOOD OUR VIEW

There have in fact been 15 teenagers (two white), already stabbed to death this year, in London alone! These crimes of violence, which used to make the front page, are now controlled by these silent leftie propaganda policies and barely breaking news on page four! No wonder the ridiculous woke inspired plot is crumbling. The whole country is falling apart and the majorities are not allowed to mention their disapproval because they run the risk of being accused of racism.

A highly publicised survey carried out last week reported a large percentage of the black minority were not happy with the way they were treated by the white society. One young lady stated that she was always aware of the white reaction to her colour when she applied for a job. No accusations of reverse racism you notice.

What it does reveal however is that the policies of the left are completely misconstrued, misguided and actually having a completely damaging effect on UK’s culture and future existence.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@hotmail.com

TRADITIONALLY much of the Spanish tourist industry closes down for the autumn but latest figures suggest that even if that is the case, those that remain open could be in for a bumper quarter.

There is a thriving ice cream parlour in the Marbella suburb of San Pedro that only opens from Easter until the end of September and the owners simply enjoy a very long break having made enough money in the summer to see them through the ‘colder’ months. Many hotels are the same, although with the National Government and local Tourist Offices promoting ‘out of season’ holidays there is generally a growing demand for accommodation and this is helped in no small way by the Imserso pensioners holidays sponsored by the government.

Even if the actual number of visitors in the autumn is less than in the summer, those establishments that do stay open could find themselves doing very well as numbers of visitors swell and fewer places are open to cater for them.

Tourism continues to be a very important contributor to the Spanish economy, not just because of the taxes that are raised but by the fact that more tourists means more staff staying in employment, thus reducing the burden of social services.

The only fear that one must have is that those supplying beds, sustenance, travel and entertainment need to be very careful about pricing, because with the increasing cost of living many tourists are more than ever looking to obtain value for money and won’t hesitate to look elsewhere if they feel they are being taken advantage of.

We must hope that the growth in the number of visitors in October continues for the benefit of the economy.

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

Sleeping with a fan

John Ensor

STIFLING hot nights can make it almost impossible to get to sleep, especially when there isn’t a breath of air, hence many people reach for an electric fan to create a soothing breeze.

Keeping a fan on constantly through the night may make us more comfortable, but could have adverse implications for our health, according to research.

Along with the cool air also come airborne allergens, such as dust, spores, pollen and dust mites, which can lead to a runny

nose, eye and throat irritations and in some cases breathing difficulties, especially for those already susceptible to asthma and hay fever.

Prolonged use of a fan can also dry one’s nose and throat, which can

Intermittent fasting

cause our bodies to overcompensate its production of mucus, resulting in headaches and blocked nasal passages. Sensitive areas such as our eyes and skin can also suffer from dryness and irritation.

For anyone with existing muscle pain, a fan can exacerbate the problem as a constant blast of cool air can lead to cramp.

This isn’t to say that the use of fans is of no benefit, sometimes it’s just a case of the way they’re managed.

The advice is to keep the fan a reasonable distance away from oneself, if possible, preferably set with a timer to turn the fan off after an hour or so.

Oscillating fans where the whole head moves from side to side also distribute air more evenly and don’t concentrate the air in one spot.

Another tip to keep the air from becoming too dry is to place a bowl of water in front of the fan, and maybe even add ice cubes to keep the flow of air both moist and cool.

There are lots of other little hacks too, like lightcoloured bedroom curtains kept drawn throughout the day which help reflect the heat.

A NUTRITIONAL trend that’s rapidly gaining in popularity, but is it just another fad or a strategy with lasting potential?

Healthcare experts remain polarised on the subject.

Advocates highlight its myriad bene fits, ranging from weight loss and improved metabolism to increased longevity. Detractors, on the other hand, raise concerns over possible longterm health impacts, including hormonal

imbalance and muscle loss.

There are various styles to consider, such as the 16/8 method or the more rigorous 5:2 diet. While the trend is versatile, it’s crucial to remember it’s not a one ­ size ­ fits ­ all solution.

Before diving in, consult healthcare professionals for tailored advice. The scientific community continues to research, but as of now, the final verdict remains inconclusive.

Biotin for beauty

BIOTIN, often touted as the ‘beauty vitamin’, plays a pivotal role in maintaining hair and nail health.

Found in foods like eggs, almonds, and whole grains, this watersoluble vitamin is essential for converting nutrients into energy.

But its standout feature? Biotin aids in the production of keratin, a key protein for robust hair and nails.

While a balanced diet usually provides sufficient biotin, supple ­

ments can offer an extra boost, especially if you notice thinning hair or brittle nails.

As always, consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen.

Use a fan sensibly.

BIOTIN: A key protein for robust hair and nails.

Almond orchards

AMONG the picturesque landscapes of Spain lie almond orchards, where beauty secrets bloom with every blossom.

UK expats, enchanted by Spain’s allure, have another reason to be captivated. Almond oil, extracted from these sun ­ kissed groves, is a skincare marvel. Rich in vitamins E and A, it hydrates, soothes, and combats signs of ageing. Moreover, its anti­inflammatory properties make it a blessing for sensitive skin. Local Spanish beauty rituals have har ­

ALMOND TREES: Are a blessing for sensitive skin.

nessed almond oil for centuries, and now, it’s time for us to integrate this golden elixir into our regimens. As the almond trees sway under the Iberian

sun, they whisper age­old secrets of radiant skin. Embrace the magic of Spain’s almond orchards and let your skin bask in nature’s finest.

Seasonal affective disorder

EVEN in sunny Spain, the change of seasons can sometimes lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), especially among expats.

But fear not, as embracing Spanish culture and lifestyle can be a joyful remedy!

Soak in the abundant winter sun at a local

Tai Chi - An ancient art

café, join a lively community event, or explore the scenic beauty of Spain’s diverse regions.

By engaging with the local rhythm of life and staying active, you can keep your spirits high and truly appreciate the enchanting Spanish seasons.

TAI CHI, an ancient Chinese martial art, is a gentle exercise that provides substantial benefits for both body and mind.

Its fluid movements gently work the muscles, enhancing strength, flexibility, and blood circulation, while also promoting better

posture and balance.

These physical benefits are especially crucial for older adults, as improved balance reduces the risk of falls.

On a mental level, Tai Chi emphasises mindful movements and breath control, fostering mental clarity and tranquility. It aids in reducing

stress levels, improving focus, enhancing sleep quality, and mitigating depression and anxiety symptoms.

In short, Tai Chi stands as a testament to the power of gentle exercise, demonstrating that health and harmony can be achieved without strain.

TAI CHI: Health and harmony can be achieved without strain.

THE recent decision by the Welsh Government to impose a 20mph speed limit in built up areas has come in for a great deal of criticism within Wales and readers of Euro Weekly News were quick in coming forward with their views on the matter.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reacted quickly at the latest Conservative Party Conference and has indicated that government policy will make it more difficult for such speed limits to be introduced as a blanket measure as well as cracking down on the imposition of Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) although it seems as if the Greater London ULEZ could well damage Labour’s election hopes in the south.

Implementing a 20mph speed limit can have several potential benefits. It may enhance road safety, particularly in residential areas and areas with high pedestrian or cyclist activity. Lower speeds generally reduce the severity of accidents and increase the chances of survival for pedestrians in case of collisions.

J Aitken

Some critics may argue that such limits might inconvenience drivers and could lead to increased traffic congestion. Public opinion on these initiatives often varies, with some supporting the focus on safety and others expressing concerns about practicality. These things never suit everyone.

V Green

Agree, goes hand in hand with other rights as a biped being removed, ie free speech. Everything is on its head with no logic applied, all political narrative. A vehicle at 20 will generate more energy pollution as carbon, noise and heat. Logic, schools and limited other roads yes, but not blanket, the percentage of tragedy is low, there but low. What are we trying to do reduce it to zero, another illogical zero policy, the few impacting the many.

D Hurford

Cars aren’t made to be driven at 20mph, this is just more Agenda 2030 bull designed to remove our freedoms. Have you heard about places in the US where they are banning meat, dairy and new clothes? Come on people, we need to stop this crap before it starts. I’d like to see the UN, World Economic Forum and all l those other idiotic psycho-

pathic organisation disbanded. Who the hell do they think they are? We didn’t vote for you and your agendas, you know where you can stick them!

N Yianni

Licence Exchange

I would like to give an account of the exchange of UK driving licence to Spanish , how Tráfico have rendered thousands that handed in their UK licence to them ! Now we are without any licence, unable to drive for months !! Possibly until January!! UK licence was supposed to be EXCHANGED for Spanish or at least a temporary Spanish licence. That has not been done. I got all relevant docs plus UK licence to my solicitor by May 9, had receipt for all docs from Tráfico May 24. Have had no temp licence in return four months ago, still no licence. I’m 75, live alone, hence my car is my lifeline! I am still not allowed to drive and they tell me it could be many months before they respond!! So wish I hadn’t taken up residency! Please print this, I bet thousands of people are in the same situation. Thank you in anticipation.

Marlene Raybould

Fighting depopulation

The lack of goverment grants is a big factor in detering population of declining village numbers, IVA attached to basic repairs like roofs and water supplies are putting people off. I have witnessed people turning up to view properties and walking away when the basic repairs + IVA attached is offputting. Italy came up with a scheme to prevent small villages from being ghost towns and if the Spanish government wish to avoid the same, then a radical rethink is long overdue?

Mark

IT’S hard to believe that Ciudad Patricia has been in existence for 40 years. The development of the resort was started in 1980, with the aim of providing a complete range of retirement and healthcare services for senior citizens. This type of resort was the first of its kind and represented a unique, if not risky, initiative. Forty years ago, the landscape was very different from today, and the resort stood on its own surrounded by shrubs, pine trees and not much else. For this reason, the Ciudad Patricia park is very spacious (over 100,000m2), and set in beautifully lush surroundings. At around the same time, much of the surrounding area between Benidorm and Ciudad Patricia became part of the current protected nature reserve of the Sierra Helada.

The central building actually started life as a club for the elite of Benidorm, with a restaurant, cafeteria and discotheque with Pedro Zaragoza Orts, ex­mayor of Benidorm, as its president. The building and the surrounding land was bought developing Ciudad Patricia and in 1982, the first residents began to move in. A year later on May 18, 1983, the main building of Ciudad Patricia was formally opened and declared ‘of national tourist interest and open for public use’.

When the first of the eight buildings was finished, only 10 apartments were occupied. The area was quite dusty with very little vegeta­

Ciudad Patricia celebrates 40 Years

Open House 10th October 2023

convenient, on call around the clock support for all our residents, be it health checks, doctor/nursing services, specialist care and even respite care after an operation. In 2018, we added a fifth residential building ­ Iris ­ offering luxury living in apartments with increased floor space.

tion. In many ways, those first residents felt like pioneers of old! The resident population was boosted by renting four buildings (177 apartments) to ISFAS ­ the Spanish Ministry of Defence. In 1992, the buildings were sold to ISFAS and building of the current apartments commenced. These four new buildings, the current ‘Elisa’, ‘Gardenia’, ‘Hortensia’ and ‘Flora’ com­

prised 175 apartments and were sold ‘in uso vitalicio’ ­ lifetime right of use.

In 1995, building work commenced on a nursing home for people who need 24/7 care assistance. Residencía Patricia was opened in 1996 and now provides a wide variety of medical services. It also functions as the medical centre of Apartamentos Ciudad Patricia giving

In 2022, Apartamentos Cuidad Patricia was purchased by Azora, a Spanish investment and asset management company who set about investing in refurbishing the available apartments and a complete refresh of the Central Building laying the foundations for Ciudad Patricia to continue its mission ‘to provide outstanding senior living resort services that prioritise safety, independence and community, whilst offering worry­free services and an active lifestyle, creating the perfect environment for a fulfilling retirement’.

Come and Join in the Fun

On Tuesday October 10 we will throw our doors open to the general public, inviting everyone to join our celebrations. It promises to be a busy day with a varied programme of events (see our advert below for details).

We look forward to welcoming you.

For more info, contact Line Colman on +34 622 526 152 or email lcolman@ciudadpatricia.com.

Most irritating habits

A RECENT survey of 2,000 British flyers unveiled the top irritating passenger habits, with excessive in­flight drinking taking the lead.

Commissioned by Skyscanner to introduce its Travel Hacks Hub, the study highlighted the nuisances of air travel. For many, boarding a plane marks the beginning of a muchanticipated holiday. However, the finer points of flying etiquette often spark heated debate.

Navigating through airports, with their check­ins, security checks, and long queues, is generally perceived as stressful, lowering the patience of travellers.

Interestingly, the survey revealed that many travellers, while quick to point out annoying habits, confessed to being culprits themselves.

About 12 per cent of participants admitted to some of the vexing behaviours. A quarter confessed to removing their shoes and socks during flights, 19 per cent caused delays at security by forgetting to remove specific items, and 17 per cent eagerly stood up immediately after landing.

Younger flyers believed they were mainly responsible for overpacking and causing delays during check­in. In contrast, older passenger felt they often forgot to remove metal items before security checks and were eager to stand up after landing.

When discussing flight manners, 74 per cent believed it’s polite to ask the person be­

hind before reclining a seat. A whopping 81 per cent favoured a rule against reclining seats during meal service. Additionally, 69 per cent preferred a systematic row­by­row disembarkation to prevent the rush upon landing.

The Top 10 Irritating Passenger Habits

• Excessive in­flight drinking (48 per cent)

• Allowing children to run amok (48 per cent)

• Jumping the queue (43 per cent)

• Reclining seats during meals (43 per cent)

• Reclining seats anytime (43 per cent)

• Using devices without headphones (35 per cent)

• Standing immediately after landing (33 per cent)

• Leaving bags on seats (31 per cent)

• Monopolising both armrests (31 per cent)

• Letting hair drape over seats (28 per cent)

PASSENGER HABITS: Survey carried out.

Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse/Public domain

How can you have 500 friends

family. I don’t send them to 250 friends of friends who then decide to ‘like’ my pics.

I DON’T do Facebook and I don’t do Facebook for a reason. I actually have an account because years ago I signed up I but don’t use it. The reason I don’t use it is because it’s scary intrusive and I don’t like being told what to do. For instance, there is an advert on TV for toilet tissue and at the end of the ad it says follow us on Facebook … are you mad? Why on earth would I want to follow a company that makes loo rolls on Facebook? Maybe if I subscribed to Faecesbook I might have some interest but otherwise none, nada, nothing!!

How can you have 500 ‘friends’? I understand a bit if you are famous or something, bands etc so people can see where you are performing or want to be a fan but a normal person having 500 ‘friends’ is nonsense! I bet all you Facebookers out there don’t even know half the people who are your ‘friends’ on there. Yeah, yeah, I know you post lovely photos and tell people that your home is going to be empty for the next two weeks - all important stuff. If I want to send my family photos, that’s what I do - I send them to my

Plus, you wear your ‘likes’ as some kind of medal ….. Hey I got 47 likes ...so what? The scariest thing about Facebook is how it suggests people you might want to be ‘friends’ with. I decided the other day to have a look at my account and there they were - pages of suggestions of people I may like to connect with. Now some of these people I didn’t know and they were mutual friends of the 15 people I had as friends. I don’t allow this app to access my email address book or my contacts so I was amazed to see the name of a lady that I vaguely remembered because she had a very unusual name.

I had met her once. She worked in Sunglasses Hut in Santa Monica 20 odd years ago and at that time I had a lot of shops in the UK and if I saw an outstanding salesperson I would say ‘if you ever come to the UK here’s my business card, give me a call’. I received an email from her saying ‘nice to meet you and if I ever come to the UK I’ll get in touch’ and that was it. I never heard from her again until Facebook dug and dug and somehow decided that I might want to be friends with a stranger I had a conversation with 20 years ago in a shop 12,000 miles away … I rest my case!!

Views of a Grumpy Old Man

MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

TREACHEROUS ENGLISH

Once you know the rules, the languages of Spanish, Italian and German are logical in their spelling and pronunciation. French does have rules but they are inconsistent and complicated, whereas in English there are no rules at all.

There are hundreds of words used with two or more entirely different meanings. Stress, state, strike, stamp, stole, still, staff, stem, stuff, stern, stool, stick. And these are just a dozen of many examples beginning with ST….

We also have many cases where two words have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings. Stair/stare, steal/steel, sole/soul, son/sun, sail/sale, seam/seem, soar/sore (and saw). The words paw, poor, pore and pour are pronounced more or less the same, as are pair, pare and pear.

Others have the same spelling but the stress changes to give a different meaning, as in “entrance” and “content”. And the stress changes from interval to internment to interrupt.

Imagine English dictation going wrong: It was a bit Chile and I was suffering from Qatar. He had his Korea to think about, so I just wrote him a Czech. It was a close Finnish (almost a Thai) but Iran faster. Her baby Wales every time she feels Hungary. My hands were covered in Greece.

The letter R has a different sound in all five major European languages. R is especially difficult for the Japanese, most of whom cannot pronounce the letter L at all. Cockneys cannot manage the sound TH, using F for the soft

(“through” becomes “froo”) and V for the hard (“weather” becomes “wevvah”). And how does “nothing last month” become “nuffink lars mumpf”? Likewise, most Northerners pronounce the word “but” to rhyme with “put”with a silent T.

I sometimes wonder whether English is taught in English schools any more. I do know that today professional journalists, broadcasters and editors (let alone social media addicts) increasingly commit basic errors. It´s even worse in readers´ letters and advertisements. I

also know that, at school in the late forties and the fifties, I was encouraged to understand my own language by learning grammar, vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation and punctation. This meant understanding the parts of speech and being familiarised with declensions, conjugations, cases, tenses, moods, active and passive voices, relative clauses, word order ….

Schooling was backed up by the availability of well ­ written novels, mature journalism and literate presenters on radio and television. There was, of course, no google; no Wikipedia; no social media platforms.

I suppose, if people understand each other, the main purpose of a language, i.e. as a means of communication, is fulfilled. But what about its artistic beauty ­ not only in great literature and speeches but also in expressing oneself clearly in everyday conversation.

Otherwise, it´s just another example of “can´t be bovvered”. Innit? I´m like: “We need to respect it and stuff”. I don´t do shoddy. Know wha´ I mean?

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

In English we can pare a pair of pears or pour a drink while we pore over a poor review.

Photo credits: Augustus Binu and Keith Weller

SERVING UP ALL THE WRONG INGREDIENTS

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS

BACK in the UK recently I noticed there’s currently a trend among chefs for glib brevity with menus. A kind of adjective­free minimalism like this: “Beef, potato, leaves, ferment.” It feels like every restaurant in London with culinary pretensions describes dishes as a list of ingredients. A narcissistic and unhelpful trend that’s utterly played­out. The die was cast when things started costing 3.5 or 12. Hmm!

Words are helpful. Pictures, too. The realistic, plastic representations of dishes even more so, especially in foreign countries (like Japan) when neither traditional dishes are known, or ways of cooking.

I don’t suppose Leonardo da Vinci was

ever asked to pitch ‘Mona Lisa’ on a sheet of A4 but, if he had been, he wouldn’t have typed ‘Paint. Woman. Smile’.

Imagine if marketing/promotional stuff for movies was like this: 1. America. Italian Family. Father. Son. Horse’s Head. 2. Young Boy. Lost Alien. Returns Home. 3. Pink. Gosling. Ryan.

Or, describing politicians: Ex­President USA. Insurrection. Indictment. Guilty? Prison? Nearer home: 1. PM. Multi ­ millionaire. Small boats. On the Ropes.

2. Ex­PM. Lockdown­Busting Parties. Wallpaper. Lies.

3. Ex ­ PM. Referendum. Brexit. Shame.

Got it? Answers on a postcard please to: Novelist. Columnist. 14 Riveting Years of ‘Breaking Views’!

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

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

NORA’S LATEST THRILLER.

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

Celebrating our centenary

THE British Benevolent Fund celebrated its centenary last week at the official residence in Madrid of the British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott.

The milestone event brought over 150 guests from all over Spain to mark 100 years of supporting the British community in Spain.

Hugh Elliott, who is also patron of the fund, is the 27th British ambassador to accept the position, spoke warmly of the contribution made by the BBF as the ‘charity of last resort’ and help provided for the most vulnerable in the British community in Spain.

Olaf Clayton, the chair of the British Benevolent Fund said that the fund was at the “front line of support” highlighting that the “repatriation of the vulnerable, helping the destitute and homeless were key parts of the modern BBF’s casework. This in addition to the many

grants provided by those in dire need whose situation is often mired by ‘illness both physical and mentalalcoholism, domestic abuse ­ and are all part of the fund’s stock in trade.”

The BBF works in conjunction with over 50 charities ranging from the Red Cross to Caritas across the country as well as the UK’s consular network to deliv­

er help when needed. The evening which was sponsored by Green Park Global and HM Hospitals which ensured that the event was delivered at zero cost to the BBF and raised some €6,000 for the British Benevolent Fund. Further information: olaf. clayton@britishbenevolent fund.org / www.britishbene volentfund.org.

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

PETS

Pets join the meal

A NEW trend is taking place in Spain’s cafes and restaurants in many busy cities. More and more places are not just allowing pets in; they’re making them a big part of the dining fun.

Everyone knows about tapas, those tasty little dishes Spain is famous for. Now, imagine something like that, but for pets! Yes, some cafes are offering small treats just for dogs and cats.

So, while you enjoy your meal, your furry friend can have their own special snack. Many of these places have outdoor areas where pets can sit comfortably.

They have water bowls and spots for pets to chill out. Some even have special menus just for dogs and cats, with things like petfriendly ice creams. This new trend shows just how much Spain loves its pets. Eating out is a big deal for many people, and now, our pets can enjoy it too.

Itos all about sharing good times and good food with those we love, furry friends included.

Find checked cat-sitters for free

FINDING good cat­sitters gives peace of mind.

When you’re planning to go away for the holidays, finding care for your pets can be a big worry. Big holidays like Christmas and New Year need early planning. And knowing you can find free checked sitters via Housesitmatch could be a real boost to your holiday. How does it work?

It’s a fair exchange

All our sitters offer a fair exchange ­ free accommodation for free pet care and an online review. It’s a win win!

If you’re planning a trip for the holidays, don’t delay. Register today as a member of our network to find affordable home and pet care.

Plan ahead to secure great sitters

However long your trip pets need someone with them at home. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from routines undisturbed. Plan ahead of time to find house and pet­sitters who will come to you for free!

Next steps to join

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

Cat-sitters keep your pets company while you’re away.

ensure you can help online when needed

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

4. Post an advert for the dates when you want to go away. Sitters apply and you choose.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch helps you find sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert with trip dates. House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter you want.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.9 / 5 Excellent 10 out of 10 for housesitmatch.com

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

READER OFFER

Register online via www.Housesitmatch.com

House-sitting is 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 code 20EWN.

Pet psychics : Fact or fiction

PET psychics have long been a subject of fascination, prompting an equal mix of skepticism and curiosity. It’s a topic that divides opinion, with some pet owners swearing by the insights offered, and others dismissing it as mere pseudoscience. So, what exactly is a pet psychic, and is there any legitimacy to the practice?

Pet psychics, or animal communicators as they are sometimes called, claim to possess a heightened sensitivity that allows them to tune into the thoughts and feelings of animals. Proponents argue that these individuals can help resolve behavioural issues, locate lost pets, and even facilitate communication between deceased pets and their owners.

While there’s scant scientific evidence to validate these claims, anecdotal accounts are plentiful. Many pet own ­

ers report noticeable changes in their pets’ behaviour after consulting a pet psychic, attributing newfound peace or happiness to the experience.

Still, critics argue that the practice relies heavily on the power of suggestion, exploiting emotional attachment to pets for financial gain.

If you’re considering consulting a pet psychic, it’s crucial to approach it with an open mind but a

discerning eye.

Do your research, read reviews, and perhaps start with a less costly session to gauge its effectiveness for you and your pet.

The world of pet psychics continues to be a subject of debate.

Whether you believe it to be insightful or incredulous, it undeniably adds a layer of intrigue to our ever­evolving understanding of human­animal relationships.

DINING OUT: Now you can take your pet along

PET BEHAVIOUR: Approach it with an open mind.

BLINDS

BUILDERS

BLINDS

BALUSTRADES

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

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)

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your lifedamaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablan ca.org (93323)

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

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR

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

CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006)

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

can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja. com. We also have a 24hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456)

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

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

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

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

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

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION -

your nearest one at, http://branches.britishlegion. org.uk/branches/orihuela-cos

ta - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

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

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

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION

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

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

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

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

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com for online quote. (304147)

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

PRIVATE CARE HOME Full Board and Care. British Owned near Alicante. Luxurious Villa. €1,200 per month. Call 747 438 225 (304150)

HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You

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

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

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

THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar meets at Hamilton’s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178. We hold a Sunday Sevrice at 11.30am. For further information: www.spiritualistcentre-benijo far.com . Telephone 711 060 171. Email martindroute 66@hotmail.com . Fiscal G54713789

MOVERS AND SHAKERS We are a non-profit organisation that supports people and their

ELECTRICIAN FOR SALE / WANTED

MR FIXIT . For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (293246)

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

GOLD WANTED

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (294827)

INSURANCE

FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UP TO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuran ceinspain.com or email tracey@sosinsurancein spain.com (304148)

LEGAL SERVICES MASSAGE

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

FRENCH, ELÉGANTE , slim, Sophie, 3 languages spoken. Experienced in a large variety of full body massages. Villamartin apartment or can travel to all areas. 693 357 526 (302439)

EXPERIENCE the best with a 1hr unique massage with Veronica. Shaving or permanent hair removal available. For appointments call 679 292 678 (303170)

ATTRACTIVE, Girlfriend, Professional Masseuse relaxing and therapeutic Masseuse. Tel: 693 357 526 (303833)

CLASSIC SPANISH LADY, Playa Flamenca area, private premises, all massage services from 40€. Ana 657 603 495 (303854)

LOVELY slim lady, 46, offering a pleasant massage. Mil Palmeras. In your home or hotel. Contact leilapuss@yahoo. co.uk for more details (303843)

TORREVIEJA centre 5 Spanish and Colombian girlfriends, very affectionate and dominant masseuses 24 hours a day Call outs . 613668548 (302991)

MISCELLANEOUS

GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, 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

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 952 147 834. (200726)

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

FOR SALE 2 brand new Grundig Hi-Fi speakers 50watt, 26 x 18cm. €25. 699 321 591 (304542)

LB MUSIC SCHOOL: Fully qualified & experienced Music Teacher providing Piano & Singing Lessons. Online or FacetoFace. All ages. Autistic Friendly. To book your FREE trial lesson, call Lorraine 652 948 384. (304224)

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

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

EDS? We have the solution, Kamagra pills & jells, Cialis, Sidenafil, over 7 products for men & ladies, mixed trial packs.Available by mailorder. WhatsApp or call 603 117 394

TAILOR-MADE in durable canvas, pergola covers, sails, umbrella, spa and CAR COVERS. 10% off Cushions. Mazarron to Costa Blanca. RETIRING SOON DON’T MISS

OUT Google: KrugerCanopies.com WhatsApp: 667 879 399 krugercanopies@ yahoo.co.uk (301216)

BEAUTIFUL & Healthy BICHON FRISE puppy available from responsible breeder. Contact 653 757 768 (304498)

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

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

P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com (95708)

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

PETS BACK HOME Family pet transporters Spain/UK. Travel with your pets for free. All air conditioned vehicles (no vans) www.pets backhome.co.uk Removals also arranged in other vehicles Telephone: UK (0044) 01256 244657 (302827)

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (293246)

POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (292232)

COSTA LESS EXPRESS , small removals and deliveries. Spain/UK budget prices. Urgent jobs undertaken www.costalessexpress.co.uk Pet transport also arranged in our air conditioned pet/people carriers. Tel: UK (0044) 01256 244657 (302827)

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack

HONDA’S latest SUV ar rival, the ZR­V, slots neatly between the HR­V and CR V and is a stylish and much less aggressively drawn SUV. The softer look goes against the styling of many SUVs and with that reduced bulk is a more compact interior, despite not feeling in any way cramped. As ever with Honda the build quality is superb, and a particularly neat addition is the honeycomb air vent that straddles the fascia. It’s also a sensible and welcome change to see a new car with actual buttons, the climate control can be operated without the need for multiple presses of a touchscreen.

There are three levels of trim and all have the same power system, a 2.0 ­ litre petrol unit with hybrid assistance using two electric motors and a battery pack that makes for a seamless transition between electric and petrol power. The set­

Honda’s latest SUV arrival - the ZR-V

cently responsive steering too. From an economy perspective the ZR ­ V returns late 40s mpg and although there’s no all­wheel­drive capability, few SUVs have that nowadays, the Honda has a ‘snow ­ drive’ button that provides a useful aid to traction in mildly difficult conditions.

healthy 181 bhp with the benchmark 100 kph/62 mph arriving in 7.8 seconds and a maximum speed of 173 kph/107 mph.

The single speed automatic transmission is a smooth affair but accelerate firmly and things become a little vocal, opt for a more relaxed drive and things are almost whisper quiet. This isn’t down to Honda it’s just a characteristic of this kind of CVT transmission, and that apart it’s a clever and efficient arrangement.

All models are well equipped with front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, navigation,

keyless entry and start, heated front seats, adaptive cruise, auto wipers and lights, powered, heated and reverse tilt door mirrors plus Apple Car Play and Android Auto. It’s an enviable list but even with a range starting price of €45,399/£39,495 the Honda offers a better standard specification than many competitors at its price.

On the road the ZR­V is a relaxing and effortless drive providing you keep your heavy acceleration under control. It handles twisting routes with more than a degree of aplomb and has de­

Premium badges are all well and good but look beyond the badge and the quality, usability and style of Honda’s latest models are all too often overlooked. Although they may not build adrenaline fuelled cars ­ Civic Type R excepted ­ the ZR ­ V is a Honda well worth driving.

1905 Mary Anderson invented windshield wipers.

HONDA ZR-V: A car well worth driving.

MOST motorists seldom consider the environmental impact of their tyres, yet these crucial components of our vehicles have long been a subject of environmental scrutiny.

Typically manufactured from oil­based products, traditional tyres contribute significantly to our carbon footprint.

Enter eco­friendly tyres: an innovation designed not just for road performance but also for Mother Earth.

What makes these tyres

Eco-friendly tyres

‘green’? Firstly, they’re constructed using sustainable materials like silica, replacing the oil­based components. These greener alternatives not only cut down on fossil fuel use but also improve fuel efficiency.

A reduction in rolling resistance ensures that your car needs less energy to move, consequently emitting fewer greenhouse gases.

Secondly, advancements in tread design have led to a more even wear and tear, extending the lifespan of these eco­friendly tyres. Longer­lasting tyres mean fewer replacements and a lesser burden on landfill sites.

So next time you’re in the market for new tyres, consider going green; it’s a small change with a significant impact.

The spectrum of car design aesthetics

WHEN it comes to the design of cars, beauty is undeniably in the eye of the beholder. However, there are some models that seem to be universally labelled as either stunning or, frankly, ghastly. Whether it’s down to ungainly proportions, cluttered detailing, or just awkward lines, the worst offenders in car design are often as memorable as the best. Let’s start with the infamous Pontiac Aztek. With its clunky body and puzzling aesthetic choices, it is frequently cited as one of the ugliest cars ever to grace the roads. Similarly, the Fiat Multipla with its ‘frogeye’ headlamps and blob­like physique leaves many shaking their heads in disbelief.

Even the Nissan Cube, which some people praise for its quirky appeal, finds itself regularly on the ‘ugliest cars’ lists due to its boxy design and asymmetrical windows. Now on the other

hand, the Aston Martin DB11, with its sleek lines, sophisticated build, and timeless elegance, is often regarded as one of the most beautiful cars in the market. The Jaguar F­Type, too, with its graceful curves and aggressive front grille, stands as a symbol of aesthetic prowess in automotive design. In the world of electric cars, Tesla’s Model S has been commended for blending functionality with style. Its minimalist yet luxurious aesthetic sets a benchmark for how good an electric car can look. With each new model year, there’s a chance for redemption for the brands that have missed the mark and an opportunity for leaders to continue to dazzle. Whether capturing our imaginations or serving as cautionary tales, these designs contribute to the rich tapestry that is the automotive world.

Four team Walking Football Europe’s golfers win Ryder Cup

A THRILLING final day’s play at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, saw Europe’s golfers retain the iconic Ryder Cup.

Team Europe had been in total control of the 44th Ryder Cup since Friday, September 29, ending the day with a commanding 5­0 lead.

ESQUINA PARK RANGERS

travelled the two hour south journey on Friday to Lubrin to compete in a four Team Walking Football Tournament.

An early start for the lads leaving at 7.30. With Andrew, Kev, Graham and Fred just leaving Happy Days at this time, they were thankful for the two­hour journey to catch upon their sleep!

With Geordie John navi­

gating the bus it was sure to be an adventurous journey.

By time the team walked the 5km up through the picturesque streets to the pitch , the lads needed an hour to recover.

Each team played each other twice in 15 minute games.

Teams from Portobello, Alfoquia, Lubrin & Esquina.

Esquina winning five games and drawing one.

With 12 goals for and only two conceded it was a great performance by all the team.

If you’re looking to get involved with the the Best Walking Football Team On the Costa Blanca, please email esquinaparkrangers 2018@yahoo.com.

Going into the last day on Sunday, October 1, they only needed four points to secure victory. Scottie Scheffler and Spain’s 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm tied their match while Norway’s Viktor Hovland then moved his team nearer to the prize by beating Collin Morikawa 4&3.

Justin Rose went down 2&1 in the next match to Patrick Cantalay, giving the US a temporary reprieve. When a fired­up Rory McIlroy defeated Sam Burns 3&1 in the next match, it left Europe needing only one and a half points for victory.

Europe were subsequently within half a point of lifting the trophy when Tyrell Hatton beat the Open champion Brian Harman 3&2, making the score 14­7.

Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka sunk his ball on the 16th to secure victory over Ludvig Aberg and cut the Team USA

deficit by one more point.

Last year’s US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick had the chance to be one to seal the win but the score became 14­9 when Max Homa held his nerve on the 18th to take the match after his opponent missed his putt.

A comeback was on the cards when Xander Schauffele beat Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard 3&2 at the 16th to make it 14­10. The tension rose further when Justin Thomas holed a birdie on the 18th to beat Austrian golfer Sepp Straka, and it was 14­11.

Victory was complete when England’s Tommy Fleetwood placed his putt just three feet from the pin in the 17th. Rickie Fowler conceded the match at 3&1 to make the score 15­11 and spark jubilant scenes at the Italian golf course.

Despite having the trophy in the bag, Robert MacIntyre gave Team Europe an even bigger lead of 16­11 by beating Wyndham Clark 2&1 at the 17th.

Jordan Spieth missed an eagle putt to eventually halve the final match with Shane Lowry to make the final score Europe 16½­11½ USA.

Tommy Fleetwood winning the Ryder Cup 2023 for Team Europe.

ESQUINA PARK RANGERS: Great performance by the team.