Axarquia 3 - 9 November 2022 Issue 1948

A WARM HOMECOMING

AN astonishing story saw an emotional owner re united with her pet dog, Max who had been miss ing for almost three years on Friday October 28, af ter he was found in a nearby town.

Local resident, Marie Vargas came across Max wandering in Benajarafe, looking malnourished and lost. After taking Max to a farmer neighbour with a microchip scanner, she was delighted to find that he was indeed fitted with a microchip and was able to contact Max’s owner, Sissi.

Marie explained “I can’t describe how emotional it was when I told Max’s

Budget boosted

owner I had found him.” Sissi had reported Max as missing from Nerja in February 2020, believing he had been stolen.

Aged just eight months old back when he went missing, Sissi was con vinced she would never find him again. Now aged three years old, Max has been returned to her in Nerja.

Locals took to Facebook to express their delight at the touching story send ing messages saying “nev er give up hope,” and sending their best wishes for Max back at home.

Others highlighted the importance of microchips, which allowed Max and Sissi to be reunited.

Maroween ‘terrifically fun’

MARO had a spooky transformation for the vil lage’s annual ‘Maroween’ Halloween festival on Monday October 31.

A whole host of local businesses and organisa tions came together to put on a bumper schedule of activities and events for residents and visitors to celebrate both Hal loween and traditional harvest events.

The villages’s streets were filled with spooky skeletons, wicked witch es, colourful costumes and dazzling decorations as events got underway. Residents and visitors got into the spirit with amaz ing costumes while get ting stuck into activities.

Events included a cos tume contest, face paint ing stalls, traditional arti san food, theatre and music performances and

a children’s show as well as the main attraction, a ‘terror trail’, not for the faint‐hearted!

The mayor of the vi lage, Encarnación Moreno

thanked local businesses, performers and local au thorities for their impres sive efforts to bring the village to life with excit ing celebrations and in

credible entertainment.

Moreno also thanked lo cals for showing out in force and getting involved with all the activities on offer.

Authorities in Nerja approved a budget extension to complete planned restoration projects in the town.

A BUDGET extension of €1.3 million was granted in Nerja Council’s most recent plenary session on Mon day October 31. The supplement was approved by all members that voted except the independent can didate, whose vote against the extension was later dismissed.

The extension will be used to hire more council employees to run public services, complete planned council projects and pay existing and future invoices to suppliers.

Nerja mayor, José Alberto Armijo, explained that the finances would be used for projects including maintenance and renovations at the town library, the local Employment Centre, road redevelopments in parts of Nerja and Maro, as well as energy effi ciency projects in the town among other projects that have already been planned.

Betty Henderson

Photo credit: Madrugada Verde shutterstock.com

PET DOG: Max was reunited with owner, Sissi, three years after going missing from Nerja.

SPOOKY: Locals of all ages got into the spirit of Halloween at ‘Maroween’ at the weekend.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Nerja

Brilliant ‘Blue Economy’

Betty Henderson

A ‘BLUE ECONOMY’ project in Rincon de La Victoria is tasked with increasing the sus tainability of the local econo my. Council representatives met on Friday October 28 to

create a ‘Blue Economy’ strate gy and develop a more sus tainable town.

The ‘Nodo La Noria‐Rincon de la Victoria’ Blue Economy plan aims to bring sustainable concepts into council and lo

cala business activities.

Councillors announced that the advancement to the next phase of the plan which in volved discussions with local business stakeholders and en trepreneurs was on November 3. The next meeting scheduled to discuss the plan is a meeting related to sports and the sea, where council members will meet with local sports groups on Tuesday November 29.

Announcing the next stages of the plan, councillor for Ur ban Planning, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, said the council want local people, and specifically businesses to be aware of the opportunities available.

Famed Flamenco

THE internationally‐acclaimed Flamenco Ca jón Festival is set to arrive in Torrox between November 12 and 19, highlighting the essen tial role of percussion in the genre.

Town mayor, Óscar Medina expressed what the festival means for the town. “This festival brings together the best aspects of our culture, our folklore and our flamenco.” Medina added that the town hosts the festi val on a significant date, November 16, which is the day that UNESCO declared cultural her itage protected status for the art of flamenco.

Festival director, Antonio Bueno explained that Torrox’s hosting of the festival further strengthens its reputation as the ‘land of rhythm’.

Events throughout the festival will show case the ancient tradition of flamenco with prominent and prestigious performers in cluding Jesús Carmona, as well as percussion

A SUSTAINABLE victory as members of Velez‐Malaga approved a plan to revive a tramline that ran between the town and Torre del Mar on Monday October 31.

Despite votes against the plan from members of the PP and AxSi parties, the plans received the green light to release the necessary €1 million in funding to sup plement a national government grant of €3.7 million for the tram project, which was secured from EU Next Generation

masterclasses, performances from the spe cialist Cajonera School of Torrox, genre fusion performances and a ‘Recycled Sounds’ work shop, using everyday items to make music.

Medina added that it is an “honour” for Torrox to host the cultural heritage festival in its historical centre, showing the essence of Andalucian culture, through flamenco to resi dents and guests.

Return of the tram

Funds. The funds will be used to restore the tram service to obtain a “comfortable, efficient, profitable and sustainable means of public transport” according to the coun cillor for Mobility and Transport.

The project coincides with other council aims in the 2030 Climate Plan including low emission zones and pedestrianised

zones. Velez‐Malaga Council is awaiting re sponses on several sustainability plans, in cluding a request to expand the length of the tramline to include more towns, which could even replace bus services in some places. The council also wants to join the Malaga transport area for better connec tions and collaboration options.

Photo credit: Moha El-Jaw / shutterstock.com

The International Flamenco Cajón Festival focuses on the genre’s iconic percussion instrument.

NIBS

For the victims

NERJA has dedicated a local roundabout to victims of gen der violence, to show solidari ty with sufferers and take an active stance against it in the local community. It is named ‘25‐N’ after the International Day Against Gender‐Based Vi olence on November 25.

Team spirit

NERJA hosted a top tourna ment for La Liga youth acade my teams last weekend. Real Madrid finished top after de feating Sevilla 4‐3, while Real Betis won a prize for the best fans. Participants raised mon ey for Josep Carreras Founda tion against Leukaemia.

Basketball win

A THRILLING basketball tour nament was hosted in Al muñecar over the weekend. The female youth basketball team from Malaga was crowned victorious in the An dalucian championship on Sunday October 30. The Malaga team took the trophy home after beating Cordoba 71‐50.

Water pressure

THREE companies have an nounced bids for a water treatment plant in Axarquia so far. The companies will pre sent technical applications to regional authorities who are commissioning a water pro ject to avoid future drought situations such as this year.

Tourism fair

BUSINESSES from Nerja are set to promote the town and its attractions and opportuni ties at the 43rd edition of the World Travel Market interna tional tourism fair in London from November 7‐9. The town is particularly popular with British tourists.

Mango mania

AN unseasonably warm au tumn with less storms and rainfall than normal continues to affect the mango fruit mar ket, with some farmers now preferring to leave the fruit on the trees due to their abun dance cutting their value and rocketing harvest costs.

Pandemic victims remembered

Betty Henderson

A PERMANENT tribute to the victims of the Covid‐19 pandemic is set to be installed in Rincon de La Victoria, the council announced on Thurs day October 27.

One sculpture, which was commissioned in 2008 by the council from artist Salvador Gómez Escaño, is set to be re stored and moved from the roundabout at the entrance to Rincon de La Victoria to a new location in El Cantal.

Meanwhile, a new sculp

ture by Suso de Marcos will become the centrepiece of the roundabout, to commem orate the victims of the pan demic.

De Marcos’ ‘Fountain of Life’ sculpture is set to be placed in the prominent loca tion at the entrance to the town to permanently pay

tribute and remember the vic tims of the pandemic who were family, friends and neighbours.

Gómez Escaño is leading a task force to restore his ‘Los Delfines’ sculpture which has received weather damage in the last 14 years. Another ren ovation project with a budget of nearly €40,000 will restore the roundabout before de Marcos’ ‘Fountain of Life’ is in stalled on the site.

The artist is a skilled sculp tor and art teacher.

Accessibility advances Classical music

COMMITTED authorities in Nerja pledged to make the town more accessible for disabled people on Friday October 28, sign ing up to an Andalucian Accessibility Pact.

The Andalucian Pact for Accessibility guarantees equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities in the region. Lo cal councillor for Safety and Transport, Francisco Arce ex plained what the historic signing means for people with disabil ities in Nerja. “We want to remove any architectural or physical barriers disabled people might face in our town, as well as joining pioneering initiatives to make our town an ac cessible place, for everyone.” The pact contains four areas for councils to focus on when trying to increase accessibility. The measures include awareness and training, for council employ ees and contractors, the changing of laws on accessibility to align regional and local regulations, and providing inclusive, ac cessible means of transport and employment opportunities.

Authorities must also consult people with disabilities about proposed plans and solutions to accessibility problems. In sign ing up to the pact, Nerja Council will receive subsidies to com plete projects aimed at increasing accessibility and inclusion.

Licensing costs cut

NERJA authorities scrapped a costly licensing surcharge for hospitality businesses on Friday October 28. The decision to cut the licensing fee for outdoor street space when business es are closed was made to give businessowners some finan cial relief amid soaring costs.

The council voted unanimously to cut the licensing charge which applies to any furniture placed on the pavement, in cluding tables, chairs and souvenir stands. Previously busi nesses had to pay the charge, even when they were not open. A new rule will require businesses to give prior notice for periods of closure, but will not charge them an outdoor furniture licensing fee during the stipulated period.

Local councillor for Economy and Finance, Ángela Díaz, ex plained “Our aim is to help local entrepreneurs, which in cludes adapting legislation to the economic and commercial realities we are seeing. We are listening to local businesses, and allowing them to just pay licensing fees for when they use outdoor public space.”

If no objections are raised against the changes, legislation will come into force from January 1, 2023, saving businesses money.

A MAGNIFICENT month of classical music is coming to Rincon de La Victoria with a special programme of free concerts throughout November.

Classical lovers will delight in the ‘Noviembre Musical’ programme with a different classical concert being of fered each Friday during the month. The iconic Casa Fuerte Bezmiliana garrison building is set to host the concert series with different performers each week.

Concerts will get under way with a moving perfor mance by a quintet of musi cians, with four wind instruments and a soprano singer.

The audience on Novem ber 11 will be treated to a ‘Musical Journey through Europe’ by the Axarquia Duo, who are set to perform a thought‐provoking pro gramme of harp and cello music by French, Italian and Spanish composers.

El Castillo Choir will take

to the stage on November 18 with “a repertoire of pop ular music,” according to di rector, Miguel Ángel Cuen ca.

The concert series will be rounded up by a perfor mance by the Rincon de La Victoria band in honour of Santa Cecilia on Saturday November 26 in the Nuestra Señora del Rosario Parish in La Cala del Moral.

Euro

Updated schedule

ORGANISERS from Lux Mundi are sorry to inform participants that an excur sion to Marchen on Thurs day November 17 has been cancelled. However, the event will be replaced with an exciting festive Christmas shopping excur sion which will be an nounced shortly.

Lux Mundi is welcoming guests back to its events following the pandemic which reduced the group’s capacity to meet in person.

The Ecumenical faith group is seeing its events and shops increase in populari ty once more, describing it as “a joy to see everyone again,” and the centres re turn to their previous vital ity.

Lux Mundi groups from throughout the country and across Europe recently gathered in Malaga for the Annual Assembly of the Oikosnet organisation, which is a network of Euro pean Christian faith groups. The event from October 3 to October 6 was described a huge suc cess, providing 26 dele gates from 15 countries with insightful talks on Christian living amid cur rent affairs including the war in Ukraine.

The Lux Mundi centre in Torre del Mar opens on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10am until 1pm and always welcomes new members.

publishes more content both online at euroweeklynews.com and in its papers than any other English news publication in Spain.

Even better, our news online and in print is FREE and we promise to always keep it that way.

REMEMBERING: A local roundabout is set to receive a memorial statue for victims of the pandemic.

Photo credit: Roberto

Rincon de La Victoria’s inspiring landscape is the perfect backdrop for a classical concert series this month.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Rincón de La Victoria

Destination in demand

HOTEL occupancy soared to a whop ping 91.7 per cent in Nerja this October, with the town also named ‘most in de mand destination’ during the October bank holiday weekend by regional hos pitality agency Aehcos.

Aehcos hospitality association named Nerja the most popular destina tion on Tuesday November 1, beating locations along the Costa del Sol. Hotel occupancy for the holiday weekend reached nearly 70 per cent, recovering seven points from 2021, but did not reach pre‐pandemic figures of nearly 82 per cent on the same weekend.

Nonetheless, the news is evidence of a rapid recovery of the industry after the pandemic, that beats expert predic tions.

Town mayor, José Alberto Armijo, expressed delight at the news, saying that the thriving tourism industry helps to sustain the local economy and fund services for residents as well as improve the quality of attractions on offer to tourists.

Twinned towns

IT was a monumental mo ment as Almuñecar hosted the first youth exchange with its twinned town, Car iñena in Zaragoza. The towns have been twinned for the past 50 years, and they cele brated their first youth ex change with a three day visit from Sunday October 30.

The young people from Cariñena arrived for a packed programme of cul tural events to celebrate their town’s separate and joint heritages, accompanied by a council team, headed by their mayor, Sergio Ortiz Gutiérrez.

Almuñecar’s mayor, Juan José Ruiz Joya, welcomed the young people, saying he hoped they would get to know the rich history of the

town and even enjoy the beach during their stay. The mayors explained that the youth exchange is key to de veloping a deeper, lasting connection between the two towns.

The young people enjoyed an exciting programme of ac tivities, including Halloween fun, a visit to San Miguel cas

tle, a flamenco workshop, watersports and a harvest farm visit.

The towns have been twinned since 1973, but since developing a new strat egy in 2019 have increased collaborative events to pro mote tourism and the excel lent activities available in both towns.

Property tax delight

Betty Henderson

THERE  is relief for homeowners in Rincon de La Victoria as the council has announced a pi oneering reduction in the IBI property tax, which creates the lowest tax rate in the town in over 25 years. Announcing the policy on Friday October 28, the council said the rate will be reduced by 1.33 per cent for 2023.

Amid rising bills in other sectors with spi ralling inflation rates and energy bills, the re duction of the tax rate to 0.74 reduces the tax burden on local residents according to the councillor for Economy and Finance, Antonio Fernández and the town mayor, Francisco Salado.

The measure reduces the IBI property tax to its lowest rate in the town in more than two decades.

The reduction in the tax rate was part of the local Partido Popular council’s pledges when they were elected. Representatives for the local Partido Popular said tax responsibili ties for residents in the town have fallen by 2 per cent since 2020, with consistent drops in property tax rates every year they have been in office at the council.

WARM WELCOME: The youth exchange with a Zaragoza town got off to a flying start on Sunday October 30.

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Almuñécar

Emergency techniques

A LIFE‐SAVING initiative is transforming local education departments in Torre del Mar and local towns. More than 50 teachers attended a first aid workshop on Wednesday October 26 or ganised by the Velez‐Malaga Teacher Training Board and the local government.

Authorities were delight ed to see teachers readily join the course on basic life support. Local nurses gave

the workshop in the old sug ar factory building in Torre del Mar, teaching a range of first aid and life saving tech niques. Workshop classes in cluded CPR resuscitation in cluding practical techniques and defibrillator use. The teachers attending the class es first learned about the medical emergencies, then learned the first response and life saving techniques.

The workshops have been

offered as part of a council initiative to create robust emergency response sys tems and reduce pre ventable deaths. Acting dur ing the first few minutes in emergency situations can prevent deaths.

Ten local nurses are as signed to the education sys tem and are tasked with ed ucating teachers on emergency protocol as well as general health practices.

Almijara athletics

A GRUELLING athletics event saw more than 600 runners put their abilities to the test on Tuesday November 1 in Nerja.

The starting pistol went off for more than 600 athletes at the eighth edition of the Almi jara Trail at the Enrique López Cuenca athletics ground in Nerja on the All Saints’ Bank Holi day. Athletes represented their clubs in the Andalucian Club Championship at the event, where two distances offered amateur and professional runners a challenge. The ‘Mini Challenge’ covered 11 kilometres while the

full distance covered 23 kilometres.

Both race distances covered tricky terrain on mountainous slopes including the Tajo Baena and the Barranco Sanguino, described by organisers as a ‘high difficulty level’.

Prior to the event, founding member of the Nerja Athletics Club, Enrique López Cuenca, explained that the event was the perfect blend of nature, athletics and competitive at mosphere.

Participants all received a goody bag and t‐shirt, while top finishers won trophies.

Landmark welcome

A MILESTONE was reached on October 26, as Spain announced it has now welcomed more than 150,000 Ukrainians fleeing war following the Russian invasion.

The announcement means that Spain has been one of the most welcoming countries to Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

More than 64 per cent of the Ukrainian refugees granted asylum in Spain are women, and almost 35 per cent are children according to figures from the Spanish Ministry of the In terior. A total of 150,078 asylum applications have been processed and granted in the eight

months since the scheme opened on March 10. Statistics revealed that the Valencian Community led in terms of numbers of Ukrainian refugees resettled with 38,873. Cat alonia closely followed with 34,070, then Madrid with 22,002 and Andalucia with 21,305 Ukrainians welcomed.

An emergency scheme to deal with asylum requests created in March has been responsi ble for the rapid resettlement. Authorities have a maximum of 24 hours to decide the outcome of asylum applications from Ukraini an refugees which has sped up the process.

Cancer breakthrough

A MONUMENTAL moment was achieved for cancer re search on October 27 as scien tists in Barcelona developed a drug that successfully targets a cancer causing gene. The drug showed promising re sults in phase one clinical tri als. The drug targets the gene ‘MYC’, which causes and maintains most common types of cancer, including breast, lung, ovarian and

prostate cancers. Scientists at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona devel oped a mini‐protein called OMO‐103 which can reach the nucleus of cells. It entered clinical trials in April 2021 and was tested on a range of can cers. Dr Elena Garralda, Direc tor of the Early Drug Develop ment Unit at the oncology institute explained why the finding was significant saying, “To date, no drug that inhibits

MYC has been approved for clinical use.” The drug will now progress to phase two clinical trials, which is un precedented. The drug does not have any significant side effects except one case of pancreas inflammation which will be further tested. Scien tists said that cancer is most effectively targeted through a ‘multi‐pronged approach’ and a drug like this could be revo lutionary.

Betty Henderson

Betty Henderson SPAIN’S famous weather boy, Jorge Rey, has re leased his weather predic tions for the upcoming win ter. And we don’t have long to wait for rainfall and even snow, which is due in November according to the aspiring meteorologist.

Appearing on Telecinco

Forecast fortunes

on October 24, Rey an nounced that he expects ‘significant’ rainfall during November that will put an end to months of drought in some areas of the coun try. He also expects some snowfall in medium to high

altitudes during November.

He expects further snow fall in December and Ja nury, hinting at the possibil ity of a repeat of 2021 Storm Filomena which brought unusually high snowfall to Spain and Por tugal.

The 16‐year‐old from a small town near Burgos has a passion for the weather and has been rapidly gain ing fans from all over the country with fascinating predictions.

His methods of predic tion are not scientifically‐

sound, opting to use the traditional cabañuelas sys tem of predicting the weather by observing na ture, but that hasn’t stopped him from amassing more than 14,000 social media followers.

Rey learned the ancient system from a local shep herd and has been develop ing his passion ever since.

THE Spanish property market defies Euro pean trends of property value, as values in Spain remain high despite European dips in value.

Economists at the European Central Bank reported a general fall in house values in the Eurozone in early October, but Spain is flout ing the trend as property values remain sta ble.

The news comes as a report revealed that non‐resident foreigners are still keen to spend money on Spanish property, and pay a lot more than foreign residents or Spanish

A FUTURISTIC aero‐taxi service was tested in a town in Jaen on October 26. The air taxi prototype is part of the European Uspace4UAM project, which advocates for sustainable and alternative forms of public transport.

The drone‐like air taxi has been devel oped by Umiles Next and Tecnalia technolo gy companies and took its maiden public flight at the Atlas Experimental Flight Centre in Villacarrillo.

Air taxis could speed up journeys and could be particularly useful for emergency services.

The aero‐taxi has been developed with

nationals on property. Furthermore, proper ty experts in Spain say that supply of proper ties is likely to remain below demand, so a steep drop in property value will be avoided in Spain.

A report by the Spanish Notary Council re vealed that foreign non‐residents spend an average of €2,522 per square metre on property in Spain, compared with foreign residents who spend an average of €1,622 per square metre, and Spanish nationals who pay €1,560 per square metre for prop erty.

Persistent prices Flying taxi

investments from the European Horizon 2020 fund as part of the European U‐Space system which is investigating ways that drones could be used in urban environ ments for everyday tasks.

Representatives from technology and transport industries watched the aero‐taxi launch alongside members of the regional government, including Luis Miguel Car mona, who highlighted that safety is a prior ity with the inventions.

Weather boy is forecasting significant rainfall.

15 minutes of fame

Peter McLaren-Kennedy ANDY WARHOL said that ev eryone gets 15 minutes of fame, but according to Ra mon Hervey II, whose new book is out, he said that is not quite true.

Ramon, a publicist turned artist and brand manager, has worked with some of the best that the world of acting, mu sic and sport have to offer. Speaking exclusively to Euro Weekly News he said that there was some truth in what Warhol said in that fame can arrive in an instant, but it can go just as quickly.

Speaking about how the entertainment world has changed, he said “it now takes much more than talent to become famous.”

For a starter he said fame doesn’t come by accident. It takes hard work, dedication and an understanding and commitment to what comes with being famous. And that commitment he said is some thing not everyone is willing to make.

Ramon said that over the years he has turned down many artists either because they have not given any thought to the steps that need to be taken to be fa mous, or because their obses sion with fame got in the way. Artists he said, are the en tertainment world’s business es. That means having an un

@delphinediallo

derstanding of where you want to be and how you are going to get there. Drawing on his experience with the likes of Mohammed Ali, Bette Midler and Quincy Jones, Ramon outlines in the book how you can achieve fame and most importantly how you can nurture it. When asked what advice he would give someone who is

starting out, he said “you need to understand what fame involves and you need to be comfortable with that.” He said that is particularly im portant in today’s world where fans want access to artists they never enjoyed be fore.

The rise of social media means that fans want to know everything about you,

where you have been and what you do and that he said, is not for everyone. Having a good manager who can part ner with you in planning your path and in managing your fame can help you through the ups and downs of the en tertainment business.

The book - ‘The Fame Game - An insider’s playbook for earning your 15 minutes’ is out now and is available from book stores and online.

RAMON HERVEY II: His new book is available from book stores and online.

The experts in rest give you tips for sleeping with back pain

IF our state of health depends on our mental and physical well‐being, we would agree that adequate rest is essential. During sleep, we restore our energy and it brings us many benefits. So, here are our tips for getting the best rest and preventing back pain or reduc ing back pain during sleep.

We are coming up to the Christmas sea son, a season of parties, excesses and changes in our habits. We suggest you take a break and read these tips to sleep without back pain and face the return to routine in the best possible way ‐ achieving quality and restorative rest for you and your family.

• The best rest for your back: The er gonomic one

The basis of your rest is the mattress, and this must be ergonomic, that is to say, it must be designed and manufactured with the necessary features to offer optimum support for your body as well as being com fortable. An ergonomic mattress is the first measure you should take to prevent muscu loskeletal injuries.

In this line of products, Malaga is a pioneer in the development of mattresses that are

not only ergonomic, but also developed to adapt your rest according to the back prob lem you suffer from. Thanks to the company

NESSEN, an exclusive and successful compa ny belonging to the MiColchón group, we provide a range of products with up to 15 years of guarantee and 101 nights of testing.

• The best sleeping position for your back pain

In addition to the mattress, we must also take into account the position in which we sleep. To maintain our well‐being there are two recommended positions, according to the expert Mattressologists at MiColchón:

‐ Sleeping on your side with your legs bent.

‐ Sleep on your back with an ergonomic cushion or pillow under your knees.

• A back is healthy when it is strong, flexi ble and pain‐free

If you suffer from a diagnosed back ail ment such as osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, hernias, lumbago, scoliosis, spondylitis or cervical problems, you should first get advice from your doctor or physiotherapist, and then from experts in rest who know how to indicate the ideal material and model of mattress.

• Other tips for a good night’s sleep

‐ Take care of your posture when perform ing any task, such as lifting, sitting or while doing your job.

‐ Always maintain the correct position of your spine.

‐ Avoid sleeping or resting on sagging or weather‐beaten beds or sofas.

‐ Take care of your neck and cervical verte brae with a suitable pillow.

Interested in finding out more? Go to the specialists at MiColchón, where you will be attended by Mattressologists ‐ professionals with experience and training that will help you choose the best rest equipment for you and your family.

STAT OF WEEK €4.84 billion

is the amount that Spanish bank BBVA earned in the first nine months of 2022, an increase of 46 per cent over the previous year.

ECB rate hike FINANCE

BUSINESS EXTRA

50p coin

THE UK Royal Mint has start ed producing the first coin featuring the effigy of King Charles III to be put into gen eral circulation. The 50p coin which carries the same de sign as the Queen’s Corona tion coin of 1953 on its re verse will start to circulate in December.

GDP stalls

THE initial forecast from the National Institute of Statis tics (INE) suggests that busi ness growth in the third quarter of 2022 has almost stalled and Spain’s GDP has increased by just 0.2 per cent even though the summer saw a large influx of tourists.

Empty shops

ALTHOUGH some UK High Streets especially in the North and Wales are a little like ghost towns, a report by BRC and Local Data Compa ny suggests that there are slightly fewer empty shops in the third quarter with the figure standing at 13.9 per cent.

Saudi relations

THE third Saudi‐Spanish Joint Committee meeting in Madrid ended with a com mitment from both govern ments to continue to work together to allow Spanish companies to assist Saudi Arabia in increasing its indus trial and technological base and for Saudis to increase in vestment in Spain.

M&S news

THE ongoing question con cerning the flagship Marks and Spencer building in Ox ford Street continues as the company has now warned an enquiry that it will close its shop location if its plans to demolish and rebuild the property are refused, accord ing to the BBC.

Spain’s 2023 budget

THOSE with money to invest in the eurozone will be pleased that on Thursday October 27, the Eu ropean Central Bank (ECB) decid ed to raise interest rates again to try to stem the problem of infla tion.

Adding 0.75 per cent to make the new loan rate of 1.5 per cent the highest since 2009, the ECB in dicated that there is likely to be at least one further increase before the end of the year.

In addition, and as forewarned by the Governor of the Bank of Spain, the bank is also trying to call in loans taken at low rates by commercial banks throughout the 19 eurozone member states.

Girl’s best friend

SPAIN’S 2023 Budget overcame its first approval hurdle on Thursday October 27 when proposed amendments were rejected by the Lower House.

Having to rely on the support of po litical parties that do not form part of the government is to some extent a gamble but it appears that at the mo ment the government can rely on support from the minor parties.

In Parliament the Minister of Fi nance and Public Administration, María Jesús Montero, thanked the political groups that voted against the amendments to the public accounts and said that she would continue,

during the coming weeks, to negoti ate with those parties in order to en sure approval of the Budget, incorpo rating any improvements that may be agreed upon during the process.

During the full debate that took place in Congress, Minister Montero argued that the 2023 General Bud gets are essential to send a message of economic stability in a context of uncertainty due to the Russian inva sion of Ukraine.

It prioritises social justice, by strengthening the Welfare State and will allocate six out of every €10 to so cial spending and economic efficiency

that will promote inclusive growth, the creation of quality employment and the transformation of industry thanks to the European Recovery Fund.

During her speeches, the minister made it clear that the 2023 Budget valued as €274.445 billion include measures that benefit the middle and working class, protect vulnerable groups and help the productive fabric.

At the same time, the accounts maintain the commitment to fiscal consolidation by reducing the deficit and public debt, which will continue their downward path.

Quirky idea that might sell

A UNIQUE new sparkling wine will be available in Spain in the New Year as it comes in three forms, Sin gle, Married and Divorced.

This is a new private label sparkling wine from France created by Irene Patar who believes that everyone should be encouraged to celebrate their relationship status.

Launching first in the USA for the Holiday Season and New Year, Patar said “I con ceptualised Single Married Divorced as a way for all of us to raise a glass to cele brate who we are. I know it’s not easy out there. I know. I’ve been married to my husband for almost 20

years and sometimes I feel like all three in one day!”

She laughingly added “Nobody’s perfect. But de spite all that, I believe it’s

time for all of us to live it up and celebrate who we are and be proud of it!”

Speaking about the jour ney to create the label, she

explained “In the last 20 years, I’ve evolved so much.

“In the beginning of my marriage, I lived my life through my husband’s eyes. I wasn’t being me. Eventual ly I had an awakening and started taking control of my life and the person I wanted to be. And I celebrate that every day.”

Regardless of your rela tionship status, if you need to celebrate or commiser ate, then you can choose to enjoy being Single, Married or Divorced with the fizz which will be available in Spain from Bodega Maes trazgo in Barcelona from next year.

THE two words ‘blood diamonds’ brings to life the horror of coun tries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone torn apart by civil war, with diamonds being one of the main targets of rebels.

In theory, a code exists where by jewellers can trace the history of a diamond to ensure it hasn’t been extracted by slave labour, but a company in the UK Opsydia is now able to use its invention to penetrate the surface of any dia mond and micro engrave its provenance.

This is even more important now that man made diamonds are so good that they can easily confuse all except for experts.

Taking off

DESPITE all of the doom and gloom forecast by airlines dur ing the pandemic, the latest fig ures from IAG which owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling make good reading for shareholders.

Leisure travel has bounced back in the first three quarters of 2022 and the group has de clared an operating profit of €770 million as opposed to a loss of €2.487 billion in the same period of 2021.

Income continues to grow even though it has been restrict ed in the number of flights that it can run out of London Heathrow and many of the Asia‐Pacific routes are still closed.

YOU: Minister Montero in black dress celebrates the vote.

3I Group 1.177,50 1.179,46 1.162,00 21,31K

Abrdn 155,30 155,75 153,55 371,25K

Admiral Group 2.013,0 2.013,0 1.970,5 37,99K

Anglo American 2.715,5 2.730,0 2.674,0 312,88K

Antofagasta 1.218,50 1.230,50 1.203,50 169,14K

Ashtead Group 4.516,0 4.560,0 4.429,0 92,48K

Associated British Foods 1.371,5 1.374,0 1.360,0 79,90K

AstraZeneca 10.010,0 10.097,6 9.984,0 10,57K

Auto Trader Group Plc 528,60 528,60 515,40 151,82K

Aveva 3.143,0 3.147,0 3.128,0 31,08K

Aviva 416,10 416,80 412,70 493,83K

B&M European Value Retail SA328,10 328,10 321,70 191,89K

BAE Systems 807,41 818,60 807,20 294,52K

Barclays 150,20 151,30 148,94 3,83M

Barratt Developments 382,20 382,40 373,80 352,18K

Berkeley 3.593,0 3.591,0 3.526,0 18,09K

BHP Group Ltd 2.174,50 2.202,50 2.172,00 267,45K

BP 473,70 478,80 466,45 7,90M

British American Tobacco 3.442,5 3.456,0 3.417,5 205,61K

British Land Company 370,00 370,00 361,80 345,50K

BT Group 126,50 127,10 125,95 843,24K

Bunzl 2.851,0 2.850,0 2.815,0 33,84K

Burberry Group 1.885,2 1.884,0 1.866,5 44,56K

Carnival 674,7 676,4 664,0 204,09K

Centrica 70,00 70,16 69,46 446,32K

Coca Cola HBC AG 1.903,0 1.907,0 1.875,0 61,88K

Compass 1.844,00 1.847,00 1.830,50 140,37K

CRH 3.075,5 3.080,5 3.049,5 40,63K

Croda Intl 6.932,0 6.954,0 6.866,0 15,91K

DCC 4.937,0 4.944,0 4.889,0 18,09K

Diageo 3.588,5 3.603,5 3.557,0 200,33K

DS Smith 294,81 295,70 291,80 684,61K

EasyJet 340,95 341,30 331,00 460,09K

Experian 2.797,0 2.800,0 2.766,0 102,87K

Ferguson 9.562,0 9.668,0 9.514,0 62,73K

Flutter Entertainment 11.580,0 11.605,0 11.325,0 16,42K

Fresnillo 748,00 749,40 736,00 46,35K

Glencore 510,50 515,60 508,70 3,81M

GSK plc 1.394,39 1.398,00 1.388,00 291,86K

Halma 2.189,0 2.197,0 2.168,0 82,86K

Hargreaves Lansdown 774,00 780,60 772,00 23,43K

Hikma Pharma 1.256,50 1.256,50 1.244,00 38,90K

HSBC 447,75 448,65 442,50 3,68M

IAG 119,93

116,98 1,68M

Intermediate Capital 1.071,00 1.071,50 1.043,50 75,90K

Intertek 3.843,0 3.846,0 3.756,0 29,42K

ITV 69,06 69,12 67,62 885,17K

J Sainsbury 195,65 195,80 191,80 468,03K

Johnson Matthey 2.038,0 2.043,0 2.016,0 37,21K

Land Securities 580,60 580,60 564,40 230,06K

Legal & General 233,70 233,80 231,20 1,44M

Lloyds Banking 41,91 42,32 40,87 43,09M

London Stock Exchange 7.524,0 7.536,0 7.473,0 2,75K

Melrose Industries 112,65 112,85 111,10 1,02M

Mondi 1.515,00 1.522,50 1.507,00 64,36K

National Grid 934,80 936,12 925,40 36,26K

NatWest Group 243,60 244,50 240,00 1,10M

Next 5.150,0 5.156,0 5.062,0 26,66K

Norilskiy Nikel ADR 9,10 9,10 9,10 0

Ocado 503,40 506,00 495,20 181,27K

Persimmon 1.329,0 1.331,0 1.297,5 148,82K

Phoenix 550,00 550,40 544,80 257,72K

Prudential 822,60 822,60 807,60 389,70K

Reckitt Benckiser 5.610,0 5.702,0 5.597,5 13,38K

Relx 2.332,00 2.334,00 2.307,00 223,00K

Rentokil 542,00 543,60 535,40 802,72K

Rightmove 507,00 507,00 500,60 203,53K

Rio Tinto PLC 4.722,5 4.785,0 4.709,5 361,68K

Rolls-Royce Holdings 75,17 75,23 73,88 3,44M

Rosneft DRC 0,20 0,20 0,20 0

Sage 739,60 741,80 735,40 111,92K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.041,50 1.043,50 1.034,00 4,23K

Schroders 398,3 398,9 394,6 81,28K

Scottish Mortgage 748,30 750,00 740,60 177,83K

Segro 808,20 809,80 784,40 438,23K

Severn Trent 2.466,0 2.466,0 2.437,0 21,36K

Shell 2.370,0 2.401,0 2.293,5 428,61K

Smith & Nephew 1.019,50 1.021,00 1.012,00 101,91K

Smiths Group 1.554,00 1.560,00 1.547,50 85,72K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.115,0 11.130,0 10.890,0 12,11K

SSE 1.523,59 1.529,00 1.510,00 133,56K

St. James’s Place 1.070,50 1.073,00 1.053,50 136,03K

Standard Chartered 534,20 535,20 523,40 748,68K

Taylor Wimpey 97,16 97,41 95,22 578,31K

Tesco 214,80 214,80 211,00 1,17M

Tui 130,35 131,30 129,40 389,15K

Unilever 3.868,5 3.908,0 3.849,0 464,88K

United Utilities 931,80 931,80 918,60 133,47K

Vodafone Group PLC 98,97 99,57 98,43 7,48M Whitbread 2.605,0 2.613,0 2.567,0 54,59K WPP 755,60 760,60 750,00 408,72K

DOW

3M 122,70 123,29 4,62M

American Express 146,88 149,50 146,47 3,36M

Amgen 266,66 267,98 261,51 3,00M

Apple 149,35 151,99 148,04 87,53M

Boeing 133,79 150,14 132,21 29,31M

Caterpillar 196,96 199,58 194,57 3,54M

Chevron 177,09 178,48 175,17 6,85M

Cisco 44,38 45,23 44,28 20,04M

Coca-Cola 59,39 59,78 58,86 15,81M

Dow 47,99 48,55 47,89 6,02M

Goldman Sachs 335,69 338,67 334,14 2,17M

Home Depot 290,15 291,87 286,17 2,61M

Honeywell 190,27 192,95 189,76 4,20M

IBM 135,01 135,86 132,81 5,10M

Intel 27,21 27,80 26,99 36,93M

J&J 172,21 172,57 170,52 6,11M

JPMorgan 124,11 125,20 122,88 10,74M

McDonald’s 256,61 260,69 256,12 3,58M

Merck&Co 98,41 99,28 98,00 10,37M

Microsoft 231,32 238,30 230,06 82,20M

Nike 92,39 94,35 90,70 8,54M

Procter&Gamble 131,78 132,57 130,40 6,60M

Salesforce Inc 159,91 164,12 158,70 6,54M

The Travelers 176,40 177,24 174,10 1,93M

UnitedHealth 543,17 547,64 540,21 2,70M

Verizon 36,43 36,71 36,20 20,24M

Visa A 203,33 206,37 196,50 15,45M

Walgreens Boots 35,51 36,13 35,44 5,66M

Walmart 141,14 142,04 139,82 6,91M

Walt Disney 104,63 107,43 103,53 9,15M

Most Advanced

ESSA Pharma +180.23% 115.17M

SVF Investment +47.95% 48.71K

Natural Order Acquisition +46.00% 65.53K

Oneconnect Fin +45.78% 5.72M

RLX Technology +42.98% 68.24M

Cipher Mining +42.56% 2.50M

Epiphany Technology Acquisition +39.64% 46.13K

Loyalty Ventures +39.60% 4.39M

Eqonex +38.24% 2.87M

Mobileye Global +37.95% 27.97M

Freight Tech +37.44% 11.94M

Most Declined

Golden Falcon Acquisition -53.57% 74.86K

Thermogenesis Holdings -49.56% 14.71M

Fednat Holding Co -30.98% 7.26M

Stride -29.35% 4.42M

Taysha Gene -27.52% 8.64M

Y mAbs Therapeutics -27.42% 2.10M

Sierra Metals Inc. -27.42% 1.76M

Meiwu Technology -22.27% 914.38K

Healthcare Triangle -21.50% 1.44M

Revelation Biosciences -21.41% 4.42M

Starry Holdings -19.64% 3.37M

Currency outlook: Pound rocked by UK fiscal and political turmoil, Euro undermined amid escalating Ukraine conflict

Euro

EUR/GBP: Down from £0.89 to £0.86 EUR/USD: Up from $0.96 to $0.98

The euro has struggled to attract support over the past month amid renewed concerns over the conflict in Ukraine.

Given the pressure the war has already placed on the Eurozone economy, EUR in vestors were unsurprisingly spooked by the ap parent escalation of the conflict in recent weeks.

Also weighing on EUR sentiment were fresh concerns over European energy security, follow ing an apparent attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

However, helping to temper the euro’s losses has been the expectation that the European Central Bank (ECB) will deliver another aggres sive interest rate hike at the end of October.

Looking ahead, the immediate focus for EUR investors will be the ECB’s upcoming interest rate decision. With a 75bps hike largely priced in, any movement in the euro is likely to be tied to the bank’s forward guidance. Signals the bank will continue to raise rates aggressively could bolster the single currency.

Pound GBP/EUR: Up from €1.11 to €1.14

GBP/USD: Up from $1.08 to $1.13

It’s been an eventful few weeks for the pound, which traded with extreme volatility since the unveiling of the government’s much criticised mini-budget.

The initial fallout of the budget saw GBP/USD strike a new record low, with a full-blown Ster ling crisis only being narrowly avoided following a timely bond market intervention from the Bank of England (BoE).

A series of U-turns regarding the budget in fused further volatility into GBP exchange rates through the first part of October. As the govern ment sought to calm market jitters.

The sacking of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and the scrapping of almost the entire budget by his successor Jeremy Hunt, offered some respite for the pound. Before Liz Truss’s resigna tion as PM injected fresh volatility into the cur rency.

The coming month is likely to see trade in the pound remain highly erratic. Political uncertainty remains a key risk to Sterling, while an oversized interest rate hike from the BoE could also infuse volatility into GBP exchange rates.

US Dollar

USD/GBP: Down from $0.87 to $0.88 USD/EUR: Down from €10.3 to €1.01

UK Budget postponed

In work

THE number of people em ployed in Spain increased by more than 514,00 during the last year and by 77,700 in the third quarter, which allowed employment to reach 20,545,700 workers, the highest since 2008.

Keep calm

WORRIES about how to pay for essentials, let alone luxu ries in the UK has, according to ITV and the Retail Trust, led to reports of a rise in abuse by the public on shop workers with some 70 per cent of employees saying things were getting worse.

Expansion

THANKS to booming turnover and profits, Span ish energy company Repsol continues to expand and has just announced it has ac quired a 27 per cent stake in the waste management company Acteco.

NO scary UK Halloween budget as it is postponed until November according to a release from Downing Street on Wednesday October 26.

Clearly new PM Rishi Sunak who has decided to continue to support Jeremy Hunt as Chancel lor won’t fall into the trap of a hurried budget, but wants to en sure that he will have input into the plans.

Having spent so long as Chan cellor himself and having stood against Liz Truss as the tax pru dent face of the Conservative Par ty, he will want some input espe cially as Jeremy Hunt has no background in finance, but is gen erally thought to be in favour of orthodox Treasury thinking, look ing to balance budgets and follow fiscal discipline.

Following confirmation that he would remain Chancellor, Hunt tweeted “It is going to be tough. But protecting the vulnerable ‐and people’s jobs, mortgages and bills ‐ will be at the front of our minds as we work to restore sta bility, confidence and long‐term growth.”

The decision to postpone the

autumn statement until Novem ber 17 was announced at the first full Cabinet meeting with the Chancellor sitting next to the Prime Minister, where it was also confirmed that there would be a new set of economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Re sponsibility.

Whilst this decision gives the government breathing space to

tweak the plans, which may in clude a review of stamp duty cuts as well as affordability of the triple lock pensions, it has put the Bank of England in a slightly diffi cult position.

Their next interest rate review is due today, Thursday Novem ber 3 and will have to be decided without the benefit of knowing all of the government’s plans.

The US dollar continued to draw support over the past four weeks, as skittish investors continued to favour the safe-haven currency.

This souring mood was attributed to the UK’s fiscal chaos, ongoing global recession fears and concerns over the war in Ukraine.

Federal Reserve interest rate hike bets also continued to underpin demand for the US dollar in recent weeks. USD investors expect the Fed to continue raising rates aggressively through the end of 2022.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the ‘greenback’, with some underwhelming US data releases weighing on USD exchange rates at certain points throughout the month.

Going forward, the US dollar is likely to re main well supported as global recession fears continue to dictate market sentiment, with the prospect of another 75bps rate hike from the Fed also likely to underpin 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.

Back to Africa

Accompanied by Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto and a delegation of business men, this was a two‐nation whistle stop tour to promote friendship and the interests of Spanish companies.

On Wednesday October 26, the Spanish delegation met with Kenyan President William Ruto and expressed their joint support, signing several memorandums of un derstanding.

Then off to a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa as the following day they were in South Africa, an impor tant market for Spanish companies as 150 have invested in that country and bilateral trade between South Africa and Spain has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years.

Coping with prices

SPEAKING at a conference run by Spanish supermar ket chain Consum, Bernardo Rodilla, retail business di rector at Kantar which specialises in data analysis said that just over two thirds of Spanish households are ac tively trying to save money due to the cost‐of‐living crisis.

With prices on average increasing by 12.7 per cent so far this year, Rodilla indicated that in the grocery world, companies are trying to make foodstuffs as af fordable as possible and the cost of around half of all basic necessities has only risen by around 8 per cent.

Another way in which Spaniards are approaching the problem is to try to ensure that less food is wasted thus reducing their spend.

PRESIDENT Pedro Sánchez visited Kenya and South Africa as he continued to attempt to align Spain with countries across the continent.

Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt at the first Cabinet meeting.

Credit: Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street flickr

SINGLE CURRENCY: Could be bolstered by continuing to raise rates aggressively.

BY the time you read this British poli tics will probably have completed half dozen new triple somersaults.

Re selecting Boris, whose ambi tions were quashed by the Covid pan demic, would of course have been one of the best decisions the Conser vatives ever made. Gleefully support ed by the BBC, they actually managed to rid themselves of the biggest dan ger the Labour party would have had to contend with in the next election.

Have no doubt; this antigovern ment media rhetoric is all a part of the left wing hierarchy plot to achieve victory. Their incensed bias reporting has become relentless. Sub jects and situations they can plausibly blame on the government, are filling their analyses to such an extent, that any news item capable of possibly raising optimism among the British public, is relegated to the bottom of a barrel of leftie gluttony, that can only be scraped up after all its contents of doom and gloom are totally dished out.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe the whole system is in complete chaos.

No vote from me

Frankly I wouldn’t vote for any of them. As an almost lifelong follower of spiritualism, I have always be lieved that the whole misinformed process of guiding and cultivating the inhabitants of our planet is wrong.

I believe we are still in the dark ages of human evolution; the solu tions of which will probably, assum ing we last that long, not be accom plished for at least another thousand years.

British TV has of course, just about hit rock bottom. Recently I watched repeats of ‘The Kenny Everett Show’, ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ and a number of others. These brilliant presenta tions, showed just how low the pre sent offerings have now sunk. All that you see for your licence fee these days are a multitude of quiz pro grammes, cooking twaddle, garden ing manure, housing purchases and utterly racially influenced vote seek ing adverts, screening mixed mar riages living in luxurious homes.

Almost unbelievably last week the long running series ‘Loose Women’ was substituted by ‘Loose Men,’ actu ally presented by four men!

Just how much longer are we going to put up with all this objectionable twaddle, which continually insults and demeans the majority of UK citi zens that are allowing themselves to be lured into surrendering their much loved country to the left wing hierar chy by a bunch of shadowy traitorous individuals, fully aware the majority of the British public are right wing supporters?

This power mad squad are utterly mindful that the only possible way to reverse the destruction the Conserva tive party inflicted in 2019 was to get shot of Boris and subsequently turn the country into a mixed culture soci ety they can inveigle into voting for the left.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com. Expatradioscotland.com. Mon. Wed. Fri.

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: euroweeklynews.com

Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

PLEASE COVER UP

CAN somebody in authori ty in Mallorca explain to me why it is legal for Ger mans to strip naked on beaches in front of chil dren! Surely indecent ex posure is a crime !

Mallorca has nudist beaches all over the island. This obscene practice is to tally outrageous. Spain is beating the drum for peo ple to dress ‘appropriately’ ie no bikinis whilst walking around certain areas, yet these people stand there naked and I mean MEN AND WOMAN!

I have owned property on the island for 40 years and have watched this practice increase every single year.

Is indecent exposure in Mallorca a crime ? If not, WHY NOT?

Susan Farrell Hannah

Do the sums

His maths are as accu rate as Johnson, his 102 was actually 60 and Leapy Lee claims thousands of our soldiers were killed in Iraq, 179 British service personnel died, but that gets in the way of his rant.

Garry Turner

Just saying

I totally agree with the comments made in your article Complete chaos. I find your views honestly refreshing. You are not scared to say what most of us are thinking. Maybe if politicians adopted your policy of saying it

how it is, and not worry ing about political cor rectness, the UK would be in a far better national

and global position. Keep up the good work.

Bill Johnstone

OUR VIEW

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

WORKERS in Spain enjoy 12 National Holidays, plus some extras depending on which Province, City, Town or Pueblo they live in.

Of the National Holidays, eight are religious holidays based on Catholicism, which in today’s multi-cultural society may seem to be somewhat outdated.

Most European countries celebrate Easter and Christmas, but for Spain to add the Three Kings, As sumption of Mary, All Saints’ Day, and the Immacu late Conception may appear to be somewhat unbal anced in what is heading towards being a secular society.

No-one (except perhaps some employers) wants to reduce the number of days people can take off, but in a modern industrial country to then have additional days off for local Saints and to practise the concept of puente (bridge) to make an extra-long weekend can’t be beneficial to the economy.

The Spanish love to party and of course there is nothing wrong with that and they have now adopted Halloween, so at least they can recover on All Saints’ Day!

This leads us to Christmas and in this time of everincreasing costs as well as potential electricity shortages, one must consider whether councils should put up their Christmas lights and if they do whether they should only keep them on for a limited number of hours each night.

Families are finding it difficult to cope, yet many children now expect a Christmas present as well as one on Three Kings night and will be disappointed if they don’t receive both.

This year, as in the past, many charities and con cerned individuals will be collecting toys for those chil dren whose parents genuinely can’t afford them, so please help if you can.

WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD

I HAVE heard a number of wonderful ripostes in person, while others have been recited to me second‐hand. Some of them are probably well rehearsed and used repeatedly and others are the result of quick thinking. Some are thor oughly justified put‐downs while oth ers are a bit unkind.

I first became aware of the concept of a ‘riposte’ when I read a ‘joke’ on an England’s Glory matchbox at the age of about nine. ‘You’re wearing odd socks’. ‘Yes; this kind of thing can happen when you have more than one pair’.

One of my favourites is the response of a Scotsman whose sexual attraction was called into question by a male col league saying. “I can’t imagine you making love.” “Well, you don’t have to; maybe you can find something else to dream about.”

For the typical one‐upmanship snob: “I don’t like your curtains.” “Well, I bought them because I like them, not because you don’t like them.”

There are also suitable reactions to attempted cultural points‐scoring. I

USEFUL RIPOSTES

was with a classical music enthusiast who knows that I like Beethoven. He asked me: “What do you consider his greatest symphony?” As he had asked me the same question before, in order to demonstrate his admittedly consid erable knowledge, I had worked out a response this time.

I replied “For me the greatest is the one that I like the best.” “Which is that?” “The one I am listening to now.”

“But you are not listening to any.” “Then, the one I last listened to.” “Even if it’s the First?” “Yes; because when I listen to the First, the others are not in my mind; therefore I can’t sense them.” In fact, the simple answer is that it depends on my mood at the time.

For those striving for intellectual su periority, I heard this one at a cheese and wine party: “Do you know who dis

covered Guam?” “No.” “Well, it was Magellan.” “What a good memory you have!”

And, of course, the travel boasts. I heard this snippet in the departure lounge at Gatwick Airport: “Where are you flying to?” “Munich.” “Ah, we’ve been to Munich too. I don’t suppose you’ve been to Vienna?” “Not this year, but I lived there for three years in the 80s.”

The more aggressive response of an over‐sensitive soul: “I find that just about incredible.” “Are you calling me a liar?” Conversely a cool rejoinder must be best for an aggressive accusa tion or insult, as heard in a Berkshire pub: “You dirty s**t.” ”Did you ever hear of a clean one?”

An unsavoury England international footballer, when arrested for hooligan ism and assault in Greece, allegedly said to the police; “Do you know who I am?” To anybody with that kind of ego, there is only one response, and I heard this: “I don’t care who you are but I can see what you are.”

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

Photo credits: Fine Art America and dailyevent.com

From classical music fans to football hooligans there is always a suitable riposte.

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The season is hotting up

MALAGA and El Cañadon took teams at the weekend to the first international Torrevieja walking football tournament. Both sides were decimated by injury and subsequently only had one substi tute each. It was decided that they would just go and enjoy the weekend.

And how they did...

El Cañadon in their first tournament got to the final after beating Athletic Club de Bilbao in the semi final, having been unbeaten in the group stages. Eventual winners were Portobello from the Costa Blanca in an excellent final. Malaga had a team of over 60 players and acquitted themselves well in a very tough group. Malaga meet El Cañadon this week in the first round of the BAHA Irish Whiskey Cup.

This should be a good game and a good benchmark for El Cañadon against last week’s finalists. All teams are still seeking players for the new season. So if you live in or near Viñuela, Torrox, Nerja, Competa, Malaga, Calahonda, Mijas Costa, or Benahavis don’t worry we have a club for you. The Costas have a new team! Mollina WFC from Malaga Province. They take on El Cañadon on

Tuesday November 8 in their first com petitive game. TheWalking Dead are the early runners in both leagues as they were last season, with a superb start to the leagues, but there is a long way to go and a lot of games to be

played, and this season will certainly be tighter than last year where two clubs ran away from the pack very early on and stayed there. For all information about walking football, visit walking footy.com on Facebook.

Charges dropped

PSG star Neymar has been cleared of fraud and corruption charges over his high‐profile Barcelona transfer.

The charges against foot baller Neymar, aged 30, and eight others accused in a trial over the Brazilian’s 2013 move from Santos to Barcelona have been dropped by Spanish prosecu tors.

They initially sought a two‐year prison term for Neymar ‐ who is currently preparing to head to the World Cup in Qatar with Brazil next month ‐along with a fine of €10 million, a case brought by Brazilian investment firm DIS, which owned 40 per cent of the rights to Neymar when he was at Santos.

The firm claims that Neymar, Barcelona, and the Brazilian club colluded to mask the true cost of his transfer thereby defrauding it of its legitimate financial interests, reporte a na tional news site.

Barca said the transfer was valued at €57.1 million, of which €6.8 million was given to DIS, but Spanish prosecutors believe the actual value was at least €83 million. DIS is seek ing to recover €35 million.

Prosecutor Luis Garcia Canton declared that “there is not the slightest hint of crime” and asked for all defendants to be acquitted at the trial in Barcelona.

EL CAÑADON: Captain Sean McVitty and the guys celebrating.

PSG star Neymar cleared of fraud and corruption charges over Barcelona transfer.

Credit: Aliza Studios/Shutterstock.com.