Costa Calida 16 – 22 November 2023 Issue 2002 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

Costa Calida • Issue No. 2002 • 16 - 22 November 2023

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Christmas lights ENJOY a special outing to ex perience the magic of Mur cia’s Christmas lights and raise money for a wonderful charity at the same time. The charity based in Cam posol FAST has arranged a trip on December 9 to visit Murcia City and the spectac ular Christmas lights. You can also take in the Craft Fair on Gran Vía, the na tivity scenes, or even a spot of shopping, all while enjoy

ing the wonderful Christmas atmosphere in the squares and churches of Murcia. To get your tickets for this unmissable trip go to the FAST stall located outside The Diner on Camposol Sec tor B on Fridays from 10.30am until 12.30. Tickets are €15. Get out and about while raising funds for FAST. For more information visit their Facebook group FAST Fun Team. Image: Shutterstock/ Antipina Natalia

MASS PROTESTS

FREI

DEMONSTRATION: Murcia rally against amnesty.

Grace Meredith THOUSANDS of people flooded Plaza Belluga in Murcia on Sunday, Novem ber 12, responding massive ly to the People’s Party’s (PP) call for a demonstra tion against the proposed amnesty law by Prime Min ister Pedro Sanchez. The square, adorned with Spanish flags and ban ners proclaiming ‘Spain is not for sale’, became a powerful display of the PP’s strength on the streets. Leaders Fernando López Miras President of Murcia and PP in Murcia and José Ballesta the mayor of Mur cia City urged everyone, to join the battle against the amnesty law. Families, youth, and elderly individu als, some of whom hadn’t protested since the days of Miguel Ángel Blanco, gath ered to express their dis content with Sanchez’s policies. Vox leaders, present at the demonstration, empha sised the need for a united

civil society against Sanchez’s divisive agree ments. Despite acknowledging the likely irreversible na ture of the amnesty, the PP

urged citizens to continue the fight through peaceful means. The protest concluded with the crowd shouting ‘Viva España’ and calls for

unity. The PP’s manifesto highlighted the nation’s his torical commitment to equality, justice, and diver sity, rejecting privileges, impunity, and amnesty.

MURCIA: Festive charitable fun this Christmas.

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16 - 22 November 2023

Catherine McGeer THE Region of Murcia emerges as Spain’s leading province in spice exports, con tributing a remarkable 72.5 per cent to the country’s total spice exports in 2022. The region experienced a notable increase in overseas sales, witnessing a growth of over 20 per cent compared to the previous year, amounting to a staggering €304 million. This positive trend has contin ued into the first eight months of 2023, with a further 6.7 per cent increase in exports com pared to the same period in 2022. Approximately 100 spice companies from the Region are actively participating in foreign markets, with key ex port destinations including the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Pivotal to this success are bestselling

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Spicy exports Image: Shutterstock/ Monticello

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Murcia’s flavourful exports - a spice sensation.

spices such as pepper and pa prika, ginger, saffron, and turmeric, while the remaining includes an array of spices like vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nut meg, and cardamom. Joaquín Gómez, director of the Institute for Development (Info), underlined this achievement during his visit to La Pastora, a renowned pa prika company in Murcia. Es

tablished in 1945, La Pastora has not only been a trailblazer in the spice industry introduc ing unique products like papri ka pearls, and two variants of extra virgin olive oil infused with spicy and smoky paprika. The success of companies like La Pastora exemplifies Mur cia’s commitment to blending tradition with innovation on the global spice stage.

Football dreams

IN a heartwarming tale, 13yearold Jesús from Murcia, saw his dream come true, cour tesy of his beloved football team, Nottingham Forest. Jesús, who has autism, travelled to Nottingham, with his father for his birthday, to experience a match at the Forest’s ground for the first time. The touching video, posted on the team’s X account, captures Jesús’ happiness as he ex plores the stadium, visits the locker rooms, and gazes at the club’s two Champions League trophies. Along with a stadium tour the young fan got to meet some of the players. Jesús also had the opportunity to step onto the pitch and was greeted by a personalised message on the stadium’s giant screens. His father was astonished by his son’s vocal re sponse, and shared, “This is rare because he

Image: X/ @NFFC

Nottingham Forest turns dreams into reality

usually doesn’t speak or interact.” Jesús said, “Football is everything to me. I get very sad when they lose, but incredibly happy when they win.” The surprises contin ued as the team fulfilled Jesús’ wish to be the mascot for the day, walking alongside his heroes onto the field before the match. This unforgettable day is sure to remain etched in Jesús’ heart forever.

Murcia innovates

Grace Meredith IN the last two years, compa nies in the Murcia region have excelled in securing a remark able 250 per cent increase in

funds for European projects under the ‘Horizon Europe’ programme, receiving a total of €24 million between 2021 and 2022. These achieve

ments were highlighted dur ing the ‘Horizon Europe Fund ing Opportunities’ event or ganised by the Institute of Development of the Region of Murcia (Info). The event showcased not only the signif icant funding growth but also provided insights into upcom ing project calls across various sectors. One standout accom plishment is the coordination of a ‘Horizon Europe’ project by Soluciones Agrícolas Ecoin novadoras, marking the first time a Murcian company leads a European research ini tiative.

LOCAL NEWS YOUR EWN HAS

STORIES IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

NIBS EXTRA Sardine Festival AS part of the Fiestas de Mi lagro in Mazarron there are plenty of activities and events taking place. Includ ing the Bolnuevo Sardine Festival with sardines cooked in the open air on the beach. Live music and openair activities will also take place on November 19.

Party time FRIENDS of Mazarron Ani mals are hosting their Christ mas party on December 9 at 7.30pm at Hotel Costa Mazarron. Tickets are € 33 and include a threecourse meal, fabulous raffle prizes, and entertainment by Jim McMail. Call 711 036 388.

History talk THE FAST charity organisa tion has arranged a historic talk for Monday, December 11 from 10.30am until 12.30. Antonio Hernández Benitez will share his knowledge about the history of Cam posol and the local area dur ing the Spanish Civil War. For tickets visit the FAST stand.

English cinema IN the mood for a movie, check out Martin Scorsese’s new film Killers of the Flower Moon in English at the Cine Almenara in Lorca. They usu ally show a movie in its origi nal language (VOSE) every Thursday at 6.20pm.

Hot Rally THE dates for the next Hot Rally Murcia Chapter have been announced for 2024. It will take place from May 23 May 26 at the beachfront of Santiago de la Ribera. With live music and so much more you don’t want to miss it. Make a note in your diary.

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16 - 22 November 2023

Remembrance Day IN the heart of Camposol residents joined forces to create a touching tribute for Remembrance Weekend. The community witnessed an outpouring of unity as in dividuals came together to honour those who had fallen in the line of duty. The Green Fingers Camposol mainte nance team and dedicated volunteers kicked off the preparations. They worked diligently to tidy up and cre ate a beautiful memorial gar den and they even collected an impressive €176 in the collection buckets. As Remembrance Sunday approached, the community geared up for a series of

Image: Facebook/Green Fingers Camposol/Carl Powell

Camposol gathers to remember and honour.

events. A Celebration of Re membrance, featuring a sin galong to wartime classics and a Retro Party, was or ganised to support the Ex servicemen’s Association Mazarron District. The Royal British Legion Spain Murcia Branch’s Poppy Appeal table

made a prominent appear ance on A Sector, Camposol, alongside the 2023 Armistice Day Auction aimed at raising funds for the poppy appeal. In the leadup to Remem brance Day, the community diligently prepared the memorial gardens. Weeding,

debris clearance, and pine needle removal were among the tasks undertaken to en sure the Circle of Remem brance stood as a pristine and solemn tribute. The col lective efforts of the Cam posol community resulted in beautiful and meaningful spaces, allowing residents to come together, reflect, and honour the sacrifices made by servicemen and women. Remembrance Weekend in Camposol became more than an annual tradition; it became a testament to the community’s compassion, camaraderie, and deep re spect for those who have served.

Job growth Diwali spirit THE president of the Region of Murcia Fernando López Miras lauded the resilience of Murcia’s entrepreneurs, emphasising the Regional Government’s steadfast support amid national chal lenges. At the Business Excellence Awards, he highlighted over €50 million in subsidies over four years, leveraging a total invest ment of €250 million and the cre ation of 1,400 jobs in the Campo de Cartagena region. López Miras decried national hostility towards wealth creators and businesses, contrasting it with the government’s success in at tracting 35 projects, surpassing a

€515 million investment. He outlined key principles: sup port for entrepreneurs, legal cer tainty, administrative simplicity, fiscal moderation, talent attrac tion, and technological transfor mation, affirming the region’s commitment to being ‘business friendly’. Recognising ‘Caetra’, an innova tive defence project, highlighted the government’s dedication to fostering excellence. Despite na tional challenges, López Miras pledged ongoing support for the productive sector, advocating for funding, infrastructure, and water resources to ensure Murcia’s equi table treatment.

THE Adapt Theatre Group’s pantomimes stand out for their unique approach, and one distinctive element is the incorpora tion of video to narrate parts of the story. Shot locally, these videos feature familiar faces from San Pedro del Pinatar, adding a touch of community flair to the perfor mances. The trend began with a playful rendition of Snow White and the Hunter in San Pedro's sand dunes, and subse quent productions showcased Aladdin's monkey facing a runin with local police and Peter Pan's daring rescue at the landmark boat roundabout. This year's Ali Baba and the Four and ½ Thieves promises to uphold the tradition, trans forming town hall premises with dramat

ON Sunday, November 12, the vibrant spirit of Diwali illuminated the coastal town of San Pe dro del Pinatar, as Max Beach became a melt ing pot of cultures. This Hindu festival of lights was celebrated by many nationalities and brought together a diverse community eager to partake in the festivities. Some attendees, dressed in their traditional attire, added a kaleidoscope of colours to the celebration. Max Beach, usually a hub for sunseekers, transformed into a cultural crossroads, filled with laughter, joy, and the delicious aroma of typical delicacies. The event showcased the power of cultural unity, as people from vari ous backgrounds shared in the fun, creating lasting memories and fostering a sense of community. Diwali in San Pedro del Pinatar not only illuminated the night but also illumi nated the bonds that tie a multicultural soci ety together.

Video magic ic effects and the participation of two lo cal ‘celebrities.’ The upcoming performances will take place at The Casa De Cultura, offering a unique blend of liveaction and pre recorded footage. As part of their com munity commitment, the Adapt Theatre Group is sponsored by the Adapt Metal Detecting group, with profits from this year's show benefiting the AFEMAR char ity in San Pedro del Pinatar. To witness this innovative theatrical experience, mark your calendars for November 30 to December 3, with tickets available from

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Festive fun IN the hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas, Age Concern is gearing up for a series of exciting events in Murcia City, and everyone is invited to join the festive cheer. The organisation is on a mission to support the local community by channelling every penny raised towards essential needs, including medical visits and befriending programmes. To secure tickets for these events, interested parties can visit the Social Centre on Avenida de Los Covachos, Camposol C Sector, Monday to Fri day, between 10am and 1pm. Alternatively, con tact Age Concern on 634 317 537 or email agecon cerncostacalida@gmail.c om, or drop a message on their Facebook page Age Concern Costa Cali da. For those in the Port, tickets are available on Saturday morning be tween 11am and 1pm at Nico’s Bar, next door to the Market Tavern. The lineup features Market Day in Benidorm Coach trip, the Great Christmas Cupcake Bakeoff at the Christmas Fayre, Winter Fayre, Christmas Carols with mulled wine and mince pies, the Jingle Bell ball, Christmas lunch, and the New Year’s swim day.

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16 - 22 November 2023

Grace Meredith IN a significant development for the region of Murcia, Alhama Nature aims to establish itself not just as a sports and residential destination but also as a luxury tourism hub, in troducing its plans to open both a fourstar superior and a fivestar ho tel. These hotels, part of Alhama Na ture’s ambitious plans, are closely tied to the sporting developments the project is promoting. With a focus on golf and football, the hotels aim to accommodate both summer tourists and sports enthusi asts, including football teams con ducting training sessions at the envi sioned ‘Alhama Arena’. This football centre will boast five training fields, accommodating over

Five star

100 teams annually, with a main sta dium seating 3,500 spectators. Furthermore, Alhama Nature owns the local golf course, covering 915,000 square metres with five large lakes, broad fairways, rapid greens, 116 bunkers, and preserved indigenous flora. On the residential front, Alhama Nature is gearing up to deliver its first 32 homes by late January, part of the initial phase that plans to in clude up to 260 residences. The project’s reception has been positive, targeting buyers from Northern Europe and also Spanish buyers.

PROVERB OF THE WEEK “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This proverb highlights the need for steady persistence in achieving any goal and comes from the 6th century BC Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism.

LOCAL NEWS

Breaking chains THE Specialised Attention Point (PAE) for vic tims of genderbased violence in the munici pality of San Pedro del Pinatar has kicked off activities in recognition of November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Vio lence against Women. The town hall’s initiative not only raises awareness but also highlights the signifi cance of addressing this issue. The Interna tional Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women serves as a poignant back drop, emphasising the global importance of uniting against genderbased violence. By actively participating in these initia tives, San Pedro del Pinatar takes a crucial step towards creating a community that re jects violence and promotes respect for all. MURCIA embraces the ‘New Urban Era’ at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, spotlighting Artificial Intel ligence (AI) in global urban innovation. Mayor José Ballesta, at tending the congress, championed the strategic IN a significant development, the manager of Fonda Mila gros nightclub has been sum moned as a suspect by the police in connection with the Atalayas fire. This incident, which resulted in the tragic loss of 13 lives, involved a py

Image: San Pedro del Pinatar Town Hall

CHAMPIONING CHANGE: Together we stand against gender-based violence.

Smart City initiative ‘Murcia Ciudad Inteligente’, (Murcia Smart City) aspiring to make Murcia more efficient, sus tainable, and technologi cally advanced. Prioritising environ mental responsibility,

Murcia launches projects like intelligent green area irrigation, smart street lighting, and advanced environmental monitor ing. Additionally, 854 cut tingedge cameras provide realtime data for immedi ate action.

Arrests made

rotechnic machine during the ‘We Remember’ party at Teatre. The police, as part of their ongoing investigation in to the reckless manslaughter

of the victims, also appre hended the owner of the py rotechnic device. Fonda Milagros’ lawyer, Francisco Javier Adán, clarified that the manager was ‘sum moned as a suspect to give a statement but has never been arrested or deprived of free dom.’ The manager voluntarily attended the questioning on Friday November 10, providing cooperation and answers to all inquiries, as per Adán. Nearly a month and a half later, authorities have initiat ed arrests related to the al leged negligence resulting in the deaths of Fonda Milagros’ 13 patrons. The police em phasise that investigations are ongoing.

68 years: the length of the longest bout of hiccups.

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16 - 22 November 2023

Grace Meredith THE town of Roda welcomes a greener land scape today, thanks to a joint effort by the Ro tary Club, Espacio Mediterráneo, and the San Javier Town Council. One hundred new pine trees have been planted in the ‘Señorío de Ro da’ park, enhancing the local tree cover. Mayor José Miguel Luengo actively participat ed in the planting, expressing gratitude to the Rotary Club Mar Menor for spearheading the ini tiative in collaboration with Espacio Mediterrá neo. The goal of this project is to naturalise the area for the community’s enjoyment, as ex plained by Beatriz Sánchez, the president of Ro tary Club Mar Menor. Mayor Luengo empha sised the significance of environmental initiatives, stating that each planted tree acts as an ally in enhancing the wellbeing of residents. Catherine McGeer THIS past weekend, the his toric centre of Cartagena un derwent a captivating trans formation into a medieval market, boasting 120 artisanal stalls. From Friday, November 10, to Sunday, November 12, the streets came alive with pa rades, fire performances, dances, and children’s activi ties. The craft fair was inaugu rated by Cartagena’s mayor, Noelia Arroyo. Within the historic quarter,

LOCAL NEWS

Green Roda Image: San Javier Town Hall

BLOSSOMING COMMUNITY: A hundred new pines planted in Roda.

The involvement of various groups, including students, users of the IMAS San Javier Day Cen tre, and members of Aidemar reflects the broad social participation in this impactful project, mak ing Roda a better place to live.

Medieval market

a diverse array of artisans showcased their talents in jewellery, natural cosmetics, leatherwork, and ceramics. Food stalls featured a tempt ing selection of sausages, sweets, and sugared nuts, alongside an Arabian section displaying exquisite ceramic pieces. Throughout the weekend,

lively parades featuring jesters, stilt walkers, dancers, and fire shows captivated the audience. Children were treated to puppet shows and workshops strategically placed along the route, adding a familyfriendly dimension to this medieval spectacle. The event provided a de lightful journey into Cartage na’s history, where the past seamlessly merged with the present for a weekend of en chantment and celebration.

LOCAL NEWS

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16 - 22 November 2023

GET into the festive spirit with Sonrisas Harmo ny A Cappella Chorus who have a number of events coming up. Starting on December 5 you can catch them at the nativity scene in Cartage na on Plaza de San Francisco, just a few min utes from the main shopping street. The show will start at 6.30pm. On December 7 at 7pm, they will perform in a magical setting in the courtyard of the Hotel Balneario La En carnacion in Los Alcázares for Carols by Candle light. Get your tickets early for this one as seat ing is limited. For an authentic German Christmas visit Booches in Los Alcázares on Sat urday, December 9 from 2pm until 5pm. From 3.30pm Sonrisas Harmony will be per forming and Booches will be serving mulled wine, coffee, and a selection of festive cakes. Fi nally, on December 16, they will be singing around the Christmas Tree in the Dos Mares WITH venues, bars, and clubs popping up all the time catering to the young and the hip it is a welcome sur prise to see a bar opening that caters to the over40s. Breaking away from the conventional is a new bar which has opened in Mur

Image: Facebook/Sonrisas Harmony

Christmas Carols

MAGICAL: Sonrisas harmony creating Christmas vibes.

shopping centre. For more information about their up and coming events check out their so cial media or their website sonrisasharmony.es.

Over 40s

cia. This bar promises a fu sion of nostalgia with music from the 80s and 90s. In a world where nightlife is of ten dominated by youth and loud pulsing music, they are boldly carving a space for

the over40 demographic. They promise quality music, drinks, and atmosphere sig nalling a new era of a more mature nightlife scene emerging. This is hopefully the beginning of a new trend that rewrites the rules of nightlife.

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NEWS

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16 - 22 November 2023

Spanish gastronomy THE upward trend of culi nary tourism is a testament to the fact that, wherever they are in the world, every one loves trying new food. Europe has long been the centre of diverse and quality cuisine and Spain is a leading gastronomic light in the con tinent. Culinary tourism is grow ing increasingly popular, with the market worth €743 billion in 2022 and expected to exceed €872 billion by 2028, an increase of 17.44 per cent. In an Internet age, for bet ter or worse, foodies rely heavily on rating apps and recommendations from So cial Media influencers, but the one recommendation that has held the heaviest weight for the last 100 years is that of the Michelin Guide and its star rating system. A traditional view of Span ish cuisine is that it’s simple, cheap, simple food that’s wholesome and varied. However, Spain holds the fifth most Michelin stars in

MICHELIN STARS: Spain ranks third in the world.

the world and its restaurants rank third in the world for the coveted threestar award. The Basque Country town of San Sebastian holds the crown for the highest densi ty of Michelinstarred restaurants in Europe and is regularly named by many of the world’s top chefs as their favourite foodie destination. In 2022 Spain boasted 226 one, two and threestarred restaurants, 38 Green Star

restaurants and 232 Bib Gourmand. In 2023 the number of Michelinstarred restaurants in Spain has risen to 248, demonstrating the rise of Spanish gastrono my on the world stage.

126 feet: the diameter of the world’s largest pizza.

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10 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

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FEATURE

THE European Central Bank has confirmed that it plans to push ahead with the digital euro and the Bank of Spain is not only sup portive, but six months ahead of other banks. It is difficult to trace the movement of cash and many banks like the concept of a cashless society as they can benefit by charging merchants for every transaction made by card or transfer. It is interesting that the Bank of Spain, whilst still in favour of the digital euro, has been sounding out public opinion and had market research company IPSOS undertake two tiny sur veys of just 1,600 members of the public and small businesses about their attitude to digital payment. Whilst the powers that be may have been surprised by the answers they re ceived; it seems unlikely that they will be

swayed from the path of digitalisation. Just 20 per cent of the public admitted to knowing anything about the digital euro and a similar number of businesses indi cated that they would be likely to accept payment by this method whilst 65 per cent (7 per cent more than those responded to a similar survey in 2022) said they positive ly didn’t intend to accept the digital euro. Even in the most pro digital age group (18 to 24) only 36 per cent said they were likely to use the currency and this percent age declined as the ages rose with a nomi nal 7 per cent of those older than 65 being in favour. Whilst the digital euro may be useful for use in major transactions be tween large organisations, it seems unlike ly that you will be invited to pay for your beer and tapas with digital euros in the foreseeable future.

HÉCTOR GÓMEZ, Spanish caretaker Minister of Indus try, Trade and Tourism has just attended World Travel Market in London. Having made it clear in a statement that “tourism adds almost three million workers and creates one in four new jobs in the econo my” it has become apparent that the British market is still of major importance despite Brexit. There is a large body of opinion which believes that action needs to be taken to redress the problems caused by the 90/180 re strictions on visiting Schen gen countries by nonEU passport holders and al ready the French Senate is considering a bill which would grant long stay visas to British second home owners without the usual problems of red tape delays. It is reported that Minister Gómez took the opportunity whilst in London to visit the

Credit: WTM

Nail in cash’s coffin? Can Spain change?

LONDON: The very busy World Travel Market.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to discuss the very problem of restrictions on visits by UK residents to Spain to try to find a solution. Currently, the UK allows Spanish citizens to spend up to six months per visit and this is what campaigners such as the 180 Days in Spain group believes should be the norm for British visi tors to Spain. Spain still holds the Presidency of the EU un

til the end of this year and even with a caretaker gov ernment still has more chance of gaining traction for a change in the rules whilst in this position. The argument up to now has been made that Schen gen rules can’t be changed for just one or two countries, but with the French prece dent already set, this may be the right time for Spain to make its own bid for special treatment.

FINANCE Cleaned out BRITISH STEEL, owned by China’s Jingye Group, plans to close its Scunthorpe blast furnaces, putting up to 2,000 jobs at risk. They will be replaced by an elec tric arc furnace in Scunthorpe and another in Teesside in a £1.25 billion (€1.43 billion) pro ject to turn British Steel into “a clean, green and sustainable business.”

Ill wind SPAIN’S Association of Petroleum Product Operators (AOP) warned that extending Spain’s windfall tax on large en ergy companies endangered €16.5 billion in investments. Rep sol has already delayed plans for a hydrogen plant in Bilbao, while Endesa’s chief executive con demned the tax as “discriminato ry and unjustified.”

Naked truth NAKED WINES shares plummet ed more than 30 per cent after the group cut its annual fore casts, with adjusted pretax earn ings cut to between £2 and £6 million (€2.3 and €6.9 million). The company’s chief executive Nick Devlin announced he was stepping down from the busi ness “with immediate effect.”

Settle up MADRID’S Provincial High Court handed Carlos Iglesias, brother of singer Julio Iglesias and his former manager, a sixmonth prison term and a €30 million fine for failing to pay corpora tion tax on land he sold in Madrid. The transaction was carried out by a Panamaregis tered company where Carlos Iglesias was also the manager.

Prime time ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS, which owns Primark, attributed rising profits and sales to al liances with celebrities who have included Rita Ora. The group’s total revenue grew by 16 per cent to £19.7 billion (€22.6 billion) in the first three quarters of 2023 with Primark sales rising 15 per cent to £9 bil lion (€10.3 billion).

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STAT OF WEEK

paid by Inditex founder Amancio Ortega’s investment company Pontegadea for the purchase of a 49 per cent stake in Repsol’s Spanish windfarms and solar power plants.

€490 million

M&S recovers its spark Linda Hall MARKS & SPENCER share holders will receive £20 mil lion (€23 million) in dividends next January for the first time since 2019. Pretax profits climbed by an unexpected 56 per cent to £326 million (€374.5 mil lion) in the six months end ing on September 30 as the company focused on re vamping stores, clothing lines and its digital offer. Clothes sales rose 5.5 cent while profit margins in creased to more than 12 per cent compared with 9.8 per cent during the same period in 2022, with fewer items sold at reduced prices. Food sales have increased

Photo credit: marksandspencer.com

BUSINESS EXTRA

TURNAROUND: Marks & Spencer’s pre-tax profits rose 56 per cent.

by almost 12 per cent while the Remarksable budget range rocketed by 45 per cent. Despite the buoyant half year results, chief executive Stuart Machin viewed the remainder of 2023 and the coming year with caution,

TELEFONICA will spend approximately €1.97 billion on buying up the 28.19 per cent of its German subsidiary Telefonica Deutschland it does not already own. The Spanish multinational has con firmed an offer of €2.35 per share, a 37.6 per cent premium on the closing price of November 6. Telefonica said the takeover bid, which involves 838, 452,647 shares, would reinforce its position in its four strategic markets together with Spain, Brazil and the UK. This would also sim plify the structure of the group while im proving its cash flow in euros. Responding to the offer, Telefonica Deutschland, listed on the Frankfurt

warning on November 8 that the recent and favourable market condi tions might not persist. High interest rates, slower price rises, global conflict and erratic weather could hit trading, he said, although he was “hopeful” that the com

pany’s growth would contin ue. “Against more challenging comparatives, we expect profit before tax and adjust ing items to be weighted to wards the first half,” the chief executive added. One drawback for Marks & Spencer has been the company’s association with online grocer which regis tered a £23.4 million (€26.9 million) operating loss in the first six months of the year. Although the company admitted earlier that it “was not happy” with the online grocery retailer’s perfor mance, Machin said he re mained positive about its po tential.

Plans to fully control Deutschland Telefonica fol low on from the loss of a major roaming contract last August when the 1&1 mo bile operator announced stock market since 2021, an that it would be nounced that its “management switching to the and supervisory boards” Vodafone Ger would consider the bid. many network in It would comment after June 2024. Photo credit: telefonica.com the fulloffer document The company’s TELEFONICA: had been approved by share price fell by Multinational’s the financial services 18 per cent, which chairman Jose Maria regulator and pub resulted in a 7 per Alvarez wants lished, the company cent drop in the par Telefonica added. ent company’s shares. Deutschland takeover.

Telefonica takes over

Mapfe in Turkey

Christmas cheer

Debanking rise

SPANISH company Mapfre is selling its Turkish life insurance division to Swiss group Zurich. The Madridbased firm headed by Antonio Huerts will now cen tre its Turkish operation on the nonlife segment, company sources told the financial daily, El Economista. “We aim to guar antee stable growth and main tain financial sustainability by concentrating on the longterm strategic areas where we will develop our activities,” said Ed inc Yurtseven, director general of Mapfre’s Turkish subsidiary, Mapfre Sigorta. The amount in volved in the Zurich sale has not been revealed and awaits ap proval from Turkey’s Regulatory and Supervisory Authority for Insurance and Private Pensions.

A SCIENCEDIRECT study used Spain’s Gor do de Navidad to gauge the impact of lot tery winnings on consumer sentiment and consumption. Researchers found that residents in win ning towns or cities even those who won nothing were “significantly” more opti mistic about the Spanish economy than people elsewhere. There are now 180 series of each num ber sold in the Christmas lottery and as the participants usually buy at least one Deci mo (10th), the distribution of the biggest prizes influences local spending. The Sci enceDirect article noted a 10percentage point rise in the number of cars sold in mu nicipalities where a big prize had been sold, while unemployment dropped 0.3 of a percentage point. Both were linked less to an improvement in the region’s overall wealth than to increased optimism, the study’s authors concluded.

THE Nigel Farage debanking scandal has opened the door to a spate of complaints regarding unilateral ac count closures. The GB news presenter and the Brexit party’s former president changed to Lloyds after Coutts, now owned by NatWest, closed his account for motives that ranged from his financial position to his po litical views. Figures quoted in the UK media show that the Financial Ombuds man opened 1,613 cases linked to bank account closures between March and September alone. With 2,708 debanking cases re ported throughout 2022, com plaints are likely to have risen by 20 per cent to approximately 3,200 by the end of 2023, Financial Ombuds man sources said.

Call for openness BANK OF ENGLAND governor An drew Bailey said on November 8 that Brexit had modified the UK economy’s “openness.” Speaking at the Financial Sys tem Conference in Dublin, Bailey said that as a public official he took no position on Brexit, which had been the British population’s decision. But he stressed that free trade required “strong regulation” based on agreements with for eign supervisory bodies. He hoped to see further close regulatory cooperation with his counterparts in Ireland, Bailey said, to “minimise fragmentation of financial markets after Brexit.”

Bad loser AIRPORTS operator Aena said on November 8 that it hoped Iberia would not hinder the imminent changeover to new handling com panies. Although it retains Madrid Barajas, Iberia Airport Services lost its licences for eight airports after the contracts were put out to tender. These have gone to Menzies, Aviapartner and Groundforce, a decision which Iberia has now appealed against to the Central Appeals Tribunal, (TACRC), attached to the Finance Ministry (Hacienda). The TACRC has now suspended the alloca tions while it investigates Iberia’s objections, a process which could take weeks to complete.

Chipping in PENNSYLVANIABASED Vishay Intertechnology paid $177 mil lion (€168.5 million) for the UK’s largest microchip factory in Newport (Wales). The sale ar rived after the UK government blocked a Chinesebacked takeover on national security grounds and ordered Dutch company Nexperia to sell New port Wafer Fab in November 2022. Nexperia, which is owned by Chinese giant Wingtech, ap pealed against the order, but put the plant up for sale. The compa ny has done well out of the deal which doubled the worth of Newport Wafer Fab when Nex peria bought the 86p per cent that it did not own for £63 mil lion (€72.3 million) in 2021.

FINANCE

14 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page

CLOSING PRICES 13 NOVEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

47,79K

InterContinental

288,85K

Intermediate Capital

5.944,40

1,43%

19,97K

1.390,50

3,5

0,25%

16,73K

Intertek

16,20K

3.822,00

0,39%

1,29%

293,00K

3,41K

ITV

59,82

0,08

0,13%

517,58K

0,62%

46,58K

J Sainsbury

268,1

1,1

0,41%

61,05K

4.979,00

1,08%

203,95K

Johnson Matthey

1.513,90

-26

-1,69%

53,18K

Associated Brit Foods

2.334,00

0,13%

75,26K

Land Securities

614,4

14,6

2,43%

222,80K

AstraZeneca

884,47K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

3I Group

2.038,50

0,59%

Abrdn

165,6

-0,15

-0,09%

Admiral Group

2.559,30

0,35%

Anglo American

2.044,50

Antofagasta

1.307,00

Ashtead Group

NET VOL

1.1454

0.8729

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0690 Japan yen (JPY)........................................162.21 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9642 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4587 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................11.892

10.286,00

196

1,94%

244,65K

Legal & General

224,17

3,6

1,63%

Auto Trader Group Plc

690,2

8,2

1,20%

282,45K

Lloyds Banking

42,03

0,28

0,67%

7,12M

Aviva

409,5

5,2

1,29%

339,51K

London Stock Exchange 8.512,00

-42

-0,49%

55,84K

B&M European Value Ret SA 525,8

0,38%

197,67K

Melrose Industries

528,4

13,4

2,60%

186,60K

currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830

BAE Systems

1.109,59

0,54%

515,94K

Mondi

1.387,25

0,36%

47,65K

THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

Barclays

136,6

1,02

0,75%

3,02M

National Grid

990,3

0,61%

341,71K

Barratt Developments

446,5

2,3

0,52%

102,05K

NatWest Group

196,3

-0,65

-0,33%

1,27M

Berkeley

4.273,00

0,73%

5,51K

7.434,00

0,70%

13,14K

BHP Group Ltd

2.395,50

34,5

1,46%

114,90K

Ocado

512,4

-2,2

-0,43%

118,45K

478,9

0,95

0,20%

2,04M

1.158,10

7,5

0,65%

61,15K

Persimmon

British American Tobacco 2.519,50

1,70%

209,77K

Phoenix

497,6

33,1

7,13%

896,78K

British Land Company

331,1

17,4

5,55%

593,38K

Prudential

BT Group

122,95

1,45

1,19%

493,67K

Reckitt Benckiser

893,6

11,2

1,27%

151,50K

5.564,00

1,31%

Bunzl

2.936,00

0,51%

11,68K

Relx

66,77K

2.968,00

0,44%

192,27K

Burberry Group

1.678,30

-0,5

-0,03%

28,83K

Rentokil

452,4

5,9

1,32%

313,13K

Carnival

921,2

17,8

1,97%

31,61K

Centrica

152,2

0,05

0,03%

659,53K

Rightmove

485,12

3,7

0,77%

201,84K

Rio Tinto PLC

5.323,00

1,22%

Coca Cola HBC AG

2.096,00

0,53%

24,33K

155,55K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

237,6

5,6

2,41%

Compass

2.100,00

0,86%

2,09M

129,42K

Sage

993,2

-1

-0,10%

46,69K

CRH

4.841,00

Croda Intl

4.513,00

0,56%

50,03K

Samsung Electr DRC

1.338,00

0,00%

1,62K

0,04%

7,24K

Schroders

388,3

0,3

0,08%

32,68K

DCC

4.624,30

Diageo

2.852,00

0,50%

4,11K

Scottish Mortgage

691,71

0,88%

225,03K

0,07%

655,16K

Segro

774,8

0,8

0,10%

92,88K

DS Smith

297,6

EasyJet

400,5

3,3

1,12%

135,68K

Severn Trent

2.647,00

0,46%

23,13K

6,4

1,62%

134,33K 30,27K

Shell Smith & Nephew Smiths Group

2.632,50 1.010,00 1.638,50

3 21 5,5

0,11% 2,12% 0,34%

393,11K 222,54K 23,80K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 8.522,00 SSE 1.685,50 St. James’s Place 649,2 Standard Chartered 625,4 Taylor Wimpey 118,1 Tesco 279,5 Tui 449,93 Unilever 3.961,50 United Utilities 1.076,00 Vodafone Group PLC 77,18 Whitbread 3.278,00 WPP 702,6

-14 5,5 -1,6 3,6 1 1,7 5,6 12,5 7,5 0,77 14 1,8

-0,16% 0,33% -0,25% 0,58% 0,85% 0,61% 1,26% 0,32% 0,70% 1,01% 0,43% 0,26%

6,77K 162,23K 172,84K 212,86K 1,05M 531,88K 40,11K 207,55K 91,65K 3,98M 53,65K 71,56K

Experian

2.680,00

-3

-0,11%

Ferguson

13.030,00

0,46%

1,91K

Flutter Entertainment

12.415,00

260

2,14%

24,18K

518,4

1,8

0,35%

77,23K

Glencore

432,05

4,95

1,16%

1,48M

GSK plc

1.413,60

15,2

1,09%

262,76K

Halma

1.932,00

0,5

0,03%

64,86K

Hargreaves Lansdown

711,33

-1,8

-0,25%

82,78K

Hikma Pharma

1.758,50

0,28%

12,11K

HSBC

607,2

8,1

1,35%

1,84M

IAG

151,75

0,25

0,17%

1,94M

Imperial Brands

1.788,50

1,94%

390,64K

711

-0,8

-0,11%

159,39K

Fresnillo

Informa

DOW JONES CLOSING PRICES 13 NOVEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE

CHANGE% VOLUME(M)

3M American Express Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Dow Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce Inc The Travelers UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walgreens Boots Walmart Walt Disney

92,81 154,38 267,31 186,4 196,65 239,68 142,95 52,59 56,72 49,48 325,51 291,59 186,71 149,02 38,86 147,25 146,43 267,79 101,39 369,67 106,11 151,41 213,63 169,96 541,21 35,71 245,25 20,76 166,19 88,27

+1,11 +2,01 +3,25 +4,23 +3,32 +5,53 +1,01 +0,59 +0,06 +1,12 +4,73 +3,72 +3,03 +2,4 +1,06 -0,17 +2,14 +0,88 -0,99 +8,98 -0,89 +1,06 +3,62 +1,37 +2,21 +0,09 +3,61 +0,31 +2,27 -2,07

+1,21% 2,39M +1,32% 2,02M +1,23% 2,02M +2,32% 64,87M +1,72% 4,76M +2,36% 2,51M +0,71% 11,36M +1,13% 17,00M +0,11% 11,66M +2,32% 3,80M +1,47% 1,56M +1,29% 3,55M +1,65% 2,13M +1,64% 3,17M +2,80% 37,58M -0,12% 6,92M +1,48% 7,38M +0,33% 2,60M -0,97% 7,19M +2,49% 26,85M -0,83% 8,89M +0,71% 5,23M +1,72% 3,90M +0,81% 880,68K +0,41% 2,46M +0,25% 12,78M +1,49% 4,04M +1,52% 8,55M +1,38% 4,75M -2,29% 25,04M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ CLOSING PRICES 13 NOVEMBER

COMPANY Most Advanced Doximity, Inc. James Hardie Industries plc Light & Wonder, Inc. Synaptics Incorporated AppLovin Corporation Onto Innovation Inc. Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. FormFactor, Inc. Stantec Inc. Palantir Technologies Inc. Isuzu Motors Limited

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+16.24% +15.77% +11.21% +10.75% +10.36% +10.14% +9.95% +9.91% +8.98% +7.66% +7.65%

8.462M 20,701 1.789M 944,585 5.643M 1.026M 545,569 776,132 304,294 92.956M 49,911

-19.79% -16.66% -11.72% -10.33% -9.77% -8.05% -7.95% -7.45% -6.90% -6.85% -6.64%

1.893M 42.502M 3.155M 5.549M 27.811M 9.077M 173,632 130,867 4.698M 36,27 7.239M

Most Declined MSP Recovery, Inc. The Trade Desk, Inc. Diageo plc RB Global, Inc. Affirm Holdings, Inc. Illumina, Inc. Shiseido Company, Limited Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd. Flowers Foods, Inc. Worldline SA TKO Group Holdings, Inc.

‘

FINANCE

euroweeklynews.com

BUSINESS EXTRA High rise Levi’s LEVI STRAUSS’S Spanish subsidiary reported sales of €45.5 million last year, 12 per cent more than in 2021 but still 9 per cent below the €49.9 million registered in 2019 before the pandemic hit. Spain accounted for 96 per cent of the company’s 2022 turnover, while Portugal’s 4 per cent was one per centage point more than in 2021.

PwC cuts ACCOUNTANCY firm PwC announced that it is prepar ing to lay off between 500 and 600 employees, explain ing that it finds itself over staffed owing to a reduced call on its services. The group will cut between 500 and 600 jobs via a voluntary re dundancy scheme, in a move affecting 2.4 per cent of its 25,000 employees in the UK..

16 - 22 November 2023

Food inflation slims down FOOD price inflation in the UK fell to single digits for the first time since July 2022. According to data compa ny Kantar, inflation on gro ceries dipped to 9.7 per cent between October 1 and 29. Describing the reduction as a “big milestone” for shoppers and retailers, Fras er McKevitt, who heads Kantar’s Retail and Con sumer Insight department, said people were still “feel ing the pinch.” He also pointed out that

FOOD INFLATION: Supermarkets have cut some prices.

Madrid hotel venture BRITISH private equity investment firm Maya Capital is finalising the purchase of Hotel Mayorazgo in Madrid’s exclu sive Gran Via. According to sources quoted in the fi nancial daily Cinco Dia, Maya Capital made a formal offer of €60 million last August for the 200room hotel, and at the same time requested a comprehen sive “due diligence” audit.

Normally completed with one or two months, this is taking longer than ex pected, the same sources said. According to the latest accounts pre sented by the hotel’s owners, Salazar Hermanos, the hotel was back in the black last year, with a turnover of €8.62 million and a profit of €1.7 million, com pared with 2019’s record €8.01 million and €1.45 million.

yearonyear price reduc tions were limited to major staples like milk, butter and dried pasta. Kantar found that Lidl was again the fastestgrow ing retailer, with sales over the quarter ending on Octo ber 29 up 14.7 per cent. Aldi, where sales in creased by 13.2 per cent, at tracted 207,000 more cus tomers than during the same period in 2022. To gether with Waitrose, where sales rose by 5.4 per cent, it was the only super market which increased its number of shoppers year onyear. Aldi and Waitrose took 9.7 per cent and 4.6 per cent of the market. Sainsbury’s was the fastestgrowing traditional supermarket in October, and sales increased by 10.1 per cent over the previous quarter. Sainsbury’s also an nounced recently said that it had spent £118 million (€135.5 million) since March on trying to keep prices down.

EWN 15

Record results CAR component manufactur er Gestamp’s turnover grew by 17.9 per cent to €9 billion by the end of 2023’s third quarter with net profits of €225.3 million, up 23 per cent on the same period last year. These were the best results since the Spanish multination al was floated on Madrid’s stock exchange six years ago.

Normalised METRO BANK deposits fell by 5 per cent from £16.4 billion to £15.6 bil lion (€18.8 billion to €17.9 billion) during the third quarter of this year. Cus tomer withdrawals have normalised after Octo ber’s emergency £325 million (€379.2 million) rescue deal from in vestors and bondholders plus £600 million (€688.4 million) in debt refinanc ing, the bank said.

16 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

euroweeklynews.com

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT AND so this is Christmas. Well perhaps not quite, but if you’re reading this on the day of publication you have just 39 days to gear yourself up for yet another precious celebration of the Christian majority. Surrounded by family and friends, hopefully many of you will, once again enjoy this time honoured and much loved occasion. I’m pretty sure most of you will also observe the ritual Christmas day tradi tions that we have become familiarised with over the generations. In the begin ning we are the babies, crawling around the base of the tree with the young mums of the family lightly ad monishing us as we endeavour to pull baubles and shiny bits of tinsel from the lower branches. Over the next few years we morph into the youngsters, excitedly tearing off the paper from presents, brought by a Santa we are becoming slightly

more sceptical about but still prepared to give the benefit of the doubt just as long as we receive at least a proportion of the presents we asked him for! The next stage in our Christmas gen eration game sees us become one of the young and mid aged adults who, having finally got the youngsters off to bed, are pouring copious measures of alcohol and consuming about a million calories in Quality Street and mince pies, while relating what we consider hilarious tales of past Christmas turkey disasters. All being played out against a back drop of East Enders, Coronation Street, the Monarch’s message and yet another rerun of Dr Zhivago on the box. Generations later, if we last long enough, we find ourselves in the twi light of our years, quietly enjoying the utterly spoiled and most loved exulted position you can attain. You become Grandpa/Grandma. And that’s actually just where this ol’ boy has finally found himself. Grandpa (or in my situation Great Grandpa) is expected to do just about nothing. He is not required to wash up, clear up, lift up furniture or

top up the drinks. He occupies the most comfortable chair in the room (general ly in the corner). Periodically, he is asked by various family members if he ‘wants anything’. He is then allowed to doze off, without being labelled a party pooper and is subsequently not particularly worried that his chair is a little out of the way just as long as he is close enough to oc casionally interject the conversation with an ‘I remember when’ recollection of his own. These narratives are usually deliv ered to reassure the room (and him self) that he hasn’t actually ruined the whole Christmas celebrations by self ishly deciding to slip away and meet his maker; thereby decidedly becoming an ‘I remember when’ subject for a whole host of future family Christmas gather ings. Let’s also hope our religious and peaceful beliefs have not by this com ing yuletide, been ripped asunder by those who consider violence and may hem the true answer to any future exis tence on our precious planet. Keep the Faith Love Leapy, leapylee2002@gmail.com

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

No kids allowed

THE owner of a restaurant in Italy has banned un der14s from his establishment saying: “They break everything” The restaurateur went to say, “I am exas perated. When I tried to report it to the parents, they just defended the out of control children.” A notice on the premis es of the ‘Hostaria Oasi Marina’ in Bacoli near Naples reads: “For reasons out of our control, we are forced to not accept bookings with children or young people under the age of 14. Don’t hold it against us, but it is the fault of many parents who are irre sponsible.” The restaurateur de fended his choice and, speaking on ‘Uno Matti na in famiglia’ broadcast on Raiuno, said: “I am ex asperated by various

Photo: Shutterstock

Christmas Day ritual

FEATURE

Children banned.

events. To name a few, I had to remove all the wine glasses on the ta bles, because they were breaking everything. They were chasing each other between tables and it’s dangerous. With the parents undaunted, unmoved. In fact, when I tried to point it out, they defended their children. “I want to add that I am also a teacher and encounter the same diffi culties at school. There are children who are an gels. I am also a father. But with certain parents, it is difficult to inter vene,” the restaurateur concluded.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com INTERVIEW

Speaking European - Claudio Casal This week Euro Weekly News caught up with Claudio Casal from Switzerland. CLAUDIO, aged 49, has been living in Estepona for the past year, after buying a property here in January 2022. This smooth Swiss arrived to meet EWN on his limited-edition Harley Davidson, which he tells that he has embarked on many an Andalucian adventure with. Claudio explained that “I was at a point in my life where I wanted to make a change, then I found the Costa del Sol and I thought, yes, this is it”. When asked what his favourite thing about the coast was, he replied “well, apart from the fact that it changed my whole life, I would have to say the food, all the fresh produce. The culture of tapas too, to share, to talk, it’s like a mentality, like the coffee culture in Italy.” He did however note that food tends to take a while to actually arrive at the table, which is something he was not used to in Switzerland. Claudio smiled as he recounted this difference, then added “but the beauty

CLAUDIO CASAL: What a life!

of living somewhere new is acceptance. To understand there will be differences but to accept this new way of life.” As EWN said ciao for now to Claudio Casal, he swiftly mounted his motorbike and said he was off to the mountains. “I ride often, the landscape here is beautiful and the salty sea air, it’s just… wow.” What a life!

16 - 22 November 2023

EWN 17

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20 EWN 16 - 22 November 2023

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FEATURE

COMMUNITY

COMMENTS

WHILST music is a force that often unites people who love a particular band or individual, it can also cause friction between those who love a type of music and those who don’t. The Beatles are generally accepted as being one of the great musical forces of the 20th century but in a recent article entitled ‘Beatles Final Song Released: Now Can We Let It Be?’ our writer expressed her own personal opinion calling them ‘the drab four’. She suggested that the releases of an until now overlooked last number Now and Then was really the thin end of the wedge and that contemporaries, the Rolling Stones were much more exciting and entertaining. This certainly encouraged a number of responses from readers which you can read below and go to the Euro Weekly News website to read the original story and let us know if you agree or disagree.

“

Instant Karma’s gonna get you Gonna look you right in the face Better get yourself together darlin’ Join the human race Lyrics by John Lennon from the song ‘Instant Karma’! John Zennon

‘… the Drab Four are possibly one of the most overrated bands in music history’. What an absurd piece of rubbish is this article - written by some nobody. D Bath

I’m adding to this because the latest song, not album, in fact the last song is very poor. Like much of some of the other musicians mentioned here. It is sad because it gives the Beatle bashers leverage. All bands and musicians have bad songs. I’m not going into details but believe I could. My take is that the Beatles that are left did this as a kind of eulogy. Just leave it be. And please don’t pretend to be a music expert critic. I am very sad that so much nastiness comes out so easily. Don’t we have enough problems? I think this vitriol is out of order. A totally one-sided out pouring of negativity. And I guess you are going to praise the latest Rolling Stones album. A bit of balance please.

all over the world. It is still better for me to know that before girls were screaming for them and not taking drugs to go and see their preferred group of musicians. And as the song ends you can hear these words ‘you’re welcome’. All the songs from The Beatles reflected positivity. Ericoo

No, no and thrice no. If you want to hear regurgitation of Beatle-esque songs just go out and buy a couple of Liam Gallagher albums. Sorted. To coin a wellknown phrase, ‘Let it Be’. Geoff Atkins

It certainly sounds like a Beatles song but is nothing special, just another pop song. I don't know why they did it, maybe just because the technology now allowed them to include Lennon? Most Beatles songs sound dated today although at the time they were superb. Brian Wall

It is good Now and Then but Hey Jude and Imagine are better. Tim McMahon

From a Beatles fan… it’s very dated. Judy Breadmore

I heard it this afternoon and thought it was crap. Most overrated band ever. Richard Webb

Stephane de Leng

Unlike Emna Mitchell, who has obviously had a bad day, I’m looking forward to buying the Beatles’ last record, they have given a lot of pleasure over the years.

Its good, but… just a b-side. Peter Mack

Definitely not needed. Bill Shearer

S Ede

I can also assure you that several great composers have given their findings about the song, it would have been better that you did read them first before posting your negativity. Respect is what this group has earned many years ago and still have from many fans but also performers

Fabulously written piece… but I guess you have stepped on a lot of toe. Eleni Lolkema

Not the same just two of them. Mark Free

Comments 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.

www.euroweeklynews.com • 16 - 22 November 2023

PETS