Royal Ronda

KING Felipe will be in Ronda today (Wednesday) to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda (RMR).

The RMR is an institution that was originally created in 1573 as a cavalry training school by order of the current king’s forebear and namesake, King Felipe II. While previously the school focused on the defence of the realm, now its main pursuits are the promotion of culture and heritage. It also manages the town's bullring and museum space and offers the use of its library.

The RMR has organised a range of activities for the king in order to mark the anniversary.

Flamenco fervour

FLAMENCO dancing and music are being protected by a new law.

Andalucia’s regional parliament has passed legislation seven months in the pipeline to protect and conserve the artform, as well as its promotion as a regional cultural asset.

The law also legally defines concepts such as flamenco or peña, which are the places where the music and dance are usually performed, as well as incorporating the study of flamenco into school curriculums.

Flamenco peñas themselves have welcomed the law, and are said to be hopeful that financing will soon follow as part of a strategic plan.

By Simon Hunter

direct evidence in Europe of people using such substances, which were derived from plants and bushes.

Scientists believe that the drugs were used for ritualistic ceremonies.

The substances detected in three hair samples included ephedrine, atropine and scopolamine. Ephedrine is a stimulant that can be extracted from shrubs and pines, and increases alertness, excitement and physical activity.

Atropine and scopolamine are found in the nightshade plant family and can cause hallucinations and altered perceptions, and even delirium.

The hair was found at the ritual and funerary cave of Es Carritx on Menorca, a site that was discovered in 1995. It is considered to be one of the most important Late Bronze Age sites on the island.

The cave is home to more than 200 graves and is thought to have served as a site for funerals and rituals for some 600 years, until 800 BC.

“Considering the potential toxicity of the alkaloids found in the hair, their handling, use and applications represented highly specialised knowledge,” the study states. “This knowledge was typically possessed by shamans, who were capable of controlling the side-effects of the plant drugs through an ecstasy that made diagnosis or divination possible.”

Sheeran in town

ED SHEERAN shared new songs from his upcoming album with a tiny audience at an intimate gig in Madrid.

The English singer-songwriter chose the Círculo de Bellas Artes in the Spanish capital to play eight tracks from - (Subtract), accompanied by just a guitar and piano.

The Grammy-award winner is one of the world’s best-selling music artists and one of the most-followed artists on music-streaming app Spotify, and is more accustomed to playing to arenas and stadiums than the small crowd of 400 super-fans that saw him last night.

In fact, he admitted to the crowd that he felt ‘more nervous’ than usual playing to the tiny venue last Saturday.

The new album is due to be released on May 5, and will be followed by a European and North American tour. For now, there have been no dates announced for Spanish gigs.