ISSUE NO. 1657
6 - 12 April 2017
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
Burned to death Cave fire kills three By Matt Ford A single 17-year-old boy remains in police custody after two girls and a young man were killed in a fire in the La Molineta area of Los Angeles neighbourhood, Almeria City, on Monday night. Three teenagers were initially detained, but two have now been released without charge. The incident occurred at around 8pm on Monday evening, when the alarm was raised that three people were trapped in a cave by a burning sofa. As they arrived at the scene, police and firefighters came across a group of youths “blaming each other” for the fatal blaze. The dead include two girls aged 12 and 14 plus a 21year-old man, whose bodies were “completely charred” according to a statement, which also confirmed that the fire had to be extinguished by force. After questioning, a Na-
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No to NATO PROTESTERS demanded the closure of the NATO base in Viator during a demonstration on April 1. Almeria platform ‘NATO no, bases out’ denounced the facility as a cover for the imperialist adventures of western armies. They claim locals are regularly fired and replaced with military insiders from Spain and abroad. See page 5
Poaching posse A RESIDENT of Almeria is a prime suspect in an illegal hunting ring operating across Spain. Seprona agents believe a wealthy Almerian individual hired the criminal gang to set up large
game hunting expeditions. Police in Aragon have arrested three men they believe offered hunters the chance to kill wild bears, goats and deer in protected reserves. See page 10
Park plea AN unusual motion is before the Carboneras Council. Patriotic politicians hope to get the town’s name on Almeria’s most famous natural park. Currently known as Cabo de Gata-Nijar, they insist that, since Carboneras makes up such a huge proportion of the park’s territory, it deserves recognition. See page 14
Abduction attempt CHARRED CAVE: Where three young people lost their lives.
tional Police spokesman said that the young suspect is to remain in custody for the time being because he is being investigated for homicide. He allegedly set fire to the sofa outside the cave, a regular haunt for local teenagers, but the flames quickly spread inside after several other
pieces of furniture and other flammable material began to burn. The boy apparently attempted to put the fire out but was unable to do so, and it engulfed the three victims. Mayor of Almeria, Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco, expressed his solidarity in a
statement which read: “I can only regret that this kind of thing happens, and I want to express on behalf of the City Council our condolences to the family and relatives of the victims. “I hope that such events never happen again in Almeria.”
POLICE are investigating alarming claims from a local mother that a foreign-looking, possibly British, man tried to kidnap her daughter on the streets of Cantoria. After weeks of inquiry officials have made public their ongoing search for the suspect, aged between 55 and 60, speaking in broken Spanish, and of white Anglo-Saxon, possibly Germanic looks. See page 73
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LOCAL NEWS
Hashed escape THE Guardia Civil has arrested a 21-year-old after surprising him at a traffic control point. The man was stopped with 300 pellets of hash and
€4,000 cash on the back seat of his vehicle. He fled the scene on foot, abandoning his car, before being intercepted by police just metres later.
Link resumed MINISTER for Development Inigo de la Serna has announced that work to create a high speed train link between Murcia and Almeria will be resumed in 2019, with a planned investment of €1,770 million. Work has been at a standstill for the past eight years and is now estimated to complete in 2023.
Storehouse robbery THREE people, one of them a 16-year-old child, are being investigated after allegedly breaking into an agricultural storehouse in El Barranquete. They were discovered after the owner noticed a youth riding a bike similar to his own and reported it to the Guardia Civil. The perpetrators allegedly stole a generator, bicycle and various tools.
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Ex-chief arrested in child porno sting By Matthew Elliott A SUSPECTED paedophile nabbed in a string of arrests across Spain is the former president of the Almeria Football Federation. Nicolas Ucles was arrested as Spanish police swooped on an elaborate child abuse network operating across the country. A total of 102 suspected paedophiles were arrested in 38 provinces with a staggering 450,000 photos and videos seized from hundreds of laptops, computers, phones and hard drives. The ope ra tion w a s c ode na me d Pilumnus , a fte r the R oma n god in c ha rge of he lping c hildre n grow healthily. One suspect in Cadiz was found in possession of a ‘Paedoph’s Handbook,’ a document that goes into great detail in advising how paedophiles can get close to children without scaring them.
NICOLAS UCLES: Had a high degree of access to youth football for years. Ucles had a high degree of access to youth football across the province for decades. In 2009 he was arrested when police acting on a tip-off found a cache of child pornography on his computer. After a lengthy trial, during which he vigorously
denied the charges, Ucles was given a suspended one-year prison sentence in 2012 and stripped of his position. Police at the time described it as an ‘isolated and one-off incident’ that was no part of any greater investigation.
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Learning from the best STUDENTS from Salford, Manchester participated in a special conference in Almeria debating the future of sustainable tourism on the Costa. They were masters students studying business at the city university and joined fellow learners from far flung corners of the world, including Nigeria, Nepal and Malaysia. The conference was organised by Almeria’s provincial tourism service which is at once attempting to attract millions more tourist to the coast, while protecting it from the ravages of tourism. The British students were given a full tour of the Costa Almeria and were surprised by the diversity on display, being more accustomed to quick holiday beach trips to Spain. Their task back in rainy Manchester is to develop new business platforms and partners, as well as advertising techniques, which they believe can best promote Almeria abroad. Interestingly a student delegation from the Middle-East decided to stay an extra week and explore Almeria’s agricultural world, which does excellent business in the arid Arab climate.
Europe backs high speed SPANISH Socialist MEPs are set to demand the diversion of funds from Madrid to the Mediterranean Corridor railway project. After meeting with a platform of Almeria businessmen in Brussels, the PSOE, Spain’s second largest party, announced its support for high speed rail investment. The European Economic Committee was vocal in its own support, describing a fast train from Almeria to Murcia as a national priority for Spain. All of Europe is missing out on a better, more profitable passage of goods from the lush fields of Mediterranean Spain. In response the EU said that, while it cannot force Spain to spend on certain projects, it has high hopes that Almeria will be properly connected to Barcelona, and thus to Europe, by 2030.
Secret beauty GUIDED tours of the caves of Sorbas,
SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...8 WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE. With most of Spain experiencing a relatively dry climate, water resources for irrigation and public supply are heavily dependent on an extensive reservoirs network. With 1,300 dams, the country places fifth in global rankings, including almost 1,000 ‘large’ dams, more per inhabitant than any other nation in the world.
INSIDE VIEW News
Dams in their dotage
1 - 29 Cornalvo Dam.
Towering above LA SERENA reservoir in Badajoz Province, Extremadura, is the biggest in Spain and third largest in Europe. Built on the Rio Zujar, a tributary of the Rio Guadiana, between 1985 and 1990, it can hold 3,219 cubic hectometres of water and is so vast that the adjoining comarca of La Siberia has more kilometres of freshwater coastline than anywhere else in the country. The tallest dam in Spain is the 202-metre Salto de Villarino, also known as the Almendra dam, on the Rio Tormes in Salamanca, Castilla y Leon. Completed in 1970, it towers almost 50 metres above any other dam in the country, and locks in 2,586 cubic hectometres of water when at capacity.
visits to the El Albardinal botanical garden, hiking in Laujar and adventurous 4x4 visits to the virgin beaches of the Cabo de Gata are all on the packed agenda promoted by the ministry of the environment to showcase Almeria’s wonders to Madrid. Local tourism chiefs have gone to great lengths to paint Almeria as a cultural hotspot and scenic wonderland and dispel the myths held in Madrid that southern Spain is only about beaches.
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Proserpina Dam.
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While most Spanish dams were constructed during the 20th century, some have a far longer history. The Cornalvo and Proserpina dams near Merida, Extremadura, date to the first or second century AD and are considered the oldest European dams still in use. Built to supply the Roman colony of Emerita Augusta, founded in 25 BC, they now belong to the Archaeological Ensemble of Merida, one of the largest and most important archaeological complexes in Spain.
Less means more in Galicia IN January this year, a seven-month drought in Galicia, the driest period since 1981, revealed the remains of lost towns and villages that hadn’t been seen in decades. As capacities dropped below 25 per cent, locals were able to walk streets that were flooded during the 1960s and even check out forgotten Roman ruins. The arid conditions were linked to climate change, and with the prospect of further extended dry periods as global temperatures rise, the Spanish National Dams Committee has recommended that 50 more large dams be constructed as soon as possible.
Finance Leapy Lee
Salto de Villarino.
Letters 58
Time Out 60
Health & Beauty 63
Social 66
Albox 72 ROMAN RUINS: The drought revealed the remains.
Padel power AFTER making national headlines with its padel advert, the tournament held in Albox on April 1-2 attracted more people and donations than ever before. Organised by the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus, the poster featured Christ on a padel-style cross and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo dressed in gladiator garb wielding a racket. It was amusing, controversial and
Brexit divorce settlement THE first divorce settlement thought to be directly related to Brexit is going through the courts of Almeria. It involves a Spanish man who resides in London but whose family lives in Almeria. He and his wife had already filed for divorce before the referendum but the settlement has been made infinitely more complex by the consequences. The family live in a rented apartment in Almeria while he
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has two separate mortgages, one in Barcelona and the other in London. He regularly makes payments for education and healthcare but claims the devaluation of the pound makes it impossible for him to keep paying €500 a month while flying over every two weeks. With a devaluation estimated at around 20 per cent, the pound to euro conversion is infuriating many continentals who came to the UK to make, rather than lose, money.
attention-grabbing in equal measure and appears to have worked wonders for the brotherhood’s reputation.
Property 78
Classifieds 82
Living wills A LIVING will was made by 255 people across Almeria last year. Another 35 have already been signed in 2017 as the practice grows ever more popular. Living wills express people’s desires as to what future medical treatment they will receive if they are no longer able to make an informed decision. It might involve anything from directing doctors to turn off life support to donating organs.
Motors 84
Sport 87
Postscript to ponder
45%
The percentage of the world’s olive oil that is produced in Spain, with the country also consuming 20 per cent of the global total, around 14 litres per person annually.
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Adios topic THE leaders of France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Malta will gather at the El Pardo palace outside Madrid on April 10 to discuss Britain’s formal notification to leave the EU at talks arranged by Spain for southern leaders.
Family wiped out A 47-YEAR-OLD council worker is believed to have strangled his wife and then smothered his two children, aged five and eight, before committing suicide by jumping from a second-storey balcony in Ciudad Real in a suspected case of domestic violence.
Safety jump THE driver of a car that drove through the border between Morocco and Melilla at high speed escaped Guardia Civil and National Police after jumping from the vehicle though his six passengers were all detained.
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So sordid
on SPAIN
Around the nation in 7 stories
Postcard from
THREE people have been arrested suspected of human trafficking, drug trafficking, and corruption of minors following the discovery of a 14-yearold who was being prostituted in a Madrid club. Officers claim some girls were also used as guarantees for drug payments.
Down at heel
BILBAO WITH one million residents in the metropolitan area, Bilbao - the largest city in the Basque Country - traces its history back to the 14th century and is now a major industrial area. There is a mixture of architecture from Gothic to Art Deco to Modernist, and the city centre attracts tens of thousands of visitors. One of the most important cultural magnets is the Guggenheim Museum famous not just for its displays, but also for the impressive design created by architect Frank Gehry. Boasting eight Michelin starred restaurants, the city offers a fantastic range of bars and restaurants offering typical Basque cuisine which includes a style of tapas known as pintxos which often marries bread or toast with a mixture of different toppings. The Port of Bilbao is meanwhile an important conduit for the import and export of goods and additionally operates a ferry terminal for car passengers who wish to travel between Britain and Spain without having to drive the length of France. Enjoying a climate which rarely gets very cold or very hot Bilbao has fairly regular rainfall.
A MIDDLE-AGED driver whose shoe strap became entangled with the accelerator while exiting a car park in central Zaragoza, Aragon, crashed through a barrier and onto a pavement before slamming into a shop. No-one was seriously injured but the driver had to be treated after suffering a panic attack.
Pride and prejudice A SURVEY by the Catalan Generalitat has revealed that 54.9 per cent of Catalans feel proud when a Spanish national sports team performs well. Meanwhile 32.6 per cent described themselves as feeling “quite proud,” and a further 22.3 per cent admitted they are “very proud.”
Numbers that add up to local life 48.5 % €186,800 €3.389 billion 48.5 per cent of Catalonia residents would not vote for independence whilst 44.3 per cent would, according to a Centre d’Estudis d’Opinió poll.
The salary received by the Governor of the Bank of Spain.
The ‘book value’ of assets held by the Sareb ‘bad bank’ set up after the 2008 crisis.
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Birthdays • Tim Peake, Astronaut, April 7, 45 First British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut chosen from more than 9,000 applicants for a place on ESA’s new astronaut training programme. In December 2015 he launched into space on a six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). • Myleene Klass, Singer/TV Presenter, April 6, 39 British singer who shot to fame after auditioning for ITV reality show Popstars and winning a place in the newly formed band Hear’Say. After the band split she launched a solo career in classical music releasing two albums. She is now better known as a TV and radio presenter. • Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer, April 8, 76 Outlandish British designer who brought modern punk and new wave fashion into the limelight in the 70’s. She has many notable clients including Princess Eugenie, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall and Pharell Williams. • Robbie Fowler, Footballer, April 9, 42 Former English professional striker who had a natural ability for scoring goals and who is the Premier League’s sixth-highest ever goal scorer. He played mainly for Liverpool FC but also had stints at other clubs including Leeds United and Manchester City. • Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Singer, April 10, 38 English singer who has released six studio albums and had hits with songs such as Take Me Home, Murder on the Dancefloor and Heartbreak Make Me a Dancer. She is the daughter of former Blue Peter and Jigsaw TV presenter Janet Ellis. • Jeremy Clarkson, TV Presenter/ Journalist, April 11, 57 Opinionated and controversial former cohost of the hugely popular Top Gear TV show which he hosted for 17 years before being let go by the BBC in 2015 for attacking one of the show’s producers.
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Super smart zebras
OUR VIEW
Westminster Bridge murders JUST about the only really decent thing to come out of the Westminster Bridge murders has been the huge turnout of Muslims all over the UK to express their sorrow at the events and their hatred of those who commit terrorist atrocities. The press and this includes the ever-expanding EWN Media Group has an obligation to report the news, not just one part of it and certainly these demonstrations which saw young Muslims standing side by side with police officers and representatives of other religions needs to be reported. Some in the media who have been calling for this type of demonstration will perhaps now suggest that this is a cynical show simply to hoodwink the public but in reality this is now one less stick to beat them with. No-one can argue that a large number of recent terrorist events have been undertaken by those professing belief in their Prophet, but in the same way that large numbers of Irish Catholics were not supporting the IRA, there does need to be a modicum of sense in what is said, as one of the best ways to turn people is to constantly berate them.
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VIATOR: Protestors are demanding its closure.
Vamos NATO! By Matthew Elliott PROTESTERS demanded the closure of the NATO base in Viator during a demonstration on April 1. Almeria platform ‘NATO no, bases out’ denounced the facility as a cover for the imperialist adventures of western armies. The group also said it is false to suggest Atlantic military alliance base helps create jobs. They claim locals are regularly fired and replaced with military insiders from Spain and abroad. There is also the central issue of safety. Aban-
doned mines have been found on the beaches of Almeria. Many also remember the 1966 Palomares incident when a B-52G US Air Force bomber collided with a refuelling tanker 31,000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. Non-nuclear explosives fell from the sky and detonated upon impact in Palomares, a fishing village in Cuevas del Almanzora. Severe radioactive contamination spread around the area and was still found in abundance in snails and soil 40 years later.
AN intelligent zebra crossing is coming to Almeria. Equipped with LED technology and sensors, the pedestrian crossing will flash lights at drivers when people are using or approaching it. The pilot project costs a modest €11,900 and will be installed at the busy passage be-
tween Blas Infante and Guillermo Langle, an area packed with schoolchildren. Flashing lights are activated both vertically and horizontally to ensure maximum exposure to drivers. If the project proves popular dozens more ‘smart’ zebras will be rolled out.
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Sadistic dog trap POLICE are investigating after officers found a badly injured dog and dozens of illegal hunting traps scattered around a rural estate. Patrolling Guardia Civil officers came upon the barbaric site in Dalias when they heard the pained howling of the dog. They found hm with his right leg trapped in a vice near a chicken pen. When they released the dog, he ran off terrified, despite having a serious limp, and hasn’t been seen since. Officers then uncovered a series of sadistic and illegal traps that may have killed countless animals over time. They have located the owner of the site and are deliberating on whether or not to bring criminal charges against him
TRAPPED LEG: The dog was howling in pain.
Viking chronicles VIKING raids were the scourge of Anglo-Saxon Britain. It’s less well-known that the Nordic warriors also tormented the coast of Almeria. Reaching Spain in 844 AD they even managed to plunder Sevilla before being driven back by the Moors. That startling piece of history was recreated by the Alcazaba of Almeria. A visiting professor from the University of Granada explained the raids in all their gory detail to stunned guests. The Alcazaba plans more historical reenactments in the near future.
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Stealth armada
Police tackle mayor By Matthew Elliott POLICE OFFICERS in Carboneras are furious with the council for painting the force as a fully-equipped, crime-fighting machine when the reality is a little less impressive. The police union accuses the mayor’s office of pretending to support officers, while giving them battered second hand vehicles instead of proper police cars. They are particularly angry that the council even released a press release with much hype and pub-
licity patting themselves on the back for bringing police a ‘new vehicle.’ That ‘new’ vehicle, according to Carboneras police, arrived at their station with 80,000km on the clock. They wryly noted that it was new in comparison to two other vehicles in their fleet, each with more than 250,000km and in continuous need of repair. The union released a scathing statement saying that police felt the need to inform all Carboneras citizens that their government was not to be trusted.
SCOURGE of the seven seas, Spanish submarine the Tramontana stopped at the port of Almeria to show off its new surface to air missiles. The Cartagena-built vessel is carrying out three weeks of training around the Gulf of Mazarron. Launched in 1984 it has seen action during Nato-led naval missions in Libya. ON SHOW: Tramontana’s new surface to air missiles.
Firebombing vandal attacks VANDALS looting Almeria in a prolonged crime spree have caused an average of €1,000 per day in the past six weeks. Their chief target is empty bins or containers on central streets throughout the city, which they set on fire. A total of 51 community bins have been torched, presenting authorities with a bill exceeding €50,000. Dozens of cars have been set on fire late in the evening. In one incident the vandals attacked a
series of cars in disabled parking spaces, smashing the windows and stealing valuables before setting the cars alight.
Vandals attacked a series of cars in disabled parking spaces.
Avenida Cabo de Gata has been especially targeted and police have launched a huge investigation into finding the culprits. Last year Almeria City Hall forked out more than €1,750,000 repairing damages caused by vandalism alone. On only one night, December 29, some 11 bins were set on fire in coordinated attacks across the capital.
Health nut paradise A CANADIAN delegat i on cam e t o Al m er i a Province to marvel at its agricultural prowess. The French-speaking Quebecois farming professionals were on a sightseeing tour to learn about specialised growing techniques and devel opi ng pr oduce f or ni che heal t hy eat i ng markets. The Canadians join a list of other nations, incl udi ng Br azi l , Ger many and Switzerland, who have voyaged t o Almeria in search of the magic farming elixir. Al m er i a has one of the world’s biggest supplies of unique fresh products with an offici al st am p of or i gi n. Produce is in high dem and i n heal t h f ood shops from New York to Tokyo.
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Thirsty summer MORE than €1.7 million will be invested in water networks in Zurgena and Vicar to help combat drought and ensure residents are forced to ration water during summer.
Sinking ship THREE women and 30 men were saved from a sinking boat 17 nautical miles from Almeria Port. The doomed vessel had set sail from Morocco before being discovered by coastguards.
Slick flick A FILM largely shot in Almeria has been making waves at major international film festivals. ‘La Madriguera,’ a low-budget flick, won acclaim in Austin, Texas, and was named best independent Spanish film of the year.
Meson mafia CITY officials accused of corruption in the ongoing Meson Gitano case were suspended. They are suspected of punting the €5.4 million EU-funded contract to build the cultural centre to construction companies of family members.
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Different strokes Sick hunting ring exposed
IT is more dangerous to have a stroke during the evening or weekend in Almeria according to a devastating new report that condemns the province’s lack of neurosurgeons. Many hospitals have no skilled doctors to properly handle stroke victims after 8pm or
during the weekends. Approximately 800 people suffer strokes each year across Almeria, almost three per day. Due to neurosurgeon shortages many are taken by helicopter for urgent treatment in Granada.
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Highway robbery IT costs €730 on average in Almeria to insure a car, but just €413 in Segovia, near Madrid. Almeria insurance is about 20 per cent higher than the Spanish average of €623.
Belgium bound GUARDIA CIVIL: Highlight some of the seized items. A RESIDENT of Almeria is a prime suspect in an illegal hunting ring operating across Spain. Seprona agents believe a wealthy Almerian individual hired the criminal gang to set up large game hunting expeditions. Police in Aragon have arrested three men they believe offered hunters the chance to kill wild bears, goats and deer in protected reserves. Expeditions that would usu-
ally require detailed hunting permits and cost over €6,000, were instead offered for €2,000 cash, with the gang providing fake licences and other documents. Agents from Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s animal protection wing, seized a crossbow, telescopic sights, shotguns, mobile phones and radar systems from the gang, which has apparently been operating under the radar for years.
A BUS carrying 67 Moroccan passengers was stopped on the A-7 at Huercal-Overa. They were Belgium-bound but none had the right documents to cross European borders.
Heavy lifting A MONSTROUS effort will see 12 tons of sand shifted to Aguadulce beach in a last ditch move to spruce up the popular coastline before Easter week begins.
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Vineyard vigilantes POLICE in Nijar have a new weapon in their battle against greenhouse thefts. Officers are being trained in the use of aerial drones to develop super surveillance over rural land and deter wouldbe thieves. Each drone can keep an eye on over 5,000 hectares of land. Around 30 officers will be trained as drone pilots, charged with operating the complex devices and coordinating with colleagues on the ground. Using a thermal imaging camera the drones can dispatch live feeds from the air to the Local Police headquarters, or even individual mobile phones. Nijar considers the investment worthwhile as it is nearly impossible to physically protect the vast farmlands and abundant fruit of the area.
POLICE OFFICERS: Being trained to use aerial drones.
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Jail for foolhardy French shooter A FRENCHMAN who shot at an Almeria bouncer twice after being rejected from a club has been jailed for almost eight years. Fortunately the doorman escaped entirely unscathed from the 2015 encounter because the shooter had little idea how to properly use his weapon. The first shot missed the bouncer’s body, no mean feat, and instead pierced his jacket. Furiously trying again to hit his target, the foolhardy Frenchman jammed the semi-
automatic pistol before being wrestled to the ground by two nearby Guardia Civil officers. The incident took place in Aguadulce on May 9, 2015 at approximately 2.30am after the shooter was barred entrance from a local nightclub. There was severe panic at the scene when revellers heard the first gunshot, and the suspect violently resisted arrest. His sentence includes six years for attempted murder and almost two years for unlawful possession of a weapon.
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What’s in a name? AN unusual motion is before the Carboneras Council. Patriotic politicians hope to get the town’s name on Almeria’s most famous natural park. Currently known as Cabo de Gata-Nijar, they insist that, since Carboneras makes up such a huge proportion of the park’s territory, it deserves recognition. Only Nijar officially enjoys the acclaim that comes with
being associated with one of Europe’s top natural attractions. Carboneras councillors fear they are missing out on a lucrative stream of tourist revenue and brand name recognition.
Decrees expanding the park in 1994 and 2004 meant that Carboneras technically now contributes roughly 7,500 hectares to the park, vastly more than Nijar does. Although Carnoneras town centre is excluded from the protected zone, the municipality does provide some of Cabo’s most iconic beaches, Los Muertos and Algarrobico. The scuba-diving paradise of San Andres and the lighthouse of Mesa Roldan also hail from Carboneras. Mesa Roldan lighthouse, Carboneras.
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Mojacar’s wondrous wonders AN adventure sports company has been filming in Mojacar as part of their televised series on adrenaline pumping destinations across Spain. CazaAventura presenters have strolled through the old town, gone deep sea diving at Sombrerico, saw an unforgettable sunset at the Paseo Maritimo and played golf at Marina de la Torre. Just a small sample of the wonders Mojacar has to offer but certainly enough to compete as one of Spain’s top adventure destinations. A further 25 locations will be explored by CazaAventura before the show is broadcast on local TV stations in the Basque Country and on YouTube. The winner will be determined by the most ‘likes’ on Facebook so be sure to Vote for Mojacar!
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Turtle trouble
GET SHELL SOON: The turtle at Equinac’s facility. A SERIOUSLY injured turtle was rescued by marine rescue group Equinac at Pulpi’s San Juan de los Terreros beach. The animal experts were urgently contacted by two local officers who came across the stranded creature. A loggerhead sea turtle, just 50cm long and with puffy eyes, the animal was diagnosed with a parasitic infection. Though in critical condition, the people at Equinac have baptised him Antonio Ramon, after the two officers. It is incredibly rare to be able to save sea turtles who get washed up on the beach. Unfortunately the number of dead turtles and other cetaceans flushed onto the Almerian coastline continues to increase. Last year alone a total of 82 turtles, dolphins, porpoises, and whales were found on beaches across the province. Human activity is almost always the direct cause of death.
Joint police operation seizes illegal cigarettes OFFICERS of police forces in Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Spain have acted together to track down a gang of smugglers who were bringing huge volumes of illegal cigarettes
into Spain, which were distributed mainly in Andalucia. According to the report, gangsters in Bulgaria and Romania were obtaining legally produced cigarettes in countries where prices were low due to reduced taxation and shipping them to Spain which has for years battled the tide of smuggled cigarettes even though prices are much lower here than in many EU countries. A total of 42 people, 30 in Spain (10 Spanish, 14 Romanians, three Moroccans, one Chinese and two Portuguese), 11 in Romania and one in Bulgaria have been arrested and officers have seized 1,560,000 packs of cigarettes said to have a value of €6 million as well as vehicles, computer systems and physical documentation. The Spanish raids took place in Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Granada, Lleida, Malaga, Sevilla and Tenerife with other raids in Bulgaria and Romania.
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NEWS EXTRA
Baby killing hit and run
Bootleg bazaar A MARIHUANA supermarket which grew its own product while open 24 hours a day was raided in Almeria Province. Police made 14 arrests, seizing 180 plants and thousands of euros in cash.
TV plea WARM and welcoming homes are being sought for the 265 orphaned, vulnerable or abused children across Almeria under a new TV and radio campaign.
Dodgy dole SIX people were arrested as National Police broke up a gang that nabbed unemployment benefits for foreign nationals from Almeria’s public coffers using fake residency documents and work permits.
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NATURAL PARK: Protecting some of the planet’s most stunning geological marvels.
Geopark gems unite REPRESENTATIVES from the 16 million-year-old Cabo de Gata-Nijar natural park were in Dublin for the annual European Geoparks Summit. Park director Lucia Tejero discussed sustainable tourism with the heads of 68 other geoparks from 23 countries.
Geoparks are areas devoted to protecting some of the planet’s most stunning geological marvels. Volcanoes, fossils, mines, and rock formations give invaluable clues to the formation of Earth and the origins of life. Cabo de Gata-Nijar joined
the Geopark club in 2006 and is already one of the more prestigious and environmentally active members. Featuring volcanic deposits from 16 million years ago, it is considered one of the world’s fundamental natural heritage sites.
suspect. He is believed to A DOUBLE killer driver have skipped multiple red who smashed into another lights just before the crash, car at top speed faces reckwhile driving at 95kph in a less homicide charges. 50kph zone. A baby and its mother Questions remain as to died when they were both whether Florin was intoxiflung from their rear seats cated at the time. He eludstraight through the wined arrest for dow upon 15 hours, afimpact. Her He is beter which alhusband, in lieved to cohol tests the driver’s have skipped become inseat, susmany red lights. conclusive. tained seriWhether the ous injuries. mother and baby were The driver, a young man properly strapped in to identified as Florin, snuck their seatbelts in also unoff to his father’s house clear. without calling for help. What is clear is that The incident occurred on Florin was captured on January 8 on Almeria’s CCTV camera calmly Federico Garcia Lorca. walking away from the After taking witness tescrash, seemingly without a timonies into account the care in the world, making police believe they have no attempt whatsoever to enough evidence to bring get help for his victims. murder charges against the
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Beware these five top scams CRIME statistics collated by the National Police and Guardia Civil offer a fascinating, yet alarming, insight into the five most common s cams t a rg e t i n g p e o p le across Almeria today. Online scams are now by far th e m o st p r e v a l e n t. Ghost advertisements offering stays in luxury hotels, or rented accommodation for prices that are quite literally too good to be true are the b i g g e st i n t ern et scam targeting locals today. A vi c t i m m i g h t f i n d a wonderful-looking apartment that meets all of their holiday needs. Asked to secure th e p r o p e r t y a t th e knock-down price by transferring a deposit, many will never see that money again. Cyber theft, phishing and credit card fraud continue to increase in concerning numbers. More people than ever are falling prey to identity theft and online hackers as the savvy criminals develop new technological skills. Meanwhile ‘fake crimes’ have increased three-fold across Almeria. Police are dealing with an enormous number of cases involving people who pretend to have been m u g g e d o r r o b b e d solely to claim insurance money. Now genuine victims face even more of an uphill st r u g g l e t o se c u re justice. Street sc a m s i n v o l v in g people offering hugs while they ransack your pockets or supposedly mentally ill people trying to exchange money are still exploiting new victims on a daily basis. The fifth popular scam is fake g a s i n sp e c t o r s o r plumbers who managed to defraud an estimated 2,000 people across the province last year. Targeting elderly residen t s wh o o f t e n liv e alone, the scammers identify non-existent problems and charge exorbitant rates ranging from €50-2,500 for unnecessary work.
ONLY a few weeks after Ferrari filme d its n ew 8 1 2 Supe rfa s t speeding across the magnificent landscape of Almeria, Peugeot is taking to the province’s scenic roads. A new advert, shot in the Cabo de Gata, will promote the global debut of the French brand’s hotly-
Take my breath away anticipated 3008 SUV. Priced just north of €20,000, the Peugot 3008 is already one of the best SUVs of 2017. The advertising campaign will
reach billions of screens across the w orld, f i r m l y est abl i shi ng Almeria as the world’s go to location for s p ect acul ar shot s and scenic beauty.
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The latest ad takes in the Cabo de Gat a l i ght house r oad as t he Peugeot winds around the gorgeous coastline at sunset. Al m er i a i s pr ovi ng t o be a favourite location of short filmmakers from Ferrari to Hollywood t hanks t o i t s uni quel y di ver se scenery.
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NEWS
Semana Santa: Mojacar 2017 SEMANA SANTA in Mojacar is an experience like none other and 2017 is shaping up to be one of the busiest, and brightest yet. The town will be extremely busy with guests, tourists and pilgrims adding to the already fantastical scenes that make up the traditional Easter parades. Semana Santa runs from April 9-16 this year but the Easter festivities get underway well before the ninth. The Novenas private devotion prayers began on Monday April 3 and run until Friday April 7 at the Mojacar Parish Church in an early ceremony devoted to the Holy Week. From Saturday April 8 the atmosphere will become noticeably busier with the Sacred Easter Music Concert from the Mojacar town band kicking off at 9pm at the Parish Church. Sunday April 9 is Palm Sunday and the official beginning of Semana Santa. In Mojacar the Procession of the Donkey begins at 11am from the Fuente to the Parish Church where there will be the blessing of the palms and olive branches. On Tuesday April 11 traffic will be
tight as the Stations of the Cross begins, symbolising Jesus’ hard road on the way to his crucifixion. Holy Thursday will be loud, late and awe-inspiring as the Procession of the Nazarene and the Virgin of Sorrow marches through Mojacar ’s streets from 10.30pm. The Procession of the Holy Encounter will make its way through the town centre accompanied by the Mojacar band on Holy Friday from 12.30pm. Again it will be a late evening with the Holy Burial Procession beginning at 10.30pm. As is traditional Holy Saturday will be quieter on the religious front with only an evening vigil at the parish church. But expect it to be raucous with street celebrations as family, friends and bars pour out onto the sunny plazas and beaches. Easter Sunday will be a busy day with the official mass at the Parish Church commencing at 12pm. It will be followed by one last communal procession through the town to honour the Risen Christ. At 8pm the week will finish with a huge magic show as the crowds disperse into night.
See our Semana Santa Special on pages 52 & 53
Disasters of War
ENGRAVINGS INVOICE: An inquiry has been launched over alleged embezzlement. CARBONERAS mayor Salvador Hernandez has accused his political nemesis of pretending to order original Goya art pieces in order to embezzle public funds. The state prosecutor has now launched an official inquiry into whether PSOE leader Josefa Cruz, himself a
former mayor, forged a €3,250 invoice for 80 engravings from Francisco de Goya’s Disasters of War series. Hernandez is puzzled that his lawyers came across the invoice but no evidence of engravings ever arriving to the town hall. Ordering fictional items is a common ploy
among Spanish mayors who later find themselves behind bars. The prosecution claims that Cruz ordered an 1863 edition of copied engravings from Goya’s famous prints, forged between 1810 and 1820 as a protest during the Napoleonic Wars.
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NEWS
Photo by European Union
Jaw-jaw is better than war-war BREXIT PAGE By John Smith THE last week fuelled a feeding frenzy for the press around the world and for politicians in Spain and the UK as following the triggering of Article 50 all eyes were on Gibraltar and its apparent importance to the Brexit agreement. Point 22 of Donald Tusk’s response, which is effectively the draft for European Union negotiations, caught most of Parliament and Gibraltar by surprise as it stated ‘After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.’ The press in Britain had a field
DONALD TUSK: His response caught most of Parliament and Gibraltar by surprise. day about the machinations of the conniving Spanish who were already making a bid to take over the role from the UK as a major player in the EU top echelon and despite the fact that Alfonso Dastis, the Spanish Foreign Minister, has repeatedly said that Gibraltar would not be a pawn in the Brexit negotiations, he seemed to have possibly achieved quietly what
his noisy predecessors had not. Gibraltar Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo who has visibly risen to the challenge, according to some papers suggested that Spain was behaving like a ‘cuckolded husband,’ a deadly insult had it been true but in actual fact he was talking about Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, in reaction to his use of
family oriented references. Much was also made of the fact that Gibraltar was not specifically mentioned in the ‘divorce’ letter although Mr Picardo, appearing on BBC TV brushed that aside, inferring that the wording was deliberate and produced with the agreement of the Gibraltar government as the important thing was that Gibraltar is
covered in the White Paper. Former Tory leader Michael Howard jumped into the melee on the exact 35th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War by suggesting that Theresa May could well be strong enough to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher in order to protect the integrity of the Rock. The prime minister however decided to emulate an earlier conservative hero by suggesting that the matter would be resolved by “jaw-jaw (rather than war-war)” and with Boris Johnson, never short of a chirpy ‘bon mot,’ he wrote on Facebook “I wanted to reiterate that the UK remains implacable and rock-like in our support for Gibraltar.” It is still early days and all 27 members of the European Union have to approve the Tusk letter, so possibly Gibraltar will turn out to be a bit of a ‘storm in a teacup’ but there is no doubt that negotiations will be testing for both sides and will require give and take, especially as a Commons committee has just stated that there is no justification for suggesting that “no deal is better than a bad deal.”
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NEWS EXTRA
Paedo jailed AN Almeria man was jailed for one year after police raided his home and found four child pornography videos which the 32year-old admitted possessing and distributing to accomplices online.
Spring time A MAKE-OVER will smarten up Almeria’s old town for spring. Residents are asked to decorate the historic quarter with plants and paintings while the city’s youth orchestra provides the soundtrack.
Serious smash A HEAD-ON collision in Huercal de Almeria between two vehicles injured four people, some of whom had to be extracted from their cars by firefighters.
Latest news from Bremain in Spain DURING a conversation with Sue Wilson the chair of pressure group Bremain in Spain, she told Euro Weekly News that she had been very pleased with the fact that more than 100,000 people had taken the trouble to attend the Unite for Europe march. According to Sue, she felt part of a large upswell of people who are opposed to the decision for Britain to leave the European Union and although she is not a public speaker she was delighted to address those attending alongside MPs Tim Farron and David Lammy as well as former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Sue told EWN that “this was just one demonstration of the depth of feeling which is
27 Bremain in Spain
NEWS
SUE WILSON: At the Unite for Europe march. growing and will without doubt be repeated.” As far as the actual triggering of Article 50 is concerned, she refuses to be downbeat as her group knew that it was coming but in her words it is “certainly not the end of the argument.” Indeed she is excited that members of the coalition opposed to Brexit managed to meet with the leader of the EU negotiating team Michel Barnier, even before the British government had done so. She believes the meeting was the reason for a sudden
Some of the people at the London march. decision by the Ministry for Exiting the European Union to agree to have face to face discussions with three representatives from the coalition on April 10, although they wait to find out who they will meet, as it appears that Secretary of State David Davis will not be available. Representing the coalition, British in Europe, the delegates will be Jeremy Morgan (Italy), Jane Golding (Germany), Fiona Frank-Godfrey
(Luxembourg) and Margaret Hales (Spain). One of the opinions that Sue has was quite interesting as she feels it would appear that European Union representatives have a greater interest in the protection of the rights of British citizens within the EU than the British government does.
“As I said in my speech at Parliament Square, I am a proud European and I would like to be proud to be British again,” said Sue who is a long term resident of Alcossebre in the province of Castellon. For more details of the aims of the voluntary organisation, visit www.bremainin spain.com.
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TEST your wits at the PAWSPATAS charity quiz event which is being held on Wednesday April 12 from 5pm at Marene Restaurante. Tony Matthews, from Spectrum Radio and Euro Weekly News, will be the quizmaster for the evening. Quiz rounds can include many subjects including music, geography, sport, history, true/false, food/drink, science, fashion, plant-world, pioneers, third world, international royalty and horror movies so get your egg heads at the ready. Teams should be a maximum of six players and the cost will be €2 per person. A three-course menu del dia is also available from 6pm at a cost of €10. To reserve your table please call Paul on 657 105 084. For more information visit www.paws-patas.org or find the charity on Facebook.
FUNDRAISING QUIZ: Will help raise vital funds.
RACE NIGHT: Was a great success.
A Dame good night ON Friday March 24 the Dames in Huercal-Overa held a race night at the tennis club, which included a meal. The evening was a great success with more than 70 people attending. The proceeds of the night will be donated to the charity fund that helps local good causes.
The Dames meet on the third Wednesday of every month at the tennis club in Huercal Overa, where a warm welcome awaits you. Why not go along and give it a try? For more information call Sue on 661 190 190.
Royal British Legion Mojacar branch THE Royal British Legion Mojacar branch meets on the first Thursday of the month at the Artisan centre in Mojacar pueblo at 11.15am. All are welcome to attend and the group plans to continue having its second meeting of the month, which is the third Thursday, as a coffee/lunch meeting. Upcoming meetings and events include the branch
meeting on Thursday April 6 at 11.15am in The Artisan centre with Hayley Roebuck from Golden Leaves as the speaker. On Friday April 7 the fish ‘n’ chip quiz night will be held in the Beachcomber Restaurant in Mojacar and tables can be booked by calling Rhoda on 697 297 929. Then on Thursday April 20 it will be the social meeting at 11.30am in Hostal Rural,
Turre where there will be coffee and maybe a game of petanque. Sunday April 23 is the St George’s Day lunch at Bellavista Restaurant in Mojacar and again this can be booked by calling Rhoda. Advance notice is given of the golf tournament taking place on Saturday May 27 at Aguilon Golf Club in Aguilas. For more information contact thomastannant@outlook.com.
COMMUNITY
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RBL Albox branch hold coffee morning THE Royal British Legion Albox (RBL) branch coffee morning will be held at Café Bar Oasis (off Avenida America, Albox) today Thursday April 6 starting at 11.30am with nice nibbles and bevvies and plenty of chat. There are more new members so please do go along and welcome them. The members’ meeting on Thursday April 20 will be
held at La Parrilla Hotel and Restaurant in Albox. It will start at 11am and the main event will be the spring quiz with free entry and an Easter egg for everyone who comes and prizes for the winning and worst teams. Guests are welcome to attend RBL events when accompanied by a member. New members are welcome to join the branch at any of the meetings or contact
Sandy, the membership secretary, on 648 049 491 or by email at stucker99@hot mail.co.uk. The Legion does vital work providing practical support to serving men and women, veterans (ex-Service of all ages) and their families. Get in touch for advice, information and guidance on 676 451 780 or email assis tance.rbl.dns@gmail.com. They are there to serve you.
Operatic fun for Leo the Lion ON Saturday May 6 commencing 6pm at the Renfe Site in La Alfoquia there will be a Charity Concert in aid of the local schools of La Alfoquia and Zurgena and the Leo the Lion Fund, with €3 of every ticket sold going to the charity. The concert itself will be headed by four of Spain’s top tenors, The 4
Stations, a tribute to Il Divo supported by Kay Frances and compered by Ronnie Taylor aka Justin Sane. Tickets for this great night of music and comedy are only €15. For more information and tickets, call 642 008 003 or see the Facebook page barlau nion2013.
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NORWAY
NETHERLANDS
Reindeer cull
Hotting up
NORWAY is preparing to cull thousands of reindeer because experts said an entire herd had to be culled after the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease was detected.
MARCH 30 was officially the warmest day of the year in the Netherlands so far with temperatures topping 20 degrees at the De Bilt weather station.
40 arrests
Foreign students
AROUND 40 young people have been arrested in schools and homes near Oslo. The 16-20 year-olds are suspected of being involved in the sale of illegal drugs.
FOREIGN students at Dutch universities have doubled to 81,000 over the past 10 years. In the 2016/17 academic year, a record 112,000 international students attended Dutch higher education centres with 81,000 on a full degree course.
Less understanding CRITICISM has been raised after the Islamic Council Norway hired a woman who wears the full face-
REINDEER: Suffering from Chronic Wasting Disease. covering niqab as a communications officer. The Minister for Culture said the appointment would create “distance.”
Embassy move
CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel has rejected one of the key Brexit demands
INSPECTORS said that today’s 11 and 12-year-olds are producing more basic drawings stating that the standards in art are going down compared to 20 years ago.
New rules THE Dutch doctors association said they are not in favour of new euthanasia rules for elderly people who want to end their lives despite not being physically ill.
DENMARK
Science month
Coin stolen
Demand rejected
Poor drawings
THE US Embassy in Oslo is set to move into its new complex at Huseby and will be open on May 15.
GERMANY A GOLD 100kg gold coin with the image of Queen Elizabeth II, has been stolen from a museum in Berlin. It was minted by Canada in 2007 and has a face value of one million Canadian dollars (€70,000).
EUROPEAN PRESS
from UK PM Theresa May. Merkel said the ‘divorce settlement’ leaving the EU must come before talks on the future UK-EU relationship.
Pay gap A NEW graph has shown the average pay for professionals and business leaders throughout their working life in Germany. The biggest leap is be-
tween the ages of 25 and 30 when average salaries rose from €36,789 to €45,302.
Amazon jobs AMAZON is looking for 2,000 new workers in Germany by the end of the year as part of its European expansion. Many will be based in the new logistics centre throughout the country.
Immigrant detection
First of a kind
HELP is wanted to detect illegal immigrants. Denmark’s integration minister wants citizens to alert the authorities if they witness people working in back rooms or in restaurant kitchens, not speaking Danish.
A NEW supermarket has opened in Copenhagen that is fighting against food waste by selling produce cheaply that is technically past its sell-by date but is still edible. It is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe.
FRANCE
BELGIUM
Cheap driving
Rich regions
LORRAINE in north east France has been named as the cheapest region for owning a car according to the Automobile Club Association which looked at the cost of everything from petrol, road tolls, maintenance and insurance.
BRUSSELS is the fourth-richest region in the EU in terms of regional GDP per capita according to a report from the European Statistical Office. West London was named as the richest region.
SWEDEN
Ticket-less travel
Car crash
Caught red-handed A MAN received a three-month suspended prison sentence after he was caught sexually assaulting one of his chickens in Normandy. His wife and daughter caught him in a compromising position with his trousers down.
More tolerant AN annual survey measuring levels of racism has reported the French are becoming more tolerant of minority groups, with a drop in racist incidents.
Decisions, decisions AROUND 40 per cent of French voters say they are still unsure of who to vote for in the presidential election, with less than a month to go.
Uber no more
THE Danish Science Festival is underway this month with 600 science orientated events taking place. It aims to encourage and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
MORE than 1,000 passengers across the STIB public network, were caught without tickets or travel passes in Brussels during planned police checks.
Merger plans BRUSSELS AIRLINES wants to take over Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium (TCAB) as part of merger plans recently announced.
Delay compensation A COURT in Charleroi has ordered Ryanair to pay compensation to six Belgians because their flight was delayed. The ruling is a first since the budget carrier normally demands that unhappy travellers appear before an Irish court. Ryanair is appealing the ruling.
A MAN was killed after a car crashed into the City Hall building in Stockholm in the early hours of the morning. Police are investigating and trying to identify the body.
New brand SWEDISH clothing giant H&M is launching its eighth fashion brand aimed at upmarket buyers in a bid to recover lost profits in the American and central European market. The Arket brand w ill l aunch i n t he sum m er i n
UBER car sharing will no longer be available in Denmark after a new taxi law was passed by the government introducing measures such as compulsory taxi meters and seat occupancy detectors.
London first of all.
Million people THE population of Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city, reached one million this week according to calculations by analysts.
Turn off OVER 250 of Sweden’s 290 municipalities took part in the big switch off, turning off lights during Earth Hour to raise awareness of climate change.
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NEWS
RUSSIAN PRESS
ANGRY MOBS: Tens of thousands have marched in recent weeks.
Robocop returns ROBOT riot police should tackle anti-corruption protesters should they ever again march on Moscow according to a top pro-Kremlin newspaper. Komsomolskaya Pravda notes that kicking a robot only hurts your feet and recommends smoke grenades and rubber bullets to disperse angry mobs. Tens of thousands have marched in recent weeks.
Unpopular patriots CINEMAS are fuming over the Ministry of Culture’s decision to postpone the release of American blockbuster The Fast and the Furious 8. Ministers don’t want the popular franchise to conflict with First Time, a state-funded film about a Russian cosmonaut expected to bomb at the box office.
Paid pregnancy Underdog SURROGATE pregnancies jailed may soon be banned all across Russia. A new bill before parliament describes it as a violation of children’s rights. Unlike in the UK, surrogacy is an industry in Russia, where surrogate mothers can be paid handsomely. Fundamentalists fear that homosexual couples might pay for children.
Check mate A BIZARRE controversy has engulfed the World Chess Federation. It released a statement saying that its president, Russian politician Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, had resigned. But Ilyumzhinov popped up a day later denouncing the news as ‘fake.’ The colourful leader also claims to have once been abducted by aliens.
KEY opposition leader Alexei Navalny was arrested for inspiring huge anti-corruption protests across Russia. Navalny was jailed for 15 days and fined 20,000 roubles. In 2018 he plans to run for president against Vladimir Putin. Pollsters give him almost no chance of pulling the upset.
Coffee kingdom COFFEE sales are soaring in Russia while the tea trade plummets. Russia is one of the world’s biggest instant coffee exporters, despite not a single bean growing there. Tea drinkers are also switching to alternative herbal concoctions.
Cult chaos MOSCOW police launched a raid on a church of Scientology straddling the outskirts of the city. Russia and the Americanbased cult have a difficult relationship after lawmakers stripped Scientology of its religious status. Some politicians began treating its preaching as potentially seditious, along with Islam and Hinduism.
SCIENTOLOGY CHURCH: Police launched a raid.
FINANCE
Costa de Almería
6 - 12 April 2017
€18.6 billion
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal
FOR the third time, the planned merger between the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Deutsche Boerse has fallen through, this time because it has been blocked by the European Commission in order to stop what it considered to be a potential financial monopoly. To some extent it is ironic that the decision was announced so close to the triggering of Article 50 and it must have passed through the minds of exchange executives who ‘regret’
A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM
Quote of the Week
€24 billion would have been the value of the combined London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse merger.
the decision that Brexit may have been partly responsible. What would have seen the creation of a strong financial operation which
straddled the European Union and post Brexit Britain is now unlikely to ever come to fruition, but it does leave the door open for other organi-
The answer is some form of passport for goods, a technologybased solution .” Tim Waggott of Dover Port on movement of goods after Brexit.
Poundland venture
BUSINESS EXTRA Photo Credit: Tupungato Shutterstock
Lloyds move AS previously predicted, now that Article 50 has been triggered, Lloyds of London, the world’s largest insurer has announced it will open a subsidiary office in Brussels in order to avoid losing EU business. It is not intended to be the start of a major move out of the UK but is a precautionary decision, made to ensure ongoing access to the EU market.
All Uber POUNDLAND: Intend to offer cheap clothes in store. By John Smith THOSE who remember F W Woolworth & Co fondly may have a new champion in South African group Steinhoff International who purchased Poundland for £610 million (€700 million) in 2016, as they intend to ramp up the amount of cheap clothing in their stores. By the end of 2017, they expect to have very cheap fashion clothing produced by
their brand Pep&Co in 100 of their 850 UK stores and then if take up is successful to expand to a further 100 stores. It doesn’t necessarily mean that all clothing placed in Poundland stores will cost just one pound but it is an indication that low priced fashion will be making its way back onto the high street, with many of the Poundland stores actually located where Woolworth used to be.
SOMEWHAT controversial but highly successful cab hire firm Uber have announced after three years they will close their operation in Denmark in April due to newly introduced laws that require cabs to have fare meters and seat sensors. The company which has 2,000 drivers in Denmark will not see a huge profit loss.
New coin THE UK has introduced a new 12 sided £1 coin which is said to be much more difficult to counterfeit than the old round pound. Operators of vending machines have faced large bills for converting their machines to recognise both coins.
Fighting cancer together THE Amancio Ortega Foundation (FAO) has reached an agreement in principle with the health departments of all the autonomous communities to extend its support programme to modernise the cancer detection and radiotherapy treatment units
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is the record total social security (pension) deficit in Spain at the end of 2016 and equates to €1,000 per worker.
Stock Exchange merger blocked By John Smith
EWN
in public hospitals. This FAO programme, already underway in Galicia and Andalucia, has an overall budget of €320 million and will enable the purchase of 290 pieces of equipment, in accordance to the needs detected by local health professionals.
sations to cast their eyes over the London Stock Exchange in particular. Over the past 20 years, apart from the three failed attempts to merge, the LSE has rejected takeover bids from Australia, Sweden and the USA as well as almost merging with the Canadian Stock Exchange. In the event of a hostile or even friendly bid, the LSE may be helped or frustrated by the government as it has recently introduced new rules concerning the take-over of British companies by foreign ones.
Real Madrid sponsor IN what is a slightly unusual move, Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica will become a major sponsor of Real Madrid’s basketball and football teams in a two year multi-million euro deal whereby it will supply WiFi at the Bernabeu stadium. In addition it will launch an exclusive Madrid App but it will not gain the benefit of seeing its logo on the shirts of the players, as that right continues to remain with Emirate Airlines.
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C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 3
PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,235.00 15.50 Associated British Foods 2,608.00 2.00 Admiral Group 1,820.00 -169.00 Ashtead Group 1,680.00 27.00 Antofagasta 832.00 -2.50 Aviva 515.00 -17.00 AstraZeneca 4,845.00 -67.50 BAE Systems 646.50 4.00 Babcock International Group 875.00 -7.00 Barclays 225.10 0.00 British American Tobacco 5,260.50 -39.50 Barratt Developments 547.00 0.50 British Land Co 600.75 -9.25 BHP Billiton 1,250.00 16.00 Bunzl 2,250.00 -70.00 BP 458.50 0.95 Burberry Group 1,721.00 -3.00 BT Group 314.00 -4.20 Coca-Cola HBC 2,080.00 19.00 Carnival 3,589.00 -989.00 Centrica 220.50 3.50 Compass Group 1,507.50 1.50 Croda International 3,564.00 0.00 CRH 2,810.00 0.00 ConvaTec Group 286.00 7.00 DCC 7,025.00 0.00 Diageo 2,305.50 22.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 350.35 2.95 Experian 1,616.50 -11.50 easyJet 1,020.50 -5.50 Fresnillo 1,426.00 -130.00 GKN 365.50 2.20 Glencore 311.00 -2.15 GlaxoSmithKline 1,672.25 12.75 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,125.00 144.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,400.50 99.50 Hammerson 565.50 -5.50 HSBC Holdings 668.50 17.60 International Consoldtd Air Gr 527.50 -1.50 InterContinental Hotels Grp 3,924.50 16.50 3i Group 735.25 -14.25 Imperial Brands 3,845.00 -22.00 Informa 652.00 0.00 Intu Properties 279.20 0.00 Intertek Group 3,934.00 0.00 ITV 213.00 -5.90 Johnson Matthey 2,995.00 -85.00 Kingfisher 330.50 4.40 Land Securities Group 1,055.00 -4.00 Legal & General Group 246.25 -1.05
% CHG. NET VOL 1.27 17,703.33 0.08 20,543.95 -8.50 5,658.61 1.63 8,377.01 -0.30 8,281.20 -3.20 21,448.73 -1.37 62,345.58 0.62 20,810.12 -0.79 4,423.97 0.00 38,694.80 -0.75 98,998.33 0.09 5,487.97 -1.52 6,101.34 1.30 26,833.87 -3.02 7,802.93 0.21 90,323.53 -0.17 7,633.77 -1.32 31,573.79 0.92 7,485.46 -21.60 9,892.05 1.61 11,944.79 0.10 24,812.64 0.00 4,699.98 0.00 23,570.89 2.51 5,331.42 0.00 6,252.67 0.96 58,119.03 0.85 4,688.75 -0.71 15,298.81 -0.54 3,999.89 -8.35 11,458.70 0.61 6,292.53 -0.69 45,703.30 0.77 82,555.16 7.27 4,821.08 7.65 6,199.34 -0.96 4,449.79 2.70 130,401.99 -0.28 11,137.68 0.42 7,812.36 -1.90 7,174.42 -0.57 36,828.88 0.00 5,339.55 0.00 3,684.35 0.00 6,374.78 -2.70 8,509.72 -2.76 5,914.38 1.35 7,279.98 -0.38 8,120.99 -0.42 14,708.83
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Lloyds Banking Group ORD 67.80 1.48 London Stock Exchange Grp 3,171.00 0.00 Micro Focus International 2,351.00 73.00 Mediclinic International 712.25 0.25 Merlin Entertainments 477.75 -1.85 Marks & Spencer Group 331.00 -6.00 Mondi 1,945.00 18.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 241.00 1.00 National Grid 978.00 -35.50 Next 4,285.00 -35.00 Old Mutual Group 213.50 12.90 Provident Financial 2,997.00 0.00 Paddy Power Betfair 8,600.00 0.00 Prudential 1,680.00 -6.00 Persimmon 1,700.00 -394.00 Pearson 667.25 -15.25 Reckitt Benckiser Group 7,285.50 -0.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 240.50 -1.60 Royal Dutch Shell 2,125.00 29.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,215.00 30.50 RELX 1,560.00 -4.00 Rio Tinto 3,200.00 -9.50 Royal Mail 423.00 -2.00 Rolls-Royce Group 752.50 -1.50 Randgold Resources 6,895.00 -70.00 RSA Insurance Group 589.50 3.00 Rentokil Initial 224.60 -22.10 Sainsbury (J) 265.00 0.70 Schroders 3,049.50 19.50 Sage Group (The) 634.00 3.50 Shire 4,755.50 94.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,317.50 196.50 Sky 857.50 -118.50 Standard Life 355.00 0.30 Smiths Group 1,610.00 -9.00 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt 358.05 -8.05 Smith & Nephew 1,243.50 27.50 SSE 1,472.50 -3.50 Standard Chartered 765.00 2.00 St James's Place 950.00 -112.00 Severn Trent 2,375.00 -7.00 Tesco 188.85 3.25 TUI AG 1,106.00 0.00 Taylor Wimpey 193.20 0.10 Unilever 3,990.00 50.50 United Utilities Group 1,036.00 42.50 Vodafone Group 208.55 0.45 Wolseley 5,105.00 85.00 Worldpay Group 289.70 -5.70 WPP Group 1,745.00 -7.00 Whitbread 3,922.00 -36.00
% CHG. 2.23 0.00 3.20 0.04 -0.39 -1.78 0.93 0.42 -3.50 -0.81 6.43 0.00 0.00 -0.36 -18.82 -2.23 -0.01 -0.66 1.38 1.40 -0.26 -0.30 -0.47 -0.20 -1.01 0.51 -8.96 0.26 0.64 0.56 2.03 9.26 -12.14 0.08 -0.56 -2.20 2.26 -0.24 0.26 -10.55 -0.29 1.75 0.00 0.05 1.28 4.28 0.22 1.69 -1.93 -0.40 -0.91
NET VOL 47,628.07 10,975.10 5,198.47 5,595.68 4,792.59 5,384.35 9,599.40 5,659.09 37,719.81 6,264.61 10,693.08 4,340.21 7,207.78 43,545.49 6,483.27 5,494.88 51,397.93 28,659.41 94,025.63 83,205.99 16,898.89 45,534.91 4,190.00 14,085.39 6,557.00 5,972.63 4,527.19 5,799.49 6,871.08 6,854.20 42,846.13 5,154.86 16,794.80 7,043.84 6,449.77 4,953.60 10,656.78 14,822.27 25,162.51 5,602.18 5,576.90 15,450.62 6,610.05 6,303.91 51,267.78 6,750.70 55,585.35 12,848.31 5,826.00 22,215.02 7,225.99
Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd
0.85603
1.17559 Units per €
US dollar..............................................................1.06667 Japan yen.............................................................118.976 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.06817 Denmark kroner...............................................7.43653 Norway kroner ..................................................9.14288
currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 3
COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CHEVRON CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DU PONT(EI) DE NMR EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACHS HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL CORP J.P.MORGAN CHASE JOHNSON & JOHNSON MC DONALD'S CORP MERCK AND CO. NEW MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER AND GAMBLE TRAVELERS CIES UNITED TECHNOLOGIE UNITEDHEALTH GROUP VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALT DISNEY CO
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 191,330 +0,03% 0,050 114M 79,1100 -0,13% -0,1000 71M 143,660 -0,19% -0,270 753M 176,860 -0,63% -1,120 107M 92,760 -0,49% -0,460 54M 107,37 -0,38% -0,41 203M 33,800 +0,18% 0,060 169M 42,44 -0,38% -0,16 182M 80,3300 -1,60% -1,3100 69M 82,01 -2,02% -1,69 340M 29,8000 -0,23% -0,0700 259M 229,72 -0,65% -1,50 91M 146,8300 -0,08% -0,1200 176M 174,14 +0,16% 0,28 164M 36,0700 +0,90% 0,3200 170M 87,8400 -1,34% -1,1900 313M 124,5500 -0,09% -0,1100 337M 129,6100 +0,22% 0,2900 106M 63,54 +0,14% 0,09 174M 65,860 +0,23% 0,150 508M 55,73 -0,55% -0,31 73M 34,2100 -0,41% -0,1400 203M 89,850 -0,39% -0,350 229M 120,54 -0,40% -0,49 33M 112,21 -0,21% -0,24 89M 164,01 -0,59% -0,98 156M 48,75 -0,63% -0,31 198M 88,87 -0,16% -0,14 165M 72,0800 +0,68% 0,4900 221M 113,3900 +0,19% 0,2100 179M
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 3
COMPANY
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Most Advanced SteadyMed Ltd. Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. DXP Enterprises, Inc. Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Bel Fuse Inc. Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. BlackBerry Limited Optical Cable Corporation Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. Inventure Foods, Inc.
$ 5.80 $ 3.40 $ 3.86 $ 37.87 $ 3.55 $ 22.6738 $ 12.52 $ 7.75 $ 3.10 $ 5.20 $ 4.42
1.85 ▲ 46.84% 0.70 ▲ 25.93% 0.6001 ▲ 18.41% 5.13 ▲ 15.67% 0.45 ▲ 14.52% 2.4239 ▲ 11.97% 1.33 ▲ 11.89% 0.80 ▲ 11.51% 0.30 ▲ 10.71% 0.50 ▲ 10.64% 0.42 ▲ 10.50%
$ 7.82 $ 21 $ 21.51 $ 6.75 $ 3.44 $ 10.36 $4 $ 9.67 $ 3.90 $ 11.60 $ 10.06
3.07 ▼ 28.19% 5.75 ▼ 21.50% 5.34 ▼ 19.89% 1.35 ▼ 16.67% 0.45 ▼ 11.57% 1.21 ▼ 10.46% 0.40 ▼ 9.09% 0.82 ▼ 7.82% 0.30 ▼ 7.14% 0.85 ▼ 6.83% 0.73 ▼ 6.77%
Most Declined Proteostasis Therapeutics, Inc. Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. Forward Pharma A/S Educational Development Corporation Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. AC Immune SA Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation Ramaco Resources, Inc. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
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E W N 6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Focus on Brexit, nine months after the UK referendum Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
IT’S been over nine months since the UK referendum on Europe took place, and Brexit is about to get real, so markets are trying to figure out what this means for the UK. Theresa May is entering divorce proceedings with the EU in a position of strength that was unimaginable in the chaotic aftermath of the June 23, 2016 referendum. All the doom and gloom scenarios predicted failed to materialise. Even in the face of legal challenges that a parliamentary assent is required for the government to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, notifying the EU of the decision to leave, there has been no constitutional crisis and the Parliament as well as the House of Lords have not revolted against the government, despite a think majority. Theresa May has been lucky so far and the economy has been resilient despite all the challenges and uncertainties ahead. Growth remains buoyant, unemployment has continued to fall and house prices remained steady as consumers’ confidence stays surprisingly strong.
ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN: Is not the only concern posed by Brexit. One might think that the Prime Minister could not ask for more as she prepares for negotiations, but it would be naïve of Mrs May to forget that Brexit hasn’t happened yet and firms are continuing to trade. As the first quarter of 2017 comes to an end, the recent slight deterioration in data and the prospect of slower growth post-Brexit might really mean that uncertainty is starting to have a real impact. Inflation hit its highest level in February as rising fuel prices bumped up the cost of living. The staggering 20 per cent devaluation of
Sterling since the referendum is now filtering through the real economy as households start to crack under inflation pressures. There are no more talks of a hard of soft Brexit in the news, but businesses are starting to adjust to the prospect of new barriers to trade with the EU as Mrs May seems willing to walk out from negotiations if the deal offered to the UK isn’t right. Ahead of triggering Article 50, the challenges and uncertainties of the negotiation are laid bare by the government’s own revised economic forecasts, which now expect growth to
slow to 1.6 per cent in 2018 and 2019. Economic slowdown is not the only concern posed by Brexit as the government might potentially face constitutional crises on two fronts. The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has now confirmed she will be calling for a new Scottish independence referendum. Although the economic case for a Scottish referendum is not as strong as it was in 2014, the Scottish voters’ commitment to the UK looks shakier now after Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. A bigger threat in a post Brexit world will be Northern Ireland, which will be the only part of the UK sharing a border with the EU. A hard border and barriers to trade with the Republic of Ireland could be economically damaging and there are fears new tensions could destabilise the region. Brexit is for sure the biggest challenge facing the UK in a long time and Mrs May is not in such an enviable position as it might seem. Her own party keep her in check as the hardliners dictate their line of uncompromising attitude toward the EU and are prepared to walk away from negotiations if they don’t what they want. As we are about to find out what Brexit is all about, Mrs May will have to rise to the challenge and show she has the political clout to strike the deal the UK needs in a post Brexit world.
Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com
Albert Rivera confirms support of budget IN a slight spirit of self-congratulation, Albert Rivera, leader of the Ciudadanos political party has announced that he has negotiated a deal with Mariano Rajoy and the government which will see real benefits for Spain. Mr Rivera explained that in order to support the proposed budget, he has secured an additional €4.1 billion (a similar amount to that granted to Catalonia) to help the working and middle class without the need to increase income tax or IVA. Of the €4.1 billion promised, €1.915 will be aimed directly at the working and middle classes and €2.1 billion is intended to help in the modernisation of the country. According to him, he has achieved more than originally expected when he agreed to support the minority government and has secured a number of advantages in social measures as well as reversing cuts in such vital areas as education as well as seeing increased investment for future economic development. The Ciudadanos leader also said that he can see that there is a new dynamic in which “two parties with different ideas can agree to take the budgets forward. It’s a shame that the PSOE will not approve the most social budgets of recent years.” Having seen that the government can easily lose important votes if opposition parties act together or
Photo by Ciudadanos
By John Smith
ALBERT RIVERA: Announced that he has negotiated a deal which will see real benefits for Spain. even abstain, a great deal does depend on the main opposition, the PSOE, as if it votes against the budget, despite or perhaps because it is currently being run by a committee, the position of the minority government would be difficult, especially as the European Union wants to see a strong and clear financial policy.
It may well be that the PSOE decides to abstain en masse in order to allow a new leader to be elected, especially as Mr Rajoy has hinted at the possibility of another election, which the main opposition would want to avoid at this time, especially if it was blamed by the public for causing the election.
Toshiba face serious financial problems ONE negative side to globalis a t i o n h a s j u s t e m e rg e d a t a stormy meeting of shareholders in the giant Toshiba company which has revealed that its US business arm Westinghouse has just filed for bankruptcy protection. In order to meet some of the projected annual losses of one trillion yen (€8 billion) it is looking to sell its valuable memory chip business which may be worth as much as €16 billion and this has reluctantly been approved by shareholders as Toshiba desperately needs to add liquidity to its business. Westinghouse has suffered huge cost overruns at two US nuclear reactor projects in Georgia and South Carolina, so by applying for protection in the US, Toshiba hopes to reduce its future financial liability.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
Coffee cups can help the environment THE western world is besotted with the idea that purchasing coffee from one of a plethora of coffee shops is a cool and sensible activity but few give too much thought to the amount of waste that is created once the coffee is drunk. Use of plastic bags from supermarkets has been dramatically reduced following the imposition of a charge and whilst you can’t really take your coffee away without a container, a joint university study suggests that a charge could cut usage dramatically. The concept is very simple and that is that a charge would be made for any disposable cup that was taken, but if a reusable cup was offered at no additional cost then people would be likely to think positively and would recognise the environmental benefits and financial advantage. It would be naive to think that every reusable cup would be used again but the researchers who worked with students purchasing coffee in three universities around the UK and in other businesses believe that up to 12.5 per cent of the cups would be used again. That doesn’t sound like a great deal
Photo by Frantic00 Shutterstock
By John Smith
DISPOSABLE CUPS: Britain alone devours 2.5 billion each year. but as Britain alone devours 2.5 billion disposable cups each year, that relatively small percentage adds up to 312 million and if the concept can then be taken up across Europe and North America, the number of cups saved
If a reusable cup was offered at no cost, then people would think positively.
would be absolutely enormous. The results of this study will be presented to the government and major coffee stores in the hope that the idea might be picked up and the amount of landfill would reduce.
EWN
39
UK is not a ‘cash cow’ ACCORDING to David Davis the Minister responsible for Brexit negotiations, whilst Britain will honour its financial obligations to the European Union when it leaves, it is leaving because it doesn’t want to pay more and more money and certainly doesn’t expect to pay the rumoured €57 billion. The argument is that Britain will have to provide funds to cover its percentage of the pensions paid to EU employees for the period of which it has been a member until the last pensioner dies. In addition the EU will also ask for funding for ongoing projects agreed whilst Britain was a member.
Losing mental capacity whilst living abroad by Stone King Charlotte Macdonald Contact me at international@stoneking.co.uk
MANY UK expatriates living in Spain own properties in the UK and have pensions and investments in the UK. They rely on their UK assets to maintain their lifestyles (and those of their families) in Spain. If they can no longer manage their affairs in the UK due to a loss of mental capacity, it can cause many difficulties.
You can choose a person or people, who you trust, to act for you when you are no longer able. The best way to avoid the legal and practical difficulties that can occur with the loss of mental capacity is to plan for it in advance by drawing up a document called a ‘Lasting Power of Attorney’ (‘LPA’).
An LPA must be made while you have full mental capacity.
What is an LPA? An LPA is a legal document that enables you to appoint one or more attor-
neys to act for you when you are no longer able to act for yourself. Your attorney can be a professional,
such as a solicitor or a family member or friend. There are two types of LPA: ‘Health and Welfare’ or ‘Property and Financial Affairs’ An LPA must be made while you have full mental capacity. It is therefore important to make one while you are in good health. Why should you get an LPA? You can choose a person or people, who you trust, to act for you when you are no longer able. If you lose your mental capacity and do not have an LPA, then your family (or the authorities) will have no choice but to make an application to the Court of Protection to appoint a ‘deputy’ to look after your affairs, which can be time consuming and costly. Will my LPA be recognised in Spain? Unfortunately there is no international type of LPA which is guaranteed to work in both the UK and Spain. The advice we give to our clients at Stone King, is that if you have assets in both Spain and the UK, your only safe option is to appoint attorneys in both jurisdictions.
If you would like to discuss LPAs contact Charlotte Macdonald or Dan Harris at Stone King LLP by email international@stoneking.co.uk or by telephone on +44 (0)1225 337599.
FEATURE
6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
41
The gloves will be truly discarded LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT I THINK Gibraltar is about to become a huge and potentially highly dangerous issue between Spain and the UK.
Gibraltar is far closer to home both in proximity and spirit. Notwithstanding the disputes of its sovereignty, which date back to the 1700’s and beyond, ‘Gib’ has however managed to maintain a somewhat ‘rocky’ alliance with the Spanish, purely because we were both members of the EU. With this stripped away, the gloves I feel will truly be discarded. As many of you are aware, my re-
GIBRALTAR: Maintains a somewhat ‘rocky’ alliance with the Spanish.
spect for most politicians is not exactly glowing. I consider the majority of them self-serving bubble dwellers, whose naivety is sometimes almost beyond belief. The recent statement by Lord Howard is a case in point. To announce that he is sure Theresa May will take the same stand
against the Spanish as Margaret Thatcher did against The Falklands, is almost unbelievably provocative and inflammatory. He is actually inferring, that to protect Gibraltar, Britain would be prepared to go to war with the Spanish! Thank God this idiot no longer holds
any ministerial position. He is however able to command an airing of his views to vast numbers of the public and would have most certainly been noted by the Spanish. His foolish remarks reveal just how out of touch and unaware he is of the Spaniards’ passionate attitude to
Gibraltarian sovereignty. I truly believe that should the situation be allowed to disintegrate into some form of confrontation, we could all be in trouble. I have been here long enough to remember Brits being spat on in the streets following the Falklands war, and that was with Argentina! Gibraltar is far closer to home both in proximity and spirit. Just how this whole sorry situation will pan out I have no idea. I envisage border situations of alarming proportions with possible siege conditions arising. The one thing I am sure about is that any troop deployment would be highly irresponsible and could lead to a dispute that could endanger us all. Let us all hope that the leaders of both our countries have more sense than the ilk of former MP Howard but don’t hold yer breath! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
FEATURE
6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
43
Advertising feature
Household insurance YOUR home and the contents will most probably be the most expensive purchase you make in your lifetime, so it’s worthwhile protecting your investment. Every year insurers pay out millions of Euros to home owners due to water damage to the property and the contents due to accidental overflows, plumbing apparatus or leaks. Preventative measures which can be taken include: Plumbing • Plumbing apparatus in hardwater areas is prone to build up of limescale, so try to add a water softener to your washing machine and dishwasher. • Ensure your toilet cistern is fitted with an overflow, otherwise this can cause a leak. • Rust inhibitors will extend the life of the central heating system. • Have your central heating systems serviced annually. Kitchen • Ensure drain hoses from washing machines and dishwashers are firmly in the drainpipes and cannot jump out.
WATER DAMAGE: Protect your home.
• Ensure the water inlet pipes for appliances are correctly fitted. • Check and clear the filters in washing machines and dishwashers regularly. If your machine has a special self-cleaning programme, it is recommended this is used periodically. • Properly maintain appliances. Bathroom • Ensure the seal between the bath/ shower cubicle and the wall is watertight to prevent leaks. • Do not leave the bathroom when you are running a bath. Key Points • Make sure that all building and internal plumbing works are carried out
by qualified and competent people. Avoid cold callers. • Do not leave washing machines or dishwashers on whilst the property is unattended. • Turn off your water supply when you go on holiday or if you are leaving your holiday home for a period of over 14 days. • Know where your stopcock is located. • Make sure flat roofs receive a proper regular maintenance. Contents cover forms a major part of a household insurance policy and is often overlooked or underinsured. Breaking down your contents into
the following categories can assist you with ascertaining the amount of contents cover you may require. Kitchen: furniture, free standing cooker, fridge, washing machine, equipment, unfixed flooring, curtains, pictures, lights, fittings, cutlery, utensils, pots, pans, food, drink. Bedrooms: furniture, bedding, clothing, shoes, electrical equipment, carpets, curtains, pictures and other items. Bathroom: furniture, towels, perfumes. Hall, stairs, landing: furniture, carpet and other items. Other (outbuildings, cellar, attic,
garage, etc): general items, gardening equipment. Other items: jewellery, watches, clocks, miscellaneous. Personal belongings (items that will leave home with you): jewellery, watches, photographic equipment, sports equipment, musical instruments, bicycles. Household insurance can be tailor made to suit your needs and can cover items used outside the home (including worldwide cover) which perhaps you didn’t know could be included on a household policy, for example: • Permanent and second holiday homes on one policy. • All Risk items - Jewellery, laptops, mobile phones, personal money, credit cards - on worldwide cover. • Property Owners Liability. • All risk cover - Pedal Cycles. • All Risk Cover - Golfing Equipment. It’s always worthwhile reviewing your home insurance, so visit Ibex offices at Albox and Mojacar Playa or call us 950 120 070 or 950 120 192.
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6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
FEATURE
Fake research and some fake Latin tattoos ... Ad nauseam Nora Johnson
Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson
HAVE you got a tattoo, like Angelina Jolie or David Beckham, fashionably in Latin? Do you take the latest health and medical research seriously? Now, bear with me here: I’m writing about fakery, which affects us all one way or another. Firstly, news that over 300 allegations of plagiarism, fabrication and inaccuracy were reported at the research-intensive Russell Group universities between 2011 and 2016, resulting in the retraction of over 30 papers. Retractions of scientific papers, many describing medical breakthroughs, increased tenfold over the past decade amid reports this is a huge underestimate. A respected scientific journal recently revealed that 50 per cent of scientific papers contain results that cannot be repeated and
LATIN TATTOOS: Are they correct?.
are therefore false. And it’s reasonable to assume that fields that attract huge publicity such as climate change, diet and health are more prone to this sort of fake science than other more staid research areas. Does this affect us? You bet! Firstly, because of dangerously misleading (if not downright wrong) pseudo-medical ‘revelations.’ We’re constantly bombarded with contradictions, particularly regarding health
and diet: eat this, don’t eat that. Secondly, because of people like Trump - who calls global warming a “hoax” and is scrapping all Obama’s climate-change policies. This, then, is what happens when universities become obsessed with money and league tables. Being correct is less important than being published in prestigious journals and having masses of funding. Sadly, though, many scientists who get to publish in the most presti-
gious journals get to publish another, related paper, quite quickly: the retraction! Finally, and back to Angelina’s and David’s tattoos which, at least, are in correct, non-faked Latin. Other tattoos have reportedly ended up with schoolboy errors or dodgy online translations, half in English, half in Latin (Linglish?) so: ‘I walk through the valley of the shadow of death’ becomes: ‘Ingredior per valley of umbra of nex.’ I’m reminded here of my favourite Latin tattoo: ‘Sic transit gloria mundi.’ (Roughly translated: ‘The van’s broken down, can Gloria pick it up next week?’) So, in this era of Trump-style fake news, buyers beware of tattoos in fake Latin... caveat emptor! Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-john son.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
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6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
No-one will listen to you Mike Senker
In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man WE have a couple of apartments that we rent out. Nothing too amazing, but nice and clean and tidy and help give us a small income. When we first started to rent them out we did it online and all went very smoothly for many years. Mrs S has always handled all the enquiries herself and dealt directly with the clients. She paid the annual fee for the use of the site and all was good. If you paid a bit extra you could go higher up the list. Then the site got taken over and things became slightly more complicated. A few more things were added to ‘help’ us get the best from our apartments but all was still OK. The company has been sold again and is now owned by Trivago, which is a mega travel company, and it’s turned into a nightmare. They have, as all big companies do, told us what is best for us but in fact it’s not best for us at all, it’s best for them. They want to handle all the bookings, they want to handle all the payments and and pay us after the punters have left. Yeah right oh. And they tell us the customers prefer this way. Oh and on top of that they now not only charge us they charge the punter a service charge too. Of course, if
you try and speak to them about anything they do, as all big companies do now, is just to moronically repeat the party line. They will not listen to anything you have to say and are very much of the take it or leave it attitude. The amazing thing is that if you go online and see if there are any others who are asking the same questions as you, there are pages and pages of thousands of people all complaining about the same thing but which falls on deaf ears. The trouble is, as one company just gets absorbed into another, everything becomes controlled by these huge multi-million pound faceless entities. No-one will listen to you. It’s their way or no way because they know they have a monopoly. On top of all that there are the new rental laws which means we have had to put aircon into both apartments. We have to meet and greet every arrival, take copies of their passports which then have to be registered with the police who, by the way, have no clue what’s going on. There are many other things which make renting out a lot less attractive and a lot more hard work to do something that has worked very well for as many years as I can remember. It has been said that these new rules were brought in after the large hotels put pressure on the government. Who knows? It will be interesting to see how it all works. Email me: mikesenker@gmail.com
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FEATURE
LEGALLY SPEAKING New campaign highlights the danger of mobiles AS part of a new series, we answer some common driving questions, kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers. THE DGT has launched a new campaign to stop people from using their mobile phones whilst driving. The campaign has engaged the comedic skills of comedy group Tricicle, Joan Gracia, Paco Mir and Carles Sans, to deliver the message of the dangers of distractions during driving, especially the increasingly frequent use of mobile phones. It is hoped by using humour to raise awareness of the dangers, the campaign will become a viral message spread across social media. Minister of the Interior, Juan Ignacio Zoido said: “We want to universalise a simple, friendly and cordial gesture that serves to warn drivers or pedestrians who are using their mobile phone whilst driving or crossing the road, of the risk involved and there is no one better than Tricicle for expressing the message.” A video has been released to accompany the campaign with the simple message ‘At the wheel, don’t use your mobile’ which is available on various social media accounts. It is reported that distractions cause around 30 per cent of all fatal incidents, meaning that at least 500 people die each year in traffic incidents where distraction was a concurrent factor. Mobile phone use is cited as the most frequent distraction, an action that is classified as a very dangerous practice by 94 per cent of drivers according to a study by the RACC. Another survey of more than 6,000 young Europeans found that despite the danger, 43 per cent of young people admitted to using What-
MOBILES: A dangerous distraction. sApp instant messaging service whilst driving. When dialling a number on a phone in a vehicle travelling at 120km per hour, a distance of 429m is travelled, the equivalent of around four football fields. Whilst writing a message, your vehicle can travel 660m blind whilst you are distracted typing. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, sending messages has three forms of distraction; the actual visual distraction, the manual distraction of the fingers typing on the keypad and the mental distraction as drivers are concentrating on the message rather than the road. These combined can multiply the possibility of an accident by up to 23 times. Zoido wants to encourage drivers to make a simple hand gesture to phone users they spot on the roads to remind them to hang up. He added: “We have an important awareness ahead of the real risk of using the phone whilst driving. Nothing is so urgent it cannot wait a few minutes.”
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
Must they take down their shed? WE bought a penthouse on the Costa del Sol in 2015. The complex originally had planning permission, but the Andalucian Junta had withdrawn this so the complex was not legal. However our solicitor informed us that this would not be a problem. The maintenance company never gave us a copy of the Complex rules, so we went ahead and built a small aluminium YOUR building may be ‘illegal’ but your Community of Property Owners is perfectly legal and, yes, they can order you to take down your shed-type construction on the roof.
room on the roof. Since then our estate agent has been contacted by the maintenance company and he said we would have to take down the room. If we do not, we will be taken to court. My question therefore is: If this is an illegal Complex building, are the Committee legal? Can they make us take down the room on the roof? M T (Costa del Sol)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
In fact, the roof area actually belongs to the Com-
munity, with ‘exclusive use’ assigned to you. Properly, you should have requested permission from the Committee or the President before you put up any structure.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
FEATURE
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Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene
THE frugal will ever suspec t f l a m b o y a n t s p e n d thrifts and Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem accused Spain of squandering Brussels money on “wine and women.” Speaking in the national par l i a m e n t C i u d a d a n o s leader Albert Rivera agr e e d t h a t m o n e y w a s wasted, but it went on corruption, empty motorways and closed airports. Admittedly, the population once enjoyed a slight trickledown effect but it was largely a trickle-up process that has made the rich richer and the poor, poorer.
Photo by Wikimedia
Living with the good life Forget ideology THE PSOE crisis is about politicians, not politics. The party has been leaderless since its then secretary general Pedro Sanchez was manoeuvred into jumping before he was pushed last October. Now it’s time to choose his successor in a three-way stretch between Susana Diaz, Patxi Lopez and Sanchez. They parrot their patter, lay out their wares and produce a magic formula for bringing the PSOE out of the shadows to bask in the sunny warmth of voter approval. With primaries in view they are not trying to convince voters but must preach to the converted, the paid-up party militants who want doctrine not promises. They should spare their
breath and if the membership wants the PSOE to have an outside chance in any election they should forget ideology and choose the person most likely to rake in votes.
Staying power
JEROEN DIJSSELBLOEM: Eurogroup president.
SUSANA DIAZ won Andalucia’s regional election shored up by Ciudadanos, Lopez another with PP (yes PP!) votes in the Basque Region. And Pedro Sanchez won nothing at all, apart from the 2014 primaries.
Both his parliamentary seats were inherited, his by default after those preceding him on the PSOE’s closed candidates’ lists dropped out. On the face of it - and Sanchez’s is a pleasant face - he had everything going for him as secretary general. Instead he brings to mind the winner of a television talent contest whose career nosedives after early triumph. It takes talent to get to the top but it needs more than talent to stay there.
A salutary lesson to be learnt JEREMY CORBYN, is a salutary example of what happens when the membership chooses the party leader. And we probably have him to thank for Brexit as his Remain campaign fell flat and lacked an ounce of passion, possibly because his famed integrity made him reluctant to align with Cameron & Co.
Corbyn is a politician whose credentials look good on paper, who remains faithful to his beliefs and does a thoroughly mediocre job of leading the UK’s Socialist party. A photo of him should be prominent wherever PSOE primaries are held.
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FEATURE
Mind your language if you please Trudy Stewart MY love for reading comes from my mum. When I was little, she would read to me every night and as soon as I was old enough, we played Junior Scrabble. As I got older and started reading on my own, I would always have a dictionary on hand to look up and memorise any new words. My love for books has never waned and alongside it my love of language developed. At school I studied French and Latin and although it seemed a cruel form of torture at the time, I’m glad that I did. As I struggle now with my ageing brain to learn Spanish, I’m constantly surprised at how much more I can understand when I see it in written form. There is so much shared vocabulary - maybe not always identical but similar enough that you get the idea. Words can be so powerful and as a form of communication it’s about as effective as you can get even in an electronic age where images are often used as a replacement. Authors can transport you wherever their imagination takes
OFFENSIVE WORDS: Are not necessarily swear words.
you just by using words. Poets can bring us to tears. However, it doesn’t all have to come from putting the right combinations of words together, sometimes a single word can have all the
punch of the Bard’s best soliloquy. I’m talking of course about swear words. Now it’s always made me chuckle that alongside developing language as a means to communicate, we’ve also felt the need for an al-
ternative for when those other words just aren’t enough. When children are learning to speak and inadvertently copy what daddy said when he stubbed his toe moments earlier, they are discouraged from parroting the ‘bad word.’ So, here’s my confession. Yes, I adore language and words and have an extensive vocabulary at my disposal but sometimes that’s just not enough and I swear. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not dropping ‘f-bombs’ all over the place offending all who come in contact with me, but every so often in the right context, it’s the only word for the job. A couple of weeks ago, whilst walking my dog at night, I was looking at the stars when I should have been looking where I was going and fell down some stairs. I went over my ankle and what sprang forth would not only have made a sailor blush, it would have had him reaching for a copy of the profanisaurus! I know swearing isn’t big or clever and it definitely isn’t for everyone but I’d say there are more damaging words than the standard swears. Words like stupid or ugly can do more to undermine a person. I find those sorts of words far more offensive but they are socially acceptable. I guess, like everything else, it comes down to the individual and what they find offensive. At the end of the day, they’re only words.
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Malaga
EASTER
Hail Holy Week By Francesca Souter FROM Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, thrones bearing lifelike effigies of Christ and the Virgin Mary are carried through towns and cities the length and breadth of Spain. Semana Santa represents the journey that Jesus took from his arrival in Jerusalem to his death and resurrection. Spain is internationally acclaimed for its Easter celebrations and Semana Santa is a big deal in the yearly event calendar. Entire cities come to a standstill as grand processions make their way through the streets, men and women bearing floats upon which stand depictions of stories from the gospel. In some cases, these floats have been preserved for cen-
turies in their original condition. The history surrounding the celebration is tangible. The origins of Semana Santa in Spain lie all the way back in the early 1500s and the celebrations we see today are the result of centuries of evolution. For example, it wasn’t until the 17th century that the ‘cofradias,’ or brotherhoods, began to divide and organise themselves into the factions which are now essential to celebrations. For spectators who expect every Spanish celebration to be a flamboyant fiesta, the first experience of a Semana Santa parade can be a little daunting. Depending on where you are in Spain, the celebrations can differ in both piety and vibrancy. Across Andalucia, the week is a jubilant celebration of religion, with incredibly de-
tailed and elaborate floats held up by different church brotherhoods. These men and women are so in sync with one another that the effigies they carry look eerily lifelike. The further north you travel, the more solemn and sombre the tradition becomes. Compared with the festival atmosphere in the south, some would describe Spain’s northern towns as having more authentic and historical Semana Santa parades. The processions are sober and regal, emphasising devotion, remembrance and silence. Wherever you choose to visit during Semana Santa, it is guaranteed to be a unique and unforgettable experience. For information on what is happening in your city or town this year, head online for full breakdowns of the timetables.
Malaga Nerja
Semana Santa in Malaga WITH over 500 years of history, Malaga is one of the most popular destinations for visitors who wish to see the religious, social and cultural spectacular that is Semana Santa. Semana Santa on the Costa del Sol is often considered a little livelier than celebrations in the north of Spain. There is no doubt that Malaga comes alive as the brotherhoods make their way through the streets bearing their thrones, over-
whelmed by the sounds of joy and applause, but there is still an element of religious pious evident throughout the week. In fact, variety defines Semana Santa in Malaga, with old and new brotherhoods coming together to mix the luxury of the ornate thrones with a great emphasis on the penitential spirit. Every year, Malaga-born actor Antonio Banderas makes an effort to spend Semana Santa in his hometown, where he leads the Virgin de las Lagrimas y Favores procession.
Almeria
Battling brotherhoods
Malaga
IT may be bigger in Sevilla or Malaga, but Holy Week in Almeria is actually considered one of the best, and most important, in all of Spain. In fact the event itself is officially considered to be of National Touristic Interest, one of the exclusive few in the country to win such an accolade. First and foremost is the fascinating rivalry between the brotherhoods. Due to occupation by the Islamic Moors, Semana Santa didn’t get off the ground in Almeria until the 16th century. A century later different brotherhoods began competing for influence and souls during an economic and demographic crisis which saw many people set sail for the new world. The brotherhoods became alternative power structures with incredible influence which lasts to this day. Today there are more than 20 across the city and Semana Santa is made infinitely more fascinating as the different sects try to outdo one another with separate parades spread out across the week.
SPECIAL
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Interview
Community camaraderie in Calpe AS more and more British become integrated with Spanish traditions and culture, Euro Weekly News caught up with one expat, who is taking part in the Holy Week events in Calpe, as part of the Cofradía Jesús Nazareno Calp brotherhood. Giovanna Wallis moved to Calpe six years ago, and quickly settled into a life involving theatre, dance and singing (both performing and choreographing.) It was through this involvement with the community that, a few years ago, she attended the Good Friday procession in her town and left feeling really emotional and moved by the experience. Giovanna said: “Watching the events left me feeling inspired, and wanting to find out
The Cofradía Jesús Nazareno Calp.
Costa Blanca
Alicante Giovanna Wallis. more, so with a group of friends I joined the Cofradía and feel honoured that I am going to take part in the most important week in the Catholic calendar.” “I definitely would recommend anyone to join a group like this, not just for integration into the community but to practise Spanish and make new friends, it really is like being part of another big family. “I have been welcomed and nurtured by everyone and it is really lovely to feel part of the town’s celebrations and learn about the old Spanish traditions.”
Mallorca
The passion comes alive
Easter on the island
SEMANA SANTA on the southern Costa Blanca is truly a sight to see. Incredibly, the region has four different celebrations which are each officially recognised as festivals of international significance. The entire Easter Week in Orihuela, Crevillent and Alicante are considered events of such special standing, as is the Palm Sunday procession in Elche. And that’s not even to mention spectacular affairs in Torrevieja and Murcia that are considered emblematic of Semana Santa in their own right. But it is in Alicante, the largest city of the southern Costa Blanca that Easter ’s profound yet bloody history is most chaotically celebrated. Throngs of people, numbering well above 20,000 will set the city alight with colour amid the beating processionary drums. A deeply religious place, especially during the darker ages of history, the Costa Blanca’s proximity to the sea marries its maritime myths with passionate Catholicism. A past bloodied with conquest by the Moors means that Easter is celebrated even more fervently here.
A LITTLE more subdued than the celebrations on the mainland, Mallorca takes the tradition of Semana Santa to heart. One of the most significant and memorable weeks on the island, processions begin on Palm Sunday at churches everywhere with the bearing of palm branches, and continue throughout the week. Brotherhoods dressed in penitential robes and conical hoods proceed through the streets accompanied by sombre music, taking hours to complete their penitentiary route. The town of Pollensa is the location for one of the most incredible Semana Santa traditions in the world. Thousands travel to the town to watch the dramatic recreation of the descent from the cross, where a figure of Christ is carried down the 365 Calvari steps after a mock crucifixion. The tone is sombre as the body is taken down by torchlight.
Almeria
Elche
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NEWS
Travel
Raw and unapologetic WILD, windy, raw and exotic, Cadiz was one of the fist parts of Spain to welcome western civilisation as we know it, but today stands firmly at the far edge of the tourist and travel experience. The province is sprawling with hot, dusty, coastal towns separated by pine forests and sublime beaches. The skies are a deep, daily blue, which is why this is the Costa de la Luz. From the beaches and surrounding mountains you can easily see Africa. Yet it is the Arab and Gitano vibe which dominates through the splendid architecture and pulsating flamenco. The laid-back port of Cadiz has some of the wildest carnivals in the world and a hip alternative community that makes a welcome change from the tourist magnets of Granada and Barcelona. There is an adventurous feel to the place, which first welcomed Roman and Phoenician armies thousands of years ago. Since then seafaring Spanish soldiers used Cadiz as a hub of empire and the archaic flavour of those forgotten times lingers on today. Trips to Cadiz are mainly based on three things. The beaches, food and isolation.
VIRGIN BEACHES: Stretch around the coastline. CADIZ CITY: Makes a welcome change.
From Tarifa to Vejer de la Frontera you will find some of Spain’s finest virgin beaches, endlessly stretching around the cragged coastline. A renowned surfing paradise, beaches like Valdevaqueros are at world competition level standard but offer a spectacular reward for the non-surfer who just wants to feel as though they are standing at the end of the world. Fish of course is the prime dish at almost any restaurant. Across Cadiz you can be certain of enjoying local, freshly caught fish on demand, washed down with the region’s acclaimed wines. Unaccustomed to tourists to the same extent as other Spanish hotspots, you can’t always expect good English or standard service. What you can expect is an excellent, hearty meal and an experience you won’t soon forget. Cadiz is easily accessible by car from Malaga Province, or by air from airports across both the UK and Spain. The nearest airport is Jerez, which Ryanair flies out of, and which is just over a half hour’s drive or one hour train ride away from Cadiz city.
FEATURE
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Trainspotting’s writer is turning the acid house scene into a TV series Richard Shanley
Dishing the Dirt OF EUROPA DIGITAL
JUST when we thought T2 may just be the last we’d see of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting franchise, the novel’s original writer Irvine Welsh is bringing it back for a whole new series based on the acid house scene. Welsh will co-write a new TV show about acid house and rave culture. The Leith-born writer has previously hinted at plans for a small-screen spin-off, but this is the first time such a project has officially been announced. The series will be loosely based on the beginning of the careers of prominent British DJs Nicky Holloway, Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling and will be called ‘Ibiza87.’ It will follow the trio’s career, starting with their inspiring trip to Ibiza in 1987. “[The show] ties in with the 30-year anniversary of our trip to Ibiza and what followed thereafter; the birth of the dance mu-
TRAINSPOTTING: A new TV show is to be based on acid house and rave culture. sic club and festival scene as we know it today,” said Paul Oakenfield. The cast for Peaky Blinders’ fourth season just keeps on getting bigger and bigger,
as it’s been announced that Aidan Gillen has now signed up for the BBC Two crime drama. You’ll of course already know Gillen as Petyr ‘Littlefinger ’ Baelish in
Game of Thrones, as well as from roles in The Wire, the UK’s Queer as Folk and The Dark Knight Rises. The cast now includes himself and Adrien Brody (plus, y’know, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy), must-see TV just found a new meaning. Line of Duty’s David Caffrey will be directing the fourth season, which is expected to air later this year. A fifth season has also already been confirmed (yep, before the fourth has even aired), so it looks like the gang will be around for a good while yet. If you would like me to answer any questions you may have on satellite TV or to expand on anything I have written about please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europa-digital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show every weekday from 10am on Spectrum 96.1 & 106.8FM, now covering almost 3,000sq kms of Costa Almeria and Calida or listen online at costaalmeria.spectrumfm.net for the latest news and views from the world of satellite television.
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FEATURE
6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
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Teaching new words to the Spanish ambassador Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.
I HEARD a light tapping on my front door. Unusual for a sunny morning to have visitors. I peered out the window flap and saw that it was my new neighbour. “Don Juan, please come in. Sit and have some coffee. What can I do for you?” “Ricky, I’ve been worried. You haven’t been up to play tennis for a whole week. Have I done something to offend you?” Well, I was speechless, this kind, elegant, soft spoken Spanish diplomat was worried about me, an intruder that borrowed his tennis court frequently. I was a little dumb-struck. “Well, I thought Don Juan we were abusing your gracious offer and the last people I brought up were very loud and swore a lot.” He snapped a reply, “no, that’s just it, I was enjoying listening to the swearing. I am learning new words. In two weeks I am meeting many American
TENNIS COURT: Sometimes you found someone that could play. ambassadors at a conference and want to be up on the latest popular American colloquialisms.” It’s too true, real Americans really only talk in popular jingos, regional sayings and everyday blasphemous exclamations that if listened to frequently create a familiar patter that becomes a language. Cursing was just a part of adding exciting adjec-
tives to any exclamatory refrain to give it immediate impact and a colourful nuance. We exchanged a few more pleasantries and he left, dress and all to waddle back up to his very large house that he was renting. Don Juan was the Spanish ambassador to some place out in the Pacific Ocean where the men wore dresses instead of
pants. That didn’t bother me at all. He was well-travelled, a great story teller and seemed to know everyone in Spain, first hand, of any importance. He allowed me the use of his tennis court, but lately I had been arriving with lots of new risky people. Risky in that you never knew whether they even knew how to play tennis nor how to deport themselves
on a borrowed court. The last group I found in Puerto Rey. Now, any Yank that could even find that place back in ’71 looking for a vacation had to be honoured to a certain degree. Their women were worse in that they’d pull up chairs to watch, drink their drinks and just leave the cans, wrappers for the snacks lying about. But the guys playing took more sport in shouting at the ball, after they had missed it, than concentrating on the game. Then, they would make jokes between themselves using a special cursing language. Their women would bay like horses and shout down additional disparages to further demean the cause. It was Hillbillies vs the world in their own hee-haw vernacular. In any case Don Juan got a kick out of it apparently, although I was embarrassed to the eyes with their unlearned shenanigans and couldn’t get them away quick enough. Sometimes you found someone that could play. I got Bjorn Bjorg’s coach one time for an entire week. He didn’t swear at all. Got a little worried about him.
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LETTERS
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FEATURE
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION
Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Help indeed for couple in need I WOULD just like to say a massive thank you to Carolyn Drew from Benidorm’s indoor market, what a lovely helpful person she is and a credit to your paper. Myself and my wife were in a bit of a state in March due to missing flights back to the UK, but unlike the hotel group mercenaries, this lady was sympathetic to our situation and helped as much as she could. I will write our story in due course and hopefully you will publish it, but at the moment I just want to thank Carolyn. Arthur Redwood, Benidorm
Idea for Leapy THERE are two million empty properties in Spain and the UK needs two million properties Crisis in care service in UK. Spanish always looking for this
work. One Spanish lady today asked if I knew of anybody looking for a carer. Live-in carers get €700 (£600). Never any waiting in local private hospital in emergency. Pay €17 for nurses. Once had six nurses, two working on my infected leg, two trainees and two holding my hands and chatting about dating sites in Spain!!! Solution: ship two million elderly Brits to Spain. Solve housing crisis in both countries. Health and care service problems solved. Simple. Should make me prime minister. Love your page. Robert Mason
Spain’s OK! I WAS very interested in the tweet from Mr Harry Paine in your paper dated February 22. Mr Paine seems upset about some aspects of Spanish culture. He seems to forget illegal
hare coursing with dogs, pit bull type dog fights and much more take place in the UK. On the whole, Spanish people are very kind to their old people and children. Contrast this with old people in England, dying of cold and neglect, often pushed into socalled care homes by their grasping children, waiting to get their inheritance. Care home workers have been sent to prison for abuse of old people. Then there are the dreadful cases of sexual abuse, torture and murder. In one terrible case a baby of six weeks suffered life threatening injuries by sexual assault. There was a man alone in the house and the judge let him off, saying it could not be proven. You could not make it up, as the great Leapy Lee might say! Might I suggest to Mr Paine that he leaves this wonderful country we live in and returns
to the ‘land of milk and honey’ that is the UK? Then he could devote his time to writing to the newspapers about the above subjects. I hope you can find space for my letter in my favourite newspaper. J E Frensham, Rojales, Alicante
Age Concern JUST a quick word of thanks for the coverage you have given our first charity shop in Fuengirola. The response in terms of customers, donated goods and enquiries to be volunteers has been incredible. Thought you would like to know the outcome of your efforts. Thank you for your continued support. Steve Marshall, Fuengirola
Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com
Marbella’s horses I WOULD like to react to an article about a horse and carriage petition in EWN last week. As anyone can see, these horses are well fed, well shod, have a shiny coat and no injuries. Some of them wear leg protectors. Most owners have more than one horse which means they don’t work every day. They are stabled at night and although they work hard in the summer, in winter most of them are turned out in a field. They have water at the stops to drink and cool them down, the only problem being a lack of shade but that is an issue for the town hall, as they cut down all the shady trees. Believe me, if all the horses in Spain looked like these in Marbella there would be no need for rescue centres. So if you do want to sign a petition, change Marbella into Marrakech - over there it really is shameful. Hanneke Haslinghuis
COMMENTS from EWN Online Gang in Valencia THERE are so many crimes committed by people from other member countries across the EU that it is time to fix laws so that anybody convicted has to serve his or her sentence in their own country and be denied the right to return for five or 10 years depending on the nature of the crime. Why should Spain, in this and other cases, be obliged to house thousands of foreign criminals at a great cost to the state. Peter Fieldman
Female equality JUST a thought... what do the female of the species receive when they enter the gates of paradise? Are there 35 big hunky men awaiting their every wish? I say 35 because it is reputed that they are half the value of men. Do the washing up! Clean the kitchen! Put more shelves up! Mow the lawn! Weed the garden! etc. How silly of me... as if the females would be allowed in to such a masculine club. Unless they died as virgins of course. The more people that see through this mask of masculine control the sooner we might have some peace on earth. I saw a devout Muslim on TV some time back, explaining how paradise had rivers flowing with wine. One of the gathering reminded him that alcohol was not permitted. Without hesitation, he replied... “Ah it is alcohol free wine.” All religion is man made for the benefit of the strong men to remain in control. We all know that women are just as capable as men in most things, and even better in some. That is why these control freaks don’t want to give women the chance of proving it, in case they lose their control. There are evil men and women all over the world needlessly killing and torturing children for instance. Radical Muslims are just the flavour of the decade. We do not have to concentrate on their crime alone. Let’s get our own house in order before we complain about others. Roy Leon
Free Scotland SCOTLAND needs freeing from England’s negative downward spiral. Denise Williams
Home Nations IN FINE FETTLE: The horses are well looked after.
HAVE YOUR SAY All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com
HAVE to say it’s very refreshing to see good sports writing from a female writer! Bravo EWN. James H
British Ambassador statement ONE item of legislation that does need to be retained is The European Pension Regulations. There are many UK citizens who have worked in the EU (including Spain) but will not have sufficient years in the EU schemes to get a pension but within the regulations, their service in, say Spain, can be amalgamated with their pensionable service in the UK to give them a reasonable pension. Alan Bowman
The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA
Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.
MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case G) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
‘ LOOK AGAIN ANTONIO - ARE YOU SURE THEY ARE ONLY LEMMINGS? ’
LOTTERY
Costa de Almería
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
TODAY
Saturday April 01
1
2
11
23
25
54
VELEZ RUBIO
BONUS BALL HUERCAL OVERA
ALBOX
14
GARRUCHA
IRISH LOTTO
MOJACAR
Saturday April 01 ALMERIA
9
16
31
ADRA
ROQUETAS
43
37
35
TOMORROW
VELEZ RUBIO
EURO MILLIONS Tuesday March 28
BONUS BALL
9
13
31
Alicante TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 11 - S Fri - 21 12 S Sat - 21 12 S Sun - 23 13 S Mon - 23 14 C Tues - 23 13 C Wed - 22 13 Sh
Bilbao TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 6 - C Fri - 20 9 S Sat - 26 11 S Sun - 26 13 S Mon - 22 10 Sh Tues - 17 10 Sh Wed - 16 9 C
Almeria TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 13 - C Fri - 23 13 S Sat - 24 14 S Sun - 25 15 S Mon - 25 15 C Tues - 24 14 Cl Wed - 23 14 Cl
Madrid TODAY: MAX 22, MIN 7 - S Fri - 24 7 S Sat - 25 8 S Sun - 25 9 Cl Mon - 23 8 C Tues - 20 7 Sh Wed - 19 6 Sh
Barcelona TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 - S Fri - 18 9 C Sat - 19 9 S Sun - 19 10 S Mon - 19 12 C Tues - 18 11 Sh Wed - 18 10 Sh
Malaga TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 10 - CL Fri - 22 10 Cl Sat - 21 11 Cl Sun - 22 10 S Mon - 23 12 C Tues - 22 12 Sh Wed - 22 12 Sh
Benidorm TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 12 - S Fri - 20 12 S Sat - 20 12 S Sun - 21 13 Cl Mon - 22 14 C Tues - 21 12 C Wed - 21 13 C
Mallorca TODAY: MAX 21 MIN 9 - S Fri - 22 8 S Sat - 22 9 S Sun - 23 10 S Mon - 24 11 Cl Tues - 21 11 C Wed - 21 11 C
RETAMAR
BONUS BALL
34
weather
HUERCAL OVERA
ALBOX
6
TARGET: • Average: 8 • Good: 11 • Very good: 16 • Excellent: 21
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION into newt nope note nowt open oven pent peon pine pint pion pone pont tine tone town twin vein vent vine vino went wine wino wont envoi inept opine ovine pinto piton point twine woven invite pointe tiepin townie VIEWPOINT
Sudoku Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.
GARRUCHA
10
46
33
MOJACAR
Friday March 31
BONUS BALL ALMERIA
17
24
26
RETAMAR
4 ADRA
ROQUETAS
12
45
28
SATURDAY
LA PRIMITIVA
VELEZ RUBIO
Saturday April 01
8
18
22
26
36
HUERCAL OVERA
ALBOX
13 9
GARRUCHA
MOJACAR
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
ALMERIA
RETAMAR
Sunday April 02 ADRA
1
11 21
17 32
ROQUETAS
BONUS BALL
9 S: Sun
Cl: Clear
F: Fog
C: Cloudy
Sh: Showers
Sn: Snow
Th: Thunder
Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of published forecasts
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
BONUS BALL
6
OUT
6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
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AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
page
Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition
Cryptic
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
CRYPTIC
Quick
Across:
Across 1 Decides on ground-breaking tools (5) 4 Repeat odd tea rite (7) 8 Raced one out of the rain (3) 9 Organise date with Rambo, he's a hunk (9) 10 Article about a concert (7) 11 The whole small drink is given to a beginner (5) 12 Could be a worry for this garden plant (6) 14 Offer to be gentle (6) 17 Satisfies asset management (5) 18 Taking a chance, hide in oil platform (7) 20 Infantryman re-reading novel (9) 22 Some insipid yellow colour? (3) 23 Comes back for the profits (7) 24 Breaks useful for snooker players (5)
1 Stag, 4 Perverse, 8 Tenner, 9 Tailed, 10 Bear, 11 Sanction, 13 Rolling stones, 16 Respects, 19 Cram, 20 Throbs, 22 Agaric, 23 Beverage, 24 Dank. Down: 2 Therefore, 3 General, 4 Pores, 5 Ratings, 6 Edict, 7 Sue, 12 Operation, 14 Nicosia, 15 Orchard, 17 Prone, 18 Shade, 21 Hoe.
QUICK
Down 1 Depict a harbour man (7) 2 ‘Incompetency’ nicely encapsulates doubter (5) 3 Disloyal revolutionary is outside (9) 4 Goals for working ladies (6) 5 Tree turns up in Hamlet (3) 6 Fuss before a small department gets reorganised and taken over (7) 7 Celebrate former road charge? Not entirely (5) 11 Money manager more confident after rate review (9)
Code Breaker
61
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Crossword
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Across:
13 Go back and pay for the drinks again (7) 15 Sorrow for river herons (7) 16 Paths of planets or particles (6) 17 Some tiramisu, garibaldi biscuits etc are sweet (5) 19 A flower in Asia some find useful (5) 21 The appearance of a melody (3)
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 13 represents H and 14 represents K, so fill in H every time the figure 13 appears and K every time the figure 14 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.
Across 1 Frightened (6) 4 Leave (6) 9 Amaze (7) 10 Female fox (5) 11 Buttoned sweater (8) 13 Gloomy (4) 14 Earnings (5) 17 Quick and energetic (5) 20 Highest quality (4) 21 Greek lamb dish (8) 25 Frighten (5) 26 Rust (7) 27 Call off (6) 28 Upper class (6)
Down 1 Look for (6) 2 Following (5) 3 Difficult to describe (7) 5 Covetousness (4) 6 Apprehensive (7) 7 Adult male singing voice (5) 8 Thought (4) 12 Writing point of a pen (3) 15 Voluntarily refrain (7) 16 Total (3) 18 Set aside (7) 19 Recently (6) 20 Fundamental (5) 22 On one occasion (4) 23 Regarding (5) 24 Give over (4)
1 Ogre, 3 Scramble, 9 Explain, 10 Traps, 11 Halve, 12 Uproar, 14 Admits, 16 Battle, 19 Garage, 21 Short, 24 Adder, 25 Certain, 26 Sorcerer, 27 Find.
Down: 1 Overhead, 2 Repel, 4 Concur, 5 Alter, 6 Blatant, 7 Easy, 8 Talent, 13 Destined, 15 Meander, 17 Absurd, 18 Rescue, 20 Agree, 22 Okapi, 23 Bans.
ENGLISHSPANISH Across:
English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
1 Nearby, 4 Dust, 8 Niece, 9 Sobre, 10 Libraries, 13 Clavo, 14 Bolsa, 15 East, 16 Crisps. Down: 1 None, 2 Americans, 3 Beetroot, 5 Umbrellas, 6 Toes, 7 Escribir, 11 Ache, 12 Pais.
CODE BREAKER
Across 1 Una vez (4) 3 Caricia (6) 8 To stammer (11) 9 Silver (metal) (5) 10 Regla (para trazar líneas) (5) 12 Grasshopper (11) 14 Señal (6) 15 Brazos (4)
Down 1 Pulpos (9) 2 Letter (mail) (5) 4 Aquariums (8) 5 Ojo (3) 6 Sorpresas (9) 7 Pumpkin (8) 11 Más tarde (5) 13 Pierna (3)
HEALTH BEAUTY
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6 - 12 April 2017
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SUNBURN: The pain can be avoided.
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Banish the burn SUMMER is just around the corner and as things begin to hot up, it can be difficult to avoid the dreaded sunburn. An unfortunate side-effect in the lives of many sun worshippers, sunburn can be a real pain - literally! The good news is that there are ways to ease the discomforts and minimise the consequences. Your first step should be to stay out of the sun. Admittedly difficult in such a hot climate, but essential to prevent further sun damage. Keep the burned areas covered up with light-
EWN
weight clothing and stick to the shade. A cool bath or shower is your new best friend. The cold can help to soothe the pain and inflammation that comes with sunburn. It’s also a good idea to have a cold compress handy for use in short bursts throughout the day. Sunburn dries out your skin, so a focus on hydration is key. Drink as much water as you can, avoid harsh chemicals in soaps, and slather on the moisturiser. It isn’t exactly groundbreaking information, but aloe is your best bet when treating a sunburn. If you can find pure aloe vera, it can seriously reduce the time it takes for your skin to fully heal. The best sunburn cure is prevention. Ensure you’re wearing high factor sun creams and if you can, stay in the shade between 12pm and 4pm when the sun is at its strongest.
A two parent family can affect children.
A father’s influence? DOES living with a two parent family really affect the health and future of children? A new study carried out on British families claims it does. Researchers from the London School of Economics looked at the lives of more than 1,000 children born to single mothers at the turn of the century, based on reports following the lives of nearly 20,000 children. They followed youngster ’s
health, intelligence and social skills up to the age of seven and found that those who lived with their biological father also, were more likely to go on to have a better education and get a good job. However, if a stepfather joined the father the results were not the same and children were more likely to have the same issues as youngsters brought up by just their mothers.
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Spain remains meat eaters IN Spain, 8 per cent of 16-24year-olds say they are vegetarian, and 7 per cent say they follow a vegan diet. This compares to the rest of Europe where in Germany, 14 per cent of those in this age category call themselves vegetarian and 10 per cent are vegan. In Italy and Poland 11 per cent are vegetarian, with 9 per cent being vegan in Italy and 10 per cent in Poland. Whilst Spain remains a strong meat lover it seems, the vegan market is growing worldwide and it seems that Germany is the leading country
for vegan product innovation. According to the Global New Products Database (GNPD), by Mintel market intelligence agency, Germany was the leading market for vegan food and drink product launch activity in 2016, with 18 per cent of all global food and drink product launches with vegan claims occurring in Germany. The only country coming close to this amount of vegan launch activity in 2016 was the United States, where 17 per cent of all new global vegan food and drink products were launched, followed by the UK with 10 per cent global share. Vegetarian claims have also witnessed growth in recent years in Germany. Over the past five years, the share of food and drink launches with vegetarian claims more than doubled, rising from 3 per cent in 2012 to 7 per cent in 2016.
Baby boomers MORE and more women are drinking in excess. Figures from a study show more female baby boomers are binge drinking at a rate much faster than men. The study was carried out by the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which collected data on more than 65,000 men and women aged 60 and older who were current drinkers. Among them, more than 6,500 men and 1,700 women were binge drinkers. From1997 to 2014 the researchers found that the number of older male drinkers increased by around 1 per cent each year, but the number of female binge drinkers increased nearly 2 per cent per year.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Ask The Doctor
Brought to you by
Treatment for ingrown toenails
SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. AN ingrown toenail occurs when the nail grows into the skin surrounding it. Eventually, the nail pierces the skin, causing it to redden and become swollen and tender. The big toe is most commonly affected, with other typical symptoms including pain when pressure is applied to the toe, inflammation of the skin, a build-up of fluid beneath the skin, bleeding, an overgrowth of skin around the end of the toe, or the excretion of pus. What causes an ingrown toenail? It comprises excessive growth of the skin around the nail, causing it to become red and inflamed, and even becoming infected with accumulation of pus. How do you treat an ingrown toenail? First of all you should ensure proper foot hygiene. You can reduce inflammation using warm salt baths or taking anti-inflammatory drugs, al-
though in some cases this is insufficient and surgery may be required. What type of surgery? When surgical intervention is necessary the idea is to free the nail and eliminate any infected areas. In rare cases the infection can be so severe that antibiotic treatment is required after surgery. Can an ingrown toenail occur more than once? It can happen many times if you do not take care of your feet and use appropriate footwear. What can I do to avoid ingrown toenails? It is best to take care of your feet avoiding the accumulation of dirt or moisture. You must also choose footwear that does not rub when you are walking or running.
If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com
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A rare opportunity for all star-crossed lovers A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity is up for grabs on Saturday April 8. There are 60 places available for a stunningly rare opportunity to gaze at the night sky from one of the most powerful telescopes on the planet at the Calar Alto observatory. Organised by research company Azimuth, the evening tour, which begins at 7.30pm, allows lucky observers to peer into space from the 1.23 metre-long telescope and highly advanced binoculars. There will also be a special talk from a top astronomer from the Astrophysics Institute of Andalucia on detecting meteoroids, the nature of the solar system and different celestial objects.
CALAR ALTO: Located near the peak of the Sierra los Filabres. The Calar Alto observatory is located near the peak of the Sierra los Filabres.
Tickets for Saturday’s adventure can be purchased at www.azimuthspain.com.
Always looking for acting talent MOJACAR’S Indalo Players amateur theatre group have announced the date for their AGM. It will take place on Wednesday April 12 at 4.30pm at Bar la Parra in Turre.
The friendly group, a wonderful addition to the local social and arts scene, welcome all members and are always looking for new actors or backstage wizards to join.
Anyone interested can find out a wealth of information about the group and directions to the AGM on Facebook at the Indalo Players El Teatro Mojacar page.
SCENE
OCIAL
Dance parade spectacular A SPECIAL Semana Santa dance parade will be showcased at the Nijar School of Music and Dance on Friday April 7. The afternoon event will be the fantastic finale to the Nijar School’s very first cultural week, a wonderful cascade of activities put on just before the Easter rush. Students and teachers have been practising hard for the week-long affair, which is open to the public. Musicals, choirs and entire orchestras have been perfected by the 290 talented boys and girls enrolled at the well-regarded school. There will be flute and clarinet performances, and a special guitar orchestra on the Friday. Piano, saxo-
phones and even computergenerated music and choreographed dance will be among the other highlights. The week began with a powerful screening of animated film Ballerina. It is about a young lady’s quest to become a professional dancer, an aspiration shared by hundreds of youngsters in Nijar. So determined are they to put on a terrific performance that they’ve even undergone workshops in concentration and playing in public. Certainly not one to be missed, the performance on Friday begins at 4pm with the guitar orchestra at Nijar ’s multipurpose courts. The musical extravaganza will wrap up around 8pm.
SOCIAL SCENE
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POPULAR ADVENTURE: Zombies capture and turn fleeing survivors.
Zombie apocalypse TICKETS are now available for the last day in Almeria of the zombie craze which has swept like wildfire across Spain. After the stunning success of ‘Last Day Zombie’ in Huercal de Almeria, a new date of the popular adventure programme has been set for May 6 in Cuevas del Almanzora. The after-dark event involves more than six hours of ‘zombies’ chasing around ‘survivors.’ Kicking off at 11pm the horde of zombies will try to capture and turn fleeing survivors until day break, when the last remaining survivor will be crowned champion.
A huge hit from Malaga to Alicante, the virtual survival game involves elaborate costumes, flashlights, props, music and even actors all provided by the organisers. There are tests and missions that will be set right across Cuevas, with incognito safety stewards ensuring no zombies terrify, or crash into, late night traffic. Anyone interested in taking part in the flesheating ruckus should be prepared to walk, crawl or run up to 25 kilometres during the mammoth six-hour event, with the organisers disavowing any responsibility for sprains, tears, or falls. Tickets from www.lastdayzombie.com.
6 - 12 April 2017 / Costa de Almería
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SOCIAL SCENE
Foodie fantasy route ONE of the most deliciously satisfying tours in all of Spain is ready for residents and tourists across Almeria. The Garrucha tapas route is now in full swing and will be providing mouth-watering delicacies for culinary connoisseurs until April 9. The spectacular affair has seen more than 10,000 pamphlets distributed in English and Spanish detailing the route, the food and the competing restaurants. There is even a free shuttle bus taking legions of hungry visitors to the main thoroughfare in the gorgeous seaside town. With more than 95 per cent of the local hotel sector participating in the publicity,
TAPAS ROUTE: Providing mouth-watering delicacies.
Garrucha’s gastronomic celebration is quickly gaining acclaim as one of the very best in the country. The 10-day long affair provides the perfect prelude to an energetic Easter Week with the town already in fine condition to attract thousands of tourists. Police and English-speaking guides are out in full force to offer advice, while the route itself is well mapped out and easy to navigate. It runs along the seaside, making the tapas route a wonderful stand alone walk with a terrific variety of snacks and locally brewed drinks to tuck into on a balmy spring day.
It’s film festival time in Almeria FROM April 5-8 an exciting variety of creative films will be showcased at Almeria’s Apollo Theatre as it celebrates the Creative Commons Film Festival. D oz e ns of films in multiple la ngua ge s w ill
t ouch on t he m ost i nt er est i ng subj ect s i n t he industry, including photography and post-modernism, before finishing up with a beer festival on the Saturday evening.
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Staff that run your business can make or break it for you GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH
GARRY WAITE
A
FEW YEARS AGO there was a super trendy tapas bar that opened behind the gas station on the ‘Ronda roundabout’ near San Pedro, called Biznaga. It was a forerunner for lots of new trendy tapas bars and was even around before Funky Tapas. It was run by a Spanish couple (no relationship - just working partners!), he front of house and she was in the kitchen. He was a very knowledgeable wine enthusiast and she was a damn good cook. The combination was great and the place became very popular. Every client was made welcome and suggestions and specials, were made daily. If you wanted something that wasn’t actually on the menu, then they would prepare that something for you as long as they had the necessary ingredients. It was popular with the local Spanish business people as well as the expats that appreciated what they had to offer. My friends and I would frequent it regularly. Service was always attentive and the staff that were there were brilliant. There was always a warm welcome and often a glass or two of wine on the house for their regulars. Sadly, the young lady Chef
left and the manager also. Despite one of the waiters taking over the food went downhill and eventually the team changed completely and we stopped going. It was no longer the place it was and eventually it closed. Sometime later it re opened as Friends. I popped in one day to check it out and was not impressed. It took me ages to get a glass of wine (there was only three clients in the place) the wine was undrinkable and the service and attitude were not good. Some several weeks later a friend of mine who used to go with me to the previous operation asked me to join him for lunch. I told him I was not over impressed on my one and only visit. He said it had become quite good. We have now been using it for some time but recently the guy who seems to be running the place has developed an attitude which is in keeping with the stereotypical bad Spanish waiter. He hardly smiles, makes you as about welcome as a f..t in a spacesuit! And his attitude is dreadful. When you order your food you ask for it in an order of some sort. I don’t want to eat meat while I am still waiting for fishy bits! “It’s a tapas bar, you get it when it’s ready” he would say. He would take last orders at 3.30 despite the fact they say 4.00. Even if you only wanted a drink! A couple of the other waiters made up for this ignoramus which encouraged
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, my appointment that same day meant meeting a colleague for a late lunch in San Pedro. So we paid a visit to an Indian restaurant. Nothing spectacular from the outside but a pleasant terrace on which to enjoy the spring sunshine! But most importantly was the welcome from the young Indian manager, Fahim. “Whichever table you would like,” he offered, immediately clearing the tables from the departing clients. An hour ago I had been treated with such contempt, but now was being treated with such respect. The menus arrived and wine was served. Apart from the menu being artistically well put together it also contained some dishes not normally seen in a bog standard Indian eatery. I was intrigued
us to keep going. Anyway after a catalogue of disasters over the last few months a visit the other day proved yet again a problem for ‘Mr Personality’ when we asked for a plain mixed salad to go with the steak. They sent out a salad with tuna. When we asked for the tuna to be removed as we only wanted a simple salad he said that was a mixed salad and that is ‘what we serve.’ Needless to say we did not eat it but of course paid for it, as we were charged for it. On Wednesday last week we popped in for a glass of wine before moving on to two different appointments. Mr Rude came over asking if we had a reservation. We replied that we did not, but were only stopping for a glass of wine and my colleague wanted a quick tapa. Apart from about six people in the place - it was empty. “There are no tables for you two here!” came the astonishing reply. We had been banned!! Incredible. This is the sort of attitude I have not seen in many, many years and I can’t wait to write to the owners if I can be bothered. After all, it’s probably their fault for employing such a twerp! (the nicest word I could come up with!!). Well, there is a consolation, in as much as I don’t have to see his ignorant face again and also can take pleasure in the fact I have been banned from far better places than that!!
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If your job is to tell me how to do my job, you should at least know how to do my job. A reminder to those managers I have seen in jobs over the years.
The truth was though, that this charge was THERE CAN’T BE MANY FOODIES who have used to pay wages and although staff did receive not heard of Le Gavroche, one of London’s prea ‘payment’ as part of their salaries it was cermiere restaurants, once the holder of three tainly not an ‘equal’ split. Michelin stars under the guidance of its original Nowadays, to my knowledge and professional family team of Albert and Michel experience adding a 10 per cent or Roux. This iconic eatery is cele12.5 per cent ‘optional service brating its 50th anniversary, charge for parties of seven having first opened in or more’ is fairly common Lower Sloane Street in practice - and it does get 1967. added to the tips and In 1974 it gained is distributed as such. a Michelin Star (the When explained as a first in Britain) and charge that includes in 1977 made it the preparation, pretwo. In 1981 it sentation and service of moved to Upper Brook food I would have thought Street and the following that was part of the workload year achieved the highest acof a restaurant. After all I colade of Three Michelin Stars. Roux Family can’t ever remember going to In 1991 Le Gavroche was 50 years 1967 - 2017. have a suit made and the taitaken over by the very amilor telling me it was 300 pounds for the suits and able Michel Roux Jr and despite receiving only 15 per cent service charge for making it!! two stars in 1993 the family tradition continues So guests at Le Gavroche can now leave a tip and in a climate where quality restaurants come without being encumbered as to whether or not and go it is wonderful to see such an institution to leave a voluntary or optional service charge still respected as one of the consistently finest not tip!! - as Michel Roux explains: restaurants in the world. “For me, tipping and service charge are two But in true controversial style, since the end of different things but by removing the service January 2017 Michel has removed the 13 per charge and incorporating it into the cost of the cent service charge from its menus. In a bid to menu then it is clear, clean, and unambiguous. explain this move he claims that the addition of a Then if diners wish to leave a tip on top of that it service charge confuses the clients as they beis up to them. I think this is something we should lieve it to be a tip!! Well hang on a bit Michel, I do in the restaurant industry. It is not clear for think the majority of diners probably do, especialthe customer whether or not they should leave ly when the words ‘optional’ or ‘voluntary’ are extra on the table or whether or not it is going to added to the words ‘service charge’! all the staff or how it is being distributed. I dareThis takes me back to the early days in hotels say some restaurateurs have been abusing that.” in the 60’s when a 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent Ahhhh! Now I get it! It ain’t voluntary any service charge was added to all bills, the explamore - you’ve got to pay it!! Oh well, you win nation being that everyone from the kitchen some, you lose some!! porter to the Head Housekeeper received a share.
It’s not just the food that is important - the welcome and the attention count too. with the dishes on offer and asking the young man what he considered the specialities of the house to
be, he enquired as to my personal taste in Indian food. I told him what style I liked and he immediately offered to create something he felt sure I would like. Filled with confidence, my colleague said they would leave him to create something as well. The food arrived, excellent! But the care for his clients was as it should be. Up until then I thought he was the owner and asking if he was, was when I was told that he was only the manager. As I told him, if you look after your guests as if you were the owner, an owner can ask no more of a manager than that. So pay a visit to the Bombay Grill Indian restaurant (number 15 out of 147 restaurants in TripAdvisor) and ask for Fahim and avoid the aforementioned tapas bar!
ON THAT NOTE I will bid you farewell until next week and should aspiring restaurateurs need some help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact me. A toast to Good Food, Good Wine and Good Friends.
Garry Waite is a well-known foodie and restaurateur as well as a Hospitality Management Consultant. If you are contemplating setting up an operation in Spain, or indeed having problems with an existing project contact him on garrywaite@euroweeklynews.com.
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Three days in Santiago SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, capital city of Galicia, has been attracting visitors for hundreds of years. The city started out as a small settlement by a Roman road but discovery of St James’ tomb early in the ninth century led to it becoming a place of Catholic worship at the end of a peninsula at that time dominated by Muslim invaders. Gradually, as penitents started to flock there, Santiago de Compostela grew into a holy city and its cathedral and numerous monasteries, churches, hospitals to accommodate pilgrims and stately homes formed around magnificent streets and squares, eventually forming the historical centre which today attracts millions of tourists every year. Walking the Camino is the most traditional way to get to Santiago and there are different routes of varying lengths from most of Spain and other parts of Europe. For those who prefer a speedier form of transport, the city is also easily accessible from the rest of the country and continent by plane, train, coach or car. To make the most of a visit and see as much as possible, the local tourism department recommends a three-day visit and suggests the following schedule: Start day one by exploring the streets and squares of the historical centre before visiting the cathedral. Either join a guided tour or hire
an audio-guide from the tourist office to make the most of your visit. Plan to enter the Cathedral not long before noon if you would like to attend a pilgrims’ mass which, depending on the calendar of liturgical celebrations, usually employs the famous Botafumeiro censer. No visit to the cathedral is complete without heading to the roof for panoramic views of the city. In the afternoon head for the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia (CdC) museum, which boasts magnificent architecture by Peter Eisenman and holds very interesting exhibitions and cultural activities. Back in the historical part of the city, there are two main parks which are worth a visit and offer panoramic views of the area: San Domingos de Bonaval and La Alameda. The next day visit the Mercado de Abastos market, the main and most traditional in the city and the second most visited place after the cathedral. Fresh fish and seafood are the stars of the show at this market, which opens every day except Sunday but is busiest on Thursdays and Saturdays, but fruit and veg, flowers, cheeses and other typical produce is also on sale. Not far from the market is the university’s Faculty of Geography and History which is well worth a visit and has an impressive library and a terrace with spectacular views. In the afternoon take the tourist train for a different view of the city and a relaxed way to
sightsee which is apt for all the family. Then head to the shops to pick up souvenirs to take home: Galician crafts, textiles and delicacies come highly recommended. There are many art galleries and monuments, such as the Pazo de Fonseca and the Iglesia de la Universidad which will complete a pleasant afternoon. On the third and final day, take the chance to join tours of other parts of Galicia such as Finisterre and Costa da Morte, Rias Baixas or A Coruña or visit nearby monasteries or stately homes. Then in the evening it’s time for a final Galician meal and a walk through the streets and squares, stopping off at a pub in the historical centre for a traditional ‘queimada’ to ward off bad spirits.
MERCADO DE ABASTOS: Where fresh fish and seafood are the stars of the show.
NEWS
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Homegrown empire GRUPO CONSENTINO, perhaps the biggest name to come out of the Almanzora Valley, is expanding its American empire to Miami. The innovative design and architecture firm was established in Cantoria in the 1940s using materials from Macael quarries. In summer 2017 it will open its North American headquarters in the sunny Florida city. Today Grupo Consentino maintains its global headquarters in Cantoria and distributes Silestone and Dekton surfaces in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Thieving trio JEWELS robbed from a Benitagla home were smuggled all the way to Murcia by a thieving trio from Albox, Olula del Rio and Purchena. The three crooks have been arrested and accused of flogging their illgotten goods worth more than €7,000 to a Murcia pawn shop.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Oldest and finest artwork
PÉREZ QUILES: Has criticised the state of the town’s parks and green areas.
Parks are ‘shameful’ WITH the spring evenings growing longer and more guests set to arrive, Albox politicians have harshly criticised the state of the town’s parks and green areas. Popular Party spokesman Pérez Quiles went so far as to call the state of neglect and abandonment ‘shameful and dangerous.’ The parks of San Francisco square, Abastos square and those in Le Canada and Carmen square were singled out for particular criticism.
A total lack of maintenance has left flooring with exposed concrete, children’s playparks with rusty bolts and broken nails, dirt, litter, and graffiti, and filthy facilities that betray a stunning lack of regard for local residents. Quiles said it was ironic that there are signs scattered around the town forbidding children from ball games, when it’s hardly safe or appealing to play any kind of game anywhere. He has demanded urgent investment be made.
ONE of the best artistic works to be forged in Almeria is now on display in Arboleas. The painting of Jesus of Nazareth is almost 300 years old, being drawn by a Moorish artist in 1720. It is considered the oldest and finest artwork available for public viewing in Almeria today. Unveiled ahead of Holy
Week at the Church of Santiago, the painting has been painstakingly restored by local artist Joaquin Gilabert Lopez. Carved in wood which has deteriorated over the centuries, restoring the piece required years of careful work and minute attention to detail from Gilabert, who also works with the Picasso Museum in Malaga.
Sandwich a la MedSandwich A NEW province-wide healthy eating campaign took off in Arboleas with a bang. Top chefs and nutritionists showed 30 local youngsters how to include more vegetables in their diet. The school tour extolling the virtues of a delicious Mediterranean sandwich will also arrive in Albox and Huercal de Overa in the coming months.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Fighting fires A REQUEST to join the Fire Rescue Consortium of the Levante was approved unanimously by Olula del Rio councillors. The town badly needs to integrate its firefighting resources with the rest of the Almanzora Valley and the Levante. During the discussions, Mayor Antonio Martinez Pascual reminded councilors that when the local radio station caught fire, Olula del Rio was slapped with an €8,000 bill from Albox which helped extinguish the blaze. Work will now begin on incorporating Olula with its neighbours, with time a key concern ahead of a long hot summer. At the meeting councillors also gave the 2017 budget the green light as it passed without controversy.
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Girl escapes child snatcher POLICE are investigating alarming claims from a local mother that a foreign-looking, possibly British, man tried to kidnap her daughter on the streets of Cantoria. After weeks of inquiry officials have made public their ongoing search for the suspect, aged between 55 and 60, speaking in broken Spanish, and of white Anglo-Saxon, possibly Germanic looks. He is believed to have targeted a 13-yearold girl returning home alone after spending time with her friends at the town square on Sunday March 31, shortly before 9pm. Testimony from the girl and her mother claims that a man driving a dark industrial usage van approached the youngster asking for directions to the square. He then asked whether she could help him retrieve some items from the back of the van. She obliged and went round to the back. As soon as she realised there was nothing there, the would-be kidnapper grabbed
Social skills YOUNG people with disabilities from Albox have been participating in the 2017 Adapted Sports Programme of Almeria. A total of 128 children from Albox, Viator and Vera joined in the fun, held in different towns across the province throughout March. The programme is entirely focused on helping boost self esteem and teambuilding skills among youngsters with a range of disadvantages, be they physical or mental. It also helps raise awareness among other young people that their disabled friends and classmates can be included in sport too.
YOUNG GIRL: Was targeted on her way home. her by the waist and tried to force her inside. Described by her mother as fast and athletic, the girl shoved aside her attacker and sprinted down Ermita street, past the
Saavendra theatre and kept on running until she reached her grandparents’ home. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact the Cantoria Guardia Civil.
Cracking bridge to be repaired HALF-A-MILLION euros will be invested in essential repair works to one of the Comarca’s key roads. The Andalucian government will provide the funding to
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establish a safe and fast connection between Albanchez and Cobdar by fixing up the AL-1100. Built six years ago, cracks have devel-
oped in the bridge with the problem aggravated by industrial companies pumping waste and other liquids into the Almanzora river.
Becoming fit OUTSTANDING local athletes were celebrated by the Almanzora town of Tijos in its acclaimed sports gala. Awarding athletes from all across the Valley, the organisers noted that the province has been a ripe source of young sports stars who have gone on to bigger fame across Spain. Motocross, rally racing and Roman wrestling are the best.
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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Marching for autism
WINE CONTEST: Included tastings, flamenco music and delicious local dishes.
In vino veritas A WINE contest in Seron showcased the very best vinos of the Almanzora Valley to an invited jury on April 1. There was public tastings, flamenco music and a delicious range of local dishes on display too. Wines were restricted to those bottled this year and distinguished between red, rose and white. First prize was a ham, second won a box of finely smoked sausages, and third a treasure
trove of cheese and oil. More than 100 people attended from all over the province. Jointly organised by the Wine Club of Seron and Cambium Ingeniería Medio Ambiente, an engineering group, the wine contest seeks to recover the tremendous traditions of wine harvesting in the Almanzora Valley and rejuvenate a thirst for knowledge and fine local wines among locals young and old.
A MOTHER whose young daughter has autism gave a series of special talks around Albox to try and educate people about the condition. Juana Maria Perez also hoped to dispel many of the myths and stereotypes surrounding it on World Autism Day, April 2. More than 50 parents and teachers attended her talks at Virgen del Saliente and Francisco Fenoy. Schools across Almeria have been welcoming speakers and experts who do their bit to de-stigmatise autism. After her talks, on Monday April 3 Albox schoolchildren played their part by performing a ‘a march for autism.’ They wore blue t-shirts, covered Plaza Mayor in blue decorations, and let dozens of blue balloons into the air.
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Finale to a gruelling race ALBOX was the final stage of the second Vuelta a Almeria cycle race which was a sensational success across the board. Antonio Canovas displayed immense heart and physical effort in winning the third stage, a gruelling ride from Nijar to El Saliente, Albox on April 2. He was greeted by some 300 spectators, showing the terrific level of support the Vuelta is now generating among local biking lovers. The race is now attracting professional cyclists from outwith Almeria and has become a proper test for those looking to compete at the An-
VUELTA A ALMERIA: Racers take off from Nijar. dalucian level. The overall winner of the
Vuelta was Javier Chacon, who finished second in the Ni-
jar-Albox leg, just 37 seconds behind Canovas. It was a tough, heart-pumping finale for the riders, who finished with the steep 20km ascent to El Saliente with very little rest after two equally difficult legs on April 1. Albox will be the departure point for the third edition of the Vuelta a Almeria, tentatively scheduled for spring 2018, once again attracting top cyclists, spectators and media attention to the beautiful town.
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No Vegas to be built in Madrid
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EUROVEGAS RESORT: The complex planned for Madrid fell through. THE search for Spain’s first big Vegas-style property theme park goes on. A proposed multi-billion super complex planned for Torres de la Alameda, Madrid has fallen through. It was due to be built by American giant, the Cordish Companies, but the Community of Madrid baulked at the public cost of €340 million needed for infrastructure. The Cordish Companies, which runs more than 40 million square feet of real estate worldwide, is still interested in setting up the macro-complex in Spain. They are prepared to invest €2.2 billion in a facility boasting hotels, restaurants, shops, cinemas, theatres, convention centres, casinos and even a circus. It would be an alternative to the failed Eu-
rovegas concept planned by American gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson. Only 10 per cent of the enormous leisure centre would be devoted to casinos to get around strict Spanish gambling rules. The failure to reach a deal is the latest in disappointments for American companies trying to construct spectacular gambling resorts across Spain. Eurovegas collapsed due to Adelson’s demands on the Spanish parliament, even demanding it reverse anti-smoking laws for his premises alone. Chinese group Wanda has seen a similar project vanish. Another consortium tried to open 32 casinos in the Tabernas desert but again the deal fell through. ‘Barcelona World’ has been put on the backburner.
LOFT SPACE: A cosy room can be created exploiting natural light.
LOFTS are the next big property investment in Spain. Natural light, ventilation and views are the major benefits. Experts now reckon a well-crafted loft can increase the value of a property by up to 15 per cent. With a solid budget around €5,000, a cosy room can be created, completely transforming the ambience of the home. Guestrooms, playroom, offices, or just
somewhere to relax are all possible. The key to a successful loft is exploiting natural light by making it open plan. Roofs provide twice as much natural light as windows because the sun shines through them far more often during the day. A glass roof of just 2sqm provides more than enough light for a loft space of 20sqm. Warm colours help create the illusion of
more space and are an excellent contribution to feng shui and wooden floors with solid soundproofing spare people downstairs. Other essentials include a spiral staircase leading up to save space, and proper insulation. And if you don’t have an attic space? A loft concept is easily achievable by vertically dividing a room with high ceilings.
Spain is turning into a mature marketplace ECONOMISTS at the EU and IMF have warned that housing bubbles may be forming in Australia, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands. Yet Spain is enjoying growth rates not seen in a decade and far outstrips the UK in the s p e e d o f t h e m a r k e t ’s r e s u rg e n c e . S o w h y a r e there no fears of a Spanish bubble developing? In 2006 the Spanish property platform Idealista was roundly mocked for warning that the market was about to collapse. Needless to say they were correct. In 2017 Idealista are bullish about the future prospects for Spanish real estate. Head of research Fernando Encinar laughs at
the prospect of a bubble in a country of 45 million people where just 100,000 homes are built each year and access to mortgage credit is now strictly regulated. A key symptom of a housing bubble is the expansion of credit to people who simply can’t afford it, combined with the overvaluation of homes. In 2008 for instance almost one million mortgage contracts were signed, an obviously absurd figure in hindsight. In 2016 the figure was just above 280,000, a far healthier and more sustainable number. Express financing and easy loans are on the backburner as the banks come
to grips with a new regulated reality, consumer protection laws and the prospect of huge payouts over unfair mortgage clauses in the past. Today any talk of bubble is limited to the most desirable neighbourhoods of Madrid and Barcelona, which see highly paid professionals fighting over jazzy locations with top private schools. Research from BBVA indicates that real estate growth will continue its smooth growth in 2016. Sales will increase by around 7 per cent and level out at about 600,000 in the short term. Prices will rise between 3 and 4 per cent per annum until 2020.
Landlord exposed A BRITISH landlord made world headlines after allegedly trying to ban ‘coloured people’ from his hundreds of properties. Kent-based Fergus Wilson is one of the biggest buy-to-let millionaires in the country with 1,000 homes. An expose from the Sun revealed allegations that he told one letting agency not to rent out his homes to ‘coloured people because of the curry smell.’ Wilson now faces investigation from the Equality Commission but was unrepentant, telling the Sun that curry stains are expensive to remove.
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Keyhole gardens offer a new option CREATING a vegetable garden with limited space, time, soil materials and water available can make it a difficult decision for many aspiring, or even seasoned, gardeners. There are many ways to grow plants in containers and raised beds that have advantages over the natural garden soil which always needs the adding of nutrients through compost and other soil improvement materials to make the garden thrive. Having gardens above soil height makes it easier to access the plants without creaking joints and strained backs and they reduce weed, pest and soil condition management problems due to greater ability to control the environment of the garden. Containers and raised beds have the big disadvantage in the Mediterranean climate of needing more regular watering due to the long, hot and often dry summers. In cooler, wetter climates containers and raised beds have the advantage of good drainage but as most popular vegetables are grown in the summer months it is not a great advantage here. A great solution for making a raised garden with its own nutrient production from compost and higher water retention is a keyhole garden. Keyhole gardens are generally a raised circular garden, around two metres in diameter with a central half metre diameter funnel for filling with compost that has an access path within the cir-
Photo by Isabell Schulz Flickr
By Graeme Tyrrell
HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE: A typical keyhole garden for growing vegetables, flowers or herbs.
cle for adding the compost and accessing the garden. The design gives the look of a keyhole which is the reason for its name. The border of the garden can be made from any suitable local material capable of retaining the soil mixture. The selected materials for the border should also consider the permanency of the garden. Stone walls are strong, allow drainage and last for years, but an organic wall made of hay bales for example or untreated wood will decompose over a couple of seasons, which is fine
if the garden is also for making compost to add to other gardens or for remaking new keyhole gardens. The central funnel should be of a material to hold back
There are many ways to grow plants in raised beds.
the soil of the garden to allow the adding of compost in the centre. The funnel wall can be made of wire for more permanent gardens or materials such as bamboo or
other types of wooden stakes that can eventually be a part of the compost in the garden. The gardening area between the border wall and the funnel can be filled with organic soil and amendments with a base of coarse material such as branches and twigs topped with manures, compost, washed sand, seaweed, mulching materials, other organic soil amendments and natural soil with the finer material at the top for preparing the garden bed. The purpose of all the organic material is to provide good water retention and provide nutrients. The central funnel compost is also a way to add nutrients to the garden, recycle organic material into the garden and allow water penetration deeper into the garden during hot dry periods. The funnel can be capped with a lid to prevent saturation of the compost during wet weather and to reduce unwanted insects access. The result is a highly productive small garden to grow vegetable, flowers, herbs or a combination of the various plants you may wish to grow at an easily accessible height and with a means to add recyclable organic material to the garden.
PERMACULTURE EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Telephone: 666 33 33 35 info@permamed.org http://permamed.org/
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Beneficial bugs DANGER is lurking everywhere in your garden. All sorts of little pests are threatening your flowers and vegetables, but chemical pesticides don’t have to be the answer! To keep your garden organic, you can enlis t the h e l p o f t h e g o o d bugs, r e a d y t o k e e p p es t outbreaks at bay. Ladybirds are a gardener’s delight! The larvae will feed on pests that are small and slow, like aphids, which can decimate flower beds. These little red bugs are attracted by dill and dandelions a n d c a n b e g re a t friends in the garden. Feared by many, the misunderstood common spider is a fantastic member of
the insect pest control team, s o le a v e th e w e b s untouched and let them help y o u o u t. S p id e rs h a v e a wide range of prey, including caterpillars, aphids and fruit flies. If you want a beneficial bug that you don’t have to see very often, maybe cons id er in tro d u c in g s ome g ro u n d b e e tle s in to y o ur garden. Typically only active at night, these critters will eat slugs, caterpillars and some species of worm. If you want s o meth in g a
little more inte re s ting, a praying mantis could be the answer to your problems. Just be aware that these ferocious predators will attack just about any insect in its pa th, inc luding the good guys. LADYBIRD: Nature’s pest control.
SIMPLICITY: The warming glow of candlelight can transform your living room.
Harmonious home By Francesca Souter DENMARK is often credited with being the world’s happiest country and over the past few years people have started to adopt the ‘hygge’ way of life. ‘Hygge’ is a Danish word used to describe a feeling or moment which is cosy, charming or special. It’s about finding happiness in simplicity, so it’s no surprise that people all over the world want to emulate this way of living.
A large part of ‘hygge’ is centred on the home, creating a warm and cosy environment devoid of clutter but full of charm. The concept encourages calm, traversing both winter and summer and you can bring a little bit of Scandinavia into your home in three easy steps. Firstly, you should invest in candles. The warming glow of candlelight can transform your living room or your terrace into a little wonderland. The cosiness created
isn’t just confined to winter, creating a close and chilled atmosphere that’s perfect for summer evenings. Embrace organisation. Confine your clutter with smart storage space, leaving surfaces sharp and clean, keeping your house looking effortlessly tidy. You don’t have to overhaul your interior. Little decor additions like picture frames can remind you of happy memories, it’s all about showing your personality.
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A personalised experience for your pet FRIENDLY and family-run, Animal Hotel in Aguilas, Murcia, is just the place for your pet! A luxury kennels and dog school, the owners offer a personalised experience for your pet’s requirements. Dogs and cats are both welcome, with all animals receiving lots of personal attention. Animal Hotel can offer you peace of mind, allowing you to travel worry free as you entrust your pet to experienced handlers. The owners live on the premises and all animals are attended to from early in the morning until late at night. The vets in the town are both on call 24/7 for emergencies, but if there is a problem which requires no urgent treatment, they are more than happy to contact your own vet. The design of the hotel allows two dogs to see and interact with each other and each
room is large enough for two medium-sized dogs to share. Units can even be joined together for group accommodation. Divisions are in place to discourage group barking. Each dog sleeps in a fully equipped indoor room, complete with a large private patio. The building is fully insulated and will protect your pet from the elements. At night, shutters to the patio are closed and your pet can sleep as safely as it does when at home. The shaded patios will protect the dogs from harsh sunlight, particularly during the summer, and will keep them nice and cool whilst they play and relax. In the larger fenced playing areas, all dogs are carefully monitored to check which ones are friendly to each other before they are allowed to run and play together.
After a play session, all dogs are given treats and bones to cool them down. If you wish, your dog can even attend classes during the day at the fantastic dog school!
All animals are attended to from early morning to late at night. The Animal Hotel has recently added a new building, their all new cattery! The large, insulated building has rooms complete with shelving for cats to climb, open views to look out at birds and tortoises, and shaded patios for your feline friend to lounge on. They boast group living rooms complete with a sofa, furniture and hiding places and a large fenced patio with
NEW CATTERY: With shelving.
lots of climbing options. All pets are fed twice daily with branded Royal Canin food as standard. There is a choice of wet or dry food for cats. For full information on their competitive rates, veterinary requirements, dog training, and to book your pets stay, head to www.animalho tel.es or contact them directly at 639 722 197 or info@ani malhotel.es
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WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
PETS THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs 6 euros, medium dogs 6.75 euros, big dogs 7.50 euros, cats from 5.25 euros a day . 630 234 556 / the5bone hotelturre@gmail.com New opening hours Mon-Sat 9.30-12.30 and 18.00 – 19.00 Sundays 9.30-10.30 (251818)
MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)
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ARE you self motivated and hard working? We are looking for administration/telesales candidates. Experience not essential as full training is given. Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruitment@euro weeklynews.com WE ARE looking for a full time local reporter for the Almeria edition of our newspaper. Candidates must have rele vant experience and Spanish is a bonus. Please contact me for further details jackie@euroweekly news.com
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The Mercedes satellite navigation screen only lists petrol stations and golf courses, everything the modern Mercedes driver needs.” Some might say...
GT C Roadster earns rave reviews By Matthew Elliott MERCEDES’ latest marvel, the AMG GT Roadster has been released to rave reviews. The much-hyped convertible version of the AMG GT comes with a 470hp engine as standard, while the GT C version generates a whopping 550bhp. Prices range
LATEST MARVEL: Muchhyped convertible.
from €120,000 to €160,000. The result is a classic sports car with a long hood, large wheels and muscular 1950s aesthetic sure to go down a treat over summer. The GT C has a 4.0 litre
V8 engine, top speed of 320kph, carbon-fibre cabin, and extreme, almost violent accelerative power that will squash you right against the seat. Some are already calling it the best GT there is. Its engineering perfection and precision suggest its been ready for a long time. Perhaps
with Mercedes deliberately holding back release to ensure the Roadster doesn’t overshadow other Mercedes’ offerings such as the popular SL. It's extremely loud, extremely flexible and has rock solid handling. Comfortable with the roof down even at high speeds, it’s the perfect Californian or Mediterranean speed demon for the modern world.
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No plates for Lorne A CANADIAN man is fuming after his plans for a personalised number plate with his name were thwarted by the authorities. Nova Scotia rejected the licence plate renewal of Mr Lorne Grabher, arguing that his surname was offensive towards women. Grabher is of German descent and has used the licence plate, which features only his surname, for years. But after an infamous video was released of Donald Trump making misogynistic remarks during the 2016 election, Grabher’s surname suddenly became a chauvinist symbol. It’s even more irking for Grabher, who despises the American president saying it’s ridiculous to put him in the same class of personality. Trump infamously mentioned grabbing women by their private parts in the video.
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ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher
Fiat Tipo Lounge test THINK of Fiat and its chic 500 model immediately springs to mind, followed by its practical Panda. What probably won’t come to mind right away is its Tipo model, and that is unfortunate for it deserves wider appreciation and more of the limelight. Priced from €15,437 (£13,445), this mid-size hatchback and estate range offers a valuefor-money alternative to the bigger names - Ford Focus and VW Golf for instance - in this popular mainstream TIPO HATCHBACK: The cabin is well designed for comfort and ease of use. sector. Model tested is UK Specification. Equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets. My recent test model, a Tipo hatchback with an imnippy at 9.8 seconds and top pressively economical 1.6 litre speed is 200 kph (124mph). diesel engine, was a reminder Fuel economy is impressive that if potential buyers take a Model: Fiat Tipo Lounge 27 kpl (76.3 mpg). wider look at the market, they Engine.1.6 litre diesel Standard equipment on this can come across commendable Transmission: 6 speed manual version, which costs €20,819 models that can sometimes slip Performance: 0-100 kph 9.8 seconds, top speed 200 kph (£17,995), includes alloy under the radar. Economy: 27 kpl (76.3 mpg) Emissions: 98g/km wheels, LED daytime running The Tipo is quicker, more lights, climate control, toucheconomical and has lower screen, DAB radio, sat-nav, emissions than some rivals, and sion set-up which nicely balfor rear occupants and a roomy USB and Aux port, and steering of course, being less common it ances the need for ride comfort 440 litre boot which can be exwheel audio controls. It has is a little more exclusive! Its with firmness for assured hanpanded with drop-down rear cruise control, auto lights and sleek shape has an elegance ofdling. seats. Some of the trim materiwipers and chrome detailing. ten lacking in the family hatchAnyone planning to buy a als do appear to be rather lowThe test model also had some back class and it also has excelnew mid-size hatchback ought budget but that apart, the Tipo optional features including lent driving dynamics. to put the Tipo on their viewing scores well. leather seats. My test model was an upper list. It may have a low profile in It also impresses with its preThe cabin is well designed range Lounge version with a its sector, but may also surprise cise driving feel, with good for comfort and ease of use, 120 hp 1.6 litre diesel engine. many with how much it offers. steering feedback and a suspenwith decent head and leg room The 0-100 kph time is quite
Stats panel:
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Super cop car is unveiled ITALIAN supercar heavyweight Lamborghini has donated a rather special gift to the country’s traffic police; a brand-new Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4. The Huracan Polizia is designed to chase down speeding drivers and has been modified for the transport of life-saving organs and blood between hospitals. Boasting a top speed of 325kmh and the ability to accelerate from 0-100kmh in just 3.2 seconds, the new
car is equipped with various technological gadgets, including a video camera that tracks and films vehicles being pursued, an on-board tablet and a gun holster. It also has a defibrillator installed, plus a bespoke refridgeration system for the transport of human organs. Under the bonnet is a V10 engine producing 610 horsepower, while the car also has all-wheel drive, and a hybrid chassis fabricated from aluminium and carbon fibre.
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‘Jo,’ ‘Fed,’ City and Oxford celebrate Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria
FIRST and foremost, congratulations to Johanna Konta who became the first British woman to win a major tennis title in 40 years after beating Caroline Wozniaki in the Miami Open final last Saturday. Looking ahead the Masters golf starts today; the Chinese F1 Grand Prix and Argentina Motor-GP on Sunday; the Grand National on Saturday (see my preview); France v GB in Davis Cup tennis; men’s world curling and European weight-lifting championships, the Hong Kong rugby sevens and football matches galore. • I think Jordan Spieth, Jason Day or Hideki Matsuyma will win the Augusta Masters. • Second to Sebastian Vettel in the first F1 Grand Prix of
2017, Lewis Hamilton is aiming to go one better in Shanghai. He was seventh last year. • Spain’s superstar Maverick Vinales, winner in Qatar a fortnight ago, can double up with victory in the second MotoGP in South America. • GB will be without Andy Murray against France in the Davis Cup quarter-final tie but his brother Jamie, Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans all play. • In the Premiership, Bournemouth play leaders Chelsea (reeling after losing against Crystal Palace and having had a tough mid-week game with Manchester City); Palace face Arsenal and City meet Hull; Stoke take on Liverpool; Sunderland play Manchester United and Spurs oppose Watford. • In the Championship, Newcastle (top) visit Sheffield Wednesday; QPR play Brighton (2nd) and Huddersfield travel to Nottingham Forest. In FL1, it’s Sheffield United v Northampton and Scunthorpe v Bolton, while
Doncaster entertain Mansfield, Plymouth play Crawley and Portsmouth welcome Yeovil in FL2. In the SPL, Aberdeen (2nd) play Rangers (3rd) and in Spain’s La Liga, leaders Real face Atletico in a Madrid derby. • Next Tuesday, we have Juventus v Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund v Monaco in the Champions League, followed 24 hours later by Atletico Madrid v Leicester and Bayern Munich v Real Madrid. ROUND-UP: • Congratulations to Coventry, FL Checkatrade Trophy victors over Oxford and to Celtic on winning their 48th Scottish League title after a 5-0 romp over Hearts but alas Rotherham have been relegated from the Championship. • PSG are the 2017 French
Le Ligue champions and Bayern Munich (after walloping Augsberg 6-0) are close to clinching the German Bundesliga title. • After last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Everton, Jürgen Klopp became the first Liverpool manager to win his first three Merseyside derbies, and Leicester’s Craig Shakespeare is the first English manager to record four successive PL wins in his first term in office. • Chelsea recently had 32 players on international duty at various levels. • Well done Oxford University – winners of the annual boat race. • GB boxer James DeGale could meet Gennady Golovkin or George Groves in a supermiddleweight fight this year.
CHARITY QUIZZES I HAVE two coming up: tomorrow night at Fatima’s Riad restaurant in Cabrera (7 for 7.30pm) and next Wednesday (April 12) at restaurant Marene, adjacent to the Los Gallardos petrol station (5pm). Meals available.
• Mark Selby beat Mark Williams 10-08 in the China Open snooker final. • It’s Saracens v Munster and Leinster v Clermont in the semi-finalists of Rugby Union’s European Champions Cup and France’s Yoann Maestri has been fined £26,000 (€30,379) for criticising referee Wayne Barnes after his country’s 20-18 Six Nations win over Wales. • Castleford, Leeds and Hull stand 1-2-3 at the top of Rugby’s Super League. • Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal in the Miami singles final. • Four more Russians have been found guilty of doping at the 2012 Olympics. GRAND NATIONAL PREVIEW: Vieux Lion Rouge (ridden by Tom ScudJOHANNA KONTA: Winner of the Miami Open final.
amore and trained by David Pipe) and Definitly Red (Danny Cook/Brian Ellison) are 10-1 joint favourites for Saturday’s race. One for Arthur is 11-1, Cause for Causes 12-1, The Last Samuri and Blaklion 14-1 and More of That, Saphir Du Rheu, Ucello Conti, The Young Master and Pleasant Company all 16-1. My three each-way tips are Ucello Conti, Foxrock (20-1) and Saint Are (25-1).
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AFTER Barcelona B crushed Club Deportivo Eldense 12-0 in the Segunda B division last week it emerged the match may have been fixed amid allegations Eldense’s players had been bribed.
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Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport
Forum Golf Society at Aguilon A GOOD field turned up at Aguilon Golf Club for the Forum Golf Society Stableford and final qualifier for the Campbell Lamont Golf league 2016/2017. Good weather resulted in some good scores with a maiden Forum win for Byron Sherlock with 40 points. Second place went to Bob Vincent with 39 points and third place to Fran Elam with 36 points. Ron Wileman was fourth with 35 points, Andy Birch fifth with 33 points, Richard Price sixth with 33 points, John Bridgen seventh with 33 points and Sandra Vincent was eight with 33 points. Longest drive off the yellow tees went to John Bridgen and from the blue and red tees longest drive went to Adrienne Ruiz seeing off a large field of men playing off the blue tees. On the par three’s nearest the pin on the 12th went to Fran Elam and on the 17th to Bob Vincent. Nearest the pin in two on the seventh went to Jim Barclay. Fran Elam’s excellent day got even better
GOOD FIELD: Scored well. when her 36 moved her up from 12th to fourth place in the Campbell Lamont league and thus she qualified for the regional finals. The other qualifiers for Forum Golf are Myra Dickson, Max Gonzalez and John Smith. The society’s next events will be held on April 7 at Aguilon and a Pairs Texas scramble on April 21, also at Aguilon. For more information call Richard Price on 850 993 073 or email rfp53@yahoo.co.uk.
SPORT
Cabrera Lawn Bowls Club TWO competitions have been held recently at Cabrera Lawn Bowls Club, both of which started in January and concluded with the finals on March 21. In the Ted Barrett Yardstick competition a point was awarded for bowls within a yard of the jack. The competition is played over 18 ends and the winner is the player with the most shots. The final was contested between Trevor Young, last year’s beaten finalist, and Frances Riley. It was a very close final as after 14 ends the score was level at eight all but Trevor picked up another three shots to Frances’s one to win the final and competition 11-9. Congratulations Trevor and well done Frances for getting to the final. The Bob Wright Singles
Austin Crilly and Steve Townsend. Frances and Trevor.
competition was slightly different as it was for members who have not won a singles club competition at Cabrera LBC before. There were quite a few entries for this as Cabrera have had a lot of new members joining in the last 12 months.
The winner was the player first to reach 21. The final was between Austin Crilly and Steve Townsend and what a brilliant final it was. Austin started off better but Steve kept in touch and after 13 ends the score was level at 11 all. Steve, however, pulled away to win 21-15. Congratulations to both players.