Edition 1131 of the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida Leader Newspaper 8 - 14 June 2026
Once again, the people of Orihuela Costa came together in support of Maria and the Pink Ladies at their annual Walk for Life, raising awareness of cancer and the importance of early detection.
The walk started and finished at the Emerald Isle, where participants were welcomed and sent on their way to the stirring sound of the Torrevieja Pipes and Drums.
More than 200 people, all dressed in pink, took part in the event, which is expected to raise a significant amount of money to support the ongoing fight against this devastating disease. The final total will be announced once all sponsorship money has been paid into the Pink Ladies office.
Maria said: “I would like to thank the Pink Ladies, the Emerald Isle for hosting the event, the Pipes and Drums, Simon Morton and Sunshine FM, and most of all the dedicated and supportive people of Orihuela Costa.
Your continued support makes it all worthwhile.”
BY CARL WILSON
The Costa Blancaís oldest ëFREEíEnglish
newspaper - WITH
Council is preparing a rescue plan for Cala Mosca after years of complaints over water pooling at the beach entrance.
The scheme aims to stop groundwater from breaking through near the mouth of the Rambla de las Estacas, where standing water has alarmed residents. Many feared sewage leaks, but council says technical checks have ruled out such faults.
Tests carried out since 2023, including water analysis, sewer camera inspections and excavation work, point instead to a natural cause: groundwater rising as the ravine reaches the coast. Although officials insist bathing water quality is not affected, they admit the visual impact has damaged public confidence and risks harming Cala Mosca’s environmental reputation, and recovering Blue
Flag status.
The proposed works include a 14-metre underground drainage trench beneath the promenade. A 315mm PVC pipe, surrounded by gravel and geotextile material, would intercept the flow and channel it to a manhole, where two automatic submersible pumps would remove water before it reaches the surface.
The work will involve lifting concrete, removing around 50 square metres of asphalt and excavating 1.5 metres deep, before restoring the area.
The council says the project will stay on municipal land and will not affect the beach, shoreline or aquifer, presenting it as a long-awaited step to protect public health, tourism and Cala Mosca’s coastal image.
British Pair Held Over Santiago de la Ribera Shooting as Lo Pagan Fugitive Hunt Intensifies
Spanish police have made progress in two violent crime investigations on the Murcia coast, including an alleged assassination attempt in Santiago de la Ribera and a dramatic armed escape in Lo Pagan.
In the first case, a British man and woman have been arrested following a year-long Civil Guard investigation into the shooting of a man outside his home in San Javier in November 2024.
The victim was approached by a masked gunman wearing a black balaclava and shot up to four times in the back with a silenced pistol before the attacker fled in a waiting vehicle.
The victim survived after months of intensive hospital treatment, but has been left with permanent injuries. During Operation Esbroya 24, officers recovered four shell casings, later linking the shooting to a stolen getaway car found burning near San Javier. A second British-registered vehicle was discovered in
Mazarron, containing a silenced firearm, loaded magazine, balaclava, gloves and clothing believed to match that worn by the gunman. Forensic tests confirmed the weapon was used in the attack, while DNA evidence helped identify the suspects. Both British nationals are now being investigated for alleged attempted homicide and illegal possession of weapons.
Meanwhile, National Police continue to hunt notorious fugitive “El Gorreta” after he allegedly opened fire on UDYCO drugs and organised crime officers during an attempted arrest in Lo
Pagan on Friday night.
The 30-year-old Spanish national, identified by the initials JDG, reportedly fired several rounds from a 9mm pistol as officers moved in at around 11pm.
One bullet struck a private vehicle, but no injuries were reported. The fugitive fled, discarding the weapon, which was later recovered.
More than 30 officers joined the search on Saturday, but he remains at large.
Police believe he may have received help from associates. Both investigations remain active.
Orihuela
Torrevieja’s long-awaited Paseo del Mar leisure and commercial centre will officially open on Thursday, 11 June 2026, bringing a major new restaurant, cinema and entertainment complex to the town’s port after more than four years of construction.
Following an earlier guided tour and reception for the press and official guests the complex will then open to the general public at 9.30 pm that same evening. In addition, special activities with entertainment, gifts and various surprises have been scheduled for visitors on June 12, 13 and 14 to celebrate its opening.
Located beside the bay on a 20,000-square-metre site, the development represents an investment of more than e60 million and is expected to create over 400 direct jobs. Promoted by Empresas del Sol and managed and marketed by OGS, Optima Global Services, the centre is being presented as one of the leading leisure and restaurant destinations on the Costa Blanca.
The complex includes 8,000 square metres of commercial space, almost 30 restaurants, two retail units, four NeoCine cinema screens, an Ozone bowling alley and a 600-space underground car park, which has already been operating for just over a year.
The project forms part of the wider transformation of Torrevieja’s port area, following a 50-year concession awarded by the Valencian regional government. Empresas del Sol,
owned by businessman Enrique Riquelme de la Torre, has led the private development, while Torrevieja City Council has committed to a separate programme of public works around the port worth around e40 million.
Construction began in early 2022 with the creation of a new fish market and the restoration of the old Customs House, both required under the concession. The former fish market buildings and fishermen’s sheds were later demolished, before work started on the foundations of the commercial centre in 2023.
Costs rose sharply from an initial estimate of around e20 million to the current e61 million. A major factor was the need to install more than 500 piles to reinforce the structure on reclaimed land, where the water table lies less than one metre below the surface. This work alone added more than e17 million to the budget.
The restaurant line-up will focus on family dining, fast food and branded chains.
Confirmed operators include Lateral, Casa Carmen, La Rollerie, Sibuya, Santa Gloria, Amorino, Brasa y Leña, Saona, McDonald’s, KFC, Foster’s Hollywood, Taco Bell and Cien Montaditos.
However, the surrounding municipal works remain unfinished. The former Paseo de la Libertad esplanade is still being rebuilt, the road layout has yet to be finalised, and work continues on the bayfront promenade, Customs House surroundings and Minguez dock.
The traditional funfair and craft market stalls are also expected to return gradually. For Torrevieja, the opening is a major milestone, although the success of the transformation will depend on completing the wider public spaces and access routes in the coming months.
SMART LIGHTS BUT LONG QUEUES
Spain’s first artificial intelligence-controlled roundabout has opened at Punta Prima on the N-332 between Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa, but the launch has so far brought long queues, confusion and criticism rather than smoother traffic.
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has completed the e357,534 project, funded through the European Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The experimental scheme, located at kilometre 52.8, includes traffic lights on the main N-332 approaches and on Avenida de Las Olas and Calle
Escorpiones, together with detection cameras and traffic data collection equipment.
The system is designed to use artificial intelligence to adjust traffic light cycles automatically according to real-time vehicle flows.
Officials say the aim is to improve circulation at one of the southern Costa Blanca’s busiest junctions while testing intelligent traffic management for the wider State Road Network.
However, the early results have frustrated many drivers. Motorists appear uncertain how to use traffic lights on a roundabout, while
queues have built up in several directions, especially at peak times.
The worst delays have affected Avenida de Las Olas and Calle Escorpiones, with some drivers reportedly ignoring red lights after waiting for extended periods.
The system seems to favour traffic on the N-332, where tailbacks have still stretched for hundreds of metres, particularly towards Torrevieja. Drivers entering from Los Altos and RocIo del Mar have faced long waits and awkward timing, with amber phases sometimes leaving little chance to enter while gaps appear when lights are red.
The problems have prompted questions over whether an AI system is appropriate for a junction handling around 45,000 vehicles a day, and whether a conventional signal system or a different redesign would have worked better.
Concerns are also growing ahead of the summer, when traffic rises sharply with tourists and secondhome residents.
Supporters argue the technology needs time to learn. It uses machine learning, reinforcement learning, neural networks, big data and traffic modelling to adapt to real local conditions. For now, though, Spain’s first AI roundabout has delivered more congestion than confidence.
Another summer of Taxi Chaos on the Coast
Orihuela is set to face another summer with no new taxi licences, despite a long-running shortage across the municipality, especially on the coast.
The town still has only 42 taxi concessions, the same number as in 2005, although its registered population of around 88,000 suggests it should have about 88 licences under the ratio of one taxi per 1,000 residents.
Demand rises sharply in summer, when Orihuela Costa’s population can reach around 100,000 with tourists and temporary residents.
The shortage has led to long waits, particularly around La Zenia Boulevard, and has encouraged unlicensed drivers to offer airport and intercity trips.
Eight new licences have been pending since 2015.
Although tender conditions were published a year ago, the process remains unresolved following legal disputes, political delays and court orders requiring the council to act.
Salaried drivers have even asked the court to fine the transport councillor until the ruling is enforced.
Ciudadanos recently won support for a motion calling for more taxi and VTC authorisations, while the Partido Popular abstained. With 25 of the existing taxis serving the coast, residents, workers and visitors face another season of queues, limited availability and frustration.
Costa Blanca Authors share Spiritual Connection
They say there are no coincidences in the spiritual world, only synchronicities — and for Costa Blanca residents Alison Wynne-Ryder and Sandra Piddock, there have certainly been plenty. The two women first met ten years ago, when Sandra, then going through a difficult period in her personal life, was encouraged by a friend to try meditation. She was introduced to Alison Wynne-Ryder, a local medium, clairvoyant and healer living nearby in Benijofar. Sandra, it turned out, lived just a few miles away in Algorfa. From their first meeting, Alison told Sandra that she would one day work with Spirits herself and write a book about her soul journey. At the time, Sandra found the idea almost impossible to imagine. She was 64, facing personal challenges, and although she had experienced psychic moments throughout her life, she had no idea how to develop them.
With Alison’s support, Sandra joined her certified psychic development course. Over the following years, their friendship grew, and Sandra completed the internationally recog-
nised training before going on to work as a healer and clairvoyant, helping others find comfort, connection and inner peace.
Alison had already published her first book, The Quirky Medium, through UK mind, body and spirit publisher Local Legend. She continued to encourage Sandra to write her own story, although life took a difficult turn for both women when they each lost their husbands to illness within a short period.
In May 2023, Sandra’s book, The Soul Cave: It’s Never Too Late to Find Your Power, was published by Local Legend after Alison introduced her to the publisher’s CEO, Nigel Peace. In March 2025, Alison’s second book, Discover the Angels, was also released.
Both books are now available worldwide online and through local bookshops. Sandra’s book explores her spiritual journey, healing, energy work, card reading, chakras, crystals and angels, while Alison’s latest work focuses on angelic guidance and real-life stories of angelic intervention.
Recently, the pair reunited at one of Alison’s workshops, where students were surprised to discover two published spiritual authors in the room.
Sandra, who writes as Sandra Francis, is now working on her second book, this time exploring dogs and the afterlife. Given the many synchronicities between the two women so far, Alison may yet return to print too.
Torrevieja Open Air Pools to Open on Monday for the Summer
Torrevieja’s outdoor municipal swimming pools will open for the summer season on Monday, June 8, at the Ciudad Deportiva sports complex.
Residents and visitors will be able to use both the 25metre outdoor pool and the outdoor recreational pool throughout the summer months. The 25-metre pool is designed for training as well as recreational swimming, while the recreational pool is aimed mainly at families and leisure users looking to cool off during the hotter weather.
The 25-metre pool will open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30am to 2:30pm and 4pm to 9pm.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it will open from 9:30am to 2:30pm, 4pm to 6pm and 8pm to 9pm. Saturday opening hours are 9:30am to 7pm, while Sundays will run from 9:30am to 1pm.
The recreational pool will open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 2:30pm and 4pm to 9pm, Saturdays until 7pm and Sundays until 1pm.
Entry costs e3, with reduced e2 tickets for eligible groups.
THE RIGHT NOTE FOR BENIJOFAR FOOD BANK
Music, community spirit and generosity combined beautifully on the evening of Monday 25th May as Crescendo International Choir entertained a delighted audience at theCasa de la Culturain Benijofar.
The choir performed an exciting new season of songs from artists such as the Beatles and Leonard Cohen as well as more recent music from Adele and Coldplay; receiving enthusiastic praise from concertgoers who described the programme as “great to sing along to” and “thoroughly enjoyable.”
The evening was a huge success with audience members clearly appreciating the
choir’s lively performance.
Thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended and supported the event, a magnificent e210 was raised for the Food Bank of Benijofar, with raffle proceeds going towards choir funds to support future performances and activities.
Members of Crescendo expressed their gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the evening,
The choir is now looking ahead to its next exciting performance as it joins the return ofEl Hombre del Banco –The Man on the Bench, a powerful stage production written byLorenzo Segura and performed by actors
Isabel VerdejoandSalva Monleon.
Described as a moving theatrical experience that “will leave no one unmoved,” the performance will take place on Saturday 6 June at 8pm at theCasa de la Culturain Benijofar.
With another memorable evening promised, supporters of music and theatre alike are encouraged to come along and enjoy this unique collaboration.
For further info regarding the play, or to request tickets contact: info@crescendochoir.com or go to our site. There is a five euro per person donation ticket entrance.
From Rumour Mill to Tobacco Till The Building that had everyone Guessing
After weeks of rumour, counter-rumour and the sort of local speculation usually reserved for UFO sightings, the mystery of the unusual new building opposite the Farmacia at the Aguamarina island has finally been solved. The modern, curved, concrete structure beside Delish Club — variously admired, questioned and possibly mistaken for a nuclear bunker — is expected to become a tobacconist’s from next October.
It will also include a shop selling Spanish National Lottery and State Betting tickets, giving residents somewhere to buy tobacco, lottery dreams and, perhaps, consolation
tickets in one convenient location.
The existing summer-only tobacconist’s opposite on Avenida de las Adelfas in Campoamor is to close permanently once the new premises opens.
Meanwhile, the current tobacconist’s and lottery outlet at Calle Lope de Vega, 3, will continue operating during the winter months.
The building was designed by Blek Ingenieria y Arquitectura SL, whose circular, slope-following design uses curved forms, natural cladding and warm textures. So, not a bunker after all — just architecture with ambitions.
OUR TWO DECADES OF THANKS TO AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY CHAMPION
I would like to take this opportunity to publicly recognise and thank an extraordinary lady, Beryl Aguado, for more than 20 years of dedicated charity work and support within our local community.
Over the years, Beryl has given countless hours helping others through her work with AACC, supporting orphan projects, organising donations, helping families in need, and always being there whenever support was needed. Her kindness, generosity, and commitment to helping people across the area has touched so many lives.
People like Beryl are the heart of our community. Much of the work she has done has been quietly carried out behind the scenes, never asking for recognition, simply giving her time because she genuinely cares about others. We feel it is important that her dedication does not go unnoticed.
SAT ANIMAL RESCUE
Chupi is a happy, energetic nearly 3- yearold who is very affectionate and loves the company of people.
He also good with other dogs.
For more information or for an appointment (appointments only) contact the kennels directly.
Email: info@satanimalrescue.com WhatsApp 688792515 or 966710047
We would love to do something special for her, including presenting flowers and sharing this message publicly, as a small way of saying a huge thank you for everything she has done over the past two decades.
On behalf of everyone whose lives you have helped, supported, or inspired — thank you, Beryl.
Your kindness and hard work have made a real difference to so many people.
With heartfelt appreciation, Carol Shenton, AACC Charity
Info and photo provided by Tomas Moreno
No 2ND Health Centre for Orihuela Costa until 2029 at the very earliest
Orihuela Costa’s long-promised second health centre is unlikely to open before 2029, according to an opinion piece by Tomas Moreno, former President of Unidos X la Costa. The conclusion is based on information from the Valencian Regional Government’s draft 2026 budget, which shows no specific health investment allocation for the project.
Orihuela says the reason the centre does not appear in the regional budget is that the council will take responsibility for carrying out the project itself. It plans to invest e10 million in the new facility, with the money later reimbursed by the Valencian Regional Govt. This responsibility was formally assumed during the municipal plenary session on 28 May.
However, Moreno warns that residents should not interpret this as meaning construction is close. A long administrative process remains, including the formal transfer of responsibilities, project drafting and approval, budget procedures, tendering, contract award, construction and final commissioning. Even without major
setbacks, these stages make 2029 the earliest realistic opening date.
The delay means the project will almost certainly extend beyond the current municipal term and become an issue for the administration elected at the May 2027 local elections. Its future will depend on continued political commitment, funding and the avoidance of further bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, the existing Aguamarina health centre will continue to serve an area suffering from overcrowding, long waits and pressure caused by a large permanent population and seasonal influx. Moreno argues that Orihuela Costa is not asking for special treatment, but for essential public services that reflect its population and contribution.
Although the council’s decision to advance funding may be significant, he says the project should be judged by results, not announcements. Until the building is completed, staffed, equipped and opened, the second health centre remains only a promise.
YOUR ‘BEST FRIEND’ IS STILL NOT ONE OF US.
‘Some of my best friends are’ … etc … etc. Whenever you hear that as an opening remark it is always followed by a ‘but.’ The ‘but’ preambles a criticism of some section or group; and at its worst, this can be racist, homophobic, or sexist. Anyway, my preface to this offering is to state that some of my best friends are dogs! Even as an adult, I have shed tears at the demise of a dog – and I only state this to show that I am not a dog hater. But … I read in today’s paper that an Irishwoman has spent20,000 and travelled 2,000 miles to obtain specialised veterinary treatment for her twelve year old dog. Her money, her dog, her business …’BUT’ … I remember touching on this subject in a column a few years back, where I quoted that other great writer and philosopher, Confucius; who said, ‘people who like animals too much like people too little.’ First of all, we need to emphasise here that most people who like animals are really good, kind and caring people.
The trouble in today’s world is that huge numbers of people are substituting their affection for their pet as against engaging in relationships with the human animal. The dog is quite rightly lauded as ‘man’s best friend,’ but as my eccentric old uncle said one time when he didn’t want sympathy while straining not to show emotion for the heat-breaking loss of his faithful old madra; ‘he’s only a hoor of a dog!’
I wonder if it is just a coincidence that at a time when birth rates are falling in the western world, the dog population is spiraling upwards.
On a restaurant terrace in Spain recently, I noticed customers oohing and aahing over something at one of the tables … lots of baby talk, so I assumed the fuss was over somebody’s baby.
The high baby chair was there alright –which obviously belonged to the restaurant. But seated in the chair was this little rat of a dog and its owner feeding it with a plastic spoon!
It must have been a boy, because there was a blue ribbon and bow around its neck!
The dog is a descendant of the grey wolf and was domesticated about 23,000 years ago. They were used as watchdogs, for hunting and even fought alongside soldiers in battle.
From there they were trained as rat catchers and eventually to herd cattle. Different breeds evolved, or were specifically bred for a purpose.
From the 17thcentury dogs became potent symbols of social status and the house dog was born.
That was then – this is now. There is a global trend for the ‘humanisation’ of dogs – if that isn’t overstating it a tad. Dog owners are treating them like family members and attributing human emotions and behavior to the animal.
In the UK, a poll of 2,000 cat and dog owners by Mypet.com discovered that 81% think of their pet as the love of their life and 41% see them as their child!
The dog grooming industry is booming beyond belief. It is now worth£450m a year in Britain and there is no reason to doubt a similar proportion in Ireland. Your old mutt now feels entitled to spas and pet
clubs and there are daycare and healthcare sessions available near you. So if you thought we were exaggerating about the humanisation of the madra … think again.
Like humans, dogs are now being offered similar treats. There is dog ice cream, dog cookies and doggie crisps!
Your dog’s mental health is taken account of in this great new world of replacing two legged relationships with four. The Royal Veterinary College says that one in 500 dogs is now on fluoxetine – a ‘doggy Prozac.’ I used often hear years ago that ’13 is a dog’s hundred.’ Whether or which, since they have been fully adopted into the family life of their human, dogs across the pond are living on average twice as long as they did 40 years ago.
The downside of all this for the poor dog is that they too are getting fat-
ter. Half the canine population is now estimated to be overweight or obese.
Last word to the dog’s human.
A survey by the Dogs Trust last year said that 98% of dog owners said it was their pets that made them happy. What’s this yer man, Confucius said again?
We cannot leave this topic without mentioning the happiest dog of all, the working dog.
Dogs are meant to serve mankind, not be a part of the human race. Watch the happiness in the eyes of a sheep dog at work; a sniffer dog finding a stash of drugs, or a cadaver dog succeeding in his horrible but so necessary work.
And what praise is great enough to describe the wonderful guide dogs.
I imagine this group of dogs feels that the ones with the bow ties and waistcoats are giving the rest of them a bad name!
DON’T FORGET
Another thing about trouble – you don’t have to get rid of the old ones to make room for the new ones.
Torrevieja Pensioners
Targeted in Violent Jewellery Robberies
Two men, aged 31 and 32, have been remanded in prison over a series of violent street robberies targeting elderly people in Torrevieja and La Mata. Civil Guard investigators say four attacks took place between March and May, with victims aged 75 to
93 having chains and jewellery ripped from their necks in surprise assaults. Several suffered injuries.
Officers believe one suspect selected victims and kept watch while the other carried out the robberies, with stolen items intended for black-market sale.
Citizen information helped locate the suspects, and recovered jewellery has been returned. One man
was allegedly caught minutes after a May 1 robbery carrying a victim's stolen broken chain.
Husband Arrested After Wife Killed in Callosa de Segura
A man has been arrested in Callosa de Segura after allegedly confessing to killing his 48-yearold wife following an argument at
their home on Tuesday morning, June 2.
The suspect, also 48, reportedly went to the Civil Guard station and admitted the attack.
Authorities are treating the case as a possible gender-based killing, although officials said they were still gathering information.
Police sources said there were no previous complaints between the couple, but the suspect had a criminal record for assault and robbery with intimidation and had faced complaints from former partners.
The town has declared three days of mourning and called a minute’s silence outside the town hall tonight.
Armed Suspect Jailed After Car Fires and Dog Attacks
A 26-year-old man has been remanded in custody after a sequence of alleged offences in Callosa de Segura, including arson, threats and dog attacks.
The case began on May 11, when several parked vehicles were deliberately set on fire, damaging occupied homes and trapping residents, including elderly people and children, amid smoke and flames.
Investigators later identified the suspect, who allegedly reappeared
on May 25 armed with an air pistol and accompanied by two dogs trained to attack.
Several people were bitten. Officers launched raids and pursued him as he fled down a mountainside with the dogs before arresting him.
Dozen Arrested in MigrantSmuggling and DrugTrafficking Raids
National Police have arrested around a dozen people in Alicante, Torrevieja and San Vicente del Raspeig during a major operation against an alleged migrant-smuggling and drug-trafficking network.
Investigators say the organisation is suspected of bringing migrants by boat from Algeria to Spain and trafficking drugs, with possible links to arms trafficking not ruled out.
More than six searches were carried out across Alicante province, including three in Alicante city, with elite GEO and GOES officers deployed because suspects may have been armed.
The investigation, which is being led by UCRIF immigration specialists, may have links to neighbouring Murcia and Almeria provinces.
BRITISH CHILD DENIED RESIDENCY DESPITE BEING BORN AND LIVING PERMANENTLY IN SPAIN
Aseven-year-old British boy born and raised in Spain is facing legal uncertainty after the Alicante Immigration Office refused his residency application.
The child lives with his mother in l’Alfas del Pi, where he attends school and has never known another home.
Officials rejected the application, saying his mother had not proved sufficient financial means.
His mother, identified as JAMB, has lived legally in Spain since 2019 and holds a TIE card under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
The family argues that this agreement should protect both her and her son, and that immigration officials wrongly treated the boy as a first-time applicant under general EU residency rules.
Lawyer Alvaro Vico says the child’s status should derive from his mother’s protected position and that financial requirements should not have been applied in the same way.
The boy also has Autism Spectrum Disorder and needs educational support and medical monitoring. His mother says she has provided evidence of the child’s schooling, stability, integration and care needs, but an administrative appeal was dismissed.
A complaint has also been filed with the Ombudsman over education support concerns.
Budget Airline Promises More Space
easyJet passengers flying to Spain could soon have 5 more centimetres of legroom as the airline prepares to introduce new pre-reclined seats on future aircraft.
The seats, developed by Mirus Aircraft Seating, are expected to provide the extra space while keeping the same cabin layout and number of seats.
They will be fitted to new Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft entering easyJet’s fleet from 2028.
The lighter seat design could also reduce aircraft weight by up to 500kg, helping cut fuel use and operating costs.
Although fares may still rise due to higher fuel prices and global instability, the upgrade could make flights to Alicante, Murcia, Malaga and other European destinations more comfortable for passengers.
SAME GRID TWO SETS OF CLUES
QUICKIE CROSSWORD
ACROSS ACROSS
4.Strew (7)
8.Jinx (6)
9.Surround (7)
10.Haughty (6)
11.Unequalled (6)
12.Sacrifice (8)
18.Extenuate (8)
20.Impede (6)
21.Ethnic (6)
22.Versus (7)
23.Lunge (6)
24.Offspring (7)
DOWN DOWN
1.Superficial (7)
2.Appal (7)
3.Chillier (6)
5.Marital (8)
6.Essay (6)
7.OTbook (6)
13.Gaol (8)
14.Most (7)
15.Let down (7)
16.Knife (6)
17.Bound (6)
19.Detest (6)
8. Wikus van der Merwe is the reluctant hero in which film?
ACROSS ACROSS
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
4.More than one vent-peg drips round both ends of the ice-bag (7)
8.Decorations are or are not different (6)
9.Boar's head brought up to be cooked (7)
10.Official revision of rota in New York (6)
11.Hospital doctor required in sudden bout of illness, we hear (6)
12.Splendid comfort, one hears, for high-ranking Spaniard (8)
18.Toasting an eccentric dancer (8)
20.Father, saint or cleric (6)
21.Watergate is involved with the clue (6)
22.Colonist preceded by young attendant in historical show (7)
23.Describing the intricate pattern of Old Testament law (6)
24.Hide the Earl somehow (7)
DOWN DOWN
1.No agent gets the weight wrong (7)
2.As a substitute it could be stained (7)
3.Gazed at a Communist going past the street (6)
5.He is biased in favour of a member of the resistance movement (8)
6.The sort of party incurring a charge (6)
7.Those people absorbing an alternative abstract idea (6)
13.Aperformer makes it produce rapturous delight (8)
14.Describing the smallest note written by a learner (7)
15.Lengthen a sentence (7)
16.Ruin the state of Virginia in a passionate outburst (6)
17.Treats badly in a state of inertia (2,4)
19.Make quick progress in the opinion poll, by the sound of it (6)
BUFFALO LEOPARD
ZEBRA CIVET
RHINO KUDO
ELAND
BABOON
HIPPO
CHEETAH
1. What is the name given to the cuisine that stems from the French colonists who left Canada in 1755 and settled in and around the swamps and bayous of Louisiana?
2. An EMP bomb. What do the letters E M P stand for?
3. Who are the only two women to have won the Academy Award for best actress two years in a row?
4. The fastest serve on an ATPTour Event mens tennis (157.2 mph or 253 km/h) belongs to which man?
5. Which scientific word translated means 'disease producer'?
6. Who wrote the science fiction thrillers 'The Day Of The Triffids', 'The Midwich Cuckoos' and 'The Kraken Wakes'?
7. The Dickin Medal, bearing the words 'We also serve' and 'For Gallantry', is awarded to which members of the armed forces in the UK?
9. Name the two actresses Frank Sinatra married.
10. The following words are from songs with a musical instrument in the song title. Can you name the song? a. You got a hubcap diamond star halo. b. I don't know how you were inverted. c. Paul is a real estate novelist. d. Histories of ages passed down through all eternity. e. I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. f. Give me pennies, I'll take anything, now listen while I play. g. Who draws the crowd, who plays so loud. h. But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm through the darkest nights I've ever seen. i. I'm a rolling thunder, a pouring rain. j. Well the kids don't eat and the dog can't sleep, there's no escape from the music in the whole damn street
11. Ranger, Pioneer, Viking, Galileo and Cassini are some notable examples of what?
12. Based on the number of Major Championships won (Masters, U.S. Open, The Open, PGA), who is the most successful golfer ever from outside the United States?
13. Who was Klara Polzl?
14. In Japan, what is a gaijin?
15. The events in which monumental work of fiction all take place on 16 June 1904?
16. Belgrano II, Jinnah, Vostok, McMurdo, Great Wall, Arctowski, Davis and Halley are all examples of what?
17. In order, which three wars were responsible for the most battle deaths amongst American soldiers?
18. Which 1960s song was the only number one hit in the UK for each of the following? a. The Moody Blues. b. The Byrds. c. Sonny and Cher. d. The Troggs. e. Thunderclap Newman. f. Zager and Evans
19. Primavera and The Birth Of Venus are two masterpieces from which Renaissance painter?
20. Name the film in which each of the following played a US President? a. Billy Bob Thornton. b. Ben Kingsley. c. Robin Williams. d. Nigel Hawthorne. e. Gene Hackman. f. Danny Glover
CROCODILE
GIRAFFE
HYENA
GAZELLE
SUDOKU CHALLENGE
WORD WHEEL CHALLENGE
The target is 43 words
My Total
* Answers page 18
Youraim is to create as many words of 4 letters ormore using the letters in the word wheel only once in each word and always including the letterin the centre of the wheel. No propernames are allowed.
Can you also find a 9 letterword:
WORD SCRAMBLE CHALLENGE
Unscramble the letters to reveal the names of 10 Counties of Ireland
Scrambled Counties
ETINLSRE - WLRCOA
RMAGFANEH - OOGNDLFR
AETHESTMW - ANANOMHG
PRYPTEARI - NOCANTCH TIERILM -
TRIVIA QUIZ
LEONOR EARNS HER WINGS AS SHE LEAPS INTO HISTORY
Princess Leonor has become the first member of the Spanish royal family to complete a parachute jump, marking a historic milestone in her military training.
The Princess of Asturias completed the Basic Parachuting Course at the Mendez Parada Military Parachuting School at Alcantarilla Air Base in Murcia, alongside nearly 50 cadets from the General Air and Space Academy in San Javier.
Her training included ground preparation, safety procedures, equipment checks and automatic static-line jumps, including a
demanding night jump from more than 400
her accreditation diploma and Parachutist badge, known as the Rokiski.
The achievement forms part of her threeyear military programme before beginning Political Science studies at Carlos III University of Madrid.
Spanish police, working with Europol and French authorities, have dismantled an alleged “taxi boat” migrant-smuggling network operating through the coasts of Alicante, Murcia and Almeria.
Seven men of Algerian and Libyan nationality, aged 25 to 40, have been arrested, six in Alicante province and one in Marseille.
Operation Baron-Galon began in mid-2025 after investigators identified Algerian nationals allegedly coordinating illegal crossings for mainly Algerian migrants.
The group reportedly used powerful semi-rigid boats, some stolen or obtained with false documents, to bring people into Spain.
Members allegedly supplied fuel, accommodation, transport and surveillance of ports and landing points. Searches in Alicante city and Santa Pola uncovered documents, cash and phones. The investigation remains open.
89-YEAR-OLD DRIVER DIES AFTER WRONG-WAY CRASH ON AP-7 MOTORWAY IN ORIHUELA COSTA
An 89-year-old German driver has died following a head-on collision on the AP-7 motorway in Orihuela Costa after allegedly driving in the wrong direction for several kilometres.
The fatal accident happened early on Wednesday morning near the La Zenia tollbooth, at kilometre 763 of the AP-7, shortly before the toll plaza in the direction of Cartagena.
According to the initial investigation, the deceased was travelling towards Alicante but was driving in the lanes reserved for traffic heading towards Cartagena.
The Civil Guard Traffic Unit was alerted to the collision at around 5.11am. Officers are investigating how the vehicle came to be travelling the wrong way on the motorway, although one of the lines of inquiry is that the driver may have mistakenly entered the opposite carriageway.
Early indications suggest the vehicle may have been travelling in the wrong direction for approximately three kilometres before the crash occurred.
For reasons still under investigation, the wrong-way vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle that was travelling correctly towards Cartagena.
The impact proved fatal for the 89-year-old driver, who was driving a German-registered van.
Emergency services, including officers from the Civil Guard Traffic Unit and a SAMU ambulance, were dispatched to the scene.
Medical personnel treated the driver of the other vehicle, a 54-year-old man, who suffered a hip injury in the collision.
He was transferred to Torrevieja University Hospital for further treatment.
The Civil Guard is continuing its investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident and how the wrong-way driv-
KOWAK KILLING RAISES HARD QUESTIONS
Much has been said and written about the appalling killing of Henry Kowak by a lying, sickening Sikh in Southampton.
All our hearts go out to the family over the death of a totally innocent teenager.
But my sympathy also goes out to the police constables who got it so wrong, taken in by a foreigner who lied, claiming over and over again he was the victim who had been attacked while his victim lay dying from stab wounds from a 21in very thin knife.
These knives were made deliberately extremely thin and sharp centuries ago by Persians to enable them to stab through metal armour.
They cause internal rather than obvious external injuries. Henry was handcuffed while repeatedly saying he had been stabbed. It was dark, any blood was inside thick clothing and was not immediately visible.
In the heat of the moment, it is not surprising that police believed what they were being told by the Sikh, but given the circumstances would anyone within seconds realise the Sikh was the attacker and was lying? I think not and it is not right that there has been such overwhelming criticism of the police and the officers in particular.
I would hate to be a policeman in these increasingly difficult times – caused by an influx of immigrants, many of whom do not conform to British values and shouldn’t be in Britain.
The blade involved was a ceremonial knife and should not be carried in public. The Sikh was also carrying another blade which forms part of their religious beliefs.
These have no place in modern Britain and
religion should not be allowed to take precedence over British law – just like the practice of eating meat from animals which have been slaughtered without pre-stunning should be outlawed. If foreigners with different religious beliefs want to practice un-British customs then they should leave.
As for the murderous Sikh – he and all murderers should be publicly hanged.
TRUMP SPINS WHILE THE ICE MELTS
America’s juvenile president is at it again –rubbishing climate change and climate scientists’ warnings of a horrendous future.
This time he’s twisted climate scientists’ predictions to his own ridiculous advantage trying to suggest that they have got it “wrong, wrong, wrong.”
Rightly, scientists gave several different predictions of what might happen in different scenarios. One was the very worst with the world doing nothing to reduce emissions.
Scientists now say that this worst prediction is now irrelevant because the world has responded.
This Trump seized upon saying scientists had got it wrong, wrong, wrong.
But scientists still warn that the world is warming because of continued emissions and more must be done to reduce them.
Well, I think that we can all relate to the fact that the world is warming because Spain and the UK have blistered in most unusual May heat.
And scientists say it has already reached the 1.5C increase in global temperatures and that from now on heat is likely to get worse.
For several years now I have looked at an ice melting map of Greenland put on line from NASA. It has measured ice melt over years, but this year there’s a notice saying that because of underfunding current info is lacking.
I wonder how that underfunding has happened? I contacted the University in California which has put the info map on line but they were non committal on why the money is no longer there.
There is another website I have found – from Denmark – showing ice melting day by day and ice melt around the North Pole is stag-
Tony Mayes Rant
gering.
Thank goodness we can seek info from other parts of the world and don’t have to rely on Trump’s misinformation or America’s deliberate underfunding to hide facts.
CAUGHT SHORT IN THE SEA?
It made me laugh to hear that fines for urinating in the sea are being increased on the Costa Del Sol. People caught peeing can now
be fined up to e750.
Fair enough, but how on earth are they going to get caught? It’s easy if someone is seen peeing from rocks into a pool, but if you stand in the sea and look all innocent while you let it all go, who will know – unless special dyes are going to be put into the water to glow if they come into contact with urine. Got any other helpful suggestions to give to the pee police? Oh, and what about those peeing fish?
Pilar de la Horadada Town Council has won a legal battle against Acciona Agua over a municipal fee for using public land, airspace and subsoil while operating the town’s drinking water and sewage service.
The High Court of Justice
of the Valencian Community upheld an earlier Elche court ruling and ordered Acciona to pay e370,392.18, plus late-payment interest and legal costs, for 2022.
Judges rejected Acciona’s claim that the charge dupli-
cated the concession fee it already pays, ruling that the concession fee covers management of the service, while the municipal tax covers use of public infrastructure.
The court also dismissed arguments that the council had lost the right to collect the fee after not doing so for around 15 years, saying a town hall cannot waive a tax backed by ordinance.
Acciona’s request for a reduction was also refused.
The company may still appeal to the Supreme Court, with possible implications for other municipal concession contracts in the future too.
Tax relief ends on Gas &Electricity
Spain has begun rolling back tax relief on household energy bills after electricity and gas prices eased.
From 1 June, reduced VAT rates on electricity, natural gas, briquettes, pellets and firewood ended, alongside the temporary cut to the Special Electricity Tax, which had fallen from 5.11% to 0.5%. VAT on these energy products had been reduced from 21% to 10% as part of emergency measures introduced in March.
The Tax on the Value of Electricity Production measure remains until 30 June. Fuel-related support, including reduced hydrocarbon tax, 10% VAT on petrol, diesel and biofuels, and partial refunds for professional diesel, also continues until 30 June. Farmers, hauliers and vulnerable consumers will keep targeted support, including social electricity tariff discounts, while the government reviews prices before deciding on further extensions later.
With a background in family and matrimonial mediation, life coach Sara Bell supports The Leader’s readers in navigating everyday concerns.
If you are experiencing challenges in your relationships, family life, work, or any other area of life, help is available. Email your question to office@theleader.info.
Ihoped that under the wing of my Aunt, that my aging parents would be ok going through with their planned retirement in Spain.
My parents are and always have been, a constant worry to me. I got a phone call just as I was getting ready for work. My mother wasin a panic and insisted that they wanted to come home.
Dad had apparently been taken into hospital in the night and
mum phoned me as soon as she got home. Mum said Dad was pleading with her to 'take him home'.
I said to mum that she should contact Aunty in the first instance because I was too far away to help; however, she insisted that I needed to fly over immediately and help with packing, putting the house on the market etc.....this was after one night of Dad being in hospital. I told mum that she needed to
calm down and not to make any rash decisions. I then phoned my Aunt.
My calls went unanswered, so did my messagesuntil later that day when a WhatsApp message was sent to me. My Aunt and her husband had basically said they were taking no responsibility for my parents; there were lots of excuses that they were not well themselves and I was asked not to contact her again.
I am flabbergasted. I can't fly out immediately because my passport has only just been applied for. My mother is constantly on the phone to me, asking me to move there temporarily and look after them and I am sinking rapidly through the stress of it.....I can't just give up my job; I have children and a husband and a life I can't just walk away from.
Iam suggesting that you contact a Caring Agency near to where your parents live. I have contact information for local self-employed carers who will come to your home and provide any care that your father has, plus support for your mum.
You will be able to liaise with them, and they will give you advice. There is little you can when you are thousands of miles away; however you can certainly employ help. You tell me your parents have money, but your mother is expecting you to care for your father, and does not want to use any of their money for care; also your mother says that your father will not want strangers in the house.
This is unfair and you must gently tell your mother that this is not possible, and that she must accept help from a caring company because there is no alternative. Your Aunt has disappeared, and will not be helping and so there is no choice. Stand firm.
1. Cajun, 2. Electro Magnetic Pulse, 3. Katharine Hepburn (1967 for 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' and 1968 for 'The Lion In Winter') and Luise Rainer (1936 for 'The Great Ziegfeld' and 1937 for 'The Good Earth'). 4. John Isner in the 2016 Davis Cup. 5. Pathogen. 6. John Wyndham. 7. Animals. 8. District 9. 9. Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow. 10. Ten answers. a. Get it on (Bang a gong) or Bang a gong (Get it on) in the USA (T Rex). b. While my guitar gently weeps (Beatles). c. Piano man (Billy Joel). d. Hurdy Gurdy man (Donavan). e. Mr Tambourine man (Bob Dylan). f. My green tam-
bourine (Lemon Pipers). g. The guitar man (Bread). h. Mandolin wind (Rod Stewart). i. Hell's bells (ACDC). j. Squeeze box (The Who). 11. Space missions (U.S. Planetary Science Missions). 12. Gary Player. 13. Adolf Hitler's mother. 14. A foreigner. 15. Ulysses (James Joyce). 16. Antarctic research stations or bases. 17. World War II (292,131), Civil War (214,939), World War I (53,513) Source: U.S. Dept. of Defence. 18. a. Go Now. b. Mr. Tambourine Man. c. I Got You Babe. d. With A Girl Like You. e. Something In The Air. f. In The Year 2525. g. Botticelli. 20. a. Love Actually. b. Dave. c. Night At The Museum. d. Amistad. e. Absolute Power. f. 2012
SUDUK SUDUK O SOLUTION O SOLUTION
You, dear reader have been hypnotised many times before. In fact there has never been a time like the present when you can sit in a coffee shop and watch mass hypnosis take place.
If you don’t frequent coffee shops, just observe as you are out walking. You will also see the same form of hypnosis take place if you’re in any office environment awaiting an appointment.
What am I on about, I hear you say?!
What I am referring to of course is people being absolutely unaware of their surroundings while glued to their mobile phones, reading content.
That in its simplest term is what hypnosis is all about. It is about being focused on something or someone for a period of time while being totally oblivious to what is going on around you.
You can snap out of it by putting your phone away, in the same way as you can snap out of trance (and that word is open to examination) when the hypnotist tells you to do so.
I mentioned in my last article that all hypnosis is self hypnosis and that you cannot be hypnotised against your will.
This is the exact same as saying you cannot be so unaware of your surroundings unless you decide to become transfixed on using your mobile phones. So don’t tell me you’ve never been hypnotised. We all have.
Years ago I used to use the analogy of being at the cinema and being so engrossed in the movie that you became temporarily unaware of anything else. In this day and age that
example is almost redundant and it is certainly more apt to use the reference to mobile phone use
That is one form of hypnosis that we all agree to on almost a
Rojales based ROBERT READINGSis a professional dream analyst, psychic reader of playing cards, and hypnotist. He has been on radio and television all over the world explaining and demonstrating his abilities. ww.robertreadings.com
daily basis.
The form of hypnosis that you agree to in a clinical or a stage setting is a little more complex. The end result is the same. You become temporarily unaware of your surroundings and surrender to the object/person of your focus.
To get to this point however, the hypnotist must first bypass your critical thinking faculty (conscious mind) and begin to send suggestions to your subconscious mind.
Again, this is a form of surrender and leaves you open to carry out with a firm belief (under hypnosis) the suggestions that your mind is fed by the hypnotist.
This is why you will see people in a stage setting acting sometimes in a ridiculous manner.
At that moment in time there is nothing ridiculous about it to the person under hypnosis because the subconscious mind rejects no idea.
It’s the same principle at play when you speak with someone who has overcome an addiction through hypnosis.
I hope this article has shed some more light on what sometimes can seem to be an almost unbelievable concept. With the right hypnotist guiding you, you can literally transform your life.
In my next article I will write about some of the post hypnotic results that I have seen with clients. I will also touch on the subject of patients undergoing operations minus anesthesia. All done while under hypnosis.
TRANSLATIONS/ EFFICIENT RATES
ROYAL BRITISH LEGIO N
DOCTORS,HOSPITALS, EMPADRON'S.
Any documents or medical reports translated.
Dates available for NIE's.
TIE Application dates : July and August Residencia Renewals.
Driving licence UKSpanish also available.
Contact Jason :
Mobile/WhatsApp 603 86 87 56
CHURCH SERVICES
Church of JESUS CHRIST of LATTER-DAY SAINTS
We meet at 10am each
Sunday in the chapel at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia, 104. Torrevieja
Phone or whatsapp 659 016 733
SALT CHURCH Sundays at 10.30 am. A friendly church, bible centred in our teaching and informal in our worship.
Meets at Calle Daya Nueva 12, Polígono Ind. Levante 11, 03187 Los Montesinos. www.Saltchurchspain. Facebook SaltChurchSpain
Join us for a multitude of activities, coffee mornings, excercise, bereavement group https://pilarchurch.com philm.cornerstone@gmail.com
ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION, TORREVIEJA BRANCH
Afriendly and engaging group of people who embrace their ethos of Comradeship, Loyalty, Patriotism & Unity while enjoying a variety of social events, meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 1700 hrs at Silverstoneís 2023 (Bar/Restaurant). Av. Romero, 03176 Montebello, Contact: Membership Secretary, Carl Louden; email: carllouden@msn.com or Phone +34 678 518 202
COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION (CCA)
Orihuela Costa residents over 60 years of age.
Located at the Centro Civico Alameda del Mar.
Open twice a week for a programme of English speaking activities and Spanish lessons. Activities include Games & Quiz on Mondays. Art sessions and Easy Conversation on Wednesdays. Information and advice regards living in Spain. Anyone wanting to join CCA social activities can pop along between 1-2pm Mondays and Wednesdays for more info from Eva or Norah in the Cafe area. Email: oc.communitycare@gmail.com
AGE CONCERN BEREAVEMENT GROUP
Are you finding life difficult after a bereavement? Come along and chat to other people in the same situation. Every Tuesday from 2-4pm at the Age Concern Centre, Calle Paganini, La Siesta, Tel: 96 678 6887.
Greenlands Bowls Club
with Freddie Willey SOUTH ALICANTE SU MMER LEAGUE
Greenland's Gladiators - bye Harrier Division - Warriors v San Miguel Vikings - Great fight back from last week's result coming out on top 12pts to 0pts (scores 108pts to 59pts). Good results for Adrian Spicer, Luke Bermingham & Steve Penfold 1714, Jean Tregoing, Pearl Houghton & Gordon Patton 18-13, Pauline Lidstone, Alex Mortice & Mick Kirby 22-9, Judy Carroll, Rosina Charter-Byrne & Craig Oddy 24-8 plus Veronica Richards, Lisa Curtis & Kerry Charter-Byrne 27-15. Well done Warriors excellent effort this summer.
VCL SUMMER LEAGUE
Division A - San Miguel Sheriff's v GiantsStarted off very slowly with Giants trying to get used to a longer green than usual. But eventually took control winning 9pts to 3pts (scores 93pts to 83pts) some very close
games. Mens singles: Darren Reynolds 21-17, Ladies singles: Lin Hamersley 21-20, Pairs: Freddie Willey/Tony Hodges 21-12, Triples: Allen Bowen, Mark Jukes & Martin Foulcer 18-18. Well done Giants great result. Titans v Quesada Lions - A very good effort by our Titans just losing out to the strong Lions team. Quesada Lions winning 8pts to 4pts (scores 97pts to 74pts)
Good wins for Mens singles: Dave Palmer 2110 plus our Rinks: Anne Stone, Dee CharterByrne, Gordon Patton & Mike Stone 22-17. Great effort Titans.
2 WOODS SU MMER LEAGUE
Greenland's Goanna's v Vistabella - A top performance from our Goanna's with a comfortable win 10pts to 2pts (scores 106pts to 58pts). Good wins for Stuart Wilson, Lin Hamersley & Dave Palmer 22-10, Mandy Tompkins Freddie Willey & John O'Brien 293, Janet Jukes, Mike Stone & Pete Bonsor 252, plus Anne Stone, Mo. Foulcer & Darren Reynolds 16-12. Well done Goanna's. Country Bowls Kestrels v Dragons
A much better performance in a very tight contest. Dragons just managing a close win 7pts to 5pts ( 78pts to 75pts). Good wins for Kevin Curtis, Pearl Houghton & John Palmer 22-9, Pauline Lidstone, Dee CharterByrne & Alex Morrise 13-13 plus David Blackie, Judy Carroll & Gordon Patton 21-10. Great game Dragons!!
EMERALD ISLE BOWLS CLUB BY ELWYN MORRIS
Vulcans began the week playing San Luis Wellingtons and they got a very good 8-4 Aggregate of 125-73-win, D Jones D Mooney C Lindgren 47-1, J Holmyard S Marks R Marks 40-14 P Reilly J Taylor M Dyer 27-16
Victors travelled to Vistabella where they were beaten 4-8 Aggregate of 7482. P Parkes J Gracie D Chisholm 1911, C Wilson M Stritch G Wallis 19-15
Dukes played against Country Bowls Foxes in VCL and they got a fine 8-4 Aggregate of 100-86 win. M Dyer 2120, S Marks D Mooney R Marks 29-7, S Ellis N Prior C Lindgren M Harley 18-15
Earls took on San Miguel Deputies and turned out to be a bad day with a 210 Aggregate of 65-107. J Taylor 21-17. SAPS is on Saturdays at 13-15
San Miguel Bowls Club
w/e 5 June 2026 - Jenny Harvey
A great end of season win for SM Moors, 10-2, points 121-51 at home against La Marina, highest winning rinks from Deirdre Anderson, Janet Parr and Gary Ponsford 33-3 and Pat McEwan, Ron Peters and Eddie Cowan 37-7!!
Also victorious were SM Christians, away to Country Bowls Kites, winning 2-10, points 75-99, best winning rink from Ann Taylor, Jim Taylor and Phil Ginger 9-27
Sadly, SM Vikings lost away to Greenlands Warriors 12-0, points 108-59
Well done to everyone who played in the Summer leagues, especially in high temperatures... hopefully, see you all again in October.
Wednesday's VCL games saw a loss for SM Sheriffs at home against Greenlands Giants, 9-3, points 93-83, best rink from
The Inbetweeners at Vistabella Golf.
The Inbetweeners Golf Society visited the scenic Vistabella Golf Course last week, and it proved a fine choice.Rolling fairways and wide,sweeping vistas make the course a joy to play,though its many cleverly placed bunkers keep every hole entertaining.This visit brought an extra wrinkle: the greens had been hollowtinned earlier in the week.For those who read the greens quickly found the pace to their liking—while others took a few holes to adjust their touch.
The morning began under an overcast sky with a cool breeze that felt like a gift amid the recent heatwave.That chill had many
QUESADA BOWLS ROUNDUP
BY STEVE HIBBERD
Following a season of ups and downs, Falcons made the long trip to Bonalba, fully aware that the hosts required a mere 2 points to secure SABA Hurricane div championship. Unfortunately, despite a fighting comeback, all their efforts petered out like a damp squib, as a 12-0 defeat was the outcome.Even so, a respectable mid table finish, ensures a hard earned summer break beckons.
Fast forward to Wednesday's VCL, when both our teams recorded excellent results.In div A, Lions were at local rivals Greenlands, where they took on the Titans.In addition to Sandra Burrows (21-7) ladies singles, Jason P & Chris Brazier (28-13) pairs, plus Mel & Colin Highland & Trevor Voisey (21-11) trips, a shots difference of 97-74, saw them leave 8-4 to the good.
At home against Phoenix Mazarron, Tigers emulated their feline brothers scoreline.Both Andy Reid (21-8) and Kim Bowles (21-7) were victorious in their respective singles matches, as were Chris (Benidorm Shuffler) Bowles & Steve Hibberd (31-13) in the pairs. This time, an 89-75 scoreline gave them a valuable extra 2 points, meaning that next
Margaret Patterson, Mary Whitelock, Steve Cantley and Ron Nairey 16-12 (rinks)
However, fantastic win for SM Marshalls away to La Marina, 8-4, points 81-73... winners Gail Willshire 21-9 (ladies singles), Dave Askew and Phil Broadhurst 20-9 (pairs) and Sheila Booth, Eileen Askew and Ron Peters 18-15 (trips)
... and an impressive home result from SM Deputies against Emerald Isle Earls, 10-2, points 107-65!! Winners were Linda Douglas 21-17 (ladies singles), Stan North and John Grant 23-5 (pairs), Ann Taylor, Sue King and Jim Taylor 27-8 (trips) and John King, Mark PJ, Phil Ginger and Bob Donnelly 23-14 Well done to everyone, one more VCL game to go....
San Miguel Bowls Club welcomes all bowlers looking to join as, being a unique club, we only pay owners fees and a club fee - NO LEAGUE RINK FEES. For further information please contact our club secretary Barry Jones on 6025 04905.
members hoping it would last,and it lent a crispness to tee shots and putts alike.By afternoon,the sun broke through,warming the course,and talk of cold drinks at the 19th hole grew louder as the final holes approached.
Play was friendly but competitive.Small talk between shots,gentle ribbing over missed putts,and cheers for particularly good finds at the fairway all added to the day’s atmosphere.As always,the course was challenging,but that didn’t stop some impressive scores from coming into the clubhouse,especially if your name began with an M.
Day’s Winners - 1st Place: Martin Buckley — 52 points
Nearest the Pin - Hole 2: Jimmy Scott.7: Jimmy Scott.11: Colin Taylor15: Murdo MacDonald
Looking for a fun and friendly golf society to join,where all nationalities and abilities are welcome,check out our website: www.inbetweenersgolfsociety.com
Photo left to right: Mike Fowler,Martin Buckley,Murdo MacDonald.
weeks final game of the season, sees them 1 point clear at the top.
Our 2 wood trips team had a bye, but will be raring to go again next Friday.QBCs very impressive new electronic scoreboards will soon be in use, hopefully during 1 or 2 of their remaining Friday league matches.
Everyone is welcome to attend organised roll ups at Quesada Bowls Club, on both Tuesday (bubbly) and Saturday (chicken drive) mornings (09.45 start).Bowls and shoes can be hired at the bowls club on the day.For further information, contact either Andy Reid on 611300021 or Steve Hibberd on 656579423.
Monte Mar Bowls & Social Club
Sponsored by Gran Alacant Insurances, The Belfry, Skippers, La Piedra, Evoca Living, The Reiki Room, Gran Alacant Properties, Chill Out, James.
STH ALICANTE SUMMER LG - Matadors v Phoenix
The Matadors were at home against Phoenix and we had a great result winning on four rinks and the shots. Well done, Diane Horsington, Steve Hindle, skip Phil Goble 26 – 16, Lynne Armitage, Tony Kershaw skip Neil Crawford 28 – 11, Julia Hamilton, Ian Crawford skip Ian Hamilton 24 – 9, Colin Bedford, Cindy Bedford skip John Hunt 15 – 13. Matadors 108-71 Phoenix. Points Matadors 10-2 Phoenix. Thank you once again to La Marina Bowls Club for allowing us to use their bowling green to play our home games. For further info about Monte Mar Bowls Club check out our website www.montmarbowls.com. We are also on Facebook
SHINNE COCK HILLS Golf Club, hosting the U.S. Open June 18-21st was constructed in 1891 on Long Island, N.Y. with the help of the local Shinnecock Indians. The course soon grew from 12 to 18 holes and in 1896 hosted the 2nd U.S. Open.
Clubhouses were usually farm buildings, but the clubhouse at Shinnecock Hills was possibly the first designed for comfort, and faced the ocean to catch the breezes. It was the first golf club in America to admit ladies; they had their own 9 hole course.
With constantly changing wind direction, the course requires every club in the bag. Unfortunately, despite an agreement reached before the last U.S. Open held there in 2018 ownership of the land is still hotly contested by the Shinnecock Indians, so players this year should get ready to duck, as the spectators coming over the hill could be waving bows and arrows.
ARNOLD PALMER’s only U.S. Open victory came in 1960 at Cherry Hills Country Club, Colorado. He was thought to be out of contention, commencing the final round 7 strokes behind the leader, but he drove the green on the 346 yd first hole setting up an opening birdie.
Arnie shot 65, at that time the lowest round
in U.S. Open history, and scored a 2-shot victory over an amateur named Jack Nicklaus. His driver is still on view at the club.
HAVING MISSED the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the Charles Schwab Challenge Rory McIlroy is taking a break before the Memorial (June 4th.) After winning The Masters in April, McIlroy played in only the Truist before the PGA.
He also skipped the Valspar, Houston Open and Valero Texas Open. Perhaps they can’t get a babysitter.
THE LATEST climate report suggests that Britain’s historical links courses could be washed away by 2100. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion will see them tumbling into the sea.
Oh well, by 2100 they will probably have found a way to solve the problem, and anyway us oldies will be playing on a perfect course by then. Heavenly, in fact.
IN 2025 New Zealand’s Ryan Fox won the RBC Canadian Open in a playoff and 130,000 fans celebrated at the ‘Rink’ hole, complete with ice hockey boards and a penalty box.
Fans dress up as referees and sing “O Canada” and golfers wear their favourite
Another warm day greeted the society in the hills, although after the furnace of the previous couple of days, this felt almost mercifully civilised.
A slim field in numbers, if not necessarily in stature, of 36 players (including two course members and one guest) rolled up to the opening tee and immediately faced the day’s first tactical decision.
Sensibly, most opted for the left-hand route over the hill towards the 1st green, and then sensibly again kept left, deciding that donating a ball to the water hazard before the round had properly begun was a generosity best saved for another day.
It quickly became apparent that the course was not quite in showroom condition: the greens had recently been spiked and
sanded, making them a touch bumpy, although still perfectly playable, and the fairways improved as the round wore on.
There were, inevitably, a few mutterings. Then again, golfers can spot an unrepaired pitch mark from 50 yards, yet remain gloriously incapable of seeing a threefoot putt.
The cold beverages afterwards were received
team jerseys. What started as a nod to Canada’s love of ice hockey and golf has grown into an exuberant fan experience that brings national pride to every Canadian Open. Held this year at Osprey Valley on June 814th. Donald Trump will not be invited.
LEE TREVINO has been called one of the finest shot-makers of all time, his signature shot being a very pronounced controlled fade. Tom Watson said “Trevino could turn a wedge right round a corner.”
Leaving school aged 14 to earn money he became a caddie at the local golf club, playing after hours with discarded golfballs. He served four years in the Marine Corps before returning to golf, and rose from playing money matches to entering the PGA Tour, where he shocked the world by winning the 1968 U.S. Open. Over 4 weeks in 1971 he
with the sort of enthusiasm usually reserved for short putts uphill.
The scores this week:
Gold: Kenny Winton (40 pts)
Silver: Graeme Forbes (42 pts and best score)
Bronze: : Richard Cleary (36 pts)
There were seven (!) twos this week, shared very thinly between John Osborne and Dave Friedman (3rd), Ivan Hanak (8th), Phil de Lacy and Lee Eastman (12th), Noel Twomey (16th) and Mick Kilcullen (17th).
Nearest the Pin honours went to Dave Friedman (3rd), Noel Twomey (8th and 16th), Phil de Lacy (12th) and Mick Kilcullen (17th).
Meanwhile, Carol Hanak clearly felt she had made a compelling case to take the McBride Bottle home as well and, judging by the scores, she was far from alone in that particular scrap at the foot of the table.
Steve Fleet took home the dosh from the football card with Swansea. Next week we head south to Mar Menor.
won the Open, Canadian Open and the U.S. Open (defeating Nicklaus in a playoff) and he is one of only four players to twice win the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA. Being struck by lightning on a golf course in 1975 should have ended his career, but nine years later aged 44 he won his sixth major. The kid from the cotton fields still joked his way round the course. Tony Jacklin once told him he didn’t want to talk during the round; Trevino retorted: “Tony you don’t have to talk, just listen.”
Now 86, he is still playing. “If it wasn’t for golf I don’t know what I’d be doing, if my IQ was 2 points lower I’d have been a plant somewhere.” As an antidote to the po-faced Dechambeaus of golf Lee Trevino will always be a tonic.
Until next time: Happy Golfing.
This was our first visit this season to Vistabella, the course was in reasonable condition considering we played on temporary greens due to tinning. The weather was excellent for golf and teeing off at 10am and it was already 23 degrees and ended up with a temperature of 30 degrees with pure sun. We played Tony’s favourite team format which he developed with four players in a team changing partners every 6 holes scoring with the better ball Stableford points.
Seven teams took part in a very tight scoring competition with only 3 points between second and first places, the eventual winners of the Los Amigos Cup were Norman Cahill, Colin Smyth, Brian Gordon and Steve Day with 99 points, runners up were Steve Burns, Andy Godfrey, Jim Doyle and Paul Jones with 96 points. Nearest the pins were, group A holes 5 and 15 no winners and hole 8 Ray Muttock, group B hole 2 Brian Court hole 12 Tricia Lambie and hole 17 Tom Goulden, best front 9 went to Paul Jones with 23 points and best back 9 also went to Paul Jones with 25 points, the two’s pot was not won so ˇ30 will be carry over to the next game making the pot ˇ45.
The football card was won by Brian Court with Sheffield Wednesday winning ˇ40 and raising ˇ40 for this year’s charities 2026.
Photo shows the winners of the Los Amigos Cup L to R Colin Smyth, Norman Cahill, Andy Godfrey (presenting Trophy) Steve Day and Brian Gordon.
Many Thanks to Kelly, Kaitie and staff at Sheerin’s for the great Hospitality. www.sheerinsgolfsociety.com sheerinsgolfsociety@gmail.com
Bill Crichton, Richard Cleary, Graeme Forbes, Carol Hanak, Drew Niblock, Mick Pryke (Captain), Charles Jones, Noel Twomey, Matt Newman and Kenny Wilton
TORREVIEJA WIN PROMOTION AFTER A SUPERB PLAY-OFF VICTORY IN BENIDORM
SC Torrevieja CF sealed promotion to the Tercera RFEF with a superb 3-1 victory over CF Benidorm in the second leg of their playoff final at a packed Estadio Guillermo Amor. With the first leg having finished 1-1 at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, the tie was finely balanced, but Torrevieja rose to the occasion with a disciplined, determined and clinical performance.
The visitors started brightly and were rewarded after 13 minutes when captain Morales
broke forward from right-back to finish at the far post after excellent work from Caleb and Matias.
Benidorm gradually fought their way back into the contest and threatened several times before the break. Torrevieja goalkeeper Pizana produced an important save after the home side’s number nine broke through on goal, while another attempted lob drifted over the bar.
The hosts eventually drew level in the 41st
THYWILLBE DONE
Paul Blackmore (Practice Principal) with little helper Benny, his rescue French Bulldog.
We have had many calls recently from concerned xpats who have used unregulated firms to provide their legal documents such as Wills and Powers of Attorney.
The primary concerns are that the documents themselves are:
minute after a controversial penalty decision. The referee ruled that Pizana had brought down the striker, and Benidorm’s number 10 calmly converted from the spot to make it 1-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate.
Torrevieja began the second half with renewed purpose. Matias fired wide from a tight angle after a quick free-kick, while Morales continued to cause problems down the right with a series of dangerous deliveries.
At the other end, Pizana again reacted sharply to claim the ball on the goal line during a frantic scramble, keeping Torrevieja firmly in the contest.
The visitors made their first change on 61 minutes, with Breno replacing Ismail, and five minutes later they regained the lead in spectacular fashion. Morales, already Torrevieja’s standout player, curled an inswinging corner directly into the net to make it 2-1.
The goal shifted the momentum firmly towards Torrevieja. Galvez almost extended the lead after linking well with Matias, while Morales went close to scoring again from another corner.
Benidorm pushed hard for an equaliser and came agonisingly close before the water break
when a curling effort drifted just wide. Torrevieja responded by introducing Carmona and Otman for Pucho and Manresa in the 76th minute.
The decisive third goal arrived ten minutes from time. Galvez reacted quickest inside the penalty area after a deflected effort dropped into his path, smashing home a half-volley to give Torrevieja a commanding 3-1 lead. Ernesto replaced Matias in stoppage time, while Benidorm’s frustration boiled over when their number 11 was sent off for a second yellow card in the 95th minute.
The final whistle sparked jubilant celebrations among Torrevieja’s players and travelling supporters as the club secured a memorable return to the Tercera RFEF.
Torrevieja’s mayor, Eduardo Dolon,who attended the match, congratulated the club, saying “Today, you didn’t just secure promotion, you’ve brought joy to the many fans who’ve supported you all season long. Thank you for making us proud to wear these colors. Enjoy this well-deserved moment, and I know there’s a very happy fan in heaven today, watching as his beloved Torrevieja returns to the Third Division.”
Skipper Morales opened the scoring for Torry in the 13th minute
WedsSurfers Bar 10:30AM 10th JunePlaya Flamenca Beach
TuesCaptain’s Table10:30AM 16th JuneCCPunta Marina, Punta Prima
