Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 29 September - 5 October 2016 Issue 1630 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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COSTA DE ALMERÍA

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Migrant increase

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Out of their shells RESIDENTS of the Los Lobos community in Cuevas de Almanzora who stand to lose terrain and property over a reserve for the endangered spur-thighed tortoise protested on the streets on Monday, September 26. See page 4

Dry as a bone ALMERIA Province is experiencing its worst year of the last decade with barely 42mm of rainfall since January. The agricultural sector felt the heat with areas warning of severe consequences unless it rains soon. See page 6

Rocky ruins THE one remaining tower of the Castillo de Overa or Santa Barbara is in danger of collapsing if work is not done to

shore it up, leading the Andalucian ombudsman to step in and demand something be done. See page 10

Creative powers By Matthew Elliott The number of migrants arriving on the shores and beaches of Almeria is increasing as more are rescued making the hazardous journey from North Africa in often dilapidated vessels. Antonia Sanz, Madrid’s delegate to Andalucia, revealed the increase on a visit to a temporary immigrant shelter in Almeria manned by National Police officers and Red Cross volunteers. In the first nine months of 2016, more people have arrived

than the previous four years combined, almost 4,000 since January and roughly 1,000 in September alone. Breaking down the nationality of the immigrants, he stressed that despite the quickly escalating numbers, their origin remained essentially the same, with the vast majority coming from sub-Saharan Africa and the rest from Morocco and Algeria. Praising the Forces of State Security (FCSE), who have been on active duty across the Costa Almeria, for their humanitarian efforts, Sanz also singled

out the Red Cross volunteers for acting in such difficult circumstances. He reserved special praise for the Provincial Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil in Almeria (Semar), which is dedicated to the surveillance of local territorial waters. Noting that Semar had rescued more than 1,200 immigrants from the seas around Almeria this year in 56 separate interventions, he also called for recognition of their dangerous role in combating narcotics traffickers. Sanz pledged more govern-

ment resources to help meet the needs of immigrants and staff at the temporary shelter and hailed Andalucia as an “example to the international community on how to show solidarity with those risking their lives for a better future.”

THE provincial Public Prosecutor’s office has shelved the case of the possible presence of anti-rain aircraft in northern Almeria after Guardia Civil investigations failed to find any proof to confirm reported flights. See page 53

Safer streets ALBOX Council is spending €285,167 from the PFEA rural employment development plans on improvements to almost 20 streets across the town. See page 58

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

LOCAL NEWS

Bouncing back A MAGHREBI man who was expelled from Spain back in January for burglary has been caught back up to h i s o l d t r i c k s in A lmer i a b y t h e Na t i o n al Police.

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NEWS

Highwayman hiccup

An operation which led to the arrests of four men who allegedly burgled priv a te p ro p ertie s re v ea le d th a t o n e h ad retu rn e d t o Spain just days after being thrown out of the country.

Hotels in heaven THIS year is looking to be the best ever in Almeria’s tourism history, at least if the figures for August are anything to go by. Hotels in the province welcomed more than one million visitors through their doors during the main holiday month, threequarters of these from other parts of Spain, the latest report from the Spanish National Statistics Institute has revealed.

Square contract WORK on building the new Plaza Nueva square and lookout point in Mojacar has been awarded to Albaida Infrasestructuras SA by the town council. Tendering of the €1.1 million contract was approved back in August at a council plenary session, and seven construction companies applied for the privilege of carrying out the work.

CARS BURGLED: The windows were broken and the glove box contents stolen. By Matt Ford A CAMPOHERMOSO resident has been detained on suspicion of committing a string of burglaries in Nijar. The accused allegedly broke into five cars in one afternoon, looting the contents of their glove boxes and any other valuables found inside.

A concerned resident alerted the Guardia Civil after spotting the perpetrator ransacking a vehicle on the main CampohermosoNijar road, but the raider made his getaway by the time a patrol arrived at the scene. Just two hours later a second call was received, and this time officers arrived to find

a man matching the description given by the first witness standing by a car with a broken left rear window and open door. A brief search revealed the suspect was clutching a black bag containing €90 in cash and various small valuable items. The sheepish swindler was placed under arrest.

NEWS

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EWN

Featured News 3

Finance 27 - 32

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ALMANZORA EVICTIONS LATEST

Residents rally as standoff continues Photo Credit Jose Guerrero

Stocks 28

Property 33 - 40

Leapy Lee 41

Daily TV 42

Time Out 44 - 45

Letters 46

RESIDENTS PROTEST: The community stands to lose terrain and property. Health & Beauty 47 - 49

Social Scene 50 - 52

Albox 53 - 59

Homes & Gardens 62 - 63

Pets 64

Our View 65

Colin Bird 65

Classifieds 66 - 67

Motoring 68 - 69

Sport 71 - 72

By Matt Ford RESIDENTS of the Los Lobos community in Cuevas de Almanzora who stand to lose terrain and property over the establishment of a reserve for the endangered spur-thighed tortoise protested on the streets on Monday, September 26.

As reported in EWN 1629, the expropriation bill covers some 500 hectares, with over 290 landowners in the municipality affected. Around 1,000 residents, accompanied by 80 tractors and other work vehicles, participated in the demonstration. Some brandished banners bearing the

slogan ‘That the future of the spur-thighed tortoise does not leave the citizens of Los Lobos without a future’ (Spanish: Que el futuro de la tortuga mora no deje sin futuro a los vecinos de Los Lobos). The reserve is deemed necessary as part of the environmental impact analysis associated

with construction of a stretch of the AVE high speed rail line that will eventually link Almeria and Murcia. A potentially critical meeting between the Andalucian Ministry of Infrastructure, ADIF, and Cuevas de Almanzora council is scheduled for Friday, September 30.

NEWS

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Council pledges to clean up the area By Eleanor Hawkins ALMERIA City Council intends to do its bit towards the recently announced renovation and improvement project the Junta de Andalucia Regional Government has planned for the Alcazaba, and will be spending 1.2 million euros on improving the surrounding area. While the historical monument itself is the responsibility of the Junta, that of tidying up the surroundings, falls firmly on the local council, which has taken the chal-

lenge and promised to get to work. This first stage of work will be backed up by budgets for further work in 2017, as the council plans to revamp the area enclosed by Paseo de San Luis to the south, Calle Real to the east, and the Pescaderia-La Chanca district to the west, clearing up empty plots, repairing and improving the streets, and creating more parks and gardens. One part of the project is to buy up land and buildings adjacent to the Alcazaba in

the Calle Almanzor and Calle ViĂąa areas, and turn them into gardens, with 500,000 euros set aside for buying properties, and another 300,000 euros for demolition and landscaping work. Various other streets in the vicinity will also receive a spruce up, explained city mayor, Ramon FernandezPacheco, and once the projects are complete there are plans to hold street food markets and social and cultural events in the new gardens and streets to boost business in the area.

Investigation into fire EIGHT people were affected by fumes and smoke, and 22 homes evacuated as a precaution, on Sunday, September 25, when fire broke out in a shop in Huercal-Overa. The authorities were alerted by a number of calls from local residents at about 10.15am. Guardia Civil, Local Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, were sent to the scene, where they found the shop engulfed in flames and evacuated the building. Altogether eight people re-

quired medical treatment after inhaling smoke, however the residents were eventually allowed to re-enter their homes after making sure they had

been well-aired. Investigations are underway into the causes of the fire, which caused extensive damage to the shop.

THE ALCAZABA: Renovation to commence.

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In nick of time

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NEWS

Drought and desperation ALMERIA Province is experiencing its worst year of the last decade for rain with barely 42mm of rainfall registered since January, leading the agricultural sector in particular to feel the heat with some areas in Levante warning of severe consequences unless rain comes soon. The situation is becoming a critical one as the lack of rainfall combines with higher temperatures and longer warm seasons with disastrous effects, affecting both growth cycles and animal’s reproduction cycles. As is the case in most areas, Almeria has no choice but to struggle to put the little resources it has available to good use. Although there has been much progress in the field in recent years, with most farmers now adopting more efficient irrigation methods and the population learning to save water (Almeria City for example has

Credit Werner Wilmes

By Eleanor Hawkins THE son of an African woman, one of 19 people collected from a dinghy attempting to reach Spain last week, almost gave new meaning to the word airborne when her waters broke in a rescue helicopter. The migrant went into labour shortly after the group was collected by a passing fishing boat and a Marine Rescue helicopter was sent to pick her up and carry her to land. However her waters broke on board and the baby’s head began to appear. An ambulance was waiting at the airport and rushed the woman to Torrecardenas Hospital, where the boy was born minutes after she arrived. The mother and baby were both in good health.

LITTLE RESOURCES: In most areas they have been put to good use. managed to reduce its water consumption per person per day from 150 litres in 1994 to 130 litres today), those in the know fear it is far from enough. While the province relies on

diversions of excess water, the Negratin-Almanzora and TajoSegura supplies will be halted as soon as the sources begin to suffer lower levels, leaving Almeria high and dry without

even government grants such as those provided to neighbouring Murcia for desalination processes available. “We’re going to have trouble reaching the end of this year in

the Levante area, leading to much uncertainty as to the future of export companies in the area,” said Jose Antonio Fernandez, head of Feral irrigators’ association.

Revenge criminal sentenced A MAN accused of trying to set fire to a judge’s brother’s home on seven occasions has accepted a five-year jail sentence for repeated arson attempts. The accused, LTG, deeply resented the judge who had sent his mother to an old peoples’ home and had been sentenced in

the past for threatening and attacking his victim in the street, claiming he intended to make them suffer as the judge had made his family suffer. This led him to go to the judge’s brother’s home in the early hours of the morning, make a bonfire under a window

and set it alight on seven different days in November 2014, on the last of which he was caught by the National Police and arrested. The Public Prosecutor initially requested nine years in jail for the accused, but reduced this to five years in court.

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NEWS

Pensioner rights and fights BREXIT PAGE By Simon Firth WH ILE t h e d u st o f th e Brexit result settles, but no one knows where, the issue of pensions will be uppermost i n m a n y p e o p le ’s minds and if not now, they will be eventually. Those wi t h i n wh at is known a s t h e E u r o p ea n

E c o n o mic A rea (E E A ), w h ic h in clu d e s Ice la nd, Liechtenstein and Norway, have always received an annual increase in their UK state pension. The figures for the number of Britons of state pension age living abroad are large: more than 65,000 in France, 42,000 in Germany, 135,000 in the Irish Republic and around 108,000 in Spain. But what will happen in the aftermath of the Brexit vote? Those pensioners outside the EEA have historic a lly h ad th eir p e n s io ns

frozen. One man fighting to overturn this policy and fighting for the currently uncertain future of UK pensioners in Spa in, is C a na da -ba s e d Nigel Nelson. He is a volunteer with the C a na dia n A llia nc e of British Pensioners, headed by the chair of the group, David Morris. He says: “It is our goal to remove the frozen pension polic y onc e a nd for a ll, thereby helping all overseas state pensioners. “We encourage every UK pensioner living in an EU

c ountry to join us in this battle.” The group hope that by joining together in the umbrella organisation, the International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP), the UK government “will not be a ble to ignore the new frozen pensioners in the EEA.” For N ige l N e ls on the c hoic e is a blunt one . “Many of these pensioners may not be able to afford to live in the ir c ountry of c hoic e a nd the y ma y be forced to return home.” Having made a life, and a

long life, in Spain over so many years, for many pensioners the thought of having to return to the UK in the aftermath of what might come out of Article 50, will be a f ar f r om wel com e prospect. The strain it would place on the NHS, social housing and other social benefits, should not be underestimated by politicians. “Ever y over seas st at e pensi oner saves t he UK gover nm ent on aver age about £1,575 per year because of the NHS and benefit savings,” said Nelson.

In the present uncertain climate, no one can predict what terms the UK government might negotiate when it comes to UK state pensions currently being paid in Europe. But, he says: “Anything negotiated as part of Brexit may set a precedent for the ‘frozen’ pensioners living elsewhere in the world.” I f you want t o j oi n t he fight to stay ‘unfrozen’ you can contact Nigel Nelson at the International Consortium of British Pensioners at ni gel @bri t i shpen sions.com

FROZEN PENSIONS: Fighting the government to overturn UK policy.

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NEWS

Save the tower By Eleanor Hawkins THE one remaining tower of the Castillo de Overa, or Santa Barbara, is in danger of collapsing if work is not done to shore it up, leading the Andalucian ombudsman to s te p in a nd de ma nd something be done. At a recent conference in Huercal-Overa, historian Salvador Fontela stated, “The Overa Castle is one of the most interesting medieval archaeological pieces in the Province, consisting of a settlement, castle, fortress, and tower, a real jewel.” J us t one of the c a s tle ’s original towers remains and

architect, Sergio Juan Diaz Parra explained, an exhaustive archaeological dig of the area is really needed before a restoration project can be carried out to ensure the best results. This all confirms what locals, members of Overa Viva association, have been saying for more than five years, that work needs to be done to conserve and rehabi l i t at e t he hi st or i cal r emains before it is too late. Yet the authorities appear to have failed to catch on, leading to the Andalucian ombudsman, Jesus Maetzu, getting involved in the matter. Af t er aski ng Huer cal -

Overa Council and the regi onal Cul t ur e, Tour i sm , and Sports department what was being done about the cast l e, t he r esponses r evealed that a lack of funds and the inability to contact the owners of the land on which the historical ruins, declared a BIC (Cultural Int er est Her i t age) i n 1993, meant plans to fence off the area and undertake renovations failed to progress. Maetzu has urged Huercal-Overa Town Hall and the Junta de Andalucia regional government to get a m ove on, and, i f al l el se fails, to expropriate the land and allow the tower to be saved.

Terrible image TIRED of pointing the matter out in meetings but seeing nothing done about it, the PSOE socialist opposition party in Almeria has spoken out to complain about the increasing amount of plant waste stored on grounds by the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterraneos roundabout in the city. Initially a provisional measure, PSOE spokeswoman Carmen Nuñez has said that, as is the case with many temporary measures from the city council, the use of these grounds to store piles of prun-

ing and gardening waste seems to be becoming the norm, in spite of the fact that the company which provides the gardening service promised to carry out work to create a correct storage facility once the council chose the municipal grounds to be used. Now, Nuñez stressed, something really must be done as the area, near one of the entrances to the city and El Puche district, has acquired a terrible image and cannot be left in the state it is in any longer.

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CHINESE VISITORS: Met with representatives from Almeria Provincial Council.

An oriental visit By Eleanor Hawkins A VISITING group of Chinese business people and members of the authorities have been in Almeria, where they held meetings with government delegate Andres Garcia Lorca, general secretary of food and agriculture Rafael Peral and members of the Junta de Andalucia regional government.

Spokesman for the group of visitors, Kou Wenjie, and Garcia Lorca discussed important deals involving exports of agricultural products and scientific investigation, the government delegate later reported. The Peking Agricultural Department has been working for some years with Almeria’s academic and business sectors

since Garcia Lorca encouraged contacts with the oriental country during his time as a professor at the University of Almeria. While in the area, the Chinese group also met representatives from Almeria Provincial Council and the university and were shown the work of some of the province’s agricultural companies.

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MORE than 30 police officers from Lorca (Murcia), were involved in the bust of a huge marihuana farm outside Pulpi, which led to four arrests and confiscation of more than nine tonnes of the drug. Investigators had been searching for some time for the farm they suspected was in the area, and fi-

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A huge marihuana haul nally came across a one-hectare property tucked away between the hills in an area which was very difficult to reach. The farm consisted of extensive

greenhouses fitted with automatic watering and temperature regulation systems, and when officers entered they found four illegal immigrants who lived on the premises

and were responsible for caring for the plants. To avoid anyone escaping, the National and Local Police forces sent more than 30 officers to en-

NEWS

sure the perimeter was controlled during the raid. Once inside, they found the four men sleeping on mattresses in a spot which gave them a view of the whole farm. So many plants were confiscated (more than 20,000), that a lorry had to be sent to the farm to carry them away.

Historical attraction brought back to life By Eleanor Hawkins MUNICIPAL authorities and locals gathered recently in Nijar for the official opening of the rehabilitated La Atalaya tower, which has undergone extensive work to return it to its former glory. The monument, history expert Rodolfo Caparros explained, played an impor-

tant part in the defence of the area and allowed watchmen to alert of approaching dangers. The Andal uci an hym n was played by Nijar Cultural Association’s band, after which, local Mayor Esperanza Perez, made a speech in Plaza del Mercado during which she spoke of the importance of the monument, which appears on the town’s shield, and symbolises the unity between its different areas. LA ATALAYA TOWER: An important part of local history, now fully restored.

Burglar sentenced A YOUNG man accused of breaking into a tourist apartment in Mojacar two days in a row and stealing guests’ possessions, has accepted a 21 month jail sentence. The 21-year-old admitted that he broke terrace doors to enter the apartment, where a group of women were staying on holiday, accompanied by a minor who has already stood trial for his involvement in the burglary, and stole purses and other items. Although the Public Prosecutor’s office requested a five year jail sentence, an agreement was reached in court.

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Celebrating the successful summe By Eleanor Hawkins NIJAR is celebrating, and with good cause, as for the first time in four years nobody drowned off its beached this summer. The bathing season ended officially on September 15, bringing to an end an intensive campaign which saw 22 lifeguards and civil protection volunteers work harder than ever to make sure everyone stayed safe. Altogether their services were required on 1,600 occasions and included 115 rescues from the waters off beaches with permanent lifeguard posts and 52 off non-urban beaches along the municipalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 43 kilometres of coastline. Coincidentally, each of these rescues was carried out when red flags were flying. Some of the most dramatic incidents, which required interven-

BEACH RESCUERS: Lifeguards were kept busy but nobody drow tion of state security forces and helicopters, included the rescues of two people trapped on a rock

out to sea off Las Negras beach, a person who had broken his leg in Cala de San Pedro, one who

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end of a er of safety off San Jose. Local mayor Esperanza Perez said: “this year we decided to spend more on safety on our beaches and it has certainly paid off even though it was a complicated summer with strong winds causing many red flags.”

Coincidentally, each of the rescues was carried out when red flags were flying.”

wned this summer. had a stroke on Los Genoveses, another who passed out and the migrants on two dinghies caught

Civil protection councillor Antonio Moreno stressed “we’re very proud of this year’s results and wish to thank the lifeguards and civil protection members for their hard work to make our beaches safer.”

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

Breaking up is hard to do THE joint Junta de Andalucia-national commission formed to address demolition of the controversial El Algarrobico hotel in Carboneras held a meeting in Sevilla to review the situation. Having agreed to foot the bill jointly, the two administrations will reconvene in Madrid at the end of October in order to analyse and develop ‘funding mechanisms.’ J unta de A nda luc ia representatives also delivered an environmental and socioeconomic regeneration report to their counterparts from the national ministry of agriculture, food and the environment, whose delegation was headed by dire c tor ge ne ra l of coastal and marine sustainability, Raquel Orts.

EWN

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NEWS

Illicit fishing still being carried on

UNDERWATER FISHING: Police have made two arrests this month alone. By Eleanor Hawkins

REGARDLESS of continued efforts by the authorities to prevent illegal underwater fishing in the protected waters of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, some persist, and the Guardia Civil has reported on two arrests this month. On September 15, the Seprona nature protection branch of the police force spotted two men entering the sea in the Playazo de Rodalquilar area with wetsuits and

harpoons, and upon stopping their car as they later left, discovered a coolbox and a basket in the boot containing diving and underwater fishing equipment and 13 catches. The harpoons were found hidden under the bonnet of the car, and the two men from Cartagena, aged 32 and 34, were arrested for an offence against nature. A few days later, a Guardia Civil patrol from the San Jose barracks was sent to Los Genoveses beach, where bathers had reported a man coming out of the sea car-

rying equipment and fish. The officers spotted a couple walking along the shore carrying a closed beach umbrella and rucksacks, they noted that as she spotted them, the woman rushed to sit down with the umbrella and try to blend into a group of people. Upon searching the pair, the police officers found a wetsuit, flippers, and other equipment, plus 3.245 kilos of fish inside the rucksacks and a harpoon hidden inside the umbrella. The couple were arrested, again for an offence against nature.

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NEWS

‘Dames in Spain’ donate more money to good causes THE ‘Dames in Spain’ held their ‘Meet and Greet’ meeting on Monday, September 19, at which over 30 members renewed their membership for the forthcoming year. Presentation of cheques were also

made to the following charities, Macs received 1,000 euros, Stepping Stones, 1,000 euros, AECC (Spanish Cancer Association), 1,000 euros, Aspadobla 500 euros, and Vera Orphange 500 euros.

In thanks for their donation, Aspadobla presented the Dames with a statuette made by the students. On Wednesday, October 5, the Dames will be visiting the Butterfly Farm at Nijar, for details see the

Dames in Spain Facebook page. At the next meeting, on October 17, the Dames will watch ‘Crafts by Marie,’ a presentation by a local shopkeeper who has a workshop in the Parque Comercial.

All meetings are held at the Parador Hotel, on the third Monday of the month at 11.00am, and anyone interested in further information can contact membership secretary, Iris Hamilton, on 950 475 863.

Turre’s new author By John Smith HAVING spent many years living in the USA, Cyprus, and Middle East, Caroline Dowdall is now happily settled in Turre, near Mojacar, with her husband John, and their four rescued dogs. She spends her time writing, and looking after the family home, while her husband travels for short contracts. In their spare time they are renovating their 200year-old property. She has three sons and five grandchildren. She has however found the time to write and publish a book entitled ‘Love Is More than Just a Pearl Necklace,’ a warm, witty and highly relatable com-

ing-of-age tale containing all the anxiety, hilarity, and expectation of a girl’s formative years. Whether you’re young or just youngat-heart, Chloe’s

thoughts will serve as a comforting reminder that eventually, good things come to those who wait, or do they? Caroline is undertaking a number of book signings and our photograph below shows her on the right with Sharron, owner of La Vida restaurant in Zurgena. ‘Love Is More than Just a Pearl Necklace,’ published by Austin Macauley, is available to purchase from Amazon and all good bookshops. For more information on this new book, please visit www.austinmacauley.com.

NEW BOOK: Caroline will be signing copies.

NEWS

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Talented filmmaker returns By Eleanor Hawkins

A YOUNG lady from Macael is making a name for herself behind the cameras and has returned to work in Almeria this week for the first time in 10 years, recording a short film, Antiheroina, in the Almanzora area. Men c h u E st e b a n , w h o works as an image editor on Spanish La 2 TV station’s Diario de un Nomada series, now in its fourth season, can’t re a l l y p i n p o i n t th e time she decided she wanted to become a film director. “Everyone who follows this pa t h se e m s t o h av e made their minds up at an early age, I guess when films make you feel something special it makes you want to do the same for oth-

e rs , ” th e tale n ted w o ma n explained. For her, it was a combinatio n o f mu s ic v id e o s in MTV and spending Sunday afternoons watching westerns with her grandparents that planted the seed in her min d , e v en tu a lly le a d i ng her to Madrid to study audiovisual communications. While at university, Esteban also attended courses by Carlos Gil, who has worked as an assistant to Spielberg, and helped out on various film locations. After winning the award for best image direction at last year ’s Festival Cinejoven for her short film ‘Behind de Cactus,’ Esteban is e x treme ly e x cite d to be back nearer her roots to film ‘Antiheroina,’ which touches on the complicated and sensitive matter of domestic abuse.

Project resumes ALMERIA Council’s Town Planning department has demolished various annexes to a municipal building on a plot by the Andarax river mouth, included in the General System of Free Spaces for the area. Housing and town development councillor Miguel Angel Castellon explained it was part of a municipal project to “carry on with the seafront promenade extension project to adapt and improve the area occupied by municipal buildings at the river mouth.”

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

29 September - 5 October 2016

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal LONDON - FTSE 100

-1.06%

C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 26

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DOW JONES

-0.71%

NASDAQ

-0.66%

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Lloyd’s of London unsure future

Quote of the Week

£1.46 billion (€1.7 billion) is the profit earned by Lloyd’s of London in the first six months of 2016.

be an immediate threat to profits and it may be that the insurer, which has been

active for more than 325 years, will have to set up subsidiary units within the EU. Although Lloyd’s is an international operator with strong links to the insurance market around the world, it is estimated that just over 10 per cent of its underwriting is for companies and organisations within the EU and the loss or disruption of that business would significantly reduce its profitability. One thing is certain

We judged the case for an increase has strengthened but decided to wait for further evidence of progress.” Janet Yellen chair of the US Federal Reserve on the decision not to change interest rates.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Apple and McLaren Tharnton345 Wikimedia

FOR SALE: RBS must sell Williams and Glyn division.

Santander no go WHEN the British Government stepped in to bail out the Royal Bank of Scotland with a staggering £45 billion (€52.3 billion) injection, the European Union ruled that it would have to divest itself of the Williams and Glyn business which consisted of slightly more than 300 branches of former RBS and Nat West banks. The group which still has a 72 per cent holding owned by the government has been trying to do this for several years but without success. An early offer from Santander in 2012 broke down when the Spanish Bank withdrew due to fears over the safety of the bank’s IT system and an apparent exo-

dus of customers but they returned in 2016 for further discussions. Now Santander has announced that it cannot agree a purchase price with RBS which was said to be looking for £1.9 billion (€2.2 billion) although it is said that it would be interested at a lower price. This may be a matter of brinkmanship as RBS currently has until the end of 2017 to make a sale or face either a heavy EU fine or a forced sale although it has been suggested that the government should simply refuse to let it make a sale and then ignore any resulting penalty as Britain is leaving the EU soon after.

A SPOKESMAN for the McLaren Formula 1 group has denied that it is in negotiation with Apple concerning an investment or takeover of the car company by the tech group despite comments to the contrary published by the Financial Times. This may seem like a strange target for Apple but there’s no secret it is trying to develop a driverless car and companies like McLaren are at the forefront of innovation and development of vehicle materials and technology.

Job losses IN what can generously be described as a piece of twisted logic, Barclays Bank has announced that it will be shedding 250 call handling jobs at its Coventry call centre in order to “improve customer service” and efficiency! This follows a decision three years earlier to close a similar operation in the area with the loss of 350 jobs although the Bank does say that it will try to find other jobs for current permanent staff who could be laid off just in time for Christmas and the New Year.

Hanjin Shipping is limping on IT looks brighter for South Korean shipping firm Hanjin - which as reported in EWN 1627 is in financial difficulty – as Korean Air Lines, its largest shareholder with 28 per cent of the equity, has approved a 60 billion Korean won (€48.3 million) loan which should help them to continue trading.

€8.2 billion is the value of damage claims from 1,400 investors that Volkswagen is facing in Germany alone according to the regional court in Brunswick.

C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 26

By John Smith HAVING seen a jump in profits in the first half of 2016, insurance group Lloyd’s of London has announced that it is currently working on contingency plans in order to ensure that it will be able to continue to trade within Europe when the UK finally leaves the Union. One fear is that unless the Brexit agreement will allow for Britain to retain its ‘passporting’ rights which includes easy access to euro exchange, there could

EWN

This, when added to investments from the parent company and chairman of the board will give time to develop a restoration plan for December which has to be put to creditors for approval but in the meantime shares in the world’s largest container shipping firm have jumped by 28 per cent.

that with possibly as little as just over two years before Britain leaves the Union, businesses in Europe will be considering their future option and other insurers will also be offering their services as an easy and guaranteed option. The first thing that Lloyd’s recognises it will have to do is to decide whether to set up subsidiary companies within individual countries or whether it would be more sensible to set up a single EU wide company.

IBEX 35

-1.80%

C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 26

EU punishment DESPITE the fact that the European Commission did not impose a €2 billion fine on Spain for missing its annual financial targets, there is still plenty of pressure to make an example of the country in certain quarters. Firstly, the Commission has to consult with the European Parliament about the decision and secondly it appears champagne lover Jean Claude Juncker, president of the Commission, wants to take a harder line and possibly freeze a €1.3 billion grant that is due to Spain although this is contrary to the advice of Pierre Moscovici EU Commissioner of Economic Affairs.

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group PLC 638.50 -6.00 Admiral Group PLC 2072.00 -15.00 Anglo American PLC 931.95 -19.00 Antofagasta PLC 507.00 -9.00 Ashtead Group PLC 1220.50 -10.00 Associated British Foods PLC 2660.50 -5.00 AstraZeneca PLC 5138.00 -32.00 Aviva PLC 442.05 -9.80 Babcock International Group... 1083.00 -11.00 BAE Systems PLC 519.25 -4.90 Barclays PLC 167.70 -3.70 Barratt Developments PLC 483.40 -14.40 BHP Billiton PLC 1090.75 -7.00 BP PLC 430.47 -6.55 British American Tobacco PLC 4918.50 -21.50 British Land Co PLC 630.00 -8.40 BT Group PLC 390.25 -7.40 Bunzl PLC 2301.00 -16.00 Burberry Group PLC 1399.50 -0.88 Capita PLC 977.00 -12.00 Carnival PLC 3554.00 -49.00 Centrica PLC 225.70 -1.76 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1733.50 0.00 Compass Group PLC 1484.00 -11.00 CRH PLC 2572.00 -35.00 DCC PLC 6907.50 -70.00 Diageo PLC 2219.25 -6.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 374.30 -4.40 Dixons Carphone PLC 369.65 -3.50 easyJet PLC 1014.50 -19.00 Experian PLC 1561.50 -9.00 Fresnillo PLC 1781.00 -5.00 GKN PLC 319.60 -3.40 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1643.00 -10.22 Glencore PLC 208.60 -3.19 Hammerson PLC 579.50 -6.00 Hargreaves Lansdown PLC 1266.50 -21.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC 2078.00 -18.00 HSBC Holdings PLC 571.65 -2.60 Imperial Brands PLC 3985.25 -4.00 Informa PLC 714.25 3.00 InterContinental Hotels Gr 3162.00 -122.00 International Consolidated 393.15 -12.40 Intertek Group PLC 3513.50 -29.00 Intu Properties PLC 288.45 -4.20 ITV PLC 182.30 -4.50 Johnson Matthey PLC 3233.50 -44.00 Kingfisher PLC 374.40 -8.60 Land Securities Group PLC 1036.00 -15.00 Legal & General Group PLC 220.15 -3.80

% CHG. -0.93 -0.72 -2.00 -1.74 -0.81 -0.19 -0.62 -2.17 -1.01 -0.93 -2.16 -2.90 -0.64 -1.50 -0.44 -1.32 -1.86 -0.69 -0.06 -1.21 -1.36 -0.77 0.00 -0.74 -1.34 -1.00 -0.27 -1.16 -0.94 -1.84 -0.57 -0.28 -1.05 -0.62 -1.51 -1.02 -1.63 -0.86 -0.45 -0.10 0.42 -3.71 -3.06 -0.82 -1.43 -2.41 -1.34 -2.25 -1.43 -1.70

NET VOL 96.97 25.11 532.59 171.51 159.90 34.66 80.08 596.13 27.17 617.21 3,456.74 408.60 560.18 2,027.36 69.02 182.27 1,137.35 18.72 117.35 22.43 37.28 1,344.02 29.58 163.52 28.70 5.06 160.13 169.95 130.17 539.03 48.77 63.93 489.77 250.91 3,158.46 185.48 25.20 16.86 3,519.84 73.12 194.85 185.56 996.76 10.09 48.75 1,228.25 33.52 742.31 84.39 1,230.25

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Lloyds Banking Group PLC 54.69 -1.29 London Stock Exchange Gr 2779.50 -50.00 Marks & Spencer Group PLC 316.25 -4.40 Mediclinic International PLC 951.25 4.00 Merlin Entertainments PLC 465.95 -4.30 Micro Focus International 2114.50 -9.00 Mondi PLC 1635.00 -14.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 216.00 -2.40 National Grid PLC 1074.75 0.00 Next PLC 4760.50 -65.00 Old Mutual PLC 197.40 -3.30 Paddy Power Betfair PLC 8857.50 -60.00 Pearson PLC 746.25 -11.50 Persimmon PLC 1787.50 -51.00 Polymetal International PLC 979.00 -2.00 Provident Financial PLC 2921.00 -46.00 Prudential PLC 1376.25 -31.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 7825.00 -75.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC 7187.00 -12.00 RELX PLC 1456.50 -8.00 Rio Tinto PLC 2504.75 -14.50 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 716.75 -5.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Gr 180.05 -2.60 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 1929.50 -24.50 Royal Mail PLC 515.00 -5.50 RSA Insurance Group PLC 538.75 -7.00 SABMiller PLC 4448.50 -4.00 Sage Group (The) PLC 733.50 -5.50 Sainsbury (J) PLC 248.90 -4.90 Schroders PLC 2693.50 -44.00 Severn Trent PLC 2466.00 -7.00 Shire PLC 5147.50 -61.00 Sky PLC 839.50 -13.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 1251.00 -15.00 Smiths Group PLC 1408.00 -12.00 SSE PLC 1525.50 -9.00 Standard Chartered PLC 627.85 -11.30 Standard Life PLC 346.55 -6.50 St James's Place PLC 957.50 -15.00 Taylor Wimpey PLC 150.70 -4.80 Tesco PLC 178.70 -2.85 Travis Perkins PLC 1526.50 -20.00 TUI AG 1082.50 -9.00 Unilever PLC 3608.00 -23.50 United Utilities Group PLC 991.50 -9.50 Vodafone Group PLC 220.55 -0.15 Whitbread PLC 3871.00 -64.00 Wolseley PLC 4348.00 -37.00 Worldpay Group PLC 295.60 -2.30 WPP PLC 1800.50 -22.00

% CHG. -2.30 -1.77 -1.37 0.42 -0.91 -0.42 -0.85 -1.10 0.00 -1.35 -1.64 -0.67 -1.52 -2.77 -0.20 -1.55 -2.20 -0.95 -0.17 -0.55 -0.58 -0.76 -1.42 -1.25 -1.06 -1.28 -0.09 -0.74 -1.93 -1.61 -0.28 -1.17 -1.52 -1.18 -0.85 -0.59 -1.77 -1.84 -1.54 -3.09 -1.57 -1.29 -0.82 -0.65 -0.95 -0.07 -1.63 -0.84 -0.77 -1.21

NET VOL 20,600.97 7.82 261.36 74.70 45.56 28.73 59.33 338.88 204.39 30.29 336.97 1.39 177.03 154.25 632.56 7.35 312.21 41.89 35.94 68.18 308.86 226.11 1,839.79 357.49 71.21 135.25 495.21 94.14 379.28 9.67 27.05 117.44 231.25 59.23 98.20 125.46 359.56 200.60 90.64 2,046.68 1,488.42 47.33 32.75 88.44 223.91 3,543.04 49.03 133.57 276.47 215.21

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

0.86782

1.15230 Units per €

US dollar......................................................................1.12331 Japan yen .................................................................112.988 Switzerland franc................................................1.08904 Denmark kroner ..................................................7.44446 Norway kroner ......................................................9.13944

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DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 26

COMPANY MMM 3M AXP American Express AAPL Apple BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 177.39 -2.46 -1.37% 1.9M 63.85 -0.78 -1.21% 5.1M 112.71 -1.91 -1.67% 52.5M 131.78 -0.09 -0.07% 2.3M 82.44 -1.06 -1.27% 3.0M 99.22 -0.76 -0.76% 7.4M 31.34 -0.32 -1.01% 20.4M 42.74 -0.22 -0.51% 8.9M 93.27 -0.14 -0.15% 4.4M 66.77 -0.08 -0.12% 2.7M 83.45 -0.09 -0.11% 12.7M 29.89 -0.15 -0.50% 22.8M 165.13 -2.89 -1.72% 3.4M 127.79 -0.96 -0.75% 4.5M 154.98 -1.13 -0.72% 2.7M 37.19 -0.36 -0.96% 18.1M 118.81 -0.65 -0.54% 4.8M 67.25 -0.14 -0.21% 14.0M 117.17 -0.19 -0.16% 2.8M 62.96 -0.06 -0.10% 7.7M 57.43 -0.39 -0.67% 20.0M 55.15 -0.26 -0.47% 8.9M 34.26 +0.11 +0.32% 12.9M 87.76 -1.23 -1.38% 48.3M 115.31 -1.42 -1.22% 1.1M 102.56 -0.44 -0.43% 2.6M 140.51 -0.53 -0.38% 2.8M 52.56 +0.21 +0.40% 13.0M 82.54 -0.82 -0.98% 8.3M 72.35 +0.08 +0.11% 7.7M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 26

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Optical Cable Corporation Clearside Biomedical, Inc. Endo International plc Strongbridge Biopharma plc Novatel Wireless, Inc. SCYNEXIS, Inc. Zogenix, Inc. Merus N.V. Bazaarvoice, Inc. Amarin Corporation plc

$ 2.22 $ 2.88 $ 13.98 $ 23.39 $ 5.51 $ 3.44 $ 3.92 $ 10.45 $ 11.68 $ 5.47 $ 2.94

0.46 ▲ 26.14% 0.52 ▲ 22.03% 2.23 ▲ 18.98% 3.13 ▲ 15.45% 0.6899 ▲ 14.31% 0.39 ▲ 12.79% 0.39 ▲ 11.05% 0.93 ▲ 9.77% 1.03 ▲ 9.67% 0.46 ▲ 9.18% 0.24 ▲ 8.89%

$ 4.36 $ 4.70 $ 13.26 $ 23.10 $ 2.08 $ 15.06 $ 8.46 $ 13.19 $ 4.42 $ 2.29 $ 8.50

0.64 ▼ 12.80% 0.61 ▼ 11.49% 1.63 ▼ 10.95% 2.81 ▼ 10.85% 0.25 ▼ 10.73% 1.80 ▼ 10.68% 0.98 ▼ 10.38% 1.38 ▼ 9.47% 0.37 ▼ 7.72% 0.1599 ▼ 6.53% 0.57 ▼ 6.28%

Most Declined Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ViewRay, Inc. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Gulf Resources, Inc. Everbridge, Inc. SAExploration Holdings, Inc. Capitala Finance Corp. Pershing Gold Corporation Burcon NutraScience Corp Lantheus Holdings, Inc.

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Inditex just keeps on growing WHEN one considers that there has been a worldwide recession and no economies are doing a great deal more than expanding slowly, Inditex, the world’s biggest clothing retailer and still a private company just sees the business grow and grow. Profits are €1.26 billion in the six months to the end of July, 8 per cent up on the previous year. Sales were also up 11 per cent to €10.5 billion and much of the increase is thanks to the steady development of the online stores for the eight brands in the group which include Zara, Zara Home, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti. They can be accessed from no less than 40 countries and as the group has shops in 90 countries, there seems to be plenty of scope for continued expansion. Chairman and chief executive Pablo Isla explained that the company had invested a great deal into its online operations with 11 new countries added during the six month period under review. It is in the process of producing a special app covering the whole group which will be known as InWallet. Spain continues to be a healthy market for the group and accounts for about 20 per cent of total turnover and even here, profits are up by about 3 per cent, helped by the fact that customers can

ComInditex Wikimedia

By John Smith

€1.26 billion profit was made by the company in the first six months of 2016, 8 per cent more than the previous year. now pay for their purchases with certain mobile phones and the group is looking to expand this service to other countries. Unlike its competitors, Inditex does not take chances by investing in purchasing large volumes of stock for each new season. Instead it develops a range of options and designs of which it produces relatively small stocks in order to test customer reaction and once it knows what is likely to sell in volume it then turns additional production around very quickly. Rather than have to find completely new markets in the future, it is only the Zara brand that has been promoted in a number of countries outside Europe. Logic suggests that the next sensible step is to introduce the other brands to those countries. Founder and major shareholder, the reclusive Amancio Ortega continues to be the second richest man in the world after Bill Gates, although every so often he pinches the top spot for a few days when his shares rise and those of Microsoft drop.

PABLO ISLA: Chairman and chief executive of Inditex.

Roaming charges in EU scrapped POSSIBLY alert to the good publicity that it will receive, the European Commission has decided to change the rules concerning roaming charges within the EU for EU residents and instead of there being no additional charges for 90 days in the year, with effect from June 2017, there will effectively be no roaming charges at all... perhaps. There will be certain safeguards built in to ensure that users don’t purchase chips in cheap mobile areas and then use them permanently in more expensive areas and phone companies will be entitled to register complaints if they find that their profits are hit disproportionately. A reduction in roaming charge costs was introduced in 2016 and now the extension should ensure that from the summer of 2017 that travellers from one EU country will not suddenly be hit with enor-

mo u s ro amin g cha rge s w hic h should be good news especially with parents whose children are quite happy to experiment with all manner of downloads. Some smart suppliers have been encouraging new customers to sign up with them by scrapping the roaming charges already, although as far as those with UK mobile contracts are concerned, this could all disappear by the end of 2019 at which time Britain may no longer be a member of the Union. Having announced that this is what is due to happen, it actually transpires that it is a re-draft of the original legislation which is going to be presented to a range of regulators, member states, mobile operators and associations before a final set of rules is adopted in December of this year, so what can be altered once, could still be altered once again.

Pio3 Shutterstock

FREE ROAMING: For EU residents within EU countries. W hils t the pos s ibility of the cancellation of roaming charges c omple te ly ha s be e n ge ne ra lly well received by the public, there are critics who suggest that the loss of profits from roaming charges may encourage operators

to increase their general charges which would then adversely affect those who do not travel across Europe. It is interesting that the mobile revolution has become so important within Africa where it is much

cheaper to install transmitters than it is to put up telephone lines particularly within remote areas. In many countries the number of mobile phones that are registered far exceeds the number of landlines.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Gong To Shutterstock

Major hacking incident at Yahoo

MARISSA MAYER: The CEO of Yahoo will be under scrutiny. By John Smith IN what could turn out to be a major scandal and the possible death knell of internet pioneer Yahoo, it has been discovered that it suffered a major hacking incident as long ago as 2014 which it kept under wraps, possibly even from its purchaser Verizon which paid $4.8 billion (€4.3 billion) for the company as recently as July of this year. Data that it admits was taken included names, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth and encrypted passwords but not it appears any credit card details and according to Yahoo this information was in its opinion, “stolen by what we believe is a state-sponsored actor” although it does not name the state that may have been behind the attack or indeed the reason. In a case of what can best be described as ‘shutting the door after the horse has bolted,’ the company is recommending that users change their password details as soon as possible but the

Information on no less than 500 million users was taken. The FBI has been alerted and is investigating.” confession has only come to light as one hacker attempted to sell details of 200 million Yahoo users recently which then prompted questions from the media. Yahoo now admits that information on no less than 500 million users was taken and that it has alerted the FBI to the problem and that agency is investigating but it is impossible to understand why this information concerning what is probably the largest corporate hack ever was kept quiet and that those whose details were stolen were never told and the breach of security is only being admitted now after pressure from the media. A spokesman from Verizon

told the BBC that it became aware of this fact within the last few days and that it still had limited information. Depending on the outcome of its investigations, it could certainly prompt the company to take action against the board of Yahoo for possible non-disclosure. There seems to be little encouragement for an act of statesponsored intrusion on this scale when the information taken would be of very limited political use and it is unlikely that the money raised from selling the information would be of any interest or worth to any state unless it simply wants to embarrass a large US corporation. There are many questions left unanswered by this revelation, not the least of which is why the company decided to keep the information a secret, although in fairness they seem to have done a very job of covering up the attack for nearly two years! Marissa Mayer their chief executive will however have a lot of explaining to do and will be under the magnifying glass.

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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29 September - 5 October 2016 2016

Costa de Almería

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

Word Ladder

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

Weather

for next 7 days

Alicante

Move from the start word (WORK) to the end word (GLAD) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.

WORK

TIME

www.euroweeklynews.com

TODAY:

Madrid

CLEAR

MAX 25C, MIN 18C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Almeria TODAY:

MAX 26C, MIN 18C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 26 19 C Tues - 27 19 S Wed - 26 19 S

27 18 Cl 25 19 S 27 19 S

Fri Sat Sun -

but can be made even more so by including a few people who are on your wavelength. So busy have you been on the more mundane aspects of life that the ‘big picture’ may have faded into the background.

With your enthusiasm socially at a peak, now is the time to get involved with anything that takes your fancy. A project involving music or painting will give you the chance to make new friends.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) This week will see more progress on a health issue. Maybe you have recently given up something or taken to the gym. Recent weeks may have conspired to upset your best efforts. It is never too late to make a fresh start, though, especially right now. Someone who gives your confidence a boost also leads you to believe that anything is possible.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Don’t chance your plans being disrupted by ill health. Get any problems sorted out now even if you think they are ‘nothing’. When you are feeling good it is easy to take that for granted.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Avoid like the plague people who would dampen your spirit. It may not be deliberate but, if you are near repressed or depressed people, it may rub off. Find positive, active people to be near. If you have not started a form of exercise, then now is as good a time as any. Make it group activity if you want more social contacts.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) An authority figure may also be seen as a possible romantic attachment. Your talents and charm serve you well when approaching this person.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) There are moments of boundless energy which really urge you to ‘get up and go’. Make use of this at work, where most progress is to be made this week. Be you a politician, pensioner or anyone in between, the opportunities are there to be had. Slow progress on the love front should not see you fretting.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Romance will find you this week if only you are in the right frame of mind. You may be inclined to refuse festive social gatherings that hold no prospects for you, but don't close the door on anything. The right kind of companions are sometimes found in the strangest places.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Keeping up the activity level physically is really in your best interests this week. It is a pivotal point where your resolutions in this area could fail. With life very busy, it is still important to retain your priorities.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Bring more zip to your life by putting the spotlight on your health. Getting out and about lifts the spirits, while perking up the diet with new foods brightens the system. As energy levels come up this week, be aware of what is happening around you.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Your mind is positively buzzing with ideas. There has been so much progress in your personal life during the past year that it is hard to believe. However, you are capable of being very dynamic and single-minded.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Does someone in the family need your attention? Don't begrudge time spent with them, even if you are busy. Consider what you would want others to do if you were in the same position. After all, you love a challenge so see this as a bit of a juggling act.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The chance to travel seems exciting

Saturday September 24

EURO MILLIONS

IRISH LOTTO Saturday September 24

BONUS BALL

Tuesday September 20

4 41

10 45

LUCKY STARS

Friday September 23

16 42

39 49

LUCKY STARS

Mon - 27 17 Cl Tues - 27 17 C Wed - 26 16 C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 26 20 C Tues - 27 20 Sh Wed - 25 19 Cl

25 18 C 28 18 Cl 27 20 C

S Sun,

SHOWERS MAX 26C, MIN 16C

TODAY:

Cl Clear,

F Fog,

Sh Showers,

Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

27 16 C 29 16 Cl 29 17 C

Mon - 28 16 C Tues - 28 16 C Wed - 27 16 Cl

C Cloudy, Th Thunder

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.

Nonagram

TARGET: • Average: 8 • Good: 11 • Very good: 16 • Excellent: 21

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION anew awed dawn draw drew gnaw grew wade wadi wage wain wand wane ward ware warn wean wear weir wend wide wind wine wing wire wren awing awned drawn rawer wader waged wager waned wared weird widen wider wined wired wirer wrier wring drawer earwig gnawed gnawer inward redraw reward rewind wading wander warden warder warier waring warned warner warred warren winder winged winger drawing redwing warding warring wearing windage wringer REDRAWING REWARDING

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.

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

MAX MIN

26 16 Th 26 17 Cl 27 17 C

Murcia

CLOUDY MAX 26C, MIN 18C MAX MIN

(August 24 - September 23)

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 35 24 Th Tues - 35 24 Th Wed - 35 24 Th

Benidorm TODAY:

MAX 26C, MIN 16C

MAX MIN

32 24 Th 34 24 Th 34 24 Th

CLEAR

TODAY:

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Saturday September 24

Sunday September 25

REINTEGRO

8 19

11 32

REINTEGRO

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

YOUR STARS

VIRGO

‘HE PAID OVER SIXTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS FOR VICTORIA’S LINEN KNICKERS THINKING THEY WERE MRS BECKHAMS!’

Mon - 25 18 C Tues - 26 18 S Wed - 26 18 S

Answers 1. AER LINGUS, 2. SEVEN (1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996), 3. The highest PEAKS/MOUNTAINS in Ireland, 4. HIBERNIA, 5. GIVE IRELAND BACK TO THE IRISH, 6. PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON, 7. SHERGAR, 8. CORK, 9. MARY ROBINSON, 10. BALLET/DANCE

Solution WORK WORD WOOD GOOD GOAD GLAD

GLAD BACK

MAX MIN

26 16 Cl 26 17 S 27 18 Cl

Mallorca

THUNDER MAX 33C, MIN 24C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 25 12 Cl Tues - 25 12 Cl Wed - 25 12 S

SUNNY MAX 26C, MIN 17C

TODAY:

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX MIN

27 13 Cl 27 13 C 26 12 Cl

Malaga

CLEAR MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX 27C, MIN 13C

MAX MIN

Mon - 27 19 C Tues - 27 18 Cl Wed - 26 18 Cl

26 18 C 27 19 Cl 27 19 S

SUNNY

TODAY:

OUT

29 September - 5 October 2016 / 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

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC

Code Breaker

Quick Across 1 Easy (6) 3 Convenient (6) 8 Most immense (7) 10 Reigns (5) 11 Perhaps (5) 12 Sanction (7) 13 Experiences pain (5) 15 Angry (5) 20 Check closely (7) 22 Commence (5) 24 Bring up (5) 25 Daybreak (7) 26 Modest (6) 27 Bonbons (6) Down 1 Extremely serious (6) 2 Wed (5) 4 Discard as worthless (5) 5 Comes after (7) 6 Pay attention to a sound (6) 7 Water vapour (5) 9 Occurrence (5)

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Crossword

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Across:

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 7 represents Z and 20 represents G, so fill in Z every time the figure 7 appears and G every time the figure 20 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.

1 Springs, 4 Spots, 7 Reads, 9 Avarice, 10 Assails, 11 Elate, 12 Sashes, 14 Adrift, 18 Slate, 20 Amnesia, 22 Adamant, 23 Slaps, 24 Siege, 25 Solvent. Down: 1 Streams, 2 Reaps, 3 Sparse, 4 Spate, 5 Origami, 6 Sieve, 8 Smile, 13 Swanage, 15 Danes, 16 Transit, 17 Faiths, 18 Snags, 19 Evade, 21 Stale.

QUICK Across: 14 Radioactive metallic element (7) 16 Red-breasted bird (5) 17 Look for (6) 18 Lowest amount (5)

English - Spanish

1 Belgium, 5 Allow, 8 Escaped, 9 React, 10 Disco, 11 Selfish, 12 Busier, 14 Laughs, 17 Narrows, 19 Sweet, 22 Frogs, 23 Earlier, 24 Tasks, 25 Praises.

19 Goes in (6) 21 Perfection (5) 23 Someone who shows the way (5)

Down:

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

1 Blend, 2 Locks, 3 Improve, 4 Modest, 5 April, 6 Leaping, 7 Watches, 12 Benefit, 13 Serious, 15 Austria, 16 Asleep, 18 Oasis, 20 Exits, 21 Turns.

Across 1 Wash house (8) 7 Monedas (5) 8 Suit (for man) (5) 10 Costra (medical) (4) 11 To gnaw (4) 14 Opaque (5) 15 Down (physical movement) (5) 16 Teacher (in secondary school) (8)

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Sandpaper, 8 Until, 9 Abeja, 10 Push, 11 Cosa, 15 Equal, 17 Amigo, 18 Balonmano.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION Down 2 Goddaughter (7) 3 También (4) 4 Eastern (side, part) (4) 5 Remolacha (8) 6 Tijeras (8) 9 Aguacate (7) 12 Mole (animal) (4) 13 Puerta (de jardín, ciudad) (4)

Hexagram

Down: 2 Antes, 3 Doll, 4 Abad, 5 Eye, 6 Puppies, 7 Cazador, 12 Onion, 13 Also, 14 Farm, 16 Uva.

Cryptic The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (SPECIE) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

BATEAU BRIDGE BRUTAL CHISEL DECEIT DEFACE ENABLE EXCUSE FREEST GAZING

GHETTO GRILLE HEREBY HOARSE NEATER PELLET SLEIGH SPECIE (10) USABLE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Penmen 2 Torque 3 Citron 4 Center 5 Potent 6 Potato 7 Second 8 Tragic 9 Entice 10 Decant 11 Teeing 12 Instep 13 Attain 14 Tissue 15 Entire 16 Chaise 17 Speech 18 Either 19 Inhere

Across 1 Declines kitchen items (5) 4 Lover is married, sadly (7) 8 Tenderising mixture for recipe items (11) 9 Go to the next page for an apple pastry (8) 10 Warm up for a preliminary race (4) 12 Spirit label beginning to yellow (6) 13 Says there is nothing in bad habits (6) 16 Article about a piece of ground (4) 18 May be in bars in Australian city (8) 21 Environmentally friendly tradesman? (11) 22 Some Arthurian legend lessons are boring (7) 23 Listener gets directions and wins (5) Down 1 Change the work period (5) 2 I regain building in West Africa (7) 7 Discounts are best organised (7) 3 Celestial bodies initially lacking 11 Make sense of prisoner’s right (8) banned substances (8) 12 Blackberry bush discovered by 4 Remains in taxicab I'd escaped in (6) bishop on a leisurely walk (7) 5 Herb makes cash (4) 14 English poet found tea around the 6 Girl got up about one (5) middle of saucers (7)

15 Parts of trees and of elephants (6) 17 Cutting Guardian leader is penned by two journalists (5) 19 Laser treatment for noblemen (5) 20 Inheritance from Plantagenet line (4)

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

LETTERS

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OPINION & COMMENT

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

Storm clouds are brewing AW, bless Brian and his rose-tinted vision of a post-Brexit Utopia in which £1 could equal €2. This is what happens when you inhabit the dubious world of The Sun, Mail and Express, whose multi-billionaire, taxdodging/non-domiciled owners manipulate their readers for their own personal agenda. In the real world, however, on the strength of the referendum alone, a huge collapse of confidence caused the value of the pound to plummet and necessitated the injection of billions into the economy by the Bank of England as a means of life support. Incidentally, Mark Carney was the only face and voice calming the public in the post ref days when everybody else ran for the bushes. But, when a ‘hard’ Brexit looks certain (early next year?) there will be much worse to come for the economy. The Japanese have already issued their statement of intent to withdraw UK investment and the City financial institutions (major tax payers) will relocate to the EU... that’s just for starters. Also, worryingly for us Brits abroad, top UK lawyers have said there will be ‘zero chance’ of us retaining our acquired rights of residence, so I hope Brian’s Spanish is fluent should he need to apply for citizenship. Oh, and regarding those ‘global trade deals,’ I doubt very much if any of us pensioners will be around long enough to see UK GDP rocket. Dream on! PS As for hoping for a Trump victory... get a grip man! Elaine, Torremolinos

Grammar matters I HAVE a good life here in Spain and still work as an engineer which I have a degree in. I went through the school system from late 1950s to 1970. I think grammar schools were very important and offered a choice to kids. I never went to a grammar school but a secondary modern where I learned manual skills, like woodwork and metal work. Then onto a college when I started work at 16. I failed at English, it seems a common fault in Engineers, I now know I am dyslexic. I am sure that if I were at school now I doubt very much I would be able to get the job I have now, or anywhere near it. We have to have the top five to 10 per cent of the brightest children in a system where they can

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eventually help raise the desperately needed funds for the Peace Justice and Security Foundation to help alleviate so much injustice and cruelty that currently exists in various parts of our world. Every little positive action really does count. Thank you. Dario Poli

Top tip I HAVE just read the article on saving water. My top tip is when showering, first wet the body and sponges or equivalent and get a good lather on it. Then turn off the water, clean your body and hair, then rinse off. Not only does this method leave the aroma on you longer but saves water and high bills, also the same technique can be used while cleaning your teeth. Marco, Huércal-Overa

Tourist prevention officer? MY wife and I went down to Fuengirola port on Sunday to see the great local two piece band, Mita i Mita, who play at the White Rose most weekends. We just managed to get a table in the shade, sorted! The band started and there must have been a couple of hundred people sat there, tapping their feet and generally enjoying the music these guys were knocking out. Tourists, enjoying themselves, listening to great music over a couple of drinks. It’s the kind of afternoon that they will remember and take home with them to share with friends and family. Then, after about an hour, what happens? A panda car turns up and out gets ‘El Ploddo’ with a whistle, a shooter and dirty shoes! They told the band to stop playing and that was it. A couple of hundred perfectly sensible and happy adults, sat there with their mouths open in complete bewilder-

achieve the best, not having everyone pass the exams. If this means separate schools, so be it. Rant over, keep up the rants/views as I always look forward to them, even if I disagree. Freedom of speech should not be an option. Les, Alicante

Selfish statement I READ with astonishment the comment made by Gemma Middleton (Brexit Page Sept 22 edition). She says “My family at home voted to leave

ment. Who called the cops? There is no residential housing in the port area, passers-by were stopping for a nosey and a quick foot tap, everyone was having a great time. What on earth can be wrong with that? So, I have to ask the question: Does Fuengirola employ a tourist prevention officer? If so, he or she does a fantastic job. Here is a town that lives off tourism, where pickpockets are rife, they put a dog beach between two of the biggest tourist destinations in town (Club la Costa and the IPV Palace Hotel), and they don’t allow a local band to entertain perfectly happy and peaceful tourists. On the other hand, they spend what would appear to be half of their annual budget on roundabouts which resemble the hanging gardens of Babylon. I wonder if the roundabouts officer sits next to the tourist prevention officer at the town hall? Stuart

without thinking twice what it would mean for me.” What an utterly selfish statement and one I am hearing too often. Well sorry my love, but most people choose to move to Spain. Have you not thought of the problems that your family are now facing in the UK: can’t see a doctor for six weeks, rise in crime, few school places. There are too many things to mention here. Perhaps like many people in the UK, they can’t just up sticks to move abroad. We chose to have a home here and the UK. It will affect us in some way, but people voted Brexit for their future generations.

Please, Remain bleaters, let’s just accept it and get on with it. Jan, Murcia

Note of gratitude I READ your fine article on my recent trip to the Hague and was more than delighted, as it was beautifully written and presented. So thank you all of the EWN team for the continuing support that you have given me. By your newspaper creating a popular awareness, it will

Scary encounter I READ your piece ‘Keep safe on the road’ and agree using mobile phones whilst driving is dangerous. Something I have never done and never will do. However there’s another side to this. Recently I was stopped by police and fined for using my mobile. It didn’t matter that I strenuously denied it although it was on charge in the car. I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which makes it difficult to use a mobile at the best of times never mind when driving. My passengers confirmed I hadn’t used it but the police said I did. I paid the €100 fine quickly as it would’ve been €200 had I delayed. I was also given three points. It was a scary experience being accused by two armed policemen for something I didn’t do. I could see no way to prove my innocence and now I’m worried this will happen again. It could be an even worse offence next time. What happens if I end up in prison for something I did not do? Anne, Monte Pego

WHEN YOU WRITE 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:

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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.

HEALTH BEAUTY

29 September - 5 October 2016

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Costa de Almería

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Advertising feature

Stush Studios: easier cosmetic treatment STUSH STUDIOS is a fantastic new cosmetic clinic based in Puerto Rey in the locality of Vera. It is run by Liam and Kornelia, who are truly passionate about their work. Kornelia has studied extensively in the field of cosmetics, having worked for eight years in Holland and Poland to obtain all her international licences to practise. Even though they offer a whole array of cosmetic procedures, they are already well known for their fantastic work with botox fillers, permanent make up, manicures, pedicures and of course eye lash extensions. It’s comforting to know Stush Studios have been endorsed by one of the biggest cosmetics compa-

took advantage of a lack of competition in the Almería area with regard to cosmetics and are making the most of it. The response they are receiving is amazing, with happy clients coming back on a regular basis and new people booking appoint-

OWNER KORNELIA: Pictured above and right carrying out a cosmetic procedure. nies in Europe, Broadway Beauty, which really helps to put any doubts to rest

about the quality of their work. Liam and Kornelia

ments all the time, some even come from as far away as Lorca! Part of the reason why people keep coming back is the quality of the products that are used. Liam and Kornelia pledged from the start that they would only use the highest quality products and this really becomes apparent once you see the treatment they provide. So why not head down to Stush Studios for that little touch up you’ve been thinking about? Give them a phone on 602 212 833 or alternatively you can find them at Paseo Los Limoneros, Urbanizacion, Puerto Rey, S/N, 0462,1 where they would be delighted to welcome you in for a chat.

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Slimmer spouses GETTING HITCHED: Could be the key to staying slim.

BEING married could help you stay slim. A Japanese study of people with type two diabetes revealed single people were twice as likely to become overweight than those who were married. Researchers also found married men were less likely to suffer metabolic syndrome; a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Findings were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Munich. Researchers said living with a husband or wife was the ‘most fundamental’ form of social support and people in a loving relationship were more likely to eat healthily, take their medication, and see the doctor if sick.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

Brought to you by

Depression

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. DEPRESSION is far more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days. When you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months. Some people still think that depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition, but they’re wrong. Depression is a real illness with real symptoms, and is definitely not a sign of weakness or something you can ‘snap out of ’ by ‘pulling yourself together.’ The good news is that with the right treatment and support, most people are able to make a full recovery. What are the symptoms of depression? Depression is a mood disorder, which translates into a state of severe psychological and biological slump alongside feelings of exclusion. It manifests itself through psychological (lack of interest, sadness, hopelessness, low self-esteem) and physical symptoms (loss of appetite, loss of weight, fatigue, sleep disturbances with periods of insomnia and lethargy). What causes it? Depression can be due to genetic factors, migraines, thyroid disorders, some diseases such as diabetes, or changes in one’s personal situation that could cause them stress or anxiety. How is it treated? Once depression is diagnosed the patient should start treatment

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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which in most cases is a combined drug therapy together with counselling. It is very important that before the patient begins any therapy, they are informed by their doctor of the duration of the treatment, the benefits they will achieve and side effects that may develop. How I can get help for others (family/friends?) To get help for others who, for whatever reason do not want to see a specialist, there are associations of people with psychiatric disorders that could help convince the person to go to the doctor. Caution should be taken at all times so that the person with depression is not seen as being forced since they could respond by rejecting any further help. Your family doctor could also help with this problem.

If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com

EWN

Migraines are a severe disability for many MORE than 3.5 million people suffer from migraines in Spain and another one million suffer from chronic headaches for more than 15 days a month. The Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) has marked the European Day of Action Against Migraines, a disease they said has considerable medical, social and economic impact, and mainly affects patients aged between 20 and 50 years old. A study conducted by members of SEN in patients who visited the neurology department, said that more than 70 per cent have a severe disability and 14 per cent a moderate disability. At least 25 per cent of patients have not consulted their illness with a doctor and 50 per cent do not follow up their first consultations and take the correct medication. Dr. Patricia Pozo Rosich, coordinator of the study group recommends sufferers seek an appointment with the neurologist as “almost all cases are likely to improve if they are handled in an appropriate manner.”

STRESSING over losing weight could actually have the opposite effect. A s tudy by the O hio Sta te U nive rs ity in the USA found that stress and anxiety counteracts all the benefits of healthy eating. The findings shed new light on how mental health

SEEK HELP: Sufferers should consult a neurologist.

Stop stressing to lose weight can affect physical well-being.

The lead researcher said that no matter what women

at e i n t he st udy, i f t hey were stressed their inflammation was higher. This inflammation can lead to diabet es, hear t di sease and strokes. The stress-free women who at e t he ‘ heal t hi er ’ breakfast had lower levels of inflammation.

E W N Costa de Almería

29 September - 5 October 2016

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A perfect end to the summer A GROUP of disabled people from Albox said goodbye to the summer season with a day trip to Taberno, where they were welcomed by the local council. Many take advantage of the summer months to get away, forget their daily worries and discover new places and members and residents of the El Saliente disabled association and Francisco Perez Minas centre, both in Albox, were able to do just that on their trip, one of many included in the association’s calendar of events and activities. Cultural visits along the way included a stop at La Pastora milk cooperative premises, the oil mill and the Ethnographic Museum, then the fun started with a dip at the municipal swimming pool to cool down while a huge paella was prepared for the guests.

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Carnation rain for flamenco artists By Eleanor Hawkins THE second edition of the Flamenco del Jaroso Festival, held earlier this month at the Castillo del Marques de Los Velez in Cuevas del Almanzora, was declared to be a great success. Organised by the council’s Culture and Tourism department, the event was opened by department head Indalecio Modesto, who spoke of his hope that the event continues to be held each year as it is becoming one of the most important cultural events in the area. Ellie May was next up on stage to explain in English for the considerable British community, which the council hopes to introduce to the charms of flamenco. Although there were a few technical problems with sound and lighting failing in the opening moments, once the hitch was fixed Antonio Garcia

‘El Genial,’ Eduardo Aguilera, Inka Diaz, El Junco, Cristo Heredia, Edu Garcia and Oscar Lugo brought the audience to tears on more than one occasion and were showered with carnations thrown from the crowd at the end.

FLAMENCO FESTIVAL: Was declared a great success.

SCENE

OCIAL

Giving it all for a great cause ORGANISED by the Local Police, with all proceeds going to Virgen del Rio disabled association, the second edition of HuercalOvera’s Custodian Angels Challenge attracted more than 300 runners and cyclists and was deemed by all to have been a great success. With the first of the two races, for runners on foot, setting off from Santa Barbara Castle on Saturday morning (September 24) and reaching the finish line at the municipal sports centre some time later followed by a mountain bike race, the first few kilometres of which saw local Mayor Domingo Fernandez taking part, the day was completed with various activities for

all the family. The police force, in collaboration with the council’s Sports Department, Almanzora Sports Club and Almeria Provincial Council, laid on a wide range of secondary attractions which included a canine display, road safety course and classes on first aid in the case of heart attacks in honour of Heart Week. Both races were won by local men, with Jose Palma Ortiz repeating last year’s victory on foot while cyclist Francisco Chacon Egea was first over the finish line on his bike. The organisers are already planning the next event, due to coincide with celebrations of the police force’s patron saint.

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

Books for all ENGLISH speaking bookworms in the area may not be aware there is a British Community Library in Mojacar which offers more than 15,000 books in English, which welcomes new members and volunteers. With a membership fee of €12 per year, the library is currently located on the ground floor of the town’s Centro de Usos Multiples and opens on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11am to 1pm (although it closes on bank holidays). The British Community Library began back in 1981 when a group of expatriates got together and took all their unwanted books to Helen

Larsen’s home, where volunteers built shelves to house them all. A few years later, the growing collection was moved to La Rambla, owned by Cyril and Maureen Street, where it remained until Bambi and Martin De Bruin offered space at their shop in Garrucha. The books stayed there for six years, until the council provided the space currently housing the collection and they returned to Mojacar. Although only one of the original founders of the library, Elaine Keyton, remains today, a committee with 14 members meets regularly to choose new books for the collection and manage the day to day running.

SOCIAL SCENE

The past moving on By Eleanor Hawkins AN exhibition, The Andalucian Republican Exile, 1939, organised by the University of Almeria’s Proyecto Atalaya, will be moving on after tomorrow, Friday September 30, from its current location in Nijar. Those who miss out on seeing this collection of remnants of the past at Nijar ’s Museo del Agua, however, may still have a chance to catch it while it travels around the province before returning to the university. The display gives insight into w ha t, a s N ija r M a yor Esperanza Perez said during the launch, must have been a terrifying time for many as fear of political repercussions led them to flee their homes, often with no money or possessions and usually to c ountrie s of w hic h the y knew barely anything, even the language.

NIJAR MUSEUM: The exhibition will now travel around the province.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

Water worries worsen By Eleanor Hawkins LOCAL farmers are concerned that while emergency water has been approved by the government for other drought-struck regions, Almeria, the driest province in Europe, has so far been ignored. The Poniente area has reported increased salinity of wells used to water almost 30,000 hectares of greenhouses, while Levante farmers are finding the waters of the Negratin insufficient to provide for its 24,000

STRETCHED TO BREAKING POINT: Almanzora reservoir. hectares of fruit and vegetable crops.

Meanwhile, weather forecasts warn of another dry autumn, and

the agriculture sector is having trouble understanding why the issue is of such low priority. The society ‘Aguas del Almanzora’ has attempted to obtain water from the Fuente Palmera Irrigation Community in Cordoba, but this has been turned down by the authorities. The society has more than 10,000 members, with the Almanzora valley’s 24,000 hectares of farmland used mainly to grow citrus fruit, lettuce and broccoli, yet about 4,000 of these are in danger of becoming totally dry.

Authorities fail to believe it THE provincial Public Prosecutor’s office has shelved the case of possible presence of anti-rain aircraft in northern Almeria after Guardia Civil investigations failed to find any proof to confirm reported flights. The case, launched when Avial health and environmental defence association reported back in February that aircraft were carrying out clandestine flights to

spray chemical products aimed to reduce rainfall, comes to an end for the time being at least although Avial intends to continue with its mission. Association president Jose Antonio Alfonso said the decision, which he heard through the press, rather than dampening Avial’s mood has given them strength to continue forwards as it firmly believes that the practice is being carried out.

“We’re convinced these planes exist and we won’t stop until we prove it. We don’t think they have investigated enough and we urge the authorities to look out for people’s health and interests,” Alfonso said. The association is planning a protest march for people from all over Spain to be held in the Almanzora area early next year.

EWN

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Coach and horses By Matt Ford PARENTS of six children from Arboleas are up in arms over the continued lack of free public transport available to take their offspring to school in Albox. The children are enrolled at the IES Cardenal Cisneros school, but they have been denied transport since the spring, and their angry parents are seeking answers from the provincial Department of Education. In one case, a female studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother has been allotted a seat on the school bus, on which there remain empty places, while she must take a taxi twice per day. According to the education department, the problem is that at their age the affected children should be enrolled in schools within Arboleas, but the parents say this was never previously the case.

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Bullying suspected in Olula del Rio school By Eleanor Hawkins AN Olula del Rio mother has spoken out in an attempt to save her son from bullying at school which, she said, left him with injuries during lessons last week. The situation, the woman reported, began some years ago at primary school when her son was diagnosed with a slight disability and his classmates began to tease and bully him. At the time, the boy’s par-

ents chose to move him to another school which at least stopped the problem during lessons, however to their dismay when he started secondary school this year they found he had been put in a class with his former classmates and aggressors. Everything came to a head last week, the distraught mother said. On the Tuesday her son was pushed during PE and the following day he was attacked in class even though

other students and a teacher were present, leaving him with back and neck injuries according to a medical report from the health centre. This is, in fact, the second time the authorities have been informed of the family’s problem as back in February, the mother explained, her son was accosted by a group of about 20 children after going to the kiosk to buy sweets and even when she arrived they stood up to her. The case, however, was shelved

as the alleged aggressors were all under the age of 14. The judicial police are investigating the case and have already interviewed the alleged victim, and the family is due to meet the school management this week. Agustin Iglesias, headmaster at Rosa Navarro secondary school, where the attack allegedly took place, explained that the school is doing everything it can to deal with the matter under official bullying protocols.

Local dogs showing off their skills LOCALS in Olula del Rio had the chance last week to see a display by Didugal Almeria dog trainers and the local Civil Protection’s canine unit, with demonstrations of the dogs’ skills

in drug detection, emergency rescue missions and intervention in domestic violence cases. The event also served to introduce the Local Police force’s newest

member, Belgian shepherd sniffer dog Draco, to the public and ended with a canine beauty competition which many local pooches took part in.

E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Working on streets By Eleanor Hawkins ALBOX Council is spending â&#x201A;Ź285,167 from the PFEA rural employment development plans on improvements to almost 20 streets across the town. The majority of the work will involve building or repairing pavements with the first area to receive attention being that around the Centro de Agua y Salud which will provide pedestrians with easier access to the sports centre and the rest of the busy central street. Work has also started to repair pavements on Calle Santtuario and is due to continue on Avenida Puente, Calle Monteroel, Calle General Alvear, Avenida America, Calle Blas Infante, Calle

Andalucia and Calle Inocencio Arias. Another project to be undertaken is the repaving of Calle Alberto Sanchez, which will improve the looks of the street in the historical centre of the town which, although surrounded by pedestrian areas, is in need of decent pavements and surfacing. The council also intends to lay concrete on various rural routes including Cuesta de Los Leoncios, Cuesta de la Fuente del Mojon, Camino de los Segovias and Cuesta del Llano de los Olleres. Fountains are also in for some TLC with repairs planned for the Fuente Vieja on Rambla de Olias and new pipes for Fuente El Mojon.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

New signs, more control THOSE who drive along the stretch of the Almanzora motorway between Albox and Zurgena via Arboleas may have been wondering what the new orange road signs are all about. Sadly, they are far from a good sign as the road has been pinpointed as that with the worst risk of accidents due to excess speed in the province by the General Traffic Directorate (DGT). The DGT measured various factors including the number of accidents registered, the average speed of vehicles and the number of fines issued for speeding on roads across the country to determine which require special supervision and the new signs mark this status. The measure is hoped to reduce accidents following a particularly bad summer in Almeria Province with more road deaths registered so far this year than in the whole of 2015.

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29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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E W N 29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

Hemmed in on all sides Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man THIS week I’ve been grumpy over a few things, some I’ve mentioned before in passing. Our daughter was here last weekend and she likes to go to the beach so we went. After waking up from my afternoon nap I asked who would like an ice cream. Both Mrs S and Dr S (sorry, proud dad!) said yes so I set off to buy some. I bought three Magnums and was shocked to see the size of these mightily named ice creams. I thought they’d made a mistake and given me bite-size ones but was assured this was the actual size they now are. Well, it’s a diabolical liberty! I discovered, thanks to Google, they’d shrunk by up to 13 per cent to make sure they’re no more than 250 calories. How kind of Unilever to worry about my health but not my bank balance as the price stayed the same. What a load of cobblers. The truth is more like some suit in accounting has gone to someone in marketing and said ‘come up with a bull s**t idea for us to put prices up’ and the genius came up this under the guise of helping big fat diabetics like me

and stick-insect ladies like my daughter. Note to big companies: if you want to put prices up, put them up. Don’t nick a bit off your product and try to disguise what you’ve done. It’s crafty and underhand but, of course, you know that and don’t give a monkey’s! Here’s a bit of homework for you. Google and see how many companies have shrunk their products but not reduced the price pro rata. You will be unpleasantly surprised. Second thing is motor scooter riders, again! For information, the yellow box at the end of my car parked in the rare disabled bay, and the car parked behind, is there so I can get my wheelchair out the boot. IT’S NOT FOR YOU SELFISH, INCONSIDERATE PRATS TO PARK YOUR SCOOTER! OK? I had one this week so close I could not even manoeuvre my car out. I was tempted to smash into it but decided to hold my hand on the hooter until the owner appeared or the police turned up. After a few minutes the owner turned up and was upset when I verbally abused him. At no time did he apologise. He just came out with the usual claptrap he was only sitting across the road having a drink and he would move it now. Not the point! By the way, when at Carrefour look at the motorbikes and scooters parked alongside cars in disabled bays making it hard to even open doors. Am I overreacting or am I right? Let me know: mikesenker@gmail.com.

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OPINION & COMMENT

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Rules for cyclists AS part of the series, we answer some common driving questions and keep you updated on the latest driving and road news 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. MOST road users say they have witnessed a bicycle rider going through a red light or riding on the pavement and this always raises the same question; are they allowed to do this and is it legal? The simple answer is no. In terms of law, once a bike is being ridden it is classed as a vehicle and therefore covered by the same rules and laws as a car, truck, bus or any other vehicle on the road. It is only when the rider dismounts and walks with the bike is it considered otherwise. In this instance, the person has become a pedestrian. It is for this reason why cyclists are not permitted to ride across a zebra crossing as you would not expect a car to do that. The rider must therefore dismount before crossing. Listening to music using headphones or a mobile phone when riding a bike are prohibited in the same way as for other vehicles. Consuming more

than the prescribed limit of alcohol or using drugs before cycling is also not allowed. Some of the most common infractions made by cyclists is for not having a bell on the bike. This can incur a fine of €80. For having faulty or no brakes also carries a fine of €80; for not stopping at traffic lights you can be fined €200 as well as for not giving way at a junction, having no lights, having too many lights and failing to wear high visibility clothing. For riding under the influence of alcohol you can be fined €500.

CYCLING CHAT: Using a mobile phone is prohibited.

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Choosing the president ONE of our owners has queried the article ‘Who shall be president’ in the EWN dated Sept 7, 2016. The owner emailed a copy of the ‘Horizontal Law.’ He questions your answer about electing a president by lot from full-time residents and not from all owners. Has the text below been superseded or does it still stand? “If no candidate presents himself or herself for election as president, the Horizontal Property Law lays down that the president may be chosen by lottery. The names of all owners are put in a hat, and the lucky (or unlucky) name chosen becomes president for the year.” J.B. (Costa Blanca) of the owners.’ Your THE Law of questioner has a freehand Horizontal PropDavid Searl English description of the erty states in Article l3.2 You and the Law Law, which is basically that: “The president shall in Spain correct. However, the abbe chosen from among sence of one word makes shall be compulsory…” the owners in the Coma big difference in this This is a direct translation munity by election or by case. The full-time resifrom Spanish to English. turns in rotation or by dents can protest. The law does not say, ‘all drawing lots. Acceptance Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

EWN

Where the sun hides in secret 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.

IT all started as a rumour. I traced it down. It wasn’t hard. Every time you ordered a drink on a cloudy day, the bartender would take you outside and point to distant Aguilas where the sun was shining. In the tourist brochures it was announced that Mojacar had 320 days of sun, I bumped it up to 344 days of sun using poetic licence, and then almost everyone else that quoted statistics took my version. It was respected by all except one, Mike Lee, who ran the lonesome bar in the Parata. He vehemently claimed that on cloudy days, that distant Aguilas which he could glimpse from his terrace looking out to sea, was where the sun was always! He said it enough that within less than a year, he convinced everyone on the beach who visited his bar, we were not living in the sunniest place in Spain but just the second most.

THE BELIEVERS: The sun always shines on the other side of the street! It was a hard pill to swallow. It weighed upon us while taking drink, and even worse at night. Then Mike started taking trips there on his day off, and bragging about how everything was half the price of here, and came with sun. That perturbed us, soon caravans of cars fled that way on a rare but overcast day.

Soon we were all comparing places to eat, sites to visit as tourists, and where were the new spots where noone else had discovered. Some of us would even sneak over on sunny days to see if it all wasn’t some mirage or optical illusion. Worse yet, some of the restaurant owners and residents came Mojacar

way and insulted us all by stating they wanted to get out of the sun, away from the constant blazing light. Whoops, that was upsetting but, irrefutable. Of course we all had to learn some broken German to talk with those that thrived there.

Matters weren’t helped along when Aguilas produced the first authentic Chinese restaurant that anyone had ever heard of in the area. It became the custom to go there for the Saturday market, buy knick knacks you didn’t need, then fight for a place to sit in the Chinese. It wasn’t particularly good, but it was different, oriental, kinda Chinesey, cuz at least you could get egg rolls for two euros each. Some of us even saved our facturas (bills), to show the less learned and travelled, about our unique journey and dining experience. The whole concern exalted way out of proportion, right up to a fever pitch. Aguilas was the last word on any discussion of climatology, and we all believed it. Until one sad day some wise guy from Mojacar village asked, “So what? What difference does it really make? Who cares?” Well, that was like throwing a bucket of ice cold glacier water into our faces, the true believers, it was a firm wake up call. I don’t believe the word Aguilas has been mentioned again ever since.

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Globelink: get the right travel insurance policy Christina Sharp GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL christina@globelink.co.uk.

FORGET gap year students donning backpacks and exploring every corner of the globe. According to recent travel trends it’s the over 50s who are taking globetrotting by storm and travelling further and more often than ever before. A whopping 85 per cent travel more than twice a year. And why not! Over 50s are living longer, are more health conscious and with a greater disposable income it would be a shame not to travel wouldn’t it? Holidays get higher up our ‘essentials list’ as we get older and what’s more, the older we get, the more we like to travel with over 65s being the most prolific travellers of the over 45 market. With the time, interest and enthusi-

asm to explore the world, over 50s are travelling to more adventurous and undiscovered places than previous generations. Whether it’s a trip of a lifetime on the Orient Express, seeing the northern lights, or glamping in Nepal or Borneo, there is no stopping this sea change. But don’t forget to make sure you are covered by a quality travel insurance policy. On the whole, travellers over 50 are smarter when it comes to buying travel insurance. As a seasoned traveller, you understand the importance of having the right cover and what can go wrong if you don’t. With over half a million Brits making a claim on their travel insurance last year alone, mishaps definitely do happen! But is it better to buy an annual travel insurance policy or a single trip? We look at this dilemma holidaymakers face each year. Ask yourself a few simple questions to decide whether you are better off

with an annual multi trip or single trip travel insurance policy: • Are you considering two trips outside of your home country this year? Don’t forget weekend breaks too. • Will you be travelling outside Europe for one of these trips e.g. long haul to the US or Asia? • Might you opt for a winter sports break as well as a summer break and weekends away? If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these it’s likely to be more cost effective to purchase an annual multi-trip policy. Whether visiting family overseas, taking a weekend break, an adventure holiday or cruise of a lifetime, Globelink Travel Insurance provides affordable insurance for people aged up to 84 who live in Spain and the EU. For an instant quote or to purchase visit www.globelink.co.uk, call 00 44 135 3 699 082 or the Spanish linkline on 966 265 000.

TRAVEL SMART: Make sure you are covered by a quality travel insurance policy.

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HOMES

GARDENS

Drought proof gardens

Autumn herbs and spices

THE current climate means water is liquid gold in Spain. Beautiful green gardens can go wrong if water is scarce. Here’s a few tips to help economise water and still have a garden to be proud of. 1. Invest in a drip watering system (goteo) and an automatic timer. 2. Plant droughtresistant species requiring less water. 3. Place padding (leaves, straw, pine bark, etc) around plants to block evaporation. 4. Plant delicate species in the shade eg under walls, pergolas or trees. 5. Group plants by water requirements with those which need most on the edges of the lawn. 6. Water in the morning or at sunset to lessen evaporation and boost absorption.

AUTUMN changes our routines as summer celebration, holidays and hot days pass by and cooler weather approaches, often rapidly. It’s much more pleasant to work in the garden at this time of year. When the rain does fall in the Spanish autumn, the garden greens up like a second spring. Even the roses have a new flush of blooms while the carpet of green meadow grasses and wild flower plants emerge in the countryside. It’s a great time to set out herbs in smart pots near the kitchen or in the garden where you might enjoy to stroll before dinner time. It’s always best that they’re handy if you use them often. Once established, herbs usually need little care through winter, if they receive enough rain. The Mediterranean climate allows the easy growing of most commonly used herbs and many spices. It’s great to have them fresh and they can be used for herbal teas if you like a variety of tastes. A Bay tree (Laurus nobilis) is a good example of an easy to grow flavoursome tree for pot or garden that will give you and your neighbours all the bay leaves you could need for the seasoning of your cooking. Most nurseries and community markets will have a wide selection of herbs available now that will enhance any gardeners cuisine with aromatic scents and flavours. It can include parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (especially for Simon and Garfunkel fans) as well as marjoram and oregano. There is at least one herb however that is often sold by well meaning nursery people in Spain which is very misleading. The curry plant is as mysterious as India. The commonly sold curry plant (Helichrysum italicum), of the daisy family that looks similar to wormwood plants, smells like curry powder but has a bitter taste and is not a culinary herb. It’s used

By Graeme Tyrrell

CURRY PLANTS: Not as easy to grow as some other Mediterranean herbs. more for essential oils than in the kitchen. The more true curry plant (Murraya koenigii) is a native of north India to southern China and is used for flavouring but is still not really the curry used in Indian or British cooking. The origin of the yellow powder we mostly know as curry is actually a mixture of various herbs and spices that can vary in content. The herbs and spices include cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, capsicum, fenugreek, allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, mustard,

fennel, mace and more. The word curry is apparently derived from the Hindi word kari which means sauce. It appears to have adapted into English as curry. In India, curry is called masala. So it is all a mystery. Before you start showing off your curry plant, make sure you know what you have and what it’s for. The curry of India is shrouded in family secret recipes and ayervedic guidelines on its use and is not an easy to grow herb like many of the Mediterranean garden.

HOMES & GARDENS

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What is your current pool temperature? IT is certainly a valid question now the winter months are descending upon us. By the end of September, boiling hot summer temperatures are gone and our swimming pools tend to drop three degrees a day as soon as temperatures fall below 20 degrees at night. With a pool cover, this can be partially mitigated, but even during the day pools lose a lot of heat due to evaporation. With a heat pump, pool owners can easily maintain their preferred pool temperature or increase their pool water temperature by up to 4°C in one day. Poolworx has the solution to ensure you can enjoy your pool 365 days of the year, getting the best out of your investment. Using Duratech heat exchange pumps, made of high quality materials such as PVC and titanium and installed by experts, you can experience pool temperatures of 29 degrees for as little as €2 per day. You might think this would be a costly endeavour

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Leather care

SUPPLE SOFA: Treat monthly to keep it shiny and flexible.

WINTER DIPS: Poolworx can make it possible. running your heat pump, no matter how low the outside temperature may be, but this is not the case! Poolworx has a full cost overview available on their website that can be adapted to everyone and photos of completed installations and testimonials from clients. The system is also highly economical. Heat retrieved from the air outside is transferred to the pool water, and the system does not rely on solar energy so it is equally efficient on cloudy days. For each kilowatt consumed by the heat pump, six kilowatts

can be returned to the pool, which means five out of every six kilowatts is free! Poolworx guarantees competitive prices with an aftercare service which is second to none. Their technical staff are trained by Duratech specialists to the same level as their factory technicians in Belgium which makes their technical service professional and to the point. Just one day is needed to complete the installation and you’re ready to enjoy your heated pool during the winter months. A pool cover, al-

though not mandatory, is highly recommended to accompany the pump as it’s such a tremendous energy saver if you do them both in one go. Contact Poolworx for your no obligation ‘pool specific’ price quote, by calling Spain 643 363 179 or Belgium (+32) 497 408 800, email albert@poolworx.es or visit their websites in English at www.poolworx.eu, Spanish at www.poolworx.es or Dutch at www.poolworx.be.

LEATHER sofas and other items of furniture require special care to keep them in good condition. The first thing to do to avoid them deteriorating fast is to make sure they are put in the right place. Direct sunlight and heat (be it from the sun or radiators) will not only dry out your prize possession and cause it to crack but will also make the colour fade very quickly. Leather needs monthly treatment with a specific oil or wax product to keep it supple but in

a fix, a general moisturising lotion from the bathroom is better than nothing. This will keep it shiny and flexible. Any marks or stains should be cleaned before waxing though to avoid them sticking. Alcohol and solvents will damage the colour and reduce shine so should be avoided, and any new product should be tested in an out-of-sight spot before use. For tough stains, try rubbing with a piece of cotton wool doused in beer or beaten egg for light coloured leather.

Financial Capability CAPABILITY BROWN, the famous English landscape gardener, was very well paid for his efforts, earning more than £500 million, new research on his only surviving account book revealed. The book reveals during his most productive period, when he’s estimated to have transformed more than 500,000 acres of land in at least 250 sites for wealthy clients including the king and six prime ministers, he earned vast amounts. He had to pay contractors to do the work, but it still left him very wealthy.

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PETS PAGE www.euroweeklynews.com

Scratching and licking David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

DOGS that ritualistically scratch and lick could be indicating there’s an allergic reaction to food or an ingredient in the food. If the body defence mechanisms are in action, this will trigger off cells, which release histamine. In dogs, these cells are located in greatest numbers on feet, legs, around the ears, eyes and nose, on the root of the tail and on the

chest and abdomen. Frantic licking or scratching in these areas, especially after eating, will eventually damage skin leaving it open to infection. Some behaviours are so extreme the dog or cat doesn’t want to sleep. It’s now been proven, according to Andrew Luescher, director of the Purdue University of animal behaviour, these compulsive disorders seem linked with genetics, increased endorphins and altered levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly serotonin and dopamine. Tail chasing and chewing in Bull Terriers, flank sucking in Dobermans, hind end licking and sucking in Schnauzers is well reported as is imaginary flies that dogs chase. If your animal scratches or licks excessively speak to your vet who’ll be able to determine if it’s an allergic reaction to food or if there’s a medical cause. Parasites, skin problems, arthritis or liver disease could cause excessive licking; and bowel/anal problems need checked. Some vets understand the value of a ca-

nine behaviourist and often refer to enable study of a particular behaviour to see if it’s a learned response. If physical causes and learned behaviours are ruled out, a vet or animal behaviourist takes a detailed history to try to establish the trigger. Common causes include a new baby or spouse in the family, moving house, holiday periods like Christmas (when they get less attention), children going off to boarding school, less exercise, frustration at being left alone/in too small an area, being confined for too long; and harsh or inconsistent punishment. If they don’t know what to expect from owners it’s likely to cause conflict. Owners shouting ‘Stop licking’ is enough to cause conflict in the mind of a pet. Reduce stress levels by maintaining regular schedules like feeding three times a day at a set time, habitual and increased exercise and consistent use of commands followed by immediate reward of ‘Good dog.’ Sometimes drug therapy is required to correct imbalances in the brain, as it is difficult with behaviour modification alone.

Duke is leader of the pack and a good teamworker too House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742. FOUND in a rescue home in France, Duke has been living with owner Susan for eight years. He quickly adapted to his new life in the country, with with a large garden, a comfortable home and kind family. Over the years Susan adopt-

ON HAND: Duke helps out with the other rescue dogs. ed three other rescue dogs, so Duke now has a fur family of his own to care for. And he

does: he is the leader without any doubt, guiding the others and helping with the training.

Recently, Duke’s owner had to travel for a few weeks and found her house-sitter through HouseSitMatch.com. She was concerned about leaving as one of the dogs was recently rescued and after two months was still finding it difficult to act on Susan’s commands. The sitter and owner spent two days together with the dogs before Susan left for her trip. When in the first couple of days the sitter, an experienced dog handler, took time trying to get Perle, the newest member of the family, to come in the house at night, Duke would leave his bed and literally round up Perle chasing her into the house. So Duke became the sitter’s best friend. Teamwork! Need a sitter? House-sitting can be win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as a house-sitter or homeowner to get 20 per cent off using code PERFECT20. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

When you’re hot you’re hot Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-thewall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

THERE is always one member in any group of blokes, who stands out in the crowd through his style and personality. ‘Flash’ is a common adjective used to describe such individuals. I am talking here of young men, and a time gone by when trouser waistlines got as low as the hips and that was it. Not shapeless strides that look as if they have an urgent appointment with your ankles. The only builder’s bums you saw then, were um, well builder’s bums. The resident ‘Jack the Lad’ in our group was Alan. Alan had Italian antecedents and although he was brought up in England, he still retained a very slight but alluring accent. Alluring to the girls that is. He took for granted his popularity with women, and whilst

PETER WYNGARDE: Always had a babe on his arm or in his Bentley Continental. the rest of us had to work hard to attract the opposite sex and continuously come up with new and corny chat-up lines, Alan would simply swagger

over to his target, lift his eyebrows suggestively, and he was in. Even his swagger and eyebrow actions were delivered

with a Mediterranean accent. A television series of the time was called ‘Department S’ and the main character, Jason King, was played by the

actor Peter Wyngarde. This oily devil wore sharp suits and sported fashionable long hair and a Zapata moustache. And he always had a babe on his arm or in his Bentley Continental. Alan and Mr Wyngarde could have been brothers and attended the same school for smooth operators. I stayed with my old friend in England recently, and nothing has changed. Whilst age has been a bitter enemy of mine, it seems to have simply ignored Alan and moved on to richer pickings. During my stay he would swan around wearing a granddad shirt, faded blue jeans held up with braces, and scuffed desert boots. And dammit, he looked great. When I returned home it inspired me to buy a pair of braces on Playa Flamenca market and try to emulate the look. The result was a fair photofit of what the father of Worzel Gummidge must have looked like. The Princess thought I had finally flipped. But that’s the way it is with blokes like Alan. When you’re hot you’re hot, and if you’re not you’re not.

More cauldron than melting pot The All-Nite Images Wikimedia

John Smith Random thoughts... THERE seems to be a major problem brewing between black and white people in the USA which is being highlighted through a wave of protests caused by the shooting of various African Americans over the past few months. The latest in Charlotte, North Carolina, is particularly poignant as the both the person shot and the police officer who did the shooting were black. But, as a number of people have said, if you put on the blue (uniform) then you might as well be white! This phrase suggests there is a form of inbred racism within the police forces throughout the USA and the demonstrations are not just about the shootings but represent an overall distrust of authority and hundreds of years of pent-up hatred for the very fact that so many black Americans can trace their arrival on the continent to ancestors who were transported as slaves.

BLACK LIVES MATTER: Demonstrations are occurring across the USA. Whilst the Civil War was fought ostensibly to free the slaves, it has to be remembered that for a hundred years after the war, the American south still implemented its own form of Apartheid and this was generally accepted across the nation, hence the fact that during the two world wars, black only regiments were formed but with white officers and even black nurses were only allowed to minister to

black soldiers and German prisoners of war, who actually had more rights as prisoners than ‘free’ black soldiers. The 1960s saw the freedom movement as promoted by Martin Luther King and a great deal was achieved during his short life but although the rights of black Americans were improved and many did break through the ‘glass ceiling,’ overall African Americans contin-

EWN

OUR VIEW

Iván Salvía Wikimedia

Andalucian donkey.

Spain and animals IT is said that there are 12,000 events across Spain each year which involve animals suffering some form of harm. They are often associated with religious festivals which seems to be more than a little strange yet Spain also has one of the few political parties (PACMA) anywhere in the world which stands in elections in the name of animal protection. Many expats are in favour of changing laws concerning bullfighting and the like but so are many Spanish. Councils all over Spain are beginning to tighten laws and ban bullfighting in an effort to change the views of the population. It has to be remembered it’s relatively recent that Spain returned to democracy after nearly 40 years of a very traditionalist view and therefore things move slowly but they’re certainly moving in the right direction. There are still examples of old hunting dogs being hung from trees when no longer needed. Dogs and kittens are dumped too but many Spaniards love to own dogs as pets and lavish a great deal of affection and quite a lot of money in looking after them. Yes, there are expat charities looking after abandoned animals but they also receive support from Spanish contributors and there are Spanish charities as well who look after animals of all kinds. One continued blot on the animal landscape however remains with donkeys such as those in Mijas Pueblo and it does seem people still treat working animals with less care and attention than pets. Things are getting better and the expat community could and should recognise this even though there’s still a long way to go.

ue d to be a si gni f i cant par t of a huge underclass which is looked down upon by many white Americans. Supposedly America is a polyglot cul t ur e and t her e ar e huge numbers of new Americans from Africa and South America flowing into the count r y whi ch, dur i ng times of recession, has helped to fuel animosity between the various ethnic groups. It is quite interesting that Donald Trump has picked upon Mexicans and Moslems as his targets of interest and sensibly has said little about African Americans, many of w hom can pr obabl y t r ace t hei r American heritage further back than he can. The USA is such an enormous country with such a large population of so m any di ver se backgrounds that it could be considered a number of different nations in one geographical area rather than a single nation under a common banNow we ner. want to Unless it manages to recognise hear your views. that skin colour does not denote a sub-species then the civil YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE unrest seen during 2016 will - YOUR OPINION not just continue but is likely to www.euroweeklynews.com escalate.

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Getting ready to detonate NOBODY is trying to predict the future more frantically than mechanical geniuses at the world’s biggest car manufacturers. Acutely aware their business is set to change beyond recognition in the near future the big guns are out and doing their

best Nostradamus impressions. Honda reckons they hit the nail on the head when they identified hydrogen-fuel cell technology almost a decade ago. The Japanese leviathan floated the alluring vision of a car running on air and emitting

water, in perfect symphony with nature. But having seen rivals Mercedes, Ford, Tesla, Audi, BMW, etc. hedge their bets on electric and autonomous options Honda will hold off on their hydrogen dream for a decade or so while the world catches up.

MOTORING www.euroweeklynews.com

Top tech round-up BRITISH news journal the Financial Times has reported on a possible acquisition of Formula One superpower McLaren by reigning technology behemoth Apple. McLaren has dismissed reports they have been engaged in talks with Apple over a potential €1.7 billion takeover, a figure that would be make a miniscule dent in the iPhone maker ’s budget, but alluded to ‘regular ’ and ‘confidential’ conversations with unnamed parties. Although speculative at this point, if the move did go ahead it would make financial and technological sense for both parties. There have long

been suggestions that the Silicon Valley outfit is hoping to add an ‘iCar ’ to its iPhone, iMac and multifaceted range. Project Titan, Apple’s self-driving car effort is notoriously troubled and adding McLaren’s carbon fibre and electric propulsion expertise to its brand would help Apple successfully infiltrate a highly competitive market. Both firms are renowned for their innovative character and a hard sale would certainly benefit the loss-making British manufacturer financially, while Apple might avoid paying hefty US taxes on foreign profits by buying a UK-based company with offshore funds.

MOTORING

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29 September - 5 October 2016 / AlmerĂa E W N

Classic week at treasure island THE Mallorca Classic Week dominated the Balearic motoring scene last week as hundreds of old and brilliant cars descended on the island much to the delight of the thousands of spectators and enthusiast in attendance. Raising serious funds for local charitable endeavours the event took place in

Port Adriano and also featured classic yachts among the treasures on display. Considering vintage cars to be those built before 1991, the classics convention welcomed local Mallorcan and Spanish representatives and many others driven and shipped to the island from Britain, France and Germany.

Among the highlights were a BMW 507 shipped over from Germany, a 1966 Ford Mustang, a Ford Thunderbird Series 1, a 1957 Mercedes Benz 190 SL, and a 1968 Jaguar E-Type. For the seafarers a special treat came in the guise of a 1912 built Spirit of the Caribe yacht.

SPORT

29 September - 5 October 2016 / Costa de Almería

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EWN

Toby clinches title for Middlesex and golfers set for the Ryder Cup 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

THERE has been plenty of great sporting action to enjoy over the last seven days or so on cricket, football and rugby pitches, on a golf course, race tracks and even in the boxing ring. CRICKET A compelling final day of the season ended in dramatic fashion as Toby Roland-Jones claimed a hat-trick against Yorkshire to earn Middlesex their first County Championship title for 23 years. With five overs left, the seamer dismissed Azeem Rafiq, Andrew Hodd and Ryan Sidebottom in three balls to finish with 6-54 and match figures of 10-127 as Middlesex won by 61 runs to finish on 230 points. Somerset finished second (226) with Yorkshire (211) third. In contrast, Hampshire and Notts were relegated while Kent gained promotion from Division Two. Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin took his 200th wicket, in only his 37th Test, against New Zealand in Kanpur. He’s the second fastest to achieve this feat in Test match history. FOOTBALL Last weekend, Manchester United (starting without the axed Wayne Rooney) hammered Leicester 4-1…Arsenal whipped Chelsea 3-0… Everton lost 1-0 at Bournemouth… in-form Liverpool whipped thumped Hull 5-1… Spurs, with a brace from Son, won 2-1 at Middlesbrough… Stoke were held 1-1 by WBA for whom Tony Pulis took charge of his 1,000th game as a club manager… Sunderland (2-0 up) succumbed 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace… unbeaten and leaders Manchester City won 31 at Swansea… and hopeless West Ham were defeated 3-0 at home by Southampton. Watford met Burnley on Monday. The big Championship encounter finished Aston Villa 1 Newcastle 1, former leaders Huddersfield (replaced at the

top by Norwich) lost 1-0 at Reading and Hartlepool’s 772round mile trip to FL2 leaders Plymouth was not in vain as they drew 1-1 with the Pilgrims. North of the border, Celtic crushed Kilmarnock 6-1 to stay top of the SPL. In the Champions League on Tuesday, it was CSKA-Spurs, Borussia Dortmund-Real Madrid and Leicester-Porto, followed last night by ArsenalBasel, Celtic-Manchester City, Atletico Madrid-Bayern Munich and MonchengladbachBarcelona. This evening it’s DundalkMaccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel BSSouthampton and Manchester United-Zorya in the Europa League. The top PL matches coming up are Everton-Crystal Palace (tomorrow), Hull-Chelsea and Swansea-Liverpool (Saturday) and Burnley-Arsenal, Leicester-Southampton, Manchester United-Stoke and Spurs-Manchester City (Sunday). There are vital 2018 WC qualifiers on the horizon including Austria-Wales, Republic of Ireland-Georgia (October 4), followed by England-Malta, Northern Ireland-San Marino and Scotland-Lithuania two days later. After third round wins at Northampton and Swansea respectively, United play rivals City in the Manchester derby in the last 16 of the EFL Cup which also includes LiverpoolSpurs and West Ham-Chelsea. It’s Celtic-Rangers and Aberdeen-Morton in the SLC semi-finals. Manchester City Ladies beat Chelsea to win the Women’s PL for the first time. Ex-Arsenal, Swansea and Wales defender Mel Charles has died, aged 81. MOTORSPORT Last weekend’s Spanish MotoGP in Aragon was won by home favourite Marc Marquez with Jorge Lorenzo second and Valentino Rossi third. Marquez (248 points) leads the rider’s championship by 52 from Rossi. This weekend, it’s the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix from Kuala Lumpur where Lewis Hamilton will be seeking to regain the lead in the driver’s championship from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.

RUGBY Wasps beat Northampton 2015 to go three points clear at the top of the RU Premiership following Saracens 17-10 defeat at Harlequins. And Denny Solomona of Castleford has set a club record with 42 tries in a season. GOLF The Ryder Cup starts tomorrow at the Hazeltine National Club in Minnesota, USA and Europe’s Rory McIlroy is bang in form after beating Ryan Moore

and Kevin Chappell in a playoff to win the Tour Championship and claim the FedEx Cup. The Northern Irishman rolled in a birdie from 15 feet to edge out Moore on the fourth play-off hole and win the £1.15 million tournament. Sad news… Arnold Palmer, widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all-time, has died, aged 87. DARTS Doncaster youngster Beau Greaves, aged just 12, is the

new darting sensation. She recently won the 2016 women’s Yorkshire Darts Classic title, defeating Louise Simmonds in the final. She’s now tipped to become a world champion and millionaire before 2020! BOXING GB’s Anthony Crolla, beaten on points by Venezuelan Jorge Lindares in his WBA lightweight title fight in Manchester, will get the chance of gaining revenge in February/March next year. And Tyson Fury may never fight again said British promoter Eddie Hearn.

ROUND-UP Ding Junghui (China) won the recent Shanghai snooker title. Phil Taylor is back on track after beating Michael van Gerwen to win his first Darts League championship. And on Sunday, we have the Prix de l’Arc de TriomPAUL phe, the Great Scottish POGBA: Run and the Cardiff For Man U. half-marathon.

Arnold Palmer – A golfer supreme A tribute by Tony Matthews American Arnold Palmer, recognised by many as one of the greatest golfers in the sport’s history, died last weekend at the age of 87, at the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in his home city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was undergoing heart tests. During a long and successful career, golf’s ‘greatest ambassador’ won a total of 91 tournaments worldwide and his seven major victories in seven years included wins at the Open in 1961 at Royal Birkdale and 1962 at Troon. He also claimed a record 62 PGA tour wins. “Arnold Palmer is the most important golfer to play the game,” said BBC’s golf correspondent Iain Carter. “His force of charisma put the game on the map and it never dimmed.” Fellow golfing great and a close friend of Palmer’s, Jack Nicklaus, has already admitted that he will “miss him greatly.” “We’ve just lost one of the incredible people in the game of golf and in all of sports,” he tweeted. “Arnold transcended the game of golf. He was more than a golfer or even a great golfer, he was an icon, a legend.” Palmer attracted thousands of die-hard fans known as ‘Arnie’s Army’ as he helped to promote the game into the television age. “Today marks the passing of an era,” said Alastair Johnston, CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises. “His influence, profile and achievements spread far beyond the game of golf. He was an iconic American who treated people with respect and warmth, and built a unique legacy through his ability to engage with fans.” Tributes to the sporting star have poured in from the

stars of the golfing world and from many others elsewhere. “Thanks Arnold for your friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs. Your philanthropy and humility are part of your legend,” Tiger Woods tweeted. “He was a true pioneer for our sport. Forever remembered,” said Northern Ireland’s star Rory McIlroy. US President Barack Obama tweeted a picture of himself with Arnold Palmer at the White House, adding: “Here’s to The King who was as extraordinary on the links as he was generous to others. Thanks for the memories, Arnold.” Former President George W Bush admitted: “He brought golf to millions by his daring and caring. My wife and I are missing him already.” Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1929. The son of the green keeper and groundsman at his local country golf club, he later became the professional at that very same golf club. He was one of golf's most dominant players in the late 1950s and early 1960s. R.I.P. Top man, top golfer.

ARNOLD PALMER: One of golf’s most dominant players.

E W N Costa de Almería

29 September - 5 October 2016

CELEBRATING 20 years in charge Arsene Wenger says he is now hungrier for Arsenal glory than he was in 1996. Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

Badgers kick off ON September 21 Badgers kicked off at Valle del Este, alongside a shining sun and singing birds. Wendy England had a special day picking up a prize in all three events. With the order of merit coming up in a couple of weeks, it’s getting really tight at the top with a number of players in with a shout, it looks like going right to the wire to find a winner. Full Results. 1st Steve Dodd 37 points 2nd Wendy England 36 points 3rd George Crichton 36 points Nearest the Pins Derick Leary 6 - 18 Wendy England 12 Duncan Smart 14 Birdie Two’s Wendy England 12 - 14 Mike Daily 14 Duncan Smart 14 Derick Leary 6 Badgers also play Saturday mornings, for further information call Mike Daily on 664 876 995.

Andy Birch takes the lead FORUM Golf Society’s first visit of the year to Alboran golf course was to contest the first round of this year’s Society Championship, and, although any of the top 10 players could take the title with a strong performance in the final round at Aguilon n e x t w e e k , A n d y B irch w ill ta ke s ome beating after scoring 42 points to win this event. Yv o n n e M a c k ay w a s s e c ond w ith 38 points, with Geoff Hebb (35 points) third, Ian Postles (33 points) fourth and Ron Wileman (33 points) fifth. Nearest the pin prizes were claimed by Byron Sherlock, Adrienne Ruiz and Ian Postles, and Fran Elam hit the day’s longest drive by some 40 yards to take the prize for that on the long 16th hole. Forum’s upcoming fixtures are: October 7 Society Championship Final round at Aguilon, October 21 Stableford at Aguilon, October 28 Stableford at Las Ramblas. For further information, contact Phil Elam on 666 847 840 / philjelam@yahoo.co.uk, or see www.forumgolfsociety.webs.com.

ANDY BIRCH: Scored 42 points.

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Ryder Cup Match Report ON Thursday September 22 at a hastily rearranged venue, the 19th Hole Golf Society played its version of the Ryder Cup at the lovely Aguilon Golf Resort. In its version it was the North of UK versus the South with a few Irish and Spanish thrown in for good measure. Mike Esposito captained the North and Bob Tagg the South. It was a tightly fought contest with two points awarded for a pair’s win and one for a singles win. Matches drawn were awarded a point each. The North came out the close winners (that’s the Southerners version) just pipping the Southerners by 10 points to 5! In the Individual competition Norman (Stormin’) Taylor took 1st place with 40 points, leaving Paco Ocaña Grajal with the same points, in 2nd place, Norman also scored a two on the tricky 14 to complete his day. Big thanks to all who took part making it a good fun day with some excellent golf, and special thanks to Aguilon for accommodating the 19th Hole Golf Society at short notice. Results Ryder Cup North 10 points – South 5 points. Individual 1st Norman Taylor 40 points (23) on a card countback 2nd Paco Ocaña Grajal 40 points (19) 3rd Brian Blythe 39 points (17) Nearest the Pins 3rd Caroline Smith 8th Ron (The Rocket) Curtis Twos 3rd Nick Pogson 8th Ron Curtis The 19th Hole Golf Society arranges weekly games around the area playing Aguilon every other week. For more information ring 610 340 653 or email gs19thhole@hotmail.co.uk.