ISSUENN . 1555 //1323 APRIL2015 2015 - 19- 29 August ISSUE O.O1571
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
D-Day veteran on parade for 100th birthday celebration HERBERT FINCH is said to be Mojacar’s oldest resident
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Hottest beach festival Festival-goers defy extreme temperatures DREAMBEACH was once again a great success as it attracted more than 100,000 partici-
pants, establishing itself as a major music event on the Spanish festival scene. See Page 2
Safer than ever
By Lenox Napier
Number of crimes and offences lowest in four years MOJACAR’S oldest resident is Herbert Finch, who will be 100 on August 22, and ha s l i v e d i n t h e t o w n for the last 35 years. Colonel Herbert Finch TD , k n o wn i n Mo j a ca r rather less formally as Bertie, will be celebrating his centennial birthday at home, su r r o u n d e d b y h is family and friends. ‘Family’, of course, can mean q u i t e a c r e w w h e n you have 100 years behind you, and Bertie’s regiment is large and comes from all over the world, including Canada , Mo n t e C a rlo , Guatemala, Holland, Tenerife, the Channel Islands and his own beloved England. His dear companion Inga (pictured with Bertie) will be organising the Great Day. Bertie was born in Parbold, Lancashire in 1915, and was part of the D-Day landing force in Normandy where he was field-promoted to Captain. He was active in Antwerp, Cuxhaven and
FOR the fourth year in a row crime rates in Almeria Province have registered a decrease, with a total of 31,209, the lowest figure since 2011. See Page 3
Animal-friendly Adra Council proposes new measures to ban cruelty NEW regulations put forward by Adra’s local government will see ill treatment of animals strictly prosecuted, as well as a crackdown See Page 5 on owners who fail to clear up their pet’s mess.
many other areas with his small group of specialists as an Enemy Ammunition Disposal Group – a terrifying job which would later be known widely as a Bomb Disposal Unit. Bertie was demobilised in 1946 and later rejoined the Territorial Army. In 1947, he retired as Deputy Inspector of Ordnance Services Western Command with the
rank of Colonel. He moved to Mojacar in 1980 after the death of his wife and famously registered the area’s first bowling club, located in Cortijo Cabrera, Turre. In 1996, he was given the task to form the first branch of the Royal British Legion, which he did with 15 members. Later he helped with the formation of two more
branches. Inga, as always ‘was his rock’. Bertie plays the violin to he lp him fe e l re la xe d. Asked if he liked being 100 years old, he answered: “Well, it’s better than the alternative.” Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Bertie will be receiving a message from HM Queen Elizabeth II. Turn to Page 4