Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 31 December 2020 - 6 January 2021 Issue 1852

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The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1852

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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BENIDORM LOOKS AHEAD

BENIDORM’S mayor Toni Perez has assured the local population that they are not alone.

The town hall would continue to do everything within its power ‘and more’ by increasing social spending to assist all those people still waiting for help from the Public Administrations, Perez pledged.

The mayor announced that the local government has set aside €6 million of its 2021 Budget of €23 million for local families and businesses.

“In addition there will be other, non-financial help,” revealed Benidorm mayor Toni Perez during his traditional meeting with the local media.

As well as taking stock of 2020, he also outlined the town hall’s plans for 2021.

Next year’s Budget would be

Regarding tourism, Perez said that next year “come what may” Benidorm would find it easier to recover its tourist industry than many other holiday destinations.

“There is an impressive potential demand from the domestic tourist market and the international market, particularly the British,” the mayor pointed out.

Perez went on to explain that the work carried out by Benidorm and its tourist industry in handling the pandemic demonstrated that

NOT ALONE: Benidorm mayor Toni Perez pledged help for the local population. “expansive,” Perez said. “We shall continue to have two fundamental lines of work - socially and mu-

nicipally - and within both these fields, our tourist industry.”

The mayor also stressed that,

as stated in November, these assignments could be increased in 2021 according to local needs.

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it was possible to combine economic activity and health safety.

“Not one contagion was linked to tourist activity,” Perez said, drawing attention to the health and safety measures introduced during the summer season.

“The virus does not understand territories, only behaviour,” affirmed the mayor, who called for “prudence” from the local population, asking them to continue to respect the anti-Covid measures over the holidays.

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Lucky holiday souvenir A JAVEA lottery administration handed out just one Decimo (tenth of a ticket) of the big ‘Gor­ do’ prize in this year’s Christmas lottery.

The 72,897 winner was sold last summer by Loterias Jubama in Calle Santisimo Cristo del Mar near Javea port.

Its purchaser was Mila Fernan­ dez from Puebla de Don Fabrique (Granada) who was visiting her mother Nulinon Gomez who has lived in Javea for 40 years.

Buying Christmas Lottery while on holiday is a time­honoured Spanish custom and Mila’s visit paid off to the tune of €400,000.

NEWS

Supplies for Corazon Expres

ALFAZ’S Rotary Club and the L’Alfaz­Albir Golf Club organ­ ised a charity tournament last month in aid of Corazon Ex­ pres.

Sixty people took part, rais­ ing €1,020 which was used to buy essential supplies for Corazon Expres just before Christmas.

Samuel Totays and Mario Gonzalez Bonilla from the Ro­ tary Club presented the dona­ tion to Tone Dysaland and Ro­ cio Gomez Lopez del Castillo from Corazon Expres.

Also present was Alfaz’s Other Nationalities councillor

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES: Ready for Corazon Expres.

Martine Mertens, who thanked all involved, while applauding the “disinterested and fundamental” work that was carried out by so many people, groups and firms in Alfaz.

Corazon Expres links re­ sources and needs, the organ­ isers explained, connecting charitable associations and or­ ganisations with those need­ ing assistance.

As well as providing occa­

sional economic help, Corazon Expres sets out to improve quality of life by supporting families and their financial de­ velopment.

At present the charity col­ laborates with the Social Ser­ vices departments from sev­ eral town halls as well as non­government organisa­ tions. It also provides advice and help for persons in emer­ gency situations.

And as Tone Dysjaland said in the past: “We are aware that we can’t change the world, but we can change the life of one person.”

Proteccion Civil 2020 summary Outsized zebra THIS year Javea’s Proteccion Civil vol­ unteers have devoted 5,016 hours to the community.

The group’s annual report revealed that 488 hours of their time were oc­ cupied with tasks arising from the Covid­19 pandemic which included supporting the police, helping to disin­ fect the town and delivering food and other supplies. They also brightened children’s birthdays during lockdown

by driving past their homes with klax­ ons blaring.

Despite their valuable work during this period, much of the volunteers’ time was taken up with fire­watching and responding to incidents during the summer.

The Proteccion Civil volunteers were also on hand for 197 hours dur­ ing the Storm Gloria emergency last January.

SAN VICENTE Town Hall recently in­ stalled a zebra crossing entirely cover­ ing a 20­metre curve in a central street.

The huge crossing is supposed to em­ phasise pedestrian priority, but its pho­ to immediately went viral.

“San Vicente will enter the Guinness Book of Records,” commented one resi­ dent.

“Or,” as another suggested, “perhaps they had paint left over and used it up here.”

NEWS

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NIBS EXTRA Art show THERE is still time to visit the Asociacion Crearte de l’Albir collective exhibition Colores at Alfaz’s Casa de Cultura. Ending on January 6, the show is part of the Las Juno Tambien Pintan (Junos Paint Too) cycle, which features female painters and gives visibility to women in the arts.

Binge drinkers MORAIRA’S Guardia Civil and Teulada-Moraira Local Police officers, who were alerted by nearby residents, dispersed a group of 15 young people holding a ‘botellon’ drinking session in the Pinaret area. Once there, it was necessary to call paramedics for one of the youngsters who passed out with alcohol poisoning.

Good example BENIDORM Town Hall distributed fac emasks to 6,300 pupils and 565 teachers at the municipality’s infants’ and primary schools in the public, state-aided and private sectors. Education councillor Maite Moreno said the education community had been a “constant example” of good behaviour and solidarity during the coronavirus crisis.

Life saver AN off-duty Guardia Civil from Javea helped to save the life of a man who fainted while eating at a Denia restaurant. The officer and a nurse who was also present maintained the victim’s vital signs until an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital, from where he was discharged several days later.

Safer parking ALTEA’S Plaza dels Esports, more often referred to by British residents as the Sports Square, reopened to the public with spaces for an additional 30 vehicles. The parking area has been resurfaced to prevent puddles during rainy weather and is clearly marked out, ensuring more safety for pedestrians and drivers.

Big outdoors FINESTRAT Town Hall spent €40,000 on revamping the Font del Moli leisure and picnic area on the municipality’s outskirts.

Visiting the newly equipped green space, local mayor Juanfran Perez Llorca urged residents and visitors to enjoy the holidays in the open air, overlooked by the iconic Puig Campana mountain.

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

2020 was definitely the unplanned year for us all.

It has been a difficult year with illness loss uncertainty and isolation due to Covid19.

However it has been the year where communities have come together like never before - people have reached out to help others less fortunate as we have all learned to live in the moment or the NOW as it has been called.

We have all learned that it is the little things that are actually the BIG things that matter - our health - a roof over our head food in our stomach.

We have in the main all learned to appreciate everyone and everything as that is what makes up our landscape of life.

So as 2020 comes to a close we, Michel, Steven and all of the EWN family, now spread out throughout all of Europe, wish you our valued client and dearest loyal reader a virus free 2021 and hope that you can Enjoy 12 months of success 52 weeks of memory making occasions 365 days of joy 8,760 hours of abundance 525,600 minutes of good luck 31,536,000 seconds of happiness HAPPY NEW YEAR and may 2021 give wings to your dreams, Renewed energy and confidence and an end to these very troubling times.

Thank you ALL for your continued support and YOU are the reason we carry on into our third decade ...

Cheers to each and every one of you and a special THANK YOU to our EWN family for ensuring the six papers were out every single week - not an easy feat for anyone.

God Bless.

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The Three Kings’ story

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind Be ever at your back, May the sun shine warm Upon your face And the rains fall soft upon your fields And until we can all meet together again May God hold you in the palm Of his hand Irish blessing

Poachers foiled Solidarity in La Nucia DENIA’S Coastguard Service caught two divers red­handed as they poached sea urchins at night near Cabo de San Antonio.

The coastguards seized two sacks containing 344 of the shell­ fish which are an expensive and prized delicacy at this time of the year.

They may be collected only dur­ ing the open season, strict quotas are imposed to ensure that they are not overfished and they may be collected using only traditional methods, with diving barred.

The Coastguard Service empha­ sised afterwards that anybody ­ including restaurants ­ who buys poached sea urchins contributes to prolonging the illegal practice.

Once counted, the illicit haul was returned to two different sections of the Cabo de San Anto­ nio marine reserve.

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LA NUCIA Town Hall publicly thanked the local population for their donations to La Nucia’s Pro­ grama de Alimentos (Food Programme).

The latest came from Giving4Giving, Juan Serranco, Cafeteria Piscina Climatizada and family, as well as the El Bressol Infants School parents’ association and anonymous donors.

“Donations are still arriving, demonstrating the social commitment of La Nucia’s associa­ tions, local businesses and families during this Covid­19 crisis,” a town hall statement said.

“That is especially noticeable at the present time when they have ensured that Christmas came to all La Nucia homes.”

The town hall went on to say that the coro­ navirus crisis had increased demands on La Nucia’s existing Food Programme and they were receiving more enquiries about the ser­ vice.

Anybody wishing to donate to the Food Pro­ gramme should contact the Social Welfare de­ partment, which runs the service located in the El Calvari Social Centre on 966 897 070.

Reducing flood risk CALPE mayor Ana Sala and Manuel Alcalde, president of the Confederacion Hidro­ grafica del Jucar (CHJ), re­ cently signed a collaboration agreement.

The CHJ, which is responsi­ ble for the area’s waterways, and the town hall will work together to solve the prob­ lem of flooding in the area adjoining Calpe’s Salinas salt beds.

The area, officially classed as wetlands, is municipal property but the CHJ will draw up plans to create a 10­ hectare area to prevent flooding while guaranteeing protection for the Salinas and their environment.

BENIDORM’S tradition­ al Three Kings parade is to be substituted with a re­enactment of their story in the Aiguera park.

“We are creating something like a Three Kings theme park so that children can still enjoy this important part of Christmas,” Fies­ tas councillor Jesus Car­ robles announced.

It will be installed on a 12,000­square metre area between the Oscar Espla and Julio Iglesias auditoriums on either side of the central pas­ sageway.

“This way, visitors can follow a perfectly defined and marked­ out path,” Carrobles said.

Five themed areas will be linked to the Na­ tivity, the shepherds, the Christmas star, the Kings’ Camp and Herod, he explained.

“The Three Wise Men themselves will be pre­ sent on January 5,” Car­ robles added.

The precinct will be open on January 3, 5 and 5 from 10am until 2pm and between 4.30pm and 8.30pm.

The circuit will take roughly 30 minutes to complete with visitor­ capacity restricted to 150 people at all times.

“As with all the activi­ ties that we are organis­ ing over Christmas, health and safety mea­ sures will be complied­ with at all times.

Entrance tickets should be acquired in advance and will cost €1.50 to cover the cost of bookings and con­ trolling capacity, Car­ robles said.

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NEWS

Animal Food Drive

THE Animal Protection department of the City Council of Alicante, with the help of shelters and animal rescue associations, have established a food collection point at the kiosk on the Avenue Doctor Gadea, in a 10-day campaign which began on December 22 and 23, continued again on December 26, 28, 29 and 30 and January 2, 3, 4 and 5, from 10 am to 8 pm.

The City Council launched the campaign to collect food and essential products for animals as a result of the decrease in resources that are registering the protectors, shelters and non-profit associations in charge of providing help to homeless animals due to restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic.

The campaign aims to collect food and basic necessities, such as antiparasitic

pipettes, blankets, collars and other accessories that help the daily work of the volunteers and the stay of the animals in the shelters, animal rescue centres and associations that work to improve the conditions of the life of pets.

Ultimately, the initiative seeks to promote the welfare of animals and promote their adoption.

‘EL NIÑO’ worth €700 million

THE ‘little one’ lottery will be drawn on Janu­ ary 6 , and is worth €700 million in total with top prizes of €2 million per series of tickets.

The Christmas lotto el Gordo is, of course, the LOTTERY: Drawn on January 6. big one and some of the amounts given away are staggering, but even though this lottery is called el Niño it still carries a €700 million prize fund in total.

The draw started in 1868, then in 1941 it developed its own per­ sonality with naming ceremonies and the like. However, it was the year 1966 that this little lotto got its name ‘EL NIÑO’.

First prize is €2,000,000, second prize is €750,000, third prize is €250,000, with no less than 20 prizes of €3,500 amongst other lower ‘Premios’ as they are known.

BEST OF THE YEAR

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Project takes the prize MORE than 400 residents voted to use Altea’s Partici­ patory Budget allocation for improvements to Calle Puente de Montcau.

This was the third edition of the popular vote, with 1,051 registered residents emitting 2,256 votes to de­ cide how some of the town hall’s cash is spent.

Citizens’ Participation councillor Maria Antonia Lavios thanked all the mem­ bers of the local population who took part in the Altea Imagina, Altea participa (Al­ tea Imagines, Altea partici­ pates) initiative.

“They have shown that they want to take part in the decisions that make improve­

ments to our town,” Lavios said.

The Montcau proposal for a ramp to substitute some of the steep road’s steps was backed by 408 people, fol­ lowed by improvements to the Cap Blanc neighbour­ hood, which obtained 381 votes.

“We conclude this edition with good news, as the total budget has increased to €120,000 and there was a 23.5 per cent increase in the number of people taking part,” the councillor said.

This amount will cover the Pont de Montcau project, Lavios said, with the remain­ der shared between the oth­ er finalists.

LA NUCIA Animal Shelter is being given a much-needed lick of paint thanks to the town council and a group of 10 volunteers from England, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The team of helpers give up a week of their time to do social and charitable work, and this week have been putting the council’s donation of 40 litres of paint to good use.

Jessica Gommans, councillor for Animal Protection, visited

2020

Hero officer AN off­duty trainee Guardia Civil officer res­ cued a family of four from a burning apart­ ment.

The hero, called Alejandro Javier, was in his home when he noticed flames coming from the apartment above his in Torrevieja.

He knew the situation was dangerous as he had seen ashes and burning wood falling past his window.

Without hesitation, he ran upstairs, bang­ ing on the apartment door and shouting for the family he knew lived there to get out.

When he did not get an answer, he broke the door down to check that there was no one inside. Once in, he found a mother and her three children all sound asleep and not aware of what was happening.

BLAZE: Smoke was a danger to sleeping family.

He woke them and escorted them outside to safety then evacuated neighbouring flats and calling 112.

No one was hurt in the incident ­ thanks largely to Alejandro’s actions.

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

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All spruced up the La Nucia Animal Shelter to deliver the paint to Engelien Stenbruggen, secretary of the Animal Protection Agency of La Nucia and meet the volunteers.

She also got to see first hand the work carried out by the shelter which was set up in 2006 and receives an annual council grant of €40,000.

Gommans said: “This animal shelter has become a reference at regional and provincial level, for their excellent management and the tireless work of the shelter’s volunteers, especially in the management of foreign adoptions.”

Local star

MAYOR of Motril, Luisa María García Chamorro, has praised local singer Javi Mota for his career and love for his roots.

She said “No one has ever giv­ en anything to Javi, everything he has has been achieved with great effort and determina­ tion.”

At 15 years old, Mota left his home town to start a suc­ cessful path after his perfor­ mances became known throughout Motril. His jump to the national scene led to TV show Menudo and musical groups Banghra and Gypsy Teens. He has a career in mu­ sicals, combining singing, the­ atre and dance and currently enjoys success with his song Iguales.

DONATION: La Nucia Animal Shelter gets a bit of a facelift thanks to the council and volunteers.

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BEST OF THE YEAR

A little HELP

2020 WE LOVE ALBIR: Celebrating 10,000 members.

DENIA Rock Choir presented President Candice Wright and Aileen Morgan of Help of Denia and Marina Alta with a cheque for €1,100, the proceeds of two concerts held at Hostel Loreto Denia in December.

HELP is a charity set up in 1984 and run by volunteers to provide neighbourly advice, as­

sistance and support to people who are elderly, ill, disabled or housebound.

In a bid to raise much need­ ed funds for the group, the choir was led by their new mu­ sical director Claire Lowe and the repertoire consisted of choir favourites including a daring rendition of the Sound

of Silence as well as classic Christmas songs.

Come and sing with Denia Rock Choir! They meet on Thursdays 6pm ­ 7.30 pm in the Salon Social of the Hostal Loreto, Calle Loreto, Denia, €3 per session. There is easy park­ ing at the end of the castle tun­ nel.

BEST OF THE YEAR

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Lucky lady MARÍA José Guerrero, a 51year-old housekeeper, will receive €10,000 to spend in 10 hours today, Thursday February 13. She was the winner of a contest organised by the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs of Torremolinos.

The rules of the prize are that winners can purchase whatever they want in the associated establishments, up to a limit of €500 per visit, within 10 hours and must spread their purchases between the four commercial sectors of the municipality: El Bajondillo, Playamar and Los Alamos, Calvario, Centro and

La Carihuela, Montemar and El Pinillo.

María José has spent several days visiting Torremolinos stores to plan her route. The first thing she wants to do is go to a travel agency to buy a ticket to Beijing, where her son would like to work. “I also need things for the house, such as a mattress and curtains, and I want to give my brother a microwave, as his is broken,” she said.

The draw, called ‘Kings for a day,’ is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Malaga and has the collaboration of Torremolinos and associated establishments.

Long life BENALMADENA resident, Isabel Pastor, turned 106 on Monday. She doesn’t know how she has lived so long, but thinks her healthy diet may have something to do with it.

She was born in 1914 in Adamuz, Cordoba but has lived in Benalmadena for 24 years, where she has a son Amador, a retired National Policeman who will be 82 in a few weeks.

Isabel married in the middle of the Civil War and now has three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

One of them recalls that Isabel has never even had a fever and still gets around on her own without a helper.

She feels “very old but very good” and confesses that she eats very little meat and follows a Mediterranean diet, but will definitely still be enjoying a slice of birthday cake.

Isabel suggests that the secret of a long life is a combination of three things, “Will, strength and patience.”

2020 KINGS FOR A DAY: Winners have 10 hours to spend their prize, split between four shopping areas.

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BENIDORM’S finest acts brought a packed house down at Benidorm Palace on Sunday, March 8 as singers, comedians and other entertainers put on an incredible show in aid of Benidorm Dog Homing.

Save My Life 4 was a roof raising success, with much-needed funds raised through 1,000 ticket sales, a mammoth raffle and donations. Co-organiser Donna Sandland told Euro Weekly News: “It will be a few days before we know exactly how much we have raised, but we are all feeling really positive. It’s been a fantastic afternoon thanks to the incredible acts and everybody who has come along today.

“We would also like to thank Gary from Giving4Giving who donated €1,000.”

Comperes Tim Aimes and David Duncan of Benidorm Dog Homing, brought fun and humour to the proceedings introducing a fabulous line up while reminding everybody present how vital it is to help give more than 100 dogs at the shelter a second chance at life.

“Benidorm Dog Homing and all of the volunteers works very closely with Benidorm Dog Shelter, they do unbelievable work.

BEST OF THE YEAR

Roof raising success Many of these dogs are rehomed, but there are others which are older and have spent many years at the shelter, the invisible dogs,” explained Tim, before presenting a video of the canines in desperate need of a loving home.

“You can help in lots of ways, by donating, supporting events and helping exercise the dogs,” he added.

All-round entertainer and ‘bad boy of swing,’ Jamie Somers kicked off the vocal side of things, having already raised bucket loads through a ‘sponsored head tattoo.’

Young Laura, granddaughter of Palace owner, Christine Climent, then wowed the crowd with her incredible gravity-defying, silk rope skills, before Aisha belted out chart topping Adele hits.

In between moving clips of the shelter’s residents, other acts including resident favourite Kim, took to the stage.

After a fabulous set, Kim, who volunteers with Benidorm Dog Homing and sold more than 100 tickets herself, told EWN: “I ab-

2020 solutely love being on the stage, especially this afternoon, it’s been fantastic.”

Christine, who launched the cabaret fundraiser Save My Life, now in its fourth year, added: “Kim is a great example of how everybody has really got behind the cause. She has not just got dressed up to get on stage and

COCO CHANEL: Wowed the crowd.

sing, she has been doing the dirty work behind the scenes too, helping in every which way she can.”

Guy Melodini kicked off his set with a Robbie Williams hit, getting members of the audience up on stage to strut their stuff, before Jose Cristo dazzled with a lighttastic juggling performance, climaxing in a fabulous fire display.

After an energetic vocal performance, with great Jackson/Timberlake dance moves, Sean Mac thanked everybody for their support.

“I would also like to thank Donna and all those involved for the opportunity to be a part of this brilliant event on behalf of a fantastic cause,” he said.

The ‘fabulous darling’ (Colin) Coco Chanel delighted the audience with super-fast costume changes, ‘risque’ renditions of hits such as Should Have Been Me and a touching request for support for his own Helping Coco refuge for abused and neglected horses.

A huge raffle broke up proceedings before Benidorm’s very own Bay City Rollers tribute act, Roller Maniacs, took to the stage and announced they will be supporting much-loved, The Manfreds, on their 2020 tour, which stops off at Benidorm Palace on Sunday, May 10.

And rounding off the spectacular evening was the Blue Brothers, accompanied by young fan, Lucas,

who is invited to join the duo act whenever he is on holiday in Benidorm. They ensured this year’s fundraiser ended with a bang as they packed the stage with members of the audience, for a rapturous finale.

Also present were volunteers from animal charity Manos Y Patas, and the founder of Benidorm Dog Homing, Margaret Cluckie, who set up the charity in February 2014.

She told EWN: “I live in Scotland and while I was here on holiday, I saw an advert in a newspaper saying there was a dog looking for a home and to contact the Benidorm shelter if you were interested.

“I went back home and Googled it, got in touch with volunteers and decided to set up my own page. It just went from there.”

Delighted with yesterday’s fundraiser, she said: “It’s absolutely amazing the support we have received from the public and the acts who have given their time. I never had any idea Benidorm Dog Homing would become what it is today. When Donna and David first came onboard we were lucky if we raised €1,000 at events in little clubs, now look at us, it’s wonderful.”

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

Real heroes RESIDENTS of El Campello have shown their appreciation to the ‘real heroes’ of the fight against coronavirus by hanging banners of support to ‘show they are not alone.’

This is the latest act of solidarity in the town, in gratitude to all personnel in health and research, food and transport, cleaning and maintenance and the emergency and security services.

Their latest tribute to the ‘heroes’ has seen residents making and hanging banners of encouragement and solidarity so that those ‘who are directly confronting this implacable en-

BEST OF THE YEAR

Hair raising effort

APPRECIATION: Residents of EL Campello pay tribute to those on the frontline. emy, know that they are not alone and that they have all the support of the neighbourhood.’

A spokesperson said: “(WE want to thank) people who offer to help Civil Protection and Social Welfare, local businesses who donate sanitary material and food, and even a neighbour who has offered his tractor to support the tasks of cleaning and disinfecting the streets of El Campello.

“In addition, every night the residents of our municipality add to the warmth that all of Spain offers through their applause for the heroes of the COVID-19.”

HEAD SHAVE: Max, Franco and Ted shed their hair to help those in need.

2020

WHERE there’s a will there’s a way, and Jody and Franco of Oceana Club in Benissa on the Costa Blanca, have found

a hair raising way to help those in need during the nationwide ‘State of Alarm’ lockdown.

J ody, founder of G rant A Wish charity, last week organised 25 food and hygiene packages which were distributed to those supported by Red Cross.

But determined to do more, Jody, Franco, and her teenage sons Max and Ted, organised a sponsored head shave which raised almost €600 in less 24 hours, and more than €1,000 to date.

J ody told E uro W eekly News: “I got in touch with Red Cross and asked them how I could help.”

R ed C ross was delighted at the offer and asked if Jody could prepare emergency boxes of hygiene products and basic food essentials for the 25 people and families on their books. J ody did this, and now she and her family have raised enough money to prepare 50 more than boxes.

You can still help by making a donation at: PayPal francopear son 1053@icloud.com #spread joynotthevirus or directly to Red Cross.

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Lovely gesture

SOLIDARITY: Two trolleys of essentials kindly donated for those less fortunate.

A KIND-SPIRITED shopper filled two trolleys with essentials and left them in a Costa Blanca supermarket for those in need, encouraging others to donate if possible.

Following up the great examples of Valencia and Madrid, GĂŠrard Hendriks loaded the trolleys while shopping at an Aldi store in Alfaz del Pi, and was sur-

2020

prised at the response of management who had no problem with the gesture, and offered to add to the items.

His community solidarity was also given the thumbs up by police, who stopped him in Altea as part of routine State of Alarm Covid-19 measures, once they realised his reasons for leaving the confinement of his home.

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100th birthday

PEGGY Bloomfield celebrated her 100th birthday in lockdown, and while she may not have had the huge birthday party family and friends in Moraira have been planning for the last 12 months, volunteers from the Civil Protection swung by with sirens blaring to sing Happy Birthday to her.

Val told Euro Weekly News: “Mum was really looking forward to having a party at Saxos in Moraira, with all her friends and family, but now we will have to wait until we can reschedule, maybe later this year.”

Peggy is hugely popular in her home town.

Friends Shirley and Derick Young said: “Peggy is an absolutely wonderful lady and we love her dearly, everybody does.”

Peggy left Cambridge and moved to Moraira with her daughter Val Mills and her family in August 2005, to start a new life in Spain.

And Peggy has made the

BEST OF THE YEAR

Chloe’s new heart

HOME WITH FAMILY: Chloe, 22 months old, has had a successful heart transplant during pandemic.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Peggy Bloomfield. most of the sunshine, and making lots of new friends, joining ladies’ lunch clubs and U3A.

2020

TODDLER returned home with a healthy new heart last week.

Chloe, 22 months old, was admitted to the Gregorio Marañón Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on December 9, before coronavirus had consumed hospital resources, and now, months later she is back with her family in the town of Pinto.

Chloe’s heart transplant is one of 65 organ transplants performed in hospitals in the Community of Madrid since the State of Alarm was declared.

From a ward at the Gregorio Marañón ICU, where Chloe has been since December, her mother told El Mundo she had seen first hand how the coronavirus evolved ‘practically overnight.’

A side from complications from the transplant itself, she admitted she feared the virus ‘very much’ adding: “We’ve been through a lot of fear. When the new heart arrived from Barcelona, they tested it... otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible.”

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Community Heroes Karen Mailing Cowles, Costa Blanca North WHEN the State of Alarm was announced Karen was packing up for the night in her office “I remem­ ber it clearly, I got very emotional as it immediately made me realise how many families will go hun­ gry.” That evening I spoke to a friend to work out what we could do. “I know how Spain works, peo­ ple will not receive food parcels and I was very con­ cerned for those who live day to day not knowing where the next meal is coming from, so we set up a food bank.”

At the time Karen also thought it beneficial to have a group of translators on hand as there was so much information coming in that it could have be­ come very confusing. She also began posting videos every day on her Facebook page to let people know what was going on and give messages of hope and support. With the help of her husband, they trans­ formed their garage into a production line and food bank to put together food parcels for families.

“The town hall would not allow anybody else in the area, apart from me, to leave the house. This meant that I was single­handedly shopping for and delivering to 56 families.”

She also helped organise the fundraising page for Benidorm’s British Businesses Association Food Bank which currently holds €12,713.

Through all her work she saw glimmers of posi­ tivity and put smiles on the faces of families. She even had one person tell her “Oh my goodness it feels like Christmas” as they were so relieved to

2020 receive what they needed.

Karen felt like a mother with an extended family.

From it all, she believes it has created a caring com­ munity. “My community has been so, so impressive.

They have gone above and beyond, all ages came together.” One thing that was especially touching is that along with some children for the village they wrote anonymous ‘notes of hope’ and added them to to the deliveries for the families to find.

Karen pointed out that she will continue helping those who have suffered the knock­on effects of the crisis “There’s no greater thing than giving,” she said.

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

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www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021 Dear Clients and Friends, IT seems like it was yester­ day when the deadline for submitting your Non­Resident Tax Returns was so far away and yet the Holiday Season has suddenly arrived.

We hope to have met our clients’ expectations when dealing with their Marriages and Divorces in Spain and we would also take this opportu­ nity to congratulate those clients, from different coun­ tries, who Sold, Purchased or Exchanged their properties through our firm and kindly took our advice about the im­ portance of having a Spanish Will drafted when being an owner of a property in Spain.

The year 2020 has been, in general, a really hard one, but also a year of hope for all those people who lost their money some time ago, buying properties in Spain off­plan as fortunately, we have been able to recover their deposits and other monies expended.

FEATURE

White & Baos Abogados Wish You and Your Family A Merry Christmas and A Prosperous New Year 2021 Also, it has been a good year for those affected by Mortgage floor and costs clauses, and multicurrency mortgages, as they have been able to get their money back.

Sadly, some clients and friends passed away during this year and our condolences go to their surviving spouses and relatives, but again in these cases we have assisted as rapidly as possible to help the heirs when dealing with their Inheritance.

On a happier note, we can

tell you that we have Litigated successfully in Court in rela­ tion to many differing legal matters including Tenancy Disputes, Claims Against Builders, Contesting a Will, Claims Against the Tax Office and much more.

Finally, we would like to Thank All of our clients and friends, who in one way or an­ other, dealt with us during this year and wish them and their families A Merry Christ­ mas and a Prosperous New Year full of Happiness.

We are sure, that although 2020 has been a really diffi­ cult year, working together, we will make 2021 become the year of hope and recovery and we, at White Baos, will do our best, to try to help and as­ sist our clients to achieve this.

Please do not forget, that if you need our help you can contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.

You could also find some helpful legal information in our website: www.white­ baos. com.

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) - White&Baos Tel: +34 966 426 185 info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2020- All Rights Reserved.

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

CORREOS, the national courier service has launched it’s first­ ever LGBTQ stamp in commem­ oration of Pride month which features a subtle homage to the Costa del Sol. The month of June is typically referred to as ‘pride,’ a month in which Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer people celebrate their history and com­ munity.

LGBTQ Homage The official Pride Day is cele­ brated on June 28 and therefore Correos has joined the rest of the world in celebrating this event.

The courier service has created a rainbow stamp which resembles the famous LGBTQ flag.

This tribute to the LGBTQ

2020

community will also be illustrat­ ed with some rainbow mailbox­ es, vans and post offices.

The bottom of the stamp has ‘Pasaje Begoña (Torremolinos, Malaga)’ written on it, as in 2019 this location in the Costa del Sol was declared a ‘Place of Histori­ cal Memory’ due to its signifi­ cance with the movement for the Rights and Freedoms of the LGBTQ group.

BEST OF THE YEAR

Giving4Giving is giving again

DONATION: Gary with a Corazon Express representative.

THIS week, Giving4Giving presented its first donations to local charities since lock­ down.

The charity made two €1,000 donations to Corazon Express and Anemona.

Corazon helps local fami­ lies that are in need and Anemona is a breast cancer charity based in Benidorm.

When lockdown began, Giving4Giving feared for its future but Gary, the man be­ hind it, was determined not to give in without a fight.

Six long weeks later, the charity has cleared all its debts and is now doing what it does best, helping less for­ tunate people and charities on the Costa Blanca.

With these latest dona­ tions, they have now donat­ ed a total €167,000 and they

2020 can’t wait to carry on the good work in July.

“Over the last few weeks the public have been so gen­ erous with donations, so a special thank you to you all and to everyone who comes to the shops,” Gary said.

Giving4Giving always needs volunteers and dona­ tions for all their shops and they also offer a house clear­ ance, so please call Gary on 603 137 697.

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

BEST OF THE YEAR

RIGHT ROYAL WELCOME SPAIN’S monarchs, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, recently visited Benidorm as they tour the country’s autonomous regions.

They arrived to a rapturous welcome but Felipe and Letizia were not there solely to enjoy enthusiastic applause. They met and listened to hoteliers, tourism professionals and businessmen as well as trade union officials who are fighting to get the resort back on its feet again as it emerges from the Covid-19 crisis.

Toni Mayor, president of the Hosbec hoteliers’ association, revealed afterwards that they described the complicated situation to the royal couple, and emphasised that saving tourism must be a priority.

On leaving the meeting at an Avenida del Mediterraneo hotel, the King and Queen went walkabout along the Levante beach promenade. Here they greeted the newly-arrived Beach Assistants, also stopping at an ice cream parlour where the King sampled a sugar-free turron ice, pronouncing it “really good.”

Photo credit: Benidorm town hall

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ROYAL WALKABOUT: King Felipe and Queen Letizia acknowledge the cheering crowds.

2020

Amid cheers and calls of “Guapos! and “Viva el Rey!” they stopped three times for photo calls, one of them with the regional president, Ximo Puig, Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez and other dignitaries before going to Valencia.

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

BEST OF THE YEAR

Just keeps giving 2020 D ES P I T E August being a quiet month, the Giving4Giving shops have still managed to make four €1,000 donations to charity.

The giving started with the Fransiscan Shelter for Men in Gandia, with Gary James presenting the money to Dino Trubbianelli from We Love Albir who does a lot of work with the shelter, before a further €1,000 was donated to the Red Cross in Altea.

“We then donated to Rainbow animal charity who normally raise money

RAINBOW’S PRESENTATION: The animal charity relies on fundraising events.

RED CROSS: Gary presents €1,000 to the Altea based Cruz Roja.

through events but obviously can’t do them at the moment so are struggling for cash,” explained Gary, charity founder and president, adding: “and lastly to A lfaz del P i social services for food and supplies for less fortunate people.”

Giving4Giving have now raised a total of €170,000

in the last seven years and “are looking forward to donating more in September.

“A special thanks to all our volunteers for their support during these difficult times and of course our customers and the generous people who donate,” said Gary.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

EWN 21

Strategic financial planning for the New Year Of course, you can review your financial planning any time to ensure it is on the right path, but the New Year is the perfect prompt to do so if you have not taken a fresh look for a while.

Perhaps it’s even more important this year as we navigate a postBrexit world.

One key reason to review your wealth management is to ensure it’s up to date - consider whether any tax rules or financial regulations, or personal circumstances, have changed. But an effective review, to ensure it’s suitable for your life in Spain and wishes for the future, needs to go beyond that.

Many people only consider segments of their finances at a time. They may have bought shares in companies they like years ago. They may speak to a tax accountant about Spanish taxation, then to a lawyer about setting up a Spanish will.

For truly effective financial planning, however, you need to consider the various aspects to-

on your financial and tax planning.

By Brett Hanson Senior Partner, Blevins Franks

gether. For example, how you hold your investments can make a difference to your tax liabilities.

Estate planning in Spain is no simple matter, with its complex succession tax regime and forced heirship rules, and how you own assets can impact on what you can achieve.

Here are three key areas to consider in your review.

Spanish residency and taxation The fact that you are resident in Spain has a significant impact

First of all, ensure you know where you are resident for tax purposes. The Spanish and UK residency rules are different and more complex than first meets the eye. The double tax treaty determines where you pay tax if you are resident in one country and earn income in another.

be able to plan around them.

Succession law in Spain establishes forced heirship rules and protects children over spouses. This can have unwelcome consequences for certain families unless you plan ahead. UK nationals can use the EU succession regulation to distribute their estate under UK law, but research this to confirm it’s the best solution for you.

Regardless of how effective your tax planning in the UK was, you pretty much need to start afresh in Spain. What was tax efficient in the UK is unlikely to be so here. Explore the compliant arrangements available to establish what would work for you as a Spanish resident and how much tax you can save.

Financial structuring for life in Spain Perhaps the key rule for financial planning is that it must be specifically structured around your personal circumstances lifestyle and future plans, family situation, income requirements, objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance.

Estate planning The way you own assets could make a difference to how you can distribute them and what tax your beneficiaries pay, so consider this early on.

If you don’t already have a strategic financial plan in place for Spain, you may need to take a fresh look at your investments and consider if they are suitable for you today. Are they too risky?

Do you have adequate diversification? Could you consolidate shares and funds so they are easi-

You need to understand the Spanish succession tax rules to

er to manage?

At the same time, consider whether you could use tax-efficient arrangements to hold your investments and make the inheritance process easier for your family.

Every family is different. Your financial planning must be carefully designed for you. The various aspects should work cohesively together to create an overall wealth management plan that provides long-term financial security and achieves your wishes for your heirs.

The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com.

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

BEST OF THE YEAR

Inspirational OSCAR: A mammoth challenge.

TRULY inspirational Oscar O’Sheehan, 11, has complet­ ed his mammoth fundraising challenge to raise funds to create a sensory garden on the Costa Blanca in record time.

The huge­hearted young boy from Denia has walked the final stages of the Camino de Santiago ­ 300 kilometres ­ with ever­supportive mum Niamh, raising more than €3,000 for the special facility at the La Xara Occupational and Day Centre.

More than 30 different dimensions of pine timber in green, brown and thermo treated.

Biggest selection of high quality joists, beams, t/g boards, planks and decking boards.

You have never seen such a large selection.

All planed and round edges.

And while the feat was ex­ pected to take 15 days, the pair completed it in 12, walk­ ing an average of 25kms every day.

Niamh told Euro Weekly News: “We got home on Thursday, August 27 and were absolutely shattered.

You just keep going when you’re walking, you can’t let it get to you, but as soon as you stop it hits you.

“We’re thrilled to have completed the walk in 12 days as there’s a lot of diffi­

2020 cult terrain, mountains, rocky roads and dirt paths, as well as towns and villages.”

The venture began two years ago when Oscar asked his mum if he could walk the Camino Santiago.

“That’s not like going for any old walk, it’s a pilgrim­ age!” said mum­of­three Ni­ amh, a well­known singer on the Costa Blanca.

In October 2018 and Octo­ ber 2019 determined Oscar covered 470kms of his in­ credible challenge. The plan was that in October 2020 Os­ car would tackle the final 300­plus kilometres of the camino from Leon to Santia­ go de Compostela.

“However, as we all know, 2020 hasn’t quite gone to plan,” said Niamh.

To avoid Oscar missing more school after months of lockdown, it was decided he would walk his final 300km of Camino Santiago through the tricky tracks and trails of Galicia in the very early

mornings of August.

The idea to create a senso­ ry garden came about after a visit to the Occupational & Day Care centre in La Xara where he saw first­hand the “vitality and importance of this place.”

Oscar asked Director of the Centre, Ana, “how can I help?” and she explained that they often dream about installing a sensory garden adapted for special needs.

With a budget tighter than ever, practical priorities come first, but Oscar is determined to help ­ and you can still help too.

“We now have to build the sensory garden,” said Niamh.

“A lot of thought needs to go into that and we need to have expertise.

“If there are any architects who can help, tradespeople, garden centres and building supplies companies who could donate their time or materials, that would be fan­ tastic.

“We are hoping the whole process will take about a week.”

You can help Oscar realise his dream by donating at www.helpof denia.com.

Alternatively, contact Ni­ amh O’Sheehan on 676 507 791.

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

Advertising Feature

MOTORCYLE SAFETY GEAR

QUALITY GEAR: An investment that will keep you safe and enjoy riding for years.

SAFETY is everything, especially when riding your motorbike. Quality motorcycle gear doesn’t come cheap but it’s an investment that will keep you safe and let you enjoy your rides for years to come.

HELMETS Helmets should always be worn. There are three main types of helmet to choose from; full helmets, ¾ helmets and ½ helmets. Full-face helmets provide full protection for your face, head and neck. They provide good ventilation and allow you to hear surrounding traffic; ¾ helmets usually come with a flip down visor and provide less protection for your chin and facial area; ½ helmets only cover the top of your head, sides and back, but they don’t cover your face at all. You will need to wear additional eye protection like glasses or goggles.

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come in the latest materials depending on your prevailing weather conditions and the type of bike you ride.

TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT COVER Línea Directa provides Technical Equipment cover for your motorcycle gear. Cover is optional, complementary and needs to be specifically added to your existing motorcycle policy. Línea Directa guarantees compensation for total loss or irreparable damage to the helmet, gloves and motorbike jacket, resulting from a road traffic accident, up to a maximum of €430. Compensation will be awarded as follows: Motorbike helmet up to a maximum of €200, motorbike gloves up to a maximum of €30, and motorbike jacket up to a maximum of €200.

BIKE INSURANCE SPECIALISTS Línea Directa is dedicated to getting every biker the best value motorcycle insurance.

Quick and efficient customer service staff that aim to solve all your queries immediately. And 24/7 emergency assistance services, 365 days a year.

TOTAL REASSURANCE Over three million people trust Línea Directa for total peace of mind. They have been providing specialist insurance for British expatriates for over 20 years. A leading insurance company dedicated to keeping motorists on the move.

For more information or a really competitive quote, please call 952 147 834.

BEST PRICE. .

R E V O C R E T T E B

www.euroweeklynews.com TOURISM Safety Campaigner Georgia Hague and volunteer Ian Warren are among three UK nationals in Spain named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Georgia Hague, who campaigns to promote safer youth tourism, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the British community in the Balearic Islands and Ian Warren, who has brought the Red Arrows to Menorca four times, has been awarded a British Empire medal (BEM) for services to the British Community in Menorca, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, published on Friday October 9, 2020.

Following a tragic fall which killed one of her friends, Georgia instigated a safety awareness campaign aimed at young British tourists visiting the Balearics.

Alongside this, Georgia worked closely with the British Embassy in Madrid and Consulate in Palma to become a key spokesperson for the FCO’s ‘Stick with your Mates’ campaign, sharing her personal experience in a video that reached almost a million people on Facebook.

HMA Hugh Elliott said: “It is wonderful to see some-

BEST OF THE YEAR

Queens Ho Georgia.

2020 one as young as Georgia being recognised for the work they do in the community. Channelling her personal grief into helping to save the lives of others, she has managed to reach millions of young people through social media - communicating a message of personal safety in a way that was both compelling and relatable. Her work has made a

Ian. real difference.”

Georgia Hague said: “I am extremely grateful and humbled to have been recognised for my efforts in Mallorca. If the campaign helped to save just one life, then that means the world to me. Thank you for the positive recognition, I am grateful beyond words!”

Ian moved to Menorca in 1988 to set up a car hire business with his family. For the last 10 years he has put his retirement to one side to focus on bringing the Red Arrows to Menorca; building relationships with the local military and aviation community, ensuring that whenever The Red Arrows visit the event forms part of the life of the whole island.

BEST OF THE YEAR

www.euroweeklynews.com

onours Long Walk In addition, he has put his fundraising and project management skills to use in support of the work of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and annual Poppy Service in the Anglican Church in Menorca.

HMA Hugh Elliott said: “Ian is truly a force of nature.

Leading the effort to bring the Red Arrows to Menorca, he has created a platform to strengthen bilateral relationships between the UK and Spain and promote the historic links between the UK and Menorca. Ian never seeks publicity for himself, but is everpresent in the life of the British community on the island, selflessly devoting his free time for the benefit of others.”

Ian Warren said: “I am very humbled and most honoured to be awarded the British Empire Medal from her Majesty. My journey has taken me in many directions, none of which would have been achieved without the help of many friends. My grateful thanks to you all.”

ROMEO COX: Walked to the UK to give his nan a hug.

A FATHER and son walked from Sicily to London so the son could give his nan a hug. The duo walked over 1,700 miles through Europe to get to Hackney.

2020 Phil, 46 and son, Romeo Cox, 11, took over 90 days to arrive and once there they are having to quarantine for two weeks prior to being reunited with his nan. The boy explained his journey, and how they managed to get lost several times; fought off stray dogs in Rome, came face to face with a donkey and mistakenly slept under a wasp nest. The duo raised over £11,000 for a charity called, ‘Refugee Education Across Conflicts Trust.’

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

TEULADA­MORAIRA LIONS received a €250 donation from the recent Ladies’ St Leger Race Day event at Max­ im’s.

Organiser Coral Guise­Smith offered the Lions 50 per cent of the profits, which she stipu­ lated should go to the local Food Banks.

Teulada­Moraira Lions were extremely grateful to Coral and Libby for their generosity and assured them that the funds will be directed as re­ quested, as they regularly do­ nate to the Food Banks, partic­ ularly when their usual funding routes are interrupted for some reason.

There are strong indications that poverty will be a key problem in the local communi­ ty this winter following the pandemic’s impact on busi­ nesses, and Teulada­Moraira Lions are keen to look at all options to boost their funds.

To help them in this en­ deavour, they are asking everyone to visit the Lion’s Den charity shop a couple of

Photo credit: RBL

Lions go fund racing

DONATION: €250 for Teulada-Moraira Lions, thanks to Maxim’s Ladies St Leger Race Day. doors away from Letters R Us beneath the Pepe La Sal su­ permarket at the Centro Com­ ercial in Moraira.

For those who would like to support the Lions, but do not feel comfortable about going into the shop, they al­ so have a GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/f /teulada­moraira­lions which can be accessed via their web­ site or Facebook page.

For more information about

the Teulada Moraira Lions, vis­ it the www.tmlions.com web­ page.

2020

BEST OF THE YEAR

Make A Smile goes online MAKE A SMILE is doing things a little differently this year, to keep everybody safe.

“Rather than asking you to go shopping to fill a Christmas Bag for the children, we would love you to send us a voucher,” Make A Smile said.

“That way we can buy pre­ sents for each of the children from their very own Santa’s wish list. This means that the children will get exactly what they want, and we will still be able to supply the homes with the items they need at Christ­ CHRISTMAS BAGS: Covid-19 restrictions mean Make A mas and through to spring Smile needs vouchers this year.

2021.”

To send an Amazon voucher, go to the Since 2008, the Make A Smile Christ­ www.amazon.es website and search for E­ mas Bag appeal has brought a ton of cheque Regalo, enter the amount and add the Christmas love and joy to children in care info@makeasmile.es mail address. homes on the Costa Blanca.

Readers who have difficulty in purchasing Now, due to these difficult and unprece­ Amazon vouchers should ring Make A Smile dented times, Make A Smile has been made between 10am and 5pm on weekdays on 965 simpler but will still put big smiles on the chil­ 836 814. dren’s faces over the holidays.

BEST OF THE YEAR

www.euroweeklynews.com

Spend locally and win ALTEA’S Christmas campaign is now underway, with Christmas trees in the Town Hall Square in Altea and Altea la Vieja.

The Christmas lights are on, including at the round­ abouts in Avenida Juan Alvado, the Paseo Mediterra­ neo promenade and the Church Square.

Meanwhile, the Commerce department has organ­ ised a draw for six €150 vouchers.

Residents and visitors have until January 6 to present receipts from local shops which could win them €150 to be spent locally.

Purchases of any kind in Altea shops are eligible, but do not include spending on car repairs, restaurant meals, fuel or medica­ tion.

The draw will be broadcast live on January 11 on Radio Altea and receipts may be handed in at the town hall’s Oficina de Comercio up to January 8.

Alternatively, receipts can be photographed and emailed to the com ercio@altea.es address.

“We have offered this option to avoid crowds,” De la Hoz said.

He also asked participants not to accumulate re­ ceipts and present them in person on the last day.

“That doubles our work, as they must be separated according to shop, amounts added up and then noted down, which all takes time,” he explained.

EWN 27

Food Bank euros

A CHAIN of euro coins along Avenida de Albir this Sunday, December 6, will raise funds for Alfaz’s Food Bank.

The Social Volunteers Asso­ ciation, We Love Albir and Al­ faz Town Hall are asking mem­ bers of the public to add a euro coin ­ or coins ­ to the Sol­ idarity Chain in Avenida del Al­ bir adjoining the open­ air market between 9am and 2pm.

“All you need do is add a euro to make the chain as long as possi­ ble, since the money raised will go to the Food Bank,” explained Is­ abel Muñoz, councillor for Co­ operation and Volunteering.

“This is a small gesture that can help many of the munici­ pality’s families that are having a hard time at present,” said Antonio Viso, president of Al­ faz’s Social Volunteer, thanking the local population before­ hand for their solidarity.

Alfaz’s Social Volunteers have been helping local fami­

2020

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

lies who risk social exclusion since 2013 and Viso drew at­ tention to the constant sup­ port that the association re­ ceives from residents and official organisations as well as public and private bodies.

“In short, a numerous group of people of all ages and all na­ tionalities whom the Social Volunteer Association wishes to thank while asking them to continue providing support,” he said.

IMPORTANT LINKS: A chain of euro coins will go to the Food Bank.

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

GERMANY

FIFA record

Mini bus

THE gaming world has become a moneymaking profession. One of the world’s top stars, Danish 14-year-old Anders Vejrgang has set a record by winning 300 FIFA games in a row, but can’t turn professional for another two years.

IN an unusual act of co-operation, an Uber type company, ViaVan is working with the local bus company in the town of Gütersloh to offer a service to passengers which complements existing routes on Sundays and other times of restricted service.

NETHERLANDS

FRANCE

Pizza Xmas

No access

RELATIVE newcomer to Holland’s fast-food industry, pizza chain Papa John is teaming up with the Dutch Red Cross to raise money for its food bank. For every €1 donated by customers, it will add another €1 for the charity.

THE French government is considering introducing a new law which will ban access to public transport to anyone who fails to obtain a Covid-19 vaccination, as a poll has suggested that up to 55 per cent of the population will refuse the vaccine.

BELGIUM

NORWAY

Slaughterhouse rules

Imprisoned

THE European Court of Justice has upheld a decision made by the Belgian government to ban the slaughter of animals without prior stunning, which effectively means that meat produced for Halal and Kosher consumption will be affected.

FORMER champion skier Petter Northug appeared in court charged with dangerous driving and has been sentenced to seven months imprisonment and banned from driving for life after posting videos of his erratic driving.

FINANCE Lifeline STRUGGLING multinational Spanish company Abengoa which is facing disputes amongst shareholders has been offered a €20 million lifeline by Santander after its request for financial assistance from the Junta de Andalucia was turned down.

Third Country status REGARDLESS of the Brexit deal, the British government has told the farming industry that the EU will grant Britain ‘Third Country’ status which will allow almost all plant and animal exports from the UK to EU member states.

Merry Christmas DUE to a computer error, energy supplier E.on took money from direct debit customers on Christmas Eve, in some cases two weeks early and said that refunds would be made on December 29 due to bank holidays and the weekend.

Building reserves INTENT on building cash reserves, Spanish group ACS, through its Australian subsidiary has sold its 50 per cent stake in mining company Thiess for a reported sum of €1.150 billion after ACS earlier reported that it had also sold its Portuguese toll road business.

Carry on working IN a bid to postpone a further drain on the Spanish economy during this time of pandemic, José Luis Escrivá, the Minister for Inclusion and Social Security is encouraging those who are about to reach pensionable age to continue working.

By way of a bonus for those who decide to do this, he is offering a 4 per cent increase in the pension to be paid for each year of additional work that is undertaken, provided that those involved have contributed fully to social services during their ca-

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 31 December 2020 - 6 January 2021

€25 billion

of the money granted to Spain from the European Recovery Fund will be spent on Green energy, Transport, Digital upgrading and Health.

Cheaper rents

1,300 jobs saved in Wales MARSTON’S BREWERY has exchanged contracts with Brains Brewery to operate its portfolio of 156 pubs in Wales, on a combination of leased and management contract arrangements.

Established in Cardiff in 1882, Brains is an iconic family business, synony­ mous with pubs and brew­ ing in Wales with which Marston’s has had a long­ standing relationship.

Brains owns a portfolio of 156 pubs, principally lo­

cated in South and West Wales, as well as the her­ itage beer brand of Wales of the same name.

The pub business cur­ rently employs around 1,300 people all of whom will transfer to work for Marston’s.

The earlier lockdown and the latest decision to ensure that pubs close by 6pm in Wales meant that Brains had to close its en­ tire pub network on De­ cember 4 and look for

LEGALLY SPEAKING Can he find the other owners?

In a recent question you remarked that the name of the president would appear on the property register if he was an owner in the community. I am trying to create some democracy in our urbanisation, but the administrator controls ac­ cess to the foreign addresses of the owners. They are from Belgium and Holland and Madrid. How can I write to them directly? Will the property register contain details of home addresses and is there some easy way to access it?

D R (Costa Blanca) First, Spain’s data protec­ tion law prohibits YOU AND THE LAW the administrator IN SPAIN from revealing per­ sonal details of the owners. This includes their foreign ad­ dresses and their e­mails. To obtain a Nota Simple from the property register you need to present some justifica­ tion for it such as a declaration that you intend to buy the property. A lawyer can do this by e­mail. However, the property register only gives the name of the registered owner.

Your only recourse is to catch the owners in person when they visit their properties. The problem with democ­ racy is the amount of effort involved to make it work.

DAVID SEARL

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

FORMER Labour Party leader and now Shadow Business Secretary Ed Miliband has called for the UK government to stand up for busi­ nesses.

He wants to see a commitment that those hit by unexpected Tier 4 restrictions have access to the economic support they need to survive through a Hospitality and High Street Fightback Fund.

ways to continue to exist.

In a gesture of goodwill to those in need, it com­ mitted to donating all food stock held in its freezers to help feed the vulnerable over the festive period and into the New Year through FareShare Cymru after having made a similar charitable gesture back in March, when they donat­ ed well over £100,000 (€110,000) worth of stock to local charities and key workers.

The pubs when re­ opened will still be run un­ der the Brains brand and will continue to sell its beer, which is brewed at its recently opened facility in Cardiff Bay. John Rhys, chairman of Brains, said “this transac­ tion enables Brains to re­ capitalise its balance sheet and continue its long her­ itage as an independent entity, preserving this great Welsh business for generations to come.”

Spanish tax dates Credit: Alberto Alvarez-Perea flickr

BUSINESS EXTRA

30

Google tax due in April 2021.

WITH the so­called Google Tax due to be introduced in Spain in April of 2021 de­ spite threats of further tar­ iff increases of Spanish goods into the USA, some social media companies are already settling previous year’s debts so that they don’t get penalised with higher future taxes.

The most recent example is Facebook Spain which following a formal inspec­ tion of its books by the Spanish Tax Agency has agreed to pay €34.4 million back tax to cover 2013 ­ 2018 but this is a tiny amount when compared to 2019 turnover in Spain of more than €260 million.

With a new US President

due to takeover from Don­ ald Trump in January, it seems less likely that America will use tariff in­ creases to protect its major social media companies so having seen the ‘writing on the wall’ the Facebook Eu­ ropean head office based in Ireland is making sure that taxes are up to date.

In the long run, when coupled with the Tobin Tax which charges 0.2 per cent tax on all share transac­ tions on companies worth more than €1 billion which takes effect in January, the Spanish government ex­ pects to earn around €960 million (down from its orig­ inal estimate of €1.2 bil­ lion).

High Street Fightback Fund Almost 175,000 businesses in Tier 4 areas across London, the South East and the East of Eng­ land have been rocked by last­ minute instructions to close, in­ cluding more than 13,000 hairdressers,8,600 gyms and more than 45,000 retail busi­

nesses that will have stocked up or taken bookings for the crucial Christmas trading period.

Currently the vast majority of businesses are only able to ac­ cess an emergency cash grant worth around half or a third of the support on offer during the

SPANISH Minister of Fi­ nance, Maria Jesus Montero has announced that rents of properties used in the hospi­ tality sector must in certain circumstances be cut by 50 per cent until the national State of Alarm is ended.

Landlords with more than 10 properties in town cen­ tres who have not already offered a temporary dis­ count will be affected in or­ der to try to help the strug­ gling hospitality industry which has already seen nu­ merous closures.

Bar and restaurant owners will receive tax credits against rent and will be able to hold back certain pay­ ments whilst landlords will receive tax incentives when they lower rents.

Modern technology AS the hospitality industry in Spain crumbles with more than 100,000 bars and restaurants across the coun­ try potentially likely to close, there are some who are turning to digital companies to help save their business­ es.

There are a number of niche start­ups which are of­ fering specialist services to bars and restaurants to ei­ ther help them promote themselves on social media, become part of an online community or even join a search App. A perfect example is Fut­ bar which directs those who want to find the nearest member bar screening live football. national lockdown in March.

Labour has called for the £2 billion (€2.2 billion) recently re­ turned to the Treasury by super­ markets in unneeded business rates relief to be urgently rede­ ployed into a Hospitality and High Streets Fightback Fund to help struggling businesses on the high street and those excluded from support.

32 EWN

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31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

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C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 28

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3I Group 1.157,00 1.171,00 Admiral Group 2.923,0 2.968,0 Anglo American 2.435,0 2.473,0 Antofagasta 1.440,00 1.448,00 Ashtead Group 3.433,0 3.461,0 Associated British Foods 2.296,0 2.306,0 AstraZeneca 7.223,0 7.325,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 583,60 592,80 Avast 532,50 532,50 Aveva 3.185,0 3.234,0 Aviva 328,00 333,80 B&M European Value Retail SA514,80 517,40 BAE Systems 504,00 507,80 Barclays 154,60 158,14 Barratt Developments 688,00 699,20 Berkeley 4.716,0 4.843,0 BHP Group 1.964,40 1.975,00 BP 263,00 266,95 British American Tobacco 2.730,0 2.748,0 British Land Company 504,00 505,40 BT Group 138,35 140,20 Bunzl 2.408,0 2.435,0 Burberry Group 1.760,0 1.773,0 Carnival 1.355,0 1.445,5 Centrica 44,69 46,20 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.390,0 2.410,0 Compass 1.387,50 1.404,50 CRH 3.136,0 3.136,0 Croda Intl 6.408,0 6.468,0 DCC 5.340,0 5.366,0 Diageo 2.914,0 2.940,0 DS Smith 377,90 382,30 EasyJet 838,20 875,00 Experian 2.791,0 2.791,0 Ferguson 8.802,0 8.850,0 Flutter Entertainment 15.045,0 15.250,0 Fresnillo 1.139,50 1.139,50 GlaxoSmithKline 1.332,60 1.341,40 Glencore 235,00 236,80 Halma 2.398,0 2.419,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.552,00 1.556,00 Hikma Pharma 2.551,00 2.560,00 HSBC 386,00 389,60 IAG 163,40 168,50 Imperial Brands 1.544,00 1.549,00 Informa 547,20 550,80 InterContinental 4.627,0 4.730,0 Intermediate Capital 1.726,00 1.748,00 Intertek 5.760,0 5.818,0 ITV 108,95 112,45 J Sainsbury 226,70 227,10

% CHG. 1.156,00 2.918,0 2.418,0 1.423,50 3.409,0 2.240,0 7.217,0 583,60 523,00 3.166,0 326,40 512,80 501,60 153,66 683,40 4.699,0 1.949,40 262,65 2.692,0 495,00 135,80 2.406,0 1.729,5 1.341,5 44,58 2.380,0 1.355,00 3.108,0 6.352,0 5.300,0 2.880,0 374,80 837,20 2.704,0 8.732,0 14.845,0 1.122,00 1.328,80 233,80 2.384,0 1.524,00 2.517,00 384,10 162,55 1.534,50 542,80 4.616,0 1.722,00 5.726,0 108,70 224,30

NET VOL 291,48K 136,06K 699,57K 158,35K 134,10K 346,98K 605,93K 477,33K 356,39K 77,09K 2,70M 274,70K 1,34M 32,44M 1,57M 217,17K 654,89K 13,53M 790,54K 626,33K 7,72M 150,28K 290,23K 603,52K 7,06M 195,66K 1,03M 192,77K 218,81K 34,49K 1,03M 610,75K 2,11M 399,16K 65,88K 58,97K 152,50K 2,49M 4,95M 147,27K 413,81K 59,05K 6,36M 21,47M 363,19K 745,10K 85,43K 69,72K 39,53K 4,22M 1,45M

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Johnson Matthey 2.470,0 JSC MMC Norilsk Nickel ADR 31,33 JSC VTB Bank DRC 0,982 Land Securities 692,20 Legal & General 266,40 Lloyds Banking 38,60 London Stock Exchange 8.878,0 Meggitt 465,00 Melrose Industries 178,95 Mondi 1.709,00 National Grid 857,20 NatWest Group 168,95 Next 6.928,0 Ocado 2.250,00 Persimmon 2.875,0 Phoenix 717,60 Prudential 1.353,00 Reckitt Benckiser 6.494,0 Relx 1.792,50 Rentokil 508,20 Rightmove 643,00 Rio Tinto PLC 5.574,0 Rolls-Royce Holdings 115,75 Rosneft 5,83 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.330,50 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.327,6 Royal Dutch Shell B 1.285,0 RSA Insurance 677,40 Sage 584,20 Samsung Electronics DRC 1.759,00 Sberbank 14,62 Schroders 3.440,0 Scottish Mortgage 1.182,00 Segro 949,80 Severn Trent 2.276,0 Smith & Nephew 1.525,50 Smiths Group 1.522,50 Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.155,0 SSE 1.522,00 St. James’s Place 1.150,00 Standard Chartered 472,60 Standard Life Aberdeen 289,70 Taylor Wimpey 167,00 Tesco 232,90 Tui 451,40 Unilever 4.310,0 United Utilities 895,40 Vodafone Group PLC 123,24 Whitbread 3.214,0 WPP 813,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

2.524,0 31,39 1,034 702,90 268,60 39,99 8.960,0 470,00 180,00 1.726,00 868,40 173,70 7.130,0 2.264,00 2.968,0 721,80 1.365,00 6.500,0 1.795,00 510,80 656,00 5.639,0 120,75 5,84 1.344,90 1.345,2 1.304,8 679,00 591,40 1.763,00 14,73 3.464,0 1.195,00 949,80 2.342,0 1.553,00 1.540,00 11.375,0 1.539,50 1.157,50 477,30 297,50 176,20 235,10 452,50 4.324,0 903,40 124,50 3.214,0 819,80

2.460,0 30,91 0,973 679,60 261,70 38,45 8.810,0 452,20 171,95 1.702,00 844,40 168,95 6.928,0 2.203,00 2.850,0 710,40 1.344,50 6.372,0 1.764,00 501,60 643,00 5.554,0 114,65 5,46 1.320,75 1.320,8 1.280,2 675,60 578,00 1.752,00 14,52 3.401,0 1.176,00 931,20 2.275,0 1.510,00 1.517,50 11.150,0 1.515,00 1.137,50 468,00 289,10 164,80 227,20 431,10 4.276,0 894,40 122,90 3.128,0 805,60

85,63K 142,65K 84,76K 450,07K 10,83M 260,03M 69,46K 2,08M 2,80M 202,33K 1,38M 11,61M 246,41K 190,69K 575,54K 545,34K 968,52K 217,19K 536,90K 401,41K 554,91K 304,29K 21,13M 317,22K 1,26M 1,26M 1,77M 426,70K 554,92K 3,90K 565,30K 42,41K 1,18M 552,32K 89,67K 440,93K 86,42K 13,13K 577,99K 184,23K 1,23M 1,26M 9,85M 9,59M 875,60K 555,08K 405,84K 16,50M 190,94K 675,02K

0.8989

1.1115 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.21899 Japan yen (JPY)......................................126.299 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.08748 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.43896 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.5409

currenciesdirect.com/moraira • Tel: +34 966 265 072 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 28

COMPANY 3M Alphabet C Amazon.com Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Facebook Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com Tesla UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 174,52 1.738,85 3.172,69 222,93 131,97 217,15 179,56 85,33 44,54 53,44 267,40 256,16 270,92 209,53 124,69 47,07 152,47 124,52 211,39 80,14 222,75 141,60 137,72 225,78 661,77 340,79 58,84 208,70 143,50 173,73

CHANGE 174,79 1.746,00 3.202,00 224,58 133,46 219,88 179,85 85,93 44,59 53,55 270,40 257,62 271,36 210,70 125,10 47,09 153,04 125,55 212,74 80,43 223,61 142,19 138,13 229,19 666,09 341,41 59,07 208,82 144,39 174,58

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 173,42 656,18K 1.729,11 346,75K 3.169,00 0 222,29 0 131,10 0 216,05 6,40M 178,35 585,73K 84,81 3,34M 44,23 0 53,02 3,27M 266,20 6,70M 253,75 968,15K 269,40 1,09M 208,60 754,91K 124,21 1,76M 46,34 0 151,82 2,11M 123,57 4,16M 211,14 1,05M 79,87 2,82M 221,20 0 141,10 1,82M 136,20 2,59M 224,83 6,15M 641,00 0 336,44 1,36M 58,66 7,75M 206,60 3,37M 143,18 3,02M 172,38 2,72M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 28

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+3.51% +2.37% +14.69% +2.30% +2.14% +3.63% +4.67% +5.11% +26.07% +0.81% +19.31%

5.69M 250,990 1.10M 1.38M 1.39M 385,143 887,843 1.04M 41,683 21,106 1.48M

-10.64% -1.58% -6.34% -78.08% -47.13% -4.64% -6.42% -4.07% -8.31% -5.38% -7.22%

2.31M 286,040 9.45M 16.10M 1.32M 4.73M 3.32M 964,241 852,721 859,157 791,601

Most Advanced Amazon.com Inc. Booking Holdings Inc. MicroStrategy Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C CoStar Group Inc. Cintas Corp.

Ulta Beauty Inc. Beam Global Wt Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Beam Global

Most Declined Trade Desk Inc. Cl A MercadoLibre Inc. Zoom Video Communications Inc. Aprea Therapeutics Inc. Air T Inc. Roku Inc. Cl A DocuSign Inc. MongoDB Inc. Bandwidth Inc. Cl A Wix.com Ltd. Quidel Corp.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Advertising Feature

What to do with the ashes?

ONCE a deceased loved one is cremated, there are many different options for what to do with the ashes. Some people choose to bury them in a cemetery, keep them at home in an urn or even turn them into beautiful pieces of cremation jewellery or memorial art.

Others decide, whether at the request of the deceased or due to personal reasons, to scatter the cremated remains somewhere. Along with the choice to scatter, however, comes a whole new set of decisions to be made. In particular, where those remains should be disbursed?

For this reason, why not consider a pre­planned and pre­paid funeral plan?

Then you can make all these decisions yourself and take the strain off your loved ones when the time comes.

The choice to be cremated is a really important part of your funeral plan; we spoke with Emma who is a funeral plan expert from Golden Leaves who shared with us some of the most common places and also some new unique ideas for you to include in your plan, after all it should be you who gets to choose where your remains will spend the rest of eternity.

1. Private Property Many folks choose to keep the cremains of their loved one close to them by scattering their ashes on their own private property, like in the garden or around a nearby tree. If you choose to have your ashes scattered on private land that belongs to someone else, however, such as in a field or on a farm, be sure to obtain the landowner’s permission in advance of the ceremony. Another thing to keep in mind when scattering on private property is whether your family will have the right to visit that property in the future.

2. Water Another popular way to scatter cremation ashes is to do so across a body of water, such as a river, stream, lake or ocean. Public bodies of water don’t typically require a licence or any special permissions to scatter cremated remains, however, you should be careful not to do so near an extraction point, or where people fish or swim. (Your local environmental agency should be able to help with this.) Keep in mind, also, that loca­ tions on or near the water can be windy, so be sure to check the conditions beforehand.

3. Mountains/Hilltops Hilltops and mountains can provide a beauti­ ful setting in which to say goodbye. One thing to consider, however, is how ashes can im­ pact plant life. While cremains are non­tox­ ic, it’s still advisable to avoid scattering ash­ es where plant ecosystems are more fragile, such as on mountain peaks. Popular climbing areas can also make it difficult to find privacy.

And, like bodies of water, mountains and hill­ tops can be windy, so keep this in mind when planning your ceremony.

4. Scatter Gardens Typically located at a cemetery or crematorium, scatter gar­ dens provide a lovely place for your remains to spend eternity and a serene location for family and friends to visit after. These are areas designated specifically for the scattering of cremated remains. Every facility is different, but some offer additional ways to honour the deceased, including plaques, statues or plants, so that may also be an option.

5. Sporting Venues If you’re an avid sports fan, you may wish to request that the scattering ceremony be held at your favourite stadium, complex or arena. Whether or not this is an option will ultimately depend on the specific policy of the facility in question. Your funeral director may be able to assist you in approaching the venue’s owner to ask permission.

One important thing to point out when it comes to scattering ashes is that there are certain rules and regulations surrounding the process. For instance, some locations re­ quire that advanced permission be granted, paperwork be completed and sometimes even licences be obtained. Others may simply request notification in advance.

It’s wise to check your local laws prior to making plans to avoid any unexpected and unpleasant surprises.

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

EWN 33

34 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

FISCHER V SPASSKY. Newton v Leibniz.

Freud v Jung. To the great intellectual clashes of history can be added Trump v Biden (the Trump vs Biden show a wel­ come distraction from our own crisis).

Admittedly, on this occasion, the stan­ dards were considerably lower with the walls inexorably closing in on Trump methodically sawing through the branch he’s sitting on.

The Donald. Yes, him. When the final analysis of Trump lies is published it’ll run into volumes. First, Trump said he had a ‘hunch’ the World Health Organisa­ tion’s 3.4 per cent Covid mortality rate was a ‘false number’ and suggested peo­ ple with coronavirus could go to work and get better. “A lot of people will have this and it’s very mild,” he said in an in­ terview on Fox News. “They’ll get better very rapidly. They don’t even see a doc­ tor. They don’t even call a doctor.”

Later Trump called the coronavirus a ‘horrible infection,’ radically altering his public stance on the pandemic. A day

FEATURE

IT’S ONLY FAKE-BELIEVE: FAKE NEWS THAT LEAVES EVERYONE LOST FOR WORDS earlier he declared: “It will go away, just stay calm, it will go away.” Just as Trump would undoubtedly say: “Don’t believe Monday follows Sunday (or the sun rises in the east). That’s just fake news from the lying media.”

Trump was prominent, too, in spread­ ing the false idea that vaccines cause autism, but then changed his tune, urg­ ing people ‘to get the shots.’ Would an embittered Trump, eager to spite his suc­ cessor and win attention for his future media or political career, become a prominent ‘anti­vaxxer’ campaigner again? To ask the question is to answer it.

Additionally, there are all his unfound­ ed conspiracy theories about voting fraud, claiming Mr Biden’s win in Arizona was ‘impossible,’ the results in Nevada ‘fake’ and ‘We won Michigan bigly!’

Have we heard the last of Trump? No. Is the world a safer (and saner) place now he’s (almost) gone? Absolutely. Am I glad? Yes? Am I still talking to myself?

Stop looking at me like that ­ it’s been a long year! So, let’s leave it at this: Happy New Year!

Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora­john son.net) available online as ebook (€0.99; £0.99), ibook, paperback and au­ diobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cud­ eca cancer charity.

TRUMP: The world is a safer (and saner) place now he’s gone.

Happy New Year to all LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT AS we groggily stagger to the end of a year that will go down as one of the most turbulent and life altering epochs in the planet’s history, I can think of only one expression that sums up what most of us must actually feel ­ utterly punch­drunk.

It truly is like coming to the end of a brawl with Mike Tyson. I would like to predict, that now we have all effectively sunk to the canvas ­ the only way is up.

Well, I think that remains to be seen.

Boris’s apparent success in finally sealing a deal with Europe, will, no doubt, still have to go a few more rounds before it is fully accepted by the disgruntled remainers, who will inevitably use every last word of the 1,200 page agreement to gain political points or secure their own future careers.

(Keep an eye out for Nicola Sturgeon and her ‘new referendum’ plans in particular).

Plenty of blows still to come for a Prime Minister, who some consider to be

something of a buffoon. Well whatever they think, this man is still standing solidly in our corner, after experiencing one of the worst economic and public health disasters of all time.

He also became a new parent and survived an illness that put him in intensive care. Through all of this he still managed to achieve the Brexit he promised at his election. Well I personally think to have survived this particular rumble in the political jungle and come out with most of his teeth places him very much shoulder to shoulder with any number of our historic political champions.

The vindictive autocrats of the EU who scoffed and humiliated Theresa May have finally had an opponent step in to their pretentious ring who was more than a worthy match for their self­opinionated personas.

Well done Boris, but don’t drop your guard; you soon need to get back in training to defend the title challengers, who are no doubt lining up to take you on.

Personally I think you’re well up for it.

This week’s announcement by the

creators of Oxford Covid vaccine revealing, among other weak excuses, that they ‘made a mistake’ and their preparation was actually ‘far more efficient than was originally thought’ absolutely reeks of political conspiracy.

Some weeks ago, this British version which, because it could be stored at normal temperatures, appeared to be a superior product, was unexpectedly announced as only being 74 per cent effective, thereby allowing the Giant Pfizer Company to jump the gun and be the first distributor of its own ‘superior’ product and subsequently receive the inevitable billions in profits.

Now, after the Pfizer Company has reaped the main harvest, the British vaccine is discovered to be ‘more efficient than originally thought?’ Give us a break.

What sort of banana boat do these money manipulators actually think we came over on!? Personally I think it merits a public enquiry. Some chance! Happy New Year.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon. Wed. Fri.

Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

FEATURE

GO LOCAL

THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the com­ munity by going local through the lockdown and for your Christmas shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super­ stores.

This lockdown and festive period we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen­ dent businesses in your area.

Due to the Covid­19 pan­ demic, you may have to support many local businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect ser­ vices they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lockdown re­ strictions.

The joy of shopping local means that independent busi­

nesses can help support the local community.

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on­ line, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there

is no better time than Christ­ mas to give back to your com­ munity by making a small ges­ ture and shopping in this way.

Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small inde­

pendent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numer­ ous generations and support not just the current owner, but the generation before.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.

For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros spent there are supporting someone’s dream and ambi­ tion, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an independent store and compete with the multi­ national and chains.

So be sure to pre­order your turkey from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again.

You could also consider pur­ chasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local sa­ lon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path.

As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous

gift perhaps pre­paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a bet­ ter gift. Helping people allevi­

ate stress and worry, give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times.

Choosing to spend your

EWN 37

38 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

FEATURE

BUYING LOCAL: Helps keep money circulating within the local economy.

money locally will really make a difference in the recovery of the local economy. When we buy local, our money stays lo­ cal, and it strengthens the lo­ cal economy in two ways. First,

buying local keeps money cir­ culating within the local econ­ omy. Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned sup­

ply chains and invest in their employees.

Data shows that local retail­ ers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14

per cent for national chain re­ tailers.

Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of each transaction. For example, let’s

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.

look at a local farmer growing produce.

First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn pre­ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employ­ ees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy

supplies from a neighbour­ hood hardware store. This ex­ ample illustrates how the re­ circulation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and com­ munities.

Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportunities for people within our community. Stud­ ies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more employees over time.

While buying local is finan­ cially compelling to our com­ munities; the benefits to our environment are equally im­ pressive. Buying locally re­ duces the processing of goods, packaging and transportation

waste, which leads to less pol­ lution.

There’s a massive cultural shift underway redefining the way people make buying deci­ sions. We’re seeing more indi­ viduals concerned about the environment, about how prod­ ucts are made and sourced, where materials come from, and a company’s overall social

and environmental impact.

Many businesses are joining our Go Local campaign by of­ fering customers special offers and discounts throughout the festive period, more details to follow here soon.

Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.

EWN 39

THURSDAY 31 DECEMBER

3:20pm 5:20pm 6:20pm 6:40pm 6:45pm 6:50pm 7:40pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

FRIDAY 1 JANUARY

SATURDAY 2 JANUARY

SUNDAY 3 JANUARY

MONDAY 4 JANUARY

TUESDAY 5 JANUARY

WEDNESDAY 6 JANUARY

2:00pm 3:00pm 4:35pm

Beauty and the Beast Top of the Pops BBC News at Six BBC London News Weather The Hit List The Wall Versus Celebrities EastEnders The Great British Sewing Bee

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Dynasties How To Train Your How To Train Your 5:00pm BBC News BBC London News Weather Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Doctor Who EastEnders The Serpent

2:20pm 4:10pm 5:00pm 5:45pm

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Big Hero 6 Final Score Money for Nothing BBC News BBC London News Weather Celebrity Mastermind Pointless Celebrities Casualty Michael McIntyre's The Wheel

1:30pm 1:40pm

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Escape to the Country Pete's Dragon Garden Rescue Penguins: Meet the Family BBC News BBC London News Weather Countryfile Antiques Roadshow A Perfect Planet The Serpent

4:45pm

The Farmers' Country Showdown The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Still Open All Hours EastEnders My Family Traces

4:15pm 4:45pm 5:50pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

The Farmers' Country Showdown The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City The Crash Detectives Traces

4:15pm 4:45pm 5:50pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

The Hairy Bikers' Comfort Food Escape to the Country The Farmers' Country Showdown The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show The Bidding Room The Repair Shop

4:15pm 4:45pm 5:50pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

5:20pm 5:25pm 5:30pm 7:45pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:05pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 8:50pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

7:15pm 7:20pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

3:35pm 5:55pm 6:55pm 7:55pm 9:30pm 10:55pm 11:25pm 1:35pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Rio Bravo Paint Your Wagon Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime Inside Monaco: Playground of the Rich Only Connect University Challenge Celebrity: A 21st Century Story Before They Were Famous

2:20pm 2:30pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 6:25pm 6:40pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

ITV News London Midsomer Murders Tenable Tipping Point ITV Evening News ITV News London The Chase You've Been Framed!

Emmerdale Coronation Street Skyfall

12:50pm 3:25pm 3:35pm 4:05pm

Tea with Mussolini As Time Goes By As Time Goes By Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime The Archbishop of Mr Holmes Only Connect University Challenge Celebrity: A 21st Century Story

2:00pm 4:30pm 5:35pm 6:35pm 7:35pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Royal Recipes Into the Woods: Stage to Screen Ice Station Zebra Inside the Factory John Le Mesurier: It's All Been Rather Lovely Dad's Army Amazing Grace Aretha Franklin: Respect Entebbe

3:20pm 3:50pm 4:50pm 5:55pm 6:05pm 6:15pm

How the West Was Won Wild West: America's Great Frontier The Culture Show Saving Mr. Banks Cornwall: This Fishing Life Dragons' Den Last Woman on Earth with Sara Pascoe A Teacher

2:00pm 4:05pm 5:05pm 6:05pm 6:20pm 6:35pm

The Best Dishes Ever Made in Great Britain Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Rick Stein's Cornwall Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge Mastermind Only Connect

4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

The Best Dishes Ever Made in Great Britain Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Rick Stein's Cornwall Cornwall: This Fishing Life Inside the Factory The Cheetah Family and Me A Teacher

4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

The Best Dishes Ever Made in Great Britain Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Rick Stein's Cornwall Cornwall: This Fishing Life This Farming Life The Cheetah Family and Me A Teacher

3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:30pm

11:30pm

7:00pm 8:00pm 9:30pm 11:00pm

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:05pm 11:19pm

9:30pm

9:00pm

3:45pm

6:15pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

The Core Channel 4 News A Place in the Sun Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast Inside Cadbury: Chocolate Secrets Unwrapped Paddington Britain's Favourite Toys The Crystal Maze The Last Leg

ITV Racing Live Tipping Point Lingo The Chase ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Dancing on Thin Ice with Torvill & Dean ITV News at Ten and Weather

11:50am 12:20pm 12:50pm 1:50pm 2:50pm 3:00pm 4:05pm 6:30pm 8:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

The Simpsons The Simpsons Junior Bake Off A Place in the Sun Channel 4 News Britain's Favourite Toys Stardust The Greatest Showman Chitty Flies Again with Taskmaster Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2020

1:35pm 1:40pm 3:30pm 4:30pm 4:35pm 5:40pm 6:40pm 8:30pm

You've Been Framed!

Tipping Point: Lucky Stars Family Fortunes ITV News and Weather ITV News London Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Presents Celebrity Catchphrase The Masked Singer The Voice UK ITV News and Weather

1:50pm 2:20pm 2:55pm 3:25pm

Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Escape to the Chateau: Make Do and Mend Britain's Most Expensive Houses Channel 4 News Britain's Wildest Weather The Terminal Cast Away

2:55pm 3:00pm 5:15pm

Peter Pan Tipping Point: Lucky Stars Lingo ITV News and Weather ITV News London Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Family Fortunes Beat the Chasers ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather

1:50pm 1:59pm 2:00pm 4:05pm 5:05pm 6:05pm 6:20pm 6:35pm

ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather Peter Pan Tipping Point: Lucky Stars Lingo ITV News and Weather ITV News London Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Family Fortunes Beat the Chasers

3:30pm 4:30pm 4:35pm 5:35pm 6:35pm 6:40pm 7:25pm 7:30pm

Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Bradley Walsh and Son: Breaking Dad Coronation Street

4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Food Unwrapped 24 Hours in Police Custody The Man Who Fell from the Sky

3:20pm

Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale South Africa with Gregg Wallace Who Wants to Be a 10:00pm Beat the Chasers

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News How to Lose Weight Well 24 Hours in Police Custody Swingers

3:20pm 4:15pm

Dickinson's Real Deal Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Cornwall and Devon Walks with Julia Bradbury

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it Grand Designs Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back

2:45pm 3:20pm

5:10pm

4:25pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 9:30pm

9:00pm 10:00pm

11:00pm

11:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm

4:45pm 6:15pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

10:00pm

6:15pm 6:20pm 8:25pm 8:30pm 9:30pm

9:00pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Cruising with Jane McDonald Cruising with Jane McDonald Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News Update World's Strongest Man 2020 Britain's Favourite 80s Songs

1:00pm

Access Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jumanji Access Jumanji Inside...

The Battle of Britain: World's Strongest Man 2020 In My Own Words Michael McIntyre

9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm

Access A Bridge Too Far The Bridge on the River Kwai 5 News Update The Bridge on the River Kwai 5 News Weekend Around the World by Secrets of the Royal Palaces

8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:30pm 4:00pm 6:00pm 8:30pm

The Addams Family Access The Addams Family Dirty Dancing Access Dirty Dancing 5 News Weekend We Love Only Fools and Horses Jimmy Tarbuck: The Laughs Are on Me

12:30pm

4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 1:30am

5:00pm 6:00pm 8:30pm 11:30pm 12:00am

11:00pm

Live: Good Morning Football Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Driving Force The Premier League Years Boxing's Best Of 2020 Live NBA: Chicago @ Washington 31.12 Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live World Darts Championship Sky Sports News Live EFL Live FNF Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Saturday Social Soccer A.M. Scottish Premiership Live Live Premier League Live Premier League Live World Darts Championship Live NBA: Sacramento @ Houston 02.01

10:30pm 1:30am 2:10am

Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live World Darts Championship Live NFL Live NBC's FNIA Live NFL

The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door Stalked by the Killer Ex 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The World's Greatest Bridges Police Interceptors A&E After Dark

9:00am 4:30pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 12:00am 1:00am 2:00am 3:00am 4:00am

Live Test Cricket Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live MNF Sky Sports News Live: Total Access Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News

The Nightmare Killer Mother: Switched at Birth 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight How to Lose a Stone in a Month Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly

8:00am 9:00am 4:30pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:15pm 12:15am 1:00am

Sky Sports News Live Test Cricket Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Carabao Cup Driving Force Sky Sports News Live: Total Access

Neighbours The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door Nanny's Killer Scandal 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys London's Greatest Bridges With Rob Bell

7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 4:30pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:15pm 12:00am 1:00am

Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Test Cricket Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Carabao Cup Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News

3:00pm 5:15pm 8:30pm

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A friend of long standing comes up with some bright ideas to get you out of a tricky situation. Don’t be surprised. You have for a long time now underestimated their worth. Your friend will be surprised when you show your gratitude in an immediate and physical way, but if there is anything better than finding a new friend it is finding an old friend has hidden talents.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The urge to get ahead at as fast a pace as possible is apparent this week. Some would say not before time. However, you know the art of choosing the moment and it has not been until now that you have felt the time was right.

This is a truly expansive week and one in which your powers of imagination are given full rein. No wonder you are being admired.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The company is so interesting that you can hardly tear yourself away and new experiences are arriving every day. You could be forgiven for getting a little overexcited. When travel brings you face to face with a stranger, you find that a bit of information you hear has to be acted upon.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Someone close gets a real stroke of luck this week and no doubt the benefits will rub off on you. It seems that some fortune will come your way by the end of the month and lead you to see a situation in quite a different light.

Any travel should be left until the beginning of next month if possible because there are likely to be delays and irritations.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone you have been holding at arm's length recently is insisting on getting closer. Charm and tact alone may not save the day, but enlisting the help of a friend could. Travel and career are well-aspected and, if you are expecting a financial windfall, you may have a bit longer to wait.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The hard work you have been putting in recently has left you tired and, at times, quite tetchy.

This week you will start to see the

rewards of your efforts which will undoubtedly help you to keep up the momentum. There is a lot of both passion and travel this week, which is set to continue.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is a highly sociable week, and you could meet some new faces that not only attract but inspire you. You are a social butterfly, and this brings out your Libran flutteriness. You will have to draw on all your powers of concentration to keep ahead of practical matters such as paperwork.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You dominate the scene this week and no one is in any doubt about what you are aiming for. If you want to impress someone new to your circle, however, try a bit of cunning as opposed to brow-beating.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Communication and selfexpression are what it’s all about this week. Although you may feel that indulging yourself is in some ways selfish, you should realise that you are entitled to some fun.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The call of romance is strong but so is that of your business life.

The two will clash to the detriment of each other if you do not plan ahead and pace yourself. Do not be at the beck and call of others when you need all your time and energy for yourself.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Such is your popularity this week that you can be assured of success in many things.

Remember that first impressions can be the most accurate and don’t be tempted to make too many allowances for others.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) For some time you have been trying to settle a certain matter.

Although it is in your nature to get things out of the way quickly, this has not been possible. The chance to make progress this week is welcome but be sure that all is not what it seems.

TIME OUT

HEXAGRAM 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 (VIOLIN) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

CARTEL COLEUS DETOUR FRIEND INGEST INTENT MATURE MORTAR MUSLIN PRESTO REASON SORTIE SQUINT STEREO STUPOR THEORY UNSURER VIOLIN (10) VISION

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 26 December

26-43-44 46-52-55

BONUS BALL

6

IRISH LOTTO Sat 26 December

22-23-24 28-32-41

BONUS BALL

44

EURO MILLIONS Tue 22 December

BONUS BALL

4

2-10-16 42-50

11

Fri 25 December

BONUS BALL

16-21-27 30-32

3 5

EL MILLON: JDQ81557 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 24 December

BONUS BALL

4-6-11 32-36-43

1 4

JOKER: 8 658 600 Sat 26 December

BONUS BALL

16-20-23 31-38-43

27

JOKER: 4 376 608

5

TIME OUT

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CODE BREAKER

ENGLISH-SPANISH

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

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 18 represents L and 25 represents J, so fill in L every time the figure 18 appears and J every time the figure 25 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Across 1 Right (not left) (7) 5 Muñecas (juguetes) (5) 8 To rub (5) 9 To vaccinate (7) 10 Burros (7) 11 Loncha (5) 12 Hablar (5) 14 Blouse (5) 19 Evocar (5) 21 Acostarse (2,2,3) 23 Acuático (7) 24 Igual (5) 25 Mushrooms (flat-topped) (5) 26 Fish (culinary) (7)

Down 1 Golden (6) 2 Reason (5) 3 Beer (7) 4 Aconsejar (6) 5 Patos (5) 6 Lentejas (7) 7 Calle (6) 13 Producto (7) 15 Cartas (Correos) (7) 16 Pétalos (6) 17 Huevera (6) 18 Adult (6) 20 These (5) 22 Witch (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Sweet, 4 Major, 7 Available, 8 Soil, 9 Adapts, 12 Clever, 13 Loaf, 16 Telescope, 18 Hotel, 19 Turns.

Down: 1 Saves, 2 Examine, 3 Team, 4 Melody, 5/17 Job lot, 6 Reeds, 10 Pioneer, 11 Vessel, 12 Catch, 14 Films, 15 Boat.

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Applaud, 4 Tower, 7 Rings, 9 Stories, 10 Costume, 11 Entry, 12 Ticket, 14 Priest, 18 Chaos, 20 Charger, 22 Avarice, 23 Tribe, 24 Spent, 25 Temples.

Down: 1 Apricot, 2 Pants, 3 Duster, 4 Trove, 5 Whistle, 6 Risky, 8 Sauce, 13 Charade, 15 Roast, 16 Turkeys, 17 Accept, 18 Chats, 19 Shirt, 21 Grill.

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Sacro, 3 Bathtub, 6 Husband, 8 Lapiz, 10 Opalo, 11 Eastern, 14 Sorteo, 15 Detail, 17 Scarves, 20 Psalm, 21 Green, 22 Lantern, 23 Retraso, 24 Habas.

Down: 1 Schools, 2 Ocaso, 3 Badge, 4 Tiles, 5 Buzón, 7 Staircase, 9 Preparase, 12 Adds, 13 Doce, 16 Limones, 17 Sugar, 18 Venta, 19 Sello, 20 Punch.

CODE BREAKER

BOGGLED

FUTOSHIKI

ecru ices iguana otic scud scrub surge citrus cuds curt cruse crud cruds gift guru gurn grub grunt gurus ties tics truce truces trug truant tuba turn tuna tune tabu taurus taunt tanh butane burg burn burnt bunt bane duce duces dune urge urges ruse rune rubato runt rhea unhurt abut augur auto aunt ante huge hurt hunt ends etna thus thug thud thuds thru then tend tends tenuto enatic enthuse intend intends

NONAGRAM arid darn dart dirt drat iron nard noir raid rain rand rani rant rind riot road roan rota tarn taro tart tiro tori torn tort trad trio trod trot adorn dinar drain droit indri intro nadir nitro noria radii radio radon ratio tarot torii train trait triad adroit aroint inroad ordain ration triton introit TRADITION

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 CHOOSY 2 ASSAIL 3 ESCORT 4 MILIEU 5 SOCIAL 6 BEHEST 7 CEREAL 8 GARISH 9 ENSURE 10 CAROLS 11 WIDGET 12 AGREES 13 UNLOAD 14 HEREBY 15 ALLELE 16 INTUIT 17 ALLEGE 18 TALENT 19 TALLOW

SOCK LOCK LACK LACE LATE DATE

KAKURO

SUDOKU

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Costa Blanca TODAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA

WEATHER

BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

TOMORROW

DENIA JAVEA CALPE

Malaga TODAY: MAX 15 MIN 6 Fri 13 7 Sat 12 8 Sun 12 7 Mon 11 8 Tues - 13 9 Wed 15 9

Alicante TODAY: MAX 14, MIN 8 Fri 13 7 Sat 13 7 Sun 14 8 Mon 13 9 Tues - 14 8 Wed 14 7

Almeria TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 6 Fri 13 9 Sat 12 7 Sun 11 8 Mon 12 8 Tues - 12 9 Wed 13 8

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 7 Fri 16 9 Sat 14 9 Sun 13 8 Mon 12 8 Tues - 12 7 Wed 12 8 Mallorca TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 7 Fri 16 7 Sat 17 8 Sun 17 8 Mon 18 9 Tues 17 7 Wed 16 8

43

TIME OUT

FUTOSHIKI Fill in the squares so that each digit from 1 to 6 occurs exactly once in each row and column. Greater-than and less-than signs indicate the relationship of the two adjacent squares. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing.

BOGGLED How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules?

• The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

• Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms.

• No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice.

• No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

SATURDAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 13, MIN 5 Fri 13 4 Sat 12 3 Sun 12 4 Mon 13 4 Tues 11 3 Wed 10 4 Madrid TODAY: MAX 13, MIN 3 Fri 13 3 Sat 12 4 Sun 12 5 Mon 13 5 Tues 12 5 Wed 13 4

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 14, MIN 5 Fri 14 6 Sat 13 5 Sun 13 6 Mon 14 6 Tues 14 6 Wed 14 7

Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts

TARGET:

SCORING:

Average: 15 Good: 21 Very good: 31 Excellent: 40

4 letters: 1 point 5 letters: 2 points 6 letters: 3 points 7 letters: 5 points 8 or more letters: 11 points

KAKURO Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

CRYPTIC Across 1 Some of the feudal lassies found in Texas (6) 4 Pitch tent by American school grounds (6) 9 Turning up with mice primarily, like cats (5) 10 Loving a party call (7) 11 Noticed old boy was in the armed forces (8) 12 Sound your horn both ways (4) 14 Escapes from crazy, sad Eve (6) 16 Hesitates to use spa turbulence (6) 19 Search thoroughly for a hairdressing tool (4) 20 A veil can hide a Spanish city (8) 23 Turn a blind eye to trick that's performed (7) 24 Canines, for example, restrained by devotee thus? (5) 25 He's far out, in a new way (6) 26 Senior journalist getting to ride around (6) Down 1 Strongly disapprove of silly old peer (7) 2 Pounds containing a thousand young sheep (5) 3 A desert’s transformation is maintained (8) 5 A victory on a river (4) 6 Toxins, is spoon bent? (7) 7 Groan joining Tory leader's vision (5) 8 Get thinner and lighter (5) 13 Thanks to a 40-day period, Edward is skilful (8) 15 Role man created as medical social worker (7) 17 Sam's out to get her - she's a beauty (7) 18 Funny fellows holding note for payment (5) 19 Old clown needs a drink (5) 21 Box put in porches typically (5) 22 Closely follows boxers, for example (4)

TIME OUT

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SUDOKU

QUICK

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.

Across 1 Bring into existence (6) 4 Two items of the same kind (4) 8 Small fragment (5) 9 Assists (5) 10 Finds fault with (10) 13 Not brought to an end or conclusion (10) 17 Tall mechanical lifting device (5) 18 Keyboard instrument (5) 19 Exchange for money (4) 20 Act upon (6)

Down 1 Coins or paper money (4) 2 Mistake (5) 3/18 Inside information (3,3) 5 Book of maps (5) 6 Strive against, oppose (6) 7 Examines (6) 11 Easily chewed, not tough (6) 12 Sounds made by a duck (6) 14 Physically weak (5) 15 Large bird of prey (5) 16 Nautical unit of speed (4) 18 See 3

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

CATS

QUIZ BACK HERO

SMART CARDS 1. First broadcast by the BBC in the 1990s, what was the title of the four-part political thriller, set after the end of Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as prime minister that starred Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart, a fictional chief whip of the Conservative party?

2. How many decks of cards are used in a game of canasta?

3. In which card game do you score one for his nob and two for his heels?

4. In which decade were yellow and red cards introduced into the English Football League? 1970s 5. Mr Bun the Baker and Mr Bones the Butcher were two of the original 11 sets of characters in which popular children’s card game?

6. Originally a hit for Wink Martindale in 1959, 1960 and 1963, which famous British variety entertainer had a UK hit single in 1973 with Deck of Cards?

7. Said to have been named after an Earl of Yarborough, who bet 1,000 to 1 against the occurrence of such a hand, in bridge and whist, what is a yarborough?

8. The name of which card game, a variety of baccarat, is the French for ‘railway’?

9. Which gambling card game shares its name with a floating structure (as a flat-bottomed boat) that serves as a dock or to support a bridge?

10. Which playing card is nicknamed the ‘curse of Scotland’?

NONAGRAM

RACHEL AND FRIENDS

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 D) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

Not a lot of people know that… specially doctored playing cards were issued to British pilots in the Second World War. If the airmen were captured, the cards could be peeled apart when wet to reveal snippets of maps to assist with escapes

TARGET:

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

Average: 11 Good: 15 Very good: 21 Excellent: 27

Answers 1. HOUSE OF CARDS, 2. TWO, 3. CRIBBAGE, 4. 1970s (1976), 5. HAPPY FAMILIES, 6. MAX BYGRAVES, 7. HAND CONTAINING NO CARD ABOVE A NINE, 8. CHEMIN DE FER, 9. PONTOON, 10. NINE OF DIAMONDS

EW YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

A FABULOUS COLUMN HI Leapy, Another fabulous column where you ‘tell it like it is.’

I’m particularly peeved that Kay Burley, having been ‘grassed up’' by her colleagues (well done them!!), has been suspended on full pay and given a free holiday to boot!! She should be sacked, as she suggested should happen when Dominic Cummings broke the Covid restrictions!!

Merry Christmas Leapy and a very Happy (and safe) New Year.

Doug Allen Christmas lunch at Carmens with chef Phil in his christmas outfit showing off his svelte figure!!!!

Kind regards, S Spencer

The Spectator Dear Sir or Madam The World is at a crossroads made more uncertain by the Covid-19 pandemic. I would like to recommend my book as the perfect read over the Christmas and New Year break when, due to the restrictions, so many of us are spending the holiday at home.

Published in 2018 and aimed at the general public, it deals with and analyses the major issues facing the planet including Brexit and the future of the EU. I am personally affected by Brexit as I have been living and working in the EU for more than 30 years. As I do not accept the idea of changing nationality, I have

OUR VIEW Keep carrying on IN many ways it should have been a Christmas to forget with so many restrictions and the continued threat of infection preying on people’s minds, but human beings are remarkably resilient.

No matter your view of the current coalition government and its politics here in Spain, it does seem that we have been remarkably lucky to have come through when you compare the situation to the UK. It is easy to suggest that we have weathered the storm, but this should not detract from the fact that so many people in Spain have been ill and sadly thousands have died either directly or indirectly from the hateful Covid-19.

Looking forward, the vaccine is already being rolled out, albeit in small batches, but it does seem as if there is a genuine light at the end of the tunnel provided that in the meantime, people don’t become complacent and let their social distancing and strict attention to hygiene lapse.

Life will not return to normal for some time yet, but somehow, the economy has to be rescued and those who are suffering financially are found jobs and ways to cope with the fact that they may have been forced to look to charity for their continued existence.

In the main, Brits in Spain can be satisfied in the way they have carried on regardless with so many doing their bit for so many charities and we at Euro Weekly News have been proud to be part of a wide community that clearly cares.

CORRECTIONS

CHRISTMAS COMMENTS FROM FACEBOOK

Adam Sattar

Kay Burley.

requested a permanent French resident document.

Since the outset of the pandemic, I have been pleasantly surprised that academics, historians and economists seem to have adopted many of my views and opinions. I hope you might find the time to check it out.

I would like to wish you a safe and happy New Year. Yours

Special Branch

Peter Fieldman Author of ‘The World at a Crossroads’

Residence problems My family and I have been treated unfairly by Spanish immigrantion as British citizens.

I made an appointment to submit our application in person at the Malaga office.

I was only able to get three appointments so I attended and submitted the forms and proofs but, they requested my daughter’s birth certificate and proof that our children were at school. I submitted the requested documents.

Then a month later my partner and I received a notification that we needed to provide proof that we reside in Spain, but we did not receive the notification until after the 10-day time limit.

I decided to use SpainTIE to submit my partner’s application but, it appears that the company that we paid is no longer in business.

A few weeks later I was notified that my 14-yearold daughter’s application had been accepted.

Fortunately I also hold an Irish passport and decided to apply for my residencia that was issued within five minutes without the need to provide proof that I reside in Spain.

I will now have to apply for my son and partner as a relative of an EU citizen to secure my family’s residencia.

I Kent

HAVE YOUR SAY

Joanne Kenworthy

Adam Sattar

Wendy Young Ho ho ho

All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY A Bipolar Diagnosis: It’s not a death sentence!

MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED FIRSTLY, I would like to thank all of the Euro Weekly readers for taking the time to read my column week after week - also for the letters you send in and encouraging comments on Facebook.

A big shout out to Michel, Steven and red army at EWN head office for their support and hard work in helping and enabling me to get my story across and help others.

I tend to write my columns replacing ‘me’ for ‘we’ - however this week I’m going to write about ME give an honest insight to Ms Bipolar.

These last two weeks I have struggled - yes, really struggled! I have used every bit of my energy and strength to carry on fighting this uphill battle.

I have had my doctor on speed dial making tweaks here and there and giving me the professional support I very much needed.

But I have also looked after ME… I have laughed with family and friends, I have done silly TikTok dance routines with my daughter, I have gone to bed early, made my bed every single morning and … ‘drum roll… please...’ not had any alcoholic bever-

ages in three weeks!!

These little achievements may seem unimportant to most people but to me, they are a reminder that I am still in control and I’m not losing myself to my illness. Just because one day, one week, or more of your life is rough, doesn’t mean things will be that way forever. I know the next couple of weeks will be tough but I also know that I am strong enough to come out of this the other side.

I finally understand the gravity of my illness and when I need to ask for help. This disorder can be fatal if not managed properly I’m both a survivor and an advocate. I want to give hope to the millions of people whose lives have been affected by bipolar disorder.

I’m living proof that a bipolar disorder diagnosis is not a death sentence.

I haven’t just survived, I’ve thrived. And while I’ve had many professional and personal achievements, I’m most proud of my constant recovery.

I am unapologetically ME! Don’t forget - you can write to me on the email below or follow me on Facebook @mswillow bipolar.

Love Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

31 December 2020 - 6 Janaury 2021

46 to read more visit

www.euroweeklynews.com

Go for a walk to lengthen your life JUST a brief, brisk walk, can add years to your life.

Experts say that 15 minutes of daily exercise is enough for older adults to see big benefits to their health with this activity being linked to a 22 per cent lower risk of an early death.

Researchers carried out a study on two groups of people to see if lower levels of exer­ cise could be as beneficial as the recommended 150 min­ utes each week.

One group of 1,011 French people aged 65 in 2001, were followed over a period of 12 years while the second, an in­ ternational group, of 122,417 people aged 60, was followed over 10 years.

Participants’ activity was measured in Metabolic Equiv­ alent of Task (MET) minutes each week, assessing the

GET WALKING: Just 15 minutes can be beneficial. amount of calories used per minute of physical activity.

The recommended levels of exercise equate to between 500 and 1,000 MET minutes every week.

Researchers found that the risk of death fell as the level of exercise increased and com­

pared to those people who were inactive, older adults with low, medium and high ac­ tivity levels had a 22 per cent, 28 and 35 per cent lower risk of death, respectively, showing that even smaller amounts of exercise can boost life ex­ pectancy and improve health

Breast feed for better behaviour RESEARCHERS believe that babies who are breastfed until six months of age are better behaved as children.

Experts from Glasgow University monitored the behaviour of 1,500 chil­ dren aged between seven and 11 and found those who had only been breast­ fed for the first month of their life, or less, were twice as likely to display behavioural problems than those who were breastfed until six months.

The findings further add fuel to the fire that ex­ perts have, for years, rec­ ommended women breast feed for at least six months leading to a stronger immune system and improved digestive system in infants.

Figures show that 34 per cent of British children are breastfed until six months, compared to 49 per cent in the US, 50 per cent in Germany and 62 per cent in Switzerland.

48 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

Quitting sugar for good SUGAR is largely considered the devil of the dietary world with it leading to spiralling obesity rates and ill health.

More and more people are attempting to banish sugar from their diet but it may not be as difficult as you think with some simple steps to get you on the path to a sugar detox: Choose wisely Sugar can be hidden in a lot of products so pay attention to food labels when shopping.

Look at the ingredients list and anything ending in ‘ose’ such as glucose, sucrose and fruc­ tose, is a form of sugar, as are honey, agave, molasses and syrups like corn and rice syrup.

The higher up the ingredients

list the more sugar the product contains.

Smaller steps For those who particularly eat a lot of sugar, going cold turkey can be difficult so take smaller steps and don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon once in a while. But if you do, immediately go back to better eating the next day.

After a week or so, most people report feeling more alert, having more energy and a clearer mind after not eating sugar so start feeling those benefits and you are less likely to want to go back to eating it.

Balance your gut Scientific studies are produc­ ing a growing amount of evi­

dence about the importance of the microscopic bacteria that in­ habit our guts. Taking probiotics can help balance the microbes and reduce sugar cravings.

Stay fuller for longer When hunger strikes, it is hard to resist the urge to quickly grab the chocolate or other sweet treats but these hunger pangs are more likely to signal that your body is needing protein.

One way to help prevent sugar cravings is to try and en­ sure you include a portion of protein with every meal as this is broken down more slowly and therefore stays in the stomach longer, helping you feel fuller for longer.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

By Clinica Britannia

NEW EFFECTIVE CLEANING SYSTEM NOW IN CLINICA BRITANNIA PREVENTIVE dental care is key to keeping your teeth healthy throughout the course of your life.

Common preventive dentistry services might include: • Regular oral exams • Teeth cleaning • Routine X-rays Now in Clinica Britannia we offer a new effective teeth cleaning system: ‘Flash Pearl’.

FLASH PEARL granules are small and spherically shaped compared to particles of sodium bicarbonate powder. This means more contact and better access to clean all target areas effectively. A wider working angle also provides greater treatment safety.

FLASH PEARL rolls smoothly over tooth surfaces.

The spherical shape of FLASH PEARL gives a smooth finish to tooth surfaces compared to the effects of the sharper-edged particles of sodium bicarbonate. FLASH PEARL leaves teeth sparkling without damaging dental enamel.

Features and Advantages:

- Cleans down to the enamel shine, leaving teeth whiter and smoother - Erases residue and stains on teeth - Reduces the acidity of all oral fluids (saliva and crevicular) - Inhibits bacteria development - Sodium-free natural taste - Biodegradable and non-clogging - Soft and gentle with quick results.

Come to Clinica Britannia to have a nice and effective dental cleaning experience.

Look out for your elders THE World Health Orga­ nization has reported that at least 10 per cent of the elderly suffer some sort of abuse, ei­ ther physical, sexual,

psychological, financial, or negligence and has classified this as an im­ portant public health problem.

Most cases are at

homes in developing countries, but this is a re­ minder we should all look out for our elders and report any suspi­ cions.

31 December 2020 - 6 January 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com

Baby talk works... for puppies A STUDY published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B biology journal has explained that humans talk to dogs in a similar way to babies because puppies in particular are more responsive to the short phrases and high tone.

People were recorded saying certain phrases such as ‘good boy’ and ‘come here’ while looking at photos of dogs of different ages, human beings and while not looking at anything.

Not only were the subjects found to employ what we refer to as baby talk when addressing the dog photos, but when the recordings were played back to dogs of different ages puppies paid far more attention to it.

Older dogs, however, appeared not to be as attentive to baby talk, possibly because as they grow older they are less interested in understanding strangers, scientists suggested.

Dogs are believed to have evolved over more than 30,000 years of close interaction with humans to understand them better. This, researchers claim, has led them to develop communication skills similar to those of small children.

Dogs react to gestures such as pointing in a way which no other animals do, studies have found. Unlike children, though, dogs take these gestures as a mild order rather than a way of passing on information.

Advertising Feature

DOGS WITH PHOBIA OF INTENSE NOISES: Fireworks, storms, firecrackers...

ALTHOUGH this year due to the pandemic, it is more than likely there will not be many fireworks, it should be remembered that some dogs show fear of loud noises, such as firecrackers, fire­ works, storms or shotgun shots.

Fear is a normal adaptive mecha­ nism that helps the animal cope with stimuli that could end its life.

But if this fear is disproportion­ ate, that is, an exaggerated level of reaction with respect to the stimulus, we are talking about a phobia. If your dog suffers from an intense noise phobia behav­ ior, it is advisable to consult your veterinary specialist in clinical ethology who will resort to be­ haviour modification techniques to eliminate fears and phobias.

Tips for Loud Noise Phobia: ­ Provide the dog with a safe environment, do not reinforce fear, use pheromones and anxi­ olytic drugs if necessary (ask your vet): A safe place is one previously positive, that is, through the use of food and Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante.

Los arcos 23 Cuidad Quesada Rojales Tel: 966 716 176 • www.resonanciaveteri naria.es

play. Do not put your dog in a crate to avoid destructive be­ haviour during a storm. The dog is still going to be scared when in the crate and it is likely that he could injure himself trying to get out of the crate. ­ When your dog is beginning to have anxiety, before he shows his fearful behaviour, encourage him to participate in an activity that captures his attention and distracts him from his fear.

IF you have pets you may actual­ ly have more than one pet at a time. If like me, you have two pets at a time so they keep each other company you may find that no matter what type of ani­ mal they are the two bond quick­ ly. They become best friends.

Our two, a cat and a dog, were inseparable. It became a natural step that wherever we went away, they would need to stay together in the company of a caring pet­sitter. They obvious­ ly needed to be together and if it made them happier and more comfortable it made sense to me.

Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house­sitters if you have trips planned next year, to see family and friends or just to get away. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium ac­ count (£89 per year) to ensure

SPONSORED BY

49

PETS

Cat and Dog Story

BEST FRIENDS: Jules and Jim hate being apart. you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with pho­ tos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house­sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting.

Do you need a pet­sitter in 2021? Then get started right now.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you

find suitable sitters. Join our net­ work for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday.

House­sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ­ 4.8 /

5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ­ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house­sitter…

HouseSitMatch found us a per­ fect house­sitter while we were away in Canada and we were de­ lighted with the care and atten­ tion that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person.

Ros Morris ­ Dog owner How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch. com ­ Choose a membership plan ­ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on subscrip­ tion to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa

Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

50 EWN

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

AIR CONDITIONING

PLUMBERS

CHIMNEY SERVICES

POOLS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

SERVICES

SERVICES

www.euroweeklynews.com

PLUMBERS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

EWN 51

TV & SATELLITE

52 EWN

31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

www.euroweeklynews.com

SERVICES

CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS

APPLIANCE REPAIRS WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call Bluesky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (Whatsapp) (290860)

BUSINESS OPP. Coyote Street Food bar, business opportunity for sale.

Modern container installation. Tacos , pancakes, waffle, gofre, Smoothie Coctails, Yogurt Ice cream ( best Italian Gelmatic machine), display fridge , fully equipped.

648 603 343 michael maj11@gmail.com (290080)

BUY & SELL BUY FUR Coats & Jackets, handbags, designer bags, oriental & Persian carpets, jewellery & watches. All kind of Silver, sliver plated 90/100/800. Cutlery, tin, amber, coral, coins, medals, porcelain. Radio, musical instruments. Military items until 1945, photos, medals etc. Fair price paid in CASH. Phone 688 335 497 (290436) BUY vinyl records, record players, CD’s & Radios. 688 335 497 (290436) PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

CAMPING

more information call Juan Zuniga – 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 63 94 26 (English) www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly Spanish speakers for interpreter service, and car owners. Tel President 607 387 040, Welfare 607 386 964, Interpreters 607 385 842, Equipment 663 495 396 We are an English speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis, we also organise social events for members.

We meet every Thursday at 10.30 in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm It is opposite the Foietes Car Park where there is a Wednesday market. Everyone welcome. It is 400m from Benidrom tram station and on bus routes 1 and 8 We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis. (288658)

CHIMNEY SWEEP PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP Sooty & Son, Family Business established over 60 years. 660 478 881 (289460)

CLUBS/SOCIETIES SPIRITUAL FRIENDS Costa Blanca is a non-religious group of spiritually minded people who meet on Wednesday afternoons.

Each week different - clairvoyance, discussions, talks and demonstrations on spiritual or holistic subjects. email sp.fr.cb@gmail.com website www.spiritualfriendscostablan ca.com or contact Jan. 600 837 054 (10000)

ELECTRICIAN MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork.

Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mbelectrics.es (288732)

FOR SALE/WANTED WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

GARDENING SERVICES DAVID THE TREE GUY Cutting, trimming & removal of trees. Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm areas. 722 652 173 (290501)

GENERAL SERVICES CARER/NURSE ENGLISH carer, former registered nurse in UK. References available. Altea and surrounding areas. Available for home care and services. Call Dean on 633684893 (290722)

CHARITY El Campello Christian Community Evangelical Church - Life and Family Sunday Service in English at 10.00 a.m. and a Spanish Service at 11.45am. C / San Bartolomé 35 bajo, No.6 campellocc @gmail.com www.elcampel lochristiancommunity.org For

MISTER Fix-it handyman, available in Jalon Valley area, hourly rates, 657189519 (290302)

GOLD WANTED

54

HEALTH & BEAUTY

31 December 2020 - 6 January 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

METAL WORK

DOGS & ALL PETS VERY WELCOME - 500 year old beamed cottage set in beautiful valley of the charming Jesus Pobre village, Javea. Beautiful pool & garden. www.littlehousein spain.com (290312)

SOLEMATE MOBILE FOOT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL. 692 031 849 (2898171) CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir.

686 912 307 (279267)

PROPERTY WANTED

THERAPIST COUNSELLING PSYCHOTHERAPIST. TEL: 634 35 48 92 / www.feelgoodcs. com (286340)

WIGS WWW.WIGS-R-US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm.

Monday - Saturday 10 - 3. Hundreds of wigs in stock, private appointments after 3pm and home visits. 681 049 502 (290625)

MISCELLANEOUS GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

MOTORING

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English.

BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialinsuranceinspain. com or visit www.beneficialinsur anceinspain.com for online quote.

(290871) MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726) STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure. com (2887610)

LEGAL www.iurisunited.net Lawyers.

Tax advice and bookkeeping. All Gestoria Services. Experts in Brexit and Residence Permits. NIE Numbers. FREE 1st.consultation.

Ask Oliver. Tel: 606 051 000 info@iurisunited.net (290541)

MEETING POINT GENTLEMAN 77yrs old clean, loving & giving, seeks lady for long-term relationship. Must be non-smoker, solvent & dog lover, as my best friend is a Springer Spaniel. Likes eating in or out, is a drinker (but not a drunk!). Can cook simple meals & very domesticated. All enquiries answered, I currently live in Olvia, 447514 468 474 (290857)

RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa – prefer two beds. Needed urgently – call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800 (279523)

REMOVALS/STORAGE BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 678 067 163 (289675)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (2001)

TRANSLATIONS SPANISH INTERPRETER for all your appointment needs, has car. Effective, Friendly & Affordable service. Call 609 679 808

WANTED

KLF TRANSPORT REMOVALS AND STORAGE. VAN GOING TO ENGLAND AND BACK TO SPAIN. SPACE AVAILABLE BOTH WAYS. ALSO, LOCAL REMOVALS FROM A SINGLE ITEM TO FULL HOUSE. TEL: 604 129 344

INSURANCE CASH BACK OFFER! CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATS APP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuranceinspain. com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (290495)

PROPERTY TO LET

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic.

Tel 608 860 725.(290725)

FOR SALE CITROEN C4 Picasso 2010, VTR plus, diesel, silver, 60k miles, RHD, on full UK MOT etc, excellent condition, Air- con, tow bar.

Denia +447976 722 351 WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309.

PAINTERS/DECORATOR DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (290369)

PETS NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (288697)

PLUMBING RIGHT PLUMBER - plumbing & drainage for a honest, affordable, professional service call 656 303 236 (288474)

POOL REPAIRS

TRANSCONE TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS Fortnightly collection & deliveries to & from UK. All areas covered from Alicante to Valencia. Tel. 603 307 962, (0044) 7925 553625 Email - aaron richards88@live.co.uk (290322)

REFURBISHMENT REFURBISHMENT We specialise in refurbishing homes and restaurants. For more information please visit us on www.mux asari.com/english/ or Tel: 687070164

ROLLER SHUTTERS ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com (290412)

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS MARK PADDON BSc Hons.

MCIOB, CAAT - LOCKDOWN REMOTE WHATSAPP VIDEO ADVICE available for reduced fee Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasurveyors.com (287153)

SITUATIONS VACANT

XXX RELAXATION Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section. Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing.

READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.

XXX FEMALE CALPE. ELENA RUSSIAN Girl Massage. Tel: 601 281 426 BENIDORM: Pretty lady, excellent full body massage €50 per hour. Above Restaurant Toni Roma’s. 646 667 604 (288166) SOPHIE naughty, slim, elégant lady. 3 languages spoken. Visit all areas, also private apartment in Villamartin. 693 357 526 (281656) SEXY NOELIA: ESCORT - LADY. SLIM, ELEGANT, NAUGHTY. ONLY VISITS HOMES AND HOTELS 24 HOURS. TEL: 602 660 729 SOFIA, Mature lady, 45yr old.

Home and hotel visits only. All services. Tlf 600 328 786 Alicante

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55

31 December - 6 January 2020

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MOTORING

MINI Electric adds a serious fun factor to this EV ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack THE inexorable EV march con­ tinues as new ways of greener motoring are explored, a frag­ mented charging network apart the other ‘problem’ lev­ elled at EVs is they lack charac­ ter, they don’t set your driving senses alight.

However, not all EVs are equal and I have been driving one that offers all the fun and character of a hot hatch.

The MINI Electric 3 is not cheap, €34,024 (£31,000) even with the €3,292 (£3,000) UK government grant, prices start from €27,563 (£25,100) for the MINI Electric 1, so you really have to want a car that will re­ alistically only ever be a com­ muter car, probably secondary to a traditionally powered vehi­ cle. The reason? Range, or rather lack of it.

MINI quote a 144 mile range but this is ideal world, not real world. Even driving carefully, to maximise the MINI’s clever en­

ergy regeneration, I would think about 110 miles is going to be your limit, possibly slight­ ly less if range anxiety kicks in.

Now if this seems like a bad start lets redress the balance, there are so many positives to the MINI Electric. Unlike the sometimes anodyne driving experience of many modern cars the MINI is huge fun to drive.

The instant throttle re­ sponse produces instant pow­ er that charges the MINI to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds. But that really doesn’t do justice to the sense of speed, the instant power leaves many more pow­ erful cars struggling to catch­ up.

It charges quickly from a fast public charger, or a home charger (and you really do need a home charger), admit­ tedly it has a small battery but nonetheless charging is surpris­ ingly quick. Another surprise was how using the plethora of standard goodies, including heated seats, didn’t seem to

unduly dent the battery’s charge level any more than would normally be the case.

Nicely bolted together and with a quality feel, the MINI has a reassuringly solid ambi­

ence. A firmish ride still soaks up the bumps and comforts the posterior. Space is at some­ what of a premium in the lug­ gage department thanks to those batteries, but inside two

people are amply catered for and an additional two certainly wouldn’t complain on shorter journeys.

I suspect even the most ar­ dent car fan, if their motoring

requirements were suited to an EV, would find the MINI Electric a very welcome addi­ tion to their garage. I certainly did… even though, sadly, I had to give it back!