Axarquia 8 - 14 December 2022 Issue 1953

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 12 ­ 16 Issue No. 1953

8 - 14 December 2022

AXARQUIA - COSTA TROPICAL • EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

THERE was a sparkling start to the Christmas celebra­ tions in Torrox as the town lit up more than 800,000 LED lights on Monday De­ cember 5. Despite earlier rainy weather, crowds showed up in force to en­ joy the show and live en­ tertainment.

Celebrations got under­ way all over the town as the International Christmas Market also opened on Tuesday December 6.

The market is a celebra­ tion of the global commu­ nity in Torrox, including the British community which the council highlighted is getting bigger each year.

Similarly, the German com­ munity has a big presence in the town.

Consulate representa­ tives from both countries

Photo credit: Óscar Medina (Via Facebook)

CHRISTMAS CRACKER

LIGHT SHOW: A huge Christmas display in Torrox was switched on on Tuesday December 5.

attended the market launch on Tuesday night, marvelling at the delightful Christmas atmosphere.

The Christmas market is being held to honour inter­

national influences on the town and is hosting a vari­ ety of different global gifts as well as Argentinian, Chilean, German, Ameri­ can, and Venezuelan

cuisines. Guests can also sample artisan German and Belgian beers, Spanish craft beers and other seasonal treats like mulled wine and roasted chestnuts.

A HEARTWARMING Christ­ mas tale saw three girls from Axarquia return a pen­ sioner’s lost wallet in the nearby town of Nerja. The wallet contained not only money, but sentimental items, so the owner was de­ lighted to have them back.

Three girls, Carmen from Velez­Malaga, María from Huetor Tajar, and Ángela from Torre del Mar showed their community spirit when they reunited a pen­ sioner with his lost wallet on November 30. The girls were walking in Granada, when they came across the wallet on a quiet street.

The wallet contained money, identification, Christmas lottery tickets and photographs, including of grandchildren and of an old wedding. The girls wrote

Photo credit: Sergio Hijano Lopez (Via Facebook)

Heartwarming

THANK YOU: Three girls from Axarquia returned a pensioner’s wallet to his delight.

a Christmas message to wal­ let owner, Fernando, before handing it in to police.

But the story didn’t end there. Fernando, aged 80, and a former National Po­

lice officer got in touch with the girls, asking to meet for a coffee, and even gave them a lottery ticket as a to­ ken of gratitude.

One of the girls’ proud fa­

thers took to Facebook to express his pride saying, “You know you are success­ ful in life when your chil­ dren grow up to be good people.”

FREE • GRATIS

Prime TV stars Photo credit: Salvador Aznar / shutterstock.com

Axarquia vineyards have been recognised for their high quality produce, and will reach new audiences with a TV campaign.

AXARQUIA grapes are set to reach new markets as a growers’ advertisement campaign has made it onto a prime slot on the TV. Industry experts announced the launch of an advert show­ casing the delectable fresh produce and gourmet cuisine that comes from the region on Friday December 2.

The new campaign, ‘Comemos Pasas de la Axarquia’ (we eat Axarquia grapes) highlights the excellent quality of the grapes and their long shelf life. The campaign also highlights Axarquia vineyards’ prestigious status, as important World Agricultural Heritage System as recognised by the United Nations’ agricul­ tural agency.

The television campaign is set to broadcast during Holy Week and the three weeks after, a time identified as a crucial period for grape buying. Agriculture experts explained the ad­ vert will also be launched at other key points in local areas in­ cluding at the Real Feria de San Miguel in Velez­Malaga.

Vice­President for the regional government, Juan Peñas said, “We wanted to start close to home, so the Malaga people know they have a local gourmet, fresh, quality product, which has been recognised worldwide for its nutritional value and taste.”

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8 - 14 December 2022

Artisanal market A MAGICAL market in Velez­Malaga is set to bring festive cheer to the town on Saturday December 10. La Chistera Market will offer guests a chance to buy unique Christmas gifts and

enjoy a fabulous festive at­ mosphere.

The market which will be held at the San Francisco Market in Velez­Malaga from 12pm until 8pm, will offer artisan market stalls

from more than 30 local businesses, activities for the little ones and live enter­ tainment.

The goods on sale will mainly be sustainable arti­ san products including cos­ metics, local produce, acces­ sories, jewellery, crafts, plants, home décor and sus­ tainable clothing items.

Councillor for Culture, Cynthia García, described the event as an excellent opportunity to find unusual Christmas presents “At this market, guests will be able to find hundreds of unique presents, that are sure to surprise your loved ones since all the products are handmade, original and high quality.” García also thanked the market for pro­ moting local businesses from across Axarquia.

Organiser, Macarena Amo explained the market’s motto, ‘To give with love’, highlighting the importance of receiving a product made with love at Christmas.

NEWS

Dog walking wonders Betty Henderson EACH Sunday, dog lovers from all over Axarquia gather at to meet animal chari­ ty APAA’s rescue dogs looking for their forever homes and to shower them with the attention and exercise they deserve.

The group meets every Sunday at 10am in Nerja for walks around the local area, introducing dogs to potential future owners, as well as local dog­loving vol­ unteers who join the walks.

Speaking about the walk on Novem­ ber 27, APAA volunteer, Ester Pulido ex­ plained that the walks are popular with people of all ages, “The dogs are very grateful to have cuddles and walks and people find it so heart­warming to re­ ceive all the love the dogs have to give”.

She encourages more people to join the walks, emphasising that there is no MARINE sports are to take centre stage in Rincon de La Victoria as the town prepares to build better opportunities for locals and visi­ tors. At a conference on November 29, the council announced a new initiative as part of the town’s Blue Economy sustainability plan.

At the meeting, local athletes from the Jábegas Traditional Rowing Association, surfers, swimmers and the Sports Service at the Universidad de Malaga came together with sports clubs, businessowners and the

Photo credit: Ester Pulido (Via Facebook)

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Puppy love on one of APAA Nerja’s dog walks which are every Sunday at 10am.

commitment required from volunteers.

Anyone wishing to join the walks can join the Facebook group ‘APAA Nerja Rescue Dog and Cat Blog’, where they can request more information about particular walk meeting points.

APAA Nerja is an animal rescue centre which aims to rescue and rehome aban­ doned and abused cats and dogs in the Nerja area.

Sea sports council The group discussed ways to take ad­ vantage of Rincon de La Victoria’s coastal lo­ cation and the sporting opportunities offered by the sea.

Councillor for Sports, Antonio José Martín highlighted the importance of creating op­ portunities, “More and more young people are interested in nautical sports.”

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NIBS EXTRA Creative bonding

A FEAT of engineering will connect two towns in Axar­ quia by joining together two suspension bridges. Canillas de Aceituno and Torrenueva Costa will be joined by bridge, allowing the towns to develop a stronger relation­ ship and provide more tourism opportunities.

Reservoir news

REGIONAL weather agencies announced their forecast for the next week, saying that 50 litres of water could fall in places. The news caused relief at La Viñuela reservoir, sitting at only 9.2 per cent of capacity following drought.

Tasty cuisine

LOCAL businesses from all over Axarquia have been in Malaga for the week long Gran Feria Sabor a Málaga food festival. Producers showed off seasonal produce from the region, including roasted chestnuts, rice dish­ es, Iberian jamón and tradi­ tional dish, ‘migas’.

Dazzling display

CHRISTMAS lights have gone on all over Axarquia during the last week, including Tor­ rox with a display featuring more than 800,000 LED lights. Nerja and Velez­Mala­ ga both switched on their Xmas lights on December 6.

Sustainable spirit

ONE Axarquia town is set for a green Christmas after locals decided to create unique dec­ orations using recycled mate­ rials. For the second year, lo­ cals in Canillas de Aceituna have designed more than 50 sustainable decorations, to make their town stand out!

Constitution Day

TOWNS across Axarquia marked the Day of the Con­ stitution bank holiday with commitments to democracy, remembering Spain’s cre­ ation of the constitution in 1978. Some mayors read the constitution in public or to politicians to commemorate the event 44 years ago.

8 - 14 December 2022

Rallying ‘round

Betty Henderson THERE has been a show of solidarity in Axarquia as many towns prepare to host a fundraising motorcycle rally to raise funds for a four­year­old from Mijas with a rare genetic condi­ tion. Rutacing Gas Gas’ Christmas ‘Pa­ panoelada’ is set to get underway from Velez­Malaga at 9am on Sunday December 18.

The group motorcycle ride will pass through 10 towns in Axarquia includ­ ing Competa, Sayalonga, Algarrobo, Canillas de Aceituna and Almachar, raising awareness for the Todos con Adán cause.

Riders will enjoy a scenic tour A BUMPER programme of festive fun in Nerja and Maro was announced by the local council on November 30. Residents can enjoy the Christmas season with more than 60 entertaining activi­ ties in the two towns.

Events began on Friday December 2 with the launch of Nerja’s annual nativity scene which features more than 50 handmade figurines.

Photo credit: Todos con Adán (Via Facebook)

NEWS

A motorcycle rally will raise funds for a young boy with a rare condition.

throughout Axarquia while decked out in festive costumes and will stop

in every town to give out sweets to children spectating. Riders will also be offered a warming hot chocolate in Salares before tucking into paella at the final stop in Almachar.

Four­year­old Adán from Mijas suf­ fers from etymalonic encephalopa­ thy, a rare genetic condition which affects only 30 people worldwide and only two other people in Spain. To­ dos con Adán was created in 2020 for research into the condition, since lit­ tle is currently known about it.

Entry to the rally costs just €3, but donations are also welcome to do­ nate to the account: ES61 0237 0624 3191 7312 1521.

Christmas celebrations

The nativity opening cere­ mony was also accompanied by a performance of Christ­ mas carols to kick off the town’s festive schedule.

The town’s Christmas pro­ gramme continued on De­ cember 6 as the festive lights display was also switched on from the Balcón de Europa,

to crowds of excited locals.

Nerja will continue to cele­ brate Christmas with varied events including workshops, festive food tastings, and live musical performances and shows for children. Several exciting events are also set to take place including the launch of the Christmas Park

in the Plaza de España on Fri­ day December 16, a live na­ tivity re­enactment on De­ cember 18, a Santa Claus parade on December 23, and a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Balcón de Europa on December 31, before the Three Kings’ Parades on Jan­ uary 5 and 6.

Pickleball players Curious caves

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA is gearing up to host the first pickleball tournament in Malaga Province on Saturday December 10. Players will compete in the men’s, women’s and mixed disciplines at Pa­ bellón Cubierto Municipal Rubén Ruzafa de Torre de Benagalbon.

The current national champion in the elite men’s and men’s doubles, Antonio Casquero, is set to compete in the competition, in his hometown. The competition will start at 10am.

Pickleball is an international sport, first played in 1965 in the USA. It is a racket sport similar to tennis, table tennis and bad­ minton, though is less physically and technically demanding.

Anyone interested in participating can register online at: https://forms.gle/TRcivKKEharCbRZA9 or by calling: 651 616 262.

The tournament is also free for spectators to attend.

We hope you never need it, but this Christmas the Euro Weekly News would like to remind all readers of Spain’s emergency services number for police, fire, ambulance and coastguard.

112 OFFICERS speak English, as well as many other European languages, and are your first port of call in an emergency.

THERE has been yet more pre­ historic prestige for Rincon de La Victoria as the town has again been recognised as a pio­ neer in Palaeolithic history.

A conference held in the town on December 2 attracted more than 1,500 international archaeologists, historians, and academics interested in learn­ ing more about the distinctive local caves. The conference was part of the International Congress of Knowledge and Blue Economy (InnovAzul), held in Cádiz last week.

The conference revealed fascinating new research about the Gravettian period and the relationship between the town’s caves and the sea.

Archaeologist, Pedro Can­ talejo and a research team pre­ sented their research at the conference, explaining that the caves at Rincon de La Victoria could be “key to understand­ ing the history of human set­

tlement in the Malaga region up to 100,000 years ago.”

Rincon de La Victoria has be­ come the epicentre of scientific and archaeological research on the subject thanks to its 30,000­ year­old sea caves, thought to be the only ones of their kind on the continent.

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Lux Mundi gets festive LUX MUNDI Ecumenical group is getting into the festive spirit with a daz­ zling programme of activi­ ties to help residents get ready for the big day.

A Christmas carol ser­ vice will be held on De­ cember 17 at San Andrés church in Torre del Mar. ‘Amigos de Lux Mundi’ and German ‘Con Los Can­ tores’ choirs will put on an impressive carol perfor­ mance from 5.30pm.

A festive excursion to Malaga is set to follow on December 20, allowing guests to check out the impressive ‘La Mosca’ Be­ len nativity which is built into the hillside. At 20 me­ tres long, the nativity is one of the most fascinat­ ing seasonal tourist attrac­ tions. The visit will also go to Malaga’s iconic Christ­ mas lights. Tickets cost €12 for members and €14 for non­members.

Lux Mundi will also wel­ come in the new year, one day early on Friday De­ cember 30, giving all an opportunity to attend.

The group will get into the Spanish spirit at its ‘Lucky Grapes’ party on December 30 from 12pm at the centre in Torre del Mar. Tickets cost €3 and include a celebratory glass of cava. Call 951 576 155 to book a place.

The Euro Weekly News publishes more content both online at euroweeklynews.com and in its papers than any other English news publication in Spain.

Even better, our news online and in print is FREE and we promise to

always keep it that way.

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8 - 14 December 2022

NEWS

Welcoming Christmas THE festive season got off to a dazzling start in Velez­Malaga on Friday, December 2 as the town opened its nativity dis­ play to the public.

Locals and visitors crowded into the town hall in Velez­ Malaga to view the incredible nativity scene containing unique artisan crafted mod­ els. During the event, local groups also performed tradi­ tional live musical entertain­ ment for guests marvelling at the nativity.

The next festive event held in the programme was a Con­

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Vélez-Málaga (Via Facebook)

The handcrafted nativity display in Velez-Malaga.

stitution Day party on the Tuesday December 6 bank holiday which saw a parade in the Plaza de La Constitucion during the morning, where councillors commemorated the creation of the Spanish Constitution in 1978, before a

concert by music star, Séfora.

The packed calendar fea­ tures events in the town on every single day of the festive period until January 5, includ­ ing galas, shows for children, comedy shows, competitions, a Flamenco show, parades, and workshops.

Events in the town during this weekend include a charity gala on Saturday December 10 and the Zamboná Navideña musical perfor­ mance on Sunday December 11, both at the at the Carpa Transparente de Pozancón.

Car thieves busted Betty Henderson CRIMINAL car thieves were intercepted by Lo­ cal Police officers in Rincon de La Victoria. After noticing a catalytic converter theft on Thursday, December 1, police acted quickly to arrest five people on suspicion of robbery.

Police officers caught the criminals in the act of stealing a third catalytic converter at around 4am on December 1. All five passengers in a car in the El Cantal area of the town were arrested.

Councillor for Local Security, Borja Ortiz ex­ plained that the five thieves all had prior crimi­ nal records.

A police search of their vehicle found an arse­

nal of tools used in the burglaries including gloves, an electric drill, a hydraulic jack, and oth­ er tools. Police also found two catalytic convert­ ers that the group had already stolen, and were planning to sell on.

The driver admitted the robberies to the po­ lice, showing them the vehicles they had al­ ready stolen from and confirmed they had planned to steal more catalytic converters be­ fore the police arrived on the scene.

Town mayor, Francisco Salado expressed his gratitude to the police saying, “We are grateful for the hard work and professionalism of our Local Police.”

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8 - 14 December 2022

NEWS

Betty Henderson S P A I N are pioneers in gender equality as the country registered the fourth largest propor­ tion of female inventors in Europe, setting an im­ pressive precedent.

Figures released on November 30 revealed almost 24 per cent of people registering new patents in Spain are women, soaring ahead of most European coun­ tries.

In data collected by

the European Patent Of­ fice, women register just 13.2 per cent of patents on products, but Spain stood apart with a rate of 23.2 per cent. Data revealed that Lithuania topped the list of female inventors, with more than 30 per cent of new patents registered by women. Portugal came second with 27 per cent, followed by Croatia with 25 per cent, before Spain in fourth place.

Analysts explained

that although this is good news for gender equality in Spain, there is still a remarkable gen­ der disparity in patent registrations throughout the continent. There has been a significant growth in women regis­ tering patents since 1978, when just 2 per cent were requested by women.

The organisation say more must be done to ‘promote inclusion’ in invention.

POPE FRANCIS is currently receiving care from a top physiotherapist from Atlético Madrid’s medical team. The head of the Roman Catholic church reportedly sought help from the football medic for an arthritic knee at the end of November.

The Pope’s knee had been causing him increasingly se­ vere mobility issues during the last few months, which caused him to cancel a trip to Africa. Pope Francis has opt­ ed to use a wheelchair or

LOOKING for like­minded campers to share tips and have fun? If you have a motorhome, caravan or tent and enjoy meeting new friends, you may be inter­ ested in joining the ACE group.

Dotted about Spain, the group is made up of mostly British expatriates, but all nationalities are welcomed with open arms.

The best part is that there are no joining or membership fees whatsoev­

Photo credit: neneo / shutterstock.com

Female first Pope’s physio POPE FRANCIS: The football fan enlisted the help of an Atlético Madrid doctor for his arthritic knee.

walk with a stick since the is­ sues intensified in June.

Speaking about the treat­ ment, Atlético Madrid head

medic, José María Villalón de­ scribed the Pope as “very nice” but also “stubborn”, as he refused to have knee surgery.

Villalón has an extensive history of treating footballers’ injuries as he has been with the club since 1995, and ex­ pressed his optimism that the Pope’s knee condition will improve.

The Argentinian Pope is fa­ mously a big football fan, but for his home team of San Lorenzo, from Buenos Aires.

Hello campers

er and to join the group all you have to do is attend a rally, which they try to have on a monthly basis.

After being with the group for a year it is requested that you volunteer to host a rally, which can be done jointly

with other members.

If you are interested in receiving more details about the group, please contact Pauline by email on aceral lies@gmail.com or by mobile /What­ sApp on (+34) 617 114 933.

NEWS

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8 - 14 December 2022

Suspicious packages THREE more suspicious let­ ters containing animal eyes were intercepted in Spain on Monday, December 5. Police sources confirmed that they were detected by the security systems of Post Offices, who subsequently informed the National Police.

The shipments were re­ portedly addressed to the Ukrainian Consulate in Mala­ ga, along with the Ukrainian embassies in the cities of

Barcelona and Madrid.

It was verified by the police that each envelope contained animal eyes, but they ruled out the presence of explosive or explosive substances.

These packages bore similar characteristics to those re­ ceived on Friday December 2 they added.

Other envelopes intercept­ ed and containing gunpowder and small shrapnel balls were sent to Pedro Sanchez, the

president of the government; Margarita Robles, the De­ fence Minister; the embassies of Ukraine and the US, Torre­ jon de Ardoz air base, and to the arms manufacturing com­ pany in Zaragoza Instalaza.

Sources indicated at the weekend that these six en­ velopes came from Valladolid and from the same author, al­ though he has not yet been identified, as reported by the Spanish news.

Antibiotic shortage

THE Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products has announced on the online drug in­ formation centre CIMA that there are 22 short­ ages of different amoxicillin drugs in tablets, powder, and hard capsules.

Amoxicillin oral suspension has arrived at pharmacies in Alicante such as Malluguiza, while amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid in suspen­ sion, also for children, has been out of stock for two days, reported local Spanish press.

The antibiotic is one of the 627 medicines that are suffering from supply problems in pharmacies amid a wave of respiratory viruses,

especially among children, with shortages also reported in Portugal and France. Amoxicillin is a broad­spectrum antibiotic medication widely used to treat bacterial infections, such as sore throat, sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and pneumonia in children.

Laboratories are beginning to release batch­ es, especially for children, although it will still take time for the situation to normalise after weeks of shortages of the drug in pharmacies, this has coincided with the wave of bronchioli­ tis in Spain, which is collapsing hospital emer­ gencies.

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NEWS

Glittering business event

THE Euro Weekly News is marking the end of another busy year with a sparkling business event in collaboration with the British Cham­ ber of Commerce in Spain at Puente Romano, Marbella, on Friday December 16.

Bringing together their clients from across Spain, the Andalucia business event will see guests served canapes and cocktails alongside live entertainment, a rare moment for the business community to come together and simply celebrate the year’s achievements.

The Euro Weekly News is a proud member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain, an organisation which works tirelessly to pro­ mote vital trade links between Spain and the UK. Founded in 1908 as an initiative of the British Embassy, the British Chamber of Com­ merce in Spain is one of the largest chambers of commerce in the world.

It is the only independent British­Spanish business organisation in Spain, and still works with the British Embassy, holding regular meetings with British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott, as well as British commercial ser­ vices (UK Trade and Investment) and Spanish comercial abroad (ICEX).

The chamber has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Marbella, and most recently Bilbao, and a total of 300 members, including multi­ national companies as well as SMEs. Its work includes organising business events, publishing research studies,creating

DEREK LANGLEY: The regional vice president works to promote business across Andalucia.

committees to support the interests of mem­ bers, and promoting the business activity of its members through media platforms and communication channels.

British Chamber of Commerce Regional Vice­President Derek A Langley said: “We greatly look forward to welcoming you to our very enjoyable event, where you can meet old and new business contacts and friends from across the Costa del Sol business com­ munity, and have a chance to mingle, net­ work, and celebrate the end of a successful business year at one of Spain’s most glam­ orous locations.”

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FEATURE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Anne Hernandez of Brexpats in Spain International

BREXIT had repercussions for all Brits in Spain, from holidaymak­ ers to residents and business owners to snow birds.

This is why Anne Hernandez MBE, founder of Brexpats in Spain (now Brexpats in Spain Interna­ tional) wanted to create a place to tackle some of that misinforma­ tion and help those whose lives ­ and livelihoods ­ had been affected

by Brexit.

The Euro Weekly News sat down with Anne to discuss the inspira­ tion behind the group ­ which now has more than 40,000 members ­ what it does, and its plans for the future.

Anne explained: “I came here in 1999 with my mum and daughter.

“My mum used to go to a local social group in Mijas and over time she would pass queries people had in the group about living in Spain on to me. I ended up with so many I created a Facebook group to help people.

“After my mum died, Brexit hap­ pened. I was never political, but I wanted to do something to help and I went to speak to former Mi­ jas mayor Juan Carlos Maldonado, who said we should set up a local

ANNE HERNDANEZ: Created Brexpats in Spain following queries after Brexit.

group, which became Brexpats in Mijas. Within a month, we had 1,000 enquiries from across the country, so we made it Brexpats in Spain.

“When we first started, we sought experts in different fields including taxation, insurance, med­ ical, legal, education, to help tackle misinformation and give people the help they needed.”

After helping expats with issues with everything from driving li­ cences to residencia, Brexpats has for the last year been campaigning

hard on local voting rights for for­ eigners.

She explained: “For many of us, if we’ve been out of the country for 15 years we can’t vote in UK, EU, Spanish national elections. For many this will be the only election they can vote in.”

While British residents in Spain will now be able to vote in next year’s local elections, Anne warned: “You had to have proof of residency at the time of register­ ing. If you don’t, we know that some people are being sent away

and told to go to the National Po­ lice station to get extra documen­ tation. We have forms to prove you are a permanent resident.

“The problem is the window to register is only until January 15.

Keep an eye on the group for up­ dates as the window is short.”

The group is also now joining to­ gether with other international ex­ pat groups to push to get the UK’s Votes for Life bill through to secure life­long voting rights for expats.

Alongside voting rights, Brexpats is continually innovating and find­

ing ways to bring the expat com­ munity together; as well as to tack­ le some of the biggest issues facing Britons in Spain.

She told the EWN: “Many peo­ ple can find themselves isolated here, which is why we now have seven groups overall for all sorts of different issues, including a sup­ port group.”

The organisation also now has Brexpats Buddies following the tragic death of an elderly expat who was not found for several days.

The WhatsApp group asks mem­ bers to check in every day before 12pm just with a simple emoji or hello. If not, a local represenata­ tive will be sent to check if they are in need of help. The initiative has even spawned an offshoot group in Nerja, where locals are now meeting regularly as a social group.

Speaking about the work of Br­ expats in Spain, Anne said: “There are groups to help with all kinds of things. We’re also in regular con­ tact with the British Embassy and can pass on your concerns for you.

“If you’re looking for support or information, join us.”

FINANCE SPAIN’S unemployment fell by 33,512 people in Novem­ ber to 2,881,380, the lowest figure in a month of Novem­ ber since 2007 and the main beneficiaries of the drop have been women and young peo­ ple who have been the two sectors most affected by un­ employment.

Inflation slows THE news that Germany, Spain and Belgium reported that inflation in November appeared to be slowing down could be good news for con­ sumers in the eurozone as apart from anything else, it may well encourage the Euro­ pean Central Bank to recon­ sider new interest rate hikes.

Lorry drivers THE Spanish Ministry of Transport has approved the National Road Transport In­ spection Plan for 2023, which confirms that carriers work at a fair price, that the driver does not carry out, in general, the loading and unloading of merchandise and receive prompt payment.

HSBC closures EUROPE’S largest bank by as­ sets, HSBC, has announced that it will close another 114 branches in the UK starting next April, as customers using them have fallen significantly since the pandemic and whilst it will try to redeploy staff, some 100 will lose their jobs.

Digital success DIGITAL restaurant Vicio, which was founded in Barcelona by a former Mas­ terChef winner during the pandemic, offers a range of gourmet burgers with side dishes delivered to cus­ tomer’s doors and in its first year has generated a turnover of €4 million.

€5 billion

is the amount that energy company Cepsa will be spending using Spanish government Recovery Fund Money to finance a huge hydrogen production project in Andalucia.

Brexit food bill BREXIT cost UK households an extra £5.8 billion for food ac­ cording to a report issued by the Centre for Economic Perfor­ mance (CEP) at the London School of Economics on Thurs­ day December 1.

This only covers the period from January 1, 2020 until the end of 2021 and according to the report, this was the equiva­ lent of £210 per British house­ hold.

It goes on to say that because low­income households spend a greater share of their finances on food than richer families, these Brexit­driven price rises had a proportionately greater impact on the poorest people.

The latest study confirms that food prices increased by 6 per cent and finds that for the poor­ est households, this equates to a Brexit­induced rise in the overall cost of living of 1.1 per cent, which is 52 per cent more than the 0.7 per cent rise felt in the top 10 per cent of house­ holds.

While the Trade and Coopera­

Credit: Atoms Unsplash

More jobs

STAT OF WEEK

SPENDING UP: Food price rises hit every UK household.

tion Agreement, which came in­ to force in January 2021, en­ sures that trade between the UK and the EU remains tariff­ free, post­Brexit, there are more non­tariff barriers (NTBs) be­ tween the UK and the EU which include new comprehensive cus­ toms checks, rules of origin re­ quirements and sanitary and phytosanitary measures for trade in animals and plants.

The study concludes that it is

these NTBs that have affected prices. The rise in consumer prices was driven only by prod­ ucts with high NTBs and there was no significant rise in prices for products with low NTBs. The changes have benefited domestic producers of food, who now have less competition from European imports, but un­ like regular tariffs, NTBs do not generate any revenue for the government.

Competition for Amazon WATCH out Amazon, Mi­ ravia is out to beat you in Spain as the Alibaba sub­ sidiary opened its website on Thursday December 1.

The unveiling ceremony took place in the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid the pre­ vious day and was a mix­ ture of hard sell and musical entertainment.

Alibaba is one of China’s biggest online presences and was set up in 1999 to offer a huge range of goods initially to the Chinese mar­ ket.

Since then, it has gone from strength to strength and is now said to be one of the largest companies in China, but it has fallen foul of US regulations and in or­

FINANCE

Credit: Miravia

BUSINESS EXTRA

euroweeklynews.com • 8 - 14 December 2022

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NEW WEBSITE: Miravia online and through App.

der to operate in Europe, it needed to be more trans­ parent and also offer an effi­ cient speedy service.

Thus, Miravia was born and chose Spain as the first country in which it will oper­ ate and CEO Yann Fontaine, when speaking at the launch (according to Mar­

keting4Commerce), said “Spain is one of the Euro­ pean markets with the greatest potential in the e­ commerce sector.

“It has great penetration on the internet and in mo­ bile technology, which means enormous potential for a platform like Miravia.

“We hope to cover all the needs of Spanish con­ sumers, while offering local and international brands greater tools to sell and en­ gage with their customers.”

Apparently, what makes it different to Amazon and other online shopping out­ lets, is that Miravia will not only be working closely with influencers and Artificial In­ telligence to create exclu­ sive content, but will also al­ low brands to design their own virtual stores and even operate affiliate pro­ grammes.

Time will tell, but to en­ courage customers to visit the new site, there will be introductory discounts for new clients.

Diversification THE John Lewis Partnership has agreed a £500 million multi­ decade joint venture with global investment company abrdn to de­ liver around 1,000 new homes across three UK communities.

It will use part of its existing port­ folio of properties which are no longer in use to provide 1,000 new homes in Bromley and West Ealing where stores will be redeveloped to allow for housing and in Reading it will convert a disused ware­ house. The build­to­rent sector has a key role to play in addressing the shortfall in rental homes, which is set to increase further with the government’s help to buy scheme now coming to end and in London alone there is a shortfall of 75,000 rental properties.

Fewer iPhones WITH consumers around the world gearing up for Christmas and other holidays, Apple Inc continues to appeal to many looking to either buy phones as gifts or hoping to use money given to them to make a purchase. It rather looks howev­ er that there will be a shortage of iPhones this year as workers at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhouin, China who produce these products have been protesting about their conditions and walking out.

Whilst they have now reported­ ly been offered a better deal, there is still likely to be a holiday shortfall which consulting firm UBS suggests could total 16 million phones.

€1bn funding

ITALIAN energy company Plenti­ tude is looking to invest €1 billion in Spanish renewable projects over the next four years, according to recently appointed CEO Stefano Goberti.

The first step has been to ac­ quire 100 per cent of PLT (PLT Ener­ gia Srl and SEF Srl), another Italian company subject to approval from the relevant authorities which is al­ ready installing wind farms on the Spanish mainland.

The existence of the European Recovery Fund has seen both Italy and Spain receiving the lion’s share of funding either as direct grants or low­cost loans which is allowing ac­ celerated investment in renewable energy in both countries.

to read more FINANCE scan this QR Code

14 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

8 - 14 December 2022

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US

LONDON - FTSE 100

See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES 5 D ECEMBER

COMPANY 3I Group

PRICE(P) 1.320,50

CHANGE(P) 1.324,50

% CHG. 1.306,50

NET VOL 112,65K

ºCOMPANY

Intermediate Capital

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.255,50

1.262,50

1.240,00

80,30K

4.131,0

4.152,0

4.109,0

42,65K

77,50

77,58

75,66

1,75M

Abrdn

205,31

206,20

201,40

1,97M

Intertek

Admiral Group

2.031,0

2.037,0

2.018,0

66,12K

ITV

Anglo American

3.396,5

3.401,7

3.313,5

81,64K

J Sainsbury

224,40

224,60

220,80

370,25K

1.456,50

1.463,50

1.439,00

177,14K

Johnson Matthey

2.130,8

2.134,0

2.097,0

30,55K

5.034,0

5.044,0

5.006,0

51,38K

Land Securities

630,00

630,20

620,00

109,51K

258,70

259,20

253,60

1,34M

Antofagasta Ashtead Group Associated British Foods

1.16415

0.86056

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0532 Japan yen (JPY)........................................142.53 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................0.9855 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4367 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.310

1.660,0

1.676,0

1.650,5

155,72K

Legal & General

11.174,0

11.232,0

11.162,0

190,67K

Lloyds Banking

Auto Trader Group Plc

581,00

581,60

574,00

268,63K

London Stock Exchange

Aveva

3.185,0

3.188,0

3.183,0

50,32K

126,95

128,55

126,05

1,71M

Aviva

446,25

448,80

442,30

467,68K

Mondi

1.555,50

1.560,00

1.542,50

110,28K

B&M European Value Retail SA420,90

422,90

418,30

216,21K

currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581

National Grid

1.025,27

1.025,50

1.018,00

632,70K

THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

BAE Systems

812,00

815,40

806,00

673,07K

NatWest Group

262,30

262,70

260,30

2,24M

Barclays

158,38

158,42

156,06

4,71M

Next

5.877,6

5.886,0

5.824,0

13,16K

Barratt Developments

411,80

413,20

405,80

374,45K

9,10

9,10

9,10

0

Ocado

683,80

685,60

663,40

231,25K

Persimmon

1.289,0

1.293,0

1.245,0

229,44K 218,63K

AstraZeneca

Berkeley

3.858,0

3.864,0

3.832,0

41,01K

2.611,00

2.619,00

2.577,50

340,30K

BP

481,85

482,00

477,40

5,51M

British American Tobacco

3.414,4

3.434,5

3.401,5

257,58K

British Land Company

405,40

406,30

399,00

171,21K

BHP Group Ltd

BT Group

121,38

121,65

120,60

1,43M

Bunzl

3.044,0

3.050,0

3.022,0

25,63K

Burberry Group

2.141,0

2.161,0

2.135,0

188,88K

Carnival

713,4

714,2

701,2

210,97K

Centrica

95,58

95,84

94,70

1,36M

1.997,7

2.035,0

1.996,5

77,48K

Coca Cola HBC AG Compass

1.870,00

1.877,50

1.854,00

223,24K

CRH

3.295,5

3.299,0

3.260,5

65,63K

Croda Intl

6.920,0

6.998,0

6.910,0

15,56K

DCC Diageo DS Smith EasyJet

4.413,0 3.810,0 308,60 392,30

4.421,0 3.850,5 309,20 399,40

4.376,0 3.809,5 305,70 391,50

Melrose Industries

Norilskiy Nikel ADR

Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx

46,72

46,84

46,31

8,20M

8.122,0

8.268,0

8.120,0

94,37K

602,00

602,60

593,40

1.099,50

1.109,50

1.048,50

2,88M

5.976,0

6.040,0

5.970,0

116,68K

2.329,00

2.335,00

2.313,00

385,77K

Rentokil

540,20

543,40

539,40

570,64K

Rightmove

568,00

568,60

560,74

23,19K

Rio Tinto PLC

5.784,0

5.790,0

5.651,0

497,75K

Rolls-Royce Holdings

89,24

91,07

89,22

4,10M

796,20

800,40

793,40

168,76K

Samsung Electronics DRC 1.158,00

1.163,50

1.154,00

3,28K

Sage

466,2

467,9

459,9

163,09K

Scottish Mortgage

792,79

796,60

786,00

340,85K

214,13K

Segro

831,00

832,20

817,00

381,72K

386,64K

Severn Trent

2.745,0

2.748,0

2.720,0

30,27K

290,16K

Shell

2.377,0

2.378,5

2.344,0

1,50M

1.086,23

1.093,50

1.079,00

234,07K 97,58K

14,12K

Schroders

Experian

2.960,0

2.966,7

2.944,0

22,63K

Smith & Nephew

Ferguson

9.590,0

9.620,0

9.501,5

10,24K

Smiths Group

1.592,00

1.594,00

1.582,00

52,23K

Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.420,0

11.435,9

11.357,8

1,21K

SSE

1.729,00

1.730,50

1.718,75

25,74K

St. James’s Place

1.183,50

1.194,00

1.181,00

84,06K

Standard Chartered

596,60

597,20

588,40

545,37K

Taylor Wimpey

105,75

105,90

104,20

1,38M

Tesco

229,95

230,00

227,00

280,77K

Flutter Entertainment

12.105,0

12.125,0

11.985,0

Fresnillo

931,47

933,20

900,80

245,39K

Glencore

570,20

571,80

561,70

7,20M

GSK plc

1.405,94

1.413,80

1.403,80

109,63K

Halma

2.244,0

2.258,0

2.221,0

81,56K

Hargreaves Lansdown

867,20

871,20

858,00

216,07K

Hikma Pharma

Tui

145,51

146,75

144,95

431,47K

Unilever

4.138,0

4.177,0

4.138,0

423,73K

1.053,00

1.053,50

1.048,50

203,67K

91,68

93,18

91,04

17,06M

Whitbread

2.608,0

2.622,0

2.599,0

47,96K

WPP

877,80

879,40

869,40

345,82K

1.542,00

1.543,00

1.518,00

78,32K

HSBC

499,79

500,49

494,85

328,57K

IAG

133,22

134,30

132,78

1,59M

2.108,00

2.117,00

2.090,00

220,19K

Vodafone Group PLC

Informa

621,60

623,40

619,80

247,52K

InterContinental

4.767,0

4.783,0

4.744,0

35,04K

Imperial Brands

United Utilities

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES 5 D ECEMBER

COMPANY 3M American Express Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Dow Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce Inc The Travelers UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walgreens Boots Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 126,99 156,75 285,51 147,81 182,87 236,13 181,03 49,70 64,35 51,55 380,58 327,99 219,08 148,67 29,41 178,88 135,16 273,40 110,04 255,02 112,20 150,61 144,56 189,54 536,16 38,18 217,66 41,48 153,22 99,43

CHANGE 127,25 157,28 286,12 148,00 183,45 238,47 183,63 49,84 64,52 51,70 382,52 328,48 219,86 149,16 29,43 178,96 135,35 273,45 110,09 256,06 112,71 150,77 145,21 189,94 538,61 38,30 218,48 41,63 153,24 99,69

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 124,24 1,82M 155,00 2,28M 283,19 2,25M 145,65 65,30M 172,85 10,50M 233,59 2,21M 179,93 6,78M 48,92 12,31M 63,40 13,56M 50,43 4,85M 378,40 1,92M 320,33 3,63M 214,72 2,18M 147,73 2,87M 28,71 31,49M 176,96 5,79M 133,34 8,92M 269,62 2,79M 108,71 6,89M 249,69 21,33M 108,34 5,87M 148,08 4,90M 142,78 15,04M 187,79 1,28M 532,44 2,33M 37,70 21,57M 214,24 5,13M 40,85 4,85M 151,48 6,88M 97,01 12,60M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES 5 D ECEMBER

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

Most Advanced Getnet Ad e Srvics Meios de Pgmnt S.A. South Pacific Resources Ltd Samsara Inc. Smartsheet Inc. Bilibili Inc. GDS Holdings Limited XPeng Inc. iQIYI, Inc. RLX Technology Inc. Baidu, Inc. Peloton Interactive, Inc.

+34.10% +26.62% +20.20% +16.58% +16.57% +15.80% +14.84% +14.78% +14.47% +14.29% +13.00%

52,715 3.978M 4.975M 4.572M 28.678M 2.434M 94.895M 23.519M 29.593M 113,681 27.053M

-12.94% -11.58% -10.73% -10.45% -8.63% -7.26% -7.08% -7.00% -6.96% -6.51% -6.42%

1.88M 915,309 9.665M 12.786M 2.551M 4.431M 5.982M 868,001 446,395 4.155M 73,694

Most Declined Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. Zscaler, Inc. Asana, Inc. Veeva Systems Inc. HF Sinclair Corporation PBF Energy Inc. CVR Energy, Inc. CyberArk Software Ltd. Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC Graham Holdings Company

www.euroweeklynews.com

8 - 14 December 2022

Genuine leeks WELSH leeks have become the latest addition to the UK Geographical Indication (GI) Scheme, which protects the name, authenticity and characteristics of regional products. Shoppers will be able to clearly see a logo on the label showing they are buying the real thing,

Dearer mortgages ALTHOUGH the Spanish government has indicated that it will make the cost of mortgages affordable, de­ spite increase in base rates, CaixaBank has raised the in­ terest rate on its 30­year fixed mortgage from 4.31 per cent to 4.79 per cent making it the most expen­ sive Spanish lender.

New law MONEY from fines handed out to water companies in the UK that pollute rivers and seas will now be re­in­ vested in schemes that ben­ efit the natural environ­ ment. Since 2015, the Environment Agency has concluded 56 prosecutions against companies, gener­ ating fines of over £141 mil­ lion.

Primark expands PRIMARK, the international fashion retailer, has con­ firmed its commitment to Spain by announcing a capi­ tal investment of €100 mil­ lion in its Spanish business.

The investment includes €80 million in eight new stores and one store exten­ sion and €20 million invest­ ment in upgrades and refur­ bishments in stores.

Over 1,000 jobs will be created over the next two years as part of the compa­ ny’s ambitious growth plans in the market.

Primark opened its first store in Spain 16 years ago in May 2006, in Plenilunio, Madrid and today has 56 stores across the country which makes it the second largest market for the Irish group.

FINANCE

Spanish State Deficit THE Spanish State Deficit contin­ ues to head in the right direction after being a major bone of con­ tention with the European Union for many years.

In essence, prudent fiscal poli­ cy should see a country earn more than it spends on an annu­ al basis, but this has been a real problem for successive Spanish governments since the 2008 eco­ nomic crisis.

Clearly the pandemic didn’t help the current position as so much money was spent on sup­ porting business and families in need, but since 2021, Spain has seen a downwards turn as indus­ try started to recover after strict lockdown and isolation rules were relaxed.

According to Minister of Fi­ nance Maria Jesus Montero, in October 2021, the deficit stood at 4.93 per cent of Gross Domes­ tic Product (GDP) and totalled €59.468 billion, but at the end of October 2022 this had dropped

Credit: La Moncloa flickr

BUSINESS EXTRA

President Sánchez with Minister Montero following 2023 Budget approval.

by a significant 69.7 per cent to a much healthier €18.016 billion, equivalent to 1.37 per cent of GDP. This has mainly been achieved by a combination of a 25 per cent increase in sales of non­fi­ nancial products and a much smaller growth in expenditure of just under 2 per cent.

Tax collections on both pro­ duction and imports have helped considerably with VAT collec­ tions rising by 18 per cent in the period under review and Income Tax for both residents and non­ residents shooting up with tax on dividends making a big contri­ bution.

As companies earn more, so they pay more and the sale of shares and other assets has added to the amount of Capital Gains Tax being collected as well.

The payments to Spain from the European Recovery Fund have also helped the country to invest for the future.

Comparing the Toy story inflation impact INFLATION, Covid­19, and the Ukraine war have affected consumer behaviour in Eu­ rope, according to new data.

But there’s good news for people living in Spain, where people are spending less, and saving more, despite record inflation.

To mark World Savings Day, online bank N26 sur­ veyed customers to find out how Europeans are dealing with the impact of inflation.

The data shows which countries are still spending big on vacations and restau­ rants, whose incomes are growing, and the changes to spending habits.

Spending data and saving data of over 380,000 con­ sumers in five European mar­ kets (Spain, Germany, Aus­ tria, France, and Italy) were surveyed between January and August 2022.

Despite record inflation, customers in Spain saved the

Credit: Alexandra Koch CC

16 EWN

IN 2020, the Spanish government undertook a study into the way that children’s toys were advertised and whether they promoted gender stereotypes.

The conclusion was sufficient for the government to introduce strict new rules, effective December 1 this year, in time for Christmas and Three Kings.

The intention is that adverts should not target girls with traditional toys such as dolls, make­up and cook­ ing, whilst there should be little use of the colour pink which is also associated with young females.

Equally, blue should not be used when promoting traditional boy’s toys, such as cars and similar ‘ma­ cho’ goods, as the intention is to ensure that young­ sters feel equal and not directed down one particular road.

SURVEY: Euros real value continues to shrink.

most between March and August this year. Of all the countries studied, Spain ex­ perienced the highest infla­ tion rates overall.

Despite this, customers in Spain increased their savings, on average, from 4.6 per cent (of their average income) in January and February to 7.2 per cent from March on­ wards ­ a relative increase of 57.2 per cent.

Following the overall EU trend, Spanish users were al­ so able to save the most in March ­ 11.1 per cent of their

income, or €177.89 on aver­ age.

Of all the markets studied, customers in Spain have the highest savings ratio overall, setting aside, on average, 6.6 per cent of their income be­ tween January and August.

Elsewhere in Europe, signs of inflation were especially noticeable in the ‘food and groceries’ and ‘transport and cars’ categories ­ but Spain saw a downward trend with Spaniards spending 1 per cent less of their average in­ come in this category.

Stop bullying TUC figures show that nearly a third of people (29 per cent) in the UK believe that they have been bullied at work, with more than one in three (36 per cent) leaving their job because of it.

Research by employment and partnership law spe­ cialists Fox & Partners, reveals the number of cases heard by the Employment Tribunal which contain alle­ gations of bullying has increased 44 per cent from 581 in 2020/21 to a record high of 835 in 2021/22.

Some of those who claim to have suffered from such bullying are now lobbying MPs and Parliament to have workplace bullying recognised as a crime in UK law as is the case in countries such as Sweden.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT DELIGHTED to not be mentioned in the recent Diana Dors TV documen­ tary. I knew her extremely well for many years, probably better than anyone. We were very close during her difficult times, when she was struggling to keep her financial head above water, including the upkeep of her two young sons she had organ­ ised for her ex­husband Richard Dawson; also an out of regular work actor, to look after in America.

This was of course later rectified, when in 1965 he obtained a starring role in the highly successful series Hogan’s Heroes, but his was also a terrible struggle before he clinched the role. She had engaged a new, fairly low key agent who began to book her in cabaret dates, mainly in the north of England.

This was some years before this ol’ boy cracked it with Little Arrows, so I was free to accompany her to many of these venues, which were spring­ ing up all over the country. After she had completed the appearance, we would leave for the hotel ­ which she always booked for one! I would sub­

8 - 14 December 2022

Friend and foe sequently then sneak in and share the room for the night. She was earning £100 to £150 an appearance, out of which my share would be around 15 quid. Although that does­ n’t sound particularly copious, in those far off days it meant I could at least provide my own family with some security.

As a struggling actor myself, I was also discovering showbiz optimisms fraught with difficulty. She would then send most of what she could af­ ford to her husband in America. This went on for a number of years, dur­ ing which she occasionally managed to pick up a cameo role in a movie or TV appearance.

We shared some great times, until one day she told me she had been offered a starring role in a new West End play entitled ‘Three months Gone.’ Apparently, she wasn’t sure whether to accept it as she hadn’t been offered a wage, but only a per­ centage of the door. It was only after I had almost twisted her arm up her back with the insistence that she simply had to take on the role due to

the amount of publicity that could ensue, that she finally accepted.

The show was a resounding suc­ cess and suddenly she was back, earning really well. Life was good again and our friendship and social life grew even stronger. One day she told me she had met a ‘wonderful man’ named Alan Lake, who was al­ so appearing in the production, and thought she could be falling in love.

She introduced me and frankly, I did­ n’t like him at all.

A few years later she conspired with him in an injustice, which ulti­ mately cost me my freedom and al­ most my career. It’s all in the books.

Available on Amazon.

Keep the Faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon, Wed, Fri. 1pm.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

EWN 17

OUR VIEW OIL OR ELECTRIC IN order to combat climate change, the perceived view is that the world should ban diesel and petrol engines and re­ ly on electricity. In theory this seems like a sensible idea, but there are a few problems with this, the foremost currently being the West’s ability to generate electricity and the prob­ lems that may occur in creating and later disposing of bat­ teries that will be strong enough to power vehicles.

With the European Union and other countries deciding to place a cap on the value of Russian oil that can be import­ ed and Russia’s indication that it just won’t supply those countries that implement such a ban, it immediately focus­ es our attention on how it will affect us.

The USA still has huge underground reserves and allows fracking which rightly or wrongly means it can generate even more oil so it won’t be hurt by the ban.

Some Scandinavian countries generate huge amounts of power using hydroelectrics and Norway of course has both oil and natural gas in abundance, but what of the others?

Already Switzerland has indicated that if it is short of elec­ tricity then it will seriously consider banning electric vehicles from its roads and other countries are advising owners of electric cars to stagger charging for fear of overloading their electric grids. This is hardly an encouraging start to the ush­ ering in of a new age of transport, especially when currently the costs of electric cars are higher than petrol or diesel and the vehicles themselves still don’t have the same range and take longer to charge.

At the moment, it seems that the safest way to proceed is with a hybrid vehicle which hopefully gives the best of both worlds.

euroweeklynews.com

8 - 14 December 2022

EWN 19

LETTERS

Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: 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.

FOUL PLAY Shutterstock.com/ alexgo.photography

LETTERS

DOG FRIENDLY: It’s just a shame there are not more dog friendly beaches.

I WAS stopped on the week­ end by the police for walking my dog along the beach. They said that they could see that I was a responsible dog owner as I had my bottle filled with water and washing up liquid and poo bags so I was sent on my way without any penalty.

I do not have a problem with this and applaud them, it is just a shame that there aren’t more areas along the beach which are dog friendly.

David, Costa Blanca

Another con I’M a long time reader and lover of your column and have emailed you in the past.

Might I suggest a commen­ tary about the fraud that is the man­made global warm­ ing con? Please see https://cli matediscussionnexus.com/ for some down­to­earth facts.

Either way, keep up the great work!!

Your fan Max Kite

Not a supporter SO Lee is not a supporter of the Conservative party but would support any others apart from Labour. I find this very strange that anyone who is not a supporter of a Tory government chooses to attack week after week the only credible opposition and not the party he purports not to support who are in government, and has never once condemned them.

His obsession of hate for the left is currently very much in the minority as Labour are miles ahead in the polls. His latest pathetic comment that their new idea of scrapping the House of Lords is a bumbling effort to gain popularity shows how completely out of touch he is as Labour promised this proposal 12 years ago if they ever got back into govern­ ment. Perhaps as he says the swamp of despair the coun­

try is drowning in, these anti Labour rants should be aimed in a different direc­ tion.

Ramon Osborne, Los Alcázares

Freedom of speech FULL marks to your newspa­ per for giving Leapy Lee the freedom to express opinions with which, I believe, most open­minded people would agree. It takes courage these days of woke to tell it as it is when, according to the so­ called rules of today, you should avoid upsetting any­ one at all costs! Reading the bleeding heart criticism from some of your respondents, I truly wonder which fairy tale planet they presently occupy!

Please keep telling it as it re­ ally is, and is likely to be­ come, Leapy.

Ken, San Fulgencio

EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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22 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

8 - 14 December 2022

BAKERLOO LINE

DAVID WORBOYS

THINKING ALOUD THE Conservative Party in England is very unpopular at present, but let me digress.

Living in London in the early 60s I had to travel every weekday between Maida Vale and Lambeth. That meant using the Baker­ loo line in the rush hour. This stretch of the line served several of London’s busiest un­ derground stations ­ Paddington, Baker Street, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Char­ ing Cross and Waterloo. Hence, the passen­ gers were packed into the coaches like sar­ dines. Our bodies were forcibly pressed against our fellow passengers. No fresh air, no room to move.

Meanwhile, the legacy of this Conserva­ tive government is disastrous. Brexiteers were promised by Boris Johnson £350 mil­ lion for the NHS. In fact, owing to under­ funding, the very future of the NHS is now under threat, not least because its EU per­ sonnel have left in droves, resulting in the loss of 165,000 staff. The remaining doctors, nurses and medical workers are now forced into a strike.

Furthermore, Brexit is the cause of severe job shortages in education, policing and agriculture. We were also offered a better economic future with special trading rela­ tionships with the USA, India and other non­European countries. This has not hap­ pened and consequently the economy is in a precarious state, with millions unable to afford to enjoy normal lives.

Many Brexiteers voted for more effective control over our borders. Immigrants con­ tinue to arrive in their thousands every week. The handling of Immigration and the treatment of immigrants are out of control.

Others voted for independence from Brussels legislation. The success of this move depends on the degree of compe­ tence and judgement of the respective courts and politicians. The Conservatives have not displayed these qualities during or since Johnson’s premiership.

As far as I am concerned the continuation of Tory government from 2024 is about as welcome as a fart on the Bakerloo line.

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

FEATURE

Here to help

THE British Benevolent Fund tries to help British nationals in Spain who have found themselves in very difficult financial sit­ uations.

Often this is compound­ ed by difficulties with a challenging social security and health system.

One such case was John.

John lives in rural Spain. He moved there af­ ter his wife died and en­ joyed the tranquillity.

He quickly settled in, made friends, learned the language and found part­ time work.

He also registered as an official resident and had a modest income freelanc­ ing.

On a routine medical check­up, they discovered a suspected tumour and needed to do more tests.

As a legal resident he was covered, but he had­ n’t reckoned with the bu­ reaucracy and the long

waiting list.

The doc­ tors ad­ v i s e d surgery to re­ move a malignant tumour close to his spine.

Within weeks the dam­ age caused to the spine left him with debilitating back pain and mobility is­ sues. He was soon finding it very difficult to walk.

As an official Spanish resident, he was entitled to healthcare and disabili­ ty payments.

However, he had to wait nearly six months for the surgery and was un­ able to work.

His savings were soon depleted.

Local social services contacted the local British Consulate who referred the case to us.

The BBF was able to pay for mobility and a

Olaf Clayton of BBF.

modest sum to cover liv­ ing and travel expenses to and from the hospital.

The surgery was a suc­ cess and John was able to receive disability pay­ ments.

He wrote to us after­ ward to say he was back to living a full life and to thank us.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the help you have offered me. After having fallen ill with cancer I was in a very dark place. I now have help from social se­ curity after a long wait.

The BBF lifted a heavy weight.”

John is now working again and, in every sense ­ back on his feet.

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23

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